Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 41

Assignment - Essay Example The context that the research is done is usually in school or other meetings where teachers from different schools meet and discuss their research and how they usually deal with various problems affecting their subjects. Students at the end of the day benefit since the research aims to conduct various methodologies on how one has been teaching and if he can improve and what ways can he use. School wide action research involves most members of the faculty and its goal of including parents and students in future is a welcome advancement. The inclusion of students in search a process is crucial since they get to comment on what they do not understand. The information from the students and parents who monitor their students activities especially academics will provide invaluable information for further research and the consequent solutions. The research will follow up on the parents’ involvement in their children’s studies, which will in turn help in dealing with the problems the students face and help in finding solutions to such problems. Some of the teachers are reluctant to engage in school wide action research because most of them considered the classroom as a private affair. They do not need to include outsiders as such. Such a methodology is for improvement purposes and not for judgmental purposes. Joining the league provided schools with methods of evaluating their performance and that of their students. Schools that joined the league would get valuable information on how to deal with various problems that other school had overcome. School wide research is thus an important area in which teachers discover their weaknesses and strengths and find out ways to overcome them. The interaction with various teachers is important since there are successful teachers who can share their strengths which in turn those who are struggling with their students. The students at the end of the day get to benefit from the varied teaching styles

Infotainment of U.S. News Media Essay Example for Free

Infotainment of U.S. News Media Essay The current type of news media in the United States, dubbed as infotainment, wherein soft journalism is preferred over hard news, further stains the reputation of what is regarded as the â€Å"Fourth State† or one of the influential bodies in American society. This is because this kind of coverage does not offer serious reporting of events and hard facts, but sensationalized news about the lives of personalities, crime, and other less realistic stories. It is unfortunate to note that infotainment has made American media more comfortable with embellishing hard news primarily because it is what the public wants and what the public needs. Under the disguise and with misleading purpose of an energized print sales and broadcast ratings, infotainment is such a blooper which actually further escalates the worsening level of news media public. At the same time, it damages more the involvement and knowledge of the readers and viewers. In short, the existing nature of American news media weakens the quality of reporting and credibility of broadcast and print media companies, pushes further their respective public, and is detrimental to the nations democracy. Due the tight competition within the industry, American news media is now tied up to meet income expectations, resulting in a quality sacrifice and economic operation demands that dictate the choices of news content and compromise the managements operations. This transformation in the industrys mode has promoted a second thought of industry standards. This leaves the profession into the hands of new era of media practitioners who are less committed to the existing journalism code of ethics. These new breed have actually portrayed themselves as famous personalities moonlighting as journalists or news reporters. Ultimately, it is both the news organizations and American public which are to be blame for this sickening and continued reporting that focuses on personalities and other forms of entertainment rather than the essence or content of a news event. This is because no media company would practice infotainment if it will not click with the audience. However, it is not yet too late to save the news media industry. What it can do is for it to keep abreast and take advantage of the technological advancements within the industry such as the accessibility of satellite television or cable system and availability of World Wide Web or Internet. American media should utilize these technological improvements by not sensationalizing or resorting to what is called the â€Å"yellow journalism. † Instead, it should advance its cause and primary goal which is to present to the public a balance, fair, and fearless news reporting.

Characteristics of the leadership process

Characteristics of the leadership process Stogdills definition has three key components. First, it defines leadership as an interpersonal process in which one individual seeks to shape and direct the behaviour of others. Second, it sets leadership in a social context. In which the members of a group to be influenced are subordinates or followers. Third, it establishes a criterion for effective leadership in goal achievement, which is one practical objective of leadership theory and research. Most definitions share these processual, contextual and evaluative components. Some key charachteristics of the leadership process Leadership is a process of influencing others primarily through the use of noncorecive influence techniques. This charachteristics distinguishes a leader from a dictator. Leadership influence is goal directed to attain defined group or organisational goals There are five approaches to the study of leadership: Trait spotting: attempts to identify the personality trait and other related attributes of the effective leader in order to facilitate the selection of leaders. Style counselling :attempts to characterize different leadership behaviour patterns to identify effective and ineffective leadership styles. In order to improve the training and development of leaders. Context fitting: contingency theories which argue that the effectiveness of particular leadership behaviours is dependent on the organisational and cultural setting, which can also facilitate leadership awareness and training. New leadership perspective approaches: which identify new leaders, superleaders and transformational leaders as heroic and inspirational visionaries who give purpose and direction to others, with an emphasis on senior executives and politicians whose motivational role is said to be central to organisational strategy and effectiveness. Dispersing the role: a recent perspective which notes that leadership behaviour is not confined to those with formal leadership roles but can be observed across the organisation hierarchy, and thus one aspect of the new superleadership role is to develop self -leadership skills in others. Any study of leadership would be incomplete without an understanding of the debate between leaders Vs managers Leadership versus management We first have to deal with one crucial question: what is the difference between leadership and management? Some commentators argue that these terms are synonymous, as leadership is simply one facet of the management role. Other commentators argue that this distinction is significant. Leaders and managers play different contributions: leaders have followers, managers have subordinates. Those who make a clear distinction portray the leader as someone who develops visions and drives new initiatives, and portray the manager as someone who monitors progress towards objectives to achieve order and reliability. The leader is prophet, catalyst and mover-shaker, focused on strategy. The manager is operator, technician and problem solver, concerned with the here -and- now of goal attainment. The key distinguishing feature here is orientation to change . As Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus (1985, p.21) observe, managers do things right, while leaders do the right thing. Leadership versus Management Creating an agenda Establishes direction: Plans and budgets vision of the future, develops strategies decides actions and timetables, for change to achieve goals allocates recourses E Leadership functions Management functions Developing people Aligning people: Organizing and staffing: communicates vision and strategy, decides structure and allocates staff, influences creation of terms which develops policies, procedures and accept validity of goals Monitoring Execution Motivating and inspiring: Controlling, problem solving: energizes people to overcome obstacle, monitors results against plan and satisfies human needs takes corrective actions Outcomes Produces positive and sometimes produces orders, consistency and dramatic changes Predictability Tutorial question Discuss: Modern day organisations need leaders or managers Please discuss and give relevant examples to justify your answer. Power: what is it, and how can I get more? Leadership is about influencing the behaviour of others. One cannot be a leader without followers. One key attribute of followers is that they must be willing to obey. Leadership is a property of the relationship between leader and follower. We need to know why people are willing to let themselves be influenced by some individuals and not by others. We thus need to understand the nature of compliance. Leadership and power Power is a useful concept with which to explain the social process of interpersonal influence. Power is a critical dimension of leadership, and the two terms are often used with the same or similar meanings: a leader is someone with power, powerful individuals are leaders. We can thus define power in much the same way that we have defined leadership-as the ability of an individual to control or influence others, or to get some-one else to do something that they would perhaps not do. There are different sources of power to name a few information power, affiliation power expert power, all these power bases are interrelated. The exercise of one power base may affect a leaders ability to use another. The leader who resorts to coercive power may for example lose referent power. The leader may be able to use legitimate power to enhance both referent and expert power. A leader can operate from multiple sources of power and few leaders may be able to rely on a single power base. Please see table: Sources of power p+ are positive sources of power p- are negative sources of power POWER BASE EXPLANATION PERCEIVED AS Reward remuneration, award, compliment, symbolic p+ gestures of praise Coercion physical or psychological injury, symbolic gestures of disdain, demotion, unwanted transfer, withholding resources p- Authority Management right to control, obligation of others p- to obey, playing the boss and abusing authority exercise of leadership in times of crisis or need p+ Referent identification based on personal characteristics, sometimes on perception of charisma; or reciprocal identification based on friendship, association, sharing information, common interests, values and preferences p+ Expert Possession of specialized knowledge valued by Others, used to help others, given freely when solicited. p+ Unsolicited expertise creates barriers; expertise Offered condescendingly is coercive; withholding expertise in times of need p- Information access to information that is not public knowledge, because of position or connections; can exist at all organizational levels; secretaries and personal assistants to executives often have information power, and can control information flows p- Affiliation borrowed from an authority source-executive Secretaries and assistants act as surrogates for their Superiors p+ acting on their own self-interest; using negative affiliation power by applying accounting and personal policies rigidly p- Group collective problem solving, conflict resolution, creative brainstorming; group resolution greater Than the individual contribution. p+ a few individual dominating the proceedings, groupthink p- Tutorial question Discuss : Which power base or which combination of power bases would you expect to be most effective for an organisation leader in current times? Five approaches to Leadership Research on leadership shows five main approaches in the study of leadership and that leadership theories have evolved gradually starting from the Trait spotting approach to New Leadership theories Trait spotting: the research for personality markers For the first four decades of the twentieth century, researches assumed that they could identify the personality traits of leaders It would then be possible to select individuals who possessed those traits and to promote them into leadership position. This search for the qualities of good leaders was influenced by great man theory, which claims that (predominantly male) leaders are born as such, and emerge to take power, regardless of the social, organisational or historical context. Great man theory is a historical perspective based on the premises that the fate of societies, and organizations, is in the hands of key, powerful, idiosyncratic (male) individuals who by force of personality reach positions of influence from which they can direct and dominate the lives of others. Typical list of qualities: Strong drive for responsibility; Focus on completing the task; Vigour and persistence in pursuit of goals; Venturesomeness and originality in problem solving; Drive to exercise initiative in social settings; Self-confidence; Sense of personal identity; Willingness to accept consequences of decisions and actions; Readiness to absorb interpersonal stress; Willingness to tolerate frustration and delay; Ability to influence the behaviour of others; Capacity to structure social systems to the purpose in hand. Rosemay Stewart (1963) cites a study in which American executives were asked to identify indispensable leadership qualities. They came up with the following fifteen traits: judgement initiative integrity foresight energy drive Human relations skill decisiveness Dependability emotional stability fairness ambition dedication objectivity Co-operation Limitations of the trait spotting theory It is difficult to challenge the list of qualities cited by either Stogdill or Stewart. Can we say that effective leaders should lack judgement, be low in energy, be undependable, lack drive, ambition, creativity and integrity and have little foresight? What happens when we compare Stewart with Stogdill? Both identify drive as a key trait. However, Stogdill lists venturesomeness, self-confidence, stress tolerance and system structuring as traits which Stewarts omits. Stewart identifies foresight, fairness, integrity, fairness and co-operation, which are missing from Stogdills list. Traits spotting presents several difficulties. First, there are more attributes here than personality traits. Second, these attributes are vague. Third, many of the items on these lists describe skills and behaviour patterns which have to be observed, rather than personality traits that can be assessed by questionnaires or interview: persistence in pursuit of goals, ability to influence others. It is difficult to see how trait spotting can be used effectively in leadership selection context, as originally intended. A further problem lies with the observation that one list of good leadership qualities is as good as another. Stogdills review revealed some overlap between research findings, but it is also revealed disagreement and inconsistency. This line of research has been unable to establish a consistent set of leadership traits of attributes. Leadership is about power and influence, the chemistry of which it is difficult to analyse in terms of personality traits. Style counselling: the search for effective behaviour patterns Disillusionment with the traits approach meant that leadership, management and supervisory style became a major focus for research. Attention switched from selecting leaders on personality traits to training and developing leaders in appropriate behaviour patterns. This research tradition argues that a considerate, participative, democratic and involving leadership style is more effective than an impersonal, autocratic and directive style. Two research projects, the Michigan and Ohio studies, in the 1940s and 1950s underpinned Employee- centred behaviour: focusing on relationships and employee needs; employee-centred behaviour: focusing on relationships and employee needs job-centred behaviour : focusing Consideration is a pattern of leadership behavior that demonstrates sensitivity to relationships and to the social needs of employees. Initiating structure is a pattern of leadership behavior that emphasizes performance of the work in hand and the achievement of product and service goals. Consistent with the Michigan studies, the Ohio results identified two categories of leadership behaviour, consideration and initiating structure. The considerate leader is needs- and the relationship- oriented. The leader who structures work for subordinates is task-oriented. The considerate leader is interested in and listens to subordinates, allows participation in decision making, is friendly and approachable, helps subordinates with personal problems and is prepared to support them if necessary. The leaders behaviour indicates genuine trust, respect, warmth and rapport. This enhances subordinates feeling of self-esteem and encourages the development of communications and relationships in a work group. The researches first called this leadership dimension social sensitivity. The leader initiating structure plans ahead, decides how thing are going to get done, structures tasks and assigns work, makes expectation clear, emphasizes deadlines and achievement, and expects subordinates to follow instructions. The leaders behaviour stresses production and the achievement of organisational goals. This type of behaviour can stimulate enthusiasm to achieve objectives as well as encouraging and helping subordinates to get the work done. This is the kind of emphasis that the scientific management school encouraged, except that here it is recognised that task orientation can have a positive motivating aspect. The researches first called this leadership dimension production emphasis. Consideration and structure are independent behaviour patterns and do not represent the extremes of a continuum. A leader can emphasize one or both. Job satisfaction is likely to be higher and grievances and labour turnover lower where the leader emphasizes consideration. Task performances, on the other hand, is likely to be higher where the leader emphasizes the initiation of structure. Inconsiderate leaders typically have subordinates who complain and who are more likely to leave the organisation, but can have comparatively productive work groups if they are high on initiating structure. Initiating structure High low High performance low performance High few grievances few grievances Low turnover low turnover Consideration Low High performance low performance Many grievances many grievances High turnover high turnover Figure 1 : The Ohio State leadership theory predictions The influential work of another University of Michigan researcher, Rensis Likert(1961), reinforced the benefits of considerate performance-oriented leadership. He found that supervisors in highly productive sections were more likely to: Receive general as opposed to close supervision from their superior; Give general as opposed to close supervision to their subordinates Enjoy their responsibility and authority; Spend more time on supervision; Be employee- rather than production-oriented Supervisors in sections where productivity was low were production-oriented and concentrated on keeping their subordinates busy on achieving targets on time. The effective supervisors were not just concerned with employee needs. They were seen as subordinates as emphasizing high performance and had a contagious enthusiasm for achieving goals. Likert and his team identified four main styles or systems of leadership: System 1: Exploitative autocratic, in which the leader Has no confidence and trust in subordinates; Imposes decisions, never delegates; Motivates by threat; Has little communication and team work. System 2: Benevolent authoritative, in which the leader Has superficial, condescending trust in subordinates; Imposes decisions, never delegates; Motivates by reward; Sometimes involves subordinates in solving problems. System 3: Participative, in which the leader Has some incomplete confidence and trust in subordinates; Listens to subordinates but controls decision making; Motivates by reward and some involvement; Uses ideas and opinions of subordinates constructively. System 4: Democratic, in which the leader Has complete confidence and trust in subordinates; Allows subordinates to make decisions for themselves; Motivates by reward for achieving goals set by participation; Shares ideas and opinion. Likerts research showed that effective supervisors were those who adopted either system 3 or system 4 leadership, what Likert called and alternative organisational lifestyle. Tutorial question: The style counselling leadership approach is extremely relevant in current times Discuss this statement. Context fitting: the development of contingency theories The Michigan and Ohio perspectives offer leaders one best way to handle followers, by adopting the high-consideration, high-structure ideal. This advice is supported by the fact that most people like their leaders to be considerate, even when they are performance- oriented as well. The main criticism of this perspective lies with the observation that one leadership style may not be effective in all circumstances. Departing from one best way, Robert Tannenbaum and Warren Schmidt (1958) presented the autocratic- democratic choice as a continuum, from boss centred leadership at one extreme to subordinate- centred leadership at the other. This is illustrated in figure 2 Subordinate-centred leadership Boss- centred leadership The contingency theory of leadership is a perspective which states that leaders to be effective must adapt their style in a manner consistent with aspects such as the work context, attributes of workers and the nature of the work to be done Use of authority by the manager Area of freedom for subordinates Manager Manager Manager Manager presents Manager presents Manager defines Manager permits makes decisions sells presents ideas tentative decision problem, gets limits; asks group subordinates to and announces it. Decisions. and invites subject to change. suggestion, makes to make decision. function within limits questions. Decision. defined bysuperior. The Tannenbaum-Schmidt continuum of leadership behavior The steps in this continuum are represented as alternatives for the leader; their article was subtitled should the manager be democratic or autocratic- or something in between? Tannenbaum and Schmidt argue that the answer depends on three sets of forces: Forces in the manager personality, values, preferences, beliefs about Employee participation, confidence in subordinates Forces in the subordinates need for independence, tolerance of ambiguity Knowledge of the problem, expectations of involvement Forces in the situation organizational norms, size and location of work Groups, effectiveness of teamworking, nature of The problem Having concentrated on forces in the manager, having challenged the notion of one best way, to lead, research now considered aspects of the context in which the leader was operating: the people being led, the nature of the work they were doing, and the wider organisational setting. This perspective suggests that leaders must be able to diagnose the context and be able to decide what behaviour will fit. As the best style is contingent on the situation, this approach is referred to as the contingency theory of leadership. Tutorial question Leadership research and theory seems to be consistent in arguing that a considerate, employee- cantered, participative and democratic style is more effective. What factors in an organisational context would make an inconsiderate, goal- centred, impersonal and autocratic leadership style more effective? Contingency theory of leadership contd Another influential contingency theory of leadership was developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard (1988). They believe that leaders can alter their style to fit the context. Hersey and Blanchard call their approach situational leadership, summarised in fig 3, which describe leader behaviour on two dimensions. The first dimension (horizontal axis) concerns task behaviour, or the amount of direction a leader gives to subordinates. This can vary from specific instructions, at one extreme, to complete delegation, at the other. Hersey and Blanchard identify two intermediate positions, where leaders either facilitate subordinates decisions or take care to explain their own. Situational leadership is an approach to determining the most effective style of influencing, taking into accounts of direction and support the leader gives, the readiness and maturity of followers to perform a particular task. The second dimension (vertical axis) concerns supportive behaviour and the amount of social backup a leader gives to subordinates. This can vary from limited communication, at one extreme, to considerable listening, facilitating and supporting at the other. The model establishes four basic leadership styles, labelled S1 to S4 S1 Telling: High amounts of task behaviour, telling subordinates what to do, when to do it and how to do it, but with little leadership behaviour. S2 Selling: High amounts of both task behaviour and relationship behaviour. S3 Participating: Lots of relationship behaviour and support, but little direction of task behaviour. S4 Delegating: Not much task behaviour or relationship behaviour. Share ideas and Explain decisions and provide Facilitate decision making. Opportunity for clarification. PARTICIPATING S3 S2 SELLING DELAGATING TELLING Turn over responsibility Provide specific instructions For decisions and and closely supervise Implementation performance. S4 S1 (Supporting Behavior/Relationship Behavior R RELATIONSHIP BEHAVIOUR Low TASK BEHAVIOUR high (GUIDANCE) High Moderate low R4 R3 R2 R1 Able and willing or confident Follower Readiness Able but unwilling Or insecure Unable and unwilling Or insecure Unable but willing Or confident Follower directed leader directed Hersey and Blanchard also argue that the readiness of followers to perform a particular task is a key factor. This is explained by the lower portion of the figure in which follower readiness is drawn on a continuum, with insecure subordinates unwilling to act at one extreme to confident followers able and willing to perform at the other. Superimpose the readiness continuum on the top half of the model and you have a basis for selecting an effective leadership style. It is compelling and consistent with other theories to suggest that insecure subordinates need telling while willing and confident groups can be left to do the job. Tutorial question; Take an organisation of your choice and discuss the relevance and significance of the Hersey and Blanchard situational leadership theory. Leadership in the twenty-first century Two related trends in leadership thinking are now evident: Recognition of the role of heroic, powerful, charismatic, visionary leader. Recognition of the role of information leadership, at all levels. These trends appear to be contradictory. We have the new leader, who is a rational figure motivating followers to superlative levels of achievement. However, we have also the super leader, who is able to lead other lead themselves .The super leader thus encourage, develops and co-exists with informal leadership dispersed throughout the organisation hierarchy. The new leader is an indispensable and inspirational visionary, a coach, a facilitator concerned with building a shared sense of purpose and mission, with creating a culture which ensures that everyone is aligned with the organisations goals and is skilled and empowered to go and achieve them. The super leader is a leader who is able to develop leadership capacity in other, developing and empowering them, reducing their dependence on formal leaders, stimulating their motivation, commitment and creativity. The new leadership theory originates from the work of McGregor Burns (1978), who distinguished between transactional and transformational leaders. The transactional leader is a leader who treats relationship with followers in terms of an exchange, giving followers what they want in return for what the leader desires, following prescribed tasks to pursue established goals. Transactional leaders see their relationship with formers in term of trade, swaps or bargains. Transformational leaders are characterised as individuals who inspire and motivates others to go beyond contract, to perform at unexpected levels. Although Burns saw these two types of leadership it was easy to see why some commentators equate transactional with management, and transformational with leadership. The transactional leader is a leader who treats relationship with followers in terms of an exchange, giving followers what they want in return for what the leader desires, following prescribed tasks to pursue established goals. The transformational leader is a leader who treats relationships with followers in terms of motivation and commitment , influencing and inspiring followers to give more than mechanical compliance and to improve organisational performance Transformational leadership occurs when leaders: Stimulates others to see what they are doing from new perspectives; Articulate the mission or vision of the organisation; Develop others to higher levels of ability; and Motivates others to put organisational interest before self-interest. They achieve this, according to Bass and Avolio, by using one or more of Idealised influence act as role models, attract admiration, respect and trust, put needs of others before personal interest, take risks and demonstrate high standards of ethical conduct Inspirational motivation motivate and inspire by providing meaning and challenge, arouse team spirit, show enthusiasm and optimism, communicate expectations, demonstrate commitment Intellectual stimulation question assumptions, reframe problems, approach old issues in new ways, encourage innovation and creativity, avoid public criticism of mistakes Individualised consideration attend to individual needs for growth and achievement, act as coach or mentor, create new learning opportunities, accept individual Differences, avoid close monitoring. The transformational leader is a leader who threats relationship with followers in terms of motivation and commitment, influencing and inspiring followers to give more than mechanical compliance and to improve organizational performance. It is tempting to regard the profusion of new terms and the shift in emphasis in leadership theory and research as a systematic development of earlier ideas. However, the identification of new, super, transformational leaders represent a simplification of the concept of leadership, returning to trait spotting (hunt the visionary) and overlooks what is known about the influences of a range of contextual factors on leadership effectiveness. Tutorial question Considering senior business and political leaders with whom you are familiar, either directly or through the media, which come closest to these definitions of new leader, super leader and transformational leader? The new, super, transformational leader looks like a one best way approach. Does this vindicate trait spotting and discredit contingency perspectives? Dispersing the leadership role In the distinction between leadership and management, orientation to change is a defining characteristic, a distinctive mark of the leader. These results suggest, therefore, that leadership is a widespread phenomenon. Leadership behaviours are dispersed rather than concentrated in the hands of formally appointed managers. Leadership functions are best carried out by people who have the interest, knowledge, skills and motivation to perform them effectively. This observation is reinforced by the development of self-managing autonomous teams, which often have no leaders, or have coach-facilitators whose role is to develop team skills. These coaching- facilitating are super leaders. Recognition of dispersed leadership does not imply a shift of focus away from formal, senior figures. It may be useful to separate notions of leadership from formal positions and prestige job titles. However, it is necessary to recognise that senior figures with prestige title continue to exercise leadership roles and functions as well. This twin-track approach, which combines recognition of visionary new leadership with the notion of a widely dispersed leadership decoupled from high office, is illustrated by Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus (1985). Their model of twenty-first century leadership (in which the new role of the leader is to be (leader of leaders) is summarised in table 4.

How Do The Poets In The Selection Of Pre 1914 Poems You Have Read, :: English Literature

How Do The Poets In The Selection Of Pre 1914 Poems You Have Read, Present Different Attitudes To Death? Which Do You Find Most Convincing? What Influences Their Views? Different people have different attitudes to death. Some are afraid, some don't care. A difference of opinion is definitely shown in the selection of poems I have read. "Song" and "Remember" by Christina Rossetti suggest that she is not too bothered about death. It seems that Christina Rossetti sees death as the end, whereas William Wordsworth who wrote "We are Seven" has the attitude that love carries on and is remembered after death. Although " We are Seven" takes on a childish, almost stubborn view, the point it makes is, death cannot separate people. "Two of us in the church-yard lie, my sister and my brother, and in the church-yard cottage I dwell near them with my mother." Personally, I think Christina Rossetti's poems are most convincing as she has expressed her opinions in a realistic way. This is closely followed by "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshee Shelley, because using a metaphor has generalised what most people think about death. I think William Wordsworth's poem "We are Seven" is less convincing as it is very childish " The little maid would have her will" to me, this gives the picture of a spoilt child refusing to back down until she gets her own way! This may have been done on purpose, but it is not convincing to the adult reader because by the time you approach your adult years you are more mature and your views have been moulded by society to a certain extent. After reading the poems, I cannot see a specific pattern in which they all follow, although there is more than one category that the poems fall into. For example "Remember" by Christina Rossetti and "Ozymadias" by Percy Byshee Shelley are sonnets (a traditional form of love poetry) and "At Home" and "Song" by Christina Rossetti and "We are seven" by William Wordsworth seem to be telling a story, or giving instructions. "When I am dead, my dearest, sing no sad songs for me" "We are seven is broken up into many stanza's, each stanza developing and moving on from the previous one. It also has a definite end, which all stories have. Christina Rossetti and Percy Byshee Shelley used the sonnet form to write a poem about death, as the poems were for a lover as opposed to about a lover. This still links the traditional subject of love sonnets and these two unique sonnets about death. In "We are seven" by William Wordsworth the little girl doesn't want

Mass Media and Entertainment Essay

I’ll go ahead and say it: Neal Gabler’s â€Å"Life the Movie† makes valid points. Because of America’s dependence on technology-based media entertainment it is impossible not to interact with the distracting and alluring world of expressive communication. The world we live in today is sadly not the one that Henry David Thoreau was able to circumnavigate for two years in 1845. Today, to avoid media, is to be totally shut away from the world. Gone are the days of subtle newsprint and objective journalism. They have been trampled by 24-hour news cycles and narcissism-based social networking sights like Twitter and Facebook. While I can’t help but agree with Gabler on the media’s degenerative effects, there is a brighter side to a globalized system of entertainment. Entertainment can certainly ruin society if given the chance. Take for instance, MTV’s â€Å"Jersey Shore†. A show with absolutely no moral integrity, but simple humor and sex appeal can make money, so realistically; executives will invest in more of the same material. At the same time, hate/fear-mongering media moguls like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh have a devoted, if not cult-like following of 60-somethings that they control in the name of â€Å"entertainment†. Clearly, entertainment has the capacity to ruin the structure of society, for better or worse. Whereas sites like Twitter and Facebook can be detrimental to society, they can also cause positive progress. Very recently, young Iranian revolutionaries used Twitter as a means of communication, education, and unity. Videos of citizens beaten to death in the streets were accompanied by calls to action, as a youthful and courageous Iranian population revolted against its oppressive government on the computer and TV screens of the globalized world. Furthermore, recent crisis like the tsunamis in Indonesia, hurricane in New Orleans, and earthquakes in Haiti were brought into the homes of the prosperous and caring across the world. Although tragic, these events demonstrated the capacity that a connected human populous has for charity. Billions of dollars in relief money has been donated in the past decade, thanks to the stirring images captured not only by corporate cameramen, but also by civilian camcorder. Thus, to define entertainment as solely destructive or beneficial is unjust. People are not always wise enough to turn off what they know is subjective information, but they are no means praying to neon gods. In his book â€Å"Life the Movie,† Neal Gabler discusses how entertainment has taken over the reality. This is true in every way: people watch television or movies, listen to music, and Facebook stalk their friends just to get out of their own heads for a while. It is an escape from their realities. Gabler argues that the outlet the media has come to provide can potentially ruin society. This is true in many cases. Certain forms of entertainment can indeed â€Å"overturn all morality† and â€Å"poison the springs of domestic happiness.† Music, specifically, is one type of entertainment that has the capacity to cause people to compromise their morals. It has a sneaky way of planting new thoughts in our minds. Music artists think of lyrical euphemisms to subtly engrain an idea into their listeners minds. For example, in their song â€Å"Fast Blood,† the ingenious Scottish band Frightened Rabbit sings about a â€Å"midnight organ fight–† a clever euphemism for sex. Even if their listener wasn’t sure what that line meant, the rest of the lyrics would help him piece it together fairly quickly. It’s a beautiful song, and soon enough, the listener finds himself singing along, and the idea that sex allows a person to feel â€Å"reborn† has now become a belief of this listener. And, whabam, there we have a compromised moral resulting from the idea of one song. The characters and stories found in movies, books, and television are aspects of entertainment that most certainly have the ability to ruin society. They can jeopardize a family’s happiness by creating an image of the â€Å"ideal† spouse or significant other or family. Stefanie Meyer’s Twilight Saga, for example, creates the character of Edward Cullen: the perfect lover. Comedian Whitney Cummings made a good point in her stand up routine â€Å"Money Shot† when she said, â€Å"Women are obsessed with romance†¦we get brainwashed from romantic movies.† She said she went to go see the movie â€Å"Twilight† thinking it was just about high schoolers and came out thinking, â€Å"Ohh, I have to marry a vampire, oh my God,† and proceeded to address the males in her audience, â€Å"Guys, don’t let your girlfriends see this movie: she will leave your ass, okay?† Movies like â€Å"Twilight† create this image of the perfect man. If women see that and begin to compare their husbands to Edward Cullen, divorce papers will soon be a-rustling. Characters like these create impossible standards for men to live up to! And pornography does the same to women: men look at these beautiful women with perfect bodies and begin to idealize females. And then no woman is good enough for them because it is impossible for a woman to look like that without plastic surgery, a crapload of make up, and a whole hell of a lot of photoshop. Media like this has the potential to destroy relationships because it establishes an unreachable standard. So, yes, Gabler makes a good point. Although entertainment can be â€Å"fun, effortless, sensational, mindless, formulaic, predictable and subversive† and that is why people love it so much, it can be detrimental to society as a whole. In his 1998 book, Life the Movie: How Entertainment Conquered Reality, Neal Gabler makes the assertion that entertainment has the capacity to â€Å"ruin† society. Although plenty of entertainment features positive messages and portrays good role models, I completely agree with idea the entertainment can ruin society because a large percentage of entertainment and media can acclimate viewers’ minds toward violence and it can corrupt citizens’ views of society and of themselves. In our modern media there are thousands upon thousands of movies, tv shows, songs, and video games that encourage violence and other negative behavior. Many people believe this to be harmless fun, but in instances when consumers blur the line between fantasy and reality it can become very dangerous. One tragic instance of this occurred June 7, 2003, when 3 men, 2 police officers and a 9-11 dispatcher, were killed in an Alabama police station by 18 year-old Devin Moore, who had played Grand Theft Auto day and night for months before the shooting. During his arrest, Moore is reported to have told police, â€Å"Life is like a video game. Everybody’s got to die sometime.† Entertainment can also ruin society by destroying citizens’ views of society and of themselves. From magazines to movies to television, the media has created a standard of near perfection that many people struggle to live up to because they want to be accepted. For example, professional athletes like Lebron James, Payton Manning, and many others have caused many aspiring athletes to look down upon themselves because they are not able to perform to the same level as the pros. Although many celebrities have contributed great acts of charity to society, that does not change the fact that much of entertainment, which these celebrities are apart of, encourages negative behavior. If not brought under control, these negative behaviors can bring about the downfall of society as we know it. Entertainment can be in many different forms: television, magazines, books, the computer, music, etc. And according to Neal Gabor in his book, â€Å"Life the Movie,† all of these things are â€Å"fun, effortless, sensational, mindless, formulaic, predictable, and subversive.† The fact that because of these reasons, people like entertainment is true. However, just because people like something, or enjoy it, doesn’t mean it’s not harmless. People who go tan in tanning beds everyday enjoy doing it, but in reality it triples their risk of skin cancer. The social impacts of entertainment are already showing in today’s society. People are communicating less and less by person, and more and more by computers. When people lose their ability to communicate with the people around them outside of their entertainment bubble, the sense of community is lost, and is causing increased health risks. All this said, it is not true that ALL entertainment will completely â€Å"dissolve the ties of our social order†. If entertainment is used in moderation and people learn to make the distinction between entertainment and reality, then it can be an enjoyable experience. But because all people don’t do these things, entertainment does have the capacity to â€Å"ruin society†society falls apart. In addition, some of the things that entertainment exposes society to can alter the thoughts and decisions of Americans and cause problems for society. For example, TV networks are creating shows like â€Å"America’s Next Top Model,† and giving people the idea that in order to be beautiful you have to be dangerously thin and look like a model. This causes poor self-images, and causes people to be unhappy. To make matters worse, celebrities everywhere are getting cosmetic surgery. This gives audiences the idea that they shouldn’t be happy with who they actually are, and that in order to be happy, they have to waste tons of money on unnecessary procedures. Also, the percentage of people getting divorced in America has been increasing lately. This is most likely because of the fact that celebrities are getting divorced left and right, and it’s starting to become â€Å"the norm.† People are making money off of those divorces by selling the stories (in gossip magazines) as entertainment. Entertainment portrays false realities that have potential to crumble social aspects of society. Not only does entertainment have the capacity to â€Å"ruin† society socially, but it can also cause health related consequences. The percentage of Americans that are either overweight or obese is somewhere around 63% and that is constantly increasing. Though it is true that part of the cause for this is the amount of processed foods we eat, but another large part of it is the amount of time we spend sitting, a concept that goes along with entertainment. Today people don’t have the need to go out much to be â€Å"happy†. Children can sit andwatch TV or play video games for entertainment, and no longer need to go outside to play with their friends. Also, because of computers people don’t need to leave their house to communicate with friends, they can just do it on Facebook. People don’t even have to leave their house to grocery shop anymore; they can just use their computer. The fact is that entertainment has made America into a very sedentary country, which Just like a friend’s influence on one’s behavior, entertainment has the capacity to destroy or strengthen one’s character. Someone can choose between entertainment with fleeting pleasure or lasting value. i. Maybe entertainment can ruin society because it is so distracting. For example, if kids and teenagers fill all of their time with entertainment instead of education, then how might this ruin society? ii. Maybe entertainment can ruin society by overturning morality. What are some ways that entertainment might change a society’s moral principles for the worst? For example, do violent video games cause people to believe that killing is not morally wrong? If so, how would this ruin a society? iii. Maybe, as your quote above claims, entertainment does dissolve the ties of social order. Does entertainment contribute to increased crime or civil unrest? Can you think of ways that entertainment directly or indirectly causes a society’s rule of law to break down?

Transition Metal Colors in Aqueous Solution

Transition Metal Colors in Aqueous Solution The transition metals form colored ions, complexes, and compounds in aqueous solution. The characteristic colors are helpful when performing a qualitative analysis to identify the composition of a sample. The colors also reflect interesting chemistry that occurs in transition metals. Transition Metals and Colored Complexes A transition metal is one that forms stable ions that have incompletely filled d orbitals. By this definition, technically not all of the d block elements of the periodic table are transition metals. For example, zinc and scandium arent transition metals by this definition because Zn2 has a full d level, while Sc3 has no d electrons. A typical transition metal has more than one possible oxidation state because it has a partially filled d orbital. When transition metals bond to one more neutral or negatively charged nonmetal species (ligands), they form what are called transition metal complexes. Another way to look at a complex ion is as a chemical species with a metal ion at the center and other ions or molecules surrounding it. The ligand attaches to the central ion by dative covalent or coordinate bond. Examples of common ligands include water, chloride ions, and ammonia. Energy Gap When a complex forms, the shape of the d orbital changes because some are nearer the ligand than others: Some d orbitals move into a higher energy state than before, while others move to a lower energy state. This forms an energy gap. Electrons can absorb a photon of light and move from a lower energy state into a higher state. The wavelength of the photon that is absorbed depends on the size of the energy gap. (This is why splitting of s and p orbitals, while it occurs, does not produce colored complexes. Those gaps would absorb ultraviolet light and not affect the color in the visible spectrum.) Unabsorbed wavelengths of light pass through a complex. Some light is also reflected back from a molecule. The combination of absorption, reflection, and transmission results in the apparent colors of the complexes. Transition Metals May have More Than One Color Different elements may produce different colors from each other. Also, different charges of one transition metal can result in different colors. Another factor is the chemical composition of the ligand. The same charge on a metal ion may produce a different color depending on the ligand it binds. Color of Transition Metal Ions in Aqueous Solution The colors of a transition metal ion depend on its conditions in a chemical solution, but some colors are good to know (especially if youre taking AP Chemistry): Transition Metal Ion Color Co2+ pink Cu2+ blue-green Fe2+ olive green Ni2+ bright green Fe3+ brown to yellow CrO42- orange Cr2O72- yellow Ti3+ purple Cr3+ violet Mn2+ pale pink Zn2+ colorless A related phenomenon is the emission spectra of transition metal salts, used to identify them  in  the  flame test.

010 The Conversation and Carr Professor Ramos Blog

010 The Conversation and Carr Quick Write Quick Write Do you think college is fun? What is fun about it? What can we do to make it fun? They Say Chapter 1 argues that good academic writing responds to what others are saying. What â€Å"They Say† is important to include in academic writing and is one way we can include the conversation when we write. The chapter includes templates for introducing standard views, implied or assumed and ongoing debates. It has become common today to dismiss college as a necessary chore that people must go through in order to get a job. In her book, Reality is Broken, game designer and researcher Jane McGonigal makes the case for using games to make the world a better place. Four Defining Traits of a Game Goal. The outcome that the players will work to achieve. It focuses attention and gives you a sense of purpose. Rules. Limitations on how to achieve the goal. It will unleash creativity and foster strategic thinking. Feedback System. Tells players how close they are to achieving their goal. Provides motivation to keep playing. Voluntary Participation. Requires that you knowingly accept the goal, rules, and the feedback. You have the freedom to enter and leave the game at will. With these four ideas in mind, how can we apply this to college? Nicholas Carr Is Google making us Stupid? Carr argues that the internet affects our cognitive capacities, diminishing out ability to concentrate and to learn. Take two minutes and write something to share with the class. Why does Carr begin with lines from  2001: A Space Odyssey? Entering the Conversation The introduction to the textbook, page 1, explains that the book relies on templates to help us do the basic moves of writing. The templates are guides that when used, help us to structure and generate our own writing. We will talk a lot about approaches to writing and how to think about writing, as well as use the templates provided, to help us practice the principles of writing. It is true, of course, that critical thinking and writing go deeper than any set of linguistic formulas, requiring that you question assumptions, develop strong claims, offer supporting reasons and evidence, consider opposing arguments, and so on. But these deeper habits of thought cannot be put into practice unless you have a language for expressing them in clear, organized ways. (TSIS) State your own ideas as a response to others. You are just entering a conversation that has been going on for thousands of years. You are not expected to know everything, but you are expected to begin to understand what others have said before and how to find it. To argue means more than just stating your own position. To argue you need to enter into a conversation with others views. Then you can try to convince others of your position or just to see your position as valid.

China & Me & Confusion essays

China & Me & Confusion essays The day after the American plane bombed the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia, our core teacher took one whole period telling us how bad the United States was, and how we should never bow down to them. Every student in my class including myself was furious. One year after, the tragedy was written in our textbook. I read the passage about the evilness of the United States to my uncle with anger and patriotism on the phone. He said nothing, just sighed. That year, he was in America. A few years later, I was in Canada, a completely different world that turned my beliefs completely upset down, and put me into total confusion. Living in Canada has made me look at the world from a different perspective. When I was in China, my teachers and the news were my only two sources of politics. In other words, I only knew what the Chinese government wanted everyone to know. In the past, I always thought Tibet was just a one of Chinas provinces, it was trying to be separated from us, and Dalai Lama was the bad person who caused it. The idea had never budged in my mind, until the day I received my world religions textbook. On the timeline of the chapter of Buddhism, it clearly stated that, 1989 CE Dalai Lama receives Nobel peace prize. I was shocked. Why would an evil person who was trying to separate brothers of the same family like him receive a peace prize? Was the world crazy? After I read Dalai Lamas profile, another sentence shocked me even more-the Chinese took complete control of Tibet. What did they mean by took complete control? They were apart of us! They were in control the whole time! I knew some Canadians believed that China invaded Tibet, but I never could have thought that it would be included in a textbook. More sense came into me after. This was a Canadian textbook, unlike Japan, Canadians should not falsify it, but if they did not, did that mean they were telling the fact? And China invaded Tib ...

MEDICATION ERRORS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MEDICATION ERRORS - Essay Example They can also be classified from a contextual perspective, in terms of the medicines, time, place and people involved (Spath, 2011). Modal classification is the third type, which refers to the manner in which the error took place, for example, errors can occur by substitution, omission or repetition. Patients’ safety and medical errors represent a subject that has recently gained both public and scientific attention. This is due to the fact that numerous medical errors have occurred, and lately on a regular basis (Jox, Schneider, Borasio & Dietz, 2010). These errors are accompanied by an increased cost in treatment, in addition to a number of moral consequences. Several barriers concerned with patient safety and medication errors have been identified. These include poor leadership and absence of feedback on incidences concerning these errors. Feedback would enable the medical system to monitor the occurrence of these errors on a national level, and assist the authorities in fo rmulating the appropriate preventative measures. Voluntary reporting systems have been created by organizations such as the Institute of Safe Medical Practice Canada (ISMP Canada) and results have shown that these systems can help reduce the number of mistakes in medication from human error (David, n.d). Medication error reports are reviewed by the Division of Medication Error Prevention and Analysis (DMEPA) (US Food and Drug Administration, n.d). It includes a prevention program which evaluates cases of medical errors, casualties, and uses this data to formulate preventative measures against medication errors. Fortunately, most medication errors are due to omission as opposed to commission; hence, there is a certain level of preventability for the occurrence of these mistakes. To formulate preventative measures, one must analyze the underlying cause of these errors. These errors usually occur upon failure of a medical service provider to detect the state of disease, hence, prescrib es the incorrect drug therapy, failure to detect the mechanism of drug interaction, negligence to patient’s drug allergies and general patient knowledge deficits (Harn, n.d). The above mentioned errors can be avoided if time is taken to counsel the prescriber and improving his/her working conditions (Harn, n.d). In order for the prescriber to reduce the probability of medication errors occurring, he/she can learn ways to keep focused on the patient and make sure diagnosis is made with out any external distractions. The work performed by medical professionals can be extremely stressful at times and these conditions make them prone to making mistakes. Creating a stress free environment can help reduce the number errors. This can be achieved by reducing the amount of caffeine intake and maintaining a healthy diet, improving relations among employees, ensuring that the employees get adequate sleep, working goals should be realistic to avoid overworking employees and bad habits, s uch as alcohol intake, should be prohibited during or before working hours. The patient can also play a role in preventing medication errors by gaining knowledge on the medication that has been prescribed to him/her. He or she should be aware of the purpose of the medication and what disease he/she is taking the medication for. The patient should also try to use the same pharmacy for one prescription, this way pharmacists can detect any inconsistencies that the doctor might have made

The Benefits Of College Sports Speech or Presentation

The Benefits Of College Sports - Speech or Presentation Example Instead, they opt to spend the period set aside for sports studying, socializing or shopping.College sports have been beneficial for students who are offered scholarships based on their sporting prowess in games including tennis, American football, basketball and swimming (Shulman and Bowen 154). Students from marginalized communities benefit immensely from such programs. Most colleges in Europe do not pay the deserved attention to college sports as in other continents (Rosner,Scott and Shropshire 428). This is owing to the shared belief that education is more important than college sports. European varsities do not have the same number of sporting events like the ones in the United States and varsities in other regions of the world. In fact, the experience of college sports is not an important part of the college experience in continental Europe. At its best, most institutions have informal leagues for rugby and soccer. For instance, there are irregular college rugby matches at Twin ckenham between Cambridge and Oxford annually. In addition to, there are inter university events in football and basketball but the situation is still wanting in comparison to other continents. Further study into the topic reveals that college sports do not get enough support from the varsities and the sport departments. It has been observed that there are no sports scholarships in Europe. This adversely affects the sporting landscape in the region, as there are no incentives to take part in sports. This means that that the number of students taking part in college sports is minimal. Secondly, college sports events do not get appropriate coverage. This means students lack the necessary information on sports and those excelling in the sports are not recognized for their efforts. Other continents offer full media and television coverage to such events increasing their popularity among the students. Thirdly, a well-established fan base has a positive impact on the college sports scene (Rosner,Scott and Shropshire 428). Regrettably, the fan base for the various college sports is minimal. This further decreases the popularity of such sports. Additionally, it discourages the participation of any students who would be willing to take part in college sports (Shulman and Bowen 154). Fourthly, college sports do not get the necessary funding to develop and expand its activities. Finally, the college stadiums and facilities in the European varsities are not well developed. This means that those taking part in the sports do not get the appropriate training in a healthy environment. Additionally, the lack of proper training and sporting facilities dampen the efforts of the students taking part in the sports. The issue is no different at Franklin College Switzerland since sports are taken too lightly and denied the deserved attention. This is owing to the fact that too much attention is given to education and other extra curricula activities that are considered more importan t. It has been noted that there are no sporting scholarships offered at Franklin College Switzerland. This leads to the decline in attention paid to sports. The college rarely organizes sporting events within the institution and with other colleges. Additionally, the stadium at the institution has an inadequate space to accommodate various sporting activities. The college

Sixth Annual Message of George Washington Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sixth Annual Message of George Washington - Essay Example The laws of the US were opposed and were too powerful to be suppressed by general judicial proceedings or by the powers vested on the marshal of the district (Podell and Anzovin). Therefore, he sought to subdue and weigh the best option for the crisis. Washington urged the Congress to support his taxation laws so that the public debt would be reduced. Further, he urged the Congress not to procrastinate the issue since the fiscal measures had commenced (Podell and Anzovin). Washington was geared to foreseeing favorable international relations and therefore urged the Congress that the intercourse with foreign nations would be mandated to the Congress. Washington described the people who participated in the rebellion as enemies of order who were bound to start an insurrection. He also described them as an embittered and prejudice artifice of men whose passions promoted riots and violence (Burns and Dunn). In my opinion, it was not a fair assessment because democracy entails the will of the people. Therefore, he would have engaged the citizens in dialogue and explain to them reasons behind the new taxation measures to curb public

CLEOPATRA IV BIOGRAPHY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CLEOPATRA IV BIOGRAPHY - Essay Example Cleopatra was the last of the line of Ptolemaic dynasty. â€Å"She originally shared power with her father Ptolemy XII and later with her brothers Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, whom she also married, but eventually gained sole rule† (Jones, 2006). During this time period in ancient Egypt, the pharaohs were considered to be linked to divine sources in the gods and goddesses of the ancient religions; it is common knowledge that Cleopatra VII identified herself with Isis. In the current research investigation, a brief biography of Cleopatra is given, including her association with the early Roman empire through Mark Antony, her achievements and contemporary effects of the times, and her famous death by the suicide poison of an asp. Cleopatra became queen at a very young age, being only eighteen when she ascended to her high position, and because according to the laws and customs of the time, a female ruler had to have a brother or son as a person of interest in their high court, she had to be married to her brother. Such arrangements were not all that uncommon in royal monarchies of ancient times, as they were often based on complicated systems of bloodline purity and genetics understanding, which led to some amount of intermarriage and often, in one of the unfortuante side effects of such a system, inbreeding. Cleopatra, however, was in no way dominated in her relationship to Ptolemy XII, as he was only twelve years old and she was eighteen. Instead, she effectively took power and control on her own. â€Å"Cleopatra dropped Ptolemy XIII name from all administrative documents and she had her own portrait and name placed on legal tender, ignoring her brother’s claim of co-regent† (Charveau, 1997). This shows the seeds of ambition being very deep in Cleopatra in terms of internal control. In terms of external control, however, in her mid-life and until her death,

12 angry men film analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

12 angry men film analysis - Essay Example The movie â€Å"12 Angry Men† (1957) by Brian Rathjen, deals with a case of capital murder involving a youth of Spanish- American dissent. The chief premise of this movie is to prove his guilt or innocence in front of a deliberating jury. This mini drama comprises of the prejudices and misconceptions of the jury in trying to arrive at the proper solution in the trial of first degree murder. The accused is a Hispanic - Latino, 18 years of age and the crime is the killing of his father by stabbing. During the trial, many of the incidents pointed towards the Latino being guilty. For example, the lost knife is found at the scene of the crime, the running away of the youth from the murder spot, while some witnesses heard screaming or saw the killing. In lieu of all this evidence, eleven members of the jury vote the boy guilty, except for Mr. Davis, one of the jury members who calls for a detailed discussion before granting his vote. This deliberation by the jury becomes a sort of study of the complex personalities of the jury members. It ranges from empathetic to merciless and from prejudiced to sheer arrogance. The leadership of this group can be best explained by the ‘Situational Theory’ ... o details of the facts involved, forming their own opinions in the judgment of others, some of the group showed a lack of interest and just wanted to conform to a particular situation. The group resolved these problems by a wider participation by the entire group in the decision making process, leading to better solutions to the problem. For example, all the eleven jury members join together in finding the accused guilty, but one juror Mr. Davis opposes this decision and calls for further investigation in order to arrive at the correct decision. 3. Climate: Describe the communication climate throughout most of the jury’s deliberations. What specific verbal and nonverbal behaviors contributed to this climate? The Climate during the jury’s deliberations was mixed. While some of them were more vocal about their opinions, there were others who were laid back during conversations and preferred to conform to a particular side. Since each member of the jury come from different backgrounds, they have their own frustrations and prejudices 3 which may prevent them from making the right decisions due to irrational thinking. Both verbal and non- verbal group behavior contributed towards the climate of communication of the jury. For example, juror number 7 displays a lack of interest in trying to reason out and find the right solution, while a few of the members felt that jurors five and eleven did not communicate much because of the backgrounds from which they came. 4. Conflict: Provide examples of substantive, procedural, and affective conflict. What were some of the conflict styles of group members? How successfully were conflicts resolved in the group? The first primary conflict in the case was disagreement on the verdict of guilt or innocence. While 11 jurors join together

A critical Literature Review of academic support through tutorials for Assignment

A critical Literature Review of academic support through tutorials for student nurses - Assignment Example For one thing, the ratio between the teachers and the taught may be overwhelming and secondly, infra-structural and settings may not favour a one to one interfacing between the teachers and the taught. Besides, online tutorials, although convenient may not be readily available and under graduate students may not be conversant with the modalities of online learning, unless trained and guided by seniors, till such time, required degree of proficiency is attained. Therefore, effective academic support from tutors is an integral part of the study in order to achieve a positive result. â€Å"Tutorial, a term often used in the computer related training, refers to an instructional lesson that leads the user through key features and functions of things such as software applications, hardware devices, processes, system designs, and programming languages. The tutorial typically is set up as a series of steps that progress through levels of difficulty and understanding.† (Computer programming software terms, glossary and dictionary-T, 2010). Changes within the educational system cause many students to move out without proceeding for higher education. The components of changing educational systems bring limitations to the students and they find it to be very difficult to meet the requirements during the study. In the area of nursing, it has been found that many of the nursing students are not interested in proceeding with their study because of the current changing educational systems. They are being dropped out of the program after a few years of the diploma level of nursing. One of the solutions that have been established for those who are interested in nursing is to seek help of tutors. â€Å"Students require a higher level of personal and emotional support and â€Å"increasingly both academic and personal tutoring roles are being merged, and academic problems are often a front for an underlying personal issue.† (BMAF annual conference

CLEOPATRA IV BIOGRAPHY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CLEOPATRA IV BIOGRAPHY - Essay Example Cleopatra was the last of the line of Ptolemaic dynasty. â€Å"She originally shared power with her father Ptolemy XII and later with her brothers Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, whom she also married, but eventually gained sole rule† (Jones, 2006). During this time period in ancient Egypt, the pharaohs were considered to be linked to divine sources in the gods and goddesses of the ancient religions; it is common knowledge that Cleopatra VII identified herself with Isis. In the current research investigation, a brief biography of Cleopatra is given, including her association with the early Roman empire through Mark Antony, her achievements and contemporary effects of the times, and her famous death by the suicide poison of an asp. Cleopatra became queen at a very young age, being only eighteen when she ascended to her high position, and because according to the laws and customs of the time, a female ruler had to have a brother or son as a person of interest in their high court, she had to be married to her brother. Such arrangements were not all that uncommon in royal monarchies of ancient times, as they were often based on complicated systems of bloodline purity and genetics understanding, which led to some amount of intermarriage and often, in one of the unfortuante side effects of such a system, inbreeding. Cleopatra, however, was in no way dominated in her relationship to Ptolemy XII, as he was only twelve years old and she was eighteen. Instead, she effectively took power and control on her own. â€Å"Cleopatra dropped Ptolemy XIII name from all administrative documents and she had her own portrait and name placed on legal tender, ignoring her brother’s claim of co-regent† (Charveau, 1997). This shows the seeds of ambition being very deep in Cleopatra in terms of internal control. In terms of external control, however, in her mid-life and until her death,

A critical Literature Review of academic support through tutorials for Assignment

A critical Literature Review of academic support through tutorials for student nurses - Assignment Example For one thing, the ratio between the teachers and the taught may be overwhelming and secondly, infra-structural and settings may not favour a one to one interfacing between the teachers and the taught. Besides, online tutorials, although convenient may not be readily available and under graduate students may not be conversant with the modalities of online learning, unless trained and guided by seniors, till such time, required degree of proficiency is attained. Therefore, effective academic support from tutors is an integral part of the study in order to achieve a positive result. â€Å"Tutorial, a term often used in the computer related training, refers to an instructional lesson that leads the user through key features and functions of things such as software applications, hardware devices, processes, system designs, and programming languages. The tutorial typically is set up as a series of steps that progress through levels of difficulty and understanding.† (Computer programming software terms, glossary and dictionary-T, 2010). Changes within the educational system cause many students to move out without proceeding for higher education. The components of changing educational systems bring limitations to the students and they find it to be very difficult to meet the requirements during the study. In the area of nursing, it has been found that many of the nursing students are not interested in proceeding with their study because of the current changing educational systems. They are being dropped out of the program after a few years of the diploma level of nursing. One of the solutions that have been established for those who are interested in nursing is to seek help of tutors. â€Å"Students require a higher level of personal and emotional support and â€Å"increasingly both academic and personal tutoring roles are being merged, and academic problems are often a front for an underlying personal issue.† (BMAF annual conference

Dramatic devices Essay Example for Free

Dramatic devices Essay Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible for his beliefs in McCarthyism, rampant at that time. He was against it being a hunt of the communist figures, no matter how questionable they being communist in the slightest. It was sparked by a fear that Russia was going to take over the world. Making people scared and suspicious, Miller had to be subtle in expressing his anti McCarthyist views, so he used an allegory a play. This play used the Salem witch hunt, similar because of the unsupported accusations, the people encouraged to denounce their friends, and fear and suspicion. The Salem witch hunt was more brutal, with the witches being killed, with only peoples accusations as evidence. Miller had to recontextualize the story, to stop accusations against him. The first words spoken being My Betty be hearty soon?. The title is fitting as a crucible is a container where metals are purified after heating. It reflects how Proctor has been heated by his ordeal and came through to die, his conscience clear purified. I will explore the techniques used in creating the play, to create various moods in the mind of the audience, in Act I. In Act I we find Parriss and Mrs. Putms children Betty and Ruth, inanimate on their beds. People are jumping to the Devil and Parris is putting that off, scared for his name in the village. We find that Abigail and friends had been dancing in the woods. We do get clues that the girls are faking their illness, as Betty wakes up when Parris leaves the room, we find Abigail quickly becomes the leader; an expert is called in Mr. Hale. Abigail takes the chance to talk to John Proctor, who becomes the main character. Tituba. Parriss slave, as usual is blamed for witching the two children in the woods. This cause a lot of the girls to say they saw each other with the Devil. In terms of this plot tension is created within the audience. The secrecy and mistrust creates this. Talking behind peoples backs and the ducking and diving which takes place is the cause. How the plot thickens so quickly would make the audience more uneasy. The dramatic irony with the talking behind each others backs creates tension, and involves them more; they want to see what happens. The techniques used to create meaning for the reader, is the overture and the prose on the characters. The reader trusts the prose and they give information on the characters, they are there because there can be no nuances or subtext in the speech, creating a fast story, the prose slows it down, getting the reader more involved.  An audience wouldnt have these to guide them, it would be up to the actors to read the prose and interpret them in their acting. The play was performed when McCarthyism was at its peak, so it would be blindingly obvious to the American audience what it was about. The allegory would mean the audience would relate to it, creating tension when they think its about 1 thing, then realize its about something else. The time the story is set in is a somber time, spooky because of the black garments and archaic speech, immediately making the audience uneasy, the first words spoken being My Betty be hearty soon? This inverted language makes it seem more Biblical and legal, heightening the impact they have as does the syntax. The older time distances us, making the characters seem austere and quite oppressive. The double-negative furthers the tension by adding confusion, making it more farcical, which further distances us. Claustrophobia, furthers the tension as there is no escape for the characters, they are trapped which makes the audience feel trapped as well. The first thing we find is that Parriss room is small, with narrow windows and leaded panes like a prison this creates claustrophobia. Parris is trapped, making the audience more susceptible to panic. He is also kneeling he is suppressed by God, it bears down on him. Laws and limitations create claustrophobia as well. Not have permitted anyone to read a novel This shows how small minded the laws were, consequently making the people small minded. Not being able to explore themselves and their emotions, making them bland with no escape from reality. Their creed forbade vain enjoyment Shows how religiously they stuck to their beliefs, making their lives bland and boring, and possibly more excitable over the out-of-the-ordinary. The edge of the wilderness was close by The wilderness was the Devils land, they were locked in their town nothing else existed. It stood dark and threatening How they were held in place, scared to go further. They believedthey heldthe candle that would light the world Shows how small minded they were; the Devils land was irrelevant. Parris makes the audience feel angry and frustrated by the fact that he is supposed to be a leader. He is pompous then the Doctor must search on, unpopular and paranoid a faction to drive me from pulpit, unjust Out of my sight!, ambitious do not preach for children, cowardly they will hound me out of Salem, greedy not used to this poverty, hypocritical in defense of Abigail he calls others witches, overly pious send for Reverend Hale, dishonest and vain in covering truth Uncle the rumour of witchcraft is all about. So he is not a particularly pleasant person. If he denies witchcraft in his own home it could seem dishonorable and suspicious so he doesnt. Even so the audience would realize his difficult position, and give him room to breathe. Abigail is a big character, she schemes her way to becoming the leader of the witches Now look you, all of you. She is fearful of her name in the village Not I, sir Tituba and Ruth This gives her a good position, she can scheme to save herself and being manipulative Now if they be questioning us. The audience can relate to her to an extent, everyone can be a leader and scheme; this also makes her the baddie the audience will be interested in knowing what happens to her. Proctor is the character to which we can relate to, the main one. Through Proctor we have a medium in which we can see something and consider ideas. As does Hale, it put us in their shoes. Proctor sees Abigail as a child, strengthening our bond with him. He also sees through Parris, who we find being very greedy with his fire wood money. Also Giles sued him and he paid up although Giles just misheard him Ive paid you for it Proctor is very honest and just wants to get on with his life. The audience will have an affinity with Proctor. Conflicts between characters Abigail and Elizabeth both love Proctor, Proctor and Parris: Parris isnt godly and is a hypocrite etc. these conflicts are like smaller plots in their own way and add to the audiences excitement, also annoying us when they dont resolve, theocracy religion says the you cant, but they want to.  The structure is broken up with the overture and prose which the actors interpret and use the instructions to show it to the audience. This adds an extra dimension to the play, incorporating the prose, with its history and explanations. Intertextualism, the themes that link Salem and McCarthyism, spark questions it is years since the Salem trials but we still havent learnt, human character prevails. The questions dramatic devices that go unanswered, especially at the end with Proctor being hung, should he have been? He doesnt want to go back to the same society that tried to hang him a dramatic device, people are ready to persecute when that is what they are trying to escape irony. The irony, people went to America to escape and be free, supposed to have got better satiring the American Dream. These themes mean more to a 1950s audience, with the exact same one present.

Wal Marts Global Procurement Division Management Essay

Wal Marts Global Procurement Division Management Essay Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton and incorporated in 1969. Walmart has been maintaining its status as the largest grocery retailer in the U.S. The company operates at more than 8,500 retail units under 60 different banners in 15 countries, and reported sales revenue of $405 billion in 2010. The company strives to strongly commit to its promise to the customers; Every Day Low Prices. In order to deliver low-priced goods and make the customers lives better, the company particularly leverages operating expense and improve its global expertise. From another perspective, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is one of the biggest buyers for many suppliers whether they are domestic or international producers, and whether they are of a small scale or a big scale. To reduce the bottom-line costs, the company has been vigorously attempting to reduce product costs and transport costs. International Purchasing As the companys business dramatically grew, it created Global Procurement division in 2002 to better manage the international purchasing activities. The division makes decision on and oversees direct business import and factory purchasing from their international suppliers in many different locations around the globe. To name a few, Wal-mart obtains global procurement offices in Bangladesh, Dubai, India, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan, Shanghai and Shenzen in China. These offices allow international suppliers to apply for direct import program through which they could establish the supplier relationship with Wal-mart, after the thorough examination. Wal-Marts Global Procurement Division Headquartered in Shenzen, China, the division is responsible for identifying new attractive international suppliers, sourcing new products as necessary, and maintaining good supplier relationships with the existing suppliers. In addition, it manages the global supply chain of Wal-marts direct imports. The majority of the staffs are located in Shenzen, China as the company has the greatest supplier base in China. By setting up the Global Procurement division, the company gained better insights into their international suppliers. Through this program, the company could understand the issues of global sourcing and suppliers and work towards solving them in order to assure quality. As a supplier maintenance process, the global procurement offices are also responsible for conducting factory inspections, and provide the workplace standards training that align with the companys own standards. International Supplier Selection Similar to the companys very thorough domestic supplier selection, the global procurement undergoes the selective process. The greatest advantage that the international direct import brings is reduced costs. Due to high labor costs, many of the U.S. factories cannot offer Wal-mart competitive pricing. As a result, Wal-mart explored its options in Pacific-Asia/Asia. In many Asian countries, manufacturers benefit from relatively low labor costs. Among those international supplier, Chinese suppliers are definitely the companys biggest supplier base. To ensure the quality of products in addition to lower costs, the global procurement division strives to help them adhere to the standards and make factory inspections/audits. Also, the company has its own ethical standards set for its potential and existing suppliers as an essential requirement. Reliability and trustworthiness are also important criteria to decrease the delivery failure and delay rates. Through the companys own global suppl y chain, it manages the transportation of goods from international suppliers to the U.S. warehouses. Supplier management system There is no need to tell how far has reached Walmart on the supply chain management. To ensure its customers satisfaction is the highest, the biggest worldwide retailing company provides a Supplier Training program. Once a supplier has been accepted and has read the Proposal Packet which introduces the business philosophy and practices, a training program managed by Accenture must be followed. In 2005, Walmart and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) created an online retail supply chain certification for suppliers. A web-based training program for Chinese factories to audit ratings and productivity is also included. A lot of side businesses like 8th Walton offer services and solutions to support organisations who want to do business with Walmart. Intertek Group factories inspection, factory audits In August 2009, Walmart announced its partnerships with Intertek to ensure the quality of the suppliers product. The partner provides the RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substance) certification by a cost-effective program to assure the product compliance. The process includes documentation review, process audit and lab testing. Local Suppliers The Local Supplier program was put in place to satisfy local demand for specific products. A complete process has to be completed from the store manager to the Divisional Merchandise Director. Also, a special program for Women owned business and minority businesses. Benefits are present for the chain: Wal-Marts local sourcing strategy has been seen as a move to win the favour of its customers. Walmart recognized that local suppliers are more aware of national trends, customers tastes and local needs. That helps create links with the population as well. Requirements A lot of requirements must be fulfilled by suppliers to be part of the big empire retail system. First, all businesses must adhere to the RetailLink system which is a website to plan execute and analyze the production. Moreover, suppliers must include EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) to their system for real-time delivery of business documents. EDI is part of the Vendor Management Inventory (VMI) which, through the use of sale information, recommends orders to Walmart. Over the years, EDI has actually proven to be one of the most efficient and effective ways for Wal-Mart to conduct business with its suppliers. That contributes to oversight the inventory programs of both the supplier and Walmart. Despite these technical requirements, tests labs might be asked to ensure the highest quality and safety: we use different independent third party testing labs to provide a safety net test. Also, there is a total prohibition of any kind of gifts or present to Walmart managers. The company asked for industry knowledge and integrity from its suppliers. Finally, suppliers must meet regulation differentiations among countries with the help of the Office for Regulatory Compliance (ORC). Some standard have to be reach as well: the compliance with the law, the no-child labor application, hiring and employment practices, compensations (wage), freedom of association and barging, health and safety, environment, conflict-free of interest, anti-corruption and financial integrity. Violations of these standards can be reported in any country confidentially. Insurance requirements A product Commercial General Liability insurance must be purchased by the supplier for a minimum of $Â  2 million. An employees insurance has to be bought for a minimum of $1 million. An employers liability must also be included. Benefits of Global Sourcing Cheap Labor Resrouce Costs One of the reasons for Walmart pursue international purchasing is there are cheaper labor power available abroad. Looking at hourly compensation cost of the world by United States Department of Labor, one can clearly see that there are numerous nations that provide cheaper labor force than that of the US. Suppliers in nations with cheaper labor are likely to provide cheaper products which would benefit Walmart in cost saving. Walmart is trying to decrease labor costs further by launching programs such as job optimization and regrouping program Some resources are actually cheaper in certain countries and Walmart could benefit from such difference by purchasing resources from cheaper regions. Moreover, in some cases, due to such differences in cost, there really is no competitive domestic supplier available making it inevitable to purchase internationally. Diversification of Supplier Base Also, by purchasing internationally, Walmart can diversify its supply base. By doing this, Walmart not only can purchase various products with cheap price but also ensure sustainable and less volatile supply base. For instance, in recent disaster in Japan, even though Walmarts business in Japan has taken some damage, it is unlikely to damage overall company as their supply base is diversified. Regarding the issue, Moodys Investors Services Senior Analyst Charles OShea said, While Japan may be an important market for Wal-Mart, the company has other international opportunities that have more growth potential over the long term. As you can see in the example, Walmart benefits greatly by diversifying its supply base globally. Not only that, Walmartcan improve its bargaining position towards domestic suppliers by diversifying its supply base. As Walmartcanpurchase from suppliers outside the US, it does not depend on domestic suppliers providing it bargaining power to push domestic supplie rs to provide contracts better conditions. Risks of Global Sourcing Transportation Cost Despite benefits mentioned above, international purchasing comes with some risks and costs. To start with, there are transportation costs. As international suppliers have to ship products, it is important to minimize transportation cost. Walmart tries to avoid unnecessary transportation cost by having standards and requirements when selecting supplier. By selecting supplier that fits the standards, Walmart can avoid potential additional cost. Also, Walmart offers supplier information manual which its suppliers are required to follow as stated in contract with Walmart. The contract also states clearly that it is suppliersresponsibility to deliver products timely and in case of delays, compensations are in order. Walmart also tries to prevent such failures by educating its suppliers through supplier training programs. Reputation and Quality Control Walmart also has to ensure its reputations are protected when dealing with international suppliers. If products from international suppliers are of incompetent quality or if their suppliers have ethical issues, Walmarts reputation would be could damaged. To prevent any potential problems, Walmart practices audits to its suppliers. For instance, Walmart carried out unannounced audits to factories of its supplier in China. To Walmarts surprise, it found out that the factories had unsafe work practices which caused staff injuries. If it were not for these audits, Walmarts reputation could have been damaged for dealing with unethical supplier. Corporate social responsibility As one of the largest world companies, Walmart has no choice to look on the impacts of its actions. But, because Wal-Mart only directly manufactures 8 percent of everything is sells, the solution lies for the most part with the suppliers. Walmart asked to its 100,000 suppliers 15 questions for sustainability regarding energy and climate, material efficiency, natural resources and people and community in the goal to transform into a sustainable products rating for customers. Walmart also pursues 3 major environmental goals: to be supplied 100% by renewable energy, to create zero waste and to sell products that sustain people and environment. Established in 1992, the Ethical Standard Program, a division of the Global Procurement, is responsible to verify if suppliers are in conformance with Walmart standards and local law. The company experienced some troubles in China relatively to management style (well-run prisons) and to the labor exploitation. Child labor and Labor/factory conditions In 1993, Walmart was accused of its first violation of international labor rights in Bangladesh: Children in Bangladesh were forced to work for five cents an hour while Wal-Mart falsely indicated that their garments had been Made in USA consistent with their 1985 image campaign. Despite many efforts, in 2006, around 250 children were found working in a factory. Bad treatments, physical, moral and financial were also reported. The fault can be rejected to suppliers, the core problem, and Walmart could stop the abuses by halting its cutting and running. Various violations have been reported on the minimum wage, forced labor, overtime paid, bathroom breaks or rights to independent unions. Against green initiatives/sustainability Walmart put in place a Sustainable Value Network to seek solutions for an eco-friendly environment. The company began to see environmental sustainability as a way to achieve two goals: improve Wal-Marts bottom line and its reputation. Efforts are driven in this direction, but there is still a lot to do. Some say Walmart got engaged in these actions, looking to its bottom line. Recommendation Better Supplier Relationship Walmart has been criticized by general public that it forces its suppliers to cut down costs and processes. While this procedures have helped Walmart to achieve its business motto, Every Day Low Price (EDLP), it also resulted in somewhat harming its relationships with its suppliers. For instance, survey by RetailingToday.com showed that Walmarts current suppliers believe Walmart does not help its suppliers to understand the business and operations nor does it make information and resources open. This kind of data shows that Walmarts over-compulsive requirements has led to distrusts between it and its suppliers. For Walmart to successfully survive in future market, it is essential to create sustainable relationships with its suppliers. Green Walmart For similar reasons mentioned above, Walmart has been criticized for not environment friendly. As Walmart pursues cost minimization, it somewhat neglected environmental issues which is damaging its brand image. There are demonstrations and movements that argue to not purchase from Walmart because of it is harming environment. For Walmart to better its brand image, it is important to go green. Ethical business Other issues include ethical problems. It is again related to Walmarts goal of minimizing cost. To meet with Walmarts demand of cost minimization, some suppliers from developing countries using child labor. Not only is itself unethical, it is also morally being criticized because Walmart does not actively prevent this. As mentioned above, this is also harming Walmarts brand image. Overdependence on Chinese suppliers Currently, Walmart is depending hugely on supplier from nations with cheap labor and cheap resources like China. However, China is not a nation of infinite resources or will its labor always stay cheap. Ultimately, Chinese labor cost and resource prices will rise. If Walmart stay over-depending on China, potential danger will always remain. To prevent such danger, it needs to more diversify its supplier base.

A Psychoanalytic Analysis of Pretty Woman Essay -- Movie Film Essays

A Psychoanalytic Analysis of Pretty Woman In the introduction to his book, The Sublime Object of Ideology, Slavoj Zizek acquaints readers with his book’s tripartite aim. He plans, among other things, to illustrate concepts fundamental to Lacanian psychoanalysis – an intention which will serve to further his more ambitious goal â€Å"to reactualize Hegelian dialectics by giving it a new reading† in the light of Lacanian psychoanalysis – and â€Å"to contribute to the theory of ideology via a new reading of some well-known classical motifs† (7). In this broad category of classical motifs associated with the theory of ideology, I have isolated both fetishism and the commodity-form and intend to briefly illustrate some of these concepts against the backdrop of the movie Pretty Woman -- a popular rags-to-riches romantic comedy from 1990. Looking through the prism of Lacan and Marx, Zizek brands us as â€Å"fetishists in practice, not in theory†; he posits that we â€Å"do not know† or we â€Å"misrecognize† the fact that in our â€Å"social reality itself, in [our] social activity – in the act of commodity exchange – [we] are guided by the fetishistic illusion† (31). Amidst this discussion on ideology, Zizek highlights one of the most significant differences between Marx and Lacan: In the predominant Marxist perspective the ideological gaze is a partial gaze overlooking the totality of social relations, whereas in the Lacanian perspective ideology rather designates a totality set on effacing the traces of its own impossibility. (49) This difference corresponds to the one that distinguishes the Marxian from the Freudian notion of fetishism: In the former, â€Å"a fetish conceals the positive network of social relations,† whereas in the latter â€Å"a fet... ...difficult to let go of something so beautiful.† The movie is jam-packed full of such desirable â€Å"somethings† -- potentially fetishized objects which characters use in an effort to compensate for a â€Å"lack† in their lives: cash, a silver Lotus, clothes from Rodeo Drive, a personal jet, the â€Å"kill† of a hostile takeover, or the company of a beautiful woman. In the movie's conclusion, Edward does go through with the jewelry-return; he does not leave behind the ruby-haired Vivian, though, and the audience receives their â€Å"happy ending† – perhaps a fetish in its own right. Works Cited: The Internet Movie Database Ltd. (An Amazon.com company.) http://us.imdb.com [Accessed 11 November 1998]. Pretty Woman. Dir. Garry Marshall. With Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. Touchstone, 1990. Zizek, Slavoj. The Sublime Object of Ideology. London: Verso, 1989.