Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Consumption of the us Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Consumption of the us - Research Paper Example It is important to understand the impacts caused by United States top leadership in the country’s economy. This is of importance knowing the current economical position of US where fears of recession are evidently delayed often. The result will adopt an econometric approach. This entails description of all the estimation techniques used, the data set and the regression model. Later the results got will be used to reject or support the hypothesis that the political relationship of United States president tend to have on their country’s GDP. Finally, several independent tests will be conducted to determine the strength of the model, within which a conclusion of the regression success will be made. Gross Domestic Product is the measure and determinant of national income and output for a given country’s economy over a certain period. It is measure on the total market value of all final services and goods produced in a country over a given period of time (A financial year). The evaluation process of GDP includes the sum of value added at every intermediate stage of all goods and services produced within a country in a given period monetarily. First, it is important to specify that this study use time series data and ordinary least square regression method of data estimation. Through excel a set of parameters will be evaluated, from which a line of best fit will be obtained. The regression model is developed using figures from 2004 to 2013, which contains enough information of the number of president who have been in office and it has also been the time of global and United States years of Financial crisis. Both the democrats and republicans have shared a time in the presidential seat during this period. This offers an even basis of analysis. Y is the dependent variable, which for the intention of this paper is the going to the growth rate in US GDP over the chosen period (2004 to 2013). The data used was obtained from Economic report of the president,

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Planning System in Germany

Planning System in Germany A Brief Overview of the Planning System in Germany The federalist principle of the German state is divided between the Federation and the federal states. The federal states have their own state authoritys laws. This fact characterizes Germany as a decentralized state. The federalist structure contains three central levels which are the Federation, the federal states and the municipalities. They each have their own regulations but they are closely linked. At the federal level is the Ministry for Transport, Building and Housing, responsible for spatial planning. At present the predominant departmental assignment model is an independent ministry for planning and environment. Raumordnung is a term provides a classic model of the combined planning of land uses, preservation of heritage. The planning law in the Federal Republic of Germany consists of the Law of Raumordnung and of the Public Building Law. The outstanding feature of the decentralised German planning system is the fact that the Federation itself has no comprehensive and legal binding spatial planning instrument. So Germany has no national plan at its disposal, but in its place the established by the Federation principles of the Raumordnung which are the fundamental guidelines for the whole spatial planning and spatial policy in Germany. Legal planning instruments are reserved for the federal states. Only the federal states are obliged to draw up comprehensive plans and to determine objectives of the Raumordnung which are binding for all subordinate planning authorities (municipalities and sectoral planning authorities). On the level of the Raumordnung und Landesplanung there is no public participation up to now. The procedure for giving the Raumordnungsplaene a binding character is legally the most important act, and it serves to make the objectives of the Raumordnung binding for public planning authorities. This is achieved by means of †¢ passing of laws†¢ decisions taken by the governments of the federal states†¢ official approval/declaration of binding effects/approval by the planning authorities of the federal states. The comprehensive plans of the federal states (Raumordnungsplaene) and their regions (Regionalplaene) are legally binding for all authorities of the Federation, the federal states and the municipalities. This refers to the real contents of these plans, the objectives of the Raumordnung, which have to be observed by public planning authorities in all spatially significant planning procedures and measures. As a general rule of the German planning law, the undeveloped outlying areas should not be built on with the exception of â€Å"privileged developments (e.g. developments serving agricultural activities, specific public infrastructure projects). Those projects must be permitted in rural areas (without a legally binding land-use plan) in compliance with the FBC if public interests do not oppose and ample public infrastructure provision can be guaranteed. Other development projects may be permitted in compliance with the FBC as exceptional cases, provided that their execution and use do not conflict with any public interests and public infrastructure provision can be guaranteed.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Les Liaisons Dangereuses :: essays research papers

Les Liaisons Dangereuses is a complex and disturbing portrayal of the noble class in pre-revolutionary France. Set in the late eighteenth century during the latter part of the Ancien Regime, Les Liaisons weaves a web of cold, calculated betrayal of the most immoral kind. The story unfolds in the form of letters written between the principal characters, giving it a unique literary texture. By using this style, de Laclos is able to give the reader a shockingly intimate look at these people as they divulge their most intimate secrets and bring to fruition their sinister plans. The protagonists, The Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, consider it their life’s ambition to sadistically control and dominate those around them through sexual intrigue. These two villains are indeed locked in psychological combat to see who can actually ‘out-do’ the other in stalking, capturing and destroying the souls of others. Taking absolute pleasure in ripping any virtue from the hearts of their prey, Merteuil and Valmont wave their accomplishments in front of each other like spoils of war. The less the chance of surrender, the more relentless is the pursuit. The story begins with the Marquise de Merteuil corresponding with Vicomte de Valmont regarding a luscious new act of ‘revenge’, as she describes it, against the Comte de Gercourt. The young Cecile de Volanges has just come home from the convent and her marriage to Gercourt has been arranged. However, before he can wed the innocent child, Merteuil proposes Valmont ‘educate’ her, thus spoiling Gercourt’s fancy for untarnished convent girls. Valmont is uninterested in such an easy seduction and is far more aroused by the thought of lulling The Presidente’ de Tourvel, the very epitome of virtue, into submission. And so the tale unfolds. Valmont eventually beds the virgin Cecile in order to humor Merteuil, however, the conquest of Madam de Tourvel is his passion and he indulges in this pursuit until he reaches the intended conclusion. Although, it would be a mistake to depict Valmont as anything but the monster that he is, there seems to be a small measure of actual ‘affection’ for Tourvel, however short-lived. Once Valmont shares this strange and unexpected interest in Madame de Tourvel, The Marquise de Merteuil is enraged, considering it an appalling sign of weakness. In order to save face, Valmont returns to his ruthless ways, thus completing the destruction of Madame de Tourvel, who had ultimately fallen madly in love with Valmont.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Day of the Locust

Chris Phillips Professor Kirkpatrick English 1C March 31, 2010 Hollywood Illusions In The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West, illusion verse reality is one of the main themes of the novel. Hollywood is known for it’s acting, but the town and everyone that inhibit it seem to get carried away with trying to be something they aren’t. Nothing is really indigenous in Hollywood and everything is borrowed from another place. The houses have been designed to look like Irish cottages, Spanish villas, or Southern plantations while the characters often imagine themselves as someone other than who they really are. Tod states, â€Å"The fat lady in the yachting cap was going shopping, not boating; the man in the Norfolk jacket and Tyrolean hat was returning, not from a mountain, but an insurance office; and the girl in slacks and sneaks with a bandana around her head had just left a switchboard, not a tennis court† (60). West shows us that Hollywood is filled with fantasies and dreams rather than reality, which can best be seen through characters such as Harry and Faye Greener. Harry acts as if he has had a long and successful career as a star, when in reality he is just a washed up clown. Harry’s clowning act is used to sell his shoe polish. Harry knows that no one really wants to buy his shoe polish but he thinks that he is still a great actor and also realizes that people won't go out of their way to punish a clown. But clowning becomes compulsive because he acts in his everyday life. Harry is so caught up in his illusion that it ends up killing him. He becomes really sick but can only think and respond in terms of performance. While playing faint, he shockingly discovers that he really is faint. Having role-played so much, he can no longer tell when he is acting pain and feeling pain, pretending suffering and really suffering. Though Harry's illness is real, he continues to put on his act. After offering Harry some water Tod states, â€Å"Harry framed the word ‘no’ with his lips, then groaned skillfully. It was a second-act curtain groan, so phony that Tod had to hide a smile. And yet the old man's pallor hadn't come from a box† (119). The only way Harry knows to express suffering is by exaggeratedly pretending it. Tod was often at the Greener’s house to help the sick man, but it was hard to distinguish how in pain the old man really was. It seemed like another one of his clown acts, where being in pain is what made the act so funny. Even as Harry is dying, he wonders to himself whether he was acting or actually sick. Like her dad Faye is caught up in the dreams and fantasies of Hollywood. Faye thinks she’s a big time movie star when in fact she has only been an extra with a short part in a movie. She even believes she is too good for guys like Tod and can only be with someone who is rich and handsome. Faye is the center of obsessional sexual fantasies of all the males in the novel. She is an unloving woman and provides Tod with many sexual and violent fantasies. Tod begins to realize that Faye’s main goal is to lead men on with her performances. Faye’s sexual gestures became more of a formal greeting that she used very often. Her secret smiles and the way she acted were used to get whatever she wanted. She never fooled anyone though, but it was alright with them. West writes, â€Å"His interest in her grew despite the things she said and he continued to find her very exciting. Had any other girl been so affected, he would have thought her intolerable. Faye’s affectations, however, were so completely artificial that he found them charming. Being with her was like being backstage during an amateurish, ridiculous play† (103). They were perfectly content watching what seemed like an amateur show, just by being with her. Even when Harry dies, Faye, who has been treating him meanly, decides to act like the devoted daughter. She provides a proper funeral and decides to become a call girl for Mrs. Jenning's in order to pay for it. Everything from the people to the town itself seems to be fake and not what everyone expects when they think of Hollywood. West’s theme of illusion verse reality is shown with Faye always bouncing free to continue in her fantasies, or Harry not knowing what he feels because clownishly playing his disguised self, the Greeners show that for compulsive masqueraders little authentic life is possible. Faye and Harry make the audience sympathetic for them. They just seem so pathetic at times that it’s hard to not feel bad for them. Tod, Homer and many of Faye’s other suitors, went along with her poor acting because she was beautiful yet pathetic. West says, â€Å"Raging at him, she was still beautiful. That was because her beauty was structural like a tree's, not a quality of her mind or heart† (126). They all loved her for what they saw on the outside, not her stuck up ways and wild stories. For all of the characters in West’s novel, they are acting on an every day basis without even realizing it. Harry acts in pain to get attention. He pretends to need help from sympathetic people and then he tells them the crazy stories of when he was â€Å"famous. † His illusions are then backed up by his strong beliefs that he really was a good actor. If we look at Faye we see how she also has a very strong and misconstrued idea of reality. She believes she will one day be famous and in her everyday life, she acts like she already is. She bosses the men around, has to be the center of attention, and uses people to pay for her and get her ahead. Her daily acting and stage acting has become almost the same, as she makes everything dramatic. All of Hollywood is her stage as she acts out her life. Faye does a little better then her father when it comes to acting because she uses her beauty to get ahead. Her beauty helps the men forget how delusional she is when she speaks. Harry has nothing to use to his advantage except being old, and being Faye’s father, which gives him the company of Faye’s suitors. Faye’s suitors help Harry and listen to his nonsense just so they can be close to Faye. The Greener’s are so confused in their ideas of illusion versus reality that they will never get anywhere close to their dreams. Harry died the clown he always was, while Faye ended up stuck in her fantasies. Neither got what they wanted or expected from Hollywood. The city that was supposed to make all their dreams come true failed. The Greener’s showed us very clearly the line between illusion and reality. Throughout the novel we saw Harry and Faye act their way through their life. Everyone around them was just a part of the play. Tod and Homer had front and center seats to see the Greeners perform. The performance was sad but amusing for the audience. In the end, the play didn’t have a happy ending for anyone but the ride along the way proved to be full of surprises, pain, disappointment, and challenges. Faye and Harry although unsuccessful during their time in Hollywood showed everyone the problems with never facing reality. The truth of reality would have hurt them. If they saw just as everyone else did, that they were the â€Å"have-nots† in society, they might have changed. Instead Tod was the only one in the novel who changed. His change can be attributed to the Greeners and their acting. Through them, Tod finally felt sympathy and became a better person. Faye and Harry were constant throughout The Day of the Locust, which led them to despair. The Greener’s constant masquerading eventually became the fall of them, leading to reality. Work Cited West, Nathanael. Miss Lonelyhearts & the Day of the Locust. New York: New Directions Book, 2009. Print.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Assess the view that we are now living in a secular society Essay

Secularization is described by Bryan Wilson as, ‘the process whereby religious thinking, practice and institutions lose social significance’. Contemporary sociologists argue that society is becoming more secular due to science and rationality, the decline of traditional values and the specialized division of labour. This appears to be confirmed by statistics, who claim that church attendance has fallen from 1,200,000 in 1980 to 850,000 in 2001. However, David Barrett has documented the emergence of some 6,300 New Religious Movements since the 1960s and the number of UK Muslims has increased from 40,000 to 1,400,000 which suggest that religion is developing to meet the needs of people in a modern society rather than decreasing altogether. On an international level Gilles Kepel states that there is little evidence of a general trend towards secularization and that in fact there is much evidence, such as the popularity of the Christian New Right in the US, Islamatization movements in Algeria and the Jewish political group Lubavitch in Israel, to suggest a religious revival. Item A agrees with the views of Gilles Kepel and is critical of the secularization thesis. It cites the popularity of churchgoing in the USA (40% of US adults attend church on a Sunday compared to 10% in England), New Age Movements in Western Europe, the growth in fundamentalist movements and the evangelical revival in Latin America as examples of ‘religious health and vitality’. It also mentions the ‘upsurge of ethno-religious conflict in international affairs’, with all recent conflicts such as the Jews and Arabs in the Middle East, the Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland and the Muslims, Serbs and Croats in Bosnia all being based on religion. Islamic terrorism has also ensured that religion is consistently at the forefront of current affairs. However, many sociologists have found that religion is incompatible with modern society. Weber predicted desacrilization in his idea of disenchantment, whereby magic and myth would be less important in modern society. Bryan Wilson felt that the rational organisation of society and greater knowledge of the social and physical world have encouraged the development of a rational view, and that due to this religion is difficult to accept as it cannot be quantified, tested or proven. Steve Bruce agreed, claiming that scientific beliefs undermine religion and that technological advances reduce the number of things that need to be explained in religious terms. Bruce also claims that religion has become less important in society as the majority of its previous functions, such as education, health, social welfare and social control have been taken over by other, non-religious, institutions. Bryan Wilson partially supports this view in terms of the loss of the social welfare and control functions, stating that due to societalization the church is no longer a focal point, people no longer rely upon the local priest for advice and cannot decide what to believe due to cultural diversity. David Matin blames disengagement for society allegedly becoming more secular, saying that the wealth, influence and prestige of the church has declined, it is no longer a major employer (one in thirty adults were employed by the church in previous times) and its ideological power has decreased. Functionalist Talcott Parsons disagrees, arguing that although the church may have lost its functions and become disengaged from the state and politics, religion can still be significant in everyday life and encourages shared values in society. However, Bruce did admit that religion is still used as a last resort when all rational and scientific options have been exhausted, stating that, ‘when we have tried every cure for cancer, we pray†¦ ‘. Postmodernists suggest that society has begun to move beyond the scientific rationality of modernity as they have started to mistrust science, due to its failures and negative effects such as disease and global warming. This suggests that the society we are living in is not secular, and will not become so. However, it is difficult to determine the extent to which society has become more secular. Although statistics suggest that this is the case, with church attendance decreasing from 40% in 1850 to 8% in 2000 and the amount of Christians in the world decreasing by one million between 1970 and 2005, they are unreliable. For example, church attendance is measured in different ways (varying from telephone polls to counting the amount of cars in car parks) and churches have motives to over or underestimate the congregation (for example, the Roman Catholic Church reduce their number to lessen capitation fees). Furthermore, different sociologists have different meanings for the concepts of religiosity and secularization, with those defining religion in terms of the structure and content of people’s beliefs (substantive definitions) being more likely to agree to the secularization thesis that those who consider the functions performed by religion for individuals and society (functional definitions). Glock and Stark believe that in order to measure the degree of religiosity in society (essential for determining whether or not society is secular) the five dimensions of religion must be applied. These are the essential beliefs of society, the acts of worship and ritual, the substantive feelings of being associated with a higher power or being, the depth of understanding of religious teachings and beliefs and the impact of being religious on daily activities. However, these dimensions further illustrate the difficulties of measuring religiosity, such as what needs to be taken into account, whether religion has to satisfy all of these dimensions, and which is the most important. To conclude, the secularization process cannot be proved or disproved, with the term ‘secularization’ being used in many different ways by sociologists. As Glock and Stark pointed out, as we have not adequately defined religion or religiosity, one cannot accurately test the secularization thesis and many sociologists also agree that religion varies according to national, regional, ethnic and class differences and so it is difficult to relate the secularization thesis to the whole of society. Therefore how secular contemporary society has become cannot be determined. However, society is not entirely secular, and with the emergence of New Religious Movements and New Age Movements religion appears to be developing and changing rather than declining altogether.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Essays on The Jungle By Upton Sinclair

The Jungle By Upton Sinclair "The Jungle" portrays the lower ranks of the industrial world as the scene of a naked struggle for survival. Where workers not only are forced to compete with each other but, if they falter, are hard pressed to keep starvation from their door and a roof over their heads. With unions weak and cheap labor plentiful, a social Darwinist state of "the survival of the fittest" exists. The real story revolves around the integration and eventual disintegration of Jurgis Rudkis and his family, Lithuanian immigrants who move to the Chicago stockyards in hopes of a better life. Unfortunately, their hopes quickly disintegrate; like thousands of other unskilled immigrants at the turn of the century, financial necessity forces them into virtual slave labor in order to survive. For Jurgis and his family, the slave master is the ruthless and greedy meat packing industry, whose leaders value their workers no more than the animals they slaughter. "The Jungle" shows the rel ationship between the animals that were being slaughtered and the workers who were slaughtering them, from very early in the novel. It compares the workers to the animals who are penned up and killed every day in the stockyards, which are moved along on conveyer belts by machinery that cares nothing for their individual desires. In the monotonous killing of each of the hogs, "They had done nothing to deserve it; and it was adding insult to injury, as the thing was done here, swinging them up in this cold blooded, impersonal way, without a pretense of apology without the homage of a tear."(Pg. 35) The key comparison is the condition of the workingmen; as cold, efficient machinery assimilates them, a blind fate swallows them up. A few of the men are even swallowed up literally when they would fall into huge vats and emerges as "Durham’s Pure Leaf Lard". (Pg. 99) "The Jungle" also shows precisely how wounded, diseased, and pregnant animals are turned into foo... Free Essays on The Jungle By Upton Sinclair Free Essays on The Jungle By Upton Sinclair The Jungle By Upton Sinclair "The Jungle" portrays the lower ranks of the industrial world as the scene of a naked struggle for survival. Where workers not only are forced to compete with each other but, if they falter, are hard pressed to keep starvation from their door and a roof over their heads. With unions weak and cheap labor plentiful, a social Darwinist state of "the survival of the fittest" exists. The real story revolves around the integration and eventual disintegration of Jurgis Rudkis and his family, Lithuanian immigrants who move to the Chicago stockyards in hopes of a better life. Unfortunately, their hopes quickly disintegrate; like thousands of other unskilled immigrants at the turn of the century, financial necessity forces them into virtual slave labor in order to survive. For Jurgis and his family, the slave master is the ruthless and greedy meat packing industry, whose leaders value their workers no more than the animals they slaughter. "The Jungle" shows the rel ationship between the animals that were being slaughtered and the workers who were slaughtering them, from very early in the novel. It compares the workers to the animals who are penned up and killed every day in the stockyards, which are moved along on conveyer belts by machinery that cares nothing for their individual desires. In the monotonous killing of each of the hogs, "They had done nothing to deserve it; and it was adding insult to injury, as the thing was done here, swinging them up in this cold blooded, impersonal way, without a pretense of apology without the homage of a tear."(Pg. 35) The key comparison is the condition of the workingmen; as cold, efficient machinery assimilates them, a blind fate swallows them up. A few of the men are even swallowed up literally when they would fall into huge vats and emerges as "Durham’s Pure Leaf Lard". (Pg. 99) "The Jungle" also shows precisely how wounded, diseased, and pregnant animals are turned into foo...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Pragmatics Application

Pragmatics Application Introduction Over the years that man has been in existence, he has found a unique way to pass message to the other members of his community. He has achieved this through the process of talking. This is very essential as he has been able to communicate what he feels, what he thinks and what he wants. This has made the manner in which he performs his activities to be effective and efficient as compared to other creatures.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Pragmatics Application specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is due to the high level of understanding that exists between the individual who is sending the information and the one who is receiving it (Stalnaker, 1970). This mutual understanding is what has assisted us to achieve all the developments and advancements that are currently present in the world. However, the process of communication has changed with time. This can be mainly attributed to the level of so cial interactions among individuals. As a result of the relationship that individuals have with one another, they have changed the literal meaning of words to mean something that is totally different. This is advantageous to the individuals who understand this sort of communication. However, misunderstandings may arise especially on those individuals who do not understand the contextual meaning of these words. This form of alteration is known as pragmatics. Pragmatics is the altering of words to give a different meaning as compared to its semantic meaning (DAndrade, 2002). For an individual to understand the meaning of a pragmatic phrase, one has to interpret it in accordance to the context in which the phrase was communicated. In most instances, high levels of confusion always arise. As a result, many individuals are against pragmatics. This is due to the high level of misinterpretation that may arise once the literal meaning of the phrase is used. This paper will therefore focus o n pragmatics and the problems that may arise due to the plain interaction of words, sentences or phrases. To achieve this, the essay will focus on the application of pragmatics on everyday conversation, the effects it has on language and the possible problems that may arise. Finally, possible solutions to the problem shall be discussed.Advertising Looking for coursework on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Pragmatics in Everyday Language Pragmatics is the process though which language is explained with the use of its context (Masuda, 2008). The meaning of such words cannot make sense if the plain interpretation of the words is applied with the use of semantics. Due to the different interpretation of words, a lot of confusion normally occurs in the everyday use of words, phrases and sentences. For example, the phrase, you have the green light, is frequently used in language. Several interpretations can be a rrived at with the use of semantics. For instance, the phrase can mean that one has a green light on his body. The phrase can also be used to say that the traffic light has changed from ambient to green so one can start to drive. However, one has to consider the context in which the conversation is made to understand the meaning of these words. In most cases, the phrase, you have the green light is used to mean that an individual has been given the authority to go on or continue to do something. He/she should therefore start or continue doing something. In games such as hockey, basketball and soccer, a player may shout man on to his teammate. If the context of this phrase is not considered, the literal meaning of the words can be interpreted to mean something that is totally different to what the player intended to communicate with his teammate. With the use of semantics, the word man can be used to refer to a male individual, the race of humankind or an individual (either male or f emale). On the other hand, the word on can be used to mean a number of things. This can be on top of someone, above someone, on duty and so on. Putting these words together will therefore lead to a totally different interpretation of the phrase. However, in sports, the phrase is used to alert the danger of the presence of an opponent to a teammate. Therefore, when an individual shouts man on to his teammate, he expects his teammate to respond appropriately by either protecting the ball or playing in a safe position. As it was mentioned earlier, understanding the contextual subtleties of a spoken phrase often proves indispensible when it comes to defining such phrase’s actual semiotics. For example, there are two equally legitimate meanings to the statement: â€Å"She requires a rod† – that the woman needs the actual rod or that this woman may be in need for sex.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Pragmatics Application specifically fo r you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More And, it is specifically the context in which this phrase has been uttered, which provides others with the insight on what person that came up with this statement had in mind. Nevertheless, in order for just about anyone to be able to able to grasp the contextual implications of an utterance, he or she would have to be endowed with the ability to operate with rather abstract categories, as it is namely such individual’s ability that allows him or her to choose in favor of whether literal, metaphoric or situational understanding of a spoken phrase. In its turn, one’s ability to operate with abstract categories can be well conceptualized within the framework of what happened to be the rate of individual’s Intellectual Quotidian (IQ). Problem of Pragmatics From the examples that have been raised above, it is evident that the main problem that arises from pragmatics is the issue of interpretation of the mess age that is being passed on from the sender of the message to the recipient. The main aim of communication is that there should be an understanding between the individual who is passing the information and the person who is receiving it. Understanding is an integral part of communication. The initiator of a conversation expects the recipient to respond in a specific manner. This can either be in the form of an action, gesture or speech. From the few examples that have been used in this paper, it is evident that several interpretations can arise from just a simple word or phrase. At the same time, it is difficult for any individual to understand the contextual meaning of words or phrases used by an individual. Apparently, in order to be able to recognize the significance of just about any contextually formulated statement, the individual must be capable of recognizing what accounts for the difference between qualitatively defined emanations of surrounding environment. In other words, he or she would have to be aware of rationale behind categorizing such emanations.Advertising Looking for coursework on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This, however, often proves very challenging for the people with low IQ, because the primitive workings of their psyche create objective preconditions for them to indulge in exclusively literal thinking, which also explains such people’s tendency to perceive world through the lenses of utilitarianism and their lessened ability to recognize contextual implications of verbal expressions. Despite the problems that arise as a result of using pragmatics, it is essential to accept it as part of the English language. Pragmatics plays an important role in communication. To ensure that proper interpretation of such phrases is achieved, some theories have been developed. Theories of Pragmatics In practice, a lot of criticism has been raised against pragmatics. People have said that the concept does not have a specific focus, its ideologies are vague and that it is redundant (Adams, 2010). These people feel that semantics has covered effectively all the aspects that pragmatics is trying to cover. However, there are those individuals who feel that pragmatics is part and parcel of the English language. They argue that pragmatics is vital in linguistics since it has brought about a new dimension in social language interactions. It has managed to capture aspects of language that semantics has failed to capture. As a result, pragmatics has become a useful tool in teaching, especially in literature. Several theories have therefore been advanced to solve the differences that have risen between pragmatics and semantics. The first theory that has been advanced is the theory of Speech Acts (Barba, 2007). J.L. Austin, a great philosopher suggested that there is a great similarity between the utterance and the actions of an individual. Due to this relationship, it is thus easier for an individual to interpret what another person is trying to communicate to his with the help of his/her actions while he/she is speaking. According to the theory, these utterances have three aspec ts; locutionary, illocutionary and perlocutionary acts (Bruhl, 1928). Locutionary acts entail the words that an individual utters in the process of a conversation and the content of these words. Illocutionary acts on the other hand are the physical actions of an individual while he/she is talking. This may include gesture, facial expressions, changes in posture and so on. An individual can, for example, bite his finger while talking. The act of biting his finger in itself plays a critical aspect in determining the context and meaning if what he may be saying. Finally, perlocutionary acts are the effects of the utterance to the listener. An individual may respond in accordance to the instructions of the words that were uttered. In some other instances, an individual may respond contrary to directions that were uttered by the speaker. Whichever the case, there was an understanding between the speaker and the listener. The various avenues of communication as a result of the speech act theory were responsible for the passing of information and understanding between the two parties. This therefore removes the ambiguity that exists between pragmatics and semantics. With the use of the words uttered by an individual and the corresponding actions, an individual is capable of understanding the message that the other party was passing. In the process, he/she responds appropriately. Thus, the process of communication has effectively taken place. Apparently, people’s lessened ability to recognize the contextual meaning of verbally expressed idioms, is nothing but the mental byproduct of their evolutionary underdevelopment, as those who have not evolved to the point of being able to draw a clear line between themselves and the surrounding environment: â€Å"Identity appears in (primitive people’s) collective representations†¦ as a moving assemblage or totality of mystic actions and reactions, within which individual does not subjectualize but objectuali ze itself† (p. 120). Therefore, it does not seem utterly odd that it is namely intellectually underdeveloped individuals’ lessened capacity to understand how the associated context affects the semantic significance of linguistic idioms (which comes as the result of pre-logical workings of their psyche) that often prevents them from succeeding in academia. In its turn, such lessened capacity on their part, appears to be rather genetically predetermined. As it was pointed out by Lynn and Vanhanen (2002): â€Å"IQs appear to be determined by the racial and ethnic make-up of the populations†¦ The IQs of 96 are typical of Europeans. The countries with lower proportions of Europeans and greater proportions of Native Americans, Blacks, and Mestizos have lower IQs† (p. 263). Apparently, the practice of discussing pragmatics-related concepts outside of what happened to the qualitative essence of how people with diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds indulge in cognitive process cannot be referred to as academically appropriate, in full sense of this word. After all, as many recent socio-linguistic studies indicate, it is not one’s affiliation with a particular culture/language that forms person’s existential attitudes, which in turn affect the extent of his or her linguistic proficiency, but neurological particulars of how one’s mind assesses universe and its place in it. As it was pointed out in Bunge’s (1975) article: â€Å"Language is the set of speech processes, which are in turn physiological (in particular neurophysiological) processes† (p. 109). What it means is that it is specifically the particulars of individual brain’s ‘wiring’ which define his or her varying ability to provide a proper contextual sounding to verbally expressed sentences and to also recognize the proper contextual sounding in words and phrases that are being verbally expressed by others. Conclusion This paper has pre sented a great argument with regards to pragmatics and its application in linguistics. With the application of the speech of acts theory, the differences that exist between pragmatics and semantics can easily be solved. In addition, line of argumentation, which has been deployed throughout this paper’s analytical part, supports the validity of an initial thesis that there can only be rules to pragmatics for as long as improving the linguistic proficiency of similarly ‘brain-wired’ people is being concerned. Given the fact that, as time goes on, socially appropriate verbal expressions that convey situative-contextual messages never cease being adjusted to be correlative with currently predominant socio-cultural discourses, there can be little rationale in theorizing upon what constitutes the expressional adequacy of linguistic idioms under specific circumstances, as these circumstances themselves are the subject of a constant change. It is important to understand that the very fact that, as of today, Western societies’ demographic fabric undergoes a rapid transformation creates objective preconditions for the very concept of linguistic pragmatics to grow increasingly less euro-centric, which in turn implies that it is only the matter of time, before its methodological framework will become outdated. Therefore, it will only be logical to conclude that the key to maintaining the academic validity of pragmatics, as subdivision of linguistics, is not in defining how context affects semiotics of verbal expressions, but in exposing the mechanism of how the context itself creates an entirely new semantic meaning to what is being said or written. References Adams, W. (2010). Natures participatory psyche: A study of consciousness in the shared Earth community. The Humanistic Psychologist, 38 (1), 15-39. Barba, J. (2007). Formal semantics in the age of pragmatics. Linguistics and Philosophy, 30 (6): 637-668. Bruhl, L. (1928). The soul of the pr imitive. London: George Allen Unwin Ltd. Bunge, M. (1984). Philosophical Problems in Linguistics. Erkenntnis, 21 (2) (Jul., 1984), 107-173. DAndrade, R. (2002). Cultural Darwinism and language. American  Anthropologist, New Series, 104 (1), 223-232. Lynn, R. Vanhanen, T. (2002). IQ and the wealth of nations. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Publishing Group. Masuda, T. (2008). Culture and aesthetic preference: Comparing the attention to context of East Asians and Americans. Personality and Social  Psychology Bulletin, 34(9): 1260-1275. Stalnaker, R. (1970). Pragmatics. Synthese, 22 (1/2): 272-289.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Group Essays Develop 21st Century Skills

Group Essays Develop 21st Century Skills Teachers in any discipline should consider assigning a collaborative writing assignment, such as a group essay or paper. Here are three practical reasons to plan to use a collaborative writing assignment with students in grades 7-12.   Reason #1:  In preparing students to be college and career ready, it is important to provide exposure to a collaborative process.  The skill of collaboration and communication is one of the 21st Century Skills embedded in academic content standards.   Real world writing is often completed in the form of group writing- an undergraduate college group project, a report for a business, or a newsletter for a non-profit institution. Collaborative writing can result in more ideas or solutions for completing a task. Reason # 2: Collaborative writing results in fewer products for a teacher to assess. If there are 30 students in a class, and the teacher organizes collaborative writing groups of three students each, the end product will be 10 papers or projects to grade as opposed to 30 papers or projects to grade.   Reason #3: Research supports collaborative writing.  According to Vygostsky’s theory of ZPD (zone of proximal development),  when students work with others, there is an opportunity for all learners to work at a level slightly above their usual capacity, as co-operating with others who know a little more can boost achievement. The Collaborative Writing Process The most obvious difference between an individual writing assignment and a collaborative or group writing assignment is in the assigning of responsibilities:  who will write what? According to  P21s  Framework for 21st Century Learning, students engaging in collaborative writing are also  practicing  the  21st Century skills of  communicating clearly  if they are given the opportunity to: Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contextsListen effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes and intentionsUse communication for a range of purposes (e.g. to inform, instruct, motivate and persuade)Utilize multiple  media and technologies, and know how to judge their effectiveness a priori as well as assess their impactCommunicate effectively in diverse environments (including multi-lingual) The following outline will help teachers and then students address the logistics of running a collaborative assignment in which all members of the group have defined  responsibilities.  This outline can be adapted to be used in groups of various sizes (two to five writers) or to any content area. The Writing Process Any collaborative writing process must be taught to students and practiced several times a year with the goal for students to manage the group writing process themselves.   As in any writing assignment, individual or group, a teacher must clearly articulate the  purpose of the assignment  (to inform, to explain, to persuade...)  The purpose of writing will also mean identifying the target audience. Providing students a rubric for collaborative writing in advance will better help them understand the expectations for the task. Once purpose and audience have been established, then designing and implementing a collaborative writing paper or essay is not very different than following the five steps of the  writing process: PrewritingDraftingRevisionEditingPublishing Pre-writing process Students in the group review the  assignment and the requirements for the final product or paper;Students in the group  brainstorm and share ideas;Students in the group  formulate a draft or working thesis:This is a first attempt at developing a position or assertion;Because the  early stages of the writing process are where the groups writers are guided by questions they have (inquiry based learning), the working thesis is not the final thesis statement. Planning and Logistics Students in the group  decide together who will write which parts of the paper.  This will require that students collaborate, rather than merely cooperate. Here is the difference:When collaborating, students work together on a single shared goal;When cooperating, students perform together while working on selfish yet common goals.Students in the group  document the collaboration plan based on  the assignment requirements  (Ex: book review, pro/con persuasive paper) and agree upon the plan;Students in the group  determine a timeline that outlines deadlines for both individual and group responsibilities;Students in the group  determine when work can be done synchronously (in class/in person) or asynchronously (online). With the use of online writing platforms such as Google Docs, these group  determinations will help the group share updates and information more effectively. Management of Research Students in the group  draft how the assignment will be managed  (Ex: sections, chapters, paragraphs, appendices);Students in the group  determine how and where they will find trustworthy and timely source materials (books, articles, newspaper articles, videos, podcasts, websites, interviews or self-created surveys for research on topic);Students in the group  determine who will read and process the information;Pro/con evidence should be balanced;Evidence must be cited;Citations must be cataloged;Students in the group  analyze the evidence as to how well it supports position;Students in the group  determine the best way to include additional evidence (EX: pictures, graphs, tables, and charts.) Drafting and Writing Individual students keep in mind how the material and individual writing will fit into the paper or product.Students writing together synchronously  (in class/in person) or  asynchronously  (online):Writing as a group is  time-consuming; these opportunities should be left to making sure the document is organized to give the reader the impression of one cohesive voice.Student in the group should make sure that the paper or products content is clear and the writing communicates a single (or in the case of pro/con, a whole) message to the target audience before discussing stylistic changes. Revising, Editing, and Proofreading Students in the group review drafted parts of the document before merging into a single document;Students in the group  look for a logical flow of ideas. (Note:  Teaching students to use  transitions is critical to smoothing over individual drafts);Students in the group  revise content and structure of the paper;Students in the group  proofread paper and check for typos, spelling errors, punctuation problems, formatting issues, and grammatical mistakes. (Note: Reading the paper aloud  is an excellent strategy for editing). Additional Research on Collaborative Writing Regardless as to the size of the group or the content area classroom, students will manage their writing by following an organizational pattern. This finding is based on the  results of a  study  (1990) conducted by Lisa Ede and Andrea Lunsford that resulted in a book  Singular Texts /Plural Authors: Perspectives on Collaborative Writing,  According to their work, there are  seven noted organizational patterns for collaborative writing.  These seven patterns are: the team plans and outlines the task, then each writer prepares his/her part and the group compiles the individual parts, and revises the whole document as needed;the team plans and outlines the writing task, then one member prepares a draft, the team edits and revises the draft;one member of the team plans and writes a draft, the group revises the draft;one person plans and writes the draft, then one or more members revises the draft without consulting the original authors;the group plans and writes the draft, one or more members revise the draft without consulting the original authors;one person assigns the tasks, each member completes the individual task, one person compiles and revises the document;one dictates, another transcribes and edits. Tackling the Downsides to Collaborative Writing In order to  maximize the effectiveness of a collaborative writing assignment, all students in each group must be active participants. Therefore: Instructors need to monitor the progress of each group, provide feedback and assist when necessary.   Initially, this form of monitoring may be more time-consuming than traditional teaching formats, but a teacher can meet with groups more effectively over time than individual students. While the front-loading the collaborative writing assignment takes time, the number of final products is substantially reduced so the grading time is also reduced.A collaborative writing project must be designed in a way so that the final assessment is considered valid, fair and accurate. The final assessment must consider the knowledge and performance of all group members.   Grading complexities can make group assignments difficult for instructors. (See group grading article)Students may sometimes struggle with making decisions in a group setting.There can be  additional stress on students  because of multiple opinions and writing styles. These must be incorporated into one final product that pleases everyone.   Conclusion Preparing students for real-world collaborative experiences is an important goal, and the collaborative writing process can better help teachers meet that goal. The research supports a collaborative approach. Even though the collaborative writing approach may require more time in the set-up and monitoring, the fewer number of papers for teachers to grade is an extra bonus.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Management consultancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management consultancy - Essay Example They also have team works in every representative they send to their clients. They also use the different consulting modes in how they consult with their clients. Table of Contents Introduction Management consulting in its essence is the action or practice of helping organizations and business to improve on their performance. They are therefore called upon to help management to achieve the organization goals. Organizations call them for a variety of reasons which are mainly centered on gaining an external objective input on how to run the organization. Another reason is management consultants are experts in this area therefore gaining expertise information from the consultants (Schwartz, 2002). They are valuable since they have dealt with many organizations and hence have expert knowledge on how to achieve success in the organization. Other essential skills that management consultants offer the organizations include change management assistance, development and coaching skills, techn ology setting up in the firm, strategy development and also efficiency in operational services. Management consultants manage these tasks by bringing their own methods and frameworks that have succeeded in other organizations to make the organization more efficient and effective at performing their tasks (Drucker, 2006). Management consultancy has grown over the years. ... Management consulting therefore depends on the specialization of the consultancy firm and the consulting needs of the organization. They include information technology consulting, virtual management, human resource consulting and financial consulting. Sometimes some of this specialization offered by consultancy firms overlap and they offer an even more diversified consultancy (Werr, 2004). The field of management consultancy has grown to include consultancy in non-public organizations including the public sector. In the UK, there has been extensive use of management consultants. The government has spent a large sum between 1996 and 2006; it used 20 billion pounds in management consultants. This has raised question among the House of Commons if this type investment was even worth it. But the use of management consulting has yielded fruit especially in the National Health Service, in the Local Government Association Improvement and Development Agency and also in the National Supports T eams. Although Management consulting can be somewhat expensive it is essential. It often leads to better performance of the organization in general. It is therefore one thing that all companies and firms should consider especially in areas which they lack a lot of skills or if the firm is on the red and requires a turnaround plan to make it more profitable (Norton, 2006). Client Centered consulting process model by Cockman This consultancy cycle or model has been used by many consultants to show the interaction of the consultants and the client from the beginning of the consultancy model. At times it does not reflect what actually happens in reality. But like all models following them makes the process better. The Professional Consultants were

Friday, October 18, 2019

A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell Research Paper

A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell - Research Paper Example Both the story and the play gained much popularity, and many women writers and playwrights included them in their anthologies (Goodman 191). Since Glaspell had been acting as a court reporter in Iowa, she designed a story in which she showed some rural women pondering over the details of the murder of a man, whose wife had killed him. Women take clues from petty things in the murderer’s kitchen, and reach to the disclosure of who killed the man. Glaspell has claimed, after the story received warm appreciation, that it was based on a real court case when she was working as a reporter for the Des Moines Daily. She reported the murder of a sixty-year-old farmer, named John Hossack, in Indianola, Iowa, in 1900. He was found with a crushed skull on the night when he was sleeping with his wife. Somebody had crushed his skull with an axe. His wife, Margaret, was doubted, but was released due to unconvincing evidence. She said that she did not know who the murderer was. A lot of women of the town attended the trial. A sheriff’s wife showed sympathy with Mrs. Hossack, when she had first testified against her. This was the woman who depicted the character of Mrs. Peters in the story. Glaspell created a jury of those female peers in â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers†, because in real, females were not allowed as jurors in the court trial. This paper intends to discuss the main theme and focus of the play, along with the means and techniques the author used to communicate the idea. To start with, it is better to give a summary of the play, so that the reader gets a better idea about what the storywriter is trying to convey. The whole story is about the characters (the county attorney George Henderson, the neighbor Lewis Hale, the large Mrs. Martha Hale, The sheriff Henry Peters, and the thin Mrs. Peters) searching for clues to solve a murder case in a dull and messy kitchen of John Wright's farmhouse. The story begins with Mrs. Hale working in her kitchen, mak ing bread, when her husband, Mr. Hale, comes upon her and asks her to leave with him. She is furious for leaving the task she was doing, but leaves to join the county attorney George Henderson, and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Peters, at the place where the Wrights lived. Wrights were a couple all of them were familiar with. Mr. John Wright has been murdered. His wife, Mrs. Minnie Wright is being under arrest as a suspect. The women refer to her as Minnie Foster. The men- Peters, Henderson and Hale- search through the crime scene for evidence and clues, and mock at the women’s talk about the clues. They make fun of women’s discussion about the quilt, the broken door of the bird cage, and the dead canary. The men consider their interest in these objects as unimportant as Hale says, â€Å"Well, women are used to worrying over trifles†. When men move upstairs to look for evidence, the women search the chaotic kitchen and find clues which point to the guilt of Mrs. Wright. Me n had called these things as â€Å"trifles† and had said, â€Å"Nothing here but kitchen things†. The women form a bond with Mrs. Wright, when they see her shaggy clothing and the run down kitchen. As an objection to men’s mocking, the women decide to keep the evidence to themselves. Ironically, their discussion about unimportant things finally leads to uncovering the truth and solving the murder case.

Nonverbal Communication Communication-Impacts on Small Business Research Paper

Nonverbal Communication Communication-Impacts on Small Business - Research Paper Example Words can have no or insignificant effect if they are not supported by nonverbal communication. By learning how to interpret the nonverbal communication and practicing the tactics, the business would not only create good communicators but also be having good businesspersons, which is essential for a business to reach its goals. People in organizations typically spend over 75% of their time in an interpersonal situation; thus it is no surprise to find that at the root of a large number of organizational problems is poor communications. Effective communication is an essential component of organizational success whether it is at the interpersonal, intergroup, intragroup, organizational, or external levels. Non-verbal communication consists of all the messages other than words that are used in communication. In oral communication, these symbolic messages are transferred by means of intonation, the tone of voice, vocally produced noises, body posture, body gestures, facial expressions or pauses. Small business owners should possess the ability to read the many nonverbal cues employees, customers, and suppliers may communicate. If you observe gestures, facial expressions, tone variation, etc., the probability of effective communications is significantly increased. This breakdown indicates that effective nonverbal communication skills are essential. ... There is nothing worse than delivering a speech about how well your organization is doing while at the same time, shrugging, frowning and turning away from the audience. You would be sending mixed messages and based on the above scale no one in the audience will believe that the company is actually performing well. Effective communication is the combined harmony of verbal and nonverbal actions. Nonverbal communication consists of body movement, facial expressions, and eye movement. Body Movement indicates attitude, conveys feelings serves as illustrators and regulators. Illustrators are nonverbal movements that accompany and illustrate verbal communication. Regulators are nonverbal cues that monitor or control the speaking of another individual. While listening to a person you nod your head to indicate that you understand and are in agreement with the speaker. You look away or yawn to indicate that you are bored or would like for the speaker to stop talking. You frown or raise your eyebrows to indicate to the speaker that you either don't believe they are that you don't understand. Non-verbal behavior predates verbal communication because of individuals, since birth, rely first on non-verbal means to express themselves. This innate character of non-verbal behavior is important in communication. Even before a sentence is uttered, the hearer observes the body gestures and facial expressions of the speaker, trying to make sense of these symbolic messages. They seem to be trustable because they are mostly unconscious and part of every-day behavior. People assume that non-verbal actions do not lie and therefore they tend to believe the non-verbal message when a verbal message contradicts it. Â  

Course work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Course work - Essay Example Due to this, an external management consultant was engaged to review the entire company in general and its IT development function. From the results of the review, the executive board commissioned the management consultant to identify appropriate techniques for business and requirements analysis activities for the company. The process of checking on the availability of products remain unclear and may require secondary scenarios such as what exactly would happen if a selected product is not available or if the selected product is available but not in sufficient quantity to serve the quantity selected by the customer. In the latter case, the system must know whether to remove the product from the customer’s order or supply a partial order. Inspection of the use case diagram and developing all scenarios in detail allows the analyst and the users to understand detailed system requirements and will be able to accurately specify requirements. Depending on the complexity of order processing for the different customer sectors, additional systems to be developed would either be a separate system per customer sector or additional system processes for the sectors with different processes from the home sector system. Based on the rich picture, other potential systems that might be developed are a warehousing system, an inventory and stock control system, a sales monitoring system, and a supplier management system. For the Home Sector Order Processing System, further investigation in needed to determine processes for unavailable products or available products but with insufficient quantity to fill customer orders. If products are unavailable, how will reordering from suppliers be conducted? The entire process for inventory and stock monitoring and control needs to be investigated if it will be integrated into the order processing system. For insufficient quantities, will orders be partially filled or cancelled altogether? What happens if order processing

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Decision making models Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Decision making models - Outline Example The essay will also attempt to identify the legal requirements relating to the collection, use and storage of data and information in the UK. Basically, the term decision making is used to describe the act of seeking information, interpreting that information and based on such perceptions, arriving at a conclusion in relation to strategic issues that affect the organisation (Simons & Thompson 1998:7 as cited in Schultz et al 2004). Vroom-Yetton- Jago’s normative decision making model is mainly based on the notion of taking people off their primary tasks in the organisation to participate in teams or other decision making activities and this may be a good gesture with regards to empowerment but it may also be costly as well if it is unnecessary (Vroom & Jago1988). Thus, the Vroom-Yetton-Jago model is a decision making model that gives the opportunity to the leader to first examine the situation then come up with an ideal style or level of engagement that can be adopted in the o rganisation. ... The leader also ought to have enough information about the problem as well as to be in a position to identify the structure of the problem. The leader will also need to be in a position to establish the probability of the level of commitment by the subordinates and their wish to share the same vision in the organisational goals that can be attained through problem solving. More importantly, the leader also ought to be in a position to identify any conflict that may exist and the level of information possessed by the subordinates that can be used to make sound decisions that will be beneficial to the organisation as a whole. Having gathered all the information using the above mentioned method, a leader can adopt any of the following decision making style depending on the nature of the decision to be made. In autocratic one, the leader can solve the problem using readily available information to him or her whilst in autocratic two, he or she may get additional information from the grou p members then make the decision alone (Vroom & Jago1988). Though different, these leadership styles show that there is an element of individualism in the leader in decision making. In consultative style one, the leader solicits for information from individual members in the group and makes a decision alone whilst in consultative two, the leader collectively shares the information with all the members of the group but will make the decisions alone. Again, in this case, there is an element of the leader making a decision alone after gathering information from the other members of the group. Finally, in group two, decision making is collective whereby the leader engages all the members of the group then they will make a decision as a group whereby the leader

International fashion textiles Marketing Literature review

International fashion textiles Marketing - Literature review Example Internationalization Process Internationalization process is a particular brand development process considering from the local or domestic market place to international market place. This internationalization process used to provide international activity analysis depending upon the market penetration. International environment will generate valuable experience about the learning global strategy. For an example, an organization can gain valuable experiences in order to identify the social problems in various countries (Pride and Ferrell, 2011, p.248). Based on several literatures, internationalization process can be defined as the specific process to increase the involvement of a brand or an organization in global operations. Generally, this internationalization process comprises of a sensible planning perspective, which can help the organization to make effective strategic decisions in order to improve the organizational performance. It indicates that, the organization has internati onalized their business operations based on the strategy development (Hill and Jones, 2011, p.149). It generally supports the predefined long-term objectives of the organization. In a very much simple and similar attempt, the literatures have proposed s strategic planning process framework for the luxurious fast-fashion and textile organizations or brands that has internationalized their business operation around the globe. Exclusively, the initiative frameworks that have been proposed by the literatures depict the internationalization trend for the both born-global and gradual global luxurious fashion and textile organizations. An international strategic planning process allows several potential organizations to increase the incremental operation involvement in a very concrete manner (Behrens, 2009, p.71). These strategies only can be implemented after achieving significant success in the home or domestic market. It has been effectively revealed that the incremental process of inte rnationalization planning develops by the learning via commitment over longer period of times. In this way, the fashion and textile retailers used to construct a strong base in the domestic market (Etemed, 2005, p.62). Moreover, this strategy and process help the organiza6tions to focus on the expansion of business operations on other potential geographic areas either within the country or any other potential international area. The growth of business performance level in the domestic market used to motivate the organizations to make an international footprint around the globe. Therefore, an incremental planning structure can significantly provide the luxury fashion or the textile retail organizations an effective understanding about the competency and several aspects of a local market place (Kapferer, 2008, p.34). Moreover, it helps to identify various innovative strategies that can be effective enough to implement in the international business expansion process. There are several drawbacks that exist in the incremental planning structure. The fashion and textile retailers may not be able to execute the same strategy in terms of global market. In order to support this concept, Bell et al. (2003) has argued that, in the incrementa

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Decision making models Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Decision making models - Outline Example The essay will also attempt to identify the legal requirements relating to the collection, use and storage of data and information in the UK. Basically, the term decision making is used to describe the act of seeking information, interpreting that information and based on such perceptions, arriving at a conclusion in relation to strategic issues that affect the organisation (Simons & Thompson 1998:7 as cited in Schultz et al 2004). Vroom-Yetton- Jago’s normative decision making model is mainly based on the notion of taking people off their primary tasks in the organisation to participate in teams or other decision making activities and this may be a good gesture with regards to empowerment but it may also be costly as well if it is unnecessary (Vroom & Jago1988). Thus, the Vroom-Yetton-Jago model is a decision making model that gives the opportunity to the leader to first examine the situation then come up with an ideal style or level of engagement that can be adopted in the o rganisation. ... The leader also ought to have enough information about the problem as well as to be in a position to identify the structure of the problem. The leader will also need to be in a position to establish the probability of the level of commitment by the subordinates and their wish to share the same vision in the organisational goals that can be attained through problem solving. More importantly, the leader also ought to be in a position to identify any conflict that may exist and the level of information possessed by the subordinates that can be used to make sound decisions that will be beneficial to the organisation as a whole. Having gathered all the information using the above mentioned method, a leader can adopt any of the following decision making style depending on the nature of the decision to be made. In autocratic one, the leader can solve the problem using readily available information to him or her whilst in autocratic two, he or she may get additional information from the grou p members then make the decision alone (Vroom & Jago1988). Though different, these leadership styles show that there is an element of individualism in the leader in decision making. In consultative style one, the leader solicits for information from individual members in the group and makes a decision alone whilst in consultative two, the leader collectively shares the information with all the members of the group but will make the decisions alone. Again, in this case, there is an element of the leader making a decision alone after gathering information from the other members of the group. Finally, in group two, decision making is collective whereby the leader engages all the members of the group then they will make a decision as a group whereby the leader

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Workplace Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 107

Workplace Teams - Essay Example As the discussion declares the structural shift from a top-down management system to a team-based management led to the creation of workplace teams. Many companies adopted the team-based approach because it enhances innovativeness and problem-solving abilities of the company. People can brainstorm on problems and propose ideas that are more optimum compared to a single person working. It enables a company that adopts it to be agile as its workforce is agile. Workplace teams are thus, important in a changing environment. Therefore, every student ought to be prepared to be an effective team player. Teamwork skills are important, and thus many companies, usually, consider the ability of its prospective employee to work effectively in a group. From this paper it is clear that a team-oriented structure means organizations or companies rely on small teams to handle and manage a number of tasks. Workplace teams proffer certain benefits because it permits collaboration of a number of employees. As defined by Ahles & Bosworth, a team consists of a small number of persons with matching skills. The persons hold themselves accountable for a common intention, approach, and a set of goals. Therefore according to the definition of Ahles & Bosworth and supported by Cornish, workplace team leads to better solutions, better production, and creativity. The advantages of a team-based approach are due to the ability of the approach to place equal responsibilities on the members of the group.

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Determinants Of Diabetes Health And Social Care Essay

The Determinants Of Diabetes Health And Social Care Essay Diabetes affects over 3 million adults in Australia alone-of which 90% is type 2 (Baricevic, 2007) non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM-for the sake of this essay diabetes is referring to type 2 NIDDM). There are numerous biological and socioeconomic determinants of the disease which has developed into Australias fastest growing chronic disease. Whilst it is often considered a lifestyle disease (Scobie Samaras, 2009) this is a common misunderstanding with many other contributing factors such as genetics, the environment and economic circumstances. Whilst much research has gone into the management/treatment of diabetes, work on addressing the upstream determinants has begun. Physiotherapists play a vital role in the prevention and treatment of the condition with them often prescribing exercise programs for diabetic patients. Diabetes results from a total or partial insulin deficiency, resulting in hypoglycaemia. This deficiency prevents glucose movement between the blood and cells, creating a build-up of glucose in the bloodstream. As a result of the hypoglycaemia, several key symptoms are present including blurred vision; increased healing times; unexplained weight gain; increased passing of urine; thirstiness; tiredness and dizziness. In 2010 diabetes accounted for 6.6% of Australias total burdens of disease and has been identified as one of the eight national health priorities (AIHW, 2010). Section 1 Hamdy, Goodyear, Horton (2004) contend that there are three key contributing factors to the onset of diabetes. These include genetic predisposition, decreased insulin action and a defect in the pancreatic ÃŽÂ ² cell. However the most well-known biological and behavioural determinants of the condition relate to obesity with the relative risk being 1.8 for an overweight person and a staggering 3.2 for obese people (Marks, Coyne, Pang, 2001). Weight related determinants include obesity (morbid and moderate), sedentary lifestyle, poor diet and low levels of physical activity (Ramlo-Halsted Edelman, 1999). Hamdy, Goodyear Horton (2004) suggest the primary reason for such societal changes leading to the dramatic rises in the rates of both obesity and more so diabetes is urbanisation. They suggest that the recent world-wide urbanisation and increase in technology has created a society where traditional incidental forms of exercise have been alleviated in favour of technology and the advances that it has facilitated. Ethnic groups have particularly been affected by these changes with their traditional forms of life transformed as they too are impacted by globalisation. An example of such a group in Australia is the Indigenous Australians. As with nearly all areas of health, they are severely over represented in the percent suffering from diabetes. __________ Other factors contributing to the onset of the disease include older age, Section 2 Despite these factors being well documented as some of the primary causes of diabetes, Scobie Samaras (2009) argue that these factors accelerate the onset rather than being the primary cause. -biological/behavioural determinants of health Age Genetic background-parental history -groups at particular risk: Elderly People with a family history Certain ethnic groups (eg Aboriginal Australians) Low SES Section 2 (link back in with individual determinants) -Factors such as poverty, poor education, social exclusion, unemployment and lack of or poor quality housing all contribute to health inequalities. -socioeconomic determinants of health PolicyÆ’Â  PA levels in schools, NPAG, education CommunityÆ’Â  access to parks/paths EnvironmentalÆ’Â  safety, access to fresh food SocietalÆ’Â   urbanisation and increase in technology = down incidental exercise EconomicÆ’Â  employment/occupation, income, wealth Section 3 Traditionally treatment of diabetes has focused on the downstream factors, with the focus being at an individual level. Exercise and weight loss are key aspects of the treatment, given that ________. Exercise alone leads to a significant improvement in insulin sensitivity (Misra, et al., 2008). In line with the National Physical Activity Guidelines (Department of Health and Ageing, 2010), it is recommended that individuals participate in at least 30 min of walking 5 days per week. The guidelines highlight four key points for all adults regarding physical activity, with these being particularly important for people with diabetes. They are: Think of movement as an opportunity, not an inconvenience Be active every day in as many ways as you can Put together at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days If you can, also enjoy some regular, vigorous activity for extra health and fitness (Department of Health and Ageing, 2010) In conjunction with exercise, a healthy diet is essential for the effective treatment of diabetes (DA Victoria, 2002). This has been proven to have the single greatest natural impact on blood glucose levels; as well as aiding weight loss and decreasing insulin resistance. Foods should not be limited to low GI, with a diet focussed on high protein (such as fish and low fat dairy); high carbohydrates (such as pasta, bread and fruit) and low saturated fat/sugar (Baricevic, 2007). The AIHW (2010) suggests that the most appropriate method of treatment is initially through diet and exercise, progressing only later to medication. Diabetes medication primarily acts to help regulate the blood glucose levels. Given that with this condition insulin is unable to effectively function, it becomes important to have a way to regulate blood sugar. The normal range is 3.5-6 mmol/L prior to meals and 3.5-8mmol/L directly afterwards (DA Victoria, 2002). Glucose management is very important to keep the risk of cardiovascular disease down, and without regulation the person may suffer from hypo/hyperglycemia. That said, Ramlo-Halsted Edelman (1999) point out that the optimal regimen particularly for medication will change for each individual as the condition progresses. There are two different options for medication-tablets or insulin injections. The tablets are taken orally and decrease the release of stored glucose in the liver, keeping blood sugar levels down. In contrast, i nsulin injections come in the form of a needle (syringe) or a pen and are used when the pancreas is unable to produce the required amounts of insulin (Baricevic, 2007). Diabetes, as with many health conditions, requires a multi-disciplinary team for successful treatment and management. Diabetes Management in General Practise (2009) describes the roles of at least eight different team members in the treatment of diabetes. These include: General practitioner Exercise specialist (commonly a physiotherapist) Podiatrist Optometrist Oral health professional Diabetes educator (nurses etc) Dietician Endocrinologist/diabetologist Whilst not all of these health professionals will necessarily be involved in every individuals treatment, the teams cooperation is vital for long-term treatment. To help with individual treatment of diabetes, the Australian Government has established the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS). The program has in excess of 900 000 registered people with diabetes and is continuing to grow. There are several key elements of the scheme with subsidised products and information as well as education. Through this program, there are 2200 outlets which supply discounted products for treatment to the registrants. Whilst treatment is very common, alongside it is an extensive management plan. DA Victoria (2002) describes several aspects to proper management. Aside from being physically active and eating well as previously mentioned, it is preferable for a diabetic to link up with a local support team for help, support and to maintain a positive attitude. Additionally testing blood glucose regularly and medicating appropriately as prescribed is also important. Diabetes Management in General Practise (2009) also emphasises the need to quit smoking (if applicable), have less than two standard drinks per day and ensure BMI (body mass index) in less than 25 to achieve general wellbeing. Hawley Zierath (2008) also outline the importance of minimising the risks and effects of complications. They state that this can be achieved through controlling glycaemia, blood pressure and lipid levels; in conjunction with regular health checks (focussing on eye, kidney and foot problems). Section 4 Prevention of diabetes is an absolute priority especially when over 60% of type 2 cases are preventable. With diabetes being the 7th leading cause of death in Australia (AIHW, 2010), there is no question why the Australian Government has made the condition a national health priority. According to Weeson (2000), upstream treatment by primary health professionals should be the focus of all approaches. These upstream factors include______________. Simple steps can easily help prevent or delay the onset of diabetes (Type 2 Diabetes, 2011) through implementing a healthy lifestyle. Diabetes Australia encourages individuals to maintain a healthy weight, participate in regular physical activity, eat healthy food, manage blood pressure/cholesterol and not smoke, to decrease the onset of the condition (Type 2 Diabetes, 2011). There is a very strong link between physical activity and diabetes as previously mentioned, however it should benoted that participation in a moderate or preferably brisk walking regimen can decrease the incidence of diabetes by 30% (Jeon, Lokken, van Dam, 2007). Furthermore Jeon, Lokken van Dam (2007) describe this strong relationship saying that there is also a link between the amount of physical activity and the reduction of risk-an amazing 58% decrease in the incidence of prediabetes can be achieved through exercise previously stated. Zimmet (2000) emphasises that diabetes cannot be stooped by traditional medical approaches. Given the scale and enormity of the issue, he contends that drastic socioeconomic and cultural status changes are required to make progress. Zimmet (2000) says that international diabetes and public health organisation need to lobby and mobilise politicians and non-government agencies. Through this, the issues causing the pandemic (socioeconomic, behavioural, nutritional and public health) can be addressed. A multi-disciplinary task force is suggested to aid in the reversal of the socioeconomic issues, as Zimmet feels that individuals alone acting to change will not make a big enough difference (Zimmet, 2000). The National Evidence Based Guidelines for the Primary Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes (Colagiuri, Girgis, Gomez, Walker, Colagiuri, ODea, 2009) describe four key areas to creating effective preventative action for diabetes. These include: Having a strong theoretic base for the program Designing the program with clear messages, incorporating a multifaceted approach to deliver these messages Encouraging family involvement Intensive and sustained campaign over a long duration The guidelines also discuss the facets within the broader community that should be targeted for prevention of the condition. One of the central elements to effectively targeting the population is education (Colagiuri, Girgis, Gomez, Walker, Colagiuri, ODea, 2009). Through media, the guidelines propose that the education can change attitudes as well as levels of knowledge. This can have a particularly profound impact on the short term increase in physical activity. This was seen in the Life be in it___________ In terms of prevention for individuals, the guidelines also provided several points specifically targeting those in the risk groups. The guidelines (Colagiuri, Girgis, Gomez, Walker, Colagiuri, ODea, 2009) specify individuals at particular risk as having a score greater than or equal to 15 on the AUSDRISK risk assessment tool. There are three levels of action to prevent the onset of diabetes. Initially lifestyle modifications such as weight management, progressing to pharmacological interventions where necessary and in cases with severe risk bariatric surgery may be considered. Furthering the treatment dietary considerations previously mentioned, in order to prevent diabetes sugar-sweetened drinks have been identified with fast food as items that pose the largest threat of inducing diabetes (Hu, van Dam, Liu , 2001). Fish oil and polyunsaturated fats have also been proven to help with the prevention of the condition. Other -conversion from high risk to low risk lifestyle = moderate style Physiotherapists play a large role particularly in the treatment, but also the prevention of diabetes. Ozdirenc, Kocak Gutekin (2004) highlighted the importance of physiotherapy in the accurate prescription of exercise. They suggested that any exercise prescribed in the interest of decreasing complication with diabetes or preventing it should be undertaken at 65-75% of a persons VOà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ max and emphasised the necessity of a professional in such prescription. According to their study, physical exercise can lead to a significant decrease in physical impairment and provide improvements to functional limitations that the person had suffered. In contrast, they determined that low levels of activity caused a decreased cardio respiratory capacity and hence lessened ability to walk longer distances. These effects of inactivity too have the potential to be improved through the implementation of a physical activity regime (Ozdirenc, Kocak, Gutekin, 2004). Physiotherapists also p lay an important role in the prevention of diabetes through education and public health promotion. At an individual level such professionals can help their clients who are identified as being at risk (of diabetes) to make behavioural modifications to lessen their personal risks. In addition to this, physiotherapists can help their patients with diabetes develop an exercise program to aid in weight loss and improving their future prognosis. At a broader level physiotherapists can be involved in policy development and other awareness campaigns. For example the National Physical Activity Guidelines require experts and other professionals inputs to develop programs with the key elements previously mentioned such as strong theoretical bases. Conclusion -prevention must be a key focus given that -a condition that is highly amenable to primary intervention

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Topology Essay -- Math Mathmatics

Topology The two main figures of Topology, the spheroid and the torus. Shown together like this, they create the symbol for the sun in ancient times (2, 1). The field of mathematics encompasses many different sub-fields which have been studied and researched for a very long time. One of the most intriguing divisions of mathematics is topology. Topology, the mathematical study of the properties of objects which are preserved through deformations, twistings, and stretchings (4, 1), is rooted far back in time; so far back that it outdates all recorded history (2, 1). Modern topological mathematics was introduced in the late 19th century by a mathematician named Henri Poincare` (2, 2). Poincare` Pictures Henri Poincare` was born in Nancy, France in 1854. He received his education at The Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole Superieur des Mines in Paris (8, 1). Poincare` then spent from 1879 to 1896 lecturing and teaching an array of fields ranging from physical and mathematical mechanics to celestial mechanics at both the University of Caen and the University of Paris. Although Poincare` was considered a physicist, his greatest accomplishments came in the fields of topology, differential equations, and probability, all mathematical fields (8,1). Poincare`’s greatest exposure to the public came in 1887, when King Oscar of Sweden announced that he would award 2,500 crowns to any man who could prove the stability of the orbital dynamics of our solar system. This was a great problem for the mathematicians of the day, and a very significant problem for every being on our Earth (2, 2). If the stability of the orbits could not be proven, one could not rule out the possibility of Earth be ing hurtled into space by the influence of the other p... ...logy and its functions. Works Cited Fauvel, John. MÃ ¶bius and his Band, Oxford University Press, New York, 1993. Gilmore, Tom. Mathematics of Topology, http://www.tomgilmore.com/z_top.htm, 4 pp., 12/5/99. Klein, http://history.math.csusb.edu/Mathematicians/Klein.html, 2 pp., 12/9/99. MÃ ¶bius Strip, http://www.treasure-troves.com/math/MoebiusStrip.html, 4 pp., 12/9/99. Paper Strip, http://cut-the-knot.com/do_you_know/paper_strip.html, 5 pp., 12/14/99. Poincare, http://euler.ciens.ucv.ve/English/mathematics/poincare.html, 2 pp., 12/9/99. 7. Poincare, Henri, http://www.treasure-troves.com/bios/Poincare.html, 1 p, 12/9/99. 8. Poincare, Jules Henri, Microsoft Encarta 1999 ed., Microsoft Inc. 9. Tarot FAQ Version 2, http://lonestar.texas.net/~r3winter/tarotfaq.html, 12/10/99. Topology, http://www.treasure-troves.com/math/Topology.html, 3 pp., 12/9/99.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Southern Masculinity in Faulkner’s The Unvanquished Essay -- Faulkner?

Southern Masculinity in Faulkner’s The Unvanquished The narrator of Faulkner’s The Unvanquished is apparently an adult recounting his childhood. The first person narrator is a child at the story’s outset, but the narrative voice is lucid, adult. Telling the story of his childhood allows the narrator to distinguish for the reader what he believed as a child from what he â€Å"know[s] better now† (10). The difference affords an examination of dominant southern masculinity as it is internalized by Bayard and Ringo, and demonstrates the effects on the boys of the impossible ideal. The initial indication that narrator Bayard may be an adult recounting his childhood comes with the past tense in the story’s opening line: â€Å"Behind the smokehouse that summer, Ringo and I had a living map† (3). Other summers have passed between the narration and the action of the story; this summer is â€Å"that summer,† not last summer or the summer before, presumably. Temporal distance is suggested in personal and episodic description, as well: â€Å"[Louvinia] used to follow us up and stand in the bedroom door and scold us until we were in bed†¦[b]ut this time she not only didn’t wonder where we were, she didn’t even think about where we might not be.† The differences in language between narrator and character are dramatic, as well. Bayard’s inadequate description of the railroad to Ringo (â€Å"only hearsay†), though not articulated in the narrative, is undoubtedly inferior to the narrator’s description of t he railroad: It was the straightest thing I ever saw, running straight and empty and quiet through a long empty gash cut through the trees and the ground too and full of sunlight like water in a river only straighter than any river, with the crossties cut off e... .... There are two attainable models of masculinity for Ringo in the story. Joby is defeated, withered, frustrated, subservient â€Å"even† to white women. He can live and function in southern society, but only as a slave. The other, Loosh, is angry, defiant, independent, subservient only to the point that he must be until he escapes or is set free. He cannot live in southern society except as a slave, so at first chance, he leaves. The narrator, with appropriate distance from the action, hints that Ringo will shed the stagnant familiarity of slavery, and risk reinvention like Loosh has. Ringo’s infatuation with the railroad appears to the boy Bayard to be part of their regular game of one-upmanship, but the adult narrator â€Å"know[s] now it was more than that with Ringo†¦[it was] the motion, the impulse to move which had already seethed to a head among his people† (81).

Friday, October 11, 2019

Structures and Maximizing Profits

Market structures play an important role in the economy today. The strategic and profit maximizing concepts are determined by the type of market structure. â€Å"Market structure is best defined as the organizational and other characteristics of a market. † (Riley, 2006) Competitive markets, monopolies, and oligopolies three of the four market structures in the economy. A competitive market or perfect competitive market is a market that has many buyers and sellers that do not influence prices. An example of a competitive market would be the street vendors selling bottled water along the sidewalk of a tourist attracted city.There are likely to be many vendors and buyers alike. Most notably the influence of each vendors input on price is low. The opposite of a competitive market is a monopoly. Monopolies affect the economy with considerable control over supply and price. The definition of monopoly is when the single seller of a product controls its market and does not allow comp etition. Local telephone, cable, and water, which are a natural monopoly, are examples of monopolies. Each of the companies has complete control for the distribution of their products or services in regards to supply and prices.Oligopolies are types of imperfect competition in the market structure. An oligopoly is where only a few sellers offer similar or identical products. Consider watching a basketball game at any level of competition. The athletic wear, footwear, and accessories worn by players are more than likely Nike, Addidas, or Reebok. These companies sell products that are similar and are for the same purpose, yet they are not identical. This type of market structure is also known as monopolistic competition. Oligopolies have considerable control over some of the prices of the products they sell.The characteristic of each market structure are important to understand the role of each structure. The determination of price in terms of maximizing profits is best understood by following the rules of production in a given market. Profit maximizing for a company or firm is utilized by using the company’s profit maximizing output level. This is when the marginal cost is the same as the product price. When a company offers products in new locations the marginal cost of the products of the new locations is a part of the marginal cost. That would be an example of a company opting to profit maximizes their production ased on change of total cost to accomplish more profit. Another consideration of a profit maximizing rule is when marginal cost equals price. A company attempting to profit will manage this rule closely to determine profitability. The average total cost of a good is the deciding factor in profit maximizing where marginal cost equals price and marginal cost increases. Monopolist market companies maximize profits by following the rule marginal revenue equals marginal cost. Marginal revenue is the change in total revenue that results from a chan ge in output.Companies that are the single producer of a product will want to maximize their total revenue. Costs of production are low therefore marginal revenue will equal cost. Competitive markets, monopolies, and oligopolies have profit maximizing rules that compare price to marginal revenue, marginal cost, and average total cost to determine profit gain. Each market consists of barriers of entry. One of the reasons for entry is the encouragement of successful gain of profits from other companies. Consider the local and national fast food hamburger restaurants.McDonalds began as one of the first restaurants of its type followed by chains such as Wendy’s and Burger King. That is an example of monopolist competition at its best. A discouragement or barrier for entry into certain market structures is through law and regulations. Creating anti-trust laws are detrimental to the formation of monopolies and their continued growth. There are three examples of business practices t hat present a dilemma for business entry. Resale price maintenance is the setting of a product price is contracted by the wholesaler for the retailer to sell at that given price.If the price is set from the wholesaler competition is suspended because of the price being uncontrolled by the retailer. The next business practice involves market power. A company that possesses market power has control of setting and changing prices without losing customers or altering the entire market. These companies are also referred to as price setters. â€Å"Firms with market power normally use that power to raise prices above the competition level. † (Mankiw) Predatory pricing is a debatable topic in terms of entry into a market and regulated policies. The third type of a business entry barrier is tying.Tying forces smaller businesses to strategize products based on the market power and price discrimination practices of manufacturers. There are four other barrier entry provisions for various markets. First, there is the denial of entry into a market or the lack of possible competition. Next, a company may own a key resource that provides exclusive rights to that market. Another point is when the government allows a single seller the right to produce or provide certain goods. Finally, the cost of production equals a single producer being more efficient versus the cost of production via a large number of producers.The characteristics, price determinations, and barriers of entry into competitive markets play essential roles in the economy. The characteristic of each market provides buyers and sellers to understand and make business decisions for the success of the economy. The economy as a whole benefits from how market structures abide by the rules and regulations of profit maximizing. References Mankiw, N. G. (2007). Principles of economics (4th Ed. ) Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Riley, Geoff. September. 2006. A2 markets & Market systems. Market structures . Retrieved on January 22nd, 2012 from http://tutor2u. net/economics