Our Changing Society

Our world is a changing place; it is constantly developing new characteristics in culture, visual aspects and history. As it changes, many views are lost and may never be found again. Freedoms and rights are being tested, and sometimes lost. The world as we know it is changing rapidly for the worse because hate and violence are on a social high as people are inflicting attacks on each other fueled by hate, groups of people are being discriminated against and people are being labeled for what they are, not who they are.Discrimination and hate are spread around like greetings in the world today. Groups of people such as the gay community are having their rights put before America on trial. Something that should never happen has, and continues to unfold before our very eyes. A quote from The Bill of Rights: â€Å"No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liber ty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of laws. That simple quote may mean many things to some, and yet nothing to others, but wars have been waged, lives have been lost, property and items destroyed over it. â€Å"No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States†, yet it seems that sentence has been ignored. The California ballot proposition, Proposition 8 broke that. The proposition eliminated the right for same-sex couples to marry, thus making rights unequal for a growing population of people. This example of discrimination is just one of many.People are discriminated against because of skin color, country of origin, physical appearance, social standing, and moral beliefs. Racism is a major form of discrimination. Racism has many definitions, some being prejudice, violence, discrimination or oppression. This form of discrimination is extremely hypocritical as everyone is different and there is no â€Å"superior race†. Often, American groups who will hate, or attack others because of country of origin are hypocritical in the sense that America is a country made of extremely diverse people.The United States of America is one of the most ethnically, culturally diverse places in the world. Groups are indifferent and everyone within, and without its borders should be treated equal. Hearing about an attack on a group of people or their place of dwelling is a common event, and rarely shocking anymore. Attacks are made simply because of hate or because someone is different. These attacks appear on many levels and in many forms. It can start as someone physically beating someone in an alley, or a teenager starting a fight in school. These can then escalate to large scale attacks, rampages, killing sprees and wars.The United States of America and its allies began the Iraq War on alleged thoughts. Prior to the wa r, Iraq's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction was claimed to pose a threat to the security of the United States. After the invasion, The US- led Iraq Survey Group concluded that Iraq had ended its WMD programs in 1991 and had no active programs at the time of the invasion. Some may argue this war has brought change to Iraq; however, the number of casualties on all sides is mind blowing. The Holocaust was the genocide of approximately six million Jews during World War ll.Other groups were persecuted and killed including the Roma; Soviet civilians, Soviet prisoners of war; ethnic Poles; the disabled; gay men; and political and religious opponents. The total number of victims would be between nine and eleven million people. The fact that people would be killed because of life style or beliefs is disgusting. People should learn from history, so that it will not repeat itself. The world today is a changing place because people aren't learning from the horrible events that h ave happened and continue to unfold, and they are not trying to stop them. Labeling is a horrible thing.A person will label another because of the way they look, talk, act, or simply the financial standing of themselves or family. Labeling divides people. Everyone is equal, yet different. Difference is what makes the world exciting, life worth living. If everyone was forced to do the exact same thing; talk the same, dress the same, have the same hair, life would be extremely boring! Labeling can start in small degrees such as children on a playground calling one child fat, weird or stupid. Then it grows to a larger; High School students dividing each other. Labeling who is a geek, â€Å"emo†, â€Å"fake†, who is popular etc.Then it can grow into the entire world where one community of people is labeled simply because they do something different than the group who is telling them what they are. People should not be ignored, hated or told to change because they are diffe rent. In many cases, they can't change who they are, and shouldn't have to. No one should be told who or what they are. No one should change for anyone but themselves. Some may argue that the world is changing in a good way, however, that change for the better isn't good enough and it is being smothered by the horrible events which take place.Humanitarian efforts are being forged throughout the world to try to change things. Medical aid is delivered to places in poverty like Africa. Before the side of good is seen, the reason for which this aid is required must first be observed. If so much hate and violence wasn't an issue, there would be no need for all of the lives lost and the money and resources required to help an effort like this. Many people will argue that war technologies are important and necessary, are all the lives lost necessary as well? Entire villages and cities have been completely wiped out because of weapon technology.Are all the lives and resources lost, to achie ve this â€Å"protection† from one group to another worth it? There are people worldwide who live in fear because of weapons and war technology. The parents of children taken away, entire lives lost and the thing that causes it? Simply the click of a button. The amount of power that can be put into the hands of one human being is astonishing and horrifying. One person can have the power and resources to erase an entire race of people forever. These reasons are why the world is changing for the worse, and the arguments pledged by some do not play out.Change is inevitable. It has always happened, and always will. It will continue to develop, and lose features that will never be seen again. New cultures and ways of living will be seen. New places will be explored while some may be ignored. Unless something unforeseen happens, people will continue to hate and destroy each other; possibly leading to the end of the Human Race. Hate is something that destroys people. If it doesn't s top, the world will continue to spiral downward. Our society and world are changing for the worse and something needs to be done.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms Essay

I. Importance of Study Found in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, a group of Norwegian psychologists conducted an observational longitudinal study to discover whether or not there is a relationship because Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms (PTSD). Mette Senneseth, Kjersti Alsaker & Gerd Karin Natvig, conducted this study. According to the journal, the aim of the study was to examine HRQoL and PTSD symptoms in the people that attend Accident and Emergency departments (A&E), due to the fact that they suffer from some type of psychosocial crisis (Alasker et al. 2011, 403). Hereafter, this is referred to as Research 1. The study done in Research 1 revealed that there has been an interest in researching one’s quality of life, and how it correlates with one’s health. The term HRQoL refers to the â€Å"effects of health, illness and treatment on QoL† (Alasker et al. 2011, 403). There have been a number of studies that suggest that traumatic lif e events, including, but not limited to, sexual assault and military combat, have a negative effect on HRQoL. Additionally, poor HRQoL is not only associated with PTSD symptoms, but they are related to differences and modification in HRQoL, and there is a negative correlation between the two (Alasker et al. 2011, 403). The researchers hypothesized that people who seek help at A&E, suffering from such psychosocial calamites, have lower HRQoL than the general population of Norway at the time of the study, and that the participants will have improved HRQoL after two months (Alasker et al. 2011, 403). In addition, a second hypothesis predicts that participants who have high levels of PTSD symptoms at the time of the study will have reduced symptoms after the conclusion of the study at two months. Lastly, the third hypothesis wraps the study up by predicating that high levels of PTSD symptoms are associated to low HRQoL scores in a follow-up experiment (Alasker et al., 2011, 403). Found in the Cyber-psychology, Behavior and Social Networking Journal, a group of researchers conducted a study to compare the effects of VR-graded exposure therapy (VR-GET) versus treatment as usual (TAU) on people suffering from combat related PTSD (McLay et al. 2011, 223). Robert Mclay, Dennis Wood, Jennifer Webb-Murphy, James Spira, Mark Miederholf, Jeffery Pyne and Brenda  Wiederhold conducted this study. Hereafter, this is referred to as Research 2. The doctors responsible for conducting this study found that there has only been one â€Å"randomized, controlled proof-of-concept† study that was specifically designed for Active Duty Service Members suffering from PTSD (McLay et al. 2011, 223). Also, the doctors wanted to extend the â€Å"already found research gathered† from victi ms of PTSD, and take the study one step further. The researchers of Research 2 hypothesized that â€Å"patients with combat-related PTSD would be more likely to experience clinically significant improvements in VR-GET than treatment as usual† (McLay et al. 2011, 224). VR-GET is a virtual reality stimulation that combines graded virtual reality exposure with â€Å"physiologic monitoring and skills training† (McLay et al. 2011, 224). Also, VR-GET promotes engagement with, rather than escaping the events and experiences that prompt a traumatic episode. II. METHODS In regards to Research 1, the participants in the study had to meet three criteria before they were able to participate. During the recruitment period, the researchers found participants who were attending the A&E due to a â€Å"psychosocial crisis and who consulted a psychiatric nurse,† were 18 years of age or older, and those who were able to both read and understand Norwegian (Alasker et al. 2011, 404). A total of 113 were asked to participate in the study. Of those 113 people selected, 99 of the people participated in the baseline study, and 41 participated in both the baseline study, and the follow-up study. Aforementioned, this was an observational longitudinal study, where participants were observed repeatedly over a long period of time. There were two types of instruments that were used for the research in Research 1. The first instrument that was used was a SF-36 Health Survey, which is a â€Å"36 item self-report questionnaire that assesses eight domains of physical and MH ranging from 1-100† (Alasker et al. 2011, 404). In this survey, the higher score reveals the best HRQoL, and the lower score reveals the poorest HRQoL (Alasker et al. 2011, 404). The second instrument that was used for this study was the Post-traumatic Symptom Scale (PTSS-10), which is a ten item self-report questionnaire that â€Å"assesses the presence  and intensity of symptoms† (Alasker et al. 2011, 404). On the PTSS-10, scores range from 10 to 70, and a score of 35 or greater results in a PTSD diagnosis (Alasker et al. 2011, 404). In addition to the two questionnaires, participants were encouraged to go to consolations at the A&E. The number of consultations that each participant attended varies throughout the study. In regards to Research 2, â€Å"participants for the study were all Active Duty Service Members who had been diagnosed by a military mental health professional as having PTSD† related to military combat (McLay et al. 2011, 224). At the end of the baseline assessment, those who were qualified to participate in he study were asked to draw a piece of paper out of an envelop, making the selection of treatment completely random, and giving the participants an equal chance of choosing either treatment. There were a total of twenty people that participated in this study; ten assigned to the VR-GET and another ten assigned to TAU (McLay et al. 2011, 225). The two methods of Research 2 consisted of the VR-GET and the TAU. The participants that were assigned for the VR-GET had a sequence of sessions that consisted of different activities. First, the therapist would meet with the participant and discuss their trauma history. In the second session, participants were asked to reveal their more traumatic stories of their military combat and tours. In later sessions, the participant used the virtual reality helmet to relive their most traumatic events, based off of the information that was gathered about them in the earlier sessions. In each session, the participants were observed on their ability to face their fears and anxieties (McLay et al. 2011, 225). â€Å"Participants assigned to TAU could receive any of the regular services available to them at the NMCSD and NHCP. These two facilities offer full spectrum of PTSD treatment, including, but not limited to, cognitive processing therapy, prolonged exposure, and group therapy† (McLa y et al. 2011, 225). III. ANALYSIS/RESULTS Analysis The researchers for Research 1 used the two self-report questionnaires to gather their data. In addition, the researchers processed the data using  statistical analysis with the help of SPSS16 Processor for Windows (Oslo, Norway). The researcher for this study wants to compare the results of the two surveys with the general population of Norway, and to succeed with that, they used SF-36 data through the Norwegian Coordinated Living Conditions Survey from 2002, consisting of 5131 people (Alasker et al. 2011, 405). In Research 2, it was found that participants in the baseline study had lower norm-based scores in all eight HRQoL domains in comparison to the general population of Norway. In the follow-up study, two months later, the â€Å"participants still had lower norm-based scores than the general population of Norway, but participants had improved their HRQoL in five of the eight domains from the baseline study to the follow-up study† (Alasker et al. 2011, 406). In regard to the PTSS-10 questionnaire in Research 1, among the participants in the baseline study, 79% of them had a PTSS-10 score that was 35, expressing high levels of PTSD symptoms (Alasker et al. 2011, 406). At the follow-up, â€Å"59% of the participants had a PTSS-10 score that was 35, which shows high levels of PTSD symptoms, which can indicate a risk of developing PTSD† (Alasker et al. 2011, 406). The researchers for Research 2 aimed to identify which of the VR-GET or TAU would yield a greater percentage of participants with a â€Å"clinically meaningful reduction in PTSD† (McLay et al. 2011, 225). The researcher succeeded in deepening their research by investigating the â€Å"difference in CAPS scores at an initial assessment and then at the post-treatment assessment in VR-GET versus TAU† (McLay et al. 2011, 226). The CAPS is a â€Å"rating scale for PTSD that corresponds with the 17 symptoms of PTSD† (McLay et al. 2011, 226). Participants were classified according to whether or not they had a 30% of larger reduction of their PTSD based on the results of their CAPS. ii. Analysis Results Taking a look at Research 1, and the question concerning whether or not there is a link between PTSD symptoms and HRQoL, researchers looked at the differences in SF-36 scores between PTSS-10 subgroups in a follow-up study (Alasker et al. 2011, 406). â€Å"The PTSS-10 high scoring and low scoring subgroups at the 2-month follow-up differed in all eight of the HRQoL domains in the follow up study† (Alasker et al. 2011, 406). In addition, the PTSS-10 low scoring participants had improved HRQoL in six out of the eight domains (Alasker et al. 2011, 407). In regards to Research 2, all ten of the participants assigned to the VR-GET were assessed with the CAPS at the post-assessment. Seven out of the ten participants showed an improvement of 30% or more on the CAPS. On the other hand, out of the ten participants that were assigned to the TAU, one did not complete a CAPS assessment. Nevertheless, one out of the nine returning participants receiving the TAU revealed more than a 30% improvements on the CAPS (McLay et al. 2011, 226). â€Å"There was no significant difference between VR-GET and TAU average CAPS scores both before and after the treatments, but there was indeed a significant difference in the average CAPS score over the course of the entire treatment† (McLay et al. 2011, 226). IV. DISCUSSION Results Summary Concerning Research 1’s first hypothesis, participants of the study reported lower HRQoL compared to the general population of Norway in all eight HRQoL domains (Alasker et al. 2011, 408). In regards to the second hypothesis, participants in Research 1 reported high levels of PTSD symptoms at the time of the baseline experiment. Furthermore, PTSS-10 scores did improve from the time of the baseline experiment to the follow-up. The results show that PTSD symptoms decrease for people suffering from a psychosocial crisis in the 2 months after attending the A&E (Alasker et al. 2011, 408). Lastly, concerning the questions if there is a link between the level of PTSD symptoms and HRQoL in the follow-up study, the researchers found that a â€Å"high level of PTSD symptoms after a two month period were linked to lower HRQoL† (Alasker et al. 2011, 408). Results for Research 2 Strengths and Weaknesses In regards to Research 1, there are many strengths and lurking variables that should be pointed out. One strength of the study was that they  progress of the study was completely up to the participant. The participant had the option as to how may consultations they wanted to attend, and the varied decisions led to different results. Another strength of the study was that they used instruments that were both appropriate to the study, and reliable. On the contrary, there were several confounding variables in Research 1 that must be acknowledged. First, there is no evidence that anyone in this trial was on any sort of anti-depressant or medication that would affect his or her scores on the SF-36 and the PTSS-10. Also, there are so many different traumatic events that would cause someone to show symptoms of PTSD. The study should limit its participants to those who experienced similar types of trauma. As for Research 2, there were also strengths and weaknesses to the study. As for its strengths, the doctors did a good job through their selections process to select a small group of people who were highly qualified for this study. Also, the exam that was used to measure the severity of the participants PTSD was based off of seventeen symptoms of PTSD, whereas the instrument used in Research 1 (PTSS-10) only focused on ten symptoms of PTSD. Lastly, the ten-week span of the study was appropriate in yielding results. Just like any other study, there are confounding variables that need to be identified for Research 2. Although the goal was to get the participants in for a reassessment at the conclusion of the study (ten weeks), reassessment for some did not occur until as far as 36 weeks. With that being said, participants have plenty of time to have a relapse, or more time in combat that can result in more severe PTSD. iii. Future Directions The researchers of Research 1 suggest that a â€Å"randomized control trial with a control group is needed to investigate the effect of the psychosocial interactions that are given to this group† (Alasker et al. 2011, 407). In addition, they suggest that it is crucial to get more, information about the long term effects of acute crisis intervention on PTSD symptoms and HRQoL â€Å"given by psychiatric nurses to participants† (Alasker et al. 2011, 410). The researchers of Research 2 also have some suggestions for further directions of this research. It was stated that other studies on the topic  of virtual reality therapy on PTSD victims, improvements in symptoms aren’t visible until sometimes three months after treatment. For future studies there needs to be a longer wait time for the follow-ups so that there can be the most accurate results. In addition, the journal states that careful monitoring of the participants is also something that needs to be done more thorough in the future because a participants overall health, aside from PTSD, must be taken into consideration when the researchers are making observations and conclusions about the participants (McLay et al. 2011, 226). Works Cited Mette Senneseth, Kjersti Alsaker, Gerd Karin Natvig. (2011). Health-related Quality of Life and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Accident and Emergency Attenders Suffering From Psychosocial Crises: a Longitudinal Study, Journal of Advanced Nursing 68(2), 402-414. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.rocky.iona.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=6c7164f6-d4f6-4ce6-8a46-f1ad579caf63%40sessionmgr15&vid=5&hid=24 Robert N. Mclay, Dennis P. Wood, Jennifer A. Webb-Murphy, James L. Spira, Mark D. Wiederhold, Jeffery M. Pyne, Brenda K. Wiederhold. (2011). A Randomized, Control Trial of Virtual Reality-Graded Exposure Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Active Duty Service Members with Combat-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking Volume 14, Issue 4. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.rocky.iona.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=61603dcf-c639-423e-8f1e-365db0b36d61%40sessionmgr13&vid=4&hid=24

Development Phase Essay

In our group we started to develop the life of Billy Johnson and his triumph to becoming a war hero. Billy is an over confidante young man whom decides to join the war due to all the advertisement and belief form his father. Billy is convinced by propaganda that war will bring him loads of girls, fame and fortune and is gullible enough to take the risk and put his life on the line for un-thought of consequences. Unfortunately for Billy, little does he know that this decision will lead him to his cowardly death in the depth of the war. In my group we focused on showing how serious war can be and how you can be extremely hyped up and all of a sudden, that hype is shattered at the sounds of bullets blazing overhead. We used many elements of drama to express and enhance our piece. We started off our piece by having the whole family at the dinner table and the father (Umar) hands out the notice to Billy (me). This automatically kick starts Billy’s thoughts of becoming a hero and makes himself believe that he is unstoppable. Billy’s mum (Zeynap) and his younger sister (Marion) are shocked at the thought of Billy going into war especially at a young age of 16. This scene develops many emotions because the family are shocked but also disappointed at the father for filling Billy’s head with false hope. This starts off the reality of war because people don’t think about the casualties war can bring upon us. In Billy’s eyes it is a chance to become a real man and prove his mother and sister wrong that he can succeed and become a war hero. To show the different emotions flowing through each characters mind, we used thought tracking. We used this technique because we felt it is the best way for a character to express their feelings. Each member of the family expressed how they felt about Billy going to war so it was a good idea because the audience could get some information about the current mood of each character. In the second scene Billy went over to his mate James’s (Umar) house to try and convince him to join the army as well. This scene shows how Billy is too over confidante at the thought of war and it makes James see that Billy has his head in the clouds. James tries to remind Billy how dangerous war can be but Billy is too consistent on becoming a war hero. After a matter of convincing, Billy eventually manages to get James to agree a chance to become famous and join Billy’s side on the battlefield. This scene shows how people can be peer-pressured into activities and how your friend’s word isn’t always correct than your gut feeling. In the third scene we have Billy and James signing up for war. This scene was rather interesting because you can clearly see that Billy is really excited but James is rather doubtful at the thought of survival. Billy has to lie about his age to get signed up but it doesn’t really matter to Billy because his cockiness seems to get the better of him as he lies through his teeth. When he sees how nervous James is he decides to wait and encourage James to sign up. Then as Billy urges James forward, James has a monologue, which explains to the audience that James only wants to help people, not kill them. I think that Umar played this part of the scene very well because he reaches out and really touch the audience with his emotions towards war. In the monologue James shows how he is scared and nervous about going to war and is really re-thinking signing up. Unfortunately for him Billy is too focused on getting them both to war so poor James doesn’t really have a chance to tell Billy his feelings. The forth scene was a very intense scene. This scene takes place on the boat, which our brave soldiers are heading off to war. We introduce a new character in this scene. Matthew (Zeynap) is a rather brave and confidante character, mostly a resemblance to Billy. Matthew approaches the free seat next to James but is rudely told to go away by a very frustrated James. Billy lets him sit down and Matthew and Billy begin to talk about how Great War will be. Then suddenly James snaps back to reality and starts to state the obvious about how dangerous war can and will be. Billy tries to calm James down but to no avail. This scene was very affective because the scene was quite to start of with then James starts to shout and it livens up the tempo. As James exits the scene, both Matthew and Billy are left awkwardly deep in their thoughts. In our fifth scene we were situated in a crosscutting dill-lemma. In one scene we had James and Billy back to back in the trenches showing how scared they were and how terrified they both looked. On the other hand we had the mother and little sister back at home thinking about the two boys and how reminding themselves how safe they will be. This scene helped to emprise our true emotions towards war and how war can literally make or break you. The family scene was focused on how positive the war will be and how both family members had full faith In Billy and his courage to succeed. The mother was reassuring the little daughter that Billy will be safe and he will come back a real man. Then we go and look at the two boys in the trenches. You can see that both of them are terrified at the thought of war and will become emotionally depressed. We tried to use the technique of limiting words to try and make the scene more affective because the audience would see my the facial gestures that these two boys are really terrified and may regret the thought of joining the war. Throughout this scene it is clear the audience that everybody is human and even the strongest soldier can even get scared at the sight of men screaming and dieing before their very own eyes. Our sixth scene was the most emotional and exciting scene. In the scene Billy falls to his cowardly death. We tried to make this scene as emotional and touching to the audience because they see the fear in Billy. This scene starts off by Billy asking his fellow soldiers, was it the right decision going to war. James shoots back at him by reminding Billy that this was all his idea and he should face the music. As the cornel (Marion) notifies that it’s time to shape up and head into the battlefield, every soldier holds their breath, and charges for what could be their last few minutes on this Earth. But then all the focus turns to a whining, shameless Billy Johnson. After all his courage able talk, Billy whimpers in the corner of the trench, unwilling to charge. His cornel shouts at Billy and tells him to get up immediately. Billy refuses and back talks. This shocking coward ness form a soldier leads to Billy’s cowardly death. This scene proves to the audience that even the most cockily people can be overpowered by fear. It made me really feel for Billy as I played this scene because his father encouraged him that war will make him a hero. It made me realise that Billy was just a young boy trying to impress his family and make a small difference in this world. As Billy’s life ends, the next scene shows the after shock of this disgusting news. Our final scene shows how the thought of never hearing a family members voice, touching their skin or even smelly their scent can make you wish death upon you. This scene was very emotional because you can see how upset and distraught the family’s reactions were towards Billy’s death. These sorts of moments will always be remembered as emotional crashes in out lives. It makes us realise that you got to hold onto and be grateful for what you have because you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. In this project I have learnt a lot about the affects of war, the ups and downs and most importantly the way the human mind functions. This play made me realise that not everything is as exciting or rewarding as it’s said to be and we should think fully through our decisions before we make them.

Regents College Observatory Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Regents College Observatory - Article Example The Regent College can be instrumental in encouraging young people to think more about the things that our ancestors spent a lot of time pondering over. The Regent College Observatory has a classic observatory outlook thanks to its 80-year old dome. Apart from its exterior look, this dome can adjust the temperature inside it. This helps the observatory equipment to perform at an optimum level. Changing conditions are known to affect the performance of these types of equipment. However, this observatory will not face any problems in this regard. This magnificent feature once had a 19th century telescope, which was removed from the structure in 1984. However, there is a plan to renovate the dome, which entails replacing some of the broken components. Additionally, and more importantly, there will be modern astronomical equipment installed. These will bring the observatory back into operation. Regent College is in an ideal location that will provide an uninhibited view for observers once the observatory is ready. There are no structures such as sky scrapers anywhere in the vicinity. So, putting time and effort towards bringing this observatory back in use is a worthy exercise. Certainly, everybody will be delighted with it once it is back in operation. The observatory is being renovated so that it can be used for observing stars, planets, galaxies, etc. There is indeed a lot of exploration that can be conducted from here. Through this observatory it might be possible to discover new planets and stars. Indeed, having this facility will be a huge advantage over just looking at pictures in books. Imagine the thrill of viewing skies as they are in their actually form! Students will be excited to observe the stars this way. They will be particularly keen to use this observatory because this is also the international year of astronomy. Reviving this observatory is important because it is London's one and only central observatory. Additionally, it would also be a great project to launch for the college. Regent College plans to start a new course called 'Astronomy', and the observatory will be used to run undergraduate astronomy studies. Dr Peter Verdon who is supervising the work being done on the observatory says, "This will provide students a chance to take an undergraduate course using modern, state-of-the-art technology." Indeed, this will attract many students to apply for admission here. Which Astronomy lover wouldn't want to be here! Having the observatory in operation again means that students will get a chance to learn valuable information about astronomy and the world that can be viewed through the telescope. This course will present a tremendous first-time learning opportunity to students who have no clue what this wonderful subject is all about. For those who are already acquainted with this subject, this will still be a great opportunity. There will probably be many visitors who would like to use the observatory once they notice the renovated dome and the newly installed telescope. It is clear already that bringing the observatory back in use will restore the historical outlook of the building, and it will also be of tremendous importance to the educational framework of the college. For introducing the re-opening of this observatory, an ideal location is required. Indeed, the perfect location is Tuke cinema of the Regents College. It is a perfect location to make an official announcement.

The Freedom of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Freedom of Education - Essay Example Foucault calls this concept of mental change â€Å"panopticism†. The main key to this concept is to build a mechanism which would be able to suppress and control people’s minds and thoughts in order to make all we feel happy. As a result of this concept, social institutions, such as schools, prisons, and hospitals, were created. In an essay called â€Å"The â€Å"Banking† Concept of Education† by Paulo Freire, the idea of â€Å"panopticism† is intruding into an educational process, where children are treated and educated as â€Å"robots†, where the independent way of thinking is totally prohibited. In an ancient world, people were always thinking about the perfectly governed city which they called Utopia. This city of state could be primitive and simple but at the same time one of perfect happiness and fulfillment. Today a perception of a perfect governed city was slightly changed. Michel Foucault, who was one of the world’s leading intellectuals, gives us his own point of view regarding a definition of Utopia. In order to make this world more positive and decent, â€Å"some bunch of people† should build a machine that would control and even change people’s ways of thinking, and once this creation is built, the evolution of thoughts completely depend on it (Foucault, M 210-213). According to Bentham’s point of view, that machine would be a perfect key to manipulating the educational training of people. He calls this creature Panopticon, which is the architectural figure, the purpose of which is to observe and control people from the side (Bentham 213-214). The main point of this structure is that the inmate must never know whether he is being looked at during any one moment, but he must be sure that he may always be so (Foucault 215). This perfect concept of control gives the opportunity to create a society where there are no crimes, violence, or child abuse; where all people are happy and love each other.  

Management Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management Information Systems - Essay Example etails of the problems encountered in the manually operated business, the current IT infrastructure, the business structure, the recommended IT infrastructure, a cost analysis of the recommended technology and the benefits and challenges in the implementation of the information system have been discussed in detail. Diblo Dairy Society is a business that buys and sells milk. Once the society implements a management information system, managers can easily make decisions that ensure the success of the business. Early in the morning, farmers bring their labelled milk cans that are full with milk to Diblo Dairy Society. The dairy society sets a price at which they will buy the milk from the farmers. The details of the farmer who brought the milk are recorded for instance his name and the number of litres he brought. The farmer is paid after tests have been done to make sure the milk is fresh and undiluted. If the milk is up to standard, Diblo Dairy Society records the amount of milk it has received from all the farmers in its inventory book. Diblo Dairy Society then distributes the milk to its dairies which sell milk to individuals at a profit. Milk is also sold to large companies that process and market milk and milk products. To ensure that the farmers, who are the suppliers, keep bringing milk to Diblo Dairy Society, benefits such as loans are provided. Diblo Dairy Society is headed by a Chief Executive Officer. A finance manager is in charge of all money related matters. The quality assurance manager is responsible for ensuring that the milk entering or leaving Diblo Dairy Society is fresh and up to the required standard. Diblo Dairy Society has 112 employees and therefore has a human resource manager who is responsible for recruiting staff, making sure that the employees are treated fairly, solving problems that may arise with the staff and compensating the employees for their labours. The sales and operations manager oversees the 15 attendants at Diblo Dairy

Integration and Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Integration and Communication - Essay Example unications, as a strategic function and a domain in the sphere of marketing has been evolving with a remarkable host of theoretical and practical applications. Its varied and dynamic functional applications and strategic directions have given it an additional dimension as a seminal marketing tool. Its strategic focus invariably places it on par with any other marketing concept of importance. IMC integrates all forms of communications within and without a business organization and facilitates a seamlessly designed pattern of communications to achieve the company’s marketing goals. This integration process involves horizontal integration, vertical integration, external integration, internal integration and data integration. For example horizontal integration takes place when the four concepts of the marketing mix are integrated with various corporate functions while vertically it occurs when hierarchically organized strata of marketing communications within the organization support corporate objectives at a higher level (Percy, 2008, p.11).When all these functional areas within the organization are seamlessly integrated with the customer through a strategic marketing campaign involving advertising and promotion, the picture of Integrated Marketing Communications is complete. What’s the role played by cost here? Marketing Communications has been a well known strategic function of the modern business organization and Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) has now almost effectively replaced the former with a marked strategic focus on what’s known as â€Å"a holistic or seamless integration strategy to achieve better results in marketing in particular and long term corporate goals in general†. The above mentioned elements of the IMC strategy inevitably presuppose an efficacious marketing campaign across different marketing parameters and media platforms. The customer is given the kind of information that he wants. Such a sustained effort in marketing

Implemented Workplace Technology in TESCO Company Essay

Implemented Workplace Technology in TESCO Company - Essay Example In order for the company to maintain and improve its performance particularly in dealing with increased product and service volume while at the same time controlling costs, it has embraced technological innovation that has had great impacts on the company. Recently, Tesco made a technological innovation known as Augmented Reality (AR) and QR codes that enables the consumers to use computer terminals to scan a product code. The technology allows the consumers to view the 3D images of over 40 products from the entertainment and electronics sections both online and in store thus enabling them to make a decision on whether to have the product delivered to their home or to buy in- store (Shayon 2011, p. 1). Tesco Direct Catalogue requires a marker and a browser plug-in; in order to view the images of the 3D product, the consumer position catalogues in front of their webcam. In addition, the technology can use a television set whereby the set can be expanded virtually to back views, front, and real front so that shoppers can watch film and also play with virtual games that are on sale in the supermarket (Shayon 2011, p. 1).RationaleIt is an undisputed fact that indeed competition has been very stiff among the retailers across the world; each retailer chain is struggling to stay afloat in the market. To achieve this, they look for ways that will boost their sales and minimize costs so as to eventually maximize profits. TESCO is no exception and it has made huge strides towards this end especially in regard to using technological innovation.... In addition, the technology can use a television set whereby the set can be expanded virtually to back views, front, and real front so that shoppers can watch film and also play with virtual games that are on sale in the supermarket (Shayon 2011, p. 1). Rationale It is an undisputed fact that indeed competition has been very stiff among the retailers across the world; each retailer chain is struggling to stay afloat in the market. To achieve this, they look for ways that will boost their sales and minimize costs so as to eventually maximize profits. TESCO is no exception and it has made huge strides towards this end especially in regard to using technological innovation. The main rationale behind the innovation was definitely to boost sales in the long run. Apart from that the technology intended to achieve other goals. First, it intended to integrate augmented reality into the consumers’ everyday shopping experiences. Secondly, the strategy was designed to minimize the use of the in- store space to stock number of returns and products since through the innovation, the consumers will already have information regarding what they want to purchase. Thirdly, it is a way of attracting more customers which will eventually translate to selling of more merchandise. According to Hristov and Reynolds (2010, p. 29), some products do not mean much to the consumers until they actually use them. They further argue that there is less likelihood for a consumer to buy a product that they have not actually used or seen, therefore, the consumers will be keen to anything that brings these products to life. At the moment, the retailer’s seven stores have augmented reality (AR) terminals in five

The Contemporary Hospitality Industry Assignment - 2

The Contemporary Hospitality Industry - Assignment Example When assessing the scale of the hospitality industry, it can be observed that the sector has accomplished a momentous growth of strengthening its capital market over the past few decades. Owing to its consistent and rapid growth, the hospitality industry is also known as a major contributor for Gross National Products (GNP) today where it has been observed to play a pivotal role in encouraging regional developments along with employment opportunities. As per the recent economic performance of the industry, it has been observed that the core hospitality market has been estimated to earn an annual turnover of GBP 90 billion on an average, employing almost more than 2.4 millions of employers in its different business practices all over the world (British Hospitality Association, 2010). In relation to diversity, it can further be recognised that the hospitality industry of the present business world, has been inclined towards delivering increasingly heterogeneous services being influence d by the changing needs of people, globalisation effects and also due to the relocation or migration among different cultures. According to the present scenario, the increasing diversity within the hospitality workforce has been considered as one of its major strengths to satisfy the diverse needs of its customers (National College of Business Administration, 2009). According to the recent transformation of the hospitality industry, it has been recognised that the structure of hospitality industry involves a range of commercial, public and voluntary organisations that principally involves food and catering services along with other housekeeping and maintenance facilities.

Hurt people Essay Example for Free

Hurt people Essay In this paper, the work of Dr. Sandra Wilson (2001) will be looked at from the perspective of obtaining a comprehensive personal theory of counseling. Wilson draws on many years of counseling experience and has developed a simple yet profound concept that hurt people, hurt people. In this theory, Wilson describes how a person is wounded early on in life and how those hurts translates into a continual wounded adult life if not properly addressed. The paper will give a brief summary of the Wilson’s theory, point out some strengths that this theory presents along with weaknesses. Lastly, this paper will draw on personal experience from the author that connects with the content of Wilson’s theory and makes appropriate applications for further counseling practice. ? WILSON CRITIQUE ! 3 Introduction Dr. Sandra Wilson (2001) presents a very helpful and unique theory for the Christian counselor in her book, Hurt People Hurt People. This theory critique paper will introduce, unlike other theories that have been discussed, the crucial role that temporal systems play in the development of a person’s health, illness, and personality (Slide Presentation, COUN 507 B08 LUO, Week 1, Slide 2). Wilson (2001) argues that hurts and wounds that originate in childhood are the primary driving force for why a person hurts other people later on in adulthood. Summary Wilson (2001) begins her theory on why hurt people hurt people by conveying that a person’s childhood, no matter how good or loving it was, experiences some type or level of hurt (Wilson, 2001). This exploration into the childhood stage of a person’s life shows that the messages a child receives during that stage can determine the trends of one’s actions in adulthood (Wilson 2001). In essence the sum of an adult’s hurtful actions can be explained by the choices that the child made in response to the hurtful environment in which they lived (Wilson, 2001, pg. 86). This cornerstone concept stems out of Wilson’s (2001) theory of why hurt people hurt people. Wilson (2001) describes three questions that children must not only answer but by which their answers lead to the choices they make in life. First a child is asking, â€Å"Can I be safe in the environment I am in and the predominate relationships around me? † Children will make choices in their daily lives to manage how to obtain a sense of stability and meet basic needs (Wilson, 2001, pg. 74). Next, children ask the question, â€Å"Can I convey and show my true self to WILSON CRITIQUE ! 4 those around me? † (Wilson, 2001, pg. 75). This boils down to the child’s identity and desire to know if their needs and emotions are able to be met through the expression of their true nature. Lastly, children ask, â€Å"Can I be accepted in a relationally by those around me? † In this question, children learn to accept themselves or not by the quality of the how their parents accept or don’t accept them for who they are. Wilson (2001) concludes that what is uniquely powerful in this dynamic is that children believe they are freely making their choices when in fact they have very little option in the process (Wilson, 2001, pg. 82). Wilson (2001) finds that where a child questions has dramatic and adult-changing effect due to a perception we have about God. Wilson states that children from a general sense think of God as an exaggerated parent? This perception of God as an exaggerated parent explains how the choices that children make based on the above stated questions that children ask have an effect in adult life. So for example, if a child is raised in a stable home and feels loved, accepted and able to be themselves, they will generally view God as someone who has the same inclination. Weaknesses and Strengths Wilson (2001) presents many strengths in her theory of hurt people, hurt people. One of the strengths is her ability to communicate the motivation for why individuals behave in hurtful ways to one another. She relates that the messages that children receive from their parents in good and bad instances are then acted upon to protect and defend safety, stability, and their sense of image. These choices which continue on into adulthood come out in an unhealthy way of WILSON CRITIQUE ! 5 relating to one other (Wilson, 2001). Wilson’s approach is centered on the past of the individual where a majority of these choices have their beginning. Another strength of Wilson is her ability to define the role of temporal systems in the development of personality. She makes a case that what we live through and how we change as result of the environment ultimately determines what we become, which can have positive or negative consequences (Wilson, 2001, pg. 86). Wilson creates a helpful map for understanding from a general perspective how someone might change from the temporal systems in which they live. By describing this particular map, Wilson helps the counselor and/or counselee trace their steps back to understand the origins of the choices made. At the end of the map, Wilson purposes that the family system, the schools system, or other cultural systems are potential reasons for what motivates hurtful behavior. One weakness to point out from Wilson’s theory is the fact she focus predominately on the past. Wilson does not look into other explanations for motivation other than centering her theory around the parent’s effect on the child. Though she does talk on a few points about the Lord’s role in how a person goes about changing in to a healthy adult  , the majority of Wilson’s synthesis for why someone may hurt others or take a defensive stance toward another person centers less on biblical principles and more on her year of experience in the counseling field. Though this can’t be considered a true hard and fast weakness, I would have expected her to undergird this prominent part of process with scriptural references. WILSON CRITIQUE ! 6 Personal Reflection I agree with Wilson’s theory of why hurt people hurt people, mainly because I personally relate. When I read her theory, and think of my own personal childhood, I can very much see where some of my own behaviors have come out of thoughts and choices I made to protect my own feelings and acceptance. As I look back at my own past relations with my dad and how that has dramatically effected me in some negative areas, I recall the main challenge that Wilson describes we have to face and overcome is our distorted view of God (Wilson, 2001, pg. 188). As I have thought through what my dad has communicated to me about who God is, I realize more and more how much more of a journey I have in knowing God truly. It would seem that one of the greatest tasks that we as counselors have is the stewardship of the truth of revealing who God is. If what Wilson has described is on point, and I think it is, then how we as counselors accurately and efficaciously communicate the truth of the person of God to hurting people is paramount to the transformation. One method that Wilson described in her book for helping counselees is how introducing new choices and consistently enacting those choices can produce change? Through the counseling process, I would want to identify what was the pathway or map for the distorted view of God and how that distorted view has shaped the actions of the person. I would then introduce the simple truth of what the counselee doesn’t know into the the realm of the known. Wilson makes a great point that the counselee wont know they can change until they know what they have chosen (Wilson, 2001, pg. 88). I think this can be a powerful tool in the tool belt of counseling because it is the power truth that will ultimately set the person free to heal from the wounds that they are experiencing.

Expatriation, expenses, advantages and disadvantages

Expatriation, expenses, advantages and disadvantages Expatriation, the practice of sending home country managers to other country locations, is a popular, albeit expensive practice among multinational corporations. Expatriates are charged with facilitating the bidirectional flow of knowledge and resources between company headquarters and overseas subsidiaries. Typically, the company expects its expatriate managers to infuse company philosophy into the local subsidiary, as well as to impose policies and procedures consistent with headquarter operations. They are often responsible for the movement of financial resources, whether this be physical capital or the ability to tap local debt and equity markets. They bring with them managerial as well as technical expertise, functional capabilities, or the training necessary to develop these among the local personnel, and structural and control systems. Among these are appraisal systems and motivational tools and incentives. Either while on assignment or upon repatriation, the expatriate should be able to share information with the parent company regarding local infrastructure, such as roads, housing conditions, and transportation systems. In addition, knowledge regarding the political climate, negotiating techniques, host government concerns, and consumer preferences is passed on to the parent. Finally, expatriates should learn a great deal about business practices specific to the regions where they have been assigned, including holidays and observances, accepted business attire, and the appropriate ways to communicate and socialize with co-workers and locals in general. Background: Given the rapid rise in the internationalization of markets, competition, and technology, expatriates—and in particular long-term expatriates—can provide much of the value-creation opportunities global firms are seeking. But as the numbers of assignments increases, along with their annual cost by some estimates, two-to-four times the individuals base salary, there is need to assure such assignments are being effectively utilized in achieving Companys strategic goals. Only 57 percent of the global firms responding to a 2005 survey by GMAC Relocation Services perceived their return on investment (ROI) in expatriates to be â€Å"good† or â€Å"excellent,† with only 43 percent indicating they had specific programs in place to improve it. Other surveys show that up to 85 percent of managers do not even attempt to demonstrate the ROI of long-term international assignments, nor do they measure it. Thus, expatriate ROI appears to be, not only rarely calculated among global firms but also not widely used as a tool to reduce expatriate costs, despite a growing economic environment of global uncertainty, cost cutting, and risk. Introduction: This report is designed to investigate effectiveness of expatriate remuneration in a multinational organization. For this purpose I have chosen ICI, as this company is operating in many European as well as Asian countries and still in continuation of expanding its operations. Goals for the expatriates in ICI, with the study carried to analyse the effectiveness in achieving those targets are featured in this small study. This study will examine how the expats are remunerated and what bases are used in doing so, furthermore basis opted for rewards system. Others matters considered alongside are considerations for the costs of family residency, insurances, childrens education, properties, and other expenses; including incentives. Gains and nuisances of the expats are issued for the consideration from expats points of view. Moreover explanation of the research methodology coupled with justification for the research is complied in. Due to the nature of the topic, secondary sources of information are used as the primary sources were difficult and time consuming. ICI has many expatriates around the world in various countries of different continents, which includes Asia, Europe- as required by its diverse operations. Sending expatriates on long term assignments is complicated as it triggers diverse needs (i.e. social needs, ethical issues, religions, family commitments and backgrounds, etc). Therefore on one side selecting, enticing, and retaining expatriate staff for long duration of their foreign assignment and on the other designing rewards system for such complex and diverse roles adds difficulties for the organization. Aim and Objectives: This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of expatriate remuneration at ICI. In order to achieve this aim, the following objectives have been set: * Develop a model for measuring expatriate remuneration. * To assess the current expatriate remuneration for ICI. * To conduct fieldwork and collect data on the effectiveness, ethics, etc. * Analyse the results of the fieldwork and present the results of the investigation. Model for measuring Expatriates Remuneration A large studies conducted by the researchers concluded that only 51 out of many global firms participating in the study desired to obtain an acceptable ROI from their expatriates. ROI determinations should also include nonfinancial costs and benefits in order to capture the long-term, post assignment benefits— such as skills transfer, global leadership capabilities, succession readiness, and other talent management objectives. McNulty and Tharenou have defined expatriate ROI as â€Å"a calculation in which the financial and nonfinancial benefits to the firm are compared with the financial and nonfinancial costs of the international assignment, as appropriate to the assignments purpose.†This definition implies two important conditions: * Managers must know the intent for using expatriates—how the purpose of an international assignment is linked to a firms overall global strategy—in order to then track the benefits and costs. * Managers must include both tangibles and intangibles when calculating and comparing costs and benefits. Accurate rates of return are then more likely to be determined when the benefits are compared with the costs, even if a cost is financial (e.g., the cost of cross-cultural training) and the corresponding benefit is nonfinancial (e.g., the benefit of improved performance). In turn, these conditions imply a robust system for creating, approving, documenting, tracking, and evaluating international assignments. Assessment the current expatriate remuneration for ICI During the course of my study I focused my study plan on remuneration of 10 Individuals designated as expatriates with a responsibility of transferring ICI system IT-based skills to other subsidiaries/ offices located across the regions. The individuals selected were salaried Approx. around  £ 4,000 per month during course of their normal office routine work. When and as employee designated as expat, a separate remuneration model was designed for each keeping in view the following * Working hours * Job specifications * Number of travels/locations to different sites * Period for which the expat assigned for the special assignment The model devised without considering as exception circumstances is illustrated below * If the expat tenure for the special assignment is for a period covering more than 2 years, the expat is allowed to take is family (wife and children) along, at his discretion. The salary package of the said expat will be 180% of his gross salary during this tenure. * If the expat tenure for the special assignment is for a period less than 2 years, the expat is not allowed to take is family at COs expense. However he will be allowed to claim return air tickets thrice a year with 20 days paid leaves and will be remunerated at 140% of his original gross salary. * All the medical and other facilities entitled to the employees during routine office duty shall retain and other expenditure related to the business such as travelling, out of pocket expenses shall be reimbursed to the employees. Problems faced by expatriate while implementing head office system/ rules * Expatriates were charged with either learning the host language or communicating through gestures or other non-verbal methods, or they may invoke the services of translators or interpreters * Psychological types of strains, including the negative psychological reactions of anxiety, anger, and frustration when not been able to deliver or transfer knowledge due to national/ regional differences. * Relationship between sociability and cross-cultural adjustment makes them feel alienated. * Understanding of the values and norms of the local nationals was hard to follow and observe.  · Patience was required to build the relationships and the trust. Fieldwork and Ethics Issues Meeting the Senior Manager Finance Manager during their valuable busy working hours and requesting them to give some guideline by providing knowledge about the Expats and the remuneration model designed for the assignments. Moreover during discussion session with the managers, I insisted on asking more details and insights that were not available documented, for which the senior manager was hesitant of doing so, as in their opinion certain information was very sensitive and arise tax sensitive issues. The analysis also involved use of companys IT resources like internet, desktop and other ancillary equipments. Moreover in gathering information about my research/field work I had to make certain quality compromises, as the information was not readily available and the management was hesitant over concerns regarding its secrecy. Following is the data gathered and analysed of the employees during their services as expats. Name of the Employee/Expat ID # Gross Salary Special Assignment Allotment Salary for m/o Dec ‘09 Medical Travel plus Misc Total John Desusa 345 3,500 140% 4,900 100 450 5,450 Ali Kirmani 6576 3,000 140% 4,200 1,110 367 5,677 Patric Mandela 356 4,000 140% 5,600 521 1,200 7,321 Keith Ronaldo 6787 5,000 140% 7,000 124 290 7,414 John Ferry 754 4,000 180% 7,200 413 300 7,913 Harban Bhaveja 7564 4,500 180% 8,100 20 394 8,514 Research Methodology: Data are analysed through primary and secondary data research. This is where financial value i.e. quantitative data or the brand image i.e. qualitative data for ICI will be inspected in those countries where expats are doing the work. This will be done by individual countries examination of customer base and/or business base; depending on what expats have been sent for and what is meant to be achieved there. Knowledge of all countries is brought together for expats as well as all costs incurred; are part of this study. It has complete similarities and differences within this duration of expatriation. These include currency evaluations differences in other countries and the amount that has been spent in those countries is worth the effort. However, this should mean that the expats are giving identical efficiency level as they would have while being in the UK in the away country depending on the targets being given. In most cases, ICI gives a smaller pay due to the economy being down. However, still pays well even after slump where GBP is strong. Data Collection Methods: Due to the nature of the topic, both primary and secondary sources equally provided appropriate and valuable information. Although using the former source was difficult and time consuming. Primary Source An interview was held with Mr. Zawan Navade Senior Finance Manager ICI. The primary purpose of this interview was to assess the potential benefits expats providing to the Organisation with the cost being incurred. Moreover, a meeting was arranged with the Human Resource Manager to gain information regarding the design of the remuneration packages related to the potential benefits to the entity. Secondary Sources These consisted of the following * Payroll Sheets * Documented Reward system * Special assignment contracts Limitations: Financial data by itself may not be sufficient for the purpose of my research work, therefore expert input from Companys senior executives was required but most of the information in my research report is secondary as I was not able to directly approach the companies executive all the time and have limited use of their valuable time due to their tight official schedules and their reservations.

Online Auctions For Everyone On Ebay Business Essay

Online Auctions For Everyone On Ebay Business Essay EBay was launched in 1995 as an online platform that permitted efficient peer-to-peer trading in an auction format. (Daniels, John D., Radebaugh,Lee H., Sullivan, Daniel P., 2007) The online auction site provided a space on the internet for people to buy, sell, and trade any multitude of items from almost any category imaginable. As for the business itself, the beauty of it is that eBay has no inventory, storage, transportation or production costs associated with their product. The product is simply providing the environment on the web for people to auction their goods. The concept can be thought of much like an electronic garage or yard sale where for a small fee, people can post their items on eBay. The selling price for items posted is totally up to the individual and ebay just obtains a small percentage of the selling price after the auction is complete, usuall between 7 and 18 percent. (Daniels, John D., Radebaugh,Lee H., Sullivan, Daniel P., 2007). Therefore, eBays core compete ncy is simply matching buyer and seller together through an online platform. Initially, eBays strategy was to match up buyers and sellers collecting a small fee from each transaction, but the business grew quickly. One reason for the rapid growth was the fact that eBay was providing an outlet for items that were not very marketable by conventional store fronts. Additionally, the internet connect people from all over, making marketing virtually free. By 1999, eBays net revenues grew to $225 million and continued to grow to 3.2 billion dollars by 2004. (Daniels, John D., Radebaugh,Lee H., Sullivan, Daniel P., 2007) Up to this point most of the registered users of eBay resided in the United States but the site was accessed by people all around the globe. The presented eBay with the opportunity to expand globally as a means to increase their value chain. In order to comply with their company vision of creating the worlds largest global trading community and to help people trade, eBay had to expand into the global market by understanding and embracing a decentralized value chain. This meant attracting new registered users from foreign countries by creating largely independent country subsidiaries. For example, eBay began acquiring companies in foreign countries that were similar auction sites. This allowed eBay not only to gain those customers from the acquired company but benefit from the cultural acceptance of that particular company. Many of these foreign businesses operated in their native language making it easier for locals to conduct business with eBay. In time, eBay would change the names of these companies but not lose the customers because they adapted the acquired company to the core competency and company vision. This strategy opened new markets for eBay around the globe. It is important to reemphasize that eBays value chain is virtual mainly because there is no real product associated with their core competency. Value chain refers to the real work a business has to do in order to conceive, design, produce, market, and distribute a product and its support to the consumer. In eBays case, the Internet has circumvented real work for the alternative idea of the virtual value chain. Value is created through virtual networks, rather than through static, internally focused chains. (Daniels, John D., Radebaugh,Lee H., Sullivan, Daniel P., 2007) Ebays initial strategy involved matching up buyers and sellers. The final details of a transaction were totally up to the two parties involved and not eBay itself. Shipping and money transfer were the responsibility of the seller. Ebay began looking for ways to innovate and did so by purchasing the company PayPal which is used to transfer payments between buyers and sellers. Now, not only did eBay provide a medium for customers to conduct auctions, but they also provided a simple way to complete shipping and payment transactions. Again, this added feature is virtual in nature. Ebay still has no real resource involved but collects a fee on any transaction. Therefore the value chain in increased even more. Ebay began competing with other businesses offering mainstream products for sale on their auction platform. Whereas an auction normally posted an item for sale for a certain amount of time and the highest bidder won, mainstream products would be placed on auction with a reserve and a buy now price applied for those not wanting to wait out the time of the auction. The downfall to this is that if the reserve bid was not met, the item did not sell. Although this strategy is still active, more emphasis is now placed on eBays original strategy. Because individual sellers were overrun by fixed-price retailers they lost interest in the site and buyers began looking elsewhere to search for the less mainstream products upon which eBay built its business. In an article titled eBays New Strategy: What Was Once Old is New Again, author Matt Pace coined eBays new strategy as, Its out with the new and in with the old both in terms of corporate strategy and product mix. After failing to compete as a fixed-priced on line retailer with Amazon.com and Walmart, eBay decided to revert back to its original premise of an auction clearinghouse for used goods and collectables. (Matt Pace, 2009) Now that eBay is back to its core competency, what is the way ahead? Profits and growth were beginning to fall based largely on the fact that eBay had not successfully moved into some foreign markets. Because eBays platform relies on internet usage, many emerging economies were handicapped in the fact that most households do not have internet connections. When faced with this problem, eBay saw an opportunity to grow by moving into the telecommunications market. Ebay purchased the company Skype as a means to penetrate markets where computer access was limited but communications was not. According to Skype President Josh Silverman, communications is no longer just about voice; its now multi-modal: mood messages, chat, voice calling, multi-party calling, video calling and online screen sharing. Where and how we communicate is expanding to laptops, mobile phones, and flat panel TVs. Any connected computing device with the addition of software becomes a communication device. Skype continu es to add over 350,000 new account registrations per day all around the globe. (Jim Courtney, 2009) According to executives, the synergies of standalone businesses, eBay, PayPal and Skype have the ability to pursue new market opportunities and capture future growth. Working together, these three businesses can create entirely new opportunities for innovation and expansion, and redouble the strength of the companys leadership position (eBay-Inc, 2006) Ebay has continued to reenforce their position in their market by meeting new challenges head on. Tackling problems such as translational software and online security is a top priority. Ebay announced cooperation with Yahoo! on phishing and according eBays CEO, Meg Whitman, this will be our core competency over the next 10 years. The balance is tricky, but the company has dipped its toe in the social networking waters a few times, most recently on Tuesday when Skype partnered with MySpace to become the worlds largest voice network. (Wendy Tanaka, 2007) All of the challenges faced by eBay can be culminated in one small shift in their strategy for the years to come. The initial strategy of providing an environment for buyers and sellers to auction their items has morphed into seeking out new buyers and sellers to use their environment through added values in their value chain.

Free Essays - Animal Farm :: Animal Farm

When you read or watch Animal Farm, by George Orwell, you might think that it is only a science fiction book or movie, but if you study this deeper we can easily deduce that it is an analogy to the Russian Revolution. Even though most people do no see, Animal Farm is a book about the Russian Revolution, where each character represents an important personage and where the plot is based on what happen in that country, as anything in history, there are many lessons we can learn from this work of fiction. Old Major is a wise old pig who first makes the speech to the others animals, putting the idea of rebellion in their heads. It is important to note that he dies before the rebellion actually begins. His role compares with that of Karl Marx, whose ideas set the Communist Revolution in motion. However, some people may argue that it is Lenin that have the same traits of told Major because this animal is the one who actual brought the animalism to the farm as Lenin brought the communism to Russia. The pig Napoleon has dictatorial trait and we can see this when instead of debating with Snowball, he sets his dogs on him and continues to increase his personal power and privileges from that time on. Napoleon's character suggests that of Stalin and there are many acts that support this analogy, such as mass executions, like those of Stalin in the 1930's. Also he exiles Snowball just like Stalin did with Trotsky. Snowball is an energetic, brilliant leader. He's the one who successfully organizes the defense of the Farm. He's a good speaker with original ideas (the windmill). Snowball clearly is portraying the Soviet expatriate, Leon Trotsky. Trotsky was seen as Stalin's opponent for the leader of the Soviet Union and as a result Stalin expelled him. Trotsky was also viewed as a better leader than Stalin , and probably a more just one. The defense of the farm snowball made can be compared to Trotsky with the Red Army. Boxer believes in the Rebellion and in its Leader. His often says that "Napoleon is always right" and that "I [He] will work harder." His huge size and strength and his hard labor is what saves the Farm He finally collapses from age and overwork, and is sold for glue. This character symbolizes a part of the Russian population that worked and believed in the state.

Henry James And the Art Of Fiction :: essays research papers

â€Å"The only reason for the existence of a novel is that it does attempt to represent life.† Stated Henry James in â€Å"The Art of Fiction† page 437. I agree with Mr. James that feelings and ambitions formed in characters do represent life. The idea of characters and how real they should is represented in page 440. Characters, in my opinion, form the novel itself. It is the characters and incidents corresponding in a novel, which make a good one. There are two kinds of characters: the round character, and the flat character. The round one has contradictions and develops with the progress of the novel. The flat character does not change; if it is good then that is the way it will stay, or if it is bad it will also stay as it is with no progress in it. There are as well minor characters, which are there to help the novel to develop, and make incidents more reasonable. Characters form actions, in my opinion, and actions form the incidents of a novel. In page 438, Mr. James stated that â€Å"the action of men† is â€Å"the task† of writers. It is not only important to show characters’ feelings, but also to see them in action. A novel I would refer to that may get to be the opposite of that statement would be To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. The novel does not have much action, but shows a lot of inner thoughts and feelings of the characters. The time passes by slowly at the beginning of the novel, which may make you feel dull. The story still is a genius one. These form of novels are called â€Å"the stream of consciousness†, and its form goes by hearing characters’ thoughts and their inner emotions. Mr. James prefers, as I interpret, that a novel should have characters combined with the actions they go through. I agree with him, since I find much pleasure in reading such works of fiction. That is of course my own taste, and not my own opinion, since an opinion should be objective. In conclusion, life can be seen in characters, which are in action. Also in corresponding of incidents that can be thought to be logical. If any work of fiction has logical events, and can be taken to be true, then it is a successful one. Any novel does not have to be only a copy of real life.

Greek Mythology Essay

Greek Mythology began in the fifth century B. C. , and mainly involved the people of ancient Greece, who believed in myths about Gods, Goddesses, and heroes. Stories were passed down through all forms of entertainment, theater, and drama. The people of Greece worshipped numerous Gods, including Apollo, God of the Sun, who had a bow, and chariot to drive across the sky daily (borrowed from an earlier pre-Greek Sun god, Helios). Theatre played an important role in how performance and playwright was carried out to honor Dionysus, the ancient Greek god of harvest and wine. Sophocles was one of the most influential writers, who touch based on the three forms of play, which were tragedies, comedies, and satires. Men and women’s influence towards Greek culture, created a big impact in society, which had a main focus towards art, religion, slavery, language, and education in the form of military training in preparation for war. Everything in Greek Mythology somehow explained creation, and the world, the same reasons as any other religious group since the beginning of civilization they saw God as, basic religious and social truths. Greek Mythology reference to all in that time period was created with legends to try to make sense of that little that was understood of the world. Apollo Apollo is referenced as several noteworthy definitions, including a series of manned US spacecraft designed to explore the moon and surrounding space. NASA’s Apollo 11 pace flight landed the first humans on Earth’s Moon. Apollo, as a Greek god was important in our society today in belief. According to Pantheon and Encyclopedia Mythica Apollo was born on the island of Delos in Greece to supreme and overruling god Zeus, and Leto, believed goddess of motherhood, protectress of the young, modesty and womanly demure. Zeus’s wife, Hera became jealous and exiled her from all land of the earth, and she later gave birth to Apollo and his twin sister Artemis, Goddesses of wilderness, hunting, and wild animals on the island of Delos, in the Aegean Sea, off the southern coast of Crete. The goddess Themis assisted in raising them by feeding them ambrosia, the sacred nectar of the gods. Apollo was born by Zeus and Leto on the Greek island of Delos and lived on Mount Olympus. He had three notable relationships with the Nymphs Cyrene and Daphne and the mortal Coronis, resulting in four children. The Gods of Greece stated Apollo’s reason, nobility, form, action, apprehension, and beauty were his essential attributes. Apollo was a handsome, strong and youthful god with impressive golden hair. According to Greek-gods. info Apollo was the Greek god of the Music, and invented the lute, but he was more popular for playing the lyre, which was invented by Hermes, the messenger of the gods. Apollo excelled in important musical contests, competing against Greek god Hermes and the Satyr Pan as well as other gods. Apollo like his father sought out many wives, including nymphs, and adolescents, leading to dozens of relationships, and children. The Python of Delphi, which was sent by Hera to chase Leto out of all lands, was a deadly creature within the body of a snake. As a strong boy, Apollo was only a few days old when he given a bow and arrows by the blacksmith Hephaestus. This gave him an opportunity to avenge his past, by killing the Python. Apollo killed the Python with one arrow to the head as it lunged at him. The death of the Python, led him to joy and happiness, in singing a song of victory, allowing him to become the God of Music. Although his avengement of the Python was a crime as a God, he was given the duty of instituting the Pythian Game (athletic and musical Olympics) for cleansing which took place every four years in honor of him. Playwright/Drama Sophocles played a major role in the creation of Greek tragedy in playwright. Sophocles wrote over 120 plays, many of them great tragedies, including Elektra, Oedipus Rex, and Antigone. According to Enloehs. wcpss. net, Sophocles education in the arts and experience competing in, an annual festival held at the Theatre of Dionysus, allowed him to become a tragedian. Sophocles, by Harold Bloom states that Sophocles focus towards playwright was based on superhuman influences, which were the subject of his hopes and fears, the object of his prayers and sacrifices. â€Å"With a strong concrete imagination, reinforced by the work of poets, and later sculptors, Sophocles imposed clarity of form with shape, emotions, and family relationships. † Decrees of fate were thought to be naturally regarded as decrees of the god where death was to become a problem. Ajax, written by Sophocles is about Greek commander, Odysseus, who begins searching for Ajax, whom he believes has killed a herd of cattle over the night. Ancient-literature. com entails the Greek tragedy written in the 5th century B. C. (Previously, Odysseus was given the armor of war-hero, Achilles over Ajax angering him. ) He is told by Athena that Ajax was possessed, because he mistook the Greek soldiers for herd, and comes to believe it. Ajax apologizes for his mistake when his wife, Tecmessa tells the chorus, and considers death as a punishment for his error. Again, Ajax reconsiders his consequences, and to devote himself to worshipping the gods and to Greek leaders. During a visit to the city Ajax’s half-brother, Teucer, learns about Ajax incident and warns him to remain inside his tent if he wants to stay alive. Ajax in the end kills himself by throwing himself on a sword, with for vengeance against Greek leaders and army for acknowledging Odysseus over him in the Trojan War. Although disputed as dishonored warrior, Odysseus calls for a proper funeral for his enemy, allowing Teucer to carry out final burial rites. Because Athena causes Ajax to go mad by thinking he’s killed his comrades, he savagely butchers livestock. Once he sees what he’s done, suicide becomes the only honorable way out, which makes him the tragic hero in the end, since he was second in ranking to Achilles, and Ajax becomes overwhelmed with vengeful passion as Achilles amour is rewarded to Odysseus. Greek Culture According to Maps of the world traditions, religious practices, music, food were all an integral part of the Greece Culture. Large numbers of religious festivals were celebrated by the Greeks in honor of the arts. The Greek Embassy states that the Greek language was derived from the same idiom used by Homer and other famous Greek writers and poets more than 3000 years ago. Greek was the language of the Gospels and has made a major contribution to all western languages. Greece adopted the Phoenician alphabet which’s usage was discontinued by the 5th century B. C, and they eventually changed it into the 24 letter Greek alphabet, still used today. â€Å"In its 3500 year passage  through history, the language has undergone a series of transformations, but Modern Greek can easily be traced back to ancient Greek in the form of the letters, word roots, and structure†, states The Emergence of Greece, by Alan Johnston. The Greek cuisine consisted of a variety of Fruits and vegetables, which played a vital role in making some of the most delectable and unique delicacies passed throughout the Western world. Healthy provisions widely used and often added to foods were garlic, onions, fennel, zucchini, grapes, apples, dates and figs. Seasonings such as mint and oregano and lemon rind were first developed in Greece to add flavoring and spice to certain foods. According to Maps of the World Pork, beef, and Lamb meat in particular were greatly used in the preparation of Greek Foods, especially during the religious festivals and playing a role in the diet of Greeks. Greek foods importance in Greek’s regime were based on how they prepared it, which varied from being grilled, braised, baked or stewed, and prepared with an assortment of vegetables. Where you lived in Greek city-states depended on how important education was. According Chiddingstone. Kent in Sparta, it was imperative for boys to learn to be good fighters, and for girls to learn how to become future mothers and wives, instead of learning to read and write. School was necessary in Athens in order to vote in the Assembly and philosophy was incorporated in all of their lessons. Preparing boys to later fight in the army was still essential to all cities, since invasion/war was always taken by revelation. Children, who attended school, were often from wealthy families. Chiddingstone. Kent states boys were educated to become good citizens and take part in the public life of the city state. Girls were educated in housekeeping and how to look after their family. It was typical for children to enroll in an apprenticeship, of their parent’s career, and learn from older men. The Greeks believed in many different Gods and goddesses, who controlled everything in their lives and environment. According to Chiddingstone. Kent in order to please the Gods Greeks would pray daily, have burnt offerings and shrines in honor of them, to receive reward instead of punishment. Greeks worshipped the Gods in temples, where deities were placed in admiration for them . Idol and statues of the Gods were placed in each town where ceremonies and festivals were held, and over watched by priests. Priests were believed to be the voice of the Gods, and were specially chosen by the previous priest, or ancestral order. Greeks mainly believed in the twelve most important Gods that lived on Mt. Olympus and were ruled over by Zeus. Impact/Influence According to Pbs. org the Ancient Greeks took their entertainment very seriously and used drama as a way of investigating the world they lived in, and what it meant to be human. This made a large impact in our world, towards the discovery/meaning of constellations, and possible ways of how the Earth may have been created. In drama comedy, satyr plays, and tragedies, were important genres of theater, which contributed to Western drama and culture. Greek and Roman Theater, by Don Nardo states many traditions of ancient Greece, such as comedy, singing, dancing, slapstick, juggling, and nudity were inherited in the early 1900s, creating a large influence for burlesque and entertainers. Greek and Roman Theater states the influence of ancient theater on modern entertainment was profound to nearly all of today’s theatrical conventions, from acting styles, and costumes, to scenery and the shapes of stages, originated with Greeks. Religious plays and theatrical works have somewhat been inspired by Greece, to glorify, rather than to entertain. Depiction of popular stories like Euripides’ Medea and Oedipus the King, have been adapted into Broadway and Musicals. The success of ancient tragedies and comedies on the modern stage can only be explained by the talent and insight of Aeschylus and Sophocles, who captured the essence of true human feelings. According to Curiosity. discovery. com the Greeks introduced our cherished concepts of citizens’ rights, democracy, and freedoms of speech and religion. They excelled in mathematics, physics and astronomy. They also stated that the Greeks intelligence, daring, energetic and sensible, accomplishing great feats in the arts, philosophy, and architecture, made a great impact towards our form of government, and constitution for equal rights. Greek government influenced Western democracies today, by holding elections for officials rather than appointed lords. Greeks inclined modern societies’ hierarchy and developed an organizational structure that defined the roles of each position. Curiosity. Discovery states the Greeks in the fifth century B. C. came up with theories about the planets and their movements, but they did not subject them to tests and experiments. They influenced our theories on creation, and lead most to believe in the Big Bang theory, in the expansion of the universe, elements, and laws of physics. In agreement Scientificmethod. com says Greek philosopher and polymath, Aristotle was one of the first noted original thinkers, for devising methods for trying to arrive at reliable knowledge based on observations. He contributed to the development of the scientific method, with observations used during experiments. At the time when the world was thought to be flat Eratosthenes was first to prove most wrong, when he confirmed the Earth’s shape as round and was able to accurately guess the diameter and circumference. His method to resolve prime number, made a contribution to the fundamental theorem of arithmetic. In concurrence to Curiosity. Discovery. com Greek shaped our world through the development of our Alphabet, our way of Warfare, our system of Democracy, leaving a lasting legacy on education mythology, and justice. Annotated Bibliography Huffington, A. S. , & Beny, R. (1983). Apollo. The gods of Greece (pp. 53-67). New York: Abrams The book The Gods of Greece was about the Greek gods, and how they were portrayed as natural, concrete, and worldly in their divinity, entering the lives of the people who worshipped them, and had the outmost flaws, conflict, and failings less than their joys and accomplishments. The book gave a greater understanding of the Greek people at the time and their world. The Gods and goddesses in the book are represented as statues and reliefs in marble, stone, and bronze, revealing unexpected beauty and mystery, toward the Greek celebration of their idol. From the book, information about Apollo was collected, about him being described as an embodiment of the Western ideal of beauty and form in it classical perfection. As the God of music and prophecy, archery, and heroic excellence, Apollo embodied the foundation of the Greek civilization. The book’s Apollo chapter mainly entails the union of Dionysus and Apollo as an eternal bond, because off their importance for imagination, intuition, inspiration, and enthusiasm. Bloom, H. (1990). Fate in Sophocles. Sophocles (pp. 127-136) New York: Chelsea House Publishers. The novel Sophocles, by Harold Bloom brings together a representative selection of the best modern critical views of Sophocles. The novel, describes, all of Sophocles eight remaining plays, which all resemble a powerful portrayal of some irresolvable moral dilemma. The Ajax, Antigone, Poetics, Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Orestia, and Elektra are compared on how well their centered towards the Gods is remote in human character and human choices to acquire a greater significance. Most of the stories had a tragic hero, who existed by blocking out or delaminating the framework of human existence. The plays critical views all connected with human limits, and what Sophocles made clear of what they can achieve within those limits. The Fate in Sophocles described his belief in the operative power of the characters, using vague feeling about destiny. Questions like â€Å"Why does a man suffer? , Why does he fall from the height of prosperity into the pit of disaster? †, were given possibilities as to why the characters were bound to have evil befall them. Greece Culture and Society. (n. d. ). World Map. Retrieved February 7, 2013, from http://www. mapsofworld. com/greece/culture-and-society/ Maps of the world is a website that explains the culture of countries and regions, while offering customers to buy a map. The website provides facts, sports, holidays, geography, and information about the education system, at the period, or during its historical time. While providing tourist destinations, the site also lists major cities and their historical locations that may have played a significant role in impacting the countries society and culture. Maps of the world entail the relation of ancient fashion to today, to how they were placed in terms of class. The Greek cuisine’s reflection of their cooking and health conscious diet was related to the typical meals eaten today in Greece. The lifestyle of the people was influenced by diverse traditions and practices that affected the culture of the lands, and later the society in diversity. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey had a great impact in Greek Literature, and were noted as immense resources with affluence, has influenced towards the history of World Literature. Nardo, D. (1995). Chaper 9. Greek and Roman theater (pp. 89-97). San Diego, CA: Lucent Books. The book explains important dates in the history of Greek and Roman Theater. Theatrical tragedies, of the Golden age of Greece Drama were Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euriphdes, who brought the tragic art to the level of literature in understanding. To get the message across a trilogy or series of three related plays were written to broaden the scope. Details of evolution and impact of a concept on justice, greed, or fate were typically shown with a repeating pattern of revenge and murder. Greek comedies were not as important as other forms of theater, but were pleasant to comic relief. Comedies mimicked serious Greek religious rituals with humorous indecent aspects. The start of classical theater portrays the earliest versions of acting, eventually developed into theater for play production and staging areas for religious ceremonies and productions. Many classical Greeks cultural and religious practices were tied to the Minoan times. In theatrical areas seriousness also took a part in formal dancing and singing to honor the gods. How did the Ancient Greeks impact modern Western society? – Curiosity. (n. d. ). Curiosity : Discovery Channel. Retrieved February 7, 2013, from http://curiosity. discovery. com/question/ancient-greeks-impact-western-society Curiosity is a show on the Discovery Channel, where each episode focuses on one question in science, technology, and society. The website is an expert question and answer site where experts and scholars tried to answer some of life’s most profound questions. On the Curiosity website answers to questions on mysteries in fields like space, biology, geology, medicine, physics, technology, nature, archaeology, history, and the human mind are answered by notable professors, authors, filmmakers, and more. â€Å"How did the Ancient Greeks impact our modern Western society? † is the question answered by the Science Channel. Greeks cultural influence in Greek society inspired achievements that shaped the foundation of Western civilization. Greeks in the fifth century B. C. came up with theories about the planets and their movements, but they did not subject them to tests and experiments. They built the base and foundation for many theories that lead us to scientific discoveries, towards the Universe.

Gaskell North and South Essay

Gaskell’s ‘North and South’, set in Victorian England, is the story of Margaret Hale, a young woman whose life is completely turned on its head when her family moves to northern England. As an outsider from the agricultural south, Margaret is initially shocked by the aggressive northerners of the dirty, smoky industrial town of Milton, but as she adapts to her new home, she defies social conventions with her ready sympathy and defense of the working poor. Her passionate advocacy of the lower classes leads her to repeatedly clash with charismatic mill owner John Thornton over his treatment of his workers. While Margaret denies her growing attraction to him, Thornton agonizes over his foolish passion for her, in spite of their heated disagreements. As tensions mount between them, a violent unionization strike explodes in Milton, leaving everyone to deal with the aftermath in the town and in their personal lives. Gaskell’s novel could certainly be described as a social commentary; England at the time was extremely class-conscious, yet In almost all cases, Margaret does not so much choose sides as acknowledge mutually dependent and beneficial relationships. Though her family has very little in the way of money or assets, her family roots are in the gentry, yet when the family is moved up North to Milton, Margaret befriends and socializes with both ends of the social spectrum, mill owners and workers. Margaret is even capable of initiating a friendship of sorts between worker and owner, Higgins and Thornton even come up with a plan together to provide a canteen for the workers to get hot food. Differences in life in the South and life in the North are compared and contrasted often in a very subtle fashion, as are the differences in values and class structure. It is also very interesting to note that the difficulties of the lives of the impoverished factory workers are highlighted, however the difficulties faced by the factory owners are also presented. Through Margaret, Gaskell is able to transcend social class and at the same time create a hero amongst the industrial poverty of Milton, she acts in a way that would have been unconventional and frowned upon at the time for the good of such people as the Higgins family. When she is seen bringing a basket of food to the house during the workers strike, her peers condemn her at a dinner at the Thornton’s. Highlighting both the differences between northern and southern culture and the clashes between social conscientiousness. It could be said that ‘North and South’ is a novel defined by the resolution of binary conflicts; Margaret Hale is presented with a number of divisions of sympathy, between industrialists and the working class, between conflicting views of Mr.  Thornton, and even between her conflicting views of her own intelligence. Nancy Mann, in her essay â€Å"Intelligence and Self-Awareness in ‘North and South’: a Matter of Sex and Class† stipulates that the novel â€Å"concentrates on a crucial problem of the development of the novel in the nineteenth century, the relationship between abstract intelligence and self-awareness, and the ways in which this relationship may be affected by factors of sex and class†(1). What Mann is saying is that Gaskell is successful in throwing off the conventional boundaries of the classic romantic Victorian with all its feminist connotations and persuasions and has created a character that transcends the constraints of class and what is proper to actually do some good in her new environment. Gaskell’s most prominent social explorations however come in the form of contrasts. For example Margaret’s relationship with the Higgins family, especially Bessie, both nineteen years old when they meet, one healthy and the other gravely ill can be seen as a dramatic comment on class iniquity. Gaskell uses Bessie as a dramatic device in the novel to draw Margaret and her father closer, a task some literary critics consider to be so well done that Bessie is often discounted from the actual story. She is also a device to show the plight of the working class woman, Bessie is even described by one critic as ‘the most extensive portrait of a factory girl in the mainstream industrial novels, and as such, she reveals the political and economic tensions surrounding working class women'(2). Even Margaret says â€Å"Bessie’s comments address the specific problems of working-class women, problems that both unions and the middle class have an interest in ignoring†. Even when Bessie’s religious beliefs and her questioning of unionism are considered she is very revealing, Margaret sees her as having â€Å"a politics of her own† which both reveals her sense of disenfranchisement from the ongoing struggle between ‘masters and men’ and presents the most telling evidence in the novel of the iniquities of the class system. Something else that has to be considered in this scenario with Bessie as a dramatic tool towards Gaskell’s social commentary Elizabeth Gaskell’s ‘North and south’: A National Bildungsroman. † Victorian Newsletter 85 (1994) Briefly traces the emergence of and critical debate on the industrial novel, noting â€Å"the industrial novels have been read largely in relation to male working-class history, not in relation to female working-class history or to the emerging nineteenth-century women’s movement. The critic also goes on to stipulate that the comments on the patriarchal foundations of both Chartism and the union movement makes a case for the need to consider Marxist and feminist issues when considering the issues raised in north and south. He goes on to suggest that â€Å"by placing her heroine, Margaret Hale, between North and South, Gaskell attempts to bring to the surface the unconscious bifurcations that produce class and gender ideologies† and that because the novel is both a Bildungsroman as well as an industrial novel it acquires â€Å"unusual dimensions in both categories†(3). Feminism also plays a big part in Gaskell’s novel, through her three main characters, Margaret, Thornton and Higgins Gaskell shows a struggle for growth and indicates what the future of society may hold for people in similar situations and how society can grow as a whole. When the novel is examined as a debate on class and gender issues, the amount of time the characters spend â€Å"arguing about word choices, definitions and analogies† it is clear that almost all interactions in the novel are affected in some way by gender or class, even in language, â€Å"every term that comes under debate is changed with class or gender import†(4). With this much importance forced upon the character’s class and gender by their social environment a reader is certainly inclined to read the novel as an exploration into the Victorian class system rather than a conventional love story of the time. Even in Margaret’s romantic capacity as a woman, her gradual sexual awareness of John Thornton and their Marriage at the end of the novel is more understandable to read in a more feminist light than a romantic one. In marrying Thornton Margaret enters into a mutually equal relationship, one where her influence and goals will be felt as well as his, â€Å"through Margaret, Gaskell subtly reveals the new directions women are taking toward independent action and freedom†(5). However at the same time recognizing that the changes she undergoes are in no way revolutionary and that though the conflicting ideas of obedience and freedom are not completely settled by the end of the novel, â€Å"at least one woman has emerged into responsible adulthood and has claimed her part in deciding the terms of that settlement†(6). What is most interesting about this novel is that all the elements of a romantic novel are there, but it is written in a way that turns the readers head from the sentimental pride and prejudice Esq. prose and makes them focus on the environment and its social deficiencies â€Å"through this story of social rejection and Christian compassion, Gaskell charges her culture to replace what she sees as a rigid and reductive old testament ethic of charity†(7). This idea of a old to new change in a religious sense is also backed by Gaskell’s own Unitarian background, her father was a Unitarian minister, as was her husband, Margaret’s father in the novel itself is also a minister it could even be suggested that â€Å"Gaskell’s beliefs provided her with an alternative vision of society and code of behavior†(8) the importance of Gaskell’s religious beliefs and Unitarianism can be found in many aspects of the novel, not least that Unitarianism believed in the cultivation of the intellect regardless of sex, she found the religious authority to challenge the patriarchal subjugation of women, especially those who failed to fulfill their designated role in society. It is ironic to think; â€Å"in a period nearly defined by its theological doubt, Gaskell’s spiritual faith authorizes her revolutionary vision†(9). When Mr. Thornton, without further verbal explication, proposes to Margaret in a â€Å"strange and presumptuous way† at the end of the novel, we see the proper structure of an intimate relationship, both sides respect each other’s power while Thornton refuses to impose a political hierarchy. This is emphasized by the exchange over the flowers, which he bought as a token of her independent self, which is a revolutionary idea in itself at this point in history and conversely, gives rise to his second comment referring to marriage as possession, saying he had â€Å"no hope of ever calling her mine†, and the second refutation of such terms. Although the novel does not strive at any point to be romantic at the expense of the real issues that Gaskell tackles in the way people lived at the time, their unspoken resolution to marry signifies the resolution of the novel the binding of two genders, halves of England, social classes, and individuals, into one. In conclusion Gaskell is very successful in going further than any of her peers in actually exploring deficiencies in Victorian culture and society, although the main components of a classic love story are there, Margaret opts for the conscientious, religious option at every turn making the novel more a serious social commentary than anything else. Gaskell’s religious persuasion adds to this in that it allows her to transcend the class system and her constraints as a woman in Victorian England to address these problems under the banner of religion.