Amartya Sen and His Contributions to Economics

Born in 1933 in Dhaka, Bengal, Amartya Sen spent his childhood in a school run by a Nobel Prize winner, Rabindranath Tagore. He was further exposed to racial riots in British India in his childhood. This brought him the understanding that poor people are especially vulnerable to violence. As a young man, Sen moved to England to study at Cambridge University and deepen his understanding of poverty, a topic in developmental economics.Upon finishing his education, he taught at some of the finest universities in the world, including Cambridge University, Oxford University, London School of Economics, and Harvard University (â€Å"Freedom as Progress,† 2004). Today, the name, Amartya Sen is considered synonymous with welfare economics. The man won the Nobel Prize for economics in the year 1998 (â€Å"Amartya K. Sen†). The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences explains the reasons for the award thus: Prof Sen's contribution to welfare economics †¦ (and) applications of his t heoreticalapproach have enhanced our understanding of the economic mechanisms underlying famines. He has made a number of noteworthy contributions to central fields of economic science and opened up new fields of study for subsequent generations of researchers. By combining tools from economics and philosophy, he has restored an ethical dimension to the discussion of vital economic problems. Prof Sen treated problems such as majority rule, individual rights and the availability of information about individual welfare.Almost all of Prof Sen's work deals with development economics, as they are often devoted to the welfare of the poorest people in society. He has also studied actual famines. His best-known work is Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation. He challenges the common view that a shortage of food is the most important (sometimes the only) explanation for famine. On the basis of careful study of a number of catastrophes †¦ he argues that famines have occurred even when the supply of food was not significantly lower than during previousyears (without famines), or that famine-stricken areas have sometimes exported food. (â€Å"Sen’s work is ‘devoted to the welfare of the poorest people in society,’† 1998) Sen won the Nobel Prize especially for his work in welfare economics (â€Å"Sin wins Nobel for Contribution to Welfare Economics,† 1998). His contributions in this area include the social choice theory, welfare and poverty indexes, income distribution, research on famine, collective decision making and individual welfare (â€Å"Amartya Sen,† 2000). The economist’s contribution to the social choice theory relates to democracy.Sen is a fan of Adam Smith, but the social choice theory was originally developed by Marquis de Condorcet, a French mathematician who lived and worked during a period of revolution back in the eighteenth century. The theory was modernized in the 1950s by Kennet h Arrow from Stanford University, who had also won a Nobel Prize for economics. But, Sen’s contribution to the theory is marked by its political implications. He was concerned about violence inflicted upon the poor in British India, which is why his contribution was meant to be a framework to evaluate social progress (â€Å"Freedom as Progress†).According to Sen, the Gross Domestic Product and Gross National Product are unreliable. The reason is twofold: firstly, these national income statistics do not measure income distribution as it is; and secondly, there are various influences upon individual freedom as well as well-being that these statistics fail to give consideration to, for example, disabilities and exposure to serious illnesses in a contaminated environment. Sen further believed that the head-count technique of measuring the malice of poverty is insufficient.He did not only want to know how many people fell below the poverty line but also how far they fell be low or rose above the poverty line. It is possible to analyze income inequality among the poor as well with these statistics. Hence, Sen proposed a new poverty measure in the year 1979 (â€Å"Freedom as Progress†). This method was developed to take into consideration â€Å"the ‘relative deprivation’ of individuals† (â€Å"Freedom as Progress†). Sen also helped in the development of the Human Development Index published by the United Nations Development Program.His contribution to the Human Development Index included a vector of numerical figures to take into account the various influences on individual welfare that the Gross National Product would not accommodate (â€Å"Freedom as Progress†). Undoubtedly, this Index, inclusive of â€Å"observed features of living conditions,† is now â€Å"the most widely accepted measure of comparative international welfare† (â€Å"Freedom as Progress†). Sen was a witness to the Bengal fa mine of 1943, which is what inspired him to contribute to famine economics so much so that governments around the world have developed policies around his contributions.Most policymakers and commentators had previously believed that famines ensue when the supply of food declines. Although this makes perfect economic sense, Sen proved through his study of famines in Bangladesh, India, and sub-Saharan Africa that famines also occur when the supply of food has not declined. In the year 1974, for example, Bangladesh was hit by a famine although production of food was very high. Furthermore, Sen proved through research that it was not only the poorest people that were affected by famines; rather, even those who had suddenly experienced a decline in income for some reason were affected by food shortage.As a result of his research, governments decided to replace the lost income of the poor during famines. Prior to this, they had simply concentrated on food distribution (â€Å"Freedom as P rogress†). Sen further found that famines do not happen in democratic countries. In India, for example, information spreads rapidly and criticism about policies is not discouraged, which is why the country has never experienced a famine. Even though India is poorer than China, the latter experienced a famine that killed approximately thirty million people between 1958 and 1961.But, Sen did not just advocate democracy through this research. As he studied famine economics, he analyzed gender inequality to boot. According to him, democracy has not inspired India to save women from dying prematurely year after year because of inequality in access to healthcare (â€Å"Freedom as Progress†). In fact, millions of women are equally affected by this problem in addition to â€Å"domestic neglect† and â€Å"social negligence† in West Asia, North Africa, China and India (â€Å"Freedom as Progress†).Even if these problems are resolved, Sen has noted that â€Å" ‘selective abortion of female fetuses’† is a new contributor to the high rate of female mortality (â€Å"Freedom as Progress†). Of course, those who believe in aborting female fetuses would disagree with Sen that it is a social problem to reduce the female population thus. It is for this reason that Sen’s social choice theory revolves around democratic principles (â€Å"Freedom as Progress†). In other words, â€Å"when there is general agreement, the choices made by society are uncontroversial.When opinions differ, the problem is to find methods for bringing together different opinions in decisions that concern everyone† (â€Å"Freedom as Progress†). This theory of social choice analyzes the significance of individual decisions for collective welfare. Apart from analyzing the issue of gender inequality, Sen has used this theory to answer questions such as, ‘When is it possible for majority rule to yield decisions that are c lear and consistent? ’ and, ‘Because individuals have differing interests, how is it possible to know that the society is doing well?Branching into politics, Sen’s contribution to social choice theory makes it essential for democracies not only to perfect the process of elections but also to hold regular public debates and discussions. He offers the example of India to illustrate this point. The country had voted out a powerful political party on the basis of political discussions even if the result of the elections had appeared decisive (â€Å"Freedom as Progress†). Sen explains another use of the social choice theory with an example of India. There was public debate on the issue of whether poverty in India was on the decline.Upon analyzing the issue with the social choice theory, Sen discovered that reduction in poverty only affected those who were already very close to the poverty line. It is for this reason that the economist continues to trust evaluat ion of income distribution through a variety of measures rather than Gross Domestic Product and Gross National Product alone. With his contribution to the Human Development Index, the economist has theoretical evidence that education and healthcare reforms will alleviate poverty in developing nations.Moreover, Sen believes that globalization can benefit the poorest people of the world to boot (â€Å"Freedom as Progress†). Of course, to make this dream a reality, policymakers must be working around the Human Development Index. After all, violence, too, affects everybody. If poverty is not alleviated, economic progress must needs be dampened by war.References Amartya K. Sen. Retrieved Apr 1, 2009, from http://cepa. newschool. edu/het/profiles/sen. htm. Amartya Sen. (2000). LSE. Retrieved Apr 1, 2009, from http://www. lse. ac. uk/resources/LSEHistory/sen. htm. Freedom as Progress. (2004, Sep). People in Economics. Retrieved Apr 1, 2009, from http://www. imf. org/external/pubs/ft /fandd/2004/09/pdf/people. pdf. Sin wins Nobel for Contribution to Welfare Economics. (1998, Oct 14). Rediff on the Net. Retrieved Apr 1, 2009, from http://www. rediff. com/business/1998/oct/14sen5. htm. Sen’s work is ‘devoted to the welfare of the poorest people in society. ’ (1998, Oct 14). Rediff on the Net. Retrieved Apr 1, 2009, from http://www. rediff. com/business/1998/oct/14sen2. htm.

Is Affirmative Action Effective?

Is Affirmative Action Effective? The Declaration of Independence states â€Å"all men are created equal† (Declaration of Independence) and have certain unalienable rights that among these are â€Å"Life Liberty and the pursuit of happiness† (Declaration of Independence). Judging Americans by different standards does not honor this truth. In efforts to remedy the ills of segregation through Affirmative Action, the unintended consequences of this action have created another injustice. If men are created equal then they should be judged equally.Affirmative action is outdated and unconstitutional and it is time for a level playing field. Giving people opportunities based solely on race without the qualifications to succeed in a competitive environment is a major problem in today’s society. The SAT, the Standard Aptitude Test, â€Å"†¦merely measures differences in academic preparation†¦ [The] affirmative action policies [that they] seek to remedy are prima rily produced by â€Å"continuing disparities† in pre-collegiate academic achievements of blacks and white students.On those measures of merit that selective colleges use to decide who gets in, not all groups perform equally† (D’souza 266). Standardized tests are excellent predictors of academic capability, but, even with comparable test scores, evidence shows there simply may be natural differences between the races, similar to the assumption that whites naturally are not as athletic as blacks. America cannot deny opportunities to the people who are the most qualified and give them to someone who is less qualified but of the â€Å"right† skin color.This practice diminishes not only the achievement of the individual, but makes this country less productive than it could be. America is slowing down its’ competitiveness in the world and dumbing down the country. D’souza states that â€Å"†¦ admitting Hispanic and African American students with grade point averages of 3. 2 and SAT scores of 1100, while turning away White and Asian American applicants with GPAs of 4. 0 and SAT scores of 1300† (D’souza 265). In the NBA, more than three fourths of the league is African American. Many believe as stated previously that blacks are more athletic than whites.Demanding that the NBA draft more whites to achieve racial equality, even if they are much less athletic, is effectively the same as demanding that businesses hire less qualified workers based solely on race rather than their academic performance. Rewarding people based on race instead of hard work and intelligence encourages an entitlement mentality and creates a false sense of achievement. Granting people opportunities that they may not deserve creates a sense of entitlement and perpetuates stereotypes and the cycle of racism. Equal opportunity is essential to a healthy society.Everyone should be held to the same standard regardless of individual characteri stics that have nothing to do with intelligence, hard work, or creativity. The person most qualified deserves the opportunity. The original justification for affirmative action was to correct historical discrimination against blacks in the south. This justification has been exaggerated and expanded to apply to many classes of people who were never intended to be included. This wide application of affirmative action creates a form of reverse discrimination.The original purpose was to provide government intervention where blatant racism was present. As presently applied, each class has a different standard and set of remedies based on what ever injustice they believe they suffered. According to a 1991 commentary by Patrick Hall, an African American librarian, â€Å"the irony in all of this is that affirmative action and equal opportunity originally intended people to be judged on their qualifications as individuals without regard to race, sex, or age† ( Hall 311). Affirmative a ction now takes away from the key to success which is motivation.Hall suggests that â€Å"motivation, individual initiative, and perseverance can overcome the most the most abhorrent situations† (Hall 312). Instead of creating that motivation, affirmative action has discouraged the majority races that face the same adversity and has caused a tension between races because people who deserve an opportunity are being overlooked because they are white just to create a sense of diversity. Rather than a targeted corrective strategy, a case can be made that affirmative action has diminished some minorities’ drive to achieve prosperity in their lives.The key to successful affirmative action is to create individual initiative regardless of their race. Without this motivation, affirmative action is unfair and can become as destructive as the evil it was intended to correct. The biggest example of affirmative action’s place in the world today is its effect and role in coll ege admissions. These days, the main focus of universities and other educational institutions is to be or become as racially diverse as possible. However, with that being said â€Å"†¦ dequate racial diversity can’t be achieved without rejecting a certain number of more academically qualified white applicants in favor of preferred minority applicants† (Parks 146). In trying to create more equality in opportunity for minorities, the white population’s opportunities are then diminished. Instead of race, the privileges or assistance that comes along with affirmative action should be given to people based on factors that would actually affect their admissions. The policy should almost be used as bonus points for â€Å"†¦ ruly deserving students whose lower grade point average and SAT scores, correlate to overcoming poverty, a single-parent household, lack of English-language background, enrollment at an underperforming high school, a physical handicap or undiagnosed or untreated learning disability† (Parks 149). Growing up in or with a condition that is out of their control, affirmative action should be award to those who have problems that directly affect their education. Within the last century, African Americans have fought harsh battles for their civil rights.Back during Jim Crow law days, segregated schools allowed for differences in educational standards. The few schools that were provided helped some, but for the most part did little for the majority of blacks. This oppression â€Å"†¦ left a large gap in amount of wealth, educational attainment, and social status†¦ † (Young 14). The more the gap in attainment increased, the greater the gap in economic opportunity. Some African Americans view affirmative action policies as a form of pity. Because of past struggles and their assumed continuance â€Å"†¦ ffirmative action programs give blacks and other disadvantaged groups extra consideration when a pplying for admissions† (Young 14). Whites now feel â€Å"bad† about their past wrongdoings and are trying to make up for it by giving education as a handout. These policies anger many blacks because they want the same opportunity to show how far they have come and prove they are capable of being successful on their own without any special assistance. Even though most educational institutions are trying to increase their racially diverse appeal, most still favor whites over other minority races. With that being said â€Å"†¦ hites, whatever their status, can view themselves as entitled to privileges and priorities over blacks† (Bell 77). This in turn causes more tension between races because of the factor of competition. If schools based admissions solely on the information they are presented with, race and ethnicity aside, they could fairly base their rejection or acceptance and have it be justified. This would also help the competition tension because admi ssions would be based on their effort and achievements instead of something that is beyond their control. There are many different standards of education around the world.In order to make sure every student has the same chance of success, every school needs to if not at the same level, at least offer the same or similar courses. Many â€Å"†¦ recommend that courts should concentrate on enforcing genuine equality in education by requiring schools to conform to uniform standards â€Å"(Bell 76). This way every student has the access to these resources if need be. So students are judged on what they bring to the table, not on race or unchangeable characteristics. Most races are hurt by some of the practices or effects of affirmative action policies.Getting rid of race-based pickings, would help increase educational equality across the board and also increase economic opportunity. Unfair cruelty and underestimation is also presented upon Hispanics. The stereotypical view that man y Americans have on Hispanics is that their lack of education means that they have no worth to this country and that they should be given a job with just as poor worth as their stereotype gives the individual. â€Å"The preponderance of recent immigrants in unskilled and low-paying jobs as de facto proof that Americans refuse to do what is traditionally considered menial labor.As an result, some of the business community, supported by the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, clamor for a liberal guest-worker program based upon the assumption that without one, America will face a long-term labor shortage and economic ruin† (Haugen 24). This shows how Americans actually refuse to do these types of jobs because they are viewed as unfavorable low-paying jobs. With the assumption that they are jobs well suited for these immigrants who do not have a proper educated background, when really, these are some of the most important and beneficial jobs to the country.This menial labor may not be th e ideal job, but without these jobs, or the Hispanics that occupy them, America would face a tremendous labor and economic downfall. Americans have not only underestimated the importance and power of menial labor, but also of Hispanics. Although these people may be unskilled and uneducated, they have been put in tougher situations where they must work harder than other Americans in order to survive. The severity of discrimination has been taken to a whole different level. â€Å"The prejudice, intimidation, and hatred of the†¦ riots were directed at Hispanics who had done nothing wrong† (Haugen 27).Hispanics have taken the role of America’s scapegoats and the reason for their problems when they have done nothing but come into the country looking for a better life for themselves. This view that Hispanics are worthless and incapable of succeeding in anything in spite of their race is unfair and insensible. Affirmative action was created to be a positive and beneficia l way of improving and enhancing the employment and educational opportunities of members in a minority, but quickly turned into an ongoing controversy filled with detriments from all point of views. This action has gone from helping the minorities, to denying races.There have been cases where students have been denied from colleges merely because of their race. â€Å"The court has ruled that a system of strict racial quotas, like denying someone because of their race, is unconstitutional, but that schools are allowed to use race as one of several factors when determining an applicant’s acceptance† (â€Å"Expanding Access to College for Disadvantaged Students† paragraph 3). Colleges aim for those certain percentages of each race in their school, but that does not mean that they should be able to turn hard working and deserving students away because of the color of their skin.Colleges have lost the true meaning of affirmative action, which is to give a boost to th e minorities, not push them away. Members of both majorities and minorities see this action as an unfair advantage. Many Whites view affirmative action â€Å"as giving an unfair advantage to racial minorities†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"Expanding Access to College for Disadvantaged Students† paragraph 4) and many Blacks view the affirmative boosts as a gesture of pity towards them and take it offensively because they feel like they can pave a way for themselves without Whites doing it for them.On the other hand, many Hispanics see affirmative action as one more racial barrier that puts, yet, another stereotype on them that they are incapable of being a real benefit to a college, or the country in general (Marcovitz 27). Affirmative action needs to make its way back to its original purpose which is to give Hispanics a helping hand because of their lack of a proper education. Over the years, more and more people have witnessed affirmative action’s misfortunes and have worked t owards a resolution to this controversy.Instead of viewing Hispanic immigrants as a burden to public welfare, Americans need to desire a growing workforce and welcome them with the belief that America is a beacon for all diversities of races (Haugen 21). Many have come to the conclusion that Hispanics are just another group of people who are here to overpopulate and do not bring anything to the table to benefit our country, but the truth is, they benefit this country a great amount.By helping these immigrants have a better and new life in America, they can achieve great things for our country and introduce America into many new cultural aspects which can raise the nation to a whole new level. Throughout the revision process of affirmative action, critics have hypothesized new ways that will make more of a beneficial impact. â€Å"Critics also say they doubt that racial or economic diversity will really benefit colleges. Ideological differences are more helpful in achieving that goa l than differences in race or income†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"Critics See Problems† paragraph 5).It has been predicted that ideological differences would be far more helpful in achieving the action's goals rather than segregating by race. Diversity by race in colleges will do nothing but cause more controversies in this issue, which is already a heated topic. By seeking out the differences of ideology rather than race, it will give colleges a background look at the persons’ political and economic beliefs and ideas instead of their race. Being able to see these ideological beliefs would be much more beneficial not only for the colleges, but for the country.Affirmative action violates the natural rights that have been given to Americans since the beginning of this great country. Judging students based off skin color takes away from the pursuit of happiness and creates an idea of inequality among races. Instead of just focusing on the person's race, but on the qualities and k nowledge a person actually attains, this country will move ahead faster socially, but economically as well. Works Cited â€Å"Affirmative Action. † Issues and Controversies on File: n. pag.Issues and Controversies. Facts on File News Services, 1 Sept. 1995. Web. 9 Feb. 2013. Bell, Derrick A. â€Å"Equality in Education is More Important than Integration. † Issues on Trial: Racial Discrimination. Ed. Mitchell Young. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomas Gale, 2007. 77. Print. D’souza, Dinesh. â€Å"A World Without Racial Preferences. † Taking sides: Clashing views on Controversial Issues in Race and Ethnicity. Ed. Raymond D’angelo and Herbert Douglas. Dubuque, Iowa: The McGraw- Hill Companies, Inc,2005. 265-270. Print.Hall, Patrick A. â€Å"Against our Best Interests: An Ambivalent View of Affirmative Action. † Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Race and Ethnicity. Ed. Raymond D’angelo and Herbert Douglas. Dubuque, Iowa: Th e McGraw- Hill Companies, Inc, 2005. 311-316. Print. Haugen, David. â€Å"How Does Illegal Immigration Impact America? † Illegal Immigration: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. Davis Haugen and Susan Musser. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Print. Marcovitz, Hal. â€Å"Lancing the Boil of Racism. Race Relations: Gallup Major Trends and Events: The Pulse of Our Nation 1900 to the Present. Broomall, PA: Mason Crest Publishers, 2007. Print. Parks Jr. , A. Lee. â€Å"Race-Based College Admissions Violate Individual Rights. † Issues on Trial: Racial Discrimination. Ed. Mitchell Young. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomas Gale, 2006. 145-152. Print. 17 USC. Sec. 304. 2000. Print. Young, Mitchell. â€Å"New Challenges in a Diverse Society. † Issues on Trial: Racial Discrimination. Ed. Mitchell Young. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomas Gale, 2006. 14-15. Print.

HRD in Bangladesh: Chronological Background Essay

Human resource development (HRD)( is the most useful device for enhancing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of managers to accomplish their tasks efficiently. It helps inculcate right values and attitudes among the managers as well as administrators and their subordinates. It keeps them abreast with changes taking place in various spheres. It is thus, an investment in human resources to ensure the continued quality and adaptability of the administrators of both public and private sector organizations to change and their ability to grasp contemporary social and economic problems. Today it has come to be regarded as very vital and a precondition for national development. In today’s world everything is changing rapidly and every country has to cope with such changes. The strong urge felt by governments to formulate appropriate policies, make timely decisions and implement those decisions to meet the changing demands of the citizens, force them to improve the managerial skills and competence through systematic training. Even the poorer nations of the world now embark upon building training infrastructure for the development of their human resources in an attempt to achieve the goals for wider social, economic and political development. They are often supported in their efforts by international donors, whose advocacy of good governance is another important reason for the increasing emphasis on training and the consequent expansion training arrangements in poorer countries. With a view to contribute in our national development, a good number of public and private training institutes have been playing their role since Pakistan period. In 1960, Gazetted Officers Training Academy (GOTA) was set up in Dhaka for regular and systematic training of the civil servants. National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) was set up at Dhaka in 1961 mainly to impart public administration training to the mid-level officers of central and provincial governments, autonomous and local bodies. At the same time Bangladesh Management Development Center (BMDC) was established under the Ministry of Industry in order to develop our manpower into human resources through management training. In 1970, BMDC turned into an autonomous training institute. To cater for the training needs of the senior administrators, another training institute; Bangladesh Administrative Staff College (BASC) was established in 1977 as an apex institute. In 1984 the government merged NIPA, COTA and BASC to the Public Administration Training Complex (PATC). PATC, later renamed as Bangladesh Public Administration Training Center (BPATC), is entrusted with the responsibility of imparting training to officers of all categories. In order to synchronize the efforts of different training institutions and to make training relevant to the process of national development, a National Training Policy was formulated in 1986. At present many training institutes like BCS (admin) Academy, Bangladesh Institute of Management (BIM), Bangladesh Public Administration Training Center (BPATC), Land Acquisition Training Center (LATC), Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD), Academy for Planning and Development (APD), Rural Development Academy (RDA) and National Academy for Education and Management (NAEM) are playing a vital role in our national development as the public training institutes through training activities. Besides these, few NGOs like HAMIBA HRD Centre, BRAC, Steps towards Development (STD), PROSHIKA, Resource Integration Centre (RIC), SKILL (Specialized Knowledge and Information Liner for Life), SPEED and so on are initiating training activities as private sector training institutes for our national development. [pic] ( HRD is a process of developing human resource through appropriate need based training. ———————– HR Functions: Employee Development Objectives: After reading this chapter you should be able to †¢ Be familiar with HRD programs in Bangladesh †¢ Identify the HRD approaches †¢ Distinguish between HRD and HRM †¢ Discuss the activities involved in HRD process

Democracy in the digital age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Democracy in the digital age - Essay Example As Balkin (2004) argues, digital technologies increase opportunities for widespread cultural participation and social interaction at scales previously unimaginable. For instance, the internet allows individuals to access global audiences and sources of information with considerable ease and convenience. Almost anyone with access to the internet can publish a blog, interact with individuals from all corners of the earth and share experiences. According to Shane et al (2009), digital technology promotes democracy as a core individual and community need, with those able to access digital tools and skills acquiring social, economic and political advantage over those without. Democracy arising from the advent of the Digital Age is further exemplified by the impact of the internet in development of informed communities driven by the values of openness, empowerment, inclusion, participation and the pursuit of truth. A stark reminder of the power of digital communication is in its recent rol e in organizing entire populations across North Africa in a series of coups against undemocratic governance (ICG 2011). However, the digital revolution has also created opportunities for increased limiting and control of cultural participation and interaction. Balkin (2004) discusses how conflict arises due to the advent of the digital age. First, it has to be appreciated that the digital revolution is both an economic and a technological phenomenon. The same features that empower ordinary individuals including cheaper distribution of information and easy reproduction and transfer also attract commercial interests. Here, DVDs, compact discs and streaming forms of media are the perfect examples in terms of low cost production and distribution. The observed democratization by digital technology is thus in conflict with commercial interests as it leads to issues of intellectual

Organizational Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organizational Management - Term Paper Example The range of theories on leadership highlights the multidimensional nature of the concept. However, the primary theories of leadership such as trait theory, behavioral theory, and contingency theory have more or less remained the same. This paper on Leadership Theories, studies the various theories of leadership against the background of U.S. military, and explores the manner in which these theories influence the various aspects of the military as an organization. The armed forces continuously seek to improve their efficiency and leadership by evaluating various forms of leadership and application of various leadership principles. In order to achieve effective leadership, the army relies on both the traditional as well as contemporary leadership theories and instances of effective leadership drawn from corporate organizations and applies the same within their own setting. According to the army, the term leadership is defined as â€Å"influencing people by providing purpose, directio n, and motivation, while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization† (NA, 2004, p.5). The various concepts and theories of leadership as it pertains to the U.S. Army are described in the following sections. Leadership in the U.S. Army: The army believes in effective leadership which aims to not only motivate the followers / soldiers but also ensure that they are trained appropriately to enhance their skills. The officers in the army are likely to encounter various critical situations in their day to day lives, and particularly in cases of war, where they are entrusted with a responsibility to lead their troops safely and successfully towards the final accomplishment of their missions. The leaders in the army, hence, are expected to motivate their followers, and apply their skill, personal and ethical values, tactical expertise and most of all, lead them fearlessly towards their common goals. Leadership as observed in various cases, comprises of a wide var iety of elements and characteristics, and hence in order to truly understand the true essence of leadership as applied in various forms of organizations and organizational sectors, it is essential to study various theories and models of leadership, as there is no single and right way to study leadership. It is multidimensional in nature, and every theory can be applied differently in different situations. It must be taken into consideration that in order to become a good leader, the application of various theories of leadership is essential, one theory alone cannot help in making a good and efficient leader. The primary theories of leadership, discussed in the following section, help in understanding various leadership theories and the various ways in which these leadership theories can be and are implemented by the U.S. Army. Primary Leadership theories: The primary theories of leadership include trait theory, behavior theory and contingency theory but for the purpose of this study other theories of leadership such as transformational theory and servant-leadership style, and the situational leadership theories are also included for a broader understanding. Trait theory Northhouse (2007, p.3) the term leadership refers to a process by which an individual seeks to influence the others for the accomplishment of a common goal. The leaders seek to motivate their subordinates to achieve the common organizational goals based on their own personal characteristics such as

Ben&Jerry's VS. Haagen Daz Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ben&Jerry's VS. Haagen Daz - Term Paper Example On the basis of the entire analysis, this paper will provide some recommendation to Ben’s and Jerry’s regarding its marketing strategies. Review of Ben’s and Jerry’s- a competitive analysis Ice cream of Ben and Jerry has started their journey in a well to do manner. Actually there were two people named Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield who wished to make bagels, but they found their decision to be very expensive in order to fulfill it and so they opted to make ice creams instead of bagels. (Ben and Jerry’s p. 1) Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield have used special characters in order to promote their brand and also which are simple to pronounce, recognize and also can be remembered for long time. Their brand logo had cow and green environment behind which depicts awareness of quality and benefits. Ben and Jerry have always tried to acknowledge their customers that they always use natural and fresh milk while keeping the environment completely clean and gre en at the time of producing ice creams. In order to prove and promote their mission, Ben and Jerry have used special slogan like â€Å"From cow to Cone†, â€Å"Lick Global Warming†, †Organic Ben & Jerry’s†, and â€Å"50 Ways to Promote Peace†. (Ben and Jerry’s p. ... Thus, it will be more interesting for them to see â€Å"Organics, low sugar, or low fat Ice Cream†. (MarketingWeek p.1) In order to promote and develop their brand, Ben and Jerry is using the brand extension policy. They have produced thousand of ice cream flavors under the name of one successful brand, which of course is â€Å"Ben & Jerry’s†. They have extended its brand to organic ice cream, original ice cream, scoops menu, bars original ice cream, single original ice cream, and single novelties with different choice of taste in each product. (MarketingWeek p. 1; Ben and Jerry’s p. 1) But the journey of Ben and Jerry was not so smooth as their ice cream blends. They had a hard and fierce competition with a brand named Haagen-Dazs. These two brands have dominated the global premium ice cream market and one would be shocked to observe that the two companies could be so similar yet so different in various angles. Haagen-Dazs does claim to use the best ingre dients, from all over the world.    They also claim to use pure ingredients.    Haagen-Dazs started out in the 1920’s and in 1983, Haagen-Dazs was bought by  Pillsbury.    Haagen-Dazs was the first to market ice cream bars for a more adult crowd. Haagen-Dazs were the pioneers in the market for creating distinctive and indulgent taste experiences by marketing to an untapped segment - the adult ice cream lovers. The Haagen-Dazs brand quickly developed a loyal following. Its early success was created by word of mouth and praise. They do not, however, have the fun and creative names, which means Vanilla Swiss Almond is not something that is going to catch your eye and make you remember it. But some of their flavors are

Hybrid cars effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hybrid cars effect - Essay Example Due to this consistent use of the fuel not only in cars but in factories and other production processes, the overall damaging effect of fuel was gradually increasing. (Calef and Goble) The invention of hybrid cars- cars which can run on two different sources of energy- provided one of the valid alternatives to overcome the issue of environmental damage and thus allow the society to move in a cleaner and healthier environment. The effect of hybrid cars therefore can be enormous on the environment as well as on the fuel efficiency of the cars. This will therefore invariably also allow developing sustainable businesses. It is also important to note that the hybrid cars are based on the complex technology and the overall energy resources required to manufacture such cars are relatively higher as compared to the manufacturing of traditional cars. This causal analysis paper will attempt to discuss the hybrid cars effect and how it may positively or negatively contribute towards the environ ment. Hybrid cars effect Fossil fuel includes the energy sources such as oil, coal as well as natural gas and much of dependence of America is on these traditional sources of fuel. The obvious costs of using this fuel in cars and other uses include the costs such as labor and extraction and other related costs which can be quantified. However, few of the costs are not really quantified and neither is paid by the firms or the consumers. Much of the costs are related with the environmental damage and its resulting impacts on the eco-system of the world, health of the individuals as well as the local environment which can be seriously damaged with the increasing use of the fossil fuel in different technologies such as cars.1 The use of traditional fuel by the regular cars is considered as damaging to the environment and therefore its consistent use can actually create significant costs for the society to clean the environment. (Carlsson and Johansson-Stenman). It has been suggested tha t world can save billions of dollars if it can help reduce the deaths caused due to the pollution. It has been estimated that the air pollution can shorten the life of an individual by approximately 9 months. 2This result therefore suggests that the use of traditional cars can create significant air pollution and resultantly contribute towards the health related problems. Hybrid cars can have relatively different effect on the environment and can actually reduce the damaging impact of the fuel on environment. The use of hybrid cars can also result into better fuel mileage as well as the better utilization of the alternative sources of energy which can be more efficient and effectives. Besides, hybrid cars can also affect the way cars are run because of the better environmental impact of their use. The use of hybrid cars can also result into the reduction in the use of gas during the drive especially for slow drivers. Since hybrid cars use an electric motor to support the traditional fuel supply as an alternative source of energy therefore slow drivers can actually shift to the use of electric motor during the drive and can therefore save significantly in terms of fuel and gasoline. (Demirdoven and Deutch). It is also important to understand the use of hybrid cars also provide an alternative for those consumers who are relatively more concerned about the environment. Increasingly, customers are becoming more and more concerned ab

Perspectives on Caring About Animals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Perspectives on Caring About Animals - Essay Example Third, the book explains the human-animal bond (Davis 29).   The book explains that having pets generates a healthy environment. By having pets, the elderly person can be preoccupied with an activity that keeping boredom out of the home.  Ã‚   The book also shows the important of giving space to the animals to do their thing. Doing their thing includes sleeping, roaming around, feeding, self hygiene, and even mating. Impact.The book creates a great impact on my current knowledge about pet care (Davis 57). The book adds significant knowledge to my daily preparation pet nutrition. The book enumerates the vitamin and mineral requirements of my favorite pet dog. My application of the book’s food discussion has generated big results. My pet dog had metamorphosed from a lazy sleepy dog to a more active and playful ball retriever. Whenever I play catch the ball game, my pet dog runs faster, higher, and whoops (dog sound) more excitedly. The nutrition part of the book has allowed my pet dog to have more playing time. After feeding my dog the necessary vitamin and other energy-boosting food requirements, my pet dog’s energy  Ã‚   has quadrupled. Research Perspectives.     The book greatly contributes to my research perspectives (Davis 29). The book adds to my current knowledge about pet care. The book rejects many of the traditional ways of caring for animals. Many of the traditional ways are not medically approved by the authorized pet care authority, Medical Veterinarian.   The book discusses the social values about pets (Davis 137).

Should higher education be free Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Should higher education be free - Research Paper Example It is not right from an ethical perspective to retrieve the money from the general taxpayers for the higher education of all students irrespective of their ability to afford. â€Å"In a period when the state cannot afford to keep police on the streets, the NHS functioning, and our armed forces properly equipped, it is right and proper that undergraduates should be asked to pay for some of the costs of their higher education to ensure that government money is spent fairly† (Holden). Considering the benefits students gain from the degree, it is ethically justified to make the students bear the cost of education. The extent to which students should be required to bear the cost of education is debatable, yet it is very dutiful of the students to give their input for something they would get output from in the future. There are numerous challenges that surface if the students are required to bear the cost of their higher education. There are a lot of students who are quite capable in the studies, but cannot afford any cost of education. For such students, the access to higher education should be based on the students’ tendency to achieve rather than their tendency to pay because â€Å"[i]t is the poor and middle class who are unable to afford the very thing that enables their children to seek a better life† (Peters). Government should provide the funds to the colleges but only for the education of the students who are capable but not in the position to afford the expenses. Supporters of the free higher education consider it the only fair means of advancing the academic career of the individuals since free education opens the gates to high education for all. However, if the higher education is made free for the capable yet poor students and not for the rest, the objective of making the higher education attainable for all is achieved. â€Å"From each according to his ability, to each

Arguement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Arguement - Essay Example Schier argues that this passivity among many citizens is due to change of politics from mobilization, as a method of winning power, support and control, to activation (7). Skocpol, on the other hand, explains the phenomenon in terms of change of American associational life (7-8). But a critical analysis and review of the two theories reveals that Schier’s theory is more plausible, while Skocpol’s theory is weak, untenable and highly flawed. To better expose the many flaws in Skocpol’s theory, let us first look in detail the different positions held by the two scholars. To begin with, let us look at the theory of Schier. Schier begins his argument by making a distinction between the terms mobilization, and activation. He defines mobilization as ‘’ the partisan method of stimulating very high turnout in elections during the peak party power that lasted from 1876-1892’’ (7). In contrast, he defines activation as, ‘’ the more c ontemporary method that parties, interest groups, and candidates employ to induce particular, finely targeted portions of public to become active in elections, demonstrations, and lobbying’’ (7). Schier goes on to show in detail how these two processes of winning power and control differ (8-9). First, the two processes differ in focus, whereby mobilization is inclusive while activation is exclusive and for a select few. Secondly, the two processes differ in agent or source of stimulation of the public, while mobilization was a heavily partisan process, dominated by strong party organizations and party messages, in activation thousands of different organisation and individuals attempt activation. Thirdly, the two processes differ in method. Mobilization involved broad appeals carried out through personal conversation, while activation is research driven and targets particular individuals. Lastly, the processes differ in their strategy, mobilization seeks to mobilise as many people as possible to help the given candidate to win elections, while activation targets just a small, well-informed segment of the society to advance a certain goal, for example to help in polls. As it can be seen from the above explanation, activation alienates some people, as it were, from the active politics, since it aims only at a particular, few members of the society while leaving out the vast majority of the society. This exclusion of some members, more often than not, leads to the ‘’inactivated’’ and excluded members of society becoming inactive and passive in politics. Skocpol, on the other hand, understood the cause of the increasing decline in active participation in national politics by the Americans, as the result of decline in American associational life. In the contemporary America, exclusive elite, and professionally managed organisations have replaced the former organisations of the last few decades which had open membership to all citizens, irrespective of one’s social class. The emergence of progressive movements in America played a big role in the change of associational life in America. Skocpol’s theory hinges on two main claims. First, she holds that in American society, social organisations and politics are closely related, such that change in associational life of the society would invariably lead to change in civic life. She goes on to argue that, over the last few decades, American social life has greatly changed, and this has led to the change in American social civic life (6). Unlike in

Project manager for a Cable Planning Essay Example for Free

Project manager for a Cable Planning Essay As the project manager for a Cable Planning team, I will manage the creation of the cable plan for a new building that will be built, with construction set to begin in six weeks. My first task in creating a Cabling Plan is to develop an Executive Summary that will contain the Project Introduction and Infrastructure Cable Specifications and Standards. My manager gave me the overall project plan that includes: A detailed description of the new building, including the total number of computers for all of the employees of the company. Also the server and network topology hardware that is required to put the system together. Cable Standards and Codes: ANSI/NEMA Standards Publication No. WC 66-2001 â€Å"Performance Standard for Category 6 and Category 7 100 Ohm Shielded and Unshielded Twisted Pair Cables† ANSI/TIA/EIA-526-7 â€Å"Measurement of Optical Power Loss of Installed Single-Mode Fiber Cable Plant† ANSI/TIA/EIA-526-14A â€Å"Optical Power Loss Measurements of Installed Multimode Fiber Cable Plant† BICSI TDMM â€Å"Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual, 11th Edition† CENELEC EN 50173:2000 and amendments â€Å"Information Technology – Generic Cabling Systems† IEC/TR3 61000-5-2 – Ed. 1.0 and amendments â€Å"Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 5: Installation and mitigation guidelines – Section 2: Earthing and cabling† ISO/IEC 11801:2002 Ed 2.0 and amendments â€Å"Information technology – Generic cabling for customer premises† NFPA70 National Electric Code – Article 645 and Article 800 2.2.15. NFPA 70E â€Å"Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, 2004 Edition† 2.2.16. NFPA 75 â€Å"Standard for the Protection of Information Technology Equipment, 2003 Ed.† Building Standards and Codes: ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1, ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2, ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.3, and addenda â€Å"Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard – Part 1: General Requirements† â€Å"Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard – Part 2: Balanced Twisted-Pair Cabling Components (December 2003)† â€Å"Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard – Part 3: Optical Fiber Cabling and Components Standard† ANSI/TIA/EIA-569-B and addenda â€Å"Commercial Building Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces† ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-A and addenda â€Å"Administration Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings† NFPA 76 â€Å"Standard for the Fire Protection of Telecommunications Facilities, 2005 Edition† ANSI-J-STD-607-A and addenda â€Å"Commercial Building Grounding and Bonding Requirements for Telecommunications† Project Materials †¢Fiber-Optic Design Considerations a)We will be utilizing fiber optics in various ways. We will be crafting the backbone, and riser runs with fiber optic cables. †¢Basement Server Complex Design a)The server will have a network capacity that exceeds the 110 people/computers in the basement. One computer per person. b)We will patch each of these computers to the wall outlet with standard Cat6 patch cables. c)Risers and backbones will be constructed with fiber optic cables. d)Horizontal runs with utilize Cat6 cabling. e)We will need 5 Cisco WS-C3750 G-24PS-S:24 Ports catalyst switches to maintain the minimum standard of having 4 ports free on each switch †¢Standard Floor Design a)The network capacity of this design is to exceed 200 people/computers. One computer per person. b)I will patch each of these computers to the wall outlet with standard Cat6 patch cables. c)Risers and backbones will be constructed with fiber optic cables. d)Horizontal runs with utilize Cat6 cabling. e)I will need 10 Cisco WS-C3750 G-24PS-S:24 Ports catalyst switches to maintain the minimum standard of having 4 ports free on each switch. †¢Fiber-Optic Characteristics: a)SC connectors will be used to terminate optical cables. †¢Bandwidth a)The hardware we are installing will have a speed of 1Gbps. †¢Attenuation a)I will use special tools to test for attenuation as the project progresses, and replace accordingly. †¢Electromagnetic Immunity a)I will periodically test for interference. †¢Link Performance Analysis a)I will schedule periodic tests to verify performance, and bandwidth speeds. †¢Cable Transmission Performance a)I will test for inconsistencies in transmissions sent and received. †¢Splice and Connector Performance a)I will test each termination and connector to ensure it meets or exceeds the expected standards. †¢Power Budget a)I will calculate each devices power requirement, to ensure adequate power is provided. b)I will use energy efficient methods, which will not sacrifice performance, but ensure that utility costs do not exceed the budget. Standard floor layout

Attack Essay Example for Free

Attack Essay Attack is a poem written in 1917 by Siegfried Sassoon while he was convalescing from his wounds in a hospital in Scotland. He was a soldier who fought in the First World War. Attack is a short, 13-line poem written in speech rhythm with some rhyme. The poem is described in a very vivid way which makes the reader think that the author himself witnessed the scene. The poem begins with the poet describing the setting of the poem. The landscape is in a battlefield where there are still remains of previous battles. The poet pictures it in a way that makes the scene very menacing and uncomfortable. The poem goes on with the soldiers fighting in the attack with their hopes struggling in the midst of war. Sassoon then ends the poem with an impassioned plea, O Jesus, make in stop! One major technique that the author uses in order to convey of the horror of the battlefield and what it seemed to be like to be in an attack is literal and figurative imageries. Examples of literal images are the ridge emerges, bombs and guns and shovels and battle-gear, lines of grey, muttering faces. The poet uses very striking diction that makes the poem sounds more uncomfortable, for example, scarred slope. The colour of the atmosphere is described as dun and wild purple which accentuates on the menacing atmosphere of the setting. The verbs at the beginning of the poem are very significant as they seem to be particularly strong in this poem, like the description of the tank creep and topple over the ridge, the barrage that roars and lifts or the men who jostle and climb to, etc. On the other hand, the poet also uses a lot of figurative images. These figurative images include: time ticks blank and busy on their wrists, and hope, with furtive eyes, , flounders in mud, etc. These images help to personify and emphasize the meaning of the poem, for example, in line 11: While time ticks blank and busy on their wrists The figurative image here delivers the meaning of the soldiers while fighting in the attack, are not aware of the time and how it ticks blankly and busily on their wrists. These two adjectives creates an alliteration that further emphasizes the meaning of how the soldiers are just spending meaningless time on the battlefield, forgetting who they are and what they do. Furthermore, the same kind of hopelessness is caught by the image of the time ticks blank and busy. This idea is brought out to us more clearly by the two last lines of the poem. Hope is personified as something with furtive eyes and grappling fists that flounders in mud, as if to compare it to the soldiers. The short statement, flounders in mud is also mentioning the solders falling down and dying in the attack. The impassioned plea at the end by the author seems to have a great effect on the readers as it shows the emotions and how sincerely the poet wants everything of this to stop. The mood of this poem if mostly menacing to the readers, it somehow makes us sympathize for the soldiers. Seeing the images of the attack, it also seems to have an emotive effect on the readers. The punctuations in the poem also help the poem to create a bigger effect of this. In many lines, a caesura is used to make the previous sentence emphasized and creates suspense as well as having a greater effect on the readers. Overall, Siegfried Sassoon has showed through the poem Attack shows how the soldiers have to go to the battlefield to fight on the lands of previous battles, having time ticking through and as they fall down, their hope also flounders, leaving them with their faces muttered, their fists grappling

Analysing A Song In The Front Yard English Language Essay

Analysing A Song In The Front Yard English Language Essay On the surface of Gwendolyn Brookss poem, a song in the front yard, is a girl who wants to play in the back yard and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦have some wonderful fun (10) instead of staying in the front yard, but the deeper message is not just about more fun, but about a girl who yearns to have a life she is not permitted to have. Impoverished and wealthy lead very different lifestyles; this poem infers that sometimes having it all, isnt enough to keep one satisfied. Through the first person narrative of a little girl along with the uses of symbolism, Brooks exposes and highlights the irony of wealth. The speakers tone and descriptions suggest that she is a young girl. In line four, the speaker refers to herself as a girl; the word girl has a connotation as a younger female. The following lines sound very demanding and childish: I want to go in the back yard now And maybe down the alley To where the charity children play I want a good time today (ll 5-8). The words want and now define the selfish tendencies of a child.. The importance of the speaking being a young girl, comes from the fact that young children are usually ignorant to wealth and status. Young children really only want fun and enjoyment out of life. In addition, the specification of the time being now suggests that it must be done before it is too late, and profile status becomes eminent in determining social relationships. The speaker uses the symbolic front yard versus back yard to infer status. The symbolism begins on the first line of the poem where Brooks discusses that the speaker has stayed in the front yard all her life, suggesting a desire for change. On a literal level, the front yard is a place people can see from the street. It is generally inviting, orderly, and beautiful. This leads one to assume a front yard can represent order, consistency, and status on a symbolic level. The speaker is apparently bored with her life in the front yard as is made clear when she says, A girl gets sick of a rose(Line 4). The rose is a beautiful, rich flower; only one with money would be able to get sick of it. A back yard is a place that you cannot see from the street and requires an invitation. The back yard is, Where its rough and untended and hungry weed grows (Line 3). The back yard usually is not well kept because it is unseen, symbolizing how the poor are care-free and adventurous due to not being rad ar so to speak. The backyard is symbolically a place for the poor, and therefore it becomes a place for the ugly in society. In one sense, Brooks utilizes the back yard as a place where people hide things for example wealthy people hiding the ugly, hungry weed (line 3) in the backyard. But the back yard is not only seen as the physically ugly place, but it has connotations of bad people. As the mother lists the types of people associated with the back yard, she says, That Georgell be taken to Jail soon or late/ (On account of last winter he sold our back gate) (ln. 15-16). The emphasis on back gate alongside theft and jail reinforces the hideousness and bad that link to the back yard. In addition, the word Jail is capitalized showing that it has importance. It suggests that if the girl goes into the back yard she will be exposed to the bad in the world. However, in another sense, Brooks crowns the backyard as a place that the wealthy person wants to be. A sort of secret garden for this young wealthy girl as she desires to explore the mysterious freedom the poor live with. In this sense the poor children are not forced to play in the backyard they are allowed to play there; while the rich girl is chained to her front yard of responsibility and strict restrictions. When the girl voices her desire to play with the children in the backyard, the  mother  sneers (line 11). The mother describes how much trouble the kids in the back yard will get the speaker in, but the speaker continues to desire to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦do some wonderful things (line 9) and goes against what her mother says. The consistent contradiction between the mother and the daughter, connect to the ignorance and tolerance younger children tend to have. In the beginning of the poem, it seems likely the speaker is a young child, but the last stanza she imagines how she wants to be a woman. She says, And Id like to be a bad woman, too/ And wear the brace stocking of night-black lace/ And strut down the streets with paint on my face (ll. 18-20). This description of a woman in makeup (line 20) and black lace stockings (line 19) is of a person in the back yard, a poor person, but a woman not a child. The younger fantasizes about playing in the alley (line 6), where the woman fantasizes about strut[ting] down the streets (line 20). The change from a child to a woman symbolizes the transition of adolescents overcoming the segregations made by wealth. The rhyme scheme is constant throughout the poem except for the last stanza connecting to the change from an adolescent to a woman. The rhyme scheme established for the majority of the poem is abcc, where the first two lines do not follow an established rhyme but the third and forth form a rhyme. But the last stanza forms two rhyming couplets: But I say its fine. Honest, I do. And Id like to be a bad woman, too, And wear the brace stockings of night-black lace And strut down the streets with paint on my face. (ll. 17-20) The words do and too connect through end rhyme, and lace and face connect through end rhyme. The consistent new pattern shown in the last stanza relates to the new relationship established for the speaker. Gwendolyn Brooks poem a song in the front yard uses the first person narrative and symbolism to demonstrate the irony and relationship between the wealthy and poor. The young speaker shows how adolescence includes ignorance by desiring to go against her mother and play in the back yard. The front yard and back yard symbolize the different life styles: the carefree, un-kept poor lifestyle of the back yard, that the wealthy narrator living in the front yard (line 1), envies and the wealthy people sneering (line 11) in their front yards. Brooks reinforces that ignorance leads to accepting and allows the girl to desire close the gap of separation.

Nietzsches Portraiture: Wagner as Worthy Opponent :: Wagner Nietzsche Philosophical Papers

Nietzsche's Portraiture: Wagner as Worthy Opponent ABSTRACT: Richard Wagner always represented for Nietzsche the Germany of that time. By examining Nietzsche's relationship to Wagner throughout his writings, one is also examining Nietzsche's relationship to his culture of birth. I focus on the writings from the late period in order to clarify Nietzsche's view of his own project regarding German culture. I show that Nietzsche created a portrait of Wagner in which the composer was a worthy opponent-someone with whom he disagreed but viewed as an equal. Wagner was such an opponent because he represented the disease of decadence which plagued the culture and from which Nietzsche suffered for a time, but of which he also cured himself. In other words, Nietzsche emphasized his overcoming and revaluation of Wagner because he wanted his readers to understand it as a metaphor for his larger battle with decadence in general. The goal of this portraiture is to demonstrate on an individual level what could be done on a cultural level to revitali ze culture. Through an analysis of Nietzsche's portrait of Wagner in the late period, I will claim that in order to understand Nietzsche's revaluation of decadent values in nineteenth century German culture, one must understand his relationship with the composer. From The Birth of Tragedy, where Wagner's music represented the hope for the re-birth of pre-Socratic Greek culture to The Case of Wagner, where Wagner was the artist of German decadence par excellence, Richard Wagner always personified nineteenth century Germany for Nietzsche. By examining Nietzsche's relationship to Wagner throughout his writings, one is also examining Nietzsche's relationship to his country of birth. In this paper, I carry out such an investigation with a focus on the late period (the writings after Thus Spoke Zarathustra) in order to clarify Nietzsche's view of his own project regarding German (and by extension European) culture. I show that in the late period Nietzsche created a portrait of Wagner in which the composer was a worthy opponent; meaning someone with whom Nietzsche disagreed but viewed as an equal. Nietzsche himself took on several worthy opponents, and he claimed that in his battle with "these objects of resistance" he learned about himself. Wagner was such an object of resistance because he represented the disease of decadence which plagued the culture and from which Nietzsche emphasized his overcoming. The goal of this portraiture was to demonstrate on an individual level what could be done on a cultural level to revitalize the culture and make it healthy.

The Problem Of Global Warming :: Greenhouse Effect Climate Change

The Problem of Global Warming   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The problem of global warming, an increase in the average temperature on Earth, is getting worse. The Earth has warmed 0.3 to 0.6 degrees Celsius since the late 1800s. Scientists believe that the cause is the greenhouse effect, the process of trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere because of the presence of large amounts of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, methane, and nitrogen oxides. Less oxygen is being produced and cleaning the atmosphere allowing more of these gases to do its work on the environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Automobiles exhausts are just one of the contributors to this problem. The burning of fossil fuels is another major influence to the increase in global temperature as well. The destruction of the rainforests and all forests and trees in general, is another. Every car produces enough gases from its exhaust into the atmosphere that takes a mature tree to clean in about five years. Trees keep the air clean for the environment by taking the gases in and produces oxygen out of it. By cutting down the trees we are allowing for more of the carbon to be exposed into the atmosphere.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another factor that most people would not consider in the raising of global warming is the excrement of cows. Cows produces tons of carbon that does not all get treated for, and is in the top five for highest amounts of carbon produced per year. This is another factor that somehow has to be dealt with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All of these causes of global warming have been know by scientists, it's the effects we are seeing in today's climate now they had no idea of. Arctic glaciers are melting and causing the ocean's water level to rise. It has be proven that if the water level were to rise anymore then we won't be able to see the state of Louisiana anymore or any coastal areas anywhere. Louisiana is already having there wetlands filled by the floods. The polar bear is another example of the effects of global warming. Its habitat is decreasing and so are it's numbers. Global warming affects the polar bear by melting the arctic snow and allowing it to starve longer then it usually does. The polar bear leaves

Shays Rebellion :: essays research papers

Troubled Farmers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"In the first years of peacetime, following the Revolutionary War, the future of both the agrarian and commercial society appeared threatened by a strangling chain of debt which aggravated the depressed economy of the postwar years†.1 This poor economy affected almost everyone in New England especially the farmers. For years these farmers, or yeomen as they were commonly called, had been used to growing just enough for what they needed and grew little in surplus. As one farmer explained â€Å" My farm provides me and my family with a good living. Nothing we wear, eat, or drink was purchased, because my farm provides it all.†2 The only problem with this way of life is that with no surplus there was no way to make enough money to pay excessive debts. For example, since farmer possessed little money the merchants offered the articles they needed on short-term credit and accepted any surplus farm goods on a seasonal basis for payment. However if the farmer experienced a poor crop, shopkeepers usually extended credit and thereby tied the farmer to their businesses on a yearly basis.3 During a credit crisis, the gradual disintegration of the traditional culture became more apparent. During hard times, merchants in need of ready cash withdrew credit from their yeomen customers and called for the repayment of loans in hard cash. Such demands showed the growing power of the commercial elite.4 As one could imagine this brought much social and economic unrest to the farmers of New England. Many of the farmers in debt were dragged into court and in many cases they were put into debtors prison. Many decided to take action: The farmers waited for the legal due process as long as them could. The Legislature, also know as the General Court, took little action to address the farmers complaints. 5 â€Å"So without waiting for General Court to come back into session to work on grievances as requested, the People took matters into their own hands.†6 This is when the idea for the Rebellion is decided upon and the need for a leader was eminent. The Rebellion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The person that was chosen to lead the rebellion was Daniel Shays. Shays, born in Hopkinton Massachusetts, grew up as a farmer before he fought for his country in the War for Independence. During the War he fought in such key battles as the Battle of Lexington, Bunker Hill and Saratoga.

Self-esteem and Impression Management

Consideration of a person’s perspective â€Å"self† and the processes used to determine behaviors is one element of social psychology. Some of the processes and theories are: impression management, social tuning, social comparisons, mindsets, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. This work will examine the basic premises of each of these along with personal examples provided by the author. Impression Management Impression management is the use of conscious or subconscious behaviors by a person to manipulate the others’ opinions about them.This can be done in a variety of ways including showering others with praise and compliments and giving gifts with the motivation of developing a favorable opinion of the giver. Adolescence is a phase of life that is particularly susceptible to impression management. When I was twelve years old, my family was transferred from inner city St. Louis to a tiny town of 2,000 people in northeast Arkansas. This town was very elitist and there was very little inroad for â€Å"new kids† to find a place of belonging. Almost exclusively, the junior high students had been classmates since kindergarten, and their social in-groups were intact.There was one girl who reached out to make me feel welcome, and her name was Laura Beth Williams. She had long, curly, strawberry blonde hair, and wore the cutest clothes. Her dad owned a local nursery and she had four sisters. She invited me to sit at her lunch table, told me where to go at lunch time, and gave me insight about teachers and classes. I was so grateful to her that I wanted to do something nice in return, and I also wanted the other students to think well of me and to consider including me too.One day I took a turquoise ring to school with the intention of giving it to Laura Beth to show my appreciation. As I thought of what I might do, and the possible responses of my classmates, I was so excited. Then, my excitement incited something that would be my demis e. Instead of simply presenting the perfectly lovely piece of costume jewelry, my mind began to create a much more elaborate scenario that snowballed to catastrophe. When we got to our first hour study hall, I made a big deal of making certain that several people saw my ring.As they asked, I told them that my maternal grandfather was a full-blooded Native American (he actually was), and that he had given me this gorgeous piece of turquoise jewelry which I wanted to give to Laura Beth as thanks for her help and welcoming manner. As I had hoped, the class was impressed and I knew my status was immediately elevated in this new social group. All was well until one of the boys asked to see the ring. As he examined it, I heard an ominous snicker before he loudly announced, â€Å"Hey, Gina, is your grandpa’s name Chief Avon? † Naturally, I was mortified and began to cry and repent about fabricating the story.What is interesting is that from that time forward, the students wer e much more helpful and welcoming. That was the day that I learned a valuable lesson about lying and trying to impress other people. According to Segev, Shoham, and Ruvio (2013) found that being self-conscious can be positively related with gift giving in adolescence. Adolescents value peer relationships and may give gifts as a way to ensure that they have friends. Social Tuning Social tuning is the tendency for human beings to be more attracted to the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of their own social group.This gravitation toward similar knowledge, customs, and beliefs is one element of the development of culture. My daughter, Nikki, is a typical 20-something American young woman. She has grown up with many of the niceties and luxuries of our country and as most of us are, is a bit spoiled. When she was 22, Nikki answered a call to serve as a teacher-missionary in an orphanage in Honduras. She went to language school in Nicaragua and spent two years teaching elementary students in the mountains near Tegucigalpa. Upon her return to the U. S., Nikki would often lapse into Spanish, especially when she got nervous or excited, and she loved to go to the Mexican restaurants in town. She said it â€Å"felt more like home†.It has been two years since her return, and now Nikki no longer breaks out in Spanish, and she doesn’t frequent Mexican restaurants as often. Although living in Honduras for over two years did not make Nikki a Honduran, social tuning began an enculturation process. A 2010 study actually showed that there is a psychological and cognitive tendency for people to be more prominent within one’s in-group.The study specifically explored words, paintings, and time pressure. Not only did the study explore reactions to stimulus among those who shared cultural similarities, but the researchers found that the cognition and psychological reaction was lessened when the participants thought that the other participants were unlike them. So cial Comparisons Human beings naturally compare themselves to other human beings, both individually and corporately. This phenomenon is called social comparison, and it can be either positive or negative.For example, if a person who has had three speeding tickets is comparing their driving record to the driving records of other people, they may feel good about their driving if they have fewer accidents or tickets and bad about their driving skills compared to the person who has never had an accident or a ticket. The comparison actually does not change the person’s driving ability, only their perception of their driving ability. Recent research demonstrates that it is the quality rather than the frequency of social networking experiences that places individuals at risk for negative mental health outcomes.However, the mechanisms that account for this association have yet to be examined. Accordingly, this study examined whether the tendency to negatively compare oneself with oth ers while using Facebook leads to increases in depressive symptoms, and whether this association is mediated by increases in rumination. A sample of 268 college-age young adults completed an initial online survey and a 3-week follow-up. Path analysis was used to test the hypothesized model, wherein negative social comparison on Facebook was predicted to be associated with increases in rumination, which, in turn, was predicted to be associated with depressive symptoms.The model controlled for general social comparison to test the specific effect of social comparison on Facebook over and above the tendency to engage in social comparison in general. Results indicated that the hypothesized mediation effect was significant. In sum, in the context of social networking, negatively comparing oneself with others may place individuals at risk for rumination and, in turn, depressive symptoms. Findings increase understanding of the mechanisms that link social networking use to negative mental h ealth outcomes and suggest a continued emphasis on examining the specific proces Self-esteem and Impression Management Consideration of a person’s perspective â€Å"self† and the processes used to determine behaviors is one element of social psychology. Some of the processes and theories are: impression management, social tuning, social comparisons, mindsets, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. This work will examine the basic premises of each of these along with personal examples provided by the author.Impression ManagementImpression management is the use of conscious or subconscious behaviors by a person to manipulate the others’ opinions about them. This can be done in a variety of ways including showering others with praise and compliments and giving gifts with the motivation of developing a favorable opinion of the giver. Adolescence is a phase of life that is particularly susceptible to impression management. When I was twelve years old, my family was transferred from inner city St. Louis to a tiny town of 2,000 people in northeast Arkansas. This town was very elitist a nd there was very little inroad for â€Å"new kids† to find a place of belonging. Almost exclusively, the junior high students had been classmates since kindergarten, and their social in-groups were intact.There was one girl who reached out to make me feel welcome, and her name was Laura Beth Williams. She had long, curly, strawberry blonde hair, and wore the cutest clothes. Her dad owned a local nursery and she had four sisters. She invited me to sit at her lunch table, told me where to go at lunch time, and gave me insight about teachers and classes. I was so grateful to her that I wanted to do something nice in return, and I also wanted the other students to think well of me and to consider including me too. One day I took a turquoise ring to school with the intention of giving it to Laura Beth to show my appreciation.As I thought of what I might do, and the possible responses of my classmates, I  was so excited. Then, my excitement incited something that would be my dem ise. Instead of simply presenting the perfectly lovely piece of costume jewelry, my mind began to create a much more elaborate scenario that snowballed to catastrophe. When we got to our first hour study hall, I made a big deal of making certain that several people saw my ring. As they asked, I told them that my maternal grandfather was a full-blooded Native American (he actually was), and that he had given me this gorgeous piece of turquoise jewelry which I wanted to give to Laura Beth as thanks for her help and welcoming manner.As I had hoped, the class was impressed and I knew my status was immediately elevated in this new social group. All was well until one of the boys asked to see the ring. As he examined it, I heard an ominous snicker before he loudly announced, â€Å"Hey, Gina, is your grandpa’s name Chief Avon?† Naturally, I was mortified and began to cry and repent about fabricating the story. What is interesting is that from that time forward, the students w ere much more helpful and welcoming. That was the day that I learned a valuable lesson about lying and trying to impress other people. According to Segev, Shoham, and Ruvio (2013) found that being self-conscious can be positively related with gift giving in adolescence. Adolescents value peer relationships and may give gifts as a way to ensure that they have friends. Social TuningSocial tuning is the tendency for human beings to be more attracted to the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of their own social group. This gravitation toward similar knowledge, customs, and beliefs is one element of the development of culture. My daughter, Nikki, is a typical 20-something American young woman. She has grown up with many of the niceties and luxuries of our country and as most of us are, is a bit spoiled. When she was 22, Nikki answered a call to serve as a teacher-missionary in an orphanage in Honduras. She went to language school in Nicaragua and spent two years teaching elementary studen ts in the mountains near Tegucigalpa.Upon her return to the U.S., Nikki would often lapse into Spanish, especially when she got nervous or excited, and she loved to go to the Mexican restaurants in town. She said it â€Å"felt more like home†. It has been two years since her return, and now Nikki no longer breaks out in Spanish, and she doesn’t frequent Mexican restaurants as often. Although  living in Honduras for over two years did not make Nikki a Honduran, social tuning began an enculturation process.A 2010 study actually showed that there is a psychological and cognitive tendency for people to be more prominent within one’s in-group. The study specifically explored words, paintings, and time pressure. Not only did the study explore reactions to stimulus among those who shared cultural similarities, but the researchers found that the cognition and psychological reaction was lessened when the participants thought that the other participants were unlike them .Social ComparisonsHuman beings naturally compare themselves to other human beings, both individually and corporately. This phenomenon is called social comparison, and it can be either positive or negative. For example, if a person who has had three speeding tickets is comparing their driving record to the driving records of other people, they may feel good about their driving if they have fewer accidents or tickets and bad about their driving skills compared to the person who has never had an accident or a ticket. The comparison actually does not change the person’s driving ability, only their perception of their driving ability.Recent research demonstrates that it is the quality rather than the frequency of social networking experiences that places individuals at risk for negative mental health outcomes. However, the mechanisms that account for this association have yet to be examined. Accordingly, this study examined whether the tendency to negatively compare oneself with others while using Facebook leads to increases in depressive symptoms, and whether this association is mediated by increases in rumination.A sample of 268 college-age young adults completed an initial online survey and a 3-week follow-up. Path analysis was used to test the hypothesized model, wherein negative social comparison on Facebook was predicted to be associated with increases in rumination, which, in turn, was predicted to be associated with depressive symptoms. The model controlled for general social comparison to test the specific effect of social comparison on Facebook over and above the tendency to engage in social comparison in general.Results indicated that the hypothesized mediation effect was significant. In sum, in the context of  social networking, negatively comparing oneself with others may place individuals at risk for rumination and, in turn, depressive symptoms. Findings increase understanding of the mechanisms that link social networking use to negative men tal health outcomes and suggest a continued emphasis on examining the specific proces

The Basics Behind Qualitative Research

yFundamentals of Qualitative Research Jamye D. Jeter Cameron Submitted to Dr. Curtis Maybee University of Phoenix Fundamentals of Qualitative Research When a researcher sets out to begin a study, he or she must begin by asking questions of him or herself. These questions lead to the determination of the type of research study the researcher is going to conduct. The study may be based on qualitative research, quantitative research, or both. But, in order to determine the study method and design choice, the researcher needs to see what is fueling his or her research question.Research questions based on quantitative research focuses on obtaining data that can be measured, usually in some form or numerical/statistical manner (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). Qualitative research is based more on why certain phenomenon take place and what can be done to better understand why the phenomenon took place at all (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). This paper will serve as a brief overview of the fundamental s of qualitative research.Through this paper, the reader should be able to receive a basic understanding of the characteristics of a qualitative problem statement and purpose statement; formulation of qualitative research questions; and qualitative data collection and analysis procedures. Characteristics of a Qualitative Problem Statement According to Leedy & Ormrod (2010), â€Å"qualitative researchers often formulate general research problems, and ask only general questions about the phenomenon they are studying† (p. 136).By taking this approach, the problem statement in a qualitative study may come across somewhat vague. The problem statement will attempt to be as direct as possible, and will hopefully detail why the researcher selected qualitative over quantitative research. However, the fascinating thing about qualitative studies is there is always room to evolve and further develop the study based on the information and data collected (Rubin, 2007, Leedy & Ormro d, 2010). The problem statement guides the researcher’s interest from the stage of curiosity to the stage of being a specific statement.The problem statement will also explain why the researcher feels their particular topic is important and what has already been researched in this particular area (Rubin, 2007). Characteristics of a Qualitative Purpose Statement The purpose statement of a qualitative research study, much like that of quantitative studies, gives an account of the purpose or intention of the study (Jenkins, 2009). The purpose statement is specific and addresses some information gaps that may exist in what is currently known from previous studies (Merriam, 2002).Researchers may often time take on a study of a phenomenon merely because this is not an abundance of research material about the phenomenon (Merriam, 2002). This can lead to the researcher having the ability to build his or her hypothesis or theory as information is gathered. However, the purpose stateme nt will need to identify the data collection methods chosen, and reveal the possible research questions that will be explored. Formulation of Qualitative Research Questions When trying to determine the research questions that will need to be asked, the researcher must understand what or whom, he or she is trying to research.A means to make this determination, the researcher can select a sample from which he or she believes to be the most informative and beneficial to the research (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). This process is called a purposive or purposeful sample. When making a sample selection, the researcher must also make a determination of what the criteria of the sample will be; for example male or female; certain ages, ethnicity or heights; certain occupations; etc. Once the sample size and criteria is determined, the researcher will then be able to develop questions that can be posed to the sample group to get the information needed for the study.Data Collection and Analysis T he areas of data collection and analysis go hand and hand. In order to analyze the data, the researcher must first collect the data. According to Leedy & Ormrod, 2010, â€Å"there are three major sources of data for qualitative studies – interviews, observations, and documents† (p. 23). If is up to the researcher to determine what process of research is best for the study he or she is conducting. There are times when only one method is used, but then there are times when more than one method is used. However, the researcher may identify his or her primary method (Rubin, 2007).It is also possible to utilize the internet and worldwide web to collect information for the study also. After the data is collected, the researcher must be able to analyze the data. The truth is the data analysis is usually simultaneous with the data collection stage (Rubin, 2007). From the time the first interview takes place or observation begins, the researcher should already be analyzing what he or she has learned. By doing so, the researcher can eliminate the possibility of being overwhelmed with information at the conclusion of the data collection process.While analyzing, the information collected, the researcher can break up what he or she learns into categories (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). The use of these categories will help identify any patterns of behavior or occurrence that may exist. References Jenkins, L. (2009). Fundamentals of quantitative research: Considerations in research methodology. Retrieved from the website: www. academicwriting. suite101. com on July 18, 2010. Leedy, P. and Ormrod, E. (2010). Practical research: Planning and design, 9ed. Merrill. Pearson Education. Merriam, S. B. (2002).Introduction to qualitative research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Rubin, A. (2007). Practitioner’s guide to using research for evidence-based practice. New York: Wiley Fundamentals of Qualitative Research Part 2 Based upon Prospectus II * How does the prob lem statement align with the approach communicated in the purpose section? The problem statement aligned with the outlined approach. The problem was determined to be that qualified teachers are turning down jobs at low performing schools. The approach was to take surveys and interviews to find out why this is occurring. How does the purpose of the study inform the way in which the research questions are written? The purpose statement tells that the researcher will use in-depth open-ended interviews and questionnaires given to 100 current teachers, who have at least turned down employment at one low performing school.Do the research questions adequately address the problem as detailed by the researcher? Why or why not? In my opinion, the research question shown, while pertinent to the outcome, seems a little vague. Perhaps, if there was one than one research question posed, there may have been a little more clarity. Does the wording of the purpose statement and research question sugg est the methodology used in the study? How? Yes, the wording in the purpose statement and research question suggest the methodology used in the study. In the purpose statement, it begins with in this qualitative study†¦ That is telling the reader, this is definitely going to be a qualitative research study. In the research question, there is a lot of implication as to what and why. Typically, who, what, why and how are signs that the study is going to be centered on qualitative research methodology.Does the methodology employed adequately address all aspects of the problem detailed by the researcher? Why or Why not? The use of interviews and questionnaires seemingly will produce the results the researcher is looking for. * Do all elements of the project’s design work together in a cohesive and logical manner? Why or Why not? Yes, the components presented for this project, did work together in a cohesive and logical manner. The information flowed well, and was very easy t o read and understand what the project was focusing on, and how the researcher planned to get to that point.

Sex and Religion

Sexual origin and conduct morals differentiate between cultures and have evolved gradually over time to what we now know today. The conflict between sexuality (sex) and religion has been ever present in every cultures history. This conflict, however, comes in two parts: sex as in the action and sexuality. The action of sex, or conduct, has many different views that can sway easily from polar to polar. From the belief that sex is immoral and dirty, to the belief that sex is the highest expression of the divine, this an example on how the view of each religion differ greatly from each other. Some religious faiths believe that only sex as a means of biological reproduction between a formal marital couple is acceptable and even promoted; while on the other hand, sex for the basis of pleasure is considered sinful and looked down upon. There seems to be little middle ground in any of the world’s major and minor religions. But while there may be little middle ground in the direct interpretations of religious texts and values, the middle ground is made up by society that as a whole is very laid back on such matters with only a few high profile individuals who happen to talk more than they walk. Most people tend to such matters with privacy and discretion. The second of the two conflicts is of sexuality and preference, and this is one that grips our nation and many others when really it should not. Religious institutions have such a problem with gay-marriage that through years of successful lobbying against such marital status resulted in many states banning or suspending this right. This is a clear indicator that the seperation between church and state has become a bit of a fallacy. Out of all the major faiths and sects in the world, the Anglican church is the only branch that even allows homosexuals to hold any leadership and pastorship position. Being Anglican, I have been taught that God just wants everyone to be happy and live a good life. If two same-sex people love each other and are happy, then why limit their possibilities to extend that happiness? At the same time, homosexual couples seem to be the only ones not affected by the hellish situation that is a divorce. To be honest, it is unfair that they get rarely encounter any of the pain that a divorce brings. Plus, it allows divorce attorneys a new frontier to cast their loveless shadow over, and add extra impetus in their reservations in hell. Anyways, it’s none of our or any religion’s business to influence the happiness and lives of generally good people who contribute immensly in our world. In Judaism, sex and reproduction are the holiest of acts that one can do, they believe this act is the only one where one can imitate God and bring life to the world. Of course, like many religions, they sanction monogamous and committed heterosexual relationships with marriage. Though, the Jewish Hebrew Bible prohibits adultery and heterosexual intercourse during when the wife in her menstrual period, or known as the Niddah. Orthodox Judaism strongly oppose homosexual sexual acts, while the Traditional division of Judaism views just male homosexuality as a grave sin. With that in mind, female homosexuality is apparently fine with them – I guess they are fans of girl-on-girl action. Contradictions like this just make the view and morality of sex to religious faiths a huge joke. But there is hope as the tolerant attitudes ofReform and Reconstructionist Judaism in relation to both sexual diversity and interfaith marriage have contributed to the rise in popularity to eventually making it the largest Jewish denomination in the United States. For centuries

Bank of America Business Analysis

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle sized market businesses and large corporations with a vast array of products and services. From multi-million dollar loans to thousands of ATM’s throughout the United States and overseas, Bank of America is among the world's leading wealth management companies’ and is a global leader in corporate business. Bank of America Business Capital provides asset-based credit facilities of $10 million or more throughout the United States, Canada and Europe for manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and service businesses. Bank of America is currently listed as number 5 on the Fortune Global 500 annual ranking of America’s largest corporations. However, they did not place within the top 100 of fortune 500 companies to work for in 2009 (CNN. com money magazine, 2009). Bank of America operates in more than 10 countries including regions in Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. With operations in such a wide range of selected countries Bank of America (BOA) has to deal with differing legal and cultural aspects which can relate to the amount of risk the management is willing to accept. This risk includes what is called systematic political risk. â€Å"As a rule, a country’s political processes do not treat foreign operations unfairly. If they did, few companies would hazard the investment† (Daniels et. al, p. 105, 2011). The differing market and legal systems, ranging from common law to theocratic law and a mixed system, etc could make room for trouble for BOA’s international business if the interpretation of the laws are not the same. Similarly, economic risk is the likelihood that certain events or changes in the economic status or a company or will cause drastic changes adversely affecting profits and other goals. The ability to measure and understand risk and determining which risk is acceptable is a key factor of success with any international business venture. This along with political risk will have to be managed forecasted effectively to judge the outcome of any changes to governmental, import, or export changes as they could affect the profits and or losses which could ultimately affect a company’s ability to repay a loan that was granted by BOA. Although the 2011 CFO Outlook reports that â€Å"U. S. companies overall are highly involved in foreign markets and are forecasting international sales growth in 2011† (2011 CFO Outlook), if I were a political consultant for BOA, I would highly caution them with respect to venturing into a country where they are not willing to accept our form of economic feasibility or where the GDP does not represent strength as it relates to longevity within the economy. It would be far too difficult to influence change within an entire culture just to add breadth to the organization. Furthermore, without the ability to measure and understand the end state of a cultural shift, the foreign business opportunity may be at risk of unacceptable losses especially where healthcare costs and costs of materials are concerned (2001 CFO Outlook). Bank of America is changing because its customers are changing. In the 2009 Financial Report Brian T. Moynihan, Chief Executive Officer and President of BOA said â€Å"There is nothing more important to our more than 280,000 Bank of America teammates and me than our belief that there’s a right way to do business — an approach that balances our responsibilities to all our stakeholders. This belief has guided our efforts as we’ve worked to help customers, clients and communities ride out the economic storm. † He also went on to say that the most pressing need is the overhaul of loan modifications. The pressing need for this is â€Å"to help families and businesses manage their monthly cash flow to get through the crisis. † However, BOA is making strides ahead of some of the other financial institutions. They repaid the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in December of 2009 although they reported a net loss applicable to common shareholders of $2. 2 billion (BOA 2009 Financial Report). This has proved to work fine for common law states but it would prove to be much more difficult in civil law or a mixed system and just about impossible in theocratic law system. BOA has a code of conduct or ethics as they call it as a significant part of their processes used to manage risk. They train their associates to mitigate risk and set high standards for their associates. This provides a framework for the associates to conduct themselves with the highest integrity in delivering products or services to their customers. â€Å"We instill a risk-conscious culture through communications, training, policies, procedures, and organizational roles and responsibilities. Additionally, we continue to strengthen the linkage between the associate performance management process and individual compensation to encourage associates to work toward enterprise-wide risk goals. † (Brian T. Moynihan, BOA 2009 Financial Report). This is vitally important for the company to extend these ethics to the workforce overseas as the importation and adoption of the headquarters mindset will ensure that host nation workers will also adhere to the higher standards associated with conducting business with BOA. It is just a good business practice to ensure that wherever you operate, you share the same vision that will foster success and continued best practices. Although I did not find any social programs during my research on BOA, I did notice when I was in Panama that they have Panamanian and American workers employed. I would presume to say that, just as in any working environment the management would establish some sort of informal program amongst its workers. And seeing how BOA strives with its code of ethics this could be not far from the truth as bonds are made as the people work together daily. In conclusion, BOA has done quite well for themselves and that is directly attributed to the high standard set by the corporate office and CEO Brian T. Moynihan. As one of the world banking leaders it would do them well to continue to look toward the future of expanding and exploring other joint ventures locally and internationally. They would do well to guide their investment strategy and actions by monitoring the consumer deposits, credit card services, and investment management as an indicator of the overall economic status and potential growth of their joint ventures. References http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2009/full_list/index.html