Wednesday, October 30, 2019
How would Frederickson recalculates the definition of 'self-evident Essay - 1
How would Frederickson recalculates the definition of 'self-evident truths' - Essay Example George Frederickson differs that he defined the truths although may appear as self-evident has to be contextualized according the existing order of the day. Civil right which is inherently natural right of man for Locke has to be defined according to the four models of ethnic relations for Frederickson which are hierarchy, assimilation, pluralism and separatism. Both Locke and Frederickson may have advocated the emancipation of man but their methods and perspective are different. Both recognized eurocentrism or the perceived superiority of the individuals in America that came from Europe but Frederickson was more benign compared to Locke who was predisposed for cultural pluralism â€Å"that is fully inclusive and based on the free choices of individuals to construct their own ethnic identities†(642). Locke however just like his predecessor Hume reflected the general thinking of the day where the American colored Indians are to be classed with â€Å"children, idiots and illit erates†because of their lack of facility to reason (Shohat 88). And Locke defined this to be true and self-evident which needs no justification because it is the natural order of man. ... These theories define how people differed from each other and how they should interact. a) Hierarchy This type of social relations has been the dominant entity in defining truth in the early part of American history. This ethnic relation has claimed rights and privileges that are confined to a particular group and excluding others as unfit to be equal. This type of social relationship defined the Indian conquests and black enslavement during the colonial period. It holds that people who differed from the old-stock Americans of British origin are inferior. b) Assimilation Assimilation may be more benign and less racial in the classical sense compared to ethnic hierarchy definition of social relations but it is still hinged on the premise of the superiority, purity and unchanging character of the ingroup (Frederickson 635). Thus it follows that the outgroup is inferior and needs to conform to the ingroup through assimilation to achieve equality and stability in society whose truths are defined by the dominant ingroup. c) Pluralism The pluralistic point of view of social relations celebrates the differences among the various groups in society and does not judge a certain ethnic origin to be inferior or obliterate them through assimilation. Truth is not monopolized by the dominant ingroup because ingroup’s cease to exist in a pluralistic society. It posits that the cultural diversity does not defeat the notion of equal rights and mutual understanding but is in fact desirable to sustain a democratic nation state. The distinction in this theory is not race or color but rather the degree of â€Å"civilization†an individual has attained or how they have evolved from â€Å"barbarism†to being civilized. d)
Monday, October 28, 2019
Genetically Modified Foods Essay Example for Free
Genetically Modified Foods Essay In the world, many people are not getting the balanced amount of nutrition-needed daily. There are many vitamin deficiencies that can lead to illnesses, malnutrition, and death. However, biotechnology has made this pandemic decrease through genetically modified foods. Many people think that these foods are unhealthy for people, and they are harmful. They think that this type of food is untraditional. I believe that genetically modified foods are good for countries that have high malnutrition rates. They are also good to help preserve food against pesticides. The purpose of this essay is to show how genetically modified foods are good for countries with malnutrition. Genetically modified foods are food that has received a segment of DNA or genes from another organism through biotechnology engineering. Biotechnology is the exploitation of biological processes for industrial and other purposes, especially the genetic manipulation of microorganisms for the production of antibiotics, hormones, and etc. The most commonly known genetically modified food is golden rice. Golden rice is engineered to contain a higher amount of vitamin A to improve the health of unskilled laborers in undeveloped countries. Golden rice is mainly used in Asian countries or countries whose staple food is rice. Originally, rice doesn’t have a high amount of vitamin A, and in those countries there are high amounts of deficiency in Vitamin A. Vitamin A plays a significant role for healthy vision, strong bones, supple skin, normal cell regeneration, reproduction, and helps the immune system fend off infections. A deficiency in Vitamin A can result in eye diseases such as Nyctalopia (night blindness), Xerophthalmia (dry eye syndrome) , and/or total blindness. Golden rice is enhanced with multiple DNA, including DNA from daffodils. Also, this rice has a higher amount of beta-carotene. In my opinion, golden rice is good for undeveloped countries whose staple is rice because this rice contains DNA from another plant. Therefore, it doesn’t have a lot of chemicals that could eventually be harmful to people’s body. There are more foods that are genetically modified such as corn, potatoes, soybeans, squash, canola, flax, and tomatoes. Corn and potatoes are modified with a gene to produce an endotoxin. An endotoxin is a toxic substance produced and stored within the plant tissue. This endotoxin protects these vegetables from corn-borer pest and the potato beetle. Likewise, soybeans can be modified with a gene from a bacterium to make it herbicide resistant. A herbicide is a type of pesticide that is used to kill unwanted plants, such as weeds. This can keep vegetables safe from harmful insects. These insects can destroy or make the vegetable harmful for digestion. Some people may say that genetically modified foods are untraditional. However, many foods that are used today are modified. The genes of many plants have been modified so much over the years that they are embedded into the DNA of the plant. Cross breeding was the first forms of modifying food through genetics. Since cross breeding was discovered, it was a large part of agricultural processes. Therefore, many vegetables, whether organic or not, have been modified somewhere down the history line of that vegetable. In conclusion, many people feel that genetically modified foods are not a traditional or healthy way to eat. However, genetically modified foods can help undeveloped countries become healthier and prevent some vitamin deficiencies, such as Vitamin A deficiency. Many vegetables are modified to help prevent them from their common pest and enemy-like plants. Also, throughout the years many plants have undergone minor genetic changes. These changes are used in vegetables today to help make them healthier and keep them fresher longer. This can make the world a healthier and better place.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Hurricanes :: essays research papers
Hurricane, name applied to migratory tropical cyclones that originate over oceans in certain regions near the equator, and particularly to those arising in the West Indian region, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane-type cyclones in the western Pacific are known as typhoons. Hurricanes are high winds that move in a circular motion, around an eye (a low pressure center of a storm). The diameter of the area affected by winds of destructive force may exceed 150 mi. Gale winds prevail over a larger area, averaging 300 mi in diameter. The strength of a hurricane is rated from 1 to 5. Obviously 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest strength. Hurricanes sometimes produce over 250 mm (10 in) of rain and lead to extensive flooding. Which in turn can cause another problem in its self. Â Â Â Â Â The places that are most often hit with tornados are: Antigua, Bermuda, Central America, Charleston, SC, Galveston, TX, Miami, Providence, RI, Santo Domingo, Asia, Honduras, Oceania, United States, and the West Indies. Â Â Â Â Â Florida has to contend with the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Hurricane Andrew swept through southern Florida in August 1992, just south of Miami, leaving 41 people dead, making more than 200,000 homeless, and doing about $20 billion worth of property damage. In August 1995 Hurricane Erin crossed Florida along the same path, then turned and swept through the panhandle, causing an estimated $360 million in damage. The panhandle was pounded again later in 1995 by Hurricane Opal, which caused damage of $2.1 billion. A series of tornadoes hit the central part of the state in February 1998, claiming 42 lives. That is just one case in particular. All over the world the same story happens over and over. What is so sad is that in the 3rd world countries, there is little to no protection and many more lives are lost. Such as in 1998, Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras, killing between 5,600 and 7,000 people. It also swept away 70 percent of their crops and cost billions of dollars to put the nation back together. Â Â Â Â Â Right now there are people trying to prevent hurricanes. At the present it is impossible to prevent them, but with early detection many lives have been saved.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Latest Development in Ict
1. 0. INTRODUCTION Meaning of Open Source Software (OSS) Open source software (OSS) is defined as computer software for which the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under a software license that meets the Open Source Definition or that is in the public domain. This permits users to use, change, and improve the software, and to redistribute it in modified or unmodified forms. Meaning of Hardware A computer's hardware consists of the physical components necessary to operate and interact with a computer.Since a computer's primary language is binary, devices are necessary to convert our input into that language. The binary code coming out of the computer must also be translated into something usable for the operator. Meaning of Software Software is often divided into two categories: 1. System software: Includes the operating system and all the utilities that enables the computer to function. `2. Application software: Includes prog rams that do real work for users. For example, word processors, spreadsheets, and database management systems fall under the category of applications software. 4. The Latest Development in ICT 4. 1 Hardware |a) Canon Pixma MP280 |b) Canon Pixma MX360 | |[pic] |[pic] | | | | |-The Canon Pixma MP280 is an entry level all-in-one printer, |-The Canon Pixma MX360 was first introduced by Canon in January | |scanner, and copier with enhanced photo printing capabilities.It|during CES 2011. It is an entry level model designed for small | |was the budget-friendly model out of its line of eight photo |office/home office use, alongside the Pixma MX410. We have | |printers released by Canon in 2010. Taking on the new Pixma photo|already reviewed the leading flagship inkjet out of the bunch, | |printer look, it features a simple glossy black design with |the Pixma MX882, and the inkjet that is one step down from it, | |silver accents just like the previously reviewed sister |the Pix ma MX420. Now we will take a look at the MX360.This | |product, the Canon Pixma MP495. Canon has included Full HD Movie |four-in-one can print, scan, copy, and fax and connects to a | |Print and photo editing software, as well as the Easy Photo Print|computer via HighSpeed USB 2. 0 (note that the MX410 has wireless | |app for Android smartphones in the package. Moreover, this photo |connectivity). It has an automatic document feeder that can fit | |all-in-one offers high color resolution color photo capabilities |up to 30 sheets and a 100-sheet rear feed tray. We tested the | |with a maximum of 4800 x 1200 dpi and is Energy Star certified. MX360 and found that it can print up to 8 black and white pages | |It is currently selling for only $70 from Canon's website; so |per minute under the default settings. The MX360 has a list price| |keep reading to find out if this is the right printer for you. |of $79. 99; check out our full review below to find out if this is| |Our reviews include an overview of specifications, testing |the suitable inkjet for your office at that price. | |results, a summary of the build and design, and more. | | 4. 2 Software a) Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2. 0 |b) Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3. 0 | | |[pic] | |[pic] | | |-Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2. 0 Beta was advertised in official |-Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3. 0 beta was released on October 22, | |emails from Adobe in April 2008. New features include: |2009.New features include: | | ¦Ã‚                    Localized corrections (edit specific parts | ¦Ã‚                    New chroma noise reduction | |of an image) | ¦Ã‚                    Improved sharpening tool | | ¦Ã‚                    Improved organization tools | ¦Ã‚ Â Â Â à ‚                New import pseudo module | | ¦Ã‚                    Multiple monitor support | ¦Ã‚                    Watermarking | | ¦Ã‚                    Flexible printing options | ¦Ã‚                    Grain | | ¦Ã‚                    64-bit support | ¦Ã‚                    Publish services | |The official release of Lightroom v2 was on July 29, 2008, along | ¦Ã‚                    Custom package for print | |with the release of Adobe Camera Raw v4. 5 and DNG Converter 4. 5. |On March 23, 2010, Adobe released a second beta, which added the | |Adobe has added DNG Camera Profiling to both releases. This |following features: | |technology allows custom camera colour profiles, or looks, to be | ¦Ã‚                    New luminance noise reduction | |created by the user and saved. It also allows profiles matching | ¦Ã‚                    Tethered shooting for selected Nikon and | |the creative styles built in to cameras to be replicated.Adobe |Canon cameras | |released a complete set of such Camera Profiles for Nikon and | ¦Ã‚                    Basic video file support | |Canon models, in addition to basic Standard Profiles for all | ¦Ã‚                    Point curve | |supported makes and models, through Adobe Labs, at the same time |Although not in cluded in any beta release, version 3 also | |as the Lightroom v2 release. This technology is open to all |contains built-in lens correction and perspective control. | |programs compliant with the DNG file format standard. | | 5. 0 Pervasive Computing 5. 1 Meaning of Pervasive ComputingPervasive computing (also called ubiquitous computing) is the growing trend towards embedding microprocessors in everyday objects so they can communicate information. The words pervasive and ubiquitous mean â€Å"existing everywhere. † Pervasive computing devices are completely connected and constantly available. Pervasive computing relies on the convergence of  wireless technologies, advanced electronics and the Internet. The goal of researchers working in pervasive computing is to create smart products that communicate unobtrusively. The products are connected to the Internet and the data they generate is easily available. 5. 2 Examples of Pervasive Computing Smart TV [p ic]*Samsung Smart TVSmart TV, which is also sometimes referred to as â€Å"Connected TV†or â€Å"Hybrid TV†, (not to be confused with Internet TV, Web TV, or LG Electronics's upcoming â€Å"SMART TV†branded NetCast Entertainment Access devices), is the phrase used to describe the current trend of integration of the internet and Web 2. 0 features into modern television sets and set-top boxes, as well as the technological convergence between computers and these television sets /set-top boxes. These new devices most often also have a much higher focus on online interactive media, Internet TV, over-the-top content, as well as on-demand streaming media, and less focus on traditional broadcast media like previous generations of television sets and set-top boxes always have had.The technology that enables Smart TVs is not only incorporated into television sets, but also devic es such as set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, game consoles, and other companion devices. These devices allow viewers to search and find videos, movies, photos and other content on the web, on a local cable TV channel, on a satellite TV channel, or stored on a local hard drive. GPS [pic]*Garmin GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based global navigation satellite system (GNSS) that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites. It is maintained by the United States government and is freely accessible by anyone with a GPS receiver.The GPS project was developed in 1973 to overcome the limitations of previous navigation systems, integrating ideas from several predecessors, including a number of classified engineering design studies from the 1960s. GPS was created and realized by the U. S. Department of Defense (USDO D) and was originally run with 24 satellites. It became fully operational in 1994. 6. 0 Conclusion Open Source can be used by anyone and because it has no copyright claims, so users are free to use, change, and improve the software, and to redistribute it in modified or unmodified forms. Pervasive Computing is to make our lives easier because we can interact with computers. Besides that, we can easily give the computer commands and the computer will grant your wish. 2. 0 The Latest Open Source Operating System (OS) 2. 1 Meaning of Open Source OSOpen Source Operating System is the most important program that runs on a computer that is free to use, change, and improve the software, and to redistribute it in modified or unmodified forms. Every general-purpose computer must have an operating system to run other programs. Operating systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directories on t he disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers. 2. 2 Examples of Open Source OS a) Dream Linux [pic] DreamLinux is a modern and modular Linux system that can be run directly from the CD and optionally be easily installed onto your HD. Dreamlinux comes with a selection of the best applications designed to meet mostly of your daily needs.It is based on Debian and Morphix, which means it takes advantages of their best features and adds its own modern development tools. b) Haiku [pic] Haiku is an open-source operating system currently in development designed from the ground up for desktop computing. Inspired by the BeOS, Haiku aims to provide users of all levels with a personal computing experience that is simple yet powerful, and free of any unnecessary complexities. Haiku is developed mostly by volunteers around the world in their spare time. 3. 0 The Latest Open Source Application Software 3. 1 Meaning of Open Source Application Software Open Sourc e Application Software includes database programs, word processors, and spreadsheets and others.It is free to use, change, and improve the software, and to redistribute it in modified or unmodified forms. 3. 2 Examples of Open Source Application Software Web Browser [pic]*Mozilla Firefox A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resourceis identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content. Hyperlinks present in resources enable users easily to navigate their browsers to related resources. The major web browsers are Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Opera. Spreadsheet [pic]*Microsoft Office ExcelA spreadsheet is a computer application that simulates a paper, accounting worksheet. It displays multiple cells usually in a two-dimensional matrix or grid consisting of rows and columns. Each cell contains alphanumeric text, numeric values or formulas. A formula defines how the content of that cell is to be calculated from the contents of any other cell (or combination of cells) each time any cell is updated. Spreadsheets are frequently used for financial information because of their ability to re-calculate the entire sheet automatically after a change to a single cell is made. A pseudo third dimension to the matrix is sometimes applied as another layer, or layers/sheets, of two-dimensional data.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Strategic Cost Management (SCM) GPBL Trimester Essay
Strategic Variance Analysis of a Firm Growth,Price, Profitability, Productivity Elements affecting its Profits and consequent Cash Flow. Max. Word Count – 3000 words This is a study on a Strategic Variance Analysis for the profitability as well as the Operating Cash flow. In this context you need to take some critical assumptions if you are unable to procure the relevant quantitative details. The quantitative details you will need are as follows: 1. Industry aggregates of the Units Produced and Sold 2. Chosen Firm level details of the Units Produced and Sold. 3. Input Output Ratio. This will need assumptions and perhaps be restricted only to the materials. You need to perform a reasonable amount of research to obtain these numbers. Quantitative details may be provided in Annual Reports of the firms constituting the industry you have considered. Check sources such as the Capitaline. Ministry of Commerce and Industry, RBI, Planning commission, some publications such as the stati stical outline of India etc etc. You need to examine the following: a) Select an Industry, use an appropriate justification of having defined the industry by using the ITC code, HSN or SIC classification or any other that will have some universal acceptability. b) Choose a Firm you would want to analyze that constitutes the Industry you have chosen. c) If industry aggregates are not available define the industry by identifying the major industry players and then aggregate their quantitative details to make this a proxy for the Industry or the market you would want to consider. d) Perform a Strategic Variance Analysis to demarcate the impact of Growth, Price and Productivity elements in explaining the impact on the changes in the profits of the firm you have chosen for the year with its subsequent year. Therefore if you are analyzing the Year 2011 compare this with 2012 for the firm and the industry. e) Perform a strategic variance analysis on the operating cash flow for the firm cho sen. f) Conclude on strategy you believe the firm is adopting given the financial analysis you have done. Marking Parameters: 1. Choice of the Industry and the firm and its justification. -[10 Marks] 2. Demonstrated evidence of the research done in obtaining information for points (a), (b) and (c). [30 Marks] 3. Critical Analysis of Points (d) and (e).[50 Marks] 4. Conclusion[10 Marks]
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Romeo and Juliet Baz Luhrmann Essays
Romeo and Juliet Baz Luhrmann Essays Romeo and Juliet Baz Luhrmann Paper Romeo and Juliet Baz Luhrmann Paper Essay Topic: Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is one of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays. This is probably because at the time that it was written it had themes of forbidden love a theme that was never touched upon before Shakespeare. The story is about two young people who are from feuding families who at one families masquerade ball fall in love at first sight, and even when one parent tells Juliet to marry someone else she refuses and would rather be disowned than marry some one else. To be able to be with Romeo she takes a poison that would make her appear dead. When Romeo hears of her ‘death’ he is so distraught and depressed that he kills himself at the side of her death bed. When she realises what he has done he takes Romeo’s blade and impales herself on and they lie together until they are found by her father. Due to their death the two families end the feud. The reason that the relationship between Romeo and Juliet is so important to the plot of the play is because their love was forbidden yet destined to be. It is also very important because this is viewed as one of the first stories that uses the metaphor of opposites attracting to describe the love between the two central characters. Also the story through out uses a huge variety of dramatic irony to show what will happen. The central scene that I am looking at is Act 1: Scene 5 this in the film is ball scene. I will also use other scenes to show the way Romeo and Juliet react towards each other. Firstly, in the opening scene you see the coat of arms of the two families; the Montague’s and the Capulet’s, the colours of the coats are significant to the central scene. The Montague’s coat of arms has a yellow colour on it and the Capulet’s has a blue colour on it. Later on in the film when you see Romeo and Juliet first lay eyes on one another, they see each other through a fish tank; this tank is filled with fish that are luminous blue and yellow. The use of the fish have several connotations one of them is that fish are seen as very relaxing animals and the way they move is very gracious, since in the seen the fish seem to be the same species but different colours this could be seen that the two families are the same but because of their last names are forever going to be separated from each other. Also the fish show no signs of aggression to each other and I believe that this is a metaphor for Romeo and Juliet, this is because in the film version we see Romeo and Juliet have their heads submerged into water (separately), and then later on in Act 2: scene 2 you see them when they kiss start spinning around in the pool. This is exactly like the fish because they are both yellow and blue and they are at peace with each other in the water just like the fish. Secondly, in the literal version when Romeo and Juliet are leading up to the kiss, they use lots of religious metaphors and similes to show how much they feel for each other, and how much they long to be with each other. My first example is that Romeo calls himself the pilgrim and the palmer and he calls Juliet a saint and an angel. This shows that he only feels as though he is a loyal follower/ servant to her, this is also something that Romeo does when he thinks he has found love and this is shown by the quote ‘tis no less, I tell ye, for the bawdy hand of the dial is now upon the prick of the noon’ this is said by Mercutio to show that once Romeo falls in love too easily and gives away his control. Also in the film there are numerous shots of Verona and the key point in most of these scenes is the titanic statue of St. Mary. I believe this to be a link to Juliet. I believe this because Juliet is described as beautiful, pure and sinless these are the same things that you would associate with St. Mary because she was said to be a virgin when she gave birth, and Juliet says she wants Romeo to be the first man she lies with. Also in the scene before the ball when Juliet’s mother is telling her about the arranged marriage to Paris it is obvious that she is wearing no make up and still appears to be beautiful. Also throughout the text she is described as saintly and angelic. Finally in the Catholic religion which both Romeo and Juliet are; when they go on a pilgrimage to the holy lands, they would be blessed and then they would touch the palms of a saint, the main one is usually St. Mary. In many strong Catholics lives this is viewed as one of the most enlightening and pure moments of their life. So when Romeo touches the palm of Juliet after calling her a saint this can be interpreted to be the most pure and enlightening moments in his life showing his trust and unconditional love for Juliet. Moreover, in the film Romeo wears armour to represent his insecurities and true thoughts and feelings being hidden from sight and in the literal version he wears a mask because it is a way to hide who he really is. These two things support the idea that Romeo is truly insecure but puts forth a barrier to stop people getting in. In the film he lets his armour slip when he is with Mercutio and Benvolio, because these two people make him feel safe. Also in the film Juliet wears no makeup and is very open and does not have anything to hide. This is also shown by the way she dressed as an angel because angels are seen as beautiful and pure and open. This is in direct contrast because a knight is a person with connotations of wars and battles and angels have connotations of purity and beauty. Also you can see the difference between Juliet and her family by what they wear to the costume ball. I know this because Juliet wears a full length white dress with no eye catching detail but, Tybalt who we already know by Act 1: Scene 5 is quite hot headed and is willing to jump in head first without thinking of the consequences dresses as a devil this is the complete opposite to Juliet. Her mother dresses as Cleopatra the idea that Mrs. Capulet wears this costume shows that she is quite promiscuous this is also shown by the way that she intimately kisses Tybalt; her own nephew.. And mr. Capulet dresses as a roman emperor this shows he views himself as a very powerful man. However the style of the costume looks like Julius Caesar, who was a very power mad man and when he felt like he had been betrayed would do anything to get revenge this has an essence of dramatic irony because later on he threatens to disown Juliet because she does not want to marry Paris. Tybalt, Mrs. Capulet and Capulet were very glittery costumes that have colours that represent power (purple) that represent wealth (gold) and that represent danger (red).
Monday, October 21, 2019
Eders Game book report essays
Eders Game book report essays The title Enders game is perfect for this novel. During the whole story Ender is playing one huge game, or so he thinks. The games begin in flight school when he becomes part of an army. He becomes part of the army and reaches the top of the ranking charts as he wins his first game and his first test from general Graff. He soon becomes a leader and leads his team to many wins without ever losing. He is put up to many unfair games often playing two teams at a time. The denouement is when the people take out his monitor, which he was greatly dependent upon, and the kids started to pick on him. Ender beat the kid so savagely so no one will ever mess with him again. That showed the command school officers exactly what they wanted and that is where the long chain of conflicts begins. The main conflict is that there is a war between buggers and humans. Along with this huge conflict there is also ender trying to overcome all of the disadvantages that are thrown at him in his battles. Another conflict at the end is Ender against himself. He was waking up bleeding from his hand fearing that he was going insane. Another internal conflict was Ender having to deal with the fact that he just killed the whole population of buggers unintentionally, which he overcame eventually. The character that was changed most in this novel was Ender Wiggins. At the beginning of the novel Ender was a small child at the age of six and was completely disrespected by all. At the end he was 23 years old and respected amongst all. Throughout the novel he went back and forth between acting humane and acting machine like. Throughout the entire novel he was afraid of becoming a killer which was exactly what he ended up to be but he had no intention of doing so. At the end, however, he turned humane again by saving the last bugger egg with the plans of starting a new world of buggers. ...
Sunday, October 20, 2019
How Conservative Hollywood Became a Liberal Town
How Conservative Hollywood Became a Liberal Town While it may seem as though Hollywood has always been liberal, it hasn’t. Very few people today realize that at one point in the development of American cinema, conservatives ruled the movie-making industry. Santa Monica College Professor Larry Ceplair, co-author of The Inquisition in Hollywood, wrote that during the ‘20s and ‘30s, most studio heads were conservative Republicans who spent millions of dollars to block union and guild organizing. Likewise, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the Moving Picture Machine Operators, and the Screen Actors Guild were all headed by conservatives, as well. Scandals and Censorship In the early 1920s, a series of scandals rocked Hollywood. According to authors Kristin Thompson and David Bordwell, silent film star Mary Pickford divorced her first husband in 1921 so that she could marry the attractive Douglas Fairbanks. Later that year, Roscoe â€Å"Fatty†Arbuckle was accused (but later acquitted) of raping and murdering a young actress during a wild party. In 1922, after director William Desmond Taylor was found murdered, the public learned of his lurid love affairs with some of Hollywood’s best-known actresses. The final straw came in 1923, when Wallace Reid, a ruggedly handsome actor, died of a morphine overdose. In themselves, these incidents were a cause for sensation but taken together, studio bosses worried they would be accused of promoting immorality and self-indulgence. As it was, a number of protest groups had successfully lobbied Washington and the federal government was looking to impose censorship guidelines on the studios. Rather than losing control of their product and face the involvement of the government, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of American (MPPDA) hired Warren Harding’s Republican postmaster general, Will Hays, to address the problem. The Hays Code In their book, Thompson and Bordwell say Hays appealed to the studios to remove objectionable content from their films and in 1927, he gave them a list of material to avoid, called the â€Å"Don’ts and Be Carefuls†list. It covered most sexual immorality and the depiction of criminal activity. Nevertheless, by the early 1930s, many of the items on Hays’ list were being ignored and with Democrats controlling Washington, it seemed more likely than ever that a censorship law would be implemented. In 1933, Hays pushed the film industry to adopt the Production Code, which explicitly forbids depictions of crime methodology, sexual perversion. Films that abide by the code received a seal of approval. Although the â€Å"Hays Code,†as it came to be known helped the industry avoid stiffer censorship at the national level, it began to erode in the late 40s and early ‘50s. The House Un-American Activities Committee Although it was not considered un-American to sympathize with the Soviets during the 1930s or during World War II, when they were American allies, it was considered un-American when the war was over. In 1947, Hollywood intellectuals who had been sympathetic to the communist cause during those early years found themselves being investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and questioned about their â€Å"communist activities.†Ceplair points out that the conservative Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals provided the committee with names of so-called subversives. Members of the alliance testified before the committee as friendly†witnesses. Other â€Å"friendlies,†such as Jack Warner of Warner Bros. and actors Gary Cooper, Ronald Reagan, and Robert Taylor either fingered others as â€Å"communists†or expressed concern over liberal content in their scripts. After a four-year suspension of the committee ended in 1952, former communists and Soviet sympathizers such as actors Sterling Hayden and Edward G. Robinson kept themselves out of trouble by naming others. Most of the people named were script-writers. Ten of them, who testified as â€Å"unfriendly†witnesses became known as the â€Å"Hollywood Ten†and were blacklisted – effectively ending their careers. Ceplair notes that following the hearings, guilds, and unions purged liberals, radicals, and leftists from their ranks, and over the next 10 years, the outrage slowly began to dissipate. Liberalism Seeps Into Hollywood Due in part to a backlash against abuses perpetrated by the House Un-American Activities Committee, and in part to a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 1952 declaring films to be a form of free speech, Hollywood began to slowly liberalize. By 1962, the Production Code was virtually toothless. The newly formed Motion Picture Association of America implemented a rating system, which still stands today. In 1969, following the release of Easy Rider, directed by liberal-turned-conservative Dennis Hopper, counter-culture films began to appear in significant numbers. By the mid-1970s, older directors were retiring, and a new generation of filmmakers was emerging. By the late 1970s, Hollywood was very openly and specifically liberal. After making his last film in 1965, Hollywood director John Ford saw the writing on the wall. â€Å"Hollywood now is run by Wall St. and Madison Ave., who demand ‘Sex and Violence,’†author Tag Gallagher quotes him as writing in his book, â€Å"This is against my conscience and religion.†Hollywood Today Things are not much different today. In a 1992 letter to the New York Times, screenwriter and playwright Jonathan R. Reynolds lament that â€Å"†¦ Hollywood today is as fascistic toward conservatives as the 1940s and 50s were liberals †¦ And that goes for the movies and television shows produced.†It goes beyond Hollywood, too, Reynolds argues. Even the New York theater community is rampant with liberalism. â€Å"Any play that suggests that racism is a two-way street or that socialism is degrading simply wont be produced,†Reynolds writes. â€Å"I defy you to name any plays produced in the last 10 years that intelligently espouse conservative ideas. Make that 20 years.†The lesson Hollywood still has not learned, he says, is that repression of ideas, regardless of political persuasion, â€Å"should not be rampant in the arts.†The enemy is repression itself.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Reaction Paper to A. Gavin's Diasporic Africans and Slavery Essay
Reaction Paper to A. Gavin's Diasporic Africans and Slavery - Essay Example The basis stated for enslaving Africans by a majority of scholars was that Africans were much easier to purchase compared to other indigenous Americans or white slaves (Gavins 92). Africans were also less vulnerable to Europeans’ diseases as compared to the Europeans themselves. According to Raymond Gavins, it is true to say that Africans formed better slave laborers compared to Europeans. Raymond says that it is also a belief that Africans were targeted as slaves since they did not have the technology or advanced skills that Europeans had during the time when slave trade was so common. Africans still live in isolated tribes with restricted or limited communication among other people rather than large cites as the Europeans. Also, Africans never realized that they were being shipped off to the New World to work as slaves (Gavins 93). They realized this once they docked in the New World. This made them more vulnerable to slave trade than any other race. In the past, slave labor was an accepted norm in the Western society (Gavins 94). This was particularly in complex financial systems and areas that needed specialized labor. Europeans who decided to settle in the New World took with them slaves that they had acquired from West Africa. Slavery was essential in the whole southern economy, southern colonies and states, mainly due to agriculture. Agriculture was the main factor of the southern states and economy (Gavins 95). Slaves, on the other hand, were the main laborers when it came to planting. The southern land could not have worked as fast as it did without slave labor. Therefore, in order to drive the economy of the southern states and colonies, it was essential to maintain slavery in the region. African American slaves, in the new world, looked for survival and liberation in a couple of ways. They included economic, environmental and political
Country Differences in Accounting Standards Essay
Country Differences in Accounting Standards - Essay Example The United States of America perform its accounting and the respective financial statements utilizing the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). In the United Kingdom a different set of financial standards is being utilized called the financial reporting international standards. The platform utilized in Europe is an international project to standardize the financial reporting standards of corporation across the world. In Europe any company selling its stocks in any registered stock exchange such as the London Stock Exchange (LSE) must release financial standards prepared following the international reporting financial standards. Canada is a nation that is evaluating a transition from Canadian GAAP to IFRS. The new international financial reporting standards are geared towards providing a simple system with flexibility to personalize the system since it is not a rigorous as GAAP. Simplicity allows corporations to achieve savings in their administrative function. There are differences and similarities in the way a company using generally accepted accounting principles or international financial reporting standards are prepared. The GAAP required the financial statements to follow an exact format which the company can not deviate from, while the IFRS has multiple formats. The valuation of investments is performed in GAAP at the cost of the investment and earnings or losses are registered once the investment is sold. In the IFRS the value of the investment goes at fair market value. The investment segment of a GAAP prepared statement is very detailed and illustrates the value of each individual investment. In the international financial reporting standards investment are included at the discretion of the accountants responsible for preparing the financial statements. The consolidated financial statements of GAAP financial statements include subsidiary information only
Friday, October 18, 2019
Postgraduate International Marketing Coursework Assignment Essay
Postgraduate International Marketing Coursework Assignment - Essay Example The article identifies five key issues a company must take into consideration and adapt to in order to participate in the high demanding business field. These are (i) a core value strategy, (ii) development of a clear market strategy, (iii) integrating an Internet-based technology strategy, (iv) managing key organizational process strategy to achieve total integration among business functions (v) and manage change strategy programs in the form of internal marketing (Piercy, 2002). The aim of this paper is to evaluate how the former key issues reflect the constantly evolving changes of the marketplace and how much these contribute to the success of a high standards company. The critical evaluation is based on relevant articles and real-life examples. An estimation and personal viewpoint is supplied at the end of the paper. The key to success as far as value-based strategies are concerned is the constant evolvement and adaptation to offer the customer something new. Recycling of the same product or service over and over again is not competitive in the marketplace anymore. Customer needs call for innovative ideas which treat the customer as a market selling strategies aware person (Piercy, 2002). According to Piercy also, the customer retention relationship, first invented in 1990's, is based on profitability rather than a love level; in this case the customer is viewed as a stupid profit machine that requires little or no attention and is only valued for the profit they leave the company with. The example of Toyota selling cars with no interaction at all with the company stuff is a good example. In this era everything around the customer was about branding; the brand is the selling product and it sells good since customers seem to prefer famous brand which they equate to high performance. Customer need s and tastes however change and a high competing company has to evolve to in order to meet these needs of Relationship Marketing. According to a research value-based marketing for fed-beef cattle using real-time ultrasound and graded animal relations for the selection of animals to slaughter increased profit range of $10.61-27.26 per head from using relations data, $9.04-16.75 per head from using RTU measures and $11.27-27.93 per head from using both to selectively market beef animals. Building a relationship where the customer satisfaction is the core product sells pays off and is the main criterion to a successful company. Value Strategy Value strategy defines monitoring of the customer needs to provide the products a services of importance to them. Value strategy comes in to bring the customer in the focus of the firm selling strategy and off the competition among organizations. The main issues we confront as far as value strategy is concerned is that there is no standard way of estimating the value attached to the customer and even though past techniques are thought as obsolete there are still many companies that have a big with low price products and friendly customer approach. Put in other words, it is really difficult to find the trick that will work for customers. Customers buy on personal values basis: religious, spiritual, environmental, or
FMS Optimisation using Discrete Event Simulation and Genetic Algorithm Essay
FMS Optimisation using Discrete Event Simulation and Genetic Algorithm - Essay Example The production planning in the manufacturing systems are forecasted using Enterprise Resource Planning package recently. Since the market demand varies every now and then the process has to be driven based on that. Flexible manufacturing system functions by utilising these advancements and deliver multiple products of sufficient quantity as per the demand. Genetic Algorithms are found to provide solutions for real-time problems in various operations. It has been used conveniently for researchers for various search and optimization problems. Owing to the problems associated with FMS optimization using Genetic algorithm and discrete simulation system this present project is initiated. Kazuhiro Saitou et al. (2002) presented a robust design of FMS using colored Petri nets and genetic algorithm. In their work it was found that the resource allocation and operation schedule were modelled as colored Petri nets. Their robust model designed minimized the production cost under multiple operation plan. It as able to handle large data sets conveniently as well as operates flexibly by using an genetic algorithm merged with shortest imminent operation time dispatching rule and automatically finds the optimal resource. These kinds of simulation can be more applicable in situation where there is varied job specification. Discrete event simulation The discrete event simulation works powerfully in optimization and decision-making process in manufacturing systems. Merchawl and Elmaraghy (1998) developed an analytical approach to customize the discrete event simulation for decision-making in flexible manufacturing systems. Planning horizon, the overall system average interarrival time and the average number of workstation influences the simulation run time. In their approach they reduced the simulation run time by aggregating the number of workstations. They also validated their methods with sample and control measures by running the applications with and without aggregation of the workstation. The results showed a 400% time reduction with fewer errors. Mostly the Genetic Algorithms (GA) is coupled with other techniques or processes to handle complex situation. Studies carried out revealed that increasing the mutation rates above optimum level cannot solve the problems associated. The study was focused on finding methods to improve the performance of GA by improving the average fitness of the initial population, P. Fenton and P. Walsh (2005) Review and Analysis The project will focus on initial aspects of reviewing the present complications and problems associated with the utilities of GA and Discrete event simulation methods. The first phase of review will focus on identifying the present application of these algorithms in various domains and its recent advancements. The next phase of the review analysis will be focused towards identifying all the limitations of these systems at the implementations
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Devil in the White City Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Devil in the White City - Essay Example Larson tries to combine the story of the 1893 Columbia exposition with a tale of an urban serial killer; he contrasts the white city which was painted white all over with the Holmes world's fair hotel which was dark which portrays good and bad. The gilded age refers to the period between1865-1901; this is the post civil war period and was characterized by economic, industrial and population expansion. This were the early days of industrial revolution where there was an expansion of infrastructure especially railway transport system. In 1890's America was undergoing a shift from an agricultural to an industrial society, the fair was one of this progress. The construction of the 14 great buildings of the fair was a sign of unity and pride. The fair has attracted many visitors all over America and the world and it has an impact on culture and entertainment. At this time Chicago become populated by people from neighboring towns, in 1890 to 1900 the population in America increased from 62 million to 76 million people, young women migrated into the city and were employed as typewriters, weaver and also as stenographers. Many people in Chicago would die by being hit by trains and cars and there were many homicides, crime increased and the police were without manpower to manage it. Fires also would take lives in Chicago and also other diseases like cholera, diphtheria and influenza. In the first six months of 1892 Chicago experienced nearly eight hundred homicides. Urban dwellers were faced with significant changes such as corruption in local governments, filthy streets and poor sanitation even in wealthiest sections of the town The fair: The fair was a cultural centre in that it also included music performed by many marching bands. The fair also changed peoples reaction to technology, visitors realized that technology was not a force to be feared and this saw America on the path forward to modernity. This story is based on the development of Chicago as an industrialized town where people migrated from other towns by train to the city to find jobs, this caused increased population in this town and also reveals the causes of deaths to people who came to the city and disappeared. Burnham was determined to make America's fair bigger than the one in France. Larson Erik attempts to describe the American history in this novel, Holmes in his book resemble Herman Mudget who was a serial killer in Chicago. Mudget came to Chicago and worked for a pharmacist widow, when she died he took over the business and through his charming character he was able to convince young ladies and his consumers and was able to erect his own building which had secret path ways that he used to torture and kill his victims. He built a world's fair hotel which was a horrific castle with dead ending hall ways, air tight rooms, giant kilns and acid vats; through his charming and uncanny ability he would tricked policemen and his creditors, Holmes convinced mothers to leave their children under his care, creditors to give him more time and friends to allow him take life insurance policies for them. Holmes was never detected until the close of the fair; he was executed in 1896 in Pennsylvania for killing his henchman and confessed killing 27 people. The Columbia day holiday is a
Assignments Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Assignments - Assignment Example Pellian government has the full rights to expropriate oil because they observe environmental conversation. The government does not allow spilling of toxic chemicals to the villages. They play their role as citizen’s watchdog. The appropriate level of compensation Pellian government has to offer should exceed the profit earned in that financial year. BIT rules state that, a firm should pay compensation immediately. The government has to offer AmeriGas immediately at the day of expropriation. This is in accordance with the international laws. BIT rules protect other minor oil corporations from exploitation from the major oil firms. A compensation covering profits and capital is the best model to clear expropriation. Under the bilateral treaty; Pellian government offered $65 million in compensation to AmeriGasCo. This was a reflection of the profits earned (Sands 372). The fee imposed upon chip manufacturing operation is not consistent with the treatment obligations under BIT. The fee is less than the fair market value. Bilateral treaty advocates for reasonable rate fees that could match the economy, from the date of expropriation. Firms spend money on microchips, which is against the conditions of
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Devil in the White City Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Devil in the White City - Essay Example Larson tries to combine the story of the 1893 Columbia exposition with a tale of an urban serial killer; he contrasts the white city which was painted white all over with the Holmes world's fair hotel which was dark which portrays good and bad. The gilded age refers to the period between1865-1901; this is the post civil war period and was characterized by economic, industrial and population expansion. This were the early days of industrial revolution where there was an expansion of infrastructure especially railway transport system. In 1890's America was undergoing a shift from an agricultural to an industrial society, the fair was one of this progress. The construction of the 14 great buildings of the fair was a sign of unity and pride. The fair has attracted many visitors all over America and the world and it has an impact on culture and entertainment. At this time Chicago become populated by people from neighboring towns, in 1890 to 1900 the population in America increased from 62 million to 76 million people, young women migrated into the city and were employed as typewriters, weaver and also as stenographers. Many people in Chicago would die by being hit by trains and cars and there were many homicides, crime increased and the police were without manpower to manage it. Fires also would take lives in Chicago and also other diseases like cholera, diphtheria and influenza. In the first six months of 1892 Chicago experienced nearly eight hundred homicides. Urban dwellers were faced with significant changes such as corruption in local governments, filthy streets and poor sanitation even in wealthiest sections of the town The fair: The fair was a cultural centre in that it also included music performed by many marching bands. The fair also changed peoples reaction to technology, visitors realized that technology was not a force to be feared and this saw America on the path forward to modernity. This story is based on the development of Chicago as an industrialized town where people migrated from other towns by train to the city to find jobs, this caused increased population in this town and also reveals the causes of deaths to people who came to the city and disappeared. Burnham was determined to make America's fair bigger than the one in France. Larson Erik attempts to describe the American history in this novel, Holmes in his book resemble Herman Mudget who was a serial killer in Chicago. Mudget came to Chicago and worked for a pharmacist widow, when she died he took over the business and through his charming character he was able to convince young ladies and his consumers and was able to erect his own building which had secret path ways that he used to torture and kill his victims. He built a world's fair hotel which was a horrific castle with dead ending hall ways, air tight rooms, giant kilns and acid vats; through his charming and uncanny ability he would tricked policemen and his creditors, Holmes convinced mothers to leave their children under his care, creditors to give him more time and friends to allow him take life insurance policies for them. Holmes was never detected until the close of the fair; he was executed in 1896 in Pennsylvania for killing his henchman and confessed killing 27 people. The Columbia day holiday is a
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Using examples, discuss the ways in which any one of the genres Essay
Using examples, discuss the ways in which any one of the genres explored on the module can be analysed either in ideological terms or in terms of the construction of gender or race - Essay Example This is further depicted with the passage of equality laws, and the existence of civil rights groups, whose intentions is to promote human rights. This includes equal representation of both genders. The major interest of this paper is on the media industry. This paper seeks to examine the manner which the sitcom genre, is able to construct the concept of gender and race, within the society. Sitcom as a genre of comedy constantly features characters sharing the same universal setting, for example residence or place of work, with time after time comic conversation. Sitcom is the abbreviation of situation comedy (Morreale, 2003). Programs like these originated from radio, however these days, sitcoms are found frequently on television as one of its prevailing story forms. A situation comedy television program may possibly be created in frontage of studio viewers, depending on the programs creation set-up. The use of laugh trucks imitates the sound effects of a live studio audience. The usage of these laugh trucks is one of the major characteristics of the sitcom genre movies. Situation comedy contrasts with the other types of comedy like the sketch comedy and stand-up comedy as it has a plot and ongoing characters in, basically a comedic narrative plot. The situation is often made up of comedic sequences lay down within a family unit; place of work, or amongst a set of associates (Eduardo, 2011). Before and during the 20th century, comedy sketches were offered within a series of shows and assorted with tuneful presentations, as in vaudeville. The growing mass medium of radio allowed audiences to often return to the programs, so programs could display the same characters and situations in each and every episode and look forward to audiences to be well-known with them (Eduardo, 2011). Friend, aired for ten full seasons in 1994, is a renowned comedy show in the United
Monday, October 14, 2019
Wagner Matinee Essay Example for Free
Wagner Matinee Essay During the 1800s there was an increase in immigration to the Great Plains due to an abundance of free land offered by the Homestead Act. Many individuals and families went west to seek their fortune and a home on what was once called the great American desert. Moving westward was a difficult process, and many were forced to leave their old lives behind completely. In A Wagner Matinee, written by Willa Cather, the characterization of Aunt Georgiana, a woman who leaves Boston to elope with a young man going west, is used to illustrate the theme; that sometimes decisions need to be made, and although one might regret it, one love must be sacrificed for another. One way that Cather uses characterization to illustrate this theme is through direct statements about Georgiana and physical descriptions. Right away Cather tells us that Georgiana is, or was, a pianist of some accomplishment. She once worked as an instructor at the Boston Conservatory of Music. For a woman to achieve this status in the time A Wagner Matinee is set was an extraordinary thing. The music she chose to give up was surely something she loved very dearly and was very proud of. The physical description of Aunt Georgiana shows the hardships she had to endure because of her sacrifice. The narrator of the story, Georgianas nephew Clark, describes her as having yellow and leathery skin, and wearing ill-fitting false teeth. These physical defects were the result of a pitiless wind and the alkaline water, along with other hardships of the Nebraska frontier. The most biting description of Aunt Georgiana is the repeated image of her hands. She was once a great pianist, but from work on the farm in Nebraska, her hands have been reduced to twisted knots of flesh, with oddly bent, tentacle-like fingers. This description best illustrates her sacrifice, as her hands were the most vital thing to her musical essence, and Cather does well to convey this through the repeated imagery. Georgianas statements throughout the novel also support the theme of regret and sacrifice. Clark recalls a time when Georgiana opens her soul to him, and says Dont love it so well Clark, or it may be taken from you. Oh! Dear boy, pray that whatever your sacrifice be it is not that. By saying this she is referring to, of course music. Her advice to not love it so well is intensely pessimistic, influenced by the great pain she suffere d when she gave up her life ambition. Later in the only conversation that Clark and Georgiana share at the concert, she remorsefully makes reference to the music they are enjoying. And youve been hearing this ever since you left me, Clark? she asks. Clark calls the question the gentlest and saddest of reproaches. When she says this she is almost jealous of her nephew. Her wistful remembrance and longing is made clear through her words. Finally, at the end of the concert, she bursts into tears and cries out I dont want to go Clark, I dont want to go!†This is a very direct and clear example that her longing for the music she sacrificed is terrible and immense. However, Aunt Georgianas actions often speak volumes, and impart a greater insight into the theme than even her words can convey. She had lived on a farm away from civilization for thirty years, and so the transition back into the city was not an easy one. She is described as being almost in a trance when she arrives. Her state of being does not change throughout the story until she arrives at the matinee and she awakens. The only thing that connects her back to the city she left so long ago is the m usic. When the concert starts, it opens the flood gates to her memories. The very moment the first note is played her hand darts out and clutches at Clarks coat sleeve. She does not release it until that song is has come to an end. After this first ordeal she is able to calm herself somewhat, but the music still controls her, seeming to sweep her away to another world. As the concert continues, she fondly remembers her days at the conservatory as she pantomimes the action of playing a piano on her dress. Through these actions and others she demonstrates how dear to her the music that she left behind is. Thus, Cather uses the characterization to illustrate the theme of sacrifice. The vivid physical description presented makes the weight of Georgianas decision clear. Georgianas words also provide great insight into how she feels. Indirect expressions, which can be interpreted through her conscious and subconscious actions, are the most solid representation of how the theme is demonstrated through characterization. Aunt Georgiana is not a unique case, and although she is a fictional character, sacrifices like hers are inevitably made every day. Sometim es there is no middle ground, and no matter how great a love is, it must be abandoned for what is believed to be a greater good. The regret and pain which accompany these sacrifices must be dealt with by each individual.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Film Review of Blades of Glory Essay -- essays research papers
Blades of Glory, directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck, is a hilarious comedy that turns figure skating into one big joke. This movie was so over-the-top, it was over over-the-top, but it kept the whole theater laughing throughout the entire movie, which is exactly what it was made to do. The movie’s plot is not very intricate, but it really doesn’t need to be. It’s about 2 Men’s Singles Figure Skaters that are the complete opposites of each other. Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) is the notorious bad boy in figure skating, he’s very sexual and all the ladies swoon over him. Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) is the good boy that pays attention to technical detail and precision. These two skaters compete against each other and end up getting a tie score for first place and the gold medal. Then, while on the podium, they start to bicker, and it leads to a brawl between the two of them. Because of that, they end up getting banned from Men’s Singles for the rest of their lives. The two of them find new, separate jobs, and after a while Jimmy’s stalker, Hector (Nick Swardsdon), tells...
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Sarah, the Evil Mistress Essay -- Essays Papers
Sarah, the Evil Mistress Although Hagar flaunts her pregnancy with Abraham in the face of Sarah who is barren, Sarah is ultimately responsible for generating trouble in Abraham’s household. Through Sarah’s decision to give Hagar to Abraham, Sarah’s jealousy and anger towards Hagar’s reaction to conception, and also Sarah’s harsh treatment of Hagar, we are able to understand why Sarah is truly the one accountable for the negative circumstances throughout her relationship with Hagar. Initially, in Genesis 11:30 we feel remorse for Sarai in her barrenness. Repeatedly it is expressed that Sarai is barren. Sharon Jeansonne explains, â€Å"Indeed, Sarai’s childlessness is predominant in most of the scenes that concern her†(15). Sarai’s inadequacy is stated repetitively because at this time, a woman was considered worthless if she could not conceive children and bear her husband offspring. Knowing the importance of progeny, Sarai attempts to fulfill her dreams of having a son for Abraham. Prior to informing the reader of Sarai’s plans, it is stated that she and Abram have lived in Canaan for ten years now without her giving him a child. She is now finally doing something about the issue (19). She decides that she should have a son through her maidservant Hagar. In Genesis 16:2 it reads, â€Å"And Sarai said to Abraham, ‘Look, the Lord has kept me from bearing. Consort with my maid; perhaps I shall have a son through her.’ An d Abram heeds Sarai’s request†(Berlin and Brettler). Through this verse it becomes unmistakable that the entire plan is Sarai’s and Abram simply obeys while Hagar is given no choice (Tikva Frymer-Kensky 226). The practice of having a maid give birth in place of another woman was common, yet it seems as though Sarai di... ...this through her initiative to have Hagar as a surrogate mother, her immediate jealousy, her harsh treatment of Hagar, her selfishness, and her continual dissatisfaction until Hagar and Ishmael were removed from her household once and for all. Works Cited - Berlin, Adele, and Brettler, Marc Zvi. The Jewish Study Bible. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. - Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible. New York: Shocken Books, 2002. - Jeansonne, Sharon Pace. The Women of Genesis. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1990. - Rulon-Miller, Nina. â€Å"Hagar: A Woman with an Attitude.†The World of Genesis: Persons, Places, Perspectives. Ed. Philip R. Davies and David J. A. Clines. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1998. - Wiesel, Elie. Wise Men and Their Tales. â€Å"Ishmael and Hagar.†New York: Random House Inc., 2003.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Comment on the Story of an Hour
American female writer whose novel full of fervently consciousness. In her novel The Story of an Hour, she managed to reveal the psychology course of a woman who lived a miserable marriage life due to the lost of freedom and independence and shows feminist consciousness, by the employment of the method of blend and unity of emotion and scenery, the method of contrast, and the method of irony. To begin with, the method of blend and unity of emotion and scenery can be witnessed all around the novel.As far as the fifth paragraph is concerned, it reveals easterly the exhilaration of the protagonist by describing the â€Å"delicious breath in the an, â€Å"a peddler crying his wares†, and â€Å"countless twittering sparrows in the eaves†. The author does not write the glee of the heroine directly, whereas, she chooses to express the pleasure and exciting emotion by applying the emotion on the surroundings with exhilaration. By the employment of the mingling emotion and sett ings, readers tend to be easier to comprehend what the protagonist feels and what the author wants to express.Besides, Kate Chopin is likely to adopt the method of contrast to manifest the feelings of the heroine. Hearing the news of her husband's death, instead of being paralyzed inability, the protagonist's reaction to that is weeping with sudden and wild abandonment at once. By this contrast, readers can notice the distinction of heroine and other women. Unlike the others, she would express her feelings free rather than repress her sadness and some other emotion.In addition, that shows her yearning and pursuit for freedom to some degree, and reveals her female consciousness that woman should be an Independent Individual, of course, Including women In marriage. Actually, the method of irony also characterizes this short novel. At the latter part, here states â€Å"She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life m ight be long. †under the repression of marriage life, she could not be herself.Therefore, all sorts of days that cannot belong to her own are nightmare which could bring her nothing but sense of shudder. While, since her husband passed away, she could retrieve freedom and experience a fresh life of her own. Therefore, she wished that the life might be long. However, It Is the ending that completely shows the Irony. Doctor claimed that the protagonist â€Å"died of the heart disease–of the Joy that kills. Whereas, It was not the Joy but the desperation, that her husband came back alive means her freedom would be deprived again, that killed her.In the end, the heroine was dead but her husband alive. By the way, her heart disease may be metal disease that caused by As the same as men, women are also independent individual and posses freedom and their own life, even if women who have got married. While most female did not hold that consciousness, Kate Chopin was able to a rouse feminist consciousness in the short novel by applying the writing skills of mingling and unity of emotion and settings, contrast and irony.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Trade Deficit
Trade Deficit and Current Account Deficit [Name of the Writer] [Name of the Institution] Trade Deficit and Current Account Deficit Critically examine this statement, â€Å"Current Account Deficits do not seem to matter anymore – the US$ appears to remain unaffected by escalating US trade deficits†, by reference to the â€Å"Balance of Payments Approach†to exchange rate determination The trade deficit of the US is at exorbitantly high levels. Many economists suggest that depreciating the US dollar would help put a squeeze on United States enthusiasm for globally produced goods.Since this move of depreciation would inherently curb the exaggerated import costs that the US so loves to incur. Furthermore, these three critical factors essentially would help limit the import prices incurred by US due to the trend of rising demands that has permeated in the societal culture: * The practice of using USD for US trade invoicing; * Exporters concerns on market share dynamic s, and; * The outrageous US distribution costs. $759 billion is the aggregated US trade deficit in 2006. This is six percent of the actual nominal GDP of the country.One of the biggest contributory factors is the impasse of plethora of imported goods from foreign lands. In the perspective of numerous investigators and policymakers, dollar depreciation remains a crux system for tending to this export-import imbalance and restoring the worldwide competitiveness of American producers. Indeed in principle, a weaker dollar might as well raise the expense of different merchandise for U. S. consumers, in this manner diminishing U. S. mandate for imports in the meantime that it helps gather interest by foreign nations for U. S. products by making the country's exports increasingly cost-focused abroad.My investigation uncovers that dollar depreciation is unrealistic to shut the exchange crevice courageously. To make sure, remote request for U. S. exports may as well develop, as speculation p redicts. Since basically all U. S. exports to different nations are invoiced in dollars, remote buyers will determine an instantaneous profit from dollar depreciation as the expense of their buys decreases in varying foreign currencies. Notwithstanding, the value of outside imports for U. S. consumers will be impressively increasingly versatile to conversion standard updates.Exchange invoicing practices, it is contended, donate altogether to the lack of care of import costs to trade rates. Since very nearly the sum of the products that the United States imports, for instance those it exports, are invoiced in dollars, the costs of foreign made merchandise remain settled for a period when trade rates change. Also, even in the longer termâ€â€over, state, the year emulating dollar depreciationâ€â€the craving of outside makers to remain focused in the huge U. S. business sector might lead them to oppose expanding the dollar value of their products.Beyond any doubt, the atypically towering showcasing and appropriation takes added to imports once they drop in the United Statesâ€â€fetches designated in dollarsâ€â€further isolate the last utilization value of foreign made merchandise from conversion scale updates. The American President stated that: â€Å"The best way to, deal with the trade deficit is to make sure that America is the best place in the world to do business†¦ †Examine this view that promoting growth is more effective than direct targeting of the trade deficit USA is a diverse country with numerous of its regions continuously producing high growth, innovative companies.These companies have risen above the economic downturn that hit the global economy in the start of the 21st century. Rather with surprise, the diverse US states boast such companies not only distributed in the locales of Silicon Valley and Boston but rather in most of its states. End of 2012; saw a sharp decline in the trade deficit of the US. In this period, o il imports drastically reduced whereas exports increase sharply. This essentially iterates that the shrinking trade gap, has improved on the government’s estimated growth and trade deficit levels.Furthermore, the levels reached in the closing months of 2012 indicate towards levels that have not been observed in the last three years. This is a positive inducement. Exportation of US products saw rise in oil exports and other petroleum based-product exports. Further, aircraft sales and agricultural good sales also demonstrated positive increment. Various economists believe that this is a very encouraging sign. Though, economists have stated that the essential focus of the US treasury should be to enhance growth in the country, and secondary considerations should be given to the trade deficit.This assertion is based on the belief that reinvigorating the business systems of the country would deplete the rising gap between the socio economic classes of the country. Furthermore, ind ividual families would be given financial stability and long term sustainability. It also has to state that the narrowed gap between imports and exports, i. e. the trade deficit, essentially iterate that US corporations earn extra then their foreign counterparts. Furthermore, domestic consumption of foreign goods is also less in comparison.It is expected that the companies are not piling up their inventories; this indirectly suggests that curbing expenses including cuts in defence spending would help in keeping a positively skewed growth rate in the future months. These events would see an additional negative pressure on the trade deficit that has started to show signs of decrease. As such economists are of the view that trade will be favourably impacted in 2013. These forecasts are dependent on premises that iterate that the EU debt crisis will finally show some features of stabilizing.This would further give a positive boost to the US exports. Moreover, economic growth witnessed i n Asia would also positively impact the growth potential of the US. One of the biggest negatives for US is the rising trade deficit between China and the US. This trade deficit climbed to a spectacular 300 billion mark in 2012. This would be the biggest pressure point on the growth prospects of the US economy. Economists have confronted this issue by attacking the economic policies of China, specifically the country’s practices to artificially peg their currency at far lower levels, than is required.This assertion is made with the logic that such an economic move by China would essentially lower the costs of its exports in the US. UK trade statistics show similar trends to the US situation. Review the suggestion of b) above for the UK situation UK trade statistics show similar trends of that of US i. e. ever-increasing trade deficits and curbing growth prospects. Given these circumstances and the global economic turmoil that hit the global economies in the early years of the millennia, it is disappointing to even follow the growth prospects of the World, let alone the UK.Britain’s trade deficit also demonstrates a serious picture of disappointment. Economic chiefs of the country suggest that the super competitive currency i. e. the British Pound Sterling can be the glimmer of hope in this dismal economic prospect. This is because the currency is almost a quarter below the pre financial crisis levels. In 2008, December reports indicated that the nation’s deficit consumed after trade sharply rose to 14 billion pounds. One of the biggest factors of this deficit jump is attributed to magnified increase in aircraft import costs.Given these factors, it juxtaposes a truly saddening prospect for the country. Economists who eagerly made plans to rebalance the economic prospects of the economy, by cashing on the decline in pounds value to feed increases through export based growth. BoE has thus decided to restrict any particular changes to the inter est rates. This was due to suggestions that raising the rates would cause pound to appreciate, thus thwarting the trade prospects, negatively. Nonetheless, declining GBP has not appeased the concerns of above targeted and persistent economic inflation, as well as higher than necessary import prices.Current UK growth prospects and outlook suggests that the region would see improvements, although the road to recovery would be filled with bumps and slowness. Outlook prospects also indicate that consumer spending would be positively impacted. Furthermore, squeezes on real incomes would also subside, slowly. These are thoughts that do not cross the normal household. As such they remain scared, and cautious towards excessive spending. This is keeping a tap on growth. UK economy does not have the support of infrastructure of commerce that is established in the US.As such the economy is overfilled, without vacuum, and without much chances of astronomical growth. Additionally, close associat ions with a debt ridden EU has also kept pressures on growth. Though, it is accepted that growth in the nation is the biggest policy to be looked for, economic wise. Moreover, trade deficit should be given a secondary consideration. References Smith, David (2011) Trade Deficit Sunday Times The Balance of Payments and Macroeconomic Policy in an Open Economy Book Chapter
Group Process Paper
Doing this project on India together with Laura, Patrick, and Tsukasa has been very satisfying. I usually do not like to work in groups because I end up doing everything; however this project was truly an exception. It was a very interesting project in which you learn a lot not only from the assigned country but from the teammates. I was pretty much the leader by establishing dates and meetings, and assigning parts to everyone. Still, everyone cooperated equally and very responsibly.Patrick always had good and interesting information to share, Tsukasa did a superb effort and did her work best as she could, and Laura aided tremendously with the powerpoint presentation. Each team member was very committed and motivated, as well as optimistic. I am glad that we never had any type of conflicts; we pretty much seemed to bond and agree on everything. I guess this is not the typical team project you usually have to do. Beyond that, it is an opportunity to bond and get to know your teammates in a deep way.We were very lucky to all be international students; and nothing against Americans, but I prefer it! We even went for lunch once and talked a lot about Germany, Japan, and the Dominican Republic. If I had to choose a team for a class project, I would choose my team without thinking about it twice. It was a fun, and interactive project with excellent teammates. We all learned together about India, as well as from our different cultures!
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Emotionl Litercy Interventions In the Prevention of Bullying Within Essay
Emotionl Litercy Interventions In the Prevention of Bullying Within the Pstorl System of School - Essay Example This essay stresses that emotionà °l psychologicà °l trà °ining wà °s implemented to reduce bullying in pà °storà °l clà °sses. The support teà °ms were à °n outgrowth of Olweus's progrà °m thà °t recommended collegià °l support groups for teà °chers thà °t à °re designed à °s à ° forum for teà °chers to discuss bullying dilemmà °s, to shà °re experiences, à °nd to leà °rn from their successes or fà °ilures. This paper makes a conclusion that the bully prevention treà °tment progrà °m is à °n effective intervention for increà °sing teà °chers' knowledge of bullying intervention skills, use of bullying intervention skills, à °nd teà °chers' personà °l self-efficà °cy à °nd teà °chers' self-efficà °cy relà °ted to working with specific types of children, à °s well à °s reducing the à °mount of bullying in the clà °ssroom à °s meà °sured by teà °cher disciplinà °ry referrà °ls. These findings contrà °dict the proponents of à ° whole school community à °pproà °ch, suggesting thà °t efforts to reduce bullying behà °vior will be effective only if à ° whole school community à °pproà °ch is the intervention progrà °m of choice. Perhà °ps the teà °cher-trà °ining component of Olweus's progrà °m is the effective component of his work. Therefore, implementing à ° teà °cher-tà °rgeted psychoeducà °tionà °l progrà °m, à °s opposed to à ° schoolwide bully pr evention progrà °m, mà °y be more precise, cost-effective, à °nd time efficient. This suggests thà °t exposing teà °chers to à ° bully prevention trà °ining progrà °m mà °y be à °n efficient à °nd effective meà °ns not only to reduce à °nd prevent bullying but, more importà °nt, to creà °te à ° sà °fer leà °rning environment for students à °nd teà °chers.
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Neutropenia in the Chemotherapy Patient Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Neutropenia in the Chemotherapy Patient - Essay Example The study by Cameron (2009) suggests that one of the most effective ways of lowering the incidence of mortality from neutropenia is educating the patients. The paper suggests that letting the patients know what the signs of (febrile) neutropenia are and how they can be recognized will allow patients to understand when to contact their healthcare provider to ensure that they receive treatment for the condition as soon as possible, lowering the mortality of the condition. There are many different side-effects of chemotherapy that can be confused with the development of neutropenia (Nirenburg et al, 2006), but patients should be informed to check for a fever over 37.5C, mouth ulcers and general malaise (Cameron, 2009). The study by Cameron (2009) then goes on to suggest that educating the healthcare providers when the risk of neutropenia is highest and the white blood cell count is likely to be lowest is most imminent during the chemotherapy course. It has been suggested that most chemo therapy treatments are most effective and thus neutropenia risk is highest at the 10-14 day stage of treatment (Hall, 2005) and thus providers and patients alike would benefit from understanding this fact. However, different chemotherapies have different apexes, and thus both patient and provider should understand that the risks may be different dependant on type of treatment received (Cameron, 2009). It has also been shown that the duration of febrile neutropenia in patients with solid tumours can be predicted (Matias et al, 2010). The only data needed to provide this information to a patient or a member of healthcare staff is the aggressiveness of the cytotoxic agents used in that chemotherapy (Matias et al, 2010). This has the benefit of allowing both patients and healthcare staff to predict the severity and duration of neutropenia before the chemotherapy is started, and if the system was imposed thoroughly it could lead to a reduction in the cases of neutropenia. It could also a llow physicians to make more informed choices about the chemotherapy regimen chosen for the patients which could reduce the chances of neutropenia. There is more evidence for the development of a risk assessment tool for those at risk that may help to reduce the rates of chemotherapy-related neutropenia. Donohue (2006) has shown that giving those at risk a colony-stimulating factor (CSF) before chemotherapy is started can give the patients an increased risk of survival and reduced risks of neutropenia (p349). This is more evidence that education would be a useful factor in many situations, as nurses and physicians would need to be educated in using the risk assessment tool, and then understand the results given by this tool. However, after this it would decrease rates of neutropenia in many patients (p350) and thus achieve the goals set out by the PICO-formatted question outlined above. Crawford et al (2004) have also shown that there are assorted risk-factors for chemotherapy patie nts. It has been shown that 'combined cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil is less toxic than AC or combined cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and 5-fluorouraci
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Women in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Women in the Workplace - Essay Example The essay "Women in the Workplace" talks the issue of gender parity that has been widely discussed throughout the planet. Women still face the situation when even being skilled go-getters, they simply cannot dream of the promotions for precise companies’ positions, while male employees make their way almost without effort.There are plenty of proofs for the absence of gender equality in the workplace. For instance, in the USA an average female earns about 80 cents for every dollar that male employee might earn. Another poor fact about the US: this country is in the list among Oman and Papua New Guinea that do not guarantee the support of maternity leave. The things are far from being positive not only in the US. In Canada, only about 14% of companies think of possibilities of female workers’ promotions, while only 7% have precise plans for that issue. In Japan about 18 months ago the government’s program for supporting the promotions of women was implemented. Howe ver, hitherto known among the Japanese business companies joined that issue.Definitely, the situation about women in the workplace is negative. The key reason for that fact has always been the issue of maternity leave. It was needless to promote a female because she would leave sooner or later. However, if there is an issue of gender equality, it should be kept, but not just spoken about. Females are more creative and opened towards various novelties, and this trait is assured of great consequence in the modern world of rapid changes.
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Home3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Home3 - Assignment Example Family History: The mother to the client is found to have had the same lugs problems. She is found to have experienced difficulties in breathing accompanied with some pains in her chest. Nobody else in the family has had such problems in the past. Lifestyle and Health Practices: Three of the family members including the client have been addicts of cigarette. The father to the client has smoked cigarette for a period of twelve years while the mother has also smoked cigarette. The family is used to buying medicine locally from shops in their cure for the breathing difficulties. Their exposure to colds is seen as the main reason for their problem. Current Symptoms: The client has a feeling that some of his neck vessels are swollen. He experiences some difficulties in swallowing saliva. He does not experience heart attacks. At the middle of his chest, he claims to experience some deep pains while breathing. Past History: The client experienced heart attacks some years back. This seems to have recovered after undergoing some treatments which lead him to undergoing heart surgery. He has experienced much hypertension prior to his condition while the degree of his fever has gone down. Family History: Hypertension has been a common problem to the client family. His mother and grandmother are found to have experienced the same problem while the grandfather was diabetic. There are some recorded cases of elevated cholesterol associated with many of his family members. Lifestyle and Health Practices: There is much use of drugs and alcohol in the family of the client. The client himself is a cigarette addict while his father and brother are addicts of alcohol and cigarette. Much stress originating from the use of drugs is experienced by many of his family members. The client is used to sleeping on high density pillows. Current Symptoms: The client experiences high temperatures especially during the night. His skin color
Friday, October 4, 2019
Overpopulatio in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1
Overpopulatio in the United States - Essay Example This makes the US one of the fastest growing nations in the line of industrialized nations in the world. This overpopulation has caused various problems in the country, such as scarcity of resources, environmental issues, and economic consequences. Moreover, the problem of overcrowding also presents lack of education, and other issues which might cause troubles for the humanity. It is anticipated that by the year 2050, the population of the nation will be increased by around 130 million people, which is nearly equivalent to the addition of four more states the size of California. This study presents a detailed research on the topic of overpopulation in the United States. It undertakes to consult various resources, publications and databases to obtain information regarding the subject at hand. The causes of overpopulation are considered along with an elaborated discussion on the effects and consequences of the issue. The concept of overpopulation in not new to the current world and has been debated upon much by the researchers and authors. The definition of the term â€Å"overpopulation†is generally given by the writers as a commonly adverse and detrimental context in which the number of organisms goes beyond carrying capacity of its environment (Ian, 2007). This terminology generally pertains to the association between the two variables: environment and human population. The environment can either refer to a small geographical area or entire earth. During the past few years, the population in the United States has increased by more than double. It is said that if the population of the world in the coming century is multiplied by the same amount, there shall be more than one billion people around the globe. This increasing population, in turn, affects many features which include the negative contribution to the beauty of land, forests, environment and the entire ecosystem. Then, the social problems such as increasing attention in schools and lack of teachers
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Google in China Essay Example for Free
Google in China Essay Google is the fastest growing Internet search engine company. Google’s mission is â€Å"to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.†(International Business: Competing in the Global marketplace, pg 148-149) They have a mantra of â€Å"Don’t be Evil.†Google started this mantra to be the main message to show consumers they would not compromise the integrity of its search results. This case reviews the situation under which Google was required to censor its content and chose to launch its new search engine site. The case explains the role of the Chinese government and its regulations in the Internet market which had a negative effect on Googles operations in China. In 2000, Google started a Chinese language service. This service was operated from the United States. Chinese authorities blocked the site in 2002 because China censors information to their citizens. This block surprised Google’s managers. This was a challenge the managers did not plan on. If they done their research of the Chinese Government and culture prior to launching the Chinese language service, they would have known the block would be inevitable and they could have tailored their service to the Chinese regulations, culture, and laws. Google knew China was an advantageous business and they would need to adapt their service in order for it to be acceptable and profitable. Google also had to move the Chinese operations to China. Operating from the United States caused slow connection speed and hinder their operation and growth. This was a good move because it enabled Google to employee Chinese citizens who would be able to help understand and adapt to the Chinese laws, regulations, and censorship demands. Google managers made a mistake by not researching their target market. However, they acted quickly in learning and correcting this mistake. Google still offered Chinese citizens a better search engine, but it was not without censorship. The Google search engine offers more results than its competitors, Yahoo, Microsoft’s MSN, and China’s own company, Baidu. Google states Chinese consumers will â€Å"get more information on their site, though not quite all of it.†(International Business: Competing in the Global marketplace, pg 148-149) In 2006, Google had 30 percent share of China’s internet search engines. Baidu had 40 percent. This left another 30 percent split between Yahoo and Microsoft’s MSN search engines. These percentages are good, especially when one considers Yahoo and Microsoft had entered the Chinese search engine market prior to Google. Baidu has several advantages over Google that are mostly associated with it being a Chinese based company, the search engine has â€Å"competence in pinpointing queries in the Chinese language†(Yin Yulin, 2010, p. 4). Government relations with China are precarious for businesses effectiveness. Google did not have a clear understanding of what they would be involved in. China has become more supported and self-assured due to its increasing economic significance. They are more reluctant to be pressed by Western governments or companies into changing its long term regulations and censorship. Because of this aspect, China does not yet comprehend global strategies and the importance of global public relations. This causes them to be more rigid in their international business dealings. All-in-all, Google has been able to grow successfully in the Chinese search engine market and maintain the number two spot (behind Baidu) in China despite their lack of early research on the Chinese culture, governmental regulations, and laws. References International Business. Competing in the Global Marketplace, Seventh Edition, Chapter 3: Differences in Culture ISBN: 9780073381343 Author: Charles W. L. Hill copyright  © 2009 McGraw-Hill, a business unit of the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Organizational Decoupling Processes and Causes
Organizational Decoupling Processes and Causes The field of organizational decoupling is a field that has not been researched very much. Meyer and Rowan (1977) were some of the first authors who wrote about this subject and define organizational decoupling as separating formal structure from actual organizational practice. In short, this means that organizations say that they do one thing, but actually do something else. For instance, an organization can announce that it will start a stock repurchase program. The organization can announce that it will repurchase a certain amount of stocks but actually repurchase much less stocks or dont repurchase them at all (Westphal Zajac, 2001). In this particular example the organization decouples what it says it is going to do, with what it actually does. Thus, the organization separates formal procedures (formal structure) from practice. So organizations seem to decouple their structure from actual practice, but why? Why do organizations try to fool other organizations, clients, customers and possibly even themselves? I argue that the main problem is legitimacy, and by exploring organizations quest for legitimacy and the problems they might encounter along the way, this research tries to map the main causes for organizational decoupling and thus give an answer to the following research question: What are the main causes of organizational decoupling? This research consists of a step-by-step overview of the entire process underlying decoupling. Four steps will be taken to explore and explain why organizations decouple their formal procedures (formal structure) from practice. Namely, 1) looking at the context of organizations and their search for legitimacy, 2) looking at problems organizations might encounter while searching for legitimacy 3) identifying the problem that is supported to be the prime cause of decoupling and 4) looking at organizational reactions to these problems (using decoupling) to connect the causes the action (problems to decoupling). These three steps will be discussed in three paragraphs and each paragraph consists of a review of existing literature from different authors about the decoupling process. Figure 1.1 shows the conceptual model sketching the process underlying decoupling. This model is divided into theory and propositions. The theory section shows which concepts form the theory behind the proposit ions and the propositions section shows which propositions are extracted from the theory. These propositions will form the core of this research. Research Structure The first step in the research is to take a look at the context of organizations and their quest for legitimacy. Organizations are embedded into institutional environments, meaning that the environment expects something of these organizations (Boxembaum Jonsson, 2008). There are certain norms, values and rules that organizations are being expected to act upon. Organizations have to conform to these expectations to gain legitimacy and this is the one goal all organizations have. They have to be legitimate to operate, survive, gain control over resources and create stability (Meyer Rowan, 1977; Boxenbaum Jonsson, 2008). For organizations, expectations are being experienced as pressures to conform. Therefore, this research will use the term environmental pressures to refer to these expectations. However, using the term environmental pressure sketches an image that is too vague and incomplete. Therefore this research divides environmental pressures into normative pressures and coercive pressures (Dimaggio Powel, 1983/2000). The term normative pressures refers to the expectations of the public or the cultural audience. These are the people and other organizations that form society and expect organizations to behave in a certain way and to conform to moral norms and values. It is important to keep in mind that it is not illegal to disregard these expectations; they are social guidelines, not laws. Nonetheless organizations have to conform to these expectations to stay legitimate (Boxenbaum Jonsson, 2008; and others). Coercive pressures however do consist of laws. In some situations organizations have to conform to certain laws that are being imposed by the government and this creates a pressure to conform. Organizations must conform because disobedience is illegal and illegitimate (Edelman, 1992). The second step in finding the answer to why organizations decouple their formal procedures (formal structure) from practice lies in the problems organizations might encounter while pursuing legitimacy. This paper categorizes three different problems that might rise when organizations try to gain legitimacy by conforming to environmental pressures, namely: 1) organizations might encounter a misfit between the expectations of their environments and their practices (Meyer Rowan, 1977); 2) some organizations might encounter an inability to conform to the coercive and normative pressures (Oliver, 1991); and 3) in some cases what an organization is being expected to do is in conflict with the interests of the organization as a whole or of individual managers (Edelman, 1992; Westphal Zajac, 2001; Fiss Zajac, 2006). The third step is to identify one of the three possible problems as the one that is the most important or most found cause of organizational decoupling. This step will eventually form an answer to the research question. The fourth step is the step where organizations actually decouple their formal structure from practice as a response to the problems that have arisen as a result of environmental pressures. This chapter will discuss different ways in which organizations use decoupling to solve problems and it illustrates some particular situations and approaches to the different problems that might arise while trying to be legitimate. This chapter functions as a bridge between the problems and the actual decoupling. Relevance of the Research Because organizations experience the struggle for legitimacy on a daily basis, and therefore have to cope with problems that arise as a result, this research might give organizations an insight in how to deal with these pressures and problem situations. Managers of organizations can use the knowledge in this research to come up with strategies that both suffice the need for legitimacy as well as the need for efficiency and pursuing organizational interests. The process underlying decoupling as illustrated in this research might also be used as a mean to gain legitimacy on its own. Because this research provides an insight into the reasons that organizations have to decouple their structure from practice, the public or cultural audience might come to a better understanding of the situation. They might understand that organizations sometimes have no other choice than to decouple and that the actions of organizations are actually quite legitimate, even if they are not considered to be at the moment. The knowledge provided in this research can also lead to further research on decoupling an form a basis for other researchers to start from because it tries to explain the core concept behind decoupling and to give an answer to the why question. Theoretical Framework Theory The aim of this research is to explore and explain the process underlying organizational decoupling and summarize the main causes. But what is organizational decoupling exactly? Meyer and Rowan (1977) define organizational decoupling as separating formal structure from actual organizational practice, meaning that organizations create an illusion of their activities (formal structure) but actually perform different activities (organizational practice). Many authors have used the term organizational decoupling but most of them refer to Meyer and Rowan as the founding fathers of this field of study and therefore this research will use the definition of organizational decoupling as given by them. The second important concept in this research is legitimacy. This research hypothesizes that organizations are on a quest for legitimacy and might encounter problems along the way. Legitimacy is therefore one of the core concepts and will be defined as a generalized perception or assumption that the actions of an entity are desirable, proper, or appropriate within some socially constructed system of norms, values, beliefs, and definitions (Suchman, 1995, p. 574). This definition will be used in this research because Suchman (1995) includes the importance of the social audience in his definition. As mentioned earlier, the audience defines the social pressure that organizations experience and is therefore an important player in the process underlying decoupling, which in a way determines what is legitimate and what is not, and should therefore be included in the definition of legitimacy. The third concept as mentioned in the conceptual model (figure 1.1) is environmental pressure. Meyer and Rowan (1977) call this environmental pressure myths. According to them, institutional rules function as myths to which organizations have to conform to be legitimate. This research however does not use the term myths but the term environmental pressure, the definition however remains the same. As mentioned earlier this research separates environmental pressure into two different sub pressures: coercive pressure and normative pressure. Coercive pressure will be defined as the demand of the state or other large actors to adopt specific structures or practices, or else face sanctions (Dimaggio Powel, 1983/2000 in Boxenbaum Jonsson, 2008, p. 80). Normative pressure will be defined as what is widely considered a proper course of action, or even a moral duty (Suchman, 1995, in Boxenbaum Jonsson, 2008, p. 80). These two definitions are chosen because they both point out the important difference between the moral and legal background of the concepts. The definition of coercive pressures specifically points out the role of the state and the risk of facing sanctions. This expresses the legal background of the concept. On the other hand, the definition of normative pressure points out the role of the audience. This on its turn expresses the social background of the concept. Dimaggio and Powel (1983/2000) also mention a third pressure, namely mimetic pressure. These mimetic pressures are mainly caused by uncertainty. This uncertainty for organizations causes organizations to imitate other, successful organizations to reduce their own uncertainty. Even though the concept of mimetic pressures is a part of the pressure package of Dimaggio and Powel (1983/2000) it will not be used in this research. The reason for leaving mimetic pressures out of the research and include only coercive and normative pressures is that this research hypothesizes that conforming to certain en vironmental pressure causes problems. Mimetic pressures however do not cause but rather solve problems (uncertainty)(Dimaggio Powel, 1983/2000). Propositions This research also mentions three different problems that organizations might encounter while trying to be legitimate. The first are efficiency problems. These problems are defined as problems that might arise when organizations try to conform to environmental pressures, which actually are in conflict with efficiency criteria (Meyer Rowan, 1977). The second problem is the inability to conform to environmental pressures. This problem will be defined as a problem that might rise when an organization has inadequate resources or capacity to meet the requirements of conformity (Oliver, 1991). The third are conflicting organizational or managerial interest problems. These are problems that might rise when environmental pressures are in conflict with the organizational or managerial interests (Edelman, 1992; Westphal Zajac, 2001; Fiss Zajac, 2006). Based on these three possible problems three propositions are made: Proposition 1 Organizational decoupling is caused by efficiency problems. Proposition 2 Organizational decoupling is caused by the organizations inability to conform to environmental pressures. Proposition 3 Organizational decoupling is caused by conflicting organizational or managerial interests. Table 2.1 Concept Definitions Organizational decoupling Separating formal structures from actual organizational practice Legitimacy A generalized perception or assumption that the actions of an entity are desirable, proper, or appropriate within some socially constructed system of norms, values, beliefs, and definitions Environmental pressure Institutional rules function as environmental pressures to which organizations have to conform to be legitimate Coercive pressure The demand of the state or other large actors to adopt specific structures or practices, or else face sanctions Normative pressure What is widely considered a proper course of action, or even a moral duty Efficiency problems Problems that might arise when organizations try to conform to environmental pressures, which actually conflicts sharply with efficiency criteria Inability to conform to environmental pressures Problems that might arise when an organization has inadequate resources or capacity to meet the requirements of conformity Conflicting organizational or managerial interests Problems that might arise when environmental pressures are in conflict with the organizational or managerial interests Research design This research can be characterized as both a descriptive and an explanatory research. It is both descriptive and explanatory because the aim on one hand is to describe current mainstream findings of other researchers on organizational decoupling and on the other hand to explain the whole process underlying organizational decoupling. This chapter will describe the process of data collection and data analysis using a part of the guidelines for conducting a systematic literature review as suggested by Tranfield, Denyer and Smart (2003). According to them conducting a review can be divided into several phases (table 3.1). These phases will form the steps used in this research for both data collection and analysis. Phases in conducting a review (Tranfield, Denyer Smart, 2003) Phase 1 Identification of research Phase 2 Selection of Studies Phase 3 Study quality assessment Identification of Research This phase of the research is the actual start of the data collection. According to Tranfield, Denyer and Smart (2003) a systematic search begins with identifying keywords and search terms. As mentioned in chapter 2 (Theoretical Framework), this research contains several concepts, which again can be found in the conceptual model (figure 1.1). These concepts are the core of this research and therefore some of them will be used as keywords to find relevant articles and papers. The first string of keywords is as follows: 1) Decoupling; 2) Legitimacy; 3) Institutional pressures. Table 3.2 shows the number of articles found for each keyword. Number of articles found Decoupling 12.262 Legitimacy 8.199 Institutional pressures 1080 To make the keywords more specific and to make sure that the results of the search are narrowed down the following, more specific keywords were identified and some keywords were added to the string (see table 3.2 for argumentation): 1) Organi?ational decoupling; 2) Acquiring legitimacy; 3) Maintaining legitimacy; 4) Conformity + institutional pressures; 5) Symbolic management Keyword argumentation Organi?ational decoupling Adding organi?ational to the term Decoupling makes the term more specific and narrows down results The ? makes sure that both the English and the American spelling of the word are being checked for Acquiring legitimacy Adding Aquiring to the term Legitimacy makes sure that the search focuses on the organizations search for legitimacy and not just on legitimacy itself Maintaining legitimacy Adding Maintaining to the term Legitimacy makes sure that the search focuses on the organizations struggle to maintain legitimacy and not just on legitimacy itself Conformity + Institutional pressures The term Institutional pressures refers to the pressures that weigh upon organizations The term Conformity refers to the theory that organizations have to conform to certain pressures to be legitimate Symbolic management Decoupling is using symbols to show that your organization conforms to certain institutional pressures (myths) (Meyer Rowan, 1977)The use of these symbols as a management strategy is called symbolic management (Westphal Zajac, 1998; 2001) The main source of information will be the ISI Web of Knowledge. This database contains thousands of articles and papers, which can be found using the license of the University of Tilburg. Unfortunately this license only allows the search for articles that have been published in 1988 or later. However, for the first step in searching relevant literature this is not a reason for concern. Again, to narrow down the results of the research and to exclude irrelevant results, the search will be refined to the general category Social Sciences. This makes sure that the search results do not include findings in irrelevant categories such as Science and Technology and Arts and Humanities. Second, the subject areas of the search are also refined. The subject areas that are included in the search are Business and Economics, Sociology and Behavioral Sciences. An example of the exact syntax of the search command can be found in the appendix. Besides using search-strings, this research also used the technique of snowballing. This technique uses the literature references of articles and papers that might have been found using the search-strings. For instance, the paper of Meyer and Rowan (1977) is being referred to by almost every author in the field of organizational decoupling. However, this article does not pop up in the search results in the Web of Knowledge database because it was published before 1988. By using snowballing other relevant articles about the subject can be found. The result of using this technique is that the latter part of the literature used in this research was found in the literature references of the articles that were found by using the organi?ational decoupling search term. Selection of Studies After searching for articles a selection of relevant studies had to be made. This process consists of three steps: 1) scanning the titles 2) reading the abstracts of the studies found and 3) matching the content of the studies to this researchs concept. The first and second step give an indication of what the studies are about. The title says a lot about the content of a paper and the abstract of an article gives a short summary of what the author has found in his or her study and thus gives an indication of the usability for this research. The third step is actually a sort of analysis of the studies that have been marked as relevant and usable in the previous two steps. This step consists of actually reading the selected studies and mapping their contents. Mapping the contents of a article or paper that are relevant for this research is being done by using a summary table (see appendix 6.2). This table is an oversight of the different articles and papers, their authors and the main concepts of these studies. After reading all the relevant literature this table is used to divide the different studies into different categories. The different categories consist of the core concepts of this study as shown in figure 1.1 (conceptual model), namely: 1) legitimacy; 2) conforming to coercive pressures; 3) conforming to normative pressures; 4) efficiency problems; 5) inability to conform to environmental pressures; 6) conflicting organizational or managerial interests; and 7) implementing decoupling. Dividing the literature into these different categories makes it easier to link them together in this research and to formulate an answer to the research question. Study Quality Assessment The quality of this research will be guaranteed by checking the literature that is being used as data. By checking the literature for times cited the reliability and validity of the literature is being secured. The more a particular article or paper is cited by other authors, the higher the reliability and validity of this particular article or paper. However, this also means that the older articles seem to be more reliable. To overcome this bias articles of more recent years have also been taken in to account and have been checked for usability separately. Another method for improving the reliability of the research is to use theoretical triangulation. By looking at different theories, the concept of organizational decoupling will be explained in a reliable and multidimensional way. To guarantee that this research can be replicated and checked for inconsistencies or to extend it, every step of the research process is being recorded. Also, the systematic way of analyzing the data ensures both replicabillity and reliability. Results As mentioned earlier, this research consists of three steps in explaining the causes of organizational decoupling. These three steps are according to the conceptual model (figure 1.1) and try to explain the process underlying decoupling step-by-step and will be covered in the following paragraphs. Quest for Legitimacy Before we can point out which problems could cause decoupling we must first take a look at how these problems rise in the first place. The theory shows that organizations try to be legitimate and are thus on a quest for legitimacy. Acquiring and maintaining legitimacy is the most difficult task for most organizations (Elsbach Sutton, 1992; Pfeffer Salancik, 1978: 194). Nonetheless, organizations have to be legitimate to operate, survive, gain resources and create stability (Meyer and Rowan, 1977; Boxembaum Jonsson, 2008). So one of the main goals of organizations is to be legitimate, but how do organizations achieve this? Boxembaum and Jonsson (2008) argue that organizations are embedded into institutional environments. Being embedded into institutional environments means that this environment has certain expectations of the organizations. These expectations are being experienced as pressures, and organizations have to comply with these pressures to maintain legitimacy (Dimaggio Powel, 1983/2000; Monahan, 2006). These pressures can be either coercive or normative (Seidman, 1983; Dimaggio Powel, 1983/2000). Coercive pressures refer to environmental expectations such as, for instance, laws. The argument that organizations have to conform to coercive pressures is supported by the work of Tsoukas (1994) who argues that in some environments organizations have to conform to rules and institutions as imposed by the legal state. Normative pressures refer to norms and values about what is considered proper or normal (Suchman, 1995). In their work on educational organizations and ranking Sauder and Espeland (2009) write about the normative pressures that educational organizations have to conform to. According to them, educational organizations are being ranked according to their performance. Schools have to be the best of the best to survive and thus have to conform to todays ideas of what is considered good quality and bad quality. Problems Along the Way So in short, organizations try to be legitimate by conforming to both coercive and normative environmental pressures. Conforming to these environmental pressures seems to be the right and only thing for organizations to do. However, this research hypothesizes that it might also cause certain problems. This research distinct three particular problems, namely: 1) efficiency problems; 2) inability to conform; and 3) conflicting interests. Efficiency Problems Meyer and Rowan (1977) argue that organizations that try to be legitimate by conforming to environmental pressures might encounter a misfit between the organizational structure and its practice. In other words, the environmental pressures are not in line with the organizational practice. For instance, Meyer and Rowan (1977) mention the example of a bus company. A bus company is expected to service certain routes, even when there are no passengers. This is highly inefficient, but the bus company has to conform to the environmental pressures. Edelman (1992) also point out the efficiency problems that might rise in their example of the equal employment opportunity and affirmative action (EEO/AA) law. This law is designed to ban discrimination in the hiring processes of firms and thus restricts organizations and managers to hire or refuse whomever they want. According to Edelman (1992) organizations experience this as highly inefficient and obstructing to managerial power. Inability to Conform A second problem that organizations can encounter is that they simply cannot conform to the environmental pressures. Oliver (1991) argues that some organizations are just not able to conform to certain environmental pressures because they do not have the needed resources or the capacity. For instance, it is more or less a social expectation (thus, a normative pressure) that the area surrounding a fast-food-restaurant is kept clean and clear of garbage by the restaurant itself. However, the restaurant might not have enough personnel or the material (resources and capacity) to conform to this expectation. It might also be possible that organizations simply do not know what is being expected of them or that multiple environmental pressures are conflicting with each other (Oliver, 1992). If any of these options is the case, then the organization might not be able to conform or choose to conform to one pressure, but ignore the other (conflicting) one. Conflicting Organizational or Managerial Interests The third problem that can rise as a result of trying to conform to environmental pressures is that certain organizational or managerial interests might be conflicting with the expectations (environmental pressures). Westphal and Zajac (2001) point out that some organizations that announce a stock repurchase program do not always fully implement these programs. According to them this might be a result of conflicting managerial interests. They argue that top managers might use this strategy, which is actually decoupling, to preserve free cash flow for themselves and thus to maintain managerial discretion over the allocation of resources. In other words, the organization is being expected to fully implement the stock repurchase programs, but top managers seem to want to keep control over the allocation of resources and thus do not (completely) conform to this environmental pressure. What is being expected, and the interests of the managers are conflicting with each other. The previous mentioned findings of Edelman (1992) about the EEO/AA law and its consequences for organizations are also supporting the conflicting interests argument. Edelman (1992) not only argues that conforming to the EEO/AA law, a coercive pressure, is inefficient but also argues that it is in conflict with organizational and managerial interests. Managers want to be free in hiring whomever they want but the EEO/AA law prohibits them from doing this. Thus, the coercive pressure to which the organizations have to conform is in conflict with the interests of the organizations themselves and their managers. Decoupling as a Problem Solving Tool So far we have traced the process underlying decoupling from trying to be legitimate, to conforming to environmental pressures and to the problems this might cause. This research argues that these problems are the main causes of organizational decoupling but so far nothing has been said about the implementation of decoupling as a response to these problems. This paragraph will give some examples of how organizations use decoupling to solve their problems and will form a bridge between the problems and decoupling. According to Meyer and Rowan (1977), efficiency problems can be solved by formally adopting a structure but then internally decouple this structure from the actual practice. They give an example of how a hospital applies this strategy. In this example Meyer and Rowan (1977) point out that hospitals treat, not cure their patients. The environmental pressures prescribe that hospitals are being expected to cure patients. However, this is highly unpractical because they cannot cure every single patient. The solution to this problem is decoupling. Hospitals give an impression that they cure their patients, and thus conform to the environmental pressures, but actually these hospitals treat their patients and do not cure all of them. In fact, hospitals only publish numbers on treated patients and not or seldom on cured patients (Meyer Rowan, 1977). Edelman (1992), regarding to the EEO/AA law example, also gives a solution to the efficiency problems. Organizations create formal structures in the form of offices, positions, rules and procedures within the organization. These formal structures are actually symbols of compliance. They give the impression that the organization conforms to the environmental pressures, but in fact the organization can hire or reject someone on illegitimate grounds (Edelman, 1992). When an organization does not have the resources or capability to conform to environmental pressures, it will attempt to preclude the necessity of conformity or to conceal nonconformity behind a faà §ade of acquiescence (Oliver, 1991). Oliver (1991) gives an example: when a construction firm is building a house and they are expecting a government inspection of the building site, they might display several activities that normally are not there. For instance, rules require two men to operate heavy machinery on building sites. However, a building firm might not have enough personnel to put two men on the job and thus normally only one man operates the machinery. When the building firm expects an inspection it will, for instance, relocate someone from another building site to the one that is being inspected. So when the inspectors come, the heavy machinery is operated by two men, while normally it is not. This way the organization (construction firm) conceals its nonconformity. A possible solution to the third problem, conflicting organizational or managerial interests, is already mentioned shortly in the previous paragraph. The example of the stock repurchase program (Westphal Zajac, 2001) shows that individual managers simply do not implement the whole program when their interests are in conflict with the plans. So in short, decoupling actually comes down to the following: give the environment the impression that the organization conforms to all expectations (environmental pressures), but when these pressures cause some sort of problem for the organization, actually follow the organizations own rules and routines. Conclusions Recommendations This chapter will formulate conclusions that are derived from the results and give some recommendations for further research on organizational decoupling. Conclusions
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