Bharati Mukherjee

Bharati Mukherjee was born to a wealthy Hindu family on July 27, 1940 in Calcutta India (Shilpi, 1998). She was the second of the three daughters of a chemist Sudhur Lal and her mother was Bina Mukharfee. She spent her first eight years with her extended family of about 30 -40 people. She has a family that is supportive and always loves education, so she and her siblings always have abundant opportunities to pursue their academic career. She schooled at Anglicized Bengale School between 1944 and 1948. Later, her father relocated to England due to change in job and she lived there until 1951.This gave her the chances to explore, expand, and acquire more skills in English language. By the time she was ten years old, she had written many short stories and had even known that she was going to be a writers. She graduated with B. A honour from university of Calcutta in 1959, she also did her master in English and Ancient culture from University of Baroda in1961 (Shilpi, 1998). She was awar ded a scholarship from university of Iowa to study and earn her M. F. A. in the year she got married a Canadian writers Clerk Blaise. The courtship of which was not up to 2 weeks.She later got her PhD in English and comparative intensive from University of Iowa in 1969. Prior to her PhD, she travelled with her husband to Canada and became a naturalist citizen. In Canada, she had bad times and the life there was unbearable for her because of their discrimination to some certain people called ‘visible minority’ (University of Minnesota, 2006). Having gone through many things in Canada, she decided to relocate to the United States She has been described as a distinguish woman, who had gone through a lot both the good times and the bad times.She has stated it clearly that she is an American writer of Indian origin and that she utterly rejects the hyphenation of her background i. e. India-American writer. She called herself an immigrant in the country of immigrant. She is cu rrently been celebrated as a professor of English language in the University of California. Achievements She focused mainly on the ‘phenomenon of migration. ’(Shilpi, 1998) which revealed the significance of people migrating from one country to another and the feelings they always feels i. e. feelings of alienation.It also reflects Indian culture. Her writings were based on her personal; experience first as an exile from India, an immigrant to Canada and then an immigrant to the United States. Presently she has authored about eight novels and many short stories and at the same time co-authored two books with her husband. She was the first naturalised U. S citizen to win the National Book Critics’ Circle Awards for best fiction (http://www. ou. edu/worldlit/neustadt-2008jurors. htm). While at Canada, she was able to come up with two good novels despite her condition then i.e. the Tigers Daughter-which describe the story of a girl who went back to her home town Ind ia after many years of loosing contact with home. But all she met and gained was poverty and penury. This story described her personal experience in the first year of her marriage, and her venture back into her home town. Later she wrote invisible woman and the sorrow and terror in conjunction with her husband, to describe her personal experience when she was in the racist land of Canada to the extent that she was still humiliated even as a professor (Shilpi, 1998).Then when she got to united state she wrote one of her short stories ‘isolated incidents’ in which she critically review the Canadians perspective about people moving into their country. She even confirmed how the government official’s maltreated some people from other race. In her second book titled Wife; where she described a woman who out of fear and anxiety murdered her husband and later killed herself when she was suppressed by some men. She talked about her experience when she was caught between two worlds: her home and culture, and how she coped with it.She is gifted at writing novel, short stories, essays, travel literature and journalism. In one of her collections of short stories; Darkness: she focused on the southern Asia that desired success and want to be stable, but, fail to resolve and address the issues of prejudice and injustice. This later followed by the book that actually brought her into a lime light: the Middleman and other Stories which won her an award. This was then followed by Jasmine which was the most widespread and the most read of her novels. Her recent works comprise the ‘Holder of the World’, which was publish in 1993 and ‘leave it to me’ which was produced by 1997.She has faced many critics solely on the issues she normally addresses, and even she has been criticised many times by the Indian writers that in her book she always paint India as a land that has no hope or prospects. Conclusion Having gone through the rigorous discrimination in Canada, she had found a way of reaching out and explaining the whole situation in her writings. This has help to greatly reduce the level of treatment the society at large expresses to their immigrants and this will also proffer good and healthy relationships among different tribes.REFERENCES: Shilpi P (1998): Bharati Mukherjee: http://www. english. emory. edu/Bahri/Mukherjee. html: April 25, 2008 University of Minnesota (2006): Bharati Mukherjee http://voices. cla. umn. edu/vg/Bios/entries/mukherjee_bharati. html: April 25, 2008 Bharati Mukherjee http://www. bbc. co. uk/worldservice/arts/features/womenwriters/mukherjee_being. shtml: April 25, 2008 University of Oklahoma (May, 2008): Jurors for the 2008 Neustadt Prize: http://www. ou. edu/worldlit/neustadt-2008jurors. htm: April 25, 2008 Bharati Mukherjee (Sept. , 1998): Leave it to me http://www. randomhouse. com/catalog/display. pperl? isbn=9780449003961&view=rg: April 26, 2008.

Global Project Management

Similarities and Differences between Domestic and Global Project Management. Global business practices are becoming increasingly common both for large multi-national organizations as well as small domestic businesses. Many businesses outsource work to other countries or contract people of organizations globally to complete project work or provide offshore services (Eberlein, 2008, p. 27). A better understanding of how to manage global projects is important to the body of knowledge about project management. The purpose of this study is to explore the similarities and differences between domestic and global project management. The research questions used to guide this study are 1. In what ways are domestic and global projects similar and different? 2. What are some mediating variables that contribute to global project failure or success? Domestic Project Management In the United States the Project Management Institute (PMI) project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) and the Association of Project Manager’s (APM) body of knowledge (bok) are used as guides for planning and controlling projects (Burke, 2001). According to the PMBOK a project is â€Å"a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service. Temporary means that every project has a definite end. Unique means that the product or service is different in some distinguishing way from all similar products or services† (PMBOK as cited in Burke, 2001, p. ). All projects share the same basic components: (a) a project manager or single individual responsible for the outcome of the project, (b) a beginning and an end, (c) distinct phases, budget of allocated financial and physical resources, (d) unique set of activities specific to the project, (e) fast tracking to getting product or process completed before the competition, and (f) identification of team member roles and responsibilities (Burke, 2001). The role of the project manager is â€Å"to set up a management structure which not only meets the needs of the project, but the needs of the organization, the needs of the stakeholders and the needs of the individuals working on the project† (Burke, 2001, p. 1). Projects range in size and scope from small domestic projects to large multi-national global projects. The first, and often critical task of the project manager is to identify the stakeholders of the project and what their needs and expectations are in relation to the urpose and the scope of the project (Kerzner, 2003). According to the PMBOK, there are nine components that the project manager must consider: (a) integration, (b) time, (c) quality, (d) scope, (e) cost, (f) human resource management, (g) communication, (h) procurement, and (i) risk. This involves the project manager articulating what has to be completed in order for the project to be a success. This includes outlining how long the project will take, how much it will cost, what resources are needed, and what technical or subject matter experts are needed. Prior to implementation, the project manager works with others on the project team to develop a plan and how it will be implemented. Throughout the planning, implementation, and completion phases, the project manager is responsible for managing techniques and tools used as well as integrating, monitoring and maintaining the process and personnel from concept to completion of project objectives (Burke, 2001). Project integration involves the planning, execution, and control of the project and how the inputs from different knowledge and technical experts will be coordinated (Kerzner, 2003). Project scope management involves ensuring that all the tasks required for the project are defined, the resources required are identified, and controlling processes are in place (DeLone et al. , 2005). Project cost management includes understanding budget allocation and restrictions and planning how resources will be used, cost estimates and budgeting, cash-flow and control. Project quality management involves indentifying and maintaining the necessary conditions to ensure quality assurance and control during all phases of the project life cycle. Management of project personnel is also an important responsibility of the project manager. Project human resource management involves identifying, recruiting, and maintaining a project team with the right mix of technical and knowledge experts (Kerzner, 2003). Project communication management involves creating a work environment that facilitates the proper communication channels for the collection and dissemination of information related to planning, implementation, and completion of the project. Project risk management involves identifying risks and incorporating processes and procedures to mitigate against risks to the completion of the project. Finally project procurement management involves identification and implementation of processes that facilitate the planning and procurement of resources and necessary documentation for completion of the project (Burke, 2001, pp. 8-9). During the project life-cycle, project managers are responsible for oversight of such tasks or processes as work breakdown structure, critical path methods (calculation of all the activities from start to finish to determine the duration of the project), resource smoothing, earned value, and configuration control (Burke, 2001). Many organizations are turning to management-by-projects approach because it provides flexibility, decentralized management responsibility, a more holistic or global way of conceptualizing problems and solutions, and problem solution processes that are goal oriented (Burke, 2001, p. ). One benefit of management by project is that it allows for the inclusion of temporary, part-time or full-time workers as team members. Another is that this approach has been endorsed by the International Project Management Assoc iation (IPMA) (Burke, 2001). This is important for global project management scenarios. Global Project Management Global project management often involv es program management in which a project office is designated to mange a large capital project that is subdivided into smaller project teams each with a specific goal to achieve as part of a larger plan. Often the project manager will be involved with one or more of the following, either personally or through designated representatives: (a) recruitment of project team personnel, (b) human resources and personnel issues, (c) identification of economic factors related to the project, (d) computer or other technical systems to be used, (e) legal contracts or other required documentations, (f) sales and marketing issues if applicable, (g) and costs (purchasing, sales, and employee) (Burke, 2001, p. 5). Finally, the project manager either serves as the technical expert or identifies and includes on the project team the necessary technical and knowledge experts required to complete the project. The project manager is key to the success of any project. The project manager sets the overall tone and creates the environment in which the work is to be completed (Delone et al. , 2005). The project manager must contend with and integrate the different expectations of outside forces that influence the project development, implementation, and completion. This includes stakeholder goals and expectations as well as the immediate client or sponsor requirements for the project (Delone et al. , 2005). It also includes understanding how the project fits within the economic cycle, market requirement, and the competition. In addition, the project manager must complete the project within the culture and structure of the organization or organizations while adhering to any rules and regulations governing the industry (Espinosa et al. , 2003). Finally, and sometimes neglected, the project manager must be mindful of the political forces that can affect the completion of the project, both internal to the organization as well as the external environment (Burke, 2001, p. 6). These factors are static and the manager must be able to deal with uncertainty, change, and risk within the project environment. In a growing global business environment, projects often involve international partner and project teams composed of members from different geographical and cultural areas (Eberlein. 008). Global project managers are faced with a different set of challenges than faced by the domestic project manager. â€Å"Conducting projects in different countries, with their unique legal and political environment, security issues, economic factors, and infrastructure limitations and requirements, increases complexity far beyond that of projects executed in domestic settings† (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. 1). Many of the issues discussed in relation to domestic project management are applicable to global project management. However, in addition to the PMI and PMBOK in the United States, there are others organizations that provide project management guidelines such as the Association of Project Managers (AMP bok) in the United Kingdom, The AIPM Competency Standards for Project Management in Australia, the ISO 10006 Guideline to Quality in Project Management, South African unit standards, and the International Association of Project Managers (IPMA’s BOK) (Burke, 2001, p. ). The purpose of these resources is to provide a body of common knowledge that can be used in domestic as well as international projects Compared to the PMBOK used in the United States, the APM bok from the United Kingdom employs a broader approach to project management, utilizing 55 knowledge areas compared to the nine knowledge areas of PMBOK. The APM bok: Incorporates not only inward focused project management topics (such as planning and control techniques), but also broader topics in which the project is being managed (such as social and ecological environment), as well as specific areas (such as technology, economics, finance, organization, procurement and people as well as general management). (Burke, 2001, p. 8) Global project management involves an understanding of the industries and types of projects that are used in the countries involved in the project (Burke, 2001). When involved in global project management, a key issue is ensuring a common understanding and competence of project managers who come from different project management certification of licensure programs Delone et al. , 2005). Project managers and team members will have to work out a common business language and set of common practices and procedures that will be adhered to during the planning, implementation, and completion of the project. This is especially important when dealing with different legal systems and requirements of the countries involved in the project (Burke, 2001, p. 10). The Influence of Culture to the Success of a Project Global project managers must effectively deal with differences in language that could be barriers to communication and understanding. Cross-cultural differences can also pose challenges when cultural conventions are violated. This lack of attention to language and cultural will show up at any point in the life cycle from planning to the completion stage in the form of differences in quality standards adhered to by technical and knowledge experts as well as misunderstandings over goals and task requirements (Henri & Sousa-Poza, 2005). Differences in labor relations, governmental agency involvement must also be addressed when forming a project team and setting the project deadline (Freedman & Katz, 2007). A critical mistake a project manager can make in working with an international team is neglecting cultural variables than can pose a risk to planning and execution. For example, assigning a high-risk project to a team composed of members from a risk-averse culture (e. g. Germany, Japan, and China) may result in excessive time spent in the planning and risk assessment phase of the project life cycle, changing processes, procedures, and performance aspects to mitigate against low probability risks that results the wasting of time and resources, and negative attitudes about the success of the project (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. 2). In countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, and some African nations, the successful completion of time-intensive and time critical projects can be jeopardized by a culture that places an emp hasis on being patient and bending to the will of fate. It is therefore vital to review such cultural characteristics in the context of a project’s priorities, considering alternatives where appropriate† (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. 2). Who the stakeholders are in a global project are also important considerations. While this is often neglected in domestic projects, the negative repercussions pose a greater threat to global projects (Freedman & Katz, 2007). To mitigate against the negative risks associated with a global partnership, it is important to establish shared goals and objectives from the start. This is often a difficult process because of cultural differences between the countries involved. While all cultural differences cannot be eliminated, identifying and mutually acknowledging these differences can help decrease misunderstandings and insults that could threatened the completion of the project (Freedman & Katz, 2007). Therefore, a project manager involved in any international partnership would take into consideration several factors that start with an assessment of the cultural values of the country and organization from which some of the team members would be recruited. Questions that the project manager would ask include: 1. How complex is the project? 2. How complex is the project infrastructure? 3. What are the key risk areas of the project? 4. How time-critical is the project? 5. What are your long-term objectives? 6. Which cultural barriers will you have to address? (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. 3) Once the team has been established, time should be taken to clarify and align the technical and knowledge competencies required by team members as well as the intentions and expectations from both the domestic and globally based team members for how the project will proceed. Since communication may be more difficult when working with a global partner, it is incumbent on the project manager to take the extra time to clarify and confirm information shared between project team members and key stakeholders in the project (Delone, 2005). This process will help the project manager identify and deal with differences in values that might threatened effective collaboration (Freedman & Katz, 2007). Project team leadership can be influenced differently in domestic and global project management. Approaches to leadership that work well in domestic projects may fail when working with culturally diverse team. For example, there is a hierarchy of communication between workers, supervisors, and leadership that are strictly adhered to in some countries (e. g. , India and Japan) that is not a part of the organizational culture in the U. S. Ignoring these cultural conventions could lead to project delay or even failure (Freedman & Katz, 2007). In addition, some cultures are highly authoritarian, group-oriented, and use indirect communication; these cultural practices are different from U. S. practices that tend to be more egalitarian, individualist, and use direction communication. This can result in situations where project team members are confused about how to interact with others and how to approach project tasks, often leading to delay or project failure (Freedman & Katz, 2007). If problems or conflict does occur, a project manager who understands the cultural differences at play, can work with team members to develop strategies that help adapting behaviors to accommodate differences in expectations about leadership, decision-making procedures, work styles, and rule/tactics of negotiation (Freedman & Katz, 2007). Some cultures expect their leaders to be more egalitarian than is common among US leaders (e. g. , Scandanavia, Israel, Australia, and New Zealand). When leaders are perceived as too autocratic, team members often will resent the leader’s actions and ignore a leader they consider arrogant and overbearing. On the other hand, some cultures expect the leader to be more directive and autocratic (e. g. , most countries south of the US, Russia, China, India, Mid East, and Far Eastern countries) (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. ). When a leader is perceived to be too friendly or casual with subordinates, team members will react to the project manager with confusion and distrust (Freedman & Katz, 2007). It cannot be understated the importance of project managers to accommodate their behaviors to the cultural and organizational expectations. â€Å"It is entirely possible to behave in a way that will be viewed as weak and ineffective in one culture and viewed as boorish and ineffective in an other† (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. 4). Palvia and Vemuri (2002) stress the key role that trust plays in the successful completion of a project. This is especially relevant to global project management were trust is built and strengthened by a project manager who recognizes the language, culture, local customs of the international partners and teams members in addition to knowledge about legal or regulatory requirements (Kliem, 2004). Project managers also must be prepared to work with leaders in other countries who are not familiar with working in cross-cultural teams and are unaware of how to interact in these situations. Project managers facile at â€Å"influencing, negotiating, and adapting their behavior to different people and contexts† (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. 5) are best suited from global projects. These managers are able to build relationships and understand the important role that these relationship are to the success of a global project. These managers are able to tap into relationships formed with partner organizations to help resolve issues or expedite solutions. Project managers who have difficulty in the following areas would be poor choices for leading a global project: (a) building relationships, (c) knowingly or unknowingly ignores or insults foreign team members, (d) have poor communication skills, (e) views foreigners as lazy, stupid, or unable/unwilling to adapt, (f) unwilling to adapt his/her own behaviors, (g) takes for granted the importance of coming to consensus on issues related to project tasks, times, and quality (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. 6). On the other hand, Freedman and Katz (2007) outlined several behaviors of the â€Å"uninformed† superior working for a foreign company that could threaten the collaboration, functioning, and success of a project. These disruptive behaviors include: ? Delegates completely, doesn’t see any reason to get involved. ?â€Å"They work for us—you make that clear to them! † ?Asks if the project manager is keeping â€Å"banker’s hours† when he/she comes in later after being on the phone from 11-3 the night before. ?Sees no reason to be selective (except technically) in placing people on an international project. Selects high risk/high collaboration projects for international work. ?Assumes the time required is the same for international and domestic projects. ?Is unwilling or unable to change leadership style to meet cultural expectations. (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. 5) Another factor that is different from domestic projects is that members on a global project team often are geographically and sometimes organizationally dispersed (Orlikowski, 2002). It is not uncommon for these project members to meet in â€Å"virtual teams† using telecommunications and information technology (Eberlein, 2008, p. 9). Bell and Kozlowski (2002) point out that the use of virtual teams add an additional layer of complexity to any program. The lack of personal contact hinders team development and constrains performance management. At present, â€Å"there have been few efforts to include the culture variable in the theoretical frameworks† (Gurung & Prater, 2006, p. 24). Conclusion Being the manager of a globally based project can be exciting and rewarding with the project manager has the knowledge and skills to deal with culturally diverse work situations. In order to increase leadership effectiveness and the management of risk, uncertainty, and complexity, the project manager must become familiar with the guidelines for the project process that is common in the country where the project will be completed. In addition, cultural awareness and the ability to engage members of the team in effective communication that considers and respects cultural customs of the hosting country is critical to project success. Different countries respond differently to peers and those in positions of authority. A little â€Å"homework† about the culture and customs of the host country will serve the project manager well. References Bell, B. S. , & Kozlowski, S. W. J. (2002). A typology of virtual teams: Implications for effective leadership. New York: Cornell University, Faculty Publications: Human Resource Studies Burke, R. (2001). Project management: Planning and control techniques (3rd ed. ). New York: John Wiley & Sons. DeLone, W. , Espinosa, J. A. , Lee, G. , & Carmel, E. (2005). Bridging global boundaries for IS project success. Proceedings of the 38th Hawaii International Conference on Systems Science, Big Island Hawaii, IEEE. Eberlein, M. (2008). Culture as a critical success factor for successful global project management in multi-national IT service projects. Journal of Information Technology Management, 19(3), 27-42. Espinosa, J. A. , Cummings, J. N. , Wilson, J. M. , and Pearce, B. M. (2003). Team boundary issues across multiple global firms. Journal of Management Information Systems, 19(4), 157-190) Freedman, S. , & Katz, L. (2007). Critical success factors for international projects. PM World Today, 9(10), 1-8. Retrieved April 18, 2010 from http://www. pmworldtoday. net Gurung, A. , & Prater, E. (2006). A research framework for the impact of cultural differences on IT outsourcing. Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 9(1), 24-43. Henri, M. , & Sousa-Poza, A. (2005). Project management: A cultural literary review. Project Management Journal, 36(1), 5-14. Kerzner, H. (2003). Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling and controlling. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Kliem, R. L. (2004). Managing the risks of offshore IT development projects. Information Systems Management Journal, Summer, 22-28. Orlikowski,, W. (2002). Knowing in practice: Enacting a collective capability in distributed organizing. Organization Science, 13, 249-273. Palvia, S. C. , & Vemuri, V. K. (2002). Global e-commerce: An examination of issues related to advertising and intermediation in Palvia, P. C. , Palvia, S. C. J. , & Roche, E. M. (eds. ) Global information technology and electronic commerce: Issues for the new millennium. New York: Ivey League Publishing.

The Cause of Dystopia in Animal Farm

In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the humanistic characteristics in the animals led them from forming a utopia, to a dystopia. In the beginning of the novel, Old Major leads the animals in the song Beasts of England, encouraging a rebellion against Mr. Jones. After the revolution, the animals began to work towards their utopia, but they began to turn into what they despised, and their utopia began to fall apart. This book shows how human corruption completely destroys a government that is set up to serve the people. Orwell achieves this by giving each of the characters a different human quality. In Animal Farm the pigs symbolize politicians and the upper class. They lie, cheat and steal from the animals that they are supposed to serve; and they make promises that they know they can never keep. Napoleon and Squealer are the two main pigs who take over after Snowball is chased off of the farm. Squealer would constantly justify the horrible actions of Napoleon as for the betterment of the animals. Once after Napoleon took all the apples and milk for the pigs, Squealer says: â€Å"Comrades! † he cried. â€Å"You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organization of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. † The selfishness and greed of the pigs not only makes them into what they hated the most, but it also caused to animals to lose their trust in them and to dislike them. Another group of animals in Animal Farm that show human qualities is Boxer and sheep. Boxer is a large and powerful horse to buys into animalism and works the hardest on the farm. He agreed with everything that Napoleon said, and his catchphrases were: â€Å"I will work harder† and â€Å"Napoleon is always right. † Boxer also saves the farm on multiple occasions, but in the end, Napoleon sold him to a glue factory to be killed. Boxer represents the working class, which is used by the government to its advantage, and then never cared for again. Boxer’s complete trust in the government led to his own misfortune. The sheep were totally gullible animals. The believed whatever they were told and repeated it. Boxer and the sheep represent individuals who whole-heartedly follow the government, no matter what. This quality leads to a dystopia because when the followed exactly what Napoleon described, they failed to realize that the government was no longer working for them as intended, but they for the government. Also in Animal Farm, Clover and Benjamin were two animals who were not as trusting of the government, but went along with it anyway. Clover also represents the working class, but she also had her own doubts about how Animalism was being run. Her deepest concerns are expressed after Napoleon’s executions: â€Å"As Clover looked down the hillside her eyes filled with tears. If she could have spoken her thoughts, it would have been to say that this was not what they had aimed at when they had set themselves years ago to work for the overthrow of the human race. These scenes of terror and slaughter were not what they had looked forward to on that night when old Major first stirred them to rebellion. Benjamin on the other hand, was entirely cynical of Animalism, because he knew that it would not work out. He was aware of the fact that life on the farm would go on just as it had, no matter who controlled the farm. These two animals represent two different ideas displayed by those who are under the jurisdiction of the government. Having two separate ideas can lead to dissention in the people, causing a dystopia. Finally in the end of the novel, it is seen that pigs taught themselves how to walk about on two feet, which is completely contradictory to their original ideology â€Å"Four legs good, two legs bad. In the last chapter of the book, it is said when the pigs had humans in the farmhouse for a meal, that â€Å"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. † The animals originally believed that it was the humans that caused them their dystopia, but in the end, it was the humanistic characters in the both the animals themselves and the humans as well that caused a dystopia.

Biological security Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biological security - Assignment Example Both the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the National Response Framework (NRF) have and continue to enhance the federal government’s ability to coordinate efforts between state and local governments in the event of terrorist attacks or national disasters. The NRF outlines guidelines that help in the alignment of key responsibilities and roles of different agencies involved in disaster relief efforts (Homeland Security 8). In addition, the NRF describes best practices for the different authorities it furnishes with the responsibility of mitigating disasters be it on a small or large scale. It is important to note that the NRF is very flexible whereby the guidelines outlined are designed to cater for the different types of disasters (Homeland Security 8). NIMS complements the NRF by further outlining a systematic, proactive approach, which helps to guide departments in the government, private, and non-governmental sectors as they disburse emergency relief supplies and services to victims of natural disasters or terrorist attacks (FEMA). Dealing with a biological attack in the US or in any other country cannot be haphazard. The RAIN concept is a simple outline of the four steps that emergency respondents should follow in a systematic manner when dealing with biological attacks. The first step calls for the recognition of the hazard or threat. More often than not, medical personnel who deal with medical emergencies; for example, EMTs are often the first point of contact with the biological hazard.

Sexual Harassment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Sexual Harassment - Essay Example If Choudhury is aware of and follows sexual harassment laws and policies, he would understand that these actions are unacceptable because Baughn can sue him with sexual harassment. Employees should avoid acts that can result to sexual harassment claims. Furthermore, people should also help report sexual harassment cases. Some victims may be afraid of reporting them because of fear of losing their jobs or not being promoted. Those who are sexually harassing them might be making threats against them already. Employees have a responsibility to their co-workers to promote obedience to the law and the protection from sexual harassment through following sexual harassment reporting guidelines. This way, they are also protecting their environment from being a toxic one where people fear what sexual harassment can do to the stability and development of their careers. In addition, employees can also recommend improvements to sexual harassment policies that are appropriate to their organization s. They can ensure that these policies remain relevant to their workplace and cultures that may improve these policies’ effectiveness. Riley, Samantha. â€Å"‘Hot Yoga’ Guru Faces Sexual Harassment Charges.† abcnews.com, 22 Mar. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

Changes and trends in the external market for Crown Hotel and Casino Assignment

Changes and trends in the external market for Crown Hotel and Casino - Assignment Example re process of formulating a workable strategic management plan for understanding changes and trends in the external market and how to address challenges that may arise. Over the past, the Casino and Hotel industry has grown in spite of competition from other companies and online gambling sites. Income is estimated to increase by rough a compound annual 2.8% over the last five years through 2014-2015. A greater per capita betting outflow has been instrumental in terms of financial performance, with customersindicating high demand for more gaming services. Additionally, the increase in discretionary income levels has further played an essential role for revenue growth. This is attributed to its customers having spent more money on non-essential services such as casino gambling services. Political factors play an essential role as companies such as the Crown Hotel and Casino strive to gain competitive advantage in the present intricate market. Government policies remain a major challenge for Crown since government decisions affect the daily running of business at Crown. These policies attempt to control how Crown should carry out its gambling services to a diverse range of consumers from different countries. For instance the government of China has been against excessive gambling and limiting gambling opportunities for Chinese citizens in their own country may prompt them to venture into gambling in other parts of the world such as Australia thus an increase in Crown Hotel and Casino business owing to its prestige and big image. In many organizations, political factor licensing plays a significant role in determining the success of Crown. According to Business review weekly: BRW, Casino is believed to raise 18% of Australia’s $19 billion from gambling industr y alone (2001, p 2). However, it is essential to highlight on how they are run and regulated. In this regard, Crown Casino has gone under the radar since it focuses on gambling in pubs and clubs. It raises

Explain how the treatment of internal and external customers is one Essay

Explain how the treatment of internal and external customers is one more important than the other How does this affect "quality" in the organization - Essay Example Internal customers are the human capital that constitutes the factors of production. The expertise of the internal customers determine the quality of the output which the influence the external customers. In a service industry for example, the knowledge and skills of the employees influence the end product which determines the satisfaction of external customers. In Hill & Allen (2007) the external customers also influence the operations of the organization. A service industry like the Insurance industry is usually operated by the needs and wants of the external customers. The needs or complaints of the external customers are normally factored by the organization with great interest. In return, the organization executes their demand with effective conditions in order to suit their tastes and preferences. Martinez & Hobbi (2008) explain that the internal customers facilitate in the marketing of the organizations services. The internal customers through effective communication and delivery of the services influence the customers’ perception. The Insurance Industry in one slippery sector that is entirely operated by the act of faith. The internal customers are required to fully disclose the benefits and terms and conditions of the policy so as the external customers can be convinced in order to purchase the product. Hill & Alexander (2006) explain the external customers act as a measure of the organization’s performance. The effectiveness of an organization’s operations can be evaluated based on the external customers’ feedbacks. A company that pollutes the environment can receive negative comments regarding activities and vice versa. In addition, the quality of its services and products can be evaluated based on their numbers (sales), feedbacks and support. The services or products delivery of the internal customers is highly on the organization’s support. The health sector for example, is a vital

Critically analyse how the government debt problems initially faced by Essay - 4

Critically analyse how the government debt problems initially faced by a few relatively small economies could trigger such a wide impact in financial markets - Essay Example Though the amount of exposure of each country and each financial market to the financial market of another country varies but the fact remains that no country can be considered as isolated in respect of interconnectedness. This particular essay discusses the effect of financial crisis on two particular markets that is derivative market and foreign exchange market. The essay tries to find the possible reasons due which financial crisis started from a particular country with a small economy gradually effects the financial markets globally. In this respect of this analysis both fundamental and identifiable factors are tried to be identified. Throughout centuries there have been several financial crises that have had large scale impact on the overall financial system. Different crisis in different timers have been triggered by different factors. However although there have been various triggering factors for different crisis the impact levels of the crisis have also varied depending on their reach and spread. A few examples of such crisis in the past are Asian crisis, Japan Crisis, Crisis of the Nordic countries. However the financial crisis of the dimensions of European financial crisis is unprecedented. The massive scale of the crisis was caused by two related factors the banking crisis and the crisis of the bond market (Ullah and Ahmed, 2014). The crisis first broke in 2007 when the banks felt uncertain about their investments in certain complex financial instruments. They increased interbank lending rates and virtually stopped lending to other banks. This led to serious liquidity problems for the banks in the short r un. At that time it was felt that the problem was more specific particular institution and those particular institutions may face default risk. However after default of major banks like Lehman Brothers, and risks concerning AIG which in turn took more financial institution with them in their downward

Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 3

Business strategy - Essay Example has conceded to the popular consensus that there is room for the larger iPhone in the world. This case study features iPhone 6/6+ product of the Apple Inc. and takes deeper analysis its business unit about the company’s external environment, its competitive position, and the value-addition proponents. Porter (1985) asserts that there are three major categories of the generic strategies; cost leadership, differentiation, and focus. As for Apple Inc., the focused differentiation and cost leadership strategy are the best for the company in adapting to the competitive environment while implementing the value adding activities. The cost leadership strategy has been strongly pursued by the Apple Inc. in its continued efforts to ensuring successful competitiveness. The cost leadership strategy has enabled the company to be cost efficiency while ensuring sustainable development of the company. By pursuing cost the leadership strategy, the company has been able to determine the prices of its products and services at competitive prices. Nilsson and Rapp (2005) on the other hand states that when a company can sustain the profits above its expected income then the company can be termed as having gained the competitive advantage over its rivals. Apple Inc. Introduced the iPads to act as the more portable version of their range of the personal computers; an intermediate between the Smartphones and laptops. The introduction of the iPhone 6/6+ by Apple Inc. creates the impression of the company’s continued adoption of the differentiation strategy. Capon (2008) asserts that differentiation strategy is the clever way for the business in the establishment of the large market share owing to the fact that buyers perceive the quality of the services or products in regard to the price. Apple Inc. has made sure that its iPhone possess its line of the applications that can be bought directly installed on the phone. The company has ensured that the iPhone

The Issue of Human Cloning Essay Example for Free

The Issue of Human Cloning Essay INTRODUCTION Human cloning has been a favorite subject in science fiction stories, but has in recent years, it has become front page news. Anytime that a new scientific debate is born, many details about the topic itself is muddled with many inaccuracies. The problem is: do people understand enough of the science to predict whether cloning will be acceptable or not ethically and/or legally? Does it make sense to bring new people in the world whose origin is drastically different than the majority of people? This short review will focus first on arguments for cloning human beings based on scientific arguments and second on arguments against human cloning from the book by Leon Kass â€Å"The Ethics of Human Cloning. † REPRODUCTIVE AND RESEARCH CLONING Cloning is done in adult animals by somatic cell nuclear transfer. In the case of sheep like Dolly, the nucleus of a cell from a sheep is placed inside the cell of another sheep that has been emptied from its nucleus. However, contrary to the popular belief, the cloned sheep will not be 100% genetically identical to the donor sheep. The enucleated cell still has some DNA inside in organelles like the mitochondria that will be different than the donor’s DNA. The main arguments for cloning deal with the potential medical as well as scientific benefits that would be conferred upon humanity if adult humans could be cloned. The first reason is that cloning humans would bring forth medical breakthroughs for curing diseases like cancer. The rationale is that cloning involved in the differentiation of a cell may be an advantage that could help in the comprehension of how a cell differentiates and divides. Cancerous cells are multiplying without restraints since the cellular mechanisms for regulating cell division and cell growth are non-functional. Usually, unrestrained division and growth in normal cells do not continue because the cell has safety mechanisms that will induce death or apoptosis to stop this uncontrollable process. Other ideas about the benefit of cloning are cloning organs that could replace defective ones like heart, kidneys, and liver. This type of cloning is called research cloning contrasting with reproductive cloning. Another argument deals with infertility and reproduction. Many people cannot have children. Reproductive cloning would not only give them a child, but an ideal child in terms of genomic inheritance, implying that a clone could have its genome altered based on the parent’s disease history. This would guarantee a healthy child or some kind of twin to the parent. In essence, identical twins are clones of each other since their genome is identical. Cloning also happens all the time in nature. So, why not in humans too whenever it is wanted? ARGUMENTS AGAINST CLONING Leon Kass in his book â€Å"The Ethics of Human Cloning† analyzes the reasons why human cloning should never be used in our society. Dr. Kass expresses a fundamental distrust of human cloning based on the fact that human intervention is involved in the process. In effect, he draws a parallel between artificial insemination and cloning since both are in vitro processes in the beginning, being transferred to a host in vivo at the end. The problem with â€Å"human hands† is that ‘good intentions pave the way to Hell’ as the saying goes. We can start as wanting the best child, better health, and more intelligence, but in any case, we are not very far from eugenics. Eugenics have a strong opposition because it relies on selecting people based on genetic traits that are changed in order to bring about a specific characteristic in an individual. Eugenics may be the start of a socially unacceptable bias or discrimination based on the fact that the majority of mankind is naturally not fit genetically to qualify as persons almost physically and mentally perfect. In a world where only the most perfect humans would be chosen to survive, no room would be left for ‘inferior’ people. A past historical event connected with this idea is the Holocaust during which, people were gassed in order to get rid of their races or experimented upon in order to find out what physical perfection meant in order to improve the superior race. In addition, Dr. Kass deals with the traditional way of reproduction. Humans reproduce by sexual reproduction and have done so since the beginning of times. Since the announcement about cloning the first sheep, people have been upset about it because they feel that developing the technique further opens the proverbial Pandora’s Box. Will cloning affect our human dignity or our human nature? Moreover, based on the assumption that cloning humans would be accepted, he asks what status a clone would hold in our society. Past historical experiences with slavery and racism have troubled society till today. In fact, the general human population alienates who is different. It has been our nature people to ostracize others who are not judged normal. What would be the place of a clone in our society? What about a social status? What about legal perspectives concerning the rights and connections to their family? Dr. Kass also explains that science has more and more meddled with human reproduction, which he finds troublesome. He believes that there is an excess of consideration of what science in general can do to solve problems. In fact, by remedying one problem, it always creates new ones. In conclusion, cloning seems to possess multiple challenges to its establishment in society. The majority of humans feel that it is an attack on their human nature (reproduction and morality), which they hold sacred. The supporters of cloning are mainly concerned with what cloning can do for mankind in terms of acquiring scientific knowledge to cure diseases like cancer. Time will tell if cloning will bring doom or a better lot in life for humans.

The Blood Imagery In Macbeth English Literature Essay

The Blood Imagery In Macbeth English Literature Essay Macbeth is a short play written by William Shakespeare in the early 1600s. It is set in medieval Scotland and tells the story of Macbeth, a nobleman who is loyal to the King, but is misdirected by the witches prophecies and by his and Lady Macbeths ambition. The play depicts his bloody rise to power and tragic downfall. Blood is a symbol that appears throughout the play and is present during many important scenes. Shakespeare uses the image of blood to illustrate changes in Macbeths character throughout the play. At the beginning of the play, blood is used to represent Macbeths loyalty and honor as a soldier. As the play progresses, he becomes a treacherous person, betraying King Duncan and murdering him. The blood now is associated with murder and Macbeths treason. Towards the end of the play, the image of blood shows the unending guilt of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is first introduced to the audience by a wounded captain, who describes him as a heroic soldier, fighting without mercy to protect King Duncan. According to the captain, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ brave Macbeth à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ with his brandished steel Which smoked with bloody execution Like valors minion, carved out his passage Till he faced the slave. (1.2.18-22) The audience is given quite a ghastly image of Macbeth splitting Macdonwalds body in half and then decapitating him, showing Macbeths courage and mercilessness as a warrior. The fact that the bloody man (1.2.1) himself is badly wounded makes his telling of the story even more valiant, and his blood seems to elevate Macbeths image as a hero. King Duncan praises both of them for their heroism, referring to Macbeth as his valiant cousin and worthy gentleman (1.2.26). At this point of the play, blood symbolizes honor and loyalty as well as bravery, victory and the good. As the play goes on, Macbeths character changes and so does the image of blood. He decides to murder Duncan and usurp the throne. Just before committing the murder, he hallucinates and imagines a dagger of the mind (2.1.50) before him. He says to the knife, I see thee still, / And, on thy blade and dudgeon, gouts of blood, / Which was not so before (2.1.57-59). He also tries to reassure himself, saying that Theres no such thing: / It is the bloody business which informs / Thus to mine eyes (2.1.59-61). The bloody business refers to the murder he is about to commit. This scene is the turning point of the play, which shows the beginning of Macbeths character transformation from a courageous and honorable man to a treacherous, evil and merciless tyrant. The image of blood symbolizes treason, ambition and murder, contrasting what it meant earlier in the play. It is now associated with evil. After Macbeth murders Duncan, he begins to realize the magnitude of his crime. He says, This is a sorry sight (2.2.28), looking at Duncans blood on his hands. He tries to wash Duncans blood, and his own guilt, off his hands: Will all great Neptunes ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red. (2.2.78-81) This illustrates how the act of murder has changed Macbeths character, turning him into a man full of guilt and remorse. However, he does not stop at one murder but, out of paranoia, tries to solidify his position as a king and get rid of anyone standing in his way. The image of blood continues to haunt Macbeth as the ghost of murdered Banquo shows up at his feast. Shocked by the appearance of the ghost, he exclaims, I am in blood / Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go oer (3.4.168-170). This shows how dramatically Macbeths character has changed he has stepped so far into the world of evil that it is impossible for him to redeem himself and return to righteousness, regardless of how guilty he might feel. It is clear that Shakespeare uses the image of blood to enhance the audiences understanding of Macbeth and his character transformation. He starts off as a noble and just person, turns ambitious and treacherous and, finally, becomes a man full of guilt and remorse for his crime. On the other hand, blood imagery is also used by Shakespeare to evoke a visceral reaction from the audience. Blood represents birth, injury, death and the cycle of life. It is an essential part of life without which one cannot survive. Some people fear blood because it makes them recall their own injuries (for example, a cut in ones flesh), war memories or the death of someone they know. One may try to avoid blood but that is impossible as it runs in everyone. By bringing the image of blood on stage and making it virtually omnipresent, from the bleeding Captain to the beheaded Macbeth at the end, Shakespeare succeeds in making his play easier to relate to and for the audience to feel like part of the action, rather than just observers.

Effects of Language on a Specific Region

Effects of Language on a Specific Region Crystal Mullen ASSIGNMENT: Select a specific region that interests you, such as South America, Central America, Asia, etc., and research, as well as evaluate, the power of language in creating the idea of a region. Is language a self-sufficient and complete geographical model? Write a 1-2 page paper explaining your findings. Please be sure to substantiate your opinions with examples, as well as cite your resources using APA format. in length. Professor Sandve’s Explanation: 1) Define a region. What is a region? 2) Evaluate the power of language. Can you define a regions society, traditions, norms, climate, topography, etc. by evaluating the language? 3) Is language a self-sufficient and complete geographical model? What is a geographical model? If language is the only characteristic youre evaluating, can you fully define the region? I believe a region means something different to different people or industries. Before taking this class, I thought a region was that part of the basement or that portion of an attic that scary movies warned us to avoid. The Merriam-Webster dictionary had a different view: â€Å"Region: a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way (Merriam-Webster.com, 2014)† This definition appears to speak more to the topic of geography because we are now discussing spatial locations that offer distinct characteristics that are found in that found in that location. However, I need to know what a region is from a geographer’s point of view. â€Å"Region: in geography, an area of the earth that displays distinctive grouping of physical or cultural phenomena or is functionally united as a single organizational unit (Getis, Bjelland, Getis, 2014).† This definition best describes geography in the for this assignment because it encourages me to pick an area of the world that I find interesting because of how various physical or cultural features are joined into one spatial location. One region that I that does interest me is Africa. Africa is the second largest continent in the world; as well as the world’s second most-populous continent. Within its borders one will find 54 countries that are share the home for the continent’s many mountains, rivers, valleys and deserts. First of all, the Atlas Mountains run from the southwestern portion of Morocco along the coastline of the Mediterranean, all the way to Tunisia’s eastern edge. Also, the Great Rift Valley is the continent’s ground form of depression. Here is found a series of geological faults at are approximately 4,000 miles in length. The extent of the Great Rift Valley extends from the Red Sea region near Jordan, to the country of Mozambique. Furthermore, Africa is home to the Congo River Basin which dominates the landscape of central Africa’s Democratic Republic of the Congo. Finally though certainly not I would be remiss to speak of Africa without speaking of the Sahara Desert. The Sahara Desert cover close those a third o f Africa’s surface. It is the world’s largest desert in the world at approximately 3,500,000 square miles in total size (World Atlas, 2014). Based on this the geographical information, I would be surprised to learn if there is a cohesion of language within the continent to unify the continent of Africa. The range of traditions and customs in Africa are as diverse as Africa’s geography. For example, when it comes to meal time, the men eat before the women. Children remain silent while adult meal conversation is in progress. Also, hospitality is very important to the country of Africa. When they welcome their guests, they wash their hands, clap, and offer their best meats as a symbol of graciousness. Furthermore, when it comes to courtship, it appears that it is the girl who initiates the process. She will send a multi-colored beaded bracelet to the boy of her choice. Each bead represents a secret meaning and once the courtship process is over the secret behind the beads are revealed. Finally, though certainly exhaustively, it is customary during an African wedding that the bride wears a wedding dress that reflects her culture’s traditions and heritage. Also, the bride and groom are often tied at the wrists with either cloth or braided grass as a symbol of their newly cr eated union (Drake, 2014). When I read these customs, I feel as if it is possible for language to be a complete self-sufficient model of its people because their customs appear to transcend their multi-faceted geography, The aspect about Africa is their massive diversity of languages and dialects. While no one appears to know for absolute certainty, the best estimate of the number of languages and dialects spoken in Africa are around 2,000. One group of African languages are known as the Afro-Asiatic language group of languages. The 400 languages under this umbrella is generally heard spoken in North, East, and Southwest Africa. Some examples of these languages include Aramaic, Amharic, Arabic, Hausa, Hebrew, and Tigrinya. Another family of languages heard spoken in Africa is the Khoisan, or language. This happens a language that may be dying out, it is currently spoken in Angola, Botswana, and Namibia. This is the family of fifty different languages that use mainly clicking or tonal sounds to communicate. Finally though certainly not exhaustively the language family that holds the greatest number of languages is the Niger-Congo language family. Under this umbrella of languages one will find almost 4 00 languages that are spoken by over 500 million people. Common languages that fall within this family include Igbo, Swahili, Yoruba, and Zulu (wiseGEEK, 2014). I find it fascinating that there are countless languages for a person in Africa to express the frustration of the desert sand, being insulted by a dinner guest or vowing his or her life to a new spouse. I find myself conflicted when I consider if language is a complete, self-sufficient geographical model of the region of Africa. On the one hand, because there are over 2,000 languages, spoken in Africa, I would say that each language and dialect is a perfect representation of the country, or portion of that country within Africa. If language were my only representation I was evaluating, I could easily define that particular region. On the other hand, because there are over 2,000 languages, spoken in Africa, I would say that each language and dialect creates the perfect storm for confusion for Africa as a whole. I don’t see how I could identify Africa as a continent because the continent cannot unite behind one or two languages. In this scenario, if language were my only representation I was evaluating, I would greatly struggle to define the continent because millions of African citizens would not be representing in my definition. Therefore, I find that the African languages bo th reflect and confuses the geographic model found in the continent of Africa. References Drake, F. (2014). African Customs. Retrieved January 26, 2014, from eHow.com: http://www.ehow.com/info_8582146_african-customs.html Getis, A., Bjelland, M., Getis, V. (2014, January 7). Glossary. In A. Getis, M. Bjelland, V. Getis, Introduction to Geography (pp. G-9). New York: McGraw Hill. Retrieved from Balanced Politics: http://www.balancedpolitics.org/affirmative_action.htm Merriam-Webster.com. (2014). Definiton of Region. Retrieved January 26, 2014, from Merriam-Webster.com: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/region wiseGEEK. (2014). How Many Languages are Spoken in Africa? Retrieved January 26, 2014, from wiseGEEK: http://www.wisegeek.org/how-many-languages-are-spoken-in-africa.htm World Atlas. (2014). Africa Map. Retrieved January 26, 2014, from World Atlas: http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/af.htm World Atlas. (2014). Geography Africa. Retrieved January 26, 2014, from World Atlas: http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/afland.htm

I Want to Become an Educator Essay -- College Admissions Teaching Phil

I Want to Become an Educator Why is education such an essential part of our culture? We, as a society, are extremely materialistic and view education as a ladder to a higher socio-economic plateau, which consists of better job opportunities and a better lifestyle. Education is at the core every career imaginable and, regardless of technological advances, there will always be a need for teachers. Teachers touch lives every day. I am becoming an educator because I feel that I can positively influence the lives of others. I am confident in my ability to interact with others as I look forward to improving students’ lives through education. I feel that in order for students to prosper they must be comfortable with their learning environment. I plan to have an well-organized classroom with various bulletin boards highlighting current chapters of study, as well as announcements and assignments. I also believe that you must keep students both interested and involved to achieve successful learning. Desks in my classroom will be organized in one large â€Å"U† formation facing my desk in the front to create a feeling of unity and coherence. To further promote this goal I will assign a seating chart (possibly alphabetically) to aid in the diffusion of cliques and to avoid exclusion of these who may have the tendency to be isolated. Individual and group projects will be incorporated into my curriculum to provide students the opportunity to work both independently, as well as a team member. My teaching style, although eclectic, will be predominantly pragmatic. The class (with my discretion) will establish our classroom rules and penalties in a democratic fashion. I will be teaching vario... ...aming. This issue is of particular relevance to me because my 6 year-old nephew was recently diagnosed with mild autism. Mainstreaming is a very difficult subject that teachers must face. Placing students that are physically, socially or mentally challenged into a fast-paced learning environment is extremely adverse for the student, as well as the teacher. In conclusion, the ideas presented here are an overview of my personal beliefs regarding education. I expect that experience may cause me to add to, delete or otherwise alter some of these views. It is my desire to continue to learn from my instructors, peers and ultimately my students so that I may become a well-rounded and effective educator. Someday soon, I would like to be able to describe my classroom as community of learners, having produced good citizens as well as educated individuals.

Free Essays on Invisible Man: Invisibility :: Invisible Man Essays

Invisibility in Invisible Man Invisibility is usually taken to the extreme effect of truly being transparent, unseen by anyone and is often depicted in society as the hero, going behind the enemy's back to complete his mission. In Ralph Ellison's The Invisible Man this view of invisibility is turned around so that a man is in plain sight of everyone but do to a lack of observation nobody recognizes what he accomplishes. After beginning the novel as a man who stays quietly out of the way by doing what he is told, he is forced to leave and mold his "power" into another use. This change puts him now into a position into which he most relates to societies concept of invisibility, one who fights for fairer rights with still no one taking notice of him. Our nameless hero takes us on a journey that extends both concepts of an invisible pacifist and aggressor. The first "form" of our main character that we see is an anxious college student who only wishes to please his superiors and do as they ask. Seemingly the perfect student, an incident occurs with a College Board member and involves the passive use of our narrator's invisibility which infuriates the school's principal. The disagreement that followed included this statement " Power doesn't have to show off. Power is confident, self-assuring, self-starting and self-stopping, self-warming and self-justifying. When you have it you know it" which is stated by the school's Principal Dr. Bledsoe (Ellison 143). The first portion of the quote is Bledoe's idea of invisibility and what the narrator will eventually learn which is that having power and invisibility can coincide with each other. The continuation of the quote just continues to further extend on how one can be "invisible" and successful as long as they have these basic ideas like self-assurance and self-justification. This di scussion with Bledsoe opens the narrator's eyes to the real world and shows that being right doesn't mean you have power and without power you are nobody and remain invisible. A changing point in the main character's eyes occurs when his moral uprightness takes a turn and he sees that in order to succeed you may need to give up morals for support. After making an impassioned speech in front of a crowd, he is offered a job by communists to do the same for them but turns it down.

How strong was Nationalism in the Second Reich?

In 1871, Bismarck unified Germany; however this great achievement did not mean that his job was done. Now, the ultimate threat for him was a revolution, so he needed to make sure that everyone was reasonably happy in the new unified Germany. The constitution of the German Reich was created on 19 April 1871. This aimed to please the upper class, middle class, working class and the German states. The upper class were pleased by the fact that they would be ruled by a German Emperor (William I) who was also the King of Prussia and Supreme Commander. This way, they could maintain an element of autocracy and social hierarchy. The Federal Council could over-rule the Reichstag if it wanted to so this helped to avoid democracy, again, pleasing the upper class. Having a constitution would please the middle class as it enables democracy to a certain extent. They would have been pleased by the fact that the constitution allows the middle class suffrage and in turn, gains them more power. Gaining the vote and power within the constitution also pleased the working class. Twenty-five confederal states made up the Federal Council, meaning that Prussia did not overrule everyone; this pleased the other German states. Prussia was only allowed seventeen representatives; however, the council had the power of veto, if they were supported by 14 votes. This meant that it would take only 14 of the 17 representatives of Prussia to overrule the other states. The careful planning of the constitution helped to encourage nationalism, as everyone in it was kept quite happy. The middle and working class got elements of democracy whilst the upper class had elements of autocracy. However, it was more absolutist than it appeared to be. Bismarck and Prussia still had subtle control over Germany. How did the government encourage the people to be good Germans? Nationalism throughout Germany was encouraged in areas such as education, industry and the monarchy. The writings of Heinrich Von Treitschke were very influential to the German people. He believed that Germans were driven by ideas such as nationalism rather than being practical. The acquisition of power was the key to a successful Germany, â€Å"only the truly great and powerful states ought to exist.† As he was such an influential writer, it was causing nationalism to grow amongst the German people. Treitschke also believed in conformity and wrote that â€Å"the individual has no right to regard the state as a means for attaining his own ambitions in life†, meaning that people should do as they are told by their government, and not revolt (like the French did.) Both the acquisition of power and conformity had created a replacement to absolutism known as authoritarianism. His writing showed that nationalism was becoming more and more conservative. To be a good German, you had to pure blooded and a militarist. Treitschke taught that war was a good thing and it makes you a better person. â€Å"The sacred power of love which a righteous war awakes† is an example of what he wrote about war. Germany was founded through three wars, so to Germans it must seem a very good thing. However, this all changed after WWI. Nationalism was also being encouraged through education. Textbooks would contain phrases such as â€Å"the ideal bearers of civilisation with an innate superiority and pureness of blood.† Introducing to children the ideas of the Aryan race. How serious was opposition to nationalism? The main opposition to nationalism consisted of the Catholic church, workers and women. Problems with the Catholic church arose because Bismarck tried to control the country through education. However, for Catholics, their education lies in the hands of their religion so what they were taught by their religion was very different to what Bismarck wanted to teach them. In 1870, the Vatican Council adopted the doctrine of papal infallibility, meaning that whatever the pope said or did was right, and no one was allowed to question it. This was a problem for Bismarck as he continued to try to gain control over German education. He passed many laws such as the May Laws (1873) which forbade catholic inspections of schools, but by 1887, a bill was passed to give the Church its old independence. The Catholics won the Kulturkampf so they proved to be a threatening opposition to nationalism. Socialism of the working class was the most serious form of opposition to nationalism. The social democrats were similar to communists in the sense that they wanted the abolition of classes and class rule. Bismarck tried to prevent them from growing, by introducing anti-socialist laws, but they continued to grow even faster. By 1912, the SPD were the largest party in the Reichstag with nearly 4million votes!! Bismarck even attempted to encourage working class nationalism by introducing state insurance and pension, however, this was simply mocked by socialists. They called it ‘state socialism.' The social democrats continued to be the largest party in the Reichstag up to the outbreak of WWI in 1914. Another form of opposition to nationalism was women. This was not as serious as the Suffragettes in Britain, although it still posed a threat to nationalism. Women were seen as second class citizens who were oppressed by the ruling classes, generally men. The women's movement achieved very little under Bismarck, however, they managed to get the right to get involved in politics. It was the most low key of the three main threats to nationalism, as it was not as significant as the Socialists or the Catholics. Out of the three, the biggest threat to nationalism seems to be the Social Democratic party, as they managed to become the largest party in the Reichstag, meaning that they would have quite an influence over parliament. However, the Federal Council could just simply dissolve the Reichstag if they felt it was necessary.

Nature of childhood Essay

There are many aspects of early years practice which have their origins in the past and which reflect particular ideas about the nature of childhood. It can be argued that it is important to identify these aspects so as to understand current interpretations of early years practice. Discuss with reference to the philosophies of two key historical figures. Current early years practices such as play, a stimulating environment, the role of the practitioner, and recognising the child’s parents as playing a key role in their education originate from theories that were made in the past. The following pages will outline the influential ideas of Friedrich Froebel and Dr. Maria Montessori and discuss them in relation to the current ideas relating to the above topics. Before the nineteenth century, childhood was not seen as a stage of life separate from adulthood. Instead, the concept of childhood was regarded as an immature form of adulthood (Wood, E. 1996) children were regarded as being naturally evil and so education was not prioritised. Most children learnt the values of life through labouring alongside adults. Into the nineteenth century, and with the concept of original sin dropped, three different views of childhood and education arose. The nativist view is the view that children are born with a pre-programmed development pathway. The empiricist view believes that each child is an empty vessel waiting to be filled, and the interactionist view recognises that children do have pre-programmed ideas whilst understanding the influence that the child’s socio-cultural surrounding has on his education. (Bruce, T. 1997) At the moment, the interactionist view is the most popular method of educating children (Ibid) and professionals regard both Friedrich Froebel and Maria Montessori as interactionists. However, both approached the development of childhood from a very different angle. Friedrich Froebel believed that The human being is born for research; and he is to practice it even as a child (Anonymous, 2000,p1) He assumed that children have to investigate the inner properties of things in order to discover hidden influences and causes. Froebel also considered children as being naturally good suggesting that this goodness could be harnessed and fostered through nurture care and education. (ibid) and so developed a special environment where children could grow and learn. This he called his Kindergarten or garden for the children. Froebel also considered the spiritual, physical, feeling and intellectual aspects of a child as a whole and believed that within his special environment (which will be discussed further on) allowing children free playful, conversational experiences would build and shape all of a child’s senses. Like Froebel, Dr. Montessori believe that the best way to educate a child was to design a method that would track the natural physiological and physical development of the child and allow touch, movement and freedom to aid the child to learn. (Montessori, 1964). Maria Montessori however did not regard her method of education as instigating play claiming; If I were persuaded that children need to play, I would provide a proper apparatus, but I am not so persuaded. (Ibid) The Dr. claimed that a child’s mind was most absorbent between the ages of 0-6 years, and that children learn best through movement and senses although this should not be regarded as play. She also viewed the child as a whole however, in contrast to Froebel’s theories, she believed that each sense should be isolated and developed separately. To achieve this Montessori developed thematic activities based on real life experiences, and allowed her children to work individually or as part of a group. Again, a special environment was set up where children could move about freely and pick and plan there own method of self education using apparatus that could only be utilised one way.

Floods in India Essay

Floods are caused by weather phenomena and events that deliver more precipitation to a drainage basin than can be readily absorbed or stored within the basin. Acre-foot. Volume of water required to cover 1 acre of land (43,560 square feet) to a depth of 1 foot; equivalent to 325,851 gallons. Cubic feet per second (ft? /s). A unit of measurement expressing rates of  discharge. One cubic foot per second is equal to thedischarge  of a stream of rectangular cross section, 1 foot wide and 1 foot deep, flowing water an average velocity of 1 foot per second. Equivalent to 448. 8 gallons per minute. Discharge. Rate of flow–a volume of fluid passing a point per unit time, commonly expressed in  cubic feet per second, million gallons per day, or gallons per minute. Drainage basin. A part of the surface of the Earth that is occupied by a drainage system, which consists of a surface stream or a body of impounded  surface water  together with all tributary surface streams and bodies of impounded  surface water. Land area drained by a stream or river. Flash flood. The result of heavy or excessive amounts of rainfall within a short period of time, usually less than 6 hours, causing water to rise and fall quite rapidly. Flood. An overflow or inundation that comes from a river or other body of water and causes or threatens damage. Any relatively high  streamflow  overtopping the natural or artificial banks in any reach of a stream. Flood frequency. Refers to a flood level that has a specified percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. For example, a 100-year flood occurs  on average  once every 100 years and thus has a 1-percent chance of occurring in a given year. Flood plain. A strip of relatively flat-lying land that borders a stream and is underlain by sediment carried by the stream and dropped in the slack water beyond the influence of the swiftest current. Flood stage. The  stage  at which overflow of the natural  streambanks  begins to cause damage in the reach in which the elevation is measured. Flood stages for each USGS gaging station are usually provided by the National Weather Service. Gage datum. An arbitrary datum plane that is established for a particular gaging station to which water-surface elevations can be compared. Gage height. See  Stage. Gaging station. A site on a stream, canal, lake, or reservoir where systematic observations of gage height or waterdischarge  are obtained by a gage, recorder, or similar equipment. Peak stage. The maximum height of a water surface above an established datum. Same as peak gage height. Precipitation. Rain, snow, hail, or sleet. Real-time data. Data collected by automated instrumentation and telemetered and analyzed quickly enough to influence a decision that affects the monitoring system. Recurrence interval. The average interval of time within which the magnitude of a given event, such as a flood, will be equaled or exceeded one time. Stage. The height of a water surface above an established datum. Used interchangeably with gage height. Streambank. The margins of a stream channel. Banks are called right and left as viewed facing the direction of flow. Streamflow. The discharge or flow that occurs in a natural channel. Although the term discharge can be applied to the flow of a canal, the word â€Å"streamflow† uniquely describes the discharge in a surface stream course. Surface runoff. That part of the runoff that travels over the soil surface to the nearest stream channel. It also is defined as that part of the runoff of a drainage basin that has not passed beneath the surface following precipitation. Surface water. Water on the surface of the Earth. Water year. The water year deals with the surface-water supply for a 12-month period, October 1 through September 30. The water year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends and which includes 9 out of the 12 months. Thus, the year ending September 30, 1999, is called the â€Å"1999 water year. † NOTE:  Some definitions were excerpted from other sources. Terms 1. Current and historic stream water levels are reported as stage above a gage datum or as water-surface elevation above sea level. which is the addition of the stage to the gage datum.

Employment contracts Essay

An employment contract is made between an employer and employee where the employer agrees to offer a salary in return for the employee performing duties. The purpose of a contract of employment is to draw up rules and regulations concerning the rights, obligations and conditions between an employer and employee. It generally states the relationship between the two parties. Any breach of contract by any side is not acceptable by law. Contractual entitlements often include: †¢ Amount of pay and when it is paid †¢ Type of employment: whether it is temporary or fixed. †¢ Hours of work †¢ Notice period †¢ Disciplinary rules †¢ Pension benefits TYPES OF EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS Here are the four most common types of employment found in the Maldives. †¢Permanent employment is commonly found in the public sector where profit and loss are not very significant. And this type of employment usually provides job guarantee throughout the employees working life †¢Temporary employment helps businesses to manage costs more effectively as employees are expected to leave the organization after a certain period of time †¢Zero-hour contracts are more flexible as an employer pays only for the hours that have actually been worked and does not specify a specific amount of hours †¢In a self-employed contract a person is asked to a job but on the basis that they are doing it as if they are running their own business. They have to sort out their own National Insurance, tax, sick pay and holiday pay. MANAGING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE Managing employee performance is important to make sure that set targets are consistently being met in an effective and efficient way. Appraisal systems in an organization are designed to motivate and encourage  employees to perform to the best of their ability. Targets are set by the employer which will later be evaluated at the review meeting. Then the targets will be measured against what has been achieved by the employee and a decision will be made on how well the employee has performed. Sometimes, self-appraisal systems are also implemented where the employees analyze their own performance by setting themselves personal targets to achieve. Self-appraisal helps employees to manage and increase their own performance making them more motivated in the workplace. The second technique used to manage employee performance is linking rewards to performance. Employers can offer either monetary or non-monetary rewards to encourage employees to work harder. Carefully monitoring employee performance is important to ensure that desired results have been achieved. Giving a reward for performance is only effective if the right outcomes are achieved.

Methods on muslim arrange marriages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Methods on muslim arrange marriages - Essay Example This essay discusses that a majority of the persons questioned disagreed with the institution of arranged marriages. Arranged marriages could possibly be a better institution of marriage because it creates stability of families and therefore better protection of children. The main problem with arranged marriages is that it devalues the equality and the role of women. In the Western world where women’s equality is paramount then this makes it a negative institution in the eyes of the West. Yet is it possible that their views are distorted by Westernized beliefs that arranged marriages are in the interests of connections and affluence, i.e. selling their daughter on the basis of gaining a better status or money? The main positive that arranged marriages do have is that they last longer, therefore promoting more stability within the family home. This is the main positive that the questionnaire and the literature bore out, whilst the main negatives are the fact that the women†™s status is devalued. This is not agreed to by the older Western and Muslim generations because up until just the last 50 years arranged marriages were still present in the UK. Therefore not a wholly Muslim practice, which illustrates the current ignorance of youths today in the history and benefits of the practice. Rather, this paper would argue that the benefits and negatives have to be properly balanced and possibly and compromise be met where there a practice of bringing suitable suitors for sons and daughters together and allowing a free choice to be made.

Control room, summary Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Control room, summary - Movie Review Example The movie begins with a western music which signifies that when two different cultured music can co exist in movies, then both the societies can live together in harmony. When the war begins, the film is taken in the place where all the major news sources work out like CNN, Fox etc. The movie initially begins in an orthodox way at the headquarters in Qatar which shows Muslim men with their headgear watching the television monitor where President Bush gives final warnings to Saddam Hussein for a war which gives us the perfect images of the Arabian culture. The movie features many staff from Al Jazeera but the two most compelling staff is Samir Khader, the general manager running al Jazeera, and Hassan Ibrahim, a reporter for al Jazeera.  This image of Arabian culture begins to crumble when Hassan Ibrahim tells that he has tremendous faith in the American institution. Blood, images of Dead bodies, wounded people and bullets everywhere is one of the different perspectives of war which Control room brings to the viewers. Such images are usually not present in a documentary and encourage negative thoughts in the viewers. Wars are always a negative effect on the people. Showing live images of dead people depicts negative images of the countries to the viewers. It has also been termed as the â€Å"Osama bin laden’s mouthpiece†. However though, Al Jazeera does not show all the information. It does not report and focus on the dead American civilians or American coffins. However, it is not just Al Jazeera broadcasting one type of images, Fox news also display one sided images. Control room tells us how difficult it is to provide unbiased images when working in media. Everyone wants their nation to win in moral values and that is what the news networks broadcast. This is one place where the movie gives a bad impression of how wars are covere d by the media. War is hell and media plays a major role in the success or loss of that war. Since people sitting at home can

Getting tough on Crime (Canadian Society) Essay

Getting tough on Crime (Canadian Society) - Essay Example From the research it is clear that many people believe that fighting fire with fire is the only suitable way for crime to be reduced. Others strongly disagree with this assumption. Around the world, today, many cases have been on the rise as to the extent police have used excess force to deal with criminals. As much as the criminals seem to have it coming, many people still insist that they need to be tried and judged fairly in a court of law. This means that even in the judicial system, they have to be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to be locked up. What certain policies being implemented aim at achieving is ridding the streets of criminals and crimes completely. There have been some that advocate the locking up of criminals for a minimum of ten years for certain crimes. These policies are the cause of concern among many. These cases have seen the call for the re-evaluation of the policies due to the deteriorating state crime fighting is facing. This paper will review the a pproaches that have been used to handle crime and if indeed they are working. In society, today, there are many assumptions about crime. They often come about due to the various factors present. These factors could include; the media, which include both print and electronic, stereotypes, cultural and ethnic differences among other things that are present in any society. These factors together bring about a common fear for certain things or people and, therefore, the dominant assumptions about crime. ... Media coverage has been to blame for the recent rise in crime. However, societies like the Canadian society do not believe that the media has played any role in the rise of crime. They believe that crime is real, and this has nothing to do with the coverage the media has given acts of crime over time (Department of Justice, 2011). Another assumption usually placed on crime would be that crimes committed are of different levels. In Canada, they place crimes against children at the top of the most important crimes. This is closely followed by crimes that are the gang and youth related and finally, violence against women (Department of Justice, 2011). This assumption could mean that if a person is guilty of a crime against the above mentioned they are liable for a greater or harsher punishment. It would greater than when they would have done it against a young man or a mature male. Canada has decided to take the tough approach with crime and criminals. Policies have been made, and bills have been passed to ensure that criminals, once brought to book, bear the full brunt of the law. The judicial system has been mandated to penalise all those of different crimes with longer jail sentences. The reason, it seems, is to bring the law abiding citizen some peace. The assumption that when a criminal gets off easy after being arrested then, the law-abiding citizen is angered by it. They think that the law is coddling the wrongdoers (European Association of Psychology and Law, 2011). Sentences have been extended for those caught by the law. This is even for the smallest crimes imaginable. According to the policy makers, there is no little crime. A crime is a crime, and once the law has been broken, it is in

Justification of vendor ROI for a major equipment used in radiology Assignment

Justification of vendor ROI for a major equipment used in radiology - Assignment Example The report also highlights the relationship between cost justification and return on investment in detail from the manager’s point of view providing justification for the feasibility of the capital purchase or investment decision to be made to the Vice president of the company. Variance report is a method of communicating the performance of the company between the executives. A comparative analysis is conducted by comparing the available set of figures to reach an effective outcome. The sole purpose of the variance analysis is to review the budgetary goals and targets which the company plans to achieve. The management required to review the monthly budget because the expenses of the salaries were higher and the supplies and equipment which were available in the particular department were comparatively lower than the budget breakup. A properly formed variance reports includes the overspending or under-spending trends. In this case the hospital is spending more on the salaries of the employees and less on the equipment although the prescribed budget is sufficient to do so. A variance analysis must include proper graphs and figures and it must define the favorable and unfavorable position of a particular decision (Microsoft, n.d.). A variance analysis must include the comparison of the actual and the budgeted figures. The difference in the variation of the actual and the budgeted figures of the hospital will be clearly predicted to reach to a conclusion. A variance report identifies the areas which will improve the installation of the Linear Accelerator. The equipment and the vendor from which the equipment will be purchased are discussed in this report. During the analysis the calculation of the cash budget will be analyzed. A detailed structure of the estimated rise in the number of patients for the economic period will be projected with the figures of the receivables and the cash

Malcolm X Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Malcolm X - Essay Example His following into the wrong crowd is the aftermath of finding a job with the New York-Boston line, where he is forced to make the choice of joining a gang by virtue of being a black person and being of a different ethnic grouping from the rest of society, which is being black (Omi 10). The scene of Malcolm facing justice is peculiar to race issues in that other members of society from other races engaging in similar or worse activities were let off, as is the case of the Ku Klux Klan, who killed his father and no action was taken against them. This shows that certain members of a certain race can be held accountable for their own actions, while the rest based on their race can go scot free with no charge. Still on this scene, another concept comes up, where there are races that are higher than the rest in regard to who qualifies to join which corps in society and who does not, which brings forth the concept of segregation based on race. This is seen in the same scene in that there a re certain social problems that only affect certain races and not others, as Malcolm X is forced into the wrong crowd, where he joins a gang, not out of choice, but out of circumstances that he cannot help. With this in mind, race shows the scene shows the inequity amongst different races as it shows the gang problem as being unique to young black people living in the ghetto. The scene also raises the concept of moral responsibility found among different races, which is not common to all, as certain races tend to engage in certain conduct. This issue is intertwined with the earlier issue raised on unique problems affecting certain races in that joining gangs is made to appear as a thing only black youth would do and not the rest of the society. This is to mean that only black youth did drugs, as Malcolm X was an active participant in peddling coke for the local gang leader, according to the 1992 movie. The movie only depicts one other gang that is not of African American origin enga ging in gang and criminal activity, which is the Ku Klux Klan, and its depiction is that it is a white supremacist groups aimed at lowering the dignity of the local black people. The awareness of the moral issues is that racially, white supremacy groups are not morally wrong in trumping on the interest and rights of the black people, who they perceive as lesser beings compared to themselves (Omi 11). In race, the issue of double standards is brought again in this scene in that it shows the shifting goal posts of morality and rulings based on who is who in society, all based on the color of the skin and ethnicity. The same scene of the Ku Klux Klan draws the concept of race as a concept, where segregation thrives based on cultural differences, as well as the differences of skin color. This is as can be seen in the killing of Malcolm X’s father when Malcolm X was a child, which then brings to perspective how race makes people socially incompatible based on color and cultural va lues. The Ku Klux Klan could not handle the fact that there were black people and white people in the same society thus social supremacy comes in. In conclusion, the movie Malcolm X of 1992 on different levels draws out the concepts of race based on

Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Project - Essay Example Summaries of how the CEO or Chairman evaluates the firm’s past performances. A top priority in the past year was our continued journey to becoming a truly omnichannel retailer. We intensified our focus on providing a guest experience that seamlessly integrates physical and digital shopping, while offering outstanding convenience and a compelling assortment of distinctive style and exceptional value. Enhancements to Target’s mobile app; the launch of Cartwheel, our social savings program; strategic acquisitions that expanded our online assortment; and the rollout of pick-up-instore capabilities ensure that our guests can shop whenever and however they want. And, the increased development of our technology and evolution within our supply chain further support our omnichannel transformation. In addition, 2013 marked the largest single year of store growth in Target’s history. On top of 19 new stores in the U.S., we opened 124 stores and three distribution centers in Canada. We are proud of our team’s incredible dedication and commitment to achieving this unprecedented international expansion, but we are disappointed in our financial performance during our first year in Canada, which resulted in much higher than expected earnings dilution. We believe the operational changes we have made will deliver stronger performance in 2014, and we remain confident that our Canadian segment will prove to be an excellent investment over time. Finally, last year we also sold our entire consumer credit card portfolio to TD Bank Group. We’re very pleased to have reached the right agreement with the right strategic partner in a transaction that removes these more volatile assets from our balance sheet and allows us to continue offering valuable debit and credit payment options and rewards to our guests. 4. Future strategy: Find the letter to shareholders from the CEO or Chairman in the Annual Report to Shareholders described in the Information Source 2. Copy