The Federal Reserve s Goal Essay - 897 Words

The Federal Reserve’s goal is to keep the national inflation rate at 2 percent. This change is seen when buying groceries. The price of milk goes from $2 to $2.04. This can prove costly when the 2 percent is added over time. So, why is inflation out pacing minimum wage? The answer, because it will do harm to employees and business owners. Supporters of an increase in minimum wage, the McDonalds employees that demand $15 per hour, argue that they need a â€Å"living pay†. They state that it will bring workers out of poverty and will have little negative effects. There is evidence to support this claim. One of them being that when the minimum wage increased from $6.25 to $7.25, there was no immediate negative affect. Research done by PolitiFact states that, â€Å"the poverty line is $11,670 for a one-person household, $15,730 for a two-person household, $19,790 for a three-person household, $23,850 for a four-person household, and up from there†(Louis). Therefore, increasing the minimum wage would set every worker above the poverty line. However, this is only if all the workers keep their job. According to Paul Samuelson, winner of the Nobel Prize in economics, the problem lies in the decrease of jobs that an increase of minimum wage will create. Samuelson argues, â€Å"What good does it do a black youth to know that an employer must pay him $2 an hour if the fact that he must be paid that amount is what keeps him from getting a job†(Henderson). Samuelson states that increasing minimumShow MoreRelatedThe Federal Reserve s Goal887 Words   |  4 PagesThe Federal Reserve’s goal is to keep the national inflation rate at 2 percent. This change is seen when buying groceries. Th e price of milk goes from $2 to $2.04. This can prove costly when the 2 percent is added over time. So, why is inflation out pacing minimum wage? The answer, because it will do harm to employees and business owners. Supporters of an increase in minimum wage, the McDonalds employees that demand $15 per hour, argue that they need a â€Å"living pay†. Furthermore, they state that itRead MoreThe Federal Reserve : The Central Bank Of The United States1526 Words   |  7 Pages The Federal Reserve Introduction The Federal Reserve, also known as the Fed is the central bank of the United States. The system was created on December 1913 during the reign of President Woodrow Wilson. It was during this time that President Woodrow signed the Federal Reserve Act, incorporating it into the law. The Congress was behind the creation of the Federal Reserve with the ultimate goal of making it safer and more reliable to keep the money. The Congress was also compelled to establishingRead MoreThe Tour Of Federal Reserve Houston Branch1510 Words   |  7 PagesThe fed tour The tour of Federal Reserve Houston branch was so interesting. After that tour, I was impressive by the Fed’s function. As the textbook mentioned, The Federal Reserve System is the central bank of the United States and is responsible for setting monetary policy and regulating the banking system. [1] So the Fed has play extremely important role in the national economic. Many countries has their own central bank, such as England established their central bank in 1694, japan establishedRead MoreEconomics Analysis : The Federal Reserve Essay1717 Words   |  7 Pagesof the Federal Reserve† a mere recital of the economic policies of government all over the world is calculated to cause any serious student of economics to throw up his hands in despair (pg, 74). The Federal Reserve is now in the business of enforcing the United States government’s drug laws, even if that means making a mockery of both state governments’ right to set their drug policies and the Fed’s governing statutes. A Federal Reserve official who played a key role in the government s responseRead MoreThe Federal Reserve Is The Central Banking System Of The United States1364 Words   |  6 Pageshe Federal Reserve is the central banking system of the United States, which controls the monetary policy of the US (Hubbard). When first conceived in 1913 its prima ry function was to protect banks, but, in part due to the Great Depression, the role the Federal Reserve plays in the economy has evolved into something much more influential. Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chair from 2006-2014, said in a speech in 2002 while he was still just a board member regarding the Federal Reserve’s role inRead MoreMonetary Policy Of The Federal Reserve System1187 Words   |  5 PagesMost people don’t understand Economic growth or what takes place in the economy with regard to inflation, unemployment, or interest rates. These things are all regulated by the central bank called the Federal Reserve System. The tope covered in this paper is the monetary policy which is the policy that decides if unemployment, interest, and inflation decreases or increases. The Monetary policy decides what price a person pays for an item at the store, how much interest a person will get charged onRead MoreThe Federal Reserve System Is The Central Banking System Of The United States987 Words   |  4 PagesThe Federal Reserve system is the central banking system of the United States. It was created because there were a series of panics in the U.S that needed to be controlled in the monetary system. The main points of this system that was created was to originally maximize employment, stabilize prices, and moderate long-term interest rates. It now does much more for example it supervises and regulates banks, maintains the stability of the financial system and provides financial services to depositoryRead MoreThe Federal Reserve Transparency Act1492 Words   |  6 PagesWhen discussing various issues affecting the federal government, transparency issues have to be put on the front line because the Federal Reserve’s should have one of the most transparent systems. The Federal Reserve transparency act was formulated in order to ensure that there is transparency in the federal reserves through making the federal government publicize mo st of the financial institutions that it offers loans to and the organizations which use the open market operations in order to purchaseRead MoreImpact Of Gdp On Consumer Spending939 Words   |  4 Pagesinside of a nation s outskirts in a particular time period, however GDP is normally figured on a yearly premise. It incorporates all of private and open utilization, government expenses, ventures and fares less imports that happen inside of a characterized domain. Gross domestic product = C + G + I + NX, where: C is equivalent to all private utilization, or purchaser spending, in a country s economy ,G is the whole of government spending ,I is the whole of all the nation s organizations spendingRead MoreThe Federal Reserve System Is The Central Banking System Of The United States1459 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The Federal Reserve System is the central banking system of the United States. The Federal Reserve System is there to help out when a series of financial hardships and panics happen in our economy. One of the leading changes in the Fed system was the Great Depression. This put the economy in a lot of stress and the banking system in a crisis. There were three objectives for the monetary policy. The three objectives were to increase employment, target the discount rate, and monitor

The Horrors Of Beauty Pageants - 1242 Words

Breeley Eichenberger Mrs. Berkley/Ms. Slaughter English III, Period 8 7 April 2017 Horrors of Beauty Pageants Each year, around three million children, ages 6 to 16, will compete in a beauty pageant. When a child enters to compete in a beauty pageant, it not only damages the child now, but as well as later in life. Also, the standards that these children are held to while competing in a beauty pageant is affecting their development. Many people say that self-confidence is something many people lack these days. When a parent enters their child in a beauty pageant, self-confidence is a skill they develop. Beauty pageants are often given the task of speaking and performing in front of a crowd. Practicing these skills early in life can†¦show more content†¦The child does not even want to be there, and is visibly upset because they do not want to be there (Yap). This is a problem. The parents force their children to compete, when there can be children, young enough to take naps that cannot take them. This actually damages the health of the child. Parents devoted multiple hours a day to preparing their child(s) to enter in a beauty pageant, but with that practice, they take away the time for their kid to live a fulfilled childhood. Parents are putting their beauty contestant in scandalous outfits, and mistreating their child’s body. JonBenet Ramsey was a six-year-old beauty pageant contestant. She was brutally beaten and murdered, and her dead body was found in a storage room by her father. Many believe that the cause of her murder was due to her involvement in beauty pageants. The sexualization of her body by being scantily dressed and heavy makeup is believed to have caused her death. Parents take extreme measures to make their child flawless. Duct tape, vaseline, super glue, hemorrhoid cream, and many other crazy things are being used on children, which could have a painful after effect (Panahi). â€Å"I remember the first time I came across an episode of TLC s Toddlers and Tiaras. I was horrified. The show, in case you have not seen it, shows girls, most of whom are barely out of diapers, being spray-tanned and waxed, painted with lipstick, fitted with hair extensions and false eyelashes, and zippe d intoShow MoreRelatedBeauty Pageants Controversy1379 Words   |  6 Pagesconfidence when they become older, but there are so many biased opinions about beauty pageants for kids. After seeing young kids spray tanned, in revealing attire and a full face of makeup, beauty pageants are nothing less than blatant objectifications of these young girls. As entertaining and hysterical beauty pageants can be, pageants have raised immense controversy throughout the world. What is a beauty pageant? A beauty pageant is a competition that focuses on the physical appearance of its contestantsRead MoreChild Beauty Peageants Essay1311 Words   |  6 Pages1.1 Background of Issue In this 21st century, it is not odd to see beauty pageant competitions all around the world. Atlantic City was the first to introduce beauty pageant in the 1920s. The world of pageantry was introduced when the business owner need a source of attraction for tourists after Labor Day. This business started with swimming suit competition and later added as the years passed by. In the 1950s, pageantry became famous when it was aired on television. However, in the 1970s, this competitionRead MoreToddlers and Tiaras Essay1135 Words   |  5 Pages I don’t think of little girls dancing around a stage in front of hundreds of people getting judged on their â€Å"beauty.† Well, that is exactly what children’s pageants consist of. Pageants exploit a child for their outer beauty, their talents and over all perfection or as pageant judges would call it having† the whole package.† I bet pedophiles think the same thing and find these pageants very entertaining. And most of all, I don’t want to see a mother trying to live out her dreams through her three-year-oldRead MoreAmerican, Little Miss Sunshine, By Jonathan Dayton And Valerie Faris1675 Words   |  7 Pagesroaming magazine crew critiques the American Dream through the lens of this cynicism. Conversely, the 2006 comedy Little Miss Sunshine by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris follows the journey of a dysfunctional family’s road trip to California for a beauty pageant. These two films offer insights to the American Dream from delightfully different perspectives, and define not only success but true happiness in accordance and rejection to different parts of the American Dream. Arnold’s critique of the AmericanRead MoreThe Unfortunate Prevalence of Cosmetic Surgery1960 Words   |  8 Pagesto consider the option of ordering beauty. Since cosmetic surgery is no longer a social taboo in America given its widespread popularity, more people are promoting it which ultimately affects the rest of the world due to the unwavering influence of American culture. Cosmetic surgery should be deterred in the US because it promotes the idea of valuing appearance over ability, gives rise to unrealistic expectations, and brings with it high cost to society. Beauty Before Brains Discrimination at theRead MoreSummary Of Good Morning By Paul Said2543 Words   |  11 Pagesbasement and began to throw a tantrum. I didn’t want to look. I was terrified of what I might see at the bottom of the stairs. â€Å"It’s her fault, she should have listened!† Michael said. He wailed and his words became inaudible. I braced myself for the horrors that I prayed not to see. Please, Lord, I thought, anything but what I am imagining. Paul screamed, and I knew. It felt like there were a thousand stairs on my way down to the basement. Has there always been this many stairs? I choked back the vomitRead MoreEssay about British Romanticism1831 Words   |  8 Pagessuch a question; however, few realize that a similar question was posed and a similar answer given back in Romantic Great Britain, but to a whole new degree. British Romanticism was a reaction against technology as well as a cry to turn back to the beauty of nature, and its advocating troops held no more than a pen and paper in hand (Lorcher). Authors of the Romantic era used literature to open the eyes of a society bogged down by the chaos and clutter of everyday life, and the ideas that they promotedRead MoreEating Disorders: Disease or Choice?2953 Words   |  12 Pagesbecause with the growing impact of the media, the death rate from eating disorders will only increase. The worldwide role model for generations of women, Barbie, does not fall short of perfection. Although, what many girls do not know, are the horrors of what a real, life-size Barbie would be like. Dr. Margo Maine, in her book, Body Wars, reveals the truth behind a human Barbie: â€Å"If Barbie were an actual woman, she would be 59 tall, have a 39 bust, an 18 waist, 33 hips and a size 3 shoe† (â€Å"Barbies†Read MoreThe Civil Rights Movement, And Star Trek3373 Words   |  14 Pagesyoung college women. Their goals were to change the minds of people and not just the laws. This group focused upon cultural and social forms of oppression and the persistent stereotyping of women. In 1968 they held a protest outside the Miss America Pageant and put a Miss America sash on a sheep and paraded it around. The Barbie Doll was another stereotype because it held that for a woman to be beautiful she had to look like Barbie who had unattainable proportions to her body. Advertisements duringRead MoreMasculinity in the Philippines12625 Words   |  51 Pagesconscription produce soldiers, it also shaped gender roles in the wider society. To prepare every male for military service, European nations constructed a stereotype of men as courageous, honorable, and physically formed on borrowed Greek standards of male beauty. By the 1920s, women were, through this century-long process, transformed into static immutable symbols in order to command the attention of truly masculine men.I4 Rhetoric of Colonial Masculinity Although the American colonial regime eventually

Disater Management free essay sample

Disaster Resistant Construction Practices Introduction Disaster Resistant construction practices are as important as disaster resistant structrual designs. Infact the methodology for construction also should be designed for disaster resistance. We should have proper implemenation of the structural details so as to let the structure behave as envisiged. The quality and methodology of construction is equally important. For example we use cover blocks. If the cover blocks are not cast properly in good quality concrete then they facilitate concrete deterioration. Ultimately this affects durability and serviceablity of the structure. The Durability and serviceablity are the key elements of any structure. Ensuring Quality in construction will enable achieving durability and serviceablity as a desired end result. Openings too close to corners Too high and long walls Use of Cut Lintels Usually a building comprises of: 1. Walls 2. Openings 3. Foundation 4. Plinth 5. Beams/Columns 6. Roof / Slabs Deficient Bond at corners Parts of a Building Differential settlement due to soft soil. We will write a custom essay sample on Disater Management or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

King Lear Assignment Essays (1858 words) - King Lear, Goneril

King lear Assignment King lear Assignment Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear is a detailed description of the consequences of one man's decisions. This fictitious man is Lear, King of England, who's decisions greatly alter his life and the lives of those around him. As Lear bears the status of King he is, as one expects, a man of great power but sinfully he surrenders all of this power to his daughters as a reward for their demonstration of love towards him. This untimely abdication of his throne results in a chain reaction of events that send him through a journey of hell. King Lear is a metaphorical description of one man's journey through hell in order to expiate his sin. As the play opens one can almost immediately see that Lear begins to make mistakes that will eventually result in his downfall. The very first words that he speaks in the play are :- "...Give me the map there. Know that we have divided In three our kingdom, and'tis our fast intent To shake all cares and business from our age, Conferring them on younger strengths while we Unburdened crawl to death..." (Act I, Sc i, Ln 38-41) This gives the reader the first indication of Lear's intent to abdicate his throne. He goes on further to offer pieces of his kingdom to his daughters as a form of reward to his test of love. "Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn, And here are to be answered. Tell me, my daughters (Since now we will divest us both of rule, Interest of territory, cares of state), Which of you shall we say doth love us most? That we our largest bounty may extend where nature doth with merit challenge." (Act I, Sc i, Ln 47-53) This is the first and most significant of the many sins that he makes in this play. By abdicating his throne to fuel his ego he is disrupts the great chain of being which states that the King must not challenge the position that God has given him. This undermining of God's authority results in chaos that tears apart Lear's world. Leaving him, in the end, with nothing. Following this Lear begins to banish those around him that genuinely care for him as at this stage he cannot see beyond the mask that the evil wear. He banishes Kent, a loyal servant to Lear, and his youngest and previously most loved daughter Cordelia. This results in Lear surrounding himself with people who only wish to use him which leaves him very vulnerable attack. This is precisely what happens and it is through this that he discovers his wrongs and amends them. Following the committing of his sins, Lear becomes abandoned and estranged from his kingdom which causes him to loose insanity. While lost in his grief and self-pity the fool is introduced to guide Lear back to the sane world and to help find the lear that was ounce lost behind a hundred Knights but now is out in the open and scared like a little child. The fact that Lear has now been pushed out from behind his Knights is dramatically represented by him actually being out on the lawns of his castle. The terrified little child that is now unsheltered is dramatically portrayed by Lear's sudden insanity and his rage and anger is seen through the thunderous weather that is being experienced. All of this contributes to the suffering of Lear due to the gross sins that he has committed. The pinnacle of this hell that is experienced be Lear in order to repay his sins is at the end of the play when Cordelia is killed. Lear says this before he himself dies as he cannot live without his daughter. "Howl, howl, howl! O, you are men of stones. Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so That heaven's vault should crack. She's gone for ever! I know when one is dead, and when one lives. She's dead as earth. Lend me a looking glass. If that her breath will mist or stain the stone, Why, then she lives." (Act V, Sc iii, Ln 306-312) All of this pain that Lear suffered is traced back to the single most important error that he made. The choice to give up his throne. This one sin has proven to have massive repercussions upon Lear and the lives of those around him eventually killing almost all of those who were involved. And one is left to ask one's self if

Proxemics essays

Proxemics essays Spacial relations is a complex subject that can be interpreted in many different ways. A clear explanation of spatial relations is easily understood with the study of proxemics. So what is proxemics? Well the term proxemics came from E.T. Hall, a researcher in 1963. Proxemics is the study of the nature, degree, and effect of the spatial separation individuals naturally maintain (as in various social and interpersonal situations) and of how this separation relates to environmental and cultural factors. Proxemics is made up of featured spaces: fixed space, semi-fixed, and informal. Space around a person is set up into zones representing comfort and non-comfort. Fixed spaces are areas that are unmovable such as buildings and offices. Many simple things can change a comfortable zone in a fixed area such as color. The use of color can have a major impact on our comfort level. Restaurants, for example, focus on peoples comfort level with how they paint their buildings. Fast food such as McDonalds or Taco Bell cause people to rush in, eat fast, and leave without a nice place to sit down because of their bright colors. Bright colors are disturbing to the customers and even the workers. Other restaurants such as Ruby Tuesdays and Apple Bees stick with a nice color scheme that is both darker, mellow, and come off as a nice place to enjoy your food. Restaurants like these have a higher employee turnover than fast food in the food service industry. Semi-fixed spaces serves as movable areas such as furniture. Office desks can be organized to a persons comfort zone. Chairs and desks are just physical barriers but can be broken to protect personal space. As you might notice on a TV show or at a job interview, two chairs are usually always on an angle and no more than 1 Â ½ feet from the main desk. This set up helps keep a balance of dominance. A person at a desk compared to a person standing in front of him may feel l...

Profile of Charlton Heston, Gun Rights Movement Icon

Profile of Charlton Heston, Gun Rights Movement Icon As an actor, Charlton Heston appeared in some of the most notable films of his time. But he may best be remembered as the most visible president in the National Rifle Association’s history, guiding the gun lobbying group through a five-year period that saw gun rights take center stage in Washington, D.C. Along the way, his statements were responsible for igniting a phrase that would become a rallying cry for gun owners: â€Å"You can have my guns when you take them from my cold, dead hands.† Surprisingly, the man who hoisted a rifle above his head at the 2000 NRA Convention in defiance of the perceived anti-gun policies of Democrat presidential nominee Al Gore was once a staunch supporter of gun control legislation. Heston’s Support for Gun Control By the time President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Charlton Heston had become a household name, starring as Moses in the 1956 film The Ten Commandments and as Judah Ben Hur in 1959’s Ben Hur. Heston campaigned for Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election and became critical of lax gun laws in the aftermath of Kennedy’s assassination. He joined fellow Hollywood stars Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, and James Stewart in support of the Gun Control Act of 1968, the most restrictive piece of gun legislation in more than 30 years. Appearing on ABC’s The Joey Bishop Show two weeks after U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy was assassinated in 1968, Heston read from a prepared statement: â€Å"This bill is no mystery. Let’s be clear about it. Its purpose is simple and direct. It is not to deprive the sportsman of his hunting gun, the marksman of his target rifle, nor would it deny to any responsible citizen his constitutional right to own a firearm. It is to prevent the murder of Americans.† Later that year, actor-producer Tom Laughlin, chairman of the anti-gun group Ten Thousand Americans for Responsible Gun Control lamented in an edition of Film Television Daily that Hollywood stars had fallen from the gun control bandwagon, but listed Heston among a handful of diehard supporters who he said would stand by his side. Heston Changes Teams in the Gun Rights Debate Exactly when Heston changed his views on gun ownership is hard to pin down. In interviews after being elected president of the NRA, he was vague about his support of the 1968 Gun Control Act, saying only that he had made some â€Å"political mistakes.† Heston’s support for Republican politicians can be dated back as far as the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan. The two men shared many broad similarities: Hollywood A-Listers who supported Democrat Party policies early in their careers only to become stalwarts of the conservative movement. Reagan would later appoint Heston to co-chair a task force on arts and humanities. Over the next two decades, Heston became increasingly vocal in his support of conservative policies, in general, and on the Second Amendment, in particular. In 1997, Heston was elected to the NRA’s Board of Directors. One year later, he was elected president of the organization. Heston was vocally opposed to virtually any proposed measure of restricting gun ownership, from a mandatory five-day waiting period on handgun purchases to a limit of one gun purchase a month to mandatory trigger locks and the 1994 ban on assault weapons. â€Å"Teddy Roosevelt hunted in the last century with a semiautomatic rifle,† Heston once said in regards to proposals to ban semiautomatic firearms. â€Å"Most deer guns are semi-automatic. It’s become a demonized phrase. The media distorts that and the public ill understands it.† In 1997, he lambasted the National Press Club for the media’s role in the Assault Weapons Ban, saying reporters need to do their homework on semiautomatic weapons. In a speech to the club, he said: â€Å"For too long, you have swallowed manufactured statistics and fabricated technical support from anti-gun organizations that wouldnt know a semi-auto from a sharp stick. And it shows. You fall for it every time.† ‘From My Cold, Dead Hands’ During the height of the 2000 election season, Heston delivered a rousing speech at the NRA Convention in which he closed by invoking an old Second Amendment battle cry as he raised a vintage 1874 buffalo rifle over his head: â€Å"So, as we set out this year to defeat the divisive forces that would take freedom away, I want to say those fighting words for everyone within the sound of my voice to hear and to heed, and especially for you, (presidential candidate) Mr. (Al) Gore: From my cold, dead hands.’† The â€Å"cold, dead hands† saying did not originate with Heston. It had been around since the 1970s  when it was used as a slogan for literature and bumper stickers by gun rights activists. The slogan didn’t even originate with the NRA; it was first used by the Washington-based Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. But Heston’s usage of those five words in 2000 made them iconic. Gun owners across the nation began using the slogan as a rallying cry, saying, â€Å"You can have my guns when you take them from my cold, dead hands.† Heston is often incorrectly attributed with coining the phrase. When he resigned from the NRA presidency in 2003 due to his declining health, he again raised the rifle over his head and repeated, â€Å"From my cold, dead hands.† The Death of an Icon Heston was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1998, an illness he defeated. But a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s in 2003 would prove too much to overcome. He stepped down from his position as president of the NRA and died five years later, at the age of 84. At his death, he had appeared in more than 100 films. He and his wife, Lydia Clark, had been married 64 years. But Heston’s lasting legacy might be his five-year stint as president of the NRA. With the peak of his Hollywood career well behind him, Heston’s work with the NRA and his fierce pro-gun rights rhetoric earned him legendary status with a whole new generation.

About german Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

About german - Essay Example The efficiency is admirable because if something is worth doing the Germans do it right. The obedience to the laws is also commendable. Laws are not created for citizens to pick and choose. They are for the betterment of society. Germans seem to understand this concept. As for the nudity when sunbathing, swimming, or in the sauna, this is laudable due to the shamelessness in the human body. Whether a svelte teenager or a wrinkled old woman the Germans are comfortable with their body. Americans are sometimes efficient, but not across the whole population. The efficiency personality varies among Americans. The obedience to the law is not as important to Americans. It seems that Americans pick and choose laws that are fair. If a law does not appear to be fair an American will fight to change it. For example at a red light in an emergency, an American will run the light. Germans would not. Americans enjoy nudity only for the good looking woman. Men can take off their shirts, but full nudity is obscene to Americans. Women can show everything but the chest and other private areas. Old people that are nude make the Americans disgusted. Germans and Americans are just different in these three

JPMorgan Chase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

JPMorgan Chase - Essay Example comparing with the laws existing or the existing banks’ policies and in case of any fraud, they take the financial institutions in court with enough evidence to prosecute. A valid contract has four major elements as explained by (Meiners, Ringleb and Edwards, 2014). The first of these elements is the offer and acceptance by both parties involved in the contract. An offer is made to the consumer who then accepts it. This is followed by intention to create legal relations which are carried out in order to ensure that the contract will be declared legally binding in which case both parties have to fulfill and abide by it. This is conducted with the presence of a witness orally or even with writing. After these two elements comes the considerations where the actual contract terms are discussed and negotiated. These include terms such as payments or any financial obligations involved or even the duration of the contract. Lastly is the signing of the contract and sealing the deal. The signing or completion of the deal through handshake should not be carried out under duress, undue influence or even under false statements which is what the fraudulent banks d o. Each party of the contract is supposed to honor their contract and not intentionally breach it as it will not only invalidate the contract but will destroy the relationship with the contracting party and this is not fair. Intentional tort actions according to (Meiners, Ringleb and Edwards, 2014) are the actions which are done by people will the desire or sole purpose to harm them. These actions are wrongful and are committed by these people consciously. The individual carrying out these wrongful actions that harm are fully aware of the consequences of his or her action as they are purposeful but does not to stop them from happening. On the other hand, negligence tort actions are those actions that are committed through the failure of individuals to be responsible enough and do the correct actions they were

Children Stay at Home for Entertainment Essay Example for Free

Children Stay at Home for Entertainment Essay The twenty first century held many changes for our life . This changes are different and multifarious . as well as this covered all aspects of life. The most effect was on the children that changed their life completely different rather than previous generation . Those children become spend a large amount of time inside their homes , playing computer games and watching television , rather than playing games and sport outside . This phenomenon is disturbing many people, therefore they ask what are the benefits , and what are the drawbacks in this case. This essay will talk about these views. To begin with ,there are two reasons may be most advantages for the children spend a large of time inside their home. Firstly , It is clear that children who spend more time at home for entertainment will be more safe from those who spend time outside, which may causes for them risk of theft or assault. Secondly , Children sit at home a long time help them to avoid many bad practices such as smoking or drug. On the other hand , there are many drawbacks in this instance , firstly , children who spend bulk of time inside their home, that means they will disappear from the sun for a long time, it may result in they have deficiency in vitamin D , which the sunlight is natural source for it , kids tend to stay indoor more days and play on their computers instead enjoying the fresh air . This mean their vitamin D levels are worse then previous years (S.Peace 2010)[1]. Consequently it lead to some diseases such as rickets , which this practice blamed for increasing numbers of children suffer from it . As well as these figures dismayed some scientists as well according to professor T Cheetham from Newcastle university[2] . Secondly, stay a long time in front of screen lead to fitness that the most common diseases among children. In conclusion can the children of new century enjoying with a new technologies , but they should not ignore the healthy practice which protect them from diseases . In fact I think the generation of this century is more lucky than their ancestors ,particularly if I compared him with our generation.

Identifying a Computers Parts :: Computer Science Electronics Essays Papers

Identifying a Computer's Parts Computer is no longer something new and magical to many people nowadays, because many families now have at least one computer in their homes. It is without doubt that there are thousands and millions of computer users in the country, but is it ever possible for all of them to explain how a computer works? No. Alright, can they even classify the components of a computer appropriately? Not quite. They may know how to describe the physical appearance of a computer and they will probably include two or three other terms as well, such as monitor, keyboard or a mouse. Nonetheless, classification of a computer should not be done this way. In fact, a computer can be broken down into three distinct categories, namely output, input and CPU. The term 'output' consists of all components that display words and graphics so that a person can see them. Many people can easily understand why the monitor is a form of output device since it is the screen that tells them what the computer is actually doing. Simply put, without a monitor, the computer itself is basically useless. Another form of output, which is rarely noticed by many computer users however, is the printer. Many people have probably used a printer before, but it is just that they never realize it is also a form of output. As opposed to 'output', 'input' consists of components that take in information from the users themselves so that the computer will know the tasks it is supposed to perform and accomplish. The keyboard is classified as a form of input because this is where the users enter commands and text. There are many other forms of input as well. Nonetheless, many people just don't realize them, or are too lazy to classify them. For instance, the mouse belongs to input, since it provides a floating pointer on the screen so that the users can access commands faster and easier. The scanner is another form of input, because it acts like a photocopier, except it scans the image and makes it onto the computer screen instead of onto a piece of paper. The CPU, Central Processing Unit is probably the most important category of the three. As the name implies, it is the soul of a computer, very much alike the human brain. For unknown reasons though, people often call the CPU a computer. This is absolutely incorrect. The word computer is merely a general term which must always include all the three categories in order to operate. Perhaps the constituents of a CPU itself should be mentioned.

Perfect Competition

Perfect Competition In  economic theory,  perfect competition  describes markets such that no participants are large enough to have the  market power  to set the price of a homogeneous product. Because the conditions for perfect competition are strict, there are few if any perfectly competitive markets. Still, buyers and sellers in some  auction-type markets, say for  commodities  or some financial assets, may approximate the concept. Perfect competition serves as a benchmark against which to measure real-life and  imperfectly competitive  markets.Generally, a perfectly competitive market exists when every participant is a â€Å"price taker†, and no participant influences the price of the product it buys or sells. Specific characteristics may include: * Infinite buyers and sellers  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ An infinite number of consumers with the willingness and ability to buy the product at a certain price, and infinite producers with the willingness and ability to supp ly the product at a certain price. * Zero entry and exit barriers  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ A lack of entry and exit barriers makes it extremely easy to enter or exit a perfectly competitive market. Perfect factor mobility  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ In the long run  factors of production  are perfectly mobile, allowing free long term adjustments to changing market conditions. * Perfect information  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ All consumers and producers are assumed to have perfect knowledge of price, utility, quality and production methods of products. * Zero transaction costs  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Buyers and sellers do not incur costs in making an exchange of goods in a perfectly competitive market. * Profit maximization  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Firms are assumed to sell where marginal costs meet marginal revenue, where the most profit is generated. Homogenous products  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ The qualities and characteristics of a market good or service do not vary between different suppliers. * Non-increasing returns to scale  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ The lack of increa sing returns to scale (or economies of scale) ensures that there will always be a sufficient number of firms in the industry. * Property rights  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Well defined property rights determine what may be sold, as well as what rights are conferred on the buyer. In the short run, perfectly-competitive markets are not  productively efficient  as output will not occur where marginal cost is equal to average cost (MC=AC).They are  allocatively efficient, as output will always occur where  marginal cost  is equal to  marginal revenue(MC=MR). In the long run, perfectly competitive markets are both allocatively and productively efficient. In perfect competition, any profit-maximizing producer faces a  market price  equal to its  marginal cost  (P=MC). This implies that a factor's price equals the factor's marginal revenue product. It allows for derivation of the supply curve on which the neoclassical approach is based. This is also the reason why â€Å"a monopoly doe s not have a supply curve†.The abandonment of price taking creates considerable difficulties for the demonstration of a general equilibrium except under other, very specific conditions such as that of monopolistic competition. By definition a perfectly competitive market is one in which no single firm has to influence either the equilibrium price of the market or the the total quantity supplied in the market. Thus, a firm operating in a competitive market has no incentive to supply at a price lower than market equilibrium price, as it can sell all it wants to supply at equilibrium.At the same time, the firm cannot sell at price higher than the market price, because it will be able find no buyers at that price, and its sales volume will drop down to zero. Thus, a firm operating in perfectly competitive market has to accept whatever is the market equilibrium price, and therefore it is called a price taker. In contrast, a monopoly firm is the only supplier in the market and there fore has full control over the market prices and total market supplies.Therefore, a firm operating in a monopoly market fixes its price in such a way that for the quantity demanded by customers at that market price the marginal revenue of the firm is equal to its marginal costs. In this way way it decides the market price as well as the total quantity if a commodity supplied in the market, and therefore it is called a price maker. Imperfect Competition In  economic theory,  imperfect competition  is the competitive situation in any market where the sellers in the market sell different/dissimilar of goods, (haterogenous) that does not meet the conditions of perfect competition.Forms of imperfect competition include: * Monopoly, in which there is only one seller of a good. * Oligopoly, in which there are few sellers of a good. * Monopolistic competition, in which there are many sellers producing highly differentiated goods. * Monopsony, in which there is only one buyer of a good . * Oligopsony, in which there are few buyers of a good. * Information asymmetry  when one competitor has the advantage of more or better information. There may also be imperfect competition due to a time lag in a market. An example is the â€Å"jobless recovery†.There are many growth opportunities available after a recession, but it takes time for employers to react, leading to high  unemployment. High unemployment decreases wages, which makes hiring more attractive, but it takes time for new jobs to be created. A type of  market that does not operate under the rigid rules of perfect competition. Perfect competition implies an industry or market in which no one supplier can influence prices, barriers to entry and exit are small, all suppliers offer the same goods, there are a large number of   suppliers and buyers, and information on pricing and process is readily available.Forms of imperfect competition include monopoly, oligopoly, monopolistic competition, monopson y and oligopsony. Pure Competition Pure Competition  is a market situation where there is a large number of independent sellers offering identical products. Pure competition is a term for an industry where competition isstagnant and relatively non competitive. Companies within the pure competition category have little control of price or distribution of product. Advertising, market research, and product development play a very little role in these companies/industries.A  market  characterized by a large  number  of independent  sellers  of standardized  products, free  flow  of information, and  free entry  and  exit. Each seller is a â€Å"price taker† rather than a â€Å"price maker†. Also sometimes referred to as  perfect competition,  pure  competition  is a situation in which the market for a product is populated with so many consumers and producers that no one entity has the ability to influence the price of the product sufficien tly to cause a fluctuation.Within this type of market setting, sellers are considered to be price takers, indicating that they are not in a position to set the price for their products outside a certain range, given the fact that so many other producers are active within the market. At the same time, consumers have little influence over the prices offered by the producers, since there is no singular group of consumers that dominates the demand. In reality,  pure  competition  is more  theory  than actual fact.While there are rare situations in which a marketplace functions with  pure  competition  for a short period of time, the situation normally shifts as various factors change the stalemate created by a multiplicity of sellers and buyers. This is often due to the somewhat stringent set of factors that must be present in order for the  competition  to be considered perfect or  pure. There are several essential characteristics that define  pure  competitio n. One has to do with the balance of buyers to sellers.When there is an infinite number of buyers who are willing to purchase the products offered for sale by an infinite number of producers, at a certain price, the opportunity for anyone to take actions that shift the market price is extremely limited. The price remains more or less the same, and the same number of buyers purchase the products from the same range of producers. With  pure  competition, sellers can easily exit or enter the marketplace, without creating any undue influence on the price. Consumers continue to make purchases at the same rate, even if two companies leave the market and only one new one enters.The collective producers who are still in the market simply continue to produce enough products to meet consumer demand, without a shift in market price. Businesses engaged in a  pure  competition  market usually structure production so that they incur marginal costs at a level where they can earn the most profit. When the product line is homogeneous, this means the products produced are essentially the same as the product line produced by other  suppliers  in the marketplace. Assuming the costs are in line withmarginal revenue, the business can generate a consistent profit for as long as the condition of  pure  competition  is present in the market.

In what ways is the concept of gender useful in the study of ancient history?

In antiquity gender was a defining feature of life, we can note that it affected the way society was structured, specifically in the Athenian ‘polis', as well as public events, such as those associated with religious cults. Gender was also influential in politics, especially that of the Romans. Moreover, it is through gender that we can observe the general ancient view towards women, found throughout numerous literary sources and archaeological remains. Firstly, there is a strong link between gender and the Athenian ‘polis', which was commonly considered to be ‘male dominated'. 1 From an early age male and female youths were polarised, so that males were educated professionally, with a strong emphasis on completing sports at the ‘palaestrai' and ‘gymnasia', then they were sent away to complete their military service. In contrast, women were denied no more than basic schooling. However they were introduced into society through religious cults. It is through education that the classical Athenians erected a prominent division between the sexes, in order to prepare the youths for their roles in later life-men for leadership in state and military affairs, women for more subordinate roles. For example, archaeological evidence suggests that young men were groomed for prominent positions in the state, that is, pitchers have been found that illustrate boys celebrating the festival, ‘Anthesterion', ‘the flower month', by sampling wine and participating in crawling races. The former would have been a simplistic pre-taster for male youths of a ‘symposium', philosophical sessions intertwined with heavy drinking periods, exclusively for male citizens. The playwrights Plato and Aristophanes recognised their importance in the ‘polis', as it was for affluent male citizens. In Aristophanic comedies he frequently alludes to scenes of inebriation and obscenity mixed with intervals of learned opinions. The latter would have prepared the youths for athletic competitions. Keuls' suggests that it is through these activities young boys were instilled, ‘with the norms of competitiveness and male privilege'. 2 In comparison, Greek women were initiated into society through religious roles, specifically those associated with chastity, labour and submission. The cult of Athena was particularly important, in which a robe known as a ‘peplos' was dedicated to the goddess that had been especially woven for the occasion. It was then presented to her either by two or four noble girls, known as ‘arrhephoroi', ‘bearers of sacred objects'. Scenes from this cult can be found on sections of the Parthenon frieze (440BC-432BC), detailing events such as the folding of the ‘peplos' by the ‘Archon Basileus', chief magistrate, helped by a young child. This was a significant affair because the cult of Athena portrayed the characteristics sought desirable in each sex. That is, she represented the ‘male patriarchal ethos',3 through a wild war dance, the ‘pyrrhic dance', which was performed by armed dancers. This highlights, through the festival that males were associated with war and had a responsibility to protect the ‘polis'. On the other hand, Athena also represented the female ethos, by emphasising the necessity of hard work and chastity through the tasks of spinning and weaving, which were given prestigious status', through the ritual of the ‘peplos'. Athenian women were associated with passive tasks, illustrating their subordination to men within the ‘polis'. It is also significant that religious festivals structured the female hierarchy. We have already noted that it was only noble girls who could become ‘arrhephoroi', whereas in other cults, such as that of Artemis at Brauron, all girls could participate in the rituals. Just as the female hierarchy needed cult festivals to differentiate between the varying classes, the male hierarchy was determined by society-the ‘polis' and the military. For example, Xenophon, in the ‘Anabasis', highlights the importance and influence of the head of the army, the ‘hegemon', compared to less important positions in the military. That is, when a ‘manteis', a divine interpreter, attempts to slander Xenophon-in this case he is acting as the ‘hegemon'-by suggesting that he would have founded a new city without consulting his troops, Xenophon retorts: ‘Silanus gave me his answer on the most important point, namely, that the appearance of the victim was propitious. He had to since he was aware that I myself, because of always being present at sacrifices had some experience in these matters. ‘ 4 This illustrates, in general, that in warfare, sacrifices were undertaken or overseen by those in commanding positions, such as the ‘hegemon', because they influenced the state. Those in less significant positions in the military had a minimal influence in the running of the state. Thus, highlighting that the military and state were active influences in determining the male hierarchy. So far, we can note that education and cult festivals were influenced by gender, illustrating the importance of studying it in ancient history, as it gives us a fuller picture of ancient Greek society. Furthermore, the perception of the sexes can be seen to vary vastly, Xenophon highlights this in his ‘Oikonomikos', when he determines that men were built for war because their bodies could endure toil and hardship, whereas women were made for domestic work. 5 Another ancient scholar, Ischomachos, comments that the nature of men and women's mind also differ, as women are considered to be more susceptible to emotions and show a lack of restraint. Physical and psychological features influenced ancient Greek scholars into stereotyping the sexes and thus explaining why each gender sought different roles in society. In consideration to the cult of Athena, we can note that the study of mythology is also relevant to the concept of gender and its effects on society. That is, the ‘Panathenaic' procession was based on the myth of the origin of Ericthonius, who was associated with Athens. Hephaistos spilt semen on Athena's lap, which she wiped off with some wool, but consequently Ericthonius was born. The child was then given to Cecrops' daughters, but two of them, Herse and Aglauros, looked at the baby, despite Athena's warning that they should not. This myth emphasises the importance of women as child bearers and nurturers in society. The relevance of the wool can be associated with textile making, an occupation that was encouraged in young women. Likewise the cult of Artemis illustrated to women the importance of chastity, as the myth behind her cult warns them that promiscuity is an undesirable and unacceptable value. Artemis punishes her nymph, Kallisto, who had been raped by Zeus, by changing her into a bear, who is consequently hunted and killed by her own son. The Greeks used the myths as moral paradigms, warning women against unacceptable behaviour in the ‘polis'. Furthermore, Artemis was also concerned with childbirth, as clothes were dedicated to her at Brauron. Keuls' comments that this cult, ‘may have been the most effective way of instilling in females the ethos that male society required of them. ‘ 6 In comparison, if the cult of Artemis and Athena portrayed ideal female virtues that were affable for their role in the ‘polis', then the cult of Theseus represented ideal virtues for the Athenian male citizen. He was the archetypal male hero, as he saved Athens and slaughtered the Minotaur. In a social context, he had protected the ‘polis' and by militant means had killed a foreign being that threatened the well being of the state-actions that were expected of all male Athenians. Funerals were also a very significant event within the ‘polis' and the concept of gender greatly influenced its organisation. Women played a vital role in the ‘prothesis', the procession preceding the actual funeral, when the body was placed on a bier and was surrounded by mourners. It was the role of the women to lament- the more intense they seemed, the more honoured the dead appeared. Firstly, in connection with lamentation, we can note that women played an integral role in this procession, as they allowed men to keep up an austere appearance. This allowed the males to protect their masculine front, as they could refrain form outwardly expressing their grief. We have already observed, from ancient scholars, such as Xenophon, that only certain characteristics were deemed acceptable for men. Plaques and funeral vases illustrate the different roles performed during the ‘prothesis' by men and women. For example, a funeral pot of the late geometric period depicts men in processions of armed warriors or on horseback. 7 It is notable that they remain untearful, when compared to the numerous figurines of women in lamentable positions. The men honour the dead by highlighting the prestige of dying whilst in battle. Two ideals of mourning were set up to protect the social structure-women lament due to their lack of restraint of their emotions, emphasising their fragile characters, deeming them unfit for leadership. Whereas, men retain their dignity through their restraint and their passive role in the ‘prothesis'. Furthermore, funerals allowed aristocratic families to present their rank and power in society. Therefore, the lamentation was a reflection of the family's status. Hans Van Wees states that, ‘tears were a sign of respect to the dead†¦ ears of women played a part in the power struggle of men. ‘ 8 This illustrates that women had a significant role in the society of men, but one that was manipulated to benefit the running of the state. Moreover, the emotions of the women became so severe, as they behaved as a medium, that Solon had to institute legislations to curtail their display, as women had resorted to lacerating their arms and other forms of self-mutilation. The concept of gender is also very noteworthy in ancient literature, as men and women were perceived very differently in comparison to their perception in the ‘polis'. For example, during the Homeric era, it was not uncommon to observe heroes crying, a characteristic that would later be associated with the ‘fairer sex'. We first see Odysseus on Calypso's island, weeping in despair to return home to Ithaca. 9 Likewise, Homer frequently alludes to Odysseus's wife, Penelope, crying. For instance, we observe her crying for her lost husband when she retrieves his bow for the suitors' competition. 10 Both of the genders display similar characteristics, which Homer's audience obviously found acceptable in men. This emphasises that the gap between the genders widened with the progression of society and the founding of the structure of the ‘polis'. A further example that illustrates this point can come from the medium of tragedy, as the perception of male literary figures had conformed to the opinions of the ‘polis'. That is, male characters are portrayed as more restrained towards their emotions, in Aeschylus' ‘Agamemnon', the male king shows a considerable deal of restraint when Clytaemnestra offers him the sacred carpets to walk on. He states: ‘This-you treat me like a woman†¦ ive me the tributes of a man†¦ '11 Agamemnon displays his lack of excitement towards the frivolity of walking on ‘nice' tapestries that obviously would have appealed to a woman's nature. In the Homeric era, heroes appreciated niceties-Odysseus is bathed in perfume when he gets to Phaecia, there are constant allusions to Paris preening and primping himself and we are frequently reminded of his good looks. This illustrates the progression of the male status from the Heroic age to classical Athens. Briefly, we can note that Homeric heroes took an active grieving role in funerals. Achilles pours grimy dust on his face and beasts his breast, accompanied by his handmaidens; then Homer states that: ‘Antilochus mourned with him, letting the tears fall†¦ '12 Furthermore, this reiterates the different characteristics found in the male persona of the heroic age, rather than the age of the ‘polis'. However, we should also observe that the Homeric heroes were not completely without restraint, they just depicted less moderation than would have been acceptable for later Greeks. For example, the Trojans are commanded not to weep whilst collecting their dead bodies from the battlefield, which they do. They show a determined self-control, perhaps not as noted in the Homeric women, such as Odysseus' wife, Penelope. Furthermore, it is also through tragedy that we can note the progression of the perception of ancient women. In reference to Aeschylus' ‘Agamemnon', it has been observed that Clytaemnestra is portrayed with masculine attributes, as it is she who plots and kills her husband, with an axe in the bath. Her lover, Aegisthus, states to the chorus: ‘The treachery was the woman's work, clearly. '13 In the prologue, the watchman comments: ‘That woman -she manoeuvres like a man. '14 Firstly, Clytaemnestra has overstepped the divide that marked the different statuses of men and women in the ‘polis', on account of her masculine behaviour. Aeschylus, through tragedy, has illustrated that if women are not supervised within society, the social structure will collapse, as they are lead by their emotions. This would have highlighted the importance of the ‘kyrios', who acted as a guardian to Athenian women, to keep them in check within the ‘polis'. Moreover, this illustrates the common perception of women, as tragic heroines are often perceived as being manipulative, treacherous and unfaithful. This is emphasised by the character of Clytaemnestra, as well as Electra, who later persuades her brother, Orestes, to kill their mother, in Aeschylus' ‘Eumenides' and Euripides ‘Electra'. These characteristics illustrate that women are unworthy to lead the state, and highlights the insistence that they remain inferior to men within the social structure, maintaining their role in family matters. In Aristophanic comedies, such as ‘Lysistrata', women were also depicted as being drunkards and sex fiends, qualities that were associated with slaves. This is noteworthy, as slaves were considered not to be wholly free and without possessing any rights within the ‘polis', such as voting. Furthermore, slaves and women were also both low down in the social structure. Aristotle in his ‘Politics', stated that women were, ‘slaves by nature'. This demonstrates the lack of freedom that women possessed, highlighting their seclusion within classical Athens. The majority of the time, women were physically kept within the home-apart from when they participated in particular public events-to keep them subordinate, in a social context. Furthermore, according to Solon15, if a woman was in the company of men all the time, she would not want to get married. Thus she would be defying her role as a life giver and producer of heirs, and so she would be disrupting her status within the ‘polis'. In contrast, in the heroic age of Homer, women were given a considerable amount of freedom, for example, we see Helen with Priam, on the walls of Troy, pointing out to all the different Greek warriors. Moreover, Penelope, in the Odyssey, acts as the hostess at the banquet of the suitors, totally surrounded by men. We can see that the seclusion of women became more intense with the founding of the ‘polis', which brought along a greater need to categorise the genders. The concept of gender is also very significant when studying the politics of ancient Rome. Roman historians of the imperial era have recorded the great influence of women on particular male emperors. For example, the historian, Tacitus, in his ‘Annals', records the influence of Nero's mother, Agrippina the Younger, on his political career. It is she who initiates the poisoning of her husband, Claudius, and his son, Britannicus, so that Nero can usurp the power of the empire. Roman coins depict her bust, alongside that of her son's, displaying that she is ruling with him. It is significant that her role becomes less influential as Nero grows up and adopts more power. This is again illustrated through the medium of the coins, as we can note the gradual removal of her image from the obverse of the coins. The influence of his mother was so strong that he could only be freed from it, by attempting to murder her, through a collapsing boat. Thus, this demonstrates that imperial women dominated their male associates and played a leading role within in the running of the state. However, we should note that they still remained in the background, ruling behind their male relatives, as Rome was a male dominated state. Clark suggests that, ‘women might, then, have considerable influence and interests outside their home and families, but they were acting from within their families to affect a social system managed by men: their influence was not to be publicly acknowledged. '16 However, it has also been recorded that other imperial women had infiltrated the very male event of patronage. Octavia had acted or had interceded with male relatives as a patron, also, Messalina and Agrippina the Younger, were the patrons of Claudius' freedmen, such as Narcissus. This highlights the prestigious role of women in the empire. It is also significant that they were involved in particular public affairs, demonstrating that the social structure of Rome was gradually changing form being solely a male establishment, to a state outwardly influenced by both genders. Furthermore, Dio records that the senate honoured Livia with an arch as she had helped many senatorial children in times of need. 7 Likewise, the public recognition of Livia's role in the running of the state was acknowledged by the senate. However, it is important to note that the prominent role of women during the imperial period was not considerably favoured by all. Fischler comments that many men considered ‘a good emperor to have had wives and mothers that he could control and who never overstepped the boundaries set by convention'. 18 For example, Tiberius refused honours for his mother, Livia, because he did not want to seem to be influenced by her actions. Women may have been more prominent in the political sphere but it was not fully approved by the public opinion, which was aired by the majority of men. The significant role of women was fully acknowledged by Augustus, the first Roman emperor, who recognised the importance of women as figures of a new political regime. They represented the move from the Republican era to the Imperial era, as they were significant members of his dynasty. Fischler goes onto observe that ‘women were symbols of the imperial order. '19 The society of the Republic was less tolerant of the presence of women in the public eye. They had few rights within the state, such as, they were not allowed to vote or, as Valerius Maximus records, appear or act in courts20 and were generally under the ‘potestas of the ‘paterfamilias'. However, unlike the Greek ‘polis' women were not secluded from society, as they were allowed to own property and divorce their husbands. There were two types of marriage- that of ‘cum manu', in which the woman remained under her father's rule, as he even had the power to end her marriage; or that of ‘sine manu', in which women were allowed to own their own property an divorce their husbands. The former type of marriage was common in the early Republic and the latter, in the late Republic. This illustrates the progression of women's freedom in society and their further prominence in the public eye. The perception of gender and the way it affected the structure of society can be noted in forms of literature, such as satire. For example, Juvenal, who was writing either under the emperor, Trajan or Domitian, perceives the progression of women in the public sphere as a bad thing. That is, women had transgressed the divide between the genders, as they had adopted masculine roles in society, such as acting in political matters, demonstrated in Tacitus' portrayal of Agrippina. Furthermore Juvenal goes onto condemn the public sexuality of women and the growing effeminacy of men. In a social context. He highlights the breakdown of the social structure of the Roman society, that is, he considers the sexes to have changed roles and transgressed their divisions, which had given certain roles to men and to women in order to structure society. For example, he describes the ‘whore empress' coming home from the brothel to the Imperial palace. 21 Furthermore, his female persona attacks males for preferring homosexuality and states that overseas people are laughing at their effeminacy. 22 In contrast, he frequently extols the old virtues of chastity in women and praises the good old days, when men worked in fields and completed other masculine tasks23. Thus highlighting the change of roles in gender, on account of a changing society. In conclusion, we can argue that the concept of gender is extremely important when studying ancient history, as it played a significant role in defining the structure of society. The progression of society, both Greek and Roman, can also be marked by the changing perceptions of each gender, found in abundant literary sources and archaeological material. These sources of evidence make it possible to study gender, however we should also take into account, when using literature as evidence, some external influences. For example, when consulting tragedy or comedy. For the perception of Greek women, we should note that the playwrights exaggerated the characteristics of figures, for dramatic effects. That is to say, in the ‘polis', not all Greek women were alcoholics with a sex addiction, as portrayed in Aristophanic comedies. Likewise, from Juvenal's satires we cannot assume that all Roman women were promiscuous, due to the degeneration of their social structure. The ancient writers were assuming the ‘worst-case-scenarios', highlighting what would happen without a social structure in society. However, there is truth behind these pieces of literature, as the authors had to base their work on realism, so that their audiences could relate to their work. Furthermore, we should take into consideration the genre that the author was writing for, for example, Tacitus was considered to be a ‘silver age' writer, thus his writing would have portrayed characteristics of that type. Thus, his work is macabre and sombre; therefore his portrayals of his characters would reflect that style. Likewise, archaeological evidence should be considered with care, as depictions on pots and vases are left to our own personal interpretation.

Compare and contrast Nathaniel Hawthornes use of symbols in The Ministers Black Veil and The Birthmark.

Compare and contrast Nathaniel Hawthornes use of symbols in The Ministers Black Veil and The Birthmark. In both The Minister’s Black veil and The Birthmark, Hawthorne’s use symbolism of symbolism is conspicuous. In The Birthmark he says, â€Å"The crimson hand expressed the ineludible gripe in which mortality clutches the highest and purest of earthly mould†¦ symbol of his wifes liability to sin, sorrow, decay, and death† (Hawthorne Para. 9). Hawthorne makes it clear that he is using birthmark as a symbol of ‘mortality’, ‘decay’ and susceptibility to sin.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Compare and contrast Nathaniel Hawthornes use of symbols in The Ministers Black Veil and The Birthmark. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other side, in The Minister’s Black Veil, he says, â€Å"All through life the black veil had hung between him and the world. It had separated him from cheerful brotherhood and womans love†¦shade him from the sunshine of eternity ( Hawthorne Para. 12). The black veil here symbolizes the sin that the minister had committed with the dead mistress; that is, sex. Symbolism in these two stories touches on human failures and sinful nature. The birthmark is a sign of Georgina’s susceptibility to sin, sorrow, and mortality. As aforementioned, this birthmark shows Georgina’s indebtedness to sin and her eventual death. Men constantly found Georgian attractive because of her birthmark. Georgianas lovers were wont to say that†¦as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection (Hawthorne Para. 6). This statement makes it clear that the birthmark symbolized Georgina’s indebtedness to sin. She had ‘lovers’ and this is sinful. On the other side, the black veil worn by the minister is a symbol of his sins. Critics like Alan Poe say that, â€Å"Minister Hooper may have had an affair with the young lady who died at the beginning of the story. Coincidentally, this is the first day he wears the veil, and that a crime of dark dye, (having reference to the young lady) has been committed, is a point which only minds congenial with that of the author will perceive (Poe 188). Not even the dead maiden can stand the face of the minister for she would be â€Å"fearful of her glance (Hawthorne Para. 16). This means that there is connection between the black veil and the dead maiden and the most probably thing that could link the minister to the dead maiden is having sex which is sinful. Therefore, symbolism in these two stories stands for human indebtedness to sin. While symbolism in The Birthmark comes out clearly, in The Minister’s Black Veil, use of symbolism is ambiguous. Hawthorne makes it clear that Georgina’s birthmark is selected as a ‘symbol’ to show her indebtedness to sin.Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the s ymbolism of the black veil worn by the minister represents â€Å"symbol of symbols†. â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil introduced the notion that Hooper’s black veil functioned as a â€Å"symbol of symbols,† since its meaning could never be ultimately determined† (Carnochan 9). Therefore, the contrasting feature of symbolism as used in these two stories comes out clearly, by considering the preciseness of the meaning of the symbols used. Birthmark clearly represents Georgina’s indebtedness to sin; however, the black veil may mean anything depending on the view of the reader. Hawthorne’s use of symbolism comes out clearly in The Minister’s Black Veil and The Birthmark. Georgina’s birthmark is a sign of her obligation to sin; she had lovers who admired her because of the birthmark, which is sinful. Moreover, her husband points that the birthmark shows her earthly imperfection. The black veil worn by the minister symbolizes h is sins; he had an affair with the dead maiden. However, while the meaning of the birthmark comes out clearly, the black veil worn by the minister may mean, symbol of symbols†. The use of black veil as ‘symbol of symbols’ indicates ambiguity of the same; the only contrasting feature in the use of symbolism in these two stories. Carnochan, Winston. â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil: Symbol, Meaning, and the Context of Hawthorne’s Art.† New York; California University Press, 1969. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"The Birthmark.† The Literature Network. 2010. Web. online-literature.com/london/125/ Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil.† The Literature Network. 2010. Web. online-literature.com/london/126/Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Compare and contrast Nathaniel Hawthornes use of symbols in The Ministers Black Veil and The Birthmark. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Poe, Allan. â€Å"The Works of the Late Edgar Allan Poe: Nathaniel Hawthorne.† Griswold, Rufus. Ed. New York: Blakeman Mason, 1859.

Upmarket Fiction The Forgotten Middle Child of the Publishing World

Upmarket Fiction The Forgotten Middle Child of the Publishing World Upmarket Fiction: The Forgotten Middle Child of the Publishing World Calling something â€Å"commercial† can sound like an insult in some circles, as if it’s a trifling entertainment not worthy of the term â€Å"literature.† In other circles, the term â€Å"literary† results in a half-stifled yawn, and is considered pretentious. A question you might ask when you’re writing is, "Can a book be both literary and commercial?† The answer is yes: you've just described "upmarket fiction." Can a book be both literary and commercial? Yes: that's upmarket fiction. While this article won't settle any age-old commercial vs. literary debates, it will help you get a better grasp on how to distinguish both types of fiction - and, above all, it answer the question you’ve been wondering: what is upmarket fiction?A brief history of the novel - and how terms like â€Å"genre† and â€Å"literary† came to beIn the 17th and 18th centuries, the novel was considered a genre in itself. It was a relatively new form of narrative, a drawn-out prose detailing fictitious matters. As Joshua Rothman notes in The New Yorker: â€Å"When Catherine Morland, the heroine of Austen’s ‘Northanger Abbey,’ is rebuked for reading too many Gothic novels, the proposed alternative isn’t ‘literary fiction’ but non-fiction (a friend suggests she try history). ‘Northanger Abbey’ was written in 1799.† How did distinctions like commercial, literary, and upmarket come to be? Find out inside. 50 Book Marketing Ideas Every Author Needs to Know Read post Just like with choosing your degree, understanding the market from the outset of the process is crucial. If you’re hoping to make a career off of your novels, you need to study your market, your competitors, and to identify where your story will fit there. Why is it so important to be able to classify what kind of fiction you're writing? Find out here Even if your book is classified as commercial, that does not mean it has less merit as a piece of literature. Commercial and literary fiction both have their place: just like a spoon works better for ice cream and spaghetti requires a fork. This fiction is kind of like a spork, then: it can be used for either occasion.The classification is a sales tool - it’s important to know. In the end, if you can write a book that someone enjoys reading, that someone derives meaning from, that challenges someone to think, that helps someone unwind, that’s fun, or sad, or uplifting - in other words, if you can write a book that speaks to someone, then, well done. Not sure if your book is commercial, literary, or upmarket fiction? Take this quiz to find out http://bzfd.it/2xQofFP Are you still not 100% sure how to classify your novel? Take our quiz to find out!What are some of your favorite works of commercial, literary, or upmarket fiction? Share them with us in the comments below!

International Management Decision Making Assignment

International Management Decision Making - Assignment Example The market in which Tesco operates is a very competitive market. The retail grocery market in UK is home to hundreds of firms but the competition revolves around 4 major players in the market. These include Tesco, Asda, Sainsburry’s and Morrison’s. The overall firm concentration of these four firms is 76%. Thus, the nature of the market in which Tesco operates is an oligopoly. In an oligopoly market, a few larger firms dominate the market and the industry. The UK retail and super market has become increasingly concentrated in the last couple of year. With very few players in the industry, the market share of each of these players continues to rise. This is an oligopoly market and under the oligopoly theory these are the following basic characteristics that govern the market ; the competition is non-price based; there is intensive branding and brand loyalty; prices don’t fluctuate; the competitors are extremely interdependent on each other; the barriers to entry are strict; there is economies of scale ; a lot of focus on advertisements; every move by competitors is followed and looked at and the potential for a collusion. All these aforementioned characteristics prevail in the market in which Tesco operates. There the competition is not just about the product that is sold in the stores, but the overall experience that these super markets offer to their customer. Tesco’s market share as of December 2009 was 30.5%. In the last couple of year its market share has risen above 25%. The company lay it’s foundations on the basis of this idea : â€Å"Pile it high and sell it cheap†. Tesco started off from small service stores initially and then went on to expand its operations nationally and globally. In 1956, Tesco opened its first self service supermarket. During the 1960s, Tesco continued to expand and acquired various store chains. Tesco’s primary aim was to

Juvenile Justice Module 8 Online Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Juvenile Justice Module 8 Online - Essay Example In juvenile justice system parents, social workers and probation officers are involved in the process to achieve positive results and avoid any further crimes by children. The juvenile probation is the centre of juvenile justice system. Probation is the tool used by juvenile justice agencies. It is an informal monitoring of youth and avoiding their involvement in serious crimes. The main responsibility of juvenile probation is safety and protection of public from crimes. The juvenile probation practices must be mission-oriented, performance based and result-oriented. Many probation skills and approaches are used. In this probation practice, the offenders are supervised in their schools. This practice is useful in the sense that the children spend the majority of their time in school. The probation officer finds himself in the position of better monitoring of the juvenile offenders. In this practice he has more contact with the youth and able to see behavior of the offender with his fellows. This practice also will help the youth to become more attentive in school making a good student. A study revealed that school based probation results in better academic performance, less crimes and increase in school attendance. This study was carried on 75 randomly selected offenders. The most important goal of the juvenile justice system is to change the young people. The purpose of this practice is to make the offenders good citizens following laws and regulations. The probation officers play an important role in rehabilitation of the youth. For this purpose the probation officers help in develop the working skills and learning skills. The skills which are needed to make peaceful and useful citizens. The offenders also need to change the way they think and make decisions. Their way of thinking is changed by cognitive interventions. The need is assessed and goals are set accordingly and then the skill building programs are made. It is important for the offenders to

Automobile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Automobile - Essay Example conditioning with climate control, audio anti-theft protection, smart card or smart key manual with central locking, and BMW’s customized RDS audio system among others. Car color comes in alpine white, imola red, jet black, and so on. On Chrysler’s front, the M3 may be matched with the Sebring and 300C. However, Chrysler’s Sebring may prove to be an inferior counterpart as it only comes with a 2.4-liter in-line 4-front engine that may produce only 150 horsepower at 5,500 rpm. Nevertheless, the Sebring model is rendered more economical with a fuel consumption of about 30 mpg for highway cruising and 22 mpg for city driving. The 2006 Chrysler Sebring has interior standard features comprising of cruise control, driver and passenger front airbag sensors and ventilation system. Similarly, the Chrysler 300C model may falter in comparison to BMW’s M3 in terms of engine power. This sedan has a 2.7-liter V6 front engine that can generate 190 horsepower at 6,400 rpm. With the lower engine power, this model also has lower fuel usage at 28 mpg and 21 mpg for highway and city driving, respectively. This sedan is built-in with audio anti-theft protection, cruise control, illuminated entry system and ventilation system with recirculation setting, among others. For the artistically inclined, both the Sebring and 300C come in a variety of colors in clearcoat and pearlcoat such as bright silver metallic, brilliant black crystal, inferno red, satin jade, linen gold and stone white. Price conscious car buyers may opt for these Chrysler models, which are marketed at a relatively lower price. The Sebring 2006 series is currently valued at $20,000 to $28,000 depending on the specifications. The 300C ranges from $23,000 to $39,900 for the latest series. On the other hand, the BMW M3 has a relatively higher price tag of $56,600 for the 2006 base two-door convertible L6, and $48,900 for the latest coupe L6 model. Among the M series, BMW’s top-of-the-line model is

Public Bank Has The Function Information Technology Essay

Public Bank Has The Function Information Technology Essay Public Bank has the function of the mobile banking. Mobile banking is users can perform the services of banking but is through the cell phone or mobile phone. Mobile banking is also known as the M-banking, or SMS Banking. The mobile phone or the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) can be used as the devices for mobile banking. Mobile banking can be used with the mobile phone or even with the PDA. With the mobile banking user can used all mobile banking functions with convenient without going to the bank for these services. But, how many services that are provided is all depends on the bank itself .Now, the user just need to have a mobile phone with the function for the midlet services need to have the Java and mobile information device profile(MID)P 2.0, with general packet radio service(GPRS) or third generation of mobile telephony(3G) access. While for the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) services then need to have the browser and WAP 2.0 with GPRS or 3G access then can use the fun ction of mobile banking. Users can use this mobile banking no matter at where with the condition that has the mobile phone has this function. Those users for the mobile banking will be the business man because they will be busy for their work so it is much more convenient if they can just do their payment and other services through the mobile banking. Besides that, the user also can be teenagers it is because nowadays those teenagers do not have much patient to go for banks to lining up for the payment so they will choose the mobile banking. For those user who want to apply for the PB mobile banking system, they must be the existing internet banking customer .Not only users personal can apply for this services, company also can apply for this services but they need to be the existing corporate e-banking customer and have to go to their Account Branch to register for the PB Mobile Banking services. Users who wish to register for the PB Mobile Banking services can follow the steps which are as follow: There are many services which are available in the PB mobile banking service .For the individual customers, they can use it for account inquiry which can perform inquiry for the account balance whether there are enough credit or not and those inquiries can be anytime whether is pass record or current records or some specific transaction. It also can obtain the pages that enable users view all the details regarding the bank account, make payments, outlook tax forms, and complex a payment plan. Not only that, for the PB customers also can do payments such as registered bill payment ,card payment for themselves, card payment registered for the third party accounts and the loan payment for own and for the registered third party accounts. Now you can just pay it through the mobile banking service and no need go to the bank for these payments. Transaction history is for transactions done earlier and the payment history that included deposit, loan/financing, credit/debit card .The users can view back their current balances and the transaction before that .Users can choose to view the transaction items by date range or by account which are current monthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s or previous monthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s transaction history. If they forget keep record for the month then they can find it back through the payment history so they do not need to worry about it. Besides that, PB it also have the services of funds transfer. Customers can transfer their funds between members of them but they need to own an account before doing that. They also need to registered 3rd party accounts and registered the interbank GIRO. Users can easily transfer their money between users of the same banks or they even also can transfer their money to the other banks. Not only that, for the PB customers also can do payments such as registered bill payment ,card payment for themselves, card payment registered for the third party accounts and the loan payment for own and for the registered third party accounts. Now you can just pay it through the mobile banking service and no need go to the bank for these payments. PB individual users also can do investments with the registered account .After the users decide which to invest in they can pay through the mobile phone. PB also provide for the cheque management, with this users can also request cheque book, stop cheque and check status inquiry. There are so many benefits of using PB mobile banking. Firstly is that it help to save time for the users .Nowadays most citizens are busy with their job, they do not have sufficient time to go to the bank just for those payment but now with this services they can just use the mobile phone and just press a few buttons then the transactions will be done. So you do not even have to go to the bank and queue up. Besides that, this PB services is easy to use. Nowadays almost all people own a mobile phone and the users mostly will be familiar with all the functions .Mobile banking services is easy to use you just need to press a few buttons and follow whatever instruction that is provided and save the transactions made then the transaction is consider success fully executed. Next is that the PB mobile banking services can help users reduce cost. PB provides this facility at the lower costs if compared to conventional banking itself. Users using this service can save a lot of money for the long period. There are few disadvantages also if using the mobile banking services. Firstly is that the security of using the services. While using this services may be will have such viruses that hack the phone and try to get the users important information and it will may not immune. This will strongly harm the user and may cause them lost their important data or information like password, money and others. Sometimes the user can also be susceptible to a phishing-like scam called à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“SMiShingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . This is happened when the user receives a fake text message that request for the accounts details. Next disadvantages of using PB mobile banking services that are the compability of the mobile phone. Not all type of mobile phone is suitable for mobile banking services; this service requires some important function to access in the services. Although some mobile phone has the capacity to browse the internet through mobile phone but the phone cannot support the anti- virus inside. PB mobile banking services have so many functions and benefits and also disadvantages. So consumers should fully utilize this type of convenient because it really helps a lot but also need to think how to protect their self.

The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall and A Worn Path Essay -- Compare and

The short stories, â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall† by Catherine Anne Porter and â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty, have many similarities as well as differences. Both stories have a simple plot with a theme that is symbolic of their lives. These stories include great characterization, description of elements in the stories, and the point of view. Granny Weatherall is characterized as a very old lady who is extremely stubborn and bedridden. Granny Weatherall is a sickly old lady in denial. She believes that she is not sick although she is lying on her deathbed. Her life consisted of two men and her children with them. Granny Weatherall remembers her first love, John, leaving her at the altar. She later marries George who she has many children, one of which, passes away at a very young age...

Learning Organization Essay

The evolution of â€Å"Organizational Learning† has started in 1938 when John Dewey, in his book â€Å"Experience and Education†, publicized the concept of experiential learning as an ongoing cycle of activity. But, how did this concept emerge? Or, what does it really mean for the businesses? In order to understand this, we have to analyze the problems and needs. The core idea behind â€Å"learning organization† is that organizations of all kinds will not survive, let alone thrive, if they do not acquire an ability to adapt continuously to an increasingly unpredictable future. Or in other words, in order to survive and succeed for businesses, it is essential to establish or build stronger relationships with customers, where there are rapidly changing, turbulent and/or highly competitive market. Through learning, organizations may be better equipped to meet the challenges caused by continuous environmental turbulence. In addition, where products and processes can rapidly be copied, according to Arie de Geus, head of strategic planning department of Royal/Dutch Shell, the only real source of competitive advantage is to stimulate learning by employees. This may allow these individuals to identify new ways of working more closely with customers, which in turn permits the organization to differentiate itself from competition. However, the style of learning has to reflect the operational needs of the organization. For instance, a manufacturer which has adopted a transactional marketing style would probably choose to operate in a relatively stable market, produce standard components and focus primarily on offering adequate quality goods at a competitive price. In such circumstances, assuming that the organizational systems are based around repetition of routine procedures, the firm would probably be well advised to focus upon creating a single-loop learning environment as the most appropriate way fur sustaining employee development aimed at organizational efficiency. 2 On the other hand, in market situations where firms face periods of significant, discontinuous change and/or there is a desire to differentiate  the firm from competition through the adoption of a relationship marketing style, then possibly an incremental, more adaptive learning style, which is called double-loop learning may be more appropriate, so to involve the exploitation of new knowledge to evolve new practices, perspectives and operational frameworks. Figure 1: Single- vs. double-loop learning. II. DEFINITION OF LEARNING ORGANIZATIONS Keeping in mind what we have so far discussed, now let us check some definitions of the Learning Organizations. Peter M. Senge, who is also named as the father of this concept, describes learning organizations as organizations where people can continuously expand their capacity to create results which they truly desire. In such organizations, new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, and collective aspiration is set free. Individuals learn to learn together. He declares â€Å"Deep down, we are all learners. It is not only our nature to learn, but we love to learn. â€Å" Chris Argyris and Donald Schon defined the concept of learning organizations through the help of the definition of organizational learning: where the process of â€Å"detection and correction of errors† rules. 3 Moreover, how de Geus defined learning organizations is very remarkable: â€Å"Forget your tired old ideas about leadership. The most successful corporation of the 1990s will be something called a learning organization? The ability to learn faster than your competitors, may be the only sustainable competitive advantage. â€Å" One last definition might be the one of Kim, D., â€Å"a learning organization is one that consciously manages its learning process through an inquiry-driven orientation among all its members†. III. FIVE DISCIPLINES OF SENGE I have already mentioned that Senge was called as the father of the concept of â€Å"Learning Organizations†. When he first published his book The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization in 1990, he caught a significant attention from academics and the business world. Peter M. Senge (1947- ) was named a ? Strategist of the Century’ by the Journal of Business Strategy, one of 24 men and women who have ? had the greatest impact on the way we conduct business today’. Moreover, Senge has founded the Center for Organizational Learning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1991 while he is also the founding chairperson of the â€Å"Society for Organizational Learning† (SoL) and a senior lecturer at MIT. Being maybe the most important, namely the person having the most influence in Learning Organizations I will study his so called five disciplines in my project. 4 3. 1 PERSONAL MASTERY 3. 1. 1 Introduction to Personal Mastery  Senge says, â€Å"Organizations learn only through individuals who learn. Individual learning does not guarantee organizational learning. But without it no organizational learning occurs. † The people are the main active force in every aspect of the business. Since, people have their own will and mind, and their own way of thinking; it is essential that they be sufficiently motivated to challenge the goals of growth and complexity. In today’s practices, the manager should not be willing to dominate controlling, planning and organizing the workers activities. Instead they should be enabling the people in the business have their own enriching lives through establishing and maintaining the conditions needed. One should be living his own life from a creative viewpoint, so as to turn the life into a creative work. Personal Mastery is the phrase Senge and his colleagues use for the discipline of personal growth and learning. People with high levels of personal mastery are continually expanding their ability to create the results in life they truly seek. From their quest for continual learning comes the spirit of the learning organization. 3. 1. 1. 1 Mastery and Proficiency. There are two main underlying movements when personal mastery becomes a discipline, one of which is always continually making clear what is important for oneself, whereas the other movement is to continually learn how to see the current reality more clearly. It is vital to know where you are now in moving toward a desired destination. People with a high level of personal mastery share several basic characteristics, one of which is that they have a special sense of purpose that lies behind their visions and goals. 5 For such a person, a vision is an aspiration rather than simply a good idea. One other characteristic is that they live in a continual learning mode, where they never â€Å"arrive†. They know that personal mastery is not something one possesses, but is a process, a lifelong discipline. Those with a high level of personal mastery are acutely aware of their ignorance, their incompetence; and they know, or better to say truly believe that the journey itself is the reward. 3. 1. 1. 2 Why We Want It We want it because people with high levels of personal mastery are more committed, take more initiative, have a broader and deeper sense of responsibility in their work, and learn faster. Kazou Inamori, founder and chairman emeritus of Kyocera Corporation and president of the Inamori Foundation, who holds a bachelor of sciences in applied chemistry, says that â€Å"Our employees agreed to live in a community in which they would not exploit each other, but rather help each other so that we may each live our life fully. † 3. 1. 1. 3 Resistance One of the issues against the personal mastery is the resistance, which in turn is a valid fear for companies in which the managers couldn’t build a shared vision along with shared mental models. It is useless to have personal mastery as solely without other disciplines of the organizational learning. That’s why we always have to keep in mind that personal mastery must go together with a shared vision and the other disciplines. 6 3. 1. 2 The Discipline of Personal Mastery 3. 1. 2. 1 Personal Vision Most adults have goals and objectives, but these are not visions. Thus, we can say that most have little sense of real vision. When asked what they want, many adults will say what they want to get rid of, as if they delineate themselves as given-ups, rather than grown-ups. Senge points that â€Å"The ability to focus on ultimate intrinsic desires, not only on secondary goals, is a cornerstone of personal mastery. † Vision is different from purpose, since purpose is similar to a direction, a general heading, whereas vision is a specific destination, a picture of a desired future. Vision is the image of your desired future. It shouldn’t be confused with competition; it shouldn’t be isolated from the idea of one’s purpose. It is something which has personal aspects along with material aspects, such as where we want to live and how much of savings we want, or issues like health or freedom contribute, relatively. 3. 1. 2. 2 Holding Creative Tension One testimony of Senge says that there is something called the creative tension which is the source of energy derived from the gap between one’s vision and where it stands in reality. This gap can push someone forward to get closer to the vision; however it might also discourage some other people, so as to leading to feelings and emotions associated with anxiety. Imagine a rubber band, stretched between your vision and the current reality. When stretched, the rubber band creates tension, representing the tension between vision and current reality. What does tension seek? Resolution or release. There 7 are two possible ways for the tension to resolve itself: pull reality toward the vision or pull the vision toward reality. Which occurs will depend on whether we hold steady to the vision. Figure 3: Creative Tension Negative emotions caused by anxiety of the creative tension, shouldn’t be realized as the creative tension itself. What Senge argues, is that after some time what we call emotional tension will arise due to the negative emotions. In such cases, we feel deeply discouraged about a vision that is not happening and tend to lower the vision as an immediate so called remedy. It is clear that escaping emotional tension is easy; but what we really pay against is giving up something what we profoundly want, our vision. In the context of organizations we can say that goals are slowly lowered because of low tolerance for emotional tension. What we have to do is to understand thoroughly what the creative tension is and allow it to operate without lowering our vision; only then the vision becomes an active force in personal mastery. The gap in between should be used to generate energy for change. 8 Mastery of creative tension transforms the way we judge failure. It is simply an opportunity for learning. 3. 1. 2. 3 â€Å"Structural Conflict†: The Power of your Powerlessness A research done by Robert Fritz has shown that practically all of us have a â€Å"dominant belief that we are not able to fulfill our desires†. This in turn, is an obstacle one should get rid off. These beliefs, which are mandatory as a child to survive, were taught us so that we learnt our limitations. Most of us hold one of two contradictory beliefs that intrinsically limit our ability to create what so called we really want. The more common belief is in our powerlessness, namely our inability to bring into being all the things we really care about, whereas the other belief focuses on unworthiness, that we do not deserve to have what we truly desire. Fritz uses a metaphor to describe how contradictory underlying beliefs work as a system, which he calls the â€Å"structural conflict†, the metaphor counter to achieving our goals, through symbolizing the concept by another rubber band example. Figure 4: Effect of â€Å"structural conflict† to the creative tension. Later on, he identifies three generic so called strategies to cope with the forces of structural conflict, each of which has its own limitations. Accordingly, one is letting 9 our vision to erode. This strategy will lead to the sacrifice of what we truly want as discussed earlier. The second strategy is to â€Å"conflict manipulation† which is actually the strategy of people who mostly worry about failure. What they do is to focus on avoiding what they do not want to happen. This strategy makes one to spend his/her life in worry and fear. For those following this strategy, which is also called the â€Å"negative vision†, there is little joy in their life, even when they achieve their goals because this time they immediately tend to begin worrying about losing what they have gained. The last and most favorable strategy is defined as the willpower, where we simply â€Å"psyche ourselves up† to overpower all forms of resistance to achieving our goals. Simply saying, motivating through heightened will. In the next section, we will discuss Senge’s strategy for dealing with structural conflict: telling the truth. 3. 1. 2. 4 Commitment to the Truth People often want a technique that they can apply to solve the problem of structural conflict. But, in fact, being committed to the truth is far more powerful than any technique. So, what does it actually mean? It means a relentless willingness to root out the ways we limit or deceive ourselves from seeing what is, and to continually challenge our theories of why things are the way they are. The first critical task in dealing with structural conflicts is to recognize them, and the resulting behavior, when they are operating. This helps us to develop so called internal 10  warning signals, such as when we find ourselves blaming something or someone for our problems. What Senge suggests in this context is that we have to work on developing skills to discuss such situations with the people involved without producing defensiveness. We shouldn’t always act in a manner where we always think of what others have done in the situation, rather we have to concentrate on what we can do. This in other words, relates to the fact that we have to understand, or better to say, realize the situation, the current reality in which we are, so to use this as a generative force. This has even been concluded in religions like Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Jewish, Buddhism. One example might be the statement of â€Å"The truth shall set you free. † 3. 1. 2. 5 Using the Subconscious One of the most fascinating aspects of people with high levels of personal mastery is their ability to accomplish extraordinarily complex tasks with grace and ease. But, how does this come to happen? It is through the subconscious that all of us deal with complexity. What distinguishes people with high levels of personal mastery is they have developed a higher level of understanding between their normal awareness and their subconscious. Even the daily activities of us like walking, talking, eating or putting on your shoes are enormously complex tasks, for which we have learned the required skills of the tasks, which in turn led that the whole activity gradually shifts from conscious attention to subconscious control. People with high levels of personal mastery focus on the desired result itself, not the process or the means they assume necessary to achieve that result. This allows the person in focusing on the artistry of the result as well. 11 In other words, we can say that we must work at learning how to differentiate what we truly want, from what we think we need to do in order to achieve it. In order to develop a subconscious understanding it is also important to commit to the truth, because when not telling the truth, most people create some level of internal stress. The principle of creative tension recognizes that the subconscious operates most effectively when it is focused clearly on our vision and our current reality. One effective way to focus the subconscious is through imagery and visualization. For instance, world-class swimmers have found that by imagining their hands to be twice their actual size and their feet to be webbed, they actually swim faster. Mental practicing of complex tasks has become a routine psychological training for professional performers from different areas of interest. A strict reliance on only conscious learning could never have achieved this level of artistry, even if there was all the willpower in the world present. Contradictorily, it had to depend on a high level of subconscious understanding. 3. 2 MENTAL MODELS 3. 2. 1 Introduction to Mental Models  Mental models can be described as the views and assumptions we hold in our minds about how things are and how things work. A mental model is like one’s way of looking at what’s happening in the world. In other words, it determines how we think and act. Mental models depend on the past experiences, and the perception as a result of those experiences, and observations. In the introduction I had introduced the experiential learning, which was the style of learning through past experience and some other elements 12 like concrete experience, observation and reflection, and forming abstract concepts. Accordingly, a child without knowing that it might cut his hand might take a knife in his hand and try to push it in his hand. This in fact, will hurt him a lot. However, grown ups already know how to deal with a knife, so they won’t do the same mistake as the child does. All the experiences learnt are added up so to form or build up the mental models. 3. 2. 1. 1 Why the Best Ideas Fail? From the business point of view, one thing which is known by all managers is that many of the best ideas never get put into practice. Even brilliant strategies fail to get translated into action. New insights fail to get put into practice because they conflict with deeply held internal images of how the world works, images that limit us to familiar ways of thinking and acting. That is why the discipline of managing mental models ? surfacing, testing, and improving our internal pictures of how the world works- promises to be a major breakthrough for building learning organizations. Our mental models determine not only how we make sense of the world, but how we take action, namely they shape how we act which puts them into an active sense. But, why are mental models so powerful in affecting what we do? In part, because they affect what we see. As psychologists say, human beings observe selectively. Mental models also exist in the organizations, and also in management. Mental models could cause big losses in the business world as it can also prevent us from seeing the current situation. Loosing America’s car market share to German and Japanese countries was a result of the mental models of the management, where they are prevented to see the situation because of their models in mind, and perceptions. 13 The problems with mental models lie not in whether they are right or wrong-by definition, all models are simplifications. The problems with mental models arise when the models are tacit-when they exist below the level of awareness. 3. 2. 1. 2. Overcoming â€Å"The Basic Diseases of the Hierarchy† In the traditional authoritarian organization, the dogma was managing, organizing, and controlling, whereas in the learning organization, the new dogma will be vision, values, and mental models. In addition, in traditional organizations, merit means doing what the boss wants, openness means telling the boss what he wants to hear, and localness means doing the dirty stuff that the boss doesn’t want to do. However, in learning organizations these concepts will get new understandings. 3. 2. 2. The Discipline of Mental Models Developing an organization’s capacity to work with mental models involves both learning new skills and implementing institutional innovations that help bring these skills into regular practice. 3. 2. 2. 1 Managing Mental Models Throughout An Organization A concept of scenarios should be adapted in pursuit of mental models, so to force managers to consider how they would manage under different alternative paths into the future. This offsets the tendency for managers to implicitly assume a single future. When groups of managers share a range of alternative futures in their mental models, they become more responsive to those changes. 14 Mental modeling should be implemented as a philosophy. It is important to note that the goal in mental modeling is not agreement or congruency. Many mental models can exist at once. What is important is that we have to consider all of them and test against situations that we confront. Only after the process works it leads to congruency. 3. 2. 2. 2 Managing Mental Models At Personal and Interpersonal Levels The learning skills of â€Å"action science† practitioners such as Chris Argyris fall into two broad classes: skills of reflection and skills of inquiry. Where skills of reflection concern slowing down our own thinking process so that we can become more aware of how we form our mental models and the ways they influence our actions, inquiry skills concern how we operate in face-to-face interactions with others, especially in dealing with complex and conflictual issues. Reflection skills start with recognizing â€Å"leaps of abstraction†, which mean that our minds move at lightning speeds. Ironically, this often slows our learning, because we immediately â€Å"leap† to generalizations so quickly that we never think to test them. Namely, leaps of abstraction occur when we move from direct observations to generalization without testing. Here it is important to distinguish direct observation from generalizations inferred from the observation itself. To distinguish it, explicitly separate it from the data which led to it. A second technique from action science is the left-hand column, which in turn is a powerful tool for beginning to see how our mental models operate in particular situations. It reveals ways that we manipulate situations to avoid dealing with how we actually think and feel, and thereby prevent a counterproductive situation from improving. The most important lesson that comes from seeing â€Å"our left-hand columns† is how we undermine opportunities for learning in conflictual situations. Here, a process called â€Å"balancing inquiry and advocacy† comes into action. 15 Managers are mostly trained to be advocates. In many companies, being a competent manager means, being able to solve problems, figuring out what needs to be done, and enlisting whatever support is needed to get it done. In such organizations, employees are rewarded according to their ability to debate forcefully, and influence others, where the inquiry skills are unrecognized. Those rewards unfortunately can bring the employees to managerial positions, where they suddenly face the fact that they do not learn while they should learn. Advocacy without inquiry between two people can end up in vicious circle. The more vehemently one argues, the more it creates a threat to the other’s position, so that the latter argues vehemently, which causes a threat to the first one’s position, therefore, the first one argues even more vehemently. This reinforcing advocacy can be stopped by inquiring. Then it gives a chance for the both parts to understand each other’s conflicts, and reasoning. When in pure advocacy, people do not want to show the weak parts of their reasoning, and discard them. Definitely it does not bring any learning to us. Instead it brings polarization within the group. When operating in pure advocacy, the goal is to win the argument; however, when inquiry and advocacy are combined the goal is no longer â€Å"to win the argument† but to find the best argument out of all. This combination allows us to discover completely new views. What we have to keep in mind is that practicing inquiry and advocacy means being willing to expose the limitations in your own thinking, namely the willingness to be wrong. 16 3. 3 SHARED VISION 3. 3. 1 Introduction to Shared Vision 3. 3. 1. 1 A Common Caring A shared vision is not an idea, it is rather a force in people’s hearts, a force of impressive power. It may be inspired by an idea, but once it goes further ? if it is compelling enough to acquire support of more than one person? then it is no longer an abstraction. It is tangible. People begin to see it as if it exists. Few forces in human affairs are as powerful as shared visions. At its simplest level, a shared vision is the answer to the question, â€Å"What do we want to create? † Just as personal visions are pictures or images people carry in their heads and hearts, so too are shared visions pictures that people throughout an organization carry. When people truly share a vision they are connected, bound together by a common aspiration. Shared vision is one of the vital fundamentals of learning organizations, because it provides energy and also focus for learning. People should have something that really matters to them, something that makes them excited. A shared vision is not one dictated by that top management; it only exists when people are personally committed, since it is their personal vision. 3. 3. 1. 2 Why Shared Visions Matter? In an organization, a shared vision changes people’s relationship with the company. What they so far called as â€Å"their company†, becomes â€Å"our company†. It helps to create a common identity. Only this way, a learning organization can really succeed. You cannot have a learning organization without shared vision. 17 How can a commitment to the long term be fostered is the key question in efforts to develop systems thinking in management. People do not focus on the long term because they have to, but only because they want to. 3. 3. 2 The Discipline of Building Shared Vision Shared visions emerge from personal visions. This is how they derive their energy and how they foster commitment. The management should encourage individuals so as to let them create their own visions, as was told earlier in this project. However, these visions are not the shared vision itself. This is needed so that it will be easier for the individuals to accept visions of others and work in the same manner. In this way, the synergy which will be established is needed for the organization indeed. The shared vision shouldn’t be written and taught to employees because this will establish a fear. Instead, everyone should adopt this vision and commit itself to the whole vision of the organization. 3. 3. 2. 1 From Personal Visions to Shared Visions To make it clearer, let’s imagine a picture of a landscape. When you cut this picture into smaller parts, you will not be able to see the whole sight. However, if you have a picture of an ocean in which all the organisms, like fish, plants, etc. live, and you cut it into pieces, you will still be able to see the whole sight because the vision of the ocean is the same in that part. It’s like the shared vision. When you take the shared vision person by person into consideration you’ll see that they match each other and reflect the whole image. 18 So, it is the fact that when more people come to share a common vision, the vision may not change fundamentally. But it becomes more alive, more real in the sense of a mental reality that people can truly imagine achieving. Writing a vision statement, which is often a one-shot vision, can be a first step in building shared vision but, alone, it rarely makes a vision come alive within an organization. Another problem with the so called one-shot vision that was prepared by the top management is that the resulting vision does not build on people’s personal visions. Contrarily, it only reflects the personal vision of one or two people at the top. The last problem might be explained in the manner as the vision is not a solution to a problem. Building a shared vision must be seen as a central element of the daily work of leaders. It is ongoing and never-ending. It is not truly a shared vision until it connects with the personal visions of people throughout the organization. Moreover, visions that are truly shared take time to emerge. They grow as a by-product of interactions of individual visions. Experience suggests that visions that are genuinely shared require ongoing conversation where individuals not only feel free to express their dreams, but also learn how to listen to each others’ dreams. 3. 3. 2. 2 Spreading Visions: Enrollment, Commitment, and Compliance There is a big difference between compliance and commitment. The committed person brings energy, passion and excitement, which in turn brings the synergy; he does not play by the rules of the game, instead feels responsible for the game, and will not hesitate to change the rules of the game if they stand in the way of achieving vision. On the other hand compliant followers only accept the vision, but do not have a personal desire. They may want it in order to keep their job, or to get a promotion etc. , but they know that it’s not their vision at all. For an organization to survive, it must ensure that a shared vision with the commitment of the individuals is established. 19 However, there are the types of genuine compliant followers, which may often be mistaken for enrollment or commitment. What then is the difference between being genuinely compliant and enrolled and committed? The answer is deceptively simple. People who are enrolled or committed truly want the vision, where genuinely compliant people accept the vision. They may want it in order to keep their job, or to get a promotion etc. , but they know that it’s not their vision at all. 3. 4 TEAM LEARNING 3. 4. 1 Introduction to Team Learning 3. 4. 1. 1 The Potential Wisdom Teams In order to understand team learning, it is important to understand what teams are. The word â€Å"team† can be traced back to the Indo-European word â€Å"deuk† (to pull); it has always included a meaning of â€Å"pulling together†. (The modern sense of team, â€Å"a group of people acting together†, emerged in the sixteenth century) We define â€Å"teams† as any group of people who need each other to accomplish a result. This definition is derived from a statement made by former Royal Dutch/Shell Group Planning coordinator, Arie de Geus: â€Å"The only relevant learning in a company is the learning done by those people who have the power to take action†. Team learning is a process of aligning and developing the capacity of a team to create the results its members truly desire. It builds on the discipline of developing shared vision. It also builds on developing personal mastery, for talented teams are made up of talented individuals. But shared vision and talent are not enough. The world is full of teams of talented individuals who share a vision for a while, yet fail to learn. 20 Here we can discuss the terms unaligned and aligned teams. The fundamental characteristic of the relatively unaligned team is wasted energy. Individuals may work extraordinarily hard, but their efforts do not efficiently translate to team effort. By contrast, when a team becomes more aligned, a commonality of direction emerges, and individuals’ energies harmonize. There is less wasted energy. In fact, a resonance or synergy develops, like the coherent light of a laser rather than the incoherent and scattered light of a light bulb. There is commonality of purpose, a shared vision, and understanding of how to complement one another’s efforts. Individuals do not sacrifice their personal interests to the larger team vision; rather, the shared vision becomes an extension of their personal visions. In fact, alignment is the necessary condition before empowering the individual will empower the whole team. Team learning is possible in every area, sports, business, performing arts, science, etc. It can even have extra ordinary results where the teams can be coordinated and even intelligence of the team can exceed the intelligence of its members totaling. In such an environment, team members can also show a rapid growth, than they could gain individually, namely constructing the synergy. With the changes in the organizations, team learning has never been that important. No matter if it’s a product development team, management team or cross-functional task forces. As they are teams, they are the people who need one another to act. The three critical dimensions of Team Learning can be described as; 1. Insightful thinking is necessary for complex issues. Teams must learn to end up with one more intelligent solution when compared to each of the participants’ solutions. 2. Innovative and coordinated action is vital.