ANALYZE THE CORPORATE STRATEGY AND OPERATING ENVIRONMENT Essay

ANALYZE THE CORPORATE STRATEGY AND OPERATING ENVIRONMENT - Essay Example A business responds to its operating environment through the corporate strategy. Strategies need to be monitored with care with regular reviews and adjustments to make sure that they are focused on the accomplishment of organizational objectives. They involve the utilization of human resources and finances in a particular period of time through a comprehensive scheme that is targeted at achieving the business corporate goal. This paper is a critical analysis of the corporate strategy and operating environment. HRM actions that can improve the organization’s effectiveness have been discussed. Factors that can affect the operations of the business in a foreign country in comparison to the U.S. have been highlighted. There are several HRM actions that can contribute to the company being more effective and efficient. These include; flexible working, career development through training and upgrading the skills of supervisors. Flexibility can be achieved through various ways. These include policies on flexible hours. Flexibility of working hours allows fulfillment amongst the employees within the place of work as well as outside. This is usually beneficial to the business through improved productivity amongst the employees, which is attributed to job satisfaction. The employees are able to take care of family obligations as well as those of the work place (Bratton, and Gold, 2007). In that state, it is most likely that they will be more productive than working under tight schedules that do not allow them to take any other responsibility outside the paid work. The needs of employees towards work life balance are specific to individuals. These usually depend on the age, marital status, gender and oth er such factors (Bach, 2005). High productivity in employees is attributed to job satisfaction. Productivity in employees results when managers ensure flexibility in their objectives and careful analysis

Comparing IFRS To GAAP Paper Essay Example for Free

Comparing IFRS To GAAP Paper Essay There are several differences between the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and the U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The IFRS is considered more of a principles based accounting standard in contrast to U.S. GAAP which is considered more rules based. By being more principles based, IFRS, arguably, represents and captures the economics of a transaction better than U.S. GAAP. As a team me collaborated to answer the following seven questions. IFRS 2-1: In what ways does the format of a statement of financial of position under IFRS often differ from a balance sheet presented under GAAP? IFRS does not mandate a specific order or classification of accounts on the statement of financial position. In most cases, companies report assets in reverse order of liquidity. An example of the order of accounts on the statement of financial position is as follows: Long Term Assets Current Assets Shareholder Equity Long Term Liabilities Current Liabilities GAAP specifically requires that all accounts be ordered based on their degree of liquidity. Therefore, cash is usually reported first and non-current assets will be reported last. Below is an example of the order typically found on a GAAP balance sheet: Current Assets Long Term Assets Current Liabilities Long Term Liabilities Shareholder Equity IFRS 2-2: Do the IFRS and GAAP conceptual frameworks differ in terms of the objective of financial reporting? Explain. No, GAAP and IFRS maintain very similar viewpoints on the objectivity of financial data. Both of these authoritative bodies agree that financial reporting data should be relevant and faithfully represented. Information that is relevant is anything that could be viewed as useful in the eyes of an investor, creditor, or regulator. Information that is faithfully represented should conform to  industry standards and any estimates should be conservative in nature. IFRS 2-3: What terms commonly used under IFRS is synonymous with common stock and balance sheet? Balance Sheet is synonymous with the â€Å"Statement of Financial Position† and Common Stock is typically labeled as â€Å"Share Capital Ordinary† on IFRS financial statements. IFRS 3-1: Describe some of the issues the SEC must consider in deciding whether the United States should adopt IFRS. The SEC has several aspects to consider when it comes to the adoption of IFRS in the United States. First, the SEC should consider the overall costs impact this will have on businesses. It is likely that it would cost billions of dollars in new reporting expenses for U.S corporations to implement IFRS. It would also require accounting firms to vastly change their education requirements. Second, the SEC’s main job is to protect investors from fraud on public exchanges. The commission must determine whether IFRS does a better job of protecting investors from unlawful activity. IFRS 4-1: Compare and contrast the rules regarding revenue recognition under IFRS versus GAAP. Under GAAP, it is possible to use cash-basis or accrual basis accounting for revenue recognition. Under cash basis, revenue is recognized with payment is received. Under accrual basis, revenue is recognized when it becomes economically significant. GAAP has specific requirements for various industries on when an event qualifies to be recognized as revenue. IFRS has fewer requirements on revenue recognition, but follows the same basic principle of economic significance. Revenue can be recorded when t is probable that any future economic benefit associated with the item of revenue will flow to the entity and it can be measured reliably. IFRS 4-2: Under IFRS, do the definitions of revenues and expenses include gains and losses? Explain. Under IFRS, revenue is used to describe the total amount of economic benefits arising from the ordinary operating activities of a business. Therefore, it does not include non-operating gains. This principle applies equally to expenses, which do not include losses from non-operating activities. FRS 7-1: Some people argue that the internal control requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) put U.S. companies at a competitive disadvantage to companies outside the United States. Discuss the competitive implications (both pros and cons) of SOX. When it was implemented in 2002, SOX created an array of new reporting requirements for publically traded companies. While it is true that this costs American  businesses additional capital in compliance expenses, it also creates a more stable financial system. The major frauds of Enron and WorldCom were much more damaging the financial system. Overall, it reduces the risks for investors in public companies and encourages foreign direct investment. After all of the information was gathered, I could say that I have a much better understanding of the differences between the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and the U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). References: Terms Synonymous with Common Stock and Balance Sheet – IFRS2-3. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16, 2015, from http://octotutor.com/terms-synonymous-with-common-stock-and-balance-sheet-ifrs2-3/ Still in flux: Future of IFRS in U.S. remains unclear after SEC report. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16, 2015, from http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/Issues/2012/Sep/20126059.htm

Introduction to Psychology: Key Psychologists and Theories

Introduction to Psychology: Key Psychologists and Theories Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud explored the human mind more thoroughly than any other who became before him. And His is known as the Father of Psychology. His contribution to psychology are big. In 20th century, Sigmund Freud is the one of the most influential people. Besides his contribution to psychology, people are also influenced on his art and literature and even the way they bring out their children. Words like neurotic, denial, Freudian Slip, libido, anal(personality) and cathartic that used by people now’s a day was introduced by Sigmund Freud. Besides that , Sigmund Freud also known as Father of psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis is a treating method for mental illness and. Besides, psychoanalysis can also known as a theory to get know of human behaviour. During the process of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud encourage his client to sit on his couch and talk something related to their symptoms and what was in their in their mind. The Case of Anna O Bertha Pappenheim as known as Anna O. Sigmund Freud has met his turning point in this cases of Anna O. Psychology today is also influenced by the case of Anna O. Anna is a people who suffered from hysteria. A person who suffered from hysteria will exhibits paralysis, convulse, hallucinate and loss of speech without apparent physical causes. Josef Breuer the doctor of Anna and also the friend of Sigmund Freud, the one who succeed in treating anna by helping her to recall her memories of traumatic events. Josef has discussed this case with Freud and out of these discussion came of germ of an idea that Freud was to pursue to his life. In [Studies in Hysteria, 1895 Freud] proposed that physical symptoms are often the surface manifestations of deeply repressed conflicts. Freud has advancing on explanation of a particular illness and also proposing a revolutionary new theory of human psyche itself. This theory shows a ‘bit by bit’ as a result of Freud’s clinical investi gations and it led him to propose that there were at least 3 levels to the mind. The Psyche Freud (1923) later developed a more structural model of the mind comprising the entities id, ego and superego (what Freud called â€Å"the psychic apparatus†). These are hypothetical conceptualizations of important mental functions. The id operated as unconscious level according to pleasure level. These id contains two biological instincts or dives. And Freud called it as Eros and Thanatos. Eros, or life instinct, helps the individual to survive; it directs life-sustaining activities such as respiration, eating and sex (Freud, 1925). In contrast, Thanatos or death instinct, is viewed as a set of destructive forces present in all human beings (Freud, 1920). Dream Analysis (Freud, S. (1900). The interpretation of dreams) considered dreams to be the royal road to the unconscious as it is in dreams that the egos defenses are lowered so that some of the repressed material comes through to awareness, albeit in distorted form. Dream Analysis involves the manifest content into trustful content. Understand the step various distorting will helps to understand the latent meaning of dream. Condensation is a process of combination of two or more idea/images into one. A dream about a car might be condensation of worries about the security of car. When we transform something or someone we really concern about to someone else is where Displacement take place. For example, there are a patient of Freud who hated Freud’s sister in law and always used to refer to her as a dog and this patient dreamed of killing a dog. Sigmund Freud interpreting this as represent the wish of killing of his sister in law. When the unconscious mind strings together wish-fulfilling images in a logical order of events further obscuring the latent content will causes Second Elaboration. WILLIAM JAMES (1842-1910) William James, one of the famous contributor for us in psychology. He born in January 11, 1842 in New York City. His father , Henry James Sr who is very interested in philosophy and theology eager to provide a good study environment to his children. William James and his brothers had gone to Europe frequently. William James and his brother had attended a lot of famous school and immersed with culture and art. At the end William James became one of the important psychologist. While his brother Henry James became on of the famous author. Before William James started his study in Harvard, he told his father what he actually interested in. In the earlier state William wanted to be a painter. After he persisted his father, Henry promised his son to study painting. However, William James gave up his ambition to became a painter after studying few years with the artist William Morris Hunt and started his new life in Harvard with Chemistry. Suffering from a lot of stress, he continued his st udy in France and Germany.William James had a new friend, name Hermann von Helmholtz who focused on illusion.This was the time where William James became gradually interested in psychology. William James got his M.D. from Harvard and started teaching psychology at Harvard. In 1890 William James had his first book which is ‘The Principle Of Psychology’ followed by ‘Will To Believe’ and ‘Pragmatism’. (James, W. (1890). The Principles of Psychology. New York: Henry Holt and Co.; James, W. (1902)) William James had came out with some theory like Functionalism and James-Lange Theory of Emotion. He believed that the mind has the function of helping us adapt to the environment and human behavior was influenced by the evolution. Human acquire their behavior distinguish them from others species. This approach is called functionalism and is focus on adaptive purpose. For example, Darwin’s finches illustrated the interaction between genes and adaptation to the environment. The different species originated from common genes but their beak change in time for adaption in different places and different food supply. Another theory is James-Lange Theory of Emotion. William James had a same thinking as Carl Georg Lange. Carl Georg Lange (December 4, 1834 – May 29, 1900) was a Danish physician who made contributions to the fields of neurology,psychiatry, and psychology. At the same time , Carl Lange was also writting about emotion similar to William James. Based on this theory, an external stimulus cause psychological effect. Our reaction based on how we interpret those physical reactions. For examaple, when we see a lion suddenly appear in front of us, our heart bit will increase and we will breath faster, then we will start being affraid. Introduction of Wilhelm Wundt Wilhelm Wundt, 1832-1920. Wundt is credited with making psychology an independent science, separate from philosophy. Wundt original training was in medicine, but he became deeply interested in psychology. In his laboratory, Wundt investigated how sensations, images, and feelings combine to build personal experience. Wilhelm Wundt is commonly identified as the father of psychology. It is because Wundt’s formation of the world’s first experimental psychology lab is noted as the official head of psychology as a clearly perceptible science. Wundt take psychology from philosophy and biology to make it a field of study. Wilhelm Wundt granted a degree in medicine from the University of Heidelberg. In 1864, Wundt became an associate professor and independent tutor at the University of Heidelberg, and was promoted in 1871. Wundt had published the Principles of Physiological Psychology (1874), which help to establish experimental procedures psychological research. Wundt founded what is considered to be the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany in 1879. He used the technique known as introspection to probe the perceptual processed of his experimental subjects.His approach was called structuralism as he focused on the elements or structure of mental processes. Structuralism Structuralism refers to a theory of consciousness. Structuralism describes the structures that compose the mind. Wundt believed that psychology was the science of intentional experience and professional observers could precisely describe thoughts, feelings, and emotions through introspection. Contributions to Psychology: Wilhelm Wundt is known for establish the first psychology lab in Liepzig (Germany) generally titled as the beginning of psychology as a field of social science divide from philosophy and physiology. In addition, Wundt had published the psychology journal Philosophical Studies. Wundt had also his students who become successful psychologists. For example, Edward Titchener, Hugo Munsterberg, G. Stanley Hall, James McKeen Cattell, Charles Spearman, Charles Judd. Contributions to psychology Margaret Washburn was the first woman to be awarded a Ph.D. in psychology, in 1894. Over the next 15 years many woman followed her pioneering lead. Nowadays, more than half of the members of the APA are woman and nearly 75 percent of college graduates in psychology have been women. Obviously, psychology has become fully open to both men and women (Hyde, 2004). Being a psychologist, Washburn published in the areas of perception and imagery. She also developed a motor theory of consciousness, and she is still best known for her work in comparative psychology, (Goodwin, 2008, p. 200). The book The Animal Mind which was published in 1908 focused on research that used scientific data. This work was focused on the cognitive processes of perception, attention, and consciousness, as the behaviors of various species exhibited, (Goodwin, 2008). This book later became a textbook on comparative psychology. Now it is still in circulation. In 1916 Margaret wrote her another book, Movement and mental imagery. This book focused on movement, existing as the ultimate fact of science, and mental imagery, the world of imaginary objects, (Washburn, 1916). In the introduction to the book Movement and Mental imagery Washburn writes â€Å" movements which an animal makes are belong to the world of external observation; they have direction, they have velocity and they are complex movements. An investigator like Professor Loeb can entertain the confident hope that science will someday be able to show their relations to the movements of lifeless things,† (Washburn, 1916, para.4). She wowed an all men’s Wittenberg seminar with her theory on dualistic motor functioning in 1927. Recognition was being received by her from the science circles that draw women out previously. This positive outlook in science was a contribution to help her became the president of the American Psychological Association (1922). She was the seco nd woman to hold this title. Later she was appointed a membership in the National Academy of Science, again in 1931. She was also the second woman to do so. So the conclusion is, Margaret Floy Washburn was truly a dynamo of psychology. She loved science and the study of the mind with such a passion. This passion made her to accomplish much in her life span. Her career lasted from 1894-1937. Financial status and skin color of Margaret allowed her in doors of experimental psychological word mainly shut to women and people of color. Margaret died from stroke in Poughkeepsie, New York, on October 29, 1939. The psychological world is indebted to her hard work, her dedication, and her contributions to psychology. She is a good contributor of psychology. She will continue to inspire women and men interested in the science of psychology. Developments of the Construction Industry: Economic Analysis Developments of the Construction Industry: Economic Analysis INTRODUCTION: The construction Industry has been hailed as the back-bone of many economies, in part or as a whole. It adds in large parts to the GDP of a nation and as a whole enables trade and encourages growth. It currently contributes about one- tenth (1/10) of the worlds GDP. The total global AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) market is about $7.2 trillion and expected to grow to $12 trillion by 2020 (Global Construction 2020. http://www.globalconstruction2020.com/). The Construction industry provides employment for about 7% of the total global employed work force. It also accounts for being the largest energy consuming sector globally where it is recorded to consume about 2/5th of the total consumed energy worldwide and it is responsible for about half the total resources used worldwide. (http://www.economywatch.com/world-industries/construction/trends.html#sthash.8UZZiQEb.dpuf) This technical report examines the sum and a specific part of the industry. Looking at factors; Political, Economic, Social, Technological, environmental and social that may affect the industrys growth and the strategic analysis employed by businesses in this industry. This would be done using the PEST analysis and Porters Five Force model when researching the Industry as a whole and the SWOT and Portfolio Analysis in researching a specific part. Being a multi-trillion global industry, it remains an attractive competitive industry where managers must strategically manage their individual companies as it is a project centred industry characterized by short-term partnering between a range of teams with varying levels of Industry experience, information and communication technologies capability. To remain competitive, managers must ensure they have effective strategies to continue to win work for their project centred businesses. The CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: What is the construction Industry? The business dictionary online defines this as; The Sector of national economy engaged in the preparation of land and construction, alteration, and repair of buildings, structures, and other real property. It is an industry known worldwide for operating on narrow profit margins (P. 51 Anthony E Henry. Understanding Strategic Management) and it constitutes one of the most important sectors in any countries national economy. It can be split into three broad categories: Architecture, Engineering and Construction; The construction of heavy and civil engineering which covers the construction of railway tracks, bridges, highways, tunnels , airport and other functional capital intensive ventures. The construction of real estate which covers both commercial and residential buildings. And, the construction of specialized items; pipelines, electrical equipment, decorative materials, and the likes. It is considered as being the worlds single largest industrial employer. Estimates of its size and importance vary from country to country. (http://www.cnbc.com/id/100419943/Research_and_Markets_Analyzing_the_European_Construction_Industry_2013) The construction industry like most other industries is affected by a nations financial crisis as government cuts in spending and other factors such as population growth, material costs, climate, urbanisation, globalization and technology can have their direct and indirect toll on the industry. pondering on our modern-day construction consumerism and deliberating the mismanagement of resources and the austere warnings heavily laced by speculation of the ever increasing unstable financial markets taking our world to the threshold of scarcity that analysts in the major resource departments; material, energy, finance and water have warned. In an age of depleting resources and a need to continue to create, the construction industry is facing many threats and has sought many methods to become more efficient and less resource consuming. With this sees a new area of job markets opening up in the construction industry. PEOPLE IN INDUSTRY: The construction industry currently employs; Architects, Engineers, Surveyors, Builders, Town Planners, Building inspectors, Project and Construction Managers Contractors (who employ; Electricians, Plumbers, joiners, crafts trades, etc.) However, with the need to be more efficient and streamlined, the construction industry has created new employment in the sustainability sector that deals with using less, working smart and taking responsibility for resources to decrease waste and increase production. With the advent of cutting edge technology used to greatly enhance precision and efficiency, the introduction of Building Information Model (BIM) sees a more efficient stream lined team enabling more specific designers and their design teams to work in a collaborative manner on one platform of information technology minimising error as well as cost. TRENDS: The trends that will continue to drive the industry in the coming years include global warming and new innovative materials to be used to achieve a more sustainable environment (Bjorn, 2009); it would also include population growth and urbanisation world-wide. The global construction industry has seen decline over the last six (6) years. However, there are many emerging markets and a global growth is expected looking up to 2020 through to 2050. With the introduction of BIM and a need for development, recorded fast growths have been in the Asian markets where China now holds the lead and Japan, once the emerging global construction leader has almost altogether halted. Africa has had big construction growths and constitutes one of the fastest growing emerging markets in the construction industry. Although, the vast majority of firms that operate there are international firms especially from the Chinese construction industry. The Middle East continues to grow and Eastern Europe and Latin America are expected to have continuous growth. Most of this growth is influenced by population growths, globalization and urbanization worldwide. Merco Press suggests the global construction industry contributes over 10% to the global GDP and predicts this will rise to about 13% of the global GDP by 2020. This will see a financial input of over $97 trillion up to 2020 with yearly increments of over 5% (global Construction Perspectives and Oxford Economics). Laing ORourke suggests the majority of the worlds population now lives in towns and cities, with the balance shifting from a rural existence largely in the last three years. By 2050, over 6.5 billion people will be urbanites, with the total world  population estimated to rise towards 11 billion in the same period. Thus, they are positioning themselves in the market to be able to cater to this big shift in global living THE CONSTRUCTION GROUPS: Strategic Analysis is; A theoretically informed understanding of the environment in which an organisation is operating, together with an understanding of the organisations interaction with its environment in order to improve organisational efficiency and effectiveness by increasing the organisations capacity to deploy and redeploy its resources intelligently. (http://www.cimaglobal.com/) There are many construction companies around the world. International construction firms are large multi-billion pounds firms that operate in several countries world-wide delivering construction solutions and growth. A number of the larger industry firms undertake construction work internationally however; majority of work is carried out by the local or national small and medium sized enterprises. The majority of international construction companies will have commenced with limited operation, normally involving one country. Those who experience initial success will be more likely to expand their businesses, eventually leading to growth by investing in other countries. Conversely, a lack of success is likely to encourage withdrawal back into the domestic market. (Howes and Tan, Strategic Management Applied to International Construction P 59) These companies to stay at the top of their markets would have strategically analysed their industry and would use results to try to stay ahead. This report would consider 2012s top 20 construction Groups world-wide focusing on number 1-Balfour Beatty and Number 20- the Mace Group. This report would cover the years running up to 2012 specifically looking between 2009 -2011. Clear changes are seen in the work that were bid for and carried out in a space of 2 years of an economic downturn. More significant market changes are seen with the Bottom two Laing ORourke and the Kier group. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS: PEST ANALYSIS OF THE INDUSTRY: PEST stands for; Political, Economic, Social and Technological. These are the Factors used in studying to gain an understanding on the factors that affect an industry. Using the PEST analysis on an industry gives insight on the environmental factors facing that industry. It can also be applied to individual companies, firms and businesses. (P)olitical Factors; The political factors affecting the construction industry are mostly new government changes, changes in legislation, documentation, new policies and permits that have to be obtained and submitted before, during and after the works and at various phases of the construction process to its official hand-over. Globally, it could be affected by unstable governments in emerging markets, law variations and business taxes. It could also cover things like sustainability, reduction of the carbon foot print in the construction industry, the remediation of brown land, the protection of national landmarks, ecology, and habitat. (E)conomic Factors; Price fluctuations of goods can have an impact on the industry. Government cuts, a recession, VAT rises, fluctuations and a decline in economic growth all can affect the construction industry. This can have knock-on effect when jobs have to be placed on hold which invariably costs the industry more losses. Also, a change in demand for services and a change with the financier of the construction bodies could all have an effect. Positively, a decrease in the stamp duty could signal a good sign for the residential construction industry. (S)ocial Factors; Various things affect the social aspect; a development is judged on its location, its proximity to services, the nature of the construction; materials used aesthetic appeal, functionality and safety. The perceived image of the constructing firm, provisions offered by the constructed space, age distribution, Population Growth, cultural and career provisions. (T)echnical / Technological Factors: The Construction industry is a very technical one. Technology changes happen rapidly and the advent of the use of BIM, has seen big changes in the way work is carried out. Techniques change, needs change, new building systems to meet with Zero carbon buildings, prefabricated materials, pre-mixed cement mixtures. The industry works, faster and smarter now. Many new buildings are put together like a puzzle piece. PORTERS FIVE FORCES; The Porters five forces is a framework used for diagnosing an industrys structure. Forces that erode long-term industry average profitability. This framework can be applied at industry, group or individual firm level. (Lecture notes Feb 2013) It breaks down the competitive rivalry within an industry focusing on; the threat of new entrants, the bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of customers and the threat of substitutes. Competitive Rivalry within the Industry; (HIGH) With the down-turn in the economy, the major Construction firms have shown contrasting responses to the downturn in public sector construction work, amid warnings that public sector capital investment will drop by 24% by 2013/ 2014, three of the biggest firms increased their proportion of public sector work won. Balfour Beatty no 1 of the top 100 construction firms moves towards plans for acquisitions of major gas-fired stations. It also uses its US business Parsons Brinkerhoff to become an end-to-end provider for major clients such as SSE. (http://www.cnplus.co.uk/news/balfour-beatty-plans-acquisitions-for-major-gas-fired-stations-move/8643974.article?blocktitle=Top-StoriescontentID=7501) Many of the larger firms are expanding and diversifying their portfolios to stay at the top. Bidding in new categories and offering more. Brand identity gives an advantage in contract acquisition however; there is a level of fair play in that not all construction companies can carry out the same job specs. The small and medium enterprises lower down the construction firm ladder however have steep competition as they all go for the same projects and are bidding on the same levels. And everyone on that ladder competes against itself on; improving technology, continuous innovation and integration to optimise cost. The Threat of New Entrants; (LOW) The construction Industry is very capital intensive. The brand names in the construction industry are well known and well established, location for most of the top 100 construction firms is not an issue as they can easily absorb the costs of travel to win work and diversify their portfolios in other countries. Profitability in the construction industry relies heavily on the economies of scale. It does not offer much for consumers switching costs and retaliation from the top 100 would be an issue for a new smaller firm that does not have the heavy capital investments required. Regulatory approval and licensing is paramount in this industry and it comes with high operational costs. Smaller firms and businesses operate and do smaller jobs and contracts. They are sub-contracted from the larger construction firms and operate in the local markets. They also offer product and service hires which can prove profitable for them. With larger firms having the intensive capital required, they are able to bid lower than smaller firms and win jobs. Bargaining Power of Customers: (High) The Buyers are the clients and end users of the construction industry. They can be government bodies, a consortium, or high net- worth individuals. As most jobs are won through a tender / bid process, the consumer / customer has a fair amount of force here as they naturally have a say in who they would like to carry out their project usually based on best price for quality, portfolio, trust in brand, knowledge of brand and in some instances this can be decided by word-of-mouth. Firms need to keep a good name and work ethic to keep business, win repeat business and win new business from referrals. When dealing with residential property, the consumer has the option to also renovate or buy an already done house. So, they do have a fair amount of force. Bargaining power of Suppliers: (LOW) Supplies are many and products and services can be substituted. New products are constantly coming into the market and as the construction industry is a future forward one, it would move with the better global trends for goods and services. Most goods have a set non-negotiable price range across board which leaves the supplier with little or no force on the industry. Threat of Substitutes: (LOW) Products and services in the construction industry are as they are it is virtually impossible to substitute them. The rise of the Boat-home, the mobile-caravan homes, and holiday cabins are all short-term substitutes. Many other buildings and large civil construction services cannot be substituted. As explained by (Saidi, OBrien and Lytle, 2008), There is limited or no direct substitute for the industrys product, some services can be replaced with others within the industry such as the use of robots in place of human labour. Robotic system cut down labour requirements in a Japanese construction site by approximately 30%. It however does not completely substitute the need for human input. THE ORGANISATION: http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/A_Strategic_Analysis_of_the_Construction.html?id=hk_VT8JpClMC http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=hk_VT8JpClMCpg=PA11lpg=PA11dq=how+do+i+strategically+analyse+the+construction+industrysource=blots=LF7UCRNx_Ksig=2P8J4vBhZuubow1Ui9bPP3nrbq0hl=ensa=Xei=POsvUfbwLImb1AXrkoDoAgved=0CDsQ6AEwAg http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strategic-Analysis-Construction-Industry-Emirates/dp/3836699206#reader_3836699206 http://www.cimaglobal.com/Documents/ImportedDocuments/cid_tg_strategic_analysis_tools_nov07.pdf.pdf http://www.economywatch.com/world-industries/construction/research.html#sthash.U3p84gQD.dpuf) http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/construction-industry.html#ixzz2N8qeZD8M Strategic Management Applied to International Construction By Rodney Howes, Joseph H. M. Tan Berge Bjorn, (2009) The Ecology of Building Materials. 2d Edition.Architectural Press (- See more at: http://www.economywatch.com/world-industries/construction/research.html#sthash.U3p84gQD.dpuf) LOOK AT (http://www.sloanvalve.com/Dec11_global_outlook.pdf) Intellectual Disability: Causes and Impacts Intellectual Disability: Causes and Impacts Outcome 1: Define Intellectual Disability TASK 1 1.1 Give 2 definitions of intellectual disability in accordance with a recognized source. Follow prescribed APA format when citing sources. Definition 1: Intellectual disability causes limitations in intellectual functioning as well as in adaptive behaviors that include many skills which is needed every day. The onset age is under 18. Source: FAQ on Intellectual Disability, American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, retrieved from: http://aaidd.org/intellectual-disability/definition/faqs-on-intellectual-disability Definition 2: Intellectual disability is a term used for when people has certain limitations in functioning mentally and in skills such as communicating, performing activities of daily living, and in his or her social behavior. Children with this ability may develop their skills (walking, talking, etc) at a delayed time as compared to normal. They may also have trouble with learning- it usually takes them a longer time to learn new skills. Source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.(2005) Intellectual disability, retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents_pdfs/IntellectualDisability.pdf 1.2 Using a definition of intellectual disability give 2 explanations of how this impacts on the persons adaptive skills: People with intellectual disability have experienced impairment in their ability to comprehend information. As a result, they have a hard time with reading comprehension, handling money, dealing with numbers as well as time. Because of their impaired social functioning, they have tendency not to get along and socially deal with others. They are not able to recognize the laws of society or have a few limited abilities to follow rules. Using a definition of intellectual disability give 2 explanations of how this impacts on the cognitive abilities: Persons suffering from intellectual disability have lack of the ability to explain why they do certain things or why certain things happen. This is due to their impaired intelligence. Learn and apply what is learnt- Intellectually disabled people have a hard time to gain new knowledge. It is difficult for them to process new information and understand new skills. Age of onset of intellectual disability There is no particular age to have start of the disability. But regarding to some research, it has been shown that it usually happen on the developmental period among 0-18 years old. Outcome 2: Describe the causes of intellectual disability TASK 2 2.1 Give 2 examples of causes of intellectual disability that occur before birth and describe two (2) main characteristics of the effects. Example 1: Genetic factors Source: sevencounties.org (2005-2014). Genetic Cause of Intellectual Disabilities, retrieved from: http://www.sevencounties.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=docid=10335cn=208 Main characteristics: Fragile X syndrome: Physical features of FXS patients include: large ears, long face, macroorchidism, infections in the ears, flat feet, high arched palate, fingers with double joints and hyper-flexible joints Prader-Willi Syndrome: People with Prader-Willi Syndrome have severe hypotonia. Therefore their sucking is poor in their early infancy. Example 2: Environmental hazards and toxins Source: sevencounties.org (2005-2014). The Many Causes of Intellectual Disabilities, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Environmental Exposure to Toxins, retrieved from: http://sevencounties.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=docid=10333cn=208 Main characteristics: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: During pregnancy people drink alcohol a lot which might cause fetal alcohol syndrome. People are born with a small head, flat face and nose bridge in the most common features. They tend to be hyperactive and have hard time in socializing. Spinal bifida: It is caused lack of folic acid. People with Spinal Bifida usually have such problems as mental and social. In addition, they have hard time with walking, going somewhere and latex allergy, obesity, skin breakdown, depression. 2.2 Give 2 examples of causes of intellectual disability that occur during or immediately following birth and describe 2 main characteristics of the effects. Example 1: Trauma Source: Merck Sharp and Dohme Corp. (2010-2013). The Merck Manual, Home Health Handbook, retrieved from: http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/childrens_health_issues/problems_in_newborns/birth_injury.html Main Characteristics: Head and brain injury: Swelling of the scalp and bruising may occur due to birth trauma. Bleeding between the periosteum and skull causes hematoma, usually in the parietal region and sometimes the occipital region. Nerve Injury: when forceps used to assist delivery puts much pressure on the facial nerve, weakness on one side of the face results. This injury becomes evident when the newborn baby cries and the face appears to be asymmetric. Example2: Premature birth and low birth weight. Source: UCSF Children’s Hospital at UCSF Medical Center. 2004. Intensive Care Nursery House Manual, retrieved from: http://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/pdf/manuals/20_VLBW_ELBW.pdf Main Characteristics: Hypothermia: Low birth weight infants have a greater body surface area. Thus, a decrease stores of brown fat and glycogen which results to an inability to conserve or generate body heat. Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS): Respiratory problems due to a lack in surfactant and apnea of prematurity 2.3 Give 2 examples of causes of intellectual disability that occur during childhood years and describe the impact on the day-to-day support needs of the person. Example 1: Brain Tumor Source: PMC: US National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health. January 2008. â€Å"Caring for the Brain Tumor Patient: Family caregiver burden and unmet needs.†, retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2600839/ Impact: Patients with brain tumor need various supports in their day to day lives. Psychosocial support is one of them. It is important for them to learn how to handle the stress of a chronic illness, as family members realize that their lives will be forever changed by the uncertainty that surrounds this diagnosis. It is therefore important for the support provider to make sure the patient and family understands the impact of this illness to them and provide them of ways on how to cope and possibly live a close to normal life. Also, for the caregivers, it is important that they are always prepared for the possibility of disease progression. Even though a patient is stable for a certain period of time, the caregiver will always feel the wear and tear of caring for this patient. Thus, it is important to make sure that caregivers are also taken cared of to ensure quality care. Example 2: Meningitis Source: Kelli de la Rocha (2014). Intellectual disability. NYU Langone medical center. retrieved from: http://pediatrics.med.nyu.edu/conditions-we-treat/conditions/intellectual-disability# Impact: Children with intellectual disability caused by meningitis can’t learn skills and any knowledge as fast as other children with same age. So supporters need to wait for their achievement with patient. And also they need to be aware of the risk that the children experience seizure, and then they should be trained for coping with them suffering seizure. Outcome 3: Describe conditions frequently associated with intellectual disability. TASK 3 Condition 1: Cerebral Palsy Causes/s: Cerebral Palsy can be caused by having injury of brain before brain development is completed. Usually brain develops within 2 years after birth, so Cerebral Palsy can be occurred during prenatal or infant period. And birth complication can also cause this condition. But many cases get this condition from unknown causes before birth. Main characteristic 1: Cerebral Palsy is characterized by motor function impairment. It causes activity limitation. Main characteristic 2: People with Cerebral Palsy exhibit cognitive and sensory impairments. Physical support: People with Cerebral Palsy suffer from hypotonic and rigidity. So physical therapy is useful to support them physically. Effective physical therapy can help them to improve their muscle. Recent studies report that intensive exercise is effective. So support worker can make a schedule for resistive exercise four times per week. Social support: People with Cerebral Palsy can be easily isolated because of their handicaps. So support workers need to reduce barriers to participation in activities of school, work and society. To participate in activities, many devices are necessary. If the client can’t walk, using wheelchair could be helpful to go watching football games and cheer a team. Cognitive support: People with Cerebral Palsy can be normal intellectually, but they have difficulty in learning because of limitation of hearing, seeing, and movement. So for supporting them cognitively, support worker needs to help their study by give them enough time to understand and express or adjust knowledge. And support worker can provide some aids to improve their speech. Source/s: Karen W. Krigger, M.D., M.ED., university of Louisville school of Medicine, Cerebral Palsy: An Overview, Kentucky Am Fam Physician. 2006 Jan 1; 73(1): 91-100, retrieved from http://www.aafp.org/afp/2006/0101/p91.html Condition 2: Prader-Willi Syndrome Causes/s: Prader-Willi Syndrome is caused by genetic abnormality. They have the chromosome number 15 without genetic information that normally people have from the father. It is thought to occur entirely by chance. Main characteristic 1: People with Prader-Willi Syndrome have severe hypotonia. So their sucking is poor in their early infancy. Main characteristic 2: Obesity is commonly caused. This is a result of an excessive appetite, a permanent feeling of hunger, and hyperphagia or overeating, and a low calorific requirement which is due to low energy expenditure levels. Physical support: People with Prader-Willi Syndrome can’t control their eating because they always feel hunger. Furthermore, they can easily become obesity that causes many complications. To prevent them from being obesity, support workers need to give exercise outside where they can’t find food easily. They need regular and continual exercise, so it is important to make a schedule with various and interesting exercise to them. Social support: They should take daily food intake under supervision. Once people between 2 and 4 years old start to overeat, supervision will assist them to minimize food and prevent them from being obesity. Parents make sure that they can easily open refrigerators and cabinets containing food to eat. It is extremely necessary for them to have a well-balanced, low-calorie diet and regular exercise and should be maintained for all of the individuals life. Cognitive support: People who have PWS usually suffer from controlling their emotions. It is helpful to use behavioral therapy which helps them with their emotions. Losing temple, stubbornness and obsessive compulsive behavior as well as obsession with food have to be coped with behavioral management programs using firm limit-setting strategies. Source: Andres Martin, M.D, 1998, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Am J Psychiatry 1998; 155:1265-1273, retrieved from http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleID=173004 Condition 3: Autism Cause/s: Autism, a kind of neurodevelopmental disorder is defined by their behavior. But it is caused from various kind of brain dysfunction that affects the ability to handle information. In many cases, there is a genetic component. Main characteristic 1: People who have autism have impairment in many areas of development. They have difficulty in reciprocal interaction and have learning disability. Main characteristic 2: People with autism have lack of social and communication skill. Their behavior is not typical, but many babies with autism have tendency to overly focus on certain object. They also have poor eye contact and lose interest in others easily. Physical support: They have difficulty with making balance, gait and delicate motor skill. To improve their muscle tone, support workers need to provide regular physical fitness besides it is also important to be provided properly when they exercise. Social support: Children with autism may have the high risk of peer rejection and social isolation. To improve social skill, it is necessary to establish the relationship with support worker. Support workers need to provide practice proper and positive answer as much more as possible in social group. That is why they can learn facial express and eye contact. Cognitive support: People with autism have cognitive impairment, so they can’t be aware of their needs and cope with their mood. It can cause anxiety. It needs for them to recognize their mood. For this reason, support workers can give enough opportunities to express and verbalize their mood and feeling for recognizing their mood. Source: National Institute of Mental Health, 2011, A Parent’s Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder, retrieved from: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/a-parents-guide-to-autism-spectrum-disorder/parent-guide-to-autism.pdf King Solomon: A History King Solomon: A History King Solomon King Solomon was the third and the greatest king of Israel. He was the second son of David by his wife Bathsheba, and the acknowledged favourite of his father (Oussani). Solomon is mostly known for his great wisdom and just soul. His main accomplishmen, the construction of the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, also made him well-known and honorable among his people and among other nations as well. Apart from great wisdom, God also gave Solomon discerning heart, wealth, and honour, but still, at the end, this didnt prevent him from making the mistake of following other gods. God played the major role in the kings life. Since the day Solomon was born, the LORD guided him through his righteous life; he made him a successful, wise and discerning ruler, helped govern the nation, and build the temple and the the palace in Jerusalem. The fact that Solomon asked God to give him wisdom to govern his people, not long and joyful life, great power and wealth, makes us admire the king and honour his purpose to put the prosperity of his people before his own needs. Long before Solomon grew up and became a powerful king of Israel, we, the readers of the Bible, could foresee his upcoming success. God always was with him since the day he was born, and because the LORD loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah (2 Samuel 12:25). The name Jedidiah means loved by the LORD. Solomons wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the Earth (1 Kings 4:30). He used his astude and wise mind to rule over his nation and to educate people. He gave them useful knowledge about plants, animals, birds, reptiles and fish. The king became famous and honourable, not only among his people, but also among other nations. Man of all nations came to listen to Solomons wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heared of his wisdom (1 Kings 4:34). Apart from having a great wisdom, Solomon was also a just and discerning judge. The scene in which two women ask him to decide who is the real mother of the child is the most famous example in which the king uses his discerning heart to jugde people. Solomon didnt even need any evidences or the witnesses to make the right judgemen. Soon after ascending his fathers throne, Solomon bagan to build the Holy Temple (Schoenber). He was controling the whole process of building it. The temple and its construction were very important for the king. By this, he showed his gratitude towards God and also fulfiled the intention of his father David. It took Solomon seven years to build the temple. In the end he also brought up the ark of the LORDs covenant in it. During his life, Solomon composed 3,000 proverbs (Shoenberg), which are mostly related to peoples everyday life. Through centuries, his proverbs helped people telling them how to live a righteous and successful life and teaching them how to be right before God: Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, for the LORD detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence (Proverbs 3:31-32) Nowadays, we can still extract some useful knowledge from these proverbs and use it to make our lifes better. One of the proverbs that we can find in the book of Proverbs tells: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:7). After becoming familiar with this proverb and knowing that Solomon was wise, and that the LORD is a jealous God, the following question arises: Why did Solomon follow other gods? Only after God had punished him, Solomon understood that he did evil in the eyes of the LORD. Then, after Solomons confessions, which were not completely sincere, God showed his mercy on the king, but after his death, the LORD divided the kingdom into two, and the son of Solomon got the smallest part of it. According to the Bible, Solomon was the greatest king in the Old Testament, who ruled over the people of Israel about three thousand years ago (Maris). Thanks to his wise and discerning heart, that he got from the LORD, the king had no equals. Being a successful ruler and a just judge, Solomon taught people, had built the temple for the Name of the LORD his God in Jerusalem, and had written 3,000 proverbs (Schoenberg). Despite of his great wisdom that was given to him by God, Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD and followed the gods of his wifes. Still, he is remembered as a great and wise king. Wouldnt it be better if our governers would follow his example of being just and discerning towards the people? References Maris, Micki. About the Proverbs of Solomon. Proverbs of Solomon Family Discussion Guide. 11 Dec. 2009 Oussani, Gabriel. Solomon. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 11 Dec. 2009 . Schoenberg, Shira. Solomon. Jewish Virtual Library. 11 Dec. 2009 < ://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Solomon.html>

Essay --

In the beginning of the play, Caliban and Prospero had a relationship similar to that of a father and son. Prospero took care of Caliban, and taught him how to speak. Caliban too, taught Prospero how to live on the island by showing him the places to get food. I feel that in the beginning, Caliban was naà ¯ve and innocent, with no ill intent. He truly felt that Prospero was his father, or a king, and in fact was a king that he loved. For instance, Caliban in Act 1, Scene 2 states â€Å"And then I loved thee.† Their relationship was one of love, and the want to help each other. After Caliban attempted to rape Miranda, Caliban’s and Prospero’s relationship changed drastically. Prospero became extremely hostile to Caliban, and insulted Caliban in their first conversation in the book in Act 1, Scene 2, â€Å"Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself. Upon thy wicked dam, come forth!† It is easily seen how their relationship has changed severely since then. Caliban, too, hurled curses at Prospero: As wicked dew as e'er my mother brushed With raven’s feather from unwholesome fen Drop on you both! A southwest blow on ye And blister you all o'er! Certainly, this would not have been the way they would have talked to each other if they had still loved each other. Their relationship was now one of loathe and revolt. Caliban became resentful and grouchy because of Prospero’s rejection of him after what he had done. However, Caliban, being a savage, was probably just heeding nature’s calls. After all, all of nature has a need to procreate, and Caliban was just following his instincts. Furthermore, Miranda was the only girl on the island who was of the right age to procreate, so thus Caliban’s actions were valid, to him at least. In addition, Calib... ...nces whereby Caliban’s actions affected his relationships with others, it was not due to sudden changes in character, but rather, due to the way he was brought up, and the impact of people’s actions on him which led to the final blow. Also, Caliban’s and Prospero’s relationship changed in various ways throughout The Tempest, where at a point it was a relationship of love, and at another time it was one of hatred. However, looking at the text as a whole, the overarching relationship the both had was still one of a master and slave. Even though they had a loving relationship in the beginning of the story, theirs was still one of superiority and inferiority. At the end of the play, their relationship returned to what it was initially. Hence, their relationship did not actually change throughout, but what changed was the way they spoke to each other throughout the play.

A Research Paper on G.K. Chesterton and The Man Who Was Thursday Essay

While doing research on G.K. Chesterton and his literary masterpiece, I came upon this article on Gilbert Magazine in which his answer to the question – â€Å"What is the difference between progress and growth?† – was posted. To this question, he answered: The fatal metaphor of progress, which means leaving things behind us, has utterly obscured the real idea of growth, which means leaving things inside of us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First of all, I didn’t even know he has a magazine. Secondly, since I have never heard of him before, I ask myself why on earth has it taken so long for me to discover such an amazing man? His statement above is just one of the marvelous pithy quotations of a man who never earned a doctorate and, in fact, never even attended a university. I have read some of them and I am amazed at how he can say something about everything and says it better than everybody else.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is with utter delight that I am taking this journey to the discovery and uncovering of a genius – a journalist, a debater, an artist, a happy man – for in discovering him, I discover passion, wisdom, and myself. G.K. Chesterton: A Poet, Storyteller, and Ironist   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   G.K. Chesterton cannot be summed up in one sentence. Nor in one paragraph. With all the fine biographies I   have encountered that have been written of him, I don’t know if the Gilbert Keith Chesterton has really been captured between the covers of those books. In the first place, how could one simplify a man of such complex talents? He was very good at expressing himself, but more importantly, he had something very good to express – the reason why he was one of the greatest thinkers and writers of the 20th century and a champion of the Roman Catholic religion. K. Chesterton is alive and kicking today – in a way that most of his contemporaries are not – precisely because he enunciated clearly and forcefully the fundamental principles in the light of which issues, whether of today or of yesterday, can be confronted intelligently, and he has dedicated this extraordinary intellect and creative power to the reform of English government and society. Literary types would laud him for his poetry and novels and detective stories and plays; social critics would approve him for his prescient admonitions about eugenics and nihilism and socialism; champions of domestic democracy would like his doctrine of distributism; philosophers would be challenged by his insights and quips; the fundamentalist Christian would defend him for defending Christianity, and the Catholic Christian would enjoy the enjoyment Chesterton derived from his Catholicism. This is a multifaceted man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gilbert was a day boy at St. Paul’s. The masters rated him as an under-achiever, but he earned some recognition as a writer and debater. Although he never went to college, he proved that genius cannot be tied down to the rules of the academy, nor need we be subservient to the prejudices of the academy in evaluating genius. Chesterton, in fact, chose to be a journalist, because in that role he could think most profoundly, powerfully, cogently, and effectively.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He was vitally concerned with the injustices of Great Britain to its dependencies. He progressed from newspaper to public debate. He used logic, laughter, paradox, and his own winning personality to show that imperialism was destroying English patriotism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1900 he published his first literary works, two volumes of poetry. In 1900 he met Hilaire Belloc, and in 1901 he married Frances Blogg. These events were two of the great influences in his life. From 1904 to 1936 Chesterton published nearly a dozen novels, the most important being The Napoleon of Notting Hill (1904) and The Man Who Was Thursday (1908). In 1911 Chesterton created the ‘‘Father Brown’’ detective stories. During his literary career he published 90 books and numerous articles. He poured out a wealth of lighthearted essays, historical sketches, and metaphysical and polemical works, together with such well-known poems as ‘‘The Ballad of the White Horse,’’ ‘‘Lepanto,’’ and the drinking songs from The Flying Inn. Among his major critical works are studies of Robert Browning (1903) and Charles Dickens (1906). Prodigiously talented, Chesterton also illustrated a number of Belloc’s light works.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chesterton spoke of himself as primarily a journalist. He contributed to and helped edit Eye Witness and New Witness. He edited G. K.’s Weekly, which advocated distributism, the social philosophy developed by Belloc. Chesterton’s overriding concern with political and social injustice is reflected in Heretics (1905) and Orthodoxy (1909), perhaps his most important work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I could say that Chesterton was not a philosopher in the sense of one who, like Plato or Aristotle, Aquinas or Bonaventure, Descartes or Kant, Hegel or Kierkegaard, made original contributions to the history of human reflection on the reality of the real. We can, however, say that he made two remarkable contributions which are still immensely worthwhile today: (1) he was unmatched in his ability to satirize the philosophical foibles of his day; and (2) although his philosophy was not unique his manner of expressing it was unique; one cannot read him, even today, without being again and again suddenly pulled up short. In view of his perennial concern with ideas – and with ideas that count, with ultimates – he has to be called a philosopher, not merely, however, as a lover of wisdom, but as one who possessed a certain kind of intuitive wisdom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout his life, G.K. Chesterton was one of the most colorful and loved   personalities of literary England. To his intellectual gifts he added gaiety, wit, and warm humanity that endeared him even to his antagonists. This English author, journalist, and artist was born in London on May 29, 1874. He died at his home in Beaconsfield on June 14, 1936, but it doesn’t matter. To those who know him and are passionate readers of his works, his wisdom lives on. To those like me who simply stumbled upon him, he lives again. In our hearts, his wisdom is timeless. The Man Who Was Thursday: A Masterpiece of a Non-Degree Holder Genius   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Versatility of topic, address, genre, device, whatever more there is in the heaven and earth of mind and spirit brought to letters–such is the hallmark and mandate of Chesterton. He can be straightforward and for right, crisp and to the point, or witty, with a certain malice aforethought. He can take the way of irony or simply snort when his patience is exhausted. He can soar with angelic sweep or swoop like a bird of prey. His descriptive hand is as authentic as any, as witness this from the beginning of The Man Who Was Thursday: The suburb of Saffron Park lay on the sunset side of London, as red and ragged as a cloud of sunset. It was built of a bright brick throughout; its skyline †¦ fantastic †¦ its ground plan †¦ wild†¦. More especially this attractive unreality fell upon it about nightfall when the extravagant roofs were dark against the afterglow and the whole insane village seemed as separate as a drifting cloud. This . . . was more strongly true of the many nights of local festivity, when the little gardens were often illuminated, and the big Chinese lanterns glowed in the dwarfish trees like some fierce and monstrous fruit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Man Who Was Thursday was the phantasmagoric 1908 novel of eccentric anarchists, philosopher-detectives and a riddle-writing criminal mastermind who just might be God. Subtitled â€Å"A Nightmare,† this masterpiece by G.K. Chesterton – better known for his Father Brown detective series – mingles theological brainteasing with cloak-and-dagger capers like a cross-country balloon chase and a  Ã‚   bombing conspiracy fomented over jam and crumpets.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This metaphysical thriller spirals out madly from a marvelous premise: a London counterintelligence chief has formed a corps of â€Å"policemen who are also philosophers.† An initiate tells the book’s hero Gabriel Syme, who is with the British police: The ordinary detective goes to pot-houses to arrest thieves; we go to artistic tea-parties to detect pessimists. The ordinary detective discovers from a ledger or a diary that a crime has been committed. We discover from a book of sonnets that a crime will be committed†¦ We say that the most dangerous criminal now is the entirely lawless modern philosopher.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Soon after joining these vigilantes, he was hired by an unknown, unseen man to infiltrate the noted anarchist movement, making him stumble upon an anarchist conspiracy to destroy civilization and morality itself. He starts with a loudmouthed â€Å"poet of disorder†, Gregory, and follows him into a meeting of the anarchists. Gregory is forced to keep Gabriel’s identity a secret for his own sake, for he himself had led the policeman into their secret hideaway.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The undercover Gabriel manages to get elected as one of the seven top men in the organization, alias Thursday, much to Gregory’s silent chagrin. Gabriel meets with the other members of the council, all of who appear to be dark and dreadfully evil– most of all the President, the huge mountain of a man called Sunday. Little by little, however, Gabriel realizes that the other five people under Sunday are not at all evil, but all of them spies from the police!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the process, however, Gabriel succeeds in getting an entire French countryside to think he and his new friends are really anarchists (meanwhile they are thinking, or wondering in disbelief, that the entire countryside is full of anarchists after them). They nearly get lynched. When things are settled, this group of undercover police go back to England to seek out Sunday, whom they soon find is the very man who hired them to infiltrate the council in the first place! Sunday leads them on a strange and wild chase, during which the six philosophize about the nature of their strange antagonist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Phantasmagoric escapades proliferate, and police pursuit collides with the carnivalesque nature of the universe. They realize that they have been seeing him from behind, and from behind he looks brutal; but the apparent evil was misleading. The journey ends at a palatial estate where the six are treated like kings, and finally see Sunday for who he is– The Sabbath, the peace of God. The council of anarchists has turned into a High Council commemorating the Seven Days of God’s Creation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The purpose of Sunday as the evil anarchist was to bring forth good through the others to urge them on to unnatural virtue. As they were fighting, they were fighting Satan. As the hearers grow indignant at Sunday’s using them for his purposes and allowing them to go through such trials, the paradoxical Problem of Evil seems somehow resolved. The last question asked of the strange man as he recedes into space is ‘Have you ever suffered?’– and the answer the Christian knows is whispered from the distance. The last scene sees Gabriel Syme waking from his reverie, and chatting philosophy with the other Poet of Saffron Park, Gregory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Chesterton offers up one highly colored enigma after another in The Man That Was Thursday. He truly knows how to create an atmosphere of hallucinatory suspense, to use the fantastic and paradoxical and fugitive to glimpse the other side of God. In an article published the day before his death, he called this literary masterpiece of his, â€Å"a very melodramatic sort of moonshine.† I guess that’s how we would describe a novel set in a phantasmagoric London where policemen are poets and anarchists camouflage themselves as, well, anarchists. By turns hilarious and terrifying, Chesterton’s The Man Who Was Thursday is a lyrical search for truth in a world where nothing is what it seems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is not a book. This is a glorious experience. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Modern Horror Writers (Writers of English). New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1994. Chesterton, G.K. The Autobiography of G.K. Chesterton. New York: Sheed & Ward, 1936. Chesterton, G.K. The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1908. Coren, Michael. Gilbert, The Man Who Was G.K. Chesterton. New York: Paragon House, 1990. Dale, Alzina Stone. The Outline of Sanity: A Biography of G.K. Chesterton. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1982. Dale, Alzina Stone. The Art of G.K. Chesterton. Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1985. Ffinch, Michael. G.K. Chesterton. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1986. â€Å"More letters asking ‘What’s the Difference?’.† Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity. 30 November 2007 Titterton, W.R. G.K. Chesterton: A Portrait. Folcroft, Pennsylvania: Folcroft Library

Is the Teleological Argument strong Essays

Is the Teleological Argument strong Essays Is the Teleological Argument strong Paper Is the Teleological Argument strong Paper The Teleological Argument is an a posterior inductive argument which was put forward in many forms by ancient philosophers such as Plato and Cicero to the more modern philosophers and theologians such as Aquinas and Paley. It is an argument to prove the existence of God. The name of the argument comes from Greek telos which means purpose or aim. Aquinass argument which was in his Summa may be summed up in this way: 1. All designed things have a designer 2. The Universe is designed 3. Therefore it has a designer, this designer is God This argument, as seen from point one and three, is begging the question (in other words, it is a circular argument). This makes it weak because it has already asserted one of its premises in the conclusion. It as though he is saying that its true because it is true. This isnt sufficient enough for a sound argument. Also, Aquinas doesnt provide any justification for the second point. These points make it look like its a very weak argument. However points can be given for the universe being designed, such as the seasons and death. This point however can be combated by saying that the universe, may indeed, have some features of a design but there are many which show that it doesnt have design, for instance the fact some women have ectopic pregnancies. The fact that it is a inductive argument means that it is not necessarily true, it is contingent (may not be true) and is not as strong as something that is necessarily true. However, deductive arguments never tell us anything new about the world, which unlike inductive arguments which although may not be necessarily true, do tell us something new. However, the question (about the strength of the argument), should not be subject to our preference of knowing more about the world. So, the fact that it is not necessarily true does weaken the argument. The argument is also a posterior, this gives room for Scepticism (which doubts the external world) to weaken the argument. Scepticism says that we can never have knowledge of the external world which means the order or purpose we see in the world can also be doubted. As Descartes put it, the only thing that is infallible was your own mind (this clearly illustrated when he said I think therefore I am). How do we know that order, purpose and beauty in the world isnt the working of an Evil Demon? David Hume, the British Empiricist, raised objections to the teleological argument which was put forward by Paley however his objections can be used against Aquinass argument too. Humes first objection was that we can not assess whether a universe was designed because we have no experience of universe being designed or built. When you stumble upon a house you know whether it is good or not through experience of other houses, you can not say this about the universe because it is unique. Therefore, how can we determine it is a well designed universe? Hume second objection is that is a farce to liken the universe to something mechanic because the universe Hume then goes on to say that When we infer any particular cause from an effect, we must proportion the one to the other, and can never be allowed to ascribe to the cause any qualities, but what are exactly sufficient to produce the effect. This means that just because it may prove a designer, doesnt mean that we can label the designer with such titles such as omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent. The question now is, are Humes objections valid? The first objection is saying that we can not know something if we had not experienced it and it is unique, however, we have not seen the human race being created and it is unique yet we have many anthropologists and more importantly we are actually finding more and more about universe through the studies done by cosmologists. His second objection, which was combated by Swinburne, can not possibly be true because the order the universe has In conclusion, the Teleological Argument is strong because the first two objections that were put forward by Hume have been combated by Swinburne and do not hold up. However, Humes third objection still holds, this makes the argument weaker because it shows that the argument does not fulfil its purpose (to show Gods existence the definition being of a Judeo-Christian God). The objection that it is an inductive, argument does not hold because although it makes it less likely to be true, that does not mean that is not true. Also, the fact that it is a posterior, may mean that scepticism can doubt it but the common sense approach (put forward by Wittgenstein) says that we should not be affected by such things. Wittgenstein says Here is one hand, and here is another and that is proof enough.

Fredrick Douglass essay essays

Fredrick Douglass essay essays Escaping from slavery in 1838 had to be a treacherous experience; escaping slavery at any time would be! Most slaves couldnt read or write, but one slave, Fredrick Douglass, broke that barrier and many more. In this particular writing he uses a wide-open state of mind to clearly get his thoughts across. He does this by using a wide variety of diction along with sentence fluency. An example can be seen in every sentence of every paragraph. I saw in every white man an enemy, and in almost every colored man cause for distrust. It was a most painful situation; and, to understand it, one must needs experience it, or imagine himself in similar circumstances. His narrative point of view about slavery, or rather first person experience on slavery, is expressed throughout as he explains slavery as being both life and death. How someone can write with such strong emotion, is beyond me, but Douglass does more than that. He captures and captivates the reader into thinking about and ima gining his experiences. Through the use of concrete language, Fredrick Douglass, relates his readers to the life of a slave while at the same time explaining how one could never understand unless he experiences the hardships of slavery on his own. Fredrick Douglass has such a talent at pulling his readers into the writing and making them envision what is happening, that anyone could fall in love with his writing. An example can be found in, There I was in the midst of thousands, and yet a perfect stranger... Another common figure of speech found many times within the passage is the use of metaphors. Some are seen in,I felt like one who had escaped a den of hungry lions, ...being seized upon by his fellow-man, as the hideous crocodile seizes upon his prey!, and ...among fellow-men, yet feeling as if in the midst of wild beasts. By using such metaphors, Do ...

Embalming Essay Essays - Undertaking, Death Customs, Embalming

Embalming Essay Essays - Undertaking, Death Customs, Embalming Embalming Essay Embalming Embalming is a mortuary custom, the art of preserving bodies after death, generally by the use of chemical substances. It is believed to have originated among the Egyptians, probably before 4000 BC, and was used by them for more than 30 centuries. Much evidence demonstrates that embalming is religious in origin, conceived as a means of preparing the dead for the life after death. From the Egyptians, the practice of embalming spread to other ancient peoples, including the Assyrians, Jews, Persians, and Scythians. Ancient embalming methods consisted of removal of the brains and viscera, and the filling of bodily cavities with a mixture of balsamic herbs and other substances. The Egyptians immersed the body in carbonate of soda, injected the arteries and veins with balsams, filled the cavities of the torso with bituminous and aromatic substances and salt, and wound cloths saturated with similar materials around the body. The Assyrians used honey in embalming, the Persians used wax, and the Jews used spices and aloes. Alexander the Great was embalmed with honey and wax. The Egyptians were particularly adept at embalming; the soles of the feet of mummies, when unwrapped after as much as 3000 years, are often still soft and elastic. Historians estimate that by AD 700, when the practice had died out among them, the Egyptians had embalmed approximately 730 million bodies. Although many were destroyed or disintegrated in the tropical heat of northern Africa, a large number of mummies were preserved; archaeologists estimate that several million are still preserved in undiscovered tombs and burial places. From the ancient peoples of Africa and Asia, embalming spread to Europe, where, in time, it became a widespread practice. Descriptions of methods used in Europe for almost 1200 years, from about AD 500, have been preserved in the writings of contemporary physicians. Embalming during the Middle Ages included evisceration, immersion of the body in alcohol, insertion of preservative herbs into incisions previously made in the fleshy parts of the body, and wrapping the body in tarred or waxed sheets. The Danish king of England, Canute II, was embalmed by the above, or similar methods, as were the English monarchs William the Conqueror and Edward I. William's body was found well preserved in the French city of Caen in the 16th century; Edward's was also found to be well preserved when it was disinterred in Westminster Abbey in 1700; and Canute's body was still in a state of good preservation when it was discovered in Winchester Cathedral in 1776. The first man to embalm by injecting a prepared preservative chemical solution into the blood vessels is believed to be the Dutch anatomist Fredrik Ruysch, but his technique is unknown. During the 19th century, French and Italian scientists perfected such techniques, thereby enabling them to reach every part of the cadaver. Modern embalming is believed to have begun in the U.S. during the American Civil War. The essential purposes of modern embalming are preservation of the body to permit burial without unseemly haste and prevention of the spread of infection both before and after burial. Cosmetic work is used to restore injured facial features or for aesthetic reasons. Embalming methods now consist essentially of the removal of all blood and gases from the body and the insertion of a disinfecting fluid; the viscera are removed and immersed in an embalming fluid and are then replaced in the body, in which they are surrounded with a preservative powder. Most corpses in the United States and Canada are embalmed, and the practice is widespread in other countries.

W6 Legal Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

W6 Legal Discussion - Essay Example In effect, taxes are in place to ensure that people stay responsible and give back to society from what society gives to them. On this basis, it becomes very questionable to think of taxing organizations such as non-profit health institutions whose sole approach to doing business is to help the people within their territories instead of making profits. As the adage is said, unto him much is given, much is required. However, these non-profit hospitals make no profits, based on which they will have to produce any taxes. Apart from the fact that non-profit hospitals do not make any profits based on which they will be taxed, it is also important to realize the fact that these hospitals make their contributions to society through the low cost and in some cases free medical service they provide (Walker, 2005). Because the fundamental wisdom behind the need to have taxes is to ensure that citizens become responsible to their countries, it will be argued that the efforts and activities of these hospitals are contributing and responsible enough for them not to be taxed. Consequently, the idea of tax exemption for non-profit hospitals is strongly supported. Stuart and Showalter (2011) acknowledged that in the administration of health institutions, monetary strength is very crucial. What this means is that at every point in time, the hospitals must be in a position to have sufficient funding to run their internal management affairs. Based on this understanding, an idea to tax the hospitals that are not for profit would only be a means of further depriving the hospitals from becoming financially independent. Having said this, the need for there to be sufficient scrutiny of the non-profit hospitals to ensure that they live up to the reasons for which they are tax exempted will be advocated. It is important that there will be sufficient auditing to ensure that hospitals do not take advantage of the country in the name of

Understand a range of techniques to analyse data effectively for Essay

Understand a range of techniques to analyse data effectively for business purposes - Essay Example Mode can be applied by employees in knowing their salary scale. Mean can be applied by businesses to know the average cost of the employees’ salaries and it can be used to estimate the future costs. Mean can be used by employees to calculate the expected salary. Employees get an average salary of  £1248 Standard deviation is the measure of how numbers are spread out. In this case it shows how the salaries of employees are spread out. It shows how the salaries are different from the mean (Lind, Marchal & Wathen, 2010). A business may use quartile and percentile to make decisions. For instance, to set the prices of goods and services, they may also be applied in the setting of employees’ salaries. Correlation can also be applied in business decision making. Correlation is used to measure the linear relationship that is between two variables (Lind, Marchal & Wathen, 2010). If a relationship between the two variables is strong then altering one of the variables will affect the other variable. Thus a business is able to determine if it should change the variable and to what

Identify and Discuss an Example of Discriminatory Practice in a care Essay

Identify and Discuss an Example of Discriminatory Practice in a care home for elderly people - Essay Example So we embarked on a journey to look for one of such institution. Finally we bumped into one of the Care home which seemed to have very sophisticated facilities; just what we had wanted. We later learnt that this institution demands a client must a pensioner. As it turned out, my grandfather was not a pensioner. And the obvious happened; we were turned away. There was no room for negotiations. What was bad about this incident was that my grandfather was denied a room without adequate explanation of the policy or giving us as a chance to negotiate terms of payment. They could have let us explain how we were going to raise the amount. This institution only seems to protect its interests and the expense of particular protected characteristics. The idea was that the pension can act a security in the event a client is unable to settle the arrears. This policy encourages discrimination of in the facility. The management had simply stereotyped my family. They had claimed that incidences of relatives bringing the elderly clients to the institution and disappearing without pay have increased. Therefore, they discriminated my grandfather on that basis. The aforesaid incident, though hard to notice, is a form of discrimination in the care homes for the elderly. This act was indirect discrimination. Here, the policy of pension applies to all the clients that report for admission. Every elderly person, no matter the age and race, must prove he or she is a pensioner. In essence, all the elderly clients fall in the pool of comparison. Technically, it creates an impression of equality since the policy applies to all. However, it is blatant this policy has disadvantaged a certain group of clients. The policy does not consider the protected characteristics of those who are not in the pension list. Even though it is common knowledge that not all the elderly had been employed by the government, the institution has failed

Cross National Perspectives on Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cross National Perspectives on Education - Essay Example to one thing; that since it determines our lives to great extents, then the quality of our lives is directly dependent on the quality of education we get exposed to. This study text will analyze education issues on a cross-national perspective by comparing education in the United Kingdom and Japan while focussing on dominant affecting factors such as the cultural, political, and educational contexts. There exist broad parities of issues critical in determining cross-national perspectives and international education. Internationalized education may refer to transcend of national borders by one in seeking for cross-border education, and again, it may refer to the preparation of scholars to be active contributors to the interconnected globe (Wiseman 2005, p.6). Either of these definitions is driven by different values such as international communities, globalisation, market economies, and the profile of finance to mention but a few. In a collective perspective, education is in most cases driven by internal affairs which remain the duty of authorities at institutional levels such as the government (OECD 2003, p.62). In a governmental context, this will be further determined by factors which construct the ability of the government’s influence which is solely its economic performance, thus its profile of finance. Governments understand that low quality education frustrates the strides of applying education as a boost for economic development and growth, and this would in the end lead to an underperforming state in this highly globalized instant of time (Eicher & Bailey 2002, p.32). Therefore in enhancing the goals of education, governments are one, redefining the traditional approaches of providing educational. These include financial increment and providing measurable educational behaviours, competencies, knowledge, and skills. In addition, and most importantly, depicting much interest in achieving education that can be weighed at international and cross-national

Balance Sheet, Income Statement and Objectives of Accounting and Firms Assignment

Balance Sheet, Income Statement and Objectives of Accounting and Firms - Assignment Example Contra Asset accounts are accounts that are offsetting accounts for certain asset accounts which are often called valuation allowances. Credits increase contra asset accounts, and debits decrease these accounts. Accounts such as doubtful accounts, and accumulated depreciation. Liability accounts are accounts that increase credits and decrease with debits. The examples of the liability accounts are accounts payable, long-term debt (loan), taxes payable and wages payable. Contra liability accounts are accounts that are offsetting accounts for certain liability accounts which are often called valuation allowances. Debits increase contra liability accounts, and credits decrease these accounts. The short-term portion of the mortgage payable is an example of a contra liability account. The accounts in the income statement are closed out every ending period and transferred to Retained Earnings and entered into the Income Statement. The two types of accounts used in the Income Statement are called Revenue and Expense accounts. Assumption: Cash would increase thus increasing the Cash account in the Balance Sheet, and Equity would increase thus increasing the Equity account in the Balance Sheet. Both sides of the Balance Sheet increase by $5000. The primary objectives of accounting are to fairly present the financial information in the financial statements with necessary disclosures in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) so that users of the financial statements can use them to make informative decisions. This fulfills one of the main objectives which is to give assurance to the public about financial statements. The main objective of the firm producing financial statements is to monitor business performance throughout the year and possibly compare with past results. When comparative financial statements are compiled, a better understanding of the level of consistency can be obtained.

Populism and the Military, and the Struggle for Democracy Essay

Populism and the Military, and the Struggle for Democracy - Essay Example This gained him a lot of support from the large majority who were being oppressed and this saw him get elected in 1946 as the president. His ideologies later became known as the populist nationalism (Pearson 17). He maintained his power by ensuring that the urban working class had improved social and economic lives than their previous status in any other government. Peron played a major role in the development of Argentina. His government was considered as one of the most progressive governments in the 20th century. In the historical development of Argentina, Peron established trade unions in every industry to represent the working class. Thus, the Peronism era contributed largely to the development of the country and its people economically (15). In his era, he managed to liberate Argentina from foreign holds by buying major industries back from the British and he laid groundwork to ensure that Argentina became independently stable economically. He also monopolized the export industry resulting in larger sales of Argentina’s products overseas. He also introduced new programs such as free education for his people and this greatly empowered them. Peron was a reformer as his developmental changes were aimed at equally distributing the country’s wealth to everyone in the

Cross National Perspectives on Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cross National Perspectives on Education - Essay Example to one thing; that since it determines our lives to great extents, then the quality of our lives is directly dependent on the quality of education we get exposed to. This study text will analyze education issues on a cross-national perspective by comparing education in the United Kingdom and Japan while focussing on dominant affecting factors such as the cultural, political, and educational contexts. There exist broad parities of issues critical in determining cross-national perspectives and international education. Internationalized education may refer to transcend of national borders by one in seeking for cross-border education, and again, it may refer to the preparation of scholars to be active contributors to the interconnected globe (Wiseman 2005, p.6). Either of these definitions is driven by different values such as international communities, globalisation, market economies, and the profile of finance to mention but a few. In a collective perspective, education is in most cases driven by internal affairs which remain the duty of authorities at institutional levels such as the government (OECD 2003, p.62). In a governmental context, this will be further determined by factors which construct the ability of the government’s influence which is solely its economic performance, thus its profile of finance. Governments understand that low quality education frustrates the strides of applying education as a boost for economic development and growth, and this would in the end lead to an underperforming state in this highly globalized instant of time (Eicher & Bailey 2002, p.32). Therefore in enhancing the goals of education, governments are one, redefining the traditional approaches of providing educational. These include financial increment and providing measurable educational behaviours, competencies, knowledge, and skills. In addition, and most importantly, depicting much interest in achieving education that can be weighed at international and cross-national

Populism and the Military, and the Struggle for Democracy Essay

Populism and the Military, and the Struggle for Democracy - Essay Example This gained him a lot of support from the large majority who were being oppressed and this saw him get elected in 1946 as the president. His ideologies later became known as the populist nationalism (Pearson 17). He maintained his power by ensuring that the urban working class had improved social and economic lives than their previous status in any other government. Peron played a major role in the development of Argentina. His government was considered as one of the most progressive governments in the 20th century. In the historical development of Argentina, Peron established trade unions in every industry to represent the working class. Thus, the Peronism era contributed largely to the development of the country and its people economically (15). In his era, he managed to liberate Argentina from foreign holds by buying major industries back from the British and he laid groundwork to ensure that Argentina became independently stable economically. He also monopolized the export industry resulting in larger sales of Argentina’s products overseas. He also introduced new programs such as free education for his people and this greatly empowered them. Peron was a reformer as his developmental changes were aimed at equally distributing the country’s wealth to everyone in the

A Case Against Slavery & Uncle Tom’s Cabin Essay Example for Free

A Case Against Slavery Uncle Tom’s Cabin Essay HB Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a powerfully evocative condemnation of slavery, and was famous in its own time. While many held that Stowe herself knew nothing about slavery or southern life, having never seen southern plantation life, it had its intended effect regardless: to stir up anti-slavery sentiment in the north, and to a lesser extent, in the South. Chapter VII is called â€Å"A Mother’s Struggle,† and it brings together many of the themes that dominate this book. First, the centrality of motherhood and the invincible power of a mother that is soon to be separated from her only son leads the action of this work. Second, the dominance of the Protestant Christian faith, a faith that serves to both assist slaves in tolerating their condition as well as providing them the strength to escape is the engine of the action. Since God is on the side of those who oppose slavery, ultimately, their struggle will emerge victorious and hence, the strength to persevere is present. Hence, this chapter is a central part of the work as it synthesizes the main themes of the book in rather stark terms, since this chapter is really the first â€Å"action† chapter of the book, that is, it is the beginnings of Eliza’s escape from her bondage and traces her moves northward to the Ohio river. The first real issue that drives Eliza to escape is the fact that she and her son are possibly to be sold. The Shelby family that owns them seeks to sell several slaves to pay off debts, and Eliza, who is not poorly treated by her mistress, Mrs. See more:  First Poem for You Essay Shelby, will not be separated from her only son (1-2). Here, the institution of slavery is shown in its worst aspect: the breaking up of families in the interest of the financial solvency of their masters. It was debated how often this was actually done, but this first few pages show the slave owning Shelby family as more or less humane, but forced due to circumstances to part with slaves, slaves, like Tom himself, who has befriended the son of the Shelby family. But stronger than all was maternal love, wrought into a paroxysm of frenzy by the near approach of a fearful danger. Her boy was old enough to have walked by her side, and, in an indifferent case, she would only have led him by the hand; but now the bare thought of putting him out of her arms made her shudder, and she strained him to her bosom with a convulsive grasp, as she went rapidly forward (1). This passage is an important part of the introduction to this chapter in that it places maternal power at the center of the war against slavery. It is this fear mixed with love that will keep Eliza moving forward. â€Å"Sublime is the dominion of the mind over the body, that, for a time, can make flesh and nerve impregnable, and string the sinews like steel, so that the weak become so mighty. † It is love, ths power of mind, the love for her son that keeps her moving forward, rather to face death, freezing, or torture if caught rather than be apart from her boy (2). It seems that, as Eliza continues her trek forward, that her body has become completely subsumed under her mind, and her love. Hence, she refuses to eat what she has packed for the trip North, and instead only wants her son to eat (3). But along with the power of a mother’s love, is the power of the belief in God and his Scriptures: â€Å"An hour before sunset, she entered the village of T , by the Ohio river, weary and foot-sore, but still strong in heart. Her first glance was at the river, which lay, like Jordan, between her and the Canaan of liberty on the other side. † (4). This passage is telling, in that it provides Old Testament references to the move toward liberty. The move of slaves northward to freedom is likened to the move of Israelites, themselves slaves to the Egyptians, over the Jordan river to the Canaanite valley which God has chosen for his people. For the slave treated harshly and not given even basic freedoms, the move northward was considered the promised land, the land of freedom, regardless of the hardships of slavery: this is the indictment of the institution as a whole. Slaves wold risk everything to avoid the institution, even a more or less comfortable existence that Eliza enjoyed with the Shelby’s. In this chapter, the mood is that if God closes one door, He opens another. So with Eliza gets to the river, the barrier between herself and freedom, it has been largely iced over (5). Given this, the ferry will not run. However, she is briefly taken in by a family connected with the ferry house on her side of the river. The action quickly and awkwardly shifts back to the slave quarters at Mrs. Shelby’s, where the slaves are speaking about the upcoming sale. Speaking of the slave trader, Chloe says, â€Å"He desarves it! † said Aunt Chloe, grimly; â€Å"hes broke a many, many, many hearts, I tell ye all! † she said, stopping, with a fork uplifted in her hands; â€Å"its like what Masr George reads in Ravelations, souls a callin under the altar! and a callin on the Lord for vengeance on sich! and by and by the Lord hell hear em so he will! † (7). This is very important, since it is clear that the slaves hold that God is on their side, not the other way around. On the other hand, this point of view is made more ambagious by Uncle Tom’s statement that damming people to Hell is not a very nice thing to do, and that eternal punishment is not a fit crime for selling slaves, which after all, is not eternal (7). This creates a concept of equivocalness where two factions of the slave population have two different points of view: the first, that of Chloe, that slavers are evil and will be punished to Hell, and the more moderate view of Uncle Tom, that slavers are victims of circumstance, who themselves, did not invent this institution. But Aunt Chloe responds, though indirectly to Uncle Tom: â€Å"Dont natur herself kinder cry out on em? † said Aunt Chloe. â€Å"Dont dey tear der suckin baby right off his mothers breast, and sell him, and der little children as is crying and holding on by her clothes, dont dey pull em off and sells em? Dont dey tear wife and husband apart? † said Aunt Chloe, beginning to cry, â€Å"when its jest takin the very life on em? and all the while does they feel one bit, dont dey drink and smoke, and take it oncommon easy? Lor, if the devil dont get them, whats he good for? † And Aunt Chloe covered her face with her checked apron, and began to sob in good earnest. (8) Again, Stowe is making another attack on slavery here, using the splitting up of families as her center line of argument. Since she is dealing with a family that treats their slaves moderately well, she cannot really rely on the physical violence argument so common in anti-slavery polemics. Since motherhood is at the center of this work, it seems that the basic argument against slavery is that since slaves have no freedom, they cannot fight back when their families are taken apart. Hence, Stowe holds that the family, especially the mother, is the institution of society that maintains moral norms and hence, will be the institution that takes slavery apart. If anything, this is the primary case against slavery being made here. Moving back to the action on the Ohio river, Eliza has been spotted by the slave trader, the very focus of evil throughout this book. It must also be pointed out that the trader and his style of life are equally repugnant to the Shelby’s (10). But as far as Liza is concerned, when she is spotted, A thousand lives seemed to be concentrated in that one moment to Eliza. Her room opened by a side door to the river. She caught her child, and sprang down the steps towards it. The trader caught a full glimpse of her just as she was disappearing down the bank; and throwing himself from his horse, and calling loudly on Sam and Andy, he was after her like a hound after a deer. In that dizzy moment her feet to her scarce seemed to touch the ground, and a moment brought her to the waters edge. Right on behind they came; and, nerved with strength such as God gives only to the desperate, with one wild cry and flying leap, she vaulted sheer over the turbid current by the shore, on to the raft of ice beyond. It was a desperate leap impossible (14). This passage is worth extended comment. First of all, as God has closed the door of the ferry, he has opened another, more dangerous door, that of skipping over the ice cakes. This seems powerfully symbolic: the ice represents the cold hearts of the slave traders and even the good slave owners. Under intense pressure, the power of family–of motherhood–takes over, what seems impossible is not so, if God is on your side. Slavery, it seems, will be defeated by slave mothers trampling on the cold hearts of the slave owners through material love and devotion to get to freedom. On the other side, Eliza meets a friendly farmer, Mr. Symmes, who assists in her escape. Stowe remarks on page 10, â€Å"So spoke this poor, heathenish Kentuckian, who had not been instructed in his constitutional relations, and consequently was betrayed into acting in a sort of Christianized manner, which, if he had been better situated and more enlightened, he would not have been left to do. † Again, a powerful statement is being made here: since slave owners were normally of the â€Å"gentlemanly† class, that is, the civilized class, civilization is equated with the dominating of slaves. Since poor whites were not slave owners (and treated only little better than the blacks) and were not part of their civilization, they had not â€Å"learned† about the inferiority of blacks and the racial and class hierarchy of the South. Therefore, their lack of civilization is a good thing, since simple common sense seems to dominate over â€Å"civilized manners. † Hence, the hero of the story (or at least of the chapter) is this simple farmer from Kentucky who does not represent civilization, but simple agrarian manners and common sense morality. Hence, in conclusion, Stowe is making several points here. First, that the real evil of slavery is the destruction of the family. If the family is the center of social life in that it is the bearer of tradition and moral values, then its destruction must lead to the beastialization of society. This might explain the evil of the slave traders, since they seem to specialize in breaking up families, and hence, are the very symbol of this beastialization. Second, a mother’s love, coupled with God’s force, will lead the southern slaves to freedom. Third, that freedom must be earned, and this is applicable to slaves and slave owners, both of which have not known freedom. Slave owners are as debased by slavery as the slave, since he is dependent upon them and hence, not free. Lastly, that nothing is impossible with God, and with a love of freedom. This is the case against slavery, in that it crushes all of these impulses, impulses that God as implanted in the human spirit and hence, are part of His creation, now enslaved by others. All quotes above are from the Virginia University edition of Uncle Toms Cabin, Published by the University of Virginia E-Text Center of the University of Virginia Library System. (http://etext. lib. virginia. edu/etcbin/toccer-new2? id=StoCabi. sgmimages=images/modengdata=/texts/english/modeng/parsedtag=publicpart=7division=div1)