Essay about Madagascar Essay

Madagascar is the worlds fourth largest island located 20 ° N and 47 ° E, just off the shore of Mozambique (Southern Africa). The area of the island is 587,040 kilometers â€Å", with 4,828 kilometers of coastline, and it is slightly larger than twice the size of Arizona. Madagascar is a high plateau with a narrow coastal plain and mountains on the top. Their main natural resources consist of graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, and hydropower. The land is 4.41% arable land, .093% is permanent crops, and 94.66% other. Madagascar has a population of 16,979,744 people, which means there is 30 people per square kilometer. Of the population 45% of people are between 0-14 years, 51.9% of people are between 15-64 years, and 3.1% of people are 64 and over. The population growth rate is 3.03% per year, the birth rate is 42.16 births per 1000 population per year, and the death rate is 11.88 deaths per 1000 population per year. The life expectancy for people of Madagascar is 53.86 for males and 58.53 for females. The rate for the number of people over 15 who can read and right is 68.9% The official name of Madagascar is the Republic of Madagascar. The official languages are French and Malagasy (Native). The main religions are 52% Local-Traditional Beliefs, 41% are Christian, and 7% are Islamic. Their type of government is a republic, in which their capital is located in Antananarivo. Madagascar divides the country into 6 provinces they are, Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, and Tolaira. Madagascar was formerly an independent kingdom before the 1880s. Madagascar became a French colony in 1886, but regained its independence in 1960. During 1992-93, free Presidential and National Assembly elections were held, ending 17 years of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second presidential race, Didier Ratsiraka, the leader during the 1970s and 1980s, was returned to the presidency. The 2001 presidential election was contested between the followers of Didier Ratsiraka and Marc Ravalomanana, nearly causing secession of half of the country. In April 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced Ravalomanana the winner. Their constitution was approved August 19, 1992 by national referendum. The Madagascar constitution establishes separation of powers among executive, legislative, and judicial branches with a multi-party political system. The president is elected by universal suffrage (anyone 18 or over) for a five year term with a two-term limit. Prime minister is nominated by bicameral parliament composed of Senate and National Assembly, and approved by the president. Supreme Court has eleven members and forms apex of other judicial bodies. Local government consists of twenty-eight regions with decentralized powers in economic field. In the first legislative elections of Third Republic in 1993 more than 120 political parties entered 4,000 candidates for 138 seats. Proportional representation list system encourages candidacies. Madagascar is a member of Agency for the French-Speaking Community (ACCT), African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States (ACP), African Development Bank (AfDB), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Food and Agriculture organization (FAO), Group of 77 (G-77), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Criminal Court (ICFTU)(Signatory), International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM), International Development Association (IDA), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), International Labor Organization (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organization (IMO), Indian Ocean Commission (InOC), International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), International Olympic Committee (IOC); International Organization for Migration (IOM), Nonaligned Movement (NAM), Organization of African Unity (OAU), United Nations (UN), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Confederation of Labor (WCL), World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), World Tourism Organization (WToO), and World Trade  Organization (WTrO). Having discarded past socialist economic policies, Madagascar has since the mid 1990s followed a World Bank and IMF led policy of privatization and liberalization, which has placed the country on a slow and steady growth path. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is a mainstay of the economy, accounting for one-fourth of GDP and employing four-fifths of the population. Export earnings primarily are earned in the small industrial sector, which features textile manufacturing and agriculture processing. Deforestation and erosion, aggravated by the use of firewood as the primary source of fuel are serious concerns. The separatist political crisis of 2002 undermined macroeconomic stability, with the estimated drop in output being subject to a wide margin of error. Poverty reduction will be the centerpiece of economic policy for the next few years, seines how the 71% of the population are below the poverty line. Of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year, the value comes from 63% services, 25% agriculture, and 12% industry. Services consist of the telephone system, air and rail transportation, tourism, and retail sale. Industry consists of meat processing, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly, paper, petroleum. Agricultural produces mostly coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar, cotton, mining, and petroleum products. A unique blend of African and Asian landscapes and cultures is usually one of the first things recognized by first-time travelers to Madagascar. In the zebu cattle-raising regions of the south and west, for example, the savannas resemble those of East Africa. In the central highlands, however, irrigated and terraced rice fields evoke images of Southeast Asia. These contrasting images lie at the heart of an ongoing debate over the origins of the Malagasy people. According to one theory, peoples from the Indonesian archipelago migrated along the coast of south Asia, across the Arabian Peninsula into the east coast of Africa and, finally, across the Mozambique Channel into present-day Madagascar. This movement occurred over several generations and, because of the gradual interaction between Asian and African populations, led to the  arrival and eventual implantation of a distinct Malagasy people and culture. A second theory emphasizes the diversity of the peoples inhabiting Madagascar. Simply put, proponents argue that the Malagasy resulted from a series of migrations by different peoples over time. According to this theory, migrants from the Indonesian archipelago arrived first and eventually settled in the central highlands, followed by the arrival of African peoples as a result of normal migrational trends and the rise of the slave trade. Recent scholarship has suggested that perhaps the theories are complementary, with greater emphasis b eing placed on the first. Scholars traditionally have described Madagascar as being divided into eighteen or twenty ethnic groups, each with its own distinct territory; political developments in the contemporary period are often described in terms of ethnic conflict. Yet ethnicity is potentially misleading in the Malagasy context because it connotes a more or less self-sufficient and unique cultural, socioeconomic, and historically united group that perceives itself as being different from other groups. Another potentially valuable method of analyzing Malagasy society is to differentiate between the so-called cotiers, or peoples living in coastal areas, and those who live in the central highlands. Indeed, scholars have noted in recent years that the salience of ethnic group identity has declined, while the division between the central highlands peoples and the cotiers continues to be of great importance in understanding social and political competition. Although many observers equate the term central highlander with the Merina ethnic group (once again suggesting the importance of ethnicity), it is important to note that the Betsileo people also live within this region, and the Merina themselves have settled in other regions of the country. Equally important, many cotiers do not live anywhere near the coast. In this sense, the central highlands/cotier split is best understood as the historical outcome of the domination of the Merina empire, the original center of which was Imerina (a round the city of Antananarivo) and was located in the central highlands.

Livoria

Livoria deliver enjoyable experience to vacationers 2. Livoria is socially responsible that always exceeds environmental and safety regulations 3. Crew members , vacationers and marine life are safe during the journey 4. The services on cruise are high quality but affordable Leveraging (S-O Strategies) Livoria's strong brand in safety can take advantage of the growth in tourism industry and strengthen economy in Canada. After acquiring Natural Splendour, Livoria can offer mix of products that can satisfy both vacationers who value for price and for special amenities.The steady growth in revenue and income has developed a strong financial fundamental for Livoria to expand the business in Canada. Constraints (W-O Strategies) Ineffective and inefficient promotion strategies become constraints for Livorla to get full benefit of strong demand in cruise. Because of the lack of web-based booking system, Livoria only can rely on Sales agent for booking. This not only cause Livoria to miss th e opportunity to capture Saleslers who prefer booking online, but also increases the passenger acquisition cost. Even worst, Livoria attracts younger people ho less willing to spend on cruises.Vulnerability (S-T Strategies) As Livoria is known as outstanding safety among competitors, It can give confident to vacationers that the probability of on-board outbreak of disease In the cruise Is minimal. Its unique services such as whale watching and ports of call can serve a niche market In cruise Industry. This allows Llvorla to compete with large brand operators in the market. Problem (W-T Strategies) Canadian market Is relatively small for cruise Industry and the Industry Is already dominated by large cruise ships and large brand operators. The competitive force among rivals Is very Intense..The accident of Sandwich causes Llvorla over 3 Millions repair cost. In the future, Sandwich will still potentially harm Llvorla's financial stability as Its damage Insurance coverage Is Ilmlted. L lvorla's high operation cost and Ineffective marketing strategies can drive It out of the business easily. Issue Terrorist attack Is a severer external threat for Llvorla. Base on the effects of the past terrorist attacks, Llvorla's revenue Is expected to drop around 35% In 2011. Fortunately, the effect should only last for a year. In addltlon, the accident ofSandwich will Increase the repair cost for Llvorla In 2011. Comblnlng with the affect Llvorla's financial health. If management does not have contingency plan, Llvorla Is expected to have 32. 4M record losses In 2011. Current financial situation In 2010 fiscal year, Llvorla performed better than planned. Total passenger was almost 2% more than planned. Revenue was 6. 6% more than budgeted, so was net Income 15. 7%. (Appendix 2) Given the terrorist attack Incident and 6 Millions repair cos n 2011, solvency ana llqu101ty 0T Llvorla are Delng concerned. I ne current long term debt to equity is 1. which implies that Livoria has ris k of overleveraging. Fortunately, Income before tax and interest is 6. 43 times interest expense and current asset is 1. 75 times current liability. Moreover, Livoria has over 10 Million cash and marketable securities which is enough to pay off repair cost and interest expense next year. This conclude that the solvency and liquidity of Livoria is not an issue. Comparing over the course of 4 years, Livoria recorded increase in revenue, expense and net income. However, in 2010 fiscal year, the annually growth rate of revenue is lower compare to 2009 (13% vs. 31%).This also causes the annually growth rate of net income drop from 67% in 2009 to 33% in 2010. Given both cruises, Sandwich and natural Splendour were operating at more than 90% capacity, even there was no terrorist attack incident, Livoria would not have impressive growth in number of passengers in the near future. Assumptions: 1) Direct material, credit card and Sales agent commission is variable to revenue. Thus, if revenue drops 35%, so does these variable costs. 2) Dry dock revenue stays the same as maintenance works should be performed no matter good or bad season. 3) Livoria can book 2.M in capital gain by selling the dry dock 4) All maintenance, refurbishment and repair for Sandwich can be finished before the beginning of May next year. Thus, Sandwich can service in 2011 cruise season 5) Termination cost for all kinds of labour are also $6,000 each 6) Training cost for unskilled labours is $1,000 each. Alternative: 1) Divesting the Fraser dry dock. Pro: During the economic downturn, it is wise to spin off non-core business, so that company can focus its limited resources to improve its core business. Dry dock business is non-core business for Livoria. It only contributed 8. of company's total revenue in 2010. If removing inter-division transaction and associated direct material cost, dry dock actually reported 667 thousands loss. Con: Selling price for dry dock is only 4. 3 Million which is not e nough to cover the estimated repair cost for Sandwich in 2011. Later on, Livoria has to spend two Million on refurbishment every year. More importantly, reputation for safety is core competency of Livoria. Livoria is relying this to stay competitive in the market. Livoria can no longer ensure maintenance works are well performed and exceed regulation standards if it contracts the maintenance ork out.The effects on project 2011 net income for divesting dry dock; Divesting dry dock will worse off than status quo. 2) Target more profitable market segment Base on customer survey conducted in 2010, Annual family income of our customers is $72 thousand vs. $78 thousand in the industry. It is mainly because we have more customers who under 40 years old than the industry (40% vs. 29%). The revenue per passengers per day for this group is only $209 vs. $334 for 40 to 60 years old group. In aaaltlon, we naa OITTlcult to attract repeat customers. I nere was only customers were repeated vs. % i n the industry. Each repeat customer can generate $2000 vs. $1800 from first timer. The effects on project 2011 net income for aligning customer mix to industry average: Net Income before tax (691. 15) 3) Hire unskilled crew and hospitality from underdeveloped countries. Pro: It is a W-T strategy that prevents firm's weakness from intense competition in the industry. Because of registering in Canada, Livoria has higher operating costs than competitors. By hiring employees in underdeveloped which commonly practice in all kinds of businesses, Livoria can lower its labour cost by 30%.It is critical for Livoria to stay competitive in the industry. Con: Experienced crew is rare and invaluable. By swapping all experienced crew by unskilled labour, Livoria may risk losing its core competency – reputation of safety. Moreover, this may also affect our quality of service. Superior service is also critical to survive in the industry as well. Furthermore, termination and training costs c an offset the benefits of labour cost saving. The effects on project 2011 net income for hiring unskilled labour Net Income before tax. Livoria Key Success Factors 1. Livoria deliver enjoyable experience to vacationers 2. Livoria is socially responsible that always exceeds environmental and safety regulations 3. Crew members , vacationers and marine life are safe during the journey 4. The services on cruise are high quality but affordable Leveraging (S-O Strategies)Livoria’s strong brand in safety can take advantage of the growth in tourism industry and strengthen economy in Canada. After acquiring Natural Splendour, Livoria can offer mix of products that can satisfy both vacationers who value for price and for special amenities. The steady growth in revenue and income has developed a strong financial fundamental for Livoria to expand the business in Canada. Constraints (W-O Strategies)Ineffective and inefficient promotion strategies become constraints for Livoria to get full benefit of strong demand in cruise. Because of the lack of web-based booking system, Livoria only can rely on Sales agent for booking. This not only cause Livoria to miss the opportunity to capture Saleslers who prefer booking online, but also increases the passenger acquisition cost. Even worst, Livoria attracts younger people who less willing to spend on cruises. Vulnerability (S-T Strategies)As Livoria is known as outstanding safety among competitors, it can give confident to vacationers that the probability of on-board outbreak of disease in the cruise is minimal. Its unique services such as whale watching and ports of call can serve a niche market in cruise industry. This allows Livoria to compete with large brand operators in the market. Problem (W-T Strategies)Canadian market is relatively small for cruise industry and the industry is already dominated by large cruise ships and large brand operators. The competitive force among rivals is very intense. . The accident of Sandwich causes Livoria over 3 Millions repair cost. In the future, Sandwich will still potentially harm Livoria’s financial stability as its d amage insurance coverage is limited. Livoria’s high operation cost and ineffective marketing  strategies can drive it out of the business easily.Issue Terrorist attack is a severer external threat for Livoria. Base on the effects of the past terrorist attacks, Livoria’s revenue is expected to drop around 35% in 2011. Fortunately, the effect should only last for a year. In addition, the accident of Sandwich will increase the repair cost for Livoria in 2011. Combining with the scheduled refurbishment, the repair cost can reach 6 Million. This will seriously affect Livoria’s financial health. If management does not have contingency plan, Livoria is expected to have $2.4M record losses in 2011. Current financial situationIn 2010 fiscal year, Livoria performed better than planned. Total passenger was almost 2% more than planned. Revenue was 6.6% more than budgeted, so was net income 15.7%. (Appendix 2) Given the terrorist attack incident and 6 Millions repair cost in 2011, solvency and liquidity of Livoria are being concerned. The current long term debt to equity is 1.23 which implies that Livoria has risk of overleveraging. Fortunately, Income before tax and interest is 6.43 times interest expense and current asset is 1.75 times current liability.Moreover, Livoria has over 10 Million cash and marketable securities which is enough to pay off repair cost and interest expense next year. This conclude that the solvency and liquidity of Livoria is not an issue. Comparing over the course of 4 years, Livoria recorded increase in revenue, expense and net income. However, in 2010 fiscal year, the annually growth rate of revenue is lower compare to 2009 (13% vs. 31%). This also causes the annually growth rate of net income drop from 67% in 2009 to 33% in 2010. Given both cruises, Sandwich and natural Splendour were operating at more than 90% capacity, even there was no terrorist attack incident, Livoria would not have impressive growth in number of pa ssengers in the near future.Assumptions: 1) Direct material, credit card and Sales agent commission is variable to revenue. Thus, if revenue drops 35%, so does these variable costs. 2) Dry dock revenue stays the same as maintenance works should be performed no  matter good or bad season. 3) Livoria can book 2.3 M in capital gain by selling the dry dock 4) All maintenance, refurbishment and repair for Sandwich can be finished before the beginning of May next year. Thus, Sandwich can service in 2011 cruise season 5) Termination cost for all kinds of labour are also $6,000 each 6) Training cost for unskilled labours is $1,000 each.Alternative: 1) Divesting the Fraser dry dock. Pro: During the economic downturn, it is wise to spin off non-core business, so that company can focus its limited resources to improve its core business. Dry dock business is non-core business for Livoria. It only contributed 8.5% of company’s total revenue in 2010. If removing inter-division transactio n and associated direct material cost, dry dock actually reported 667 thousands loss. Con: Selling price for dry dock is only 4.3 Million which is not enough to cover the estimated repair cost for Sandwich in 2011. Later on, Livoria has to spend two Million on refurbishment every year. More importantly, reputation for safety is core competency of Livoria.Livoria is relying this to stay competitive in the market. Livoria can no longer ensure maintenance works are well performed and exceed regulation standards if it contracts the maintenance work out. The effects on project 2011 net income for divesting dry dock; Divesting dry dock will worse off than status quo.2) Target more profitable market segment Base on customer survey conducted in 2010, Annual family income of our customers is $72 thousand vs. $78 thousand in the industry. It is mainly because we have more customers who under 40 years old than the industry (40% vs. 29%). The revenue per passengers per day for this group is onl y $209 vs. $334 for 40 to 60 years old group. In addition, we had difficult to attract repeat customers. There was only 20% of customers were repeated vs. 40% in the industry. Each repeat customer can generate $2000 vs. $1800 from first timer. The effects on project 2011 net income for aligning customer mix to industry average: Net Income before tax  $ (691.15)3) Hire unskilled crew and hospitality from underdeveloped countries. Pro: It is a W-T strategy that prevents firm’s weakness from intense competition in the industry. Because of registering in Canada, Livoria has higher operating costs than competitors. By hiring employees in underdeveloped which commonly practice in all kinds of businesses, Livoria can lower its labour cost by 30%. It is critical for Livoria to stay competitive in the industry. Con: Experienced crew is rare and invaluable. By swapping all experienced crew by unskilled labour, Livoria may risk losing its core competency – reputation of safety. Moreover, this may also affect our quality of service. Superior service is also critical to survive in the industry as well. Furthermore, termination and training costs can offset the benefits of labour cost saving.The effects on project 2011 net income for hiring unskilled labour Net Income before tax  $ (3,550.04)

A moral understanding of Utilitarianism and torture Essay

KSM is a mastermind terrorist who has been captured by the CIA. He refuses to reveal any information about his organization or the members thereof that could be fundamental to the welfare of hundreds of lives. Even under the presence of coercive methods such as sleep deprivation and water boarding, he has refused to talk. His nine and eleven year old children have been brought into custody and a suggestion has been made to torture the children. Is the option ethical or moral in any sense? Utilitarianism provides two answers for the question; one asserting the general rule of utility, the other expanding on justice implicating that the notion that no harm should be inflicted on the children. Each case will be dissected and assessed to reveal the most feasible answer to whether or not the children should be tortured. This conclusion will also be questioned on whether or not the provided answer is approaching the situation in the best possible manner. Utilitarianism in its simplest form distinguishes the difference between right and wrong by asserting that what is right is any action of good that will positively affect the common welfare of all. In short, the principle of utility implies that what is good is whatever promotes the greatest amount of happiness. This implies that the happiness of one individual is not as relevant or important as the happiness of a multitude of persons, or that the value of life can be measured in numbers and not by specific individuals. The general idea is that if five people are saved as compared to saving one life, then there is more happiness being created and as a result more good is being created. In KSM’s case, if the general rule of utilitarianism is to be applied, then the option of torturing KSM’s children is a plausible means of coercion. This rule fundamentally subtracts the happiness lost by torturing the children in exchange for the gain of hundreds and thousands of lives that could potentially be saved resulting in a greater amount of happiness overall. Therefore utilitarianism does advocate for the torture of KSM’s children. The tactic will provide the necessary information that the CIA needs to save lives. The proponents of utilitarianism may come off as rash, insensitive, and unsympathetic beings for allowing a method such as this one to occur in order to save many lives. Injuring two lives for the benefit of thousands more is sound, but may not be ethical or moral. It is a difficult feat to assess what is ethical and moral especially when encountered with a situation like this. An assumption that it is immoral to not torture these children could be proposed because not acting on the children could deter the CIA from attaining valuable information for the welfare and safety of the nation. Of course, it must not be assumed that torturing a child is acceptable in today’s standards, and utilitarianism will attempt to answer why it is not right to torture the children to obtain information through the utilitarian’s understanding of justice. Justice to utilitarianism carries with it great weight and resonance to the ideology. According to Mill, it is one of the sole features in which utilitarianism embodies. It is stated that justice contains in it the following rules: all beings must be treated with equality, and that each is given their just deserts; good for good, and evil for evil, that no one should be wrongly punished; that no life shall be valued over another, and that the punishment should be proportionate to the offense. Another feature is that all commitments and obligations whether they be declared orally or written, should be respected and upheld and the failure to do so is performing injustice and is a moral fallacy. Therefore, when considering the KSM case with the application of justice under utilitarianism, it seems as though it is not logical to torture the children to obtain information from their father. The torturing of children violates the laws applicable to the definition of justice under utilitarianism. If these children are tortured, the principle that all individuals are equal and to all their justice deserts, would be invalid. These children have done nothing wrong and do not deserve to be tortured, thus the punishment that would befall them is not parallel to the ideals presented in the definition of justice. Also, the lives of these children were not properly accounted for, for if justice states that all lives are equal and that none is more valuable than the rest, then it is rational and coextensive with justice to not torture the children. By not performing the horrendous notion, these children’s lives are not placed lower than the rest, but the opposing view could also be taken stating that by not torturing these children they are placed above thousands of other lives, giving their lives more value than the multitude, and this is does not correspond with the definition of justice. Therefore, torturing these children is not a favorable option when considering the application of utilitarianism. But there is one exception that utilitarianism allows, which is when certain cases arise that requires expediency, thus suspending applications of moral justice. Although both alternative methods of assessing the dilemma have been presented with each have a distinct approach. The first taking into consideration the principle of utilitarianism the latter using the principle of justice, both acting as derivatives of utilitarianism and paradoxically both approved of using torture to gain information. The principle of utility declared torture a necessary means to obtain a valuable resource that consequentially benefits the whole, and in turn increasing happiness and goodness – increasing utility. The principles of justice deemed the usage of torture an incompatible method of attaining the means in the presented situation. The equality of the children was not taken into account and disregarded, while the action of torturing them does not correlate with reason because the children did nothing to bring this suggested harm upon themselves. But, even justice allows for the possibility of torture to resume when extenuating circumstances do not allow for a well thought out procedure, and expediency is recognized as the only reasonable means of achieving a goal. So does utilitarianism allow for the torturing of children to occur? According to the principle of utility and somewhat present in the exceptions of justice – yes. This does not mean that this action is moral or ethical by any means. The intentional injury of children is wrong in many, if not all, philosophical and religious ideologies. It is not easy to accept this as the only method prescribed to remedy the situation. In this case, the means do not justify the ends. Although utilitarianism states that these children should not be placed higher than any individual and there sacrifice would benefit the greater good, the implementation of torture on children is not an attractive option. Utilitarianism states that this viable option is right, but just because it may promote the general welfare and happiness of a multitude of individuals, does not necessarily indicate that it will, or that any information will be extracted from KSM, thus giving the impression that it may seem right to a utilitarian, but most would consider this an act of inhumanity and a relentless, unsympathetic, irrational attempt to validate assertions created on the basis of assumption and plausibility.

Education Enquiry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Education Enquiry - Assignment Example On the other hand, Burton, Smith and Woods article talks of a research carried out to determine how teachers working with student improved the student’s participation through pupil-led approach. The research also emphasizes on how educational psychiatrists and teachers are valuable in promoting young people and children understand and apply research skills while working alongside teachers in classroom. Kellett’s research involved young people with disability expressing their view while it mostly entailed disabilities exploring their experiences of youth democracy and meaningful participation in decision?making forums (Kellett 2010, p.31). The paper draws on theoretical frameworks of participation and voice; however, its primary focus is to celebrate and value research undertaken by these marginalized young people. Burton, Smith and Woods article on the other involves modeling young people and children to act as research in a way to improve their participation within whe re their work, live or receive services. These researchers established that educational psychiatrists and teachers played a big role in improving the children participation in the research they did. In both of these researches, the scale and scope of them were appropriate in the research they took. In both research articles, both authors try to explain what their research questions entailed and a summary of their main findings (Burton, smith, Woods 2010, p.92). From my point of view, Burton, Smith and Woods abstract was a well written one and was written in good language (Burton, smith, Woods 2010, p.92).. There is good use of English and there wording is appropriate in conveying the information they were supposed to convey in their research abstract. Kellett’s abstract shows not well written since the main aim of the research is not clearly understood by the readers (Kellett 2010, P.31). The adequacy of Burton, Smith and Woods abstract is good and can even motivate others to read their research. The expression of the main idea in Kellet’s abstract is obscure since what he was doing and what he found are not clearly illustrated. Though Kellet’s topic is appealing, but his wording is poor in expressing what he achieved. The two did not have keywords. From my point of view, Kellett’s article abstract should have had the key words learning disabilities, children, participation and voice since they carry the main theme of the research work. Basically, the research was aimed at finding the experiences of the young people in exploring their past experiences of youth democracy plus any meaningful participation in matters dealing with decision making (Kellett 2010, p.31). Burton, Smith and Woods abstract should have had the words, participation, EPs, teachers and children. These would be appropriate because the research also emphasized on how educational psychiatrists and teachers are valuable in promoting young people and children understa nding. In addition, the teacher’s participation in building the teacher’s motivation should also have been a key figure in writing the keywords as they would assist in searching other similar items in the library search engine or the internet (Burton, smith, Woods 2010, p.92). On using Kellett’s keywords that I generated and typed them on the search

Five Year Career Development Plan Research Paper

Five Year Career Development Plan - Research Paper Example This is because of the training programs I will have to attend in order to achieve the desired educational level. I will have to complete my Masters level education before proceeding onto my Doctorate degree. There are several promotion opportunities that will come my way due to the advances I make in my education. After acquiring my Master’s and Doctoral degrees, I intend to get a permanent job in a company where the employers will consider my skills level in granting me a promotion. While working for the company, I will apply my creativity and other personal initiatives in assisting the company to augment its efficiency (Brown, 2002). This will enable the management to take notice of my good work and recommend me for the promotion. The growth of my business in the next five years will enable me to expand the business to other areas. This will increase my power in the company since I will be dealing with a greater variety of products, workers and customers (Patton & McMahon, 2001). This expansion will prompt the expansion of the business management team. I will be the acting chief executive for the business and charged with the responsibility of making all the major decisions. There are several methods that I intend to use for managing my career. These include the use of tools for assessment such issuing questionnaires for gauging my performance within the business (Bohlander & Snell, 2009). The development of processes allowing me to investigate my competence will be vital in developing my career. They will enable me to determine whether my skills conform to the company’s goals and objectives. I also intend to use appropriate methods in setting and planning the actions I will take. The above methods are achievable through the development of strategies applicable to my circumstances. I will assist in rolling out these strategies in the course my duties to ensure they conform to the set plans (Brown, 2002). Currently, I am a degree holder in the f ield business administration and very proficient in using computers. I am an internationally certified accountant having achieved the qualifications after completing the required courses in a college within my neighborhood over the last year. I happen to have very good inter personal and communication skills. I can work for long hours and under minimum supervision while taking care of the equipment I am using. The education I have achieved throughout my school work assists me in very many fields. This is because I was enrolled into a curriculum that equips students with skills in diverse fields. I have also been trained in computer maintenance processes. This skills equip me with the ability to work independently when dealing with various types of technology. The attributes that will indicate satisfaction at my work place will include pay increases, promotions and adequate allowances to cater for my requirements. Satisfaction at the job place will be indicated by the levels of effic iency with which the above three features will be implemented (Bohlander & Snell, 2009). It will involve working towards achieving my goals and objectives without distracting the routine operations in my duties. The achievement of my goals and objectives will largely depend on the action steps I take. In order to attain my objectives, I intend to use efficient time management strategies to avoid the wastage of time and

An Investigation of the Impact of Oil Price Changes on the Gulf Dissertation

An Investigation of the Impact of Oil Price Changes on the Gulf Council Countries (GCC) Stock Markets - Dissertation Example According to the report any fluctuation in oil prices does not go unnoticed. However an increase or decrease in oil prices does not have a uniform effect worldwide. Some countries gain and some suffer the consequences. This paper seeks to identify and analyse the relationship of oil prices to the stock markets of the GCC, which stands for Gulf cooperation council.From this paper it is clear that the most general assumption is that the changes in the oil prices have an indirect impact on the stock market. This theory is applicable as it is believed by most economists, commentators and journalists. This relationship between oil prices and the stock market can be easily justified by the most famous headline of the Wall Street Journal that says â€Å"Oil Spikes Pummels Stock Market†. Also, the Financial Times also captured the attention of the investors regarding oil prices impact on the stock market by displaying headline which says â€Å"U.S. Stocks Rally as Oil Prices Fallâ₠¬ . According to the research, the relationship between of oil prices and the stock market is quite unpredictable and is very strange than it is assumed by most investors. No one makes this negative relationship as a thumb of rule but most of the time these both variables move in opposite directions. This means that as the oil prices goes up it shows a negative impact on the stock market. On the other hand, as the price of the oil goes down it results in a positive impact on the stock market.... It is needed for ?guaranteeing the economy’s as well as modern industries development. The fluctuation in prices ?of oil is considered to be an indicator of the global or worldwide economy. Each change in oil ?price is discussed as a hot topic both generally as well as in economic and the political circles of ?every country. There are various factors that may affect the oil prices and cause them to ?fluctuate. Major of these are the balance shifts in demand and supply of oil market, exchange rate ?fluctuation of dollar, Opportunistic Practices and instability of geopolitical factors/. These factors jointly work for bringing change in the oil prices and this change tends to have an impact upon the stock exchange performances of different countries as well. The dissertation aims to investigate the impact of oil price fluctuation upon the stock market index of the GCC countries over the last five years. The dissertation examines and analyses the data for last five years using the linear regression model and it has been unveiled from the calculation of the data using the model that the GCC countries’ stock exchanges have always responded strongly towards the changes in oil fluctuation and the oil prices changes occurred during the last five years have also altered the stock exchanges indexes of the GCC countries. Table of Content Acknowledgements Declaration 1. Chapter one: Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.8 1.1. Aim and Objectives of the study †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.14 1.2. Methodology and data†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.15 1.3. The structure of the

Reflective writing - Personal and professional development Essay

Reflective writing - Personal and professional development - Essay Example Personal Centered Therapy Personal Centered Therapy (PCT) is one of the theories I have learned in class. From the beginning, I thought that I could put into practice what I had learned about personal centered therapy. However, somehow this has not proved to be an easy feat for me. For instance, I found it difficult to think of its challenges or how I can administer it to a particular client or group. I had to challenge the fact that I could show unconditional positive regard, be emphatic and congruent when having to deal with a client who is a peoadphile. I have always thought it a nightmare dealing with peoadophiles. After taking this course, I have had to question myself and particularly in regard to how my character and beliefs would interfere with the way I administer person centered therapy. CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) In studying cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), I really enjoyed my lectures on various theoretical models. Class exercises on CBT record were great especiall y when learning how to the use of our thoughts and common thinking traps. Person Centered Therapy theory was always interesting to me and after writing my case study on CBT, I got to like the concept and the principles involved. This is because to me, it suits my character as a method of behavioral study. The structure used is practical in nature and applicable to most client groups. On reading the books CBT for Beginners by Jane Simmons and Rachel Griffiths as well as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Adults by Stefan Hofmanand Mark Reincke, I successfully prepared for my assignments on this course. Psychodynamic I learnt new and interesting skills while studying psychodynamic psychotherapy. The least favorable theory I learned in the process was psychodynamic approach to counseling. The lecture on psychodynamic theorists challenged my perception and concept of the theory. However, I enjoyed my tutor’s perspective of the various theorists that contributed to this genre. Alth ough I am not a fun of Freudian theories, I was able to relate this theory to that of Melaine Klein and her approach interested me. I must admit that I greatly enjoyed the lessons learnt about psychotherapy and will surely apply whatever I learnt in theory. Assessment-Case Study Our assessment was a case study which proved to be challenging but enjoyable at the same time. It is through this process that I discovered that I enjoy solving problems presented in the form of case studies. I was able to improve my client’s character and use cognitive behavior therapy which was quite encouraging. Using CBT with my client proved to be easy for me as I analyzed and treated her problem, putting theory into effective practice. Through my reading about CBT, I discovered that the therapy is a suitable form of therapy from a multicultural perspective because of its basic nature and how it is practiced. Counseling Skills The lecture on counseling skills reminded me of the basic principles i nvolved in counseling. It also reminded me always to use words which help the clients to tell their stories freely. Initially, I felt that the counseling assessment went well although I always believe in making improvements. However, after receiving the feedback sheet, I felt that it did not reflect the skills I thought I had learnt over the years and this made me feel deflated. I contemplated discussing this with my client as I never wanted to appear confronting. I decided to discuss with my teacher who reassured me that the mark to her was not as negative as I thought it was. I thus felt better about my assessment and I also gained a better understanding of how she interpreted my practical skills.

Emergency Response Planning For Airports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Emergency Response Planning For Airports - Essay Example In this regard, responsibilities for workers in an airport and within its vicinity should be clearly defined to avoid confusion during operations. Apparently, the rapid response department in an airport must ensure that all the necessary equipment and the personnel required are present when the need arises. Different airports have varied emergency response techniques subject to the nature and scale of the disaster. Emergency response planning involves structuring the airport in such a way that the impact of an emergency is minimized. It includes establishing procedures to be followed when attending to an emergency. This essay is meant to critically analyze the equipment used, and Procedures followed when attending to emergencies, training and Practices of the emergency response department and policies adopted for effective response to emergencies. We focus on Dubai International Airport to learn more about emergency response including the procedures and equipment employed when handling emergency cases. The airport is administered in accordance with the United Arabs Emirates legal requirements for airports operations. The emergency response docket is headed by the chief emergency coordinator. The chief emergency coordinator is entitled with the responsibility of overseeing the reaction to emergency cases. The airport has a well-structured system of command which outlines who reports to who during an emergency. The rapid response department is stratified into several subunits to facilitate effective management and division of labor. Each subunit is given a certain responsibility and head by a commander, who reports to the chief emergency coordinator. The emergency department handles several cases such as health, fire, and security threats among others. The department has a well-trained team of security staff that handles emergency incidences on a

Comparative methodological critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Comparative methodological critique - Essay Example apply the principles of scientific research and avoid proceeding to any initiative that will affect the study’s credibility, for instance the failure in appropriately citing the texts quoted from another study, the failure to inform the participants on the study’s scopes and its ethics – a fact that can lead even to the rejection of a particular study. This paper explores the various aspects of two studies that are based on different research methods: a qualitative and a quantitative one. As a sample of quantitative research, the study of Krishnan et al. (2005) under the title ‘A few good women – on top management teams’ has been chosen; the context of the qualitative research has been also examined through the study of Liff et al. (2001) under the title ‘Distorted views through the glass ceiling: the construction of women’s understandings of promotion and senior management positions’; it is proved that the two studies have been developed in the context of scientific research and therefore they’ve managed to meet their scope despite the delays caused because of failures in different phases of research in the context described below. Krishnan et al. (2005) have tried to examine the potential influence of gender diversity on organizational performance; a series of additional issues have been examined in the context of the study, like the level of gender diversity in modern organization, the environmental characteristics (which in this case refer to the demographic characteristics of the participants) and the role of women managers in changing the internal organizational environment. The reasons that Krishnan et al. (2005) chose the specific subject is the fact that gender has been proved in the literature to influence the performance of employees – as a result of the organization; the aspects of this problem need to be highlighted; despite the development of social and cultural values worldwide there are still factors, like the gender, that

Place Before And After Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Place Before And After - Essay Example The kids in the neighborhood just loved to play sports in the park, families go on fishing, mothers do their groceries and the rest of the town dwellers just walk the streets for some fresh air even in the night as it was safe and well crowded. This was the best place for me, and I intended to pass it on to my future family the things, events and the values I loved which my father shared with me. However, these perceptions of mine in the said town did not seem to last as I saw a different place 15 years after. The change of the said town motivated me to discover the reasons as to why this paradise town and an ideal place to be in before, suddenly turned into a place where nobody would prefer to be in now. The town's safety, people, perceptions, and environment took its downturn from the time I enjoyed it 15 years ago. The ideal place for safety, celebrations, cleanliness, family values, hospitality, and peace now turned into a meeting place and fighting arena of gangsters and alike. The once clean and safe streets now turned into a drastic place of murderous acts, piles of garbage with beer and bottle cans scattered everywhere. The once happy and peaceful park is now known to be a graveyard of murdered gang members and even old folks of the said town, which were killed out stolen valuables. The celebrations such as holidays and Thanksgiving have once celebrated freely anywhere in the town, but now it is advised and preferred for residents to stay in their homes when celebrating these events.

Delivering Business Value with It at Hefty Hardware Essay Example for Free

Delivering Business Value with It at Hefty Hardware Essay IT Value is defined as the worth or desirability of a thing. It is a subjective assessment. The value of IT depends very much on how a business and its individual managers choose to view it. Strategic positioning, increased productivity, improved decision making, cost savings, or improved service are all ways value could be defined. It is tied to the organization’s business model because adding value with IT should enable a firm to do it business better. One company sees value resulting from all parts of the organization having the same processes; another defines value by return on investment (ROI); still another measures t by a composite of key performance indicators. IT value proposition is that everyone involved in an IT initiative agree on what value they are trying to deliver and how they will recognized it. IT Value is a function of people, process, and technology. The Three Components of the IT Value Proposition: Identification- Recognize and evaluate opportunities. Conversion- Transformation of ideas and opportunities into IT value propositions and creating IT value. Realization- Deliver value and ensure that technology is widely accepted Best Practices in Identifying Potential Value: Joint business-IT structure. Compare value across projects. Utilize a portfolio approach to project selection/prioritization. Establish a funding mechanism for infrastructure. Conversion: Managerial issues with Conversion More projects than resources: Insufficient time to complete all projects; inadequate technical/business resources; significant business process redesign may be required for implementation of IT. IT value creation can be successfully made by: Excellent project management; Effective execution (e.g. change management); Reliable IT operations Best Practices in Realizing Value: Measure outcomes against expected results.[Does Expected Value = Actual Value?]; Plan a value-realization phase for all IT projects; Look for and eliminate root causes of problems; Assess value realization at all levels in the organization; Have provision for acting on new opportunities.

Kenneth Burke Essay Example for Free

Kenneth Burke Essay Kenneth Duva Burke (May 5, 1897 – November 19, 1993) was an American literary theorist and philosopher. Burkes primary interests were in rhetoric and aesthetics. Burke became a highly distinguished writer after getting out of college, and starting off serving as an editor and critic instead, while he developed his relationships with other successful writers. He would later return to the university to lecture and teach. He was born on May 5 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Peabody High School, where his friend Malcolm Cowley was also a student. Burke attended Ohio State University for only a semester, then studied at Columbia University in 1916-1917 before dropping out to be a writer. In Greenwich Village he kept company with avant-garde writers such as Hart Crane, Malcolm Cowley, Gorham Munson, and later Allen Tate. Raised Roman Catholic, Burke later became an avowed agnostic. In 1919, he married Lily Mary Batterham, with whom he had three daughters: the late feminist, Marxist anthropologist Eleanor Leacock (1922–1987); musician (Jeanne) Elspeth Chapin Hart (b. 1920); and writer and poet France Burke (b. 1925). He would later marry her sister Elizabeth Batterham in 1933 and have two sons, Michael and Anthony. Burke served as the editor of the modernist literary magazine The Dial in 1923, and as its music critic from 1927-1929. Kenneth himself was an avid player of the saxophone and flute. He received the Dial Award in 1928 for distinguished service to American literature. He was the music critic of The Nation from 1934–1936, and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1935. His work on criticism was a driving force for placing him back into the university spotlight. As a result, he was able to teach and lecture at various colleges, including Bennington College, while continuing his literary work. Many of Kenneth Burkes personal papers and correspondence are housed at Pennsylvania State Universitys Special Collections Library. In later life, his New Jersey farm was a popular summer retreat for his extended family, as reported by his grandson Harry Chapin, a contemporary popular song artist. He died of heart failure at his home in Andover, New Jersey. Burke, like many twentieth century theorists and critics, was heavily influenced by the ideas of Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, and Friedrich Nietzsche. He was a lifelong interpreter of Shakespeare, and was also significantly influenced by Thorstein Veblen. He resisted being pigeonholed as a follower of any philosophical or political school of thought, and had a notable and very public break with the Marxists who dominated the literary criticism set in the 1930s. Burke corresponded with a number of literary critics, thinkers, and writers over the years, including William Carlos Williams, Malcolm Cowley, Robert Penn Warren, Allen Tate, Ralph Ellison,Katherine Anne Porter, Jean Toomer, Hart Crane, and Marianne Moore. Later thinkers who have acknowledged Burkes influence include Harold Bloom, Stanley Cavell, Susan Sontag (his student at the University of Chicago), Erving Goffman, Geoffrey Hartman, Edward Said, Rene Girard, Fredric Jameson, Michael Calvin McGee, Dell Hymes and Clifford Geertz. Burke was one of the first prominent American critics to appreciate and articulate the importance of Thomas Mann and Andre Gide; Burke produced the first English translation of Death in Venice, which first appeared in The Dial in 1924. It is now considered to be much more faithful and explicit than H. T. Lowe-Porters more famous 1930 translation. Burkes political engagement is evident, for example, A Grammar of Motives takes as its epigraph, ad bellum purificandum — toward the purification of (the human spirit from) war. American literary critic Harold Bloom singled out Burkes Counterstatement and A Rhetoric of Motives for inclusion in his Western Canon. The political and social power of symbols was central to Burkes scholarship throughout his career. He felt that through understanding what is involved when we say what people are doing and why they are doing it, we could gain insight into the cognitive basis for our perception of the world. For Burke, the way in which we decide to narrate gives importance to specific qualities over others. He believed that this could tell us a great deal about how we see the world. Burke called the social and political rhetorical analysis dramatism and believed that such an approach to language analysis and language usage could help us understand the basis of conflict, the virtues and dangers of cooperation, and the opportunities of identification and consubstantiality. Burke defined the rhetorical function of language as a symbolic means of inducing cooperation in beings that by nature respond to symbols. His definition of humanity states that man is the symbol using, making, and mis-using animal, inventor of the negative, separated from his natural condition by instruments of his own making, goaded by the spirit of hierarchy, and rotten with perfection. For Burke, some of the most significant problems in human behavior resulted from instances of symbols using human beings rather than human beings using symbols. Burke proposed that when we attribute motives to others, we tend to rely on ratios between five elements: act, scene, agent, agency, and purpose. This has become known as the dramatistic pentad. The pentad is grounded in his dramatistic method, which considers human communication as a form of action. Dramatism invites one to consider the matter of motives in a perspective that, being developed from the analysis of drama, treats language and thought primarily as modes of action (Grammar of Motives xxii). Burke pursued literary criticism not as a formalistic enterprise but rather as an enterprise with significant sociological impact; he saw literature as equipment for living, offering folk wisdom and common sense to people and thus guiding the way they lived their lives. Another key concept for Burke is the terministic screen — a set of symbols that becomes a kind of screen or grid of intelligibility through which the world makes sense to us. Here Burke offers rhetorical theorists and critics a way of understanding the relationship between language and ideology. Language, Burke thought, doesnt simply reflect reality; it also helps select reality as well as deflect reality. In Language as Symbolic Action (1966), he writes, Even if any given terminology is a reflection of reality, by its very nature as a terminology it must be a selection of reality; and to this extent must function also as a deflection of reality. In his book Language as Symbolic Action (1966), Burke defined humankind as a symbol using animal (p. 3). This definition of man, he argued, means that reality has actually been built up for us through nothing but our symbol system (p. 5). Without our encyclopedias, atlases, and other assorted reference guides, we would know little about the world that lies beyond our immediate sensory experience. What we call reality, Burke stated, is actually a clutter of symbols about the past combined with whatever things we know mainly through maps, magazines, newspapers, and the like about the present . . . construct of our symbol systems (p. 5). College students wandering from class to class, from English literature to sociology to biology to calculus, encounter a new reality each time they enter a classroom; the courses listed in a universitys catalogue are in effect but so many different terminologies (p. 5). It stands to reason then that people who consider themselves to be Christian, and who internalize that religions symbol system, inhabit a reality that is different from the one of practicin g Buddhists, or Jews, or Muslims.

Emotional Intelligence And Leaderships

Emotional Intelligence And Leaderships This essay discusses how emotional intelligence can affect leadership, through the fundamental function of decision making process, and lead to organisational effectiveness. For this purpose, Golemans, Boyatzis et al.s (2002) four key elements of emotional intelligence are employed, which are classified into twenty self and social focused competencies. A number of practical applications are described, explaining how emotional skills can affect leaders ability to achieve the desired outcome during the decision making process. We concluded that organisational effectiveness can benefit from the application of emotional intelligence on leadership skills, through the decision making process. Finally, we note some limitations such as the level of emotional intelligence and its accurate measurement. Keywords Emotional intelligence, leadership, decision making process Introduction Emotional intelligence was first introduced in the late 1980s (Mayer, Roberts, Barsade, 2008). Yet, one of the most controversial issues is how emotional intelligence as the new form of intelligence that concerns the interaction of thinking and feeling, can be employed on leadership and subsequently on organisational effectiveness (Goleman, 1998). There are several definitions and conceptions about leadership and its effectiveness. Until the 1980s, leadership effectiveness was measured by leaders cognitive ability to apply and develop effective strategies for complicated problem solving (Woods West, 2010). However, the last three decades leadership effectiveness due to its apparent social aspect is measured by leaders capability to influence, inspire and motivate followers. (Woods West, 2010). After further research, emotional intelligence evolved into a popular and useful tool for enhancing leadership effectiveness (Kerr, Garvin, Heaton, Boyle, 2006). In our essay we discuss how emotional intelligence through the application of individual and social skills on decision making process, can affect leadership efficiency and lead to organisational effectiveness (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). Given the fact that the leaders decisions play a central role in the organisational viability (Woods West, 2010), we consider that the implementation of emotional intelligence resources to the decision making process can contribute notably to the increase of organisational efficacy. Emotional intelligence The term of emotional intelligence was first formally introduced into academic literature in the decade of 1990 by Salovey and Mayer (Kerr, Garvin, Heaton, Boyle, 2006). Emotional intelligence is considered to be a dual dimensional theory that is focused on peoples self and social skills. That means that emotional intelligence concerns the humans ability of having an effective command of expressing, evaluating, managing emotions, communicating feelings and generating thought applied on individual and relationship based level (Salovey Mayer, 1990). It can be classified in two broad models: the ability based model and the mixed model. The ability model involves the abilities of conceiving and recognising the emotions, facilitating thoughts, understanding complex emotions and managing them (Mayer, Salovey, Caruso, 2000). Emotional intelligence links emotions and intelligence to someones perception for understanding the social environment (Grewal Salovey, 2005). Specifically: Emotional intelligence involves the ability to perceive accurately, appraise and express emotion; the ability to access and/or generate feelings when they facilitate thought; the ability to understand emotion and emotional knowledge; and the ability to understand emotions to promote emotional and intellectual growth (Mayer Salovey, 1997). The four branch model as mentioned above, links hierarchically the basic process of conceiving emotions to the advanced level of understanding them and is measured by MSCEIT [Mayer Salovey Caruso Emotional intelligence Test; (Mayer, Caruso, Salovey, Sitarenios, 2003)]. Goleman (1995) introduced the mixed model of emotional intelligence that involves non innate talents but learnt competencies that significantly affect job performance (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). This kind of model mainly addresses leaders performance and provides dynamic outlines for becoming an effective leader. According to Goleman (2001) and Boyatzis et al (2000) the basic elements of the mixed model of emotional intelligence consist of self focused and social focused competencies. These are: self awareness, self management, social awareness and relationship management (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). Self awareness involves emotional self awareness, accurate self assessment and self confidence. The emotional self awareness is referred to the fact that someone is fully aware of his/her feelings and realise their impact. The accurate self assessment involves the knowledge of strengths and weaknesses and how they can be eliminated through gradual improvement. A highly self confident person is aware of his/her abilities, expressing strong confidence and being able to deal with difficult tasks (Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee, 2002). Moreover, the group of self focused competencies includes self management capabilities that concern emotional self control, transparency, adaptability, achievement, initiative and optimism. The emotional self control is referred to ones ability to setting impulsive emotions under control, while the transparency is associated with integrity and honesty. The adaptability entails flexibility and the ability to easily adjust to spontaneous changes, whereas achievement concerns the fulfillment of goals and targets. The initiative concerns ones ability to act alone holding responsibility for the consequences of his/her actions; the optimism entails seeing the positive aspect of the events and the future facts that might take place (Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee, 2002). The social focused competencies i.e. social awareness and relationship management determine the manner of managing followers. The social awareness includes empathy which means understanding ones concerns and emotional situation, organisational effectiveness which is referred to the efficiency of meeting organisational goals and service which has to do with the comprehension of followers requirements. The relationship management involves inspiration (generating motivations to the followers), influence, developing others (improving ones capabilities), change catalyst (leading an entirely new and innovative modification), conflict management (how to manage disagreements), building bonds (the ability of socialising and developing a network of new relationships) and teamwork (effective collaboration and co existence within the group) (Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee, 2002). Leadership and Emotional intelligence According to House et al (1999):Leadership is the ability of an individual to influence, motivate and enable others to contribute towards the effectiveness and success of the organizationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Yukl, 2006). Some theorists argue that leadership is adjusted according to organisational environment and aims. Hersey and Blanchard (1982) claim, different situations require different kinds of leadership (Situational Theory of Leadership). On the other hand, Fiedlers Contingency Theory (1967) suggests that leadership effectiveness depends on the place, the time, the task and the situation (Arnold, Randal, al, 2010). In any case leadership through its dynamic dimension provides guidelines that can promote organisational effectiveness. By this term, it is meant profitability in financial terms, or organisations ability to equip employees with those skills necessary for performing business fully engaged with the organisational culture (Woods West, 2010). A leaders effectiveness depends on the manner of developing and enhancing followers skills and abilities. Personality characteristics in themselves do not make leaders inherently effective. What matters is how those characteristics are expressed to leaders behavior, and how that behavior is understood by others (Woods West, 2010). The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), the worldwide known Work and Organisational Psychology Organisation, conducts research on what is effective leadership by highlighting the factors that lead to failure (derailing). Its study showed that even though there are common traits between those who succeeded and those who failed, certain characteristics seemed similar for their imminent failure. For example, managers promotion from lower levels of the organisation to upper ones, might lead to over-confident behavior (Woods West, 2010). At the organisational level, leadership is considered to be a mixture of behaviors, administrative abilities, traits and interactions that are driven by the circumstances and the organisational culture; the link among various departments in an organisation managed by the leader (Woods West, 2010). Considerable evidences in recent years note that social skills are vital for leadership performance (Prati, Ceasar, Ferris, Ammeter, Buckley, 2003). An efficiently oriented leader takes advantage of emotional skills and resources in terms of interaction, in order to achieve the optimal performance outcome (Wong Law, 2002). The emotional skills concern the social aspect of emotional intelligence during the interaction process (Riggio Reichard, 2008). Under these circumstances, leaderships outcome is considerably affected by a leaders ability to recognise and manage followers emotions in social interaction (George, 2000). This argument is supported by Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee (2002) wh o claim that emotional intelligence is fundamental for leadership effectiveness and specifically when it is applied on teams. Antonakis et al (2009) claim that leadership effectiveness is strongly linked to emotional intelligence when concerns the relationship development between the followers and the leader (Antonakis, Ashkanasy, Dasborough, 2009). Since leadership is considered an emotional process, the level of emotional intelligence in a leader plays a significant role in the effectiveness of social interaction with others. George J.M. (2000) in her article Emotions and leadership: The role of Emotional intelligence underlines that there are five basic elements of leadership that are positively correlated with the level of emotional intelligence. The five key elements of effective leadership as presented by the authors Conger Kanungo (1998), Lock (1991), Yukl (1998) are the following: Development of collective goals and objectives. Instilling in others a sense of appreciation and importance of work. Generating and maintaining enthusiasm, confidence, optimism, cooperation, and trust. Encouragement of decision making and change. Establishing and maintaining meaningful identity for the organisation. (George, 2000) Emotional intelligence is the spark that ignites a companys performance creating a bonfire of success or a landscape of ashes. (Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee, 2002). There has been research on the correlation between the level of emotional intelligence and the leadership effectiveness; results showed that ones level of emotional intelligence might play an important role to the leadership effectiveness (Kerr, Garvin, Heaton, Boyle, 2006). However, it is doubtful whether the ability to understand emotions and the ability to act effectively are inextricably linked or not (Kerr, Garvin, Heaton, Boyle, 2006). According to Rosete and Ciarrochi (2005), the higher level of emotional intelligence, the higher leadership effectiveness (Kerr, Garvin, Heaton, Boyle, 2006). Leaders with high level of emotional intelligence inspire, generate motivation to the followers and state greater job satisfaction (Scott-Ladd Chan, 2004). Emotional intelligence and decision making process It is common knowledge that organisations consist of several departments that interact in order to perform business. Koop (1995) claims that this interaction is managed by the decision makers (leaders) (Scott-Ladd Chan, 2004). Under these circumstances, we realise the importance of the decision making process and the impact of their outcomes on organisational effectiveness. The decision making process is classified in the following stages according to Simon (1986) Langley (1989): Rational economic model Definition of the issue. Identification of limiting factors (external and internal). Plan and development of potential alternatives. Evaluation of each alternative in terms of practicality and cost. Selection of the best alternative. Implementation of decision. (Huczynski Buchanan, 2007) The decision making process involves the decision maker and those that are affected by the decision. The decision maker is essential to take into account the people affected by the decision and determine an effective manner of interpreting it (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). Subsequently, the decision maker is required to make use of rationality and logic as well as of emotions. However, a controversial issue has been raised by some researchers. This is due to the fact that they consider that the best decisions are made in the absence of emotions. According to Stanovich and West (2000), the shift from emotional thinking to rationality can entail better decisions. They suggested that emotional functions may be substituted and replaced by logic in the aim of enhancing the quality of decisions. By contrast, others claim that the ability to have a good command of ones emotions is an advantage for the decision maker (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). Actually, there is no wrong perception of the key factors of the decision making process. What matters most, is to take into consideration the possible impact that emotions might have on the decision making process and the quality of decisions (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). Research on emotional intelligence and decision making process Sevdalis et al (2007) in the article Trait emotional intelligence and decision related emotions explain that emotions are evident during the decision making process (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). They suggest that differences in trait emotional self-efficacy can affect the way the individuals experience the impact of the decision (Sevdalis, Petrides, Harvey, 2007). Also, Mellers et al (1999) concluded that the emotions people experience from the impact of a decision, can affect their future attitude and behavior (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). Winter and Kuiper (1997) underlined that every person has a different perception of the emotions experienced whereas, Jordan and Troth (2004) noted that there is a significant difference on the effectiveness of emotional intelligence when the decision making process concerns individual or team tasks accordingly (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). They concluded that individuals with high level of emotional intelligence as members of a team are more likely to come up with better solutions, without the fear of making mistakes (Frye, Bennett, Caldwell, 2006). Studies in PDM (participation in decision making process) have shown that emotionally intelligent employees who are involved in the decision making process contribute to organisations effective response to continuous changes. But, organizations are supposed to clarify to the employees the reason, the way and the degree of their participation in the decision making process resulting in greater commitment and benefits for both employee and employers. Nevertheless, the clear definition of boundaries in the participation of decision making process improves the quality of decision outcomes which depends either on the purpose for implementing PDM or on how efficiently it is implemented (Scott-Ladd Chan, 2004). The contribution and application of emotional competencies to leaders as decision makers Since the decision making process involves stages that are addressed both to brain and emotional function, it is necessary to understand the impact of the application of emotional intelligence on decision makers and the potential outcome. According to Hess Bacigalupo, (2011) no considerable research has been conducted for the practical interaction between behavior and emotional intelligence during the decision making process on both individual and group basis. In their paper, they develop a methodology based on a number of practical applications of emotional intelligence skills on the decision making process that could be useful and beneficial for individuals and organizations development. For this purpose, the model of Goleman (2001) and Boyatzis et al (2000) is applied, as it concerns individual and interpersonal skills, which are both crucial and determinative for the decision making process (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). The group of the skills mentioned, involves self awareness, sel f management, social awareness and relationship management (Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee, 2002). In the organisational environment, the leader plays the role of the decision maker. Taking advantage of the competencies of emotional intelligence, the possibilities for making an effective decision are increased. The individuals skills i.e. self awareness and self management enable the leader (decision maker) to acknowledge his/her weaknesses, recognise the possible influence that can have on the followers and boost his/her confidence. Why is this so important? Because, it helps the leader to foresee the different aspects of followers vision as well as their reactions and communicate effectively the decision (Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee, 2002). Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1958) claimed that leaders and followers share control during the decision making process that is based on the assumptions they have formed for the amount of control they possess (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). A strongly efficient leader is supposed to achieve balance during the decision making process; he/she should guide th e discussion appropriately, act as a consultant encouraging the information exchange and the increase of comprehension as well. At this stage, emotional intelligence competencies can be applied, so that the leader can regulate the allocation of control among the parties creating a climate of cohesion. Though, emotional intelligence application is as important as in the case of sharing responsibility for inappropriate decisions. An emotional intelligent leader not only welcomes the commendations of good decisions but also holds responsible for bad decisions (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). This reinforces leaders integrity and reliability, necessary elements for establishing a climate of trust and honesty in an organisation. Moreover, through the self control the leader can develop the skill of controlling emotions and impulses i.e. stress tolerance, which derive from time pressure and unexpected changes in the organisational environment. The ability to manage time pressure and suppress neg ative emotions is considered of utmost importance, as it enables leaders to establish the appropriate climate for making decisions and avoid misjudgments that can have an adverse impact on organisational effectiveness (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011; Goleman,Boyatzis et al, 2002). Likewise, emotional social focused skills i.e. empathy, organisational awareness, conflict management, change catalyst, teamwork and others, are highly important when they are implemented by the leader in an attempt to achieve effective consensus of team decision making. On the grounds that most times the decision is addressed on employees, with different values and beliefs, the leader should be able to manage diversity through the skills of empathy and conflict management. Furthermore, organisational awareness enables a leader as a decision maker, to make decisions that comply with the organisational status and determine the appropriate processes. On the basis of service orientation, decisions that are related to the customers needs and satisfaction are highly appreciated within the organisational environment and add value (profitability) to the image of the organisation. Last but not least, the decision making process involves active participation and constant interaction among me mbers; emotionally intelligent leaders taking advantage of this fact can not only enhance the quality of teamwork and promote relationship development, but also ignite and stimulate followers initiative, motivation and commitment (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011; Goleman,Boyatzis et al, 2002). Conclusion In conclusion, the leader through the application of emotional intelligence can empower followers and establish cohesion among them during the decision making process. This allows to the leader to improve the quality of decision making process increasing the organisations potential for effectiveness (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). However, we should not overlook a range of factors that can limit emotional intelligence efficiency on organisational basis; queries such as Can emotional intelligence affect negatively the organisational effectiveness if it is excessively high? or Could it be accurately measured? (Fiori Antonakis, 2011) are considered to be crucial and part of future further research on emotional intelligence.

The History Of White-tailed Deer In Kentucky :: essays research papers

The History of White-Tailed Deer in Kentucky   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When our ancestors first reached Kentucky they found a great abundance of game, including deer. Early settlers utilized deer for food and clothing. Due to all the killing of the white-tail deer, around 1925 they were virtually eliminated in Kentucky. A few survived in areas such as, between the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers in western Kentucky, and a few survived in eastern Kentucky. In most places, though deer simply no longer occurred.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the deer was on the verge of extension in Kentucky, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources stepped in. They tried to save the deer in Kentucky and they succeeded. They regulated the hunting seasons and the amount of game allowed to kill. Today we have an abundance of deer in Kentucky, we have about 450,000 deer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The white-tailed deer breeding season in Kentucky runs from October through mid January, reaching its peak in November. Most fawns are born in June, following a seven month gestation period. Newborn fawns will weigh about four pounds at birth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Deer offspring are cared for and may remain with the mother until the next spring. Fawns retain their spots until mid September and nurse until mid October. About 40 percent of female fawns breed during their first autumn, but usually bear only one fawn. Does breeding at age 1 1/2 or older generally have twins, and sometimes triplets. By November, Kentucky's deer population typical increases slightly more than one fawn per doe. Although many more fawns are born than one per doe, some will die before the hunting season arrives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A deer's home range averages about 500 acres. In mountains, the home range may exceed 1,000 acres. Even though this size area can support about 40 deer, these animals will not always stay just within their home range. Many will travel on and off that amount of land different times of the year looking for the best food and cover available.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One important key in improving deer numbers is helping provide ample amounts of the right foods. Healthier deer produce more offspring. White-tails eat a variety of vegetation, depending on what is available during different seasons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In late winter, deer live mainly on woody twig ends and buds called browse. They will also eat acorns, corn and winter wheat if available. Spring foods include tender grasses, clovers and leaves of woody plants such as ragweed, native and cultivated grasses and clovers. During the fall, deer will use fruits and nuts such as acorns, persimmons, dogwood berries, corn and browse for a food supply.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Protection from severe weather, predators and illegal hunting is

Personal Narrative- Varsity Volleyball Essay -- Personal Narrative

Personal Narrative- Varsity Volleyball I first started playing volleyball at a very young age. I was in the seventh grade when my volleyball career started. My sister started playing in the seventh grade and I just wanted to follow her footsteps. My seventh grade year was ok because I had just started out and really didn’t know the game. There was A team and a B team, where A team was better than the B team. I tried my best to be on the A-team, but guess where I ended up, on the B team. No matter what team I was on I never gave up. I was so determined that my eight-grade year was going to be different. Sure enough, I ended up on the A-team in the eight-grade. I thought that was the most wonderful thing in the world; I though all wrong. I did nothing but ride the bench. I hardly e...

Putting a Stop to Smoking Essay -- Tobacco Education Prevention

It is shocking to know that there are about ten people who die from smoking every single minute, and nobody seems to have any idea about it. Indeed, there is â€Å"a growing gap between the real world and the academy† since people are more intellectual about things that are irrelevant to the real life and are ignorant of things that are imperative to live in the real world (Orr 310). Did you know that there are over four hundred thousand deaths caused by cigarettes and tobacco each year in the U.S. alone? That makes it about five million deaths worldwide each year, according to â€Å"Statistics about Smoking.† Smoking is notorious for causing avoidable diseases and deaths, and yet not many institutions have develop an appropriate system to prevent cigarette and tobacco from killing millions each year. For instance, all universities promote health and wellness and many claim to be substance-free, yet they do not restrict the selling of cigarettes and tobacco in camp us stores or smoking on campus. People are dying, thousands are getting hooked, and a whole population is being affected, hence it‘s urgent that a university aims to educate students to combat smoking. The ideal student will learn the immediate and long-term affects of what cigarette can do to himself and others around him, to resist peer pressure, and be capable of recognizing and resisting advertisement and media ploys. In order to achieve this, the university must provide a curriculum that includes classes such as Anatomy, Smoking Biology with seminars, Media Effects, History of Smoking, Tobacco Industry 101, and DARE with community service. Many people are not aware of the many ways cigarette or tobacco use can harm them and others around them because they have never... ...its students to spread their knowledge. The classes that a university provide should enable the ideal students to learn the immediate and long-term effects of tobacco use, and to recognize and resist both peer pressure and media ploys. More importantly, they must also enable students to share their knowledge with society and help others, so that the entire population can effectively combat smoking together by preventing people from puffing their lives away. Works Cited Martin, Terry. "Global Smoking Statistics." Quit Smoking | Quit Smoking Support | Smoking Cessation. The New York Times Company, 28 Jan. 2007. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. http://quitsmoking.about.com/cs/antismoking/a/statistics.htm. "Statistics about Smoking - WrongDiagnosis.com." Wrong Diagnosis. Health Grades Inc., 2010. Web. 31 Oct. 2010. http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/s/smoking/stats.htm.

1831: Year of Eclipse Essay

On February 12, 1831, a full eclipse of the sun darkened America’s skies. Newspapers nationwide heralded its arrival, and commentators congratulated themselves that the â€Å"idle fears and gloomy forebodings†Ã¢â‚¬â€œthe past superstitions attached to such events–had been replaced by â€Å"pleasing admiration† of the wonders of nature and society’s progress in scientific understanding. However, says Masur (Rites of Execution), professor of history at the City University of New York, what unfolded in 1831 belies this chauvinistic claim of America’s advancement. Rather, he builds a case that America’s future faced inevitable upheaval directly linked to the failure of the founders to resolve two fundamental conflicts: the contradiction between a country founded on the â€Å"inalienable rights of man† embracing the cruelty and inhumanity of slavery, and the tension between a federal government intent on preserving the Union and the states’ claims of uncontestable sovereignty. Masur draws upon an exceptionally rich array of voices, quoting generously from figures as divergent as slave rebellion leader Nat Turner, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Andrew Jackson. Masur vividly chronicles the plight of the Cherokee, who despite their willingness to cooperate with the U.S. government, were forced from their homeland and marched west on the infamous Trail of Tears. Tocqueville traveled to the U.S. in 1831, prompting him to write Democracy in America, and as Masur notes, Tocqueville’s prescient observations illuminated not only the intractable problems of slavery and race in America but also the extraordinary uniqueness and energy of America’s citizens. Masur’s accessible and intriguing work, which appeals to a wide and diverse audience interested in American history, raises the year 1831, not necessarily one that stands out in most Americans’ minds, above insignificance. Passing in and out of Favor Although single-year studies fell out of favor amid the social-history boom of the 1970’s and 1980’s, they have a place in history circles. Among Mr. Masur’s favorite histories, and a work that influenced his own, is The Year of Decision: 1846, a study published in 1943 by the historian Bernard DeVoto, who went on to win the Pulitzer and Bancroft Prizes in his field. A huge best seller in its time, the volume is now seldom read or studied even by professional historians. Now and then, other historians have made similar forays, usually concentrating on a year marked by war, bloodshed, or political upheaval, like Kenneth Milton Stampp’s America in 1857: A Nation on the Brink. Lately, though, such experiments seem to be flourishing–and the more obscure the year, the better. Hence titles like American Nervousness, 1903: An Anecdotal History, by Tom Lutz, a study of the physical and psychological illnesses that plagued elite Americans at the turn of the century. Or 1910: The Emancipation of Dissonance, by Thomas Harrison, a look at how and why harmony came to be replaced by dissonance in painting, music, and other art forms. â€Å"We’ve shifted away from causal and exemplary history, back toward epochal history, which constructs microcosms and tells you what the whole universe is like from the standpoint of one year, or in some cases, one grand age,† says Douglas Mitchell, the veteran humanities editor at the University of Chicago Press. Part of the reason is historians’ renewed interest in narratives as a way to create synthesis. A single year is a manageable way to narrow the scope, deal in specifics, yet still work with a beginning, middle, and end. â€Å"An annualized history is a way to bridge the gap between conventional narratives, which tend to be driven by political events, and newer histories, which have no clear linear narrative,† says Alan Brinkley, a professor of history at Columbia University. â€Å"Focusing on a year allows one to combine a narrative of sorts with explorations of many areas of life as developed by newer histories.† Mr. Masur’s book, as well as John E. Wills Jr.’s upcoming 1688: A Global History, are colorfully written and rely on dramatic scene-setting. (1688 even does without footnotes.) Though bound by time, they range widely across place, focusing on what happens when people travel and make contact, and how similar ideas can echo in very different settings. â€Å"Historians have long called for some kind of creative synthesis, but the problem has been how to incorporate the voices of elites and workers, men and women, Indians and slaves, celebrators and detractors, and weave them together in a coherent story,† says Mr. Masur. Instead of talking yet again about whether to use narrative techniques in writing history, scholars will show how it’s done at a â€Å"reading slam† at this month’s American Historical Association conference. There Mr. Masur will read from his new book. Digging Deep into a Single Year If nothing else, digging deep into a single year can lead to nifty juxtapositions. The portentous eclipse that gives Mr. Masur his title turned up in Nat Turner’s confession, New England sermons, and newspaper editorials opposed to the reelection of President Andrew Jackson. In 1688, as the English seaman William Dampier was sending vivid descriptions home about the â€Å"miserablest people in the world†Ã¢â‚¬â€œAustralian aborigines–two Jesuit missionaries joined a thousand Chinese cavalrymen on a sophisticated expedition to survey northern China. For a world historian, looking at a year like 1688 is a way to avoid Eurocentrism while still capturing the flow of people and commodities, contends Mr. Wills, a professor of history at the University of Southern California. â€Å"The making of the modern world is the result of worldwide processes in which the Europeans are not the only active originators,† he says. Of course, Mr. Wills admits in his introduction that many of the people he describes wouldn’t have known the year as 1688 at all, given their varied calendars. Even so, â€Å"signs of the basic shifts that created our own very different world† are there: â€Å"The rise of science; the growth of cities and commerce; government policies to promote economic growth; an immense variety of writing and publishing, some of it for broad urban audiences; some very individual and idiosyncratic acceptances and reinterpretations of the great religions; protests against slavery and the subordination of women.† â€Å"This is all part of one world in a strong, simultaneous sense,† the professor says. Text and Context English professors, too, have been bitten by the one-year bug. While historians try to write with more literary flair, literature scholars have returned to history, doing archival research to put novels and poems in political and cultural context. Yet many scholars believe that move has gone too far; literature simply gets reduced to historical evidence, and the particular qualities of certain literary genres get lost in the shuffle. Studying a single year helps to keep both text and context in focus, says Michael North, a professor of English at the University of California at Los Angeles. â€Å"It’s a way of compromising between the demands of history and the demands of structure,† says Mr. North, the author of Reading 1922: A Return to the Scene of the Modern. â€Å"There is an element of trying to define a zeitgeist,† adds Marshall Brown, a professor of English and comparative literature at the University of Washington, and the editor of Modern Language Quarterly. â€Å"Methodologically it’s a kind of gamble, a provocation to do interdisciplinary work.† Often such writing projects begin as classroom experiments. James Chandler, a professor of English language and literature at the University of Chicago, found that his graduate courses in Romantic poetry tended to be clustered around works published in two years, 1789 and 1819. Yet 1819 stood out for the remarkable poetry produced in a single year. Over time, Mr. Chandler decided to concentrate on that year, teaching the leading poets alongside historical novels and political texts important in their day. The result is England in 1819: The Politics of Literary Culture and the Case of Romantic Historicism, an ambitious volume that Mr. Brown calls the most-cited recent book in the field. 1819 is well known to Romanticists as the year that Shelley and Keats wrote much of their greatest poetry. But that’s not all. Byron began his most important poem, â€Å"Don Juan,† Coleridge delivered a series of philosophical lectures, and Hazlitt published two volumes of essays. Why so much good stuff? According to Mr. Chandler, writers for the first time were self-consciously speaking to and about their historical moment. 1819 was an extremely volatile year, marked by the Peterloo Massacre that nearly toppled the English government, leading to restrictions in freedom of the press and the right to assemble. People training for other work began to put words to paper. â€Å"People of extraordinary talent were drawn to the literary field because so much could happen there,† says Mr. Chandler, whose book takes its title from a pro-radical Shelley sonnet of the same name. The idea that you could sum up the spirit of the age in a single year, instead of, say, by citing the reign of a king or queen, was new to England. â€Å"You didn’t have year-end reviews in the 14th century. You didn’t really have them in the early 18th century,† the professor explains. By building the Romantic canon around poets, scholars have tended to ignore the historical novels that were popular at the time. Mr. Chandler gives them their due, featuring a chapter on Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe and The Bride of Lammermoor. â€Å"You do cultural history in this period and you realize that the entire country was obsessed with Scott,† says Mr. Chandler. For modernism, 1922 was the year to remember. James Joyce published Ulysses that year, and T. S. Eliot The Waste Land. The world of literature was never the same. â€Å"The world broke in two in 1922 or thereabouts,† wrote Willa Cather, who found her own brand of realism falling out of favor in the wake of the self-consciousness of high modernism. Works Cited Masur, Louis P., 1831: Year of Eclipse. Hill & Wang, 2001

Banquet Scene

Context of the scene: A banquet has been set. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth enter as King and Queen of Scotland, followed by their court – amongst the noblemen in attendance are Sir Ross and Sir Lennox. As Macbeth walks among the company, the first murderer appears at the doorway. Macbeth speaks to him for a moment, learning that Banquo is dead, but Fleance has escaped. This scene, commonly known as the Banquet Scene, is quite an important scene in the play because it’s a turning point in Macbeth’s life. Indeed, this is simultaneously the high point of Macbeth’s reign and the beginning of his downfall.In a first part, we’ll explore the duality of Macbeth’s character, and show how full of oppositions this scene is. And in a second part, we’ll see how this slowly becomes the beginning of the end for Macbeth. 1. Duality & Opposition This scene depicts a clear picture of Macbeth’s confusing state of mind. We indeed get a lot of diffe rent reactions from him throughout this scene, reactions that are just as sudden as they are opposite. First of all, the arrival of the courtiers and the murderers almost simultaneously shows clearly the duality of Macbeth as King and criminal.It is as if these two sides of him are present in the same room, personified by the noblemen and the murderer. At first, Macbeth is pleased with the news he just received and the murderer, praising him and telling him he is â€Å"the best,† â€Å"the nonpareil† (without equal); moreover, Macbeth's own supposed invincibility is shown: â€Å"I had else been perfect;/ Whole as the marble, founded as the rock,/ As broad and general, as the casing air†. He is the King and he clearly feels like nothing and nobody can stop him anymore. He feels powerful.But on hearing the unwelcome news that Fleance has escaped his treachery, Macbeth's language abruptly changes: â€Å"But now I am cabin'd, cribbed, confin'd, bound in / To saucy doubts and fears. † (25–26). The alliteration of the hard c sounds reveals Macbeth's sense of constraint, in contrast to the freedom and power which he claims to have enjoyed previously. It plunges him back into insecurity. Then Lady Macbeth intervenes and brings him back to reason and the banquet itself. Returning to his guests, Macbeth goes to sit at the head of the royal table but finds Banquo’s ghost sitting in his chair.Horror-struck, Macbeth starts speaking nonsense to the ghost, which is invisible to the rest of the company: â€Å"Which of you have done this? † The guests, confused by his behavior, think that he is ill: â€Å"What, my Good Lord? / Gentlemen rise, his Highness is not well. † Lady Macbeth makes excuses for her husband, saying that he occasionally has such â€Å"visions†: â€Å"my Lord is often thus/ And hath been from his youth/; she then tell them they should simply ignore Macbeth, because acknowledging his behavior wo uld offend him: ‘The fit is momentary, upon a thought/ He will again be well. She then draws Macbeth aside and attempts to calm him by asserting that the vision is merely a â€Å"painting of [his] fear†Ã¢â‚¬â€just like the â€Å"air-drawn dagger† he saw earlier (60). She once again questions his manhood to try to snap him out of his trance: â€Å"Are you a man? † Ignoring her at first, Macbeth continues to address the ghost and charges him to speak but it disappears. After Lady Macbeth scolds him for being â€Å"unmanned in folly† (73), Macbeth finally recovers, returning to his guests and claiming that he has â€Å"â€Å"a strange infirmity which is nothing / To those that know me† and which they should ignore (85).As with the ethereal dagger, the ghost of Banquo appears to come and go, propelling Macbeth into alternating fits of courage and despair. Lady Macbeth tries to soothe her husband. In contrast to the urgent horror of Macbeth's ad dresses to the gruesome apparitions are moments of comparative calm. Each time the ghost vanishes, Macbeth's relief is recorded in softer, more lyrical expression, for exemple when he says later on in the scene: â€Å"Can such things be / And overcome us like a summer's cloud, / Without our special wonder? † (112–114).So the entire structure of this scene shows a man swinging from one state of mind to another, recalling the structure of the earlier dagger speech. Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, remains constant in her judgment. Unlike Macbeth, she cannot see the ghost, and her tone is typically pragmatic and down-to-earth: â€Å"When all's done, / You look but on a stool. † She appears to want to calm his rages, but anger simmers beneath her conciliatory words. It is unclear whether Banquo’s ghost really sits in Macbeth’s chair or whether the spirit’s presence is only a hallucination inspired by guilt.Macbeth, of course, is thick with super natural events and characters, so there is no reason to discount the possibility that a ghost actually stalks the halls. Some of the apparitions that appear in the play, such as the floating dagger in Act 2, scene 1, and the unwashable blood that Lady Macbeth perceives on her hands in Act 4, appear to be more psychological than supernatural in origin, but even this is uncertain. These recurring apparitions or hallucinations reflect the sense of metaphysical dread that consumes the royal couple as they feel the fateful force of their deeds coming back to haunt them. So, serie of oppositions: in Macbeth’s behavior itself; in characters (Macbeth # Lady Macbeth); and opposition reality/surnatural. 2. The downfall of King Macbeth The news of Fleance’s escape angers Macbeth: if only Fleance had died, he muses, his throne would have been secure. Instead, he’s now waiting for the time Fleance will come back to seek revenge: â€Å"The worm that’s fled / Hath natu re that in time will venom breed† (28–29). Throughout Macbeth, as in many of Shakespeare’s tragedies, the supernatural and the unnatural appear in grotesque form as omens of wickedness, moral corruption, and downfall.Macbeth’s bizarre behavior puzzles and disturbs his subjects, confirming their impression that he is mentally troubled. Despite the tentativeness and guilt she displayed in the previous scene, Lady Macbeth here appears surefooted and stronger than her husband, but even her attempts to explain away her husband’s â€Å"hallucination† are ineffective when paired with the evidence of his behavior. The contrast between this scene and the one in which Duncan’s body was discovered is striking—whereas Macbeth was once cold-blooded and confident, he now allows his anxieties and visions to get the best of him.The rich banquet, a symbol of great orderliness and generosity, now becomes a hellish parody of itself. Instead of Mac beth sitting â€Å"in the midst,† dispensing his largesse as he would wish, his throne has been usurped by the bloody apparition of his former friend. Macbeth's language reflects this change. The ghost, so hideous that it would â€Å"appall the devil,† appears to have risen from a grave or a â€Å"charnel-house. † Three times Macbeth sees the ghost, and three times he appears to recover his senses. This alternating structure adds strongly to the impression of Macbeth's loss of control.The short scene is dominated by the repeated word â€Å"blood† and by the idea that a tide of murder has now been initiated which Macbeth is powerless to stop. As noted previously, it is here that the downward spiral picks up pace. Macbeth, having harvested the benefits of his regicide, is beginning to see the down side of his actions. He is seen publicly as a madman, a fact reinforced by his wife's comments that the fit witnessed has been an illness of long standing. Macbet h also refers to ‘tomorrow' (133), indicating to the audience that there is more reckoning to come.Once he sees the ghost, his image as King is changed, tarnished with questions of madness. Macbeth  begins to question his sanity, he can't believe his eyes, yet he cannot look away from Banquo's ghost. In front of his dinner guests, he acts in an unstable, irrational manner. At this point, King Macbeth has lost some of the respect and admiration of his court. His subjects do not look at him the same way after this scene. Macbeth begins the slow descent into madness after this scene, losing his ability to control the future, something that he has killed to achieve.