The History of Saudi Women In Sports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The History of Saudi Women In Sports - Essay Example You would never find any women spectator in any sports event in Saudi Arabia. History of women participation in Saudi Arabian sports would only furnish a blank page. The celebrated participation of Saudi Arabian women in the London Olympics is just the result of the brilliant strategy of International Olympic Committee. They need men and women participation from each and every country. Thanks to International Olympic Committee, for they made the impossible possible. Participation of women in sports is considered as a negligence of Islamic laws concerning women. Hard rules for women in Saudi Arabia pushed them to the backyard. Sports became something that is exclusively for men in Saudi Arabia. After 2012 Olympic in London, women of Saudi Arabia made a determined move to persuade lawmakers to allow a better participation of women in sports. They fought for women participation in sports, promising a compliance with Islamic rules. The changing perspectives about the participation of women in sports have enabled the participation of women in different international sports competitions. Saudi Arabia agreed to the women participation in sports because of the international pressure to enable female participation in sports. Even though the conservatives did not remain silent to the new move, the nation had to allow its female athletes to participate in the London Olympics. Saudi Clerics made a big protest against female participation, stating that improper clothing and immodest movement in sports activities would destroy the purity and morality of Saudi women who are supposed to follow the Islamic rules concerning women. According to them vigorous movements would hamper the health and purity of Islamic women. The cruel and insane gender apartheid followed in Saudi Arabia gave no room for women to involve in sports activities. A certain move that planned women’s sports activities as a part of Ramadan celebrations was highly rebuked by clerics and

Philosophy Divergent Currents of Humanism Essay Example for Free

Philosophy Divergent Currents of Humanism Essay The nationalities rooted in different traditions and perhaps owed something to old trunks differences Latinos and barbarians, took shape especially the divergence of economic interests and natural conditions of Italy and Germany. Italian Humanism meant more than a break with the past, Italy was consumed in glorious extravagance and soon returned to agriculture and to the spirit of medieval life. Life essentially offered the Italian humanist enjoyment and creation, the Christian scheme gave way to a Greek morality, in which life was an art, freed from any sense of obligation. The religious interest was not very present at least we want to talk about a religion of beauty. His ideal was universal man fully rounded personality of a Leonardo. I tried to absorb everything and became syncretistic culture, retaining the opposing elements of Roman and Greek Christians in reconciling universal symbolism. Zeus, Jupiter, and God really meant it. This ideal was bound to remain aristocratic, without much anchor in popular sentiment and produced a high class and cosmopolitan artist who took easily to the envestida of the counter. The north, however, seemed to have the old spirit was however felt the north where an impulse of the forces would dominate the new era, the north broke with the church and turned to industry trade, science . Life offered the German humanist work and self-discipline, the German turned rather to the moral Roman life was a stoic discipline, a job and a vocation remained deeply religious obligations became even more ethical than supernatural. It is dedicated to education and scholarship. More democratic, seeking her ideal as a member of an ordered society and not as an independent personality. Before him stood flight ahead fraternal society work, could not combine the various elements and see the universal in the multiplication of symbols: multiplicity of symbols is a big difference between the imagination of the great Italian painters and Durer, the Dutch and Flemish. Humanists Nordic passed gradual stages of faith illustrated medieval cosmopolitanism and urban. Touched by the Italian scholarship, dropped out and worked for a scholastic education reform without criticizing the church system. Modernity and tragedy of Erasmus The modern spirit sympathize more with the second group, and especially with Erasmus, representative ideals, having been shriveled by 200 years due to the reform, finally flourished in naturalism and humanism of the eighteenth century. Erasmo was definitely the humanistic ideal both their faults as virtues. Its narrower interests reflect limitations of humanistic attitude to the deeper forces of the time. Unconcerned by the wonderful art of his generation, without interest in the new world that would in the eyes of men, and very hostile to the scientific interest because it shifted the spirits of the human problems of morality. His biggest concern heading into the past, not the future, rather represented tolerance, conciliation and meditation. It was witty and urban, with a charming conservatism. Finished destroying old prejudices, demolishing the medieval order, had nothing to offer except a rather negative spiritual liberalism.

The Issues of Abortion and Gay Marriage Essay -- Abortion Political Ga

The Issues of Abortion and Gay Marriage The issues of abortion and gay marriage rights were issues that were fought over constantly by Liberals and Conservatives in the last elections. Both parties had different ways of looking at these problems, hence they both had different ideas as to how we could solve these problems. The Conservatives tended to take a more traditional stance, whereas the Liberals were set on pursuing the problem with new age solutions. The issue of gay marriage is a rather new controversy that has only become disputed in the last decade. In a changing world gay marriage is now a huge issue that must be dealt with. The gay community believes that the 14th amendment permits gay marriage, but the law heeds to reflect this. Whereas the anti-same-sex marriage advocates are working to amend the constitution to make same sex marriage illegal. Because of the rising numbers in people who believe strongly on either side of this conflict, this has now become a national issue. Before the recent elections gay marriage was a states issue. Now that Bush is elected, he plans to make gay marriage illegal nationwide, and ban all gay unions. The other huge issue, which was brought up frequently during the race for the presidential election, was that of abortion. Abortion has always been a very controversial issue between people of different moral and religious beliefs. Because some religions consider abortion as the same thing as murdering a person, and some believe that it is ok because the fetus is not yet born, this issue has been very tough to come to a compromise. Before the most recent election occurred, abortion was a states issue. But now that Bush has been elected abortion will now become ... ...y as Burke shows when he states, â€Å"As the ends of such a partnership (social contract) cannot be obtained in many generations, it becomes a partnership not only between those who are living, but between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born†(Reflections on the Revolution in France 150). This quote actually literally points out that the right of life that is included in the social contract apply to everybody including the unborn. We have now seen the different ideologies towards current issues here in America, broken down by both past and present liberalists and conservatives. Though both sometimes tend to overlap on certain political principles, both philosophies derive from very different backgrounds and ideals. As time progresses, both ideologies will continue to evolve, at different paces mind you, and on different tangents.

To Kill A Mockingbird Essay: Use of Symbols and Symbolism :: Kill Mockingbird essays

Use of Symbolism in To Kill a Mockingbird It is quite noticeable that some characters' names in To Kill a Mockingbird are implicitly symbolic. Scout, for example, like the familiar military scouts who were dispatched from the main body to gather information, is a seeker, scouting out new areas of experience. Additionally, Atticus's name is a reference to the district Attica of ancient Greece in which Athens was located. In some way Atticus's rational approach to life is similar to that of ancient philosophers, especially the Stoics: "The four cardinal virtues of the Stoic philosophy are wisdom, courage, justice and temperance. All people are manifestations of the one universal spirit and should, according to the Stoics, love and help another, regardless of rank and wealth" (Encarta Encyclopedia). Atticus is the main character who serves these four virtues, justice, wisdom, courage and temperance in the story, just like the ancient philosophers of Athens did. As a lawyer he is a faithful servant of justice for all people, bla ck or white. His wisdom lies not in his education but in the way he raises his children and his knowledge of people's attitude. For him courage is Mrs Dubose's effort to break from morphine. He says to Jem the day she died: "I wanted to show you what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what" (118). From his point of view, Atticus showed his courage when he accepted the Tom Robinson case even though he knew beforehand that it was a lost battle. And, finally, the reader knows he believes in temperance when he advises Scout and Jem not to get carried away by people's provocation, and sets the example when he does not react to Bob Ewell's threats. Therefore it becomes evident that Atticus could easily be considered a Stoic as he made their philosophy his way of living. He could be a citizen of ancient Attica as his name implies. Another symbol in the story is Jem's broken arm as well as Scout's ham costume. It has been mentioned that Atticus did not expect Jem to be so greatly affected by the events of the trial. Scout was more likely to be influenced because she was younger.

American Dream – Of Mice and Men

The book Of Mice and Men follows George and Lennie on their Journey to reach the American Dream. Although the American Dream can vary from person to person, the main goal of the dream is to gain something they desire. George and Lennie's goal is to have their own land and make their own decisions. â€Å"Someday-we're gonna get the jack together and we gonna have a little house and a couple of acres† (Steinbeck 14). To reach their dream, George lies for Lennie because of his mental disabilities.Even hough George is lying, it doesn't compromise his moral character because he is doing this to protect Lennie. Later on in the book, Lennie accidentally murders Curleys wife to prevent himself from getting in trouble. Some may argue it compromises his moral character, but due to his mental disabilities he wasn't able to know his actions were wrong. George and Lennie were not able to achieve the American Dream, but they did try to accomplish it without compromising their moral characte r.Curlers wife also had an American Dream. Her dream is to go to Hollywood and be in movies, but she wasn't able to do this because of her mother. â€Å"I wasn't gonna stay no place where I couldn't†¦ make something of myself†¦ So I married Curley' (Steinbeck 88). On her way to reach her dream, she wasn't always honest. She didn't stay true to her moral character by settling to marry Curley. If she would have stayed true to her morals, she might have had a better chance at reaching her dream. â€Å"A guy needs somebody-to be near him.A guy goes nuts if he ain't got obody' (Steinbeck 72). The stable buck, Crooks, believes the American Dream is to have a best friend. This might seem to be a simple dream, but due to the time period, it was actually rather complicated. Crooks is African American and therefore looked down upon by the other workers. No one wants to be friends with a guy like Crooks. Crooks accepted his fate of never being able to accomplish his dream, but stay ed true to his moral character by not going out of his way to make the guys like him.

The Great Flood Story in Mythology Essays

The Great Flood Story in Mythology Essays The Great Flood Story in Mythology Essay The Great Flood Story in Mythology Essay Essay Topic: The Epic of Gilgamesh There are several myths that include accounts of a great flood. The common reason for the flood, as testified in most of these myths, is usually punishment upon mankind for their sins. Typically, an angry god seeking revenge administers the flood. Some of mankind may be spared through the building of some sort of protective boat, ark, or even a golden egg. Seeds from all animals and vegetation will be stored inside until the flood subsides. At this time, the world will begin again. Genesis of Noah The Bible contains a flood story in Genesis of Noah. The Epic of Gilgamesh is the Sumerian myth that tells the story of a flood.In India, The Creation, Death, and Rebirth of the Universe tells the Hindu story of the great flood. The Yoruba myth that tells a flood story is The Creation of the Universe and Ife. Each of these myths has similarities regarding the great flood. Each of these also has some conflicting details of the account. Sumerians The Sumerians lived in Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia was between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, hence the name, Mesopotamia that directly translates to between the rivers.Today, this area is known as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, but it was once occupied by one of the oldest known civilizations. This civilization is given credit to spreading the great myth, The Epic of Gilgamesh.This epic was written in cuneiform on clay tablets dating back to around 2100 B.C.Sin-leqi Unninni, a priest, has been given credit for writing the epic. It was discovered in Ninevah in 1845 in the ruins of the library of Ashurbanipal. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is searching for Utnapishtim, the Faraway, to inquire about immortality.When Gilgamesh finds Utanipishtim, he is told of the great flood. In this account of the flood, Enlil, ruler of the Gods, decides to destroy the Earth.He assembles the other gods in a discussion of what is to be done.

The geographies of distinction between humans and animals, and the points at which they intersect. The WritePass Journal

The geographies of distinction between humans and animals, and the points at which they intersect. Introduction The geographies of distinction between humans and animals, and the points at which they intersect. IntroductionBIBLIOGRAPHY:Related Introduction This paper will discuss the question whether animals have rights or not. It will do so by first addressing the geographies of distinction between humans and animals, and the points at which they intersect. Using this understanding, it will develop an evaluation of the ethical need for animal rights. It will then review standpoints arguing both for and against this proposition, before offering its conclusion that society’s need for formulating a degree of anima; rights is inescapable. I Wolch et al. (2003) outline the emergence of the animal geographies in the diagram attached, noting how the development of social theory, cultural studies and environmental studies led to a rethinking of culture, subjectivity and nature respectively. These changes in human geography, and its intersection with new cultural geography led to the development of what we understand as animal geographies. Different scholars have approached this concept from several different manners. Wolch et al (2002) have written how these developments led to â€Å"geographers  from various intellectual traditions- political economy, post-structuralism, feminism, and science studies- arguing for animal subjectivity and the need to unpack the â€Å"black box† of   Nature   to enliven understandings   of   the   world.   In  particular, the focus was animals’ role in the social construction of culture  and individual human subjects, the nature  of  animal subjectivity, and agency itself.† Therefore, the concept of animal geographies, and treating animals as subjects, flows from two premises – the scientific information regarding the behaviour of animals, and from treating them as groups that have been socially created as outsiders, minorities or subalterns. (Wolch et al. 2003) Elder et al. (1998) stress the dangers of terms like dehumanization which can lead to the assumption that non-humans (i.e: animals) are therefore inferior and should be treated such. They make the disclaimer however that it is dangerous to omit the acknowledgement of the existence of a difference between humans and animals as to deny a problem leads to inability to recognise, accept and solve it. â€Å"Rather, in our view, stopping the violence requires adopting recipes for le pratique sauvage wild practice and extending them to embrace animals as well as people.† (Elder et al. 1998.) Birke (1995) summarises this position when she writes that â€Å"We need to find ways of expressing concern about what happens to the (suffering) animals that do not express some kind of cultural imperialism.† Other thinkers have also developed this idea of the suffering faced by animals leading to an application of ethics towards them. Jones (2000) for example claims that every encounter between humans and animals represents a question of ethics with regards to what sort of behaviour is undertaken. In much the same vein, Beauchamp (1997) writes that â€Å"Animals have moral standing; that is, they have properties (including the ability to feel pain) that qualify them for the protections of morality. It follows from this that humans have moral obligations toward animals, and because rights are logically correlative to obligations, animals have rights. † In fact, it can be argued that scholars have gone to great lengths to radically question the very distinction between animals and humans. Authors such as Whatmore and Thorne (1998) have used Actor Network Theory to argue that there is no inherent difference between humans and nonhumans, and furthermore that the distinctions between humans and animals are subject to both negotiation and even change. They use this inference to argue for animal agency in the consideration of their behaviours. Scholars like Patterson (2002) have taken historical cases of institutionalized violence within human societies and argued that their development and implementation has been preceded by the institutionalized violence against animals in the form of farming and rearing for human consumption. He writes that â€Å"once animals were ‘domesticated,’ herdsmen and farmers adopted mechanisms of detachment, rationalization, denial and euphemism to distance themselves emotionally from their captive†¦in slave societies, the same practices used to control animals were used to control slaves − castration, branding whipping, chaining, ear cropping.† Wadiwel (2004) coalesces this argument to explain that â€Å"Understood in this fashion, human violence represents not only a capacity for dehumanisation alone, but is tied closely to the justification of violence against the non-human. This reflects not only the capacity for humans to harm each other, but draws attention to the sustained incarceration, torture and violence that is directed towards animals in slaughterhouses, experimental laboratories and factory farms.† Patterson (2002) goes on to cite examples of how the Armenians being shuttled to genocide by Ottoman Turks and the Jews being taken to concentration camps by Germans were both referred to by their captors by animal terms. Moreover, he provides the example of an attack dog used at a concentration camp that was referred to by a human name. He correlates these ideas to argue the volatility of the idea of ‘human’ as a category. However, not all scholars have embraced this increasing blurriness between the boundaries of humans and animals. Agamben (2004) argues that â€Å"it is more urgent to work on these divisions, to ask in what way − within man − has man been separated from non-man, and the animal from the human, than it is to take positions on the great issues, on so called human rights and values.† He goes on to employ the work of Heidegger to explain the distinction he believes is inherent between humans and animals. He posits that Heidegger believed that animals maintain a sense of â€Å"captivation with their discrete environmental elements.† In this situation, the animal cannot conceptualize the act of being, which is distinctly reserved for Heidegger’s concept of the ‘Daesin.’ In contrast, humans are distinct in their ability to locate themselves in their surroundings without requiring any input or cues from their environment. He gives the example of how one would flip through a magazine while waiting for a train – an act that does not involve engagement with the environment, but rather attempts to block out the surroundings. According to Agamben (2004) this â€Å"Dasein  is simply an animal that has learned to become bored; it has awakened from its captivation to its own captivation.† Wadiwel (2004) articulates Agamben’s position by writing that â€Å"For Agamben the animal is found within the very core of humanity, and thus, the human subject is only achieved through the continual rearticulation of a space beyond animal.† This idea is similar to those developed by classical scholars, such as Aristotle (1952) who famously proclaimed â€Å"Man is by nature a rational animal,† a statement that simultaneously places humans as distinct from animals as well as acknowledging that both categories emerge from a shared conceptual space. However, there is a general convergence amongst scholars that articulating a difference amongst humans and animals does not necessitate a suspension of the discussion on animal rights. What is crucial is how the articulation of these distinctions (or lack thereof) influences the development of the level of rights afforded to animals. II The arguments for the extension of rights to animals can be divided into three general categories, which are determined by their philosophical approach. These three are utilitarian, rights-based and abolitionist approaches. Tom Regan (1985) outlines the utilitarian principles with regards to morality as thus:   â€Å"A utilitarian accepts two moral principles. The first is that of equality: everyones interests count, and similar interests must be counted as having similar weight or importance†¦ everyones pain or frustration matter, and matter just as much as the equivalent pain or frustration of anyone else. The second principle a utilitarian accepts is that of utility: do the act that will bring about the best balance between satisfaction and frustration for everyone affected by the outcome.† Peter Singer (1975), one of the earliest proponents of animal rights, based his appeal not on the basis of the capacity for intelligence or the ability to moralize, but rather the ability to experience suffering. As mentioned before, other scholars have developed this line of reasoning as well. What is noteworthy here is to understand why Singer and his adherents chose to focus on suffering as the criteria for animal exclusion in to the rights debate. Singer posits that the basis for a contractual concept for morality should be the ability to suffer because that immediately creates a consideration against abuse or discrimination that is not bound by exceptions or obligations. Consequently, to exclude animals from such a moral contract would be to engage in what he describes as â€Å"speciesism.† (1975) Regan (1985) however argues that although suffering is deplorable, it is not the fundamental reason for extending rights to animals. He goes on to develop the idea that the exclusion of animals from our moral considerations resides in viewing them as resources. â€Å"The fundamental wrong is the system that allows us to view animals as our resources, here for us - to be eaten, or surgically manipulated, or exploited for sport or money. Once we accept this view of animals as our resources the rest is as predictable as it is regrettable. Why worry about their loneliness, their pain, their death? Since animals exist for us, to benefit us in one way or another, what harms them really doesnt matter.† Regan (1985) claims that rather than utilitarianism, the basis for extending rights to animals lies in the idea of inherent value, which he believes is possessed by each and every individual. â€Å"we are each of us the experiencing subject of a life, a conscious creature having an individual welfare that has importance to us whatever our usefulness to others †¦ As the same is true of those animals that concern us (the ones that are eaten and trapped, for example), they too must be viewed as the experiencing subjects of a life, with inherent value of their own.† The rights-based approach thus seeks to place the calculus of rights extension onto all beings that are a ‘subject of life’ a term which Regan personally bestows to most mammals above the age of one year, but not all sentient animals. However, the abolitionist approach severely critiques both these ideas, as well as other programs by claiming that they extend practices of animal welfare rather than animal rights. Gary Francione (2011), a principal advocate of this approach, writes that compassion extended to animals on the basis of their ability to suffer implies that it is acceptable to use animals for consumption as long as the process which does so is not inhumane. He claims that were the same principles extended to humans, the act would be defined as torture. In Francione’s (2011) mind, the principal problem is the treatment of animals not as resources alone, but as property. â€Å"Animals are  property. They are things. And the whole point of being a thing is that you don’t have an inherent or intrinsic value. Animals are economic commodities; they have a market value. As a general matter, we spend money to protect animal interests only when it is justified as an economic matter- only when we derive an economic benefit from doing so†¦ Virtually all animal welfare laws fit this paradigm. They protect selected animal interests and the effect of protecting these interests is to make the production process more efficient.† Thus if the extension of rights is based not on the ability to suffer pain nor being a subject of life, but rather on the right not to be treated as property, then the foundation of those rights lies in the idea of sentience – that is any sentient being deserves the extension of those rights upon itself. (Francione, 2000) III The arguments against the extension of rights to animals are largely based around the semantics of rights and obligations, and the relationship between the two concepts. A large number of the critiques of animal-rights campaigners have focused on whether the provision of rights to a group can be made if the group has no comprehension of how these rights apply to them, and what duties and obligations are owed by them if these provisions are extended to them. Carl Cohen (1986), one of the primary opponents to the animal rights movement, writes that   â€Å"the holders of rights must have the capacity to comprehend rules of duty governing all, including themselves. In applying such rules, the holders of rights must recognize possible conflicts between what is in their own interest and what is just. Only in a community of beings capable of self-restricting moral judgments can the concept of a right be correctly invoked.† In a similar vein, Roger Scruton (2000) writes that â€Å"In all our dealings with the animals, the inherent mastership of the human race displays itself. And this only goes to show that we alone have the duty to look after the animals, because we alone have duties. The corollary is inescapable: we alone have rights.† It is important to note that the opponents of animal rights are not implicitly advocating the continuation of ‘inhumane’ or violent practices upon these beings. Carl Cohen for example has been amongst several voices in the opposition camp to condemn the excessive use of animals for laboratory testing for example. However, the theoretical basis for this call is not based on the equivalence of animal and human rights, but rather their relative positions. John Martin (1990) uses the concepts first articulated by Thomas Aquinas to explain why animal rights need not be the only mechanism for preventing cruelty and institutionalized violence towards animals. â€Å"The view that only man has rights in the absolute sense does not detract from the preciousness and beauty of the rest of nature, but it enhances man. In an age when mans rights are being questioned because of race or religion, enhancement of his position in nature must be beneficial. In practice Aquinass philosophy means that cruelty to animals must not be allowed by society and that caring for animals is to be encouraged. Not however, because animals have rights as man has rights, but because he who is cruel to animals will tend to be cruel to his fellowman: animals have to be protected so that man is protected.† This logic thus suggests that the prevention of cruelty towards animals is not due to the direct interest for their welfare, but rather to use it as a means of reducing violence amongst humans themselves. Once again, this position stresses the distinction between humans and animals to not only be significant, but also hierarchal so that humans are entrusted with acting in the best interests of animals. In fact, this position has been seen by some as only an extension of the apparent inviolability of nature itself. Robert Bidinitto (1992) put forth this idea when he said that â€Å"Strict observance of animal rights forbids even direct protection of people and their values against natures many predators. Losses to people are acceptable losses to animals are not. Logically then, beavers may change the flow of streams, but Man must not. Locusts may denude hundreds of miles of plant life but Man must not. Cougars may eat sheep and chickens, but Man must not.† The implication here is that the extension of animal rights serves to subvert what appears to be the traditional structure of how nature operates, and instead tries to insert its own paradigms which appear to be counter-intuitive. IV In conclusion, what we see is that the case for the extension of rights for animals is predicated upon the deconstruction of existing relationships of the distinctions between animals and humans, as well as the expansion of the understanding of how these newly deconstructed concepts should be allocated moralities and rights. In contrast, the opposition to extending rights to animals seeks to defend against these deconstructivist impulses, and to reify the position of humans at the pinnacle of both rights and obligations. While the extension of rights approach embraces contemporary ideas and seeks to cleave out new responses, the opposing camp continues to protect traditional stances, and this is where I feel that the argument suffers from a shortcoming. The following passage from Scruton (2000) offers an intriguing opportunity to deconstruct the pro-animal rights arguments themselves, by exploring how they can be guilty of using anthropomorphic concepts for animals. â€Å"It is at this point that the advocate of animal rights steps in. Like the child, he imagines the rabbit still dressed in its Beatrix Potter trousers, enjoying a quiet domestic life below ground. For him the warren is just like a human community- founded by negotiation and agreement, structured by rights, and entitled to protection from the law. To shoot such defenseless animals seems to him like a crime, and he campaigns vigorously for a law that will make it so.† I believe this is a major flaw of the pro-animal rights argument, and a primary reason why it is currently divided on qualitative differences in the decision of which animals to extend rights to, as well as the extents of those rights. At the same time, it cannot be denied that the traditional approaches to opposing animal rights suffer from propagating a bundle of values which appear outdated in contemporary society, and hence are problematic in their application. A successful resolution of this issue would thus require both a reevaluation of the ‘for’ and ‘against’ camps in light of their shortcomings, as well as placing limits on rights provision that display an affinity for scientifically verifiable criteria, rather than those based on personal values and sentiments. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Agamben,  G. The Open: Man and Animal, trans. Kevin Attell, Stanford University Press: Stanford California, 2004. Aristotle, (1952a)  On the Soul, trans. J. A. Smith, in The Works of Aristotle, Vol I, Encyclopedia Brittanica Inc: Chicago. Beauchamp, T .(1997) Opposing Views on Animal Experimentation: Do Animals Have Rights?, Ethics Behavior, Vol. 7: 2,   pp 113-120 Bidinitto, R. (1992) Environmentalism or Individualism?  EcoNOT.com Individualism, Not Environmentalism. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. econot.com/page4.html. Birke, L. (1995) Exploring the Boundaries: Feminism, Animals and Science. in Carol Adams and Josephine Donovan eds. Animals and Women Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, pp 95. Cohen, C (1986). The Case for the Use of Animals in Biomedical Research.  New England Journal of Medicine Vol.315  (14) pp 865-70. Elder, G., Wolch, J., Emel, J. (1998). Le pratique sauvage: Race, place, and the humananimal divide.   In   J. Wolch      J. Emel   (Eds.), Animal geographies: Place, politics, and identity in the nature-culture borderlands (pp. 72-90). London:   Verso Francione, G. (2000) Introduction to Animal Rights: Your Child or the Dog? Temple University Press Francione, G. (2011) What Michael Vick Taught Us.   Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. abolitionistapproach.com/what-michael-vick-taught-us/. Jones, O. (2000). (Un)ethical geographies of human- non-human relations: Encounters, collectives and spaces. In C. Philo C. Wilbert (Eds.), Animal spaces, beastly places: New geographies of human-animal relations (pp. 268-291). New York: Routledge. Martin, J. The rights of man and animal experimentation Journal of medical ethics, 1990, 16, 160-161 Patterson,  C. Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust, Lantern Books: New York, 2002. Philo, C. (1995). Animals, geography and the city: Notes on inclusions and exclusions. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, Vol. 13, pp 655-68 Regan, T. (1985) The Case for Animal Rights, In Singer. P (ed), In Defense of Animals, New York: Basil Blackwell, pp. 13-26 Scruton, R.  (2000) Animal rights,  City Journal, Vol. 10:3, pp 100-107. Singer, P.  Animal Liberation, 1975; second edition, New York: Avon Books Wadiwel, D.   (2004) Animal by Any Other Name? Patterson and Agamben Discuss Animal (and Human) Life, Borderlands, Vol. 3: 1, pp 13-21 Whatmore, S., Thorne, L. B. (1998). Wild(er)ness: Reconfiguring   the geographies of wildlife. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographer, Vol. 23, pp 435-454. Wilbert, C. (2000). Anti-this-against-that: Resistances along a human non-human axis. In J. Sharp et al., (Eds.), Entanglements of power (pp. 238-255). London: Routledge Wolch,   J.,   Emel,   J.,   Wilbert,   C.   (2002) Animal Geographies. Society Animals Vol. 10:4 , Leiden Wolch,   J.,   Emel,   J.,   Wilbert,   C.   (2003).   Reanimating   cultural   geography.   In K. Anderson,   M.   Domosh,   N.   Thrift,   and   S.   Pile   (Eds.),   Handbook of   cultural   geography. London:   Sage

Rachael Carson essays

Rachael Carson essays Would you want to know if the pesticides that were being sprayed on and around your homes would, in later years, cause cancer? That was Rachael Carsons intended purpose: to make the general public aware of the harmful pesticides used in and around their neighborhoods. Carson stated that chemical treatment of soils led to the destruction of beneficial biological species, and that such destruction resulted in imbalance to the ecosystem. In human safety, Carson pointed out the exposure to or ingestion of various products, each at individually safe levels, taken together, could lead to health problems (mental and cancer). Despite attempts by the chemical industry to dismiss Carsons science, her work is credited with beginning the American environmental movement, the creation of the Environment Protection Agency, and the 1972 ban on DDT. I dont believe that Rachael Carson had any weaknesses in her line of argument. She stated things that were clinically proven through extensive research that she concluded while working for seventeen years at the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The only problem with her argument is that she was just ahead of her time with all the information she was uncovering about the chemicals that were being used. People didnt think about their health, they just thought how the pesticides were going to help them. All the people wanted to hear was the positive aspects of agricultural chemicals. Her language was put in simple terms and was straight to the point with her statements and facts. She did this to allow the general public to be able to absorb the information she provided for their benefit. I also believe she put her information in simple text so that she would not come off as a know it all scientist trying to become famous for her research. Instead she wanted people to feel as she was simply putting out the information for the peoples benefit. We are s ...

Carbohydrate Nutrition and Glucose Homeostasis,on Type 2 diabetes Essay

Carbohydrate Nutrition and Glucose Homeostasis,on Type 2 diabetes - Essay Example It has been estimated the risk of developing heart diseases more than doubles within the first few years of the discovery of diabetes in individuals. In addition, more than seventy-five percent of the people who have diabetes are at risk of dying because of heart disease, a situation that is indeed scary for those concerned. Diabetes mellitus Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that is categorized by chronic hyperglycaemia with instabilities of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism that come about due to defects in the secretion of insulin, the inaction of insulin or both in the body (Guthrie 2009, p.3). Diabetes mellitus affects people when the pancreas cannot secrete enough insulin, which is the hormone that the body uses to regulate the level of sugar in the blood or when the human body cannot effectively make use of the insulin produced. There are four types of diabetes namely type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, secondary diabetes that may be due to damage to the pancreas and gesta tional diabetes, which occurs when a person is in pregnancy. Prevalence Estimates show that about 347 million in the world are suffering from diabetes while in the year 2004 alone, 3.4 million people died due to the effects related to diabetes complications mostly in low and middle-income economies. Projections by the World Health Organization indicate that diabetes will be the 7th leading cause of death in the year 2030 (Leroith 2012, p.43). The prevalence of diabetes generally in the world is increasing at a faster rate that can be attributed to the decreased physical activity and poor eating lifestyles. There is however little data on the prevalence of type 2 diabetes as this varies with other factors such as ethnicity and the degree at which a person accesses social amenities. Estimates on prevalence range in the region of 3.5 to 5% for example the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) suggest that 4% of persons in the age group of 20 to 79 years have type 2 diabetes in the US with a further death 4.2% in men who have diabetes and &.7% in women with similar condition. Therefore, type 2 is the most dominant type of diabetes since it accounts for about 90% of persons suffering from diabetic conditions. Diagnosed and Undiagnosed Diabetes among Persons of Age 20 Years and above in United States as at the year 2010 Source: National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse 2011 Diagnosed and Undiagnosed Diabetes Source: National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse 2011 Blood glucose regulation in the body Glucose is the essential source of energy for the body’s cells and tissues. In grownups without diabetes, glucose is maintained at a level of 70-99 mg/dL maintained by hormones, the metabolic requirements of the person and the nervous system. When a person is not eating, the liver stores glucose in the form of glycogen that helps to keep the body at a normal functioning range. At this moment, insulin is not at work and only the hormone glucagon breaks down th e glycogen; moreover, at any given time muscles store glucose that is burnt for energy. When a person eats and food is digested, the pancreas is triggered to release insulin from the beta cells that is used to breakdown the glucose for the cells for energy or to be stored as fat. Any moment that the system that provides glucose to the cells breakdowns or is not regulated in an organized manner, the person is likely to develop diabetes (American Diabetes Association 2004) Type 1 Diabetes The American Diabetes

Managing communication,knowledge and information Case Study

Managing communication,knowledge and information - Case Study Example Contrarily informal information has no definite format. It is not structured. Telephone calls, notice boards, memos, notes etc. are most common types of informal information. Knowledge can be stated as the useful insight and wisdom which gets developed from the processed information (Bazerman and Chugh, 2006). Knowledge can be essentially of two important types, namely tactic and explicit. Tactic knowledge is found through the companies own vision, experience, practice, values, thinking and perceptions. While on the other hand explicit knowledge is largely found existing in documents and other recorded forms. It is highly formalized and codified. Such knowledge can be recorded in different artifacts, books, records, patents and database etc. The spiral conversation is a model which interlinks socialization, externalization, combination and internalization. The model states that communication moves from being tactic to explicit and vice-versa in a spiral or revolving form. Hence it is understood that for explicit knowledge to exist, the tactic knowledge must be generated. Similarly, tactic knowledge derives out of explicit knowledge. Classic badges can make use of the system by incorporating a systematic conversation technique which transforms tactic into explicit knowledge and the reverse. In case of Classic badges, for making their business successful, timely information from customers in respect of demand is essential. This would require suitable communication channels which would transmit information within less time. Also, suitable information channels must be established with suppliers of materials (Robbins and Judge, 2013). From the procured information, organizations are required to establish rational connections exercising their skills and understanding and formulate knowledge base which guides in taking crucial decisions. In case of Classic Badges, the timely information in respect to demand and

College Admission Personal Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

College Admission Personal Statement - Essay Example Actually, my math teachers never strived to find out the root cause of my poor performance, rather they readily and ignorantly labeled me with ADD while constantly pressuring me psychologically due to which I earned the reputation of a good-for-nothing student, though I have always got straight A’s and B’s in other subjects. It all changed when I happened to take my first psychology class during which the stark reality of what I actually was meant to be hit me and forced me to change my opinion about myself. Then I realized that I had much to do in my life if only I was allowed to avail the opportunity for studying psychology in UA. I believe I can be a riveting asset as a student to UA because it has been years since I started designing strategies about how students can be encouraged to learn passionately and how wrong judgments and diagnosis made by teachers can horrendously influence the students psychologically who may have the capacity to perform well but their tal ents get marred by the personality-distorting critical

Modern mosque Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Modern mosque - Essay Example From the Muslim point of view, a divine Mosques must have various specific pertinent features, they include; features that indicates direction directions of the Qible, which in most cases may also be referred as the Mecca. This indication is usually referred as the Mihrab and should have a specific type of roof according to the requirements of the Islam religion (Wood, 7). The first Mosque that was constructed in Turkey was the Mecca; this was a term used to describe the area that surrounded the Ka’ba. In the Muslim Religion, Ka’ba was considered the holiest shrine in the land. The model by which the early Mosques were developed, took the dimensions of Muhammad’s house, which was located in Madina. The direction with which the Qibla at this time was believed be oriented towards Jerusalem. Moreover, on the left side of the early Qiblas, there were three houses for Muhammad’s wives with three different entries that led to the courtyard, an area where most prayers were held during this time. In approximately 1500 years, the direction of the Qibla was changed so that it could face the orientation of the Mecca. The Madina Mosques had various important functions in the early Muslim society; it accommodated social functions, religious as well as political functions. Judicial roles were also undertaken in the early Mosques; the Muhammad and their families members were also accommodated in the early Mosques. In the early period, rules guiding prayers were not shaped to a specific standard owing to the fact that the prescriptions that are in the Koran developed on a gradual basis from time to time. Evidence has also shown that apart from the Mosques of Madina and Mecca, there existed some other dimensions of Mosques in other parts of the World. Owing to rapid technological advancement in the early period, Mosques began growing rapidly in their complexities as well as their appearances. They assumed

See bellow Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

See bellow - Essay Example Scientists have come up with ways to explain that modern man is still evolving, some of the ideas that have been brought on board are like that modern women tend to start their own families between the ages of 22 to 26. Another aspect is the Tibetans evolutionary change, which explains that people would adapt to low oxygen levels in high altitudes environments. Finally, the variation in reproduction, which means that selected traits favor particular kind of people, it has been noted that fertility is being categorized with natural selection, which means that women with narrow birth canal endanger the lives of both the babies and themselves. It also explains that babies with a large brain size get struck in the birth canal. Evolution can be defined as, â€Å"a process of change in a particular direction† (Vosse, 2010, p.9).Evolution tends to define the genesis of something. Evolutionists argue that, â€Å"simple organisms can evolve into complex organisms through natural means and denies any divine influence† (Vosse, 2010, p. 9). I agree with the phrase that man hasn’t stopped evolving, with the emergence of â€Å"modern man†. 600,000 years ago, a more sophisticated tool of technology advanced and these tools were efficient and included the cutting tools (Vosse, 2010). But still the technology didn’t advance. After many years, the fossil of modern man appeared and the technology changed. Modern man didn’t stop hunting, but he advanced domestic tools, art, clothing’s and jewellery. Modern man has challenged the evolution of man; this factor has been argued by the evolutionists who consider modern man to have evolved, since he was previously a hunter and gatherer living a similar life as the Homo erectus (Vosse, 2010). The modern man’s needs made him become a more efficient and equipped hunter, toolmaker, fire maker, and a social gatherer. The evolution biologists have noted is that the

Modern mosque Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Modern mosque - Essay Example From the Muslim point of view, a divine Mosques must have various specific pertinent features, they include; features that indicates direction directions of the Qible, which in most cases may also be referred as the Mecca. This indication is usually referred as the Mihrab and should have a specific type of roof according to the requirements of the Islam religion (Wood, 7). The first Mosque that was constructed in Turkey was the Mecca; this was a term used to describe the area that surrounded the Ka’ba. In the Muslim Religion, Ka’ba was considered the holiest shrine in the land. The model by which the early Mosques were developed, took the dimensions of Muhammad’s house, which was located in Madina. The direction with which the Qibla at this time was believed be oriented towards Jerusalem. Moreover, on the left side of the early Qiblas, there were three houses for Muhammad’s wives with three different entries that led to the courtyard, an area where most prayers were held during this time. In approximately 1500 years, the direction of the Qibla was changed so that it could face the orientation of the Mecca. The Madina Mosques had various important functions in the early Muslim society; it accommodated social functions, religious as well as political functions. Judicial roles were also undertaken in the early Mosques; the Muhammad and their families members were also accommodated in the early Mosques. In the early period, rules guiding prayers were not shaped to a specific standard owing to the fact that the prescriptions that are in the Koran developed on a gradual basis from time to time. Evidence has also shown that apart from the Mosques of Madina and Mecca, there existed some other dimensions of Mosques in other parts of the World. Owing to rapid technological advancement in the early period, Mosques began growing rapidly in their complexities as well as their appearances. They assumed

External business environment for Vodafone Essay

External business environment for Vodafone - Essay Example Moreover, the government has established the authorities which facilitate the mobile operators and network in UK. Vodafone has developed very good relationships with the government authorities and company also promotes the aim of such governmental bodies. For example, in order to provide advice on the security of communications and electronic data, UK government has established CESG which is a Government’s National Technical Authority for information assurance (Vodafone-central). Moreover, Government has established awards and quality marks to improve the quality of mobile operators. These rewards are independent from the regulations imposed by the Government. For example, Vodafone has recently won the award of quality mark for remote worker security solution (Vodafone-central). Economic The trends in GDP growth rate shows that GDP of UK has declined significantly in 2005. Although GDP growth rate improved in 2007 however, because of the financial crisis, GDP growth rate again declined in 2008. As the recession took on toll on telecommunication sector, Vodafone faced significant challenges and company reported total 500 layoffs throughout the UK to reduce the costs because of challenging economic conditions (The FT Times). Figure: Economic Growth of GDP Source: Chamberlin, 2008 Social Mobile penetration in UK is above than European average and the mobile subscriptions are increasing because of the increasing penetration of consumers in business-oriented devices such as BlackBerry, iPhone etc. Therefore, the mobile phone operators are facing strong competition and concentrating on bundled offers, mobile searching and line service promotions (Budde, 2011). Vodafone also recognises the changing social patterns of consumers; therefore, company is competing by offering the products that may meet the social needs of consumers. Vodafone has recently launched Betavine Social Exchange which is a site to provide mobile solutions in development and for social impac t (Verclas, 2009). Technological UK telecommunication industry is characterised by many recent technological developments such as advanced data services, regulatory controls on the charges of the mobile operators and bundling of mobile services (Budde, 2011). To remain competitive in the market, Vodafone is significantly investing in research and development both in individual activities and in collaboration projects. For example, Vodafone is collaborating with IBM to develop mobile private social network called BuddyCom. The current research of Vodafone is relevant to next generation of mobile technologies, new GSM based services, consumable software for mobile phones and electronic news media (Vodafone). Legal All telecom operators and providers in the UK are being regulated by two main laws including Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and the Telecommunications Act 1984 (Telemaster). Being one of the largest mobile operators, Vodafone is very considerate about legal framework. The lega l framework provides Vodafone to fairly compete in the market, however, company is also facing significant challenges. For example, the communication regulators in the UK have recently allowed the mobile operators to trade spectrum and the merged T-Mobile and Orange UK is expected to be the first operator to trade its spectrum. Actually the regulators have restricted the operators by specifying the operators to bid for the particular ranges of spectrum (Bradshaw, 2011). Environmental All mobile operators are

Elements of Gothic Literature Essay Example for Free

Elements of Gothic Literature Essay Gothic literature was born in 1764 when Horace Walpole published The Castle of Otranto, which is considered to be the first gothic novel ever written. Gothic literature was originally written as a reaction to the age of reason, order, and the politics of eighteenth-century England. Containing anti-Catholic sentiments and mythical aspects, Gothic literature explored the tension between what we fear and what we desire. The stories were usually set in some kind of castle or old building that showed human decay and created an atmosphere of mystery and suspense. Often, one of the main characters would be some sort of damsel in distress, threatened by some man. The words chosen in these novels and short stories were very descriptive, creating overwrought emotion and often, feelings of gloom and horror. Also, within the plot, some sort of ancient prophecy, along with omens and visions, could usually be found. The most important elements to the structure of canonical gothic literature, however, are supernatural and unexplainable events. In The Castle of Otranto, much of the plot surrounds one unexplainable incident: a giant black helmet falls on Prince Conrad, thus killing him. Because of Prince Conrads death, Manfred, his father, captures a passing peasant, Theodore, and pursues Isabella, Conrads fiancee. Later, it is learned that Jerome (the minister) is Theodores father. If the helmet had never fallen on Conrad, Manfred never would have stopped Theodore, and Jerome would never have found his long lost son. Manfred, still believing that Theodore is guilty of dropping the helmet by sorcery, is ready to execute him. At this point in the story, Isabellas long lost father appears, which halts Theodores execution. It is later learned that Isabellas father found her because a dream he had led him to a monk, who led him to Otranto. The supernatural event here is the dream, which turned out to forecast reality. He accuses Manfred of not being the rightful ruler of Otranto. Eventually, everything is confirmed when the giant version of Alfonso the Good that has been living in the castle (another mysterious incident) breaks through the walls and proclaims Theodore the natural heir of Alfonso and the rightful ruler of Otranto. The Ruins of the Abbey of Fitz-Martin, whose author remains anonymous, also has a similar dependency on a chain of supernatural events. Sir Thomas Fitz-Martin acquires an abbey, which he finds in ruins. He is certain it can be repaired, so he and his people venture inside. Upon exploring the abbey, Fitz-Martin opens a door with difficulty, only to be met with severe shrieks from inside that particular room. Later in the story, the superstition surrounding those screams is explained. Evidently, every night, the ghost of St. Anna can be seen walking up to the altar. She stays there until midnight, and then walks to the south tower. She screams three times, and the ghost of the evil Baron, who possessed the abbey years before, comes. Then, Anna chases him with a fire-brand in one hand and a dead baby in her other arm. The two ghosts eventually come to the Barons old room, where dismal yells and dying groans can be heard from. Fiery lights surround the Barons old room until the clock that hasnt been touched in years strikes two, or sometimes three oclock. This story of supernatural occurrence strikes the curiosity of Rosaline, Sir Thomas Fitz-Martins daughter, who then decides to go investigate the south tower. When she does, she finds the torture chamber where they killed St. Anna so many years ago. She is debating whether or not to go in, when she hears a voice commanding her to enter. She feels almost possessed, as the voice tells her to reach inside the coffin. When she does, she pulls something out and takes it with her, fleeing in terror. It is the supernatural phenomenon of this voice that brings in St. Annas story, which is written on the papers with which Rosaline fled in terror. The Vampyre by John Polidori casts an interesting slant on the element of supernatural events. The entire story is a supernatural event because Lord Ruthven is a vampire, a supernatural creature. Before this is revealed to the reader, however, there are important unexplainable events that allude to his being a vampire and are of utmost importance to the story. It is the mystery of Lord Ruthvens appearance that first attracts Aubrey to him, and thus begins the story. Aubrey wants to get to know him better, hopefully to  understand the enigma of his demeanor. They leave on a trip together, and Aubrey notices that Lord Ruthven is extremely charitable. He also notices, though, that Lord Ruthven always gives his money to the scoundrels of society, those who will piddle away the charity pursuing their vices. Then he realizes that all who receive money from Lord Ruthven end up far worse than they were before the charity. Although Aubrey cannot explain this, it intrigues him and makes him wonder if there isnt a spark of evil in Lord Ruthven. Some time later, Aubrey receives letters from his sister and his guardians. The letter from his sister is very loving, but the letter from his guardians bears only bad and mysterious news. They tell him that his traveling companion is pure evil, that all the women at home that he wooed because of their virtues, have now come forth and shown that they are tainted, and pursue their vices publicly. The people of their town find this unexplainable and very unnerving. He was suspicious of Lord Ruthvens evil before, but upon reading the letter, Aubrey decides that he must leave Lord Ruthven for the remainder of the trip. Aubrey travels to Greece, where he stays with a kind family and falls in love with their daughter, Ianthe, although he does not act on it. It is here that he learns the legend of the vampire. One day he goes to a place to research, and they tell him to be back before dark because of the vampire. He loses track of time and it is soon dark. He hears a scream and runs toward it. He finds a hut, and picks up a dagger that is inside. However, he is too late. Ianthe was murdered by the vampire. Aubrey falls into a fever and Lord Ruthven returns to him and nurses him back to health. Soon after this, they are attacked by robbers and Lord Ruthven is wounded. He dies, but makes Aubrey promise to him that he will not speak a word of his death. When Aubrey goes back for Lord Ruthvens body, it is gone, and the robbers tell Aubrey that they had to put it in the moonlight the first night of Lord Ruthvens death. They go to where they left the corpse, but it has mysteriously disappeared. Aubrey decides that it is time to go home. On his way home, he goes through Lord Ruthvens things and finds a shaft that matches the dagger he found in the hut exactly. This confirms for Aubrey  that Lord Ruthven is the vampire. When he arrives home, his sister holds a drawing-room. Here, Aubrey is snatched by the arm and told to remember his oath. Aubrey is dumbfounded because Lord Ruthven is supposed to be dead, but here he is, pursuing his sister. This drives him into a terrible fever. During this fever, he figures out that his sister is engaged to Lord Ruthven and fears for her. He tries to stop the wedding, but everyone thinks that he is crazy and dismisses him. His sister is killed at the end of the story. The fact that Lord Ruthven is a supernatural creature accounts for all of the supernatural events and the entire story. If he was not a vampire, his demeanor would never have attracted Aubrey initially, and Aubrey never would have gone traveling with Lord Ruthven. Had Aubrey not gone traveling with him, he never would have discovered that Lord Ruthven was a vampire, and gone crazy. If Aubrey had not gone crazy, he would have been able to stop the wedding and save his sisters life. Supernatural and unexplainable events are crucial to the plot of a gothic story. Often, they act as the backbone of the plot and many of the circumstances and coincidences rest upon them. In The Castle of Otranto, they act as the coincidence drivers as well as supply some of the omens and visions, another element of gothic literature. They bring the real story to the surface in The Ruins of the Abbey of Fitz-Martin, and provide the foundation for the story in The Vampyre. Without the element of supernatural and unexplainable events, much of the canonical gothic literature would not stand on its own.

Divergence approach to IHRM

Divergence approach to IHRM Introduction Since the globalization emerged in the 1950s, it has exerted profound effects on the development of businesses around the world. The rapid growth of internationalization and the introduction of advanced technologies have facilitated the expansion of industrialized organizations, resulting in an increase in the number and significance of multinational companies (MNCs). Research on MNCs, especially on how they have managed their people in different countries to improve economic performance and the implications of this on managerial behaviour, as a consequence, have been of interest to many academics and practitioners. This has led to the emergence of international human resource management (IHRM) as a branch of management studies that investigates the design and effects of organisational human resource practices in cross-cultural context (Peltonen, 2006 cited in De Cieri et al., 2007, p. 283). Although the recognition of the importance of human resource management (HRM) to the success or failure in international business has been growing quickly overtime, there is still a lack of consensus about whether there is one best way to manage human resources in international context or not. Several researchers advocating convergence approach claimed that HRM would be converged and universalized under the impacts of environmental changes such as globalisation and technological improvement while others following the divergence approach stated that there were many variables acting as constraints on implementing best practice. This paper firstly will critically discuss these two perspectives. Then, it will analyse a case study of the transfer of HRM practices from a UK retail firm StoreCo to its Chinese subsidiaries to answer this question. Convergence approach to IHRM Convergence theory, so-called universalist paradigm (Girgin, 2005), has its roots in the standpoints of management practices in the middle of the twentieth century, and has gained widespread acceptance in the United States (US). One of the earliest contributions to the thesis of convergence was the theory of bureaucracy and rationalization of Max Weber. However, the convergence perspective was actually propagated until the book entitled Industrialism and the Industrial Men: The problems of labour and management in economic growth written by Kerr et al. was published. According to Kerr et al., the technological and economic forces, as a logic of industrialism, would result in greater similarities in structures and work organization, therefore, produce progressive convergence towards the most efficient pattern of management practice, namely the US model (Girgin, 2005; Gooderham et al., 2004). It was because the widespread adoption of advanced technologies into operations required firms to seek a more effective way of management and labour organization. Meanwhile, the US was the industrial and technological leader, currently being considered the best in management practices. Consequently, it could be inferred that other nations would attempt to imitate the US and thus patterns in other countries were viewed as derivative of, or derivations from the US model (Locke et al., 1995 cited in Gooderham et al., 2004, p.19). Since the convergence point of view was introduced, it has gained much support from both globalization and transaction economic theories. Based on convergence thesis, the proponents of the globalization perspective also claimed that under the forces of globalization, a borderless world was created, which in turn made international firms become transnationals and separated from their original nationalities (Girgin, 2005). When nationality elements are overshadowed, MNCs would then tend to apply a new best model and as stated even stronger by transaction economic theorists, there would be one best way to manage people at any period of time (Williamson, 1975, 1985 cited in Gooderham et al., 2004). Although convergence thesis appeared to be reasonable especially in the international economic integration process, the fact that it laid too much stress on the impact of technology and market, and only sought similarities in business in general and IHRM in particular made it strongly criticized. As Rowley and Benson (2000) asserted, such views were too simplistic to assume that all organizations can produce competitive advantage to compete with each other by operating in the same way. Furthermore, the fact that Japanese MNCs with different organisational structure and management method have operated successfully in the world market and challenged the industrial leader position of those in the US, have led to the development of another viewpoint divergence approach. Divergence approach to IHRM Contrary to convergence point of view which assumed that the differences of local practices in HRM were only the reflection of different stages of development and will be ultimately replaced by one best way, advocates of divergence outlook agreed that there were significant gaps in the context acting as constraints on convergence trend. They were mainly argued and examined by two strands of divergence approach culturalist and institutional perspectives. The culturalist perspective The culturalist approach is mostly based on Hofstedes concepts of national culture and its dimensions, and focuses on the influences of culture when explaining the distinction of MNCs managerial behaviors. In the book Cultures consequence: International differences in work-related values, Hofstede (1984, p.21) defined culture as the interactive aggregate of common characteristics that influence a human groups response to its environment. Therefore, in order to manage personnel effectively in international scale, MNCs must be aware of the effects of various cultural-based norms and social values, existing learning styles and response styles and attempt to adapt management practices from one culture to another (Ferris et al., 1999). This has been substantially supported by a variety of comparative studies conducted by several experts such as Tayeb (1994, 1998), Nam (1995), Gill and Wong (1998). For instance, in a case study research of Japanese multinational subsidiary in Britain, Taye b (1994) found that the differences in perception of leadership style of British and Japanese employees were consistent with their cultural backgrounds. Consequently, in order to successfully transfer Japanese practices in the United Kingdom (UK) subsidiaries, Japanese managers had to be very selective in the adoption of the original management systems and had to modify some of them to adapt to local conditions. As Kamoche (1996) insisted, it was the cultural differences between countries that produce a degree of differentiation in the management of human resources in international context. Although there is no doubt that the variations in national cultures are currently more or less influencing the variations in managerial behaviours, there are several convincing reasons why this theory needs to be assessed. Firstly, the literature of Hofstede, the cornerstone of the culturalist approach, was criticized to have methodological flaws and weak conceptualization of culture, which simply attributed national level actions/ institutions to national culture without any theoretical grounding (McSweeny, 2002). Secondly, this approach, because of concentrating too much on history and individual perceptions, merely viewed national values and norms as deep-seated factors and overlooked any changes in values that may arise over time (Girgin, 2005). Accordingly, it might be difficult to explain a trend towards individualism among younger generation in some Asian countries such as Japan and Korea, which usually emphasise on collectivism, and its effects on HRM of MNCs (Sano, 1998 cite d in Rowley and Benson, 2000). Last but not least, the theory of Hofstede was unable to provide complete explanation for the implications of its behavioural indices, including power distance index, masculinity and long-term orientation, for the change of work organisation and managerial behaviour in various countries (Girgin, 2005). The institutionalist perspective Compared to culturalist strand, the institutionalist point of view is considered to be a more comprehensive approach as it gives a clearer definition of social institutional environment and system as a basis to expound the organisational behaviour. The national (or regional) business system or social systems of production, called by Hollingsworth and Boyer, was defined as a set of interlocking structures and institutions that fundamentally shape the nature of markets, competition and business activity in general (Ferner, 2000). Besides that, this perspective also represents itself as the strongest challenge to convergence theory when it contended that personnel management systems were embedded in their own national institutional environments, including the state, regulatory structures, interest groups, public opinion and norms, rather than driven by the economic and technological forces (Gooderham, 2004). According to Ferner (2000), despite the fact that there has been an increasing trend in borrowing and disseminating practices in MNCs due to the intensified competition in the world market, it would not necessarily lead to convergence. It was because borrowings would be more or less modified to adapt to the existing complex national business systems (Ferner, 2000). Since there are different national development paths, there will be different forms of business organisation and HRM practices respectively. Some opponents might criticise that institutional approach focused too much on the socially constructed organisational forms while downplaying the significance of organisational agency, especially, in the early work ,merely considered institutional contexts as stable elements without taking into account institutional changes (Bjorkman, 2006; Edwards and Kuruvilla, 2005). Nonetheless, articles on this theory published in several famous journals recently have shown that academics and practitioners have begun to lay more stress on the processes of deinstitutionalisation as well as pay more attention to the influences of interest, agency, organisational phenomena, social fields, industries both at the national and international levels (Bjorkman, 2006). Moreover, institutional theorists also stated that they did not regard the evolution of national business system as the determinant of future organisational choices rigidly. Their principle objective, as stated by Ferner (2000), is to prov ide a conceptual framework to the comparative study of distinct social systems of production. Then, understanding of how the behaviours of MNCs in host countries are different from those in their countries of origin will be revealed and analysed. There is no one best way but Based on what stated above, it could be confirmed that there is no one best way in managing human resource in international context. Although no one could deny the increasing convergence trend among national economies because of the pressures of globalization and the widespread adoption of advanced technologies, national business system and culture remain highly significant factors which could greatly hinder the implementation of convergence. In order to clarify this issue, a case study of the transfer of HRM practices from a UK MNC named StoreCo to its subsidiary DecoStore in China will be carefully analysed. StoreCo was a British-owned retailer established in the late 1960s. In June 1999 it built the first purpose-built decorative materials warehouse store in Shanghai named DecoStore. Then, it expanded its operation by opening the second store also in Shanghai in May 2000 (Gamble, 2003). During the process of building up its subsidiaries in China, a basic approach this corporation used was imitating its UK practices in all aspects from supply chain management to marketing, store layout and HRM. The overall business strategy of DecoStore was decided by the parent company in the UK and expatriate managers were sent to DecoStore to facilitate the diffusion of standardized MNC practices. Expatriates were not only in charge of spreading out standard operating processes but also of initiating HR procedures such as selection, recruitment, training and promotion. Additionally, StoreCo organized training courses to improve and standardize training for both shopfloor and managerial staff of its su bsidiaries. Table 1 below starkly illustrates how HRM practices were transferred to DecoStore. Based on the above table, DecoStores HRM practices appeared to be rather similar to the model of its UK parent corporate. Namely, both of them had the same non-hierachy organisational structure and an in-house employee representative consultation system called Grass Roots. However, there remained some remarked differences between StoreCo and its subsidiaries. Firstly, in terms of communication with workforce, while StoreCo tended to be open about supplying employees with detailed information from corporate strategy to daily sales figures, DecoStore seemed to be less communicative to its staff which was fairly similar to Chinese state-owned enterprises. This, according to Gamble (2003), could be caused by the influence of host country nationals, especially DecoStore senior Chinese director who required keeping company secret for security in an intensely competitive marketplace. Secondly, in terms of work pattern, due to the impact of local business system, namely the low-cost labour m arket, DecoStore were able to employ all full-time employees and that were completely contrasted with its UK parent firm where a large proportion of labour force worked part-time. In addition, since there were no tradition of do it yourself (DIY) service in Shanghai and great concern of expartriate managers about poor working habits among older workers, DecoStore preferred to hire younger generation and provided more extensive and systematic training-courses than those of its UK parent-country enterprise. The impacts of national business system were also clearly reflected by the existence of trade union and reimbursement policy of medical care costs and meal subsidy in the reward system of Chinese subsidiary which were not offered in StoreCo payment levels. Consequently, it could be concluded that even though StoreCo tried to apply consistent people management methods it considered the best to its subsidiaries, there remained a divergence in HRM practices between StoreCo and DecoSto re due to the effects of host country nationals, national institutional contexts and cultural factors. This means that although national economies are indeed become increasingly converged under the implications of advanced technologies and globalisation, national differences continue to be major intervening and moderating elements affecting how organizations operate, and therefore, there would be no one best way in managing human resources in international context. Conclusion In conclusion, since IHRM was emerged, there has been a wide debate between convergence and divergence perspectives about whether there is one best way in managing people in international context. Convergence theorists believed that under the technological and economic forces, structures and work organization would become similar and converge towards the most efficient pattern of management practice, namely the US model. In contrast, divergence approach offered several empirical studies to prove that cultural or national institutional business system would act as constraints on the implementation of one best practice across various countries. It might be true that national economies are indeed becoming increasingly converged in the international economic integration process. Nonetheless, based on the analysed case study, this paper has suggested that even though MNCs will seek to apply a controlling method they considered the best to their subsidiaries in order to secure benefits fro m the consistency in human resource (HR) practices in individual MNCs across countries as well as contribute to the implementation of a global business strategy, there would be no one best way in personnel management. IHRM, instead, might be the combination of both model of parent company and particular features influenced by local institutional environment and cultural elements. References Bjorkman, I., International human resource management research and institutional theory. In: G. K. Stahl I. Bjorkman, ed. 2006. Handbook of Research in International Human Resource Management. Northampton: Edward Elgar, pp. 463-474. Edwards, T. Kuruvilla, S., 2005. International HRM: national business systems, organisational politics and the international division of labour in MNCs. International Journal of Human Resource Management. [Online]. 16 (1), pp. 1-21. Available at: http://org8220renner.alliant.wikispaces.net/file/view/Edwards.pdf [Accessed 14 February 2010]. Ferner, A., 2000. The embeddedness of US multinational companies in the US business system: implications for HR/IR. [Occasional Papers Series] November 2000., Leicester: De Montfort University. Gamble, J., 2003. Transferring human resource practices from the United Kingdom to China: the limits and potential for convergence. International Journal of Human Resource Management. [Online]. 14 (3), pp. 369-387. Available at: http://docserver.ingentaconnect.com/deliver/connect/routledg/09585192/v14n3/s2.pdf?expires=1266460744id=55082112titleid=457accname=University+of+East+Angliachecksum=08C5D8BC5D6EEE9F5CC78EFA6D35EF01 [Accessed 11 February 2010]. Gill, R. Wong, A., 1998. The Cross-Cultural Transfer of Management Practices: The Case of Japanese HRM Practices in Singapore. International Journal of Human Resource Management. [Online]. 9 (1), pp. 116-135. Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=2hid=13sid=e28e4034-2ff2-42c0-aba4-b93445c0ebda%40sessionmgr10 [Accessed 9 February 2010]. Girgin, Z., Human Resource Management in an International Context. In: M. Ozbilgin, ed. 2005. International Human Resource Management Theory and Practice. Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan, pp. 46-62. Gooderham, P. Morley, M. Brewster, C. Mayrhofer, W., Human Resource Management: A Universal Concept. In: C. Brewster, W. Mayrhofer M. Morley, ed. 2004. Human Resource Management in Europe: Evidence of Convergence?. Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, pp. 1-26. Hofstede, G., 1984. Cultures Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values. California: SAGE Punlications. Kamoche, K., 1996. The Integration Differentiation Puzzle: A Resource Capability Perspective in International Human Resource Management. International Journal of Human Resource Management. [Online]. 7 (1), pp. 230-244. Available at: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/ftinterface~content=a739429533~fulltext=713240930 [Accessed 9 February 2010]. McSweeny, B., 2002. Hofstedes Model of National Cultural Differences and their Consequences: A Triumph of Faith a Failure of Analysis. Human Relations. [Online]. 55 (1), pp. 89-118. Available at: http://www.uk.sagepub.com/managingandorganizations/downloads/Online%20articles/ch05/4%20-%20McSweeney.pdf [Accessed 11 February 2010]. Nam, S., 1995. Culture, Control and Commitment in international joint ventures. International Journal of Human Resource Management. [Online]. 6 (3), pp. 553-567. Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=2hid=13sid=a66410a0-5d44-49ed-ac2b-31828678f4f7%40sessionmgr14 [Accessed 9 February 2010]. Rowley, C. Benson, J., 2000. Convergence and Divergence in Asian Human Resource Management. In: Association Francophone de Gestaion des Ressources Humaines. Paris, France, 16-17 November 2000. Tayeb, M., (1994). Japanese Managers and British Culture: A Comparative Case Study. International Journal of Human Resource Management. [Online]. 5 (1), pp. 145-166. Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=2hid=13sid=5e7d209f-ddc5-4e41-a95c-639152c3b146%40sessionmgr11 [Accessed 9 February 2010]. Tayeb, M., 1998. Transfer of HRM Practices across Cultures: An American Company in Scotland. International Journal of Human Resource Management. [Online]. 12 (4), pp. 332-358. Available at: http://docserver.ingentaconnect.com/deliver/connect/routledg/09585192/v9n2/s6.pdf?expires=1266464175id=55082703titleid=457accname=University+of+East+Angliachecksum=405B3A88F4DCC6A6A7A66B92155A506D [Accessed 8 February 2010].

Acupuncture As An Alternative Medicine In The Western Culture :: essays research papers

Debora Cytrynowicz Acupuncture as an Alternative Medicine ( in the Western Culture)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alternative medicine is a very general term whose definition can be very controversial. Basically, it is many holistic techniques for preventing and treating illnesses. Acupuncture, and many other therapies, have long been a part of Asian cultures and have recently been integrated into the Western culture. Since Acupuncture is such an important tradition in China, it has gained much respect from other cultures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Acupuncture is a strong component in China, and can be traced to their health care system for at least 2,500 years. The procedure involves inserting hair-thin steel surgical needles into specific points in the body which are supposed to make you feel better, and be healthier. This is only the technical aspect though. To understand the â€Å"art† of this procedure, you must have a background on Chinese medicine. How it works is this: health is achieved though the balance of the opposing forces between â€Å"yin† (spirit), and â€Å"yang† (blood). The attraction between them creates an energy called â€Å"Qi† ( pronounced chee). This energy flows to all parts of the body through channels which are known as â€Å"meridians† (pathways that run along the surface of the body and branch into the body’s interior). An imbalance in these forces is what is believed to cause illness and disease. When needles are placed on the acupuncture points along the meridians, balance, and hence, health is restored. There are several styles of acupuncture, the differences being h ow the acupuncture points are stimulated (be it by hand pressure, electrical impulse, ultrasound, or wavelengths of light). Acupuncture was introduced to American doctors by Sir William Osler, who is often called the father of modern medicine. In a classic medical textbook written more than a century ago, he said, â€Å"For lumbago, acupuncture is, in acute cases, the most efficient treatment.† The first time acupuncture really got notice wasn’t until 1972. James Reston, a New York Times correspondent, was assigned to cover President Nixon’s now historic trip to China. During his stay, Reston had to have an emergency appendectomy, and was treated with acupuncture for the postoperative pain he had to endure. The report of his experience with acupuncture caught the interest of many American doctors who wanted to see how the Chinese used acupuncture as an anesthetic. Many non-physicians went to train overseas or with acupuncturists who had been silently practicing in the States, in many Asian communities.

Art :: essays research papers

. You are capturing your impressions of a scene before you. In art, you are able to make something beautiful out of the ordinary. There is a relationship between artists and the world around them. The world is constantly changing but art will forever remain the same. The works in progress Les Demoiselles d’ Avignon means â€Å"the young ladies of Avigon.† It was painted by Pablo Picasso in 1907. The early sketch reveals that it originally had seven figures, five prostitutes, a sailor, and a medical student carrying a book. The crouching figure is complex in Study for the crouching Demoiselle. An earlier drawing reveals that what would become her hand is originally her arm and Her eyes were originally her breasts. Her mouth was originally her bellybutton.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the critical process the photograph is not a still life because the flower is wilting in the painting. That is not plaesureable. Still life is designed to induce in the spectator a higher order of thought. The vanitas tradition requires a skull in the painting. The lighting is dark. The background is almost as dark as the vase. They almost blend together. Figure 39 is one of the great examples of Impressionism, a mode of painting that dominated let nineteenth-century art in the Western world, especially in France. Claude Monet’s The Regatta at Argenteuil is representing every detail of a scene exactly as it appears. Monet’s purpose is to question the nature of representation itself. The picture is a representation. It is not very life-like. I think it is very sketchy. There are broad dashes of paint. I feel that he is expressing his pint of view to nature in his art work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The tension and conflict between the uncontrollable forces of nature and the civilizing powers of human society dominated American art and literature in the nineteenth century. Thomas Cole painted this theme in a series of five paintings called The Course of Empire. The painting represents according to Cole, â€Å"the history of a natural Scene, as well as an Epitome of man; showing the natural changes of landscape and those effected by man in his progress from Barbarism to Civilation-to the state of luxury-to the vicious state or state of Destruction, etc.

Psychology-Decision Making Essay

Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How does it happen that managers take decisions which lead them to failures? What decision-making mechanisms do they inactivate when they take such decisions? This paper is aimed at analyzing these psychological implications. Psychology Decision Making   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Introduction  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is not rare that managers take decisions which lead them to failure. These failures often become the headlines and the top stories of newspapers and magazines. However, has anyone analyzed the psychological implications of such decisions? What psychological theories could explain such managers’ behavior, and what useful recommendations could be drawn from such cases?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Problem identification   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The case of Sears, when owned by Edward S. Lampert, is the most recent example of a large managerial mistake, having led to significant financial and economic losses. On January 29, 2008 Lampert pushed out his chief executive, but what is more important, he took decision to distance himself from the day-to-day management of his enterprise. â€Å"Until now, the heads of several major departments, like marketing and merchandising, reported directly to Mr. Lampert, even though he has no background in retailing or advertising† (Barbaro, 2008). It is crucial to understand, how Lampert came to the idea of day-to-day management of his enterprise, although he did not have enough professional skills for that    Theoretical background   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is stated, that â€Å"we are likely, social constructed individuals. Our experiences, our cultures, our social order, shape our motivations, our desires, and our beliefs about the world we encounter† (Plous, 1993). Our management decisions are shaped are also shaped under the impact of business environment and the objectives we expect to meet in our management activity. We tend to take decisions, which are primary based on our perception of the world around us (Connolly, 2000). One of the major problems in management decision making is in that a person can hardly be objective in taking decisions. The lack of objectivity leads to the situation, when we do not take into account multiple environmental factors, impacting our decisions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Evidently, there cannot be any better explanation to Lampert’s decision, that the self-perception theory. This theory deals with the human perceptions and the ways they incorporate their perceptions into their daily behavior (Plous, 1993). To be clear, Lampert’s expectations and beliefs into his managerial skills and the ability to cope with a large retail enterprise were not justified from the start. In this case, the major question to be answered was â€Å"what am I to do to make this enterprise profitable?† Trying to answer this question, and taking decisions in the discussed framework, Lampert has concluded that the best solution for the situation would be tying himself to the daily company’s activity. Moreover, it was not enough for him to stay ahead; he had to manage, but this decision lacked theoretical and practical foundations. This is how Lampert’s pseudo opinions impacted the overall performance of the company (Plous, 1993). Respondents are influenced by pseudo opinions when they do not know much about the issue or when they know nothing about it (Plous, 1993). In Lampert’s case, attribution heuristics has greatly contributed into the negative decision outcomes: Lampert was obviously justifying his behavior as situationally-produced. As a result, he has underestimated the lack of his managerial skills (Plous, 1993).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Critical thinking is the integral part of the decision making process. â€Å"Most international managers find it extremely challenging to evaluate a written or spoken commentary on a hot topic because both sides of the controversy seem to have good arguments† (Safi & Burrell, 2007). Has Lampert’s decision been caused by critical thinking approach? Definitely, it has: for a long period of time, Sears was criticized for lacking a management team with retail experience and for Lampert’s being a micromanager who hampered the business (Barbaro, 2008). As a result, Lampert was driven to the situation in which he had to admit his managerial mistakes due to the two facts: the external criticism, and the objective financial data confirming the $14 million financial losses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Recommendations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The case of Edward S. Lampert is a brilliant example of a situation, in which successful manager has overestimated his skills and has not applied any critical thinking approach before the decision was made. As a result, numerous pseudo opinions and the lack of objective information have led to significant gaps in the company’s performance. In order to take a good decision, a manager must â€Å"understand, what result is desirable and the tools available to us for making good decisions† (Safi & Burrell, 2007). There are several recommendations for a manager in similar situations. First, it is crucial that the manager avoids pseudo opinions. In this aspect, the wording of the question to answer is very important. In order to create effective decisions, managers must be able to formulate the questions. Properly wording the issue crucially impacts the effectiveness of the chosen answers, and as a result, the managerial activities which lead or do not lead to business success. â€Å"Be honest with yourself about the agendas and motives. Are you really gathering information to help you make a smart choice, or are you just looking for evidence confirming your preconceived notions?† (Safi & Burrell, 2007). Not only objectivity and evaluation of one’s skills have led Sears to failure. It is also the inability to properly formulate the goals of such actions: what aims did Lampert have in his actions? Did he want to promote his enterprise profitability or himself as a successful manager? He had to answer those questions before he undertook any real actions which later almost pushed the company into the flow of negative consequences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his decision to quit day-to-day management of Sears, Lampert has finally come to one of the crucial elements in the decision-making process: he was able to recall the key facts and decision-making variables. The list of these variables included financial indices and persistent criticism of Sears’ performance. As a result, Lampert was finally able to take the best decision possible in the problematic situation. However, it is still unclear whether hiring a new CEO was based on any objective grounds or would require thorough re-consideration in the nearest future. One may hope that this re-consideration will not be caused by a new management decision-making failure. References Barbaro, M. (2008). Sears’ chairman will take a step back. The New York Times. Retrieved February 1, 2008 from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/29/business/29sears.html?ref=business–qG4vaywTPkZypAw Connolly, T. (2000). Judgment and decision making: An interdisciplinary reader. Cambridge University Press. Plous, S. (1993). The Psychology of judgment and decision making. McGraw-Hill. Safi, A. & Burrell, D.N. (2007). Developing advanced decision-making skills in international leaders and managers. Vikalpa, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 1-8.   

Corruption of Love Within the Inncocent Essay

Within the works of William Shakespeare’s Othello, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein the concept of love is found within characters that are innocent and filled with good intentions. In all three works, love fills specified characters with joy and gratefulness towards the other characters who they claim to love. Unfortunately, the characters that experience love are only satisfied with its graces until it somehow gets corrupted. The minds of the victimized characters are filled with anger, hatred, and some with the idea of vengeance. Corruption of love within Othello, Dracula, and Frankenstein come with causes and effects. In the two works Frankenstein and Othello, both Frankenstein’s creation and Othello were in love. The creature was in love with the cottagers and Othello was in love with Desdemona. When being presented with evidence to no longer feel love towards the people they claim to admire- it causes them to hate. The corruption in the relationships of Jonathan Harker from Dracula and Victor Frankenstein from the novel Frankenstein is primarily caused by the supernatural beings working against them. Frankenstein’s love (Elizabeth) is murdered by the beast he creates, and Jonathan’s love (Mina) was corrupted when she is bitten by Dracula. The effect of love being corrupted in the works Frankenstein and Dracula results with the characters to seek revenge and to stop Frankenstein’s creature and Dracula from causing more pain to humanity. As a result of the characters Othello and the monster created by Frankenstein having their love corrupted, they murder the people who they see as the motivation for all of their actions. Once these characters come to a realization of their mistakes, it is too late and they commit suicide. Thus the works of William Shakespeare’s Othello, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein all focus on the causes and effects of love being corrupted within the innocent and how it changes its victims for the worst. The creation of Frankenstein from the novel Frankenstein and Othello from the play Othello are b oth affectionate towards the ones they love. The creature loves the cottagers and Othello is in love with Desdemona. They put their loved ones on a pedestal and admire them for the many things they do. The cottagers taught the creation of Frankenstein how to socialize; how to speak, how to show affection towards others, to work with others, how to be humble, etc. By fascinating him and impressing him with the ways they lived their lives, he grew to love them without having to make a personal appearance. Othello is in love with a woman who he believes is forever loyal to him. Desdemona proves her love for Othello when she agrees to elope with him. As a token of Othello’s love, he presents Desdemona with a handkerchief that belonged to his mother. However, when the creation of Victor Frankenstein and Othello are given evidence that the ones they love are no longer worthy of their affection- their attitudes change completely and they let go of all previous feelings. Frankenstein’s creature had bad encounters with humans in the past, but from his observations of the De Lacey’s, he assumes they are different and won’t reject him. After discovering that he would undergo the same harsh treatment from his beloved cottagers as those from the other village, it is stated by the beast himself, â€Å"I could with pleasure have destroyed the cottage and its inhabitants and have glutted myself with their shrieks and misery† (125). He then changes his feelings of love towards humanity into hate, and swears to get revenge on the man who created and abandoned him to be tortured and neglected. Othello is told that his wife has been having affairs with one of his most trusted companions (Cassio). He dismisses the thought immediately and sees no threat until he is provided with visual proof from Iago. After seeing Cassio with his mother’s handkerchief, Othello perceives the innocent Desdemona as guilty. â€Å"Ay, let her rot and perish and be damned tonight, for she Shall not live† (4.1.172) exclaims Othello. The situation makes him so enraged that he no longer cares for her existence and he is now willing to get prepared to execute her. Therefore, the characters Othello and Frankenstein’s creation are filled with hatred and the need for vengeance once they feel that they are victims whose love has been corrupted and abused. The supernatural beings Count Dracula from the novel Dracula and the monster produced by Victor Frankenstein from the novel Frankenstein work as the main forces that contribute to the corruption of the relationships of Jonathan Harker and Victor Frankenstein. Jonathan constantly shows his affection towards Mina by portraying her to be his motivation to stay alive in Dracula’s castle. Both he and his betrothed are anxious to be reunited. Growing up together, Frankenstein has always been very fond of Elizabeth. Both characters come to the conclusion that they share mutual feelings of love towards one another and decide to get married. Both couples remain happy until they have encounters with beings that have selfish intentions of destroying their relationships for their satisfaction. It is stated by Count Dracula, â€Å"Your girls that you all love are mine already; and through them you and others shall yet be mine— my creatures, to do all my bidding and to be my jackals when I want to feed† (332). The quote implies that the female characters in the novel Dracula- like Mina Harker are no longer bonded with their lovers but are enslaved by The Count. When being held under the power of Dracula, Mina is not in her right state of mind and she no longer prioritizes her love for Jonathan. Victor Frankenstein is given an ultimatum by his creature to create a companion. However, Victor is unwilling because he does not want to be responsible for more chaos that could potentially be caused. After being denied of his request, the monster threatens, â€Å"I will be with you on your wedding night† (Frankenstein, 158), and the thought alone tormented Frankenstein. On Victor’s wedding night, the words of the monster were no longer a threat, but reality. Elizabeth was found murdered in their room. Therefore, when Count Dracula bites Mina and the monster created by Frankenstein murders Elizabeth; they corrupt the love of both couples by preventing the women to love their partners back. When love is corrupted in the two works Frankenstein and Dracula, outcomes are characters who want to seek revenge and to defeat both fiends before they cause more chaos and pain. The creature created by Frankenstein has proved itself to be dangerous to humanity. At first, the people who hadpersonal encounters with him just assumed he was a threat because of his appearance. After being so tired of being rejected, the beast shows himself as someone who would kill innocent people for satisfaction. Specifically, he targets Victor’s loved ones as a punishment for creating him and abandoning him in an atmosphere that does not accept him. In the novel Dracula, The Count is seen as a hazard as well. In one of his many forms, he approaches the innocent and attacks them with a bite so he can use them for his selfish needs. After the loss of practically everyone he holds dear to him, Victor decides that he has been through enough. â€Å"I devote myself, either in my life or death to hi s destruction† (191), concluded Victor confidently. By saying so, Victor made the commitment to devote the rest of his life to finding the beast that destroyed the lives of so many innocent people. The warning, â€Å"We must either capture or kill this monster in his lair; or we must, so to speak, sterilise the earth† (261), is said to inform that it is requirement to put an end to Dracula in order to save the rest of the human race from becoming his slaves. With that being said, Van Helsing and the other male characters eagerly set out on the hunt for Dracula. Therefore, results of love being corrupted within the works Dracula and Frankenstein are the affected characters feeling obligated to avenge the death of their loved ones and destroy those who inflicted pain so they can not hurt anyone else. Committing murder is a result of corrupted love in regards to the characters Othello from the work Othello and the monster created by Frankenstein from the novel Frankenstein. The two types of murders that occur are ones directed towards people seen as the cause for feelings of being Victimized, and suicide from guilt and regret. Being persuaded that he has been betrayed by the innocent Desdemona, Othello is enraged by the idea and declares, â€Å"Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men† (5.2.6). Determined to put an end to his wife, Othello does not realize that he is falsely accusing Desdemona, and is making a huge mistake by bringing her to her death bed. At first, the beast feels remorse for being responsible for personally taking two innocent lives. However, after being denied a companion, the monster of Frankenstein is filled with hatred and believes that it is essential for his creator to feel just as lonely as he does. He is not satisfied until all the loved ones in the life of Victor Cabildo Frankenstein are dead. After finally being revealed the truth about Desdemona’s innocence by Bianca, Othello is filled with shame, misery and regret. To punish himself for being responsible of destroying the love of his life, he kills himself to join her in the afterlife. Once the beast discovers the recent death of his creator he says, â€Å"What does it avail that I now ask thee to pardon me? I, who irretrievably destroyed thee by destroying all thou lovedst† (Frankenstein, 209). Feeling guilty and responsible of the situation, like Othello, the beast also decides to join the deceased by murdering himself. Therefore, the characters in the works Othello and Frankenstein who act as villains commit suicide because of the shame and regret that overwhelms their consciences when they realize they have murdered innocent people. Corruption of love in the relationships of the innocent characters in the works of William Shakespeare’s Othello, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein are based on the causes and effects and how it alters its innocent targets to becoming their worst. Characters like Othello and the creation of Frankenstein freely showed their affection until they were provided with reason to express hatred. Thanks to the supernatural villains in the works Dracula and Frankenstein, love was corrupted in the relationships of Jonathan Harker and Victor Frankenstein when they could no longer approach their loved ones in the same way. When love was corrupted in the works Dracula and Frankenstein, the affected characters felt obligated to seek revenge and prevent any harm towards the rest of humanity by putting an end to the villains that posed a threat. By being affected by corrupted love, the characters Othello and the monster of Frankenstein even resorted to murdering innocent lives. Unfortunately they did not identify the mistakes that were made until it was too late. Out of guilt and shame of their actions and the villains commit suicide to join the ones they killed. With so many lives being lost throughout the three works, it can be seen as a tragedy. The love of those lost can never be expressed or brought back; and that defines the situation as turning out for the worst. Therefore, negative interferences in any shape or form contribute to the corruption of love within the innocent characters from the three works- which leads to the motivation for revenge and killing. Work Cited: Shakespeare, William. Othello New York: Washington Square Press: 1993. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein New York: Bantam: 2004. Stade, George. â€Å"Introduction†. Dracula New York: Bantam, 2006 v-xiv. Stoker, Bram. Dracula New York: Bantam: 2004.