Saturday, August 31, 2019

Quintessential Techniques of Effective Management Essay

Goal oriented performance, combined with productivity and employee satisfaction to achieve a positive cash flow is the key to a healthy and lucrative business in today’s world. The success of employee performance is due in large part to the management of employee time and proper training. It is the duty of a supervisor to direct the employees towards satisfactory accomplishments in these areas and orient them towards the goals of the parent organization.   In order to lead with positive results a manager must not only lead the team, but be an effective part of it. The development of work team identity, performance goals, skill development, and a satisfactory rapport between management and employees falls on the supervisor. A good supervisor will understand that management is only as effective as the partnership he or she sustains with the employees.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There has been a great deal of time and energy devoted to the research of effective management skills in the workplace. According to Joseph Wholey, the â€Å"theory of management is being able to develop a reasonable level of agreement on agency and program goals and strategies† (Wholey, 288.) A solidly founded program will ensure both fairness and objectivity. In order to do both, and effectively manage the time and skills of employees, a supervisor must assure that performance is be both carefully measured and documented. This begins with the establishment of a performance plan, agreed upon by both the supervisor and the employee. The plan should set both short-term and long-term employee goals. The team should review these goals quarterly. One of the most effective techniques for this type of a system is a monthly scorecard kept for each employee by the supervisor. During a performance review, the manager would examine the records produced during the previous quarter and records and evaluate the employee’s performance during that quarter as well as against past quarters. This performance rating should include ratings for individual goals, team goals, and open-ended comments, as well as an overall rating. After accessing the past information and reaching an agreement on the current rating, the supervisor and the employee should work together to develop new goals with higher team and individual expectations. The implementation of priorities for the upcoming year should also be written at this time. It is during these performance reviews, and not during the normal working shifts, that supervisors are able to get important information and feedback from their employees.   There is little productive about interrupting the scheduled work in order to ask how it is progressing. In order to maintain smooth supervisor and employee relations there must be respect for the job as well as the individuals. The responsibility of a supervisor during the normal course of the working day is to encouragement the successful maintenance of the work schedule rather than to bond with the employees.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On occasion, there will be rough patches at work that are unaccounted for during these goal-setting meetings. Supervisors must support their teams through these difficult times.   It is imperative that the supervisor understands the development stages of teams in order to aide the team in getting through the trouble spots.   Fusion Associates discusses how performance goals are tied directly to team development. Developing performance goals and standards show participants how to establish SMART-based performance standards. It is one that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-oriented, and Time-framed. The SMART approach enables team members to better understand organizational performance requirements and their own role in moving the business forward. Because SMART is a collaborative way to develop goals and standards, team members intuitively agree to the process and give their full commitment to its success. By using SMART with their team members, managers demonstrate their commitment to an open and consistent performance improvement process. (Fusion) In many cases the industry of the organization has a major effect on the way in which teams are organized, and supervision is handled. For example, in today’s telecommunication industry, sales figures drive the perception of company success. In this case, the effective supervisor must encourage employees to believe every call is a sale opportunity, rather than allow then to focus on the failed calls. An instance of this problem and solution can be found in the following case. Connect Wide is one of the leading local cable companies. The quarterly performance goals, based on sales, have been increased in regular increments without discussion with the employees. This has led to low moral amongst the employees.   The employees in turn complain that they can not sell, or up-sell, to customers who feel that the pricing is too high, or already run past due on their billing accounts. Once the problems have been defined, the management needs to implement a program to reverse the low morale and increase sales. A good supervisor would begin with designing a successful operating plan to present to the employees. This plan should include the encouragement, empowerment, and support of the employees during the change. Despite the poor beginning conditions, change is almost always considered with both reluctance and suspicion in the workplace. The implementation of changes for the betterment of both the working conditions and the sales driven goals would be well served by a mini-training course on transitional selling. Following this with a good marketing campaign should ease the burden of making hard sales for the employees. These implementations would both increase the revenue and therefore make goals easier to reach. When the individual, team, and department goals are met the supervisor is often rewarded. By passing these types of rewards down to the employees, it will sustain the motivation in the workplace. When a manager administers a plan successfully, what results is a motivated work force, which maintains productivity and reaches set goals. This type of direct intervention is often called management coaching.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Understanding the concept of management coaching and how the employee and company can all benefit is an important hallmark of a good supervisor.   One of the key components to successful coaching is observation of the employee’s performance in order to grant feedback. There two types of feedback the supervisor must be aware of, both which are valuable to employee development. The appropriate type of feedback needs to be given to the employee, depending on the developmental needs witnessed by the supervisor. Motivational feedback is the first type. This feedback focuses on positive actions which the supervisor wishes to see the employee continue.   This type of feedback most often elicits future performance gains from the employee. The other type of feedback is developmental.   Developmental feedback allows the supervisor to offer the employee ways in which to improve their performance. Clear, concise suggestions for what needs improvement must be balanced with an effort not to make the employee feel berated, especially in front of other employees.   This type of feedback is far more dependant on good communication skills. To reach the best performance standards employee coaching must be conducted with a conscientious approach to customer service.   Fleischer describes this as an   approach to retention seems like an efficient way to sustain revenue from existing customers.   But in practice, this attempt to prevent churn backfires because it creates a conflict between customers’ expectations of service and the company’s willingness to fulfill them. (Fleisher. 40) The coaching is a process does not require a great deal of time; however it is a great benefit to the company. The secret to successful coaching is to create and seize coaching opportunities, which present themselves everyday in the work place. This small investment of a supervisor’s time with his or her employees often results in large pay-backs of more motivated worker and larger profits. In conclusion, good management must be successfully implemented by a supervisor who leads his or her team towards redefined goals.   The must use encouragement, motivation, and listening skills in order to connect with their employees and help their employees connect with each other. These skills can be honed under various development paradigms. One of the most successful of these is coaching, the delivery of feedback to the employees, and listening for feedback from them in order to improve both sides. Works Cited   Human Resource Management International Digest 14.7 (2006):   ABI/INFORM Global.   ProQuest.   1 Nov. 2006 http://www.proquest.com Holiday Extras is flying high:   Found monitoring calls knock a minute off the average call, while improving quality to the customers.   Monthly staff turnover fell from 7.95 to 4.2 percent versus a year before.   Sales increase by 6 percent using transition keeping in mind each call could be a sell opportunity. Fleischer, Joe. Call Center Magazine 1 OCT. 2006: 40. ABI/INFORM Global.   ProQuest.   1Nov. 2006 http://www.proquest.com/ Don’t Just Say No — Is approach to retention seems like an efficient way to sustain revenue from existing customers.   But in practice, this attempt to prevent churn backfires because it creates a conflict between customers’ expectations of service and the company’s willingness to fulfill them. Fusion Associates.   Forging High Performance Teams.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2005 7 Nov. 2006 http://www.fusionassociates.com/index.html Developing performance goals and standards show participants how to establish SMART-based performance standards. It is one that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-oriented, and Time-framed. The SMART approach enables team members to better understand organizational performance requirements and their own role in moving the business forward. Webster, Richard .   Call Center Magazine 1 Nov. 2006: 42.   ABI/INFORM Global.   ProQuest.   1 Nov. 2006 http://www.proquest.com Beverly Stryker, Starbucks Coffee Company — Starbucks hired Stryker in 2003 to oversee and build upon a virtually non-existent quality assurance and training program.   Stryker took pains to convince her staff that the aim of the quality assurance program was not to spy on employees, but to improve customer interactions. Wholey, Joseph S.   â€Å"Performance-Based Management Responding to the Challenges.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   March 1999.   Vol. 22.   Univeristy of Southern California and U.S. General Accounting Office.   Pg. 288.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Theory of management is being able to develop a reasonable level of agreement on agency and program goals and strategies.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Ethical Perspectives Essay

Abstract This essay will research a a global organization and cultural issue that affects the organization’s interactions outside the United States. It will also define the cultural issue within the global organization as well as provide an analysis of the ethical and social responsibility issues that the organization must deal with as a result of being a global organization. The analysis will identify ethical perspectives in the global organization and it will compare these ethical perspectives across cultures involved in the global organization. Ethical Perspectives Paper Due to many strict regulations placed on corporations by the United States, a lot of them have moved their factories overseas as a way of escaping the strict regulations. South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, and China are examples of various Third World countries that have a readily available and abundant cheap labor source. These companies take it vantage of this cheap labor as a means of fulfilling the consumer’s needs while at the same time cutting costs production. Many of these organizations have been noted by the media as abusing these forms of cheap labor and are highly criticized because of their organizational culture. The use of child labor or work conditions in the labor force are some of the malpractices these organizations are noted as using on both the local and international level. Although these organizations have been reported for doing this very little has been done to correct the problem unless someone has either gotten hurt were the people go on strike to rally for the workers’ rights. Nike Corporation is among those corporations that have been highlighted and criticized for its organizational culture. This Corporation, founded by Bill Bowerman and Philip Knight, has had companies based abroad from the very beginning in an attempt to increase its profits around the world. By doing this the company has managed to save money on production and labor costs and has been labeled a blue ribbon sports organization. There many different countries that this organization has expanded into. One of these countries is Pakistan. Pakistan, Nike company faced serious cultural issues including the use of children for labor and poor work conditions. The allegations range from situations where children’s job was to stitch soccer balls to stitching of and support garments. Boje & Khan (2009) indicate that Sialkot, Pakistan has been the place where soccer balls of Nike company and then produced for several years and it is estimated it thousands of children have been used as workers in the production process of the company’s goods. Khan (2010) indicates that childhood is perceived in different ways and that it is not across countries but also in a specific culture had across various ethnic groups (Khan, 2010). Child labor is the main cultural issue that affects the Nike Corporation. The company has been highlighted by the media through illustrating the conditions under which the Nikes factories were operating overseas and the minimal standards that had to be attained by the employees. This company’s goal was to achieve financial gain while exploiting its workers. Due to these malpractices the Nike Corporation received ceaseless attacks. Strict recommendations were set in order to improve these back conditions. With the media being involved Nike had to do something to improve how it was operating in other countries. Due to Nikes global expansion, the company was faced with various aspects of concern, costs being among those issues. In order for them to stay competitive, as it pertains to price without the need to reduce its workforce, they decided to outsource some of its manufacturing overseas. By doing so, it gave the company an advantage over its competitors as well as opening other doors of marketing for the company. Even though the shifting of jobs from the US to other countries may be viewed as an unethical  practice by others, it can be said that Nike’s decision was in the best interest of the company, as well as the employees working at the company. A company that is unable to maintain its competitive advantage within its current markets and at the same time thinking of expanding its business, will end up experiencing a stagnating growth and loss of jobs among many employees. No one will then be the winner when the company has lost his competitiveness in the industry (Etienne an d Lewis, 2005). Another thing that has to be taken into consideration are the customers. This falls within the ethical responsibility field of the company which had been overlooked for a long time. It is apparent that the Nike Corporation failed to comprehend the consequences of not following the required base market ideologies in a place where they were not required to follow stringent labor regulations. Taking jobs out of the United States is hard enough to justify, never mind the fact they were taking those jobs and moving them to a place where children were given those jobs. With child labor being a major problem is clear that Nike did not consider its ethical obligations and wound up paying the price for its malpractices. Nike was accused of lowering the human standards rights single-handedly with the goal of maximizing profits. Furthermore, Nike products have been linked to forced overtime, slave wages, and habitual abuse. The main difficulties in diversifying an organization is based on the principle of cultural adaptability while ensuring that ethical and social standards and maintain. Groundwork of the organization or company can be well described when there is a clear analysis of what takes place in organization. Nike’s decision to take the company’s business abroad was with good intent and motive for cutting costs, increasing the company’s competitiveness and profits, but should not have come at the expense of abusing child labor. The accusations placed on Nike Corporation by the media were based on poor working conditions, use of child labor, and the exploitation of wages to its employees abroad. The company was not only criticized these accusations, but were also criticized for taking jobs away from the American people. Through corporate social responsibility laws, the Nike Corporation was forced to adhere to the recommendation in order to  improve the poor working conditi ons in its factories abroad. References Boje, D, & Khan, F (2009) Story-Branding by Empire Entrepreneurs, Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, p 9-24. DeTienne, K & Lewis, L (2005) the Pragmatic and Ethical Barriers to Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure, Journal of Business Ethics, p 359-376. Khan, a (2010) Discourses on Childhood, History & Anthropology, p 101-119.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

”Medea” by Euripides Essay

‘Unclean, abhorrent child – destroyer.’ Medea’s murder of her children means she cannot be regarded as a true tragic hero. To what extent do you agree with this in view of Euripides’s presentations of Medea in the exodos? The image of Medea presented by Euripides in the exodos is undoubtedly largely horrifying and appalling to the audience. Medea manifestly presents her desire for revenge and it is difficult to sympathise with her character. However, in many respects her character fits the image of a tragic hero. Although, it is widely controversial to associate Medea with heroic aspects in modern days, from an ancient Greek’s perspective her actions and personality might well match aspects of the tragic hero such as consistency, appropriation, noble state, and tragic flaw. This essay will explore whether her presentation in the exodos as well as her actions in other circumstances justify her tragic hero status. First of all, Medea has always enjoyed a good reputation and high-rank in society. Her heroic identity symbolises the fact that she is a grand- daughter of the Sun. Moreover, Medea was a princess of Colchis and displayed a vast knowledge of enchantments and medicine. When Jason abandons her in a foreign land she becomes a ‘stateless refugee’ and her pride suffers. It has also been stated by the Chorus in the play: ‘Of all pains and hardships none is worse Than to be deprived of your native land’. [L.651-652] It seems intolerable for her to be rejected & homeless in a foreign land. We can infer this by the use of words such as ‘pains and hardships’ which emphasises her dramatic position through an accumulation of two similar meanings. Also, the word ‘deprived’ implies that Jason has taken her land almost physically. Here, the role of chorus modifies the structure in the play as they appearance break up the acts in the play. Thus, Euripides attaches an important role of the chorus to construct the play. Her behaviour has been farther explored by E.R Dodds who states that members of an ancient Greek society acknowledged ‘anything which exposes a man to the contempt or ridicule of his fellows, which causes them to â€Å"lose face,† †¦ as unbearable’. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero must hold noble, respected social status. It can be argued therefore that Medea’s murder of her children in exodos was a desperate and impulsive response to ‘the pressure of social conformity’ (Dodds) and a diseased attempt to gain back her reputation. Such actions are common in Greek tragedies such as The Oresteia where Atreus admitted an even larger horrific act of revenge against his brother who had affair with Atreus’s wife. Similarly, while Medea loses face when Jason abandons her, Atreus’s reputation suffers when his wife commits adultery. Nevertheless, later Atreus’s takes care of his brother’s son. This, as opposed to Medea, can be considered as tragic hero’s sense of guilt or, perhaps, the way to dispense justice. On the other hand, Medea doesn’t regret her actions. Her sense of guilt does not exist. Contrarily, she seems to be proud of her murder as she uses cynical and sarcastic techniques while she responds to Jason’s accusations in stichomythia: ‘Go home; your wife waits to be buried.’ The mention of Jason’s would-be wife is extremely cruel and tactless as previously, Medea mercilessly murdered her. In the exodos, Medea and Jason have a short and sharp exchange after Jason sees the dead bodies of his children. Questionably, Medea appears here to be extremely exultant, victoriously using cynical techniques untypical for the tragic hero such as ‘You grieve too soon. Old age is coming’. It is clear that Medea identifies her murder with a triumph over Jason. This opposes the fact that Medea can be regarded as a tragic hero because members of an ancient Greek society, despite their desire for high reputation, had a sense of guilt and justice which is described by E.R Dodds as a ‘gradually growing sense of guilt†¦which transformed into a punishment’ and ’embodiment of cosmic justice’. This implies that Medea as a tragic hero should regret her actions however, this never occurs. Instead, at the ending of the play, Medea and the bodies of her children are taken away by the gods in the shape of Deus ex Machina. Up until the exodos, Medea has had some features of a tragic hero. However in the exodos, the absence of any kind of regrets opens up a debate over whether Medea’s presentation can be truly regarded as a tragic hero. Here, the gods seem to appear strangely sympathetic in her murderous sufferings and surprisingly shocking in supporting Medea’s actions and punishing Jason. It can be argued that the gods support Medea and Deus ex Machina occurs in order to dispense justice by not allowing Jason to bury his children and leaving him unsatisfied. Although, the gods not always seem to make ‘right’ decision and sometimes their will performs as cruel and unmoral. It isn’t just the fact that Medea kills her children that seem to be questioning Medea’s heroic aspects. It is also true that Medea does not die. The play is in fact the only surviving Greek tragedy where the tragic hero doesn’t die. Furthermore, Medea is a woman driven by ‘male desire’. Her desire for revenge leads to her overcoming the sense of maternal instinct. Therefore, the Greek audience couldn’t completely regard Medea as a tragic hero and ‘yet the audience (†¦) shudder at the ruthless of her anger and passion for vengeance’ (Easterling). It is unclear whether Medea aims to portray herself as a woman or to employ the â€Å"heroic ‘male’ weapon†. She often sympathise with females as a group ‘We were born women – useless for honest purposes, But in all kinds of evil skilled practitioners’ [l.406-407] Here, Medea uses first person plural verb in order to become a representative of females. However, the fact that she lacks her maternal instinct and kills her children in ‘reaction to her dishonour’ and ‘her violence, which she herself abhors’ follow the idea of a male desire. At this point, it is difficult to define Medea as a tragic hero because she evidently contradicts the idea of consistency in that she portrays herself sometimes as a representative of oppressed women and sometimes as a ‘male hero’. It is largely controversial to argue that Medea’s presentation in the play (particularly in the exodos) is ‘good and appropriate’ (Aristotle). The tragic hero’s character should be ‘good if the purpose is good’ (Aristotle). Euripides’s presentation of Medea at the beginning of the play is to make the audience pity her dramatic position however, if we consider the fact that previously Medea has committed two acts of murder in order to marry Jason it is difficult to sympathise her. The murder of her children is a highly horrifying act of the play as the children plead for help (‘Help, help, for the gods’ sake! She’s killing us!). The repetitiveness of a word ‘help’ and their imprecations gives us a sense of their desperation. In this way, Medea fits her image of a tragic hero because according to Aristotle, ‘fear and pity must be aroused’ in circumstances in which a ‘tragic incident between those who are near or dear to one another’. Indeed, we pity characters in the exodos as the act of murder has been done at the expense of innocent children pleading for help. On the other hand, it has been investigated by P.E Easterling that â€Å"Euripides’ many imitators have tended to present Medea’s behaviour as that of madwomen†. This is because the way in which Medea murders her children is largely brutal as she uses a sword and seem to be murdering them in a mercilessly pattern. Therefore, even the Ancient Greek audience seems to reject the idea of Medea being ‘good and appropriate’. In addition, for Medea to fully fit the image of a Greek tragic hero it is essential that she has her tragic flaw which contributes to the downfall. It is necessary for the tragic heroes to be â€Å"wrapped in the mystery (†¦) with that ‘something beyond’ which we can only see through them, and which is the source of their strength and their fate alike†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Anderson) Without this, tragedy cannot be regarded as a tragedy itself. Therefore, in context of Medea, the equivalent of ‘something beyond’ can be considered her excessive pride and obsession with the ‘laughter of my enemies’. Even if the audience does not point out any indication of the ‘laughter’ of Medea’s enemies, she still insists their presence. She does not perceive the support of the women of Corinth (meaning the Chorus) or -perhaps, she does not want to perceive it. Therefore, Medea’s obsession with the ‘laughter’ of her enemies can be considered as the catalyst of her tragic downfall. However, it might be believed that this obsession cannot be regarded as the catalyst of her tragic downfall because it is clear that Medea fully acknowledg es her flaws and in her horrific act in the exodos she recognises that what’s she’s doing is wrong. In the line 1077 she says: ‘I understand The horror of what I am going to do’ Evidently, Medea appears to be aware of her tragic flaw and to accept the consequences. In this case, Medea cannot be regarded as a tragic hero because she acknowledges her flaws. Therefore, the Greek audience could not be entertained or surprised by Medea’s actions. We do not pity her because she accepts her tragic flaws throughout the play. Medea’s self-awareness of her immorality contradicts Anderson’s belief that ‘the message of tragedy is that men are better than they think they are. The message needs to be said over and over lest the race lose faith in itself entirely’. There is a large distinction between the recognition of a tragic hero in Ancient Greece and the modern world. We associate heroic aspects with goodness, appropriation and a well-developed sense of forgiveness. The presentation of Medea in the exodos as well as her actions throughout the play, strongly contradict with the principles of Christianity and her character appears as irrelevant to modern ideas. Unfortunately, Medea from the Ancient Greek’s point of view can be regarded as a tragic hero to a significant extent. The horrific act of murdering her children is insane and sickening; however, it is without doubt that it fits with the image of a tragic hero in a several respects. Bibliography Aristotle, Poetics. Trans. S.H. Butcher. www.classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/poetics/html Accessed 5th January 2012 P.E Easterling – ‘The Infanticide in Euripides’ Medea’, Yale Classical Studies, 25(1997) 193-225 Dodds, E.R. The Greeks and the Irrational. University of California Press, (2000). Allan, William. Euripides: Medea Duckworth Companions for Greek and Roman tragedy. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, (2002) Anderson, The Essence of Tragedy Northrop Frye,† The Mythos of Autumn† Word count: 1,496

Lonmin Plc company analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Lonmin Plc company analysis - Essay Example It is this affiliate formed to handle the mining business that eventually became renamed as Lonmin Plc in 1999 (4-traders, 2014:n.p.). The company operates in three major segments of the mining industry, where it has an exploration department, an evaluation department and a PMG operations department. Despite the fact that the company runs its operations in different countries in the Weste African region, most of the operations of the company, which entail the refinement and marketing of the metals after being mined in different regions is undertaken in the Bushveld facility in south Africa (Lonmin Plc, 2014:n.p.). The company is listed in three different stock markets, where its shares are trade in Germany, USA and in the UK. The market capitalization of the company as at 2014 was worth US$ 146.7 billion, which is equivalent to 95 billion British pounds (Guru Focus LLC, 2014:n.p.). The company has total 583.8 million outstanding shares, whose prices in the stock market ranges at betw een 160.70 and 163.64 British pounds (Guru Focus LLC, 2014:n.p). The company held a total of 38,2923 employees by the close of the financial year 2014, with 28,276 of the employees being employed full time, while 10,016 operated as part time employees. The company holds a considerable value of assets, both in its operating assets such as the machineries and equipment, as well as the stock of minerals in the various mines that the company has explored. While some of these minerals are already extracted and their value well verified, there is still some more whose value is still to be ascertained. The graph below presents the assets of the company that are held in minerals. In the year 2014, Lonmin Plc made a total sale of 441,684 ounces of Platinum, at a market price value of $1,537 per ounce, which contributed to a higher percentage of the company’s

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Manage change task 3 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Manage change task 3 - Research Paper Example The change includes installing new systems in the company and to also make drastic changes to the overall processes in a number of areas of the company. The need for change has been included in the following section. Need for Change: With the changing environment and the growing competition, there is a high need for the company to implement change. This will assist the company improve itself, as well as cater to the needs of the new clientele. During any crisis period, companies evaluate themselves and work towards improving their condition to help cope up with the changing environment and also to keep up the overall performance. Similarly, here the company has evaluated the environment and is focused on developing and improving the current position by improving its internal processes and overall working. Here this is a strategic step taken by the company to meet the competition and to also manage the financial crisis period effectively. SWOT Analysis: The company’s major stre ngth lies in the fact that it has a number of employees who are well versed and highly experienced in the field. Here it is important to note that the company has been performing well, which allows them to implement change in the current time of issue. The weakness of the company however is the lack of technical knowledge to keep up with the new clients. Here the company finds the clients systems very complicated and hence needs to follow the contract agreements. If the knowledge was a little higher here in this field, then the company could have equally participated and put down their agreement criteria as well. The threats that the company faces here is the lack of newer clients and also high competition that is being faced. Also, aspects like the uncertain future, together all these provide a major form of threat to the company. Also, in terms of the opportunities, the company has a wide range of opportunities to implement better systems and to work towards improving the overall processes of the company. Here although the period involves a low number of customers, this can be used to the company’s benefit and here the company can improve their own internal systems and processes. Cost Benefit Analysis: The company plans to implement a system for a total of approx. $60,000. Here the company is planning to spend on a system which has been found to be very un – friendly and has not received the best reviews (Buchan). The company is not only implementing a un – friendly system but is also risking the chances for high levels of resistance from the staff. Here implementing this system will lead the company to achieve the order for 1 million, however will led to loss of older employees who have been in the company for over twenty years. Barriers to Change and Minimization Strategy: There are a few barriers to change that might occur here in the case of the company: a) The employees will resist change, as the change involves the use of a new sys tem and the employees are not very computer savvy. Here to resolve this issue, the main steps that can be taken by the company is to develop a good training program to assist the employees learn the systems and also be more comfortable with the new processes. Another step that can be adopted by the company is to change the teams and to make the individuals with better computer knowledge to come into the team where the new system is being adopted. In order not to lose the older employees they can be given different

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

A Research on Case Study of ARM Holdings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

A Research on Case Study of ARM Holdings - Essay Example It operates in a moderately high competitive industry with strong players such as Intel, Toshiba, Samsung, and others (Tibken, 2011). The Industry Life cycle indicates that it is still enjoying growth and would continue to do so for the next decade or so. ARM Holdings tends to follow a market penetration strategy in order to increase the number of ARM chips in most of the consumer electronics items. The company has appeared to be following a narrow differentiation strategy but it is not trying to appeal to broader segments. Its intelligent positioning in the market with its unique business model has allowed ARM to generate a stable stream of cash flows with royalties and remain at an advantage in the future of economic uncertainty. Furthermore, its competitive advantage of being designing energy efficient chips is most likely to provide ARM much advantage as energy efficiency and ethical consumerism become topics that are more prominent (Crossan, et al., 2011, p. 241). Introduction S ince the year 1990, the year in which it was founded, ARM Holdings has shipped over 25 billion chips to companies and customers all over the world with the help of its 250 partners. ARM has licensed them its chips over 750 times. With design centers in India, US, UK, Sweden, Norway, Japan, France and other countries, the company now distinguishes itself as the world’s leading semiconductor intellectual property supplier (ARM Holdings, 2012a). This paper is an attempt to conduct a strategic analysis of ARM Holdings by looking at its industry structure and strategies employed. The paper would do the same with the help of different tools and frameworks such as Porter Five Forces Model, Industry Lifecycle Model, Porter Generic Strategies, and others. This section of the paper introduced ARM Holdings and explained the rationale of the paper. The second section of the paper would conduct a brief analysis of the semi conductor industry in order to capture a glance of the industry en vironment. The third section or chapter would aim to explore the strategy or strategies employed by ARM Holdings and the degree to which they are a perfect match. Furthermore, the section would also present a few recommendations for future strategies that could be employed by ARM Holdings. The paper would conclude by commenting on the sustainability and viability of ARM Holdings’ strategy and business model in the future. Analysis of the Industry structure of Semiconductor Industry The semiconductor industry enjoys an interesting industry life cycle, which has been going back and forth between the growth and maturity stage. The semiconductor industry is such that new chips, designs, and models become obsolete or out of demand very quickly, sometimes that is only a few weeks (Kipley and Lewis, 2011, p. 36). Therefore, whenever companies launch a new model, they attain quick growth however; the model soon dies in terms of demand pushing the industry to maturity. However, just w hen the industry is about to be pushed towards decline, the players would come up with new designs or models in order to bring back

Monday, August 26, 2019

Assignment Description Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Assignment Description - Research Paper Example In brief, this book is of very much help for both HR executives and students alike. 2. Joshi, G. Employee counseling-are we ready for it? Retrieved 20 April 2011 from http://www.123oye.com/job-articles/hr/employee-counselling-hr.htm This article draws attention to counseling as a trend that has immense impact on employees of an organization. The writer compares counseling to a tool that helps to achieve organizational goals. The importance of employee counseling is briefly discussed here in it. It also tries to mention the basic qualities of a counselor and how his advice should be. This work has simplified the complex and vague concept of counseling in to an interesting piece of writing which is easily understandable by all from various walks. 3. Yadav, L. B. (Ed.). (2000). Readings in Social and Labor Welfare. New Delhi: Anmol Publications PVT LTD. This book brings together rich information on all vital matters of labor as well as social welfare. This highlights the importance of g iving employee welfare the prime consideration. The historical development of the policy of labor welfare is elaborately discussed in this that it provides the reader with a clear cut idea about how it became as we see today. The structural frame work of employee welfare is well established so as to help an organization to develop a healthy atmosphere from existing working condition. 4. Roberts, G. (1997). Recruitment and Selection: A company Approach. UK: CIPD Publishing. This book serves as a helping material to the process of recruitment and selection. The writer has endeavored to bring in an analysis of all the fundamental aspects of recruitment and selection processes which will be of great interest and help for the students concerned. Still, the main aim of this book is to assist those people who are very much involved in the recruitment and selection trials of individuals at whatever levels; for, it provides practical guidance with sufficient coverage of issues. 5. Amstrong, M. (2000). Strategic human resource management: A guide to action. US: Kogan Page Publishers. This book is a broad compendium of human resource management definitions and explanations about aligning of strategies with organizational goals. Its main aim is to bring down the gap between decisions and actions by citing formulation of human resource strategies and ways of implementing them. This book is divided into four segments which represent the human resource management, the practicalities of implementing strategic human resource management strategies and organizational and functional strategies from practical point of view. 6. Callaway, P. L. (2007). The Relationship of organizational trust and satisfaction: An analysis in the US federal work force. Florida: Universal Publishers. This book is meant for professionals and students who are in the field of business management, organizational studies and human resource management. This provides an over view about what job satisfaction actually is. It cites trust and job satisfaction as of strategic importance. In the study conducted in seven selected US federal agencies, it indicates that if effective communication is done at proper times the top managements truly give their ears to the employees’ concerns and make no difference between males and females. 7. Hamlin, D. (August 8, 2009). Why the importance of HR manager should not be under estimated? Helium: Human Resources. Retrieved 20 April 2011 from

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Effects of Domestic Violence on Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Effects of Domestic Violence on Children - Essay Example In Australia, 75,000 to 640,000 children get exposure to domestic violence. An Australian study showed that up to 40% of chronically violent teenagers have exposure to extreme domestic violence. These statistics become of great concern when viewed globally. Under these circumstances, children grow up in a very violent environment where they witness the physical abuse that their parents inflict on each other. Furthermore, they hear the fighting noises and threats from their parents. They observe the results of the violent acts such as bloodshed, torn clothing, bruises, tears as well as broken items. This paper seeks to show the effects of domestic violence on children. Psychological effects of domestic violence Children who get exposed to such acts of violence normally develop unnecessary fear and anxiety. They are always waiting for the next violence. They fear that any slight argument may lead to violence. As such, they do not feel safe in the home since they do not know what will t rigger the next violence. They also feel powerless and worthless since they wish they could help, but they are not able to do so. It is this feeling of worthlessness that works against their self esteem. These children feel obliged to safeguard the family secrets. They, therefore, restrain themselves from exposing such secrets to outsiders (Zeck, 1993). For this reason, they look cool and composed from outside even when they are going through the toughest psychological torment. They do not seek help from out of fear of revealing the family secrets. Moreover, such children feel vulnerable and isolated. In some instances, they take the blame for the violence since they think that they are the cause. They grow up without the primary needs of a child such as attention, approval and affection. In such cases, mothers are normally busy trying to keep themselves safe and survive in a violent environment. They, therefore, forget their maternal role to the children. Fathers, on the other hand , struggle to seek control of everyone and forget their paternal role in the upbringing of their children. The children feel psychologically and physically abandoned. Emotional response to domestic violence in children Children may exhibit varied emotional responses to the domestic violence that they continually witness. Such response may include shame, fear, sleep disturbance, guilt, anger, depression among others. Moreover, such a child may also be affected physically by headache, stomachache, loss of concentration and bedwetting. Physical injuries may also come as a result of the struggle in an attempt to intervene during the violence (Gioia & Sims, 1983). Children who experience domestic violence also exhibit a number of behavioral changes in response to the violence. Such change in behavior includes anxiety to pleasing, throwing tantrums as well as withdrawal. This, in effect, affects their school attendance and performance. The children may also exhibit delay in growth and dev elopment. This includes developmental delays such as speech and cognitive skills. The children may also assume violence as a means of self expression and defense. They display increased force and aggression towards their peers. This makes their social lives harder since they are not able to socialize with people. Another adverse effect of domestic violence on children is compensation. In many cases, the children take care of their parents injured in domestic violence as well as their younger siblings. This way, they take up adult roles that are far above their ability. Consequently, there is a delay in the child’s emotional and physical development (Daly, Speedy &Jackson, 2004). Long term Effects of Domestic

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Master of Criminal Justice for subjuct ( 7022CCJ Research, Evaluation Essay

Master of Criminal Justice for subjuct ( 7022CCJ Research, Evaluation & Policy Analysis ) - Essay Example In the preference of drug related crimes, the consideration that rehabilitation will do right for individuals than jail time. When an individual commits a drug related crime and serves a jail time the difficulties in the jail will not prevent the individual from doing future crimes. They will in turn push the individual to revert to the same acts that led to the crime. Dean (1990) argues that rehabilitation assists the individual blend back to society. The consideration associated with rehabilitation is that when one goes through incarceration the criminal record will hinder the individual from obtaining employment and, therefore, revert to the crimes. While incarceration secludes the offender from the society in order to reform, the individual rehabilitation ensures that the offender is functioning in the society while at the same instance assisting the offender cope with the problems (Glen et al, 2011, p.150). According to Douglas (2005), rehabilitation is effective to young offend ers who have drug related offences. This is because jail cannot change them, rehabilitation deals with drug-correlated offences by addressing the social ill that cause the crime. On the other hand, prisons address only the offence and leave the cause of the problem unaddressed and upon completion the person who committed the offence does not benefit because at the end of the jail term the problem still exists, and the problem remains unresolved and there is a high likelihood of reverting to the same. In rehabilitation, the individuals are not only detoxification but also counseling and education. In order for the program, to be effective the rehabilitation program should be specific and in accordance to the individuals required treatment. Rehabilitation takes the belief that each problem has a different perspective and that it receives attention in order to make the system effective. The desired effect of a rehabilitation program is

Friday, August 23, 2019

Continuning Academic Success Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Continuning Academic Success - Essay Example According to Karabenick & Newman (2006) goal setting for students is one of the ways that students can use to evaluate and assess their progress. Achieving and attaining set goals enables the student see the difference in progress. Whenever students analyze their own school assessments, class participation, and so on, they often become more interested in the analysis because it is relevant to them. While reflecting on the data, students have an opportunity to set goals for themselves. Once a student has set goals and objectives in their school work, they naturally become accountable to their actions to make sure that whatever they do is in line with their goals. This helps a student develop a sense of accountability not just in their school work but generally in life. Goals and objectives of a student are primarily based on their academic endeavors and therefore setting of the goals is one of the ways that as student will be able to improve their performance. The advantage of setting goals in academics is that a student is able to set a higher standard for their performance. This consequently helps them improve their performance in different fields of academics. According to Boekaerts (2010) student performance is primarily based on self evaluation and setting of goals that are aimed at improving the grades. With goals and objectives that are practical and achievable, a student is able to enhance confidence in them as well as pride in achieving better grades and succeeding in academics. This is particularly effective when a student achieves one of the goals. The acquire confidence to achieve more and work harder towards higher goals. In addition, the student is able to develop pride in their performance. This is because they have worked hard for that particular performance. Goals and objectives are very essentials for students as it helps them set a clear path for their future career. Most of the times, majority of the students find

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Healthcare Issues in America Essay Example for Free

Healthcare Issues in America Essay Some of the healthcare issues that share the limelight with politicians nowadays are the skyrocketing cost of drugs, health insurance system, the ever growing cost of hospitalization fees and the low coverage of insurance for malpractices for doctors. Debates and plans have been made so as to improve the quality of service to the people. But really, are these the real issues that an average American or a politician should give much emphasis on? There is a growing epidemic that is invading the country in silence†¦ And because it doesn’t make much noise as that of an aggrieved patient filing for a case against a physician, who by mistake, has distorted her nose in some way, that doesn’t mean this epidemic is not worth our time. For some reason these issues aren’t given much attention when in fact it threatens the very life of countless citizens therefore endangering the future of the country. Obesity, Alcohol Abuse, Mental Health, unhealthy foods†¦ These are real issues that could very well be the cause of more deaths and unhappy citizens of this country†¦Though these issues have been around for decades much of the efforts to address these problems are often not enough or simply useless. To further impress the gravity of the situation, it is therefore right to discuss these issues one by one. In the next few decades Scientists conclude that life expectancy for an average American could decline by as much as 5 years unless the government do something to decrease the rates of obesity (Dollemore 2005). With the rise of capitalism which gave way to consumerism, more and more goods make it to the hands of an average American. Life has also been fast phased which led to the success of over the counter dinners and lunches, ready to cook meals, watching television , playing video games, using computers and etc. The youth has been living a very sedentary lifestyle which lessens their interest in physical activities. Much worst is that there has been a sudden influx of quality computer games that has taken much of their time. They are also bombarded with fast foods, high fat, high sugar meals which are made available at every corner store. These factors lead to obesity that has taken the world aback with a staggering 20% increase in obesity rates among the youth. Diabetes is one of the complications that can sprout from Obesity. Cardiovascular diseases are also common to those who have diabetes. Emotional stress is also experienced by those who are obese are society tend to discriminate these people giving them less chances to enjoy life. The irony of it is that the government provides services to treat obesity rather than preventing it. It is a growing epidemic and unless we get to its roots, it will continue to rot away the future if countless American youth. According to surveys approximately 11 million current drinkers are in the ages of 12-20. Half of these drink excess to the point of losing total control to the outside environment. These drinkers are the American Youth who at a tender age finds solace in beer bottles. Alcohol abuse can lead to different kind of injuries such as alcohol related accidents, date rape, fire and etc. Automobile crashes, suicides, homicides, and unsafe sex leading to teenage pregnancies are one of the gruesome after effects of teenage drinking that are often overlooked by their fragile minds. Underage drinking is a widespread problem which can be attributed to the free access to liquor by minors. Substance abuse is very much widespread especially in impoverished areas in the country and this eventually lead to mental incapacity.   One need not look deeper to know that these issues are interconnected in someway. Teenage drinking and Obesity are discussed in detail to show that all the rest of the issues find its roots on the two events. The rest are just offshoots from these problems. Given the above issues, I guess it would be more appropriate for the government to give more attention to the cause of the problem rather than spending billions for rehabilitation facilities, diet programs and etc. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. It is indeed pretty much logical to answer the question on why the youth is engaging in substance abuse rather than put them in rehabilitation centers.   The thing is, the government is spending large amount of money to improve healthcare services to the populace not taking into consideration that these ailments that they are treating could not have found its way to the average American citizen in the first place. Now if by the end of the century this epidemic is not yet cured, then worst comes to worst, this country should expect more sickly citizens needing healthcare services to address their plight for good health. This is where my thoughts go in full circle†¦ if the government spend as much time, money and effort in addressing the problem of healthcare improvements and that of actually improving the health of its citizens, then I guess there is better hope for the future Americans. Come to think of it, if the epidemic is not stopped, more and more citizens will need healthcare services from the government. As a consequence, no matter how we try to improve the healthcare services and insurance system it will never be enough. Laws of supply and demand holds true even in this situation. More sick people, more hospitals, more doctors, more healthcare services, more chances for politicians to exploit the scenario by adding â€Å"improved healthcare† in their platforms. This is a vicious cycle, and unless we recognize the need to focus on individual health rather than health care services, we will never be able to actually address the problem of healthcare in this country. References Dollemore, D. (2005). Obesity Threatens to Cut U.S Life Expectancy. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/mar2005/nia-16.htm.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Early Childhood Education Essay Example for Free

Early Childhood Education Essay He taonga te reo: Honouring te reo me ona tikanga1, the Maori language and culture, within early childhood education in Aotearoa2. Dr Jenny Ritchie, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Teacher Education, Unitec Institute of Technology, New Zealand Abstract This paper considers data from recent research which illustrates the ways in which tamariki (children), whanau (families) and educators are integrating the use of the Maori language within their everyday educational interactions, as mandated by the bilingual New Zealand early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki (Ministry of Education, 1996). Languages reflect cultures, expressing our deeper meanings and representations. Inscribed within verbal and non-verbal languages are our ways of being, knowing and doing (Martin, 2008). Jeanette Rhedding-Jones has inquired in her Norwegian multicultural context as to â€Å"What kinds of constructions are the monocultural professionals creating for cross-cultural meetings and mergings? † (2001, p. 5). What follows is an exploration of strategies by which Maori ways of being, knowing and doing are being enacted through the medium of te reo in early childhood centres. Introduction Te Whariki (Ministry of Education, 1996), the first bicultural education curriculum in Aotearoa, reaffirmed a commitment already widely acknowledged across the early childhood education sector in this country, to Te Tiriti o Waitangi3, and the validation and inclusion of te reo me ona tikanga4 as an integrated component of early childhood education programmes. Te Whariki contains strong clear statements of expectations for educators in terms of enacting te reo Maori within their teaching: New Zealand is the home of Maori language and culture: curriculum in early childhood settings should promote te reo and nga tikanga Maori, making them visible and affirming their value for children from all cultural backgrounds. Adults working with children should demonstrate an understanding of the different iwi and the meaning of whanau and whanaungatanga5 (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 42) The juxtaposition of the promotion of te reo and tikanga alongside whanau and whanaungatanga is insightful. Previous research had identified that as early childhood 1 2 Te reo is the Maori language, tikanga are Maori beliefs, values and cultural practices. Aotearoa is a Maori name for New Zealand. 3 Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 between Maori chiefs and the British Crown, promised protections to Maori of their lands and taonga – everything of value to Maori , which includes their languages, beliefs, values and traditions. 4 Te reo is the Maori language and tikanga are Maori cultural practices. This phrase, literally, â€Å"the language and its cultural practices† demonstrates how intrinsically the language and culture are linked. 5 Iwi are tribes, whanau are families, and whanaungatanga is the building of relationships. 2 educators generate an environment reflective and inclusive of Maori values such as whanaungatanga, Maori families are more comfortable and become more involved within that early childhood setting (Ritchie, 2002). Te reo Maori has been severely jeopardised by the processes of colonisation. As Mere Skerrett has written: Maori ways of speaking were also colonised through the subjugation of te reo Maori, to be replaced by English. This, at times violent, process of colonisation caused a disruption in the intergenerational transmission of Maori language, Maori knowledge and, as a consequence, disrupted Maori lives and Maori societies. (2007, p. 7) Whanau Maori have consistently stated their preference that their children learn their language and culture within education contexts (AGB/McNair, 1992; M.Durie, 2001; Else, 1997; Te Puni Kokiri/Ministry of Maori Development, 1998) in affirmation of their identity as Maori, since â€Å"Te reo Maori serves as the medium through which symbolic and cultural components are properly united and Maoriness most appropriately expressed† (A. Durie, 1997, p. 152). Young children learn languages comparatively easily. Early childhood centres are a logical site for young children to have opportunities to learn te reo Maori, in naturalistic experiential ways, consistent with both early childhood and second language learning pedagogies (Cummins, 2001; Ritchie, 1994). This will only occur if we are able to provide them with a linguistically rich environment and authentic language models. It is reasonable that Maori parents might expect that their children will not acquire poor pronunciation of their own language from their educational experiences. Previous Research In 1999 as part of my doctoral research (Ritchie, 2002), I observed 13 different early childhood settings in the Waikato area (Ritchie, 1999). I noted that in most of the settings there was at least one staff member who attempted to use some Maori language. This was a stronger use of te reo than Pam Cubey observed in eight Wellington early childhood centres in 1992, when she reported that virtually no Maori language was heard (Cubey, 1992). During my observations, the most frequent usage of te reo Maori were ‘commands’, such as: â€Å"Haere mai ki te kai; E tu tamariki; E noho; Haere mai ki te whariki; Horoi o ringaringa†6. There were also instances of counting and naming colours in te reo Maori. Several staff repeatedly inserted single Maori nouns within some of their regular English sentences, for example, â€Å"Do you want some fruit? Some panana 6. Haere mai ki te kai – come and eat E tu tamariki – stand up children E noho- sit down Haere mai ki te whariki – come to the mat Horoi o ringaringa – wash your hands panana – banana aporo- apple taringa – ear(s) waha mouth 3 or some aporo? Turn on your taringa, zip up your waha†. During my visits, eight of the 13 centres sang at least one song in te reo Maori, usually at structured mat-times, which were compulsory for all children. These teachers identified confidence and competence as barriers, because, as one teacher explained, â€Å"you feel like a real twit when it comes out wrong†. I was concerned that the available te reo Maori resources appeared to be under-utilised and that the range of language use was restricted to simple commands, the use of colour names and counting in Maori. This indicated reliance on a limited range of vocabulary, with little knowledge of Maori grammar. Teachers expressed their need for support and encouragement to broaden their ‘comfort zone’ beyond single words, to using complete and more complex phrases that represent linguistically authentic Maori structures. I suggested that teachers consider widening the range of formats in which they used Maori phrases. Recent data Whilst 6. 58% of registered early childhood teachers are Maori (Ministry of Education, 2007), only 1. 6% of New Zealanders of European ancestry speak Maori (Ministry of Social Development, 2007). Early childhood teachers’ use of te reo may seem encouraging in that 75% of Pakeha early childhood teachers said that they use some Maori whilst  teaching, yet 70% of these teachers reported themselves as speaking Maori â€Å"not very well† (Harkess, 2004, p. 12). In 2006 we reported on a two-year study7 with a range of participants, which included early childhood educators, an Iwi Education Initiative8, teacher educators, specialist educators and professional learning providers, co-exploring strategies for supporting the involvement of whanau Maori within early childhood settings other than Kohanga Reo9 (Ritchie Rau, 2006). Using narrative (Connelly Clandinin, 1990; Schulz, Schroeder, Brody, 1997) and Kaupapa Maori (Bishop, 2005; Smith, 1999, 2005) research methodologies, we explored early childhood educators’ strategies for encouraging the participation of whanau Maori within early childhood education settings, and ways for implementing understandings of commitments derived from Te Tiriti o Waitangi as expressed in the bicultural early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki, through the delivery of Tiriti-based programmes10. Participants in this study were those who were strongly committed to implementing Tiriti-based practice. Pedagogical enactment described in this study was consistent with 7 This project was funded through the Teaching Learning Research Initiative, a fund provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Education, and administered by NZCER. 8 We gratefully acknowledge the support and contribution of Kokiri Tuwaretoa Education Initiative to the Whakawhanaungatanga study. 9 Kohanga Reo are Maori-medium educational settings where young children are immersed in the Maori language and culture in a whanau-based context. 10 The term Tiriti-based practice is derived from a commitment to Te Tiriti oWaitangi, the treaty signed in 1840 by Maori chiefs and the British Crown, that legitimated the presence of immigrants, initially from Britain, alongside the tangata whenua, Maori, the indigenous people of this land. 4 a view of Maori language and cultural practices as being holistically and simultaneously performed. This enactment includes daily welcoming and spiritual rituals in te reo, and is inclusive of waiata11. This climate generated a sense of welcoming and safety for Maori families, which resulted in their increasing involvement in centre reo and tikanga implementation. An educator demonstrated how this whanau participation was integral within their early childhood centre programming: â€Å"In partnership with whanau we  introduce new waiata each term, and tikanga experiences, such as, hangi, powhiri, harakeke, [and] legends of the whanau, hapu12, and iwi attending the service. † Other Maori co-researchers within the Whakawhanaungatanga research project also identified aspects of Te Ao Maori13 that they would like to see reflected within early childhood education and care settings. They considered it important that Maori parents and whanau sense a match between their values and those of educational settings. They valued a sense of whanaungatanga generated and enacted within the early childhood centre, whereby tamariki and whanau, kuia and kaumatua, and other whanau members such as â€Å"Aunties† (Martin, 2007) participated as a collective, learning and teaching alongside the teachers and children, educators sharing responsibility and demonstrating willingness to identify and support the needs of all members of that collective. In this vision, te reo Maori is modelled and integrated throughout the programme, with support for adults to increase their own facility with the language alongside their children, and there is ongoing everyday enactment of tikanga such as: rituals of welcoming and farewell; sharing of kai14; a value of inclusiveness; reference to Te Ao Wairua15 and nga Atua16, and annual celebrations such as Matariki. 17 Children, in this view are exposed to te reo as part of the daily enactment of Maori beliefs, values and practices. Co-researchers in this project demonstrated a commitment to integrating te reo and tikanga within their centre practice, in ways that were meaningful and contextual for children and families. Working with natural materials, such as harakeke (flax), provided a source of learning of traditional knowledge, involving the planting and care of the flax bushes, weaving of rourou18, children observing alongside adults, connected to the land and its spiritual significance, as Ana, a Playcentre kaiako, described: So even though we had those harakeke within our centre boundary, in our lawn, we knew that the pa harakeke19 of that harakeke that we had, came 11 12 Waiata are songs. Hangi are feasts cooked in earth ovens, powhiri are greeting ceremonies, harakeke is flax, and hapu are sub-tribes 13 Te Ao Maori is the Maori world. 14 Kai is food 15 Te Ao Wairua is the spiritual dimension. 16 Nga Atua are supernatural beings, or gods. 17 Matariki is the constellation whose arrival announces the Maori New Year. 18 Rourou are flax food baskets. 19 Pa harakeke are flax bushes, often planted as a source of flax for weaving and rongoa (medicinal remedies), and also refers metaphorically to the nurturing by the wider family of the offspring, the younger shoots. 5 from a bigger picture. And all the natural resources on our little wagon inside, in the area of where they go and make pictures and glue things and make structures out of the driftwood and put their shells and tie their shells on and harakeke, they might have been just in the rourou baskets, but we knew and the tamariki knew they come from this bigger picture out there in the whenua20, because they had gone to get them. So we brought our big world reality and our spiritual world reality into the bounds of that centre. Pania, a Maori kindergarten teacher, spoke of her bilingual approach as being like a whariki,21 †¦where you get two strands and you build them together to make your little kete22 or your whariki of learning. And [implementing a bilingual approach] is a way that I can facilitate my programme that is non-threatening. It’s an option for the child – and the parent – whether they would like to do it, but it’s also another teaching technique and a resource and a learning strategy. Daisy, a Pakeha kindergarten teacher, actively researched aspects of tikanga that she was interested in integrating into her teaching: I wrote a story and what I wanted to do was encompass the tikanga aspects on collecting kai moana23. I wanted it to be something Pakeha could grasp, something simple, that was really clear and conveying the tikanga aspects because it’s not just about going down to the beach and picking up a few pipis24, its deeper than that, there’s a lot of kaupapa25 behind it. How did I know about all the tikanga? —I’ve never gone out collecting kai moana in my life? Research, korero26 with others more knowledgeable. As far as getting it to children it needs to be simple and straight-forward. The pipi story is focused on Tangaroa,27 the protocols around that. The tamariki seem to enjoy it, but in order to deepen their understanding, and extend the story, I set up the pipi hunt in the sandpit. So the story was a visual and a listening experience, whereas the pipi hunt was a tactile experience, so that then I think I would have managed to tap into every child’s way of learning. Daisy also involved whanau Maori of her centre in her planning, although she took primary responsibility for researching the reo and tikanga that was to be incorporated. Incorporating te reo and tikanga was more effective when educators were committed both individually and collectively to proactively integrating this within planning, teaching 20 Whenua is land. Whariki are woven flax mats. 22 A kete is a woven flax basket. 23 Kai moana are seafoods. 24 Pipi are cockles. 25 Kaupapa is philosophy. 26 Korero is talking. 27 Tangaroa is the Atua, supernatural being, or God, of the sea. 21 6 interactions, programme evaluation, and centre review. Many of the Pakeha coresearchers have worked hard over the years to increase their competence in te reo, and continue to do so, by taking courses. At Ariel’s childcare centre, all the teachers had attended a reo course offered in their local community. Penny, a kindergarten head teacher who was also studying te reo, explained that as her own confidence grew, and supported by her co-teacher, the quality of te reo within the centre programme continued to strengthen, as â€Å"the reo is fed in gently and quietly†. Respondents from the Hei Ara Kokiri Tuwaretoa Education Initiative data articulated aspirations for early childhood education services that envisioned all children as being supported to become biculturally and bilingually competent. The following example recognises the important role of early childhood services in offering quality models of te reo Maori: To be fully bicultural and therefore bilingual all children in Aotearoa/NZ should have the opportunity to learn to be fluent in Maori and English and develop understanding of both cultures’ world view. We need proficient Maori speaking teachers in all ECE learning environments. It is not enough to use Maori language in directives – information – acknowledgment contexts. We need to work towards providing environments where children can use the target language, be completely immersed in te reo Maori. We need to promote environments where the conscientization of language is constructed as normal to prevent dialogue being used by teachers to act on children. Teachers and children need to be using dialogue to work with each other – co-constructing. In order to reflect this, we need to provide environments rich in Maori language. We need proficient speaking Maori teachers! Regurgitating learnt phrases will not provide the opportunities for children to really conscientise their experiences, that is, thinking in Maori. Only a very high level of exposure in Maori will do that. Honouring the indigenous language and culture of this country remains an ongoing challenge for educators, particularly given the legacy of colonialistic arrogance that has limited access for many people, both Maori and non-Maori. Kaupapa Maori models are providing inspirational pedagogical models that honour te reo me ona tikanga (Skerrett, 2007). However, as the numbers of Maori children in education services other than kaupapa Maori remains high, the onus is on educators in these sectors to find strategies to provide Maori children and families with the language that is their birth-right and source of identity as affirmed by Article 30 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of The Child (1989), which requires that: In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities or persons of Indigenous origin exist, a child belonging to such a minority or who is Indigenous shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practise his or her own religion, or to use his or her own language. 7 Conclusion Maori continue to seek education provision that respects and honours their identity, including the linguistic affirmation of authentic models of te reo Maori (Robertson, Gunn, Lanumata, Pryor, 2007). As early childhood educators seek to deliver on the expectations outlined in the early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki (Ministry of Education, 1996), there remain many challenges, not the least of which is the lack of linguistic competence in te reo Maori of the vast majority of teachers (Harkess, 2004). Our research indicates that educators who are dedicated to an ongoing journey of reflexive praxis founded in a commitment to social justice and the promise of Tiriti-based partnership are generating early childhood programmes which respectfully reflect the Maori language and culture, and this in turn encourages the participation of whanau Maori in these services. References AGB/McNair. (1992). Survey of Demand for Bilingual and Immersion Education in Maori. A Report to the Ministry of Education. Wellington: AGB/McNair. Bishop, R. (2005). Freeing Ourselves from Neocolonial Domination in Research: A Kaupapa Maori Approach to Creating Knowledge. In N. K. Denzin Y. S. Lincoln (Eds. ), The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (3rd ed. , pp. 109-164). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage. Connelly, F. M., Clandinin, D. J. (1990). Stories of Experience and Narrative Inquiry. Educational Researcher, 19(5), 2-14. Cubey, P. (1992). Responses to the Treaty of Waitangi in Early Childhood Care and Education. Unpublished M. Ed. Thesis, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington. Cummins, J. (Ed. ). (2001). Language, Power and Pedagogy: Bilingual Children in the Crossfire. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Durie, A. (1997). Te Aka Matua. Keeping a Maori Identity. In P. Te Whaiti, M. McCarthy A. Durie (Eds. ), Mai i Rangiatea. Maori Wellbeing and Development (pp. 142-162). Auckland: Auckland University Press with Bridget Williams Books. Durie, M. (2001). A Framework for Considering Maori Educational Advancement. Paper presented at the Hui Taumata Matauranga, Turangi/Taupo. Else, A. (1997). Maori Participation Performance in Education. A Literature Review and Research Programme. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Harkess, C. (2004). Ethnicity in the Early Childhood Education Teacher-led Workforce. Demographic and Statistical Analysis Unit: Ministry of Education. 8 Martin, K. (2007). Making Tracks and Reconceptualising Aboriginal Early Childhood Education: An Aboriginal Australian Perspective. Childrenz Issues, 11(1), 15-20. Martin, K. (2008). Please knock before you enter. Aboriginal regulation of Outsiders and the implications for researchers. Teneriffe: Post Pressed. Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki. He Whariki Matauranga mo nga Mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early Childhood Curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media. Ministry of Education. (2007). Nga Haeata Matauranga. Education 2006/2007. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Annual Report on Maori Ministry of Social Development. (2007). The Social Report. Retrieved 30 July, 2008 from http://www. socialreport. msd. govt. nz/documents/sr07-cultural-identity. pdf Rhedding-Jones, J. (2001). Shifting Ethnicities: Native informants and other theories from/for early childhood education. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 2(2), 135156. Ritchie, J. (1994). Literature Review on Pedagogy of Second Language Acquisition in Immersion Early Childhood Care and Education Settings Report to Te Puni Kokiri. Hamilton: University of Waikato. Ritchie, J. (1999). The Use of Te Reo Maori in Early Childhood Centres. Early Education, 20(Winter), 13-21. Ritchie, J. (2002). Its Becoming Part of Their Knowing: A Study of Bicultural Development in an Early Childhood Teacher Education Setting in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Waikato, Hamilton. Ritchie, J. , Rau, C. (2006). Whakawhanaungatanga. Partnerships in bicultural development in early childhood education. Final Report from the Teaching Learning Research Initiative Project. Retrieved February 21, 2008, from: http://www. tlri. org. nz/pdfs/9207_finalreport. pdf Robertson, J. , Gunn, T. R. , Lanumata, T. , Pryor, J. (2007). Parental decision making in relation to the use of Early Childhood Services. Report to the Ministry of Education. Wellington: Roy McKenzie Centre for the Study of Families Ministry of Education. Schulz, R. , Schroeder, D. , Brody, C. M. (1997). Collaborative narrative inquiry: fidelity and the ethics of caring in teacher research. Qualitative Studies in Education, 10(4), 473-485. Skerrett, M. (2007). Kia Tu Heipu: Languages frame, focus and colour our worlds. Childrenz Issues, 11(1), 6-14. 9 Smith, L. T. (1999). Decolonizing methodologies. Research and Indigenous Peoples. London and Dunedin: Zed Books Ltd and University of Otago Press. Smith, L. T. (2005). On Tricky Ground: Researching the Native in the Age of Uncertainty. In N. K. Denzin Y. S. Lincoln (Eds. ), The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (3rd ed. , pp. 85-107). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage. Te Puni Kokiri/Ministry of Maori Development. (1998). Making Education Work for Maori. Report on Consultation. Wellington: Te Puni Kokiri/Ministry of Maori Development. United Nations. (1989). United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved February 21, 2008, from: http://www. cyf. govt. nz/432_442. htm.

Socrates Nobody Desires Evil Philosophy Essay

Socrates Nobody Desires Evil Philosophy Essay The beliefs of Socrates includes: a) Nobody desires evil, b) Nobody makes a mistake or does wrong willingly or knowingly, c) Virtue all virtue is knowledge, d) Virtue is sufficient for happiness. Of the four beliefs, the most implausible that Socrates established is the point that happiness and excellence is the most important goals in life, made these depend upon the virtues, then made the acquisition of the virtues the unique prerogative of the intellect, of cognition, reason, and argument. The minor Socratics began with a similar evaluation of the importance of happiness and excellence; however, their critical appraisal of the possibility of ones gaining knowledge with the power to deliver these goods led them to form alternative approaches to practical ethics. This shows Socrates commitment to the belief that reason should serve as the ultimate arbitrator of will and goodness. 2. Socrates and Euthyphro discuss the nature of holiness. To understand the significance of their discussion it is fruitful to examine the nature of their discussion and the process by which they manage the terrain of their issue as having an importance greater than the subject itself has. The subject of holiness is interesting and arguably important, but it is a means of arriving at a still greater end. Socrates and Euthyphro approach their conversation with distinct attitudes regarding the health of their epistemic states. Euthyphro feels confident and sure of his mastery of the topic of holiness. In contrast, Socrates professes his ignorance. But his ignorance is not the easy ignorance of a lazy unimaginative man. Rather, his claim of ignorance is the result of careful reflection about the status of his own virtue. His character is one of ceaseless rational inquiry. Socrates worked to use reason to judge truth and bring order to his soul. Second, Socrates demands that any idea worth keeping must withstand careful scrutiny. In contrast, Euthyphro demonstrates the mental habits of a person lacking the persistence to penetrate an idea beyond initial impressions. Socrates is determined to help Euthyphro acknowledge this habit of his character and revise it in favor of the habit of aggressive reasoning. Such a habit, Socrates demonstrates, is crucial for eudaimonia. 3. Socrates explains that he has been pursuing his religious duty to decipher the riddle presented by the oracle at Delphi. Socrates devotes a fair amount of time to this particular matter of his reputation. In his defense, Socrates explains that his friend Chaerephon paid a visit to the oracle at Delphi and asked whether there was anyone wiser than Socrates. In answer to this question, the oracle answered that no one was wiser. Socrates is often portrayed announcing his ignorance on many matters of apparent importance. If there is a link between knowledge and wisdom it seems that Socrates, apparently impoverished in the first virtue, would likely be impoverished in the latter virtue. Socrates understood the attainment of knowledge to involve a sort of personal transformation. For example, insofar as one gains knowledge of goodness then one becomes good and acts in ways that are good. Thus, Socrates had a special conception of knowledge. With regard to the virtues, Socrates did not draw a distinction between knowing-that and knowing-how. The former type of knowledge denotes an understanding of facts while the latter denotes an ability to perform an action. For Socrates, if someone had knowledge of a virtue it meant that she could both define it and consistently acted in harmony with it. 4. The charge of corrupting the youth is ambiguous and vague. Such activity might be perceived to be counter to the proper upbringing of the youth who may be expected to accept and practice the traditions of their culture without scrutiny. Socrates has already revealed that even religious messages from the oracle must be subjected to rational inquiry to be properly understood. To make this point clear he identifies the example of horse training. It seems that if someone became the owner of a horse that she wanted properly trained she would take it to one of the few experts rather than hitch it in the town center where it would enjoy maximum exposure to the greatest amount of people. Yet if most people are benefactors rather than corrupters then one should indeed hitch her new horse in the town square. Yet the foolishness of this conclusion is clear. There is no reason to suspect that most people, even if they are not detrimental to the youth, are beneficial to the youth. It stems likely that genuine benefactors will be in the minority. From these premises Socrates concludes that either be does not corrupt the youth or if he does corrupt the youth it is unintentional. Socrates cannot corrupt the youth intentionally for by doing so he would hurt those with whom he associates and thus ultimately hurt himself. Assuming that Socrates possesses self-mastery, thi s is counter to premise two. This is logically impossible. 5. Socrates was the philosopher who tried to equate goodness, knowledge, and happiness, it is most likely that that was how many others regarded him, and responding to that project was philosophically more important than responding to Socrates the man. Socrates was the philosopher who claimed no certain knowledge, but who nonetheless could live a successful life, then that combination of qualities poses more interesting problems for Hellenistic philosophy than does the issue of whether Socrates really made such a claim. With this, it is unlikely that a democracy will produce qualified and effective leaders because it is difficult, some might say impossible, to know for certain exactly what he thought or said about knowledge, moral values, or happiness. 6. Socrates did not rely exclusively on analogy in his attempts to infer the nature of the virtues, it did constitute a prominent place in his eclectic arsenal and seems undoubtedly to have informed his conclusion that the virtues were technal. It is difficult to assess the implications but if I were in Socrates position, I wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t try to escape from prison. One practical result would be a reluctance to accept the conclusion that a virtue is in fact a techne, since such a characterization relies on a familiarity with types of knowledge and activity whose semblances to justice, bravery, and so on are most readily understood by comparison. As Socrates had pointed out, it is frequently more difficult to escape doing wrong than it is to escape death. A worthy life must include philosophy for it is the appropriate means to conduct the examination of ones life and pursue self-mastery.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Parkinsons Disease Essay -- Disorders Illnesses Papers

Parkinson's Disease In 1817, James Parkinson published his famous treatise: "An Essay on the Shaking Palsy," describing the symptoms which now collectively bear his name. Although many scientists before his time had described various aspects of motor dysfunction (ataxia, paralysis, tremor) Parkinson was the first to collect them into a common syndrome; one which he believed formed a distinctive condition. His sixty-six page essay contained five chapters describing symptoms, differential diagnoses, causality, possible treatments, and prospects for future study. What is most intriguing concerning Parkinson’s analysis (besides its consistent accuracy) is the fact that his clinical observations and inferences were made by watching the movements of six elderly males at a distance along the streets of London. The symptoms seen in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) are of two distinct types: (1) a degeneration of normal actions and movements coupled with; (2) the appearance of abnormal-type behaviors. Positive symptoms are those behaviors not usually seen in normal people; since they occur often in patients with PD, they are thought to be mechanistically inhibited by normal physiological systems. However, when these systems degenerate or become damaged, they are released and abnormal behavior is the result. The main abnormalities seen in Parkinsonian patients are resting tremor, muscular rigidity, and anesthesia. Resting tremors occur while the patient is motionless; the symptoms disappear during activity or when the patient is asleep. They most often encompass alternating movements of the limbs, hands and head; for instance, one diagnostic tremor known as "pill-rolling," consists of repetitive rolling motions of the forefinger past the... ... neurotoxin, 1-methyl--1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-pyridine. Life Science, 1985, 36:2503-2508. Neurochemistry. 1986, 46: 1501-1507. 8. Schapira, A. H. V. et. al. Mitochondrial complex I deficiency in Parkinson’s disease. J. of Neurochemistry. 1990, 54: 823-827. 9. Wachtel, H. Antiparkinsonian dopamine agonists: a review of the pharmacokinetics and neuropharmacology in animals and humans. J. of Neural Transmission. 1991, 3: 151-201. 10. Mercuri, N. B. et. al. Physiology and pharmacology of dopamine D2-receptors: their implications in dopamine--substitute therapy for Parkinson’s disease. Neurology. 1989, 39:1106-1108. 11. Riederer, P. Konradi, C. Youdim, M. B. H. The role of MAO in dopaminergic transmission. pp. 149-153. In: M. B. Streifler, ed. Advances in Neurology, Vol. 53: Parkinson’s Disease: Anatomy, Pathology, and Therapy. New York, Raven Press, 1990. Parkinson's Disease Essay -- Disorders Illnesses Papers Parkinson's Disease In 1817, James Parkinson published his famous treatise: "An Essay on the Shaking Palsy," describing the symptoms which now collectively bear his name. Although many scientists before his time had described various aspects of motor dysfunction (ataxia, paralysis, tremor) Parkinson was the first to collect them into a common syndrome; one which he believed formed a distinctive condition. His sixty-six page essay contained five chapters describing symptoms, differential diagnoses, causality, possible treatments, and prospects for future study. What is most intriguing concerning Parkinson’s analysis (besides its consistent accuracy) is the fact that his clinical observations and inferences were made by watching the movements of six elderly males at a distance along the streets of London. The symptoms seen in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) are of two distinct types: (1) a degeneration of normal actions and movements coupled with; (2) the appearance of abnormal-type behaviors. Positive symptoms are those behaviors not usually seen in normal people; since they occur often in patients with PD, they are thought to be mechanistically inhibited by normal physiological systems. However, when these systems degenerate or become damaged, they are released and abnormal behavior is the result. The main abnormalities seen in Parkinsonian patients are resting tremor, muscular rigidity, and anesthesia. Resting tremors occur while the patient is motionless; the symptoms disappear during activity or when the patient is asleep. They most often encompass alternating movements of the limbs, hands and head; for instance, one diagnostic tremor known as "pill-rolling," consists of repetitive rolling motions of the forefinger past the... ... neurotoxin, 1-methyl--1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-pyridine. Life Science, 1985, 36:2503-2508. Neurochemistry. 1986, 46: 1501-1507. 8. Schapira, A. H. V. et. al. Mitochondrial complex I deficiency in Parkinson’s disease. J. of Neurochemistry. 1990, 54: 823-827. 9. Wachtel, H. Antiparkinsonian dopamine agonists: a review of the pharmacokinetics and neuropharmacology in animals and humans. J. of Neural Transmission. 1991, 3: 151-201. 10. Mercuri, N. B. et. al. Physiology and pharmacology of dopamine D2-receptors: their implications in dopamine--substitute therapy for Parkinson’s disease. Neurology. 1989, 39:1106-1108. 11. Riederer, P. Konradi, C. Youdim, M. B. H. The role of MAO in dopaminergic transmission. pp. 149-153. In: M. B. Streifler, ed. Advances in Neurology, Vol. 53: Parkinson’s Disease: Anatomy, Pathology, and Therapy. New York, Raven Press, 1990.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Cyberculture and the Future of Print :: Writing Technology Technological Papers

I remember a time, when I would actually sit down and write out an assignment, with a pencil and paper before going to the computer and typing it. Those days are long gone. Now when I have a writing assignment to do, I simply go to my computer desk, sit down, and begin to type. The technologies that once were have become something of the past, and we are faced with these high powered machines that connect to the World Wide Web in a matter of minutes, or link you to anyone across the United States for a one on one instant message conversation. Within a ten year time period, we have become a very cyber centered society, and I dont expect a change any time soon. The purpose of this paper, is to explain how cyberculture has changed the way that we think about writing, and ourselves in particular as writers. As young adults, it is always instilled in us, that there is a right way to do something and a wrong way to do something. I was taught growing up to sit down and write out a draft for my paper(s) along with an outline before getting started. That was the right way. Doing it this way was supposed to provide the main idea and key points that I was going to use in my paper. Now 4 years later, I find that when I have to write a paper, I donwrite anything out. I sit at the computer and let it flow. I am not saying that this is the right way of doing things, its just my way. A way that has, for the most part worked for 4 years I try to think of myself as a very objective person. Just because I can appreciate all that a computer can do, does not mean that I do not see any problems with it. Many people argue that just sitting down and typing your assignments with no previous drafts wont work because people tend to think faster than they can write. This is true. But I feel that just as easily as you can forget to type a word, you can forget to write it. Landow said it best, when he said that All the strengths of electronic text, including adaptability, infinite duplicability, and speed of transport make these changes ultimately a means of saving time, energy, and other resources, particularly paper (Landow, p.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Isolation in The Scarlet Letter Essay -- Scarlet Letter essays

Isolation in The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the New Testament it states that "the wages of sin is death." Though the penalty of sin in The Scarlet Letter is not a termination of life, the evil of isolation can be a physically, morally, and socially tortuous event in Puritan society. Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, are both victims of the cruel isolation from Puritan society on the basis of their sins. Hester wears her sin upon her breast where it stands as a constant reminder of her malfeasance. Shame and isolation strip her of all passion and femininity, leaving her a shell of her former self. Though Arthur's mark of shame is not visible, it is all the more tortuous for its absence. Shame and guilt feed upon Arthur's soul with slow malevolency. Only a combination of death and confession finally release Arthur from his torture.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though Hester's ostracism from society and the tortuous nature of her shame, Hester is stripped of all passion and humanity. Since society ...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Les Miserables

Page One The theme of this book is the importance of love and compassion, and social injustice. Three genres that affect the theme in Les Miserables are: Historical Research, Literary Analysis and Creative Element. The historical research gave you knowledge of the author, and what was going on when Victor Hugo was writing this book. The literary analysis allowed you to get content from the book and provided examples of the theme. The creative element allowed you to present it as how you pictured it. While doing the historical research I found out about Victor Hugo’s love life.It revealed that he had had an affair with a girl named Juliette while being married to Adele. He chooses to spend his life with Juliette instead Adele. In Victor’s life he was involved in politics and he had shared his views by being mayor in the book. The literary analysis provided examples from the book to show that the book had romanticism through tragedy. In the book Eponine dies for Marius by blocking the bullet that was headed towards him because she loved him. Jean Valjean dies because Cosette is taken away from him, because she has found another male figure in her life.The creative element had me put the facts I learned from the historical analysis of the author and the examples from the book from the literary analysis and put it in my own view. The genre that interested me the most was the Historical research because I found out about Hugo’s life that had me understand his views on topics. The most challenging genre was literary analysis because I had to provide 4 pages of evidence. Historical Research Paper Victor Hugo is a famous worldwide literary, that gained his fame through two of his major works The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables.Victor was born in Besancon in 1802. Since he was young he had a calling for literary. At age 13 he had won numerous awards for his poems. During the 1820’s he was claimed as one of the leading figures of th e French Romantic movement. Later his rank was greater due to his play â€Å"Hernani†. During the 1830’s Hugo focused in theatre. In this time he was having problems with his wife, Adele, so he began a relationship with an actress in one of his plays, Juliette Drouet. This relationship lasted fifty years. In 1841 he turned his focus on public and political issues, by becoming a Peer of France.Hugo started out as a monarchist, troubled about order being maintained. At first, Hugo welcomed and supported Louis Bonaparte. He later realized that his moral and political goals were not the same as his political associates. In 1851, after trying in vain to oppose the coup d’etat of the 2nd December, he and Juliette escaped the country to avoid arrest, and fled to Brussels. In his time there he published the mainstream of the works he is known for: Les Miserables, La Legende des siecles, William Shakespeare, L’Homme qui rit, and many others.One book very well know n today is Les Miserables, which shows some of Hugo’s beliefs on the social and moral issues of the time. Victor Hugo had accomplished many things in his lifetime. Starting out as studying in law to becoming known as the heart of French Romanticism for being a poet, playwright, and novelist. Literary Analysis Victor Hugo once wrote â€Å"To die is nothing; but it is terrible not to live† (p. 345). The tragic elements in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables enhance the plot, with many deaths and tragic scenes through the book.Most of these encounters happen to be for their loved ones and others are just heroic moves. These examples come from Fantine, Eponine, Javert, Fauchelevent, Cosette, and Valjean. In the beginning of the story, the first tragic part is Fantine having to leave her daughter behind in order for her to survive. She had turned to prostitution to survive at first, and this showed the damage that nineteenth-century French society cruelly affects the less f ortunate. After Jean Valjean idea factory is set she decides to work there but they do not allow kids.She has to suffer and leave he daughter behind with strangers who to her seemed friendly and caring, to make sure Cosette has a good life. Fantine though gets very sick through malnutrition because all her money was going toward Cosette, but the shock of Jean Valjean being a criminal had killed her (p. 103). Then we find out that Cosette is being mistreated by the Thenardiers, She is treated worse that their dog, the dog is given more attention and care. The money that Fantine was sending the Thernadier is used for their own purposes. As Cosette get older, she becomes their slave and maid, doing whatever they command.It was sad seeing how badly a little innocent girl was being treated, because she did not deserve it, and couldn’t do anything about it being so young. As the treatment escalates overtime, Jean Valjean takes her away from the family and rescues her. â€Å"He exp ects you no longer† (p 165). This line has Marius in tears knowing he was to late. His father was expecting him, but he couldn’t hold on any longer and died. Marius has mix emotions at first, he started out mad because his father left him, but then he finds out that he didn’t leave him by choice.He left him because he was forced to and becomes devastated for not coming any sooner and for being angry with his father. â€Å"Did you see a musket aimed at you? † â€Å"Yes, and a hand which stopped it. † â€Å" That was mine. † (p. 288) These lines represent the amount of love Eponine had for Marius, she would even risk her life for him. When the bullet was directed towards Marius, Eponine stood in front of it. Its tragic for someone to take a bullet to save someone else life, but even worse, when the guy you risked your life for doesn’t feel the same way towards you.The only thing that she asked of him was a kiss on her forehead. There was also a point when Cosette was near death. When she and Jean were running away from Javert, she becomes so cold and weak. If it weren’t for Fauchelevant she would have died then and there. Because Jean had saved his life he felt he had to return the favor and help him hide out in convent. After sometime Fauchelevant dies of old age and leaves his position as gardener to Jean. Javert is so preoccupied with enforcing society’s law and morals that he doesn’t notice he is living by mistaken beliefs.Though when Valjean finally gives Javert proof that a man is not essentially bad because the law says he is, Javert is unable to turn Jean in. When Javert couldn’t turn in Jean, he commits suicide, because he couldn’t live with himself. Javert could not live because he felt like he would live a dishonorable man by not turning in Jean, but Jean gave him a different point of view on criminals, which change his beliefs. One of Jean biggest fears was losing Cose tte, and his fear shortly became reality. Cosette at first views herself as ugly but as she grows older her beauty starts to show, and she and others notice it as well.When Cosette stumbles across a young man named Marius, upon seeing each other they both can feel a connection. When Jean sees them looking at each other he starts to go out alone and has Cosette stay home. Then shortly he relocates them somewhere else, but their love is inseparable, and they both find each other again. When Cosette and Marius got together Jean delighted Marius, but when they get married Jean told him the truth about being an ex-convict. This had changed Marius view on Jean and he did not want his self or Cosette engaged in any activity with Jean.Jean’s fear had come true and he had lost Cosette to another man. This caused him to be very depressed with his self and unhappy in life because she was the one who taught him how to love and was the only one who had loved him and stood by his side thro ughout his life. Through this moment in time, Valjean became very depressed and lonely, that caused him to give up on life. He felt that no one cared for him anymore, but he was wrong. After Marius found out that he received all his money lawfully, he figured out that Jean was never really a bad guy, but misunderstood for the actions he had made long ago.When they go to his house they see how old he looks and sick and knew he was dead. â€Å"His white face looked up towards heaven, he let Cosette and Marius cover his hands with kisses; he was dead†. Javert, Fantine, and Eponine die, when they have finally realized that their dreams are not going to come true. Jean Valjean had died of old age and being lonely which caused him to not have the will to live. But then Cosette returns and he is happily ready to go. Though their deaths, other characters had changed their ways for the better. JEAN VALJEAN Creative Element: Journal Entry April 28, 1833- My last journal.I have had an i ncredible journey by always living on the run. Looking back at my life I could have had a normal life but I choose a different path. Although I look back and notice some stupid decisions I have made I wouldn’t have changed any of them. No one understands my life story. I started out as an innocent typical man, going to prison for stealing bread in order for my nieces and nephews to survive and have food. But then my time in prison affected me by changing my opinions on society. The criminals in prison had gotten to me and convinced me to hate society for what it has done to me.I had been committing action that I wasn’t proud of, but then I met Myriel who changed me forever, because she was the first person that loved me, so I promised her that I would become an honest man, and this was my turning point. My life was finally headed in the right direction. I managed to transform a town into a manufacturing center, which has taught me how to have compassion and generosity towards people. In my lifetime I have taken care of my own family, spent nineteen years in prison, then spent time recreating myself, then raising an incredible girl Cosette.After losing Cosette I had given up hope in living, but as soon as she came back I felt content with the adventurous life I have lived. I am a very old man and think my time is due and all I have left to say is â€Å"To die is nothing; but it is terrible not to live†. Works Cited † Victor Hugo. † 2012. Biography. com 28 Apr 2012, 03:34 http://www. biography. com/people/victor-hugo-9346557 â€Å"Victor Hugo. † Biography and Works. Search Texts, Read Online. Discuss. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. . â€Å"World Biography. † Victor Hugo Biography. Web. 28 Apr. 012. Self-Review Page This was a very time consuming project due to its length and requirements. Throughout this essay I had strengths and weaknesses. I also had to make many decision on the topics that I choose to write about, because I choose each topic for a reason. My strengths in this project were providing evidence in the literary analysis. Another strength of mine was I sympathizing and understanding Jean Valjean and being able to express that by writing a journal entry in his perspective for the creative element.Some of my weaknesses were providing enough information throughout the essay without repeating myself, and following all the instruction by tying them altogether. I have explanations to each of the topics I have chosen. I choose to write about Victor Hugo for the historical research because I believe that you need to know the background of the author to know where his points of views are coming from. As for the literary analysis I chose to write about tragedy because throughout the book there are very sad instances and some of those moments include death.