“With Liberty and Justice for All”

An opinion of the social inequality that exists as it pertains to Gay Marriage Aimee L. Vroman Strayer University Online Introduction to Sociology SOC 100-015016 Professor Paul Humenik August 22, 2010 Abstract In recent years, the debate over same-sex marriage has grown from an issue that occasionally arose in a few states to a nationwide controversy. Indeed, in the last five years, the debate over gay marriage has been heard in the halls of the U. S.Congress, at the White House, in dozens of state legislatures and courtrooms, and in the rhetoric of election campaigns at both the national and state levels. Moreover, the battle over whether gays and lesbians should be allowed to wed shows no signs of abating. In the last year alone, three states have banned same-sex marriage and four states have legalized the practice. The time for debate is now over. The issue of gay marriage is not one of religious degradation, social erosion, or even ethical breakdown. It is an issue of inalienable rights guaranteed to all citizens of this country.The fact that our federal government does not recognize gay marriages is an atrocity and shameful at best. â€Å"The foundation to gay rights will ultimately be seen as the right to marry, because with that right firmly established in law, most other forms of discrimination could not be justified. † (Bidstrup, Why Gays Should Be Allowed To Marry, 1996) When we as a society look outwards, we see everything that we can do to help other societies attain our level of justice, personal and financial success, freedoms, and everything else that comes with our knowledge and perseverance.However, if we as a society were to look inward at ourselves (something that I am confident that only a small percentage of our society is willing to do) and at our society as a whole, would we see it in a different light? Would we see that even after fifty years of civil rights and equal opportunity that we still oppress and treat some groups of our society as second class citizens? Our country’s Bill of Rights has been modified by Constitutional Amendments to say the each and every American citizen has certain inalienable rights.The right to be married is one that we Americans hold near and dear to our hearts. Why then, is this particular right denied to the gay community? One of the biggest and loudest arguments against gay marriage in this country is that it is against God and that it is against what it says in the Bible (The Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve argument). Yes, this country was founded on Christian principles and laws that were perceived to be fair to all of its citizenry. However, this is not the seventeen hundreds nor is it the time of the Inquisition.This is the so called Modern Era, in which not only technology and finance are supposed to be upgraded and ever changing for the better but also societal acceptance of people that are different from what we perceive as mainstream and the societal norm. How can there be societal justice for the gay community when we as a society, who proclaim ourselves to be enlightened and forward thinking, deny even this most basic of rights to the gay community? The answer is simple; there can be no societal justice for the gay community in this aspect.What if we were to turn the tables on society and tell everyone that is not a part of the gay community that their marriages, civil unions, and other forms of partnership were invalid and no longer existed in the eyes of the government? There would be a societal upheaval. Anarchy would ensue and the government would be dismantled by the people. Later, when the people had decided that there had been enough chaos, reformed by the people and for the people. The only reason this has not happened with the gay community is because they are the minority in this case.For centuries of our country’s history, we have been guilty of oppressing and even enslaving the minorities within our society, to say n othing of denying them the inalienable rights called for in our own Constitution. Over time, those minorities that have fought and fought hard for these rights have eventually been afforded these rights by Constitutional Amendments. Yet still, here we sit in the twenty-first century, and we still cannot see past our own biases and our deep rooted fears of anything that is different or contrary to us.At the end of the day, our opposition to gay marriage stems ultimately from a deep-seeded homophobia in our culture and society, borne almost entirely out of religious prejudice. While many of us do not realize that homophobia exists to the extent that it does, it is a very real part of every gay person's life, just like racism is a very real part of every African American’s life. It is there, it is pervasive, and it has far more serious consequences for our society than most of us realize, not just for gay people, but for society in general.This religious prejudice comes from sev eral well known entities. Those entities include, but are not limited to, the Catholic Church, the Mormon Church, the American Family Association, and Focus on the Family, and the most conservative of Protestant sects. Together with their various political subsidiary groups, a whole host of smaller right-wing political and religious organizations, and a few out-right hate groups, they are shaping national and local policy towards the gay community.They spend millions of dollars twisting and deforming referendums, propositions, and other local instruments of law solely for the purpose of fear mongering to scare the populace into line at the polls. It is these kinds of tactics being employed that are outdated and flat out wrong in the moral and ethical sense. They say that money corrupts; well the proof is in the proverbial pudding. The fear mongering turns into unparalleled hate and it is fueled by these so called â€Å"Christian† organizations. This is contrary to the Christi an way of life and contrary to the convictions of a Christian.Hatred by itself, dressed up as religious dogma has been used for so long that it is beginning to lose its effectiveness (eventually people begin to figure out that it is mostly a tactic for filling pews, collection plates and campaign coffers more than it is a way of reforming lost souls and improving society), so the more clever of these organizations have begun to move onto a slick propaganda effort based on that long-time favorite winner, fear (Bidstrup, Gay Marriage: The Arguments and Motives, 2009). The time for rhetoric and Bible thumping is over. Our country had its time of religious revolution.It is now time for every person, regardless of gender, race, religious belief, or sexual orientation, to be given the rights that our laws and traditions provide. This idea has been the cornerstone of our society and our nation for hundreds of years. â€Å"We cannot accept the view that Amendment 2's prohibition on specifi c legal protections does no more than deprive homosexuals of special rights. To the contrary, the amendment imposes a special disability on those persons alone. Homosexuals are forbidden the safeguards that others enjoy or may seek without constraint. (Kennedy, Stevens, O'Connor, Souter, Ginsburg, & Breyer, 1996) In the Supreme Court opinion that this quote is taken from, it says very plainly that a state (Colorado in this case) cannot prevent any group of persons from taking part in any public or private transaction. Though this case was hotly debated over the next fifteen years, Colorado in 2007 passed a law prohibiting any discrimination against homosexuals. Now if one state can do this and then another and then another, why is it so hard for our federally elected officials to do the same thing?The only answer that I can give is the activists, hate groups, and church lobbyists that throw millions of dollars into the coffers of our Senators and Congressman. This dirty money en sures that once again they will get elected and that once again they will vote to keep the gay community as second class citizens. This state of affairs is unacceptable. The time for change is now. Freedom is the right of every American regardless of gender, race, religious affiliation, and sexual orientation. It is high time that we, as a society, stand up and say in one unified voice, â€Å"This is wrong and we are not going to stand for it any longer!Works CitedBidstrup, S. (2009, June 3). Gay Marriage: The Arguments and Motives. Retrieved August 19, 2010, from Bidstrup. com: http://www. bidstrup. com/marriage. htm Bidstrup, S. (1996, December 4).Why Gays Should Be Allowed To Marry. Retrieved August 18, 2010, from Bidtrsup. com: http://www. bidstrup. com/hawaii. htm Kennedy, A. M. , Stevens, J. P. , O'Connor, S. D. , Souter, D. H. , Ginsburg, R. B. , & Breyer, S. G. (1996, October 20).Supreme Court Bound Volume 517. Retrieved August 18, 2010, from United States Supreme Court : http://www. supremecourt. gov/opinions/boundvolumes/517bv. pdf

Leadership and multiple ways of looking at the world

Human nature is not an easy term to define, but every day’s activities of an individual revolve around the human nature of that person. The nature of a person may dictate such things as, how to handle various situations, how does one relate with others etc. Therefore human nature is both a product of physical environment of an individual and the biological aspects that a person might have inherited from the ancestors. A good person There are varied viewpoints on how one should be a good person. This is affected by the moral obligation of a person on how they perceive a good person to be and how they can achieve that. The society has got some moral standards that have been set which happens to be static and rigid (Schein, 1992). But with the gestalt that guides a good person, they happen to be flexible and dynamic. A good person will first envision a certain behavior, perform it and compare its outcome with what is the standard of the good. The outcome of the comparison will make the person consider whether taking the behavior or not. The choice is then made according to what fits the goodness described. Therefore, the judgment of a good person depends on how the individual takes that judgment. Moral behavior is an important concept of identity of a good person. Apart from moral uprightness, good character also is part of a good person. Within good characters, will obviously lay good moral behavior. To increase some good personalities in the organization, it is good to give rewards to those considered to be of good quality character. Many of the things that might come in mind when a person is asked about qualities of a good person are those who are kind, helpful, caring, understanding and patient. In most cases a just person will really try as much as possible to do to others what he/she might also want it done to them. This implies that rewards and punishment should be given where it is due supposed to be. Therefore people in a group who will show kindness and understanding to others deserve reward. These are people who in most cases will also be helpful to others and show patience whenever they feel that something is not going as much as they like. With rewarding this, it will increase the development of good characters as the physical environment rather than only depending on the inherited traits can also influence human nature. According to Schein (1992), rewards acts as an incentives of making people to learn. Therefore, people who show kindness to others and obey law also deserve reward. In many organization people have been subjected to reprisal actions because of being whistleblowers.   In any organization, if the management does not follow the laid down procedures and ethical behaviors there are high chances of employees with good characters to disclose such wrong doings. Many managers have developed the art of bureaucracy and autocracy in the organization that they don’t give room for the employees to give their views. But many people do not want to talk about their organizational problems in public due to the fact that they feel that it is dirty politicizing their organization (Morgan, 2004). There can be cases such as embezzlement of funds, mistreating of employees and favoritism in the organization. Such behaviors, especially fund embezzlement requires employees with a strong character who believes in upright morality to disclose the information or else, it may remain a silent matter and thus at the end hurt the organization. High & Low context Culture in the organization. High context culture refers to a situation where by a group of people in the society have had a close relationship spanning for a long period of time. In this culture, there is high emphasis on interpersonal relationships. With this kind of culture in place people develop a high sense of trust among themselves, putting personal interest aside and concentrating on the general interest of the group or society. The events in this culture can only can ony be understood in context, (Schein, 1992). On the other hand low context culture represents a society of people with so many connections but only spanning for a short period of time. In this culture, logic, factors and directness are highly valued. Therefore problems in the organization have to be lined up and then solve one after the other. Decisions concerning problems have to be based on the factors rather than intuition. There are various differences between the high and low context culture. In the high context culture, the group members have a long-term relationship with strong boundaries. They consider the relationship to be more important than the tasks performed. Contrary in the low context culture, it is characterized by shorter relationships with no strong boundaries, putting the tasks ahead of the relationship. According to Schein, group leaders sets the boundaries while the group members are the one to test the effectiveness of the boundaries. Another different between the two is the barrier to enter. High context’s strong boundaries create a big problem for any outsider to enter the relationship as compared to the low relationship, which allows for outsiders to enter easily. This is because the low context culture has a unidirectional culture as compared to the mutual casualty of high context. My workplace is an example of a low context culture. This is because of the following, it is not difficult to enter the organization as long as one has the required qualification and there is a vacancy, then equal chances of employment are given to all; the individuals output is highly considered than his/her relationship with the organization; there are objectives that the organization has to achieve, one after the other starting from the immediate objectives to long term; any decision made or arrived at has to be based on facts of the business environment. Social construction Reality. When people come together and interact for a certain period, they form a culture that arises because of the mode they decide to behave or influences certain behavior. In such cases, the behavior might lead to certain conventional rules of behavior differentiating this group from the other groups in the society. According to Morgan (2004), â€Å"when we talk of culture, we are usually referring to the pattern of development reflected in a society’s system of knowledge, ideology, values, laws, and day-to-day ritual†, (pp 116). In constructing the social realities, there are factors about certain behaviors that have been put in place, these have consists of objective factors. The constructing of social realities depends on both the physical and social realities. In physical reality, it represents a certain organization, for instance a workplace, school, or churches, while the social reality will consist of the inhabitants of the physical reality. The rules that are formed and followed by human being in the physical reality ends up affecting the whole original physical reality. For instance, when an organization puts down certain values embedded in the organization’s motto, it is not that it is the physical organization that brought about the motto, but rather that the humans just came up with the belief and have made it a universal belief. All those who will be coming after the original thinkers and proponents of the motto will also have to follow same suit and behave in the same manner. This kind of values of the organization governs its members. In continued development of the values, it forms the basis of the organizational culture. There is no any correct culture, as many organizations happen to compete each other.   Therefore, the correct culture is only that which helps the organization to achieve its goals and objectives (Schein, 1992). When an organization finds certain means of doing its duties to achieve the objectives it becomes now a habit for all of that community to follow same suit. This implies that it will be a habitualization of the organization to be performing those activities in that manner in future. The problem with habitualization in the organization is that it narrows down the other means of doing the same job in a different way that may be beneficial to the organization. Reference: Morgan. G (2004): Images of the Organization, Sage Publication Inc, ISBN 1412939798 Schein E. H (1992): Organizational Culture and, Leadership, Jossey-Bass, ISBN 1555424872.

Chapter1 Inventory System of G-Erb Construction Supply

Chapter 1 1. Introduction In just half a century man’s way of life has drastically changed from black and white to vivid colors, for simplicity to complexity, and from laborious tasks to an easy click of the mouse. All these were brought about by the advent of modern technology, specifically with the invention and advancement of computers. High technology such as computers and other mediums is now in demand. Man is concerned on how to consume time wisely. They learned to explore and discover something new and tried to solve questions that pump up in their mind. Most of the establishments and institutions are using computer programs for business transactions. It helps employees to work efficiently in more comfortable way. New application is being developed to solve society’s problem. In this connection, computerized inventory is needed for G-ERB Construction Supply. Manual operation of inventory would cost a lot of effort and time; however, through a computerized inventory system everything would be better. This research is trying to establish a computerized inventory system. 1. Background of the Study Companies use information as a weapon in the battle to increase productivity, delivery quality products and services, maintain customer loyalty, and make sound decisions. In a global economy with intense competition, information technology can mean the difference between success and failure. Information technology has revolutionized the phase of business around the world. It helped business in advertising and in customer services. Accessibility of files also has become an easy task with series of password keys and shared folders. Cash transactions are asily made. Many companies are using inventory systems for their success and growth. Inventory systems have a variety of functions purposes in business such as promoting the sales functions of inventory. Promoting the sale function deals with availability of sufficient products for the customer whereas shrinkage control function deals with monitoring the occurrence of damage less or theft, etc of the products. The G-ERB Construction Sup ply was established by Engineer Gregorio Valdez and managed by his wife Michelle O. Valdez. His main branch is located at Cuartero Highway, Jaro Iloilo City. The business started in December 2000 with 10 employees at main branch and 15 at the other branch making his business more successful. As we all know, technology is obviously of help by saving money, time and effort. The purpose of this study is to create a computerized inventory system for G-ERB Construction Supply. The research will develop a software application which could be able to meet the needs of the company when it comes to their inventory management. 2. Statement of the Problem . 2. 1 General Problem After thorough gathering of data through investigation, the group was able to determine the inventory system for G-ERB Construction Supply which needs to developed a better inventory management and eliminate or reduce risks of errors and fraud. This study will seek to answer what enhancement and design the construction supply can adopt for a more effective and efficient inventory system. 1. 2. 2 Specific Problem According to the information gathered, it has obviously identified the specific problems: a. Inaccurate inventory report This affects the stock control and recording and the reliability of records and supply management system. Also, error in recording and computation was encountered by the manager. b. Unsecured stocks information Manual inventory slip has and often been lost because it was only written in a piece of paper. It might be an unauthorized person can intrude and freely changed any possible information anytime they want. c. Unorganized stocks information Due to unorganized stocks information, the manager cannot keep up to date records of the stocks that may lead to over buying of unneeded stocks. . Objectives of the Study The study aims to give a solution to the existing problem in the current inventory system of G-ERB Construction Supply. 1. 3. 1 General Objectives of the Study After identifying the problems of G-ERB Construction Supply, our group was able to establish the objectives. The main goal of the study is to evaluate the current manual inventory system of G-ERB Construction Supply a nd come up with computerized inventory system for a better inventory management. 1. 3. 2 Specific Objectives of the Study a. Accurate inventory report Specifically, the aim of the study is to acquire a systematic flow of item inventory that will lead to accurate recording and reliability of records and supply management. It also aims to provide an easy and reliable access and storage of data for the present and future purposes. b. Secured stock information To create and implement a program that could store and manage a wide variety and amount of products that can be easily retrieved. To provide better security for the records that only authorized personnel could have access to it by creating a secured password and also to eliminate data redundancy. . Organized stock information To develop a monitoring inventory which could process inventory items that are not time consuming, in order for the owner to retrieve data more efficiently compared to their manual inventory. 4. Significance of the Study The main focus of the study is to create system software that will develop, enhance and improve the current inventory system of G-ERB Const ruction Supply. Give an organized and systematic flow in order to lessen time, effort, expenses through the use of computerized inventory system. Establishment. Adoption of the system enables the G-ERB Construction Supply to be more competitive and earn advantages than other businesses with the help of high technologies today. It also keep an accurate count of stocks. Management. Inventory system is an application used in monitoring and tracking sales on the store shelves. It reduces the storage of the product, and most importantly the competitive edge of having an efficient management of supply that reduces time and correct report of inventory levels, hereby, cause reduction in error. Overall, it helps to minimized the storage, labour and handling cost. It is easy to manage and record all the incoming and outgoing supplies and can generate report retrieve data faster, so that they can avoid losing and misplacing data. Personnel. The system helps the personnel to do the job easier without pressure and hassle in doing it â€Å"on the spot†, and the system helps to do their job better without much time and effort, lessening their stres s. Students. The students may gain valuable knowledge rom the study since they may be future managers and programmers of different companies. This may enhance the students capabilities and potentials in applying different principles and theories they learned inside the classroom. Researchers. The researchers may gain knowledge for future studies. Through the proposed system, they would be able to improve the system for a better use. 1. 5 Scope and Limitation This study was conducted to determine and monitor records for the stock on hand and supply that are being sold and also, to keep the records updated and accurate. This study was conducted at G-ERB Construction Supply last November 26, 2011 together with the manager Ms. Michelle O. Valdez and the members of the research team. It focuses only on the stocks inventory and keeping the records updated and accurate in order for the owner to be well informed about the situation of her business. This study was only limited because it does not cover the whole operations of their accounting and billing department. It does not include ordering and saving customer’s records. It is more focus on updating the records of stocks or the inventory of stocks. This system will not function without electricity.

Aims of education Essay

Culture is activity of thought, and receptiveness to beauty and humane feeling. Scraps of information have nothing to do with it. A merely well-informed man is the most useless bore on God’s earth. What we should aim at producing is men who possess both culture and expert knowledge in some special direction. Their expert knowledge will give them the ground to start from, and their culture will lead them as deep as philosophy and as high as art. We have to remember that the valuable intellectual development is self- development, and that it mostly takes place between the ages of sixteen and thirty. As to training, the most important part is given by mothers before the age of twelve. A saying due to Archbishop Temple illustrates my meaning. Surprise was expressed at the success in after-life of a man, who as a boy at Rugby had been somewhat undistinguished. He answered, â€Å"It is not what they are at eighteen, it is what they become afterwards that matters. † In training a child to activity of thought, above all things we must beware of what I will call â€Å"inert ideas†-that is to say, ideas that are merely received into the mind without being utilised, or tested, or thrown into fresh combinations. In the history of education, the most striking phenomenon is that schools of learning, which at one epoch are alive with a ferment of genius, in a succeeding generation exhibit merely pedantry and routine. The reason is, that they are overladen with inert ideas. Education with inert ideas is not only useless: it is, above all things, harmful – Corruptio optimi, pessima. Except at rare intervals of intellectual ferment, education in the past has been radically infected with inert ideas. That is the reason why uneducated clever women, who have seen much of the world, are in middle life so much the most cultured part of the community. They have been saved from this horrible burden of inert ideas. Every intellectual revolution which has ever stirred humanity into greatness has been a passionate protest against inert ideas. Then, alas, with pathetic ignorance of human psychology, it has proceeded by some educational scheme to bind humanity afresh with inert ideas of its own fashioning. Let us now ask how in our system of education we are to guard against this mental dryrot. We enunciate two educational commandments, â€Å"Do not teach too many subjects,† and again, â€Å"What you teach, teach thoroughly. † The result of teaching small parts of a large number of subjects is the passive reception of disconnected ideas, not illumined with any spark of vitality. Let the main ideas which are introduced into a child’s education be few and important, and let them be thrown into every combination possible. The child should make them his own, and should understand their application here and now in the circumstances of his actual life. From the very beginning of his education, the child should experience the joy of discovery. The discovery which he has to make, is that general ideas give an understanding of that stream of events which pours through his life, which is his life. By understanding I mean more than a mere logical analysis, though that is included. I mean â€Å"understanding† in the sense in which it is used in the French.

Describe the differences between the R list and vector Essay

Describe the differences between the R list and vector - Essay Example Visualising data as graphs ,maps and boxplots is another important requirement . R comes with strong graphical and mapping facilities. â€Å"R is an integrated suite of software facilities for data manipulation. R is very much a vehicle for newly developing methods of interactive data analysis. Many consider R as a statistical system. It is an environment in which most of classical and modern statistical techniques have been implemented†.(Venables et al 2009) . â€Å"Every thing is an object in R. All Objects are built of a basic set of built-in objects. The type of an object define how it is stored in R. Objects in R also are members of a class. .Classes define what information objects contain and how these objects may be used â€Å".(Adler Joseph 2009) All kinds of vectors can be created using the c(†¦.) function where c stands for combine or concatenate . Numeric vectors containing a sequence of values can be created using the sequence function seq( ) or using the operator :. Vectors can also be created by repetition of elements using rep( ) function(Alder Joseph 2009) Vectors can be used in arithmetic expressions ,in which case the operations are performed element by element. The elementary arithmetic operators are +,-,*,/ and ^ (Venable etal 2010).Vectors need not be of the same length A lot of built in mathematical functions are available in R which can take a vector as an argument and return another vector as a result .Such functions are called vectorised functions .Such functions make calculating and plotting mathematical functions easy. Lists are created using the list function .Objects in the list can also be named . Components in the list can accessed by the double subscript `i` where i is the position in the list. If the objects in the list are named ,the components can be accessed using

Fashion Blogging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fashion Blogging - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in this highly competitive globalized world fashion has become an integral part of our lives. Fashion is no more a personal choice for one’s own happiness but knowledge of fashion to some extent has become a requirement in workplaces, universities, social gatherings etc. This increased following and interest in fashion has led to newer ways of searching latest knowledge about ever changing fashion. This has led to the emergence of the phenomenon of fashion blogging. A vague and somewhat loose definition of blogging is the practice of posting information on the website. It is a medium where a strong view point, a differing view or just an attempt to â€Å"be yourself† is employed to engage the audience. Personal blogs are the most common where personal affairs of a person are discussed that are of interest to their friends. However the popular type of blog is the topical blog. In topical blogs a topic of interest is discus sed and hence it has wider audience. Fashion blog is a kind of topical blog. Fashion blog provides the platform for the creation of an ideal self with one’s online identity. Fashion blog provides the intersection of this self created ideal self and the off line consumer. There are different types of communities of practice created from â€Å"top down† i.e. by the fashion industry itself and the â€Å"bottom up† i.e. by the women who are interested in fashion.... Another type of fashion blog is like a fashion magazine that gives a glimpse of the season’s offering at the comfort of your home. While some focuses on finding our own style instead of spending a lot of money trying to keep pace with the ever changing fashion. An example of it is Bargain Queen. Another type of blogs only focuses on some of the fashion items such as shoes, hand bags and other fashion accessories. Generally speaking a shopping blog shows realistically priced things affordable by many as well as some aspirational items which are admired by many but affordable by very few (Leung, 2008). The Rise of Fashion Blogs The role and importance of fashion blogging has increased so much that fashion bloggers are now an integral part of the elitist and the most exclusive of fashion functions which were previously reserved for fashion schools and fashion magazines. Fashion blogs has such profound influence over the people that the British fashion blogger Susanna Lau has beco me a minor celebrity of UK fashion with her blog Style Bubble. Her blog attracts more than 10,000 visitors per day. Same is true for the popularity of other fashion blogs such as BryanBoy, Fashiontoast, SomethingNavy, and TheBlondeSalad. The popularity of these fashion blogs has turned them into an effective marketing tool. This increased importance not only enhanced the number of bloggers on the web but also their role. Now the bloggers are not just satisfied with being invited at fashion parties but they have a professional role to play. Some of the bloggers are now becoming a part of the branded network that is conducted by web Media Company. However their role is different from online magazines because they are

Compare and Contrast the metatheoretical assumptions that underly Essay

Compare and Contrast the metatheoretical assumptions that underly Idealism and Realism - Essay Example Idealism concerns itself with ideas and places its existence over the nature of the material world, that is, the material world must adhere to the ideas that are presented, whatever they may be. Idealism may be Subjective or Objective, depending on how the idealists view the existence of the sensing world. Idealism is said to be subjective when the external world is believed to be non-existent and that the world beyond sensation cannot be understood. However, it is said to be objective when the external world is the expression of the ideal forces, which may be expressed as the Will of God or the Absolute Idea, that the Mind has direct access with. Because of this latter belief, several methodologies were developed to aid this search for the Absolute Idea. One of the idealistic methods involves elemental analysis - concepts are divided into simple elements which are then subjected to simple and self-evident axioms similar to mathematical principles. In this method, complexity of the s ocial structure is reduced in its elemental form. Another method, considered as the most popular one is the a priori method - an object is understood in terms of logically deducing a general conception of its nature. In this method, premise development is critical in ensuring that the deduction is in its most accurate form. On the other hand, realism claims that ideas must adhere to what is experienced in this world, and hence, upon the materials present in this world (MIA: Encyclopedia of Marxism). In this respect, the debate between idealism and realism is whether what comes first - ideas or materials - and what is more important to pursue. Both philosophical approaches have distinct impact in the operation of the world since their conception. Idealism is able to influence its mode of thinking in politics, philosophy and religion (Hutchison). In politics, Conservative and Liberal idealism takes the center stage. Because the nature of politics is concrete in terms of its actions, these political streams are commonly objective. Nevertheless, they have significant differences in how they act politically. First, the conservatives aim to restore a Golden Age from the past, whereas the liberalists seek to make progress through Utopia (Hutchison). Although the end goal is that of an ideal world, the way in which they view how and especially when to reach these goals is basically different. The conservatives were also more successful in their program. The Christian Republics in Geneva, early Massachusetts and Holland were flourished more than the experimental liberal Utopian communities in terms of economics and culture (Hutchi son). The impact of idealism in philosophy is seen from the development of German mode of thinking such as Existentialism, Postmodern Deconstructionism and the concept of the New Age (Hutchison). In religion, idealism was able to influence Greek Orthodox, Protestant and Catholic spirituality in terms of their divine missions. The Greek Orthodox monks, for instance, longs for the restoration of Eden; the Protestant church idealized the state of the early church characterized by simple small sects richly blessed by God; and the Catholics from the words of Pope Gregory VII who calls himself the "vicegerent of Christ" prophesize the restoration of Kingdom of Christ in the millennium or after it (Hutchison).

Argument paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Argument paper - Essay Example I know I am educated and that my understanding of material presented in the course work is good, my ability to write about it well is not. However, I am at a unique disadvantage because the majority of the students in the class have been speaking, reading, and writing in English since they first began going to school. College is about learning and I have learned a lot in this course; more than many I would suspect. There are, clearly, people in this class who have attended less lectures turned in less assignments and have overall shown far less interest or participation, but in class may have a higher grade than I do because they were able to write a properly structured English sentence better than I can. I do not mean to say that this is an excuse, but shouldn’t it be a consideration. According to current research this situation is not uncommon in the United States today. Many students who are ESL learners feel that they are not receiving the grades that they feel they deserve (Solomon 5). In many ways, I have to work a little harder and a little longer than the other students; but I keep trying my hardest to do better the next time. This has been a problem since I began attended English speaking schools. I take many classes with a heavy work load. I do not quit. I do not give up. I put in twice as much effort and never stop trying to improve my writing skills. I think that a grade of â€Å"B† fits the effort, energy, and commitment I have shown in this course. My written work may not be the best, but my work ethic and desire to understand the course is deserving of far more than a grade of â€Å"D.† Solomon, Erin D.. "Issues Surrounding English as a Second Language Students and Exams." Saint Louis University. Saint Louis University. Web. 11 Dec 2013.

Research Paper Questionaire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research Paper Questionaire - Essay Example For example, Jacob, the man chosen by God to be the patriarch of the twelve tribes of Israel, is also a weak, flawed human being who stole his brother Esau’s birthright and his blessing from Isaac. David was a great king who was a recipient of God’s blessings, yet he lusted after Bathsheba, the wife of one of his noble soldiers, sending the man to his death to possess Bathsheba. Chagall’s paintings are essentially reflections on such human themes inherent in the Old Testament, the moments of human triumph and sorrow as reflected in this book. His paintings are significant in their focus upon human interaction with God, and man’s constant struggle to attain to the greatness that God tries to provide him. The significance of this study is its presentation of an age old conflict between man’s weakness and his quest to attain God. 3. This theme of the constant struggle of man to overcome his own weaknesses and strive to attain the greatness that God can provide, is a recurrent theme in man’s life even in the present day. God constantly reaches out to man and his chosen agents of greatness are not without flaws themselves. 4. One of Chagall’s Bible etchings is titled â€Å"David and Absalom†, is drawn from the Book of Samuel (2 Samuel 14:33). This etching represents David receiving his son Absalom back from his exile in Gerar for the murder of his half brother Amnon. This etching demonstrates David’s deep love for his son: â€Å"and the king kissed Absalom† - yet this son later tries to turn Israel against his father. David’s weakness and sin in killing Uriah and taking his wife Bathsheba as his own produces ramifications in David’s life, which reflect how the greatness that God tries to instill in David is hindered by the man’s weakness in lusting after Bathsheba. Yet, despite this son, God blesses David and Bathsheba’s son Solomon and makes him the wisest king of all. 5. This complex ongoing

It is often said that the state of Israel is the amongst the Essay

It is often said that the state of Israel is the amongst the - Essay Example Israel has committed numerous violations of international law, or the international humanitarian law. These violations were properly documented and no matter what justifications of the Israeli government were for such violations, the fact remains that the law has been violated. One of these was the illegal occupation of land acquired by force, which was a violation of Principle 1 of the Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations as well as Articles 2 and 5 of the U. N. Charter (List of International Law Violations, 2012). This happened when Israel acquired East Jerusalem and Golan Heights as well as Palestinian lands. Any military occupation that ensues from a war is only possible and legal if it is done for defense. Besides, such military occupation is clearly a defiance of the U. N. Partition Plan that already allocated lands to Israel. Another violation of the international humanitarian law by Israel was to force native Palestinian populations out of the occupie d land. Moreover, those that remained were clearly discriminated and were forbidden to own lands, rent lands or even get jobs. In fact, this particular violation of international humanitarian law was also a violation of articles 45, 46 and 49 of the fourth Geneva Convention, and of the U. N. ... rights violations committed by Israel included cruel acts against Palestinians such as numerous instances of torture, harassment at checkpoints, land confiscation, disruption of medical care, destruction of public and private property, family separation and many others (List of International Law Violations, 2012). Restriction of the entry of goods into Israeli-occupied Gaza was also another violation of international law (Complete Coverage of Israel/Gaza, 2012). The killing of the Hamas Commander in November 2012 in a place where two children were killed was also a violation of international law (A grave violation of international law, 2012). Such cruel acts and violations of international humanitarian laws were not only hearsays but were confirmed by international organizations which are politically and legally neutral such as the Human Rights Watch and the International Court of Justice. These international organizations naturally do not take sides and thus remain objective, which means that they do not take the side of either the Palestinians or Israel. From the aforementioned evidence there was clearly no sign that such accusations were coming from a moral or political standpoint. Besides, Israel, no matter what its motives were, clearly committed violations of the international humanitarian laws. Another group of violations of Israel includes those against the laws of war and those against the fourth Geneva Convention. Some of these violations included illegl Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands, which violated Article 49 of the fourth Geneva Convention. The provision of the fourth Geneva Convention states that it would be illegal for any country to colonize occupied land or transfer their own people to that land. However, despite the law, Israel built more

Explain the Balance-of-Payments BoP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Explain the Balance-of-Payments BoP - Essay Example This definition provides the fundamental relationship between BoP and the foreign exchange market. Foreign exchange is considered as a transaction made by citizens, organizations and businesses within a country with foreigners, hence, it is included in the national summary to keep track and calculate transactions with other countries. Specifically, the foreign exchange market creates a demand for foreign currency in addition to a supply of the domestic currency in the forex market. Gwartney et al. explains that since the foreign exchange market will bring quantity demanded and quantity supplied into balance, it will also bring the total debits and total credits into balance† (420). Foreign exchange is different from a simple demand for money. When country demands money it means people of such country require or demand money they would be able to hold and use. In foreign exchange, the currency is treated like a product being transacted, wherein the demand for such currency means that one is offering another within a form of exchange. In an open economy, particularly, the balance of payments surpluses and deficits are considered equivalent to imports and exports of domestic currency, which means the internal disparities that arise between the demand for and supply of money are correctable through the balance of payments (Riesenhuber 285). This is best depicted within the fixed exchange rate regime. In a fixed exchange rate regime, a country’s Central Bank has control over the exchange rate. This is achieved through the readiness of the bank to purchase or sell its home currency at a specific rate when required. Marin used the case of the United Kingdom as an example: There is a UK balance of payments surplus so that there is an excess demand for ?, the Bank of England has to sell ? in order to mop up the excess demand which (like any other demand) would otherwise cause a rise in the foreign exchange price of the ?, i.e. an appreciation (Marin 149). I n the fixed foreign exchange rate, the government involvement or actions can induce changes and affect certain variables such as those that make up the balance of payments (i.e. the balance of goods movements). Most of the foreign exchange markets and regulatory regimes use this model because of the recognized need for the government’s role in stabilizing fluctuations. The fixed-rate regime is also being made imperative by explicit balance of payment policies, which favor managed flexibility especially on the need to insulate the domestic economy from foreign disturbances (Arize 177). In Free Floating Exchange Rate Regimes, the Central Bank or similar authority is not involved in the foreign exchange market. It is determined freely by the demand for, and the supply of, foreign currencies by private parties (Arize 177). The transactions that transpire are reflected in the balance of payments of a country as is, without any correction made. 2. Explain the so-called â€Å"inter est-parity† condition and use this to discuss the effects of a country’s monetary expansion on its interest rate, exchange rate, and output (hence employment) when this policy is:

Proposed Sources, Strategy, and Method for Project Essay

Proposed Sources, Strategy, and Method for Project - Essay Example The paper will discuss the rationale behind the choices of recruitment and sampling methods. It will also describe permissions required for use of the data collected and determine a suitable sample size. The paper will also discuss the various strengths and weaknesses of the tentative recruitment strategy and sampling method. In formulating a research proposal, a researcher has to define the kind of data to be collected so as to give accurate results. The researcher needs to employ a data sampling method. Once the type of data required has been defined, data sources must be identified. These data sources may include research participants who need to be recruited for the research. The research requires a suitable recruitment strategy to get the suitable research participants. As suggested by Adler and Clark (2010), data that pertains to the financial performance of corporate companies would be sourced through financial statements of listed companies. They would also be sourced from other financial publications like minutes to General Meetings, magazines and newspaper articles as well as stocks listings. Meta-analysis of past quantitative research with a sample size of 1000 observations will be another data source. Surveys, interviews and portfolios of the companies will also serve as data sources. A survey will be conducted, with questionnaires sent to participants via mail and follow-up calls made to encourage response. Following examples by Teddlie and Tashakkori (2009), the research’s sampling frame will include corporate managers in the public relations, marketing, accounting and finance departments. They would represent companies listed on the stock exchange as these companies’ financial records are accessible to the public. A survey questionnaire would be sent to the specific manager by mail. A cover letter would be included that explains the need for the research and what the respondent is

Interview of Michaelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci Essay

Interview of Michaelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci - Essay Example The following interview functions as an effort of gaining a greater perspective on these thoughts and perspectives. Leonardo: After my birth my father took primary custody over me. Still, I remained in contact with my mother. Both of my parents continued to have children after they separated and I ended up with the unique situation of having a total of 17 half sisters and brothers. During my youth growing up with my father I think greatly contributed to my later development. He always had scholarly texts around that I was able to read. You’ll remember that during this period the Internet wasn’t readily available so having access to this information was quite a privilege. Additionally, there were many members of my family that were painters, so I sort of fell into painting from that point (‘MOS’). Michelangelo: After I was born my mother became sick. I was immediately given to a wet nurse from a family of stonecutters. I know it sounds crazy, but I always felt that early influence contributed to my later intellectual disposition. Unfortunately my mother would die when I was very young. Indeed, I sort of had a depressing childhood and became very introspective, focusing on art. I soon developed a skill in this avenue and my father sent me to Francesco Galeota from Urbino, a masterful instructor (‘Michelangelo’). Leonardo: Well, I was always very confident about my work, but I guess the first time I received really great social recognition for my work was with even with one of my own paintings, but my instructor Andrea del Verrochio. Instructor Verrochio allowed me to paint an angel in his work Baptism of Christ. This work would later come to be recognized as a seminal painting (‘MOS’). Michelangelo: For me it was when I was sixteen years old. At this age I produced the Madonna of the Stairs. This work featured Mary, the mother of God, sitting on a

Individual case study report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Individual case study report - Essay Example But this will not assure satisfactory performance. Recruitment, selection and training typically focus only on the ability side; thus a major missing ingredient is one's willingness. Motivation then becomes a process of activating this potential in all the employees. While motivation refers to the drive and effort to satisfy a want or a goal, satisfaction refers to the contentment experienced when a want is satisfied. From a management point of view, a person might have high job satisfaction but a low level of motivation for the job, or the reverse might be true. Understandably, the probability is that a highly motivated person with low job satisfaction will only express poor quality in his job. The yet another factor affecting the productivity of an employee is his attitude. Attitudes and values differ among workers and employers, rich and poor people, accountants and engineers. This variety makes it difficult for managers to design an environment conducive to performance and satisf action. We shall discuss the impact of motivation levels of workers in an organization, its impact on productivity, the attitude levels of workers which play a vital role on the motivation levels and finally how to achieve the best performance out of an employee by highly motivating him. "Organizations today are recognizing ... The significant workplace issues of the present day require different kinds of solutions. Some of these include flexible work hours, pay for performance and Employee Stock Ownership Plans. These may vary with people and organization based on the problems faced by them. Case Description According to the case presented by Drugs Inc. older males occupy the top management. The rest of the work force also seems to have a majority of males. There seems to be a minor note on female staff that the clerical staffs are females. The company finds it difficult to compete with the overseas companies who manufacture the same kind of products on a lesser cost. Thus the company's business is not doing well in the recent years. As a cost cutting measure, the company is looking for a downsizing of its employees and is trying to set up an alternate marketing facility through Internet business. In the given case, we find that the business of Drugs Inc. suffers due to high cost factors compared to its competitors who use low cost manufacturing techniques. The major issue we find here is the productivity. If the productivity goes up, there is every possibility of meeting out the cost and making a good profit. Productivity is a major concern of managers. It implies measurement, an essential step in the control process. The productivity measurement of skilled workers is generally easier than that of knowledge workers such as managers. Yet managerial productivity is very important, especially for organizations like Drugs Inc. operating in a competitive environment. The improvement in productivity is brought about by the improvement in performance of employees. The performance of an employee in turn depends upon his motivation levels. The fact

SWOT analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SWOT analysis - Assignment Example As the CEO of the Samsung smart Phone Company and based on the analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threats I would focus mainly on improving on the areas that pose a challenge to the company to ensure that my competitors do not face the Samsung Company out of the market. I would also improve on the quality of my products, hardware and also the operating systems. Additionally, I would take advantage of the opportunities open to the company to see on how I can incorporate them in the operations of the company so as to release better and improved products. Consequently, I would also create a business environment that is ready to accept technological change as the world is dynamic and it keeps on changing and therefore the use of modern technology will result in improved and new products in the market. This ensures that the company will be able to stand the heat from its competitors. Lastly, SWOT analysis aids the company in knowing the attitude of its customers by how they purchase the product; this will ensure that the company continues to improve on their

Analysis of State of Massachusetts on North American Free Trade Essay

Analysis of State of Massachusetts on North American Free Trade Agreement - Essay Example The support for NAFTA trade pact was not universally agreed throughout the USA (Earl, 192). As a matter of fact, it is one of the most controversial issues that have survived over the two decades. This is owing to the economic impacts that it has created in the country, where some $ billion worth of businesses are predicted to have shifted to either Canada or Mexico, while over 1 million jobs are also predicted to have been lost, since the signing and commencement of the implementation of the NAFTA trade pact in 1993 (Mishel and Teixeira, 7). The northern districts and the central districts of the USA were particularly opposed to this implementation, owing to the fact that they formed the bulk of the manufacturing zone in the country, and thus feared the loss of jobs and manufacturing business to either Mexico or Canada (Glick, 198). On the other hand, the southern states and part of the northern states, especially those on the borders were supportive of the implementation of the NAF TA trade pact. Thus, the vote on the North American Free Trade Agreement was an almost evenly divisive issue for Democrats senators during the vote in 1993, where 27 democrat senators voted for the NAFTA implementation, while 28 of the Democrat senators voted against its implementation (Earle, 193). The most notable occurrence, however, is that both the Democrat senators from the State of Massachusetts voted for the implementation of the NAFTA trade agreement, despite the issue being highly divisive.   At the time of signing this agreement, President Clinton ratified it while still being opposed by 60% of his Democrat counterparts in the legislature, meaning that he got more support from the Republicans than the Democrats, which is a highly unusual scenario (Rosenbaum, n.p.). This simply serves to indicate two major points.  Ã‚     

The subject is leadership and the research about bill clinton, USA Paper

The subject is leadership and the about bill clinton, USA president - Research Paper Example These examples are real and they exist in the chronicles of history so that people who come later can learn from the mistakes and not repeat them. The analysis of these various leaders lead one to contemplate what is it that makes a leader. This discussion will entail the attributes of a good leader that is deemed essential keeping in view the examples of the leaders in history. As a template, the leadership of Bill Clinton will be juxtaposed to the ideals of leadership to determine whether charismatic and famous personality of Clinton does equally well on the scale of leadership. The first and the most primary quality that a leader must possess and that has been an evident part of Bill Clinton’s personality is the self-confidence. Mr. Clinton, in his regime made all sorts of judgments, good and bad. What one sees as a consistent feature of his leadership is sheer confidence in his own self and actions. His speech, his gestures, and his face expressions, everything about him g ave off an aura of confidence and self-trust. With the composed and confident look on his face, Clinton had been successful in convincing the masses and his trustees to see his perspective. If confidence were all that takes to be an effective leader, then Bill is surely one (Levin, 183). Secondly, a leader should be humble. No one likes and therefore follows a snob. An effective leadership springs from the very denial of one’s own skill set and the appreciation of the followers. The charisma thus produced not only instigates the rush of positivity amongst the followers but also a motivation to prove their worth and re-confirm their leader’s opinion of their capabilities. Thus, with a little modesty and humility, a good leader inspires a multitude of souls to achieve their goals and consequently, own visions. Bill Clinton fits these criteria of effective leadership quite well. His humility is most appreciated by people who work closely with them. During the meetings, he listens to everyone very attentively and shows utter respect for everyone’s opinions. His immediate subordinates often marvel at Clinton’s ability to connect with everyone through his modest and humble attitude. During Q and A sessions, he would answer every question with a humble voice rather than an authoritative one. An important aspect of his humility is his proactivity. Unlike other leaders, Bill does not blame people. He takes charge of the project and start working on it himself. Aloof of the hierarchy and discrimination amongst job descriptions and posts, he bends down to offer his help and advice at all stages of any project (Kellerman, 67). Pragmatism is another significant quality that a leader must possess. People who ‘play by the book’ are the ones who are better off as managers. Those who make it to the top are the ones who are always prepared to make last-minute changes. These people are not rigid; the only thing constant about their work i s their vision and values. These great leaders also make many mistakes; they are far from being perfect. However, what makes them the best is their ability to accept responsibility when they go wrong or when things are not working the way they wanted it to, and then fix them. Bill Clinton’s presidency is a brilliant example of this rule. He

Eschatological views of Judaism and Christianity Essay

Eschatological views of Judaism and Christianity - Essay Example The mythos, the raison d'tre, of Christianity is to provide all human beings with the only valid path to salvation. Christians believe people are by nature sinful. Christians believe that Jesus was both the Son of God and God the Son, God made incarnate; that Jesus' death by crucifixion was a sacrifice to atone for all humanity's sins, and that acceptance of Jesus as the Christ saves one from sin. Judaism's raison d'tre is to give concrete form to the covenant between God and the Jewish people. The Torah (teaching) tells the story of this covenant, and provides Jews with the terms of the covenant. The Torah thus guides Jews to walk in God's ways, to help them learn how to live a holy life on earth, and to bring holiness into the world and into every part of life so that life may be elevated to a high level of sanctity. Judaism does not see the afterlife as a core part of this, or a major factor needed to justify why it is necessary. Ideally a faithful life and good deeds should be en ds in themselves, not means (Lodahl 57-98). As for the concepts of God, it should be said that both Jews and Christians believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for Jews the God of the Tanakh, for Christians the God of the Old Testament, the creator of the universe. Both religions agree that God shares both transcendent and immanent qualities. How these religions resolve this issue is where the religions differ. Most of Christianity posits that God is the Trinity; in this view God exists as three distinct entities which share a single divine essence, or substance. In those three there is one, and in that one there are three; the one God is indivisible, while the three entities are distinct and unconfused: Abba God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It teaches that God became especially immanent in physical form through the Incarnation of Jesus, who is believed to be at once fully God and fully human. By contrast, Judaism sees God as a single entity, and views trinitarianism as both incomprehensible and a violation of the Bibl e's teaching that God is one. It rejects the notion that Jesus or any other object or living being could be "God", that God could have a literal "son" in physical form or is divisible in any way, or that God could be made to be joined to the material world in such fashion. Judaism does not believe that God requires the sacrifice of any human. This is emphasized in medieval Jewish traditions concerning the story of the Akedah, the binding of Isaac. In the Jewish explanation, this is a story whereby God wanted to test Abraham's faith and willingness, and Isaac was never going to be actually sacrificed. Thus, Judaism rejects the notion that anyone can or should die for anyone else's sin (Levenson 48-53). Understanding of the Bible. Jews and Christians seek authority from many of the same basic books, but they conceive of these books in significantly different ways. The Hebrew Bible is comprised of three parts: Torah (the five books of Moses), Nevi'im (the writings of the Prophets), and Ketuvim (other writings canonised over time, such as the Books of Esther, Jonah, Ruth or Job). Collectively, these are known as the Tanakh, a Hebrew acronym for the first letters of each. Rabbinical Judaism traditionally believes that these written works were also accompanied by an oral tradition which taught

Direct Marketing Essay Example for Free

Direct Marketing Essay Direct marketing is a channel-agnostic form of advertising that allows businesses and nonprofits organizations to communicate straight to the customer, with advertising techniques that can include Cell Phone Text messaging, email, interactive consumer websites, online display ads, fliers, catalog distribution, promotional letters, and outdoor advertising. Direct marketing messages emphasize a focus on the customer, data, and accountability. Characteristics that distinguish direct marketing are: 1. Marketing messages are addressed directly to the customer and/or customers. Direct marketing relies on being able to address the members of a target market. Addressability comes in a variety of forms including email addresses, mobile phone numbers, Web browser cookies, fax numbers and postal addresses. 2. Direct marketing seeks to drive a specific call to action. For example, an advertisement may ask the prospect to call a freephone number or click on a link to a website. 3. Direct marketing emphasizes trackable, measurable responses from customers — regardless of medium. Direct marketing is practiced by businesses of all sizes — from the smallest start-up to the leaders on the Fortune 500. A well-executed direct advertising campaign can prove a positive return on investment by showing how many potential customers responded to a clear call-to-action. General advertising eschews calls-for-action in favor of messages that try to build prospects’ emotional awareness or engagement with a brand. Even well-designed general advertisements rarely can prove their impact on the organization’s bottom line. A recent study by the Direct Marketing Association reports that in 2010, marketers – commercial and nonprofit – spent $153.3 billion on direct marketing, which accounted for 54.2% of all ad expenditures in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $1.798 trillion in incremental sales. In 2010, direct marketing accounted for 8.3% of total US gross domestic product. Also in 2010, there were 1.4 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly supported 8.4 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 9.8 million US jobs. Direct marketing is attractive to many marketers because its positive results can be measured directly. For example, if a marketer sends out 1,000 solicitations by mail and 100 respond to the promotion, the marketer can say with confidence that campaign led directly to 10% direct responses. This metric is known as the response rate, and it is one of many clearly quantifiable success metrics employed by direct marketers. In contrast, general advertising uses indirect measurements, such as awareness or engagement, since there is no direct response from a consumer. Measurement of results is a fundamental element in successful direct marketing. The Internet has made it easier for marketing managers to measure the results of a campaign. This is often achieved by using a specific website landing page directly relating to the promotional material. A call to action will ask the customer to visit the landing page, and the effectiveness of the campaign can be measured by taking the number of promotional messages distributed (e.g., 1,000) and dividing it by the number of responses (people visiting the unique website page). Another way to measure the results is to compare the projected sales or generated leads for a given term with the actual sales or leads after a direct advertising campaign. While many marketers recognize the financial benefits of increasing targeted awareness, some direct marketing efforts using particular media have been criticized for generating poor quality leads, either due to poor message strategy or because of poorly compiled demographic databases. This poses a problem for marketers and consumers alike, as advertisers do not wish to waste money on communicating with consumers not interested in their products. Some of these concerns have been addressed by direct marketers by the use of individual opt-out lists, variable printing, and better-targeted list practices. Additionally, in order to avoid unwanted mailings, members of the marketing industry have established preference services that give customers more control over the marketing communications they receive in the mail. The term junk mail, referring to unsolicited commercial ads delivered via post office or directly deposited in consumers mail boxes, can be traced back to 1954. The term spam, meaning unsolicited commercial e-mail, can be traced back to March 31, 1993, although in its first few months it merely referred to inadvertently posting a message so many times on UseNet that the repetitions effectively drowned out the normal flow of conversation. To address the concerns of unwanted emails or spam, in 2003, The US Congress enacted the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act to curb unwanted email messages. Can-Spam gives recipients the ability to stop unwanted emails, and set out tough penalties for violations. Additionally, ISPs and email service providers have developed increasingly effective Email Filtering programs. These filters can interfere with the delivery of email marketing campaigns, even if the person has subscribed to receive them, as legitimate email marketing can possess the same hallmarks as spam. There are a range of email service providers that provide services for legitimate opt-in emailers to avoid being classified as spam. Consumers have expressed concerns about the privacy and environmental implications of direct marketing. In response to consumer demand and increasing business pressure to increase the effectiveness of reaching the right customer with direct marketing, companies specialize in targeted direct advertising to great effect, reducing advertising budget waste and increasing the effectiveness of delivering a marketing message with better geo-demography information, delivering the advertising message to only the customers interested in the product, service, or event on offer. Additionally, members of the advertising industry have been working to adopt stricter codes regarding online targeted advertising. Any medium that can be used to deliver a communication to a customer can be employed in direct marketing, including: Email Marketing Sending marketing messages through email or Emailmarketing is one of the most widely used direct-marketing methods. One reason for email marketings popularity is that it is relatively inexpensive to design, test, and send an email message. It also allows marketers to deliver messages around the clock, and to accurately measure responses. Online Tools With the expansion of digital technology and tools, direct marketing is increasingly taking place through online channels. Most online advertising is delivered to a focused group of customers and has a trackable response. * Display Ads are interactive ads that appear on the Web next to content on Web pages or Web services. Formats include static banners, pop ups, videos, and floating units. Customers can click on the ad to respond directly to the message or to find more detailed information. According to research by eMarketer, expenditures on online display ads rose 24.5% between 2010 and 2011. * Search: 49% of US spending on Internet ads goes to search, in which advertisers pay for prominent placement among listings in search engines whenever a potential customer enters a relevant search term, allowing ads to be delivered to customers based upon their already-indicated search criteria.This paid placement industry generates more than $10 billion dollars for search companies. Marketers also use search engine optimization to drive traffic to their sites. * Social Media Sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, also provide opportunities for direct marketers to communicate directly with customers by creating content to which customers can respond. Mobile Through mobile marketing, marketers engage with prospective customers and donors in an interactive manner through a mobile device or network, such as a cellphone, smartphone, or tablet. Types of mobile marketing messages include: SMS: (short message service) — marketing communications are sent in the form of text messages, also known as texting. MMS: (multi-media message service) — These messages use elements such as images, video, and audio; Mobile Applications: Smartphone-based mobile apps contain several types of messages. Push Notifications are direct messages sent to a user either automatically or as part of a campaign. They include transactional, marketing, geo-based, and more. Rich Push Notifications are full HTML Push Notifications. Mobile apps also contain Interactive ads that appear inside the mobile application or app; Location-Based Marketing: marketing messages delivered directly to a mobile device based on the users location; QR Codes (quick-response barcodes): This is a type of 2D barcode with an encoded link that can be accessed from a smartphone. This technology is increasingly being used for everything from special offers to product information. Mobile Banner Ads: Like standard banner ads for desktop Web pages but smaller to fit on mobile screens and run on the mobile content network Direct Mail The term direct mail is used to refer to communications sent to potential customers or donors via the postal service and other delivery services. Direct mail is sent to customers based on criteria such as age, income, location, profession, buying pattern, etc. Direct mail includes advertising circulars, catalogs, free-trial CDs, pre-approved credit card applications, and other unsolicited merchandising invitations delivered by mail to homes and businesses. Bulk mailings are a particularly popular method of promotion for businesses operating in the financial services, home computer, and travel and tourism industries. In many developed countries, direct mail represents such a significant amount of the total volume of mail that special rate classes have been established. In the United States and United Kingdom, for example, there are bulk mail rates that enable marketers to send mail at rates that are substantially lower than regular first-class rates. In order to qualify for these rates, marketers must format and sort the mail in particular ways – which reduces the handling (and therefore costs) required by the postal service. In the US, marketers send over 90 billion pieces of direct mail per year. Advertisers often refine direct mail practices into targeted mailing, in which mail is sent out following database analysis to select recipients considered most likely to respond positively. For example, a person who has demonstrated an interest in golf may receive direct mail for golf-related products or perhaps for goods and services that are appropriate for golfers. This use of database analysis is a type of database marketing. The United States Postal Service calls this form of mail advertising mail (admail for short). Telemarketing Another common form of direct marketing is telemarketing, in which marketers contact customers by phone. The primary benefit to businesses is increased lead generation, which helps businesses increase sales volume and customer base. The most successful telemarketing service providers focus on generating more qualified leads that have a higher probability of getting converted into actual sales. The National Do Not Call Registry was created in 2003 to offer consumers a choice whether to receive telemarketing calls at home. The FTC created the National Do Not Call Registry after a comprehensive review of the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR). The do-not-call provisions of the TSR cover any plan, program, or campaign to sell goods or services through interstate phone calls. The provisions do not cover calls from political organizations, charities, telephone surveyors, or companies with which a customer has an existing business relationship. Canada has its own National Do Not Call List (DNCL). In other countries it is voluntary, such as the New Zealand Name Removal Service. Voicemail Marketing Voicemail marketing emerged out of the market prevalence of personal voice mailboxes, and business voicemail systems. Voicemail marketing presented a cost effective means by which to reach people directly, by voice. Abuse of consumer marketing applications of voicemail marketing resulted in an abundance of voice-spam, and prompted many jurisdictions to pass laws regulating consumer voicemail marketing. More recently, businesses have utilized guided voicemail (an application where pre-recorded voicemails are guided by live callers) to accomplish personalized business-to-business marketing formerly reserved for telemarketing. Because guided voicemail is used to contact only businesses, it is exempt from Do Not Call regulations in place for other forms of voicemail marketing. Voicemail courier is a similar form of voicemail marketing with both business-to-business and business-to-consumer applications. Broadcast Faxing Broadcast faxing, in which faxes are sent to multiple recipients, is now less common than in the past. This is partly due to laws in the United States and elsewhere which regulate its use for consumer marketing. In 2005, President Bush signed into law S. 714, the Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005 (JFPA), which allows marketers to send commercial faxes to those with whom they have an established business relationship (EBR), but imposes some new requirements. These requirements include providing an opt-out notice on the first page of faxes and establishing a system to accept opt-outs at any time of the day. Fax senders must begin complying with these new requirements, which are described in this fact sheet. Roughly 2% of direct marketers use fax, mostly for business-to-business marketing campaigns.[16] Also, due to the popularity of a variety of digital communication methods, the overall use of faxes is less than in the past. Couponing Couponing is used in print and digital media to elicit a response from the reader. An example is a coupon which the reader receives through the mail and takes to a stores check-out counter to receive a discount. Digital Coupons: Manufacturers and retailers make coupons available online for electronic orders that can be downloaded and printed. Digital coupons are available on company websites, social media outlets, texts, and email alerts. There are an increasing number of mobile phone applications offering digital coupons for direct use. Daily Deal Sites offer local and online deals each day, and are becoming increasingly popular. Customers sign up to receive notice of discounts and offers, which are sent daily by email. Purchases are often made using a special coupon code or promotional code. The largest of these sites, Groupon, has over 83 million subscribers. Direct Response TV Direct marketing via television (commonly referred to as DRTV) has two basic forms: long form (usually half-hour or hour-long segments that explain a product in detail and are commonly referred to as infomercials) and short form, which refers to typical 30-second or 60-second commercials that ask viewers for an immediate response (typically to call a phone number on screen or go to a website). TV-response marketing — i.e. infomercials — can be considered a form of direct marketing, since responses are in the form of calls to telephone numbers given on-air. This allows marketers to reasonably conclude that the calls are due to a particular campaign, and enables them to obtain customers phone numbers as targets for telemarketing. One of the most famous DRTV commercials was for Ginsu Knives by Ginsu Products, Inc. of RI. Several aspects of ad, such as its use of adding items to the offer and the guarantee of satisfaction were much copied, and came to be considered part of the formula for success with short-form direct-response TV ads (DRTV) Direct Response Radio In direct response radio, ads contain a call to action with a specific tracking mechanism. Often, this tracking mechanism is a call now prompt with a toll-free phone number or a unique Web URL. Results of the ad can be tracked in terms of calls, orders, customers, leads, sales, revenue, and profits that result from the airing of those ads. Insert Media Another form of direct marketing, insert media are marketing materials that are inserted into other communications, such as a catalog, newspaper, magazine, package, or bill. Coop or shared mail, where marketing offers from several companies are delivered via a single envelope, is also considered insert media. Out-of-Home Out of home direct marketing refers to a wide array of media designed to reach the consumer outside the home, including transit, bus shelters, bus benches, aerials, airports, in-flight, in-store, movies, college campus/high schools, hotels, shopping malls, sport facilities, stadiums, taxis — that contain a call-to-action for the customer to respond. Direct Response Magazines and Newspapers Magazine and newspaper ads often include a direct response call-to-action, such as a toll-free number, a coupon redeemable at a brick-and-mortar store, or a QR code that can be scanned by a mobile device — these methods are all forms of direct marketing, because they elicit a direct and measurable action from the customer. Direct Selling Direct selling is the sale of products by face-to-face contact with the customer, either by having salespeople approach potential customers in person, or through indirect means such as Tupperware parties. Grassroots/Community Marketing The door-to-door distribution of flyers and leaflets within a local community is a business-to-consumer form of direct marketing used extensively by restaurants, fast food companies, and many other business focusing on a local catchment. Similar to direct mail marketing, this method is targeted purely by area and community, and costs a fraction of the amount of a mailshot, since it is not necessary to purchase stamps, envelopes, or address lists with the names of home occupants.

Wuthering Heights Response Essay Example for Free

Wuthering Heights Response Essay Wuthering Heights and The Bell Jar are both novels that were influenced by the authors at two very different times in history, they both contain similarities in the way the themes stereotypes and lack of control affect the main characters. Bronte’s novel is influenced by her upbringing while Plath’s novel is about the media and events at the time of her growing up. It is also more about the events she had witnessed herself making her novel a lot more personal. Lack of control develops in Wuthering Heights due to isolation from others. Lack of control is shown throughout both novels in a vast number of ways depending on the character. Through the female character of Catherine it is shown through emotion like Hindley but also because of the pressure of stereotypes to be a typical Victorian lady. Hindley’s inability to control his emotions means he does not meet the strong male stereotype whereas at the beginning of the novel, Catherine’s ability to take control means she challenges the weak female stereotype. Catherine as a child, we see her in a different light to how we do towards the end of the novel. As a child Catherine is very demanding and challenges the stereotype of a typical Victorian lady. â€Å"she liked exceedingly to act the little mistress; using her hands freely commanding her companions† explains that she was a spoilt young child who her father seem to favour over Hindley who during the novel breaks down after the death of his wife which suggests his loss of control was through emotion, he abandons his son Hareton then turned to alcohol for comfort which backfires on him and his life begins to spiral out of control as he is manipulated and degraded by Heathcliff as an act of revenge who scams Hindley into loosing Wuthering Heights leavin g him with all the control. Catherine is described as acting like a ‘mistress’ meaning she is comfortable in a position with power therefore challenging the weak female stereotype, because of her status as a wealthy female she is able to manipulate and control others around her for example Nelly who always does as she says. Her having control as a child may indicate her precocious nature unlike Esther in the Bell Jar who as a child was brought up around a society in which women were very unequal to men which may have triggered her  lack of confidence and negative attitude further on in the book. Both characters as youngsters fit the ‘weak female stereotype’ however as Catherine grew older she also outgrew this stereotype as she became rebellious like Heathcliff however Esther is influenced by her childhood and carries out this stereotype throughout letting it affect her emotions and decisions in life. â€Å"I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose†¦the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet† her vision of this ‘fig tree’ represents her lack of control to make choices in her life because she doesn’t have the confidence to pursue her career choices or to move forward in life this conveys that her upbringing around the negative attitude towards women being there to ‘serve their husbands’. The figs represent the opportunities for Esther and she feels they are slowly going away. Bronte may have believed that women were capable to take control just like men because she made her character Catherine a lot more defiant and turbulent compared to Isabella which may indicate that Bronte was trying to show that women could take control just like men. Catherine returns from the Linton’s at Thrushcross Grange changed women, The Lintons changed her from a rebellious young child into an elegant lady and she seems superior to Heathcliffe. â€Å"Why, how very black and cross you look! And how funny and grim!’ suggests a complete contrast in Catherine’s character after her return from the Linton’s, she is losing her individuality and trying to fit in with the others around her. Catherine at this point has a mighty amount of control she has a lot of people looking up for her and could potentially do anything she wanted. She comes across as independent, confident women but in reality the pressure of the stereotype is controlling her behaviour and affecting her relationships. This is similar to Esther in The Bell Jar, Esther follows Doreen’s lead trying to fit in â€Å"After Doreen left, I wondered why I couldnt go the whole way doing what I should any more. This made me sad and tired. Then I wondered why I couldnt go the whole way doing what I shouldnt, the way Doreen did, and this made me even sadder and more tired. This quote shows how Esther is just like Catherine, she cannot think for herself and is influenced by others around her. ‘ the way Doreen did’ suggests Esther is influenced by Doreen’s behaviour of being independent and care free although  she wants to be like this she can’t bring herself to take charge which leads to her breaking down. Catherine decides to marry Edgar for many reasons she knew she couldn’t degrade her status that she already had by marrying Heathcliffe although she loved him ,â€Å"I’ve no more business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be in heaven; and if the wicked man in there had not brought Heathcliff so low, I shouldn’t have thought of it. It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him; and that, not because he’s handsome, Nelly, but because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same† shows that Catherine’s reasons to marry Edgar are not because she loves him but that he can give her the material possessions that Heathcliffe cannot although she does love Heathcliffe and acknowledges that he is her soul mate Hindley’s treatment of Heathcliffe has degraded him and to the point that he is not a suitable match by society’s standards; Edgar is not only suitable but will also elevate Catherine’s status. It is clear that Catherine is superior to Edgar in their relationship, she dominates him and he comes across as the weaker character.

Gender differences when attending a mirror tracing task

Gender differences when attending a mirror tracing task The purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses of speed and accuracy when practicing Mirror Tracing between men and women as well as the difference between genders with skill transferring when completing this task. The sample consisted of 243, 170 females and 73 males online and on campus university students who participated in the Mirror Tracing task for one week. Results indicated that as predicted, men were more accurate and faster than women when attending to the Mirror Tracing task. They also scored higher on skill transferring than women. It was concluded that men score higher on spatial tasks than women do, however the differences in spatial skills between men and women can be credited to learning. Each hemisphere of the brain specialise in different tasks, the left hemisphere is mostly responsible for linguistic functions while the right hemisphere is mainly responsible for complex visuo spatial analysis (OBoyle, Hoff Gill, 1995). The Mirror Tracing task has been studied for many years and is considered to be a study of trial and error (Ketterlinus, Sep31, Vol. 2 Issue 3, p200). Mirror Tracing has been used to study the differences between men and women, however as indicated by), the difference in spatial ability with genders can be attributed to learning (Halpern, 2000 Kimura, 1999). On average, females perform not as well as males in spatial abilities Spence et al. (2009), mirror tracing has become a very important and popular study to use when determining differences in abilities. Each spatial task focuses on different aspects of it, some focus on problem solving skills where others focus on mental orientation Spence et al. (2009). Mirror Tracing focuses on repetitive motions as participants are required to draw the same shape or shapes over a period of time by only looking in the mirror at it. Mirror Tracing has its limitations as it focus is mainly on a limited amount of shapes which with time and practice either gender can perform well. However it does measure the speed and accuracy of how the each gender (OBoyle, Hoff Gill, 1995). Past studies, such as O Boyle, Hoff Gill (1995), have come to a conclusion that males have excelled in spatial tasks more than females and determined that males are able to attend to this task with more accuracy than females. In this study the aim is to determine whether speed and accuracy differs between genders and to measure the differences in skill transferability of participants of different genders. It was predicted that males will be faster and more accurate when practising mirror tracing compared to females. It was also hypothesised that males will have a higher score with regards to skill transferability in terms of speed compared to females. Method Participants The sample consisted of 243, 170 females and 73 males online and on campus University students. The mean ages was 21.85 (SD = 5.8). All participants participated in the Mirror Tracing task for one week. Materials Mirror tracing skills transferability of this skill in males and females was determined using a Mirror Tracing exercise. Each participant was provided with instructions on how to complete the Mirror Tracing exercise and experimental material with star and face shapes in it. Each participant had to use a mirror, pen or pencil, cardboard or similar to block the view and a clock or stopwatch. Finally each participant was also provided a summary of results sheet to note down their individual results. To accurately score and record the results, participants had to count how many times they touched the line and count that as one error, each time they went over the line was counted as two errors and any breaks in the line were counted as one error. Procedure Before filling out the summary of results sheet, all participants were informed of the following: the purpose of the study, nature of the study, anonymity and provided with information of how to do the Mirror Tracing task. Participants completed the task either online or on a paper copy and returned it to the tutor. The experimental material used was star and face shapes to measure speed, accuracy and skill transferability between men and women. Each participant had to trace one star and one face with each hand on day 1. For the next five days each participant had to trace four star using each hand and on day 7 trace a final face and star with each hand. To complete this task, the participants had to place the sheet with the shape on it on a table with a mirror in front of it still being able to see their hand in it. They then had to hold the cardboard above the shape, check and record the time and start tracing it. This had to be done with both hands. The participants had to record the time it took them to complete the activity on the Summary of Results sheet and return it to the tutor once completed. Results There was very little mean difference in the mirror tracing exercise for day 2 day 6 between men and women in regards to speed and errors, however the results indicate that men tend to be quicker and more accurate than women in this spatial task. The results indicate that as predicted, men were slightly quicker and accurate than women when attempting the mirror tracing exercise as indicated in Table 1 and 2 below. Initially on day 2, women were quicker at the exercise than men and for both participants, the speed did increased and errors decreased as the days went on, however the results for males are somewhat higher than females. The Standard Deviation for both is also very similar as indicated in Table 1 and 2 below. Table 1 Means and Standard Deviation of the Mirror Tracing Task Day 2 Day 6 for speed between men and women Report Gender practice2_time practice3_time practice4_time practice5_time F Mean 112.8293 100.7399 91.6370 84.5834 N 167 167 167 167 Std. Deviation 75.29216 64.04660 58.79142 49.88509 M Mean 130.1631 107.9093 100.1247 86.8376 N 72 71 72 71 Std. Deviation 82.41461 76.36392 82.37136 54.71729 Total Mean 118.0512 102.8787 94.1940 85.2558 N 239 238 239 238 Std. Deviation 77.74119 67.86959 66.70926 51.26775 Notes: F = Females; M = Males Table 2 Means and Standard Deviation of the Mirror Tracing Task Day 2 Day 6 for accuracy between men and women Report Gender practice2_errors practice3_errors practice4_errors practice5_errors F Mean 30.4850 24.7425 20.7844 18.1138 N 167 167 167 167 Std. Deviation 19.70134 15.14626 14.24574 13.26624 M Mean 29.0833 25.1408 22.0000 20.2394 N 72 71 72 71 Std. Deviation 21.73512 19.37546 17.47916 15.56137 Total Mean 30.0628 24.8613 21.1506 18.7479 N 239 238 239 238 Std. Deviation 20.29945 16.48019 15.26442 13.99079 Notes: F = Females; M = Males The results for males for skill transferability in terms of speed when drawing the star shape were longer on day 1 however became shorter on day 7 compared to the females results. When drawing the face shape, males only have a slight difference in speed compared to women. The Standard Deviation and mean does not appear to have much of a difference in both results for both genders. The Tables below will demonstrate the results for both genders and both shapes. The results indicate that males score higher than females for skill transferability in terms of speed. Table 1 Means and Standard Deviation of the Mirror Tracing Task Day 1 Day 7 for speed between men and women Star Shape Report Gender Star_day1_time F Mean 155.9722 N 168 Std. Deviation 80.94931 M Mean 183.7635 N 72 Std. Deviation 94.60747 Total Mean 164.3096 N 240 Std. Deviation 86.02650 Notes: F = Females; M = Males Table 2 Means and Standard Deviation of the Mirror Tracing Task Day 1 Day 7 for speed between men and women Face Shape Report Gender day1_eyes_time DAY7_EYES_TIME day1_beard_time DAY7_BEARD_TIME day1_lips_time F Mean 68.9262 44.2241 50.1544 34.7455 39.1005 N 170 169 169 168 170 Std. Deviation 69.00433 33.65402 50.52303 35.44573 60.49047 M Mean 73.8775 43.9458 51.7029 32.9751 37.2300 N 72 72 73 73 72 Std. Deviation 38.01924 20.52175 28.36886 20.76469 24.18248 Total Mean 70.3993 44.1410 50.6215 34.2092 38.5440 N 242 241 242 241 242 Std. Deviation 61.40059 30.28893 44.94811 31.69008 52.33488 Notes: F = Females; M = Males Discussion The results of the study support both of the hypotheses for speed, accuracy and skill transferability between men and women. There are slight differences that are noticeable in mean and Standard Deviation in both men and women. The accuracy has improved over time for both genders however there was not a noticeable difference between them. Both genders also improved on their speed over the course of this task, however males did become faster than women when completing this task. As per Spence et al. (2009), the differences in spatial abilities between genders can be credited to learning. As identified by Voyer, Voyer and Bryden (1995), men tend to do better in performing some spatial tasks compared to women Spence et al. (2009), and according to this study men did perform better than women. Women tend to do better than men in tests of perceptual speed (Kimura 1992), verbal fluency and precision motor control, while males excel on some spatial tasks (OBoyle, Hoff Gill, 1995). The aim of this study was to determine whether speed and accuracy differs between genders and whether the difference in skill transferability of participants is different between genders. The results indicate that there is a difference in speed and accuracy between men and women when attending to spatial tasks. Men also tend to be able to score higher on skill transferability compared to women. These findings support the findings of O Boyle, Hoff and Gill (1995). There were some issues identified with this study that may have affected the results. The data was collected after a week with no guarantee that the off campus students have not falsified their results. There is no way of tracking who actually did the task accurately and who made up their results. Another issue that was identified was that the results were due on a certain date and were then extended, however the submission area was not changed and all results were to be sent to the Tutor. Some students were late with their submissions and the results were released late, which minimised the time other students got to write up the report. Overall, the results supported both hypotheses which indicated that men would generally be faster and more accurate than women when attending to the Mirror Tracing task as well as score higher on the skill transferability with spatial tasks. The aims of this report were also met as it has demonstrated the differences in gender with regards to speed and accuracy as well as the differences with skill transferability in genders.