Education Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Education - Case Study Example fled Athens to the country side to escape his persecutors, saying that he would not allow â€Å"Athenians to sin a second time against philosophy,† referring to the cruelty imparted to Socrates earlier? (Davidson, 2005, pp.159). 16. Who was the ancient Greek philosopher who added drawing to the educational curriculum of Greek society which had until then only three components, literacy, music and gymnastics? (Mahaffy, 2010, pp.52-53) 19. Which ancient Greek scholar prescribed ‘Dorian’ as the most appropriate scale for teaching music as part of education and said that flutes should not be used in teaching the same? (Plato et.al., 1996, pp.49) 24. In which ancient Greek state could we find a home that â€Å"enjoyed the greatest honour and sanctity and the house-mother stood highest in reverence and social importance, and where violations of fidelity were rarest†? (Mahaffy, 2010, pp.121) 32. In which country of ancient Greece, was the education of a woman thought totally unnecessary and â€Å"to see, hear and say as little as possible† was considered as the foremost virtue of a woman? (Powell, 2001, pp.352). 41. Which was the ancient Greek state which kept role of family and state in the area of education, strictly apart, fearing that any merger would hamper the freedom of the individual? (Davidson, 2005,

Making Sense of Change Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Making Sense of Change Management - Essay Example It accounts for an organizational process which is aimed at the empowerment of the employees towards accepting or embracing a change in their organization or business environment. The strategy begins with a systematic approach for diagnosing the present situation for determining both the need for change and also the capacity of the organization to implement changes. However, at the beginning of the plan, the purpose, objective and process of the change must be specified to every member of the organization. Most organizations have acknowledged the idea of managing innovation in their organizations. In fact, the performance of innovation varies greatly across organizations which suggest that both the organizational and structural factors affect the influence of innovation on performance (Bessant & Pavitt, 2005, p.13). Â  The project aims to explore the changes and innovation management strategy undertaken in US-based Apple Corp Ltd. It makes an analysis of the effectiveness of the strategy undertaken in the organization in bringing about the change with a presentation of suitable arguments to support the topic. Â  The change management strategies are explained in terms of Kotter’s eight steps to change. The theory is one of the most important and most widely accepted texts in modern organizations. It defines eight steps in which changes can be implemented in organizations effectively. Although the steps are primarily meant for organizations, they also find application in personal change initiatives. Successful change management is also explained in terms of the Lewin’s model of organizational change.

Legal Aspects Of Child Labour In India

Legal Aspects Of Child Labour In India CHILD LABOUR AND INDIA- AN ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY PROVISIONS INTRODUCTION Child labour has been in India from a long time in some form or the other. Practice of child labour in match box industries, glass bangle industries and is very commonly seen in cheap restaurants and dhabas etc. Generally speaking child labour can be said to be the exploitation or abuse of children in factories, industries etc, who are below the age specified by law working (mentally or physically) to earn for his/her own survival or to support his/her family partially or fully, and which prevents his/her social and education development may be said to be child labour. The reasons which are generally responsible for child labour may include  [1]  : Poverty, Ignorance, Illiteracy, Population explosion, Lack of knowledge of their own rights, Big amounts of debt on the parents, Large size of family but not enough income to support such big family, Lack of social security scheme in the country, Weak enforcement of labour laws. According to an U.N.O report India has the maximum child labour in the world i.e. approx 20 per cent.  [2]  On the basis of Census 1991 and various governmental and non-governmental organizations following are the number of child labourers in India  [3]  : Census 1991 2.63 crore, Organization research group, Baroda, 1994-95 4.44 crore, Centre for concern of Child Labour 10 crore. Extra-governmental volunteer organization more than 5 crore. The numbers may vary according to different organizations but the fact is clear that the numbers of child labourers in India are in crores, which is again a pathetic sight, especially with all the various child labour legislation and the Constitutional provisions. In a report by the Labour Ministry every 4th child is a child labour, aged between 5-14 years and there is one child labour in every three families.  [4]   But its not as if Indian governments havent done anything about this grave social stigma, over the years it has enacted many statutory legislations and Constitutional provisions in order to eradicate the problem of child labour, to name some of them, we have: Labour legislations: The Child Labour Act, 1986, The Factories Act, 1948, The Mines Act, 1952, The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, The Minimum Wages Act, 1948, The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) of Children Act, 2000 Constitutional provisions  [5]  : Article 24 provides: strictly prohibits children to work in hazardous environment. Article 21, 45 gives the right to education to all the children below the age of 14years. Article 39 declares the duty of the State to provide the children a free facilities to develop in conditions of freedom and dignity in a healthy manner. India is also a party to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Child, 1959. India is also a signatory to: ILO Forced Labour Convention (No. 29); ILO Abolition of Forced Labour Convention (No. 105); UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children. The Government of India adopted the National Policy for Children (NPC) in August 1974. This Policy provided that  [6]  It shall be the policy of the state to provide adequate service to children both before and after birth and through the period of their growth, to ensure their full physical, mental and social development. The State shall progressively increase the scope of such services so that, within a reasonable time, all children in the country enjoy optimum conditions for their balanced growth. Indian is also a party to United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Child, 1959 and Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1992 and has formulated its labour laws in accordance to International Labour Conference resolution of 1979. The first part of the paper aims to look into the various legislations relating to child labour. In the second part we shall look into the various precedents set by the Supreme Court of India on the issue of child labour and finally the conclusion. Chapter 1 CONSTITUTIONLA AND STATUTORY PROVISIONS Constitutional provisions The government of India has enacted various labour laws has in accordance to International Labour Conference resolution of 1979. The Constitution of India, through various articles enshrined in the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy, lays down that: Article 21 (A) The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age six to 14 years; Article 24 No child below the age of fourteen years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous employment. The word hazardous employment in Art 24 also includes construction industry, also in P.N. v. U.O.I  [7]  , it has been laid down that Art 24 is enforceable even in the absence of implementing legislations;  [8]   Article 39(e) States that the health and strength of workers, men and women, and the tender age of children are not abused and that citizens are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their age or strength; Article 39(f) States that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment  [9]  . Hence Art 39 in whole requires the state to ensure and protect the children and provide proper child care. Article 45 The State shall endeavour to provide, within a period of ten years from the commencement of this Constitution, for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years The framers of the Constitution imposed a duty on the State under Article 45 as one of the directive principles of the State Policy to provide free and compulsory education to all children until they complete the age of 14 year with the sole objective of completely eradicating illiteracy and child labour. Also many of the states had passed various Acts providing for free and compulsory primary or elementary education to children. But unfortunately years after the commencement of the Constitution the goal set by this Article which was to be achieved in 10 years, have yet not been reached. But the provision in article 39(f) and 45 of the constitution gave certain directions in providing a better quality of life of children employed in the factories. Labour legislations The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986: The Act prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years in 13 occupations and 51 processes that are hazardous to the childrens lives and health listed in the Schedule to the Act  [10]  . The Factories Act, 1948: The Act completely prohibits children working below the age of 14 years  [11]  . It further states that if a child is between 15 and 18 years of age, can be employed in a factory only if he has a certificate of fitness granted with reference to him under section 69 which is in the custody of the manager of the factory. The Act also says that no child shall be employed or permitted to work, in any factory for more than four and a half hours in any day; The Mines Act, 1952: The Act prohibits the employment of children in mines, who have not completed their 15th year. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) of Children Act, 2000: This Act was last amended in 2002 in conformity with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child covers young persons below 18 years of age. Section 26 of this Act deals with the Exploitation of a Juvenile or Child Employee, and provides in relevant part, that whoever procures a juvenile or the child for the purpose of any hazardous employment and keeps him in bondage and withholds his earnings or uses such earning for his own purposes shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable for fine. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009: The Act states that all children aged 6 to 14 years shall be provided free and compulsory education. It further states that all private schools should allocated 25 per cent of their seats for disadvantaged and differently abled children. Chapters 2 Precedents set by Supreme Court Though the government of India has enacted various labour legislations to prevent child labour still there are some contradiction among them, mainly the definitional debates on child labour as different legislation provide different definition of a child. Section 2(ii) of The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, defines child as a person who has not completed his fourteenth year of age; Section 2(c) of The Factories Act, 1948 defines child as a person who has not completed his fifteenth year of age; Section 2(e) of The Mines Act, 1952 defines child as a person who has not completed his fifteenth year; Section 2(c) of The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, defines child as male or female child of the age of six to fourteen years; Section 2(k) of The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) of Children Act, 2000 defines child as a person who has not completed eighteenth year of age; Section 2(c) of The Plantations Labour Act, 1951 defines child as a person who has not completed his fourteenth year of age Hence, we can clearly observe that these legislation are at contradiction to each other in defining whos a child and setting an uniform age limit. Therefore the centre and respective state governments should set a uniform universal minimum age of the child as these contradictions adversely affect the objective of protection from child labour and providing a better educational and social development to children of India. Following are few of important Supreme Court cases that have helped in framing better laws regarding child labour: In Democratic Rights V. Union of India  [12]  , it was contended that the Employment of Children Act, 1938 was not applicable in the matter of employment of children in construction works, as it was not mentioned in the act. But the court held even construction work is a hazardous employment and no child below the age of 14 years can be employed as given under Art 24 of the Indian Constitution, even though construction industry has not been specified in the schedule to the Employment of children Act, 1938, thus the SC rejected the contention. In Salal Hydro Project vs. Jammu and Kashmir  [13]  , the Court has restated the principle laid in Democratic Rights V. Union of India  [14]  that Construction work is hazardous employment and any child below 14 cannot be employed in this work. In Sheela Barse and others vs Union of India and others  [15]  , Bhagawati, C.J. quoted from National Policy for the welfare of Children incorporated to provide better social and educational development to the children of India : The Nations children a supremely important asset. Their nurture and solicitude are our responsibility. Childrens programme should find a prominent part in our national plans for the development of human resources, so that our children grow up to become robust citizens, physically fit, mentally alert and morally healthy, endowed with the skill and motivations needed by society. Equal opportunities for development to all children during the period of growth should be our aim, for this would serve our large purpose of reducing inequality and ensuring social justice. In M.C. Mehta v State of Tamil Nadu Ors  [16]  , the SC gave direction to the Union and state governments to identify all children and withdraw them from working in hazardous processes and occupations, and to provide them with free and proper education as incorporated into the Constitution, Artcle 21-A. The Court also directed the Union and state governments to set up a Child Labour Rehabilitation-cum-Welfare Fund using contributions from employers who breach the Child Labour Act. In Unnikrishnan v. State of Andhra Pradesh,  [17]  the SC held that every child has the right to free education till the age of 14 years. Artcle 21-A which was incorporated into the Constitution, reflects this standard. CONCLUSION It is said that child is the father of man, and the children of our country are our biggest asset. The government of India has enacted several laws in order to provide healthy social and educational environment for the children. But in spite of all the laws enacted, problem of child labour still persists in our Indian society that is because child labour laws are themselves flawed in some way or the other or suffer from poor implementation of programmes. Though awareness towards child labour has increased and now there are several NGOs trying their best, but today what we require is to take concrete actions, the central and respective state governments need to provide for better machinery for enforcing child labour laws. Unless this is achieved our country wont be completely free the burden of child labour.

Fingernail Phenomenon :: essays research papers

In late September, I went shopping for my seven-year-old cousin. The first place was Toys R Us. After finding what I needed, I went to the checkout line to purchase the items. I thought something was wrong with me, but it was the cashier. The first things I saw were ten lime-green fingernails. They matched her lime-green shirt, which matched her shorts, which matched her socks that matched her shoes. I started to ask her, "Why did you do that to your fingernails?" but I kept it to myself. Then I went to the 99-cent store in Cutler Ridge Mall. Not surprisingly, the cashier was also wearing an outfit with matching fingernails. So I asked her, "Why did you paint your fingernails the same color as your clothes?" She giggled, then replied, "Because it completes the outfit." "So, what happens if you buy an outfit in a color you don't have in nail polish?" I asked. She paused with a puzzled look on her face. I stated, "Thank you, and have a nice day." and walked off. Is this a requirement to be a cashier? Do men have this obsession? Why is it important for one to spend extra time doing the unnecessary? The greatly overlooked fingernails play an important role in everyday life, are examples of the way we learn, and have introduced an unknown creativity to many. Most women view their fingernails as jewelry. On an evening when pure elegance is required, one would rarely see a woman without a manicure. A man's fingernails would almost always look the way they did on the previous day. Every Saturday morning, manicure shops around the world are booked, from open to close, by women who want to be completed for the next week. Why is this needed for one's appearance to be complete? It is just one more cover for a woman's insecurities. Like makeup, the fingernails are dressed up to distract someone from their natural beauty. The nails are used as a stool in order to meet the standard of the "perfect look." Nails tend to be one of the first things women look for on other women to see if they are being "outdone." And if so, then the next time around, the second best must be the best, instead of being naturally beautiful. Women in general are naturally beautiful, but because of certain ads in television, and in magazines, they feel as though perfection is where beauty lies.

Bite Me: A Love Story Chapter 21

21. Being the Chronicles of Abby Normal: The Mopey Monosexuality of an Outcast Cutie Corpse Much like the guy in Herman Hesse's novel Steppenwolf (which everyone knows means, â€Å"wolf going up the steps†) who runs into the ENTRANCE NOT FOR EVERYBODY sign outside of the Magic Theater, when it comes to romance, I am definitely not on the list. Loneliness is my â€Å"plus one.† Bitterness is my boo. Oh, it was sweet waking up at sundown, nearly in the arms of my Dark Lord, snuggled up in our utility shed on the roof. I probably shouldn't have snatched that pigeon out from under the eave and sort of sucked its little throat, but in my defense, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I swore off anything with feathers because they are nasty. Still, I think Lord Flood would have forgiven me spitting bloody feathers on his linen trousers if my tail hadn't harshed our search plan. There, now everyone knows. I have a tail. Which is kinda the reason we had to return to the love lair instead of continuing our search for the Countess. Foo called just before sunup to say that all the rats had died. So I'm like, â€Å"Non sequitur much, Foo? If you miss me, you can just apologize and grovel a little and we'll move on.† And he's like, â€Å"No, Abby, you don't understand. There's something in their DNA, they just sort of expire after a week or so of being a vampyre.† And I'm like, â€Å"My poor, sad Foo Dog, are you sure that your mantenna isn't just using dead rats to send an S.O.S. for a return to tuna town? Hmmmm?† And he's all, â€Å"No, Abby, you have rat DNA tied in with your vampirism, the same way Chet has human DNA.† And I'm all, â€Å"Nuh-uh.† And he's all, â€Å"You have to come back here. Abby, I know you have a tail.† And I'm like, â€Å"Fucksocks,† and I offed my phone. So when Flood and I come to in the shed on the roof, I'm like, â€Å"We may need to check in with Foo.† And Flood is like, â€Å"Call him and tell him that there are old vampyres here to clean up. He needs to be ready. We'll be there in a few minutes.† And I'm like, â€Å"I'll text him. I'm not speaking to him right now.† So, like, Tommy showed me how you couldn't run too fast, or someone would notice something was up, so you had to sort of go in bursts and I wasn't supposed to jump over cars and whatnot because that shit is a dead giveaway that you are nosferatu. Although I did â€Å"rawr† some tourists on the cable car, because they needed it. And if you ask them they will all be, â€Å"She was trs scary, and back in Cowfuck, Nebraska, we know that ‘rawr' is totally a thing because we have family values and whatnot.† So after running in bursts for like three blocks I rawred down a cab that was halted by my awesome dark powers and the hundred-dollar bill I was waving, and we rode to the love lair, where Jared let us in. And Jared was all, â€Å"OMG, OMG, OMFG, Abs, the rats are dead!† And I'm like, â€Å"Not news. Awesome vamp robot pirate ship, equals news.† And Jared is like, â€Å"For realz?† And I'm like, â€Å"Totes.† And he kind of does a gayboy squee that was a little embarrassing, so I'm all, â€Å"Where's Foo?† And Foo comes out of the bedroom and I go to kiss him and he sort of stops and holds up his little blood vials, like, â€Å"Oh, no kisses, Abby, I have breakables.† So I backed off. And he's like, â€Å"Abby we need to change you back. Right away.† And I'm like, â€Å"No way, Foo. I am finished with your petty human weakness.† And he like waves to all the rat boxes, and all the rats are just lying in the bottom of them. And I'm all, â€Å"So?† And Foo's like, â€Å"They just dropped, within hours of each other. There's some incompatibility with the vampyre virus.† â€Å"It's a virus?† goes Tommy. And Foo's all, â€Å"I don't know exactly what it is, but it binds to the host DNA and it carries the DNA to the infected.† And I'm like, â€Å"So?† And that's when Foo blurts out that I have a tail to Flood, and I just want to crawl in a hole and die, except for it being redundant. Then Jared's like, â€Å"Would you guys like something to drink? Some blood or something?† And I'm like, â€Å"No thanks, I had a pigeon.† And Flood is like, â€Å"Yes, I'll have some.† And he's about to take a sip from a wineglass that Jared poured, and I see his fangs, which are trs sexy now that he's not ripping my throat out with them, and he's like, â€Å"Oh, Abby, if this turns out to be drugged, tear Steve's arms off.† And I'm like, â€Å"‘Kay,† then to Foo, I'm like, â€Å"Rawr. Shut up.† And Foo's like, â€Å"It's not drugged.† So we tell Foo and Jared about the ship and the old vampyres and how they are here to clean house, and about what the Kona guy said about second generation vampyres. And Foo's like, â€Å"That's you, Tommy.† And Flood is like, â€Å"I know. I have to find Jody. And you and Jared need to get away from this apartment. Go somewhere, stay until you hear it's all clear or the Raven leaves.† And Foo is like, â€Å"How did you think to go to the dock anyway?† So we told him about Madame Natasha and the sunken ship in the north end of the City and whatnot, and he's all rolling his eyes, because he doesn't believe in magic, despite the fact that he's rolling his eyes at two vampyres. And he's like, â€Å"Did you try the Sunken Ship?† And we're like, â€Å"Whaaaa?† And he's like, â€Å"It's a bar down on Jackson Street. It was built on top of one of the Gold Rush ships that was abandoned there. You can still see the ribs of the ship in the basement.† And Flood's like, â€Å"The Sunken Ship? That's what it's called?† And I'm like, â€Å"Kind of obvious.† And Flood's like, â€Å"We need to go there.† And Foo's all, â€Å"No, I have to change you both back. You could drop any minute.† So I go, â€Å"As if. We have to find the Countess.† And Tommy's all, â€Å"After. All that after.† So Foo goes, â€Å"Well, then take these.† And he gives Flood and me each a thing that looks like an aluminum flashlight with a blue glass erection. And I'm all, â€Å"Uh, we can see in the dark, and heat, and we have someone on retainer who can see into the future, so, thanks, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"They're UV lasers,† goes Foo, in the middle of my dismissal. â€Å"They use them to fuse UV sensitive polymers in vacuum chambers.† And Tommy looks at me like, â€Å"What?† And I look at him like, â€Å"No fucking idea.† So Foo runs on like, â€Å"They would just burn me or Jared if you held it on us, like a high-intensity sunlamp. But you'd have to hold it there for about five seconds.† So Flood looks at me like, â€Å"What?† And I look at him like, â€Å"I got nothing.† So Foo takes Tommy's flashlight from him and he goes, â€Å"Like this.† And he points the flashlight at one of the dead rat boxes and it busts out with this intense blue beam and whoosh instant rat charcoal. So Flood and I are like, â€Å"Oh.† â€Å"You can't just leave them on like the UV jackets. They work with a capacitor that builds a charge and lets go with a two-second burst, but you can probably cut a vamp in half in that time. I made them for Rivera and Cavuto.† And Tommy goes, â€Å"Well don't give one to them, for fuck's sake, they're hunting me and Jody.† â€Å"And me,† I go. â€Å"And me,† goes Jared. And we look at him. And he goes, â€Å"Not because I'm a vampyre. Because that big cop hates me.† Then he looked embarrassed and he goes, â€Å"Hey, you guys, your eyes are bleeding.† And I look at Tommy and I'm all, â€Å"WTF?† And Foo's like, â€Å"You guys should probably wear sun-glasses with UV filtering if you're going to use those, or, you know, they could hurt your eyes.† So Flood's like, â€Å"Good to know.† And Foo's like, â€Å"You should know that they can't go to mist if they're hurt or under exposure to any significant UV. I tested it with the rats. Which means you can't either.† And we're all, â€Å"Uh-huh.† And he's like, â€Å"What will you do?† And Flood is like, â€Å"We're going to the Sunken Ship and see if we can find Jody, and then I guess we're going to see if we can get on a pirate ship. What about you?† â€Å"I have to break the lab down first, but I know some guys in my program at Berkeley that have an extra room. I can stay there.† And Flood is like, â€Å"Take Jared with you. Elijah saw him. Anyone Elijah knows or who knew about him is in danger.† And Jared is all, â€Å"Nooooo, Berkeley is way too butch.† So I ‘splain to Tommy, â€Å"Jared is afraid of butch lesbians. They were invented in Berkeley.† And Foo is like looking at Jared, and looking at me, and looking at Flood, and looking at his dead rats, and he's all, â€Å"Can't you at least leave Abby here and let me change her back?† And Flood looks at me and I'm all, â€Å"Bitch, please, I have a light sabre.† And I grabbed Foo and kissed him hard, but I could feel him pulling away. And he's like, â€Å"Abby, after this is over-â€Å" And I'm like, finger on his lips, â€Å"Shh, shh, shh, Foo. Do not awkwardize the moment with sniveling. I've been preparing my whole life for this.† And I have. So we jammed. And outside Flood is like, â€Å"You okay?† And I'm all, â€Å"Yeah. Do you think I'm a freak because I have a tail?† And he's all, â€Å"No, not because of that.† Which was awesome for him to say. So we did the low-profile walk to Walgreens, where we bought three pairs of sunglasses and a disposable cell phone for Tommy and I got some Gummi bears, which I am dipping in blood and eating now-biting off their little bear heads. Then we go over to the financial district and we find the bar called the Sunken Ship on Jackson Street in the old section, and there's a big picture of a sailing ship, and THE SUNKEN SHIP is carved in big letters, and we're not two blocks from the roof where we spent the night, and I'm all, â€Å"Oops.† And Flood is like, â€Å"Now what?† And I'm like, â€Å"Don't you have fake ID?† I was kind of fucking with him for pretending to be five hundred years old when we first met, when he's only nineteen. And he's like, â€Å"No, do you?† â€Å"Yeah. Like six of them. I'll go in and look around.† And he's like, â€Å"Okay.† So I start to go inside, where all these suits and citizens are, and I hear, â€Å"Hey,† a girl's voice. Quiet, but like she knows we can hear. And it's the Countess, palming a door shut on this below-street apartment. And she's in like black jeans carrying a pair of Nikes, but her hair is all glorious, and in like an instant she's up over the rail, not even touching the stairs, and in Tommy's arms. And it was beautiful, and sad, and I felt my heart break, but then it was like leaping for joy, because I really do love the Countess, and I love Tommy, but they love each other, and well-fucksocks. So I'm like, â€Å"Cold-faced killers on the clock, bitches, we don't have time for your bonery right now.† And the Countess like lets Tommy go and gives me a big hug and she's like, â€Å"So, girl-e-girl, the dead thing, it works for you.† And I'm like, â€Å"Duh.† And she looks at Flood and she's, â€Å"I'm not sure about the tropical thing though.† And he's like, â€Å"Abby sprayed pigeon blood on my pants.† And she's like, â€Å"No, that part's good.† And he's like, â€Å"She has a tail.† And I'm like, â€Å"Traitor!† Then she looks all sad, and she's like, â€Å"Tommy, we need to talk.† And he's like, â€Å"No, we need to move.† So, while we walk toward the water we explain about the old vamps and the clean up, and the Raven and whatnot. ‘Kayso, now we're on the roof of the Bay Club, which is a really nice gym across the street from the dock, and we are staking out the Raven, and from up here we can see into the cockpit, which is like the size of a whole apartment. And they're there. The three of them and Kona, the blond Rasta guy. Two women and a guy. And they're looking all fly in their black bodysuits and black trench coats and all. But the tall blond guy has something on the table, a long case, and he takes something out and starts putting it together. I'm all, â€Å"What's he got?† â€Å"It's a rifle,† goes the Countess. WTF? WTF? WTF? I go, â€Å"A gun?† And Tommy goes, â€Å"What's with the gun?† And I'm like, â€Å"Yeah, guns are for shit on vampyres. Uh, us.† I still totally don't want to get shot. And Jody's like, â€Å"They're not going after vampyres.† And Tommy's like, â€Å"Abby, would you stop typing. Please?† And I'm like, â€Å"Rawr!† And Jody's like, â€Å"He's leaving the ship.† And I'm all, â€Å"WTF?† And Jody's all, â€Å"We have to follow.† ‘Kayso, gotta jet. L8erz.

An Analysis of Frida Kahlo and Carmen Lomas Garza Essay

Cultural Versus Opportunities: An Analysis of Frida Kahlo And Carmen Lomas Garza Words 1,715 Both of these paintings show the love and desire to hold on to ones heritage and family traditions which is extremely important in Hispanic families. Both with vivid colors and images. In Kahlo’s â€Å"Self Portrait on the Border Line Between Mexico and the United States†, even though she is a Mexican woman living in a non-Mexican country, she is able to accept both sides and hold on to her own Mexican heritage and culture which it seems she preferred. In Garza’s â€Å"Camas Para Suenos†(Beds for Dreams), Garza is showing the love and closeness she had with her sister and how her mother allowed them to dream and reach after those dreams as they kept in touch with their heritage and culture which is evident in her work. Holding on to ones own culture is important. It should not be forgotten. It should be embraced and tought to ones own children. As Kahlo’s painting depicts, learning of others heritage and culture can be another way of embracing your own and learning to appreciate and discover it all over. The loss of culture can be devastating to the identity of nations and families. Brief facts about artist Frida Kahlo’s childhood and adult years introduce her complex life of the mind and spirit. Frida. ( Dec 4, 2002) The Christian Century from Fine Arts and Music Collection via Gale) The artwork evokes magical realism without attempting to imitate the gifted Mexican artist, who painted â€Å"what she sees in her heart, on top of what she sees with her eyes. † Kahlo’s Self Portrait on the Border Line Between Mexico and the United States, painted in 1932, is a very revealing work that gives a glimpse into the heart, mind, and soul of Kahlo herself. The painting speaks of the connection, or the lack thereof, between Mexico and the United States. It is a very subtle, yet amazingly powerful painting. Kahlo did this painting while she waited for her husband, Diego Rivera, to finish painting his mural in Detroit. During this time she suffered a traumatic miscarriage and was admitted to the Henry Ford hospital. She felt very lonely and isolated from life and all that she knew. This painting is an expression of how Kahlo viewed herself stuck somewhere in limbo, in a place far away from her beloved Mexican homeland. P 34(1) In the front, at the bottom, of each side of the painting lies roots. On the side that is connected with the United States the roots are actually cables or cords that come from some industrial object. The roots of these objects are black and take different shapes such as long and reaching or curled. They are clearly like industrial cords and are not necessarily reflective of anything that is natural. On the other side, the Mexican side, the roots are actual roots of plants that grow out like natural roots, reaching into the ground. What makes these roots significant, aside from their obvious differences, lies in the fact that one of the cords reaches down, and under Kahlo, touching the roots of another plant. That plant appears to have brown pods which could well represent how the industrial unnatural reality of the United States is smothering and killing all that is natural, and in this case Mexico as well. It is pervasive and dark in nature. This is further emphasized by the fact that Mexico’s roots are very natural and organic, whereas the United States’ roots are dark, and clearly manmade and unnatural. In this painting, show Kahlo wearing an dress that is very reminiscent of an American dress. It is a simple dress but it is pink and has many ruffles along the bottom of the skirt. In some ways it seems reflective of the Civil War era, without the presence of a powerful hoop skirt underneath, or perhaps a dress of the old West days in the United States. Whatever the case it is not a dress that is reflective of Kahlo but of the United States . In addition, in the hand that is facing towards Mexico Kahlo holds a Mexican flag. In the hand that is facing towards the United States she holds a cigarette. Her hands are crossed. This all suggests influences she likes, dislikes, and is perhaps confused by. She is, in this picture, part of both worlds and clearly the side that is relative to Mexico is patriotic and very Mexican in spirit. But the hand that holds a cigarette clearly speaks of the industrial and damaging nature of the United States, perhaps suggesting the negative influence the United States has on Mexico. As it pertains to religious icons or images there are no obvious religious images on the side with the United States. However, when one asks that question, regarding religious, one may well argue that industrialization, manufacturing, and smokestacks, is the religion of the United States. On the Mexican side are many references to the history and the religion of Mexico. There is what appears to be a goddess statue with two infants, a statue from ancient Aztec religions perhaps, and the ancient architectural elements of Mexico. The entire natural presentation of Mexico is offered in a religious nature, even incorporating a skull which could well relate to the Day of the Dead, a religious holiday for Mexico. The religion of the United States, in this case, would be mass production, destruction of the earth, and money. The fact that Kahlo is in the center of the painting does not suggest any common ground, but rather speaks, it would seem, of some internal struggle within Kahlo as she sees her nation influenced and perhaps destroyed by the United States. She is clearly a part of the United States and if one looks at her life one can see that her involvement with Diego clearly put her in close relationship with the dealings of the United States. But, she is clearly sending an image that indicates she is not happy with the United States and finds far more peace and beauty in Mexico, her home. Schjeldahl, P. (Nov 5, 2007) Kahlo is authentically a national treasure of Mexico, a country that her work expresses not merely as a culture but as a complete civilization, with profound roots in several pasts and with proper styles of modernity. P (92) In Carmen Lomas Garzas painting â€Å"Camas Para Suenos† (Beds for Dreams), two children can be spotted, sitting on the roof of their home, gazing up at the full moon. Beneath them in the bedroom, their mother is making the bed ready for the children to sleep in, and a crucifix can be seen hanging on the wall behind her. This image recalls a time of simplicity, where children can peacefully sit and star gaze, while their apron-wearing mothers make the beds in which they will sleep in. The image is portrayed through the scope of a child, and its message calls for Mexicans to remember their culture. Roback, D. (July 13, 1990). In the midst of racism and discrimination, Garza tries not to draw upon any of that; instead, she looks to the family for resolution Mexican-American Garza has generously afforded readers a glimpse of her cherished childhood in a poor rural Hispanic community. Her daily activities and fond memories are related in paintings . Of the painting Garza stated â€Å"My sister and I used to go up on the roof on summer nights and just stay there and talk about the stars and the constellations. We also talked about the future. I knew since I was 13 years old that I wanted to be an artist. And all those things that I dreamed of doing as an artist, I’m finally doing now. My mother was the one who inspired me to be an artist. She made up our beds to sleep in and have regular dreams, but she also laid out the bed for our dreams of the future. P 54(2) This painting was inspired by youthful conversations with her sister and their desire to become artists and focuses on the joyful memories of everyday life with her family. The two sisters, Garza being one, are sitting on the roof close to the moon and stars, sharing their dreams with on another. The fact that they were Mexicans, in the United States did not change the fact that they had dreams they wished to accomplish.

Free Essays on Plato On Justice And Injustice

In The Republic, Plato attempts to demonstrate through the character and discourse of Socrates that justice is better than justice is the good which men must strive for, regardless of whether they could be unjust and still be rewarded. His method is to use dialectic, the asking and answering of questions which led the hearer from one point to another, supposedly with irrefutable logic by obtaining agreement to each point before going on to the next, and so building an argument. Early on, his two young listeners pose the question of whether justice is stronger than injustice, what each does to a man, and what makes the first good and the second bad. In answering this question, Socrates deals directly with the philosophy of the individual's goodness and virtue, but also ties it to his concept of the perfect state, which is a republic of three classes of people with a rigid social structure and little in the way of amusement. Although Socrates returns time and again to the concept of justice in his discourse on the perfect city-state, much of it seems off the original subject. One of his main points, however, is that goodness is doing what is best for the common, greater good rather than for individual happiness. There is a real sense in which his philosophy turns on the concepts of virtue, and his belief that ultimately virtue is its own reward. His first major point is that justice is an excellence of character. He then seeks agreement that no excellence is achieved through destructive means. The function of justice is to improve human nature, which is inherently constructive. Therefore, at a minimum, justice is a form of goodness that cannot be involved in injuring someone's character. Justice, in short, is a virtue, a human excellence. His next point is that acting in accordance with excellence brings happiness. Then he ties excellence to one's function. His examples are those of the senses each sensory organ is excel... Free Essays on Plato On Justice And Injustice Free Essays on Plato On Justice And Injustice In The Republic, Plato attempts to demonstrate through the character and discourse of Socrates that justice is better than justice is the good which men must strive for, regardless of whether they could be unjust and still be rewarded. His method is to use dialectic, the asking and answering of questions which led the hearer from one point to another, supposedly with irrefutable logic by obtaining agreement to each point before going on to the next, and so building an argument. Early on, his two young listeners pose the question of whether justice is stronger than injustice, what each does to a man, and what makes the first good and the second bad. In answering this question, Socrates deals directly with the philosophy of the individual's goodness and virtue, but also ties it to his concept of the perfect state, which is a republic of three classes of people with a rigid social structure and little in the way of amusement. Although Socrates returns time and again to the concept of justice in his discourse on the perfect city-state, much of it seems off the original subject. One of his main points, however, is that goodness is doing what is best for the common, greater good rather than for individual happiness. There is a real sense in which his philosophy turns on the concepts of virtue, and his belief that ultimately virtue is its own reward. His first major point is that justice is an excellence of character. He then seeks agreement that no excellence is achieved through destructive means. The function of justice is to improve human nature, which is inherently constructive. Therefore, at a minimum, justice is a form of goodness that cannot be involved in injuring someone's character. Justice, in short, is a virtue, a human excellence. His next point is that acting in accordance with excellence brings happiness. Then he ties excellence to one's function. His examples are those of the senses each sensory organ is excel...

Free Essays on Specific Examples Involving The Interpretation Of The Parthenon’s Frieze

Specific Examples Involving the Interpretation of the Parthenon’s Frieze Looking at the Parthenon’s frieze you see many different characters in what seems to be some kind of procession. This is all noticeable to the common viewer, but does it actually have any meaning. Many interpretations have given the beautiful frieze different yet similar meanings. To many it is thought to be a piece of music transposed in to a pictorial story. The frieze seems to have a distinctive rhythm where it feels as if the characters are dancing. It is commonly thought that the scenes in the frieze are a representation of the Panathenaic procession, but scholars are arguing many of the actions and underlying meanings. Many of the actions that take place on the frieze may seem insignificant, but they actually take on a lot of meaning. The simple gesture of fiddling with a sandal marks the beginning of the festival of the Panathenaic procession. Since most scholars agree on this, their interpretations are set around the south-western corner of the frieze as being the beginning events of the procession. The characters in the frieze are all headed toward the eastern front. The Panathenaic procession was the beginning of the grand Panathenaic games. As depicted on the frieze, this ritual included the sacrifice of animals and also the offering of the Peplos to Athena. In one scene of the frieze, the priestess of Athena, the Archon Basilieus, and a young boy are folding a large piece of cloth. â€Å"Since the offering of the Peplos was the essential feature of the Panathenaic procession, and the Peplos, if not represented here, is not to be found anywhere else in the frieze, it is generally agreed that we must recognize it in the piece of drapery which the priest holds†(Gardner 89-91). It is thought that the folding of this cloth is a symbol of putting away the old Peplos to make offering of the new one. Joan B. Connelly has interpreted th... Free Essays on Specific Examples Involving The Interpretation Of The Parthenon’s Frieze Free Essays on Specific Examples Involving The Interpretation Of The Parthenon’s Frieze Specific Examples Involving the Interpretation of the Parthenon’s Frieze Looking at the Parthenon’s frieze you see many different characters in what seems to be some kind of procession. This is all noticeable to the common viewer, but does it actually have any meaning. Many interpretations have given the beautiful frieze different yet similar meanings. To many it is thought to be a piece of music transposed in to a pictorial story. The frieze seems to have a distinctive rhythm where it feels as if the characters are dancing. It is commonly thought that the scenes in the frieze are a representation of the Panathenaic procession, but scholars are arguing many of the actions and underlying meanings. Many of the actions that take place on the frieze may seem insignificant, but they actually take on a lot of meaning. The simple gesture of fiddling with a sandal marks the beginning of the festival of the Panathenaic procession. Since most scholars agree on this, their interpretations are set around the south-western corner of the frieze as being the beginning events of the procession. The characters in the frieze are all headed toward the eastern front. The Panathenaic procession was the beginning of the grand Panathenaic games. As depicted on the frieze, this ritual included the sacrifice of animals and also the offering of the Peplos to Athena. In one scene of the frieze, the priestess of Athena, the Archon Basilieus, and a young boy are folding a large piece of cloth. â€Å"Since the offering of the Peplos was the essential feature of the Panathenaic procession, and the Peplos, if not represented here, is not to be found anywhere else in the frieze, it is generally agreed that we must recognize it in the piece of drapery which the priest holds†(Gardner 89-91). It is thought that the folding of this cloth is a symbol of putting away the old Peplos to make offering of the new one. Joan B. Connelly has interpreted th...

Cable Based Television †Retaining Customers

Cable Based Television – Retaining Customers The industry of communications has grown exponentially during the past years allowing cable and satellite television companies to capture a large piece of the market. According to the National Cable & Telecommunications Association cable television was introduced since the late 1940’s in the USA while satellite TV was introduced in the early 90’s. According to the Television Bureau of Advertising (tvb.org) Cable television has lost significantly part of its market share to the newly introduced Satellite TV providers. According to research by Nielsen Company reported by tvb.org in February of 1999 the percentage of TV per household receiving cable television was at 70% while 9.1% came from any form of Satellite receivers while in July of 2009 only 62.2 % belonged to cable transmission while 28.6% to satellite receivers. This data is somehow alarming to cable companies all around. Even though they still remain as a top provider they have lost a significantly share of the market over a rather short period of time. This calls for action from the cable companies to analyze and evaluate new strategies to retain customers and eventually gain back the customers lost. This situation might change depending on the providers of the services, also affecting other things such as quality of the service, installation processes, prices and even customer services. While Satellite providers started appealing to a higher income percentage of the population now they are working their way down the income latter to appeal with better prices and bundles. The present marketing plan aims to draw a clear strategy that will start locally in the area of Tampa and surrounding cities. If the implementation is effective then it shall be replicated to all the other states and cities were the company in question, Bright house Networks, works as a Cable provider. Having in mind that cable is something that people can definitely live without, it is a harder task to preserve the nee d especially during rough times as perceived by the public in general. With the introduction of technology the addition of internet service provider to the cable companies has been a very smart way to create an increased need for the services and the effect of this shall be explored within the marketing plan, including the differences between the different services offered by the satellite TV and Cable TV providers which are often a deal breaker when deciding to stay or change companies. Company Overview Bright house Networks is a cable provider company established in 1994, it was merged with Warner Cable and other local cable providers to form the new company with new goals in mind and definitely different managerial styles. According to Bright House Networks, LLC Company Profile on Yahoo Finance it has over 2 million subscribers in the areas of Alabama, California, Florida, Indiana, and Michigan. Recently, Bright House Networks ranked highest in customer satisfaction for the fourt h year in a row by J.D. Power and Associates for Home Phone and for the delivery of High Speed Internet in the South Region. (Brighthouse.com/company overview) The company has a very important presence in Tampa and surrounding cities. It is the main cable provider in the area offering also other services such as high speed internet and telephone services which they cater to both households and business alike.

China Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

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International Marketing - Term Paper Example Since the contemporary market forces such as globalization, competition and technology influence the way business is carried out, a marketer is generally expected of anticipating the significant variables that can impact the business and how they can be managed too. This piece of research paper presents a brief marketing plan of the ‘Yogo-Sweet’, a medium sized manufacturer and marketer of the Frozen Yogurt, located near to Melbourne, Australia. This paper explains relevant concepts and theoretical underpinning in relation to marketing, strategy and competition. This marketing plan will present a pro forma financial statement and budgets. ‘Yogo-Sweet’ will be an amazing experience of small-treat that would fulfill the personal goal of delivering unique value of supreme quality Frozen Yogurt and ice cream needs of the target market. The company will target customers from around Australia and to export frozen yogurt stuff to countries like New Zealand, Fiji and other neighboring countries. The company has discovered a hidden opportunity for marketing Frozen Yogurt in Australia as well as neighboring countries and it seeks to grab its better slices. With the mission statement- ‘Yogo-Sweet is to facilitate stylish, convenient and uplifting destination where health-conscious and active customers can relax, energize and take treats’. The mission, with 20 well-thought about words in it, proposes the very specific marketing objectives that the emphasis will be placed on outstanding quality Frozen Yogurt and packaged ice-creams with organic and multicultural small-treat aspects. The company is expected to start on January 2012 in the rapidly expanding city of Melbourne, Australia. As Armstrong and Kotler (2005, p. 42) described, a marketing plan’s fundamental element is its mission statement that defines the marketing activities of the business in terms of how it is

Civil war in Africa Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Civil war in Africa - Research Paper Example Warlords and government can no longer rely on an ideological basis for civil war financing since the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Natural resources are asserts that sustain activities of both rebel movements and justice movements set to counter them (Collier & Hoeffler, 2000). Congo has diverse and abundant minerals that include gold and copper. The locals do not benefit from these minerals, as those that benefit have not done any useful investment in the country. Foreigners have persistently found local collaborators to share the massive possessions of the continent. Civil war broke as movements purported to protect the masses from the monopoly of the rulers and their overseas business allies (Nzongola-Ntalaja, 2004). Interference from outside countries, like USA and Soviet Union has also led to civil wars in the African continent; the Cold War is a significant component in aggravation of civil war in Africa. Each power militarized different African states and took part in de stabilizing their government’s political legitimacy. Governments in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Zaire depended on Cold War finance sustain their military dominance. This competition for supremacy motivated a scramble for power among different sponsored movements in different African states (Cramer, 2006; Ndikumana & Emizet, 2005). ... The powers went as far as offering arms and training to groups to provide them and edge in waging war over their rivals. A large number of African civil war protagonists received military training from countries like Russia, Israel, USA, and the Soviet Union (Kinzer, 2008) Extend of Western countries’ contribution to civil wars can be as far as assassination of some of the African leaders. There are accusation against western countries for sanctioning assassinations of African political leaders such as Eduardo Mondlane and Patrice Lumumba, Dag Hammarskjold and Samora Marcel (Akaki, 2008; De Witt, 2001). This assassination has contributed to civil wars in Africa as various political groups blame each other for the death of these leaders. The power vacuum in place leads to scramble for the vacant leadership position. High prevalence of civil wars in Africa is accredited to the ethnic variety of its people. This inference seems self-evident to many, given that. Rebel movements in Africa are most of the times ethnically oriented. Divisions in terms of ethnic orientation and the hatred that comes with it are thus among the cause of violent conflict in African continent (Elbadawi & Sambanis, 2000). Settlement former slaves in Liberia can also be to blame for of civil unrest in the country. The freed slaves prevented those from indigenous community from taking up political leadership positions; moreover, thefreed slaves thought of themselves as a progressive group. They saw indigenous Africans as heathens and savages. Liberians from America, adopted a racist thinking they experienced in the west at the time, which tagged indigenous Africans as primitive people. Such attitudes led to frequent friction among the groups, which

Answer the Questions HR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

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Brand management Hoyts Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Brand management Hoyts Cinema - Essay Example This study looks into the Hoyts Cinema Company that is capable of distributing independent film shows to Australian cinemas and broadcast high quality modern blockbuster movies. Hoyts cinemas had been independent by the beginning of the 1990s later merging with big companies like 20th Century to boost its profits and increase their target market. The society’s trend to appreciate films is rapidly growing towards identification with popular production companies that are mostly recognized as the prime producers of excellent films. Hoyts realized this opportunity and increased merger with other large Hollywood based film industries by 2002 to attract a larger market that appreciates quality productions. There is also importance in increasing comfort in the cinema environments and improve the service that consumers are willing to pay to achieve entertainment. Excellent service delivery and customer satisfaction goes greatly in improving brand popularity and improvement among its c onsumers. Most businesses and service providers offer increased incentives and adjustments to improve their brand quality and overall marketing of their services. Brand audit aids in reviewing the changes needed to improve the overall service structure of a company and increasing its identity in the competitive market. Through the application of various processes entailed in brand audit process, Hoyts cinema is capable of identifying areas of improvements. The brand auditing process identifies the weak areas of the brand improving on its overall performance and increasing its competitiveness in the market. ... Brand Auditing Jelsema in his article explains six factors considered when undertaking a successful brand audit process. The overall positioning of the brand, its market segmentation, differentiators, internal environments of the company, overall brand positioning, personality and brand metrics help identify a company in the competitive market7. These factors are the developmental strategies applied by a company to check on errors limiting development and its advancement when considering growth. In addition, areas of improvement are highlighted and adjustments made according to the overall requirements8. In general, a company’s brand will be defined by its overall outlook, name used or logo that stands out from the other brands9. Brand Culture and Image The culture in the brand is the image that has been drawn on the consumer’s image for prolonged period often articulated to the ability to memorize it by name or image. Hoyts Cinemas have been in the Australian markets f or decades establishing its dominance among other film providers in the state10. The ability of the company to deliver modern films that the audiences often require in the time of their release has led to the growth in its marketing11. Consumers would recommend other users to seek their services through mentioning its name and its signature logo. It is vital for the management and the staff to depict the overall culture of the brand to adjust into serving the long time clients who may be used to a particular routine in service delivery12. To understand this concept better, businesses often apply the use of a service triangle that puts the customer, the employees and the overall

See details for specifications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

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Brand management Hoyts Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Brand management Hoyts Cinema - Essay Example This study looks into the Hoyts Cinema Company that is capable of distributing independent film shows to Australian cinemas and broadcast high quality modern blockbuster movies. Hoyts cinemas had been independent by the beginning of the 1990s later merging with big companies like 20th Century to boost its profits and increase their target market. The society’s trend to appreciate films is rapidly growing towards identification with popular production companies that are mostly recognized as the prime producers of excellent films. Hoyts realized this opportunity and increased merger with other large Hollywood based film industries by 2002 to attract a larger market that appreciates quality productions. There is also importance in increasing comfort in the cinema environments and improve the service that consumers are willing to pay to achieve entertainment. Excellent service delivery and customer satisfaction goes greatly in improving brand popularity and improvement among its c onsumers. Most businesses and service providers offer increased incentives and adjustments to improve their brand quality and overall marketing of their services. Brand audit aids in reviewing the changes needed to improve the overall service structure of a company and increasing its identity in the competitive market. Through the application of various processes entailed in brand audit process, Hoyts cinema is capable of identifying areas of improvements. The brand auditing process identifies the weak areas of the brand improving on its overall performance and increasing its competitiveness in the market. ... Brand Auditing Jelsema in his article explains six factors considered when undertaking a successful brand audit process. The overall positioning of the brand, its market segmentation, differentiators, internal environments of the company, overall brand positioning, personality and brand metrics help identify a company in the competitive market7. These factors are the developmental strategies applied by a company to check on errors limiting development and its advancement when considering growth. In addition, areas of improvement are highlighted and adjustments made according to the overall requirements8. In general, a company’s brand will be defined by its overall outlook, name used or logo that stands out from the other brands9. Brand Culture and Image The culture in the brand is the image that has been drawn on the consumer’s image for prolonged period often articulated to the ability to memorize it by name or image. Hoyts Cinemas have been in the Australian markets f or decades establishing its dominance among other film providers in the state10. The ability of the company to deliver modern films that the audiences often require in the time of their release has led to the growth in its marketing11. Consumers would recommend other users to seek their services through mentioning its name and its signature logo. It is vital for the management and the staff to depict the overall culture of the brand to adjust into serving the long time clients who may be used to a particular routine in service delivery12. To understand this concept better, businesses often apply the use of a service triangle that puts the customer, the employees and the overall

Experiential Knowledge versus Intellectual Knowledge Essay Example for Free

Experiential Knowledge versus Intellectual Knowledge Essay The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has for a long time stirred the issue on the tug between experiential knowledge (the sort of knowledge that is gained in the â€Å"streets† and practiced mostly by Huck) and intellectual knowledge (the kind of knowledge being taught in schools and by people like Widow Douglas and Miss Watson). The issue can most of the time be phrased as that between being logical and following the practical consequences of one’s logic as opposed to following the dictates of society. This is a theme that was developed early on in the book and extends up to the end. Huck, for example, defies society and chooses his own logic in Chapter 1 when he told Widow Douglas that he would prefer to go to hell since this would mean a change of scenery and being with Tom. It is known for a fact that â€Å"heaven† should be the de facto choice of destination for everyone. To choose to go to hell, with our without reasons for wanting to do so, plainly means going against what is conventional. Time and again, Huck has dealt with the part of his conscience that told him that keeping and cuddling Jim, a â€Å"property† of Miss Watson versus his natural sympathy for the man (Bennett 3). These and many other instances in Huckleberry Finn illustrate the clash between the obviously wrong societal teaching that racism and slavery is good and having sympathy and compassion for the slaves as bad versus the instinctive knowledge that sympathy and compassion towards a slave is worthwhile. In this paper, this clash between experiential knowledge, i. e. , knowledge gained by oneself through the exercise of personal logical induction and deduction gathered through experience, and intellectual knowledge, i. e. , knowledge gained through different societal instruments, shall be dealt with. More specifically, this paper shall address the issue of which of these two â€Å"knowledges† has more importance. Being an issue that is of no light matter, this paper would need to look beyond Huckleberry Finn for aid. As such, Philosophy, Ethics, and Education seem to be the most promising areas of knowledge that address the issue. Hence, this paper shall look in these directions to settle the issue. Specifically, this paper shall have the following parts: on wisdom and knowledge as personal or societal; morality as inauthentic or authentic; and educations as geared towards making the person â€Å"fully† come out versus education as socialization. The paper shall end with a conclusion. Wisdom as Personal or Societal Philosophy has dealt with the question on the source of wisdom a number of times and through different thinkers. Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle are known to deal extensively about this issue, and as such, their philosophies shall be utilized. Since Aquinas is known for extensively working on Aristotle’s works, merging the works of these two thinkers shall not pose any problems. Before anything, it would be best to first give a definition of wisdom. At least in the Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition, wisdom is a kind of knowledge that is â€Å"of paramount importance in directing human existence towards its purpose or end† (Artigas 17). It is that kind of knowledge that aids man to be a better human being, not only by providing particular knowledge, but most specially a universal knowledge that speaks of the human being’s nature, purpose and end. In the end, wisdom ought to lead to the human being’s happiness, happiness defined as a life that is flourishing. All these ideas seem to be abstract, so it would be best to concretize a bit. At least for Aristotle, living a life that is full of human flourishing means living a virtuous life in a community that allows for the continuous development of the individual. According to the Aristotelian philosopher Martha Nussbaum, this refers to a life wherein virtues, human relations, reason and other physical capabilities are allowed to flourish by the society (Nussbaum 76-78). More concretely, this means experiencing real friendship, practicing justice, exercising prudence and a host of many other virtues that Aristotle spoke of in the Nicomachean Ethics in a society that value and nurture these. It is allowing a person to have meaningful relations, to engage in activities that nourish one’s â€Å"senses, imagination, and thought,† to have bodily health, to engage in play, to have autonomous control over one’s environment and so on (Nussbaum 76-78). So far, it seems that wisdom ought to be acquired for the benefit of the individual that would most probably emanate into the good of society. That is well and good, nevertheless, we still have not answered the question as to how wisdom itself is acquired. In this respect, Aquinas has an answer. Thomas Aquinas is known for the Natural Law Theory. The theory states that â€Å"man is born with the natural facility to know the basic truths or principles or the moral order as ‘the good is to be done and promoted and the evil to be avoided’† (Panizo 56). In this respect wisdom, i. e. , knowledge about what is good and what is to be avoided that ought to lead to happiness and human flourishing, is not only something that man is capable of; in fact, man is born with this natural facility. Human beings are born with the disposition to want what is good and to avoid what is evil. Thinking about it, this medieval theory seems to make a lot of sense. Is it not true that no human being ever does something which for her/him is plainly without good or any sort of benefit? Even actions that may be considered as evil by many still have some sort of perverted â€Å"goodness† in it. Actions such as murder, drug trafficking, etcetera, still give â€Å"pleasure† to those who engage in them. But, does this mean that these actions are morally good? Aquinas would not agree. He would say that though nature has granted man the capacity to know what is good and evil and to want good over evil, still, error may happen. Error occurs once the basic principle, â€Å"good is to be done and sought after, evil is to be avoided† (Aquinas 197) is applied. In fact, there is a hierarchy of difficulty when it comes to the application of this basic principle, the most difficult application of it called â€Å"remote conclusions† are described as â€Å"not easily drawn by ordinary people, for they involve education in theology and philosophy, and deep reflection† (Panizo 59). These involve judgments on issues like euthanasia, divorce, abortion, etcetera. We have reached a point then when natural wisdom, i. e. , wisdom depending on reason alone, becomes insufficient. Life is so full of instances when â€Å"remote conclusions† are needed and called for. The sad thing is, this knowledge is hard to come by and a human being is left with no option but to listen to the dialogues of the people in the academe. For Aquinas and Aristotle, experiential knowledge is not enough. It could only get us so far. This then brings us to the discussion of the place of â€Å"intellectual knowledge† in Philosophy. According to Aristotle, human beings need a role model to live a flourishing life. An excellent person is considered the standard for most of us who are still aiming for human flourishing, for a life of virtue. An excellent person is defined as he/she whose wishes â€Å"will be what is wished in reality† (Aristotle 65), i. e. , the wishes of the excellent person is that which is truly good for the human being. An excellent person is the exact opposite of the base person to whom â€Å"pleasure would seem to cause deception since it appears good when it is not† (Aristotle 65). Thus, modeling is Aristotle’s system of knowing what is worth imitating and what is not. To add to this, it must be recalled that for Aristotle (as with the other Greek thinkers), education has an indispensable role in bringing an individual to perfection. This is the very reason why the Academy and the Lyceum were established. In these schools, individuals from different cities merge to further their knowledge, to share each other’s knowledge and in this sense socializing each other. Hence, at least in Aristotle and Aquinas’ philosophy, though natural wisdom or experiential knowledge may be the starting point, this is not enough. Intellectual knowledge is still necessary since remote conclusions are always called for to ultimately be happy and live a flourishing life. Authentic and Inauthentic Morality Beyond the epistemology of Aristotle and Aquinas is the perspective that morality or ethics may be inauthentic or authentic. This is the very idea of Michael Moga in the book, Toward Authentic Morality. According to Moga, one’s sense of right and wrong can either be wholly dependent on one’s culture (i. e. , inauthentic morality) or it could come from one’s personal choice (i. e. , authentic morality). This is the very same clash between the self and the society that we have been talking about. According to Moga, most people ascribe to inauthentic morality. This is the sort of morality that gives in to social pressure, that kind of pressure that forces us to act and think in a particular way without exactly knowing why such an action or thought should be considered moral. We would not have to go very far to understand inauthentic morality. Most adolescents and teenagers are susceptible to peer pressure when it comes to many facets of their lives. The very persistence of racism and discrimination speak of a poorly reasoned morality that rest on social acceptance. In fact, Moga sets out the characteristics of inauthentic morality. The following are the characteristics of this type of morality. Inauthentic morality is characterized by being based on certain rules and values affirmed by culture; it is universal in its application, i. e. , it is valid for everyone; they impact individuals as set of morality that is external, i. e. , the source of morality is something outside the self; these laws are anonymous; the individual is haunted by fear and shame; the moral obligation is something that comes from authority; and it is fluctuating in influence (Moga 35-39). This is the sort of morality experienced by the typical teenager who follows his/her group’s choices. Such an individual follows rules not her own, a set of rules she may find difficult to follow since it is something external, nevertheless the breaking of such group rules result to fear and shame. This teenager considers the lead of the group as the one vested with authority to enforce such rules. Though this morality is most stark among teenagers, adults may very well be living this sort of morality. We would only have to look around shopping malls to see how many adults go with the flow without thinking why. Supposedly at the other extreme is authentic morality. This morality results from one’s personal decision to accept a set of values and morals after necessary reflection. Again, this sort of morality has characteristics: it is personally chosen and accepted; it is based on a rational appreciation; it is not based on fear or shame; morality as an expression of one’s freedom; and it is based on what one personally cares for, i. e. the very principles that one values (Moga 39-41). This is the sort of morality of individuals who have taken enough time to think over his/her morals. This would be represented by an individual who does an action and could very likely explain and be personally involved in the very principle of one’s actions. This would be the individual whose sense of morality is not dependent on â€Å"what others will say† but rather on a clear set of personally chosen moral principles. Though individuals must all aim for authentic morality, Moga insists that both moralities are important. In the first place, all human beings undergo the inauthentic morality stage where parents become the sole authority from whom morality emanate. Nevertheless, we should not stay this way. After being exposed to different sets of moralities, it is the individual’s responsibility to think and chose which of these moralities shall be made personal. Thus, at least in the Ethical perspective, the social and the personal ought to go together, though in the end, the social should be for the personal. Conclusion We have seen that at least in Philosophy and Ethics, there really is no real clash between the personal and the social, between intellectual knowledge and experiential knowledge. Clashes happen in Philosophy when error exists in the mind and nothing is done to correct the error. This error may of course exist not only with individuals but also in groups such as those in the academe. Nevertheless, we have clearly stated above that intellectual knowledge is there not to ram down society on the throats of individuals but rather to further perfect experiential knowledge for the sake of human flourishing. The same may be said in the field of ethics. Both authentic and inauthentic moralities are there and both have uses in society. Nevertheless, in the end, inauthentic morality ought to be the material source of inputs for the eventual authentic morality of a person. Morality only becomes stagnant when there is no interaction between the inauthentic and authentic. To answer the question which of the two knowledges is more important, we could qualifiedly say that both are important as long as there is minimal error and that the ultimate purpose is human flourishing.

The London Ambulance Service Computer Information Technology Essay

The London Ambulance Service Computer Information Technology Essay This paper will analyze one of the most prominent computerized system failures in the past 10 years- the failure of the London Ambulance Service Computer Aided Dispatch system-hereafter referred to as LASCAD. Unlike the common one dimensional explanations for system failure that view Information systems as mainly a neutral technical artifact ( Klein and Hirscheim, 1987), this paper will attempt to explore the more multi-faceted nature of systems failure which is closer to the reality that system exist in. This analysis will be anchored in the concepts of holism and emergent properties as described by Francis and Roland Bee (2005), Managing Information and Statistics, 2005, whereby the approach taken to analysis emphasizes the system relationships and processes and results of its interactions. References will be made to existing frameworks used to investigate system failure in particular the Sauer model Sauer (1993). Details of the description of the system and the failure will be dra wn mainly from a paper on Information System failure and risk Assessment by Paul Beynon Davis (Computer studies technical report University of Glamorgan, 1994b).From this investigation existing methods of preventing or solving software systems failure will be explored in the context of the LASCAD system to look into recommendations and lessons learnt to prevent such failures .This will particularly focus on risk handling as proposed by B.W Boehm ( 1991) and the Goal Question Metrics by Solingen and E. Berghout (1999). Summary of the LASCAD System Failure Case Study The LASCAD system was a computer aided ambulance dispatch system established at the head quarters of the London Ambulance Service. According to Page et al (1993), the expected functions of the system are described below: Call taking: Acceptance of calls and incident details Resource Identification: Particularly which ambulance to send to an incident Resource Mobilization: Communicating details of an incident to the appropriate ambulance Resource Management: The positioning of suitably equipped and staffed vehicles to minimize response times Management Information: This involves the collation information to assess performance, resource management and planning. This system was supposed to solve the problems related to manual dispatch systems including time consuming and error prone identification of the precise incident location, paperwork and maintenance of current vehicle status information. The LASCAD system objective was to automate these manual human intensive tasks by using an events based and ruled based approach and integrating a Geographical Information System (GIS) to provide location details. In this system the callers, incident and patient details would be recorded and transmitted to the dispatchers. Through the use of radio signals and GIS the system is able to determine the ambulance nearest to the patient. After dispatch the ambulance crew was expected to acknowledge the dispatch message and the system would then detect whether the ambulance was headed in the right direction. Finally the system would alert the controller on the ambulances arrival to the scene, hospital and when it becomes free again. Figure1: LASCAD flow chart (Paul Beynon Davis, 1994) This explanation of expectations of the systems functionality is pretty linear and even simplistic but on closer examination one is able to construe the complexities that are involved in delivering such expectations. This will become more apparent in the following section highlighting the system failure and later on the events leading to the failure. Between 26th and 27th October 1992 (Paul Beynon Davis, 1994), the system started to fail. It was reported that as a result of a flood of emergency calls bogged down the system and this resulted in erratic behavior of the system involving calls being wiped off the screen and automatic alerts indicating unacknowledged calls to ambulances. According to the Guardian newspaper, 1992, it was claimed that 20-30 people may have lost their lives due to ambulance delays. Indeed the impact of this failure was tremendous and as expected triggered various responses as to what was the cause of the failure. According to Donaldson and Jenkins (2000) in their paper on System Failures: An Approach to understanding what can go wrong, the causes of system failure are complex and interact with each other and in some cases a single factor may single out the problem while in others a combination of many small and apparently insignificant factors are to blame. This merely says that it is difficult to analyze causes of systems failure which would only be closely understood through multi cause analysis stemming from the soft systems methodology. It also becomes apparent that everything is not always as it seems, a good example is the Arriane V rocket (ESA Press release Nr 33-96-July 1996) which failed courtesy of its navigation software bein g inappropriate for the rockets design. This was not actually a software failure as may have been though in the outset but a problem with the overall incorrect assembly of the rocket. As it were the software performed to its specification. This is akin to expectation failure which Lyytinen and Hirscheim (1987) describe as the inability of an IS system to meet specific stakeholder groups expectations, they signify a gap between an existing situation and a desired situation for members of a particular stakeholder group. This is further enhanced by Donaldson and Jenkins (2000) system failure analysis detailing high public expectancy of computer technology, Fashion/popularity of systems obscuring its basic objectives and the varying stakeholder interests creating different perceptions of the system. Analysis of the LASCAD System failure Following the above outline of the system failure and prelude of expected challenges in analyzing system failure this section will attempt to shed detailed insight into the failure. The analysis will follow Sauerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s model (Sauer, 1993), of investigating system failure which is based on a triangle of dependencies between: Project organization Information system Supporters The multi-faceted nature of systems failure alluded to in the introduction would mean that even this triangle is not a closed system but is affected by other contextual factors of which according to Sauer consists of cognitive limits-(e.g. limits of communication), technical process-( constraints from structured nature of computerized systems or development methodology), environment-(constraints by customers, suppliers, competitors, regulators), Politics, internal project structure and history associated with previous information system projects. Project organization In light of the LASCAD project failure the project organization from inception is very wanting. Firstly following a public inquiry report on the failure (Page et al, 1993), it is claimed that the London Ambulance Service (LAS) management put price before quality and committed to an over ambitious project timetable. This was evidenced by the selection of a supplier who has no experience in building ambulance dispatch systems but had significantly underbid a more established supplier. This was made worse by the management putting the supplier under immense pressure to deliver the system quickly. Secondly the project management team did not follow the PRINCE (Projects in Controlled Environments) project management method prescribed for public sector projects. Thirdly it was found that the system was incomplete and unstable and particularly the emergency backup system was untested. This was further compounded by inconsistent and incomplete user training. Information system In terms of the information system dimension the report of the public inquiry (Page et al, 1993) suggests that the failure was not a result of technical issues since on overall the system did what it was designed to do. It goes further to explain that at the onset the loads on the system were light and the control staff could easily cope with various problems associated with ambulance crews pressing wrong buttons, radio black spots, communication hand-shaking problems etc. When these incidents increased incorrect vehicle location and status information received by the controllers also increased resulting in the failure to cope with the load leading to fewer resources to allocate to incidents and subsequent delays in response times. Supporters/stakeholders As defined by Paul Beynon Davis (1995), supporters/stakeholders defined as people sharing a pool of values that define what the desirable features of an information system and how they should be obtained. The stakeholders have different views and expectations of the system of which such a mismatch in perceptions in this case contributed to the failure. This is depicted below: Figure 2: LASCAD system perceptions rich picture LAS Management: The London Ambulance Service (LAS) management viewed the system as a way to improve service to patients by putting in place mechanisms that would ensure objective and impartial resource mobilization through automation. The LAS management was also influenced by a past experience involving a failed computerized dispatch system project and pressure from organization-wide restructuring that put them under immense pressure to succeed Control room staff: The staff in the control room found the system to be too complicated and did not trust the motives behind implementing a computerized system Ambulance staff: The ambulance crews were more comfortable with the radio call systems that they had been used to and did not have confidence in the new system as they did not see the need for it and found it too complicated Union: The staff union found that there were no requisite consultations done before making the decision to acquire the system and as such the already strained relationship between management and staff was worsened. Hardware and software suppliers: The system suppliers were not sure how to implement the system in the first place and this was compounded by tight deadlines from what they thought to be a disorganized client. Related to these perspectives are contextual factors concerning political environment courtesy of the overarching influence of the National Health Service (NHS) on the London Ambulance Service which is the LAS oversight body (Beynon-Davis 1994).The NHS is characterized by the lack of a unitary power structure and is made up of a network of different health organizations. The implication on a new information system is a very careful political balance in the impact the impact the system will have on the relationships in this network (Checkland and Scholes, 1990). As posit by page et al, (1993), the LASCAD project was greatly affected by internal tensions in within the NHS which had commissioned major reforms in the London Ambulance Service including restructuring that resulted in the reduction of middle management from 263 to 53. It is clear that this resulted in strained relationships and an environment of mistrust and obtrusiveness when it came to any changes, which affected the LASCAD project. So far what is clear is the multifaceted nature of the failure that results from various causes of the failure that is common in computerized information systems, which Paul Beynon-Davis describe as web-like in nature. It has been reported that 92% of all system failures involved failures of technical interaction with cognitive /organizational factors (Mackenzie, 1994). This as it were it is essential to trace the true causes of the system failure. One way of doing this is through multi cause diagrams as mentioned in the section above or Petri nets which use state and event oriented graphs. The LASCAD project failure is depicted below using a multi cause diagram to explore the events and states on why the failure occurred: Figure 3: LASCAD system failure multi-cause diagram Ideas, Recommendations and Lessons Learned As expressed above using Sauerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s model (Sauer, 1993) of investigating system failure, the dependencies between the project organization, information system and its supporters have come out very clearly. Using the information system dimension the failure is not attributed to technical issues at all, which goes against common place failure attribution of computerized information systems. This begs the question, what constitutes a system failure? Lyytinen and Hirschein (1987) categorize system failure into four: Correspondence failure: There is a disjoint between the design objectives of the system and what is practically being met by the system. Process failure: This is characterized by runaway projects that either do not provide a workable system or overrun budgets and time. Interaction failure: This focuses on utilization of the system i.e. a highly utilized system is considered a success and one that is hardly used is a failure. Expectation failure: As stated earlier this is the inability of the system to meet a specific stakeholder groupà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s expectations. The LASCAD system falls into this category as it appears it did not meet various stakeholder group expectations. Donaldson and Jenkins (2000) talk about a 3 dimensional picture where a system totally fails, partially fails or temporarily goes down. In the case of LASCAD it is taken as a partial failure resulting from a number of flaws that are rectifiable and as such this is not a total failure. The rectification will mainly involve a reassessment of the entire project taking mainly focusing on the role of risk assessment. Risk is the probability of a negative outcome. Negative outcome is in essence a relative concept as Wilcocks and Margetts (1994) suggest the risk of a negative outcome only becomes a salient problem when the outcome is relevant to stakeholder concerns and interests. Different settings and stakeholders will see different outcomes as salient. The proposed framework to use in risk assessment follows Wilcocks and Margetts (1994) who put across the following categories to be used in analyzing the development, introduction and use of information systems, these are: History: Past experiences with information system development. Outer context: The environment in which the organization is operating e.g. economy, markets, government Inner context: The characteristics of the organization e.g. structure, strategy Content: For example project size and difficulty Processes: For example project management and staffing Outcomes: Planned and anticipated results. The proposed risk assessment framework would be implemented through out the development, introduction and use of information systems. This will be used to complement an overarching software management methodology such as the Goal Question Metrics (GQM) mentioned in the introduction and the Capability Maturity Model which outline good practices in project management to ensure project success. In the context of LASCAD the GQM will particularly address the aforementioned failure characteristics in the analysis section through the following stages in development: Setting specific goals in light of purpose perspective and environment Refine goals into quantifiable easy to understand questions Derive requisite metrics and data to answer the questions There are various methods that can be used in preventing or solving computerized system failure the Capability maturity model and Goal Question Metrics mentioned above are by no means exhaustive nor are they prescriptive. Organizations are different contextually and individual projects also vary in size and complexity and as such would require approaches the methodologies to be customized and scaled for specific organizations and projects. The Capability Maturity model is a prime example that targets improvement in software processes toward a specific target- maturity level that the organization is working toward. On the other hand there is need to put emphasis on risk management outside of the one dimensional technical orientation to encompass the complexities of computerized systems as seen through the lens of Wilcocks and Margetts (1994) risk management framework. Conclusion: The LASCAD system is a good example that portrays the reality of the complex and multi-faceted nature of systems failure. The different perspectives of the system and congruent expectations make even the very definition of the failure unclear. This particular case highlighted the political and social causes of the failure, what has been described as contextual factors. References to various frameworks have been made in the analysis of the failure -Lyytinen and Hirscheim (1987), particularly expectation failure and dependencies in the 3 dimensional Sauerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s model (Sauer, 1993). The failure analysis provided the distillation of the system failure characteristics which describe the true causes of the failure. This was done using rich pictures to accommodate varying perceptions and expectations and multi cause diagrams to explore the various causes of the failure. Lessons learnt and future remediation of systems failure is centered on risk management and project methodologies ensuring good practice in the development, introduction and use of information systems. As recommended in this paper these should take into consideration contextual/ organizational issues apart from technical aspects of the system.