Influence of Class on an Individuals Identity free essay sample

Each f these writers at one point or another had to make the decision of How does class influence identity and each of them confronted this topic in different ways. Horopito Lagers Ragged Dick is a book based upon the fact that success is based upon an individuals merit. Alger tackles the concept of class and its affect on ones identity very slowly. He is hesitant because it would go against the morale he is portraying. This rags to riches story is too naive, it only depicts the fact that the main character (Richard Dick) moves up in life due to his actions and nothing more.Dicks boss in the story, Mr.. Rockwell offers dick the job based solely on merit and does not look at Dicks socioeconomic standing. Dick is the one in the story who makes the slightest change on identity based upon his new position. We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of Class on an Individuals Identity or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When Mr.. Rockwell asked, How would you like to enter my counting-room as clerk, Richard? Dick was about to reply, Bully, when he recollected himself, and responded, Very much. This change depicts that Dick is aware that he now is in higher position and therefore his regular slang Bully would not be acceptable.Alger maintains that class has no major influence on society. As is seen when Dick returns the favor and hands over his old job to Johnny Nolan. This story however does not hold a strong of an argument because Lagers view of what affects identity is too narrow. It fails to mention the affect of Race, Education, Qualifications and Connections. These factors are purposely left out by Alger because they contradict his idea that merit is the underlying factor. However, in the actual these factors would be what decide class mobility.These factors most often decide if you get the position. The failure to mention these factors made this story unbelievable. The Lesson by Toni Cede Bambina goes further than Alger. Bambina analyzes the differences in classes. It is based upon the fact that class does indeed affect an individuals identity. Bambina does this by depicting different classes and expanding on the slight differences. The story is more believable from the start by being in the first person narrative. Whereas Ragged Dick was fiction, The Lesson is from experience.This story is written through the eyes of Sylvia, a young low class girl. Sylvia and her cousins reside in a poor apartment complex. They are first exposed to the differences in classes on a usual outing with Ms. Moore. Ms. Moore takes them to F. AH. Schwartz to see the prices. Sylvia is hit with reality when they come upon a sailboat which costs One thousand on hundred and ninety- five dollars. Unbelievable, I hear myself say and am really stunned. I read it again for myself just in case the group recitation put me in a trance.Same thing. For some reason this pieces me off. .. Whod pay all that when you can buy a sailboat set for a quarter at Pops, a tube of glue for a dime, and a ball of string for eighty cents? This passage is where Sylvia realizes the severity of differences in classes. Ms. Moore shows them they separation of classes and then builds upon the fact that anyone can become successful, all they have to do is have a true desire to want something. Where we are is who we are, Ms. Moore always pointing out. But it dont necessarily have to be that way, she always adds then waits for somebody to say that poor people have to wake up an demand their share of the pie and dont none of us know what kind of pie she talking about in the first place. Bambina conveys this Story in a much more coherent manner. She takes Lagers note about speech pattern and expands on the difference in speech tatter of different classes. This story is much more believable because it is personalized through the first person narrative and because it talks about the difference in behavior and speech of different classes.Manumits takes a much different approach than the first two writers. Instead of writing a story based upon his experience or fiction, Manumits bases his article on statistics and other data. Due to this fact his article proves to be the strongest one yet. Manumits discusses four Common beliefs about the United States: Myth 1: The United States is fundamentally a classless society. Class distinctions are largely relevant today, and whatever differences do exist in economic standing are, for the most part, insignificant.Rich or poor, we are all equal in the eyes of the law, and such basic needs as health care and education are provided to all regardless of economic standing. Myth 2: We are, essentially, a middle-class nation. Despite some variations in economic status, most Americans have achieved relative affluence in what is widely recognized as a consumer society. Myth 3: We are all getting richer. The American public as a whole is steadily moving up the economic ladder, and each generation propels itself to rater economic well-being. Myth 4: Everyone has a equal chance to succeed.Success in the United States requires no more than hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance. And then gives the reader facts to disprove them such as, All Americans do not have equal opportunity to succeed. Inheritance laws assure a greater likelihood of success for the offspring of the wealthy. This tactic leads the reader to think in a way that the writer knows how to disprove and therefore increases the chances that the reader will find the replies valid. Manumits is the only own to really incorporate qualifications and connections onto the issue of identity; both of which really hurt Lagers argument.

Technology and Writing

Technology and Writing Technological advancement has led to great impact on writing. Like in other areas, advancement in technology has influenced the way people write both positively and negatively. Writing emails, chatting using social networking websites and writing short text massages have become day to day activities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Technology and Writing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Today computer has become the basic tool for writing. Instead of using pen and paper or typesetting, today people prefer to type their work using word processors. Word processors are the technology that has great influence on my writing process. I prefer to use word processor software when writing instead of conventional ways. In the paper, I report impact of word processors on my writing process. Using word processors has transformed my writing to a higher level. When using traditional pen and paper, I had to care more on mechanics o f writing than communicating my message. I paid undue attention to hand writing, spelling, sentence structure and other basic mechanics. By using word processors, I am able to concentrate more on writing rather than caring about my hand writing or trying to check up spelling in a dictionary. Word processors have allowed me to write at ease and improve on my critical thinking and writing. Before embracing word processors, writing seemed very complex. Before producing a final piece of writing, I had to go through many tedious steps including making an outline, writing a draft, editing and recopying the final draft. Using word processors has not only helped me to overcome mechanical difficulties in writing but also improve my attitude towards writing. Word processors have many advantages over conventional pen and paper or typesetting. The main advantage of using word processors is ability to edit work without having to recopy. Word processors make it easy to edit, enabling one to corre ct mistakes, add or remove ideas without having to rewrite a piece of work. Ability to rewrite my work without having to recopy motivates me to revise my work and therefore improve my writing skills. Unlike when using conventional ways, using word processor allows me to write quickly. Word processors have inbuilt support that make writing and editing to be considerably fast. Because of support provided by word processors, I do not worry much about style when using them but instead concentrate on communicating my message. Good writing is a process that can take many years to achieve. Practice and learning through mistakes are important to writing. Using word processors makes writing enjoyable to me and motivate me to practice the skill. Using word processors, I can retrieve pieces of writing written in the past and try to improve on them.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In ad dition to revisiting my work, work processors makes it possible to share my work with other people who can advice me on how to improve. In spite of many positive contributions of word processor to my writing, they have shortfalls. Sometimes I am not able to spot my mistakes in writing when using word processors. In addition, dependence on some tools in word processor such as spelling checker inhibits ability to do so without help. Technology significantly influences writing. Word processors are the technology that has great influence on my writing process. Using word processors enables me to concentrate on communicating my message rather than worry about mechanical difficulties. Using the technology I can edit or improve my work much easily than in conventional ways. Technology has become part of our life and adopting technology in writing is in order.

Acid Rain Essays (1959 words) - Inorganic Solvents, Acid Rain

Acid Rain INTRODUCTION: Acid rain is a great problem in our world. It causes fish and plants to die in our waters. As well it causes harm to our own race as well, because we eat these fish, drink this water and eat these plants. It is a problem that we must all face together and try to get rid of. However acid rain on it's own is not the biggest problem. It cause many other problems such as aluminum poisoning. Acid Rain is deadly. WHAT IS ACID RAIN? Acid rain is all the rain, snow, mist etc that falls from the sky onto our planet that contains an unnatural acidic. It is not to be confused with uncontaminated rain that falls, for that rain is naturally slightly acidic. It is caused by today's industry. When products are manufactured many chemicals are used to create it. However because of the difficulty and cost of properly disposing of these products they are often emitted into the atmosphere with little or no treatment. The term was first considered to be important about 20 years ago when scientists in Sweden and Norway first believed that acidic rain may be causing great ecological damage to the planet. The problem was that by the time that the scientist found the problem it was already very large. Detecting an acid lake is often quite difficult. A lake does not become acid over night. It happens over a period of many years, some times decades. The changes are usually to gradual for them to be noticed early. At the beginning of the 20th century most rivers/lakes like the river Tovdal in Norway had not yet begun to die. However by 1926 local inspectors were noticing that many of the lakes were beginning to show signs of death. Fish were found dead along the banks of many rivers. As the winters ice began to melt off more and more hundreds upon hundreds more dead fish (trout in particular) were being found. It was at this time that scientist began to search for the reason. As the scientists continued to work they found many piles of dead fish, up to 5000 in one pile, further up the river. Divers were sent in to examine the bottom of the rivers. What they found were many more dead fish. Many live and dead specimens were taken back to labs across Norway. When the live specimens were examined they were found to have very little sodium in their blood. This is typical a typical symptom of acid poisoning. The acid had entered the gills of the fish and poisoned them so that they were unable to ext ract salt from the water to maintain their bodies sodium levels. Many scientist said that this acid poising was due to the fact that it was just after the winter and that all the snow and ice was running down into the streams and lakes. They believed that the snow had been exposed to many natural phenomena that gave the snow it's high acid content. Other scientists were not sure that this theory was correct because at the time that the snow was added to the lakes and streams the Ph levels would change from around 5.2 to 4.6. They believed that such a high jump could not be attributed to natural causes. They believed that it was due to air pollution. They were right. Since the beginning of the Industrial revolution in England pollution had been affecting all the trees,soil and rivers in Europe and North America. However until recently the loses of fish was contained to the southern parts of Europe. Because of the constant onslaught of acid rain lakes and rivers began to lose their ability to counter act their affects. Much of the alkaline elements; such as calcium and limestone; in the soil had been washed away. It is these lakes that we must be worried about for they will soon become extinct. A fact that may please fishermen is that in lakes/rivers they tend to catch older and larger fish. This may please them in the short run however they will soon have to change lakes for the fish supply will die quickly in these lakes. The problem is that acid

The elements of a conflict of the Soviet-Afghan war Research Paper

The elements of a conflict of the Soviet-Afghan war - Research Paper Example All types of conflicts, be they political, economical, social or ethical, have stemmed because of the occurrence of the war itself. It would be imperative, therefore, to study the causes of the war so that the basis of the conflicts can be analyzed. The Soviet occupation of the Afghan territory had a myriad of reason, including political as well as economic factors. It started with the Soviet interest in the natural mineral deposits of Afghanistan, including the huge stores of natural gas that were discovered not long before the occupation (Assifi, 1982/83). There were also hopes of finding other minerals like coal, iron, and oil (Assifi, 1982/83). Afghanistan, although a land-locked country, holds a key position geopolitically due to its placement on the map (Assifi, 1982/83). The Soviets could make their way to the Indian Ocean, and into the neighboring territories, such as Pakistan, which many believe to be next on the Soviet’s war list (National Review, 1987). To make matt ers easier, the Soviets had, two years prior to the official occupation, installed a pro-communist regime in the Afghan government (Assifi, 1982/83). The major players of the war were of course the USSR and the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (Assifi, 1982/83). USSR, a communist force rising in the world against the capitalist Western giants like the United States posed a serious threat to the Western world (National Review, 1987). ... ly made their way into their homeland owing to the cooperation of the pro-communist regime installed in the country a couple of years back (Assifi, 1982/83). The population itself was divided into different sects and groups, which made the freedom fight slightly ineffective (Lamothe, 2004). The major parties that influenced the war were the Jamiat-i-Islami, Hizb-i-Islami, Mujahideen, and the Taliban (Lamothe, 2004). Individuals such as Ahmad Shah Massoud (Lamothe, 2004) also played pivotal role in the Afghan resistance against the Soviet invasion. Apart from the key players of the war, several countries took part in the resistance against the invasion although not directly becoming a part of the war. Such states are said to play a supportive role in the conflict. Pakistan was one of major supporters of the freedom fighters (Chapman, 1982). It couldn’t help getting involved in the war, though, given its geographical closeness to the Afghan territory. Also, it was believed that it was the next target of the Soviets (National Review, 1987), who had apparently greater aims than just occupying Afghanistan. Therefore, Pakistan fought the invasion politically and with manpower. It provided a constant supply of trained soldiers, called Mujahideen, to the Afghan freedom fighters, most of whom were Pashtun and of Afghan nationality (Lamothe, 2004). These soldiers were trained in military and religious camps all along the border of the two countries, and a huge fraction of these camps were funded by the United States government (Chapman, 1982). Pakistan, suddenly, was very prominent on the world map due to its geopolitical role in the conflict (Assifi, 1982/83). It also provided health care facilities to the wounded soldiers, both on the battlefield and on its own land among

Privatization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Privatization - Essay Example Private individuals who buy these public shares will be able to participate in the decision-making process of these organizations and will be able to change their policies. On the other hand, some people argue that private sector organizations will emphasize more on their profits and not on the protection of public rights. They will keep increasing prices in order to earn greater profits. Opponents also argue that the ownership of some goods should remain in the hands of the government to ensure equality. These goods and services include healthcare and education facilities. These public goods should be facilitated by the government just as the private goods should be provided by the private sector. Through privatization, governments try to improve the performance of their duties like infrastructure etc. In the past, privatization has occurred in many different countries. In the Great Britain, privatization started with partial privatization of British Petroleum in 1979. A large numbe r of industries were privatized after this like British ports, British Telecom etc. In 1987, one of the largest airlines in Europe, British Airways was also privatized. Along with these, many other assets such as buildings, roads, and buildings were also privatized. In U.S. many services have been privatized including hospitals, parking lots, water utilities etc. One of the most significant examples of privatization was that of Chicago Skyway and Indiana Toll Road in the U.S (Government Privatization, Web).

American Airlines Essay Example for Free

American Airlines Essay Situational Analysis: Internal factors: Strengths: Joint Venture with Japanese Airline Partnership with JetBlue Member of oneworld alliance International Flies to North America, the Caribbean, South America, Europe and Asia Number of routes AAdvantage frequent flyer program Weaknesses: Older airplanes Unstable chairs on their airplanes Current financial situation External factors: Opportunities: Merge with another airline Reorganization of their company Successful retrenchment strategy Increase profits Update planes Purchase new aircrafts Satisfy consumer needs Threats: Company filed for bankruptcy in November 2011 Competition with competitors low cost strategy Price of fuel has increased Labor costs have increased US economic slowdown Problem: American Airlines is struggling with higher costs, mainly, higher fuel costs and labor costs. These costs became so excessive, that American Airlines had to declare bankruptcy. Alternative 1: American Airlines needs to emerge from bankruptcy as a profitable company, which would enable them to explore the possibility of a merger with another airline provided that the two airlines combined would provide efficiencies and higher profitability. Strengths: Potential increase in profits Opportunity to eliminate duplicate costs Potential to enhance brand recognition because now they will have more routes and more to offer Weaknesses: Always potential for disruption and disorganization as the merger takes place The cost of the merger (usually underestimated) Miscalculation of the difficulties of merging two corporate cultures Alternative 2: They must use the bankruptcy process to lower their labor cost, both by wage concessions and more efficient work roles. Strengths: Lower costs More efficiency of workers Potential increase in profits Lead to lower flying inconveniences Help exit bankruptcy Weaknesses: Resistance from the employees Disruptions could cause cancelations Alternative 3: Use the bankruptcy to lower other employee costs such as medical insurance and pension. Strengths: Lower labor costs Help exit bankruptcy Decrease debt Weaknesses: Resistance by employees Weaken relationships among employers and employees Recommendation: My recommendation would be alternative two: They must use the bankruptcy process to lower their labor cost, both by wage concessions and more efficient work roles. I’m assuming that this alternative will lower costs the most. American Airlines needs to use the bankruptcy process to implement this alternative effectively. They need to go before the bankruptcy court asking them to cooperate to seek wage concessions and more efficient work roles. A combination of the legal department and the finance department need to be in charge of implementing this alternative. This is a legal matter but the finance department must explain to the legal department what is needed in terms of financial relief. This needs to be implemented as soon as possible. It must start in the bankruptcy court. This can be evaluated by examining if this alternative does lower cost without completely destroying employee to employer relationships. The finance department needs to evaluate their financial numbers (examining costs) on a monthly basis.

The Nature of Technology Essay -- Technology Internet Communication Es

A good portion of my life is lived on-line. It might even be said that I live a double life, part of it with family, friends, and co-workers in the immediate, material world, and another part with circles of family, friends, and co-workers on the net. Not only am I connected to other people, but I am also connected to a collection of tools and resources that help me in my day-to-day life. For example, I use hypertext as a thinking tool for producing and developing my ideas; I use the Web as a canvas for mapping and presenting myself and my work; and I use a smart phone not only to keep in touch, but also to manage my time and organize my projects. Yet, as I write, I realize that I must detail the nature of my on-line relationships, both with these people and with these tools, in order to validate them. After all, how can these friendships be true if I never see the people I claim to love? How can I justify exchanging texts with my father when he lives only two blocks away from my apartment? How can I have a successful working relationship with an individual who lives in another country? How can these demanding, maddeningly opaque technological tools help me do anything except waste time? If you feel that these questions are no-brainers, with obvious and unextraordinary answers, then you are at least familiar with the rhetoric behind a now-familiar pro-computing credo. More specifically you will recognize the key ideas of the global village and the use of high technology tools to improve life, to connect people to people, to promote freedom of expression, and to increase learning. Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the MIT Media Lab, neatly sums up every aspect of pro-technology rhetoric in the introduction to his book Being... ...to begin. Neither liberation nor oppression can become living powers in any soil except that of the human heart. As soon as we put the matter this way, however, we can begin to talk about the "nature" of the Net. Not some absolute, intrinsic nature, to be sure, but an established character -- a kind of active willfulness -- that ultimately derives from our character. ...We should not ask, "Is technology neutral?" but rather, "Are we neutral in our use of technology?" (Talbott 127) Works Cited Birkets, Sven. "The Electronic Hive: Two Views." Harper's, (May 2009). Negroponte, Nicholas. Being Digital. New York: Random House, (2011). Postman, Neil. Technopoly. New York: Random House, (2012). Stoll, Clifford. Silicon Snake Oil. New York: Doubleday, (2012). Talbott, Stephen L. The Future Does Not Compute. New York: O'Reilly & Associates, (2011).

Athena in Greek Mythology Essay

ii Outline Thesis: Athena is regarded as a powerful female figure within Greek mythology; however there are obvious contradictions between the perception of Athena and the reality of how the goddess is represented within Greek Literature and these contradictions need to be examined given Greek Literatures foundational role in molding our perceptions of a heroine. I. Description how women were viewed in Ancient Greece II. Common perception of Athena in Greek Mythology a) Goddess of War b) Powerful c) Equal to Zeus III. Role that Athena truly played as Zeus’s daughter a) Non threatening: enable the end of Kingship of Heaven b) Virgin daughter, purity IV. Examples supporting the repositioning of Athena as a determent to women within Greek culture a) Athena and Poseidon clash over Athens b) Athena’s mothering role in Odyssey c) Athena’s role within Aeschylus’s Eumenides V. Athena’s representation within Greek Mythology has proven to be a false icon for the empowerment of women. iii Abstract Athena is regarded as a powerful female figure within Greek mythology; however there are obvious contradictions between the perception of Athena and the reality of how the goddess is represented within Greek Literature and these contradictions need to be examined given Greek Literatures foundational role in molding our perceptions of a heroine. The undercurrent of conflicting messages between Athena’s iconic state as a powerful goddess and the general oppression of Greek woman supports the notion that there might be more to Athena then first meets the eye. Common myth and two great works of ancient Greek literature are used to support the thesis that Athena may have been a tool of oppression used against the women of ancient Greece. 1 The Importance of Athena in Greek Mythology The foremost powerful female figure in Greek Mythology was Athena, the grey eyed goddess. She is often hailed as being an icon for female power within Greek literature. This misperception adds to the mystic that Greek civilization was socially evolved beyond it’s time. By taking a closer look at how Athena was immortalized within the Parthenon, the role that the Goddess played in Homer’s Odyssey , and her role in Aeschylus’s Eumenides it quickly becomes clear that we have been romanticizing Athena’s power. By pulling back the curtain on the obvious and revealing what resides just below the surface a new pictures comes into focus. Athena is regarded as a powerful female figure within Greek mythology; however there are obvious contradictions between the perception of Athena and the reality of how the goddess is represented within Greek Literature, and these contradictions need to be examined given Greek Literatures foundational role in molding our perceptions of a heroine. To begin with it is important to come to a agreement regarding the daily life of an Athenian woman in Ancient Greece. Based upon the reading that I have done, there is little dispute that the women of that time had virtually no rights. The Ancient Greek society in many ways mirrors today’s modern conservative cultures of the middles east, as it pertains to women’s rights. The Greek culture was highly patriarchal. Ancient women were considered property of their fathers at the time of their birth, and then transferred to become the property of their husbands directly after marriage. Young women were often forced to marry men twice their age, whom they had never met. Women, of course, had no right to vote, no right to own property and oddly enough were not allowed to watch the iconic Olympic games. However, the most mind numbing realization for me was that women were not allowed to leave the house without permission. Women were not permitted to wonder in public unless they had an explicit reason approved by their husband. It is suspicious to me that given all of these widely accepted facts that we would so easily accept that Greek men were creating characters of power as great as Athena’s perceived power. If anything, I do give these Ancient Greek author’s credit for being sly. They created a goddess whom Greek men could idealize as the ‘perfect’ woman, fearing her power, while at the same time defining an all powerful goddess who was submissive to men. 2 A general definition of Athena provides us with an example to contrast against the â€Å"average† Athenian woman. Harris and Platzner provide a general description of Athena’s power in Classical Mythology Images & Insights. A powerful description is levied by the authors, â€Å"Athena, a potent manifestation of her father’s creative intelligence† (82). Athena is widely known as the goddess of wisdom and war. She is hailed as the protector of Athens and the equal to the omnipresent Zeus. However, and this is a big however, that is only upon first glance. As we dig deeper into Athena’s story a new spin begins to present itself. First, the legend of Athena’s remarkable birth, which in actualization is only a reflection of Zeus’s greatness. Athena is said to have sprung from Zeus’s head. The depiction of her birth is on the east pediment of the Parthenon, which ensures its role in the daily lives of Greek men. Zeus in an effort to deny the prophecy that Metis would someday bore a child who would overthrow his power; he ate Metis. By ingesting Metis he also ingests her powers and Athena his unborn daughter. In concept Zeus then gives birth, the ONLY uniquely female power that existed in Ancient Greece. Athena, now being directly ‘sprung’ from the body of her father is forever faithful, as he is now part of her. In this one sweeping myth Zeus outwits Metis, overcomes his fate, gives birth and creates an equal virginal partner whom has an undying faithfulness to her father. Even the focus on her virginal state, associates her with the traditional concept of ‘ownership’ by a woman’s father until she is married. Athena’s very birth contributes to increasing Zeus’s greatness and defining women as submissive. The second key piece of important information regarding why Athena was born a woman, is simple and calculated. The fact that Athena is a woman ends the tradition of The Kingdom of Heaven, and ensures Zeus’s dominate rule. If she were born a man, there would be threat of usurpation. Ss a woman; with no husband she serves no threat. Again, a myth calculated to support the greatness of Zeus. 3 The west side of the Parthenon serves as another example of how a myth, at first glance, appearing to support the great wisdom of Athena but in the end this myth serves the purpose of Greek men, and serves to repress Greek women. The west pediment depicts the contest between Athena and Poseidon for the ‘sponsorship’ of Athens. Athena is said to have won the favor of the Greeks by offering an olive tree to the people of Athens. Poseidon offered the city a salt water spring which was rejected, thus offending Poseidon. Multiple points jump from the life of this myth. First, the obvious, by choosing Athena over Poseidon the Greek men have a direct link to Zeus. She is chosen because she is well connected! Secondly, and more manipulatively, in order to appease Poseidon’s wrath Greek woman are continued to be punished and not given the right to vote. The first advancement of a woman into a powerful position generates a backlash that will ensure that no woman is ever given any REAL form of power within Greek Culture (Harris and Platzner 9). The irony in this is so deep that it is almost comical. We have now established that the two key myths used to define Athena’s power are in actuality undermining her power. If anything, we begin to view her as Zeus’s public relations consultant. Now by looking at the way that Greek writers have translated Athena’s powers into actions, we can see that these nuances did not go unnoticed by Greece’s creative thinkers. A subtle example exists within Homer’s depiction of Athena in The Odyssey. Athena plays a motherly role to both Odysseus and Telemachus. She never gets directly involved in any conflict, she only provides guidance and support for the men. She is fulfilling the nurturing traditional role of a mother. In the stories opening when Athena disguises herself as Mentor (a man) to gain the trust of Telemachus her purpose is only to guide him on his path to manhood. She encourages him to take a stand on the issue of his mothers’ disrespectful suitors and to go on a rite of passage journey to find his father. The book is riddled with examples of how Athena provides a soft touch is supporting the advancement of Odysseus’s cause. She organizes the ship for Telemachus’s journey. She pleads with Zeus on their behalf in Book 5, she appears in a dream to Phaeacian urging her to be at the river to help Odysseus when we washes to shore. The list goes on and on, in Book 20 Athena helps Odysseus in his plot to overtake the suitors by ensuring the suitors antagonize the disguised Odysseus, which feeds his desire to win back Penelope. All of these actions mirror that of a mother, trying to encourage the best for and from her children. This further supports the notion that women in Athens are supposed to be the household support, and support the success of their fathers, and then their husbands. 4 The most glaring example of misuse of Athena’s perceived power occurs in Aeschylus, Eumenides. A jury is organized to judge Orestes for killing his mother and his father’s murder, Aegisthus. It is agreed that if the jury cannot come to an agreement of Orestes’ guilt then Athena will make the final decision. Athena’s ultimate verdict reads as follows, â€Å"The final judgment rests with me, and I Announce that my vote shall be given to Orestes. No mother gave me birth, and in all things Save marriage I commend with all my heart The masculine, my father’s child indeed. Therefore I cannot hold in higher esteem A woman killed because she killed her husband. If the votes are equal, Orestes wins. Let the appointed officers proceed To empty the urns and count the votes† (H & P 636). Athena says she is the servant of her father in this speech. Here is a son who has killed his own mother, and Athena explicitly states that she values the life of Orestes’ father greater than the life of his mother, Clytemnestra. Even when the literature explicitly gives Athena power, she only uses it to further confirm the dominance of men within Greek society. I am positive that there are numerous other examples that support my notion of a dual sided Athena. Every example that I found of Athena within Greek literature allows for a theoretical positioning of Athena as a Greek tool of female oppression. Athena is the Ancient Greek’s version of the women in the girdle commercials in the 50’s, Cindy Brady in the 70’s, or even more accurately the 5 Britney Spears of today. At first glance one thinks it’s nice to see positive imagines of women, but when you begin to look a little closer one can clearly see the shackles. 6 Working Bibliography Graham, Casey, â€Å"Ancient Athenian Women. † http://www. angelfire. com/ca3/ancientchix/ Harris, Stephen L, and Platzner, Gloria. Classical Mythology Images and Insights. 5th Edition. McGraw-Hill. 2008. â€Å"Role of Women in Ancient Greece. † http://www. factsmonk. com/role_of_women_in_ancient_greece Stebbins, Elinor. â€Å"Pallas Athena, Goddess of Wisdom. † < http://www. arthistory. sbc. edu/imageswomen/papers/stebbinsathena/athena2. html>

Avoiding Alignment Trap Essay

This case analysis discusses the findings in the article ‘Avoiding the Alignment Trap’, where even though most companies are aware that IT must be aligned with business strategy in terms of aligning IT expenses with revenue growth, over 11% of companies that align IT with business strategy spend more than 13% on average on IT expenses with a resulting of less than 14% average in revenue growth. The objective of this case analysis is to recommend a governance arrangement that will lead most companies that are currently have less effective IT alignment with business alignment to IT-enabled growth where the cost of IT more than compensates with the revenue growth of the company. The recommendation is to adopt a Duopoly governance arrangement where both the CEO and CIO make decisions, form a committee to oversee IT decisions and business strategy decisions made by these leaders, and ensure adequate decision making and monitoring of performance based on IT and business-relate d decisions. The ISO 38500 can be used as a framework to monitor these decisions and evaluate IT decisions based on their effectiveness, alignment with overall strategy and the value they bring to the organization. CURRENT SITUATION According to the article, almost every company is aware that IT and business strategies must be aligned in order to gain competitive advantage in their industry. This means their IT spending must be matched with their growth strategies. To test this notion, the authors of this article surveyed 452 companies and received 504 responses. The survey determined the companies IT spending and 3-year sales compounding to determine annual growth rate. In their survey, they have found the following: 1.74% of these companies do not align IT to their business strategies. Companies allocate enough funds to their IT necessary to keep the systems running. It is not meant to add value to the business. As a result, their growth rate is 2% below on average on a three-year span 2.11% of these companies have highly aligned IT with business strategy, but not highly effective. Their IT spending was 13% higher than average and their revenue growth rate was 14% below average  3.8% of these companies spent 15% lower than average on IT that resulted in an 11% above average revenue growth rate. 4.7% of these companies spent 6% lower than average on IT that resulted in more than 35% above average revenue growth rate. To apply these findings against the different governance models, the 74% of companies that do not align IT to their business strategies have a Federal Model of Governance Arrangements. Federal Models are decisions made by leaders from different functional departments and in this type of Governance Model, they mostly pay more attention on Business Application Needs and less on IT Principles, IT Architecture & Infrastructure Strategies. 11% of companies that are highly aligned and yet incur more spending than revenue growth fall to the Business Monarchy Governance Model. In this type of governance arrangements, decisions are made by senior business leader. In the Charles Schwab example in the article, their governance arrangement is IT Monarchy. Their decisions were made by IS leader and put more emphasis on IT Architecture, Infrastructure strategies and have resulted in worst business application needs. CRITERIA To put an organization in an IT-enabled growth quadrant, an organization should adopt a Duopoly Model of governance arrangement where senior business leaders and IS leaders make decisions jointly. In other words, the CEO and CIO must work closely together to formulate the best IT principles and align it with the firm’s business strategy as a whole. Also, they must implement information technology that is less complex. In the words of Leonardo Da Vinci per the article ‘simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.’ By reducing complexity, the company builds simplified, standardized infrastructure rather than extensive customizing of information technology. With these 2 put together, it can result in effective IT governance which will enable growth in revenue in the future. Alternatives and Recommendations With respect to the article, the 85% of the companies that fall to the less effective quadrant in IT governance can start adopting a Duopoly Governance Arrangement where both the CEO and CIO work together and make decisions  jointly. With Duopoly, a committee can be formed to oversee IT decisions, rate the IT leadership by the CIOs & continuous monitoring managers within the organization in their decision making & oversight. However, some organizations do not adopt a duopoly governance arrangement due to its size. Therefore, the next governance arrangement that can be adopted by the organizations is the Business Monarchy where decisions are made by senior business leader. With this model, the business leader can ask for the financial manager’s help to identify the kinds of information and system the organization needs, perform cost-benefit analysis, evaluate options based on priority setting and needs assessment and determine what’s important and upgrade as benefit. Most of all, there must be adequate communication throughout the organization of the decision. The article suggests that to achieve an effective IT governance, companies must keep their IT environment simple. Although achieving a simple IT environment and standardizing it within the organization requires investment of time and money, in the future this can lead to lower costs. Even though complexity can still creep in, it is suggested that the company have an early-warning indicator that will keep track of IT spending with product development. If this ratio starts to increase, it is a sign that it’s time for another simplification. Down the road, companies can reach th e IT-enabled quadrant where costs are less and revenue growth is more. RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN To avoid the alignment trap, the best governance arrangement that can help an organization change its status from being trapped in aligning IT with business strategy to IT-enabled growth is to adapt a Duopoly governance arrangement where senior business leaders and IS leaders make decisions jointly-meaning the CEO and the CIO work closely together. Both these decision makers can form a committee to oversee IT decisions and ensure managers are monitored in their decision-making and oversight. They must also adapt a simple IT application; eliminate add-ons and replacing legacy systems. For guidance in decision making by the committee, the organizations can adopt ISO 38500 where the following 6 principles focuses on 3 main tasks. These 6 principles are: 1.Responsibility – everyone involved in the  committee should understand responsibilities and have the authority to meet those responsibilities 2.Strategy – aligning IT Strategy & Organizational Strategy and analysing the current and future situations of the organization and consider both the needs of organization and those that can be done within its own IS department 3.Acquisitions – can be made after both careful and rational analysis. The acquisition decision must be transparent and justified 4.Performance – information systems are implemented such that service levels and quality levels meet the organization’s needs both now and in the future 5.Conformance – compliance with regulations & legislations 6.Human Behaviour – ensures respect for current and evolving needs of all individuals involved The 3 main tasks are: 1.Evaluate current and future needs on a continual basis – focuses on continual improvement & incorporates the principles above both now and in the future 2.Preparation and Implementation of investment plans – the committee needs to make sure that responsibilities for plans and policies are clearly being assigned 3.Monitor performance and conformance to policies against the plans – crucial in monitoring expected service levels being met. If this is not done properly, then there won’t be appropriate information for decision making. Reaching the IT-enabled quadrant is not easy and it involves a big investment in simplifying the IT used within the organization. This is why most organizations focuses temporarily on effectiveness of IT implementations within the organization more than alignment of IT with organizational strategy. This means giving up specific applications customized on a particular division in order to achieve its desired performance and centralizing and simplifying a good part of the IT function.

buy custom Consumer Protection in International Perspective essay

buy custom Consumer Protection in International Perspective essay Protection of Workers and Consumers Consumer protection has recently grown to become a major issue in any business environment. As the business environment becomes more competitive, complex and dynamic, most business are faced with low rates of returns and poor profits margins. This has forced such firms to invent unethical business practices and techniques of exploiting the citizens and the poor consumers in order to earn additional profits that would cover up for their losses. Certain businesses also exploit consumers due to existence of various loopholes in the management, control and governing of business activities by the government. Milton Friedman: The Free Market Provides Protection from Exploitation Purely By the Existence of Choice In my opinion, Milton Friedmans statement on protection of workers and customers through the existence of choice is narrow and can only be applied in a purely or perfect competitive market. This is because such perfect competition markets give the consumers options of choosing from a variety of producers or sellers. In contrast, in monopoly and monopolistic competition markets, for instance, such rule may not work because the customers have no choice other than to purchase what is provided to them by the single producer or seller. It is, thus, easy for the monopolist to exploit the citizens and consumers through various business malpractices such as provision of low quality goods and charging exorbitantly high prices. It, therefore, implies that protection from exploitation that is determined by the existence of consumers choices will depend on the market structure. Need For Governments Protection on Citizens and Consumers from Exploitation In my opinion, it is important for the government to protect and guard its citizens and the consumers from exploitation by businesspersons and trading firms. This protection can be exercised in various levels. At corporate level, those citizens who start and operate their medium-size firms locally or those who run their businesses within the country should be protected from unhealthy, harsh and stiff competition from foreign and international companies. The government should be responsible for ensuring that local businesses are licensed accordingly and also that such infant businesses pay reasonable license fees. The government should further regulate the buying and selling of goods and services within the market to ensure that demand and supply of goods and services are met according to market requirements (Cseres 31). The government has the responsibility to protect its citizens from exploitation by employers. It should set the minimum wage that workers should be paid. However, it is important to note that such legislation may drive away potential investors, who will opt for cheap labor elsewhere, especially in less developed countries. Additionally, the government should be committed to development, adoption and implementation of laws and legislations that aim at protecting citizens and consumers. It should carry out investigations regularly to identify and pursue those firms and businesspersons who violate consumers rights. The government should come up with laws that prohibit and make illegal business activities that may produce harmful goods and services that may hurt the consumers. It should make sure that businesses do not exploit consumers and those that do so throuh violation of any of the Consumer Protection Laws are either heavily fine or denied their licenses to operate. The government should ensure that all businesses comply with the laid down rules and regulations that govern operations in the marketplace. Similarly, it can empower consumers through provision of free information to help them make right decisions in their day to day business activities. This information can also be used by the consumers to exercise their rights and in pinpointing and avoiding frauds, swindles and deceptions within the marketplace. There should be civic education programs to inform and educate citizens and consumers on their rights against exploitations by greedy businesspersons. Through government intervention in business activities, it is easy for the government to address market failure problems. This is because it shall be able to control and coordinate the flow of goods and services within the market. It will be able to influence the demand and supply of goods in the marketplace. The government should provide and make available resources that are required for full protection of the citizens and consumers. It should provide consumers with relevant information and any assistance they may require to guard them from exploitation. Such information is very vital since it helps consumers make better choices in the market. Similarly, the government should make available all the necessary resources that may be needed to drive the consumer empowerment process. These can be financial resources, technical and professional personnel or good infrastructure. The government can also set certain minimum trading standards that must be met by the providers of goods and services. For example, all consumer goods must have standardization marks from a government agency. This will ensure that citizens are not deceived and exploited by the traders through provision of low quality and low quantity goods. Appropriate Level of Government Protection The level, at which a government can be involved in the protection of citizens and consumers against exploitation, varies from one country to another. It also depends on the market structure and its characteristics, for example, products that have rigid or less flexible demand curve may require more government intervention to protect the consumers due to high price inelasticity. In my opinion, the government should help in detection and prevention of business malpractices such as fraud and deception in the marketplace. It should aim at combating all unfair business practices within the marketplace. Similarly, the government can help business firms and consumers settle disputes that may arise in the process of buying and selling of goods and services. This goal can be achieved through setting of commercial and industrial law courts. According to Cseres, the government is responsible for enhancing consumer confidence by enforcing laws that protect consumers from exploitation (Cseres 49). The government should ensure that full information, relating to certain products, such as foodstuffs are disclosed. Accordingly, government protection on citizens and consumers increases, as the issue of concern becomes a national concern, for example, public health. Such protection would ensure that its citizens do not consume harmful products. According to Kleinschmidt, the interests oof consumers can be further protected by the government through promotion of fair and free competition within the marketplace (Kleinschmidt 173). Furthermore, consumer protection can also be implemented by non-governmental organizations such as Consumer Advocacy groups. The government can offer advice to the consumers, provide funds for consumer advocacy and education. Through various educational strategies and program such as awareness campaigns, the government will be able to enlighten consumers on their rights to non-exploitation. However, the consumers should also be able to communicate their wants and preferences openly to the suppliers. Similarly, they should be able to negotiate for better treatment. They should not excessively rely on government support in each and every transaction they carry out. They must take adequate precautions before entering into contracts. They should demand for full explanation and disclosure of any condition and information, relating to such contracts. Consumers and citizens should take enough precaution and should make informed choices on their own without influence from the businesspersons. In my view, excessive protection and regulation of consumers and the markets as a whole may limit consumer choices and competition. This may result into additional costs, incurred by businesses, which are, then, indirectly passed on to the consumers in form of high prices. The people should be given more power and control over their choices. Strict or rigid regulation alone is not enough. Excessive government intervention may be unhealthy, may prevent competition and slow down innovation in the market. It can also prove dangerous and may damage the economy. Services such as internet shopping, as stated by Howells and Veartherill, demand a lot of precaution and care. Consumers should, thus, be aware of the trading company, its integrity and ability to deliver the required goods and services at reasonable prices (Howells Veartherill 319). They should seek information and assistance from relevant government authorities and have full knowledge on various statutes such as the Electronic Commerce Regulations Act of 2002. Moreover, it is worth noting that the level of government intervention in business activities and its capability to protect the citizens and consumers from exploitation may be hindered by global factors such as technological development, market globalization, signing of international treaties and agreements that allow free trade, especially in the import-export market. Certain factors such as the great financial recession may result into a fragile market, when the government intervenes too much in its control, economic activities are severely affected. Just as Kleinschmidt notes down, excessive protection of the consumers and over control of the market may not be a good stimulus for inflow of investors from other countries (Kleinschmidt 196). It is important, therefore, that government involvement in economic activities are moderate and should aim at attracting more investors, rather than pushing them away. As it was said earlier, excessive protection of consumers may turn out to be a burden to them if not effectively managed. Finally, the government must find the best ways to address this problem of citizen and consumer exploitation. Appropriate measures should be taken as well as corrective initiatives. It should be able to address the broken link between competition and consumer market analysis and enforcement of consumer law. Buy custom Consumer Protection in International Perspective essay

HR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HR - Essay Example An employee starts learning different skills required to perform the job. Employee development is a future oriented process. The main purposes of employee development include improving quality of the employees, retaining key employees, and incorporating technological advances. â€Å"An employee in need of career guidance can speak to the HR director of his or her company† (Jeffress, n.d.). Some of the most effective learning theories that HR planners use to improve employee learning include reinforcement theory, social learning theory, and goal theory. Some of the learning styles used in the process of learning include divergers, assimilators, convergers, and accommodators. Employees learn through observation, experience, and interactions. In employee development process, HR planners help employees identify their needs and development goals in order to make them initiate the development process. Gordon (2006) states, â€Å"Employee development programs are essential to improve morale as well as to motivate the employees to perform well†. Some of the methods used in the employee development process include assessment, formal education, job experiences, and interpersonal relationships. Structured development plan are very useful for employee development. â€Å"Structured development plans encourage greater understanding of the job role† (Nathoo, 2011). â€Å"Employee development programs are essential because they help create workplaces that promote excellence† (Ganapati, 2005). Employee learning and development are those processes, which make employees productive, skilled, and competent enough to carry out their job responsibilities in accordance with the strategic directions of the company that ultimately leads the company towards the achievement of competitive advantage in the

Islamic history Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Islamic history - Term Paper Example The Rise of misunderstandings between the Crusaders and the Muslim was mainly because few Muslims, even those in Andalus, had any contact with the Franks before the era of the Crusades. There was a wide spread of assumption among the Muslims, even those who are educated. According to, â€Å"the Franks through Muslim eyes† in Egger text, the Ibn Munqidh, Usama regarded them as being slow because they lived in cold climates.1 The misunderstanding arose because the Crusaders and the Muslims had different cultures A good example is in the legal process, the Franks believed in trial by combat where the accused could challenge tha accuser theough a fight. The community believed that the righteous person will be favoured by God. The theory also believed that a person can also name someone to take his place in the fight and God will favour the righteous. This theory is different as compared Muslim legal system. The Muslims had developed ruled of procedure and evidence under the sharia law. The Franks also dis not make any effort to understandIslam or learn Arabic and therefore, did not make any contribution to the cross-cultural understanding. On the other hand, the Muslim groups were divided in a countercrusade against the Franks. Individual Muslims led campains against the Franks and those who were not affected by the crusades had little interest in the conslicts. These interactions clearly shows that there are differences in the state of medicine between the crusaders and the Muslims. In the memoirs of Usamah Ibn-Munqidh, the Franks are seen to have more sophisticated medicines that could even cure scrofula and they are willing to share medicine for free.2 This is clear when a Frank prescribed this medication to Abu al-Fath. The interaction between the Franks and the Muslims also show a difference in the relationship between the sexes. The muslim, specifically Usamah