Saturday, December 28, 2019

The Ambiguity Of Love And Passion . The Concept Of Love

The Ambiguity of Love and Passion The concept of love and passion can be considered an abstract emotion which may be immeasurable within a relationship. Although, one is hopeful to feel love and passion in most modern day marriages, however, Kate Chopin demonstrates in her short story The Storm† there is a possibility to married and yet be lacking in one of the most important aspects of a marriage such as passion. However, is the emotion for love in order to maintain a family together substantial enough to continue a marriage without passion and most importantly is there a difference between love and passion. The author Kate Chopin not only describes the intimate affair through her two leading characters in â€Å"The Storm† Calixta and†¦show more content†¦Bobinot was the embodiment of serious solicitude as he strove to remove from his own person and his son s the signs of their tramp over heavy roads and through wet fields. He scraped the mud off Bibi s bare legs and feet with a stick and care fully removed all traces from his heavy brogans. Then, prepared for the worst-- the meeting with an over-scrupulous housewife, they entered cautiously at the back door. (426) It is in that description Calixta seemed to be a difficult wife for Bibinot. Bibinot has come to notice that perhaps her love or concern for him is not reciprocated with the same intensity in their marriage. In fact having to be in a constant state of anxiety and worry over his wife’s remarks and behavior has lead him to be in a constant state of complacent to always having to appease to Calixta. It is then questionable his wife’s love and passion towards him. Bobinot s explanations and apologies which he had been composing all along the way, died on his lips as Calixta felt him to see if he were dry, and seemed to express nothing but satisfaction at their safe return. (426) Their marriage may not have passion but due to circumstances perhaps she was chosen to marry Bobinot and full fill a union without passion, in which she seeks instead through Alcee Laballiere. Calixta does show love for her familyShow MoreRelatedLove And Lust, By And Shakespeare s Measure For Measure, Act Iv.31401 Words   |  6 Pages People love to lust, and because of this the word love is used to disguise the true underlying desires of lust. Love and lust are two abstract ideas associated with men and women in different ways that could potentially lead to corruption of people in power. Religions are an example where corruption can take place, because of how religions are a type of guidance of how to enforce or live through certain morals/beliefs from a higher institution of power to individuals who follow the guidance givenRead MoreThe Impossibility Of Imprisoning The Mind984 Words   |  4 Pages‘To Althea, from Prison’: Richard Lovelace (Close-read) Lovelace’s poem To Althea, from Prison expresses two concepts: the impossibility of imprisoning the mind and therefore the impossibility of repressing one’s belief in a cause, or in this case, a person. The initial lack of explicitness of the meaning of the poem is exemplified by the mysteriousness of the woman, Althea, who is rather unspecific in description, and ethereal, described as â€Å"divine.† Whether or not the woman was real, or herselfRead MoreThe Theory Of Love By Robert J. Sternberg1458 Words   |  6 Pagesdevelopment studies of attachment theory, such as those by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, and carried over to our studies of romance and love through the works of Robert J. Sternberg. Many of our class lessons have focused on cause and effect: childhood cause and adulthood effect. Thus it is not strange to note, Sternberg’s research, the triangular theory of love, is impacted by Bowlby and Ainsworth’s attachment theory. As we notic e within each stage and style of relationship, the growth and strengthRead MoreLove and Literature Essay877 Words   |  4 PagesLove is an inborn suffering proceeding from the sight and immoderate thought upon the beauty of the other sex, for which cause above all other things one wishes to embrace the other and, by common assent, in this embrace to fulfill the commandments of love. . . . once said Andreas Capellanus, the twelfth century French author of a well-known but skeptical book, The Art of Courtly Love. Despite Capellanus’s attempt to provide others with an accurate definition of love, he fails in doing so; tryingRead Morelove952 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom interpersonal affection (I love my mother) to pleasure (I loved that meal). It can refer to an emotion of a strong attraction and personal attachment.[1] It can also be a virtue representing human kindness, compassion, and affection—the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another.[2] It m ay also describe compassionate and affectionate actions towards other humans, one s self or animals.[3] Ancient Greeks identified four forms of love: kinship or familiarity (in GreekRead More Essay on Love and Gender in Twelfth Night1551 Words   |  7 PagesLove and Gender in Twelfth Night      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeares Twelfth Night examines patterns of love and courtship through a twisting of gender roles. In Act 3, scene 1, Olivia displays the confusion created for both characters and audience as she takes on the traditionally male role of wooer in an attempt to win the disguised Viola, or Cesario. Olivia praises Cesarios beauty and then addresses him with the belief that his scorn (3.1.134) only reveals his hidden love. However, Olivias mistakenRead MoreAnalysis Of Antigone By Sophocles1078 Words   |  5 Pagesin a gray world. Sophocles perfectly and beautifully was able to portray the ambiguity of our reality. Antigone and Kreon both have valid reasoning and are justified in their views in Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone. Neither is purely good or evil, but are simply two embodiments of contradicting beliefs, each based upon just reasoning. Antigone’s rebellion is based on her love for her brother, an act of emotion and passion. Kreon’s verdict is based upon logic and reason from his position of power. Read MoreCompare and Contrast the Ways Philip Sidneys Astrophil and Stella and Miltons Comus explore Gender and Sexuality.948 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction In the late sixteenth and the seventeenth century, new ideas and motives in arts, inspired by the past but concerned with new concepts, appeared. Building on a courtly love, some writers and poets attempted to discuss the nature of love by commenting on gender issues and sexuality (MacArthur, 1989). Thus, love conventions, based on a passion or an unrequited love, would change, challenging social norms and discussing male and female sexualities. On the one hand, the authors explore male sexualitiesRead MoreExploring The Concepts Of Love And Romance980 Words   |  4 PagesFrom what I hear, â€Å"love is dead†. It is not uncommon for my friends and I to discus the current state of our relationships or lack thereof. Conversations sparked by the various campus crushes that needed to be talked about, later developed into large group discussions amongst the guys and girls of my social circle trying to understand the current state of romance. These discussions, or more often debat es, have enabled us to share our ideas about dating, relationships, and hookup culture in ways thatRead MoreEnding of Far from the Madding Crowd1474 Words   |  6 Pages------------------------------------------------- Is the ending of the â€Å"Far from the Madding Crowd† look consistent? Reason your answer. Answer Thomas Hardy’s â€Å"Far from the Madding Crowd† is somewhat gruesome and somber in tone with the novelist’s vision of human destiny and his concept of invincible Fate that intervenes and shapes joys and sorrows in the world of humans. It is one of the finest novels in the world of literature with the setting of pastoral landscape surrounded by woods, dales and heaths of Wessex-life. The main

Friday, December 20, 2019

Scientific management - 2186 Words

Scientific management Introduction Nowadays, scientific management plays an important role in our workplaces. Nevertheless, to draw a conclusion that whether scientific management is appropriate in nowadays workplaces, the essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of scientific management. First of all, as to the definition of management, the answer to this problem varies from people to people. Some people like Frederick Winslow Taylor, thought that management is a discipline that involves the calm and systematic tasks of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Maybe, from this point of view, we can basically understand what the managers do. However, others such as Jaffee have questioned whether scientific management†¦show more content†¦For their leadership, the managers have to encourage their companies to fight with them. In order to gain enough information for their team to achieve their work, the managers should establish a strong network of contact. In short, there are three roles in t he managers’ interpersonal group (Thompson McHugh 2002, p. 56). They are figurehead, liaison and leader. The second one is information processing roles. As the managers, they may not know every detail function as his subordinates who specializes it. However, as the leaderships in his organization, the manager will collect all kinds of information from his subordinates and he will know more about his organization’s information than any companies in his organization. Hence, the manager is the nerve centre of information system in his organization. The last one role is decision-making roles. The manager has to make many important decisions for his organization for he knows more information about his organization than any of his subordinates. He must be responsible for his organization and he must do the important choices represent his organization. What he do will decide the development or failure of his organization, not just himself. Thus, in the manager is at the heart of the decision-making system. Motivation of worker and manager As we know, there can be huge differences between the quality and quantity of our workShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of Scientific Management1633 Words   |  7 PagesThe purpose of this essay is to research, analyse and assess the theory of scientific management, which was revolutionised by Frederick Winslow Taylor in 1887 (A.Huczynski, 2010) and to critically evaluate the benefits and pitfalls of his theory. This theory Taylor developed is known as Taylorism and has been used commonly in various structures of organisation. Comparisons shall be drawn to other theories and advancements of this theory, such as Fordism and Toyotism, which was extremely popular inRead MoreThe Principles Of Scientific Management3291 Words   |  14 PagesTHE PRINCIPLES OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT (TAYLORISM) STUDENT NAME : SOWMITH VATSAVAI ROLL NO : 120908246 BRANCH : INDUSTRIAL AND PRODUCTION ENGG. E-MAIL ID : SOWMITH.V@GMAIL.COM CONTACT NO : 09740459479 INDEX Sl.no Contents Page No. 1 Fundamentals 2 2 Introduction 5 3 Experimentation 6 4 Principles 9 5 Conclusion 15 6 References 16 â€Æ' 1.Fundamentals of Scientific Management 1.1 Introduction Read MoreScientific Management2246 Words   |  9 PagesSCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT AND CONTRIBUTION TO ECONOMY Scientific management is a theory of management that analysis and synthesizes workflows, with the objective of improving labour productivity. The core ideas of the theory were developed by Frederick Winslow Taylor in the 1880s and 1890s, and were first published in his monographs, Shop Management (1905) and The Principles of Scientific Management (1911). He began trying to discover a way for workers to increase their efficiency when he was the forepersonRead MoreScientific Management2016 Words   |  9 PagesScientific management (also called Taylorism, the Taylor system, or the Classical Perspective) is a theory of management that analyzes and synthesizes workflow processes, improving labor productivity. The core ideas of the theory were developed by Frederick Winslow Taylor in the 1880s and 1890s, and were first published in his monographs, Shop Management (1905) and The Principles of Scientific Management (1911).[1] Taylor believed that decisions based upon tradition and rules of thumb should be replacedRead MoreThe Principles Of Scientific Management1337 Words   |  6 Pagescentury ago, Frederick Winslow Taylor’s renowned work The Principles of Scientific Management set forth a theory that to this day is subjected to a similar degree of critique and debate to that in the early 20th century. While Taylor’s ideas were evidently influenced by the works of earlier researchers, it is he who is credited as the â€Å"father† of the scientific management movement (Jeacle, 2004, p. 1164). As such, scientific management itself is synonymous with Taylor to the extent that it is commonlyRead MoreThe Advantages Of Scientific Management Essay1594 Words   |  7 PagesIn the early 20th Century, Frederick Winslow Taylor revolutionised work in factories through the development of his new form of management; Scientific management. It is a method of worker management that involves scientifically finding the best way to divide labour and to do each ind ividual job as easily as possible, and finding the best person for that job. It is done through removing the control of production from the workers and putting it in the hands of the managers, who oversee the processRead MorePrinciples of Scientific Management1149 Words   |  5 PagesScientific Management is a theory of management that analyzed and synthesized workflows. Its main objective was improving economic efficiency, especially labor productivity. It was one of the earliest attempts to apply science to the engineering of processes and to management. Its development began with Frederick Winslow Taylor in the 1880s and 1890s within the manufacturing industries. Taylor was an American mechanical engineer and a management consultant in his later years. He is often calledRead MoreThe Scientific Management of Taylor1493 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Taylor used valuable knowledge into work practice, as the appearance of scientific management, the productivity of all the developed countries increased nearly 50 times (Zuo, 2007). In the meanwhile, whether the scientific management is suitable for modern age has sparked much debate. Some people assert that scientific have some limitations. Therefore, this essay tends to analyze several parts of scientific management, some problems caused by it and whether it is suitable to the modern enterprisesRead MoreThe Principles Of Scientific Management2994 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction Good management can be defined as the optimal use of available resources to increase an organisation s efficiency and effectiveness in meeting its objectives (Garg, 2013). Scientific management has been the dominant model for many years, but its usefulness for meeting modern organisational challenges may be limited. This paper examines the principles of scientific management, the degree to which it is applied in contemporary organisations, its utility for addressing modern challengesRead MoreThe Emergence Of Scientific Management1300 Words   |  6 PagesThe emergence of scientific management Frederick W. Taylor is called the father of scientific management who is world famous through his book named â€Å"The Principles of Scientific Management†. â€Å"The Principles of Scientific Management† was first published in the early 20th century. Through his work, Frederick W. Taylor described that the process of scientific management can increase total worker organizational efficiency. The theory of scientific management was not invented by one day. It took many

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Antigone compare and contrast free essay sample

In the classical play â€Å"Antigone† by Sophocles, two of the main characters are sisters, Antigone and Ismene. The pair get into plenty of trouble, and are alike and different in througout the story. They are the daughters of the previous king, Oedipus. Their brothers have just killed each other in the battles between Thebes and Argos, Thebes emerging the victor. Polyneices fought for Argos whilst Eteocles fought for Thebes. The uncle of the family, whose name is Creon, has taken the throne in absence of a male descendant of Oedipus. Creon decrees that the burying of Polyneices be forbidden, and provides a proper religious burial for Eteocles. The sisters are very alike in many ways. Antigone and Ismene are both fairly outraged about the fact that their brother will not have a proper entrance into the afterlife. They don’t think that Creon should disallow them to bury their brother properly. We will write a custom essay sample on Antigone compare and contrast or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Both sisters are willing to die for the sake of their brother. When Antigone is caught in the act, she tells Creon â€Å"These lawsI was not about to break them,not out of fear of some man’s wounded pride, and face the retribution of the gods. Die I must, I’ve known it all my life how could I keep from knowing? even without your death sentence ringing in my ears. † (Antigone 509-514). Antigone says this after she has traditionally buried Polyneices for the second time. This shows how she is dedicated to give her brother a proper burial, even in the face of death. Ismene is very much like Antigone in in the fact that, she is also willing to die for her family members. Ismene says this to Creon and Antigone, â€Å"But now you face such dangers . I’m not ashamed to sail through trouble with you, make your troubles mine. † (Ismene 606-609). She goes on to add after Antigone protests, â€Å"Oh no, my sister, don’t reject me, please, let me die beside you, consecrating the dead together. † (Ismene 612-614). This shows that Ismene would share the punishment with Antigone, and die for her family. Even though both sisters are willing to die for their family, they came to that conclusion in different ways. In the the beginning of the play, Antigone is trying to convince Ismene to come and bury Polyneices body with her. Ismene is angry about the way her deceased brother is being treated, but not enough to accompany Antigone to do the deed. Antigone pleads to Ismene, â€Å"Will you lift up his body with these bare hands and lower it with me? † (Antigone 52-53). Ismene is not quite sure what to do at this moment, she is not certain that she wants to cross the law with her sister. She declines Antigones offer replying, â€Å"Now look at the two of us, left so alone. Think what a death we’ll die, the worst of all if we violate the laws and override the fixed decree of the throne, it’s power we must be sensible. remember that we are women, we’re not born to contend with men. † (Ismene 70-75). These two quotes show how Antigone is willing to pay the toll for disobeying the law and her uncle, while Ismene is too fearful to disobey Creon. It also shows that Ismene is more of a follower, rather than a leader, because she later follows in Antigones footsteps and defies Creon. These two sisters underwent a very challenging and confusing journey. They are very alike in that they both have very strong family ties to each other and their deceased kin. Antigone is very strong in her religious beliefs, and is willing to do anything to make sure that she and her family is favored by the gods. Ismene is unlike Antigone in that she would not disobey the law to convey her beliefs. The pair complement each other perfectly in the story, and can be very similar at times, but also show signs of diversity.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Case Study Biochemistry Nursing

Question: Write a Case Study for Biochemistry Nursing? Answer: 1. This case is about a 5 year old boy named Bryce Morris. During his yearly check up and vital signs study he has been noted with these following properties, that follows he has decreased from 50th percentile of height and weight 1 year ago to the 5th percentile. A nurse will further asses some field, they are as follows Will check his chest diameter measurements Chest diameter at the nipple line. Will check his BMI ( Body Mass Index), Should check his vision and hearing property with the help of appropriate and standard equipments (Cant-Barrett, Pieters Meijerink, 2013). As Bryce has diagnosed with Particular juvenile idiopathic arthritis , so a nurse should recommend him for some tests, that are as follows CBC (count of blood cells) Checking for the inflammatory markers like erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), And C reactive protein, Should be checked for the presence of anemia and iron deficiency, Should be checked for leukocytosis, The nurse should give some advice to Bryce family and also for Bryce, that are as follows- His family should opt for best medical care for his child and should follow the doctors instructions. Juvenile arthritis is different in different child so the parents should know their childs disease very closely (Iwamoto, Bundo, Kasai Kato, 2011). They should check that if there is any side effect for the medications the doctor prescribes. Parents should treat their child as normal one. They should encourage their child to exercise and should give him physical therapy for better results. Parents should talk with him and make him understand that juvenile arthritis is nobodys fault (Lev Pinchasi, 2014). They should support him mentally, and make him mentally stronger. Parents should work with social workers as they can help them for getting the best treatment. 2. The second case is about a 9 month old La Wanda Green, she is brought to the emergency department as she has red raised bumps on her chest and back. The emergency department nurses have some priority assessment to do, they are as follows She has to prepare the unit and the admission of patients to the emergency room. To evaluate and document the patients condition. To assist in many procedures like Intubation, Chest tube insertion, internal jugular, Ryles tube insertion and Foleys Catheter insertion. Provide bed side nursing care. Prepare the patients for different type of examinations like X- ray, ECG, MRI, Ultrasonography etc. Monitoring continuously and report to the doctors. Administer medications as prescribed by the doctor. Should collect samples and evaluate them and document it for further process. The informations important for including in a health history are as follows report of allergy, blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, smoking related any concern, any family member had a heart attack. La Wandas grand parents should be taught that her problem can arouse from allergy or it can be any type of infection, so they should careful for her. 3. This case is about a 14 year old boy named Miguel Souza, who has reported to have a prolonged case of diarrhea. The other health history related information which have to be included , they are as follows If he had ate any bad thing like spoiled food or unpure water or any other liquid. His BMI. If he had any allergy related concern. If his any of family member has any history related to diarrhea. If he has any report related to STD. The following diagnostic tests a nurse should order Stool test for diarrhea to find out the causative agent of diarrhea. A complete blood count test. Check up for the presence of STD. The nutritional plan for Miguel should have BRAT diet i.e. Banana, Rice, Applesauce, Toast Should have fibrous foods. A huge amount of liquid mainly purified water with electrolytes. There can be a psychological impact on Miguel that he might have HIV infection but this is not sure as he does not include any history or report for that. But he should check it first. Because both side can be possible as if he has HIV infection then his immunity can so lowered that he can have the disease but if he does not have the disease then it can be just a microbiological disease (Lev Pinchasi, 2014). Reference List Cant-Barrett, K., Pieters, R., Meijerink, J. (2013). Myocyte enhancer factor 2C in hematopoiesis and leukemia.Oncogene,33(4), 403-410. doi:10.1038/onc.2013.56 Iwamoto, K., Bundo, M., Kasai, K., Kato, T. (2011). Measuring RNA editing of serotonin 2C receptor.Biochemistry (Moscow),76(8), 912-914. doi:10.1134/s0006297911080062 Lev, V., Pinchasi, R. (2014). Solving ab=2c in elements of finite sets.Acta Arithmetica,163(2), 127-140. doi:10.4064/aa163-2-3

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Concept of Happiness Essays - Happiness, Positive Mental Attitude

Concept of Happiness Happiness alludes to the degree to which one judges his or her overall quality of life as entire favorably. This simply implies the extent to which a person likes the life he or she leads. I understand that happiness comes when a person feels satisfied and fulfilled. It is one's feeling of contentment that his or her life is just as it ought to be. From this understanding, the concept of happiness entails certain terms that include degree, individual, subjective and judgment. In regard to degree, it should be understood that the word ''happiness'' normally is not used in denoting only positive appreciations in life. It refers to the degree which is less or more of something. When a person is said to be happy, it means that this person judges his or her life favorably as opposed to unfavorably. The individual term in the definition implies that the term happiness is actually employed in describing an individual person's state only and not in collectiveness. Also, happiness is the subjective life appreciation by a person. Therefore, there is no a particular objective standard for happiness. Judgment entails a person making an overall judgment in regard to the quality of their life. This means happiness is an intellectual activity. To make an overall judgment requires one to assess past experiences and estimate the future experiences as well as average life quality. Considering the concept of happiness, I would rather be an unhappy human and not a happy pig. This is because an unhappy human has the intellectual capacity of conceptualizing the past and future experiences of life and be able to estimate the degree of happiness in their life. An unhappy human, therefore, knows both sides of the coin because he or she is able to tell when life is favorable and unfavorable. However, the happy pig does not know the two sides of life because of the lack of intellectuality. By the fact that the word happiness is used for those who are able to make their mind through constructing intellectually their overall judgment of life, the concept of happiness cannot apply to animals. Therefore, I would rather be an unhappy human as opposed to being a happy pig.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The Hawthorn studies Essays

The Hawthorn studies Essays The Hawthorn studies Essay The Hawthorn studies Essay The Hawthorn Studies took place in Western Electric Companys Hawthorne works in Chicago between 1924 and 1932. Originally setting out with the objective to find the relationship between physical environment and productivity, their conclusion was far different. Stephen P. Robbins (2000, p93) The Hawthorn Studies made an important contribution to our understanding of group behaviour. Before the contribution of the Hawthorne studies very different theories were prominent within organisations. Rather than a Human Resource culture, scientific management such as Fordism and Taylorism were popular, and these theories concentrated on the workers motivation to work being money. Many believe that the Hawthorn studies were a precursor to the Human Relations approach that is in wide use today. That the findings of the studies led to more research into behaviour at work, rather than concentrating on other production varying factors. To show how much of a contribution the studies made to the understanding of behaviour at work, it is also necessary to look into modern studies. This is so that the value of the initial Hawthorn Studies can be gauged in how studies and theories were approached in their wake. When the Hawthorne Studies began, the aim was to find a relationship between workers physical environment and their output. This task was much in tune with the scientific management approach which measured workers an attempted to increase production by increased efficiency. Firstly, a study into the effect of lighting on production took place. Rather than find a direct relationship as expected, it was found that groups under close observation had rising production. This rise in output was independent from any changes in the lighting, and this could not be explained. Looking for answers into the rising production, new experiments were setup and overseen by Harvard Professor Elton Mayo. During the next phase of experiments in the relay assembly test room, a small group of women workers were isolated so that they could be studied more carefully. Over a multiyear period it was found that this small groups production was increasing steadily. Sickness and absence also dropped to a third of that in the rest of the factory. The conclusion was that the women saw themselves as a special group, and this was resulting in the increased production. A third phase of the experiment was setup in the bank wiring observation room. The aim of this experiment was to ascertain the effect of a piece rate wage incentive plan. Assumptions were made that individuals would maximise their own output and therefore their earnings. However the study discovered that the employees did not individually maximise their performance. Instead the output was controlled by their group. Stephen P. Robbins (2000, p92) Their output became controlled by a norm that determined what was a proper days work. This conclusion was very different from previous theories where it was assumed that a workers motivation came from pay and conditions. Morgan Witzel (2000, p8) By the time the project was finished, ten years later, its scope had been widened to include nearly every factor, psychological and physical, personal and professional, in work and home life, which might affect the employee and his or her performance, and more than 20,000 people had been studied and interviewed. So although setting out with intentions of carrying on scientific management, the Hawthorn studies uncovered new theories and observations of motivation and employee behaviour. In order to assess the contribution of the Hawthorne Studies, we must look at how behaviour at work was understood before them, and the theories that were utilised by management. Scientific management was born in the early 1900s by Frederick W Taylor. Taylors theories were very different to those born out of the Hawthorn Studies. Tony J. Watson (1980, p44) Taylorism sees the worker basically as an economic animal, a self-seeking non-social individual who prefers managers to do their job- related thinking for them. Using this model of the motivation to work of employees, management simply needed to organize the work and offer monetary incentives which would increase production. Many large organizations such as Ford adopted this strategy, and scientific management was the accepted management theory. Taylor was the first to write on the subject of scientific management, but it was Henry Ford who famously implemented it. Fordism treated workers as another machine and had very simplistic assumptions regarding motivation to work. Taking scientific management on board, these companies were also accepting that their employees behaviour was dependent on pay and conditions. It was not that these companies dismissed other factors, more that they were as yet undiscovered. There were however many critics of Scientific Management and some problems associated with it. Many union leaders were concerned by the practises of introducing this system, not by the higher rates of pay and security offered by some practises. It was the practises where employers introduced piece-rate wages then cut the rates as soon as higher production was reached. Other practises which had introduced correct rates, found production did not meet targets set, and punitive action was then taken. Because Scientific Management did not take into account groups and social behaviour, if targets were not met there was no other explanation other than the workers were not trying their best. It was not until the conclusions of the Hawthorne Studies that other factors were taken into account, and more explanations of workers behaviour could be made. It is widely recognized that the Hawthorne Studies were key in the development of HR (Human Relations) concept. Buchanan, D. and Huczynski, A (1985, p186) Companies concluded that the employees receptivity to managements goals depended on the extent to which the boss could meet employees social needs, such as that for acceptance. In this sense, the human relations approach to management was born. This approach is widely used today and takes into account the factors such as groups and social variables, which were documented during the Hawthorn Studies. To Human Relations theorists, management need to provide a work environment, within which employees can fulfil their social needs. These social needs were identified from the Hawthorn studies, and have since been used in many HR models. Management can use this information to introduce modern techniques such as team building, communication and supportive supervision. All of these techniques, as with scientific management are implemented to managerial needs, and ultimately to increase productivity. Other studies have since been carried out in the wake of the Hawthorne observations. The Luton studies conducted by Goldthorpe et al (1962) were carried out to establish the workers orientation to work. Workers there were well paid and perceived their work as a means to secure pay and security. The employees orientation to work was formed independently from their current employment. It was of little intrinsic value to them, their motivation came from class, community and family background. These studies opened up new areas of debate, and posed questions to management. How could they motivate workers, who gained little or no motivation from work, but only from personal backgrounds? This forced management theorists to think about the employees life outside the organization as well as within work.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Auditing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Auditing - Essay Example As the financial statements are the representation of management, it becomes very important to maintain the reliability and authenticity of these statements in order to avoid fraudulent activities in their preparation. The auditors have the responsibility of expressing their views related to the maintenance of fairness by the management. They are authorized with the responsibility of assessing the financial statements for testing the fairness and transparency of the information available in those statements. They collect evidences for assuring the fact that figures which are mentioned in the information does not involve material misstatement. The credibility of the financial statements is increased through the audit process conducted by the auditors. The report provided by the auditors has high influence on the decision making of bankers, creditors, investors or other stakeholders. Issues affecting the credibility of auditors and increasing the need of their rotation The present econ omy is struggling to recover from the turbulent period that is filled with various corporate scandals and also lacks investor confidence. Nowadays, greater emphasis is laid on the improvement of transparency, credibility, accountability and trust related to the information available in the financial statements. ... The major question which arises is that whether these types of activities affect the real performance of the auditors. In reality, it actually affects the auditor’s performances and reduces the accuracy or authenticity of the information available in their reports (Cooper and Neu, 2006). The auditors change the figures in the financial statements for earning high incentives. This has turned out to be one of the most highlighted issues that require immediate attention. Real evidences of material misstatements increasing the need of rotation of the auditors 1. In 2003, HealthSouth Corporation was accused by SEC for violating the civil law (Turner and The Staff of Vault, 2005). According to SEC, the chairman of the company Mr. Richard M. Scrushy has inflated the actual earnings of the company by an amount of $1.4 billion by 1999. SEC states that this fraudulent activity has been done in order to satisfy Wall Street’s demands and expectations. HealthSouth Corporation has ma nipulated the actual figures in the financial statement for satisfying its stakeholders by hiding the real performance. Scrushy along with Don Siegleman (the previous Alabama Governor) have been accused for a series of activities, such as racketeering, bribery, laundering and various other illegal activities. There were other executives involved in the criminal activity of displaying fake company earnings in the financial statement in order to increase its reputation. SEC has reported after detailed analysis that the real earnings of HealthSouth Corporation fell short of Wall Street analyst’s expectations. Thus, the ultimate solution found by Scrushy and his team was fixing the difference amount by overstating the profit figure. Frieswick (2003) argued that there were

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Ethical Business Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical Business Model - Essay Example The import of this is that not only is business ethics model an indispensible aspect of organizational management, but it is also imperative of an organization to define and designate its model of business ethics. A Proposal on a Business-Based Ethics Model to Guide Decision Making In the Workplace According to Ashcroft, Dawson and Draper (2007), one of the best business-based ethics models that can be used to guide decision making in the workplace is the organizational or company culture. Organizational or company culture refers to the intangible business environment that leaders and executive managers as major decision makers dispense. In this model, these policy makers use the organization’s culture to perpetuate the mission, objectives and goals on how employees are to approach their work or duties, in the course of helping the organization attain its goals. In this regard, virtues that are to help further positive and stronger organizational culture are to be emphasized, with these virtues being trust, integrity, professional behavior, diligence, leadership and flexibility. It is imperative that the healthcare organization in this instance seek, determine and use the most appropriate way of inculcating these virtues upon the staff. On the part of the executive managers and leaders, there will be a need to weave these very virtues into the healthcare organization’s culture, so as to ensure that employees comprehend and adhere to ethical organizational or business principles (Weber, 2001). The task above can be achieved by employing different approaches. The company can for instance use organizational manuals and informal meetings to teach employees on organizational culture. The merit that consistently characterizes the use of intra-organizational manuals and meetings is the opportunity they give the management to explain the significance of ethical business behavior and to evaluate the gains that have been realized from the steps made. In lin e with this proposal is the need to open up workshops and training programs which will go a long way in helping the personnel understand the essence of business ethics. It is only through this understanding that the personnel can grasp the entire picture on the importance of incorporating organizational ethics into decision-making and work performance. Likewise, it is only when the personnel understand the import of business ethics that the restructuring of organizational can run smoothly, from an intrapersonal volition and without the risk of sabotage. The Anticipated Impact of Putting Company or Organizational Culture into Place to Be In a Healthcare Organization It is a fact that the proposed business ethics model is likely to bring with it, positive values in the organization. One of the most anticipated changes that the organizational/company ethics model will bring about is the shifting of the hospital or the healthcare organization’s from focusing on quantity and mere profit making, to being driven by the dictates of, and cause for patient-based care. This is because, globally, healthcare organizations place patient-satisfaction and the accordance of quality, ethical and patient-friendly care as the center-most point of concern and efforts. Organizational/ company ethics model comes in handy in ensuring that this remains a reality, given that organizational ethics demand the fusing of organizatio

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Answer the question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 29

Answer the question - Essay Example Academic achievement, also referred to as the academic performance is the outcome of education as far as results is concerned. It is the extent to which a teacher, student or institution has achieved their educational goals. It is determined through examinations. On the other hand, educational attainment is a term commonly used by statisticians to define the highest degree or level of education an individual has completed or attained. Social stratification is the way the society categorizes of people into socioeconomic classes, based upon their income and occupation, social status and wealth, and derived social and political power. As such, stratification is the social position of persons in relative with a social category or group. On the other hand, patterns of inequality are the socially defined characteristics of persons that add up to social status and, therefore, inequality or equality within a society. The occupational structure of a society is the combination of various types of occupations found there. Additionally, it also defines the distribution of persons among those occupations. As such, it gives some logic of which kinds of occupation dominate the society. Occupational structure is sociologically significant due to its effects on social class and social

Friday, November 15, 2019

Concept and theories in political economy

Concept and theories in political economy 1.0 Introduction One of the main outcomes of neo-liberalism in IPE (International political Economy) in economic reforms is Privatisation. To develop my argument, I will look at the arguments of neo-liberalism in favour of privatisation and trans-nationalisation of capital through globalisation. The idea of globalisation has grown to be one of the generally effective in socio economic development as well as raises the global cross boarder in term of social, economic and cultural. ‘To day the terms ‘World economy, ‘world market and ‘globalisation are commonplace, appearing in the sound bites of politicians (Dunn: 188). The debate of the above three vectors relate with economic competition and privatisation try to increase world interdependent and become desirable and inevitable process. Afterwards globalisation is rising attractive a controversial subject whether it can really be important in socio economic development and improve human welfare. A number of scholars in this part come across not so convincingly to provide or even concur that relation between globalisation and privatisation in terms of free competition and free trade (worldwide capital mobility) lead to economic effectiveness, welfare and democracy. To my understanding, globalisation is an important but not adequate circumstance to hasten socio economic. 1.1 PURPOSE. The foundation of this essay is to essentially examine how aspects of globalisation with privatisation and trans-nationalisation of capital are either important desirable in socio economic improvement. The essay will begin by introducing the concepts of globalisation and will explain Neoliberals perspective on globalisation and its effects on socio economic using different readings, lectures, Journals and my individual observation concerning to the issue. The primary part of this essay will demonstrate the neoliberal arguments in favour of privatisation and trans-nationalisation of capital and its contribution of economic o the process of accelerated economic growth and poverty reduction. Secondly, it will examine some view and criticism and or challenges associated from other perspectives for concerning arguments. Finally, I will draw a conclusion based on review findings. 1.2 CONCEPTS. The idea of globalisation is global change relate with connections of social, cultural, economic and political between actors across the globe. (Robinson: 1999). According to Todaro, globalisation is increasing integrations of national economies into expanding international markets. The above information explains that the process of globalisation try to make a global single set. Indeed Gill accepts that ‘globalisation is part of broad process of restructuring of state and civil society and political economy culture. He emphasizes that ‘It is ideology largely consistent with the world view and political priorities of large- scale internationally mobile forms of capital. Mobility of resources is very crucial in development, investment and services for increasing internationally interconnection and commonly world economy. The OECD1 handbook on Economic Globalisation Indicators explained that the term ‘globalisation has been widely used to describe the increasing intern ationalisation of financial market and of markets for goods and services. In this regards the integrations of capital labour and financial services is very important for economic inter-reliance. The Concept of neo-liberalism is a set of economic policies that have become widespread during the last two decade. Martinez 1996. Indeed (Cerny, 2008), explained that, during 1980s ‘neo-liberalism was related with International Relation while 1990s focus on economic and liberalisation in International Political Economy. Thorsen agrees that ‘is used to describe a range of policies and an economic philosophy that stress international free trade, economic liberalism or capitalism and the promotion of such through deregulation privatisation and liberalisation of nation economies. He highlights that, ‘the term neo liberalism also used to imply that is a new form of economic liberalism more commonly known as ‘capitalism but on global scale. In this logic the neoliberals relate with open of trans-nationalisation of capital and liberation of enterprises and state linking the appearance of market civilisation. Mean while, (Gill1995) agrees that ‘neoliberal macroeconomic policies, aligned to the ideology of the competition state, hence the competition through the privatisation is more essential and enhance global interconnection on socio economic growth. According to sheikh (2004) neoliberals dominants modern globalisation. Its practices are justified by asset of theoretical claim rooted in standard economic theory. Market is represented as optimal and self regulating social structure. It is claimed that if market must be allowed to function with out restraint. Therefore, neoliberals believe that the role of government is to provide public service and markets will adjustment naturally. Neo-liberalism perspective with globalisation reflects on international competitiveness, the policy might engage in recreation of a role in improving international economy. Hirst (2009) at el accepts that, ‘to neo-liberalism international competitiveness as the characteristic modality of international economic governance. It involves political compromise including diplomatic bargaining between countries to establish compromises on trade policy as exemplified by the GATT mechanism. A long with this for neo-liberalism emphasis on the political bargaining is very significant the exercise of international market entrance. 2. Privatisation and Trans-nationalisation of Capital. Before the description and explanation of the neo-liberalism arguments in favour of privatisation. I will describe in short the meaning of privatisation In generally. According to Todaro 2009 ‘the privatisation of state owned enterprises in the production and financial sectors, hinges on orthodox hypothesis that private ownership brings greater efficiency and more rapid growth In addition he emphasise that ‘privatisation improves efficiency, increase outputs and lower costs to reduce public internal and external debt, and promotes individuals initiatives while rewarding entrepreneurship. In this regards states by implementing this policy leads to improve growth and increase in the rational choice for consumer and socio economic level. Martinez (1996) agrees that ‘privatisation sell state-owned enterprises, goods and services to private investors. This includes banks, key industries, railroads, toll highways, electricity, schools, hospitals and even fresh water. Although usually done in the name of greater efficiency, which is often needed, privatization has mainly had the effect of concentrating wealth even more in a few hands and making the public pay even more for its needs. In general privatisation is very crucial on world economy yet it is increasingly becoming a debated issue whether it can improve the economy or make it is worse situation especially in developing Countries. Related with trans-nationalisation of capital is a kind of recent capitalism connected with hegemonic tool for analysis of transitional economy. Capital transnationalisation can be transferred through different type in terms of and goods and service capital, financial capital, and productive capital. Bina (1991) agrees that there are three ways of trans-nationalisation in world economy (i) ‘Concentration and centralisation of capital both in manufacturing (industrial capital) and financial capital. (ii) The formation of finance capital and further development of credits system for expanded reproduction and the consequent internationalisation of all circuits of capital and globalisation and production through the medium of transnational cooperation (TNCs). However economic labour movement and financial flow become considerable society in the age of globalisation. Labour is directly related to the reason of advanced capitalism. This requires an inspection of requirements of the p olitical economy of today trans-nationalisation. Cerny 2008 argue that ‘for neo-liberalism contemporary politics entails both a process of choosing between version of neo-liberalism, and the attempt to innovate creativity within the new neoliberal playing field including open trade capital flows embedded financial orthodoxy, the regulatory state, privatisation and hybrid forms of governance are the bottom line of neo-liberalism. In theory, it offers prediction of amendment of political institutions increase of economic globalisation. The argument of neo-liberalism paradigm base on free market and privatisation has encouraging effects in social impartiality. Moreover they believe in freedom of movement for capital commodities, it advocates the opportunity of economies and competition in the world market in situation of complete freedom. Hirst agrees that ‘economic performance measures through ‘competitiveness. Idea of competitiveness relate with comparative advantages that is different countries lead each country will capable to acquire other product at al lower resources cost less hours. Moreover, Makwana (2006) agrees that neoliberals claims that privatized services are more capable than those run by state. They consider that market competition and collaborate effectiveness can drive prices drive prices down for consumers. Furthermore, the eventual goal of neoliberal economic globalisation to eliminate of all barriers to trade and the privatisation of all accessible resources and service. In addition, Cerny 2008. state that, ‘neo-liberalism focus on relatively dogmatic, enforced laissez-faire doctrine, it involves first of all an acceptance that we live in multilevel, more open and market like globalisation world in which informal and negotiated policy process prevails for neoliberals open market and globalisation is very significant for ‘neoliberal market civilisation (Gill 1995) which is linking social well being on broad around the world economy system. Another explanation from (Cerny: 2008) reiterates that, neoliberals public policies, whether at national, regional or international level do not merely constrains but also bring opportunities. In theory, through Structural Adjustment policies allows poor to possess and be accountable for recovering their lives changes themselves relatively than the system. As I mentioned earlier that, transformation of capital may occur in term of manufacturing and financial aspects there is empirical evidence that some of countries benefited with privatisation policy. (Calva: 2003) accepts that, ‘in Costa Rica four company privatise and reported that increasing 9 percentages of GDP in 1998.this means that shares of GDP reduce deficit in GDP. Another evidence which (Calva 2003) provided that increase of production in industrial sector, he highlighted that ‘Russian and Mexico is among of countries achieved in by privatisation. The above example provided, demonstrate for neoliberals ideology of privatisation had positive aspects in economic sector. Different with neoliberals perspectives, realist theories highlighted that competitiveness and privatisation is not a solution for social well being on broad around the world. Bayliss (2005) agreed that, ‘in developing countries, privatisation, in common with the wider neo-liberal policy agenda, has failed to meet expectations. Privatisation efforts have been undermined by various factors, including weak political commitment, poor investor supply response and institutional challenges. He emphasis that ‘since the late 1990s, the language of privatisation has softened (as, for example, ‘private sector participation has replaced ‘privatisation). In additional to that, realism scholars argues that globalisation has not succeeded to promote market economy in world market. It gears an inequality of market between North and South. Stiglitz agrees there is ‘disproportionate share of benefits, at the expense of the developing worlds. Therefore a consequence of this situation consequence was some poorest countries in the world turn into worse off. Private investment sector is useful in socio economic especially for countries that lacks of capital, including piece of equipments and expertise. Stiglitz (2006:) accepts that, for privatisation policy of world economy to ‘meet the demand for their skill labour increase, and wages of unskilled labour become higher he emphasized that ‘if labour moves from a country where productivity and wages are low to one where they are high, the increase in out put can be enormous and worlds economy grows. The Marxist perspectives, argues that privatisation is related with capital accumulation. Dunn 2006 agrees that ‘private capitalist accumulate capital by making investment decisions within logic of profit maximization. He emphasizes that privatisation in capitalist counties dont directly interfere in investments decisions or in the market, but rather provide legitimation and order, using its power primary to guarantee external defense and internal peace consistence with the institutions of private property, therefore they emphasizes that globalisation serves an interest maximisation of profit inter of capital trans-nationalisation and intercontinental trade other than ideology. For Marxist discipline, globalisation relates with expansion of capital accumulation and should be profitable the working class Hossein (2005) agrees that ‘for many Marxist in recent decades, capitalism is key its nature a globally expanding system geared to accumulation on a world scale. To some extent Marxist believe that ideology of competition between capitalist countries facilitate currently instability for the world capitalist economy. 3.0: Critics of Globalisation, Privatisation and trans-nationalisation. This paper has assessed the privatisation and trans-nationalisation idea of neoliberals facilitate socio economic world. Policy of privatisation to large extent the development helps to increase job creation, trade competition and rational choice for consumer. Yet it features some challenges. As I illustrated in the beginning, trans-nationalisation of capital is kind of hegemonic capitalist system, this is more appropriate part of global political economy in capitalist production and finance. This reflects the rising domination of transnational cooperation (TNC) of having hegemonic actors (North part) in world economy. Roboson 2004 agrees that, there is ‘evidence that a transnational class is gaining hegemony over local- and national-based capitalists including the spread of TNCs, increase in foreign direct investment (FDI), cross border mergers and acquisitions, transnational interlocked directorships, and strategic alliances. This situation changes stability of classes forces that has completed likely that attack on unions. For neoliberals structural Adjustments policies is appropriate and its implementation but in reality the application of Shock therapy implementation of SAP in Africa and other areas resulted in increase in economic shock and other abjection results Protozos 2004 agreed that ‘over 15 years of IMF / World Bank management of Tanzania‘s economy saw its per capital GDP drop from $ 309 to $ 210 and rate of abject poverty jumped to 51 percent of the population. Moreover the Implementation of SAP are forced as condition for loans, hence the repayments of loans affects budget of the developing countries. In addition Protozons argue that ‘SAP structural Adjustment Programme are imposed renegotiating debts, and on condition that the receipts country accepts privatisation, capital market liberalisation, market based pricing and reduction in subsidies for public services such as water, food and utilities. This has therefore resulted was disintegration of their economies and hence catastrophic for developing countries. Competiveness of trade is myth to increase sustainable of true competitiveness. Unfortunately, this major reason that leads to divergences and differences between North and South. Hirst 2009 agrees that, ‘the emerging market economies might threaten the competitive position of the traditional developed countries of the North, which in countries is threatened by cheap goods and labour, the growth of South cheap goods and labour which one of aspects hinder trade competition. Indeed Curtis 2005 argues that ‘in Pakistan increasing foreign competition in fisheries a sector is edging 300,000 local fisher folk out of market. This evaluate that private company distorted local market since local companies does not compete due to different obstacles. Private investment sector was usual to consequence in job formation. In reality restructuring has been accompanied with retrenchments. Stiglitz (2006) accepts that, privatisation policy failed to meet commitments to world economy to ‘many development countries around the world when they liberalized so fast that the private sector did not have time to respond and create new jobs, or when interest rates were so high that the private sector could not affords to make the investments necessary to create new jobs. There fore unemployment rate increases in economic system. 4. Conclusion. In conclusion this paper argues on that globalisation and privatisation and trans-nationalisation in world economy. To a great degree, privatisation helps to facilitate and improves in different sectors management job opportunities socio and economic development growth in North side rather then South side. Above of the mentioned challenges / critics and other factors may cause that implementation of globalisation and tarns-nationalisation and privatisation be uneven. Moreover, the concept of globalisation exhibits affirmative forms of thought, including economic effectiveness, wellbeing and democracy. For neo-liberalism ideology of privatisation is away cut off hegemonic power between North and South which exist, yet the process seem failed to meet its commitments. Furthermore, the elementary strategy of neoliberal is focusing on rising freedom both political and economic aspects. The practice and performance of neoliberal ideology has been reliable every where in the world. Privatisation in developing countries is universal with the wide neoliberals strategy programme has failed to meet expectation. (Curtis 2005) accepts that, ‘In South Africa, water privatisation has meant that half of million people were cut off non payment of their water bills during of their water bills during a three month period in 2001 out break of cholera has been also been reported as families resort to drawing water pollution rivers. In this regards, the policy move emerged in response to apparent failures in the public sector particular in Sub Sahara Africa. Finally, I have drawn the conclusion, why neoliberal thought of globalisation through free trade policy not working? And what can be done in order to make globalisation run for more people. In my view damaged by different factors, together with weak political obligation, underprivileged investor supply response and institutional challenges. However there is tendency of TNCs exercise several strategies to reduce their declared income in developing country including transfer pricing and be liable to move most of declared profits elsewhere of the host country. On top on that, developing countries should provide sufficient data for foreign investors; hence it helps more promoted achievement. In developing countries, privatisation can place substantial demands on an already stretched and destabilized public sector, both in terms of functioning and rule of the privatised enterprises. Therefore manufacturing sector productivity is smaller and low-income economies due, in part, to an amalgamation of hi-tech dependence What do poor countries require to perform to reap the utmost benefit from globalisation? For my view that, developed countries should to reduce boundaries against import of African products. Public Sectors including provision of water, education and health might be clearly excluded from privatisation. Poor countries have to have right of entry to substantial special action to look after their frail economies from foreign competition. Developed countries should implements the Article 66 of TRIPS2 agreement, which requires developed countries to make available incentives encouraging transfer of technology. In addition to that, industrial countries should implement well article 22, 23, and 24 Howard 2009 agrees that, article 22,23,24 allow government to protect good name of product from certain regions in their countries, this helps developing countries to have a property of use of trade mark and geographical protection for produce a specific commodities. Last but not least a major aspect for implementation of privatisation is political stability. Ajay 2001 argue that, Good governance and accountability and trustworthy and independency of national institutions is very crucial condition for growth. To summarise, state should play its role well, where market failure and international developments agencies try to equalized and avoided to implements globalisation and other policies by dominants of unilaterally or us hegemony. 5. References. Ajay S Ibi 2001. What African needs to do to be benefit from Globalisation? Bayliss Kate 2005 Privatisation Theory and Practice: A Critical Analysis of Policy Evolution in the Development Context. Bina Cyrus and Yaghmaian Behazad 1991 Post war Global Accumulation and trans-nationalisation of capital. Curtis mark 2005 The WTO and developing countries right to protect Dunn Chase Christopher (1999), Globalisation: World- Systems Perspectives. Garcia Arnoldo and Elisabeth Martinez 1996 http://www.corp watch.org/article.php?id=376. Gill Stephen Millennium Journal of International Studies http://mil.segepub.com Hirst Paul and Thompson Grahame and Simon Bromly 2009 Globalisation in equation. 3rdedition. OECD hand book on Economic Globalisation Indicators (2005) http://unjobs.org/tags/neoliberalism. Makwana Rajesh 2006. Share the world resources sustainable economics to end global poverty. http://www.stwr.org/globalisation/neoliberalism and economic globalisation.html. Nicholas Howard 2009 ‘lecture Notes 1the international trading system December 2009(The Hague ISS.) OECD hand book on Economic Globalisation Indicators (2005) Philip G Cerny The journal of international Trade and Diplomacy spring 2008. Embedding Neolibalism: The evolution of Hegemonic Paradigm. Robison Fiona (1999), Globalizing Care, ethics, feminist theory, and International Relation. Todaro. P Michael and Smith Stephen C (2009.) Economic Development 10th Edition Vander Myrian Stichele, Kim Bizzarri lonard Plank. 2006 Cooperate power over EU Trade Policy. Good for business bas for the world Prontzos, Peter G 2004 Collateral Damage. Human Cost of Structural Violence, in Jones (Ed) Genocide, War Crimes and the West: History and Complicity, London-New York: Zed Books, pp 315-324 Robison William Baltimore 2004 a theory of global capitalism Production, class state in transnational world OECD: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and development. Trips: Trade intellectual property rights

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Pearl Harbor :: American History World War 2 WWII

Hawaii's Pearl Harbor is one of the most well known military installations in the world. On December 7, 1941 Japanese fighter planes attacked the United States Naval base Pearl Harbor killing more than 2300 Americans. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto had conceived the surprise attack. Commander Mitsuo Fuchida led the striking force of 353 Japanese aircraft. There had been no formal declaration of war. There were approximately 100 ships of the United States navy present that morning, and it was known as Battleship Row. Battleship Row consisted of battleships, destroyers, cruisers, and other various support ships. During the attack more than 50 percent of the United States pacific fleet was out to sea including carriers. Nearby Hickman Field also fell victim of the surprise attack by the Japanese. 18 Army air corps including bombers, and fighters and attack bombers were destroyed or damaged on the ground during the attack. A few United States fighters struggled into the air against the invaders and gave a good account of themselves. Ground fire and United States pilots from various military installations on the inland of Oahu shot down a total of 29 Japanese fighters. The road to war between Japan and the United States began in the 1930's when differences over China drove the two nations apart. In 1931 Japan conquered Indonesia, which until then had been part of China. In 1937 Japan began a long and ultimately unsuccessful campaign to conquer the rest of China. In 1940 the Japanese government allied their country with Nazi Germany in the Axis Alliance, and, in the following year occupied all of Indonesia. The United States, which had important political and economic interests in East Asia, was alarmed by these Japanese moves. The United States increased military and financial aid to China, created a program of strengthening its military power in the Pacific and cut off the shipment of oil and other raw materials to Japan. Because Japan was poor in natural resources its government viewed these steps, especially the embargo on oil, as a threat to the nations survival. Japans' leaders responded by resolving to seize the resources and territories of Southeast Asia, even though that move would certainly result in war with the United States. The problem with the plan was the danger posed by the United States Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto commander of the Japanese fleet devised a plan to immobilize the United States fleet at the out set of the war with a surprise attack.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Emancipation of slavery Essay

The writer reflects the emancipation of slavery and how it influenced the American women. For many Americans (the slave owners), it was not possible to think that what will happen if they no longer owe slaves. It was natural for people who were used to the cheap and easy labour found themselves in the middle of nowhere. The demise of slavery gave rise to a new kind of slavery where woman could sell their body. For writer this idea of selling women seems new, but in many tribal societies around the world, women are still sold and bought. The idea of selling body was loathsome in society that was still Victorian in thinking. The moralist advocated ban on streetwalkers and prostitution; while state sought to legalize the body trade, it was this tussle that continued for decades. For many the idea of selling body was a reminiscent of slavery; but even the law itself was dubious about the prostitution. According to the idealist the prostitution stood as a† social system in which all was for sale†. It was this thinking that made prostitution or women at the edge a social issue. For Southerners slavery and marriage was one and the same thing; while for Northerner slavery and prostitution were one and the same thing. The Southerners were used to slavery and bondage, prostitution for them seemed a kind of outlet where they could vent out their frustration along with economic benefits. For Northerners marriage was a sacred idea hijacked by streetwalkers to lure loyal husbands and sons. The Southerners argued that by recruiting black women as slave prostitutes they are limiting the white prostitution again shows double standard. The Northerners argued that prostitution continued because the lusty men of South wanted it. For abolitionists it was unthinkable to mix market economy and family values together in one place. Ironically both of them used prostitution as deformation, but the reality was far different. The author failed to address the core issue of the North and South. The basic reason of differences between the North and South has been economics. In broader sense the North was rapidly modernizing and South felt threatened by it. Being more viable economically means more powerful, the South was still stuck up to agrarian economy. It was under these circumstances in the South slaves were more important compared to North. Being less modern and less developed the slave prostitutes were a source of income for Jones in the South and they could not give it away easily. For North it became ideological because they were already reaping the benefits of industrlized economy. Even in the modern world, prostitution is done by the poorest of the poor in the society. In present day American society, despite all freedom no one considers prostitution a respectable and honourable way of life. In simple words, the women who practice this profession are doing it out of economic necessity. In modern day America, government is willing to accept the porn industry legally regardless of how women are exploited for sake of huge tax that reaches US$50 billion per year. Thus we can say it’s the market economics that is still ruling American society. Reference Stanely, Amy Dru. â€Å"From Bondage to Contract. â€Å"

Friday, November 8, 2019

How Sociologists Define Human Agency

How Sociologists Define Human Agency Agency refers to the thoughts  and actions taken by people that express their individual power. The core challenge at the center of the field of sociology is understanding the relationship  between structure and agency. Structure refers to the complex and interconnected set of social forces, relationships, institutions, and elements of social structure that work together to shape the thought, behavior, experiences, choices, and overall life  courses of people. In contrast, agency is the power people have to think for themselves and act in ways that  shape their experiences and life trajectories. Agency can take individual and collective forms. Relationship Between Social Structure and Agency Sociologists understand the relationship between social structure and agency to be an ever-evolving dialectic. In the simplest sense, a dialectic refers to a relationship between two things, each of which has the ability to influence the other, such that a change in one requires a change in the other. To consider the relationship between structure and agency a dialectical one is to assert that while social structure shapes individuals, individuals (and groups) also shape social structure. After all, society is a social creation the creation and maintenance of social order require the cooperation of individuals connected through social relationships. So, while the lives of individuals are shaped by the existing social structure, they none the less have the ability   the  agency   to make decisions and express them in behavior. Reaffirm Social Order or Remake It Individual and collective agency may serve to reaffirm social order by reproducing norms and existing social relationships, or it may serve to challenge and remake social order by going against the status quo to create new norms and relationships. Individually, this might look like rejecting the gendered norms of dress. Collectively, the ongoing civil rights battle to expand the definition of marriage to same-sex couples shows agency expressed through political and legal channels. The Link to Disenfranchised Populations The debate about the relationship between structure and agency often comes up when sociologists study the lives of disenfranchised and oppressed populations. Many people, social scientists included, often slip into the trap of describing such populations as if they have no agency. Because we recognize the power of  social structural elements  like economic class stratification, systemic racism, and patriarchy, to determine life chances and outcomes, we might think that the poor, people of color, and women and girls are universally oppressed by social structure, and thus, have no agency.  When we look at macro trends and longitudinal data, the big picture is read by many as suggesting as much. Agency Is Alive and Well However, when we look sociologically at the everyday lives of people among disenfranchised and oppressed populations, we see that agency is alive and well, and that it takes  many forms. For example, many perceive the life  course of black and Latino boys, especially those who are born into lower socioeconomic classes, as largely predetermined by a raced and classed social structure that corrals poor folks into neighborhoods devoid of employment and resources, pours them into underfunded and understaffed schools, tracks them into remedial classes, and disproportionately polices and punishes them. Yet, despite a social structure that produces such troubling phenomena, sociologists have found that black and Latino boys,  and other disenfranchised and oppressed groups,  exert agency in this social context in a variety of ways. It Takes Many Forms Agency might take the form of demanding respect from teachers and administrators, doing well in school, or even disrespecting teachers, cutting classes, and dropping out. While the latter instances might seem like individual failings, in the context of oppressive social environments, resisting and rejecting authority figures that steward oppressive institutions have been documented as an important form of self-preservation, and thus, as agency. Simultaneously, agency in this context may also take the form of staying in school and working to excel, despite the social structural forces that work to impede such success.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Long Island University (LIU) Brooklyn Admissions Info

Long Island University (LIU) Brooklyn Admissions Info Long Island University Brooklyn Admissions Overview: Long Island University (LIU) in Brooklyn is a generally open school; the acceptance rate is around 88%. Students can apply using the schools application, or with the Common Application. Additional required materials include an essay, letters of recommendation, and high school transcripts. SAT and/or ACT scores are not required, but students can submit them if they wish. For complete instructions, prospective students should visit LIU Brooklyns website, or contact the admissions office.   Will You Get In? Calculate Your Chances of Getting In  with this free tool from Cappex Admissions Data (2016): Long Island University Brooklyn Acceptance Rate: 88%GPA, SAT and ACT Graph for LIU Brooklyn AdmissionsWhat SAT numbers meanNortheast Conference SAT score comparisonWhat ACT numbers meanNortheast Conference ACT score comparison Long Island University Description Founded in 1926, Long Island Universitys Brooklyn campus is located in the heart of Brooklyn, a block from Fort Greene Park. The school is one of the most diverse in the country, and it takes pride in serving many first-generation college students from around the globe. The university has strong programs in the health sciences and has affiliations with some of the worlds top hospitals and pharmaceutical companies. The campus sits adjacent to the Brooklyn Hospital Center. The university has a 15 to 1  student/faculty ratio. Nursing is the most popular bachelors degree program. In athletics, the LIU Blackbirds compete in the NCAA Division I  Northeast Conference. The school fields 14 Division I sports. Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 7,609  (4,275 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 31% Male / 69% Female88% Full-time Costs (2016 - 17) Tuition and Fees: $36,256Books: $2,000 (why so much?)Room and Board: $13,426Other Expenses: $2,500Total Cost: $54,182 LIU Brooklyn Financial Aid (2015  - 16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 96%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 94%Loans: 61%Average Amount of AidGrants: $19,592Loans: $6,683 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors:  Biology, Business Administration, Marketing, Nursing, PsychologyWhat major is right for you?  Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Transfer, Graduation and Retention Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 61%Transfer Out Rate: 40%4-Year Graduation Rate: 8%6-Year Graduation Rate: 28% Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports:  Basketball, Track and Field, Soccer, Golf, Soccer, Cross CountryWomens Sports:  Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer, Track and Field, Bowling, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer Data Source National Center for Educational Statistics If You Like LIU Brooklyn, You May Also Like These Schools CCNY, City College of New York (CUNY):  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphHunter College (CUNY):  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphYork College (CUNY):  ProfilePace University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphSt. Johns University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphNew York University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphLIU Post Campus:  ProfileFordham University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences:  ProfileAlbany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences:  Profile

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Business Ethics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Business Ethics - Case Study Example ased on the argument that Snowden had not followed the right mechanisms for whistle-blowing and that he was working with foreign states which makes his action treasonous. In countering the view that Snowden did not follow the right channel in his complaints, the example of Drake who tried to complain through these channels but failed is given to indicate that taking that route would have ended the same way as it did for other whistle-blowers. The justification of Snowden’s actions should commence with an understanding of what whistle-blowing means. According to Alavudeen, Rahman, and Jayakumaran the act of whistle-blowing aims to expose â€Å"negligence, abuses, or dangers† (220) within an organization especially when these actions pose a threat to public interest. A key characteristic of a whistle-blower is the possession of expertise or inside knowledge from within the organization. Some authors have identified a whistle-blower as an employee who feels the activities performed by their employer can potentially harm a third party, violate human rights or is against the law which established such institutions and who therefore proceeds to inform the public of this fact (Duska 147). What arises from the above characteristics and motivations behind whistle-blowing is that the actions are deliberate, done by insiders with knowledge and expertise to assess the information, the information concerns actions that threatens citizens’ rights. The information is such that the public wants to know and that such information is given out as petition to for the wrongs to be corrected through public pressure. Based on the definition, Snowden fits the characteristics of a whistle blower given that he had gained insider knowledge about US and European telephone data and Internet surveillance programs by the National Security Agency (NSA) while working as a contractor. Further, the information provided concerned the privacy of the people, which means they would want to know

Friday, November 1, 2019

Testiong prior to marriage Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Testiong prior to marriage - Personal Statement Example By conducting the test, it allows the person to control and treat the disease medically before it infects the other person (Shmerling, 2012). Different states in America have their law and requirements that are mandatory for a couple to fulfill before marriage. Blood testing is considered essential in some states such as New York, Mississippi, Montana and District of Columbia. However, in Illinois, it is not mandatory to conduct medical testing prior to marriage. This law has not been effective in this state; although it has remained debatable that whether a couple should conduct a medical test prior to their marriage or not? The issue of medical tests prior to marriage has been solved in the light of Islamic fiqh. Different Islamic scholars have permitted the tests in the light and judgment of fiqh of Muwazannat after estimating the pros and cons of the tests (Al-Bar, 1991). However, it should be made mandatory by the law and the society to conduct the

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human Rights - Essay Example Considering the natural rights, in particular, are rights of a person, and thought to be beyond the authority of a governing body or international organization. This theory was developed by the famous philosopher John Locke (Wikipedia n.pag). Human rights, democratic system and the statute of law are center ethics of the European Union and entrenched in its beginning pact. They have been toughened by the adoption of a Charter of Fundamental Rights. Value for human rights is a precondition for countries looking to join the Union and a requirement for countries that have business pact and other agreements with it. The European Union considers human rights as universal and inseparable. Hence they promote it aggressively and protecting them within its boundaries and in its relationships with outside nations. The European Union’s human rights policy is made applicable to civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. It also looks ahead to encourage the rights of women and children in addition to minorities and displaced persons. The terrorist activity is one of a main concern and the fight against it is given most priority. Even though European Union has superior human rights evidence, yet it is not satisfied. It is mainly anxious about human rights in the area of refuge and migration and it is against racial discrimination, and other types of unfairness to minorities. The European Union has a long practice of welcoming people from other countries. The European Union has already given the rights of the five million non-EU refugee personnel lawfully recognized in the European Union, even with the right of family members to join them. Several steps have been taken up for setting up a Common European Asylum System with approved measures for granting and withdrawing refugee status and setting reception environment for asylum seekers. Further, a European Refugee Fund has been built up

Monday, October 28, 2019

The Passage of High School Life Essay Example for Free

The Passage of High School Life Essay Ron Suskind’s A Hope in the Unseen is a moving novel that illustrates the passage of a young man high school through his first year as a freshman at Brown University. What makes the storyline most interesting is that the protagonist, Cedric Lavar Jennings, hails from a particularly unique background. His father is a drug addict who spends half his time in prison and the other half of his time on parole working any job he can find. As a result, Gilliam plays little to no role as a parental figure save the few times Cedric interacts with him in prison. Cedric’s mother Barbra, on the contrary, is an incredible human being. Words fail to express exactly how much Barbra has sacrificed for her son Cedric. â€Å"She’s been killing herself, her lifeblood channeled thorough scriptural pieties and long-shot hopes for Cedric’s future, leaving new own urges untended and volatile† (42). In this sense, Cedric is virtually brought up entirely by his mother and her values quickly ingrain themselves in Cedric. The first part of the novel chronicles Cedric’s final years at Frank W. Ballou Senior High; a high school in southeast Washington DC frequented by inner-city children whose last concern is academics. The portrait given of the school is pretty bleak, with multiple daily reports of violence. Crab/bucket syndrome: â€Å"when one crab tries to climb from the bucket, the others pull it down† (17). Amidst this background at Ballou, Cedric not only manages to maintain his high academic standards but also succeeds in passing under the radar of violence. Cedric holds true to his ambitions of attending an Ivy-League university and is rewarded for his hard work the summer of his junior year by virtue of a letter of acceptance to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s MITES program. MITES is a program established for minority students who display significant promise. Successful completion of such a program is paramount for Cedric because a healthy percentage of students who participate in the MITES program and who demonstrate potential are subsequently asked back to MIT for four full years of college. The MIT program proves to be quite the experience for Cedric, who quickly finds himself far behind other minority students for the first time in his life. He is suddenly immersed in a world of competitive minorities, a world he has never seen before, and the entire process is rather overwhelming culture shock. â€Å"up in Cambridge, meeting black kids who were so much different than him left him confused about what being black means† (100) ANOMIE. Needless to say, in his meeting with Professor Leon Trilling at the end of the program, Cedric is told that his performance during the summer does not qualify him for a spot into the fall class at MIT. Although difficult for Cedric to stomach, the news is nothing unexpected. Cedric spend the entire summer in a constant struggle to compete with others in the program. Undaunted, Cedric continues his crusade at Ballou, keeping his head down and focused at the finish line for his senior year. Cedric, now past the prospect of enrollment in MIT, decides to apply to Brown University as a last resort. Cedric, unable to cope with the idea of going to a mediocre college after his years of sacrifice and hard work, feels that Brown is his final out. Cedric’s prayers are answered and he receives a letter of acceptance to Brown University. The remainder of the novel describes Cedric’s experience at Brown, which in many ways parallels what he had at MIT. Cedric once again finds it difficult to compete in any class besides Calculus and realizes that most of his peers can even afford to party on the weekends and sustain their superior academic performance. Even the African American students at Brown seem much more intelligent than he is, with almost everyone hailing from a fully-functional family with money. The storyline Suskind paints of Brown is vivid in its depiction of freshman year interactions (all awkwardness included). Amidst the backdrop of freshman year, Cedric finds it difficult to partake in the festivities of normal college freshman (drinking) and as a result keeps mostly to himself. Cedric opts to take each of his first semester classes as pass/fail to hedge against his uncertainty of academic performance. Pass/Fail â€Å"to encourage students to take intellectual risks, to try some classes in unfamiliar disciplines they might otherwise avoid for fear of a bad grade† (173). Cedric walks away from his fall semester passing all of his classes and even whishing he had taken some for a letter grade. In a valiant effort, Cedric decides to take five spring classes, one more than the recommended four, each for a letter grade. Although Cedric ultimately drops one class and elects to take two of the remaining four as pass/fail, he walks away from the semester with two passes, an A and a B. The general theme seen throughout the novel is upwards social mobility and the sacrifices necessary to achieve such movement. To illustrate, consider how Barbra sacrificed most of her life to perform a very active role in Cedric’s upbringing. In many ways, Cedric’s success is primarily attributed to the efforts undertaken by his mother. In some ways, it appears that the results of upwards social mobility are primarily realized a generation later. This is to say that the fruits of hard work performed by one generation are not fully enjoyed until a second generation afterwards. In many ways, Barbra does not receive much feedback for her toiling until Cedric experiences the set doors that are now open to him after his Brown education. Cedric’s entire journey is in many ways a means towards an end. The end is upwards social mobility. Although the overarching theme is upwards social mobility, there are plenty of additional core themes that are readily apparent. These are deviance, education, and religion. In many ways it can be said that Cedric is a deviant at Ballou. Cedric, with his academic drive, is undoubtedly viewed as an an outcast amidst the backdrop students with little no incentive to study. At Ballou, it is almost as if his peers are expected to walk into a word of drug-dealing and violence. There is simply zero incentive to study. This is unfortunate because there are many students, like Philip Atkins, who possess significant potential yet choose not to stand out like Cedric and to instead conform to the common stereotypes of black males. â€Å"Distinctiveness can be dangerous, so it’s best to develop an aptitude for not being noticed† (2-3). Cedric’s academic standards are different than those of any other black man and only mirrored in isolated instances by a few select girls. Because Cedric stands far from the typical African American stereotype, he has few friends in school. At assemblies held to honor the select few students who got all A’s, the entire student body shuns Cedric for his academic performance and label him, ironically, as an uppity individual who displays similar pride as a Caucasian. (negative sanction/stigma) This is highly degrading and Cedric skips the ceremony altogether, afraid to accept the financial cash award for straight-A’s in front of the rest of the school. It is logical to imply that within the confines of Ballou High, deviance is a dangerous trait to harbor. In some ways, it can even get you killed. Cedric is a deviant from the structures that society almost demands he follow. Even at Brown, where everyone is just as smart as Cedric, if not more so, Cedric is a deviant. In order to keep up with everyone, Cedric cannot afford to waste time going out over the weekends and socializing as normal college students would. Cedric once again finds himself a deviant at an academic institution. Here, where the stereotypes are not hustling and being a thug, a male in Cedric’s position is almost expected to party on the weekends, smoke weed and drink alcohol. These avenues are not at all appealing to Cedric, whose father is in jail because of drug addictions and whose mother is an active member of the church. Cedric successfully steers clear of these temptations and is thus a deviant amidst an entire population of college students indulging themselves. Overall, the theme of deviance in this novel is shown to transfer to the deviant character plenty of wear and tear. This is to say that it takes a lot to be a deviant. Being a deviant entails going against the grain which can be a particularly difficult process to continue living with. The second core theme is education as a primary means to social mobility. In the novel, education is an important precursor to social mobility as it is said to open many doors in the future. The idea of an education is important in that it serves as a distinguishing factor. It stratifies individuals and labels them. Gatekeeping is â€Å"determining which people will enter what occupations is another function of education† (504). â€Å"No one’s going to hire a drug dealer and armed robber who has spend nearly half his life locked up† (56). A conflict theorist would say that education is an institution that is unable to be perfectly fair to all (LATENT FUNCTION). All public schools, like the one Cedric attends in DC, are funded according to their standardized testing scores. Since minorities tend to cluster together in inner cities, most of the students who attend public schools in bad neighborhoods are very poor and not generally driven to succeed. Intern, due to their low drive and academic abilities, these schools are unable to secure proper and necessary federal funding to improve their offerings. The poor schools thus become poorer and more substandard while other schools, mostly those with students who come from more wealthy families, are granted more funding, only further exacerbating the problem. â€Å"Once they arrive, affirmative action kids are generally left so sink or swim academically†¦Not surprisingly, dropout rates among minorities, particularly those of lower income, tend to be higher than the rest† (191). Education is presented as a process throughout the book. It may not be primarily about memorizing calculus theorems, but rather the entire sequence of socialization that college entails that properly constitutes an â€Å"education. † In this sense, an education is more about dealing with problems and setbacks in the most efficient manner. â€Å"Education is a group’s formal system of teaching knowledge, values, and skills† (498). Also use the term hidden curriculum, or â€Å"the attitudes and the unwritten rules of behavior that schools teach in addition to the formal curriculum† (507). Credential societys use things like diplomas as a sort of filter to determine who is eligible for one job and who isn’t. These skills can be applied to life, as Cedric later discovers. Almost everything in education implies overcoming obstacles and the same can be said for social mobility. The ascent up the social ladder is laden with challenges and meeting people who are formidable competitors. Yet the skills a proper education teaches of how to overcome such difficulties are invaluable in the process of social mobility. In some sense, education teaches how to best deal with competition and successful management of competition is a precursor for social mobility. In this manner, the two go hand-in-hand. The third core theme is religion and its functionalist impact on human life. The building blocks of capitalism are not economical but religious: Max Weber and the Protestant Ethic â€Å"financial success was the blessing that indicated that God was on their side† (13). Throughout the novel, the implied connection is that religion creates intense group ties that help individuals wade through the minefield of life PRIMARY GROUP. As part of her upbringing, Barbra introduces Cedric to Scripture Church and Pastor Long at an early age. The church community quickly becomes a major portion of Cedric’s life. From his early years, Cedric makes the church a major part of his life. In some ways, the ritual of going to church and the community present at the church are a strong point upon which Cedric draws the courage to keep going while being such a deviant at Ballou. The church helps Cedric build up his defenses for the weathering process that being a deviant entails. For Cedric, the church community is just what he needs. Religion teaches Cedric the lifelong skill of listening to others and respecting those above him. â€Å"Scripture Cathedral offered Cedric and Barbara neat designations of good and evil and strict rules forbidding even common activities, like watching movies or dressing provocatively† (36). It is important to note that religion is important to lay the foundation upon which most of Cedric’s traits later built upon yet Cedric’s tie to religion slowly changes as he travels through his freshman year at Brown. Here, he is able to incorporate what he learned from Church with daily functioning. Now far from the church, Cedric does not seek another church and distances himself from the word of God. Even so, when he returns to DC, Cedric still attends church but not with the same intensity. About the student body at Brown: â€Å"very few of them arrived by simply putting their trust in God and praying everything would work out. Took a lot more than that† (274). However, even without religion playing such an active role in his life, Cedric still continues on a reputable path towards upwards social mobility. It is interesting that when the circumstances were right, religion was Cedric’s savior yet it appears that once he regained his footing and his confidence, he slowly drifts from religion but does so without hurting his overall goals. Religion, therefore, is functional in establishing a good foundation for future success, yet it appears to be yet another aspect of successful life whose relative importance or emphasis is prone to change over time. The novel demonstrates that an integral component of Cedric’s success were the values he was taught by the church. â€Å"She knows that Bishop’s message is no longer sinking in as deeply as it once did. But it’s already in Cedric – the Holy Spirit, the Word – and it will guide him wherever he goes† (111). In this sense, it can be said that the church was an integral aspect for Cedric’s success and his ultimate social mobility. The church taught Cedric to be humble, decent, and aware of whom he is in relation to others. Many of these values translate to his successful competition with the other Brown undergraduates. â€Å"All he has to do, ultimately, is join this crowd academically† (335). Emile Durkheim and Social Integration: â€Å"the degree to which people are tied to their social group† (12). Achieved status. Overall, I really enjoyed the novel. I felt it was a very thorough and accurate portrayal of Cedric (the real man) and explored his inner thoughts and feelings in a complicated and very moving manner. I felt almost as if the descriptions were those of Cedric alone and not simply the reproduced words of the author. I read the afterword written by the author about his process of writing the novel and of ensuring all the descriptions of Cedric’s feelings were accurate according to Cedric himself. It is therefore no surprise to me that these descriptions seem so authentic. Looking-glass self, as explained by W. E. B. DuBois†¦the black man does not have a true conscience but rather a double-consciousness – â€Å"a sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity† (327). Charles Horton Cooley The Looking Glass Self â€Å"We imagine how we appear to those around us†¦we interpret other’s reactions†¦we develop a self-concept† (68-69). It is difficult to say whether or not I agree or disagree with the author because in very few places are the author’s feelings ever evidenced. The novel is more or less a portrayal of things as Cedric saw them, with no insight into the author’s true point of view. If anything, it can be said that the author holds Cedric in high esteem and values the sacrifices and hard work Cedric put into his academic career. For this much I certainly agree. I feel Cedric’s journey is undoubtedly praiseworthy and certainly one in a million. There are many people who doubt programs like affirmative action even work. â€Å"a program filled with self-assured middle- or upper-middle-class black and Hispanic kids – leaders of tomorrow, all – many of whom are here for little more than resume padding† (91). Here, it is possible to see how affirmative act falls short in its original intentions. However, this novel is a true demonstration that they DO in fact work for some people who make the most out of the unique opportunity it presents them. Sure, these students will face a much more steep learning curve than others will, but I maintain that having to deal with a steep learning curve is much better than not having a learning curve in the first place.