Alexander The Great Of The Classical Greek Culture Essay

ver seen before. Alexander the Great symbolized that same dichotomy in what he believed, how he dressed and spoke, and how he approached life. He had no idea that he would create a new culture. Alexander spoke Greek but did not act Greek in every way of his life. He did not live modestly like the classical Greek culture required. Instead of dressing simply and with austerity, Alexander wore elaborate Asian-styled clothing and he likely enjoyed Epicurean pleasures. Although leading military campaigns was his primary objective, Alexander also led the way in fashion and demonstrated how to enjoy pleasure in one’s life. The move from classical Greece to a more modern culture happened quickly. The Hellenistic culture became more self-indulgent as it focused on elaborate sculptures, art, jewelry, and even buildings. This more contemporary culture began to affect city planning; for the first time cities designed vast public spaces like parks and theatres, all of which lent themselves to pursuits of pleasure or a peaceful state of mind. This posterity – and the ensuing prosperity -- is all credited to Alexander the Great. During his quest to amass huge land holdings, Alexander the Great also established elaborate trade routes that would create extensive opportunities for commerce and promote entire capitalistic ventures along what would eventually become known and the Silk Road. The Greeks were avowed sailors who traveled readily for trade, but the Silk Road opened up newShow MoreRelatedThe Hellenistic Age And Classical Age952 Words   |  4 Pagestypically to describe the spread of culture from the Greek civilization that developed after the reign of Alexander the Great. How does the Hellenistic Age differ from the Classical Age? 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This might be the reason why the Macedonian culture is very similarRead MoreHistorical Events That Took Place During The Classical Period1458 Words   |  6 PagesHistorically Significant Influences of Aristotle During the Classical Period, 500-232 BCE, Greece was at the peak of its political and cultural achievement. This was also a time of war, most noteworthy being the vast empire created by Alexander the Great. In a period containing such an immense amount of historical significance there is no doubting that it had influenced the people born. Notorious philosopher Aristotle is no exception, contributing a great deal to the fields of mathematics, biology and ethicsRead MoreGreek And Classical Greek Philosophy997 Words   |  4 Pages Classical Greek Philosophy A philosophy is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, esp. when considered as an academic discipline. Greece was divided into several city-states, which ran separately and independent from each other. However, they shared commonalities, such as common ancestry, language, and festivals. Foreigners were all considered barbarians to the Greek. Greek Culture is reflected in today s Society in many ways. These ways include mathematicsRead MoreClassical Societies Essay905 Words   |  4 PagesWeek 3 Assignment: Classical Societies Essay Sema Ramdas HUM 205 Instructor. Collis October 7th, 2012 For centuries Classical societies have lent their contributions to art and have amazed us then and still continue to do so. Art is a broad topic and in order for us to explain a specific piece of art we must first analyze the artwork precisely. I am choosing art from Classical Greece, Hellenistic Greece, Etruscan Civilization, Roman Republic, and Roman Empire society and I will examine aRead MoreAlexander the Great 1370 Words   |  6 PagesAlexander was born around 356 B.C. His mother was of royal lineage, as was his father, Philip II. When Alexander was fourteen, he studied under the Athenian philosopher, Aristotle. Perhaps no culture has ever produced a greater mind than Aristotle’s. So searching and profound was Aristotle’s work that in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries A.D. much of the Christian church regarded his teachings as being divinely inspired. No subject was untouched by his contemplation. Philosophy, botany, geographyRead MoreAlexander the Greats Impact on the World Essays1339 Words   |  6 PagesAlexander the Great is without doubt one of the greatest military leaders of history. Not only did Alexander of Macedon conquer enormous areas of the known world but also he demonstrated dynamic leadership and masterful strategy on a large scale and tactics on the battlefield. During his life, he ruled the largest empire the world had ever seen, which stretched from ancient Greece to India. 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Allow me to give a definition for the word classical. â€Å"Classical† refers to any art or architecture modelled after ancient Roman or Greek styles. In this essay I will be discussing what the word architecture means in architecture, tracing its origins through Greek and RomanRead MoreHellenistic Times And Classical Times844 Words   |  4 PagesThe Hellenistic Times and Classical Times were each a period where the circumstances, lifestyles, and thought processes that people lived by were different in their respective societies. Although it is evident that both time periods are distinguishable, it does not mean that they share no connection towards each other at all. For I will compare, contrast, and explain the differences between the two and showcase the contributions that both eras gave to the world at the time they were made. One example

Islamic Violence And The Islamic State - 898 Words

Islamic State Imagine waking up one morning, walking out of your house, and seeing men with rifles walking up and down the streets of your neighborhood. The armed men directing traffic, checking businesses, telling the women how to dress. It would not be a pleasant morning would it? This is what Syria and Iraq have been experiencing with the Islamic sate taking over the two countries. The armed men telling people what to do, inspecting everything, and controlling all the movement is the least of Syria and Iraq’s problems. The Islamic state has committed various acts of violence in both countries. The Islamic State has to be put to a stop if not by the countries surrounding it than by the United States before it causes more destruction in other places. â€Å"The Islamic state is a transnational Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group that has expanded its control over areas of Iraq and Syria since 2013†(source 1). The Islamic state also called Isis is a group of religious extremists. They first took over Syria and now they have taken over Iraq. â€Å"ISIS took advantage of weaknesses created by civil war in Syria and governing incompetence in Iraq to grab control of lands and establish itself as a credible force.†(Einchenwaldt). They claim that people who live there have freedom of religion, as along ass they don’t oppose them. There actions show otherwise proving that with them around there is no freedom. â€Å"ISIS is a collection of barbaric psychopaths willing to engage in theShow MoreRelatedIslamic Extremism Is Becoming A Global Matter1605 Words   |  7 PagesSince Islamic extremism is becoming an alarming concern within countries, there has been an increase in the prejudice against Muslims. Data received from United States citizens represent a concern of Islamic extremism that went from 36 to 53 percent, whereas in Europe, the average increase was 27 percent (Poushter, 2015). This exemplifies the idea of Islamophobia. To fully comprehend how attitudes toward the Islamic religion have changed in the past decade, one must consider the history of IslamRead MoreThe United States And Invasion Of Afghanistan1327 Words   |  6 PagesThis paper will argue that the United States and allied invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 should be a full five stars on the BBC audit, declaring it a war based on religion. The Islamic State’s attack on September 11, 2001 cause the United States and its idea of democracy to assume the role of a symbolic religion. The United States took on the role of the enemy of the Islamic State due to their unwanted involvement in the Middle East. In the 1990’s the United States had desecrated mosques, which wasRead MoreIslamic Misinterpretations and Suicide Attacks1160 Words   |  5 Pagesto Islam. Islamic doctrine delineates between acts of martyrdom and what the Western world describes as terrorism. Islamic jus in bello, or the laws of waging war, clearly outlines actions that can and cannot be justified according to Islam when engaged in war. Historical Islamic definitions of jihad in modern society have been redefined and interpreted in order to justify suicide attacks despite Islamic texts indicating otherwise. Jihad in its truest form does not promote violence, but the utilizationRead MoreCompare and Contrast Criminal Terrorism1145 Words   |  5 Pages| Compare and Contrast Crime and Terrorism | Gina Vetrone | | Axia College | | The following is a brief explanation of the motivation of the Islamic Jihad Group. Included is a response to how the knowledge of the Islamic Jihad Group’s motivation might assist in planning counter terrorist strategy. 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Well, not quite, but I could tell from people’s eyes when they look at me that they want to open this subject to me without offense. What follows is by no means an attempt to explain some questions about the relationship between ISIS and Islam that seem particular pressing now. Ever since SeptemberRead MoreThe Islamic State And Terrorism985 Words   |  4 Pageshave been experiencing with the Islamic State taking over the two countries. The armed men telling people what to do, inspecting everything, and controlling all the movement is the least of Syria and Iraq’s problems. The Islamic state has committed various acts of violence in both countries. The Islamic State has to be put to a stop if not by the countries surrounding it, than by the United States before it causes more destruction in other places. â€Å"The Islamic state is a transnational Sunni Islamist

The Development Of The Warrior Achilles In free essay sample

The Iliad. Essay, Research Paper The Development of the Warrior Achilles in the Iliad. From the initial unfeelingness and obstinate pique of Achilles in the first books of the Iliad to the eventual humanisation # 8217 ; of Achilles in his interaction with the sorrowing male parent of Hector, whom Achilles himself batch, the Iliad can be seen to chronicle the ripening of the Grecian hero during the awful conflicts of the Trojan War. Achilles is a hero in the heroic poem sense, complete with defects and bad qualities that round out the character, but with passions and strong beliefs that any reader can associate to. Throughout the class of the Iliad, Homer creates the character of Achilles to be that sort of hero in every sense of the word. As the novel begins, we foremost run into with Achilles in his interaction with the great male monarch, Agamemnon. It may be said that Achilles shows himself to be a dreadfully hard-headed person, and this is evidently true. We will write a custom essay sample on The Development Of The Warrior Achilles In or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But, in this brush with the powerful male monarch, Achilles besides shows some of his more respectable qualities ; such as bravery, award, and a sense of justness. Achilles does non experience that it is right that he or the remainder of the soldiers should be punished for the flashiness of their commanding officer. So, as the heroic poem starts to wind off, Achilles is described as a strong-minded, though a spot hot tempered, adult male. It is in the undermentioned books that Achilles shows some of his non to desirable qualities, yet in these qualities the character of Achilles is finally developed. Homer describes the secret plan of Achilles to revenge his shame at the manus of Agamemnon. He has his female parent, the goddess Thetis, inquire Zeus to penalize the Achaeans on behalf of her and Achilles. Zeus reluctantly agrees to this, and Achilles success in holding the whole of his people subjected to a barbarous and dearly-won war to acquire his retaliation # 8217 ; on Agamemnon. As the Trojan War presses preface, taking infinite lives of both Trojan and Achaean likewise, Achilles stands by and tickers, unwilling to take part in the conflict even when an apology from Agamemnon and pleading from his companions is presented to him. He replies in this manner, # 8220 ; Love him so good, and you may lose the love I bear you. You ought to assist me instead in tro ubling those that problem me ; be king every bit much as I am, and portion like award with myself ; the others shall take my reply ; stay here yourself and kip comfortably in your bed ; at dawn we will see whether to stay or go.† ( Homer IX 613-620 ) Achilles continues to forbear from straight prosecuting in the battle until his best friend, Patroclus, was killed in conflict by the mighty Hector. Achilles is devastated by the loss of his friend, and he vows to avenge this atrociousness himself. Achilles returns to the battleground ; and upon happening Hector, Achilles viciously slays the adult male with a lance into his pharynx. Achilles so allows the dead organic structure of Hector to be mutilated by the crisp lances of his fellow Dannans. Achilles so returns to strap the carcase to his chariot and drags the organic structure along, and ultimate act of discourtesy and hatred. Achilles is over the border, the decease of Patroclus has brought out a fury that can merely be quenched with the blood of Hector. Achilles is in the same sense both utterly un-human and the kernel of humanity in these actions. His intervention of the baronial warrior Hector goes beyond the bounds of normal war imposts at the clip to quite barbarian degree s. Achilles, it seems, draws satisfaction from the maculate cadaver of his enemy. Yet, all of this hatred is derived from the really human emotions of unhappiness, heartache, and particularly love. The contrast between these two sides of Achilles is hinted at by Homer. The remarks of Achilles comparing himself to a human and Hector to a animal can be viewed in both ways. Achilles says, # 8220 ; Dog, talk non to me neither of articulatio genuss nor parents ; would that I could be as certain of being able to cut your flesh into pieces and eat it natural, for the ailment have done me # 8230 ; # 8221 ; ( Homer XXII 345- 347 ) In the last book of the novel, Achilles eventually undergoes the concluding transmutation in the narrative. He listens intently to King Priam # 8217 ; s supplication to return the organic structure of his slain boy. The entreaty works, and Achilles is really moved by the heartache of the male parent. Achilles is one time once more humanized, and his development as a authoritative hero is complete. Plants Cited Homer. # 8220 ; The Illiad. # 8221 ; trans. Richmond Lattimore. Chicago and London. The University of Chicago Press. 1951

South Korea Cultural Environments Essay Example

South Korea Cultural Environments Paper South Korea Cultural Environments Cultural Analysis, South Korea This analysis is based on a two-day visit to Sown, South Korea, a city of about one million inhabitants near Seoul, and a one-day visit to Seoul, the capital city, population over ten million. 1 . Ascription/Achievement There were many indicators that Korea is heavily ascription. One contact there told me that he was unable to get a job he applied for because he would have been older than his boss, which is considered unacceptable. He said that the first thing the interviewer asked him was Given your age, why would you want this session? He indicated that this is a common problem for people who, like him, want to change careers in mid-life. Because employers insist that superiors be older than their juniors, an older person cant easily hire into an entry-level position to learn the ropes. My contact mentioned a prominent website that matches job hunters with employers, which specifies for each job the birth date after w hich an applicant must have been born in order to apply. He also said that his own employer, an American, has encouraged him to undergo additional education in the U. S. , but that this would be pointless for him because he would not be able to enter a Korean company as a new hire due to his age. A second example is a Korean contact who speaks both Korean and English at work. He has a colleague who is ethnically Korean but was raised in Canada. This colleague mentioned to him that she liked his English better than his Korean because his Korean was insulting to juniors. He explained to me that in Korean, there are many levels of language, depending on the social position of each person relative to others. We will write a custom essay sample on South Korea Cultural Environments specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on South Korea Cultural Environments specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on South Korea Cultural Environments specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Because he is the Enron person in the office, his Korean language reflects his high status and the low status of others when he speaks to them, and it sounds insulting to his juniors and to his Canadian-raised colleague. English language, however, does not have this hierarchical structure, and when he speaks English with his employees, he sounds more neutral and respectful towards them. This suggests that the respect for rank and position in Korean language reflects the traditional ascription culture, which is impossible to disregard when speaking Korean, and serves to maintain a high level of ascription in Korea. Universalism Particularistic Universalism was consistently In evidence. An example is a parking lot at a cultural exhibit, where there was a guard telling people where to park. The parking lot was very large and almost completely empty. We were directed to a particular spot, next to another car whose passengers were getting in and out and unpacking the car. Because they wer e standing in the parking space designated for us, we couldnt move into it, but when the driver hesitated, the guard motioned him vigorously to go into that one space. There were undress of spaces around, but the guard wanted us to park in that space only. In Seoul, there was a campaign to get people to take their trash with them rather than throw it in trash cans that the city would have to collect, so they removed trash cans in public areas. This was a new policy when was there because one of the locals I was with explained it to another one. There were throngs of people in the area where we were walking, walking shoulder to shoulder. But there was almost no trash on the streets despite the fact that there was nowhere to get rid of it. People took it home with them to dispose of. . Diffuse/Specific It was clear from my conversations with people that relationships are very important in Korea. Social networks are very important in business and other aspects of life. I was surprised to learn that elementary school reunions are popular-?people keep up with people they have known since early childhood. People prefer to do business with people they kno w and family-owned businesses are common. A colleague told me he was asked to hire a business contacts daughter during a rough time for her. She had Rosen up with her fiance and needed to figure out her future. He had hired her into a position Of considerable responsibility, without advertising for the position or interviewing other candidates. These examples indicate diffuseness and an emphasis on relationships and personal networks. 4. Individualist/Collectivist Students in my lectures commented that when dealing with western companies, they sometimes felt rushed in making decisions. They said western companies seemed to think whoever was representing them could make decisions on his/her own and that it was official to explain that they needed to consult many people within their companies to gain consensus before making a decision. This group decision making is characteristic of a collectivist orientation. I saw a television show that featured a mass game by Samsung employees. There were at least 1,000 of them, staging something like a U. S. Marching band formation, but much more complex. They formed complicated, moving pictures that changed colors and it went on for a long time. It clearly represented a huge investment of time by many people. I looked it up on the internet, and employees volunteer for this project, and competition is high among groups. This kind of coordinated activity suggests a collectivist approach to work activity. 5. Short-Term/Long-Term In Seoul and Sown, new buildings proliferated. This isnt surprising, given Koreans economic rise from poverty since World War II, but all of them seem to be built in a modern style, without design features that reflect or harmonize with older buildings. This is true in both Sown, population 1 and Seoul, a major city where skyscrapers would be expected. Theres a neighborhood in Seoul that still has old shops selling traditional crafts, but its primarily a tourist attraction. People wear modern, western clothes, with traditional Korean clothes worn only for weddings and funerals. A contact told me that Koreans are looking to the future and want to move out of the past. He characterized Sundowns local folk village and museum of a historic castle there as boring. A U. S. Colleague who trains Korean entrepreneurs commented that Korean inventors often dont have the psychological stamina necessary to develop relationships with large international companies. They tend to expect things to move quickly, and when complications arise they become frustrated and apathetic. These features suggest a short-term orientation, with little emphasis on the past, and the present and future most clearly in focus. 6. Indirect/Direct Students in my class were quite indirect in their interaction with me. They didnt respond much to my questions and asked few of their own. One of them wanted to let me know that the exercises I was assigning were uncomfortable for her, but she prefaced her complaint with a long social discussion and ended it with the comment that it was good for her to eave a different kind of work to do in class. Also, we talked about stereotypes Of Americans, and they gave only positive examples. When I asked about negative stereotypes, they said they couldnt think of any. When offered some examples, they laughed, but appeared nervous. In a museum, I was looking at exhibits with a recorded tour that listened to through earphones. After each exhibit I was instructed to move to the next and push a button to hear about it. The instructions, when telling me to start the next recording, were How about pressing the button to hear about the ext exhibit? These are the most indirect instructions Ive ever received. The fact that they were translated into English in this form suggests a very indirect orientation. 7. Neutral/Expressive People were very quiet in public situations-?on trains, in my hotel and on the street. The hotel was almost silent, and although my room was near the elevator, which worried me initially, never heard a sound from people getting on or off, as is common in the U. S. People were also subdued in their physical movements, with few gestures. When they ran, they kept their arms at their sides. I noticed that people were more talkative and emotive in casual situations, but even then not particularly noisy. 8. Monochromatic/Picaroon Public transportation was very predictable, and people were on time for meetings. I didnt notice excessive attention to watches or hurrying through meals, but activities seemed to begin and end on schedule. There was no multitasking during my presentations to the entrepreneurs there. People waited till breaks to check their phones or computers. They didnt get up and leave to take phone calls. These behaviors suggest a monochromatic orientation.

Free Essays on Misinformed Children

Misinformed Children In Western society gender roles have been a constant, yet pervasive form of personal identification. Both girls and boys are taught, explicitly and implicitly, what gender-identified behaviors are expected from them. For example, girls are given dolls and tea sets, while boys are given balls and toy trucks. Although this is not directly aimed at teaching children how to behave, it is part of a socially identified trend. For years our children have internalized gender role stereotypes from songs, books, magazines, television, movies, etc. They perceive this information as reality and compare it with their knowledge and ideas about the real world. They are not able to think abstractly and realize what they are witnessing does not reflect the norms of society. Many believe that gender roles are the result of innate biological differences between men and women. This ideal suggests that men are better suited to hold positions of power, while women are better suited to look after the hom e and children. These gender stereotypes are now considered limiting and damaging to all involved, men and women alike, from the time they are children. Gender stereotypes have in enormous affect on young children, especially those in the media. The media has a considerable impact on children’s perceptions of the real world, thus distorting their views of gender roles and creating gender stereotypes. In today’s society the television, which is prominent in many households, is not only a source of entertainment, but also a source of information. According to recent research, on average, children spend 3.3 hours a day watching television. It is almost inevitable that television, as a learning source, has an important role in helping the â€Å"vulnerable and impressionable† minds of children to develop certain social roles and behavior traits. Television provides the framework for what is considered acceptable and unacceptable in ou... Free Essays on Misinformed Children Free Essays on Misinformed Children Misinformed Children In Western society gender roles have been a constant, yet pervasive form of personal identification. Both girls and boys are taught, explicitly and implicitly, what gender-identified behaviors are expected from them. For example, girls are given dolls and tea sets, while boys are given balls and toy trucks. Although this is not directly aimed at teaching children how to behave, it is part of a socially identified trend. For years our children have internalized gender role stereotypes from songs, books, magazines, television, movies, etc. They perceive this information as reality and compare it with their knowledge and ideas about the real world. They are not able to think abstractly and realize what they are witnessing does not reflect the norms of society. Many believe that gender roles are the result of innate biological differences between men and women. This ideal suggests that men are better suited to hold positions of power, while women are better suited to look after the hom e and children. These gender stereotypes are now considered limiting and damaging to all involved, men and women alike, from the time they are children. Gender stereotypes have in enormous affect on young children, especially those in the media. The media has a considerable impact on children’s perceptions of the real world, thus distorting their views of gender roles and creating gender stereotypes. In today’s society the television, which is prominent in many households, is not only a source of entertainment, but also a source of information. According to recent research, on average, children spend 3.3 hours a day watching television. It is almost inevitable that television, as a learning source, has an important role in helping the â€Å"vulnerable and impressionable† minds of children to develop certain social roles and behavior traits. Television provides the framework for what is considered acceptable and unacceptable in ou...

Stereotypes Essays - Stereotypes, Social Psychology, Discrimination

Stereotypes Essays - Stereotypes, Social Psychology, Discrimination Stereotypes Stereotypes are the organizational factors that virtually shape the way we think in 20th century America. They somehow manage to categorize some of lifes most complex matters into nice distinct sections. Classifications and organization, at first glance seem to be useful in distinguishing various aspects of modern life. However, these grouping methods can be very inaccurate, leaving erroneous ideas in the minds of citizens on a global level. Stereotypes, though originating as convenient sorting mechanisms, instead, influence our thinking process. By instituting broad categories, establishing virtually immovable terms, and, often, being mistakenly identified as facts, stereotypes affect the mental process of humans. Originally used as an organizational tool, stereotypes were simply broad generalizations about subject matters. These ideas werent necessarily meant to cause the feelings of anger that they do today, but to classify ideas. However, possibly the most apparent problem with stereotypes is that the sort very intricate subject matter into large, broad categories. For example, human beings are too complex to use generalizations like, all blondes are dumb or all smart people are nerds. Stereotypes use wide terms, to simplify subject matter, but this attempt often ends in an inaccurate result. Despite their wide generalizations, stereotypes establish virtually immovable terms. For example, Third World countries were hastily grouped together not because of social or economic similarities, but out of convenience. Since that time, the industrialized nations have harbored this stereotype that the third world is land of starving children and savage tribes. Despite decades of vast improvement, this stereotype remains unchanged. This rigid stereotype has caused many citizens to embrace a false view of the Third World nations and its citizens. Stereotypes, clearly, should not be mistaken for factual information. Although there may be a certain amount of truth to the statement, the generalization is often inaccurate. Unfortunately, many people believe this information to be not only truthful, but factual. Since most Americans have not visited a Third World country, they believe many misconceptions to be true. In reality, these stereotypes are often wrong. They may apply in some instances, but they should not be considered factual. Through establishing broad categories, creating immovable terms, and being mistakenly identified as facts, stereotypes often place inaccurate ideas in the peoples minds. They have a huge impact on the thought process and ideas. As increasingly more and more people become aware of this error, many of the stereotypes we now embrace will become obsolete. Works Consulted Lane, Charles. Lets Abolish the Third World. Thinking Globally. Andrew E. Robson. McGraw-Hill: United States of America, 1997. 155 160.

Gays marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gays marriage - Essay Example Some countries such as New Zealand and Uruguay have enacted and passed laws legalizing gay marriages and which await implementation in August this year. Laws legalizing gay marriages have faced many hurdles in the passage and implementation in many countries. This is because recognition of gay marriages is a social, religious, political, human rights as well as civil issue in several countries and societies in the world (Scherer 45). Several debates continue to emerge everyday concerning legalizing gay marriages. Such marriages are performed in a religious or secular civil ceremony. Some religious faith groups permit gay marriages and these include the American Episcopalians, United Church of Africa, Quakers, Buddhism in Austria, and Conservative Jews among others (Scherer 45). According to various researches conducted in many countries, majority of people with higher levels of education support gay marriages (Chenier 19). Such support is greater among the youths than the aged. Most pollsters in western countries indicate that a majority of people continue to support gay marriages regardless of race, religions, political affiliations, ethnicities, as well as socioeconomic statuses among others. In US, residents of states such as Maryland, Maine, and Washington voted in favor of legalizing gay marriages. ... For instance, the proponents argue that prohibiting gay marriages infringes on the right of man to socialize with any person he or she wishes and seems appropriate (Saad 1). Moreover, they claim that prohibition of gay marriages is discriminatory since it categorizes people. Consequently, banning of same sex marriages infringes on the right to equal treatment of all persons regardless of sex, gender , religion, social status, race just to mention a few. According to court papers filed by American scientific associations, mockery of gay marriages contributes to discrimination of the people involved in the practice (Larocque 23). In addition, since nobody prefers or likes to be discriminated against, banning of such marriages exposes such people to various forms of discrimination. According to scientific information, marriage enhances the well-being of parents thereby, ensuring children benefit from marriage (Larocque 23). Therefore, legalizing gay marriages will improve the well-being of the couples thus, ensuring that children reared by the couple benefit to the maximum. Moreover, scientific research argues that children reared by parents engaged in gay marriages are as healthy and fit as those raised by heterosexual parents. However, the opponents of gay marriages claim that legalizing such marriages goes against the social norms, which have been respected for long time. These people argue that gay marriages arise from couples that are heterosexism or homophobic. Since such people fear or do not like associating with the opposite sex, they get comfort and consolation from people of the same sex (Mann 156). Therefore, these people are not free with the opposite sex, thus have a problem in the society. Moreover, the opponents of same sex marriage

Discuss to what extent the role of Groupthink in the Challenger Space Essay

Discuss to what extent the role of Groupthink in the Challenger Space Shuttle was critical to the incident and suggest ways in which the situation might have been avoided - Essay Example Groupthink theory, and the model resulting from it, is one of the most prominent efforts to try and explain decision-making outcomes in organizations (Whyte, 1998). This theory is considered useful in the explanation of one of the most prominent disasters of modern time. In 1986, NASA launched a space mission in which the space shuttle Challenger was to deliver astronauts and a school teacher to space. This mission was supposed to be a bold statement that space travel was safe and NASA had made advances in space program that would be educationally beneficial to all Americans. This paper examines the decisional process that culminated to the fateful disaster that befell Challenger and its crew, sparking so many questions on NASA’s organization and its safety ethics. The paper particularly examines the role of groupthink theory in the disaster. After the introduction the paper provides a brief description of the Challenger disaster, it then discusses groupthink as was presented by Janis (1982). A big part of the paper is dedicated to examining the role of groupthink in the Challenger disaster after which suggestions are provided about how the disaster would have been avoided. The paper then ends with a brief conclusion summarising the key issue s discussed. In 1986 NASA launched what was to be its safest mission into space which was supposed to usher in an era of safe space travel. However, this was not to be as disaster struck shortly after the launching of the space shuttle Challenger. The shuttle exploded mid-air killing all crew and leaving NASA with the responsibility of explaining decisions leading to the accidents. Immediately after the shock of the disaster that befell Challenger, the public was demanding answers about how and why the accident took place (Solomon, 2006). Public investigations by a presidential commission set up for that purpose

Implementation of an IT Project †A First Hand Account Essay Example for Free

Implementation of an IT Project – A First Hand Account Essay With innovation of computers, the business world is changing very fast as seen during the last 3 decades. Due to the advances in IT and Communications technology, the world has become a global village. The business opportunities have multiplied due to opening up of global markets. But so have the challenges. No economy is isolated or transparent from rest of the economies. Industries are expected to offer custom designed products at most competitive rates in shortest possible time. Even the multinational organizations operating in many countries across the world have been facing these challenges. One of the answers to these challenges they have been relying upon is to introduce Information Communications Technology in their organizations and leverage upon them to meet these challenges. In this document, we describe a case of one company in a country. This company was a part of a US based multinational group which decided to implement Oracle e Business 11i suite at all its units worldwide so as to consolidate required information at its headquarters at US. To comply with the requirement, this unit also decided to implement Oracle e Business Suite at its plant offices. How this implementation was planned, what were the objectives, what measures were taken to ensure conformity with the project plan, how the changeover to new software was planned, how the business associates were affected and what steps were initiated to ensure that the envisaged benefits actually accrue, is described in this document. Also various activities right from the initiation of the project, the project organization, roles and responsibilities, communications and reporting with the principals are also described. Implementation of an IT Project – A First Hand Account : EXCEL Auto Components Pvt Ltd EACL (a hypothetical name) is a part of a multinational EXCEL Group having its headquarters in US and group companies located all over the world. The Group is engaged in manufacture of engines, compressors, generating sets automobile components worldwide. EACL is engaged in manufacture of Automobile and engine components. Much of the orders received by EACL being repeat orders, are based on exiting design and technology. Besides these, there are sizable number of orders based on the same technology but involve a fresh design and prototype development, before the commercial production takes place. EACL is a subsidiary company of Excel Industries Ltd EIL which the main company of the group within the country. EIL centralizes many activities of the group and looks after these activities of the group companies in that country. Information Communication Technology is one of such activities which EIL handles for all group companies in the country. EIL handles IT Infrastructure management, Software Applications Management and other related activities for all group companies in the country. Recently the Corporate HQ at US has announced a decision to standardize on Business Application Software, directing all group companies worldwide to implement and switch over to Oracle 11i e Business Suite within a period of 18 months. Accordingly all companies had implemented and switched over to Oracle 11i except for EACL where the implementation had to be called of for various reasons, lack of in-house IT staff being one of them. Later on it was taken up once again. This time EIL Looked for an IT Consultant to be placed on site with the total responsibility of implementing Oracle 11i, with the help of Functional Consultants from EIL and a cross functional team of users from EACL. A person was found suitable and was placed on site at EACL to handle complete, end to end implementation of this project. He was to report to Lies Program Manager and was to be assisted by a Project Team comprising of 6 Functional Consultants from EIL and 5 Key Users from EACL, drawn from relevant functional areas. While EIL consultants had prior experience of Oracle ii1 implementation in their own company, EACL Consultants did not have any experience even of other ERP Products or any other applications. They – like most other users of EACL, had an exposure limited only to Microsoft Office Suite. However, most of them were young, fresh Mechanical Engineers very enthusiastic about the project. Similarly for EIL also this was their maiden experience to implement Oracle 11i at a company other than their own company. So everyone was totally charged up to take up this challenge. The assignment was clear for the Project Manager. Oracle 11i e Business Suite comprising of Financial, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management and Order Management Modules was required to be implemented within a time frame of 6 calendar months with the help of the Project Team assigned. CEO of EACL was fully backing this project and he had publicly instructed two senior most managers at the site – Plant Head and Finance Controller – to ensure full support resource commitments to the project. The Project implementation required to covered Plant as well as a Marketing office located in two different cities. CEO was also located in the Marketing Office. Objectives : The Objectives set out for the project included 20% reduction in investment in Inventory due to savings in inventory carrying cost and improvement in the planning process, Reduction in throughput time by 20% (increase i production sales and improvement in sales margins), Fast Order Execution with 90% on time delivery. Another significant objective was Confirming to standardization as laid down by the corporate group so as to facilitate group consolidation of information. Besides, the changeover was required to be transparent to the outside world i. e. the Business Associates. Investment : Since EACL was already running a home grown ERP Product, it already had in place the Client PCs, LAN, connectivity to EIL where Oracle 11i server was located. Some augmentation of resources like PCs printers, up-gradation of the bandwidth was required. EIL had already accounted for and arranged for the Software Licenses for ERP RDBMS Products for all group companies in the country. Fresh investment called for was related to the Fees payable to the Project Manager and the visits by the EIL functional team for implementation. How well the project met its investment objectives and what mechanisms would you suggest to allow ongoing evaluation of benefits realization? The Project Objectives were met very well. A fresh Bill of Materials was designed for regular items to be produced. Items requiring design development were defined separately in BOM. While this introduced some redundancy in the BOM, this resulted into reduction of many duplicated items from the BOM and thereby, from the stock. This drastically reduced the investment needed in Inventory. Items needed for development production were segregated such that production items do not get consumed in development vice-versa. The production cycle was mapped to a production process that had certain in-between milestones where items were issued and quality checks were performed. This resulted in reducing the number of days for which an item was stocked and also, control further movement of the semi finished product in case of a quality problem, such that the same could be reprocessed, rechecked for quality and forwarded only if the quality problem was resolved. Earlier the quality problem got detected only at the end of production cycle resulting in much more wastage of material, labor overheads. Marketing Manufacturing had more informed and accurate judgment of the cost and time estimates for a product at the time of accepting an order. Improved control over production process along with more accurate promise of delivery resulted in 90% on time deliveries. In case of a quality problem, only the immediately preceding steps needed to be repeated upsetting only that part of the process as against upsetting the entire process earlier. This also resulted in fewer rejections or defects in the production. Linking Sales Order right from planning stage till invoice dispatch advice virtually eliminated misplaced deliveries or wrong products being delivered. With more accurate accounting and posting of transactions, carrying out physical stock taking less frequently was also a possibility. All this was accompanied by a complete visibility over entire production process to the plant head. In this way, the project actually exceeded the anticipated benefits. Post implementation, certain benchmarks for performance were decided and periodically the cumulative actual performance was measured based upon these benchmarks. For example, Regular and extra hours needed for given quantum of production, reduction in inventory, on time delivery %, i. E delivery performance, value added during a period. Appropriate reports were designed and made available to the Finance Controller, Plant Head and the CEO. The effectiveness of stakeholder engagement activities during the project. Employees and Heads of all Departments including the Plant Head the Finance Controller were among the stakeholders. However, the main stakeholder was the CEO – he had sanctioned the investment, worked out what benefits to expect how, had a calculation of no of days within which the changeover had to be completed (termed Black Out period) and regular operations resumed on the new system. Business associates were not to be caused any disturbance due to the change over (excepting a blackout period of 5 days) and above all, a project of a given size and complexity affecting every employee in every corner of the organization had to be completed as scheduled with mathematical precision. The main stakeholder that is the CEO took a lot of interest and a keen interest in every aspect of the project. He participated in understanding, reviewing approving the requirements formulated, understood how the prototype presented offered to fulfill these requirements, he provided directions to the project team and other employees regards various activities related with the project, intervened whenever a help was sought in anticipation of a bottleneck or a deviation apprehended from the plan. He always had a positive contribution to offer in terms of identifying typical scenarios that might be encountered or regards the training of the end users or in ensuring 100% and timely attendance of the members in all project events. This propagated a clear message across that the project has to be completed, on time and with contribution from everyone with no exception and zero tolerance. He always supported implementation of new ideas like maintenance of Time Sheets for the Project Team or conducting tests to assess the learning of the trainees. He mandated the contribution to this project by an employee be counted during the periodic appraisals. In all his communications with the employees he never failed to stress the importance of the project, praising efforts of those who did well and pulling up the laggards, warning them to come up to expectations. He studied every fortnightly report with interest and took appropriate action based upon the same in time. He also attended every review presentation and tried to bring out the maximum from everyone. He ensured that not only he himself but also the Plant Head and Finance Controller provided immediate response to Project Team Members for any help or intervention desired. The same spirit was displayed both by the Plant Head as well as by the Finance Controller. They arranged for all required resources to be made available for the team. What provision was made during the development phase to facilitate roll-out during the implementation stage, and how effective this was ? Many provisions were made during the development phase to ensure a smooth roll out during the implementation stage. The provisions were related with the systems as well as with the operations. Systems : A training to the EACL Consultants was provided on the product right at the beginning of the project. Thereafter they were closely associated with the corresponding members of the CIL Team in related functions to learn from them. They were asked to take up the initiative to develop the Operational Manual for their functional area which was reviewed and finalized in consultation with EIL Consultants. They were made responsible for testing the prototype against the requirements by way of test data, preparing test data visualizing typical exceptional â€Å"scenarios† that might be encountered, carrying out an integrated testing covering certain transactions encompassing all functional areas and finally, the load testing to assess the capability of the infrastructure to sustain the number of concurrent users envisaged. They also imparted training to the end users so that they are better prepared themselves and develop a sound knowledge. They also assessed the performance of the end users by setting up question papers for these trainees. Hardware and Software requirements considering the eventual number of users was reviewed and necessary enhancements were carried out to make the infrastructure adequate for live run. Document forms and preprinted stationery in line with the standardization requirements were designed and procured in time before the switchover. Menu Access Permissions and Transaction Authorization Set Up was designed and set up in the software. Operations : There was a blackout period required to complete the processing in the old system, transfer the balances masters to the new system and resume operations in the new system. The CEO insisted that this must not exceed 5 days failing which the business may be adversely affected. As regards the provisions made in operations, certain actions were planned to be taken and completed before the commencement of the blackout period e. g. clearing deliveries against all sales orders. Certain actions were suspended for the duration of the blackout period i. e. placing fresh purchase orders or accepting deliveries. All Business Associates were informed about the changeover and the black out period preceding it to enable them to plan their activities accordingly. A detailed meeting was conducted between the Project Team, Finance Controller and the Plant Head along with all Departmental Heads and an elaborate plan of action naming the concerned responsible person was chalked out well before the beginning of the black out period. This eventually resulted into a smooth changeover with no adverse impact on the Business associates – all within a black out period of 3 days against the 5 days planned. How effective were the governance and reporting arrangements, particularly in assuring delivery to time, budget and quality, and how were key stakeholders involved – both formally and informally – in these arrangement ? There was plenty of information maintenance and reporting but the tempo set by the project never made it look like a burden. Plenty of reporting was carried out to different groups in different ways. Firstly the Project Team was made to sit close to each other to facilitate communication between them. There used to be a meeting among the team members everyday where required information on current status against the plan was exchanged. In addition, the Team Members submitted a Time Sheet giving hour wise break up of total activities planned for the day and actually carried out This constituted a critical input regards the progress of work and helped in promptly identifying potential bottlenecks and deviations for initiating suitable action. In addition, there was a meeting every day between the Project Teams of EACL CIL even if they were not at the same location. The Project Manager had a daily round of appraising the Program manager about the status of activities. In addition, Project Manager maintained a day wise information on different event / developments in the project and periodically shared the same in confidence with the Program Manager by way of an informal reporting. A weekly progress report was submitted by the Project Manager to the CEO, Plant Head, Finance Controller, Program Manager, Infrastructure Manager. Both the progress along with the anticipated bottlenecks along with remedial action planned were reflected in the report. Periodic Presentations were delivered to CEO in presence of all Departmental Heads including the Plant Head Finance Controller wherein the progress, forthcoming activities and anticipated problems and their solutions were discussed. A Centralized Project Database was maintained by IT Group at US for all IT Projects initiated worldwide. Periodically at the end of every milestone all relevant documents as prescribed in the Project Methodology were submitted to this database. This was followed by a presentation made to the Steering Committee Members comprising of senior personnel from EACL, CIL US HQ. Only upon receiving approval for a phase, the next phase was entered into. Daily interactions with Project Team with the help of Time Sheets led to assessment of the progress. Interactions between two Project Teams brought out further tasks to be initiated and provided an idea about the time estimates and criticality. Reporting to Program Manager, CEO Steering Committee resulted in receiving guidance regards the project and eliminating the bottlenecks and problems. Presentations with CEO ensured cooperation from all Departments. Thus every formal or informal communication or reporting had served its intended purpose. Besides this, there always was a freedom to make a need based call to anyone with appropriate response and action sure to come by. While the project involved a lot of work, called for detailed planning and close monitoring and had many complexities, it was also not without the lighter moments. Following every milestone, there was required to be a get together of the Project Teams and he Departmental Heads where a lot of formal and informal interaction used to take place making its own contribution to the success of the project. Scheduling such a get together following each milestone was also a part of the project plan and a subject of Project Review ! The project management methodology used and its contribution to the success (or otherwise) of the project. The Project Management Methodology followed was one that was developed by the IT Department of the Corporate IT Group itself and broadly, it was a prototype oriented methodology. It was a tried and tested methodology already put into practice at the group companies within the country. Among the very first activities in the project was to depute the Project Manager for undergoing a training on this methodology and specifically, the documentation which was standardized across all companies in the world within the group. This methodology made everything so simple to understand and help ensuring that once we start religiously practicing the methodology, we did not miss out on anything in the course of the project. Particularly noteworthy in the methodology was a process of IT Requests Management. It handled the entire process from initiating an it request to providing all required details about it to seeking and enabling required authorizations, assigning the work till completion, testing certification of the results, configuration management and finally, approving the satisfactory completion of the IT Request by the request initiator. Entire process was handled by a software, which facilitated electronic approvals to the requests. This process accepted only those IT Requests which were backed by relevant details, having appropriate authorization from the concerned departmental heads, feasibility assessment by the Functional Technical Consultants, approval by the IT Program Manager assignment of the same to functional / technical consultant for compliance. Once completed, the relevant software was tested on a separate system, approved by the IT Program Manager and only thereafter the software was allowed to be transferred to the production server. Finally the initiator of the request was required to confirm that the request has been complied with to his satisfaction – a precondition for treating it to be completed. Thus Change Management was appropriately controlled in the project. The Documents to be maintained for the project related with the quality aspects, risk assessment and mitigation, investments, benefits anticipated, project plan, impact on IT Infrastructure currently in use, manpower currently deployed so on – in short, touching all aspects that are concerning the project. The Group IT Dept at US had a Project Document Repository where the documents were required to be posted before each Steering Committee Meeting. This enforced appropriate handling of quality, risk, time, investment, benefits other aspects to be clearly defined beforehand and their achievement during the course of the project. The Project phases also included a Post Production Review phase where the post implementation benefits were compared with the anticipated benefits. As regards this project, requirements were collected and a prototype developed so as to fulfill the requirements. The prototype was demonstrated and further tuned based upon the feedback of the end users. Next, the prototype was given to the end users for testing – testing with test data, testing with specific â€Å"scenarios† prepared to test typical conditions or situations anticipated. This was followed by an integration testing i. e. testing encompassing multiple functions to test the integration and finally, the load testing to measure the adequacy of the infrastructure to support the given number of users as envisaged. After such exhaustive testing and based upon the feedback received, the prototype was fine tuned and the software set up for production. Conclusion : The Oracle 11i e Business implementation was already planned as to what needs to be implemented, how and within what time ! It touched almost all employees in all functions at all offices of the organization. The time allowed for changeover was limited to 5 days. The in-house Key Users were with no major exposure to IT and especially, ERP. Every milestone was required to be reviewed and approved by the IT Team at US the Steering Committee. All this called for a very detailed planning and an extremely time bound execution with hardly any scope for deviation. The eventual consolidation with Group Headquarters and visibility over complete data by them made it totally transparent to them, also making quality assurance a pre-requisite. Obviously with most of the major investment having already been made, the project was required to be completed within the budget. To ensure a smooth implementation, major thrust came from the CEO and continued throughout the implementation. The determining factor that led to the success of the project was the high motivational level of the project team which could be raised and sustained throughout the project. Once this was achieved, execution of every project activity became a simple affair. Another major factor was the anticipation of bottlenecks and problems raised by the Project Manager initiation of actions to control the same. Emphasis on preparation and testing of scenarios eliminated chances of facing any surprises after the implementation. Detailed planning carried out for the black out period was a significant step in ensuring a quick and smooth changeover. Thus the Project was a grand success story !

The Religion of Money in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby - Essay

The Religion of Money in The Great Gatsby      Ã‚  Ã‚   Near the beginning of George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara, Mr. Undershaft exclaims in retort of another's question, "well, I am a millionaire, and that is my religion" (Shaw 103). Many people look toward the heavens in search of the power to enable them to live in the world. Others, like Shaw's Mr. Undershaft, look toward more earthly subjects to obtain their power and symbolize their status. Often these subjects, such as money, wealth, or physical beauty and ability, give their owners an overbearing sense of power and ability in all of that they do. Some people become so obsessed with their materialistic power that it becomes their religion and leads them in everything that they do. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, the character of Tom Buchanan is introduced and portrayed as someone who has allowed his physical abilities, money, and wealth, become his religion and lead him in his actions, perceived thoughts and beliefs, and speech.    Nick, the first person narrator of The Great Gatsby, introduces Tom as a "national figure in a way, one of those men who reach such an acute limited excellence at twenty-one that everything afterwards savours of anti-climax" (Fitzgerald 10). In college at New Haven, Tom relied on his physical abilities, as "one of the most powerful ends that ever played football" (Fitzgerald 10), as well as inherited wealth to give him the power and prestige to be perceived as better than the best. In the beginning of his college career, as Nick seems to suggest, it was this supreme physical ability on the football field that allowed Tom to have supreme reign over all off the field. But, after college, the football legacy ended, and with it, Tom'... ...lected to "make a short deft movement [that] broke her nose with his open hand" (Fitzgerald 41) rather than admit that the other party could do something without his explicit permission.    From his first introduction early in the first chapter of The Great Gatsby to the end of the second, Tom strives to constantly remind everyone around him of his power through his actions, thoughts, and speech. Like royal subjects loyal to their king, he believes that everyone is under him and should respect and obey his every wish. Through the mastery of Fitzgerald's poetic hand, a character has been created to which wealth has become a religion and god has become a personification of himself.    Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner-Simon, 1992. Shaw, George Bernard. Pygmalion and Major Barbara. New York: Bantom Books, 1992.

Original Writing Coursework

I always knew I was different, but it wasn't until I hit the 4 or 5 mark, when I first started interacting with other children my age, that I realised I wasn't normal, and in this culture, not being normal, was bad. I started to realise I was unique in lots of small situations, such as in class the teachers would ask us if we knew the answer, the other children would comply and quite often get it wrong. How often I lay awake wondering, if they could do what I do, would there be any need for this? Is it all a sham? That was when the paranoia set in, the endless tumbling or random thoughts in my mind as they swirled around questioning every flicker in another persons eye, every dodgy look sent my way was examined analysed and pondered. At such a young age of course this had a negative impact on me, and I was very much alone in that place, as the other children avoided me because in my own way I shunned them, alienated them, to afraid to get to close to them, to insecure really, all bec ause of this, this ‘gift' I had. If I was a second rate charlatan, in some country fete that sat in the back of a dark tent with a scrap of cloth across my eyes, I would claim I could read minds, and then it would be a case of off I go to the mental hospital; â€Å"Hello miss, I can read your mind, and I know just how much you despise us and if you had your way you would hang us from the third floor window.† No. This is not what people want to know, just imagine how much they would spurn you, if they knew just how deeply into them you could travel, just how closely you could experience their emotions, like a rollercoaster, a back seat passenger in the ride of their life. So I kept quiet, and eventually over the years I have learned how to use my gift to my own advantage, and yes, I call it my gift because, as I like to imagine, it was given to me for some higher reason. Why? You ask, wondering why such an amazing thing would be bestowed upon some middle-class girl with no real experiences under her belt except the ones she has felt through leaching the minds of others. Maybe that is the answer to your question, give a girl, exactly the same as me in every way, apart from she has grown up in a starving family of seven, their every day, week, month is a struggle for ample food and warmth. How overwhelming would my gift be to that poor girl? Not only is she experiencing her own torrid state, but sevenfold from her extensive, suffering family. Do you think she could handle this? Would she be able to explore it? Question it? Try to understand it to the extent I have? I often like to think there was a reason I was chosen, not just a freak clash of genetics in the womb and hey-presto she's a mutant. Every day I wonder how and why I will use it, and I hope one day it will become clear, that my mind will suddenly expand and I will just know, like in those films you see and everything is so blurry and out of focus to them and some divine intervention occurs and it all becomes razor sharp and resolute. Until then I continue as normal, living every day as easily as I can, learning always the extend and limitations of my abilities, such as I can't send thoughts, I seem to be more like a receiver than a transmitter. However on one very unusual day it seemed that I linked the minds of two people, I've never really understood how, or why, or even if it really took place, but deep down I know that I did, and it has perplexed me ever since . The two subjects were a boy and a girl, they had only one class with me, and in this class they were forever holding hands, continuously whispering and having those shared ‘moments' which they find so special but the rest of the room find nauseating. Anyway, I was on something I like to call ‘open mode' where I allow the shallow superficial thoughts of the people in the room to wash over me, meaning it needs little or no concentration from me, and I found it very soothing. However a sharp spike of emotion punctured the noise, which in a metaphorical sense is very much like screaming into a noisy room, everything went silent as my gift zoomed in on this one particular mind. It turned out to be the boy, who was sat at the back with this girl, his arm casually slung across the back of her chair, his face lit up with easy laughter, but his thoughts were like dirt, they had an aura of a bad smell which left me nauseated. As it turned out the boy was sleeping with his girlfriends so called best friend and my god did he revel in it! It wasn't just the smug masculine thought of it, he was actually proud of himself, of the thought he could break this girls heart to pieces if he wanted, he loved the control and had absolutely no compassion for this girl he was cruelly playing. How angry I was, that this boy even dared to do something like this, and then so nonchalantly continue, be so happy about what he was doing, in some small way I pitied him, but only very briefly, and this small shred was overwhelmed and converted to anger as quickly as it had occurred. How I wished the girl could know, that she could see this cess pit lurking behind this pretty boy faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade, and I think that's what did it, my pure raw emotion connected the two, only briefly, but it was enough. The girl must of seen something in the boy, a glimpse of what I had encountered, and it scared her, so much so that she distanced he rself from him, she never did fully realise why she ran away from him, but ultimately I think she knew she had done the right thing, she had spared herself. See is this what I'm here for? To protect girls from their unfaithful other halves? I like to think not, but at the same time I was just happy I was accomplishing something with my gift, at a time when I was still to naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve to know what I could really accomplish, just how far I could go. For years I wondered what I was to become, I did well in all my exams, as the questions I didn't know I could glean from the minds of others, and yes it is cheating, but no-where in the rules is mind reading prohibited, so I used it to my advantage. Even when my education was over I was still perplexed, every day was a constant annoyance as I tried to figure out how best to use my gift, to what mundane earthly job was it suited for? I quizzed myself non-stop, losing sleep and growing more irritable, and at this point I lived alone in a small shabby flat in Sheffield, so I was allowed no reprieve from my thoughts. I was working a full time job in the local supermarket, taking a gap year to save some money before I finally got my act together and applied at a university, finally figured my sorry state out. And yes eventually it did happen, like I had hoped it would a blinding flash of illumination came over me, it wasn't anywhere special, there was no earth-shattering clash of thunder, the heavens didn't suddenly open, no. I was sat talking on my phone, my frozen hands clutching the small thing to my ear and my entire body shook continuously to warm itself up. We were talking about mindless girl stuff if I remember, she was telling me about some show she had been watching, and oh it was so exciting and I just had to see it, well me being an ice block I just murmured back an unintelligible response. Suddenly she stopped her babbling and started tutting and sighing theatrically. ‘I honestly don't know who writes all this, but it's all lies anyway.' Being quite used to her vague tangents I inquired further, ‘Well these bloody Politicians' came back her heated answer, ‘They just get someone else to write their speeches and cart out the same old promises year after year, and how much of it is ever actually put into practice? None' However I had stopped listening to her, because this was what I had been waiting for, babbling excitedly into the phone I apologised profusely to her and promised to call her back later. No longer cold from my excitement I keyed in my parents home number from memory, almost falling over in my tension as it rang. ‘Hello?' My Dad. Breathless I gabbled into the phone ‘Dad, I want to be a Politician.'

Intercultural communication Essay

The power distance refers to the closeness, or lack thereof, between a person of authority and his or her subordinates. Those that hold the power of authority, that is those people who can bring about a change of some type, are also, many times, those who present with some type of symbol of their authority when attending a meeting, or otherwise on display. For example, in an Arabic country, a person in authority might wear a richly decorated robe and head covering while those in subordinate roles might be dressed in a less elaborate robe and plain head covering or a suit. The language one uses also denotes their position of authority. For example, a person in authority in a more democratic and informal society would usually address a subordinate by his or her given first name instead of using a salutation such as Mr or Ms along with the person’s last name as would be the case in a more formal, less democratic culture. In addition, there is ample body language displayed both by the person in authority and by those whose are not in authority. A person of authority will usually command a presence in a room by presenting oneself in the front and center of a group of people. Subordinates to the person in power will flank that person by standing back away and behind the person in authority. Indeed, depending on the culture of the person in authority, that person will either talk to their subordinates in an aloof way that can seem to be almost rude to someone that is unused to it. The countries that demand this sort of communication include those located in the Arab speaking areas of the world, as well as Russia and China. In other cultures, such as those found in Australia, Canada, and Japan, there is more of an egalitarian mood to the interactions between a person with the power of authority and their subordinates. This is characterized by mutual respect between both parties that is not found in those more conservative countries.

The realities of Tourism and Economic Development

The realities of Tourism and Economic Development Introduction According to Harcombe (2012), tourism can be defined as travelling for business, pleasure or recreational purposes. Different scholars have advanced many other definitions of tourism to introduce or cover different components of this activity. However, in all these definitions, it is evident that tourism is an activity that individuals engage in to escape the daily routine of life.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The realities of Tourism and Economic Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the modern world, we relate tourism to accommodation in five stars hotels, a vacation in exotic islands with sandy beaches, camping and driving in national parks and game reserves, as well as visiting famous places of the world, such as the Taj Mahal, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Grand Canyon and so on. From this description, people always tend to believe that tourism is an activity of the modern days. T his assumption is however wrong. Tourism has been existing since the early days of civilization. There are historic reports of wealthy people travelling around the world for fun and expeditions. In ancient Rome, for instance, the wealthy people used to visit Baiae, a coastal region with beautiful beaches. However, it is after the Renaissance then the Industrial Revolution that people of the middle class began to be actively involved in tourism (Harcombe, 2012). Given these facts, this paper will focus on the impacts that tourism has on the growth and sustainability of the economy. A Focus on Tourism The level of tourism has increased at a tremendous rate after the end of the World War II. This trend has been attributed to the increase in disposable income and the rise of the middle class within the population who had disposable money to spend on luxury. At the same time, the improvement in the transportation sector, presence of luxurious hotels and other accommodation facilities, im provement in security and hospitality and most importantly, the presence of many tourist destinations capable of meeting the needs and desires of different groups of individuals have also played a critical role in enhancing tourism. It is because of these factors that governments all around the world have been aiming at enhancing tourism in their countries, through respective tourism ministries, boards and agencies.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Tourism has many effects on the society. For instance, tourism has played a critical role in achieving environmental sustainability. Tourism relies on natural resources mainly. Beaches, wildlife, and geological features are some of the factors which tourism is based on. Therefore, through tourism, these resources are managed in an effective, efficient and sustainable manner to ensure that the present and future g enerations benefit from them. Consequently, tourism has social and cultural implications. Through the tourist-host relationships, individuals tend to meet, interact and share their values and morals. Tourists usually interact with the natives. In the process of interaction, they tend to borrow some aspects of their cultures. More than often, tourists return home with souvenirs that they bought in foreign lands. At the same time, some tourists adopt the dressing, cuisine and to some extent the religious beliefs of the native communities that they have visited during vacations. Natives also experience the same trend since they also acquire some aspects of culture and behaviors of the tourists. Due to this fact therefore, it has always been stressed that individuals should adopt and pass on the values and practices that are moral to enhance the sustainability of tourism. Most importantly, tourism has great economic benefits. According to Stynes (2011), the number of international touri sts recorded in 2011 was approximately 983 million. This is one of the highest figures ever been recorded in the history of international tourism representing a growth of 4.6% as compared to 2010. In the same year, international expenditures in tourism were recorded at over $1 trillion (Harcombe, 2012). In Canada, for instance, tourism had a revenue of $55 in the year 2000 accounting for approximately 5% of the country’s GDP. At the same time, tourism during that year employed 547,000 individuals within the nation. Therefore, tourism has become one of the major earners of revenue in the economies of many nations. Tourism also provides employment and leads to the development of infrastructure. These are essential components in ensuring the growth and sustainability of the economy of a given nation. Global Impacts of Tourism In the year 2010, tourism accounted for 5% of the world’s GDP (Bull, 2010). From this analysis and the facts that have been presented in this paper so far, it is evident that tourism plays a critical role in the growth and development of the global economy. It is as a result of this fact that many nations in the world try to enhance their tourism sector as a move to achieve high economic growth and development. Tourism supports the economies of nations by acting as a source of foreign exchange. At the same time, tourism provides employment to the native communities of the host nations either directly or indirectly. Furthermore, tourism brings about the growth and development of infrastructure to support the service.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The realities of Tourism and Economic Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a result, tourism activities play a critical role in bringing about modernity, especially in developing nations. For tourists to enjoy their stay in a given destination there needs to be effective transportation and communic ation services, hospitality services, security, a stable banking system and other amenities. On these grounds therefore, governments need to develop these infrastructures and amenities in order for their nations to be regarded as the leading tourist destinations in the world. However, according to the studies that have been conducted, the impact that tourism has on the economy of a given nation is diversified. For instance, in his book, Bull (2010) asserted that tourism plays a critical role in supporting the national economy of developing countries as compared to the economies of developed nations. The report presented by the Organization for Economic Co-operation (OECD) stated that although 70% of the global revenue received in the global tourism sector originates from developed countries (OECD, n.d.). Despite this fact however, these nations still do not regard tourism as a profitable venture. The economies of developed nations are usually based on the industrial sector and the s ervice industries. Given the fact that these nations have a strong internal market and their export markets are viable, their balance of payments is usually high. The scenario is however different in the case of developing nations where the economy is predominantly based on agriculture. In these nations, the wealth difference between the rich and the poor is always high due to uneven distribution of wealth and national resources. As a result, the domestic industry of developing nation usually lacks the purchasing power required to support local industry, hence increasing the level of international imports to sustain the economy. As a result, these nations usually have a negative balance of payments where the cost of imports exceeds the revenue of exports. As it has been stated in this paper, developing nations need to transform their economy to be based on industry and the service sector to achieve medium to high economic levels of growth. To achieve this goal, the governments of th ese nations need to encourage and sustain a lot of investments to sustain industrial growth. At the same time, the government needs to improve on its service industry. This includes developing service industries such as banking and finance, transportation, healthcare and so on. To achieve all this however, developing nations need to have strong financial backing to support the capital investments that are required to establish and maintain these industries. Seeking for foreign aid and loans has been one of the main avenues that the governments of developing nations have turned to in order to achieve these development needs (Bull, 2010).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More At the same time, developing nations have turned to tourism as a source of foreign exchange and revenue to sustain their economic plans (Bull, 2010). Developed nations also have turned to this scheme to enhance economic growth but on a local level, especially in rural economies that have abundant natural resources and scenic views. The fact that developing nations rely a lot on tourism as a source of foreign exchange has played a considerable role in the development of tourism in the last 30 years (Stynes, 2011). Most nations in Africa, South East Asia and Latin America rely on tourism for economic sustainability a lot. It is as a result of this fact that tourism countries such as Kenya have become the main foreign exchange earner surpassing traditional exports from agriculture and other industries (Stynes, 2011). Therefore, the governments of developing nations set up and sustain economic investment projects to achieve the short, medium and long-term goals and objectives while usin g the revenue earned from tourism. Due to the viability of tourism and its high potential, many developing nations have come up with policies that help enhance the growth and development of the tourism sector. As a result, tourism has become one of the leading industries that support the economies of most developing nations in the world. This is because, tourism not only earn developing countries the much needed foreign exchange but it also acts as a source of employment. Unemployment is one of the major economic problems which developing nations are facing. In developing nations, unemployment affects mainly the youths that move to urban areas in search for employment opportunities. Rural-urban migration in developing nations reduces the work force that is required to sustain agricultural activities that are mainly based in rural areas. As a result, this movement not only reduces the level of agricultural exports in the nation, but also reduces food availability. Consequently, a hig h influx of unemployed individuals in urban areas leads to the development of poverty, and rise of social ills, such as prostitution and insecurity. Thus, the fact that tourism offers employment either directly or indirectly in developing nations has played a critical role in solving some of the economic problems that developing nations are facing. Through tourism, individuals are employed as tour guides, national park and game reserve managers, and as hotel employees, tours and travel staff. Tourism also offers indirect employment, especially in supporting industries developed by local communities such as curio shops. Consequently, the money raised from tourism is used to support local projects especially in rural areas through building schools, hospitals, roads and other public amenities. Thus, the level of poverty in developing nations has been reduced considerably with the aid of tourism. Economic Impacts of Tourism Apart from providing foreign exchange to the economy of a given nation, other features of tourism play a critical role in sustaining the economy of a given nation. Being a service industry, tourism offers invisible services to its consumers. The nature of the tourism industry therefore can be compared to that of the transport industry, healthcare industry or the banking sector (Bull, 2010). Therefore, the services offered by the industry occur at the point or the country where they are produced. In the process therefore, consumers enjoy the service at their tourist destination sites at the minimum price possible. The price associated with tourism is set on the free on board (FOB) basis. However, if tourism could be exported to the home countries of the consumers, then the service would cost much more given the fact that the prices would include the cost, insurance and freight (CIF). Additionally, the service would incur several taxes such as custom duty before reaching the final consumer. It is as a result of this fact that most imported goods cost more in destination countries as compared to the countries that they are manufactured in. Therefore, given the fact that the cost of tourism is set at FOB, the service is usually offered at the best price in the market. Due to its affordability, the demand for tourism has always been increasing. This phenomenon has made tourism to be one of the most profitable ventures in the world comprising about 5% of the worlds GDP in 2010 (Bull, 2010). Consequently, tourists need to utilize additional services and amenities to enhance the holiday experience in their destination areas. Therefore, host nations need to ensure that they have adequate facilities that can sustain the wants and needs of the tourists who have visited their nations. Tourists require effective accommodation services to enhance their stay in a given area. At the same time, for tourism to be sustainable, it needs to be supported with effective and efficient transport facilities, healthcare services, retail services, b anking, finance and insurance services and so on. Therefore, the introduction and development of tourism has not only enhanced the economy of the host nations from the revenue that is earned from the venture, but has also facilitated the growth of other industries as well. Given the rapid expansion of tourism, host nations, especially developing countries, find it difficult to meet the needs, desires and wants of tourists with their available facilities and infrastructure. In this respect therefore, it was important for these nations to build new infrastructures and develop existing ones to meet the needs and desires of the tourists who were visiting their nations. This move has not only supported tourism in these nations, but it has also played a critical role in the modernization of host nations, as well as enhanced the process of economic growth and development. With effective infrastructures in place, other processes and industries within the nation are improved. An improved tra nsport system improves the efficiency of transporting goods and services within a given nation. A strong security force protects a nation from internal and external threats. Consequently, the presence of a strong and reliable banking industry will result in the availability of credits and enhance a saving culture that will assist in the growth of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs). Thus, facilities that were developed to sustain tourism end up in developing and supporting other industries resulting in the economic growth and sustainability. Economic Reality of Tourism In this paper, it has been identified that tourism plays a critical role in growth and development of the economy of a given nation, especially in developing nations. Tourism achieves this by earning foreign exchange, triggering the development of the infrastructures of the host nation, providing employment and supporting the development of trade and other industries. However, this is just a vague description of how tourism affects the economy of a given nation. Thus, to understand exactly how tourism affects the economy, it is essential to conduct a multiplier analysis (Harcombe, 2012). The impacts that tourism has on the economy of a given nation cannot be measured by the amount of money they spend or the benefits they receive, but through the impact this revenue has on different realms of the economy. When a tourist spends money in a hotel for example, part of that money is used by the hotel to pay its employees, to purchase goods and services that are required to sustain the operations of the economy and so on. Consequently, employees will use their salaries to pay rent, basic expenses such as school fees, food, and so on. The landlord on the other hand will invest the money earned in other activities, probably in a welfare association or a local housing scheme. This is just but an example of how the money from tourism penetrates into the economy of a given nation. According to the mul tiplier effect, the expenditure by a tourist to enjoy the goods and services of a host nation is regarded as Frontline expenditure (Harcombe, 2012). Here, the tourist is engaged in spending activities such as transport and accommodation, food and entertainment, clothing, gifts and souvenirs, healthcare and other miscellaneous expenses. According to this analysis, this form of expenditure has direct effects on the economy of a given nation. Therefore, this expenditure as a form of expenditure is referred to as a direct multiplier since it has a direct effect on the economy. For economic growth to be achieved, the value of Frontline spending of tourism should always be higher than the cost required to import the goods and services to sustain the tourists experience (Harcombe, 2012). On the other hand, hotels, travel agencies, national parks and game reserves receive money directly from tourists. However, these agencies and organizations need to purchase goods and services within the l ocal economy to sustain their operations. For instance, a travel agency will need to employ a workforce in different departments to sustain the needs and requirements of tourists while they are at their discretion. The firm will also need to purchase tour vans, fuel and service them and most importantly, pay taxes to the government. This level of expenditure is referred to as indirect multiplier effect since the money earned from tourism is spent indirectly within the economy. At this point, it is essential to state that not all the money earned from the Frontline spending is analyzed in the indirect multiplier effect since some of this money might be lost in the form of savings, taxes, import and excise duties. The induced multiplier effect is the final level of this analysis. Induced spending is used to refer to the money that is spent on paying the wages of employees who work in the firms and agencies that are involved in tourism. Additionally, these firms pay out the profits ear ned to their shareholders in the form of dividends. Some of this money is put into savings. Thus, the expenditure of the employees, shareholders or any other individual at this level also triggers economic activities within the economy. From this analysis, tourism plays a critical role in enhancing and maintaining the economy of a given nation either through direct, indirect or induced multiplier effects. On these grounds therefore, it is evident that through tourism, many other economic activities with a given economy are initiated and sustained. Thus, the assessment of all these realms of expenditure is essential for the true economic impact of tourism on a given economy. Multiplier analysis is an effective tool to ascertain the overall performance of the tourism industry. The data and information gathered from this analysis are essential, especially in the process of decision making to determine the short term and long-term policies and strategies that can be implemented to susta in the tourism industry of a given nation and its economy at large. Negative Impacts of Tourism from an Economic Perspective This paper has effectively covered the positive impacts that tourism has on the economy of a given nation. However, this is not always the case as tourism has effects that might be detrimental to the economy of a given nation. One of the main problems that have been associated with tourism is the increased need for importing goods from overseas to meet the needs of the tourists. Tourists always want to have a home experience in their travel destinations. As such therefore, host nations need to provide perfect conditions to meet the needs and wants of the tourists. For instance, tourists might require luxurious hotel rooms, their home cuisine and additional amenities in the course of their stay at their host hotel. To meet all these demands, host nations have to import all these goods since they might not be locally available as in the case of small tourist isl ands. Thus, the cost-revenue margin from tourism is highly reduced. In this paper, it has been identified that tourism plays a critical role in developing and sustaining the global economy. Due to this fact, there are governments that strongly depend on tourism as the main source of revenue in their economies. This trend is mainly experienced in developing nations that regard tourism as the main source of foreign exchange hence supporting their economic goals and objectives. High risks have always been linked with the dependence on one industry to achieve economic sustainability. The world experienced a high level of inflation between 2008 and 2010. During this time, the amount of disposable income has been greatly reduced while the price levels including the costs associated with tourism increased. As a result, the revenue earned from tourism has been reduced during this period. At the same time, tourism is a seasonal industry. During the low season, the revenue earned in this indu stry is usually low leading to firing employees to reduce operating costs. Consequently, to ensure that tourism become a profitable and sustainable venture in a given economy, the host nation needs to develop its resources and infrastructures. However, a huge proportion of the profits that might be accrued from these investments usually leaks out of the host nation hence reducing the viability of tourism. Conclusion Over the years, tourism has grown to become of the leading global economic activities. As a result of its success, tourism plays a critical role in the growth and development of the economy at local, national and international levels. The venture not only earns host nations revenue, but also plays a critical role in providing employment, developing infrastructures and sustaining the growth and development of other industries. Despite its shortcomings, tourism plays a critical role in modernization and economic development. Therefore, measures need to be put in place to e nsure that this venture is profitable and sustainable in the short run and in the long run. References Bull, A. (2010). The Economics of Travel and Tourism. Melbourne: Longman. Harcombe, D. (2012). The Impacts of Tourism. Web. OECD (n. d.). Economic Impacts of Tourism. Retrieved from: oecd.org/cfe/tourism/economicimpactoftourism.htm Stynes, D. (2011). The Economic Impacts of Tourism: A Hand Book for Tourism Professionals. Chicago: Sage.