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Monday, September 30, 2019
Amy Chua Hanna Rosen Essay
Amy Chua and Hannah Rosin: a comparison and contrast of parenting styles In recent years, Yale professor Amy Chua has drawn a great deal of attention due to her focus on a parenting style that is foreign – both figuratively and literally – to most Western parents. This style centers on a Chinese model that Chua espouses, and that has become famous, or infamous, for the stern and rigorous practices that Chua enforced with her own two daughters. Chua has received a large amount of criticism; one of her critics is Hannah Rosin, a prominent writer and editor. In response to Chua, Rosin outlines an alternative method of parenting. It can be argued that while both Chua and Rosin are involved and devoted mothers, they have distinctly contrasting views on how to raise children. There are three areas in which this contrast can be most clearly seen: attitudes to success, attitudes to self-esteem, and attitudes to happiness. Amy Chua’s model of parenting has success at its core. Chua sums up the Chinese approach to activities in this way: â€Å"What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you’re good at it†(Chua, 2011). With this as a mantra, Chua promotes an extremely rigorous approach to such activities as learning a musical instrument; she believes that two or three hours of practicing an instrument daily is appropriate for young children. Furthermore, Chua believes that parents should not give their children any choice over which musical instruments to learn; the violin and piano are the only acceptable choices, regardless of the child’s natural talent or predilection. This approach is also evident in academics. Chua says, â€Å"†¦the vast majority of Chinese mothers†¦believe their children can be ‘the best’ students, that ‘academic achievement reflects successful parenting’ and that if children did not excel at school there was ‘a problem’ and parents ‘were not doing their job’†(Chua, 2011). Hannah Rosin takes a distinctly different approach to success, one that is arguably more reflective of Western attitudes in general. Rosin says, â€Å"Ms. Chua has the diagnosis of American childhood exactly backward. What privileged American children need is not more skills and rules and math drills. They need to lighten up and roam free, to express themselves in ways not dictated by their uptight, over-invested parents†(Rosin, 2011). In Rosin’s view, Chua’s version of success is ultimately very limiting. Rosin doesn’t argue that success is a negative thing in and of itself; however, her looser, freer approach suggests that it can be achieved differently. Another area where Rosin and Chua differ from each other is in their approach to self-esteem and the way in which parents should treat their children. Chua openly admits that it is common for Chinese parents to make comments to their children that Western parents find reprehensible, such as â€Å"Hey fatty, lose some weight†, or referring to a child as â€Å"garbage†(Chua, 2011). However, Chua defends these comments by arguing that in fact, Chinese parents speak in this way because ultimately, they believe that their children are capable of being the â€Å"best†. She contends that Chinese children know that their parents think highly of them, and criticize them only because they have high expectations and know that their children can meet them. Hannah Rosin disagrees. She says, â€Å"†¦there is no reason to believe that calling your child ‘lazy’ or ‘stupid’ or ‘worthless’ is a better way to motivate her to be good than some other more gentle but persistent mode’†(Rosin, 2011). She believes that a parent’s role is not to act as a harsh critic and task master, but rather to guide them through the inevitable difficulties of life that arise. Unlike Chua, Rosin is not concerned with forcing her children to be â€Å"the best†. Rather, she says that â€Å"It is better to have a happy, moderately successful child than a miserable high-achiever†(Rosin, 2011). It is in this area, pertaining to notions of happiness that Chua and Rosin depart most distinctly from each other. It can be argued that the idea of happiness is almost completely absent from Amy Chua’s template. Chua says, â€Å"Chinese parents believe that they know that is best for their children and therefore override all of their children’s own desires and preferences†(Chua, 2011). In other words, the feelings or preference of the child as an individual are lacking completely from the Chinese framework of parenting. The child’s happiness, or misery, is completely irrelevant, because the parent is the supreme authority, acting in the child’s best interest. Chua claims, â€Å"It’s not that Chinese parents don’t care about their children , just the opposite. They would give up anything for their children†(Chua, 2011). However, the one thing that Chua and other parents will not give up is complete authoritarian control. Rosin takes an entirely different approach to the value of individual happiness. She observes that happiness does not come through being successful; furthermore, â€Å"happiness is the great human quest†(Rosin, 2011). Parents cannot possibly always be in a position to know what will make a child happy or not; children must work out their own path to happiness (Rosin, 2011). Rosin believes that an over-emphasis on perfection will not lead to greater happiness and may even create less happiness in the end. In conclusion, it is undeniable that both Amy Chua and Hannah Rosin love their children and believe that their approach to parenting is based on a desire to do what is best for those children. However, the two approaches present a sharp contrast to each other. Amy Chua believes that success, perfection and being â€Å"the best†are of paramount importance, and will ultimately build a child’s self-esteem (Chua, 2011). Hannah Rosin is critical of the harshness of the Chinese template and argues for a gentler approach, one that takes the natural interests and talent of the child into account (Rosin, 2011). Rosin notes that the idea of enjoyment or happiness is strikingly absent from Chua’s parenting style; in turn, Chua observes that many Western parents are disappointed with the choices that their children make in their lives (Rosin, 2011; Chua, 2011). It can be argued that both the Eastern approach and Western approach have a great deal to offer each other; a wise parent knows how to walk a middle ground.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Reflective Paper on Management of Organizations Essay
The concept of management especially that of managing organizations, is a broad field of study and usually requires understanding of the other branches of human learning such as sociology, psychology and economics, among others.            In determining the most effective approach in management, it is important to learn the basics of dealing with persons, how to organize them, develop their skills while bonding them together and eventually generate positive outcome or production from their collective labor.            Being an experienced nurse and member of the US Armed Forces, I have learned through the years in reserve camps and in field that interpersonal relationship is not easily perfected considering man’s innate instinct of â€Å"self-survival.†In order for a man to survive in any given situation, condition and place, it is but natural for him to save and protect himself or his interests, oftentimes resulting to conflict with other persons.            This human frailty is often than not the root of problems and conflict affecting the smooth flow of communication and cooperation within a certain group or organization. In addition to this, a person’s inability to understand the proper systems of learning within an organization and the natural course of changes brought by outside forces such as information technology, globalization and the likes usually result to negative output or disintegration of the organization itself.            Also, change, transformation and evolution is part of nature. Such reality also affects organizations and the society as a whole. The concept of the continuous transformation of the society and all of its institutions is best described by Donald Schon (1973): The loss of stable state means that our society and all of its institutions are in continuous processes of transformation. We cannot expect new stable states that will endure for our own lifetimes. We must learn to understand, guide, influence and managed these transformations. We must make the capacity for undertaking them integral to ourselves and to our institutions. We must, in other words, become adept at learning. We must become able not only to transform our institutions, in response to changing situations and requirements; we must invent and develop institutions which are ‘learning systems’, that is to say, systems capable of bringing about their own continuing transformation. (Schon 1973: 28)            Schon, as quoted by M.K. Smith (2001) in his article, â€Å"The Learning Organization†posted in the worldwide web infed.org, is indeed correct by saying that we must learn how to adapt to changes and transformation, make them as integral part of us and our institutions and likewise come up with new learning systems that could carry on the cycle.            Given this idea, I believe that by learning the proper systems in the field of management, one would not only be able to adapt to such transformations in the society and all its institutions or organizations, but also one could make a big difference in mobilizing people together, making them more competent, service-oriented, effective and productive.            At the same time, learning the proper systems can lessen, if not only its impact, the conflict caused by self-survival by individuals thereby resulting to an effective team that is highly competitive, competent and motivated.            Part of the learning systems in an organization is the building of teams that would become the heart and machinery of the organization. In building teams, I have learned from several readings that it is important to determine the strength and weaknesses of each individual to assess their distinct capabilities that would match the requirement for specific responsibilities and work to be done.            In determining the weaknesses and strength of the team members, as well as the over-all status of the team, some analytical modules can be used such as the force field analysis and the SWOT analysis.            To initiate the force field analysis, the team must start with a brainstorming session to identify the â€Å"driving†and â€Å"restraining†forces in their organization. The driving forces are the factors that promote obedience to the team’s work or schedule while the restraining forces are the factors that hinder adherence.           By learning how to determine both, the team and its leader would be able to design strategies how to approach the problem and decrease the restraining forces to achieve maximum resolution.            Another effective way of identifying the internal and external strength, weaknesses and opportunities of the team is the SWOT analysis. In using the SWOT analysis, the team would not only be able to determine the causes of motivation or hindrances to their work or schedules, but also the opportunities and threats to the organization.            SWOT is more comprehensive and detailed and by identifying the internal strength and weaknesses and the external opportunities and threats, the team would be able to draw up critical solutions to its problems. In using systematic analysis in identifying problems, the team leader also develops a systematic thinking or approach in building a strong and effective team.            Such forms of analysis are effective in most cases especially in military operations. As an active member of the US army, part of our daily activities is to maintain order in each team at the camp and effectively carry out orders from our superiors.             By learning how to determine several forces that affect our operations, I am becoming more capable to handle orders and cooperate with my colleagues. At my age of 41, I am still open to possibilities that even an older woman like me could achieve more in the future. Through learning how to build teams and eventually become a very good leader, I am relearning the values of discipline, independence and competence that I could use once I finish my course in Human Resources. But building teams and knowing each team member’s capability is only part of the larger face of learning systems in learning organizations. The next step to an effective management is how to enhance and develop strategies that would improve the team. An effective team develops ways to share leadership roles and ways to share accountability for their work output. It also builds a specific team purpose and goals. There are several ways or strategies how to motivate teams to become stronger and more efficient.            It is important to establishe objectives together. All team members must understand the objectives and what actions are needed to achieve them. Each member shall have a sense of responsibility and must have a sense of participation in achieving the collective goal of the team.            A good leader also knows how to encourage members to suggest ways how to improve their own services. The team must develop a participatory style. The feeling of belongingness and importance is one of the best ways to boost the team members’ morale. I often do this at home with my children. For 18 years as I reared them as single parent, I tried to teach them to speak and to participate in all house concerns. This made them independent and self-assured the same way a team member should feel – important.            Most often than not, listening is the best way to learn. Leaders should know how to listen to their team members. They should also acknowledge their points of view and encourage a healthy venue for discussions and democratic debates. Healthy discussions are actually therapeutic to the group because the members will be able to speak their minds or the problems they encounter at work. This improves interpersonal relationships and lessens the conflict of self-interests and self-survival. By understanding each other’s problems or by listening to one another, a team member would learn to decrease his personal walls and start opening doors to other persons.            This is actually interesting for me. As I go through this course and the learning systems in management and organizational learning, I come to realize that managing teams or organization is not quite different from managing your own home. I could easily relate, not only because I encounter team concerns at work but also because I have experienced being aleder at my own house.            Meanwhile, other strategies in can be introduced to maximize the effectiveness of a team. Defining specific roles and responsibilities also helps in organizing the team and keeping them focused. It is also important to explain rules and regulations, including time commitments. By knowing the rules and the rationale for such rules, team members will develop respect and trust to the organization. Commitment of time for team building and team work is also crucial in an organization’s growth. All members must have a sincere concern for the team and in doing so, they must be willing to extend time at work to do their responsibility to the group, if needed.            According to the experts, an effective team has at least seven characteristics. These are as follows: team members share leadership roles; team develops own scope of work; team schedules work to be done and commits to taking time allotted to do work; team develops tangible work products; team shared accountability; performance is based on achieving team products; and open discussion and collective resolution of problems within the team.            Working long hours at the nurse’s station in camps and in hospitals, taking care of the sick and old, then has given me enough insight of the real meaning of team work. It is true that a hospital or a military infirmary is just like an organization. Each medical staff shall take part in all the responsibilities. Less time would also be spent if each nurse takes quality time to take care of the patients or station himself in a designated area. In my former line of work, there are also specific responsibilities and areas of accountability including pharmacy, supplies, maintenance, emergency, wards, among others. The same is true with the military. And mush is expected of us. At present, I am an E6 Supply Staff Sergeant. I work for a transportation reserve unit full time. I am part of a larger team. And it is my responsibility to take care of their supply needs. If I fail, the whole system fails. It is a chain. But if I do my work on time and with efficiency, I help my teammates and the order is protected.            Simple things or simple tasks are oftentimes the key to an organization’s success. By doing the very basic things right, the team is assured of a holistic effectiveness and efficiency. As I begin to look back, it is getting clearer to me that the tricks of management, in any given field, are actually around us everyday. One only needs to be more observant and reflective to better understand the processes of learning.            Part of the continuing learning process is also the methods of solving conflicts. Conflicts within organizations usually arise when there is contradiction between team members, who sometimes have varying views on specific concerns.            When conflicts arise, experts tell us that it is important to introduce a constructive way how to resolve it. The first thing that one must take into consideration is to avoid jumping into conclusions. To avoid such mistake, it is crucial to identify the factors that have caused the conflict and determine the stakeholders involved in the conflict.            Group discussion would help determine who are stakeholders in a certain conflict. By diplomatically opening a dialogue between the stakeholders, the leader would be able to recognize individual interests, as well a power issues affecting the conflict.            The next step is to consider the alternatives in resolving the conflict. Each alternative must be carefully studied and from each, try to determine which is the most apt solution to the problem.            After the chosen solution is implemented, it is imperative to evaluate its effect to assess whether the results are satisfactory. If not, begin the process again and find other solution to the conflict.            In every organization, change is also a constant factor. Organizations are often faced by difficulties within the structure when there is leadership or organizational change.            According to Rosabeth Moss Kanter (1999, Chapter 5), it was proven over the years that things that sustain change are not â€Å"bold strokes but long marches – the independent, discretionary and ongoing efforts of people throughout the organization.†           Kanter (1999, Chapter 5) further says that: â€Å"real change requires people to adjust to their behavior, and that behavior is often beyond the control of top management.†           Kanter teaches us that change is constantly created at many levels in an organization. Kanter says that there are big events that often occur due to outside forces while some changes are brought about by the people’s actions in their daily operations.            In confronting change, adept organizations share three key attributes. Kanter (1999, Chapter 5) specifies these as follows:                        *The imagination to innovate. To encourage innovation, effective leaders help develop new concepts – the ideas, models, and applications of technology that set an organization apart. *The professionalism to perform. Leaders provide personal and organizational competence, supported by workforce training and development, to execute flawlessly and deliver value to ever more demanding customers. *The openness to collaborate. Leaders make connections with partners who can extend the organization’s reach, enhance its offerings, or energize its practices. (Kanter 1999, Chapter 5)            Kanter cited three important words – concept, competence and connections. She claims that these intangible assets naturally build up with successful individuals and organizations.            Such intangible assets, she explains, reflect habits and not programs. These habits – personal skills, behavior and relationships – if deeply imbedded within the organization results to minimal resistance to change.            If the organization has such assets, change would be so natural that leaders would find it easier to gear their team members to positively react to change.            Mastering change and transformation usually brought by outside forces such as technology, globalization, competition and politics as well is not an easy task. The organization should be intuitive, dynamic and innovative.            The organization must come up with its own innovations to adapt to its environment, guided by the skillful and pro-active leader.            Kanter (1999) explains that the skillful leader must know how to lead with passion, conviction and confidence in others. There are other techniques or tips that could be adopted by an effective leader. The first is to keep abreast with the changing environment. A leader must be constantly observant, keen in learning and updated of what is new and what is latest.            Kanter’s concept of effective leadership teaches me and everyone else another basic characteristic of humans – our innate instinct to learn. Man’s curiosity and unending search for the â€Å"truth†or the â€Å"story behind things†is actually a trait that must be mastered by a leader.            I now find it imperative to double my efforts in honing my skills in preparation for my future as human resource personnel or manager. Doing routines at the military sometimes make you too comfortable with your environment that you forget to check what is happening around.            Now, I am beginning to realize that in order to be an effective and skillful leader, one must prepare and master the technique of listening, learning and tuning in to the environment.            Another trait that a leader should master is to think outside the box. Kanter said it is okay to challenge the wisdom of the organization. It is alright to question the patternsn and come up with new solutions, looking into different angles or dimensions that sometimes lead to new approaches and innovative ideas.            Kanter (1999) gave several examples how to promote kaleidoscopic thinking. Team members can conduct activities outside the company or the organization itself. Interact, immerse with the community, break routines, rotate job assignments or even exchange projects. These are only few of the ways to generate fresh ideas and opportunities.            Genuine conviction is also a positive trait that should be taught to team members. Kanter (1999) explains that one cannot sell change or anything else without any real conviction. In order for others to believe what you say or what you are trying to communicate, you must believe it first. Makes sense to me. In many situations that I was confronted by issues at the US Armed Forces, my children would sometimes ask about the real concerns and agenda of the US government. And in many cases, I try to answer them as honestly as I could. But now, it reminds me of my true feelings at that time. Kanter helps me reflect of my thoughts and thinking about it, I know that at times, I am not even sure whether my convictions were genuine enough to let my children believe what I say.            This is one trait of a good leader I must master. To have genuine conviction so I could become an effective leader and be able to communicate vision and aspirations to my team members.            â€Å"Change leaders†also needs the involvement of the team members who have the resources, the knowledge and the political influence to make things possible.            Kanter (1999) calls it coalition building. In early stages of planning, the leader must identify key players with appropriate capabilities. It is also important to find sources across or outside the organization to find influencers. According to Kanter, coalition building requires an understanding of the politics of change and its accompanying principles.            Once the coalition is in place, a leader must know how to coach and provide guidance to the team members while at the same time allowing them to enhance their individual contribution to the team.            Kanter (1999) says leaders should allow team members to forge their own identity, build a sense of membership and become accustomed in implementing changes. The leader must resist giving too many responsibilities to the members because in order for their individual capabilities to grown, they must learn how to focus.            Another effective way to ensure the success of an organization and its resolution to change is the primary law of management – perseverance. I myself believe that in any aspect of our life, not only in management, learning how to persevere and develop a strong passion on what we do is a positive attitude.            Perseverance gives a person more room to grow. As a 41-year-old woman, others may think that my career is almost over or that I may be experiencing the downsides of life. But I beg to disagree because I know that in pursuing my studies in human resources, I will have a better future ahead of me. My perseverance and willingness to adapt to changes and hone my skills in the process makes me a person with a vision and a drive to achieve more.            As Kanter (1999) explains, one must know how to overcome obstacles during the process of change. Perseverance helps a savvy leader to ensure the success of the process and prevent failure. If a leader launches something, he must not leave it to the team members. He should ensure that the process is done until the end.            And after everything has been put into place, it is important to recognize each member’s contribution to the any accomplishment. Remembering to reward and recognize accomplishments is critical in any leadership, Kanter (1999) says.            Words of gratitude, recognition or appreciation are one of the most powerful tool in motivating members of any organization. In the US Armed Forces, promotions and awarding of medals of honor or valor are few of the motivational tools being used to boost the morale of US soldiers and to encourage them to fight for America. It is also a form of incentive to American soldiers for their sacrifices and the risks they face in the military, considering that the profession is a high risk one.            According to Kanter, there is no limit to how much recognition a leader can provide to his team members. Making everyone a hero for a job well done often results to higher performance or bigger output in the future.            In relation to change in an organization, Kanter (1999) says recognition motivates people to attempt change again especially if they are involved in the process.            In closing, effective management of people or organization is actually the ability to lessen individualism and self-survival instincts, break communication barriers, limit conflicts, building teams and training them to adapt to change, and the ability to innovate in order to keep abreast with the constantly changing environment.            Effective management, though not easy to achieve, is actually a continuous learning process. One must have the concepts, the competence and the connections in order to become competitive, innovative and effective.            Ashford University actually teaches us the same foundational values. The values of self-worth, creativity, independence, service, integrity and effectiveness. As for me, after studying this course and learning the proper systems in effective management, it is clear that the university’s core values such as creativity and effectiveness are truly important, not only to every individual but to interpersonal relationships and organizations as well.            The ability to innovate and have the respect for the free flow of ideas are some of the key points in mastering the techniques of effective management. As discussed above, innovation and transformation are continuous processes in the growth of an organization and by learning the values of creativity and self-directedness, one is assured that he could face the ever-changing and demanding world outside.            Also, one’s independence, self-discipline and competence result to effectiveness, not only as an individual but also as integral part of a larger group or organization.            In any way, I believe that my aspirations in life are clearer and more achievable as I grasp a better understanding of the processes or organizational learning, as well as the values being taught at the Ashford university. This course is actually very interesting and liberating because it gives me a broader view of the society and its institutions. (End)   References: Smith, M.K. (2001) â€Å"The Learning Organization†, The Encyclopedia of Informal Education,   Retrieved May 3, 2006 from http://www.infed.org/biblio/learning-organization.htm Schon, D.A. (1973) Beyond the Stable State. Public and Private Learning in a Changing          Society, Harmondsworth: Penguin, 236 pages. Kanter, Rosabeth Moss (1999) â€Å"The Enduring Skills of Change Leaders (Chapter 5) †, On     Leading Change. Retrieved May 3 from        http://leadertoleader.org/leaderbooks/L2L/summer99/kanter.html Force Field Analysis. Retrieved May 3 from http://erc.msh.org/quality/pstools/psffanal.cfm SWOT Analysis. Retrieved May 3 from http://erc.msh.org/quality/examples/swot.cfm            If such could be achieved by a person, then he is a candidate to become an effective leader. By trying to understand the academic theories and vast possibilities to which this course of study has offered me, I now come to the realization that there is room for much improvement to everyone, even to a 44-year-old nothing is impossible I am a person with simple values, who appreciates those around me. I consider nmyself as helper of people and have been a member of the nursing profession for years.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Pride and Prejudice: Book Review Essay
Pride and Prejudice, a classic novel by Jane Austen, tells the story of a complicated love that develops between what was thought to be two very different personalities. The protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, misjudges a man upon rumor and appearance, but finds out she is extraordinarily wrong. The novel explains how difficult it is to fully understand someone after settling upon assumptions and being under the influence of the authorities around them. However this is the trial one must pass in order to find true love or friendship. Social class was a major influence throughout the 1800s, when this story takes place. Unfortunately, the Bennet family was fairly poor compared to Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy’s. This is where some of the conflict originates from. The Bennet girls fall in love with upper class men despite their social order which prevents them from being a desirable pair. On the other hand, the poor end of the relationship would benefit from a marriage to a rich family. Characters such as Elizabeth and Jane are torn apart as they struggle against the pressure from their mother and other aristocrats that frown upon their relationships with Darcy and Bingley. The novel primarily focuses on the personalities and actions of female characters as they strive to gain happiness. However, the women in this novel can be divided into two groups. The first includes characters such as Mrs. Bennet, Miss Bingley, Lydia, and Lady Catherine. These women have the tendency to manipulate the world around them in their favor. They display all the faults in women; greed, over confidence, and stupidity to name a few. The other half of women consists of Jane and Elizabeth Bennet, and Georgiana Darcy. These characters can be thought of as the good-hearted women. Although they have some realistic faults, their overall personality reflects the honest side of women. Jane and Elizabeth, regardless if they come from the same family as Lydia and Mrs. Bennet, appear to be more intelligent judging from actions they take and the way they respond to things. The two Bennet girls are not as heavily concerned with money as the other women. Also, Georgiana is a shy girl that does not have the arrogant personality that is often obtained by women of high rank and or wealth. Austen is able to create a miniature representation of women in English society just by a few characters in this story. She criticizes ignorant women with similar mindsets as the first group of women (including Lydia, etc.) that she encountered from her experience. Readers are able to conclude from this novel that most women in the 1800s desired only marriage that would lead to wealth, gaining social rank, and saw it as their sole responsibility to become wives. The author restores some dignity in women by adding characters such as Elizabeth who have the sensibility and modesty that allows them to reflect upon their mistakes, while others never admit to theirs. Austen suggests ideal women should be like Elizabeth and not what the characters of the book consider accomplished. In addition, male characters in Pride and Prejudice also have a variety of personalities. Characters such as Mr. Darcy have their faults towards the beginning but are able to fix them as the story progresses. For instance, Mr. Darcy’s pride and shyness contradicts itself, however both play an active role in giving Elizabeth the wrong impression. His secret love comes to believe the man as arrogant and unpleasant. In fictional reality, Mr. Darcy is actually a very gracious man, but is unable to express his thoughts in a polite manner especially to people he has never been acquainted with. Elizabeth also goes through the same process as she gains more information about Darcy from others, himself, and through personal experience. The prejudice that develops on Elizabeth’s side creates the drama that drives this story to be exciting. In reality, the traits these characters have are quite common. By nature, human beings have the urge to create assumptions towards other people. They may be wrong, but it is only natural to have them. It is the goodness of the person that prevents them from presenting these assumptions without evidence. Some characters fail to do this, and whenever they approach an idea in their favor, they must share it. Whether we realize it or not, we have many faults. The morals of the story encourage the initiative that should be taken to fix the mistakes we make. This novel teaches us not to misjudge a person without completely understanding them, which formulates the title, Pride and Prejudice. The story not only gives a happy ending, but a resolution to overcoming influences that have nothing to do with the actual relationship between people. An appropriate judgment can only be made by individuals themselves. I would recommend this story to people who have been troubled with similar situations when it comes to judging or leaving a positive impression on others. The morals in Pride and Prejudice are put into relatable context to the real world. I am sure it will affect the reader’s viewpoint in one way or another, as it did for me. Not only is this story for those troubled in relationships, but the fact that it is a beautiful love story should not be disregarded. I would definitely be interested in reading similar books like this or other novels by Jane Austen because I fell in love with the characters and the author’s writing. The style of writing that colored each picture and thought that went into every sentence was very well done. I praise the author’s ability to word this love story so perfectly.
Friday, September 27, 2019
What Were The Factors That Lead The Victory Of The Union What Changes Essay
What Were The Factors That Lead The Victory Of The Union What Changes After 1862 Affected The War's End - Essay Example In this regard, Lee believed that the Confederacy did not lose the war because they fought badly, but blamed it on the high number of guns and men in the Unions’ favour. However, not all historians believe that the Union’s superiority was the sole cause that led to the Confederate’s defeat. There were several evident advantages that led to the victory by the Union. Foremost, the advantage of numbers was one that the Union possessed. To this end, the Union had 22 million soldiers compared to the 9 million soldiers of the South (McPherson & Hogue 68). Furthermore, out of the 9 million Southern soldiers, the south had only 5.5 million white soldiers. The North equally possessed and advanced industrial capacity compared to the South. In this regard, the Northern states were the greatest producers of USA’s firearms which stood at 97 percent by 1860(McPherson & Hogue 45). Moreover, they were also producing the highest number of pig iron which stood at 94 percent . The North equally possessed an advantage in the agricultural sector. Interestingly, the Confederate army hoped to rectify its deficit of resources by engaging in trade with Europe. However, the Union counter-acted this effort through its naval superiority which put up a tight blockade. There was equally the support and loyalty for the Union by the four slave states. These were Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland and Missouri. In contrast, the 11 Confederate states did not exhibit the same union and loyalty as the northern states in relation to the war (McPherson & Hogue 72). In this regard, the Confederacy suffered from resistance by pockets of Unionist loyalists in areas such as the Appalachian Mountains. The slaves equally exhibited the threat of a potential fifth column. This was evident during the course of the war as black slaves from the Confederacy were constantly fleeing and taking up arms with the Union armies. Another advantage was that the Northern States had innovatively conv erted the labour and military manpower into a key asset for the Union. The decline in morale by the Confederate army was another factor that contributed to their loss. This decline of morale or will power was largely attributed to the fading possibility of victory at a Manassas as well as collapse from internal stresses. Moreover, the failure by the Confederacy to exhibit a strong sense of nationalism contributed to their failure. The Confederate government equally held blame towards their failure by mismanaging their finances and economy. To this end, the Confederate government printed too much money which propagated inflation and consequently led to economic degradation and decline of the Southern morale. However, it should be noted that inflation was unavoidable owing to the Union’s strategy in effecting blockades. It is critical to point out that the in 1861; the Southern Confederacy army was poised to win the war owing to its territorial advantage that stood at 750,000 s quare miles (McPherson & Hogue 93). In this regard, the territorial asset posed a challenge to the Union in terms of blockade, occupation and conquest. In this regard, the smart military decision by the South was to avoid the option of attack but adopt a defensive mechanism. Moreover, by adopting a defensive tactic, the Southerners would have had the advantage of firepower by their rifle musketeers. Consequently, the Union would have been compelled to attack but destined to suffer extreme casualties. In this regard, the Southerners hoped that the massive causalities would
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Barriers to Thinking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Barriers to Thinking - Research Paper Example Ruggiero (2009) correctly calls it, in the layman’s language, a tendency of laziness that most people are inclined to. Change by its very nature forces people to learn new ways and means and stretch ones imagination towards a new goal. One who is ready to change will inevitably initiate a process of thinking. Self-deception is the second barrier to thinking that can be seen in most of us. Finding fault in others, in circumstances for our all failures is a biggest self-deception that we resort to. That is how we pass on, very cleverly, all responsibilities on others. Self-deception is an enemy to our growth and development. At times, we conveniently forget that odds are there everywhere yet certain people do overcome them with their rightful thinking and introspection in the life (Ruggiero 2009). Riggiero (2009) advises us to abstain from taking any instantaneous viewpoint or form any opinion on any matter because that will be mostly judgmental and only out of our deep rooted old habits that we are mired of. When we are successful in this first step, then and then only, we will be able to initiate our unbiased and conscious thinking process that will gradually loosen our ties with all barriers to
A concert report that discuss the concert I give you Essay
A concert report that discuss the concert I give you - Essay Example Its creation involves the poets writing the stanzas in alternating shifts. The modern poets have manipulated the original renga to come up with the present renga with freedom of line and stanza structures. However, the poem still boasts utmost value between the Japanese and it has become one of the most popular students’ poetry teaching references. Remarkably, the concert was well planned and initiated by the organizers. The performers were on stage just in time to dispel anxiety among the audience who arrived as early as 5 p.m. I specifically loved the glamorous design of the hall – partly reflecting traditionalism and partly reflecting modern life. Probably, the purpose of this form of hall design was to contrast between the times of initiation of the poem (that traces its roots back over 700 years ago) and the present day of conducting and presenting the poem to the modern world by a modern society. Even the sophistication in the types of musical and sound equipment used points to the direction of traditional music on the face modernization. There was a perfect combination of the expansive, etherall veil of Morton Feldman’s final composition. Even the aesthetic contrast could not fail to attain recognition from the eyes of the audience, with specific dates during when the poets composed and or composed poems. A number of musical instruments are available to spice up the concert, to make it more lively and appealing to the ears and eyes. Even though the percussionist found a challenge in simultaneously playing the sounds and navigating between the cognitive creations of outward, immovable, internal and the public spaces of musical satisfaction, he fast gets to the reality of the impossibility of the fact that such simultaneous endeavor may not be practical. However, he managed to achieve a relatively unexpected outcome of sounds and high-toned aggregate of musical zeal and vigor both confluence together in the
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Ch 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Ch 8 - Essay Example The United States policymakers face varied challenges of recognizing that the fundamental change in global politics and utilizing the supreme military power of America to fashion an international environment conducive to its interests. Moreover, globalization has contributed to varied changes not only to my lifestyle but also to my urban area. It has contributed to social conflicting issues especially through social media such as increased cyber bullying, cyber crimes and increased health related issues due to too much use of social media. It has also created effects on efficiency, production and competitiveness in production of commodities, as well as, increased unemployment levels with associated social impacts in urban areas. There are significant considerations taken when making decisions to migrate and this includes the need for employment opportunities, search for better working conditions, political considerations including a stable political climate and economic considerations. These aspects might differentially impact many people in different ways. First, an unemployed young Mexican will be impacted by these decisions in a manner that migrating to another new working environment may contribute to communication problems because of language barriers. Although many young people prefer migrating to new places in search for new pastures, many of them face varied issues due to spatial interaction problems. Secondly, a retired Midwestern farm couple will also be impacted because of locational attributes and other aspects. For instance, incomes of retirees vary from one location to another; thus the migration decisions coupled by job market conditions will impact them. Lastly, an unemployed heavy equipment operator might find it difficult to operate new equipment machine in anew working environment because of changes in technology. Sometimes, working rules differs from one working environment another and this
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
The Constructivist Approach in International Relations Essay
The Constructivist Approach in International Relations - Essay Example The paper tells that the constructivists have over and over questioned the rationale behind the self-centred notion of rationalism. In place of this, Constructivism has favoured some form of social ontology. Its proponents believe that human beings are social actors, and as such can never live away from the society’s power to shape their actions, so that they can conform to certain forms of behaviour. However, Wendt admits that, since constructivism is unable to provide international relations with â€Å"a clear test of their predictive power...†and without a clear theory to help in assessing domestic politics, it cannot, therefore, solely in studying international relations. It needs a backing from some other theories of international relations. Therefore, my paper seeks to critically assess the strengths and shortcomings of the constructivist approach in International Relations. In doing this, the paper will give a brief discussion on how constructivism has come to b e one of the major theoretical approaches of IR. It will also look at the strengths and weaknesses of constructivism. Moreover, it will give a comparison between constructivism and neorealism. The works of various constructivists will be visited to shed more light on the topic. These constructivists include Martha Finnemore, Alexander Wendt, Thomas Risse, and Peter Katzenstein. Today constructivism is actually one of the main theories of International Relations. It is built on the premise that almost all important features of global politics owe their existence to some given social circumstances and events in history. The theory strongly refutes the claim that international politics are controlled by intentional human actions that can never be controlled. It also does not agree with the notion that international politics is controlled by the uncontrollable nature of the same. The intention of constructivism to look at international relations as a result of social construction makes the theory clearly distinct from the traditional approaches to not only realism but also liberalism. There is a lot of emphasis on the human nature of humans as being an outcome of the relations we have with others. We are who we are today because of the social relations. As such, the argument here is that it is our social relations that construct us. However, the same world cannot exist without human beings since it is what it is because of the social relations. Therefore, as the world controls us, we equally control the world. Both humans and the world make each other (Zehfuss 2002, p.4). Constructivism’s importance in international relations is clearly brought out in the claim that the most important debate, now or in future, is that â€Å"between rationalists and constructivists.†Another factor that makes constructivism an important tool in the study of international relations is the fact that it occupies â€Å"the middle ground between rationalism and more radic al approaches, often called reflectivist or relativistâ€
Monday, September 23, 2019
Cost Accounting and Cost Accounting System Assignment
Cost Accounting and Cost Accounting System - Assignment Example 2008). The most important feature of a cost accounting system is the regularity with which relevant cost information is provided to users. There are two types of cost accounting systems the job order cost and process order systems. Job order cost system operates by provides I cost information in regard to each quantity of product/ service in batches. It is mostly applicable in factories with wide variety of product/service lines e.g. accounting firms and apparel manufacturing industry. Secondly, process order cost system refers to the process of accumulating costs by department or process in a factory. It is applicable mostly in cases of continuous productions such as oil refineries and food processing industries. Several companies use both types of cost accounting systems due to the diversity of their product/services pressing and the need for a cost system that provides relevant decision making information. In addition, it enhances flexibility and accuracy contributing to a more effective operational and strategic
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Preferential Treatment for Disabled Veterans Essay Example for Free
Preferential Treatment for Disabled Veterans Essay The Disabled Veteran Affirmative Action Plan requires that special steps be taken when recruiting disabled veterans. The DVAAP requires that the federal government award three percent of all federals contracts to disabled veterans. The Disabled Veteran Affirmative Action Plan requires that disabled veterans must be hired if they are able to work and willing. This affirmative action requires that there should be promotion of maximum of employment and job opportunities for disabled veterans within the federal government. This therefore supports the argument that disable veterans should get preferential treatment than other veterans who are not disabled. This act defines a disabled veteran as the veteran who has the right to receive compensation under the laws administered by VA. It also defines a veteran as a person who was released from duty due to a service connection disability. The DVAAP program aims to raise the number of disabled veterans in profession positions through interval jobs advancement opportunities. It also focus on increasing the number of disabled veterans in technical position through recruitments DVAAP seeks to promote efforts that ensures disabled veterans are included in recruitment efforts. (Sowell, 2004).     Disabled veterans are accorded preferential treatment than other veterans who are not disabled because, the DVAAP act dictates that are all state agencies and institutions increase employment opportunities fro disabled veterans. The veteran’s affairs department advocates nard for assistance to be granted to veterans owned small businesses. The federal regulations for disabled veterans provide that employments should not request self identities during recruitment opportunities. Veterans must not identify their disability status before they have been offered a job. On many occasions, disabled veterans, even when willing to work and qualified, are shut of the workforce due to the discrimination. The federal law provides that preferential treatment be given to veterans seeking employment. The law ensures that the disabled veterans on a preferential basis, the full employment services presented by law. Disabled veterans should be provided with intensive employment and training services to prepare them accordingly for the jobs. Affirmative Action for women and minority        Affirmative action for women and minority is established with an attempt to redistribute economic power equally by ensuring that employers give preference to women and minorities during recruitments. Affirmative action is a plan initiated to remedy any cases of discriminating behavior that have occurred in an institution in the past. Affirmative action gives preferential to women through a range of measures such as lower scores for test for jobs or recruitment procedures. Due to the long history of discrimination cases occurring based on race and sex, affirmative action programs have been initiated and directed towards women and minorities. This has been done to promote recruitment, retention, promotion and educational opportunities accorded to women and minority. (Charles J Muhl.). Strategies used in affirmative action programmes are focused on expanding the pool of job or admission applicants. This can be done through using strategies that reach outside the traditional channels set especially by placing employment notices in areas where the women and minorities will easily see them. Affirmative action programs are increasing on the job training opportunities that encourage occupation mobility within the workplace. Affirmative Action Programs for women and minority have been instituted and granted the force of law. Affirmative actions for women and minority in employment were implemented to prohibit discrimination by employers based on sex. Women should be accorded equal opportunities just like their male counterparts. The affirmative action for women and minorities addresses issues such as prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace, recruitment and hiring methods, discrimination complaints and promotions.    The federal law requires that institutions determine whether women and minorities are being underutilized in their companies. If this is the case, companies must take steps to correct this situation, especially through the use of recruitment and outreach programs and also put more emphasize on eliminating barriers that hinder equal employment opportunities. Institution managers and supervisors must ensure that steps are taken to ensure women and minorities are aware of available job opportunities. Women and minority groups must be given full and fair consideration based on their abilities and qualifications. Due to the discrimination of women and minorities in the learning centers, affirmative action programs have been initiated to ensure that these groups are accorded equal opportunities in the education system. This also ensures that trained women and minority are included in the hiring and promotional activities. Affirmative action for women and minorities ensure that qualified women and minorities are included in the candidates’ pool. (Ball, Haque, 2003). Affirmative Action Arguments   Based on the affirmative action, three arguments have been offered, which include social good also known as the utilitarian consideration, compensatory justice referred to as deontological theory and the ideal of equality. The social good, states that the society will benefit more by initiating programs that enrich and empower women. By advancing women, the society is required to offer employment opportunities to women and minorities based on their qualifications. However, this affirmative action has led to more qualified men being left out of job opportunities in order to promote women who are even less qualified. As a result, institutions are using the quota system instead of the merit system to allocate jobs. Many people have argued that this system has promoted less qualified candidates and left out the more qualified candidates. Affirmative action therefore creates a big wedge between individual worth and economic success. This is evidence enough that the quota system does not benefit the society. Women who succeed in their companies are not accorded the respect they deserve. This is because many people claim that the women succeed due to preferential treatment policies that are directed to the women and minority. The implementation of affirmative action created a bad tradition in the workplace, whereby employers are quick to promote women without qualification or place them in inappropriate job positions so as to meet the affirmative action requirements. By doing this, employers put women and minorities at a higher risk of failing in their jobs and their after lay the blame on their sex, race and preferential treatment policies. (Gilbert, Stead, Ivancevich, 1999).    The compensatory justice argument, also known as deontological theory, claims that if a person causes injury to someone else they should remedy the damage. Affirmative action claims that even the descendants of the injured person should be compensated as well. Objections to this argument state that those individuals being compensated are not victims in any way and those being forced to pay the compensation have not done any wrong. Those objecting to this argument claim that since some minority groups have been subjected to historical prejudice previously, this has been used to classify all low earning groups as victims of injustice. This argument claims that since women have been victims of prejudice and discrimination in the employment and education sectors, they should be given preferential treatment when recruiting, training or hiring.     The ideal of equality is the most common moral argument for affirmative action programs. Under this argument women and minority groups should be accorded equal treatment and rights just like men and other groups. Under law employers must not use discriminatory biases such as gender, race, or national origin to hire or recruit candidates. However, some government agencies and constitutions have implemented policies that oppress both the women and minorities. Some government policies restrict the employment of certain groups especially women and people of color in certain job categories. The main objection of this argument is that equality means that everyone should be granted equal treatment and not being given priviledges. Most women advocating for equal treatment, are actually advocating for priviledges in employment opportunities. (Allen, 2003).   In the compensatory justice argument, both men and women should be given justice because; all human beings should be given what they individually deserve. Men should be given employment opportunities just like women. According to the deontological theory, the rightness of the means justifies the action. According to this, both men and women should be accorded their rights equally. Conclusion    Disabled veteran affirmative action program is a way of promoting the lives of disabled veterans released from active duty due to service disability, by ensuring they get equal employment opportunities like other veterans who are not disabled. Affirmative action for women and minorities on the other hand, seeks to promote women and minority groups at the expense of other qualified candidates. Affirmative action for women has led to the employment of women with less qualification at the expense of more qualified men. Affirmative action for women and minorities, to some extent, does not promote race or gender equality. However, the Disabled Veteran Affirmative Action Program promotes equality among all veterans, whether disabled or not disabled. References Allen, R. (2003). Examining the implementation of affirmative action in law enforcement. Public Personnel Management, 32(3), 411. Ball, C., Haque, A. (2003). Diversity in religious practice: Implications of Islamic values in the public workplace. Public Personnel Management, 32(3), 315. Charles J Muhl. Monthly Labor Review. Washington: Jan 1999. Vol. 122, Iss. 1; p. 48 (2 pages). Gilbert, J.A., Stead, B.A., Ivancevich, J.M. (1999). Diversity management: A new organizational paradigm. Journal of Business Ethics, 21(1), 61-76. Sowell, T. (2004). Affirmative Action around the World: An Empirical Study. Yale University Press.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
How football Clubs Utilise B2B
How football Clubs Utilise B2B How football clubs utilise B2B to create strong business relationships Introduction The Cambridge dictionary defines B2B (Business to Business) as business arrangements or trade between different businesses, rather than between businesses and the general public (Cambridge Dictionary, 2017). This report will outline how football clubs have used B2B to improve their infrastructure by linking with other businesses that can offer services to the club, and also receive some provision in return. The decision-making process will also be looked at to identify how clubs decide to choose new B2B partners. Influences of buyer behaviour will also be examined. Current B2B deals in the football industry will also be looked at and the potential benefits of sponsorship. B2B is a great way for businesses to set up long standing relationships that can be in place for many years and be of use on multiple occasions. Businesses make purchases to address problems within the company. For example, if Manchester United sold out of replica shirts in the club shop, they would have to order new stock in to replace the previously sold items. They would contact their kit supplier Adidas and order more stock. B2B agreements are very important for football clubs who want to outsource work that they do not have the staff or infrastructure to deal with onsite. An example of this would-be security and stewarding on match days. Rather than the club having to employ and take responsibility for hundreds of stewards, many employ an agency who would hire and manage the stewards for everything from employment contracts to their working hours. This means the club would only have to approve them to work on any given match day. When looking to identify potential B2B opportunities, companies can use segmentation to narrow down a list of suitable businesses to start a working relationship with. One category would be location. For example, when Manchester City were building the Etihad Campus, they chose to work with nearby companies that sourced building materials locally. Thus, they strengthened their ties within the community by accessing local services (Premier Construction, 2015a). Because Manchester City made a conscious effort to work with local companies, they now have built and maintained B2B relationships with hundreds of local companies. This was done due to them handing out 883 contracts to local businesses (Premier Construction, 2015b). An example of B2B in the football industry are sponsorships. Sponsors offer clubs a significant amount of money to use their name on their kits or even stadiums. Sponsors are willing to pay millions of pounds so they can expand their consumer market by tapping into a football clubs fan base. The benefits of having a sponsor are the clubs brand being linked with a company in a different market, which could help attract more consumers to the club. One potential influence on B2B deals are the owners of football clubs. They tend to have preferences on what companies they like to work with and those they would rather avoid. Mike Ashley, the owner of Newcastle United changed the name of their stadium, St James Park to the Sports Direct Arena. As he was the owner of Sports Direct, he saw this as a good way of investing money into the club while also increasing brand awareness of Sports Direct. Unfortunately for him he was influenced by Newcastles biggest stakeholders, the fans. They would not accept the name change and after 11 months the sponsorship was removed from the stadium (Daily Telegraph, 2012). One example of a sponsor who uses football as a major advertisement opportunity is Emirates. Emirates are an airline based in the United Arab Emirates who have millions of customers in Europe. In football, they sponsor Arsenals Stadium, known as the Emirates Stadium and are their shirt sponsor. They also sponsor European giants Real Madrid, Paris Saint Germain and A.C. Milan (Emirates Group, 2016). Another example of B2B in English football is Manchester Uniteds deal with Chevrolet. This deal is more interesting since one of the contract stipulations is that Man Utd officials drive Chevrolets on club business. This was the case when Manchester United signed Paul Pogba for a world record fee. He was spotted being driven in a Chevrolet by Man Utd staff when having his medical (Bywater, 2016). Manchester United have a staggering 64 business partners (official Manchester united Website, 2016). These businesses range from deals such as their record kit deal with Adidas to smaller regional companies such as Chi, a soft drinks company based in Nigeria. Manchester United have 11 regional partners. They are mainly based in Asia and Indonesia. This is because Manchester United realised there was great demand for football in Asia which was at the time a completely untapped market. Manchester United also have a sponsorship deal with Nissin Food Groups. They are the official global noodle partner of Man Utd. As part of this deal Man Utd players have starred in adverts for the brand aired on Chinese television. This helps the Man Utd brand expand into areas of the Asian market where there is a lack of competition from fellow clubs. In 2016 Manchester Uniteds value grew by 7% from the previous year (Jefferson et al., 2017). This is attributed to their  £950m, 10-year deal with Adidas that started in July 2015. There are many positives for both businesses in this deal. Adidas pay for the right to make Manchester United merchandise and distribute it worldwide, this is great exposure for Adidas as anyone who buys Manchester United merchandise is also buying Adidas merchandise. A partnership between 2 giants of sport is mutually beneficial for both parties as the size of the 2 brands combined can reach a global audience. The decision-making process is a time-consuming necessity when starting a new B2B partnership. The first stage of the process is the club recognising the problem that needs to be solved. For example, the IT technology used by the club could be breaking down due too it being considered out of date. The next stage would be to identify what they specifically require to solve the problem. They would need to obtain replacement computers for their head offices. The next stage would be to start a search for a supplier that specialises in IT solutions for businesses. Once potential suppliers have been sought out by the club, they will offer proposals to the club on what they will deliver and what sort of price they are looking for. This is a vital stage of the process as it gives the club a chance to evaluate all their options on the table. Plus, the offers that have been presented are open to negotiation, so they can get the best deal possible. After they have negotiated with each of the companies, they will make their selection based on the proposals offered to them. Once the selection is complete, the club will put in their first order of equipment from their new supplier. Several months into their new B2B deal, the club will evaluate whether it has been successful so far. If they are satisfied with the supplier, they will look to maintain the B2B partnership over a longer period (Kotler and Armstrong, 1998). There are many influences on organisational buyer behaviour. One such influence are economic issues such as the price of the product, the reliability of the supplier and the product specification. An example of this would be if the supplier of the product is unreliable, then the organisation is less likely to purchase the product from that company. Or if the supplier has increased the price of the product, then the company will probably look at other suppliers with a lower price. Conclusion Overall B2B has a very important role in the football industry providing services and financial backing to football clubs. A long process is undertaken to start a B2B partnership which can be from a local company or from a business based on the other side of the world. Many influences effect the behaviour of potential buyers which could result in any deal not taking place. While sponsorships are the biggest B2B in football, that doesnt stop other companies from taking advantage from this method. Manchester United have proved that any company worldwide can have a relationship in the football industry whether they are based in the USA, Nigeria or China. B2B will only grow in the sports industry and plays a key role in the financial development of football. Word count: 1399 References Bywater, A. (2016) Paul Pogba jets in for Manchester united medical. Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3729304/Paul-Pogba-jets-Manchester-United-medical-world-record-110million-Juventus-inches-closer-completion.html (Accessed: 28 February 2017). Cambridge Dictionary (2017) B2B meaning in the Cambridge English dictionary. Available at: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/b2b (Accessed: 27 February 2017). Construction, P. (2015a) Football academy is worlds best. Available at: http://premierconstructionnews.com/2015/03/16/football-academy-is-worlds-best/ (Accessed: 28 February 2017). Construction, P. (2015b) Football academy is worlds best. Available at: http://premierconstructionnews.com/2015/03/16/football-academy-is-worlds-best/ (Accessed: 28 February 2017). Emirates Group, T.E. (2016) Emirates sponsorships | football. Available at: https://www.emirates.com/uk/english/about/emirates-sponsorships/football/football.aspx (Accessed: 28 February 2017). Jefferson, R.S., Henry, J., Hynes, C., Wood, T., Campbell, R., Mourdoukoutas, P., Seymour, L., Levy, P., Setaro, S., Fisher, D., Kruger, D., Saunders, P. and Connolly, M. (2017) Manchester united on the Forbes soccer team valuations list. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/teams/manchester-united/ (Accessed: 28 February 2017). Kotler, P. and Armstrong, K. (1998) Principles of marketing: European edition. New York: Financial TImes Prentice Hall. Newcastle united remove sports direct arena branding on stadium to make way for the return of st James park (2012) Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/newcastle-united/9610091/Newcastle-United-remove-Sports-Direct-Arena-branding-on-stadium-to-make-way-for-the-return-of-St-James-Park.html (Accessed: 28 February 2017). Official Manchester united club partners official Manchester united Website (2016) Available at: http://www.manutd.com/en/Partners.aspx (Accessed: 27 February 2017).
Friday, September 20, 2019
Leo :: essays research papers
Leonardo sped from one creative experience to another his reach as for his grasp. His career was vagrant and unfocused; in fact, he never had a career. He seemed to have had no civic loyalty. Nor devotion to church or Christ. He willingly accepted commissions from the popes or their enemies. He lacked the sensual worldliness of a Boccaccio or a Chaucer, the recklessness of a Rabelais, the piety of a Dante or the religious passion of a Michelangelo. The vast disorderly notebooks in his own hand mystify as much as they explain. No other artist bequeathed so copious a record of his thoughts and yet told us so little of himself. The 3,500 closely written pages that have survived of his notebooks may be only a quarter of those left at his death. Whole notebooks have been lost or broken up, and single sheets now turn up around the world. Some of the 19 existing notebooks were small enough to be carried about on Leonardo's belt for occasional jottings, some were large folios. While most of the script is clear, and legible if viewed in a mirror, it is almost all in "mirror writing," written "backwards." Since Leonardo was probably left-handed, this way of writing might have come quite naturally to him. It could hardly have kept the contents secret or deceived the censors since his texts were copiously illustrated. Perhaps Leonardo only wished to make trouble for any who dared to read his private jottings. The vast disorderly notebooks in his own hand mystify as much as they explain. No other artist bequeathed so copious a record of his thoughts and yet told us so little of himself. The 3,500 closely written pages that have survived of his notebooks may be only a quarter of those left at his death. Whole notebooks have been lost or broken up, and single sheets now turn up around the world. Some of the 19 existing notebooks were small enough to be carried about on Leonardo's belt for occasional jottings, some were large folios. Leo :: essays research papers Leonardo sped from one creative experience to another his reach as for his grasp. His career was vagrant and unfocused; in fact, he never had a career. He seemed to have had no civic loyalty. Nor devotion to church or Christ. He willingly accepted commissions from the popes or their enemies. He lacked the sensual worldliness of a Boccaccio or a Chaucer, the recklessness of a Rabelais, the piety of a Dante or the religious passion of a Michelangelo. The vast disorderly notebooks in his own hand mystify as much as they explain. No other artist bequeathed so copious a record of his thoughts and yet told us so little of himself. The 3,500 closely written pages that have survived of his notebooks may be only a quarter of those left at his death. Whole notebooks have been lost or broken up, and single sheets now turn up around the world. Some of the 19 existing notebooks were small enough to be carried about on Leonardo's belt for occasional jottings, some were large folios. While most of the script is clear, and legible if viewed in a mirror, it is almost all in "mirror writing," written "backwards." Since Leonardo was probably left-handed, this way of writing might have come quite naturally to him. It could hardly have kept the contents secret or deceived the censors since his texts were copiously illustrated. Perhaps Leonardo only wished to make trouble for any who dared to read his private jottings. The vast disorderly notebooks in his own hand mystify as much as they explain. No other artist bequeathed so copious a record of his thoughts and yet told us so little of himself. The 3,500 closely written pages that have survived of his notebooks may be only a quarter of those left at his death. Whole notebooks have been lost or broken up, and single sheets now turn up around the world. Some of the 19 existing notebooks were small enough to be carried about on Leonardo's belt for occasional jottings, some were large folios.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
The American Dream in the Works of John Steinbeck and Hunter S. Thompso
Two writers who come quickly to my mind whenever I hear or see images of American patriotism are John Steinbeck and Hunter S. Thompson. As different as these two men are, their writing is similar in that the American Dream constantly fails their characters. Both seek to define America and the American Dream, however, it remains seemingly elusive, and both writers fail to find it. I choose Steinbeck and Thompson because, to me, their writing styles are the same. They have the same lust for language and powerful writing. Their subjects are contemporary; they are not necessarily moral or upright, but are average people. Both view the world in the same sad way, that people are as easily led to beauty as deceit, joy to sorrow and life to death. There are certain truths in their writing that is not expressed elsewhere; consequences that we might not always like to believe exist. I also choose Steinbeck and Thompson in that they are representative of the twentieth century. Steinbeck neatly covers the first half more or less, and Thompson from the sixties to present. Both authors have also experienced a number of failures. Steinbeck has been called sentimental, overdrawn, boring and grossly contrived. While this may be true, for example, the killing of Candy's dog as a metaphor for the killing of Lenny in Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck received attention after Tortilla Flats was published. Since then, he has become one of the most popular authors of the twentieth century and won a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962. Thompson, who has been called names less polite, continues to be a dynamic force in modern American writing, because he broke conventional rules of writing and journalism. Thompson, who flunked out of Columbia, also worked hard before gaining fame for Hell's Angels. His popularity continues today with his cult following of fans. Rather interesting is that both men are alcoholics. One of Steinbeck's last books is Travels With Charley in which the old man and his poodle take a road trip in a custom built truck named Rosinante. This book is my least favorite; here, sentimental, overdrawn, boring and grossly contrived apply greatly. Steinbeck records faithfully how he procured his truck, meets with his sons one last time before setting off, then hurtles across the country, interviewing cowboys and common people. He makes brief comments on current events suc... ...Fear, the characters are even accused of being un-American. Once in California, the Joads and their friend Casey (the preacher) hear strange talk of "reds". The reds, are of course, communists, and those who are not communists but want to offer people a better standard of living. It is talk of unionizing that ultimately leads to the death of Casey and why young Tom Joad must leave his family. He swears to live out Casey's dream. Thompson, while sitting in a bar in Aspen, finds a former astronaut (whose name was deleted at the insistence of publisher's lawyers), hassling a band that plays songs with some un-American sentiments. Thompson, as Raoul Duke, admonishes the bullish spaceman - "Hey, I'm an American and I agree with every word he says,†When the astronaut is asked by a young boy for an autograph, the spaceman is aghast when the boy rips the slip of paper up, proving just how worthless the spaceman's "heroism" is. So where do we go from here? Is the American Dream all meaningless imagery and puffery symbolism? Or is it something attainable, like money and power? Does it actually exist? If so, why does it elude so many writers and everyday people? The American Dream in the Works of John Steinbeck and Hunter S. Thompso Two writers who come quickly to my mind whenever I hear or see images of American patriotism are John Steinbeck and Hunter S. Thompson. As different as these two men are, their writing is similar in that the American Dream constantly fails their characters. Both seek to define America and the American Dream, however, it remains seemingly elusive, and both writers fail to find it. I choose Steinbeck and Thompson because, to me, their writing styles are the same. They have the same lust for language and powerful writing. Their subjects are contemporary; they are not necessarily moral or upright, but are average people. Both view the world in the same sad way, that people are as easily led to beauty as deceit, joy to sorrow and life to death. There are certain truths in their writing that is not expressed elsewhere; consequences that we might not always like to believe exist. I also choose Steinbeck and Thompson in that they are representative of the twentieth century. Steinbeck neatly covers the first half more or less, and Thompson from the sixties to present. Both authors have also experienced a number of failures. Steinbeck has been called sentimental, overdrawn, boring and grossly contrived. While this may be true, for example, the killing of Candy's dog as a metaphor for the killing of Lenny in Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck received attention after Tortilla Flats was published. Since then, he has become one of the most popular authors of the twentieth century and won a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962. Thompson, who has been called names less polite, continues to be a dynamic force in modern American writing, because he broke conventional rules of writing and journalism. Thompson, who flunked out of Columbia, also worked hard before gaining fame for Hell's Angels. His popularity continues today with his cult following of fans. Rather interesting is that both men are alcoholics. One of Steinbeck's last books is Travels With Charley in which the old man and his poodle take a road trip in a custom built truck named Rosinante. This book is my least favorite; here, sentimental, overdrawn, boring and grossly contrived apply greatly. Steinbeck records faithfully how he procured his truck, meets with his sons one last time before setting off, then hurtles across the country, interviewing cowboys and common people. He makes brief comments on current events suc... ...Fear, the characters are even accused of being un-American. Once in California, the Joads and their friend Casey (the preacher) hear strange talk of "reds". The reds, are of course, communists, and those who are not communists but want to offer people a better standard of living. It is talk of unionizing that ultimately leads to the death of Casey and why young Tom Joad must leave his family. He swears to live out Casey's dream. Thompson, while sitting in a bar in Aspen, finds a former astronaut (whose name was deleted at the insistence of publisher's lawyers), hassling a band that plays songs with some un-American sentiments. Thompson, as Raoul Duke, admonishes the bullish spaceman - "Hey, I'm an American and I agree with every word he says,†When the astronaut is asked by a young boy for an autograph, the spaceman is aghast when the boy rips the slip of paper up, proving just how worthless the spaceman's "heroism" is. So where do we go from here? Is the American Dream all meaningless imagery and puffery symbolism? Or is it something attainable, like money and power? Does it actually exist? If so, why does it elude so many writers and everyday people?
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Essay --
In the area of mathematics, it has been stated that Aristotle â€Å"is the real father of logic†(Thompson, 1975, p. 7) and although it may be a minor exaggeration, it is not far off the truth. Aristotle’s ideas on philosophy and logic were great advancers in Western culture, and are still being discussed and taught today. The ancient Greeks focused their mathematics on many areas, but one main question continuously asked by the Greeks was â€Å"what are good arguments?†(Marke & Mycielski, 2001, pg. 449). This question brought about the study of logic. Aristotle’s philosophy on the importance of logic was unique for his time as he believed that logic had to be considered in all disciplines, and that the aim of logic was to provide a system that allowed one to â€Å"investigate, classify, and evaluate good and bad forms of reasoning†(Groarke). Aristotle studied and contributed to various disciplines including philosophy, science, and astronomy, but his greatest influence was in the study of mathematical logic and more specifically, the introduction of syllogism. As Ulrich (1953) states, â€Å"any discussion of syllogism necessarily involves logic as it is the field that the syllogism plays a very important role†(p. 311). Aristotle’s ideas surrounding logic and syllogism are still being used in mathematics today, and over the course of history they have influenced many mathematicians’ areas of study. (Marek & Mycielski, 2001) Influence on Aristotelian Logic In order to understand Aristotle’s influence on mathematical logic, it is important to understand his life and the people that influenced his studies. Aristotle was born in 384 BCE in Stagira, which was an ancient city in Greece located on the Chalkidiki peninsula (Amadio & Kenny). In 367 B... ...ead of as an axiomization of a body of knowledge†(Andrade & Becerra, 2008, p. 310). Conclusion Aristotle’s philosophy of logic and syllogism introduced a system of formal thought. One in which emphasis was placed on answering logical questions through using proof, deduction and reasoning. This contribution to the field of logic allowed future academics to draw connections of previous unknowns in many areas of study, but most notably in the field of mathematics. Aristotle’s contribution to logic, by introducing a system of syllogism, became influential within many disciplines, and his ideas remained a great focal point for many centuries. Although Aristotle will forever be seen as a great philosopher, his influence of the syllogism was one that greatly advanced the area of mathematical logic and opened the gateway for many more mathematical discoveries and ideas.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Catharine Beecher and Charlotte Perkins Essay
In the article â€Å"Catharine Beecher and Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Architects of Female Power†by author Valerie Gill, Ms. Gill attempts to bridge the gap between what appears to be two powerful women of their time with two totally different opinions of the American woman and the type of life they should lead. The author points out the obvious differences of opinions in the writings of the two women, who are related by the way, and the different era in which they write. Catharine Beecher was the great aunt of Charlotte Perkins Gilman and lived and wrote during a time when a woman working in any other place besides the home was not something that happened often. A woman’s job during this time was to raise children and make the home a warm, inviting space that had functionality that would allow for â€Å"separate spheres†for the men and women, allowing the men to have a place to discuss outside ventures and women to have a place to deal with domestic matters. Charlotte Perkins Gilman on the other hand, lived during a period where productivity was happening in factories all over the country. Her feminist attempt to undo her great aunt’s idea that women should be assigned to only the home made it appear that the two women had absolutely nothing in common when it came to the ideas on how women should be viewed socially. Gill points out how the two very different opinions actually have many things in common. Both women agree that the role of women is very important to the health of society, even though they disagree on what their roles should be. By suggesting that each writer knows what is the best arrangement for women to experience shows another similarity between the two writers. As pointed out by Gill, â€Å"Both writers conceptualize the identity of women in spatial as well as socioeconomic terms, assuming that the fulfillment of their own sex can be quite literally mapped out†. The author makes a point that even though their opinions of what is ideal are very different, the idea that there is one way to make women live a full life is exactly the same. Both women also had the common conclusion that the woman’s place, whether it is in the home working or in the factory working, would make a great impact on the society. Architectural ideas as to better society are another thing these two authors had in common, as pointed out by Gill in the article. The elder author Beecher would make drawings in her articles about staging the home and using dividers as a way to make more areas in the home, and Gilman, being concerned about the lives led by farmer’s wives, included drawings of a farming community shaped like a pie that had common areas to share, as to make life easier for them. Interesting enough, Gill included in her article a picture of a drawing done by Beecher, along with her sister Harriet Beecher Stowe, later in life of a block of houses with common areas used to house the â€Å"homeless, helpless, and vicious†which very much resembled Gilman’s block community idea where people shared common spaces and so that some women could take care of the children and household duties while others went out in the community to work. This is an excellent example of Beecher thinking like Gilman in the mixing of public and private space. It is my opinion that the aging Beecher was beginning to think out of the box. This article was insightful and gave a great example of how people with a difference of opinion can actually be thinking the same. If one just read the two women’s writings without an open mind, one would think they were completely different and had totally different ideas. Valerie Gill allowed the reader of the article to view a situation such as this one in a different way and to keep an open mind and read between the lines of any writings. I would have liked to have seen her go on and discuss the idea that some women may belong at home and some may belong in the workforce. I believe that every woman has a different situation to consider and what is important to one woman may not be important to another.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Niccolo Ammaniti’s novel ‘I’m not scared’ Essay
Topic two: â€Å"The character and morality of Michele are underestimated by the adults of Aqua Traverse.†Niccolo Ammaniti’s novel ‘I’m not scared’ is based on fear that is within the characters of Aqua Traverse. Fear can cause people to respond in an irresponsible manner and forget about morality. Throughout this novel, the adults of Aqua Traverse did not only lose their humanity but they also underestimated Michele’s character and morality. It caused them to forget the love of their children and each other. This fear was caused by the feeling of poverty and not being able to leave Aqua Traverse. It has been stated many times throughout the novel, for example Teresa had pleaded to Michele: â€Å"When you grow up, you must go and never come back.†This fear forced them to kidnap the 9-year old boy Phillipo. This vague idea of living a better life left the adults emotionally bankrupt. However, this novel proved that morality is not only in wise and old people but within everyone. It is based on the individual’s character, as Michele did encounter fear just like the rest of the adults, but he did not let fear override his morality. Michele had lost trust in everyone surrounding him, including his own true friend Salvatore; this forced him to look within his moral directions. All children must trust their parents in order to be protected from any form of fear that they may interact with. But in this novel, the adults had focused on their own fears and believed Michele would always be too young to understand anything. Michele’s parents are blinded by the crime, that they don’t take any notice of Michele’s maturity level. They don’t realize they are destroying his innocence at such a young age. Michele’s father, Pino is the main cause for the other adults to forget about Michele’s true character and independence. Pino is one of the major characters in the novel. He portrays being the villain and bringing his son in the face of evil, not realizing this is causing him to lose his innocence. At the beginning of the novel, Pino was described as a caring and loving father. He cherished every moment that he spent with the family, as he brought the children gifts and insisted on fetching the water instead of the kids. Later on, his affection was drawn out when he refused to listen to Michele’s excuse as to why he was late and instead told him to ‘get out’. Pino’s evil character was further exposed when he blackmailed Michele into believing that he will be the blame for Phillipo’s death if he visits him again, as he had stated: â€Å"If you go back, these people will kill him and it’ll be your fault.†This left Michele with a heavy amount of weight being put on his shoulders; it also caused him to increase his anxiety. Pino proved his naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve thinking about Michele by purchasing him a new bike in order to buy his silence or gain his peace, in which Michele was not about to hand over whatsoever. He was the main person who underestimated Michele’s main character, which lead him to not shoot Phillipo in the end of the novel, but instead his own son, Michele. It wasn’t only Michele’s father that had underestimated his character, but also his very own mother. Teresa was busy with her own agendas and was overcome by her fear of having to live in Aqua Traverse for the rest of her life and the children’s life. She appears to be strong as described by Ammaniti, but she is weak from within and her strength is dying gradually. She demonstrated her strength when Felice injured Michele; as she attacked him with all her might and then threatened her husband Pino: â€Å"If he touches Michele again I’ll kill him and then I’ll kill you.†It was unexpected to believe that she was involved in the kidnap of a boy that’s the same age as her own son. However, she is very obedient towards her husband which forces her to not rebel against any evil acts. At the end of the novel Teresa becomes very emotional and stressed that she doesn’t take any notice of Michele’s character from within. This novel only proved that a person does not have to be wise and old in order to have true morality. Michele was a good example of this. He motivated himself with his imaginations and brought a heroic character inside of him. Despite the fact the adults never took any notice of him, it only brought him to take higher risks and chances no other child would take, such as disobeying his father’s rules. He understood the adults were too busy with their own criminal minds and that he must take action to help free Phillipo and take him back to his family. Niccolo Ammaniti truly explored this novel throughout a child’s mind in the face of evil.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Analysis of Capitalism: A Love Story Essay
Michael Moore is the writer and director of the highly relevant documentary film, Capitalism: A Love Story, which is a film explicating on the financial crisis during 2007-2010 as well as the other aspects such as the economic stimulus package with the government committed in resolving the economic order of the United States and capitalism. The approach used in the documentary film is the dialectic approach. This type of approach was best utilized in the documentary wherein it uses two contradicting ideas that try to overpower each other. The film narrates and explains on the financial crisis as well as of other topics that are encompassed in the film. However, a devil’s advocate that serves as an adverse critic emerges to challenge or question the points raised by the other. Thus, this causes a healthy discussion and arouses the critical thinking of the audience. The documentary film although appeals to the general public; however, the satirical sense of the documentary focuses on the personalities in the government as well as the people mainly involved in the fruition of the ideas discussed in the documentary film. Overall, the documentary film is an eye-opener for the public that leaves room for the audience to critic and think of. The fallacy in the documentary film is the contradicting definition of capitalism expressed in the film. The creator, Michael Moore, expressed the Marxists definition of capitalism and that it needs the state, which is the very opposite of the real definition of capitalism. However, as the film shows how the government dips its control through the different courses of actions in attempt to resolve the problem. The arguments presented by Michael Moore are quite convincing, especially through his dialectic approach that make the viewers critically think of the ideas presented and conduct their own deductions. Although the ideas are more abstract, the viewers make up of the gap through their logical and critical thinking. Reference Moore, M. (Producer & Director). (2009). Capitalism: A Love Story [Motion Picture]. USA.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Philippine Quality Awards Essay
â€Å" We recognize Lyceum of the Philippines University Batangas- educational institution that has proven the old adage,†The more you know, the more you don’t know†- that success only opens our eyes to the many things that we can do better. And without doubt, it has continued to better itself†, Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III said in his speech, during the 15th Philippine Quality Awards, Malacaňan Palace, Dec 12. LPU is awarded with recognition for commitment to quality management along with other three companies, Don Bosco Technical College, Optev, Inc., Thomson Reuters Corporation Pte. Ltd. Philippine Branch. â€Å" This is the time when we are reminded just how important it is to improve our capacities. Whether there’s an emergency or not, it is always vital to recognize those who have not wavered on the path to self improvement, and that is precisely why we are here today. Given the week we’ve just had, this event is a welcome step back- awarding companies in our country who have performed exceptionally well†, Aquino cited. Patterned after Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, PQA (Philippine Quality Award) was institutionalized through Republic Act 9013, 2001. PQA grants recognition to public and private organizations and other stakeholders who strive to attain performance excellence. â€Å"Companies like you have done a lot for our people. You have invested in them; you have given them the platform on which they can impress the whole world with their talents†, he further quoted. President Aquino emphasized in his speech that â€Å" Made in the Philippines†are not inferior and urged that more Filipino companies should join in the battle against that backwards attitude that used to say, â€Å"Pwede na†. â€Å"I am certain that we will get to the point where our products and services, and most importantly, our people will truly shine in the world stage continuously.†, President Aquino concluded. Mr. Peter p. Laurel, LPU-B President received the PQA trophy. Also present in the conferment ceremonies were Dr. Flora V. Javier ( Consultant for Special Projects and Planning/ Dean, Institute of Advanced Studies), Dr. Fe R. Medina ( VP for Institutional Affairs), Dr. Dexter R. Buted ( VP for LIMA Campus) and academic and non-academic heads.
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