Thursday, October 31, 2019

Validity in Quantitative Research Design Assignment

Validity in Quantitative Research Design - Assignment Example Biasness in the research is one of the major threats to validity, in order to strengthen careful and reflective approach in the study, to minimise the influence of personal ground of the interviewer in study. Furthermore, through proper selection of the sample size based on the degree of knowledge and experience affects the validity of the study, as one participant experience and status differ with respect to the other. Moreover, through implementing proper strategy, the descriptive validity will be ensured, as audiences will have high interaction with the entire study. Contextually, interpretive validity will be ensured if there is no biasness during proper selection of sample. Through providing proper evidences in the study theoretical validity can be explored to actually fit with the data (Lund Research Ltd, 2012; Metheny et al., 2010). In this regard, neglecting the aspects of validity in the Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) study creates negative consequences, which leads to a research gap and major limitation in the overall study. Moreover, through having research gap and less trustworthiness in the study the patients safety and quality healthcare gets highly affected, as APN studies is undertaken to provide proper evidence to the other research works (Hughes, 2008). Hughes, R. G. (2008). Patient safety and quality: An evidence-based handbook for nurses. Retrieved from

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Homeschooling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Homeschooling - Essay Example Critics of homeschooling usually point out the lack of socialization skills learned at public schools which is a valid concern but quality time with parents is important as well and is also productive time for the student. Parents are in control of the subject material and control the topics. This is a definite advantage for the homeschooled child. Homeschooling is a growing in popularity because it is the most effective way to educate children. The best teachers are those who possess a passion to convey knowledge with a sense of purpose. Parents motivated with a passionate spiritual conviction have a sustained energy for teaching their child more so than a relative stranger of unknown conviction at public school. These parents generate an infectious enthusiasm about whatever subject they are teaching, a virtue that motivates kids. Homeschooling allows a parent to weave their spiritual convictions into every facet of their curriculum. Nothing is more important to the heart of people’s motivation than their personal beliefs. Everyone has convictions of some description; something that has alters their lives in a positive way, something that is etched in deep in their soul. Some people can express it, some cannot find words for it, but everyone has it. When that intangible something is employed, put to use, people demonstrate a passion and direction that can be explained. For many this describes their religious convict ions, a way of life for some. People who have these convictions people make excellent home-school teachers. Their sense of passion and purpose help them keep going throughout the rough times in life. This passion motivates them to continue reaching for higher goals, for themselves and their children. The homeschooled child benefits from socialization skills that are community-based rather than socialization based

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Needs Assessment And Its Analytic Tools Information Technology Essay

Needs Assessment And Its Analytic Tools Information Technology Essay This report is based on research onto Needs assessment and its analytic tools. In addition, this paper critically examines the nature and role of needs assessment as a tool in consulting practice. Needs Assessment A Needs Assessment is a systematic exploration of the way things are and the way they should be. These things are usually associated with organizational and/or individual performance (Stout, 1995). A needs assessment should be designed to identify and prioritize needs, while a need analysis should break and identified need into its component parts and determine solution requirement. Practical and pragmatic needs assessments provide a process for identifying and prioritizing gaps between current and desired results (Kaufman, 1979). Need Assessment is defined as an investigation, undertaken to determine the nature of performance problems in order to establish the underlying causes and the way in which training can be addressed. Goldstein (1993) describes need assessment as the phase of the instructional process that provides the information necessary to design the entire program. A training gap is defined as the difference between the required standard of the job and incumbents performance. Need identification is the starting point in any training and development activity. Need identification or assessment is not a routine function, because it should conduct carefully and in a diagnostic manner. The assessment begins with a need which can be identified in several ways but is generally described as a gap between what is currently in place and what is needed, now and in the future. The purpose of a training needs assessment is to identify performance requirements or needs within an organization in order to help direct resources to the areas of greatest need, those that closely relate to fulfilling the organizational goals and objectives, improving productivity and providing quality products and services. Indeed, there are various reasons why needs assessment is not conducted as it is described as being a difficult process, time consuming and lack of resources in carrying out the tasks (Miller Osinski, 1996). On the other hand, Desimone and Werner (2002) argued that incorrect assumptions are usually made about needs analysis being unnecessary because the available information already specifies what an organizations needs are. According to Miller and Osinski (1996) the needs as sessment is the first step in the establishment of a training and development Program. It is used as the foundation for determining instructional objectives, the selection and design of instructional programs, the implementation of the programs and the evaluation of the training provided. These processes form a continuous cycle which always begins with a needs assessment. A needs assessment is a systematic methodology used to locate the need before we intervene with the solution. The assessment helps us to locate the gaps in the plan of action or the existing strategy and helps us manage at the micro and macro levels. A needs assessment is carried out for an individual, an organization, team and even society issues. Some of the scenarios where needs assessment is widely used are organization development, disease outbreak, war/terrorism, drug abuse, poverty, sports etc. Needs assessment gives us a fair amount of insights about the situation that we are dealing with, before we go ahead and intervene. Gap could be easily determined with the use of analytical tools possessed by Needs assessment. They are used to identify strategic priorities, define results to be accomplished, guide decision related to actions considered and creates an evaluation criterion to judge the success and also have continual improvement within the organization (Stout, 1995). Models of Needs Assessment There are plenty of different models proposed by the eminent researchers. Needs assessment models are based on the variety of profession and applications. All the different models and a small description of these models are mentioned below: Arthurs Performance Evaluation Matrix: (Arthur, L.1993. Improving Software Quality. New York: John Wiley and Sons) The context of Arthurs Performance Evaluation Matrix is usually used for the development or improvement of softwares. Bottom to top assessment is what this model emphasizes on. The assessment begins with very end-users such as the customers and suppliers. The model deals with identifying the defects created in the cycle and usage of data to identify the causes of the defects. It does not answer the society or the organizational results, but focuses on the development and improvement of their products (Anonymous, Models, n.d) Burton and Merrills Four Phase Model: (Burton, J. Merrill, P. 1998, Needs Assessment: Goals, Needs And Priorities) Internal and External factors are recognized by this four phase model.   Additionally, this model focuses on the application of needs assessment in the development of instructional materials at the level of a course and intentionally does not address societal and organizational results.   It avoids the society and the organizational results, because the authors Burton and Merill believe that their assessment tool helps in development of instructional materials (Anonymous, Models, n.d). Gilberts Performance Matrix: (Gilbert, T. 1978, Human Competence: Engineering Worthy Performance) The Performance Matrix, provided by Gilbert focuses on the process improvement. He provides two types of performance matrix, a Full scale model and a truncated version. The author believes that any research on performance needs to be carried out at the higher level. The author begins his discussion at the Philosophical level and then gets down to the Tactical and Logistical level and then the study is reduced to a Simplified performance matrix (Anonymous, Models, n.d). Gordons Front End Analysis Model: Gordon, S. (1994)  Systematic Training Program Design: Maximizing Effectiveness and Minimizing Liability. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. This model identifies the unavailability of resources or any faulty shortcomings. Gordons Front End Analysis Model can be used to document and analyze an individuals performance and cannot be extended to the societal or organization level (Anonymous, Models, n.d). Darraughs Six step Model: (Darraugh, B. 1991. It takes six.(six step model). Training and development journal, v45, n3, p21) The Six step model is very much similar to the Rossetts Training needs assessment model. Darraugh provides a set of fifteen question for conducting the assessment. These questions orient towards the needs but are not determine the link to the societal, organizational or individual accomplishments. Therefore this model does not provide complete guidance in conducting the needs assessment (Anonymous, Models, n.d). Ostroff and Fords Levels Perspective Model: (Ostroff, C. Ford, J.K, 1989, Assessment training needs: Critical levels of analysis) This model is based on the three content areas, Organizational, Task and Person given by Mc Gehee and Thayer. Ostroff and Fords model elevated the model to the next level by introducing a Levels dimension, which includes Organizational sub-units and Individual. Twenty seven discreet analyses can be carried out based on the similarities and differences between each level. This model is considered to cover almost every possible theory (Anonymous, Models, n.d). Hannum and Hansens Needs Analysis Model: (Hannum, W. Hansen, C. 1989, Instructional systems development in large organizations) Their model supports a top-down, Societal needs assessment. Their model can be used to examine only an individuals performance and can be used to document the process insufficiencies. The model is strong on the research methods and helps to collect hard as well as soft data (Anonymous, Models, n.d). Johnsons Training Requirements Model: (Johnson, D. 1996, Take two classes and call me in the morning: the case for training wellness) Johnsons Training Requirement Model focuses majorly on the Training requirements planning. It does not focus on the performance problems. The model utilizes the Market Survey to identify the desired training programs. Based on the survey, the requirements are to be Defined and Analyzed. The evaluation continues with short-term and long-term feedback (Anonymous, Models, n.d). All the above models are used widely. Analysis and the collected data is used to provide soulution, this are the major purpose of the above mentioned models of needs assessment. Reason for Needs Assessment The major reasons behind using Needs Assessment are as follows: Gives us the information of what will be accomplished. Expected changes in performance. Tactical solutions/requirements Economics involved (Stout, 1995) Any kind of developmental initiative needs a lot of money to be invested. Some organizations tend to implement a solution in a hurry without considering whether they are the correct intervention. This will result in heavy losses, especially if it involves huge capital or operational expenditures. Organizational development programs are one such solution that needs a thorough analysis before any intervention is carried out. A wrong solution can result in loss of lot of money and at times destabilize the working atmosphere (Stout, 1995) Process of Needs Assessment According to Stout. D (1995) the needs assessment is carried out as a Four Step Process Step 1: Perform a GAP analysis: Performing a gap analysis is the first stepping stone in performing needs assessment. Actual performance of the organization is checked and compared with the theoretical standards set already. This step involves, Analyzing the current situation: The current goals, internal and external constraints, environment and knowledge of the employees are determined. In short as the same suggests it analyzes the current overall situation of the organization. The desired situation: The desired conditions for the organizational and personal success needs to be identify. Jobs/tasks, the knowledge, skills and abilities required to attain that goal are the prime focus of this analysis. Gap between the current situation and the desired outcomes are identified once this step is completed. As we perform the GAP analysis, we look for the problems or deficits, impending charges, opportunities, strengths and different mandates such as government or foreign policies. SWOT analysis provides us with the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats. Whereas, the PEST analysis provides us an insight into the Political, Economical, Social and Technological factors (Stout, 1995). Step 2: Identifying Priorities and Importance: The next step begins with the analysis of the collected data. Depending on the importance of the need which was achieved by step 1 the concerns are prioritized. Example: Legal mandates and Cost effectiveness becomes a priority compared to the Executive pressures. We have to focus on those needs that have more value and will have a great impact (Stout, 1995). Step 3: Identifying opportunities: Major concerns and the development/improvement opportunities are indentified once the needs are prioritized. Solution for specific needs has to be analyzed in this step. This step involves a detailed investigation and analysis at the organizational and individual level. This step not only enables the organization to handle the current situation but also prepares it for the future (Stout, 1995). Step 4: Implementation of solutions and growth opportunities: This is the final step and it involves the implementation of the solutions for the specific issues. Some of the solutions that can be implemented are, Training program: Programs such as one on one or group coaching, Mentoring, Classroom, Video learning, Workshops, Active learning, Vendor course, CBT etc. are considered as alternatives for solutions. Organizational Development program Organizational Programs include, Strategic planning exercises, Organizational restructuring, Performance management and effective team building are the different alternatives which are highlighted as solution alternates (Stout, 1995). Advantages and Disadvantages of Needs Assessment The table below summarizes the key advantages and disadvantages of major methods of assessing training and performance needs. The table below is used from (McCoy, McCoyTraining.com, n.d) which explains the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of needs assessment. Method Advantages Disadvantages Organizational Documents à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provide relevant, quantifiable data à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fast à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Inexpensive à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ May built management Involvement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Dont build employee involvement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Not necessarily focused on HRD à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ May not identify causes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ May not provide visibility Questionnaire and Surveys à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reach many people in short time à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Build involvement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Relatively inexpensive à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Yield relevant, quantifiable data that are easy to summarize à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Anonymity may encourage Honesty à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Require time and skill to develop à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Low response rates or inaccurate responses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ No opportunity to clarify à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ May restrict freedom of response à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ May lead to unrealistic expectation Group Interviews à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Build involvement and support à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provide relevant data à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provide visibility à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ May elicit key topics not expected à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ On-the-spot sharing synthesis of different view à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Moderately time-consuming (but less so than individual interviews) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Moderately expensive à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Difficult to conduct à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ May be difficult to analyze and quantify data Individual Interviews à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Build involvement and support à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Allow for clarification à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provide relevant data à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Easier to conduct than group interviews à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ May uncover information that wouldnt be brought up in a group à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Expensive in terms of time and travel costs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Require interviewing skills à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ May be difficult to analyze and quantify results à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ May make interviewees self-conscious Advisory Committees à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Build management involvement and sponsorship à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provide visibility à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Inexpensive à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Allows synthesis of opinions of key decision-makers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Can help identify resource à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Time-consuming and difficult to manage logistically à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fails to build lower-level employee involvement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Poor source of quantifiable data à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ May lead to groupthink or turf war Observation of Work Situations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Builds employee involvement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provides excellent information when coaching an individual à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Builds your credibility à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Generates relevant, quantifiable data à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ May provide excellent stories à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Requires a skilled observer à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Does not involve management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Time-consuming à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ May change performance or be perceived as spying à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ May be logistically difficult Benchmarking and Independent Research à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Learn from industry leaders and competitors à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Can build your credibility à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Availability of free data on internet à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Avoid rediscovering what is know à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Does not build involvement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ May not be directly relevant à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Data from different organizations may be misleading à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Requires significant Analysis Table 1: Advantages and Disadvantages of Needs Assessment, Adapted from Managing a Small HRD Department, by Carol P. McCoy. McCoy Training and Development Resources, 1993, p. 23. Needs Assessment as a tool for Consulting Practice and Critique for Best Practices Methods of needs assessment can be classified into seven main types, each of which can take many different forms in practice. The different types of needs assessment approaches are as follows: Gap or discrepancy approach Reflection on action Peer review Observation Critical incident review Practice review Learning for needs (Grant, 2001) According to Grant (2001) Peer review is rapidly becoming a favorite method for needs assessment. Grants report was accepted in 2001 by the National Center for Biotechnological Information. In peer review doctors assess each others practice and give feedback and perhaps advice about possible education, training or organizational strategies to improve performance. Internal, external, informal, multidisciplinary and physician assessment are the five different type of peer review described in a good CPD guide. (Grant, 2001). However this peer review method for needs assessment comes with ample of drawbacks. Some of these drawbacks are mentioned below: Double Blind system is rarely used due to its impracticality. Reputation of the author always have some impact on the way others judged the paper this is the most common accusation made. An uncontroversial and poor paper written by an established researcher pass the review process whereas an excellent paper written by a new and upcoming scientist can be rejected (Anonymous, Disadvantages of Peer review, 2008). Editors posses lots of decision making power who are very well connected by the author and referee. At times these authority possessed by the editors is misused. Many times their lots of omission by the editors and therefore, editors are often accused of arbitrarily rejecting manuscripts before they reach their readers (Anonymous, Disadvantages of Peer review, 2008). Source of the researchers funding is one of the major conflicts of interest which needs to be spotted by the peer reviewers. However, the research is accepted if it follows all the researching protocols (Anonymous, Disadvantages of Peer review, 2008). Peer reviews have no grading system and different journals have their own standards. This makes it difficult to rank and judge the expertise and quality of the editors and reviewers (Anonymous, Disadvantages of Peer review, 2008). A consultant is hired by a company either during a time of distress or simply to improve an existing system. Very often it is due to the peer nature of the issue that an external source is required to solve it. A consultant has a lot of pressure to solve the problems that he/she has been asked to look into. A Needs Assessment provides the consultant with insights to what he/she is going to deal with. A thorough needs analysis is essential for a large-scale learning initiative to succeed.   Needs assessment  consultants will seamlessly work with your company to interview subject matter experts and other key stakeholders, diagnose the learning gaps and help you specify learning objectives that support your business goals. Consultation is a very tricky job. When a consultant is asked to address an issue, the credibility of that consultant is at stake. Since the money involved is high, an organization expects the intervention to work wonders for them. It is the consultants job to collect the required information by using a technique that suits the organization and also the issue that is dealt with. An issue can range from sales decline to rebellious employees to scandals. The test of choice depends upon the situation. A questionnaire can be used among the employees to get information about a sales drop, but a personal interview or focus group is required to address an issue such as a rebellion or a scandal. The best practices that should be followed by the consultants with regard to prove efficient and effective for its clients are as follows: First of all the consultants need to familiarize themselves with the work environment and the culture of its clients before deciding on the method of research. The consultants need to have a different perception of its clients. Being bias would impact the performance and would hamper to analyze the problem effectively. While conducting interviews the consultants need to give enough space to the informants so that they could gather as much information as possible. Once the informants are comfortable the core of the problem could be identified. Proper mind mapping and stake holder analysis also gives a clear picture about the client and may help in further analysis of distortion which may be the reason of the clients issues. The questionnaires should be easy to understand and should not lead to conclusions. In addition, the consultants need to avoid use of buzz words and should simplify the question for easy and better understanding of the participants. I would like to conclude that needs assessment is one of the most important tools for the consultants as it helps for evaluate the situation and gives an insight of the organization. Needs assessment forms the foundation for resolving clients problems as it helps to reach the core of the problem instead of artificial makeovers. The outcome of the consultants intervention has tremendous impact due to the approach, method or techniques used for needs assessment. It is the nervous system which helps to rectify the cause of distorted heart beat of the organizations body.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Othello’s Diversity of Imagery Essay -- Othello essays

Othello’s Diversity of Imagery  Ã‚        Ã‚   The diverse imagery found in Shakespeare’s drama Othello represents a world all by itself. And this world of imagery contributes to the prevailing sentiment of pain and suffering and unpleasantness.    There is no shortage of imagery in the play; this is for certain. Critic Caroline Spurgeon in â€Å"Shakespeare’s Imagery and What it Tells Us† sorts through the plethora of imagery in the play:    The main image in Othello is that of animals in action, preying upon one another, mischievous, lascivious, cruel or suffering, and through these, the general sense of pain and unpleasantness is much increased and kept constantly before us. More than half the animal images in the play are Iago’s, and all these are contemptuous or repellent: a plague of flies, a quarrelsome dog, the recurrent image of bird-snaring, leading asses by the nose, a spider catching a fly, beating an offenceless dog, wild cats, wolves, goats and monkeys. To these Othello adds his pictures of foul toads breeding in a cistern, summer flies in the shambles, the ill-boding raven over the infected house, a toad in a dungeon, the monster ‘too hideous to be shown,’ bird-snaring again, aspics’ tongues, crocodiles’ tears, and his reiteration of goats and monkeys.’ In addition, [. . .] . (79)    The play’s imagery is oftentimes reflective of the fortunes of the protagonist. As the Moor’s status declines, the quality of the imagery in the play declines. In The Riverside Shakespeare Frank Kermode explains the relationship between imagery and Othello’s jealousy:    It is very important to see that Othello’s self-estimate – â€Å"one not easily jealious, but, being wrought, / Perplexed in the extreme† (V.ii.345-... ...rizona Quarterly (Spring 1956), pp.5-16.    Kermode, Frank. â€Å"Othello, the Moor of Venice.† The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1974.    Mack, Maynard. Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.    Muir, Kenneth. Introduction. William Shakespeare: Othello. New York: Penguin Books, 1968.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.    Spurgeon, Caroline. â€Å"Shakespeare’s Imagery and What it Tells Us.† Shakespearean Tragedy. Ed. D. F. Bratchell. New York: Routledge, 1990.    Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.            

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Part Two Chapter VIII

VIII Colin Wall saw Gavin and Mary pass under his study window. He recognized Mary's silhouette at once, but had to squint to identify the stringy man at her side, before they moved out of the aureole cast by the street light. Crouching, half-raised out of his computer chair, Colin gaped after the figures as they disappeared into the darkness. He was shocked to his core, having taken it for granted that Mary was in a kind of purdah; that she was receiving only women in the sanctuary of her own home, among them Tessa, who was still visiting every other day. Never had it occurred to him that Mary might be socializing after dark, least of all with a single man. He felt personally betrayed; as though Mary, on some spiritual level, was cuckolding him. Had Mary permitted Gavin to see Barry's body? Was Gavin spending evenings sitting in Barry's favourite seat by the fire? Were Gavin and Mary †¦ could they possibly be †¦? Such things happened, after all, every day. Perhaps †¦ perhaps even before Barry's death †¦? Colin was perennially appalled by the threadbare state of other people's morals. He tried to insulate himself against shocks by pushing himself to imagine the worst: by conjuring awful visions of depravity and betrayal, rather than waiting for the truth to rip like a shell through his innocent delusions. Life, for Colin, was one long brace against pain and disappointment, and everybody apart from his wife was an enemy until they had proven otherwise. He was half inclined to rush downstairs to tell Tessa what he had just seen, because she might be able to give him an innocuous explanation of Mary's night-time stroll, and to reassure him that his best friend's widow had been, and was still, faithful to her husband. Nonetheless, he resisted the urge, because he was angry with Tessa. Why was she showing such a determined lack of interest in his forthcoming candidacy for the council? Did she not realize how tight a stranglehold his anxiety had gained over him ever since he had sent in his application form? Even though he had expected to feel this way, the pain was not diminished by anticipation, any more than being hit by a train would be less devastating for seeing it approaching down the track; Colin merely suffered twice: in the expectation and in its realization. His nightmarish new fantasies swirled around the Mollisons and the ways in which they were likely to attack him. Counter-arguments, explanations and extenuations ran constantly through his mind. He saw himself already besieged, fighting for his reputation. The edge of paranoia always apparent in Colin's dealings with the world was becoming more pronounced; and meanwhile, Tessa was pretending to be oblivious, doing absolutely nothing to help alleviate the dreadful, crushing strain. He knew that she did not think he ought to be standing. Perhaps she too was terrified that Howard Mollison would slit open the bulging gut of their past, and spill its ghastly secrets for all the Pagford vultures to pick over. Colin had already made a few telephone calls to those whom Barry had counted on for support. He had been surprised and heartened that not one of them had challenged his credentials or interrogated him on the issues. Without exception, they had expressed their profound sorrow at the loss of Barry and their intense dislike of Howard Mollison, or ‘tha' great smug basturd', as one of the blunter voters had called him. ‘Tryin' ter crowbar in ‘is son. ‘E could ‘ardly stop hisself grinnin' when ‘e ‘eard Barry was dead.' Colin, who had compiled a list of pro-Fields talking points, had not needed to refer to the paper once. So far, his main appeal as a candidate seemed to be that he was Barry's friend, and that he was not called Mollison. His miniature black and white face was smiling at him out of the computer monitor. He had been sitting here all evening, trying to compose his election pamphlet, for which he had decided to use the same photograph as was featured on the Winterdown website: full face, with a slightly anodyne grin, his forehead steep and shiny. The image had in its favour the fact that it had already been submitted to the public gaze, and had not brought down ridicule or ruin upon him: a powerful recommendation. But beneath the photograph, where the personal information ought to have been, were only one or two tentative sentences. Colin had spent most of the last two hours composing and then deleting words; at one point he had managed to complete an entire paragraph, only to destroy it, backspace by backspace, with a nervous, jabbing forefinger. Unable to bear the indecision and solitude, he jumped up and went downstairs. Tessa was lying on the sofa in the sitting room, apparently dozing, with the television on in the background. ‘How's it going?' she asked sleepily, opening her eyes. ‘Mary's just gone by. Walking up the street with Gavin Hughes.' ‘Oh,' said Tessa. ‘She said something about going over to Miles and Samantha's, earlier. Gavin must have been there. He's probably walking her home.' Colin was appalled. Mary visiting Miles, the man who sought to fill her husband's shoes, who stood in opposition to all that Barry had fought for? ‘What on earth was she doing at the Mollisons'?' ‘They went with her to the hospital, you know that,' said Tessa, sitting up with a small groan and stretching her short legs. ‘She hasn't spoken to them properly since. She wanted to thank them. Have you finished your pamphlet?' ‘I'm nearly there. Listen, with the information – I mean, as far as the personal information goes – past posts, do you think? Or limit it to Winterdown?' ‘I don't think you need say more than where you work now. But why don't you ask Minda? She †¦' Tessa yawned ‘†¦ she's done it herself.' ‘Yes,' said Colin. He waited, standing over her, but she did not offer to help, or even to read what he had written so far. ‘Yes, that's a good idea,' he said, more loudly. ‘I'll get Minda to look over it.' She grunted, massaging her ankles, and he left the room, full of wounded pride. His wife could not possibly realize what a state he was in, how little sleep he was getting, or how his stomach was gnawing itself from within. Tessa had only pretended to be asleep. Mary and Gavin's footsteps had woken her ten minutes previously. Tessa barely knew Gavin; he was fifteen years younger than her and Colin, but the main barrier towards intimacy had always been Colin's tendency to be jealous of Barry's other friendships. ‘He's been amazing about the insurance,' Mary had told Tessa on the telephone earlier. ‘He's on the phone to them every day, from what I can gather, and he keeps telling me not to worry about fees. Oh God, Tessa, if they don't pay out †¦' ‘Gavin will sort it out for you,' said Tessa. ‘I'm sure he will.' It would have been nice, thought Tessa, stiff and thirsty on the sofa, if she and Colin could have had Mary round to the house, to give her a change of scene and make sure she was eating, but there was one insuperable barrier: Mary found Colin difficult, a strain. This uncomfortable and hitherto concealed fact had emerged slowly in the wake of Barry's death, like flotsam revealed by the ebbing tide. It could not have been plainer that Mary wanted only Tessa; she shied away from suggestions that Colin might help with anything, and avoided talking to him too long on the telephone. They had met so often as a foursome for years, and Mary's antipathy had never surfaced: Barry's good humour must have cloaked it. Tessa had to manage the new state of affairs with great delicacy. She had successfully persuaded Colin that Mary was happiest in the company of other women. The funeral had been her one failure, because Colin had ambushed Mary as they all left St Michael's and tried to explain, through racking sobs, that he was going to stand for Barry's seat on the council, to carry on Barry's work, to make sure Barry prevailed posthumously. Tessa had seen Mary's shocked and offended expression, and pulled him away. Once or twice since, Colin had stated his intention of going over to show Mary all his election materials, to ask whether Barry would have approved of them; even voiced an intention of seeking guidance from Mary as to how Barry would have handled the process of canvassing for votes. In the end Tessa had told him firmly that he must not badger Mary about the Parish Council. He became huffy at this, but it was better, Tessa thought, that he should be angry with her, rather than adding to Mary's distress, or provoking her into a rebuff, as had happened over the viewing of Barry's body. ‘The Mollisons, though!' said Colin, re-entering the room with a cup of tea. He had not offered Tessa one; he was often selfish in these little ways, too busy with his own worries to notice. ‘Of all the people for her to have dinner with! They were against everything Barry stood for!' ‘That's a bit melodramatic, Col,' said Tessa. ‘Anyway, Mary was never as interested in the Fields as Barry.' But Colin's only understanding of love was of limitless loyalty, boundless tolerance: Mary had fallen, irreparably, in his estimation.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Time I Went to Cabo San Lucas Mexico

The time I went to cabo San Lucas Mexico There once was a time that I went to cabo San Lucas Mexico with my family. The reason that this trip was so special too was because I got to spend a whole week with my grandparents, aunts and uncles and most importantly my parents. When we first got we went to are rooms and put are thing down then went right down to the pool. I can still remember the way the pool look and felt because I got cut on one of the tiles in the pool. One there reasons I liked the pool so much is you could just sit there and watch the sun set.Then the next day I went fishing on the beach that was so cool casting out a fishing line and sitting there waiting with family there beaches are so beautiful and nice like the ones you see in TV commercials. I haven’t even got to the best part they have a little cruise called sunset cruise. You rode on a pirate ship and watch people fight and watch the sun go down. I was a lot like the movie call peter pan. This little cr uise was so special because in a hurry and I got locked out of my room I forgot to wear shoes so I was without shoes that whole night.There is one restraints that you have to go to when you are there I mean they have unreal food. They have huge tacos filled with anything you want with beans, rice and a side salad. I can taste it now. I also remember the time I went with my grandparents to the beach after the sun went down with one of my uncles. You have experienced nothing until that happened I mean the sand nice and cold between your toes swimming in the ocean you feel so free and wild. That is why cabo San Lucas Mexico is so special to me. I have a lot of good memories there with my family.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Essays on A Brief History of the Black Panther Party

The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was founded in October, 1966, in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. The name was shortened to the Black Panther Party (BPP) and it began spreading eastward through the Black urban ghetto-colonies across country. In the summer of '68, David Brothers established a BPP branch in Brooklyn, New York, and a few months later Lumumba Shakur set up a branch in Harlem, New York. i joined the Harlem BPP in the fall of '68 and served as its Finance Officer until arrested on April 2, 1969 in the Panther 21 Conspiracy case which was the opening shot in the government's nationwide attack on the BPP. Moving westward, Police Departments in each city made military raids on BPP offices or homes in Philadelphia, Chicago, Newark, Omaha, Denver, New Haven, San Diego, Los Angeles, and other cities, murdering some Panthers and arresting others. After i and most other Panther 21 members were held in jail and on trial for two years, We were all acquitted of all charges and released. Most of us returned to the community and to the BPP but by then COINTELPRO had taken its toll. The BPP was rife with dissension, both internal and external. The internal strife, division, intrigue, and paranoia had become so ingrained that eventually most members drifted or were driven, away. Some continued the struggle on other fronts and some basically cooled out altogether. The BPP limped on for several more years, then died what seemed a natural death. History will be the ultimate judge of the BPP's place in the Black Liberation Movement (BLM). But in these troubled times Afrikan people in the U.S. need to investigate both the positive and negative aspects of the BPP's history in order to learn from those hard lessons already paid for in blood. In particular We need to learn the reasons for the BPP's rapid rise to prominence, the reason for its ability to move so many Afrikans and other nationalities, and th... Free Essays on A Brief History of the Black Panther Party Free Essays on A Brief History of the Black Panther Party The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was founded in October, 1966, in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. The name was shortened to the Black Panther Party (BPP) and it began spreading eastward through the Black urban ghetto-colonies across country. In the summer of '68, David Brothers established a BPP branch in Brooklyn, New York, and a few months later Lumumba Shakur set up a branch in Harlem, New York. i joined the Harlem BPP in the fall of '68 and served as its Finance Officer until arrested on April 2, 1969 in the Panther 21 Conspiracy case which was the opening shot in the government's nationwide attack on the BPP. Moving westward, Police Departments in each city made military raids on BPP offices or homes in Philadelphia, Chicago, Newark, Omaha, Denver, New Haven, San Diego, Los Angeles, and other cities, murdering some Panthers and arresting others. After i and most other Panther 21 members were held in jail and on trial for two years, We were all acquitted of all charges and released. Most of us returned to the community and to the BPP but by then COINTELPRO had taken its toll. The BPP was rife with dissension, both internal and external. The internal strife, division, intrigue, and paranoia had become so ingrained that eventually most members drifted or were driven, away. Some continued the struggle on other fronts and some basically cooled out altogether. The BPP limped on for several more years, then died what seemed a natural death. History will be the ultimate judge of the BPP's place in the Black Liberation Movement (BLM). But in these troubled times Afrikan people in the U.S. need to investigate both the positive and negative aspects of the BPP's history in order to learn from those hard lessons already paid for in blood. In particular We need to learn the reasons for the BPP's rapid rise to prominence, the reason for its ability to move so many Afrikans and other nationalities, and th...

Monday, October 21, 2019

The French Revolution1 essays

The French Revolution1 essays There was a loud thunk as the blade hit, and then a roar of the crowd as another noblemans head was raised, after being cut off. The French Revolution (1789-1795) was one if not the most bloodiest revolutions ever in history. There were three social classes in France known as the Estates-General. The French revolutionists took the phrase Liberty, Equality, Fraternity as their slogan into battle (Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia). They were out to win equality, even if it meant sacrificing their own lives for it. Stands between King Louis XVI and the Estates-General are what caused the revolution. Despite their efforts to bring France to a new form government, one, which would serve the common people, France still fell into a state of corruption. The Estates-General were made up of the clergy, nobles, and the common people. It was known to have been around since 1302 (Comptons Inter. Encyclopedia) but wasnt really used again until 1788 when King Louis XVI was forced to call the almost forgotten body together again. Most all of the taxes were paid by the common people (third estate), very little were paid by the other two estates. This was one of the reasons that caused the treasury to go dry, which made Louis XVI call the Estates-General together. King Louis XVI greeted the Estates-General warmly on May 5 1789. Sirs, this day which my heart awaited since a long time has finally arrived and I see myself surrounded by the representatives of the nation which I am honored to command. The debt of the state, already immense on my coming to the throne, has accumulated during my reign. The increase in tax has been the unavoidable result and had been rendered more painful by their unequal distribution. (The Fr. Rev. and the Estates-Gen.pg.2) Louis decided to start making the first and second estates pay some taxes, still not as much as the third estate. This did how...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Understanding and Implementing Array Data Types in Delphi

Understanding and Implementing Array Data Types in Delphi Arrays allow us to refer to a series of variables by the same name and to use a number (an index) to call out individual elements in that series. Arrays have both upper and lower bounds  and the elements of the array are contiguous within those bounds. Elements of the array are values that are all of the same type (string, integer, record, custom object). In Delphi, there are two types of arrays: a fixed-size array which always remains the same sizea  static arrayand a dynamic array whose size can change at runtime. Static Arrays Suppose we are writing a program that lets a user enter some values (e.g. the number of appointments) at the beginning of each day. We would choose to store the information in a list. We could call this list Appointments, and each number might be stored as Appointments[1], Appointments[2], and so on. To use the list, we must first declare it. For example: var Appointments : array[0..6] of Integer; declares a variable called Appointments that holds a one-dimensional array (vector) of 7 integer values. Given this declaration, Appointments[3] denotes the fourth integer value in Appointments. The number in the brackets is called the index. If we create a static array but don’t assign values to all its elements, the unused elements contain random data; they are like uninitialized variables. The following code can be used to set all elements in the Appointments array to 0. for k : 0 to 6 do Appointments[k] : 0; Sometimes we need to keep track of related information in an array. For example, to keep track of each pixel on your computer screen, you need to refer to its X and Y coordinates using a multidimensional array to store the values. With Delphi, we can declare arrays of multiple dimensions. For example, the following statement declares a two-dimensional 7 by 24 array: var DayHour : array[1..7, 1..24] of Real; To compute the number of elements in a multidimensional array, multiply the number of elements in each index. The DayHour variable, declared above, sets aside 168 (7*24) elements, in 7 rows and 24 columns. To retrieve the value from the cell in the third row and seventh column we would use: DayHour[3,7] or DayHour[3][7]. The following code can be used to set all elements in the DayHour array to 0. for i : 1 to 7 do for j : 1 to 24 do DayHour[i,j] : 0; Dynamic Arrays You may not know exactly how large to make an array. You may want to have the capability of changing the size of the array at runtime. A dynamic array declares its type, but not its size. The actual size of a dynamic array can be changed at runtime by the use of the SetLength procedure. var Students : array of string; creates a one-dimensional dynamic array of strings. The declaration does not allocate memory for Students. To create the array in memory, we call SetLength procedure. For example, given the declaration above, SetLength(Students, 14) ; allocates an array of 14 strings, indexed 0 to 13. Dynamic arrays are always integer-indexed, always starting from 0 to one less than their size in elements. To create a two-dimensional dynamic array, use the following code: var Matrix: array of array of Double; begin SetLength(Matrix, 10, 20) end; which allocates space for a two-dimensional, 10-by-20 array of Double floating-point values. To remove a dynamic arrays memory space, assign nil to the array variable, like: Matrix : nil; Very often, your program doesnt know at compile time how many elements will be needed; that number will not be known until runtime. With dynamic arrays, you can allocate only as much storage as is required at a given time. In other words, the size of dynamic arrays can be changed at runtime, which is one of the key advantages of dynamic arrays. The next example creates an array of integer values and then calls the Copy function to resize the array. var Vector: array of Integer; k : integer; begin SetLength(Vector, 10) ; for k : Low(Vector) to High(Vector) do Vector[k] : i*10; ... //now we need more space SetLength(Vector, 20) ; //here, Vector array can hold up to 20 elements //(it already has 10 of them)end; The SetLength function creates a larger (or smaller) array and copies the existing values to the new array. The Low and High functions ensure you access every array element without looking back in your code for the correct lower and upper index values.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Kickstarter Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kickstarter Analysis - Assignment Example The only requirement and the prerequisite for your business idea to be picked is for it to be something out of the world and unique. If you can make your project sound appealing, there’s a bright chance an investor would pick your project up and back it with finance (Kickstarter website, 2013). Kickstarter launched in 2009 and since then have been able to have funding done for over 35,000 projects. The one figure that would be the biggest encouraging factor for aspiring entrepreneurs is that over $500million have been promised to projects through this platform. All one needs to do is create an independent profile of your business idea on Kickstarter. This is like the face of your project and hence it needs to be absolutely top notch in order to for to appeal to a potential investor. The more creativity it oozes, the higher will be its chances of being picked up by a financer. Once the page is complete, creators make the page available to the community and hope it attracts funds (Levy, 2010). Kickstarter makes money every time a funding deal is brokered for a project on the website. They charge a 5% fee of the total fund that is won by a project. That is not only very reasonable but also justified considering they make the business idea available to a vast number. They heavily rely on their website, the community they have developed and word of mouth for marketing and communication of their services. They have achieved high success since their inception so the website has been thriving on the positive word of mouth and referrals they receive. Not only do aspiring entrepreneurs trust them, the investor community also believes they will find good ideas on the website (Villano, 2010). The webpage has heavy traffic and has more than 3million registered users. The funding rate of projects is also impressive with as many as 44% of the projects successfully landing interested investors. This shows the traffic not only

Friday, October 18, 2019

Wet Lab. Cellular Replacement Therapy And Stem Cell Research Essay

Wet Lab. Cellular Replacement Therapy And Stem Cell Research - Essay Example When embryonic mouse stem cells were isolated more than 25 years ago, the significance of the discovery was soon realized. (Keller, 2005) there are many researchers and hold out hope for cellular replacement therapy arising from stem cell research. Specifically, embryonic stem cells, also known as ES - pluripotent cells are of great concern. They exhibit the potential to differentiate into a variety of final tissue types when they reach their ultimate, fully matured state. Embryonic stem cell lines are usually derived from a blastocyst, or in some cases an earlier stage of embryonic development. The 150 cells which at most comprise the blastocyst are able to differentiate into all types of body tissues. (Stem Cell Information, 2009) Most immediately, a pluripotent stem cell will give rise to the primary germ layers: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. From these layers, other cells and tissues differentiate but ultimately give rise to all internal organs of the future organism. (Schole r, 2007) Other types of stem cells, further in development also have uses in research and therapy; multipotent stem cells have some flexibility, but usually only within a closely related family of cells, such as cardiac tissue, blood cells. Furthermore, the cells can become Unipotent cells - which are not themselves per se, because they can only produce new cells of the exact same type. On the other end of the spectrum, are totipotent stem cells, these are fertilized zygotes which have the potential to grow into an entire individual, an embryonic stem cell from a blastocyst does not qualify.(Scholer, 2007) Cells can also be classified in terms of progenitor or precursor. Precursors exhibit recognizable traits of the function type they will become, while Progenitors are not outwardly committed to a cell type. (Rabbany et al. 2003) An extensive variety of proteins are responsible for differentiation of which much more research is needed. We are only now discovering the functions of re gulatory operators such as Shp2, or transforming growth factor-?, that aids in the expression of chorionic gonadotropin.(Burnham Institute, 2009), (Keller, 2005) A well-studied pathway is the process of hematopoiesis, by which stem cells give rise to various types of blood cells. (Mackey, 2001) There are essentially two branches to the hematopoietic differentiation process: the lineage beginning with a myeloid progenitor, and the lineage stemming from the common lymphoid progenitor. (Parslow et al. 1997) The lymphoid progenitor arises from the multi-potential Hemocytoblast. The lymphoid progenitor differentiates into what are described as T cells. Differentiation is possible into the natural killer cells, CD4 and CD8 types, known as large granular lymphocytes, from which no further cell lines arise. But the lymphoid progenitor can also become the small lymphocyte. This stem cell has the potential to become a T-lymphocyte helper cell, or a B lymphocyte, which can further differentiat e into plasma cells from which antibodies are produced. (Leishman et al. 2001), (Obeyesekere et al. 2004) But the hemocytoblast from which these types arise produces more cell types along the myeloid lineage. The myeloid progenitor can differentiate into four other cell lines; erythrocytes – otherwise known as oxygen-carrying red blood cells. Immature erythrocytes can be identified by the presence of a nucleus, since they are similar in size and shape to mature erythrocytes – but a nucleus is ejected from the cell upon reaching full differentiation. (Ownby, 2002) Another differentiation event results in mast cells, whose release of histamine and heparin is responsible for many allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. Myeloid progenitors can also

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 19

Personal Statement Example in Taxation. Another factor that builds on my capacity for an opportunity to pursue this program is the experience I have gathered working as a consultant for Tailite Chemical & Plastic Limited Company. I have gained knowledge pertaining to legal issues of investing in the Midwest states and in the United States and have encountered issues of taxation. This would help me identify with some of the content that I will be taught in my LL.M. in Taxation classes. This would be an added advantage for me because I will be familiar with elements of taxation (Mooih et al 2003, 513). Research assignments that I will be required to tackle while pursuing the program will benefit from the experience I got while on an internship in Direct2supplier Corporation. While on this internship, I learned how to conduct research and interact, meaningfully, with research results. My service with Akzo Nobel (Asia) Co., Ltd also equipped me with a chance to conduct research inclined to legal issues. Roles and duties that I have assumed in different companies that I have worked for in the past have also taught me the prudence that I will use when going about my studies (Mooih et al 2003, 514). This program is the right one for me because it will enhance my practice as a consultant for Chinese companies that want to start businesses in the United States. Currently, I am working with a company that provides companies with the information they need to launch into overseas markets and the trend is that the companies interested in expanding their businesses abroad are increasing by the day. This has motivated me into studying LL.M. Taxation program from the United States. This way, a faculty that has experience in the country’s taxation practices (Mooih et al 2003, 515) will teach me. While working, I have interacted with people from diverse cultural backgrounds and I will ease adapting to the diverse cultural

Describe the empirical and rationalistic arguments for the existence Essay

Describe the empirical and rationalistic arguments for the existence of God - Essay Example Using this framework, rationalists argue that although no one can claims to have ‘seen’ God, there is enough circumstantial evidence to prove his/her existence. For example, the beauty and splendor of the natural world with its own myriad of complexity and design suggests the existence of a benevolent creator. This is the argument some creationists employ to counter evolutionary biologists’ theories of random genetic mutations. The regularity of natural phenomena such as the rising of the Sun, the waxing and waning of the moon, the presence of other life-forms on earth, are all examples of the work of the omnipresent (yet unobservable) creator or God. Rationalists further argue that the tendency for higher animals to exhibit altruistic behaviour and unconditional love can be taken as more proof. At a broader level, the evil forces in the world need a countervailing positive force in the form of God. Empiricists, on the other hand, present complementary lines of th ought. According to Empiricists, some of the transcendental experiences that occur to humans, whereby the realm of consciousness if elevated to another higher level is proof enough of God’s existence. Indeed, most such transcendental experiences coincide with a religious event such as prayer or divine music, making the associations between the two quite strong. These divine experiences of God’s presence are not usually grasped through sense organs in the course of daily life, but require special dedication to the faith and divinity for the revelation to occur.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The emergence, opportunities and importance of mobile e-commerce using Essay

The emergence, opportunities and importance of mobile e-commerce using smartphone - Essay Example Businesses have the opportunity to grow big since they are having tremendous amounts of sales just through these smart phones. Taking Amazon for instance, it has been noticed that people all over the world has made â€Å"transactions worth $ 1 Billion through smart phone in the last 12 months† (Johnston, 2010). â€Å"A mobile e-commerce report was released in which it was shown that online shopping has tripled between 2008 and 2009† (Johnston, 2010). In addition, they predicted that there will be a quicker increase in 2010 (Jackie, 2010). It is important for business who does not accept online payments to get themselves online and get mobile compatible to accept mobile orders so that they can take the advantage of increased sales. As mobile usage is continuing to grow and is gaining popularity across the globe, so it is predicted that international E-commerce will also expand as a result. Not only businesses and companies can take advantage of mobile ecommerce, but it i s growing important among the farmers as well. If their tractor breaks down in the middle of the field, so they can always order the other part through mobile, which saves a lot of their time and money. However, some risks involved are that one cannot completely depend on this, as there can be viruses, which can stop the whole business. In addition, it is difficult for some people to view the entire page, as the screen of the smart phone is so small.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Serbia Tourism and Events Management compared to Hainan Essay

Serbia Tourism and Events Management compared to Hainan - Essay Example Hainan is a state in the People’s Republic of China and is a popular tourist destination. It boasts a rich variety of attractions and natural resources including flora, fauna and wildlife. It also has a rich historical and cultural heritage and diverse, colorful ethnic minorities. It aims for quality by offering a diversified product range opening up the Paracel and Spratly islands to tourism. It offers activities such as yachting, golf, surfing, nature-based tourism and shopping options (Van Der Wagen & Carlos, 2005). Serbia, on the other hand, is a landlocked country in southeast Europe. The country boasts of a long and very colorful history. It has attraction sites such as vibrant cities, medieval monasteries and vestiges of ancient civilizations. It is a conducive area to tour since it offers opportunities for relaxation and active pursuits. Its main tourist attractions are mountain resorts, spa resorts and thermal springs and a variety of competence centers (Van Der Wagen & Carlos, 2005). According to The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), Serbia has developed its tourism industry with an appeal for new and broader target markets. It has been a nation at war for the past decade with the successive political crisis. It has reformed its Tourism and Travel economy accounting for 5.3% of the total GDP and supporting 6% of the formal employment sector. To achieve its full potential, it ought to merge the central location, abundant cultural and natural resources with a supportive business and regulatory framework. On the other hand, the focus on tourism and travel development by the Hainan provincial government began in the 1990’s. It has undergone a major transformation over time.  

The emergence, opportunities and importance of mobile e-commerce using Essay

The emergence, opportunities and importance of mobile e-commerce using smartphone - Essay Example Businesses have the opportunity to grow big since they are having tremendous amounts of sales just through these smart phones. Taking Amazon for instance, it has been noticed that people all over the world has made â€Å"transactions worth $ 1 Billion through smart phone in the last 12 months† (Johnston, 2010). â€Å"A mobile e-commerce report was released in which it was shown that online shopping has tripled between 2008 and 2009† (Johnston, 2010). In addition, they predicted that there will be a quicker increase in 2010 (Jackie, 2010). It is important for business who does not accept online payments to get themselves online and get mobile compatible to accept mobile orders so that they can take the advantage of increased sales. As mobile usage is continuing to grow and is gaining popularity across the globe, so it is predicted that international E-commerce will also expand as a result. Not only businesses and companies can take advantage of mobile ecommerce, but it i s growing important among the farmers as well. If their tractor breaks down in the middle of the field, so they can always order the other part through mobile, which saves a lot of their time and money. However, some risks involved are that one cannot completely depend on this, as there can be viruses, which can stop the whole business. In addition, it is difficult for some people to view the entire page, as the screen of the smart phone is so small.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Existentialism Essay Essay Example for Free

Existentialism Essay Essay Ever wonder why we have the term â€Å"free will† or where it originated? People believe that an individual can discover themselves as a person and choose how to live by the decisions they make; well this is where the word existentialism comes into play. Existentialism has been around since the early nineteenth century with Soren Kierkegaard’s philosophical and theological writings which, in the twentieth century, would be recognized as existentialism. The term was first coined by Gabriel Marcel, the French philosopher and later adopted by Jean-Paul Sartre, Friedrich Nietzsche and other philosophers for whom human existence were key philosophical topics; but Kierkegaard is known as the â€Å"Father of Existentialism†. Existentialism proposes that man is full of anxiety and despair with no meaning in his life, simply existing, until he made a decisive choice about the future. That is the way to achieve dignity as a human being. Existentialists felt that adopting a social or political cause was one way of giving purpose to life. Since then, existentialism has been used by writers such as Hamlet, Voltaire, Henry David Thoreau, in Buddha’s teachings, and more. Throughout the years, existentialism has been viewed from various lenses to express different ideas, emotions, as well as to expand the thought process of readers, movie go’ers, and theater lovers everywhere and has been excessively used in Kurt Vonnegut’s anti-war novel Slaughterhouse Five, Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot, and in the movie Inception. Existentialism is a concept that became popular during the Second World War in France, and just after it. French playwrights have often used the stage to express their views about anything going on in the world. There were hidden meanings that were common throughout the period so that plays would be able to pass without being banned or censored. One who wrote best-selling novels, plays and widely read journalism as well as theoretical texts during this period was Jean-Paul Sartre. Sartre had been imprisoned in Germany in 1940 but managed to escape and become one of the leaders of the Existential movement in France. Sartre dealt with existentialist themes in his 1938 novel Nausea and the short stories in his 1939 collection The Wall, and had published his treatise on existentialism, Being and Nothingness in 1943, but it was in the two years following the liberation of Paris from the German occupying forces that he and his close associate became internationally famous as the leading figures of a movement known as existentialism. A major theme throughout his writings was freedom and responsibility. One other extremely popular writer and playwright during the same time as Sartre, as well as a close friend, was Albert Camus. In a short amount of time, Camus and Sartre became the leading public intellectuals of post-war France achieving, by the end of 1945, a fame that reached across all audiences. (Existential Primer: Albert Camus) Camus rejected the existentialist label and considered his works to be concerned with facing the absurd. In the Titular book, Camus uses the analogy of the Greek myth of Sisyphus to demonstrate the futility of existence. In the myth, Sisyphus is condemned for eternity by the gods to roll a rock up a hill; when he reaches the summit, the rock will roll to the bottom again. Camus believes that this existence is pointless yet Sisyphus ultimately finds meaning and purpose in his task, simply by continually applying himself to it. For Camus, this related heavily to everyday life, and he saw Sisyphus an absurd hero, with a pointless existence. Camus felt that it was necessary to wonder what the meaning of life was and that the human being longed for some sense of clarity in the world, since if the world were clear, art would not exist. (Existential Primer: Albert Camus) The Myth of Sisyphus became a prototype for existentialism in the theatre and eventually inspired Beckett to write Waiting for Godot. In Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, existentialism manifests itself in a few ways; the frustration of trying to understand the meaning in life, the continued repetition seen throughout the play, and the inability to act. What remains archetypal in Waiting for Godot, concerning the absurdist metaphor is the way in which each character relies on the other for comfort, support, and most of all, meaning. Vladimir and Estragon desperately need one another in order to avoid living a lonely and meaningless life. The two together functions as a metaphor for survival, like the characters that proceed and follow them, they feel compelled to leave one another, but at the same time compelled to stay together. They consider parting, but, in the end, never actually part. Andrew Kennedy explains these rituals of parting saying, each is like a rehearsed ceremony, acted out to lessen the distance between time present and the ending of the relationship, which is both dreaded and desired(57). Therefore, Vladimir and Estragons inability to leave each other is just another example of the uncertainty and frustration they feel as they wait for an explanation of their existence. One of the most prevalent themes in Waiting for Godot is Estragon and Vladimir’s inability to act. When Estragon says â€Å"Let’s go†, Vladimir says â€Å"We can’t†¦ We’re waiting for Godot† (page 7). They are not even sure that Godot will come, or that they are waiting at the right place. Even if he doesn’t come, they plan to wait indefinitely. Even if he doesn’t come, they plan to wait indefinitely. After witnessing Pozzo’s cruelty to Lucky, Vladimir and Estragon are outraged. Yet they are still unable to do anything to improve Lucky’s situation. Pozzo lets Estragon and Vladimir know that they do not have control over their immediate future or even their distant future. When talking about the mysterious twilight, Estragon and Vladimir relate to waiting for Godot. So long as they know what to expect, waiting is their only course of action. Since Estragon and Vladimir can never make a decisive choice about what they want to do or about their future, their life seems to have no meaning.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Change Junctures in the Change Management Process

Change Junctures in the Change Management Process Critical change junctures in the change management process at Spectrum sun-Glass Company Introduction In the simulation undertaken, I am the Director of Product Innovation under the unit handling Research and Development for a company called Spectrum sun-glass Harvard (2012). I am very passionate about sustainability and would be very like the company to offer green products to its clients. At a recent company retreat, I tried sharing the discussion I had had with the Vice President of our biggest retail customer, Bigmart; in which he had intimated that Bigmart was about to require all their suppliers to, go through the Green Certification process. As I proceeded, most of my colleagues were displeased; with the Chief Finance Officer, Paul DArcy and the Vice President for Operations Luke Filer, coming out very strongly, against my proposal. I however received support from the Vice President (VP) of Sales and Marketing, Leslie Harris and Vice President (VP) for Human Resources, Mary Gopinath. As a compromise, the CEO appointed me as the head of a team from the different departments to develop a plan that is acceptable to all. As I lacked any formal authority, I had to rely on my personal credibility which was quite high at this point. 2.0 Section 1: 1st decision: Hosting a town-hall meeting in week 25 and the reasoning behind. To start with, I undertook a range of decisions to raise my personal credibility and increase awareness. For instance, in week 0-24, I had private interviews with colleagues (particularly those opposed to the initiative), I received support from a consultant, and I received the CEOs support, to mention but a few. However, the decision that most advanced my change management process, was the town hall meeting that I held in week 25. This town hall meeting alone moved the following individuals from the awareness to the trial stage: Andrew Chen, Walt James, Bob Ingram, Yao Li, Mark Robert, Anne Thompson, Louise Crysh and Dianne Mcnatt. The reasoning behind this decision was informed by Robert Ciadini as quoted in Cliffe, S (2013) who says that ; if one intends to persuade people, one needs to appeal to six human responses namely; people will follow through with commitments that they have made publicly, people will do things that they see people similar to them do, when people are uncert ain about certain things, they tend to look towards experts and other possible sources of information, people are more likely to accept proposals from someone that they like, people tend to respond positively to people who have helped them in the past and people value things whose supply is limited. The town hall meeting was therefore a perfect lever for me to use, as it enabled people to accept my proposal, if other people in the group were to accept. Secondly, it enabled colleagues to make a public commitment to my proposed change, than say, in the private interviews. In addition, the town hall meeting was a perfect opportunity for me to share my extensive knowledge on the issue of sustainability and why it is important for our company and future growth. In the face of uncertainty, my colleagues were then more likely to defer to me and agree to my proposal. Looking back, at the levers that I used, I should also have continued with personal interviews, particularly with the key opp onents of my plan. This strategy of co-opting antagonists is well elaborated in Pfeffer, J (2010), as a way of winning over opponents and giving them a stake in the process of change. Personally, this could also have involved making concessions to the CFO and the VP-Operations in private, so that they start to own a part of the plan. 3.0 Section 2: How I would implement the change action above in practice In practice, I would seek to utilize the levers provided in a concurrent fashion. Whereas, in the simulation, I could only hold a town hall meeting, for instance; I would in practice, seek to complement this with a public statement of support from the CEO. I would also look at having the consultants report delivered during the townhall meeting. In addition to these formal avenues for influencing my colleagues, I would seek out opportunities to help out colleagues. In this way, I would create an obligation on their part to reciprocate. This would therefore ensure that when they are called upon to support my proposal, they would feel conflicted, not to support it. Similarly, I would try to make every effort to get myself liked by colleagues, in very casual settings. This liking would them make it more likely, that they would support my proposal. I would focus less on the means, and focus more on the end. That is, I would be extremely flexible with the levers and concentrate more on the goal of having management agree to Spectrum-sun glass making green products. I would also seek to appreciate the arguments of my colleagues, in Finance and operations. To allay their fears about the financial and operational challenges of the new proposal, I would invite their contributions on how these can be addressed. I would be willing to accept these suggestions as it helps me attain my overall goal-albeit with certain changes. In addition to the personal interviews and town halls, I would also look-out and encourage opportunities for my colleagues to air their views and even reservations about my proposal. This would help me to understand the main issues that my opponents value and would then enable me to respond appropriately. 4.0 Section 3: 2nd decision/Juncture: Building a coalition of support in week 43 and the reasoning behind In week 43, I sought to build a coalition of supporters among the staff, as a way of trying to move the organization from the awareness to the movement stage of the change process. Not only did this decision, have no effect on the organization; it also resulted in a loss of my credibility as some staff were not enthusiastic about the idea. In making this decision, my assumption had been that there was then sufficient interest, in my proposal, among the team. In fact, this result (the failure to build a coalition of support) could be explained by the various theories about organizational culture. For example, Chatman, J, Eunyoung Cha, S (2003) posit that organizational culture is very powerful as it energizes and rallies employees around common perceived goals or objectives. The lack of interest by the employees of Spectrum sun-glass in joining a coalition of support could therefore be partially explained by the culture of the organization. This view is supported by, Goffee, R, Jone s, G (1996) who explains that organizations can be grouped on the basis of their cultures, as follows: Networked Organizations-in which there is a lot of informality, cliques and limited commitment to company goals, Mercenary Organizations,-in which decisions are made by top management and enforced swiftly throughout the organization, Fragmented organizations-in which there is limited solidarity and collaboration across departments and communal organizations, in which there is a lot of socializing at work and solidarity. Based on the above metric, I would classify Spectrum sun-glass as a Fragmented company where there is limited solidarity and collaboration across departments. Alternatively; and as explained by Prof Tim Morris in his lecture on leading through culture; company cultures can be assessed on five dimensions, namely; whether it has a single or multiple cultures, whether decision making is low or high consensus, whether there is an internal or client focus, whether the pe rformance orientation is high or low and whether there is internal cooperation or competition. Based on the above criteria; I would rate Spectrum sun-glass as having a single culture, high consensus decision making, client focus, a high performance orientation and internal competition. With the above information and in retrospect; I should not have sought to create a coalition in such an organizational culture, at the time I did. Instead, I should have concentrated on enabling change through consolidating and relying on my personal credibility, communicating my proposal and making the necessary emotional connection and training. 5.0 How I would implement the change action above in practice In practice, I would start by analyzing the existing organizational culture. I would then craft a very convincing slogan to motivate my colleagues to adopt my approach. For instance, Go Green, More Profits, and More Pay. To further promote interest in my proposal, I would create a sense of urgency, by making the slogan action oriented, Goffee, et al, (1996). As this is a fragmented and mercenary organization, I would also try to organize dialogues on my proposal in informal settings; like lunch, parties and so on. As these parties are enjoyable for those who attend, this tends to increase my likability and the social dynamic within the group. It would also be critical for me to create a place of psychological safety to ask questions about my proposal, to receive honest feedback, to discuss any reservations and errors of approach openly. In this way, I would reinforce the solidarity of the group and its ability to socialize Chatman, et al (2003). 6.0 Conclusion In the end, I was able through the use of the various levers to have eighteen adopters by week 56. This translated into a change efficiency ratio of 0.32, which is high. My change leadership skills (the mishaps, notwithstanding) ensured that I was able to convince a critical mass of managers to adopt the initiative on sustainability. This significantly improved the financial prospects of the company and my professional prospects. Bibliography Chatman, J, Eunyoung Cha, S 2003, Leading by Leveraging Culture, California Management Review, 45, 4, pp. 20-34, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 January 2017. Cliffe, S 2013, The Uses (and Abuses) of Influence, Harvard Business Review, 91, 7/8, pp. 76-81, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 January 2017. Goffee, R, Jones, G 1996, What Holds the Modern Company Together?, Harvard Business Review, 74, 6, pp. 133-148, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 January 2017 Harvard (2012) Change management simulation: Power and influence. Available at: http://forio.com/simulate/harvard/change-management/simulation/index.html#introduction (Accessed: 17 January 2017). Pfeffer, J 2010, Power Play, Harvard Business Review, 88, 7/8, pp. 84-92, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 January 2017 Tim Morris (2016) Lecture Slide on Leading through Culture, Available at: https://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/access/content/group/1ed98592-bb15-4079-ad29 b1e4e73be816/Document%20Library/Lecture%20Slides/LF16%2010.1%20Organisational%20Culture.pdf (Accessed: 18 January 2017).

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Personal Counseling: Theory of Change Essay -- Psychology

Over the last 100 years, the underpinning concepts in the fields of psychology and counseling were wrought. Within this period, these concepts have transformed and evolved from somewhat crude conceptions of the psyche toward more holistic interventions and approaches. As the profession continues to move forward, adaptations of the original theorists regarding the nature of man and the development of personality continue to emerge. These adaptations, along with the integration of new concepts and ideas, continue to contribute to the field. The author describes his view of man and human nature, personality development, and explores potential implications for counseling. Nature of Man The work of Sigmund Freud continues to influence contemporary practice, as many of his basic concepts remain the foundation from which other theorists develop. Freud described life instincts, a central tenant of the Freudian approach, as instincts that serve the purpose of survival for man as well as the human race. Glasser’s Choice Theory maintains that human behavior is internally motivated by five genetic impulses. The first noted among these impulses is survival (Skeen, 2002; Wubbolding, 2005). Man is a carnal being, sharing the same defensive and predatory instincts found throughout the animal kingdom. Man has basic needs and is driven towards satisfying them. When examining the development of the human brain, it is known the first portion to develop is the cerebellum. The cerebellum is the seat of human life support systems and our natural instincts. Sharing the fight or flight responses, the experience of apprehension towards looming animals or objects, and a need to live and reproduce are innate. These all may be experienced to differen... ... Journal of Individual Psychology, 38(1), 1-6. Adler, K. A. (1994). Socialist influences on Adlerian psychology. Individual Psychology, 50(2), 131-141. Day, S. X. (2008). Theory and design in counseling and psychology. Boston: Lahaska. Manaster, G. J. (1987). Adlerian theory and movement. Individual Psychology, 43(3), 280-287. Minor, J. (2007). Some reasons why I use REBT in my private practice and personal life. ETC: A Review of General Semantics, 320-323. Shaughnessy, M. F., & Mahan, V. (2002). An interview with Albert Ellis about rational emotive behavior therapy. North American Journal of Psychiatry, 4(3), 355-366. Skeen, J. W. (2002). Choice theory, virtue ethics, and the sixth need. International Journal of Reality Therapy, 21(1), 14-19. Wubbolding, R. E. (2005). The power of belonging. International Journal of Reality Therapy, 24(2), 43-44.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

growaw Unfulfilled Edna Pontellier of Kate Chopins The Awakening Ess

Unfulfilled Edna of The Awakening  Ã‚   As evidenced in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, and other novels of the 1800’s, women writers of this period seem to feel very repressed. Leonce Pontellier seemed to be fond of his wife, and treated her as one would treat a loved pet. In the beginning of the story it describes him as looking at her as a â€Å"valuable piece of personal property†. He does not value her fully as a human being more as a piece of property. However, he expects her to be everything he thinks she should be. Her children also expect total sacrifice from her. She obviously feels unfulfilled in life and inadequate in many facets. She does not feel like an artist, she does not feel like a satisfied wife or mother. Since she does not feel like she has an actual life, that is why it is easy to kill herself. It is at the end when she views the sea as the rolling,endless meadow that the sees a life without constrictions. She finally feels free and at peace. The Awakening is an emotionally unsatisfying story. It is the story of a women, Edna, who tries unsuccessfull...

Friday, October 11, 2019

The Use of Symbolism in Hemmingway’s A Farewell to Arms

A Farewell to Arms is one of the greatest tragic love stories of the twentieth century. The novel which was written by Ernest Hemingway was published in 1929, and could possibly be one of the best novels that was been written about World War I. Throughout the novel Hemingway tries to bring light to the truths about war. He does not focus on the heroic picture that many picture of war, as shines a light on the hardships of war. The author makes use of symbolism throughout the novel in order to show the reader the struggles such as hardships with death, wounds inflicted from war, and the toll war can take on relationships.The Use of Nature To be able to properly analyze the novel, the reader has to understand how the symbolic structure is formed by the author. In this case, Hemingway has used nature as a way to contrast with the emotions of the characters. Chapter 1 begins with the following: â€Å"In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains†¦the plain was rich with crops†¦and beyond the plains the mountains were brown and bare† (Hemingway 3). The author positioned the main character on a kind of lookout point which effectively conveys feelings of detachment (Bloom 31).But for several scholars, this is just another example of Hemingway’s style: â€Å"lean, understated, evocative, spare and without emotion† (Bloom 31) The introductory line to the novel sets the mood for the rest of the chapter. This form of imagery was used in the first chapter, leaving it up to the imagination of the reader to interpret the characters emotions. The author does this so that he does not have to go into detail about the characters feelings. Bloom says that Hemingway’s use of nature as symbolism is no surprise as he is one author well-known for his â€Å"love of open water and other wild places in nature† (Bloom 31).Hemingway portrays life in the first chapter as– brown, bare, hopeless when he uses the words bare and dusty to describe a road that the troops marched on. The narrator goes into detail describing the plains as follows: â€Å"The plain was rich with crops; there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare† (Hemingway 3). This description allows the reader to know that the people of the town were able to go on with their lives, with plenty of food on the table, living as comfortably as they could while the war went on in their backyards.The author shows us that this place is considered a normal home for villagers. Yet, with all that is occurring on the side of the mountains, how can home be considered normal? Hemingway uses nature as symbolism in chapter 1 when he describes the following night. â€Å"In the dark it was like summer lightning, but the nights were cool and there was not a feeling of a storm coming† (Hemingway 3). The villagers knew that fighting wa s going on all around them, but it was far enough away that it did not impact their daily lives. Towards the end of Chapter 1 a switch occurs.While not much had occurred in the village, the fighting had become quite unsuccessful. When the troops had experienced this change in the fighting force, they also experienced a change in the weather- fall was arriving. The author uses this change in weather and foreshadows that something terrible is coming. The author tells the reader that things went very badly. Winter had arrived, and with winter came the permanent rain which accompanied cholera. The intestinal disease took out seven thousand soldiers that year from the Italian Army. In the novel, the rain was used as a symbol of death.A year passed between Chapters 1 and 2, and the name of the main character, Frederick Henry, had yet to be introduced to the reader at this point. The protagonist isn’t much of a bold character. He tends to sit back and observe the crowd with no comme ntary; he is an observer. Henry is a Lieutenant serving in the ambulance corps in the Italian Army. As spring began to approach, Frederick finds himself stuck in a state of confusion about his life. The war is affecting him and others in such a way that he becomes uncertain with what he’s doing in his life, whether he is content or not.As Henry goes through these changes within himself, spring is upon his and with spring comes a sign of hope. The Use of Light With the change of the season, change occurs immediately upon reading Chapter 4. â€Å"The battery in the next garden woke me in the morning and I saw the sun coming through the window and got out of the bed† (Hemingway 15). The light is symbolic towards Henry’s mood, even though the character himself doesn’t know it yet, everything is going to change for him. It was on this sunny day that he met Ms. Catherine Barkley. In the beginning of their romance, the reader is confused by the actions of both M s.Barkley and Mr. Frederick. â€Å"He is impulsive and fatalistic about his choices [such as driving the ambulance for the Italians while he is an American], and she plays with the notion that everything has an explanation [â€Å"I was brought up to think there was†]† (Bloom 33). As one see’s how the relationship between Catherine and Henry develops, they can see how quickly the two have become intimate with one another due to the effects of the war. At first, Catherine seems to be using Henry for comfort due to her loss. Catherine then reveals to Henry about her previous engagement to a man whom she’d lost due to the war.Although he did not believe so himself, Henry was falling in love with Catherine. At first Henry had wished it would simply be a relationship based on sexual pleasure. Hemingway represents the love that the two have for each other through Catherine’s hair. Henry says: â€Å"I loved to take her hair down and she sat on the bed and kept very still, except suddenly would dip down to kiss me while I was doing it†¦ and it was the feeling of inside a tent or behind a falls† (Hemingway 114). â€Å"Henry and Catherine being inside her hair which forms a kind of tent over them, while they make love, may be taken as a womb symbol† (Rao 57).Her hair also being seen as a womb is symbolic as for later in the novel when Catherine becomes pregnant by Henry. The Use of Symbols One can go into great detail trying to analyze the many ways that Hemingway uses symbolism in the novel A Farewell to Arms. Taking a look at the novel, the occurrence of rain is constant from the beginning to the end. The author has presented the rain in many different manners such as rivers, lakes, rain and snow. As was covered in Chapter 1, the reader is able to contrast that rain symbolizes death. â€Å"Catherine sometimes sees herself and Henry dead in the rain† (Rao 59).This was the most direct ways that Hemingway used r ain as a symbol of death. Although, when reading through the climax of the novel, the author gives the reader hope for it was through means of water that Henry escaped the war and returned to Ms. Barkley. The rain was a symbol of trouble and turmoil for Henry. â€Å"When Fredrick was wounded, he is taken to the field hospital and â€Å"a rain† of blood falls on him from the stretcher above him. This is used to associate rain with destruction and pain, struggles and sufferings† (Shams).Catherine is seen to be afraid of  the rain due to her fear of seeing herself dead. â€Å"As Frederick and Catherine try to escape to Switzerland across the lake in a boat, their journey is lashed by rains† (Shams 45). The events that occurred when Catherine went into labor are tragic, and could be foreshadowed upon when it rained the day that she told Henry of her pregnancy. To finish the novel, after Henry discovered that Catherine and the baby were gone, he left the hospital a nd walked back to the hotel in the rain. (Hemingway 332). The author ended the novel with the word rain. The main character was left with nobody.He had fled the Army, snuck off to be with Catherine and the baby, to be left with only rain. The river and the lake are used symbolically to divide the opposing sides from one another. The Austrian front is separated from the Caperatto retreat in Chapter 3 by a river. Fredric and his company were trapped in the enemy side of the river. This shows how the river is used to divide territories, creating a place where one can distinguish the sides between the opposing and the allies. Ishteyaque Shams takes note that it is important to see that the retreat of the Italian Army, which occurs at Gorizia, is accompanied by rain (45).Fredric’s escape from capture and death by jumping into the river shows how the river is symbolic when dividing the enemy lines. The river was the divider between his life and his death. Snow represented the first time that the soldiers weren’t fighting. â€Å"â€Å"Snow† is seen as able to postpone the consequences of death but doesn’t really cure mortality; it is viewed as an aesthetic† (Shams). Whether it is the snow or the color white, it brings a sense of false hope into the novel, for death is only delayed for a little while longer. The snow is a form of safety, like when Catherine and Henry were in the Swiss Alps surrounded by snow.Other means of representing the tragedy that occurs throughout the novel is with the mountains. The battle front is located upon mountains where the battle is fought, and where many dead lay. Fredrick was wounded at the end of a long mountain, and he is bothered by the violence that arises from the mountains. The snowing in the mountains of Switzerland encourages Catherine and Fredrick to go to the mountains. Irony is then implemented into the novel, because Catherine and Frederick escaped to the mountains of Switzerland so that they could escape from the war.The plains in the novel are similar to the symbols used for the rain and the mountains. Things such as diseases, suffering, death, non-religious, and war were presented to the novel when the priest says suggested that Henry take leave and go to Abruzzi, the Priest’s hometown. That is has kind and polite people and with hospitality and a sense of natural beauty. â€Å"The plains are some sort of sharp contrast to this, it is characterized with drunkenness, prostitutes, destruction, cheap cafes and some other signs of low level life style† (Shams). ConclusionSymbolism was implemented in many different ways throughout the entire novel. Ernest Hemingway is able to link two things together in a manner allowing the novel to be easily understood by the reader. He manages draws the readers in by using symbols to represent something more than just what it is, such as rain to represent death, weather to represent mood, etc†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"It is someth ing really important and interesting to see that in A Farewell to Arms Hemingway makes a very intricate but meaningful combination of images and symbols in order to be able to express whatever he has to convey to his readers† (Shams 44).

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Active involvement through the study circle Essay

Introduction The Study Circle is a dynamic process wherein the experience and participation of the participants makes up the educational method for this program. Since its beginnings, it has been identified as an emancipatory method of teaching wherein a democratic arena for learning is present especially for young adults. The idea underlying this is that learning could be acquired through sharing of participating members (Putu, 2006). History of Study Circle Aiming at transforming his country, a place wherein widespread poverty and a great gap between the poor and rich exist, Oscar Olsson arrived at America in 1893. Olson is searching for a form of education or method that would be beneficial to transforming his country into a place where justice and liberty work side by side with democracy in order for its people to educate or learn by themselves (Andrews, 1997). Olsson soon found out what he was looking for in America in an unlikely place, an adult education movement sponsored by the Chautauqua literary and scientific circle. From this adult education movement, Olsson was able to discover a form of education called Study Circle and is being referred today as the â€Å"education by the people, for the people and of the people† (Andrews, 1997). After learning or finding out about the Study Circle, Olsson came back to his country which is Sweden and here he began to write a series of report about the Study Circle and incorporated his own theories and ideas about the method. At this time, Oscar Olsson principles and views are influenced heavily by John Dewey and it is known that he has the same philosophical, theoretical and practical approach to education to Tao Xingzhi and Yan Yangchu, both considered as scholars who were also influenced by Dewey’s teaching and principles (Persson, 2006). Olsson’s ideals made way for the creation of Sweden Study Circle in 1902 in the Lund branch of the International Order of Good Templar. First of its kind, the Study Circle emphasize four key areas concerning the Study Circle (Persson, 2006). They are the following: 1) In order for everyone to join the Study Circle, the program must be cheap and in doing so, no one would be desist in joining or participating in the program because of economic reason. 2) The method must be simple that everyone won’t have a hard time participating in the discussion regardless of educational background or schooling. 3) Participants shall meet as equals and have equal possibilities to voice out their opinions about their studies regardless of their social status or background. 4) Lastly, the library and books will play an important role in the education of the participants (Persson, 2006). For Olsson, the Study Circle is a method of organizing studies which focuses on the idea that every participant should educate himself. Study Circle educates its participants by letting them choose their own literature and actively communicating with other participants using their own knowledge during groups discussion and meetings. In doing so, Study Circle was known as forum of democracy, in which participants were held responsible for the contents and the method (Persson, 2006). Olsson also incorporated in the Study Circle the joy of learning. He reasoned out that by spending time and energy on education, the brain will get a strong impression that knowledge is pleasure. Furthermore, Olsson agreed that continuous education and questioning could only be supplied by a stable atmosphere and spirit (Persson, 2006). Review of Related Literature Basic Principles Underlying Study Circles Derived from the ideas of Oscar Olsson, didactic principles that emphasize the role of members in a group were laid down to ensure that the Study Circle would function and work according to its purpose (Brattset, 1982). The principles describe the method as an active process, wherein knowledge will be realized into actions and social changes that could promote development. According to Kindstorm (2002), the method espouses the following principles: 1) Equality and democracy – The principles of democracy and equality allow the members to work hand in hand by allowing the exchange of views and information through dialogues and conversation. 2) Change and action – Being responsible for the education of their fellow members, education on Study Circle won’t just be concern on education but also the development of each member. 3) Study Materials – Books and Libraries will play the role of teachers, as they will be the source of new knowledge and information for the members. What subject to learn or book to read will be decided upon by the members. 4) Freedom and the objectives of Study Circle – Study Circle emphasize the idea that freedom comes with responsibility. The members will have to work in accordance with organization’s framework while carrying out their educational duties and work. 5) Experiences and Co-operation – their will be no competing inside Study Circle and every members walk side by side with each other in trying to educate not only themselves but also their fellow members. Their experience and knowledge before entering the program will bring in new ideas and concept. 6) Active participation and continuous planning – Determining the education level inside a Study Circle will depend on how active the members will be in the program. It is through participating that members will have the chance to voice out their opinion and individual knowledge in front of other members and from this, learning from other people begins. Study Circle is built upon the active participation of its members. Furthermore, individuals may learn best by setting up objectives and goals that will serve as their guide during the program. Although things might have changed because of the year gap, Olsson’s ideas set the standard for future Study Circles. Although other ideas came after the first Study Circle was created, the principles that Olsson established were able to ensure that Study Circles will work as he envisioned them (Kindstorm, 2002).