Compare and Contrast Fahrenheit 451 and Uglies - 1111 Words

In the books, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and Uglies by Scott Westerfeld they have many similarities and differences. In Uglies, Tally is anxiously waiting to turn 16 so she can receive the operation to become â€Å"Pretty†, this operation turns you supermodel gorgeous and launches you into a high class paradise where all you have to do is have fun. Shay, Tally’s friend is not sure she wants to become pretty, Shay runs away to a secret town on the outside and Tally has the choice to find Shay and turn her in or never become â€Å"Pretty† at all. On Shay and Tally’s adventure they realize that there may be more to turning â€Å"Pretty† than meets the eye. In Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag is a fireman but nowadays they don’t prevent fires they start them, they burn all books and the houses that hide them because reading is now against the law. One day, Montag meets Clarisse and he discovers that there is more to living than just watching TV, he secretly collects books and reads them but when he is caught, he realizes these books are more than just pieces of paper; they mean something. These two books are both dystopian novels and share many of the same dystopian characteristics. For example, in the books independent thought is restricted, the people are engrossed in technology and the government is totalitarian and very controlling. However, they do the differ, in Uglies, the government is a lot harsher and the government has there entire life planned out for them and in Fahrenheit 451 theShow MoreRelatedIntroduction : How ve He Do That?10829 Words   |  44 Pagesparticular about those with whom we break bread†¦The act of taking food into our bodies is so personal that we really only want to do with people we’re very comfortable with.† (Foster Pg.8) Similarly in the other hand, if the dinner or meal turns out ugly, has a bad outcome, or doesn’t happen at all then that ‘failed’ meal stands as a bad sign. For example, in the film â€Å"Taken† by Pierre Morel, Bryan Mills is a former government operative who’s trying to reconnect with his daughter, Kim after not spendingRead More_x000C_Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis355457 Words   |  1422 Pagesinterpreting results in authentic situations or give students the experience necessary to be able to use statistical methods in real settings. We believe that the exercises and examples are a particular strength of this text, and we invite you to compare the examples and exercises with those in other introductory statistics texts. Many students are skeptical of the relevance and importance of statistics. Contrived problem situations and artiï ¬ cial data often reinforce this skepticism. A strategy that

Essay on Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus - 1914 Words

Oedipus Tyrannus† is â€Å"basically is a story of a man’s discovery through persistent inquiry that he is guilty of unwitting parricide and incest, and his horrified reaction to that discovery. In â€Å"Oedipus the King†, Oedipus king of Thebes unknownly killed his biological father and married his mother. On this Ancient myth, the playwright Sophocles weaves a complex story that can be interpreted on many different levels of intellectual thinking. This play, since the time it was staged has been subjected to countless forms of analysis and interpretations. The most famous one being the Aristole’s interpretation of the play in his book â€Å"Poetics†, on what makes it a perfect tragedy. So, what is â€Å"Oedipus Tyrannus is really about†, that still keeps†¦show more content†¦I think you were the completer of the deed and doer of the deed save in so far as for the actual killing. Had you had eyes. I would have said alonge that you m urdered him† (Sophocles, â€Å"Sophocles 1, Pg-25, line 345). Despite these harsh accusations by Oedipus, Tiresais gives only handful of vague clues and this frustrates Oedipus even further. Then he goes on to accuse Creon, bring charges of conspiracy to overthrow him, â€Å"my friend Creon, friend from first and loyal, thus secretly attacks me, secretly desires me out and secretly suborns this juggling, trick devising quack† (Sophocles, â€Å"Sophocles 1, Pg-27, line 385). At this point the readers get the sense that Oedipus lost the skill as an effective investigator, because he seems to be pointing fingers at any one in a mad dash to save his own guilty soul. But then again, there is excessive amounts of clues given and people questioned. According to the concise dictionary of literary terms, â€Å"a basic rule of a detective story is that clues from which a solution can be drived from must be given to the reader at the same sequence as when the detective receives them. This is exemplified in theShow MoreRelatedSophocles Oedipus Tyrannus : Fate And Free Will1505 Words   |  7 PagesOver the years, most people have wondered what Free will and Fate are all about. Questions like â€Å"can people escape their fate?† will always be around as long as we think of them as important points of our life to take care of. In Oedipus Tyrannus, a play written by Sophocles, the concepts of fate and free will are highly regarded in the play’s theme. Through the play, we are shown how a series of events take a man from living a normal life to the fulfilling of a cruel prediction which started long beforeRead More Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus1369 Words   |  6 PagesSigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus Throughout the years, there have been many interpretations of Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus. However, one of the most interesting interpretations of the play would have to be one that uses the theories of Sigmund Freud to analyze the actions of the characters. The use of various aspects of Freudian theory such as the id, ego, superego, and the Oedipus Complex reveals Oedipus and his behaviors throughout the course of the play. InRead MoreVision and Blindness In Oedipus Tyrannus by Sophocles Essay660 Words   |  3 Pages The play Oedipus Tyrannus, written by Sophocles, is a play filled with symbols and irony involving the aspect of both vision and blindness. This aspect of the novel takes on an important role in the life of Oedipus, the ruler of Thebes. He originally feels as though he knows and sees everything, nevertheless, as the motto of the Oracle at Delphi states, he does not know thyself, as he will find out toward the end of the play. The notion of seeing and blindness becomes an important and ironicRead More The Iron Hand of Dramatic Irony Essay1571 Words   |  7 PagesThe Iron Hand of Dramatic Irony Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus is considered by many scholars to be the most significant masterpiece of Greek drama. Through Oedipus Tyrannus, Sophocles is able to develop and establish dramatic irony, a theatrical device that allows the audience to understand the hidden meanings of the words and actions of the characters, though the characters themselves remain oblivious. Therefore, the behavior of the characters become ironic because they are unable toRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The Most Brilliant And Creative Writers Of His Time858 Words   |  4 PagesSophocles play â€Å"Oedipus Tyrannus† is an enigma. His play includes incest, murder and self-enlightenment all leading into the main theme of fate. Athenians believed that fate is not left up to man, but that is provided solely on the whims of the gods. Because of his dramatic approach to his plays Sophocles was considered one of the most brilliant and creative writers of his time. Sophocles’ play â€Å"Oedipus Tyrannus† is about how Athenians view their gods and their fate. Athenians believed thatRead MoreOedipus Tyrannus, A Tragic Hero. Summary: . Context. Oedipus1391 Words   |  6 PagesOedipus Tyrannus, a Tragic Hero Summary: Context Oedipus Tyrannus is a Greek tragedy that was first performed as a play in 429 BCE. The setting of the play is in Thebes, one of Greece’s city states that is suffering from a tragic plague. King Oedipus’s brother in-law; Creon, reports back from the oracle of Apollo that the plague would only be lifted if the murderer of his predecessor; King Laius, is found and brought to justice. Before the whole city of Thebes, Oedipus vows to apprehend and punishRead More Character Analysis: The Personality of Oedipus Essay1630 Words   |  7 PagesCreon, from the play â€Å"Oedipus the King† by Sophocles is used for both of these reasons. Sophocles wished to show that one cannot escape fate, yet did not want to cloud this issue with a possible coupe against his main character Oedipus. He also showed how, at times one character can act completely irrational, while one remains calm in the face of serious accusations. Creon is the brother of Iocaste, the Queen of Thebes, and was the brother-in-law to both King Laios and King Oedipus. When King LaiosRead MoreOedipus As A Tragic Hero1637 Words   |  7 PagesThe play Oedipus Tyrannus, written by Sophocles, is one of the greatest renowned Greek drama tragedies. Have you ever heard the saying if you do not know your past, then it can come back to haunt you? This theme is played upon heavily though out the story to where it also becomes somewhat about self-discovery along the way. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, based some of his book Poetics on Oedipus. According to Aristotle the definition of a tragic hero is a character that due to the wrongs of theirRead MoreOedipus Tragedy Analysis929 Words   |  4 Pages Poetics and the Perfect Tragedy: An Analysis of Oedipus Tyrannus Aristotle’s Poetics argues that the a successful tragedy is determined by its â€Å"plot, character, diction, reasoning, spectacle and lyric poetry† (50a8). A great tragic work, as described by Aristotle, will be impossible without plot, but characters are merely optional—the most effective tragic device lies in the perceptions and implications a tragedy’s plot yields. Yet, having a protagonist of â€Å"not outstanding moral excellence or justice†Read MoreEssay Oedipus as Scapegoat in Oedipus the King1492 Words   |  6 PagesOedipus as Scapegoat in Oedipus the King        Ã‚  Ã‚   The great psychologist-philosopher Carl Jung was briefly a student of Freud. Because Jung felt that Freuds approach to psychoanalysis was by far too narrow, he broke off from his teachings, and made significant contributions to mythological criticism. Jungs greatest contribution was his theory of archetypes. His proposal of archetypes argues that there is one original pattern or model of all things of the same type. According to Jung, beneath

Career Development Plan free essay sample

Introduction This HR Management assignment is on career development of a particular team in a company. We are considering here the company Kudler Fine Foods, Inc. which provides its clients a range of meat and seafood products. This assignment is a written proposal to be delivered to upper management concerning the restructuring design and implementation. The assignment will be based on the Supply Chain Department which provides the organization with procurement support and handling of supply chain activities. Job Descriptions and Qualifications There are five new positions in the department as a result of the restructuring of the department similar to the international level. The descriptions of the new positions and qualifications for jobs for these positions are as follows:-Crew Leader: Responsible for the daily management of the team members and workers providing consultancy and procurement support. The crew leader will supervise the performance and the work of the workers under him and will be responsible for motivating and interacting with the employees when any issue arises. The qualifications should include at least Masters of Business Administration degree and MIS/IT background will be preferred. The applicant should have a work experience of minimum 4 years in a similar, well reputed organization. -Senior Officer: Responsible for providing consultancy and solutions for the high level issues or problems that are faced by the management and the teams which are not able to solve them. The senior Officer will also be responsible to provide any help or training that the juniors require. Minimum of 12 years of experience in the SCM consultancy industry is required and minimum degree should be MS and PhD will be preferred. Executive Director: Responsible for executing the direct instructions of the director of the department and for planning out the strategic direction set by the director. Currently, other employees execute the orders of the director. Executive director will be the acting director whenever the director is out of town. Masters degree in a relevant field will be preferred and minimum of 2 years of experience of working directly under a director. -SAP SCM Junior Consultant: Responsible for providing consultancy on SAP specific applications to the users of SAP in the organization. Minimum of bachelors level degree in MIS and a certification from SAP for the SCM applications. No prior work experience required. -Networking Personnel: Responsible for the handling of IT related problems and issues at all the SCM department sites. Minimum of bachelors level degree in Computer Science and should be knowledgeable in the subject of networking. No prior work experience required. Training Program After a training program, the employee should be employee development which includes acquisition of new skills and abilities in the area of expertise (Yellin, 1992). The second advantage of training to the employee is the opening of new career opportunities (Yellin, 1992). It is recommended that the training program for the consultants should be outsourced to SkillSoft PLC which is a leading SaaS provider (SkillSoft, 2009) of e-Learning solutions for global enterprises. The company offers a variety of online courses which can be completed by the employees by their convenience. Supply Chain Online, LLC is another company which we need to partner with for online courses of supply chain management training, education and a personalized certificate of completion which is provided to both the individuals and corporations. The course that every consultant needs to do is the Fundamentals of Supply Chain Management, provided that he has not taken the course previously. The main contents of the course are Efficiency and Cost Savings, Responsiveness, Internet Technologies, Performance Measures and Product and Process Design for Supply Chain Management. Methods of Evaluating Employee and Team Performance There are many methods of evaluating the performance of an employee or team and these methods are used for the development of employees and for performance based pays.-Manager’s Evaluation: This is the traditional performance evaluation (Guido, 2004) conducted by the employee’s immediate manager. In this performance appraisal method, the manager rates an employee or team on a variety of attributes. This is the most easy appraisal system as any employee can be rated on the same scale and the same form (Guido, 2004).-360-Degree Feedback: In this system of employee or team evaluation, managers, subordinates and coworkers rate the employee or team on an extensive list of attributes. This is a better method of employee appraisal as the feedback is coming from many sides and not only the manager.-Progressive Discipline Process: The purpose of this system is to help the employees the performance problem or the opportunity of improvement that exists in him. The employee can be evaluated by daily supervision and orientations to see if the employee is improving or not. The employee should be counseled about performance and discover the employee’s understandings.-Team Level Performance Appraisal: This system indicates whether or not the team runs effective meetings, works well as a group and comes to consensus on a judgment (Management, 1998). The cycle time for the group’s work process and the customer’s satisfaction rate associated with the product of the team (Management, 1998) are the measures that are used as the key performance indicators. Challenges of Team Performance Evaluation The 360-degree feedback system is used by 25% to 65% of the organization (William Mercer Survey) and includes subordinates, peers, superiors and the person himself. The manager evaluation is performed only by the manager and is inherently subjective. In the 360-degree method, the information is coming from multiple sources and hence reduces the business in response (Aamodt, 2003) and if the multiple sources have the same coherent information, it means that it is reliable (Aamodt, 2003).The evaluation done solely by the manager has a high probability of business factor involved and is less reliable. Internal group processes can be used   to appraise the team and the performance measure indicates the performance of the whole team and not the individuals. The difficulties faced in evaluating team performance are that the individual performances of the team members cannot be judged explicitly. It is not always very easy to decide which result of the team should be measured to evaluate the team. The measurement task is doubled as only the team performance is not enough to judge the performance, therefore, the performance of the team members should also be measured so that there are no conflicts in the team.A unique need of a team appraisal is the appraisal of interpersonal relationships since these are the fundamental part of the work team. Through the evaluation of team performance, the management can find out if an individual is capable of working in a team environment. Another unique need of the team appraisal is the appraisal of the consensus among the team members. A superior team leader is a catalyst for motivation of the team members, but motivation cannot be sustained indefinitely. Therefore the tenure for the team work should not be so much that the even a captivating leadership is also not able to keep the team members high. The individuals in the team expect themselves and the team to grow, moving forward and performing a much productive task.Having no stake in the result of the team’s efforts or having no sense of ownership for a piece of work in the team can be a downturn for motivation of individuals. Disliking for someone in the team, or inheriting a huge challenge to be accomplished by the team or a very easy task can also add up to the demotivation of the team members. Individual equity has an enormous impact on the team performance; fair treatment of the individuals causes them to be motivated and to maintain equality in their relationships with their   team mates.If the outcomes that an employee receives are equitable to the inputs that he put into the work, then his future performance in the team will improve. One strategy to avoid social loafing is to confront the relaxing team member immediately, punishing him or giving a warning. Once the team members know their roles and their ass igned tasks properly, then also social loafing will be reduced as a result of individual reporting. Performance based wages might also help in curbing the factor of social loafing in the teams. Incentive and Benefit Packages A combination of incentives and benefits can be a great motivating factor for an employee to improve his performance. The department should give a car to each senior officers who manage the workers and teams. The department should cover the health insurance of the entire staff other than clerks and juniors. These motivating benefits can add multiply the performance of the employees and in turn increase the company’s ROI and customer’s satisfaction.Career DevelopmentThe employees should be managed at a regular basis whenever there is a proof of superior performance from the employee. Promotion of outstanding employees will make the others feel motivated and other will also try to come to the level of the promoted employee; this will enhance the aggregate performance of the department. Workers are company’s assets and their knowledge about the suppliers is of the major use in the satisfaction of customers. The knowledge and the educational level of the workers should keep rising for the betterment of the organization and the department. Therefore the company should finance the education of the employees who are willing to engage in educational opportunities while working, for example evening MBA course.Compensation PlanThe compensation plan should be fair to all, the employees doing overtime should be paid increased overtime rates and the employees having outstanding performance throughout the month should be paid bonuses. The basic salary should be performance based; the employees who have not consumed their allowed number of absences should also be paid bonuses. All these are incentives for the employees to perform better and when the performance of the individual employees increases, the performance of the organization on an aggregate level gets boosted. Bibliography Aamodt, M. (2003). Applied Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Portland: Thompson/Wadsworth Publishers.Anonymous. (2009, May 13). SkillSoft Announces Perspectives 2009 Award Winners. Business Wire . Cascio, W. (2005). Managing Human Resources: Productivity, Quality of Work Life, Profits. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.J., G. M. (2004). Evaluating Employee Performance (Part 1). Gallup Management Journal .Management, U. S. (1998). Performance Appraisal for Teams: An Overview. Perforamnce Management Practitioner Series . United States.Yellin, A. (1992, Spring). Training and Development: Employee Responsibilities, Expectations, and Benefits. Public Manager , pp. 52-54.

The Problem with America’s Education free essay sample

Education has a very important place in our society. For 180 days, students attend school in hope to learn something that will inspire them. Because of the numerous issues in our curriculum, education in America is not effective as it should be. America’s education is failing because of the large emphasis on standardized education and the flaws of the students, parents, and teachers. The issues also includes the way students are being taught in school. How we choose to improve our education remains to be a problem. The root of the problem begins with standardized testing. Standardized testing is a type of exam that is administered and scored in a consistent manner. Teachers are now teaching students how to pass a test instead of teaching them useful information they can use throughout their lives. We spend the entire school year preparing for the next standardized test instead of learning something we can use in the real life like paying taxes, creating budgets, etc. We will write a custom essay sample on The Problem with America’s Education or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Standardized testing has also ruined many students’ opportunities to be creative and imaginative. The obsession with testing had led many teachers to eliminate projects and activities that would be considered â€Å"creative†. Neely-Randall says, â€Å"In the beginning, we were doing all of these great projects and they were fluent readers and writers †¦ and then all of a sudden, I had to stop everything to get them ready for a test. The focus on test prep eats up time that could be spent doing hands-on projects and collaborative, interactive activities,† (Source 1). The decline of creative thinking can improve if we changed the way we teach the students.An effective teacher can make a huge difference in a student’s education. On January 8, 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act was passed. The NCLB act allowed the use of standardized testing in schools. This act forces teachers to follow a system of teaching to the test. Teaching to the test causes a decline in creative thinking. â€Å"Standardized tests reduce the ability to complete more complicated work†¦students can only complete basic problems,†There are many teachers who lack the ability to educate their students and prepare them for the real world.Teachers are supposed to educate us while motivating and inspiring us to reach our goals.

NBA Research Paper

NBA Research Paper Many critics and fans around the world call it the NBA greatest show on earth. No other league around the world brings what the NBAs game has brought every season. The greatest plays, games, dunks, players and passion for the basketball are reasons why the fans keep watching. The NBAs style of playing the game has changed dramatically through the years. From the 1980s to 2002, even though many aspects of the playing style have gone in to new era, NBAs style of playing basketball kept its heart the same. Professional basketball has usually kept its popularity with great stylish plays by the players. And style, which is defined as the way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed, the league has maintained their unique game plays. The changes occurred when Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson changed the game during the 80s to guard dominantÐ ±Ã ¿ from Ð ±Ã ¾center domination from the 70s. Magic and Bird excited the crowds with their new styles and spectacular plays, as they influenced the rest of the league to change into a league based on their styles of play. (Levin) Then in 90s Michael Jordan has showed the best basketball in the NBAs history. As entering the new millennium, the leagues change in style showed up and downs but Shaquille ONeal, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, and Vince Carter brought a new definition to the game. These key players contain their own individual styles, but different generations in NBA had its own shooting, dribbling, dunking, coaching, defensively and other more line-ups of plays. Through this research paper the reader will recognize the differences in every categories and playerÐ ±Ã ¿s unique performance that NBA has maintain through the years. Most teams in the league kept its momentum style the same through the years with Ð ±Ã ¾run-and-gunÐ ±Ã ¿ executed by the point guards. In the NBA, momentum of the game decides which team survives with the victory. Having momentum will boost their team with chance of destroying the opponent. Great hustle plays usually brings out the momentum (Gandolfi 67). In 1980s Lakers switched the opponentÐ ±Ã ¿s momentum to theirs through Magic Johnson. Plays like Ð ±Ã ¾rebound from opponents miss shot then kick it off to Magic, and as Magic drives down the court he feeds no look pass to Byron Scott for the slam dunkÐ ±Ã ¿ these kinds of plays shifted the momentum for Lakers. Current season, teams like New Jersey Nets led by point guard Jason Kidd uses similar method like the 80Ð ±Ã ¿s Lakers. Running and gunning it with amazing ally-hoop passes from J. Kidd to Kenyon Martin, shifts the momentum to victories for the Nets. In fact with such plays, Nets came out to be this seasonÐ ±Ã ¿s most improved team in NBA. Pace of the game has been slowed down as years went by in the league. During the 80s and 90s, temple of the game was faster with more of the hustle plays ran by the point guards. Slow it down! is one of a coachÐ ±Ã ¿s favorite things to say in an offensive set. It gives a coach time to evaluate a defense, call his own play, and generally be a control freak (Oliver). This happens at lower levels as much as the NBA now and, as a consequence, so many point guards are now unwilling to lead a fast break for fear of an undressing by their coach (Oliver). Player like Shaquille ONeal, who is almost 350 pound, is able to keep up because of slow pace. So, is slow pace games a bad thing? Yes and no, because fast pace game excites the crowd and they are fun to watch. But speedy games lack in game plans strategically. The NBA team coaches want to do plays and run it for the offense. Coaches nowadays want their teams style to be slower, that way their team gets more efficient baskets. The NBA te am coaches want to do plays and run it for the offense. Teams like Chicago Bulls during the 90s used play call triangle defense, and won six NBA championship titles with that certain play (Sachare 93). Since the pace speed decreased, more of the half court offense and three pointers came in handy for some teams. During the 80s fast pace action, the three-pointer shooting teams were hardly recognizable. Although 3-point shooters were present in couple of the teams, players like Reggie Miller, Mark Price, Larry Bird, and John Paxson were known as three pointers. But today, teams like Celtics, Bucks, and Dallas Mavericks received the motivation of Ð ±Ã ¾live by the three, die by the threeÐ ±Ã ¿. Not only star players shoot threes in these teams, the entire team goes for the attempt. Three point attempts per game have increased from 10 to 16 during the 94 and 95(Oliver). Still these downtown shooting teams do not make all the treys, even though attempts are high, the percentage of making the shot is nearly 30%. Since threes are harder to make they significantly low. According to OliverÐ ±Ã ¿s research, the ratios of high percentage 3-point shooters are 1:4. That percentage can be very serious problem for the NBA. More attempts will lead to huge number of misses and slow the temple down even more. A huge significant change from 80 to 02 season has been the rule changes. The NBAs board of governors placed different rules for the 2001-2002 season, and removed the old rules as well. First of all, the league removed illegal defense to allow zone defense. That means that for the first time in 50 years, or almost since the league began, NBA teams will be allowed to play whats known as a zone defense, in which defensive players guard areas of the court. (White) Previous man-to-man defense is not the only way to play defense in the league today. But zone defense means less exciting plays off the offense. Since there are more defenders standing around the basket, the offensive players have to work their butts off to get a single point. Media folks tend to think that the new rule is a tradeoff. The game may become more exciting in the strategic sense, but itll lose the big plays and one-on-one matches that defined the NBA during its most recent heyday in the 1990s (White). Another chang e is the 8-second half court rule, in which ball carrier have to cross half court before 8 second runs out. This rule was made for one purpose only, to speed up the game. Also 8-second rule helps to eliminate walk-it-up approach that allows coaches to talk to their point guards while approaching the offensive set (Oliver). Other minor changes like 3 second defense rule which means defense gets called for 3 second inside key just like offense does. The significant part of the NBA style change was the key players who influenced the league to the NBA as greatest show on earth. When it comes to greatest key players in the1980s, it wonÐ ±Ã ¿t be a surprise if Magic Johnson and Larry bird comes in first. As Levin said, They influenced the rest of the league changed into league based on their style, Magic and Larry changed the game during 80s. Magic Johnson wasnÐ ±Ã ¿t a top scorer but his passing ability led the Lakers to championships. Larry Bird who was top-notch shooter who had dominant skill in offense led his Boston Celtics to championship also. MagicÐ ±Ã ¿s passing game taught rest of the league that scoring is not the only way to win a game. Great assists bring out smarter looks for a basket. Current player who carry the similar style as Magic is Jason Kidd (Smith). Before the 2001-02 season Jason Kidd was traded to New Jersey Nets, who only won 20+ games the previous year. When all the critics thought Kidds career migh t end with the Nets, right now Nets are competing in Eastern Finals and won 50 games this season. It is amazing how one player who is not even a scorer changes team 180 degrees with his passing ability. Kidd probably couldnt make it this far without observing the MagicÐ ±Ã ¿s style. A player who adopted Birds style is Dirk Nowitzki from Dallas Maverick. This player who is almost 7 foot plays guard and forward position, and he is also deadly from 3-point arc just like Bird. With their height advantage and offensive presence, Nowitzki demolishes his defender like how Bird gave his defenders a nightmare. With another style adoption starting 1990s, a player who changed the leagueÐ ±Ã ¿s style the most is Michael Air Jordan. As coming into the league in 1984, all the NBA fans were soaked with Magic and Birds performance. As years went by Jordan single handedly led his team, Chicago Bulls, to the playoffs and show the league whatÐ ±Ã ¿s known as human highlight film. Michael Jordans style was high flying acrobatic dunks, jumping ability, shooterÐ ±Ã ¿s touch, defense, and unstoppable (Sachare 173). He was simply the best all around player. Most importantly Jordan created his own style of basketball and influenced the entire NBA. For example, Jordan created whats known as A fade away jump shot, where he leans back avoiding the block while shooting. Right now about 70% of the player use this shooting style (Schwartz). Star players like Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, and Kobe Bryant use this shooting style every time they shoot. Speaking of Kobe Bryant, when people watch Kobe play, the y will see the Michael JordanÐ ±Ã ¿s style in him. From fade away jump shot to being unstoppable, Kobe is known as Jordan II. Great players influencing the rest of the league is what defines NBA. Slam-dunk is most popular style of basketball that pro players like as well as fans want to see. The dunk shot is one that can boost your teammates spirits and quickly demoralize the opponent. (Gandolfi 115) During the 80s before Michael Jordan came in to the league dunking was simply known as easy way to score a basket. But Jordan showed that dunks are style and creative art. Slam-dunk leads to change in momentum, temple, teamÐ ±Ã ¿s spirit, intimidation, and defenders mind. Although jumping ability is required to dunk, that just wonÐ ±Ã ¿t do much when it comes to stylish high-flyer. Players need creativity and timing when dunking. Michael Jordan dunk on opponents and almost over their head. But Vince Carter who is known to be best dunker of history clearly jumped over a 7 2 center and slammed through the basket during the 2000 Olympics. That dunk was called greatest play in sports history. And Vince continues on to do dunks that never seen before in the previous years. His sty le is what people love and keep watching NBAs basketball. The NBA has changed its outside styles like the new rule and plays, but it came into fact that inside heart didnt change. Players style influencing each other and passing down through decades is similar to cultural tradition. Back then game was exciting because of fast pace performance, now the games are still full of excitement because explosive plays like dunks, special moves, and great style that adopt from NBA icons. These two facts relates to each other in a way that they define NBAs heart and soul, the style.

Indian Reorganization Act of 1934

Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 The Indian Reorganization Act, or the Wheeler-Howard Act, was legislation enacted by the U.S. Congress on June 18, 1934, intended to loosen federal government control over American Indians. The act sought to reverse the government’s long-standing policy of forcing Indians to abandon their culture and assimilate into American society by allowing the tribes a greater degree of self-government and encouraging the retention of historic Indian culture and traditions. Key Takeaways: Indian Reorganization Act The Indian Reorganization Act, signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt on June 18, 1934, loosened U.S. government control of American Indians.The act sought to help Indians retain their historic culture and traditions rather than being forced to abandon them and assimilating into American society.The act also allowed and encouraged the Indian tribes to govern themselves while increasing the federal government’s efforts to improve living conditions on Indian reservations.While many tribal leaders praised the act as the â€Å"Indian New Deal,† others criticized it for its shortcomings and failure to realize its potential. The act returned control of the land and mineral rights to former Indian lands back to the tribes and sought to improve the economic condition of the Indian reservations. The law did not apply to Hawaii, and a similar law passed in 1936 applied to Indians in Alaska and Oklahoma, where no reservations remained. In 1930, the U.S. census counted 332,000 American Indians in the 48 states, including those living on and off reservations. Due largely to the Indian Reorganization Act, government spending on Indian affairs increased from $23 million in 1933 to over $38 million in 1940. In 2019, the U.S. federal budget included $2.4 billion for programs serving the American Indian and Alaska Native population. While many tribal leaders hail the Indian Reorganization Act as the â€Å"Indian New Deal,† others, saying that it actually had a negative effect on Indians, called it the â€Å"Indian Raw Deal.† Historical Background In 1887, Congress had enacted the Dawes Act, intended to force Native American Indians to assimilate into U.S. society by abandoning their cultural and social traditions. Under the Dawes Act, some ninety million acres of tribal land was taken from Native Americans by the U.S. government and sold to the public. The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 had granted full U.S. citizenship only to American-born Indians living on reservations.   In 1924, Congress recognized Native American’s service in World War I by authorizing the Meriam Survey assessing the quality of life on the reservations. For example, the report found that while the average national per capita income in 1920 was $1,350, the average Native American made only $100 a year. The report blamed U.S. Indian policy under the Dawes Act for contributing to such poverty. The abysmal conditions on Indian reservations detailed in the Meriam Report of 1928 drew sharp criticism of the Dawes Act and drove demands for reform. Passage and Implementation The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) was championed in Congress by John Collier, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Commissioner of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Long a critic of forced assimilation, Collier hoped the act would help American Indians govern themselves, retain their tribal reservation lands, and become economically self-sufficient. As proposed by Collier, the IRA met stiff opposition in Congress, as many influential private-sector interests had profited greatly from the sale and management of Native American lands under the Dawes Act. In order to gain passage, supporters of the IRA agreed to allow the BIA, within the Department of Interior (DOI), to retain oversight of the tribes and reservations. While the act did not terminate existing private-sector ownership of any Indian reservation lands, it did allow the U.S. government to buy back some of the privately owned lands and restore it to Indian tribal trusts. In the first 20 years after its passage, the IRA resulted in the return of more than two million acres of land to the tribes. However, by not disturbing existing private ownership of reservation lands, the reservations emerged as patchwork quilts of privately- and tribally-controlled land, a situation which persists today. Constitutional Challenges Since the enactment of the Indian Reorganization Act, the U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to address its constitutionality on several occasions. The court challenges have typically arisen from a provision of the IRA under which the U.S. government is allowed to acquire non-Indian land by voluntary transfer and convert it into Indian land held in federal trusts. These lands may then be used for certain activities intended to benefit the tribes, such as Las Vegas-style casinos in states that do not otherwise allow gambling. Such Indian tribal lands also become exempt from most state taxes. As a result, state and local governments, as well as individuals and businesses objecting to the impacts of large Indian casinos, often sue to block the action. Legacy: New Deal or Raw Deal? In many ways, the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) succeeded in delivering its promise of being the â€Å"Indian New Deal.† It directed funds from President Roosevelt’s actual Great Depression-era New Deal programs toward improving conditions on the Indian reservations that had suffered under the Dawes Act and encouraged renewed public appreciation and respect for Native American culture and traditions. The IRA made funds available to help Native American groups buy tribal lands lost to the Dawes Act’s allotment program. It also required that Indians be given first consideration for filling Bureau of Indian Affairs jobs on the reservations. However, many historians and tribal leaders argue that the IRA failed American Indians in many aspects. First, the act assumed that most Indians would want to remain on their tribal reservations if the living conditions on them were improved. As a result, Indians who wanted to fully assimilate into white society resented the degree of â€Å"paternalism† the IRA would allow the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to hold over them. Today, many Indians say the IRA created a â€Å"back-to-the-blanket† policy intended to keep them on the reservations as little more than â€Å"living museum exhibits.† While the act allowed Indians a degree of self-government, it pushed the tribes to adopt U.S.–style governments. Tribes that adopted written constitutions similar to the U.S. Constitution and replaced their governments with U.S. city council-like governments were given generous federal subsidies. In most cases, however, the new tribal constitutions lacked provisions for separation of powers, often resulting in friction with Indian elders. While funding for the needs of Indians increased due to the IRA, the annual budget for the Bureau of Indian Affairs remained inadequate to deal with the growing demands of economic development for the reservations or to provide adequate health and educational facilities. Few individual Indians or reservations were able to become financially self-sustaining. According to Native American historian Vine Deloria Jr., while the IRA provided opportunities for Indian revitalization, its promises were never fully realized. In his 1983 book â€Å"American Indians, American Justice,† Deloria noted, â€Å"Many of the old customs and traditions that could have been restored under the IRA climate of cultural concern had vanished during the interim period since the tribes had gone to the reservations.† In addition, he noted that the IRA eroded reservation Indians’ experience of self-government based on Indian traditions. â€Å"Familiar cultural groupings and methods of choosing leadership gave way to the more abstract principles of American democracy, which viewed people as interchangeable and communities as geographical marks on a map.† Sources and Further Reference Wilma, David. â€Å"Wheeler-Howard Act (Indian Reorganization Act) shifts U.S. policy toward Native American right to self-determination on June 18, 1934.† HistoryLink.org.â€Å"Indian New Deal.† US National Archives: Pieces of History.â€Å"Indian Affairs: Indian Affairs Funding.† US Department of the Interior (2019).â€Å"Meriam Report: The Problem of Indian Administration (1928).† National Indian Law LibraryDeloria Jr, Vine, and Lyttle, Clifford. â€Å"American Indians, American Justice.† 1983. ISBN-13: 978-0292738348Giago, Tim. â€Å"Good or Bad? Indian Reorganization Act Turns 75.† Huffington PostKelly, Lawrence C. â€Å"The Indian Reorganization Act: The Dream and the Reality.† Pacific Historical Review (1975). DOI: 10.2307/3638029.

Discussion on the Boundaries of the Firm Case Study

Discussion on the Boundaries of the Firm - Case Study Example Horizontal boundaries keep on changing with the passage of time because they bring with them a lot of incentives for not only the companies under consideration but also the industry as a whole. (Brusoni, 2001) The related terms of economies of scale and economies of scope come into the loop since these bring with them measures of growth and productivity over a certain period of time as well as offer to the organizations under study the much needed uplift in terms of its economic upheaval and stability - a fact signified time and again by the numerous processes and tasks that are employed to carry out the very same. Economic prosperity is one aspect that holds a lot of significance for this phenomenon since it is the lynchpin behind the undertaking of the economies of scale and economies of scope. What we need to understand here is the fact that these related terms are incorporated into the whole mix so that productivity and growth measures could be envisaged on a consistent basis and there is a forecasting regime in charge of the pattern that is actually bringing about the whole change, for the better without a shadow of a doubt. Economies of scale discusses the aspect of production phase which marks with the increase in scale of the firm and on the flip side causes a downfall in the average cost per unit in the longer duration. (Elbaz, 1994) Thus the scale of operation is basically the key when it comes to find out whether the economies of scale could be feasible for it or not. The economies of scale include some types under it: the purchasing, managerial, financial and marketing aspects. Wha t these types of factors as they are generally known as, does is to reduce the average costs in the long term when the talk goes out loud of production. The aspects related with natural monopoly are generally characterized under the regimes of economies of scale but this holds true for reasonably medium range firms. As one knows, natural monopoly has no competition whatsoever and thus it is deemed as a success by all counts under such a scenario. When one speaks of the need of having economies of scale, there is a quintessential need to understand that there are a couple of ways through which the same could be achieved. One is through having the high fixed cost and constant marginal cost while the other is through low or no fixed cost as well as declining marginal cost all this while. One must take note of the fact that economies of scale are all about efficiencies which are linked with the supply side alterations. This is in line with the increase or decrease of the scale of produc tion as concerns to a single product type or unit. The horizontal boundaries are also manifested by the proper incorporation of economies of scope within the related contexts. These are in essence pretty much similar to the economies of scale but little changes and modifications. Economies of scope are comprised with the efficiencies that are associated with the demand side changes which essentially highlight the increase or decrease in the scope of marketing as well as distribution concerning different kinds of products or units. What we must comprehend from

M.A. in Humanities in the 21st Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

M.A. in Humanities in the 21st Century - Essay Example 1984:10). Humanities subjects inundate students with "a deluge of readings and ivory tower philosophizing" (Shulman, 2006) and have been traditionally used to transmit the values cherished by generations (McGrory, 2007). Located at the core of the university, Humanities have long been deeply embedded with concerns about life, wisdom, survival, transformation, and interaction (Brown, Boyer, de Bary & Fajans, 2006). The overall benefit to society is that they have the responsibility of keeping the other disciplines honest, and this function of being a watchdog needs to be preserved (Chipman, 1995). Humanities provides general literacy that includes language skills such as grammar, spelling and the proper use of words; information gathering such as how to take notes and summarize material; thinking skills such as how to criticize an argument and how to develop arguments; and writing skills such as how to present arguments with clarity and intelligence (Hart,1990). These are the basic skills that prepare workers to meet the world of work (Drewes, 2002). A degree in Humanities is not a business degree, not a science degree nor a technical certificate. Yet, the coursework done and the skills developed can be applied to virtually any profession.

The Speckled Band Essay Example for Free

The Speckled Band Essay Both Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band share some of the characteristics of murder mysteries. Explain the similarities and differences between the two stories and say which story you think is more compelling to read. T he Speckled Band was written in 1892 during Queen Victorias reign over Britain. At the time the aristocratic society was paranoid about crime and rumours and myths about murderers such as Jack the Ripper did not help. The squalid chaos of a city (London) that hadnt changed much since Tudor times, with its dark narrow alleyways and badly lit streets created a haven for murderers, rapists, prostitutes and petty thieves. The arrival of a super sleuth character was obviously going to appeal to the literary clique. Sherlock Holmes was the solution to all their problems although in reality the Police Force was failing badly. In contrast Lamb to the Slaughter was written in a completely different era post-war, Elizabethan Britain, a period where attitudes and the Police Force had developed considerably from Conan Doyles Victorian London. The nations feeling had changed and had become more tolerant of women and including them more in a previously male world. However, the perfect housewife was still many womens idea of life. This is reflected in Mary Maloney, the stay at home idealistic wife and her devotion to her husband who, does not return this and wants to leave her for another woman. In The Speckled Band the mood is of heightened tension and curiosity as Dr Watsons daily routine is interrupted by the arrival of Miss Stoner, the stepdaughter of Dr Grimesby Roylott of Stoke Moran. She tells them of the demise of her sister Julia, the low whistle, the gypsies and the wild animals that the Doctor keeps. Holmes then receives a visit from Dr Roylott who threatens Holmes and Watson not to meddle in my affairs. Holmes and Watson then immediately travel to Stoke Moran, heedless of the Doctors warning, and go to see Miss Stoner in the family home. When they arrive, Holmes tells Miss Stoner about Dr Roylotts visit: good heavens he is so cunning that I never know when I am safe from him and they go and explore the manor. They learn that Miss Stoner is now sleeping When they are in Miss Helen Stoners room, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson find no reason for her to be moved out of her room. Whilst in Miss Julia Stoners room, there Holmes finds clues as to the cause of her death but does not tell Watson or Miss Stoner what he thinks. Holmes then tells Miss Stoner to spend the night in the local Inn while he and Dr Watson try to catch Dr Roylott. When Dr Roylott sets the Swamp Adder through the ventilator and down the bell rope Holmes beats it back and it bites Dr Roylott killing him. Lamb to the Slaughter is very different as the atmosphere is relaxed and contented with the six-month pregnant Mary Maloney waiting patiently for her husband to come home. She is sewing and has a whiskey and soda ready for Patrick Maloneys homecoming and all of this amounts to the feeling of peace. In Lamb to the Slaughter Mary Maloney, Patrick Maloneys wife, is waiting for him to come home from work. He tells her that he wants to leave her for another woman, she then goes to make dinner and pulls out a leg of lamb. Mary Maloney then hits her husband with the lamb and kills him. She then goes down to the grocers to give herself an alibi. She then comes home and rings the Police who conduct the investigation but end up eating the evidence: the leg of lamb. However some of the ways that Roald Dahl uses to describe Mary Maloney act as a warning as to what might happen: curiously tranquil this suggests that there is something odd about her as being tranquil is not normally tranquil. Also, there was a slow smiling air about her this has mysterious connotations and implies that there is something more to Mary Maloney than the reader first thinks. Dr Roylott is a very violent and psychotic character who has heated fits of rage: Dont you dare to meddle with my affairs I am a dangerous man to fall foul of . He is a physically huge man who uses intimidation to force people to do things. When Dr Roylott hears of Miss Helen Stoners proposed marriage, she suddenly dies, this indicates that because his late wife (and the girls mother) left them money to be given to them when they got married. Dr Roylott is on a very small income and if the girls got married then he would be broke. Also he is a huge broad man who is very strong and capable of bending Holmes iron poker. Conan Doyle makes it very obvious from the start that Dr Roylott is capable of murder and our suspicions are correct, he is the only character in the story who would murder. Dr Roylott is not successful because although he manages to kill Julia Stoner but before he can dispose of Helen Stoner Sherlock Holmes solves the case and accidentally kills Dr Roylott. Dr Roylott is not very believable in this day and age because the Victorians view of a murderer was a shifty looking character either very small and rat like or large and vicious. However nowadays we know that murderers can be anyone. Because of the Victorians etiquette rules and views, a female killer in Conan Doyles books would have caused a stir. However in Lamb to the Slaughter women were allowed a much freer role and so the idea of them becoming murderers was accepted by the readers. In both of the stories the villains (Dr Roylott and Mary Maloney) control the people around them, Dr Roylott controls people by threatening them with physical violence whereas Mary Maloney uses subtle emotional actions to convince the Police that shes innocent.

History of Turkey and the European Union Essay -- Turkey History Polit

History of Turkey and the European Union Turkey has had a long history with Europe and the European Union that stretches back many years. In 1952, Turkey joined the United States and most of Western Europe in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Turkey would look at this as the first step toward European acceptance, which had been so important to the country's founder and hero, Kemal Ataturk. It would become an associate member of the Western European Union.[1] As early as 1959, Turkey tried to gain entrance into what is now the European Union, then known as the European Economic Community (EEC).[2] Under the Ankara Agreement of 1963, Turkey became an associate member of the EEC.[3] Denied entrance into the European Union in 1987, Turkey still continued to push for membership.[4] The next pivotal moment came in 1996 when Turkey was admitted into the European Union's Customs Union.[5] However, it was disappointed a year later when Turkey was not listed as part of the European Union's plans for enlargement. Fin ally, in 1999 at the Helsinki summit, Turkey was named as a candidate country.[6] This meant that Turkey was one step away from starting the accession process and realizing its goal of becoming a recognized member of Europe. Requirements to Join the European Union The European Union has specific yet numerous qualifications that must be met before accession. The European Council set the criteria for accession in June of 1993. It stated first that a country must have strong democratic institutions, including the rule of law and a guarantee of civil rights. A viable economic market must exist, along with evidence that the economy of the applicant country can compete with those already in the EU. Al... ...Opportunity in Turkey, Financial Times, Oct. 21 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Database,? Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). Gherghisan, Mihaela, ?Verheugen Careful about Turkish EU Accession, EUObserver.com, Apr. 29 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Database,? Lexis-Nexis (8 October 2003). Heper, Metin. Historical Dictionary of Turkey. 2nd ed. Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2002. EU Enlargement Commissioner Says Turkey Giving ?Mixed Picture,? ? AFX.? Com, Oct. 27 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Databas? Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). ?EU/Turkey: Euro 145 Million Pre-Accession Aid Package Granted to ? Ankara,? European Report, Oct. 29 (2003).? Academic Search Premier? Database, Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). ?EU/Turkey: Gunter Verheugen Cites 2011 as Possible Membership? Date,? European Report, Apr. 30 (2003). Academic Search Premier History of Turkey and the European Union Essay -- Turkey History Polit History of Turkey and the European Union Turkey has had a long history with Europe and the European Union that stretches back many years. In 1952, Turkey joined the United States and most of Western Europe in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Turkey would look at this as the first step toward European acceptance, which had been so important to the country's founder and hero, Kemal Ataturk. It would become an associate member of the Western European Union.[1] As early as 1959, Turkey tried to gain entrance into what is now the European Union, then known as the European Economic Community (EEC).[2] Under the Ankara Agreement of 1963, Turkey became an associate member of the EEC.[3] Denied entrance into the European Union in 1987, Turkey still continued to push for membership.[4] The next pivotal moment came in 1996 when Turkey was admitted into the European Union's Customs Union.[5] However, it was disappointed a year later when Turkey was not listed as part of the European Union's plans for enlargement. Fin ally, in 1999 at the Helsinki summit, Turkey was named as a candidate country.[6] This meant that Turkey was one step away from starting the accession process and realizing its goal of becoming a recognized member of Europe. Requirements to Join the European Union The European Union has specific yet numerous qualifications that must be met before accession. The European Council set the criteria for accession in June of 1993. It stated first that a country must have strong democratic institutions, including the rule of law and a guarantee of civil rights. A viable economic market must exist, along with evidence that the economy of the applicant country can compete with those already in the EU. Al... ...Opportunity in Turkey, Financial Times, Oct. 21 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Database,? Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). Gherghisan, Mihaela, ?Verheugen Careful about Turkish EU Accession, EUObserver.com, Apr. 29 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Database,? Lexis-Nexis (8 October 2003). Heper, Metin. Historical Dictionary of Turkey. 2nd ed. Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2002. EU Enlargement Commissioner Says Turkey Giving ?Mixed Picture,? ? AFX.? Com, Oct. 27 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Databas? Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). ?EU/Turkey: Euro 145 Million Pre-Accession Aid Package Granted to ? Ankara,? European Report, Oct. 29 (2003).? Academic Search Premier? Database, Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). ?EU/Turkey: Gunter Verheugen Cites 2011 as Possible Membership? Date,? European Report, Apr. 30 (2003). Academic Search Premier

Social Capital

In recent decades, many social scientists have drawn attention to the importance of â€Å"social capital. † Social capital is meant to capture the value, economic and otherwise, that comes from social networks, through which people frequently interact with one another. But what if social capital ends up contributing to the rise of extreme movements, including fascism? It is well-established that individuals and societies can gain a great deal from civic institutions, such as parent-teacher associations, athletic leagues, churches and music clubs.High levels of social capital have been associated with numerous social benefits, including improvements in health, promise-keeping, trust, altruism, compliance with the law, child welfare and individual happiness. Harvard University political scientist Robert Putnam has done a great deal to explore the beneficial effects of social capital. In his book â€Å"Bowling Alone,† he documented what he saw as its decline in the U. S. , connecting that decline with a wide range of social problems. Pointing to research by Putnam and others, many people have argued that the U.S. and other nations should make a sustained effort to measure and increase social capital, with particular attention to civic associations that help to generate it. At the same time, social capital can have a dark side. If people are in a social network whose members are interested in committing crimes, the existence of social capital will promote criminal activity. A fascinating recent study called â€Å"Bowling for Fascism† goes much further: It shows that the rise of Nazism was greatly facilitated by unusually high levels of social capital in Weimar Germany.The research offers an important and novel perspective on Adolf Hitler’s ascension to power. And by identifying conditions that help to spread extremism, it also offers significant lessons for the present, including the risk of terrorism. The study, conducted by New York Un iversity’s Shanker Satyanath and his co-authors, is based on a wide range of original materials, including Nazi Party membership lists and hand-collected data from 112 German towns.The central question: Who was most likely to join the Nazi Party? In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Germany had an exceptionally vibrant civil society that included clubs involved in hiking, animal breeding, shooting, gymnastics, bowling, fire fighting and singing. The authors’ principal finding is that in cities with dense networks of clubs and associations, Germans were far more likely to join the Nazi Party. Intheir words, â€Å"a dense fabric of civic associations went hand-in-hand with a more rapid rise of Nazi party membership. † It could be suggested that some independent factor, such as socioeconomic status or religion, accounts both for associational activity and for willingness to join the Nazi Party. But that suggestion is inconsistent with the evidence. Even if we control for these and other variables, a dense network of civic associations is correlated with significantly higher rates of entry into the Nazi Party.This finding undermines the view, held by some, that the Nazi Party succeeded by appealing to people who were socially isolated and that Hitler was able to draw support largely from the lonely and the rootless. But this evidence strongly suggests otherwise. Nazism spread in part as a result of face-to-face interactions by people who were in frequent contact with one another. Consider the chilling remarks of a Nazi Party member who recalled his growing acquaintance â€Å"with a colleague of my own age with whom I had frequent conversations.He was a calm, quiet person whom I esteemed very highly. When I found out that he was one of the local leaders of the National Socialist party, my opinion of it as a group of criminals changed completely. † The authors’ central findings fit well with emerging research on the immense importanc e of social influences on individual behavior. With respect to music, political convictions, voting and food, we constantly learn from others. Like-minded people tend to go to extremes, in large part because they learn from each other.Within nations and around the world, modern social media connect disparate people and hence build social capital, intensifying social influences on thought and behavior. For the current period, there is a straightforward lesson. Individuals and nations generally benefit from large numbers of private associations, including sports clubs, religious groups and parent-teacher associations. But in some nations, dense social networks also increase people’s vulnerability to extremism.A great deal of work suggests that terrorism itself can arise not because people are isolated, poor or badly educated, but because they are part of tightly knit networks in which hateful ideas travel quickly. No one should doubt that private associations are desirable and valuable, and that they can produce a dazzling range of social goods, including checks on the power of government. But Satyanath and his co-authors reveal another possibility: that such associations can facilitate the spread of extremism, ultimately laying the groundwork for serious challenges to democracy itself.

Hrm About Alibaba

1. Introduction Alibaba Group is the world's outstanding business-to-business e-commerce service company, which provides an efficient online trading platform for buyers and suppliers all over the world. It is China's largest e-commerce group which was founded by Jack Ma in 1999, and has developed into seven affiliated groups, namely Alibaba International Business Operations, Alibaba Small Business Operations, Taobao Marketplace, Tmall. com, Juhuasuan, e-Tao and Alibaba Cloud Computing (News, 2012).Besides, Alibaba Group has more than 24,000 employees in 70 cities which scattered in China, India, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States (News, 2012). This report will focus on analysis for Alibaba Group's human resource management, in order to reply the demand of its future developments. 2. Background to the case study organization Alibaba Group has  taken a hit as a result that a part of its employees were guilty of online fraudulent activities and irresponsible short- term profit.The announcement of the company showed that nearly 100 employees including sales staffs, manager and supervisor, had conspired to the fraud by deliberately helping fake suppliers in China to register with avoiding the company scrutiny and allowing them to defraud oversea buyers on the Alibaba’s international website (Nytimes, 2011). Surprisingly, these allegedly fraudulent online shops account for 1. 1% and 0. 8% of Alibaba’s ‘Gold Suppliers’ signed up during 2009 and 2010 respectively, which has impacted on the company value and produced a shock to mass beliefs (Economist, 2012).Thirteen people were sentenced ranging from eight months to three years in jail after conspiring with suppliers to gain illegally around RMB 500,000 yuan in this online fraud (Nytimes, 2011). 3. Outline of People Management Issues This issue related to the credibility of  Alibaba is directly due to the internal defects in management, the lack of inside supervision an d few controls of the internal culture. Moreover, the deep-rooted reason should be the problems of its human resources management. Lacking of a set of scientific and effective control and management system cannot guarantee the mplementation of building both core value and enterprise culture of Alibaba. Therefore, the outline of this report about the human resource management issue behind the online fraud of Alibaba is as follows. On the one hand, the management and supervision system has problems. Alibaba Group has not supervised the management in the process of dealing with related complaints about fraud happened between 2009 and 2010, even though some suspected online trading accounts had been deleted and specific inquiries of its international market transaction had been conducted since the beginning of the third quarter in 2010.It appears that in this issue managers ignored fraudulent behaviours behind the performance-chasing. However, in the statement said by Mr. Ma, it was not allowed to violate business honest principal or the basic line of company values (BBC, 2012). Although managers in Alibaba Group have to take responsibilities for the consequences, it cannot be denied that the fraud fully exposed that the lack of internal control, especially the supervision and administration of the management, is one of reasons lead to exacerbate the situation.Additionally, the event of online fraud has been doomed from the start to some extent. With the accelerating pace of internationalisation, the number of employees which rapidly increased from 11,700 in 2009 to 24,000 in 2012 has become a significant challenge that threats the development of Alibaba Group (Hua, 2012). However, weak awareness of the human resource control among Alibaba Group’s executives sets the stage for this online fraud scandal in China. On the other hand, the company may not satisfy the physical and emotional need of its employees.Both the greedy desire and the psychological imbala nce are the internal reason behind the problem. 4. Analysis (linked to HRM theory) There is always a kind of psychological motivations behind any subjective action, and the online fraud scandal of the Alibaba Group is no exception. This report will start the analysis from the view of internal motivations and then moving to the external causes. 4. 1 Internal reasons According to the perspective of Abraham Maslow who is well known for the hierarchy of needs theory, the pattern of behaviours based on individual needs (Poston, 2009).The following are psychological requirements which could associate with the fraudulent behaviours of officers at Alibaba in term of the greedy desire, the psychological imbalance and herd mentality. 4. 1. 1 The greedy desire It is difficult to satisfy individual demands because everyone would move to the next more advanced platform of the hierarchical pyramid that Maslow created frequently once the prior need is met, especially in modern society.Meanwhile, w hen setting Maslow’s model into the business to understand the motivation behind employees’ behaviours, it is not amazing to find that there are also have similar five levels of needs which including wages, safety, social belongingness, self-esteem and finally self-actualization. Maslow and Stephens (2000) have posited out that individuals will not spend an inordinate amount of time to think about their salaries if they are fairly paid. After being paid adequate salary, employee seeks safety physically and mentally on the jobs.And then the stage of needs moves to the third level subsequently-seeking social belongingness in the workplace. Although the working environment is always full of stress and difficulties, training provides opportunities for employees to improve themselves and contact with new people which could help them to fit in. Until the employee make themselves comfortable among different working relationship, it will not allowed to access to the hierarchy stage of self-esteem and self-actualization respectively.Unfortunately, after employees have been satisfied with all these five levels of needs, the worldview, philosophy and value view of them will be generally changed in a climate of corruption. With the early success of corrupt deals by heads of the sales department at Alibaba, they would have an addictive sense of satisfaction and accomplishment which lead to those guilty behaviours for greater interest repeat again and again naturally. In Skinnner’s reinforcement theory, Skinner (1984) has drawn attention to the fact that appropriate reinforcement based on public consequence may influence verbal response.It means that individuals would reinforce a kind of behaviour once its consequence benefit to them. Therefore, it makes sense that managers at Alibaba will help to defraud if dynamically taking managers’ greedy desire into consideration. 4. 1. 2 The psychological imbalance Employees of equal position and qualifica tion serviced in the parallel department with the same salary may have  quite different perceptions of the fairness. When they perceives the disparity between the inputs and the outputs,  different responds will be excepted in various ways, including de-motivation, reduced effort, becoming disgruntled and even disruptive.According to the Equity Theory of Adams, an individual will perceive the ratio of inputs to the outcomes depend not only on the absolute value but also in the relative value in order to measure whether himself or herself is treated fairly or not (Adams et al, 1976). This can be illustrated by the following equation: Individual’s outcomes/individual’s own inputs = relational partner’s outcomes/relational partner’s inputs (Adams et al, 1976). Equity is considered when this ratio is equal. While if this ratio is unequal, it leads to ‘equity tension’ which was called the negative tension state by Adam (1976).Meanwhile, it wil l motivate him or her to do something to relieve this tension. Therefore, it is why some leading cadres at Alibaba Group may feel unbalanced and help to defraud which negatively impact on the credibility of the company. With the rapid expansion of international business scale in the development of Alibaba Group, they consider their contribution to the company is greater than the return. As a result, corruption was caused secretly by the combination of selfish desire and power without supervision. 4. 2 External reasons 4. 2. 1 OpportunityThe officers participated in the fraud are almost from a high-powered job position in Alibaba Group and own important resource and privileges in the company. Therefore, it is easy for them to commit a crime with close interest people once they are lured by short-term profits. 4. 2. 2 The lack of control and management system It is not just incorrect psychological requirement or the unsound political system is blamed for breeding corruption, the lack of core value and culture control of the company is one of the significant factors which could not be ignored.The development of supervision before the event, at present and after the event all depends on the growth of the enterprise culture. Thus, if the pre-supervision runs into a problem, it represents the failure in enterprise culture management. There are six core values guide Alibaba Group’s operations and operate its culture, which including customer first, teamwork, embrace change, integrity passion and commitment (News, 1999). However, it is difficult to transform corporate culture into practice to some extent.Meanwhile, with the rapidly increased number of employees in Alibaba Group, the previous culture management has to further improve. Organizational culture diagnoses and cultural audits, for example, can give an accurate picture of an organization’s current management system (Mason, 2012). 5. Critical Reflection on group presentation Because our group has not given the presentation to the class, I could just conclud some limitation about the analysis of this report. Due to the theories of human resource management are not fully understood, the analysis of the case study about the Alibaba Group is not in-depth and incomplete.Moreover, the report has only provided superficial explanations of the issue because of the insufficient knowledge of Alibaba Group and the limitation of those methods linked with. Besides, the recommendations have not taken everything into consideration. They are too abstract and theoretical that are not seen as scientific, feasible suggestions in practice. However, analysing the issue of human resource management in the view of psychology is an innovative point of this report. 6. Recommendations 6. 1 Strengthen job rotation system in the key positionAlibaba Group should strengthen the job rotation system to avoid the corruption, especially in some key positions. According Shalley and Oldham (2004), employees wi ll have job burnout of different extents as well as reduction of creativity after 6 years working in the same position. However, if the company could do the job rotation periodically and provide support to any employees transitioning out of the company, the situation will be changed as it not only prevents managers from increasing spheres of influence, but also gives opportunities to employees to gain experience in their professions. 6. 2 Establish the mechanism of risk managementRisk management of all positions in the internal enterprise is an important part of the management system. Alibaba Group should clear the level of risk in different position and establish an internal regulatory system which includes ‘peer review’ mechanism, department regulatory system, internal audit and external audit mechanisms to ensure mutual supervision avoid unnecessary credit losses. 6. 3 Establish psychological management mechanism It is necessary to give psychological training program me at least once a month for intensifying the efforts of anti-corruption and enhancing the management of core value and culture in Alibaba Group.Besides, relevant department would better assign a special supervisor to investigate the staff on suspicion of corruption. 6. 4 Improve the mechanism of incentives and restrictions Alibaba Group should keep its employees hold the sense of crisis and responsibility and correct the psychological imbalance at the same time, such as using gaming-style leader boards to encourage internal competition or offer appropriate prizes to the most successful one. 6. Improve the standard system of selection and appointment Alibaba Group should try to improve the standard system of selection in order to ensure the person employed has higher organizational commitment. Additionally, it is necessary to introduce different kinds of methods of personal testing and assessment which combine the enterprise culture into the evaluation. References Mason, K. (2012). Informing a new business-to-business relationship: Corporate identity and the emergence of a relationship identity. European Journal of Marketing, 46 (7), p. 684-711. Poston, B. (2009). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.The Surgical Technologist, 8 p. 348-353. Available at: http://www. astd2007. ast. org/publications/Journal%20Archive/2009/8_August_2009/CE. pdf [Accessed: 03 Nov 2012]. ADAMS, J. S. , BERKOWITZ, L. , ; HATFIELD, E. (1976). Equity theory: toward a general theory of social interaction. New York, Academic Press. Bbc. co. uk (2011). BBC News – China arrests 36 for fraud on Alibaba and other sites. [online] Available at: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-13986308 [Accessed: 1 Nov 2012]. Economist. com (2012). An online-fraud scandal in China: Alibaba and the 2,236 thieves | The Economist. online] Available at: http://www. economist. com/blogs/newsbook/2011/02/online-fraud_scandal_china [Accessed: 05 Nov 2012]. Harpercollins. com (2008). Browse Inside In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America's Best-Run Companies by Thomas J. Peters, Robert H. Waterman, Jr.. [online] Available at: http://www. harpercollins. com/browseinside/index. aspx? isbn13=9780060548780 [Accessed: 09 Nov 2012]. Hua, T. (2012). Alibaba and the 2,236 thieves. Business Management, Iss. 5 p. 12-13. MASLOW, A. H. , & STEPHENS, D. C. (2000). The Maslow business reader. New York, N. Y. , J.Wiley. News. alibaba. com (2012). Alibaba Group. [online] Available at: http://news. alibaba. com/specials/aboutalibaba/aligroup/group_news. html [Accessed: 02 Nov 2012]. News. alibaba. com (1999). Alibaba Group. [online] Available at: http://news. alibaba. com/specials/aboutalibaba/aligroup/culture_values. html [Accessed: 05 Nov 2012]. Nytimes. com (2011). David Wei and Elvis Lee Quit Alibaba Amid Fraud Inquiry – NYTimes. com. [online] Available at: http://www. nytimes. com/2011/02/22/business/global/22alibaba. html [Accessed: 02 Nov 2012]. Shalley, C. and Oldham , G. (2004).Th e Effects of Personal and Contextual Characteristics on Creativity: Where Should We Go from Here? Journal of Management, 30 (6), p. 933-958. Skinner, B. (1981). Selection by consequences. Science, 212 (4507), p. 501-504. Skinner, B. (1984). The operational analysis of psychological terms. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 7 (4), p. 547-553. Available at: http://web. comhem. se/u68426711/rft/Skinner%201945%20The%20operational%20analysis%20of%20psychological%20terms. pdf [Accessed: 06 Nov 2012]. SUZANNE, B. And STEPHEN, D. (2003). Understanding and motivating health care employees:

Herbs and Aphrodisiacs essays

Herbs and Aphrodisiacs essays For centuries, men and women have actively sought after intimacy and sensuality to share with one another. Through the desire to please oneself and ones partner, people continue to seek after drugs and techniques that may enhance their sex lives. Both natural and man-made substances have been found to serve as aphrodisiacs. Among these herbs and substances there are a variety of practices, which may be performed in order to stimulate both the body and mind. Through our five senses, humans are continuously turned on and off when encountering everyday smells, tastes, sounds, fabrics, and visions. These aphrodisiacs are used as both an enhancement of ones sex life and as an emotional turn on. The definition of an aphrodisiac, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is an exciting sexual desire or activity, named after the Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. According to Theresa Crenshaw, ...love, however you define it, seems to be the best aphrodisiac of all. Everyones definition of love is different. What turns one on varies amongst each individual. An aphrodisiac can be found in an endless number of forms. Sexual arousal comes from physical, emotional, and even imaginable stimulation. A number of surveys have been conducted in order to research and study the sexual practices of our humanity. From my own personal experience and observation, I have had the pleasure of personally surveying and organizing discussions with groups of men and women about aphrodisiacs. Females tended to lean more toward their emotional side. Women, especially, need to feel confident and emotionally secure in order to feel fully sexually aroused. All of my girl friends are more physically satisfied when they are emotionally satisfied. Therefore, their turn-ons include romantic gestures and loyal dedication as primary stimulation. Then, they look toward the lips and the hands and the body language. Her pa...

St. Helena, Mother of Roman Emperor Constantine I

St. Helena, Mother of Roman Emperor Constantine I Helena was the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine I.  She was considered a  saint in the eastern and western churches, reported to be the discoverer of the true cross. Dates: About 248 CE to about 328 CE; her birth year is estimated from a report by the contemporary historian Eusebius that she was about 80 near the time of her death.Feast Day: August 19 in the western church, and May 21 in the eastern church. Also known as:  Flavia Iulia Helena Augusta, Saint Helena Helenas Origin The historian Procopius reports that Constantine named a city in Bithynia, Asia Minor, Helenopolis, to honor her birthplace, which implies but not with certainty that she was born there. That location is now in Turkey. Britain has been claimed as her birthplace, but that claim is unlikely, based on a medieval legend retold by Geoffrey of Monmouth. The claim that she was Jewish is also unlikely to be true. Trier (now in Germany) was claimed as her birthplace in 9th and 11th-century lives of Helena, but thats also unlikely to be accurate. Helenas Marriage Helena met an aristocrat, Constantius Chlorus, perhaps while he was among those fighting Zenobia. Some later sources allege they met in Britain. Whether they married legally or not is a matter of dispute among historians. Their son, Constantine, was born about 272. Its also not known whether Helena and Constantius had other children. Little is known of Helenas life for more than 30 years after her son was born. Constantius achieved higher and higher rank first under Diocletian, and then under his co-emperor Maximian. In 293 to 305, Constantius served as Caesar with Maximian as Augustus in the Tetrarchy. Constantius was married in 289 to Theodora, daughter of Maximian; either Helena and Constantius had divorced by that point, he had renounced the marriage, or they were never married. In 305, Maximian passed the title of Augustus to Constantius. As Constantius was dying in 306, he proclaimed his son by Helena, Constantine, as his successor. That succession seems to have been decided during Maximians lifetime. But that bypassed the younger sons of Constantius by Theodora, which would later be grounds for contention about the imperial succession. Mother of an Emperor When Constantine became emperor, Helenas fortunes changed, and she appears back in the public view. She was made nobilissima femina, noble lady. She was granted much land around Rome. By some accounts, including Eusebius of Caesarea, a major source for information about Constantine, in about 312 Constantine convinced his mother, Helena, to become a Christian. In some later accounts, both Constantius and Helena were said to have been Christians earlier. In 324, as Constantine won major battles ending the civil war in the wake of the failure of the Tetrarchy, Helena was granted the title of Augusta by her son, and again she received financial rewards with the recognition. Helena was involved in a family tragedy.  One of her grandsons, Crispus, was accused by his stepmother, Constantines second wife, Fausta, of trying to seduce her. Constantine had him  executed. Then Helena accused Fausta, and Constantine had Fausta executed as well.  Helenas grief was said to be behind her decision to visit the Holy Land. Travels In about 326 or 327, Helena traveled to Palestine on an official inspection for her son of the construction of churches that he had ordered. Although the earliest stories of this journey omit any mention of Helenas role in the discovery of the True Cross (on which Jesus was crucified, and which became a popular relic), later in the century she began to be credited by Christian writers with that find. In Jerusalem, she is credited with having a temple to Venus (or Jupiter) torn down and replaced with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where the cross was supposed to have been discovered. On that journey, she also is reported to have ordered built a church on the location identified with the burning bush in the story of Moses. Other relics she is credited with finding on her travels were nails from the crucifixion and a tunic worn by Jesus before his crucifixion. Her palace in Jerusalem was converted to the Basilica of the Holy Cross. Death Her death at perhaps Trier in 328 or 329 was followed by her burial at a mausoleum near the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Marcellinus near Rome, built on some of the lands which had been granted to Helena before Constantine was emperor. As happened with some other Christian saints, some of her bones were sent as relics to other locations. St. Helena was a popular saint in medieval Europe, with many legends told about her life. She was considered a model for a good Christian woman ruler.

In depth analysis about article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

In depth analysis about article - Essay Example The article contends that foreign trade does not necessarily increases the amount of value of commodity unless it is accompanied by increase in demand. This is important facet of economic principle that heavily relies on demand and supply of goods and services for optimal profit. The influx of capital and employability within the production process results in profits either due to new technology and methods that increase efficiency or there is decrease in wages that help to increase the percentage of profit. Thus, increase in revenue or decrease in consumption will result in accumulation of capital which can be gainfully employed for production of other commodities. They are indeed, vital inputs for trade and apply equally for domestic and foreign trade. Interestingly, the article also highlights that countries tend to favor import of those goods which have relatively higher cost of production. Ricardo gives example of corn which he says would be imported by England even if it has fe rtile land. Main reason is that it gains relatively higher profits on export of wine for which it has developed improved skill and technology which lower the cost of production.

Organizational Reuirements for Work Teams Essay

Organizational Reuirements for Work Teams - Essay Example In comparison with individual performance, teamwork proves to be very prolific when a certain duty requires performance of a set of numerous skills and experiences of diverse levels. The potentials of employees are best utilized in groups and teams which tend to be more supple and reactive toward varying and serious incidents. Good quality teamwork and the results acquired through a shared and synchronized effort adds a lot to the concept of organizational culture. A work team struggles to make joint endeavor and the result is more dynamic than all efforts when done individually. This benefit is what all organizations are working to get by deploying work teams no matter how expensive team management is. In a hospital setting as mine, work teams are a very effective means of achieving high quality management of patients, hospital, employees, and information base. Metzger (2007) asserts in her article that, â€Å"Most healthcare professionals agree that teamwork provides comprehensive patient care and better functional outcomes for patients.† However, she says that assembling a team within a medical center or a university-affiliated hospital setting is a much difficult task. ... They studied the core competencies required by the team leader that help him to make the team members perform multiple tasks at the same time, and found that, â€Å"Managing a department that is going through continuous changes is often difficult† (p.124). To counter this difficulty, the team leaders are required to develop such competencies and leadership qualities with the help of which they are able to â€Å"perform new roles and functions in the complex health care environment†, according to Guo and Company (2007, p.124). Their study illustrates that ethical leadership is the most important organizational requirement that must be set in place to set the stage for successful work teams. Leggat (2007) asserts that the basic requirement for setting up of effective health care teams within hospitals is its effective team members. If the team members have the required skills and teamwork competencies, then this ensures the successful functioning of work teams and guarant ees that a collaborative effort will be made toward the achievement of high quality health care. According to Leggat, although it is well accepted that effective team members are vital for healthcare work teams, yet it is still not understood as to what basic competencies are required of these team members to be effective. He conducted a survey whose participants were members of a state branch of the professional association of Australian health service managers, and found that â€Å"leadership, knowledge of organizational goals and strategies and organizational commitment, respect for others, commitment to working collaboratively and to achieving a quality outcome† were the most important organizational requirements for the setting up of productive work teams inside a

Comparing Ethiopia to Other Countries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparing Ethiopia to Other Countries - Essay Example â€Å"According to the neo classical growth theory, output growth results from one or more of three factors: increases in labor quantity and quality, increases in capital, and improvements in technology† (Todaro & Smith, 2003 p 164). Thus, the concept of neoclassical growth theory states that growth of an economy stops when the technological change ends. A technological change leads to an increase in saving and investment and there by increases the real GDP per capita. In the context of Ethiopia the theory of neoclassical growth theory has relevance in the respect of underdevelopment. The lack technology has pulled back Ethiopian economy from attaining development. In other words technological backwardness has contributed to the lesser growth of Ethiopia. This is clear from the GDP ratios of the country. Ethiopia’s GDP remained at â€Å"$1000 in 2010† (Human Development Report 2009: M Economy and Inequality, 2009). The Human Development Index indicates that the H DI of Ethiopia were just 0.328 in 2010. In HDI ranking Ethiopia had171st rank† (Human Development Report 2009: M Economy and Inequality, 2009). ... This will increase income, savings and investments, which, in turn, can lead to economic development. â€Å"The role of Lewis theory in Ethiopia is also showing a negative trend. The relevance of the theory in a country is highlighted when there occur a shift in the employment rate from agriculture to industry sector. The data regarding the employment in agriculture and industry of Ethiopia shows that the role of the Lewis theory in the development of a country is more relevant. The employment rate of Ethiopia in the agriculture sector during 2009 was 85% while that of industry was just 5%† (Intelligence Throughout History: Birth of Overhead Reconnaissance, 1861). The Big Push Theory: The Big Push Theory by Paul N. Rosenstein Rodan calls for a big investment from the government’s side, for attaining economic growth in an underdeveloped country. â€Å"The Big Push is a model of how the presence of market failures can lead to a need for a concerted economy wide and proba bly public policy- led effort to get the long process of economic development underway, or to accelerate it† (Todaro & Smith, 2003 p 162). A big investment by the government encourages more growth in that sector, which ultimately leads to the development of that particular sector and, therefore, attracts more investment by individuals and firms. The relevance of big push theory in Ethiopia is seen from the aid given by the government and the UN in various situations including the natural calamities. This big push has helped the Ethiopian economy in improving their HDI rank during past years. Market friendly approach: Market friendly approach was first put forward by World Bank, which gave a much

Summary of Critical Theory

Summary of Critical Theory The Central Claims of Critical Theory In order to understand the central claims of Critical Theory, it must first be defined. What is Critical Theory? Critical Theory first coined as such in 1937 is a name given to a series of new approaches to the study of culture, literature and thought that developed during the 1960’s primarily in France (Leitch, 2001). It refers to a series of pathways for intellectual inquiry that first emerged with the end of the 18th century European Enlightenment (mid 1600’s to late 1700’s) (Nowlan, 2001) in which the causes associated with it were legal equality, the right of ordinary Europeans to hold their rulers to account, the rule of law, transparent government, freedom of expression, the right of nations to self-determination and to freedom from colonial domination – and they are as relevant today as they were two hundred years ago (Glendening, 2003). Critical theory questions and challenges that which seems obvious, natural and simple in the world around us â⠂¬â€œ the conviction that what is, or what is in the process of becoming, or what appears to be, or what is most commonly understood to be, or necessary and inevitable – it does not accept any of this (Nowlan). The Frankfort School is the name given to a group of German Jewish intellectuals associated with the Institute for Social Research (Institut fur Sozialforschung) founded in 1923. Their work was an attempt to integrate psychoanalytic insights and the domain of culture into a Marxist analysis of twentieth century societies. The group composite was that of thinkers such as Horkheimer, Adorno and Marcuse (Agger, 1993). According to these theorists a â€Å"critical† theory may be distinguished from a â€Å"traditional† theory according to a specific practical purpose: a theory is critical to the extent that it seeks human emancipation, â€Å"to liberate human beings from the circumstances that enslave them† (Horkheimer, 1982, 244). Theories aim to explain and transform circumstances; critical theories provide the descriptive and normative bases for social inquiry aimed at decreasing domination and increasing freedom in their forms. A clarification is given to what is not clearly understood or is questionable. Theories arise in many ranges – anthropology, film, religion, linguistics and political science – and even family lifestyle. Critical theory is not a system, nor it is reducible to any fixed set of proscriptions (Bronner, 2002). Today, social theory is in crisis because of growing dissatisfaction with the dominant methodologies and conceptions of social theory and research. The 1960’s is when Stephen Eric Bronner became interested in critical theory as new theoretical paradigms emerged that questioned prevailing quantitative, empiricist, and positivist conceptions of social theory. But where did the central claim of critical theory begin? Since the Frankfort School was the first Marxist-oriented research center affiliated with a major German university directed by Carl Grunberg, it tended to be empirical, historical, and oriented toward problems of the European working class movement. Works by Karl Korsch, Georg Lukacs and others also had works published in its journal Archiv fur die Geschichte des Sozialismus und der Arbeiterbewegung. Grunberg retired in 1930 and Max Horkheimer became the director. Under Horkheimer, the Institute sought to develop an interdisciplinary social theory which could serve as an instrument of social transformation publishing a journal Zeitschrift fur Sozialforschung (1932-1941) that contained a wholesome collection of articles and book reviews. These compilations detailed social theory and defined any misconceptions of their meaning. Horkheimer, upon assuming his position as Director, delivered an inaugural address on January 24, 1931, entitled â€Å"The State of Social Philosophy and the Tasks of an Institute for Social Research (Bronner and Keller 1989: 25-36). Within the contents of the text, he defines social philosophy as an attempt to elucidate the â€Å"fate of human beings, insofar as they are parts of state, law, economy, religion, in short, with the entire material and spiritual culture of humanity. He criticizes Kant for grounding social philosophy in the experience and faculties of the particular individual (Ibid: 33) and praises Hegel’s theory as an improvement but yet questions speculative metaphysics and their tendencies to celebrate a higher transcendental sphere of Being and meaning over concrete existence. (ibid:38-39). Horkheimer continued to defend the importance for critical social theory and envisaged a program of supra-disciplinary research which would investigate current social an d political problems. Philosophers, sociologists, economists, historians, and psychologists would be united in and ongoing research community who would do together what in other disciplines one individual does alone in a laboratory, which is what genuine scientists have always done: namely to pursue the great philosophical question using the most refined scientific methods; to reformulate and to make more precise the questions in the course of work as demanded by the object; and to develop new methods without losing sight of the universal (ibid:41). Hence we see the first steps toward the formation of critical theory in the making. It is impossible to characterize the â€Å"Frankfort School† as a whole since its work spanned several decades and involved a variety of thinkers who later engaged in sharp debates with each other. Rather, one should perceive various phases of Institute work: 1) the empirical-historical studies of the Grunberg era; 2) the attempts in the early to mid-1930’s to establish a materialist supra-disciplinary social theory under Horkheimer’s directorship; 3) the attempts to develop a critical theory of society during the exile period from about 1937 to the early 1940’s; 4) the dispersion of Institute members in the 1940’s and the new directions sketched out by Horkheimer and Adorno; 5) the return of the Institute to Germany and its work in Frankfurt during the 1950’s and 1960’s; 6) the development of critical theory in various directions by Fromm, Lowenthal, Marcuse, and others who remained in the U.S.; 7) the continuation of Institute projec ts and development of critical theory in Germany by Jurgen Habermas, Oskar Negt, Alfred Schmidt, and others in the 1970’s and 1980’s; and finally 8) contributions to critical theory by a variety of younger theorists and scholars currently active in Europe and the United States. Kellner believes that a crisis of critical theory emerged with its fragmentation after World War II. Social theory stopped developing despite some empirical research projects and sustained meta-theoretical analyses be certain of its members, especially Adorno (Kellner, 1989). He believes that critical theory provides the most advanced theoretical perspectives within contemporary social theory from the 1930’s through the early 1960’s; new socio-cultural developments since then have rendered obsolete some of its theses concerning on-dimensional society, the media, technology, and so on. In particular, critical theory has not continued to theorize new technologies, new developments in the media, changes in socialization practices, and new cultural developments. This is surprising as earlier contributions were precisely in these areas (Wiggershaus, 1986). Adorno did a great deal of work in social theory in the 1950’s and 1960’s, as well as turning out an incredible profusion of texts in the areas of literary criticism, cultural critique, philosophy, and aesthetics. His work turned from supra-disciplinary research to philosophical reflections (Kellner, 1989). Herbert Marcuse argued that Marxism had degenerated into a rigid orthodoxy and needed concrete experience to revivify the theory and that it neglected individual’s problems. He was concerned about individual liberation and well-being in addition to social transformation. The intentions of his writings were of great interest, yet many were unpublished and unknown (Kellner, 1984). The theory of hegemony by Antonio Gramsci reserves a place for the intellectuals in society. Men find themselves born in a process independent of their will, they cannot control it, they can seek only to understand it and guide their actions accordingly was noted to be economic determination by Marx. Gramsci was concerned to eradicate economic determinism to develop its explanatory power with respect to super-structural institutions. His holdings were that class struggle must always involve ideas and ideologies, ideas that would make the revolution and also that would prevent it. He stressed the role performed by human agency in historical change: economic crises by themselves would not subvert capitalism. He was more â€Å"dialectic† than â€Å"deterministic†: he tried to build a theory which recognized the autonomy, independence and importance of culture and ideology (Strinati, 1995). The works in the last decade relative to critical theory has followed Habermas in attempt to develop a more adequate philosophical aspect of critical theory (Heinemann, 1986). A deficit of social research and elaboration of new theoretical perspectives has come about with contributions from members of the postmodern camp who attempt to theorize the impact of new technologies, the media, and other socio-cultural developments (Kellner, 1988 and 1989). The focus on democracy as the location for cooperative, practical and transformative activity continues in the work of Jurgen Habermas, as does the attempt to determine the nature and limits of â€Å"real democracy† in complex pluralistic, and globalizing societies. Habermas’ work is concerned with rethinking the tradition of critical theory and German social philosophy. He has advanced that tradition in distinctive ways. His rationality consists not so much in the possession of knowledge and thus primarily concerned with the consistency and conten of one’s belief’s, but rather in â€Å"how speaking and acting subjects acquire and use knowledge† (Habermas, 1984). Rationality, freedom and justice are not just theoretical issues to be explored and debated. Habermas’ entire work aims to defend and continue the enlightenment project against the challenge of Weber’s instrumental rationality, Horkheimer and Adorno’s earlier critical t heory and Nietzscheanism in the forms of post-structuralism as presented by Foucault and Derrida and the postmodernism of Lyotard. The reconciliation of the competition of claims of the reason of the life and the world are contributions of Habermas to contemporary and social theory. His account and his answers are not complete, but raise questions without losing the hope of continued research (Rasmussen, 1990). People create conditions and deal with them. Their opinions influence the thoughts of others. In his theory, Habermas fails to incorporate or appreciate gender and racial inequality. Habermas’ calls for particular â€Å"reconstructive sciences,† whose aim it is to render theoretically explicit the intuitive, pre-theoretical know-how underlying such basic human competences as speaking and understanding, judging, and acting. It is not certain if Habrmas’ theories are built on a conception of the world in which essentialist characteristics (middle class, white, males, or class) dominate. Historically discourses of rationality and progress have sided with men over women (Stanley and Pateman, 1991). Certain valuable elements are cited of by Selya Benhabib (1986) that can provide basis for a wide-ranging normative critique of contemporary society. An excerpt from Critical Theory and Society: A Reader: â€Å"essay is a stylistic vehicle with its inherently unfinished quality is the logical form for generating anti-systemic claims and fostering the existence of reflexivity† perhaps best describes the logic that inspired Bronner and Kellner to publish this book. Within is a collection of seminal essays, many appearing in English for the first time, which provides an excellent overview of the critical theory developed by the Frankfurt School. An essay is a short work that treats of a topic from an author’s personal point of view, often taking into account subjective experiences and personal reflections upon them (Wikipedia). What better way can a criticism be announced than through an essay? Personal opinions are relished because they may have something within their contents that was not seen by others. In the essay Le Prix Du Progress by Max Horkheimer exemplifies the nature of discussions that were presented to the early theorists. A French physiologist, Pierre Flourens, was disenchanted with the use of chloroform. He states his belief, and cites his reasoning. The essay ends with Horkheimer’s comments. Somewhat in the form of an editorial for a newspaper, but yet an answer is given. A concern was presented – a problematic thought was answered. Another famous essay by Theodor Adorno elaborates on Culture Industry Reconsidered. In it Adorno explains the term culture industry, corrects inconsistencies from a prior publication and remarks on the term â€Å"mass culture† (from â€Å"The Culture Industry: Selected Essays on Mass Cuture† London: Routledge, 1991). In Critical Theory and Society: A Reader are included the works of Horheimer, Erich Fromm, Lowenthal, Pellock, Herbert Marcuse, to mention a few. The time realm of critical theory displays evidence that modern culture needs to redefine the conclusions of its predecessors. The understanding of theories, imply that they have to be updated continually to include new circumstances. Modernization has to be critiqued to include the changing of the times. We should be concerned with something other than uncovering the past. Instead we should reinvigorate the present, salvage the Enlightenment legacy, and contest those who would institutionally freeze its radicalism and strip away its protest character (Israel, 2001). The inclusion of the way people act and why they act can begin with critical theory of family. Family history provides an example of some of the theoretical deficiencies as in social scenes. The family is attacked and defended with equal vehemence. With a dominant empiricist tradition, historians have come to the field of family history without a clear sense of what the significant questions are. They have not self-consc iously theorized the family as a field of investigation. Instead they began by adopting the conventional wisdom of sociology which, goes back for Federic Le Play (L’Organisation de la famille selon le vrai modele signale par l’histoire de toutes les races et de tous les temps –Paris, 1871), and saw a broad change in the family from an extended form of the Middle Ages to a nuclear form of modernity (Shorter, 1975). From the family come the leaders of the world. Understanding distinct family structures enables an outline to the future tasks of its members. The tendency of Marxist social theorists is to view the family as a dependent variable, a secondary structure, unintelligible in its own right, which will change after the revolution. The family is an intelligible as a structure (Morgan, 1975) composed of race, religion, gender, which impose these factors towards their beliefs. From a â€Å"Gramscian† perspective the mass media have to be interpreted as an instrument to spread and reinforce dominant hegemony – or they can be used to spread counter-hegemonic ideas too. â€Å"Pop culture and the mass media are subject to the production, reproduction and transformation of hegemony through the institution of civil society which cover the areas of cultural production and consumption. Hegemony operates culturally and ideologically through the institutions of civil society which characterizes mature liberal-democratic, capitalist societies. These institutions include education, the family, the church, the mass media, popular culture, etc. (Strinati, 1995: 168-169). From Strinati’s point of view the main problem with Gramsci’s ideas is the same as the the Frankfurt School’s theories and Althusser’s work: their Marxist background. The framework does not allow history to contradict the theory, and the interpretation of reality becomes rather elementary. Critical Theory offers an approach to distinctly normative issues that cooperates with the social sciences in a nonproductive way. Its domain is inquiry into the normative dimension of social activity, in particular how actors employ their practical knowledge and normative attitudes from complex perspectives in various sorts of contexts. It also must consider social facts as problematic situations from the point of view of variously situated agents. In conclusion, Kellner feels that in order to find a way out of the contemporary crisis of social theory, it must develop new perspectives. Critical Theory should be responded to with theoretical analyses of developments within the capitalist economy and of changes in class stratification, the labor process, new technologies, the media, and politics. The central claims of critical theory should be emphasized by those who wish to revitalize it in an attempt to politicize it with new social movements and existing political struggles to buil d a better society. The development of both its â€Å"analysis of the present situation and a new politics is in order to become once again the cutting edge of radical social theory† (Kellner, 1989). Critical theory enables the development and refinement of the ability to engage in comments as critics, through movements encompassed around incomprehensible situations of society. All productive and concerned citizens should be the empowered critical agents that are able to question, challenge and contribute toward the progress of transformation of the prevailing status quo within the communities, societies, and cultures that are worked in to help maintain and reproduce every day. In relation citizens should not only be inescapably interested, but also vitally important as participants to opinionate on theory (Nowlan). BIBLIOGRAPHY Agger, Ben. 1993. The Discourse of Domination: From the Frankfurt School to Postmodernism. Northwestern University Press. January. Bronner, Stephen Eric. 2002. Critical Theory Its Theorists. Routledge Publishers: 2nd Edition. April. Bronner, Stephen Eric and Douglas Keller. 1989. Critical Theory and Society: A Reader. New York and London: Routledge. Glendening, Marc. 2003. Visions for a democratic Europe. Brussels, December 12. Habermas, J. 1987. The Theory of Communicative Action. Volumes 1 and 2. Boston: Beacon Press. Heinemann, Benhabib, Seyla. 1986. Critique, Norm, and Utopia. New York: Columbia University Press. Horkheimer, M, 1982. Critical Theory. New York: Seabury Press. Israel, Jonathan. 2001. Radical Enlightenment: Philosophy and theMaking of Modernity 1650-1750. Oxford University Press. Kellner, Douglas. 1984. Herbert Marcuse and the Crisis of Marxism. London and Berkeley: Macmillian and University of California Press. 1988. Postmodernism as Social Theory: Some Problems and Challenges,† Theory, Culture Society, Vol. 5: 240-269. 1989. Critical Theory, Marxism, and Modernity. Cambridge and Baltimore: Polity Press and John Hopkins University Press. Leitch, Vincent B. et al. (eds), The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism (New York/London: W.W. Norton, 2001. Morgan, D.H.J. Social Theory and the Family. London, 1975. Nowlan, Bob. Introduction: What Is Critical Theory and Why Study It? University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. September 21, 2001. Stanley, L and Pateman, C. 1991. Feminist Interpretations and Political Theory. Cambridge: Polity. Rasmussen, D. 1990. Reading Habermas. London: Blackwell. Shorter, Edward. The Making of the Modern Family. New York. 1975. Strinati, Dominic. 1995. An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture. Rouyledge, London. Wiggershaus, Rolf. 1986. 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