Inflation and Unemployment Essay

Recently, the United States of America has been bombarded with a great financial crisis. Many companies resulted to bankruptcy forcing the owners to close their businesses. Other companies had lay-off some workers to lessen the operating costs of their business. Few other companies resulted to cutting the employee’s benefits to avoid laying-off and closure. Workers earning below marginal income resigned from their job in the hope that they could find another job which pays better. Among these responses, the most notable problem is the increase in the rate of unemployment. In a report from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009) among the 2,309 population in Iowa only 1,602 are employed while 62 are jobless in 2007. In 2008, from 2,325 members of the population, 1,607 are employed while 69 are jobless. Measuring the employment-population ratio of Iowa residents aged 16 years and above, the rate of unemployment was at 69. 4 percent in 2007 and 69. 1 percent in 2008 (U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009). Meanwhile, the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009) reported that the unemployment rate in Waterloo-Cedar Falls Metropolitan Area rose at 8 percent in February 2009 whereas the jobless rate was recorded at 4. 9 percent. This is relatively high as compared to unemployment rate in 2008 which was at 3. 9 percent and in 2007 which was at 3. 7 percent (U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009). State inflation has been identified as one of the major factors that contributed to the increased number of the unemployed. Inflation refers to â€Å"a process in which the average level of prices increases at a substantial rate over a considerable period of time† (Grolier Encyclopedia, 1995, 150). This implies that more money is needed to buy a certain amount of products and services. In Keynesian term, the relationship of inflation and unemployment has been described as: Wage costs are among the costs that rise in response to higher pries. When unemployment is low, employees can old out for full compensation for the higher prices, and raises above that. When unemployment is high, however, the employees will have to settle for less, and so costs do not rise as fast as prices when unemployment is high. (cited in Inflation and Unemployment). Adopting this term in the case of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, the high price of goods and services lead to increase in the number of unemployment since the companies are forced to cut down their human resources to adapt to the increasing prices of goods and services that caused high costs in production. There are also times in Waterloo-Cedar Falls when high unemployment caused high inflation yet the production cost did not increase as fast as the prices. In this situation, high employment is caused by low labor wage. Since the wage is low, the demand for product and services is also low forcing the companies to increase their prices in order to compensate for the low demand of products and services. Analyzing the relationship between inflation and unemployment the following factors are said to contribute to the increase or decrease of the two variables: wage as part of production costs, level of demands and supply, and cost of goods and services. Depending on the movement or behavior of these factors, the level of inflation or unemployment will either increase or decrease. Yet, it does not always follow that when unemployment is high; inflation is also high or vice versa. There are other instances when unemployment is low yet the level of inflation is high or vice versa. Again the increase or decrease in level of the two variables depends on the above mentioned contributing factors. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls, however, tried to address the problems of inflation and unemployment by creating job opportunities for its residents. As expressed by Bob Seymour, Cedar Falls community services manager and economic development director, in an interview by Jim Offner (2009)† â€Å"Obviously, we’re not immune to what’s going on nationally, but we’re pleased that we’ve been able to see some expansion and new-project interest in Cedar Falls right now. The university obviously keeps us on an even keel, and I think our business community has learned to be more diversified and in a better position to weather these down times. Projects like Target Corp. ’s new perishables distribution warehouse and retail developments in Cedar Falls also are helping the city withstand national trends. † (cited in Offner, 2009). This solution however is applicable only for a short period of time. To really solve the problem of inflation and unemployment, Waterloo-Cedar Falls should implement a demand managing policy wherein the government and private sectors will be required to learn how to manage demands in supply (both of labor and product materials) and demands in product and services according to economic situation. Such management is needed so that the people of Waterloo-Cedar Falls will be trained to expect the worst consequences of increase or decrease level of inflation and unemployment. References Grolier Encyclopedia. (1995). Inflation. In U. S. Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge 10, 150. USA: Grolier Incorporated. Mc Cain R. A. 2009. Inflation and Unemployment. Retrieved April 24, 2009 from http://william-king. www. drexel. edu/top/prin/txt/AS/where1. html Offner, J. (2009). Local jobless rates among best in state. Retrived April 24, 2009 from http://www. wcfcourier. com/articles/2009/03/11/news/breaking_news/doc49b7a3bf91f75482515049. txt U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2009a). Over-the-year change in unemployment rates for Metropolitan Areas: Monthly rankings, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved April 24, 2009 from http://www. bls. gov/web/laummtch. htm. U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2009b). Regional state and unemployment, 2008 annual averages. Retrieved April 24, 2009 from www. bls. gov/news. release/pdf/srgune. pdf.

Essentialism: Gender Role

Essentialism refers to the belief that people or culture have and underlying and unchanging state. The concept of essentialism in gender states that there are innate differences between a man and a woman and an unchanged idea of what it means to be a man or a woman. Thus men and women are subject to gender role that is their define occupation, behaviour and role in the society. Non essentialism is that difference in men and women behaviour and role is culturally and socially constructed.The article â€Å"Scrap that single woman stereotype† (Ellie Mae O’Hagan 2012), illustrate the essentialist view of women role. That is women have limited option about their path. In the article the author illustrate that to be seen as a successful woman, women should subscribe to the gender role laid down by the society. They are less considered if they are not married even if they have achieved an independent economic status. In China, they are considered as â€Å"societal lepers†, outsiders of the society. Society do not accept woman to be totally independent financially and emotionally toward men.It is illustrated by the case of that woman who had to fly away from China as it was not accepted that at over 27 years old she was not married. The social system follows the essentialist theory and it rewards women for performing their gender role correctly and punishes them if they choose not to follow conventional gender role. Gender essentialism has been used to advocate and explain the conventional and natural role of women. Buss and Schmitt (1993) stated that women are generally more interested in long term relationship than men.That is women have more tendency to seek for marriage than men. The reason given by Buss and Schmitt for women to want a â€Å"long term mate† is to provide them with resources like money or food. It is an essentialist view of woman not able to provide themselves with money and food. However, increasingly women are independe nt and challenging the conventional idea that men who are breadwinner. That suggests that the roles played by the two genders are constructed by society and can be changed. Another aspect of essentialism is that roles are mapped out by nature.The role of woman is natural and exists outside of cultural and social conditioning, thus by nature women need to carrying, emotional or dependant. Women not responding to that view would be always questioned and depreciated by others. The author of the article suggests that women who are single are due to a â€Å"flaw† opposed to â€Å"life natural turbulence†. So by nature women cannot stay single and it is a fault if they stayed unmarried. Those are generalised statement which are asserted and taken for natural and universal.By consequence, as suggested by Marcia (1966), people think that gender roles reflect natural tendencies and do not consider themselves outsides these roles. It influences their decision, occupation and beh aviour. The author herself justifies her singlehood and her view of single woman was influenced by the essentialist view of single women, that they are unhappy and do not have a fulfilling life. Essentialist norms about natural traits of a woman, states that women would achieve happiness and satisfaction if the accept the traditional role in relationship.Thus it maintains gender inequity and patriarchy as a universal system. It manifests in terms of stereotypical assumption about role of women in relation to man. There are assumptions about what women are and what women should be. Even if a woman rejects the stereotypes, she is judge by others with references to stereotypes (Steele 1997). The singlehood is considered to be the woman fault and be blame for it. Singlehood in essentialism is considered also as consequence of women bad decisions, behaviour according to normal gender role and a assume decision of women.The feminist essentialism as stated by Irigaray, argues that women co ndition and role has been defined by a patriarchal society. According to feminist women are forced by men to play certain roles defined by feminine traits like passive, submissive, emotional or caring. Women are expected to be wife, mother and cannot transgress those expectations. Feminist have adopted non-essentialism to challenge society. Non- essentialism argues that culture shapes roles for men and women and that it is transmitted by culture through generation.So societies have pre-existing norms and expectations. According to non- essentialism men and women are socially and culturally grown up to adopt gender specific behaviours. Society maintains and reinforces stereotypes. The articles illustrate also that women do live a fulfilling life whether or not married. Even if researches shows that single woman achieved more in life than single man, society and people still view them as unhappy and faulty. Women like interviewed in the articles are frustrated due to these stereotypes .Society searches reason for their singlehood. Single women are considered whether workaholic or careerist. Essentialism associated these characteristic to men but no to women. Essentialism maintains gender stereotyping and inequities. Women are expected using the nature reason to behave in a certain way. Even if women now work and are independent they still are expected to fulfil their role of wife and mother. Non- essentialism illustrate that gender determined role is not natural but socially constructed. Reference list: Ellie Mae O’Hagan. 012. Scrap that single woman stereotype. The Guardian. http://www. guardian. co. uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/27/scrap-single-womanstereotype Buss, D. M. , & Schmitt, D. P. 1993. Sexual strategies theory: An evolutionary perspectiveon human mating. Psychological Review, 100, 204-232 Marcia J. E. 1966. Development and validation of ego development status. Journal ofPersonality and Social Psychology,3, 551-558. Steele, C. M. 1997. A threat in the air: How stereotype shape intellectual indentity andperformance. American Psychologist, 52, 613-629.

Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind

Margaret Mitchell’s celebrated novel Gone With the Wind weaves a wonderful love story that happened in the eve of the American Civil War. Almost everyone has known the two lovebirds named Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler, whose tempestuous love affair and memorable lines popularized in the film version of the novel. The Civil War background, the pathos of the South’s defeat, the poverty and suffering (with its clear parallels to the 1930s depression) and eventual economic triumph of Scarlett, so cheering to readers with little to feel cheerful about, and then the â€Å"realistic† ending with its bitter-sweet parting of Rhett and Scarlett, contained more excitement than a dozen lesser novels. All readers are enthralled about the details of how the Southern life runs, the humor, the dozens of colorful minor characters all presented in competent and flowery prose. Definitely, it is a must-read novel for love story fanatics who don’t mind to get a strong dose of American history to go along with the love affair of the main characters. Actually, Gone with the Wind is not solely a love story because it is considered as a coming-of-age story of Scarlett O’Hara. At the novel’s opening in 1861, Scarlett O’Hara is a sixteen-year-old Southern belle, when it concludes in 1873 she is a twenty eight year-old woman. Millichap (1994) recounted that in the twelve year span of the novel, Scarlett â€Å"experiences Secession, Civil War, and Reconstruction, as well as romance, love, marriage, and motherhood. Scarlett lives through the adolescent trauma of American culture, which is matched by a traumatic personal history as much or more tumultuous†. She was fuelled by her own life and that’s why â€Å"Mitchell created one of the most arresting tales of troubled adolescence in American literature and in so doing created a novel which will continue to captivate teenagers and fascinate their teachers well into the next century†. The relevance of this novel in American history is that Scarlett is caught up in the historic period like the Secession, Civil War, and Reconstruction that we all studied in our history class. When the Southwest was defeated during the Civil War, the huge plantations were destroyed and the slaves were freed. This prompted plantation owners to suffer greatly from their downfall. The American Civil War also interrupted cotton supplies that had disastrous effects in the United States. The Great Hunger of the 1840s was a time of agrarian crisis and industrial slump. We can all experience these parts of American history as readers go through the life of Scarlett O’Hara. By reading the novel, we can see the events that transpired during these periods through the eyes of a woman struggling to redeem herself from all the difficulties brought about by the events that happened. In this way, readers can learn about American history when reading the novel as these were intertwined with the life of the heroine in the Mitchell’s novel. For younger readers, Scarlett O’Hara’s development from teenaged girl to mature woman proves as fascinating now as it did when the book was first published in 1936 or when the movie first appeared in 1939. The particular, indeed peculiar energy of the story proceeds from Mitchell’s own girlhood, adolescence, and young adult life. During these years she heard the family legends of the Civil War era into which she projected her own development toward womanhood. The novel combines Mitchell’s family and personal romances with historical facts to create powerful and popular fiction. Also, it was a great hit during the time of its publication because many people can relate it to the Great Depression that happened in the 1920s. As Beye (1993) writes: Gone With the Wind was published in the depths of the Great Depression. The years of the Depression were followed by the Second World War. It is not hard to see how it spoke to an American audience of that period. The economic and social disaster that the Civil War brought to the white aristocracy of the old South is a good metaphor for the economic and social dislocation that millions of ordinary Americans experienced between 1936 and 1946. Suddenly vast numbers of people were devastated by hunger, homelessness, and joblessness. Often, however, they were also freed from middle class gentility; women especially were freed from propriety; classes were mixed up; immigrant groups became richer and freer in the experience of America; war made women independent of men as never before. Reading the book was an awe-inspiring experience, although there are parts that can be dragging. All in all, the love story was quite enthralling indeed and readers can both enjoy the plot of the story and take a slice of American history without a sweat. Works Cited Beye, Charles Rowan. â€Å"Gone with the Wind, and Good Riddance, Southwest Review 78.3 (Summer 1993): 366-80. Millichap, Joseph R. â€Å"Margaret Mitchell: Overview†, in Berger, Laura Standley (Ed.), Twentieth-Century Young Adult Writers, 1st ed. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994. Mitchell, Margaret. Gone With the Wind.

Character Identification in Drama Essay

One of the most powerful aspects of theater is the way that dramatic expression encourages the viewer to participate in the drama by identifying closely with one or more of the characters depicted on stage. In actuality, the measure of a play’s success depends on the degree to which the playwright is able to convincingly develop and exploit the audience’s identification with the dramatic characters and, in some almost ineffable way, allow them to experience the play’s themes and ideas in an intimate way. Most people probably identify more with a single character of any given play than with the other characters. Obviously, the protagonist of a play is expected to engage the audience’s identification and sympathy, but it is not always the case for every viewer that a given play’s protagonist will supply the most expedient method of sympathy and identification. For example, in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the character of Horatio seems to me, for reasons which I hope to explain shortly, a more sympathetic character and one with which I can closely identify because Horatio is the good-hearted friend who tries to offer actionable advice to Hamlet, only to have his advice ignored and for tragedy to win the day. From the beginning of the play it is clear that Horatio is meant to serve as a psuedo-narrator of the play and his relationship with the audience is established as quickly and as innately as is possible without s direct appeal to the audience. Although Horatio’s simple lines may seem as though they play little role in the overall development of the play, they are, in fact, rich with meaning. By assuring Hamlet that he should not follow the beckoning form of his father’s ghost in the second part of Act 1 Scene 3, Horatio fully expresses his bond with Hamlet, and in doing so, begins to shift the audience-identification and audience sympathy he has established up to that point with the audience to the play’s true protagonist, Hamlet. When Horatio says â€Å"†Do not, my lord. † (Hibbard 183) he is informing the audience that Hamlet faces true danger and that he is concerned for him; so, too, should the audience be concerned. The essence of the relationship between Horatio and Hamlet is consistently portrayed as a genuine friendship. Horatio’s loyalty is important to the play’s climax at the end of Act 5 Scene 2. He cautions Hamlet, again, to avoid his tragic fate: â€Å"If your mind dislike anything, obey it. I will forestall their repair hither, and say you are not fit. † (Hibbard 344) By now, accustomed to Hamlet’s denial of his friend’s advice, the audience will recall the previous scene when Hamlet, against Horatio’s advice, sought conversation with ghost of his father. They will understand that when Hamlet chooses to disregard the advice of the single character in the play who has demonstrated friendship and loyalty to him, that Hamlet, again, embraces tragic fate. Horatio’s loyalty is â€Å"good† while Hamlet’s loyalty to the ghost of his father is destructive. Horatio represents an â€Å"existential connection to the living moment, whereas the ghost of the King represents the ambiguities of the Christian afterlife† (Holzknecht) and religious dogma as well as cultural tradition and social conservatism. My ability to identify with Horatio comes from the fact that I have also given advice to close friends who opted to ignore that advice and came to ruin. I think most people have probably faced that situation in their lives and the character of Horatio is therefore a good character to encourage audience identification. The same principle is at work in Lorraine Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun,† where Hansberry challenged deep cultural ideas about African Americans. By focusing her play on realism, Hansberry created a theme which was radically different than the presentation of America typically seen on Broadway stages. The play’s impact on American audiences was very controversial. Hansberry relied on depicting extreme emotional states and conditions for her characters, as well as enticing her audience to experience the world of her characters with as much empathy as possible. In order to engage the audience, and to cause them to identify with the Youngers, Hansberry uses the device of realism, which extends to the character of Mama who is depicted as a well-meaning and hard-working person who faces insurmountable odds. One important reason why I feel an identification with Mama is because of the very beautiful language Hansberry developed for this character. Hansberry delivers the dialogue of â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† in colloquial language and this aspect of them play enhances the play’s realism. The realism of the play then causes the audience to more closely identify with the play’s characters and plot, and each of these aspects of the play helps to communicate the important sociological and racial themes that drive â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun. † Hansberry’s dialogue, in fact, becomes a key driving force of the play’s ultimate revelatory impact on the audience. As the play progresses and the characters become more clearly defined with motivations that the audience can identify with (or despise) the dialect of the play begins to attain a lyrical uniqueness — a vocal music which was unlike any other play on the Broadway stage of the time. Lines such as â€Å"Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams†¦. ’† (Hansberry, 29) or â€Å"â€Å"There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing†¦. † (Hansberry, 135) attain the status of aphorism in the context of the play and divulge important social and racial realities that, for most Americans in the mid-twentieth century, existed, if at all, as merely si-debar newspaper articles or in some other abstract realization. My identification with Mama extends to her empathy for others, such as in the case of the abortion which is alluded to in the play: â€Å"Mama realizes how close the other members of the family are to despair when Ruth reveals that the â€Å"doctor† she has seen is not a conventional physician but a woman who has the capability of performing an abortion, an illegal procedure at the time that could subject Ruth to severe criminal penalties† (Domina 8). I think most people have faced situations where they were meant to do what appears to be â€Å"wrong† in order to do what is essentially right. This is the magic of Hansberry’s characterization. In plays such as Antigone which are ancient plays, identification with the characters can sometimes be more difficult for modern audiences. However, the deep identification with Creon which I experienced while reading the play emerges from the timelessness of certain â€Å"faults† of character, namely pride, which I feel is as much a part of modern life as it is â€Å"common† life, or that is, the lives of people who are not kings or royalty. The damaging impact of pride can be felt over trivial matters as well as great issues as those depicted in the play, Antigone. For my own part, I felt an extreme identification with Creon because I have personally experienced the nature of pride and arrogance in relation to my own life and my own social relationships. One of the most important aspects of my identification with Creon is the fact that — by identifying with Creon — one also, indirectly — identifies with the Chorus of the play which, in the long run, serves as a counterpoint to Creon’s increasingly egomaniacal behavior. While I can abstractly connect my own â€Å"trivial† indiscretions with personal power to Creon’s obviously near-mythic exploits, I doubt that most modern readers would necessarily be able to make that connection because the seeming influence of their â€Å"small lvies† would not seem, to them, comparable to the life and actions of a great man. However, the portrayal of â€Å"great men† in classical tragedy was used in order to exaggerate the qualities and personality traits which were viewed as being connected to tragedy. That means that the aspects of Creon which seem near-mythic in Antigone are near-mythic precisely because they are universal and can, in fact, be applied to everyday lives. This is the power of theater: to span time and culture and find universal identification through the portrayal of archetypal characters. Work Cited Domina, Lynn. Understanding a Raisin in the Sun A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998. Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. Random House, New York. 1959 Holzknecht, Karl J. The Backgrounds of Shakespeare’s Plays. New York: American Book, 1950. Hibbard, G. R. , ed. Hamlet. Oxford: Oxford University, 1998. Sophocles. Sophocles Antigone. Trans. Richard Emil Braun. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.

Hannibal’s Crossing of the Alps

Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps is one of history’s most remarkable military achievements even to this day. There are many accounts of the crossing of the Alps and what happened during those weeks and we can only speculate and use the sources and information that has lived through the decay of time. Our main primary sources that historians use to piece together the crossing of the Alps are by two of Rome’s most famous historians, Polybius and Livy.Polybius was a very rounded and mostly non-biased historian who got out of his way to travel to his locations to document facts and information which he used in his text and who lived during the time of the First and Second Punic Wars. On the other hand we have Livy who was a very pro-Roman historian who had documented his facts based on other historians who were before him as he lived almost 200 years after the Punic wars.When we compare the two accounts by both historians we tend to believe and rely more on the accoun ts made by Polybius as we know him as a reliable and fairly non-biased source whereas Livy was very biased towards Rome and based his information off of other historians. Although we see Polybius as the more reliable source, Livy does come up with some points that concern the crossing that are quite conflicting with the information presented to us by Polybius. By analysing both of these accounts we can get a better understanding of the crossing of Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps.Polybius who was a very reliable historian who we know lived around 200-118 BC during the time of the two Punic Wars provided a very detailed account of both Punic wars and Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps. Polybius is known for his determination to get actual factual evidence and firsthand knowledge of events that occurred. He resided in Rome for most of his life and occasionally undertaking long journeys throughout the Mediterranean to get knowledge on historical sites and interview primary so urces who were actually at the events.Polybius’s works (The Histories) documents the events between 264 and 146 BC which mainly involved the rise of the Roman Empire and the effort in which they went to subdue their rival Carthage. Polybius documents the First and Second Punic wars with incredible detail and is our main source for the wars, although Livy also provides some very important facts and information. Titus Livius Patavinus (59 BC – AD 17) (more commonly known as Livy) we know as to be a very pro- Roman historian who can be seen as very biased towards the Romans and paints them in an honourable and almighty glow within his texts.Some of his texts we can see as just plain lies and so we are reluctant to solely use Livy’s information to base our research and understanding around. Livy wrote a complete history of Rome from its very foundations all the way up to the reign of Augustus in Livy’s own time but the only surviving work of his is the  "History of Rome†. During the reign of Augustus Livy wrote his texts emphasizing the accomplishments and triumphs of Rome, and wrote everything with a pro-Roman view to promote a new type of government which was implemented by the emperor Augustus.With that being said a lot of Livy’s texts and accounts mislead to reader into taking a Roman view and often cut out pieces of information which would downgrade the view on Rome, and so we have come to rely more on Polybius’s accounts than Livy’s, although Livy does also provide many accounts and descriptions of events that are unavailable elsewhere and so his texts and reports are still highly valued is one of the main sources we have. Both Polybius’s and Livy’s accounts of Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps can be seen to have many similarities and so we can determine that the same source and information has been used.Although there are many similarities between the two there are also some dif ferences which can be seen throughout both texts. For example when Hannibal is crossing the Alps and he soon finds his path blocked by a pile of rocks Livy states that he uses Vinegar and Fire to break through the rock. Polybius says nothing of the subject and up to this day there has been no evidence of rock that has been carbonized at the site in which Livy had stated. Livy’s accounts of the crossing were very much the same as Polybius’s although we can see in some parts of Livy’s work that his Roman bias has written the work for him.When Hannibal was making a speech to his men after their crossing of the Rhone Polybius wrote that Hannibal spoke of their past achievements and that the hardest part of their journey was already over, but according to Livy Hannibal told his men that they were going to be fighting against the most powerful and grandest city in the world. This was not the case in Hannibal’s time and so we can clearly see that Livy had just c reated a false fact and account just to paint Rome in a brighter light.Livy’s biased for Rome is something that constantly alters Livy’s accounts. Much of Hannibal’s ascent and crossing of the Alps documented by Polybius and Livy are very similar with only a few minor alterations in the accounts of some events which took place. The main reason why the accounts of some events are different is mainly because of Livy’s biased and attitude towards Rome which makes him document the account and alter it in such a way that it paints Rome in a sense of glory and success.Another main reason which dictates the differences of the accounts is that Polybius who lived during the time of these events could go to places and get a firsthand experience and knowledge of the event by interviewing the people involved and taking notes on the actual location whereas Livy who lived a long time after the crossing had to rely on other peoples accounts and could not get firsthand k nowledge on a lot of the events.The crossing of the Alps is a fairly well documented event during the Second Punic war and one that is the most remarkable. Polybius and Livy both have very detailed accounts of the crossing and we rely on this information to piece together Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps. Although some of the facts of the crossing remain disputed and unknown we have sufficient information between both sources to have a good understanding of the crossing.Both historians give a lot of information on the crossing although we tend to use Polybius’s account as it is more reliable and he had firsthand experience and knowledge whereas we know Livy to be a very pro-Roman and did not live during the event but many years later. Both accounts of the crossing have proved to be very useful for our understanding of Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps.

Mr Taha Uppal

Strategies towards betterment for team management The research will be based on the following questions: How can we eliminate the harmful factors of staff management I. E performance appraisal? How can the employee's play an important part for the organizational success? What are the feedbacks usually received by the employer? 1. 1 INTRODUCTION TO MARKS AND SPENCER: Marks and Spencer also popularly known as M is British based clothing and food retailer headquartered in the city of Westminster, London, United Kingdom.It has more than 700 outlets located all over the United Kingdom while 300+ stores are coated all over the world. Most of them are located in the European countries, like Hungary, Greece, Czech Republic and Romania etc. Marks & Spencer is also trying to expand in the Asian markets with quite a few stores opening in India and China recently. Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer founded M in the year 1884 in a city of England, Leeds.According to BBC news, Marks and Spencer is d oing better in their food department as compared to their general merchandise as the turnover is split in 54% and 46% respectively. Marks and Spencer aims to provide a very high quality DOD to their customers, that is why, it is one of the most successful food retailers in the United Kingdom. The well known brands, which sell their products with the brand name M are Autograph, Indigo collection, Classic collection, Collection and lastly blue harbor. 1. INTRODUCTION TO PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: Performance appraisal or performance review is an analysis of an employee's work habits undertaken at a fixed point in time to determine the degree to which stated objectives and expectations have been reached. Performance appraisal or review is very beneficial and important for the evaluation of the staff and of course for the effective management. Appraisals are of great help regarding organization's employee and also play a vital role in improving organizational performances.Formal performance appraisals are conducted every year normally in the last half of the year to review how the organization is performing and what strategies should be undertaken to improve the organizations performance. It is a straight line process for example the staff is appraised by their managers, the managers are appraised by the directors, and the directors are appraised by the Coo's who are generally appraised by the founder or the chairman of the company. 2. 1 TYPES OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: The different types of performance appraisals are formal annual performance appraisals, handwriting analysis, skill or Job related tests, informal one to one review discussions, probationary reviews, survey of opinion of others who have been dealing with the staff, counseling meetings, observation on the Job and assessment centers including observed group exercises and test presentations. 1. 2. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL PROCESS: Performance appraisal is a process which takes place quarterly or yearly and is the process of interaction between the employees and their managers. In this process the performance of the employee is assessed, with the manager telling or describing the employees their weaknesses and strengths and also identifying the opportunities that how can the employee improve their performance within the organization. Performance appraisal is the least liked responsibility any manager has to perform.The first step which comes in performance appraisal is review preparation. In this process the manager makes the objectives that the organization wants to meet in the future. An analysis of the employees is then taken out because employees or individuals must know what the organization is expecting from them and how they can work to achieve the objectives stated by the firm. Step two in performance appraisal is the assessment. This step is all about giving the timely feedback as it has proved to be very beneficial for the organization.For instance if an employee works well to achieve an objective, the positive feedback should be given to them as soon as possible rather than waiting for weeks to let them know as it might have a negative effect on their confidence as well as performance level. Step three is reviewing communication. This is all about reviewing the past and the current performance of the employee and if the performance is not up to the mark the manager should politely explain them that what should be done to improve their performance. Step four in the process is appropriate setting.Make sure that the atmosphere where the manager is going to deliver the appraisal is very friendly and welcoming. No threats should be given to the employee as this might De-motivate them and as a result they may not be able to perform 100%. Step five in the process is delivering, for instance it Leary explains the appraisal in simple language as the usage of the code words or difficult words might make it difficult for them (staff or employee) to understand it pr operly and they may have confusion which might proved to be harmful for the employee and also for the organization.The final step in this process is encouragement. At the end of the process the manager's responsibility is to encourage the employee and boost their confidence by adding words like we have faith in you or we trust your abilities or you are capable. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 0 INTRODUCTION In this chapter the past and the current strategies of Marks & Spencer will be discussed and in the end of this chapter we will also give a brief explanation about how employer can improve their Performance appraisal (PA) process.There will also be discussions on the employees and the manager roles that how can they contribute for a better service and reputation of the organization. First of all we will talk about the staff management strategies of Marks & Spencer for instance, how they benefited from those strategies, what were the drawbacks of those strategies and what did Mark s & Spencer did to solve those issues or problems arising by implementing those strategies.Performance appraisal helps in evaluating the employee's performance as it gives a clear light on how an employee can improve their performance and skills. However, performance appraisal in depth will be discussed this chapter. 2. 1 THE EVOLUTION OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: Sometime near World War 1, (WAD Scott) has the credit to present the world with what performance appraisal is. However, performance appraisal was known by the mid asses and became very popular in the organization or companies.McGregor (1957) also played a vital role in discussing about performance appraisal in sass's and ass's. It's a process by which the individual tries to look in the future with some valuable assumptions and to plan what should be done in the future to meet their goals. Performance appraisal helps in goal setting. In the year 1970, this process of performance appraisal became more widespread and many of th e firms started using this process in order to gain success however, by practicing this process a large number of legal cases were brought.In the years sass's and sass's the process of performance appraisal became very popular and according to Williams (1998) it improved the performance up to a certain extent and also generated motivation which is very useful for an organization. According to Fletcher (2008), performance appraisal is conducted differently in the Western and the Asian cultures however; both of these cultures use this process and are benefiting from it despite the fact that around 90% or more staff doesn't like this process. 2. 2 WHY IS PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SO NECESSARY?Questions like why performance appraisal is used in companies when it did not exist in the past and the companies were still doing great? Why is it so important to use performance appraisal? Can't an organization run efficiently and effectively without the performance appraisal system? Weiss and Buckl ey (1998) tried to give an answer for this by stating that performance appraisal is very useful because it gives an idea to the employees how can they improve their performance and also this process helps in rising their commitment towards their organization.There is great importance of performance appraisal within the firm. The organization whether small or big, private or government or any other type of firm should be exempt from having a formal performance appraisal (PA) program. PA process has benefits like improved immunization within the firm, addressing the problem and tries to resolve them through this process of PA and gives the employee confidence and boosts their morale.However, while planning performance appraisal process the employer should bear in mind that it is a slow and time consuming process and there might be some obstacles during the process which for some time may make this process even slower than expected. We can see the companies who have introduced this pro cess of performance appraisal are the ones who do the most business in their respected fields such as Ezra, Louis Button, Marks & Spencer, Gucci, Hugo Boss etc.When employees know that they are an important part of an organization and all their suggestions or ideas are valuable they even work harder so that they can get promotions or there may be an increase in their salaries and this can only be done by performance appraisal process. PA process not only identifies the training needs within an organization or firm but also identifies the hidden talent which may have a very positive effect on the firm's reputation.For instance if the staff is highly trained they are in a better position to deal with all their customers which plays a very positive role towards the success of an organization. . 3 PURPOSE OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: The most effective purpose to use performance appraisal is to improve the performance of the employees who are working for an organization. There are two most important purposes for which the performance appraisal is used one of which is maintenance of organization control and secondly to measure the efficiency with which the company's human resources are being used. Cummings 1973) however, there are other purposes of performance appraisal as well for instance it helps in improving the morale of the employees working for the organization, more importantly also identifying when does the staff or employees need training, communication improvements, counseling and setting targets which the organization aims to meet (Britton and Gold 2003-04). As discussed above performance appraisal is used to determine the strengths and weaknesses off the employees and providing them with the best training in order for them to give their best at work.However, by conducting the performance appraisal process both the organizations and the employees have advantages for example McGregor (1972) in his paper ‘An uneasy look at performance appraisal' stated that performance appraisal meets the needs of OTOH the employees and the organization however, the difference is it meets three needs in total one for which is organization and the other two for the employees or the individual. Bowels and Coats (1993) conducted a survey which was sent to 250 West midland companies in the year 1992, where the organization were asked the question on the effectiveness of performance appraisal in the organization.However, in the results they found out that the performance appraisal plays an effective role to improve the communication skills of the employees and also improves the communication between the employees and the employer which has many benefits costly in favor of the organization. On the other hand it was very useful for when and how the training is needed for a number of employees to improve their skills. However, around 90% of the employees did not favor the performance appraisal process and commented it has certainly no use and is time was ting.Many organizations want to become the best in productivity or simply want to produce more and quality products so in order to achieve all of these objectives organizations choose and introduce performance appraisal process within the organization as this is the most successful way of achieving goals such as higher productivity or lean reduction. This process of performance appraisal gives a clear direction that where the organization is heading towards or what are the goals the organization or the firm.As discussed before, it not only measures a firm's employee's performance but also gives a clear picture of an organization's performance. The example to illustrate this is performance appraisal measures the work done by the employees and also the organization on a weekly or quarterly basis. An organization can have all the information of their employees and their productivity by using this process. Another useful purpose of performance appraisal is that it gives a clear picture to the employees that where do they stand and what are they supposed to do in order to improve their skills and position within the organization.This way the organization can have a full advantage of their work force because if their employees need training, they train them and as a result the work force becomes very useful and experienced which in the long run is very beneficial for the organization as well as the employees. 2. 4 BEHAVIOR MAINTENANCE MODEL (CUMMINGS AND SWABS): The IBM model which was presented by Cummings and Swabs attempts to show owe the employees are motivated and opt to perform well within the organization.In their model they tried to explain the IBM model in four different steps. The first step in this model is goal aspirations which lead to goal attainment. When the goal attainment is achieved by the employee it gives them a sense of Job satisfaction and they become more focused on their Job and try to work even more hard. However, when the employee is satis fied with their Job they become automatically motivated towards their work which is very effective for the organization. 2. A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL IN MARKS AND SPENCER: performance appraisal give Marks & Spencer all the required information about their employees as it helps M&S to help improve their skills through training and making sure that they are capable enough for the Job they are being trained for. As most of the big companies or retailers conduct performance appraisal once or twice every year, Marks & Spencer is also one of the British companies known for conducting performance appraisal twice every year.In this process the employees get feedback from their managers about their performance and if the performance of the employees is not up to the mark they are suggested with different strategies to adopt n order to improve their performance as it is believed that the employees play the most important part in an organization's success and thus are the mo st important and effective assets of any organization like Marks & Spencer. The performance records are encouraged to use by the employees as it plays an important factor in setting up the personal objectives that support their continued development.Whenever an appraisal system is carried out at Marks & Spencer (normally takes every 12 months to conduct an appraisal) discussions are being made about the current progress of the company as well as the employees and a lot of new ideas are narrated about how to improve the concerned areas within the organization. These meetings are always done by the managers who work in M regarding their employees and are kept confidential. If any of the employees or workers at M do not perform well they are given more training and make sure that they understand how the organization works and operates.Rewards are given to the employees who prove that they are working best and the organization is benefiting from their efforts which are being put in. For instance in Marks and Spencer if the sales exceed the expected number or are higher than expected all the employees are given a bonus and also receive a bonus gift voucher of 20% which in fact plays a vital role in staff motivation. Also according to the research on motivation conducted by Frederic Taylor money is the only motivator and the only reason due to which the employees work hard to achieve their and the organization's objectives they work for.According to Taylor â€Å"If the workers were paved per item made, they would want to make more and work harder. † Marks and Spencer uses Tailor's theory by providing their employees or staff with handsome salaries as they think to keep the staff motivated paying them with bonuses and retreating them with some discount cards would be beneficial for the organization and as the staff will put in their efforts to make M a success by providing their customers a better service and by creating a friendly atmosphere in the stores whi ch obviously every customer likes.On the other hand, M also uses Herbage's two factor theory by paying them with handsome salaries but more important to note according to Herbage's theory is that M make their employees feel special and important in the business as the upper management ask for suggestion from all the employees and also providing them with the best working environment to motivate hem.As seen in the table below Marks and Spencer has got the highest reputation in the recent years as compared to their rivals such as Sad, tests, Morison, Ginsburg and Waitress and that's only done with the fair and proper selection of the employees for the Jobs through interviews and as well as the tests. By going through the process M&S makes sure that the right candidate is selected for the Job and the organization can benefit from them. 2. STRATEGIES THAT MARKS AND SPENCER USED IN THE PAST: Marks and Spencer in the past have tried a lot of strategies to improve their staff performance. The strategy which Marks and Spencer used in the past was to sell its products on discounted prices or higher sales which at one point gave rise to the sales but on the other hand when people realized the clothes designs are the same and not changing their sales fell dramatically. M&S did not emphasize on innovation but they tried to grab shopper's attention by advertising and give them great deals and high discounts on their products.Another strategy that M favored was expansion overseas as the top management thought it's the biggest opportunity to expand abroad because in that way M&S will see a rise in their sales. The main focus f M&S was to target the European markets specially Germany because in the recent years the population of Germany increased from 65 million to 80 million and also is the biggest exporter after USA with a lot of potential and industrial strength.However, firstly M&S planned to expand in Germany in the asses but later dropped this strategy because the prope rty costs were too high at that time but the main reason to drop this strategy was the recession of the German economy in asses. However in the late in asses the market position of Germany looked attractive and impressive which therefore forced M&S to expand in to the German market. Marks and Spencer also played a vital role regarding waste as an estimate states that the waste all over the United Kingdom is around 400 tones which comes from different parts of the industry such as construction, households or discharged packaging.The waste that comes out is not recycled properly and the result is landfill sites which takes many years to decompose and is also very harmful for the human health. However, the strategy that Marks and Spencer put emphasis on is that in the recent years 2010-2011 they have tried to achieve a recycle rate around 90% and also they have tried and achieved the reduction in waste by around 20%. Marks and Spencer in the year 2006-7 had 133 million clothes hangers and instead of throwing or recycling them the company used around 80% of the hangers again. 2. . 1 OPPORTUNITIES FOR IN THE GERMAN MARKET: M&S focused on expanding in the German market because the GAP of Germany is about three times higher than the United Kingdom with a staggering El 5000 billion. German consumer has a 50% higher expenditure than the Auk's market also 22% higher than France which is the second biggest market in the Europe. Inflation rate is under 2% in the Germany which attracted the Marks and Spencer management the cost to expand in the German market with expectation of higher sales which M was lacking in the United Kingdom.According to the research conducted by the well known news channels CNN and BBC M had examined the customers need in Germany for instance what exactly did the customer want and catered accordingly. 2. 7 MARKS & SPENCER CURRENT STRATEGIES: The current aim of M is to become the world's most sustainable brand by the year 201 5 and for that they are following a plan called plan A. The plan A consist about many things about how to make world a better place to live with a few things which ops the list in plan A are cut carbon emissions, reduce waste and importance on health and well being.As the world is getting more educated day by day which means people are aware of what should be done to make this planet a better place to live in and also become very conscious about environmental and also for the natural issues. This is the reason for which M&S launched plan A in the year 2010. The primary focus in this plan is to change the climate and also reducing the waste. 2. 8 EVALUATION: As discussed in this chapter that Performance appraisal is very useful for any type of organization but there are always some exceptions.For example, if the managers fail to grade their staff according to their performance there are quite high chances that the company or the organization could land in hot water. So it is very important that the manager s should not grade their employees on personal assessment but should only grade them according to their performance which would only help the firm to achieve success in the future. CHAPTER 3- METHODOLOGY 3. 0 INTRODUCTION: Methodology is a set of practice to regain information about something. In other rods it is a choice about what data and information to gather.The information that will be obtained will also be used in the outcome and also be compared to the literature review In order to have an appropriate evaluation. One should keep in mind some factors when developing a successful methodology. I tried to contact the Marks and Spence's business and management analyst but it was too difficult to have a decent reply from them. Developing a methodology is not at all an easy task and requires different types of techniques and hard work in order to gather some useful information. 3. 1 TYPES OF DATA COLLECTION:

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Environmental Science IP2 - Essay Example High birth rates are due to lack of family planning as methods such as the use of contraceptives are discouraged or people lack information about them. The stage is further characterized by high mortality rates which normally arise from the prevalence of communicable diseases. Poor hygienic conditions which are marked by lack of clean water and improper means of waste disposal is another key factor in this stage. The second phase is marked with a decline in death rate due to improved medical care, proper sanitation and increased availability of food while birth rates still remain high. This stage is also referred to as early expanding stage. Improvement of food capacity backed up by proper storage equipment enables people to live longer until they attain adulthood. There is high fertility rate especially in rural areas where people give birth to very many children hence increased birth rates. This stage is marked by a decreasing trend in the rate of births while mortality rate tends to remain constant. The decrease in birth rate arises when people begin to take up birth control measures such as the use of contraceptives so that they can be able to cope up with the rising standards of living especially in the urban centers. This period is also termed late expanding owing to the fact that the economic status is on the rise. The phase is marked by stabilization in the population in which an equilibrium level between birth rate and death rate has been achieved. This is a typical case of developed economies that have attained low stationery economic growth. The death rates are extremely low due to proper health care while the birth rates are low due to population policies that have been set up by the government to control population. Factors that lead to decline in crude birth rates includes the acceptance of birth control measures, enactment of legislations that are aimed at controlling birth rates while those that lead to decrease in

Media Business Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Media Business Plan - Assignment Example This firm shall be established as per the provisions of Partnership Act 1890 and operating in the capacity of a subsidiary of BPM UK Private Limited but shall be operating independent of JUNCTURE PRODUCTIONS. The name "BLANK PAGE MEDIA UK PRIVATE LIMITED" has been assessed and found to compliant to the regulations by Company Names (GBF2) version 20 (as per enactment and subsequent modifications by the Companies Act 2006 and as per the terms stated in version 20 of GBF2 and version 17 of GBF3). However, the feasibility of using this name shall be verified by a reputed independent consultant to assess and report any possible claim of this name as a brand or intellectual property that may cause possible breach of laws (example, Law of Intellectual Property, Law of Confidentiality or any such equivalent law that may expose the organization to risks of local or global litigation) if we use this name for our company. The other two names are being used in the form of partnership firms. These names need not be matched with the existing list of companies as they are going to be established in the capacity of Partnership firms; however the external consultant would be requested to verify if these names do not breach anyone's intellectual property rights or confidentiality rights (and also are in compliance with the rules stated in version 17 of GBF3). [Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). 2008] The following section presents the proposed Management structure of the three companies: MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE BPM UK Private Limited shall have two members in the management - David Beckford and Shavan Sharif. Both the members shall be entitled for 40% shares each in the company whereby 20% shares shall be reserved for providing share options to employees in future. The organization structure of this company is presented in Figure 1. David Beckford and Shavan Sharif would form the board in the capacity of Directors. In addition, a company secretary and legal advisor shall be involved in the board on a part time basis. The financial auditors shall be kept out of the board due to conflict of interest aspect of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Figure 1: Organization Chart of BPM UK Private Limited The following four documents shall be prepared in accordance with the regulations of Company Formation (GBF1) version 22 (as per enactment and subsequent modifications by the Companies Act 2006 and as per the terms stated in version 22 of GBF1), reviewed by a hired Attorney and presented to Companies House: (a) Memorandum of Association (b) Articles of Association (c) Completed Form 10 (d) Completed Form 12 Post formation of the company, the organization shall be established as presented in Fig

Triumph over Lifes Challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Triumph over Lifes Challenges - Essay Example Currently, she runs an organization that seeks to help other girls from her continent to make it in life. Vanessa’s family was of a humble setting in the African continent. She was her mother’s only child with no siblings. However, she lacked the privilege of meeting her mother who passed on her after birth. She grew up to find herself in the caring hands of her aged grandmother. Growing up was not an easy thing for her, because the economic status in her home country was not easy. Despite all the challenges, the young girl seemed to be coping well in life and making the best out of the little they had. She was an above average student in school, and financial challenges did not stop her from shining. At the end of her primary schooling, she emerged as a top achiever in the final examinations. This was no meager achievement for her because she lacked most of the basic resources but remained resilience, believing that she would excel. Her exemplary performance saw her re ceive an admission into one of the best schools in her country. The grandmother lacked sufficient funds to support her, but Vanessa was an epitome of determination. Nuns owned the school that she joined, a factor that later worked out very well for her. She remained an exemplary student through high school, a factor that earned her a scholarship organized by the nuns. The first two years of high school lacked major events. However, while she was sixteen, she lost her grandmother, the only family that she ever knew. Although devastated, she knew that it was not time to give up her dreams (Georges). Somehow, she managed to get over the loss and focused on her education. At the end of her four years, she emerged top of the country again. Despite the achievement, she experienced immense loneliness because she lacked family.

Visual Communication in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Visual Communication in Business - Essay Example ed institutions like prisons, which serve a broader purpose in the society and hence aught to be guided by humane and ethical considerations, rather then being subjected to purely monetary targets and objectives. The very fact that the private corporations work for purely profit motives renders them incapable of being allowed to run the prisons or any other institution that is basically expected to adhere to welfare objectives and rehabilitation goals, even at the cost of incurring some losses. A realistic comprehension of this complex idea can be facilitated by the usage of various approaches to visual communication like charts and graphs, maps and cartoons and illustrations. It is imperative to understand that there exist primarily two ethical approaches pertaining to the institution of prisons. There is one school of thought that holds that the prisons should have a deterrent effect on the criminals and antisocial elements and hence the prisons should be stringent in their approach towards prisoners, so far as the availability of basic facilities is concerned. There is one another school of thought that is more contemporary and humane in its approach and holds that the prisons are the places that give the criminals a chance to pay their debt to the society. Such thinkers believe that prisoners should not only be provided with the basic amenities and health facilities in the prisons, but must also be extended the opportunity for rehabilitation and assimilation into the public mainstream in the form of vocational courses and counseling facilities. This approach is not only human, but is also in line with the current shift in the public values throughout the world. Now, if the private corporations are allowed to run the prisons, they will certainly desist from extending such facilities to the prisoners as this will not only increase the overall cost of running the prisons, but will diminish the net profit.The main reason for the enhanced interest of the state and the federal governments in the privatization of the prisons is an overcrowding of the government run prisons. This raises the curiosity of any vigilant citizen as to why the private corporations are interested in running the prisons The answer is simple. In the last two decades, running the prisons in the US has become a big industry that has a massive scope for growth and there is no dearth of corporations that are interested in extracting their share of booty in this lucrative business. Infact the gross revenues of the private prison industry exceeded well over $1 billion in the year the year 1997.

Third Journal Entry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Third Journal Entry - Essay Example Based on these responsibility-related considerations, the professor’s story relates to the larger story of mankind as responsibilities are laid forth for accomplishment, faces challenges in both professional and personal settings, and deserves compassion based on likely occurrence of burnout in the management of work-life balance. The audience addressed comprises of English Language learners with the purpose of introducing the personality of the professor as influenced by career choice, physical appearance, and mastery of a subject. Based on the professor’s profile above, the choice of including the age group, the human side, likely side effects of the career choice was merited by the likely assumptions students make about their professors in general. By introducing the professor’s personality and expectations within his career, the purpose of composing this profile was to give new language students an idea of what is expected of them when addressing, judging, or even responding to the professor’s questions, assignments, and other academic tasks. By providing an easy environment in everything humans do, everyone can handle their challenges appropriately while at the same time projecting the strengths towards a meaningful purpose that influences positive growth. Reflecting on observations about looks and body language, the included details from the interview questions include the professor’s exposure to burnout as well as the personal responsibility of managing work-life balance.

Develop a methodology or conceptual approach to support research into Essay

Develop a methodology or conceptual approach to support research into a chosen new media user experience - Essay Example However within the twinkle of an eye, her train speedily arrives, gushing through the platform; bringing her viewing to an abrupt end. As she stepped onto the train, she could not stop thinking about the advert, wishing she could have seen the end. She manages to get a seat; pulls out her Vogue magazine, she looks up and notices the static adverts above her head. Suddenly, as if she had never been on the tube before, she actually realises that all the adverts are static. Then she asks herself â€Å"how come tube adverts are static?† Why has no one developed digital displays on the tube?† The recognition that there should be digital displays on the tube is an important consideration in the field of new media advertising. In establishing the methodological approach to this consideration one recognizes that there are first a number of overarching concerns that must be addressed. Perhaps the most pressing concern is the simple question of why such new media approaches to advertising have yet to occur. Such infrastructure considerations no doubt exist on a series of lines. From a purely infrastructure standpoint one recognizes that modern railway system emerged from earlier trains and much of the qualitative approach to infrastructure, in this instance print advertising appears to have been carried over from an earlier era and not enough consideration given to the increasing technological mediation of the modern world. In this regards the study design is aimed not only at determining the general effectiveness and best possible course of action of digital advertising disp lays, but also that it would financially benefit the rail system to implement these digital displays. With these considerations in mind the methodology advanced is firmly rooted in a logistical series of methods. This approach is akin to a mixed methods approach in that it involves both quantitative and qualitative assessment mechanisms. In terms of

What are some of the problems of interpretation that face historians Essay

What are some of the problems of interpretation that face historians who wish to use visual sources like that of woodcuts and illustrations on pamphlets etc at the time of the reformation - Essay Example e would include the language used, the typefaces used, the quality of the printing, a lack of context and a failure to understand the ideas expressed because understanding of science and religion was rather different from what it is today. There may also be symbolism which is lost on a modern audience. There are such things as the way the meanings of some words have changed over time. Also some words have dropped out of use entirely. Spelling was not as fixed as it was later, so there may be occasions when, even if the writing can be clearly read, it is possible to misread a word. Calvin published his great work first in Latin in 1536, and later in his native French in 1541. We are no longer used to such a formal style, nor to sentences which may extend over eight lines at times, even if we are familiar with modern academic style. We can therefore find ourselves either skipping passages, or needing considerable time in order to unravel the argument , as well of course needing to know the context, which in this case was that many had been falsely accusing Calvin. Printing was still in its relative infancy. Books were expensive, and even the printing of leaflets would have been relatively more expensive than today. Much of this expense was in the initial setting up of the page, but paper would also have its own cost. It was therefore common to cram as much as possible onto a page, with writing being in a very small font. There is also the fact that Reformers and the papacy might interpret certain Biblical ideas in very different ways, and unless the source of the pamphlet or image is known it can be hard to know which ideas it is trying to put across. Is the image meant to show Rome as the seat of all evil for instance? Is this what the Reformers were really saying? Were they out to destroy the church or just to bring about necessary change? The language used. Often reformation documents were written in German or in Latin. As well as this there is the matter

PsyInfo (tools to success) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PsyInfo (tools to success) - Essay Example I can remember all the times I was sad as a kid, birthdays, holidays, Christmas time. I didn't know that growing up without money may have tied my parents down some and that they may have even felt like giving up in their lives. It was as if we were all embarrassed at living. Today I can look back and understand and appreciate some of these pressures of poverty, that they can really affect communication among family members and in a sense stunt the emotional growth and health that is needed. Feeling apart from others, isolated and unique in that way, I could no longer avoid states of depression. Today I see these states as important. In a child, one who is rebelling, they could lead into all kinds of mental illnesses if they are not properly attended to. Finally I met an individual who would change my life by the example of his own life. I had managed to get a job working in a store. I was about 17 at the time and was no longer going to school. The manager was one of the most busy pe rsons I had every met in my life. The store was a franchise type and was open 24 hours. When I got in in the early morning he was their taking inventory. When I left he was in the back stacking up inventory. He wasn't an old man, he was like middle age. I found out he spent his afternoons at business school. This man never took me personally.

Instructional design Essay Example for Free

Instructional design Essay 1 â€Å"Well begun is half done†. So goes a saying. Action plans are like roadmaps for a meaningful journey toward a specific destination. Hence they are essential in any developmental work, including education and training. ADDIE is one of the most widely used action plan models used by instructional designers. It is an acronym for five terms â€Å"Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation† that constitute the five phases of the process. Analysis, the first phase, is a process of studying something by taking into account the characteristics of individual parts and their inter-relationship. The instructional designer curriculum content developers and teachers evaluate the cognitive â€Å"entry† behavior (knowledge, skills and attitudes) that his students possess before they are introduced to the prospective module, for instance a set of virtual laboratory experiments for use in a Grade 12 physics classroom. The team seeks answers to questions like â€Å"Are all students familiar with the theoretical concepts? †, â€Å"How much do they differ individually? † etc. It also considers the cognitive behavior that is expected from the learners at the end of the module (â€Å"What knowledge, skills and attitudes are they expected to have acquired after being taught in the virtual laboratory module? †) and the logistic aspects (â€Å"How best should the module be delivered? † â€Å"What is the time factor involved? †). The team considers all the pedagogic and logistic aspects of the issue in order to get a complete picture of any discrepancies between the â€Å"current† and â€Å"desired† levels of resources and processes used in the system. In effect, this is the phase in which measurable instructional aims and objectives are stated. In the design phase, the instructional designer and the design team develop a sequence of strategies that are most appropriate to realize the stated aims and objectives. Here the ID team creates comprehensive storyboards (Number and sequence of animations and interactivities, GUI, Voice over etc), uses wide range of strategies such as brainstorming, concept mapping, group discussions to collect information and implement Critical Path Networking etc.to monitor time and resources management. This phase answers â€Å"Why? †, â€Å"What? † and â€Å"How†? of the whole process. In the development phase, the ID works with the development team (consisting of content developers, animators and action script writers) to develop the virtual laboratory experiments as a pilot product, ready to be tested. This phase is usually more complex than the previous ones, as there is a higher probability of bottlenecks, such as lack of proper communication, unrealistic expectations, lack of convergence and inappropriate multimedia system configurations. This phase is mainly concerned with authoring and production and hence the most crucial. In the implementation phase, in practice the last phase of the model, the instructional designer and the team decide on the logistical aspects of implementation and the strategies for training the teachers, multimedia coordinators and learners. The team ensures that the process is smooth. The phase also includes delivery of the prototype. The most important phase in the model is â€Å"Evaluation† and it is carried out from beginning to end of the ADDIE process. Both types of evaluation, viz. formative and summative, are used in the process. The former is used to trouble shoot problems and apply alternative strategies when needed. The latter is used to assess the learner outcomes by providing evaluation tools such as criterion-based tests to the end users (learners). The feedback from them helps in bringing about modifications in the product, until all the stated aims and objectives are met. Thus ADDIE model serves as a wonderful canvas on which the concerned professionals can work on so that the instructional aims and objectives are realized in a smooth, efficient and effective manner. Thus, â€Å"Well begun, promptly followed by ADDIE, is almost perfectly done†. References Carliner Saul (2002) , DESIGNING E-Learning, American Society for Training and Development. http://alpha. nsula. edu/~gillan/08id. htm http://www. itrc. wvu. edu/coursedev/preproduction/addie. html.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the main character, Huck Finn, undergoes a variety of experiences that changes him as a man, relationships with other characters in the novel and we get to understand the author’s perspective through the characters. Huck Finn flourished in many ways through the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Huck Finn grew up with the stereotype that all blacks are meaningless and do not deserve to live the same life style and have the same rights as any white man. His father brings these views to Huckleberry’s attention. During the novel, Huck travels the Mississippi river with a black male slave named Jim, throughout the journey Huck learns how to be selflessness and have empathy for others. By experiencing different obstacles and situations, Huckleberry gains an insight into others’ lives and how their experiences differ from his. He learns to be more open to new and different outlooks of life. He learns courage, empathy, compassion, and the differences between law and moral right and wrong. Because of these experiences, Huck gains courage and maturity. Huckleberry is a new and improved man by the end of the novel. Throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain illustrates the bond formed between Huck, the young white protagonist, and Jim, Hucks black companion. As time goes on Huck begins to realize and understand how black men have been treated throughout their lives and starts to respect Jim more and more by who he actually is. While Huck and Jim travel down the river it becomes apparent that Jim is more of a father figure to Huck than his biological father. Huck’s father, Pap, teaches the virtues of a life not worth living, while Jim gives Huck the proper fatherly support, compassion, and knowledge for Huck to become a man. While Pap acts as an anchor on Hucks heel, Jim opens up a new world for Huck, and becomes his companion and a resource of knowledge. He finds the ideal combination of respect, love, and protection in Jim. Although Jim is not book smart, he maintains the simple values that Huck needs. Although Huck and Jim come from separate racial backgrounds their time together allows them to surpass their ethnic segregation and become true friends, and family. Huck returns the respect and gratefulness to Jim by keeping his promise and helping him become a free man. At the end of the novel, Huck thinks of Jim as being no different from any white man and doesn’t deserve to be treated differently otherwise. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, readers can identify Mark Twain’s picture of Southern society through the characters. Mark Twain harshly undermines our society in his novel by satirizes religion, civilization, and human nature to expose the flaws and weaknesses behind American society. Twain criticizes religion in society through satirizing Miss Watson and Silas Phelps for being highly religious yet hypocritical figures. Twain states that religious people can be hypocrites in situations such as in his novel, where they purposely ignore certain teachings of their religion. The Bible encourages that people treat others they wish to be treated, and here Miss Watson blatantly ignores that by being a slave owner. Even though many schools and parents would prohibit reading this novel because of its language and maliciousness, Twain states that he writes the truth. Huck is critical of many things and people in this novel. He implies that humans understand and comprehend the world by different means and rely on different sources to provide the truth. People use their senses, reasoning, emotion, past experiences and what others have taught them to understand the world and how to make their own decisions. To understand something for what it is truly is you need to get a different perspective on it, which is what Huck did with Jim to find out the real meaning to slavery and to respect. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic story where readers learn about the true meaning of friendship and slavery just by a white man and a black man sailing down a river to find freedom.