Marx Philosophy and the End of History

Karl Marx is, without a doubt one of the most influential thinkers to emerge in the nineteenth century, and the theories he proposed, have influenced various regimes in different parts of the world. His success is the result of the flexibility present in his theories to adapt themselves to the times. In his mid twenties Marx, turned away from philosophy and concentrated his attention more towards the economic and political aspects of the society. It was in the light of economics that he viewed the problems in society and sought to provide a remedy to it. He viewed society not as an independent entity. Contrarily, he saw, society as a reflection of the progress made by History. The progress made by history always left behind a legacy in its trail. This legacy had a profound impact in the shaping of society. The validity of this statement can be proven, by citing the example of the poverty in the Africa Americans as the legacy of their history as slave labourers. However the direction of History was uncertain and could not be predicted. It was dictated by the economic factors present in society. The only certainty was that an, ‘end of history’ was inevitable. In his theory on Historical Materialism, Marx carefully analyses the various factors influencing the different stages in the growth of society from slavery to modern day capitalism. Thus the views of Marx can be summed up under, four basic principles. Firstly, he believed that society followed a straight law of motion and underwent various phases in order to get to the final stage of Communism. Secondly, the laws governing the society were purely economic in nature, for the only thing that shapes society are the ‘material tools of production. Thirdly, he believed that these laws would continue to be in force until the end of History. Fourthly, the classes and the State would perish with the end of History. However this end would be brought about by a bitter struggle of one class against another. It must be mentioned in this context, that Marx borrowed the concept of a dialectical history, with a cognate beginning, middle and end from Hegel. Marx’s main concern was the ‘State’, which he viewed as the main tool of exploitation. It is the State and its various institutions that are utilised by the dominant class to wield their power. He advocated that the State was the most powerful tool of exploitation, whose sole purpose was to represent the interests of the ruling class. He chose to study the State through the annals of History. To him only ‘History’, could reveal the secrets at work behind the evolution of the state and determine its future shape. However, Marx did not consider History to be an open-ended process. Instead he saw a definite ‘end in history’. This end would result in the downfall of Capitalism and ensue the coming of a new era of Communism. An end in History did not signify an end to human life, it simply meant that there would no longer be any changes in the underlying principles or institutions for all the major problems had been solved and man’s major needs fulfilled. Before we can elaborate on the ‘end of history’, as predicted by Marx, it is essential that we know what history is all about. Marx claims that History has not progressed in a straight line. The coherent development of human societies through the ages has been a result of the various regimes that it has undergone. Marx thus traces the evolutionary process from, tribal based societies which were dependant on slavery and agriculture for subsistence, to theocracies, monarchies, feudal aristocracies, modern liberal democracies and finally to the technologically driven Capitalism. In his study Marx points out that the fundamental element present in all these different societies is the ‘class’ system and the ‘means of production,’ which determined which class would be dominant in the society. The ‘Class’ and the subsequent ‘class struggle’ were the sine qua non of Marx’s theory. History showed that the class who controlled the means of production was the dominant class in society. It is the tools of ruthless dominance and exploitation used by the dominant class to maintain their authority that would one day turn against them and spearhead the inevitable revolutions. History has shown that every revolution brought about a change in the social structure. This change did not bring about an egalitarian order it simply replaced the old dominant class with a new one. The unequal social structure continued to exist. Every revolution just changed the composition of the oppressor and the oppressed. The day that the society became classless would be the day that History came to an end. This end was possible with the rise of Communalism. While proclaiming the advent of Communalism, Marx refused to give a cognate shape to his ideal society. He claimed that the final shape of Communism would be the result of the different historical processes that society underwent. It was not a realisation of a predetermined moral idea. When it came to classes, Marx outlined two major segments into which society was divided. They were the oppressed or the ‘Proletariat’ as he called them and the oppressor or the ‘Bourgeoisie’. When the levels of oppression reached its penultimate point the oppressed class rose in rebellion and the outcome of this rebellion was a new society. Thus Marx stated, â€Å"The history of all hitherto existing societies has been the history of class struggle.† The day history ceases to exist; classes shall also cease to exist. Marx in his theories always stressed on the Historical aspect and asserted that every society contained within itself the forces of contradiction, known as the ‘Thesis’ and ‘Anti Thesis’. When these two contradictory forces clashed against one another, a class struggle emerged that sought to change the shape of society and replace the existing dominant class with a new one. This change was not permanent but would cease with the end of history, and there would finally emerge a classless society where each person enjoyed the fruits of his own labour. In his theory on History Marx, points out that in a divided society the tools of production are owned by the dominant section of society who exploit the weaker classes in order to amass more wealth and gain strength. But, there would come a time, when the levels of consciousness would rise among the oppressed class and they would unite in a struggle against the oppressors. History is replete with such examples. The slave society was replaced by the feudal society and the feudal society by the Industrialists or the Bourgeoisie. The coming of the Industrialist Revolution brought a boom in the industry and a new class emerged as the dominant section. They were the Capitalist class who owned the means of production. Like its predecessors the Capitalist society also contained within itself the seeds of dissent. The Capitalists became the dominant class who usurped the means of production and relentlessly exploited the working class or the proletariat. It resulted in the alienation of the worker. The working class was denied of the fruits of its labour and while the rich grew richer the poor grew poorer. The chasm continued to widen with the increase in wealth in the hands of the Capitalists. Despite the contradictions in the Capitalist regime, the ‘Communist Manifesto’ begins by praising the Capitalist system. It says that the Capitalist system has played a revolutionary role in History. It has shown what man’s endeavours can achieve. It has accomplished wonders, which surpasses the wonders of the world. It has conducted exoduses, which have overshadowed all past crusades in the world. Having praised the Capitalist system they go on to say that Capitalism by nature is based on ‘competition’ and the ‘market’. The same dynamics that propel capitalism will also be the reason of its downfall. When there are no more markets left to explore and exploit, the entire buying and selling cycle would collapse. Capitalism would  Ã‚   suffer from the phenomenon of ‘overproduction’ and   would be brought down to its knees. Harping on the ills of Capitalism, the Marxian philosophy, states that the Capitalist system would soon displace the smaller and individual producers. Marx went to the extent of saying that History would witness the replacement of indigenous farming with industrial and mechanised farming. Once this level of exploitation was reached the end of history would not be far away. This exploitation would unleash an era of unemployment and misery among the working class. When living under such miserable conditions became unbearable, history would witness a revolution spearheaded by the working class. Thus what Capitalism produces above all is its own ‘gravediggers’. It is the working class that would lead the final revolution to successfully remove the yoke of Capitalism. But the end of History or Communism as Marx viewed it was not to be achieved easily. The intermediate stage between Capitalism and Communism was the ‘Dictatorship of the Proletariat’. It was in this stage that the proletariat had complete control over the means of production as well as over the various institutions. The downfall of Capitalism, Marx claimed, would bring about the end of History. The phrase ‘end of history’ indicates a society based on Communism. It is a classless and egalitarian society where every man has full right over the fruits of his labour. From the ‘end of history’ there would emerge the final shape of the society. It would no longer undergo any more transformations, since all the major ills plaguing its predecessors had been removed. It was a society where man attained true economic freedom. Keeping in mind the fact that Marxism has a great deal of supporters it cannot be overlooked that the society Marx depicted in the end was more of a utopia rather than a reality. Though Marx’s philosophy has stood the test of times his views on the ‘end of History’ is yet to materialise. If we study the history of the world carefully we can see instances when the Marxian theory has borne fruit, but there have also been instances when the theory failed miserably. The theory of Marx was put to the test with the Russian Revolution. The theory defended itself by proclaiming that Russian society had not passed through the necessary stages in order to qualify as a successful communist society. Though the country was growing rapidly the society was predominantly feudal in nature. It had not been through the phase of Capitalism. The Soviet Union that was the glowing example of the success of Communism also faced failure. The downfall of the Soviet Union exposed the inherent corruption, inefficiency and irrationality present in the society. This picture of a communist society seemed to be absolutely contradictory to the egalitarian and classless society in a Communist Regime envisaged by Marx. The most important fact is that the ‘end of history’ is yet to manifest itself. With the ongoing scenario in the world Capitalism seems to have gained an even stronger foothold. Rather than an impending doom, capitalism is on a rise. The State that was supposed to wither away with the end of history is a far cry away. The State seems to be playing an even more important role today. It is far more intervening in the ways of man than predicted by man. Instead of being a tool of oppression the State has helped in maintaining stability, law and order in society. The end of history as envisaged by Marx is not easy to implement in practice. While envisaging an equal society Marx placed complete faith on the just and truthful nature of man. But man is by nature greedy. His wants keep increasing and to meet these wants he needs to amass resources. Thus, to think that man would be happy in his own little share would be a folly. It is inevitable that a man or a group of men would want to take over the reigns of power. Such a situation would lead to nothing but anarchy and chaos. It is because of the above reasons that the end of history seems such a far-fetched thought. The Marxian theory was not about right or wrong it was simply a theory of history. It followed the trends that had occurred in the past and on the basis of those sought to predict the future trends that would ensue. In so far that the theory acknowledged the presence of exploitation and domination in history it stands fully justified. It is only when it comes to predicting an end to Capitalism that the theory seems to falter. It seeks to attain the unattainable. In view of the above mentioned arguments, and in the light of the real world scenario, we can safely say, that, even though the political, economic and social institutions proposed By Marx are dead or dying away, his theory and influence on the world continue to exist. Works Cited Marx, . Karl,   Fredrick   Engels   and   David   Mclellan   ed,   The   Communist   Manifesto,   Oxford   World's   Classics   1848

Barriers to Learning Essay

The main object of any educational system is to create equal opportunities to provide quality education and effective learning so that all learners can reach their full potential and make a meaningful contribution to their future and participate in our society throughout their lives. It is imperative that the educational system is able to prevent learning breakdowns and exclusions. Barriers to learning can be found within the learner, be located within the centre of learning, found within the educational system or located within a broader social, economic or political context. Sometimes it is possible to identify these barriers which can then be addressed appropriately. The key to preventing barriers from occurring is the effective monitoring and meeting of the different needs amongst the learner populations and within the educational system as a whole. But the current focus of school improvement policies and practices are too limited to ensure that all students have an equal opportu nity to succeed at school. Socio-Economic Barriers Effective learning is influenced by the availability of educational resources to meet the needs of all the learners in the educational system. The lack of numbers of learning centres does not meet the learning population number. Inadequacies in resources and inequalities of discrimination in gender, race and disability found in our society result in forming barriers. The discrimination of the race factor was influenced by the apartheid era where the black population received a poor quality of education and even today non-urban districts are more marginalised with the educational system then urban-based districts that achieve higher exam marks. The inability to pay school fees will lead to the total exclusion of learners from the educational system due to the socio-economic barriers that further include; serve disabilities, living in poor communities and high areas of violence and crime. Basic Services With the inability of learners to access services or the non-existent services that are linked to educational provisions that contribute to the  learning processes, learners can not gain anything from the educational system. If learners are unable to reach the learning centres due to there being inadequate transport facilities, the roads being poorly developed or the learners are disabled and the transport is unwilling to transport them to the learning center, they will be excluded from the educational system. Clinics also affect the learner being involved in the educational system as the learners either have to get regular treatment that will leave the learner experiencing long periods of absence or if learners are unable to acquire the necessary treatment, will decrease their concentration, their capacity to learn and increase impairment. The lack of access to other services such as communication services and welfare also hinders the learning process. Educational systems are also largely inaccessible to deaf learners due to the lack of sign language interpreters. The lack of and distribution of different resources creates barriers to learning. With no money; no books, no human resources or writing material, the learners will not benefit from the educational system. Poverty and Underdevelopment The inability of families to meet their basic needs such as shelter and nutrition, effect the learning process of learners as there is increased emotional stress and under-nourishment that leads to a lack of concentration. Communities in poverty are also poorly resourced with limited educational centres and the learners are more likely to leave school and find a job to provide an income for their family. Disable learners are more easily excluded from the educational system and labour markets as able-bodied siblings have been accommodated first. Environment conditions can form barriers to learning through economic deprivation, community disorganization, violence, drugs and the rural people being in the minority. Attitudes Negative and discriminatory attitudes on the basis of prejudice towards gender, race, class, culture, disability, religion, ability; remain a critical barrier to learning. The negative attitudes and the stereotyping of learner’s differences due to poor knowledge as well as from fear and lack of awareness are easily picked up by other children who further alienate other learners. These attitudes result from traditional and religious beliefs. Disturbances Disturbances that arise within a social, economic and political environment can affect the social and emotional well-being of learners. A learner who is abused emotionally, physically or sexually, can be physically and emotionally damaged. Other factors that influence learners are substance abuse, conflict within the family, young girls being raped and falling pregnant, the lack of a support system and the lack of infrastructure that could lead to the learner’s breakdown or dropout of the educational system. In the wider parts of the African society, civil war and other forms of political violence can lead to trauma and emotional distress in learners. Some families that are evicted become refugees and the learning process is disrupted while the family seeks a safer environment. A safe environment for the educators and the learners cannot be guaranteed and this can prevent effective teaching and learning taking place. An unhealthy environment with a lack of electricity and toilets places learners at risk to diseases. Natural disasters and epidemics such as HIV/AIDS result in the learners having to deal with the loss of family members and making them vulnerable because they might have to fend for themselves. School and Peer Influence Learners who drop out or who are going through a learning breakdown can further manifest their negative behaviour to become disruptive and self-destructive. This negatively influences the other learners and may result in resistant and harmful attitudes in the classroom. Learners may have a negative encounter with a teacher or their peer and a mental block can be formed towards the educational system. Inappropriate teacher and peer role models cause a critical barrier in the learning process. Curriculum The curriculum itself creates barriers by being inflexible in the style and tempo in which teaching and learning takes place, the way in which the classroom is organised and managed as well as the availability of materials and equipment as it prevents, the needs of the diverse learners, from being met. The way in which assessments are designed can form a barrier between the learners who can memorise a certain amount of information and the learners who understand the concepts that are involved. The teachers need to  be enthusiastic about their teaching subject and get the learners more engaged and active in their lessons. Language and Communication Barriers to learning arise when the medium of teaching and learning takes place through a language that is not the learner’s first language. It places the learners at a disadvantage. Different Abilities Learners with disabilities may not be able to have effective learning taking place nor have their particular needs met due to the fact that their impairments may prevent them from learning and developing which results in barriers being met. Some learners will more easily experience a learning breakdown. Unsafe Environment The majority of learning centres are physically inaccessible to a large number of learners. The amount of learners in an area compared to the amount of schools is a shocking comparison, creating a barrier for learners to eventually get accepted into a school or to go to a school with many learners in the one class and have no one-on-one attention and it becomes difficult to meet the different needs of the diverse learners. Many schools are not built for the accessibility of blind, deaf and wheelchair bound learners, with these disabilities, and the environment becomes unsafe. Lack of Family Care and Involvement The parents and community’s active involvement is central to the effectiveness of learning and developing. Learners need to get recognition from their parents because without support and encouragement learners become insecure, have a low self-esteem and lack innovation that leads to the learning process being hindered. Individual Conditions All learners come from different backgrounds and have grown up in different environments but in the African context we have generalized their situation. An individuals barriers could include; medical problems, inadequate nutrition, underdevelopment, psycho-physiological problems and having a difficult temperament and adjustment problems. â€Å"If the education system is to promote effective learning and prevent learning breakdown, it is imperative that mechanisms are structured into the systems to break down existing barriers.† These mechanisms must be able to recognise the different barriers, overcome the barriers that occur, prevent barriers from occurring and promote the development of effective learning and teaching environments. It is important to have the ability to recognise, identify and understand the nature of the barriers at hand. There must be dedicated commitment to develop those mechanisms which will then allow diversity to be accommodated in the educational system. The enforcement of positive behaviour as well as the challenge to overcome negative attitudes must be effectively monitored to ensure that there are results. The promotion of mental and physical health to all the learners will help them become more aware to how they can improve their learning process. These mechanisms include: the improvement of protective legislation and policies, innovative practices for recognising and accommodating the continent’s diversity, government and non-government owned organizations aimed at including learners that were previously excluded from the educational system, activities that challenge attitudes against discrimination and curriculum restructuring. It is most important to work towards the involvement of the learners, parents, educators and community members, in the process to govern centres of learning and create training programmes that are equipped to deal with diverse needs. These mechanisms need to be supported in order to organise and d evelop teaching and learning environments as well as to help transform the economic, political and social environments.

“Antigone” The Protagonists

The widely held view is that Creon and Antigone represent the â€Å"Will of man† and â€Å"Will of God† as opposing forces. I think that there is certainly more, subtle layering to these characters than this simplistic summation. In order to fully understand this one needs to look at both the setting and background as the play unfolds. This adds entirely new dimensions to the confrontations between Antigone and Creon.Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. Jocasta is also her grandmother, a tale told in Oedipus Rex. Judith Butler states in her book â€Å"Antigones claim: Kinship between Life and Death† that â€Å"Antigone has already departed from kinship, herself the daughter of an incestuous bond, herself devoted to an impossible and death-bent incestuous love of her brother†.Already there is new layer to Antigone. According to modern medical thinking the offspring of incestuous relationships are more likely to be born with either mental or phys ical defects. From what we can establish, Antigone was not physically defective but zealotry is present that perhaps indicates psychosis. Nine out of ten Anthropologists will state that the one constant social norm over the ages was the abhorrence of incestuous relationships. I am however of the opinion that Polynices actually wasn’t the motivating factor but rather Antigone’s desire to be free of her shackles.Creon is the new ruler, brought about by the death of the brothers Eteocles and Polynices. He is also the guardian of Antigone and Ismene as appointed by Oedipus upon his death. Add to this that he is also Antigone’s future father-in-law. He felt the need to flex his ‘muscle’ in order to immediately solidify his position. One wonders though why there was no feeling of kinship between himself and Antigone considering the intertwining of heir lives?One imagines the setting of the opening of the play. The sisters are still reeling from the death of their brothers.The first eight lines conjure up a feeling that Antigone bears a lot of general resentment. Line 2 ‘Is there, of all the ills of Oedipus,’ indicates the long-suffering nature of their lives.Interesting to note here that she seems to attach no mortal blame but assigns it the Gods as example of their wrath or disapproval. Polytheism meant to the Greeks that there was a constellation of Gods watching them and to whom they were directly responsible. Line 8 ‘ Our ruler has enjoined on all the state’, she does not refer to him by name but rather scornfully as an entity. We already get the sense that she is less than enamored of him.Having not persuaded Ismene to join her in burying Polynices, Antigone rejects her and sets off to do it herself. Whether she means to be caught right away or if she was planning to step forward and defy Creon openly, the intent was certainly the same. SheWanted that opportunity to stand before him and challenge his a uthority.Their first confrontation takes place when she is discovered by the guards to be burying Polynices and then is brought before Creon. He does give her a chance to either redeem herself by saying that she knew not about the edict or that she did not understand in line 488 ‘Didst thou not know the edicts which forbade the things thou ownest?’She replies in an almost belligerent manner that perhaps indicates that she was ready for this moment, almost relishing the prospect of the confrontation. He asks her how dare she disobey the law and she responds with the line ‘Yes, it was not Zeus that made the proclamation’.Her subsequent response covers various aspects such as the supremacy of God’s law, ‘unwritten and secure’, and then she says that she welcomes death because she has lived amongst great troubles. The tone of her speech is fierce and unyielding and evinces disapproval from the chorus who supposedly represent the society they live in. Creon is enraged and states that her boasting of the deed is another offence in itself.Creon’s response to this is that ‘he will never be mastered by a woman’ and in his rage summons Ismene because he is convinced that Antigone could not have done it alone.The confrontation degenerates to a more personal level where Antigone accuses Creon of being a tyrant, which he counters with the statement that only she believes so. She then counters this with the charge that his tyranny keeps the others in fear of speaking their minds. Creon bitterly attacks Antigone and defends his manhood: line 577 â€Å"Go then to the world below, yourself, if you/ must love. Love them. When I am alive no woman shall rule†.In her argument with Creon, Antigone also shows more of her morbid longing for death, saying that for one who has lived as she has, death is welcome. This does not speak of an exceptionally strong person but of one that has found a purpose and now will fight until this is done. She wants to escape her life but she obviously did not want to slip into obscurity so she chose the most inflammatory and quick way of doing so. She also provided herself with a scapegoat for all her resentments.A cynical view perhaps but a more realistic one if we are to view Antigone as a whole person. As with any normal person our resentments are expressed in many ways, Antigone spoke of the injustice of the society she lived, the injustice of the deaths of her family and the final indignity of not even being allowed to bury a brother.Ismene is led in and Creon accuses her of helping Antigone bury Polynices. She does try to take some of the blame but Antigone is not having any of it. Aside from not wanting her glory to be shared she does not actually want her sister to die. This shows the first real feeling she has towards anyone else. Ismene’s innocence becomes clear although she is still trying to share blame. She turns to Creon and asks him if he is really willing to kill his son’s wife-to-be, and Creon replies that he wants no bad wife for his child. Haemon can find another bride.Haemon enters and at first, seems willing to submit to his father’s will. I think that perhaps he thought that he could win his father over gently without loss of face on his father’s part. Creon however is now in the part of tyrant and talks about the importance of having loyal sons, the foolishness of taking an evil wife, the relationship between being a good patriarch and a good ruler, the inviolability of law, the horror of disobedience to law and the need for order and discipline. All the signs of a good autocrat.Haemon tells Creon that the people of Thebes are sympathizing with Antigone. He tries to put this forward as having Creons best interests at heart then suggesting that Antigone should be honored. Creon of course is now furious, not only is he being challenged by a woman but now by his own son.He asks if his you ng son should advise a man Creons age, and if the King should reward a wicked rebel. Haemon replies that the people of thebes do not think she is wicked. Creon responds imperiously in line 794 ‘Should the city tell me how I am to rule them?’Their argument becomes more heated and Haemon accuses his father of foolishness and Creon defends his rule imperiously. It gets to the stage where Creon orders that Antigone be brought out and killed in front of Haemon. Haemon says that she will not die by his side and that Creon will never see him again. Creon is at his most barbaric at this time, his love of order and state carried to an immoral extreme. He tries to use Antigones death to hurt his own son, abusing his authority for the sake of gratuitous cruelty.   

Neural Networks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Monetary Policy Framework in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

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(CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) Assignment

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The Community Health Systems, Stress and Their Meanings Research Paper

The Community Health Systems, Stress and Their Meanings - Research Paper Example The employees realized that the due to the prevalent condition of the industry where reimbursements were waning and regulations were mounting, the Community Health Systems was facing financial complexity; yet they were not satisfied with the offer the company had proposed and believed that they should be paid better compensation. Jim Brentwood had said that they would conduct an informational picket on Thursday and after that, they would decide depending on the strike vote by the group of employees. He had added that although the employees did not wish to strike there was a strong possibility of one if the company did not collaborate with them. Mary Martin, on the other side, found it hard to believe that the employees would go for a strike because if they did so, they would be paid only half the amount that they would have earned for a week. The 2000 employees involved were at the bottom end of the company’s pay scale, and hence Mary Martin was confident that due to monetary constraints the employees would not vote in favor of a strike. Moreover, this group of employees included patient transporters, housekeeping and cafeteria workers, and the Community Health Systems was already thinking of outsourcing their dietary department to another firm, Thomson Healthcare Food Services; and hence even if the employees did go for a strike, the organization could carry on their cafeteria services without interruption. Instead of reconciling the existing differences and trying to arrive at a consensus agreement, both the sides were rigid in their stands and were not in a mood for negotiation. Generally, the outcome of a negotiation is reliant on the power relationship between the two sides. In this context, the employee union was not aware of the company’s plan to outsource their dietary requirements.

Operation analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Operation analysis - Essay Example Thus, the proponent emphasises the two chosen measures of operational performance for McDonald’s by explaining their importance and their capacity to help manage McDonald’s operation effectively. Company Background The company is an international icon as the leading fast food chain restaurant operating in an international coverage. Thus, it is important to learn a little background about this company as far as global foodservice retailing and performance evaluation measures are concerned. There were 22 million people worldwide served by McDonald’s in 1994 (Lyon et al., 1994). This figure rose more than twice which correspondingly one of the most important bases why McDonald’s declares to be the leading global foodservice retailer (McDonald’s, 2011). McDonald’s does not only cater to the needs of the consumers, as well as its franchisers. The reason why McDonald’s continues to flaunt its achievements is to entice international franchise rs in order to continuously help the brand grow for the better. Today, there are more than 32,000 McDonald’s local restaurants in 117 countries which approximately cater around 60 million people. This alone is enough to entice local business persons to go for foodservice retailing through McDonald’s franchising. At present, 75% of McDonald’s restaurants are globally owned or operated by local business people. Among of the world’s favourites at McDonald’s are its world famous fries, big mac, quarter pounder, chicken mcnuggets, and egg mcmuffin. Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s had established a good foundation for the company. He was successful in passing on the vision from generation to generation. This makes McDonald’s one of the best companies that can remarkably give important insights on how a business should function according to the basic business principles and even in areas of complicated situations. McDonald’s without q uestion is good at establishing both its internal and external control. This paves way to probable interrelated relationship between the company’s management control system and its strategies (Kober et al., 2007). In every business, control is important because it paves way to strategic management system (Nilsson and Olve, 2001). It is in this reason that control has become one of the most important options in business operation in order to evaluate existing strategies prior to the achievement of corporate goals. It is in line with this that performance measurement and management control have become strongly related with each other prior to effectively enhancing efficient business operation (Epstein, 2004). Measures of Performance – McDonald’s The main content of this paper includes two general performance measures that can be applied in an organisation. Particularly, the proponent includes financial perspective and customer perspective as two general performanc e measures that can be applied at McDonald’s. These two measures are essential perspectives of the balanced scorecard as a set of performance measures from the company’s strategies in order to support its strategy and generally its operation in the long run (Garrison and Noreen, 2000). Financial Performance Measure In the midst of tough competition most firms are apt to stimulate needs for their service or product offerings (Kotler et al., 1999; Boone and Kurtz, 2006). This is eventually relevant in the case of McDonald’s. The current market trend demands for more healthy foods which eventually tries to ward off consumers from

Biology Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Biology - Annotated Bibliography Example australis is the least tolerant of modified environments. Though the study is location-dependent, it still exemplifies a good scientific paper since the researchers were able to explicitly state their aims and their methods of going about their 12- year study. However, since it was indicated that later in the research, a newer technology (GPS) was used, I think that it would be better if the data presentation included the tracked items via GPS. The suggestion would add another dimension (the power of technology) to the research but the lack of it does not alter the completeness of the paper since even a sufficient background information and the significance of the study were provided. Lloyd, K. M., W. G. Lee, and S. Walker. 2006. Takahe Valley Hut: a focal point for weed invasion in an isolated area of Fiordland National Park, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Ecology Vol. 30(3): 371-375. The study aimed to look at back country recreational facilities as focal points for the spread of weeds. The research that was done in Takahe Valley Hut of the Fiordland National Park in New Zealand was able to conclude that grasses are the most invasive plant forms and that among the different types of land areas, bogs and forestly are the most resistant to invasion. The methodology of the study provided site, and climate descriptions, as well as vegetation sampling in the studied area. Moreover, ordination was utilized to analyze the data from the vegetation sampling done. The study is greatly dependent on location; however, this is not the main reason why the paper can not be considered as a good example of scientific writing. The problem lies with the lack of background information regarding the characteristics that make a plant form exotic, invasive and/or native. Though almost everyone may have a sense of what an exotic plant is, the term should contain definite limits because readers should not be left guessing whether the plant is exotic in the world, the whole country of New Zealand or just the southern portion of the said country. The research may be aimed at providing more information for the locals of New Zealand; but this does not mean that the data should be presented in such a way that familiarity is easily assumed and even, at the expense of completeness. ---------------------- Writer's note: the articles are available on-line at: http://www.nzes.org.nz/nzje pls note that the capitalized letters in the journal article title indicate proper nouns ---------------------- Johns, P. M., and B. Boag. 2003. The spread and distribution of terrestrial planarians (Turbellaria: Tricladida: Geoplanidae) within New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Ecology Vol.27(2): 201-206. Abstract: The New Zealand flatworm, Arthurdendyus triangulatus (formerly Artioposthia triangulata) has become established in the British Isles and the Faroe Islands and its human-mediated spread within Northern Ireland and Scotland is well documented. The geographical distributions within New Zealand of it and two related species, A. australis and A. testacea have always been assumed to reflect the natural distribution patterns. However, an analysis of the vegetation groups where the flatworms are presently found suggests that within New Zealand

Article summary Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Summary - Article Example ing solar power (CSP) and photovoltaics (PVs) – and notes that while these types seek at the maximization of solar energy, they have different approaches (Hamer 1). The considered questions in the article are related to the primary types of solar energy, the suitability of solar energy in heating water and the benefits that zero net energy constructions give to consumers. In this line, Hamer states that the world’s global energy needs will be largely dependent on the use of solar devices to harness light and heat from the sun for the generation of electricity via photovoltaic cells, owing to the declining prices of solar collectors. This reason is also largely supported by the sunny forecasts put on solar energy and a resemblance of the electricity system to the internet, having no particular center of activity, except for the photovoltaics integrated into roofs and windows. Consequently, Hamer states that there is an increase in the production, but, a subsequent decline in purchasing costs of PVs; hence, likely to have a significant impact on the installation of PVs and access to electricity. This would then classify solar energy for the many uses that electricity can be put to such as heating of water. PVs are also environmentally friendly as they produce no greenhouse gases or atmospheric emissions as a technology. Therefore, it presents itself as the most likely choice of renewable energy technology for embracing by the public (Hamer 1). Finally, a proposal for zero net energy buildings is given in which the Department of Energy is considering producing houses that consume no energy on net rate, but, incorporate numerous technologies for future homes, including the solar thermal and photovoltaics. In this article, the core theme as presented by Haugen is that of the effective production of electricity through solar energy. First, the energy is described as clean and reliable by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), as a counter for myths over

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 90

Assignment Example t the rate might not take past performance into consideration, or same level of performance may be marked for all the attributes or raters have different opinions about different performance levels. 2. The Barnard’s theory states that managers situated in the decision-making positions of the organizations have no authority until his/her subordinates accept his/her decisions. For example, the government wants the department of defense to initiate start working on a task, if the department does not accepts the task; the government does not have authority and vice-versa. 3. System I type management have the ability to provide reward, punishment to their subordinates (Babcock 129). They have this ability due to the position they hold in the organization. This type of management is used to motivate workers to work on a specific task. System II type management is used in Engineering settings where the manager has to help the subordinates through his expertise. 4. In some cases, management fails to adopt the dilemma of authority being equal to responsibility. This dilemma is not followed while delegating tasks to subordinates. A subordinate may be assigned a task or responsibility but he may not have the equal authority to get the task completed. In such scenarios, the subordinate has to use tactics such as persuasion and personal power to get the job done. 5. Engineers undergo heavy training, they are taught about every technicality of the job and in vocational schools, they learn about every single details of doing a task perfectly. They do not have the skills of being flexible on work or use different techniques for working; these are the reasons due to which they fail to manage in organizations. On the other hand, students in the business environment are taught to be flexible and are allowed to do a certain task in any effective and efficient manner and this is why these managers are more

Persuasive Essay- Ipads in Kindergarten Essay Example for Free

Persuasive Essay- Ipads in Kindergarten Essay In 2011, ten years after Maine began issuing laptops to all seventh graders, the Auburn School System launched an initiative to provide an iPad 2 for each of its students entering kindergarten. At a cost of roughly $200,000- representing a 5% increase in the school budget (Opinions Divided†¦) some taxpayers were less than pleased- calling it a complete waste of money. But in Auburn- and schools around the country- trends are emerging and showing the iPad to be a powerful learning tool and a necessary investment in our children’s future. For over a decade, Maine has been at the forefront of integrating technology into public schools and there is no reason to stop now. Despite the high cost to institute this program, Auburn should continue to provide iPads to students entering kindergarten. Auburn is not alone in providing iPads to kindergarteners. In fact, kindergarten students in Maine, Tennessee, and South Carolina have received iPads to supplement their teacher’s instruction. While the iPad cannot replace the human interaction of a teacher, it is a great addition to the classroom, at a time when the teacher to student ratio keeps getting larger and larger. Laura Shaw, principal of Sherwood Heights School recently said, â€Å"When you have eighteen kids in the classroom and you see ten kids, hands raised up, the teacher does her best to get around. But sometimes with the iPads and certain apps the kids get immediate feedback. They know what theyve done is correct and they can move on, or they know Oh, I need to ask for help,† (Porter). For example, a child can play â€Å"Feed the Hippos Hot Peppers. † In this app the child counts aloud while feeding the hippo. The teacher can adjust the app difficulty to â€Å"count† or â€Å"add† peppers, depending on the child’s capabilities. When the child answers the problem correctly, the iPad responds with a round of applause; an immediate cue to the child that they were correct (Lemeshow). Initially, Auburn Schools split the children into two groups when first issuing the iPads in 2011. Half of the children received iPads during the first week of school, the other half received their iPads in mid-November; effectively creating a control group to gage learning. Although the study lasted just 9 weeks, the results were promising. When tested, students who received their iPads in the first week of school scored higher in 9 out of 10 areas, compared with children who did not. One area in particular really stood out: recognizing sounds and writing letters. Kindergartners with iPads gained 13. 72 points, compared to an 11. 58-point gain for students who did not have iPads. That difference is significant, said Mike Muir, the Multiple Pathways leader for Auburn schools (Auburn Report: iPads). When pupils use iPads, more learning does not seem like a far stretch. With 100’s of learning apps available for download, teachers are able to customize the iPad and tailor the lesson to the individual child’s needs. This way, advanced children can reach their highest potential without becoming bored while the rest of the class catches up. On the other side, if one or two children are struggling, the rest of the class can move on, while the child receives the help she needs. Sherwood Heights Elementary School kindergarten teacher Susan Lemeshow called the iPads â€Å"one of the most powerful teaching tools I’ve ever used. †¦ I can put her on one book, her on a different level book,† she said of two girls in her class. Pupils are doing the same lesson, â€Å"but at the level they need,† she said (Report Say Giving†¦). So what is the problem? Those who oppose the program site the cost- around $800 per student entering kindergarten- as a major issue and wonder if a kindergartener is responsible enough to handle such an expensive piece of equipment. Others worry children may not learn to read and write properly. Auburn hopes the high level of testing done in the beginning of the school year will line them up for educational grants to relieve taxpayers of the burden from having to foot the bill. At the end of the year, the school system will also be able to compare this year’s kindergarten to previous years, with hopes of even better results. Regarding concerns of the students learning to write, it is important for people to understand that children are not using the iPads all day. The use of iPads is balanced. Students are still using crayons, markers, and traditional books. They are still learning how to hold pencils or crayons, and how to write (3 Auburn Teachers†¦). The iPads are a â€Å"center-based† activity with the children using them in 15-minute increments 2 to 3 times per day. Each iPad has a protective case, and students are not allowed to bring them home (Lemeshow). Providing iPads to students as an educational tool is invaluable. With the iPads children have become excited about learning. â€Å"We are seeing high levels of student motivation, engagement and learning in the iPad classrooms,† said Sue Dorris, Principal of East Auburn School (NooNoo). Children born in today’s world grow up bombarded by technology in every aspect of their lives- except school- so an iPad as a learning tool is appealing to them. It really gets their attention and keeps them engaged. The results are more learning and better test scores. With technology always evolving, newer apps, and programs, the possibilities really are endless. Auburn’s plan is to purchase and iPad for each new pupil entering kindergarten. The iPad will stay with the student from kindergarten through 6th grade. With this plan Auburn hopes to have an iPad in the hands of every elementary student in the district by 2017. If every student is equipped with an iPad, the world of digital text books emerges- which could amount to huge savings. In this digital world, it is not really a question of if we can afford this; but more a question of if we can afford not to? Works Cited Lemeshow, Susan. Telephone interview. 27 Apr. 2012. NooNoo, Stephen, ed. â€Å"Kindergarten iPad Initiative Reveals Modest Literacy Gains. † T. H. E. Journal. 1105 Media, Inc. , 2012. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. http://thejournal. com/? articles/? 2012/? 02/? 17/? kindergarten-ipad-initiative-reveals-modest-literacy-gains. aspx. Porter, Tim. â€Å"A School System in Maine Gives iPads to Kindergartners. † Voice of America. N. p. , 23 Nov. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. http://www. voanews. com/? learningenglish/? home/? education/? A-School-System-in-Maine-Gives-iPads-to-Kindergartners-134428658. html. Washuk, Bonnie. â€Å"Auburn Report: iPads Help Kindergartners’ Learn. † McClatchy Tribune Business News (Feb. 2012): n. pag. ProQuest Central K12. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. http://search. proquest. com/? docview/? 921559906? accountid=40168. -. â€Å"Opinions Divided Over iPads for Auburn Kindergartners. † Sun Journal [Lewiston, Maine] 8 Apr. 2011, Lewiston-Auburn ed. : n. pag. Sun Journal. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. http://www. sunjournal. com/? city/? story/? 1012022. -. â€Å"Report Says Giving iPads to Auburn Kindergartners Increases Test Scores. † Bangor Daily News 16 Feb. 2012: n. pag. BangorDailyNews. Com. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. http://bangordailynews. com/? 2012/? 02/? 16/? education/? report-says-giving-ipads-to-auburn-kindergartners-increases-test-scores/. -. â€Å"3 Auburn Teachers Give iPads High Grade. † Sun Journal [Lewiston, Me. ] 20 Oct. 2011.

New and Social Media for Public Relations Strategies

New and Social Media for Public Relations Strategies INTRODUCTION The topic of the dissertation deals with the research into the use of progressively emerging technology of new media, as a tool, by the public relation practitioners. The focus is mainly on the adoption of various new media tools, by practitioners, for practicing public relation activities. There’s a huge market for new media and, if used properly, it can be a great tool to maintain effective relations by the organization and in projecting a very positive image of the organization. New media not only allows public relations practitioners to reach out to and engage their publics in conversation, but also provides an avenue to strengthen media relations..New Media is emerging as an important public relations tool and empowers two way symmetrical communications with publics and stakeholders. PR professionals are confronted with the swift rise of social media that forces practitioners to pay due and timely attention. They are not only excited about utilizing these tools together w ith conventional media, but are also excited about speaking directly to their publics and stakeholders without the involvement of any intermediaries. The current study examines the use of new media as a tool for public relation practitioners. With the advent of improved and fast way of accessing information, people have changed their ways to get information. Observing this changing trend, PR professionals have also started using New Media to play their role effectively. It has reduced the need of third party influencer, like media, to communicate with the public. New Media facilitates PR professionals to interact directly with their organization’s public, specifically consumers. The focus of study is to know about the new media tools being used by practitioners and their opinion about its use, whether they blend the new media tools with traditional tools to perform various activities of public relations, the advantages and challenges they are facing using New Media for Public Relations in chandigarh. This is a cross sectional descriptive survey done by interviewing Public Relation practitioners working in chandigarh. PUBLIC RELATIONS: In the early 1900s, Ivy Lee  and  Edward Louis Bernays  came up with the first definition of PR: a management function, which tabulates public attitudes, defines the policies, procedures, and interests of an organization followed by executing a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance. Dr. Rej F Harlow, a PR scholar and practitioner, undertook the task of compiling published PR definitions. Analyzing 472 definitions ,he put forward a working definition, that says : â€Å"Public Relation is a distinctive management function which helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance and cooperation between an organization and its publics ; involves the management of problems or issues ; helps management to keep informed on and responsive to public opinion ; defines and emphasizes the responsibility of management to serve the public interest ; helps management keep abreast of effectively utilizing change, serving as an early warning system to help anticipate trends; and uses research and sound and ethical communication as its principal tools.† PUBLIC RELATION ACTIVITIES: Publicity: It involves disseminating information through selected media with the motive of gaining public attention, without paying to the media. Promotion: It attempts to gain the support for a person, product, organization or an idea. It helps consumers know about the product, the price, or the place. Issues/Crisis management: It has a proactive nature of identifying issues that can likely concern to an organization and, thus, involves development of a response mechanism to manage such unanticipated situations. Community relations: By maintaining good relationships with members of the community, more customers can be attracted through word-of-mouth and also generates customer loyalty. Media relations: It involves circulating messages through media and to keep a watch on how the product / organization’s image is being portrayed by the media. Developing good relationships with media persons is an important activity in the PR process. Event management: It involves planning activities or events which will attract media attention to a person, product, organization or an idea. Employee relations: It involves building work culture and team relationships among the employees by sharing information, promoting involvement and inculcating a sense of pride in business achievement. It helps in improving teamwork, staff retention and productivity. Advertising It is a paid form of presentation and communication from an identified sponsor. Businesses use advertising to promote their product, while non-profit organizations use ads to raise awareness or encourage a change in behavior. Lobbying: It involves a professional attempt to bring about a change to a government policy, corporate policy, or public opinion that is favorable towards the organization, cause or group. During political campaigns, in order to affect public opinion, parties may engage PR firms as lobbyists. TRADITIONAL TOOLS USED IN PUBLIC RELATIONS: Publicity Media: Press: A Public relation person acts as the voice of the organization and provides information about the activities of the organization, its policies and programmers to the public through the press. Various ways in which information can be provided to the press are: Press Releases: It is written information of timely nature, about the policies and activities of an organization that is sent to all news media by an organization. Editorials/Articles /Features: A public relations person, have to maintain good relationship with the media and should have effective persuasive skills, in order to provide background material to suggest subjects for editorials. Television: Due to great scope of television as a publicity medium, it is a highly effective tool for Public Relations. Radio: Radio can be effectively used in Public Relation as it covers more than 90% of the Indian population. Films/Videos/Documentaries: It can be used for both the internal or external public to train and motivate employees and educate consumers. Oral Communication: It is majorly use for internal public, such as employees, to provide them training or information about the organization’s policies. Various ways to perform Oral Communication are: Meetings: It is a formally arranged gathering of two or more persons, to serve some purpose. Speeches: Formal speeches are the fastest way of conveying information.The public relations department is involved in research, speech writing and training of speakers. Other ways for oral communication can be telephones calls, public address system, panel discussion, counseling etc. Printed Literature: Publicity literature helps organization to promote its products, services or activities.These can take various forms. House Journal: It is an organization’s publication that caters its internal public and external ‘public’. Its objective is to create an environment for exchange of thoughts on various issues concerning an organization and its employees. Annual Reports: It can serve as prestige publication to attract prospective investors. Brochures: It usually covers information on a specific subject and is used for various purposes such as explaining a new programme, to ask for donations.’Take home or mail-out brochures make consumers cognitively connected to the organization and its products and services. Other forms of Printed Literature can be catalogues, booklets, leaflets. Miscellaneous Communication Tools: Stickers, posters, labels, Racks or bins, window display, Packaging, gifts like calendars, diaries, pens, key chains. Direct mail: (Newsletters.): Regular newsletters providing relevant information about the organization or/and its products/services can fortify relations with customers. Advertorials: Advertisements in the form of news stories allow to associate advertising with the credibility of the newspaper. Press Conferences: It involves calling media representatives together at a place to disseminate newsworthy information regarding the organization. Media Previews: When introducing a new product or organizing new plants and facilities ,the day before the official public showing, the media is given a preview ; company officials welcome media persons and answer their queries. PressTours: It involves transporting a press party a long distance. Press officials are invited individually to witness a landmark achievement, the commissioning of a project or a crisis situation .The Public relation officer briefs them time to time and give background information during press tour. Media-Management Luncheons: Luncheons are arranged in which media representatives have an opportunity to meet management, to hear about new corporate developments and to inspect facilities. Clip Sheets: News stories and illustrations are reproduced in newspaper format to show news editors how stories and pictures will appear in print, are distributed by PR department to editors of daily and weekly newspapers. Press kits: It contains mimeographed news releases, photographs, biographies, and background material that are prepared by PR departments and distributed to the media at special events. Publicity Distribution Services: It provides production and low cost distribution of news and pictures to editors and news writers of business magazines, newspapers and radio and television stations. Exhibitions: It helps to get the instant feedback of the consumers so that their doubts can be clarified and, thus, build customer’s confidence. Special Events: Its aim is to publicize about the organization and its products in such a way that it attracts the attention of media so that it gets the best coverage possible. Outdoor Media: PR professionals use it for disseminating information about their organization’s policies and programmes. Attendance at public events: Presence at Public Events is valuable promotional opportunities. It gives an added advantage over competitors. It gives the opportunity to directly reach the public. NEW MEDIA: The term ‘New Media’ originated in 21stCentury. It accounts for everything related to digital communication technologies, that is, related to computer or any mobile device connected to internet is the necessary requirement for new media. Its key feature is Interactivity. In context of Public Relations, the term ‘new media can be aptly called as Social media as being social is all about building and maintaining relationships. But considering the larger context social media is a subset of new media. Still sometimes these two terms are used interchangeably. In terms of Public Relations, New media tools can help in following ways: Connectpeople with information and services. Collaboratewith internal and external Createnew content, services, and channels of communication that help you deliver information and services. DEFINITIONS OF NEW MEDIA: According to Oxford dictionary: New Media is a means of mass communication using digital technologies such as the Internet. As defined by Webopedia, new media is: A generic term for the many different forms of electronic communication that are made possible through the use of computer technology. The term is in relation to old media forms, such as print newspapers and magazines that are static representations of text and graphics. DIFFERENT FORMS OF NEW MEDIA: Web sites: A location on the World Wide Web that contains a home page and is owned and managed by an individual, company or organization. Online Newsroom: An  online newsroom  (also known as a  press room,  media room,  press center  or  media center) is a website that contains information about a corporation or organization. The online newsroom was initially created for corporate communicators and  public relations  firms to target traditional  media  outlets, fundamentally newspapers, magazines, radio stations and television stations. Electronic mail: Most commonly referred to asemailore-mailsinceca.1993,it is used for exchanging digital messages. Online communities: Group of people with similar goals or interests connect and exchange information using web tools. Virtual Reality Worlds: A three-dimensional environment is simulated on the computers monitor screen. It allows and its users to interact via graphical avatar representations of themselves. Video sharing: Allow you to upload and share online videos Webcasts: Internet-based communication tools used to broadcast live or recorded audio and/or video over the internet so that information could be delivered to a broad audience and, in this case, audiences are also connected with each other. It can be either one-way presentation or an interactive session Webinars: Internet-based typically one way communication tool that can be understood as a specific type of web conference. It involves online polling and question -answer sessions. It can be recorded in order to benefit those who were not able to attend the scheduled time. Web conferences: Internet-based communication tools used to conduct live meetings or presentations over the internet. Widgets: A web widget is a small application that you can embed in a social network site, blog, or website to share content. RSS (Real Simple Syndication) Feeds: To receive updates without browsing sites for the latest information, RSS feeds are used. These can be used to share information from the organization to the readers. It gets the user subscribed to a particular website. Video and computer games: It provides high level involvement to the user. These could be single or multi player games .They may or may not be online. Podcasting: Podcasts are free audio or video files that can be listened to or watched on the computer or mobile device. It can be an easy and inexpensive way to provide information to your target audience(s). Blogs Vlogs: A website with periodical updates (posts) that include text, graphics, videos and hyperlinks. Usually informal in style, blogs allows their readers to leave comments. Wiki: An online resource that covers information on almost all the general topics. Web advertising: Internet advertising, such as banners, pay-per-click ads, pay-per-call ads and pop-ups, provides a way of reaching people who use the internet for shopping or to gather information. Instant Messaging (IM): Due to its simplicity, ease in usage and relatively high level of synchronicity, IM is now widely used internet based communication tool at the workplaces. Chat Rooms: A part of an online service that provides virtual world human interaction in real time. Social Networking: A website that helps in getting connected to one’s family and friends and share information. Cell Phones: These facilitate consumers to get handy with the latest information and provide instant updates in their inboxes when something happens.

Paradoxes and contradictions presented in Macbeth

Paradoxes and contradictions presented in Macbeth Paradoxes and contradictions (foul and fair, and so on) presented in Macbeth In William Shakespeares tragedy, Macbeth, readers are introduced to a harsh world of war, murder and treachery. At the beginning of the play three witches tell Macbeth that in his life time he will become Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, as well as the King of Scotland. At first Macbeth is slow to believe the prediction of the witches, but after the first two prophecies come to fruition Macbeth becomes power hungry. Throughout the drama readers see both the rise and fall of Macbeth. Macbeths coming to power, through destructive and immoral means, creates a world of mistrust in most, if not all, characters. Shakespeare exploits this world of uncertainty and evil by adding many contradictions and paradoxes pertaining to trust and darkness. After the original murder of Duncan in Macbeths castle characters become very uneasy because there is obviously a traitor among them. Trust becomes a big issue among those in the castle, and others concerned for the well being of Scotland. Shakespeare emphasizes the trust versus mistrust issue by using specific literary devices. In the very first scene one of the witches utters the famous paradox, Fair is foul and foul is fair (1.1.) This paradox means that appearances can be very deceiving and there is fine line between good/evil and trust/mistrust. Before the murder of Duncan Macbeth has an Gillis 2 internal battle with his conscience, he reflects on the fact that Duncan is here in double trust. There are in fact two reasons for him to be protecting the King. He says, Hes here in double trust:/ First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,/ Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,/ Who should against his murderer shut the door,/ Not bear the knife myself. (1.7.). Ultimately Macbeths vaulting ambition(1.7) overrides his conscience and he does murder Duncan in his own castle. After the deed is committed Macbeth panics. He sees ghosts and believes that he will never sleep again. Lady Macbeth reminds him that he must keep remain calm and hide his guilt to maintain the trust of the other members of the Kings party. False face must hide what the false heart doth know(1.7.). Hiding the truth is Macbeth and Lady Macbeth main focus, along with attempting to murder anyone who stands in the way of the continuation of their royal linage. The question of who to trust is also seen when Macduff travels to England to seek the help of Malcolm, Malcolm tests him by making himself out to be a tyrant that has no interest in kingly duties and MacDuff reacts with despair, O my breast,/ Thy hope ends here!(4.3.) Malcolm then decides that MacDuff is indeed a loyal patron of Scotland and he may trust him. The uneasiness of the characters is amplified by Shakespeares emphasis on trust. It is extremely difficult to tell your friends from your enemies when a traitor is among them. Shakespeare also uses light and darkness to enhance the images of good and evil throughout the play. Macbeth often makes reference to darkness as if he is shamefully trying to run away and hide from his thoughts and actions. Even before the murder of Duncan he feels guilty. Macbeth says, Stars hide your fires,/ Let not light see my black Gillis 3 and deepest desires(1.4.) The darkness of the night is then embraced my both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as they attempt to hide their evil deeds from the public eye. It seems as though the characters in Macbeth believe that the cover of darkness is needed when committing acts of violence and corruption. The witches are also associated with darkness. Banquo refers to them as instruments of darkness (1.3) and Macbeth calls them secret, black, and midnight hags(4.1) These references give readers a sense that the witches are mischievous and evil rather than simply the messengers of good news and predictors of great fortunes. The darkness also seems to blur the lines between reality and the supernatural. All of the appearances of the witches occur during the night deep in the wood, where it is hard to tell reality apart from a paranoid imagination. The light and your eyes may play tricks on you causing you to think or believe something fictional. This is why Shakespeare only had the witches materialize under these circumstances, to enhance the effect of the supernatural. Light is also used as a metaphor for life. In Macbeths final soliloquy he says, And all our yesterdays have lighted fools/ The way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle! (5.5.) Shakespeare compares life to the flame of a candle. The candle can be extinguished easily and in the grand scheme of things it only burns for a tremendously small amount of time. It does not matter how long the candle has been burning it can be blown out at any point. This is an especially interesting comparison because those murdered in Macbeth are of all ages, from King Duncan to Macduffs children. Throughout this tragedy Shakespeare uses many literary devices to make certain aspects of his writing stand out to the reader. The paradoxes, contradictions and metaphors Gillis 4 used in Macbeth constructed a sort of onstage world where it is impossible to trust anyone. At any point there could be someone hidden in the darkness ready to take your life. Scotland has been enveloped in a shadow of darkness, and the result is disorder, chaos and murder.

Argentina Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Argentina is a federal republic in southern South America on the border of Bolivia and Paraguay; on the east by Brazil, Uruguay, and the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Atlantic Ocean and Chile, and on the west by Chile. The country is the biggest country on the south side and is triangular in shape, with the base in the north and the corner at Punta Dungeness, the southeastern tip of the continent. The length of Argentina in a northern to southern direction is about 2,070 mi.. Its biggest width is about 860 mi.. The area of Argentina is 1,073,518 sq mi.. It is the second largest South American country, Brazil ranking first. The capital and largest city is Buenos Aires.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Argentina has a lot of mountains, upland areas, and plains. The western boundaries of the country fall entirely within the Andes. The only other highlands of consequence in Argentina is the Sierra de Cà ³rdoba, in the central portion of the country. In the north, the Argentine plains consist of the southern portion of the South American region known as the Gran Chaco. The Pampas plains that include the most productive agricultural sections of the country, extend about 1,000 mi. south from the Gran Chaco. In Patagonia, south of the Pampas, the terrain consists largely of arid, desolate steppes. A famed scenic attraction, the Iguaà §u Falls, is on the CIguau River a tributary of the Paranà ¡. The chief rivers of Argentina are the `Aparan, which splits the north part of the country. In the area between the Rà ­o Salado and the Rà ­o Colorado and in the Chaco region, some large rivers empty into swamps and marshes or disappear into sinks. Temperate climatic conditions prevail throughout most of Argentina, except for a small tropical area in the northeast and the subtropical Chaco in the north. The climate is generally cold in the Andes, Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego. In the western section of Patagonia winter temperatures average about 0 ° C (32 ° F). In most coastal areas, however, the ocean exerts a moderating influence on temperatures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The traditional wealth of Argentina is in the vast Pampas, which are used for extensive grazing and grain production. However, Argentine mineral resources, esp... ...ay. Colonization of the region was begun in 1535 by the Spanish soldier Pedro de Mendoza. In June 1806, Buenos Aires was attacked by a British fleet under the command of Admiral Home Riggs Popham. The viceroy offered no defense against the attack, which was made without permission by the British government. The British invaders occupied the city but were kicked out by a citizen army the next August.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Revolutionary sentiment in La Plata reached its peak in the period following the deposing of King Ferdinand VII in 1808. The people of Buenos Aires refused to recognize Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother, who was then installed on the Spanish throne. On May 25, 1810, they overthrew the viceregal government and installed a provisional governing council in the name of Ferdinand VII. Representatives of the various provinces convened at Tucumà ¡n in March 1816. On the following July 9 the delegates proclaimed independence from Spanish rule and declared the formation of the United Provinces of South America. In March 1949, Perà ³n promulgated a new constitution permitting the president of the republic to succeed himself in office.

Fallen Angels Essay -- essays research papers

Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers, begins with the introduction of an African American 19-year-old boy who lives in Chicago. Recently he's joined the army and been assigned domestic work as he hoped for due to his bad leg and unreliable strength on it. Then, by accident of paperwork, he was eventually sent to Nam and put directly onto the field. He agreed to wait for his injury profile to catch up with him and that then he could return home. His mother at home is quite worried for him and also for the future of her other younger son Kenny. Life is hard and money is scarce with the absence of the family's father. In Nam, the elder son Perry undergoes many experiences that are permanently damaging to his mental physique and deal with the balance of life and death. As any Vietnam Story, me... Fallen Angels Essay -- essays research papers Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers, begins with the introduction of an African American 19-year-old boy who lives in Chicago. Recently he's joined the army and been assigned domestic work as he hoped for due to his bad leg and unreliable strength on it. Then, by accident of paperwork, he was eventually sent to Nam and put directly onto the field. He agreed to wait for his injury profile to catch up with him and that then he could return home. His mother at home is quite worried for him and also for the future of her other younger son Kenny. Life is hard and money is scarce with the absence of the family's father. In Nam, the elder son Perry undergoes many experiences that are permanently damaging to his mental physique and deal with the balance of life and death. As any Vietnam Story, me...

Information Technology Ethics Essay

Definitions -the right to be alone – the most comprehensive of rights, and the right most valued by people. (Justice Louis Brandeis, Olmstead v. US, 1928) -the right of individuals to control the collection and use of information about themselves. Legal Aspects Protection from unreasonable intrusion upon one’s isolation. Protection from appropriation of one’s name or likeness.  Protection from unreasonable publicity given to one’s private. Protection from publicity that unreasonably places one in a false light before the public. RECENT HISTORY OF PRIVACY PROTECTION Communication Act of 1934 -it restricted the government’s ability to secretly intercept communications. However, under a 1968 federal statute, law enforcement officers can use wiretapping if they first obtain a court order. Wiretapping – the interception of telephone or telegraph communications for purpose of espionage or surveillance. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) – (passed -1966, amended-1974) provides the public with the means to gain access to certain government records such as the spending patterns of an agency, the agency’s policies and the reasoning behind them, and the agency’s mission and goals. Fair Credit Reporting Act (1970) – this act regulates the operations of credit-reporting bureaus, including how they collect, store, and use credit information. – it is designed to promote accuracy, fairness, and privacy of information in the files of credit reporting companies and to check verification systems that gather and sell information about people. Privacy Act (1974) – declares that no agency of the U.S. government can conceal the existence of any personal data record-keeping system, and that any agency that maintains such a system, must publicly describe both the kind of information in it and the manner in which the information will be used. – the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the law enforcement agencies are excluded from this act. – the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) â€Å"Fair Information Practices† are often held up as a model of ethical treatment of consumer data for organization to adopt. Summary of the 1980 OECD privacy guidelines Principle Guideline Collection limitation Limit the collection of personal data. All such data must be obtained lawfully and fairly with the subject’s consent and knowledge. Data Quality Personal data should be accurate, complete, current and relevant to the purpose for which it is used. Purpose Specification The purpose for which personal data is collected should be should be specified and should not be changed. Use Limitation Personal data should not be used beyond the specified purpose without a persons consent or by authority of law. Security Safeguards Personal data should be protected against unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure. Openness principle Data policies should exist and a â€Å"data controller† should be identified. Individual participation People should have the right to review their data, to challenge its correctness, and to have incorrect data changed. Accountability A â€Å"data controller† should be responsible for ensuring that the above principles are met. Children’s Online Protect Act (COPA)(1998) – The law states that a website that caters to children must offer comprehensive privacy policies, notify their parents or guardians about its data collection practices, and receive parental consent before collecting any personal information from children under 13 years of age. European Company Directives 95/46/EC (1998) – requires any company that does business within the borders of 15 Western European nations to implement a set of privacy directives on fair and appropriate use of information. Summary of the European Data Privacy Principle Notice Tell all customer what is done with their information. Choice Give customer a way to opt out of marketing. Onward Transfer Ensure that suppliers comply with the privacy policy. Access Give customer access to their information. Security Protect customer information from unauthorized access. Data Integrity Ensure that information are accurate and relevant. Enforcement Independently enforce the privacy policy. Better Business Bureau Online (BBB Online) and TRUSTe – independent, nonprofit initiatives that favor an industry-regulated approach to data privacy which concerned about the government regulation that could have a negative impact on the Internet’s use and growth, and that such regulation would be costly to implement and difficult to change. The BBB Online Seal adheres that the website has a high level of data privacy. The seal program identifies online businesses that honor their own stated privacy policy. The TRUSTe’s main rule is that websites should openly communicate what information it gathers, its use, to whom it will be shared, and does the consumer has a choice of opting out. Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (1998) -this act required all financial-services institutions to communicate their data privacy policies and honor customer data-gathering preferences by July 1, 2001. This was to make them take actions to protect and secure customers’ nonpublic data from unauthorized access or use. KEY PRIVACY AND ANONYMITY ISSUES GOVERNMENTAL ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE Federal Wiretap Act (U.S. Code Title 18 Part 1, Chapter 119, Wire and Electronic Communications Interception and Interception of Oral Communications) – it requires processes to obtain court authorization for surveillance of all kinds of electronic communications, including e-mail, fax, internet, and voice, in criminal investigation. A court order must be issued based on probable cause before a wiretap can commence. roving tap – government authority to obtain a court order that does not name a specific telephone or e-mail, but allows them to tap any phone lines or internet accounts that the suspect uses. Electronic Communication Privacy Act of 1986 (ECPA, U.S Code Title 18, part 2, Chapter 206) – standards for access to stored e-mail and other electronic communications and records. ECPA amended Title III (Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968) – extended the title III’s prohibitions against the unauthorized interception (use of person’s oral or electronic communications). -this act failed to address emerging technologies such as wireless modems, cellular, data networks, etc. thus, this communication can still be legally intercepted. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) – allows wiretapping of aliens and citizens in the U.S. based on a finding of probable cause that the target is a member of a foreign terrorist group or an agent of a foreign power. Executive Order 123333 (U.S. Pres. Reagan, 1982) – legal authority for electronic surveillance outside the U.S. It permits intelligence agencies to intercept communications outside the U.S. without a court order. Communication Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA, 1994) – it covers radio-based data communication. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) required providers of Internet phone and broadband services to ensure that their equipment can allow police wiretaps. USA Patriot Act of 2001 – Gives sweeping new powers to Domestic law enforcement and International intelligence agencies. It contains several sunsets that gives the government much more surveillance capability. Sunset provisions – can terminates itself or portions after a specific date unless further actions is taken to extend the law DATA ENCRYPTION Cryptography – the science of encoding messages so that only the sender and the intended receiver can understand them. Encryption – the process of converting an electronic message into a form that can be understood only by the intended recipients. Public key encryption system uses two keys Message receiver’s public key – readily available Message receiver’s private key – kept secret Private key encryption system Single key to encode and decode messages RSA (named after Rivest, Shamir and Adleman) – is a public key encryption algorithm, the basis for much of the security that protects Web consumers and merchants. PGP ( Pretty Good Privacy) – uses 128 bit encryption that represents a total of 2128 . DES (Digital Encryption Standard) – the standard for encryption, it employs a 56 bit key that represents 7.2Ãâ€"1016 . (It can now be crack using brute methods) AES (Advanced Encryption Standards) – requires crackers to try as many as 1.1Ãâ€"1077 combinations. IDENTITY THEFT – occurs when someone steals key pieces of personal information to gain access to a person’s financial accounts. – fastest growing form of fraud in the United States. Phishing – is an attempt to steal personal identity data by tricking users into entering the information on a counterfeit Website. Spear-phishing – is a variation in which employees are sent phony emails that look like they came from high-level executives within their organization. Spyware – is a term for keystroke-logging software that is downloaded to users computer without adequate notice, consent, or control for the user. It creates a record of keystrokes entered into the computer with or without internet and will send to the email of the spy when internet connections are available. Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998 – the congress passed this act to fight identity fraud, making it a federal felony punishable by a prison sentence of 3 -25 years. – researchers estimated that 1 of 700 identity crimes were led to conviction. CONSUMER PROFILING – Companies openly collect personal information about Internet users. They also obtain information without users permission through the use of cookies. – marketing firms uses this information in building databases that contains consumer behavioral data. They want to know about who the users are, what they like, how they behave, and what motives them to buy. Cookies – a text file that a website puts on your hard drive so that it can remember your information later on. Affiliated Websites – is a group or collection of websites served by a single advertising network. 3 Types of Data Gathered POST – it is entered into a blank fields on an affiliated website when a consumer signs up for a service. GET – it reveals what the consumer requested product in a specific store. Click-Stream Data – it is the tracking of the information the user sought and viewed. 4 Ways to Limit/Stop deposit Cookies Set browsers to limit or stop cookies or browse the web using the incognito browsing mode which will remove all marks of your browsing. Manually delete cookies in your hard drives. Download and install cookie management program. Or use anonymous proxy websites to browse websites. However, some websites lock users to browse in their page when cookie is disabled. Personalization software – it is used by marketers to optimize the number, frequency and mixture of their ad placements. It is also used to evaluate how visitors react to new ads. Types of Personalization Software Rule-based – used business rules that are tied to customer provided preferences or online behaviors to determine the most appropriate page views and product information to display. Collaborative Filtering – offers consumer recommendations based on the types of product purchased by other people with similar buying habits. Types of Personalization Software (Continued) Demographic Filtering – it augments click stream data and user supplied data with demographics information associated with user zip codes to make product suggestions. Contextual Commerce – associates product promotions and other e-commerce offerings with specific content a user may receive in a new story online. Platforms for Privacy Preferences (P3P) – shields users from site that don’t provide the level of privacy protection  they desire. Instead of forcing users to find and read through the privacy policy for each site they visit, P3P software in the computers browser will download the privacy policy for each site, scan it and notify users if the policy does not match their preferences. The World Wide Web Consortium, an international privacy group whose members include Apple, Commerce One, Ericsson, and Microsoft, created P3P and is supporting its development. TREATING CONSUMERS DATA RESPONSIBILITY -Strong measures are required to avoid customer relationship problems. Code of Fair Information Practices – most widely accepted approach to treating consumers data responsibly. Guidelines of Code of Fair Information Practices and the 1980 OECD an organizations collects only personal information that is necessary to deliver its product and services. Company ensures that the information is carefully protected and accessible only by those with a need to know, and that consumers can review their own data and make corrections. Company informs customers if it intends to use it’s information for research or marketing, and it provides a means for them to opt out. Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) – executive to oversee data privacy policies and initiatives. Duties of CPO Avoid government regulations and reassure customers that their privacy will be protected. Stop or modify major company marketing initiatives. Training employees about privacy and checking the companies privacy policy for potential risks. Figuring out if gaps exist and how to fill them. Developing and managing a process for customer privacy disputes. WORKPLACE MONITORING Employers monitor workers – Ensures that corporate IT usage policy is followed Fourth Amendment cannot be used to limit how a private employer treats its employees. – Public-sector employees have far greater privacy rights than in the private industry. Privacy advocates want federal legislation – To keeps employers from infringing upon privacy rights of employees. SPAMMING – the transmission of the same email message to a large number of people. Spammers target individual users with direct email messages, building their mail list by scanning Usenet postings, buying mail lists or searching the web for addresses. – extremely inexpensive method of marketing. – used by many legitimate organizations. – can contain unwanted and objectionable materials. Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing(CAN-SPAM)  the act says it is legal to spam provided that the message meet a few basic requirements: (1) spammers cannot disguise identity, (2) there must be a label in the message specifying that it is an ad or solicitation, and (3) include a way that the recipient can stop the receiving of spam. The act failed to slow the flow of spam but instead, it actually increased the flow of spam by legalizing it. ADVANCED SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY Advanced surveillance technology provide a new data gathering capabilities, however, these advance can also diminish individuals privacy. Advocates of the technology argue that people have no legitimate expectations of privacy in a public place. Camera Surveillance – is one of the most common advanced system used in surveillance nowadays. It has the capability to record events, detecting unusual behaviour, automatically capturing important events, and used in monitoring day to day events in different places. Facial Recognition Software There have been numerous experiments with facial recognition software to help identify criminal suspects and other undesirable characters. It has been first tested by the Rampart Division of the Los Angeles Police Department and yielded a result. Global Positioning System (GPS) These are chips placed in different devices to monitor locations of the  users. It is useful in locating callers of 911, parents monitoring their children, etc.