Audience expectations Essay

In this essay I will discuss how Arthur Miller set out the first scene of the play, ‘The Crucible’ to prepare the audience for what the play is about, and how well he did this. I will look at the dramatic devices, language etc.  The play ‘The Crucible’ has strong links with the USA in the 1950’s when communism was a problem. The name of the play creates parallels between Salem 1692 and the USA 1950s. A definition of crucible can be, â€Å"used to extract impurities† this is related Salem 1692 because the judges and townsfolk were trying to purify the village from witches whilst Joseph McCarthy was trying to purify the USA of communists. People’s views and opinions have not changed since the 1600s and people believe only one way is right, communists and witches are both evil and therefore should be rid of, this is what miller is trying to portray about the world. No-one gets a chance to prove themselves or prove they are good and mean no harm. If you are a witch or a communist you are evil and it’s not acceptable therefore the only thing to do it get rid of them. This is shown in the play by the fact that lots of people in the village are being accused of witchery, and you die whether you have an excuse or proof that your not a witch, if you admit it you are saved but have to promise you want to come back to the lord but if you are truly faithful to the lord such as goody Proctor, you will not falsely admit to being a witch and therefore will be killed. Miller uses dramatic devices in the play ‘The Crucible’, one of these devices is dramatic irony. This is when the audience knows something about a certain character but the other characters don’t. They are like secrets no one knows apart from the characters involved. This creates tension as it seems as I everyone is hiding something. Miller uses this technique when the audience knows that Proctor and Abigail had an affair but the other characters are not aware. The audience then gets frustrated because it seems so obvious to them and they want to tell the characters what’s going on. He also uses this when the characters don’t know that Abigail is lying and the accusations are not real. The audience think it is so simple to realise what is going on because they know there is no such thing a witches. And the audience knows that dramatic irony is a clear device used throughout the play. Exits and entrances are also used in the crucible; this is so the characters can have their private conversations like Abigail and Proctor. This creates confusion between the characters as they all have secrets, this then creates panic of others finding out and this panic can grow like Abigail’s panic grew for her being found out to be untruthful. This panic grew and grew until she was confessing random names/accusations. â€Å"I saw goody Sibber with the devil!†, â€Å"I saw Goody Hawkins with the devil!†, â€Å"I saw Goody Bibber with the devil!†, â€Å"I saw Goody Booth with the devil† † The audience however would know that Abigail and her friends are making it up because there is no such thing as witches. Another technique is the use of offstage action these are events that are not shown but they are mentioned. This is like the affair between Proctor and Abigail, this happens before the play begins. Also the audience doesn’t see the dancing in the forest they only hear about it, they don’t see it. This is the driving force behind the story; the audience are intrigued by what is going on.  At the beginning of the play there is an overture, Miller begins the play by describing the setting and the scenery in detail, this is so the audience can see what it is like and will help them understand what is going on in the play. â€Å"A narrow window on the left† the detail is important in linking the beginning with the rest of the play, as later on in the play, Betty uses the window, previously described to attempt to jump out of, screaming â€Å"mama†, and this shows hysteria in the play, it is obvious to the audience that introducing themes of witchcraft will cause hysteria. â€Å"Uncle, themes of witchcraft are all about†, all the rumours of witchcraft could have calmed down if Abigail hadn’t said Betty had fainted, which is a blatant lie because she didn’t know Ruth had apparently ‘fainted’ as well. â€Å"We did dance uncle†, a bad mistake by Abigail, letting Parris know he was right he was right and therefore giving him more to suspect about witchcraft, â€Å"and when you leapt out of the bush so suddenly, Betty was frightened and then she fainted†.

Why Has the Power of the Federal Government Expanded

Kenneth A. Cherisol AMH 2020 Prof. John Fitzgerald Nov 17, 2010 But WHY? Why has the power of the federal government expanded so significantly? Was this shift in power from state governments to the federal government necessary? Government power took a huge shifted from state government to federal government during and after the civil war. Although President Franklin D Roosevelt’s new deal is often considered the pivotal point that caused this shift, the major event attributing to this shift in power was the civil war. The first event that led to a growth in federal power was the ratification of the Constitution in 1789.Although the constitution is to protect the right of individuals and limit the power of government it led to more government power so that it can accomplish its goals. Eventually the Civil war established the federal government’s power over the states. After the civil war the Federal government had to enforce its power over the states to control issues su ch segregation, racism and regulating states powers over the rights of citizens. The government that was established to protect the rights of it citizens now had to look out for its economic welfare.Eventually this led the way for interest groups such as union veterans to tap into the federal treasury. The government now needed means to obtain funds for it limited treasury. Different commissions were developed to regulate aspects of the food industry, fuel, trade and eventually the entire economy. Some of these commissions include the FDA established in 1906, the Federal trade commission established in 1914 and the Federal Reserve establishes in 1913. Eventually in 1913 federal income tax was established providing a source of funds for the federal treasury.World War 1 led to future advancement of the Federal government’s power even further. The federal government now regulated waterway shipping, railways were nationalized, and the United States food administration now regulat ed all aspects of the food industry from agriculture, distribution and sales. During the 1920’s US agriculture suffered because the worldwide market for farm products was competitive. This led to the federal government passing tariffs of farm imports and in 1922 the Capper-Volstead act exempted agricultural cooperatives from antitrust laws.Another act, the Agricultural Credits act of 1923, made it easier for farmer to receive loans from the Federal Farm Board which was established by the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1929. The federal Government also needed to regulate the power of businesses. The Federal Government began to limit the power of business by enforcing antitrust laws created by the Shermans act of 1890. Antitrust enforcement was another area in which Federal government increased in power. I believe the expansion of the Federal Government was necessary in every way to ensure the future of US.Before the civil war the states had most of the power dictating state law s and each was concerned with better its own states not looking at the nation as a whole. This led to issues such as the south having slaves and the north not allowing slavery. Eventually this led to the civil war. The federal government is necessary to regulate the powers of the states. Acts such as the civil rights act of 1964 led to equal treatment of individuals regardless of race or color. Even after the act the federal government had to enforce the laws on the south and rebuild the south’s state governments.The federal government’s power affects our daily lives from education to regulations on entertainment and safety. Due to recent economic issues states are allowing the federal government to dictate education policy in exchange for funding. Federal taxes affect our income and ensure funding for various government programs. Federal expansion is also necessary to maintain peace with other nations and ensure the safety of American lives through funding for our mil itary and regulating foreign affairs. I believe the growth in Federal Government is necessary and without it the US would not be as influential and powerful as it is today.

Book review essay: Direct from Dell - Strategies that Revolutionized an Industry

Book review essay: Direct from Dell Strategies that Revolutionized an Industry Dell, a 1984 start-up that grew into great heights within a short span of less than 15 years, has immense hard work of both the founders and employees. Like many other companies, even Dell has faced many challenges and had made ways to beat them. 1. M. Dell grew up with an entrepreneurial spirit ‘ He realized that the computer stores at that time, were buying PCs from IBM, and had been charging a lot of money and gave little or no service. This is when he started assembling computers on his own, and started selling them at a cheaper price and provided better service. 2. Direct Model, v1.0 ‘ the entire business was about listening to the customer, responding to them, and delivering what they wanted. The direct model was based on direct selling. 3. Highest levels of service + products needed ‘ Their top priority was maintaining loyalty among customers and employees, which was achieved by bringing out the highest levels of service and high-performance products. 4. Disdaining inventory ‘ Improving the speed of the inventory flow 5. Order of business at Dell ‘ The new order of business at Dell based on ‘ Liquidity ‘ Profitability ‘ Growth 6. Clear metrics ‘ Once clear metrics and measurements was established, it was easy to see what businesses were performers. 7. Three Golden Rules at Dell ‘ 1) maintain a light inventory, 2) Listening to the customer, and 3) Always sell direct. 8. Phase review process for product development ‘It created a common language and the organization came to agreement on how product development and launching should take place. 9. Segmentation ‘ One can quickly grow smaller companies, but it’s an uphill task to sustain a high rate of growth in a larger corporation. Segmentation enabled dell to scale up its business rapidly. 10. Direct Model, v1.1 ‘ In Version 1.1, they reduced inventory inefficiencies. 11. Reward success by narrowing responsibility ‘This allowed them to keep their people happy and thriving and maintaining a high growth rate. 12. Information sharing ‘ they shared the best ideas throughout their various businesses. 13. Think like you the owner (ROIC) ‘they explained specifically how everyone could contribute: by cycle time reduction, by elimination of scrap, by increasing sales, by forecasting accurately and precisely, by scaling operations, by increasing inventory, collecting accounts receivables effectively, and doing things right in the first attempt. Dell practiced rewarding its employees using ROIC matrix. 14. Complexity kills ‘ their thumb rule was to have as few partners as possible. 15. Supplier management ‘ they set quantitative measures for success so the suppliers knew what they expected and they provide regular progress reports to the suppliers. 16. Inventory velocity revisited ‘Speed to market was important for two reasons. One was that it created competitive value that could be shared between buyer and supplier. The other was that when it came to delivering the latest product they had to be quick. 17. Using the Internet ‘By using the Internet they tried to maintain a continuous flow of materials from their suppliers to their factories, on an average their employees spent less time placing orders and more time building products adding value. The other advantage the Internet gave them was immediate and quick transmission of product quality data. Their suppliers could see the information in real-time. OB CONCEPTS AND THEIR BENEFITS IN DELL 1. Creativity: ‘ Willingness to look at the things differently ‘ Dell was first to experiment with ‘Direct marketing’ even when critics cited it to be a failure methodology 2. McClelland’s Theory of Needs: ‘ Need for Achievement (nAch): Points to support i. Motivated by his passion to do business ii. Converted Hobby(Philately) into initial venture ‘ Need for power: i. They wanted to emerge as a global leaders ii. Penetrate into other markets apart from US [Entered European market, Asian, etc] ‘ Need for Affiliation: i. Michael Dell made ways for friendly customer relations. ii. Dell had great regard for the employees and their concerns. Made frequent enquires to build a good working environment. 3. MBTI Personality: ESTJ ‘ Extrovert: He has been closely associated with the outside world right from the childhood, speaking to experts, salesmen, customers, etc. ‘ Sensing: More focus on details. Hired people to do data analysis while in Newspaper subscription business and implemented the same in the Dell. ‘ Thinking: Implemented competitive strategies (Speed to market, Customer service, Producing high quality, Providing latest relevant technology). ‘ Judging: i. More categorized and organized. ii. Predicted changes in the market much before they are to occur and took decisions accordingly that are fruitful. iii. Entered Consumer retails and exited it soon realising that the model cannot meet financial objective. (Corrective action) And restricted European operations. 4. Job Satisfaction: ‘ Storming Stage: Few managers who could not resist the organisational changes (eg. Use of facts) felt painful and left the organization. (Elimination of Theory X Employees). ‘ Recruiting Process: Michel Dell and his company made it a decision to hire persons with expertise and who had sense of adventure and love challenges. Thus favouring ‘Theory Y Personalities’ with following characteristics: i. How employees think about economic terms? ii. How they want to define success as? iii. How people value and relate them with others? iv. Ability of employees’ understanding on the strategy of the business they are involved in? v. Ability of employees’ understanding on business activities ‘ Employee Engagement: i. Theory Y employees welcomed the use of facts and shown their willingness to adapt to the organizational changes. ii. Change in decision making from emotion based decisions to factual data based decisions. 5. Management by Objectives: (Goal Setting Theory) Dell even at their initial stages were more cautious about setting goals and accomplishing them. Inference is that, Dell gave more priority to the above goal rather than mere growth. 6. Utilitarianism: Seeking the greatest good for the greatest number ‘ And reducing their inventories and overhear expenses. (Disdain Inventory) ‘ Knowing exactly what the customer wants and then provide it. (Always listen to Customer and never sell indirect) ‘ Thus operating at maximum Efficiency by not producing products until they know it is sold. 7. Social Learning Theory: ‘ Through Observations: i. Price is not a sustainable competitive advantage. ii. Understand the economies of each segment: Product, Use, Geography, Customer, etc. iii. Observations from Employee Interactions through following questionnaire: ‘ What are customers telling you? ‘ How do you think the company’s products are doing? ‘ What are our biggest challenges? ‘ What are the biggest threats to our success? ‘ How can the company support you better? ‘ Through own Experience: i. Introducing of Dell’s 30-days Guarantee: After realizing the customer’s insecurity and low levels satisfaction in online purchases, Dell for the first time in the industry introduced this scheme to promote online business-business methodology. ii. Targeting large companies for business to grow wider and faster. Thus making global expansion plans (outside US). 8. Contrast Effect (Perception): When Dell displayed their 12 Mhz high sped Machine in the Comdex show, they earned a good reputation for the product what they have manufactured. Taking products early to market and then capturing customers. 9. Job Enrichment: Train employees to act and think like owners. 10. Operant Based Learning – Make failures with learning acceptable. Dell also learned few things in a hard way. The following words spoke by Michael Dell from the book states this: 11. Selective Perception: Dell initially being more opportunistic tried entering into every sector of the market. This prevented them to make the best decisions and slowed down its growth rate. Then Dell differentiated the tasks: what to do and what not to? And accordingly assign or define goals. This way it has leant selective perception. ‘ CONCLUSION The book is a very good read, and the business principles highlighted above are truly excellent. The very core thing that drives the business is the fact that everything revolves around the customer. Listening to customer feedback, acting on it promptly and adding value to the customer are among the top priority for Dell. Dell has a good organisational practice in place always striving to attract and retain talents, thus making it the best place to work at. This perhaps has helped dell to achieve great heights and proceed beyond the set objectives.

Ismg 12 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ismg 12 - Essay Example The Doctrine of Completed Staff Work makes perfect sense in the world of instant information access. This is because the doctrine advertises for full participation of workers in an organization. This is because an IT company needs such individuals, as well as the ideas of every member of the organization (Austin, Nolan and O’Donnell 200). An IT company needs innovation. People who work in an IT company are creative, and should be allowed to share information with everyone. This is what brings success to a company. Even though, this might make the company vulnerable, it works to the advantage of the company when the corporate culture allows workers to be open (Austin, Nolan and O’Donnell 200). Barton should not bypass the CEO, and tell the board regarding his news. This is because the CEO is Barton’s immediate boss, and; hence, Barton is responsible first to the CEO and then the board. The CEO also expects his workers to share any vital information with him before handing the matter to the board (Austin, Nolan and O’Donnell 202). In only some exceptional cases is where a worker can share information with the board without talking to his or her CEO. However, in Barton’s situation, it is advisable that he consults the CEO before talking to the board. This is because Barton’s CEO might feel out, which might ruin the relation of Barton and his CEO (Austin, Nolan and O’Donnell 202). I agree with Maggie that it is advisable to maintain talks with Williams as this will honor him as the boss of the company. This will also keep the boss prepared in case of any bad news regarding the actions being planned (Austin, Nolan and O’Donnell 203). Maggie know that Williams could be a stubborn person, and when he feels left out in matters that should involve him, then the firm will suffer from his quarrels. It is essential to keep the boss posted, and ask him/her what they think about

Boot camps Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Boot camps - Essay Example Gaylene Styve Armstrong is also an author and a visiting assistant professor who works with the Administration of Justice Department in Arizona State University West in Phoenix. Lastly, there is Ojmarrh Mitchell who is a research assistant professor in Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice in University of Maryland. Other than Mitchell, the rest of the authors are PhD holders. This research was funded and given full support after the funding by Corrections Program Office in the US Department of Justice. The funds were transferred to the researchers through the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The problem under research was that despite the growth in the boot camps’ popularity over the years from 1990, the environment under which the correction to the juvenile offenders was carried out was still traditional using military-style methods of management. The research therefore aims to provide the staff of these boot camps with more control over the juveniles but at the same time maintain a safe environment for correction. The hypothesis is that the use of boot camps in comparison with the traditional facilities for juvenile offenders is more effective and provides more positive impact on juvenile correctional programs and institutions. The population studied was both the juveniles and the staff. The juveniles were 4121 and the staff 1362. The sampling technique employed was systematic sampling starting from the state to the agencies responsible for the boot camps and finally to the particular boot camps. This therefore made the sample to have 27 boot camps and 22 traditional facilities. The methods used to collect data were structured interviews and questionnaires. The questionnaires were administered to the juveniles and lower staff while the administrators were subjected to the structured interviews. The analysis was done by use of factor analysis method where fourteen scales (Perceptual Environmental

Global Transportation Providers APL; OHL; COSCO Essay

Global Transportation Providers APL; OHL; COSCO - Essay Example OHL OHL is one of the largest third party logistic services providers in the world. It provides supply chain management services to top organizations of the world. Its services include transportation, custom brokerage, warehousing etc. Its tracking system is one of the most sophisticated in the world. Its shipment tracking system is based on GPS and EDI shipment tracking system and offer real time tracking system. OHL also does not provide facility to track the shipments online from any web browser whereas APL provides such facility. COSCO COSCO is relatively young company with over 25 years of experience in the industry. It uses an innovative and new technology to track its shipments. It serves mostly Asian markets including Japan, rest of Asia, North America and Europe. It manages IRIS-2 system which helps to manage its shipment tracking. It is considered as one of the most sophisticated systems in the industry. Advantages & Disadvantages One of the most important advantages of shipment tracking system for any transportation firm is the fact that it provides the company necessary flexibility as well as depth and breadth to mange cargos on large scales. Though most of the systems used by modern shipping companies are technology based therefore they enjoy the necessary advantages due to their technological superiority. As for as the system of APL is concerned, it is considered as one of the highly sophisticated and state of art system. In its essence, this is wireless system based on RFID. APL attaches RFID tags to most of its shipments to track their shipments. (Cox, 2006). However, the real draw back of this system is the fact the tags need to past certain posts in order to located therefore if a new container replaces another one the it may take a bit longer for the system to accurately give the real time location of the shipments based on their time. It is also important to understand that APL is also using WAVES which is based on a very complex technology which provides a much greater advantage over its competitors because it is not used by any other transportation firms in the world. This propriety use of a very complex and sophisticated system provide necessary competitive advantage. The shipment tracking system of OHL is a bit old and is considered as less sophisticated than APL. Based on GPS and EDI, this system is bit slower especially in terms of downloading the data from the real time location to the servers of the firm therefore accurate tracking takes slightly higher than other systems such as with APL. COSCO's system is supported by Sybase Inc. Sybase is one of the highly regarded company in terms of producing robust and sophisticated systems. COSCO adapted "Sybase's Adaptive Server Enterprise, Replication Server, Open Client and jConnect in its IRIS-2 System for data collection, storage, conversion, processing and analysis" (Connolly, 2008). The system employed by COSCON is much more sophisticated than the systems at APL and OHL. It not only provides a much more comprehensive tracking of the shipments but also enable COSCON to analyze the data on real time basis. However, it is also importan

Assignment1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment1 - Essay Example Marketing is about the customers and the values they seek for the products and services they want to buy. Levitt provides a broad definition of marketing that is not limited to the product or company alone. He expands his definition to include customers and the world they live in. In essence, he uses a systems theory approach to marketing, because he understands marketing as the sum of its parts. The most important part is not the product system or supply chain system, though they are evidently critical to the business systems of firms. The most critical part is the system where customers are found. This system includes all factors that affect the customers’ buying attitudes, values, and behaviors. Marketing is about knowing this system and producing and selling products that relate to the customers’ system. The customers’ world is marketing’s world. This paper also agrees that having a â€Å"visceral feel of greatness† (Levitt 20) is pertinent to survival in this highly competitive world. This greatness should emanate from the leaders and infect the workplace (Levitt 20). The main point is: â€Å"Management must think of itself not as producing products but as providing customer creating value satisfactions† and that â€Å"It must push this idea (and everything it means and requires) into every nook and cranny of the organization† (Levitt 21). Marketing supports business vision and goals. The vision is to respond to customers’ value satisfactions needs. Marketing specifically pushes its products/services to customers and the whole company should be part of the marketing effort. This makes sense because when a few employees go astray in the vision, they will think that they are marketing products only and that is wrong, because marketing revolves around consumers. Levitt provides a useful, though expansive,

Purpose of Article 234 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Purpose of Article 234 - Essay Example (3) Where any such question is raised in a case pending before a court or tribunal of a Member State, against whose decisions there is no judicial remedy under national law, that court or tribunal shall bring the matter before the Court of Justice. We can see that the European Court of Justice can only deliver preliminary rulings in certain circumstances and from a limited subset of organisations - namely courts and tribunals. Certain criteria must be fulfilled before a national court or tribunal can invoke Art 243. Closer examination of the provisions of the Art 234 leads us to ask the following questions: Article 249 makes it clear that a European Union Decision is 'binding in its entirety upon those to which it is addressed'. In this case the European Union Decision requires all member states to take necessary measures to ensure that pension schemes are equalised for male and female workers in order to eliminate any forms of discrimination based on gender. The Italian government has lead responsibility to make sure it is implemented. What is not clear on the facts before us is whether there is a question of Community law to be interpreted. The European Court of Justice will not hear any other matter. ... e the European Union Decision requires all member states to take necessary measures to ensure that pension schemes are equalised for male and female workers in order to eliminate any forms of discrimination based on gender. The Italian government has lead responsibility to make sure it is implemented. What is not clear on the facts before us is whether there is a question of Community law to be interpreted. The European Court of Justice will not hear any other matter. This is the only ground on which a national court or tribunal can request a preliminary ruling. If we refer back to Art 234(1) applicants must establish that they require a ruling which pertains to either the interpretation of the Treaty itself and or the interpretation and validity of an act by a European Community institution. With regard to Council statues, the statute itself must grant permission for preliminary hearings on the statue: Art 234(1) If there is no question of Community law to be interpreted then Maria will be denied her request for the Italian Medical Council to seek a preliminary ruling. The European Court of Justice has powers to neither interpret domestic law nor pass judgement on the compatibility of domestic law with European Community law: Van Gend en Loos (case 26/62). In Costa v ENEL (case 6/64) the European Court of Justice said: 'a decision should be given by the Court not upon the validity of an Italian law in relation to the Treaty, but only upon the interpretation of the above-mentioned [Treaty] Articles in the context of the points of law stated by the Giudice Conciliatore' The European Court of Justice also has no jurisdiction to rule on the application of Community law by national courts. Further it cannot invite national courts to refer matters to it: De

Feedback of Failure festival Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Feedback of Failure festival - Essay Example In the event at Boulder, the theme of the festival was the â€Å"Value of Failing.† In the event, various aspects were on the list, among them they functions of failure in our world. The event tries to point out the things that are masked by success, which failure attempts to unmask. The characters of the show are two dancers, a man, and a woman. The invitation to people to help in the coming up with a different perspective towards failure is in the attempt to discuss the role of failure in betterment of human life. In the trailer of the event, there is nothing to see, depicting the masking that has been brought about by success. People do not think of the impact of failure on one’s life, in terms of making him or her better in what they do. The event attempts to widen the scope of view among people of failure as a success booster and motivation to work even harder. The festival’s attempt to change the societal view of failure helps in maximizing the appreciation of failure in people’s day to day

What were the idealistic qualities of communism Research Paper

What were the idealistic qualities of communism - Research Paper Example It was based on the economic principle of ability and need. The principle enunciated by Marx was followed by Russian communist leadership, "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs†. Class domination was abolished as it was not conducive to the welfare of the masses. Production was not for profit and human labor had a new social role. The State was in absolute control of all the economic activities. Worker worked with the missionary zeal and produced commodities not for the profit of his individual master, but he was part of the collective efforts for the welfare of the state. He would work hard to give maximum output. Political power was not an instrument of organized class oppression as under Capitalism and Socialism and classes stood dissolved and there was no possibility of class oppression. Every human being shared equal responsibility, but all this was mere idealism and the grassroots realities for the common man were entirely different and they went through a period of unmentionable miseries. The realities of daily life for people living under Stalin Stalin did not learn something from his own sufferings in childhood and inflicted cruelties on the people and terrorized those who opposed him. He sent his political opponents to prison and labor camps, where grueling hard work awaited them. As a youth leader he had taken part in violent attacks and strikes and he continued with the same working style on getting the supreme position of power in the communist hierarchy in Russia. He initiated the five year plans for development of Russian economy, introduced collective farming, and took away land from the rich farmers to created state-owned farms. This was his first stroke of highhandedness to destroy the farming community and their individuality. He hoped for bumper production of food grains but that did not happen and many people starved. On the political front, he usurped more power and those who opposed his reforms were eit her shot dead or sent to Siberia. He created a dreaded intelligence agency to spy over the activities of people and to collect information from all over the world. Destiny played its part and more suffering awaited the people of Russia. World War II broke out and in 1941 Hitler broke the pact and invaded Russia. The Soviet army defeated the Germans and in the process millions of military personnel and the civilians died. A section of the people benefited during the regime of Stalin. He supported women empowerment, gave them jobs and education. On the economic front, with the improvement in transportation facilities and with the construction of new railway lines, people heaved a sigh of relief. Stalin exhibited sterling qualities of a statesman, when Germans captured Yakov, son from his first wife; they desired to trade him for a German Officer. Stalin did not relent and asserted that he had millions of sons and that Germans must free all or none of them. Communist ideology did not t hrive under Stalin and people suffered much. The original revolutionaries lost much of their fire and inspiration and exploitation of the people began. Turn the pages of history, and we find that the people were always attracted by the lofty ideals of fraternity equality and liberty. When these rights were denied to majority of the citizens, societies went through great convulsions. With the onset of industrial revolution, workers migrated from rural areas to towns and lived in a new set up. Gradually, the worker became a victim of injustice, harassment and exploitation. Protest movements

Differences and Similarities in the Arguments for Legalizing Marijuana Essay Example for Free

Differences and Similarities in the Arguments for Legalizing Marijuana Essay Differences and Similarities in the Arguments for Legalizing Marijuana The legalization of marijuana has become a mainstream issue that the nation has become highly concerned about in recent years. Lately more and more conservative opposers have begun to change their minds, realizing the benefits of marijuana. Debate followers go as far as saying that it is no longer a question of if marijuana will be legalized, but when. The shift in viewpoints is due to the increasing awareness of some of the positive effects legalizing marijuana could have on the country. Pro-legalization advocates argue that the benefits of legalizing marijuana greatly outnumber the benefits of keeping it illegal. There are several, very different arguments for the pro-pot stance advocates have taken. They claim legalization would be beneficial by causing a significant reduction in crime (which would empty prisons and save millions of dollars in tax money), creating a new industry that can be taxed and regulated, boosting the economy, and a new, effective, and low-dependency medicine. These benefits seem to be universally desired by the pro-pot party and are often mentioned in literature advocating marijuana legalization. Another similarity in arguments usually revolves around the issue of medical marijuana. Some advocates call for marijuana to be completely legalized, including use for recreational purposes, but this is opposed in most cases. Some advocates only want marijuana legalization if there will be strict regulations and restrictions on who can use it. In the article â€Å"Weed All About It,† Gary Cartwright gives ample evidence and quotations from experts that form his pro legalization argument: â€Å"In 1988 the Drug Enforcement Administrations chief law judge declared that ‘marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest  therapeutically active substances known to man’ (87). Cartwright goes into specific ways that legalization of marijuana could benefit the country,  including the economical and societal impacts, and medicinal use. He also addresses questions most advocates ten to shy away from because of the lack of certainty in the answer (like, â€Å"Would marijuana use increase if it was legalized?†). One similarity of Cartwright’s stance and other articles is the the claim that prohibiting the use of marijuana is unconstitutionally, and making the government seem like the bad guy. In â€Å"Medical Marijuana 2010: It’s Time to Fix the Regulatory Vacuum,† Peter Cohen claims that restricting doctors from recommending marijuana to alleviate symptoms is a violation of free speech and that â€Å"science, not ideology, should be dispositive† (3). Cohen continues to set up the government as the villain by describing two seemingly non-coincidental events in which fullyfunded teams of qualified scientists were  denied access o marijuana by the DEA, while simultaneously being supported by a long list of research organizations An argument in the article, â€Å"Obama, the Fourteenth Amendment and the Drug War,† by Martin D. Carcie uses the Constitution as the backbone in justifying its position. According to Carcie, marijuana prohibition directly violates our Fourteenth Amendment, â€Å"under the Fourteenth Amendment, bodily autonomy i.e., the control over the borders and contents of one’s body burdened by laws like marijuana prohibitionis a fundamental right† (308). Cartwright does not explicitly mention the Constitution in his article, but makes the same claim that Cohen and Carcie make; â€Å"Some people will use drugs no matter what the consequences, butthe user primarily harms himself. When he harms others, we do something about it, just as  we arrest those who drink and drive† (Cartwright 88). Cartwright also builds the government up to be the villain, claiming that, â€Å"Over time, law enforcement officials have repeatedly misled the public and the media about the so=c alled scourge of drugs† (Cartwright 88). Both authors do this to give the reader the ability to look at the article with a blank slate. They know their audience is anti-legalization, so they want to make sure that the readers know, before they choose a stance, they’ve been lied to. This makes  the authors seem like more trustworthy and rational choice. By using the Constitution to back up their arguments, there is no real way to justify anti-legalization. Assumptions will be made that you’re anti-Constitution, and in turn, anti-American. Another similarity between Cartwright’s stance and other arguments for marijuana legalization is the huge emphasis on the effects it will have on the economy. In the article â€Å"Up In Smoke,† Kelley Beaucar Vlahos describes the economic benefits of legalization, while giving real number estimates of how much revenue could be brought in or saved. She writes, â€Å"Proponents of Prop 19 claimed taxes on legalized cannabis could bring upwards of $1.4 billion in to beleaguered state coffers† (Vlahos 18). Cartwright does this in his article as well, stating that â€Å"In America, we spend nearly $8 billion trying to enforce the laws prohibiting the use and possesson of marijuana† (Cartwright 86). Cartwright further supports this argument by providing more proof of the waste of taxpayers’ dollars, stating that â€Å"in Texas, 97 percent of all marijuana arrests are for simple possessionan ounce or lessat a cost to taxpayers of $480 million a year† (86). Cartwright chooses to provide the reader with these statistics for deliberate reasons: it provides a shock factor that he utilizes to sway the reader’s opinions. Vlahos also uses this same technique by including several statistics. This is much more effective than giving ambiguous amounts, like â€Å"a lot or â€Å"millions† because giving an exact estimate shows that there has been a significant amount of research about the economic benefits of marijuana, making the reader more likely to trust the numbers. By using the phrase â€Å"simple possession,† Cartwright builds up the worth of the money spent by making it seem like possession is harmless, forcing the reader to feel indignant. The authors also choose to talk about the economy because it is the highest concern of the counrty right now, and they present marijuana as an instant solution. The argument for the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes in Cohen’s article is consisten with Cartwright’s article as well. Cohen’s article is mainly about the benefits of marijuana as a medicine. In the article, he disproves the government’s claim that marijuana has no therapeutic value and describes specific symptoms marijuana could help with, â€Å"Several studies publishedhave demonstrated that the drug is sage and  effective in controlling nausea and other adverse effects of chemotherapy, relieving multiple sclerosis-induced spasticity, easing certain types of pain, and ameliorating weight loss accompanying AIDS† (Cohen 657). Cartwright does the same thing using more of an emotional technique by describing a group of people in wheelchairs that use marijuana for relief from pain. Both articles advocate for medical marijuana, but the way they go about making their arguments differ. Cohen approaches the topic of medical marijuana more scientifically than Cartwright does, using several studies and scientific evidence as his argument’s support. Cohen is also much more specific in the particular ways marijuana can be used, and provides suggestions on how to regulate the drug. The reader automatically feels sympathy for the people in wheelchairs and they become victims in the reader’s mind. Cartwright also gives a second example of a quadriplegic man that was thrown into jail for possession without regard for his medical needs, further establishing a feeling of empathy from his audience. Cohen uses such an ample amount of hard evidence it’s impossible not to trust him. By doing this, Cohen reaches out to his specific audience, the American Medical Association, in a much more effective way. The topic of marijuana legalization is very complex. The multiple points of views, though sharing the same goal, differ regarding how to succeed at accomplishing those goals and for what purpose. Through the different means that each of these authors use to convey their message, they all, in the end, support their individual arguments effectively.

The Effects of Global Financial Crisis in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Global Financial Crisis in Nigeria Essay The global financial crisis began in the United States of America and the United Kingdom when the global credit market came to a standstill in July 2007 (Avgouleas, 2008). The crisis, brewing for a while, really started to show its effects in the middle of 2008. Around the world stock markets have fallen, large financial institutions have collapsed or been bought out, and governments in even the wealthiest nations have had to come up with rescue packages to bail out their financial systems. It is a well known fact that the world is now a global village. As a result of this, the global economic meltdown is having a side effect on Nigerians to an extent that people’s standard of living has been seriously affected. The side effects on Nigerians include high cost of commodities, upsurge in social vices and unemployment. As a way of managing the situation, the government should cut down on the salaries of public office holders and reduce excessive spending in order to utilize the little resources available to provide the needed infrastructural facilities that will make life meaningful to the people, and focus attention on important projects. The concept of financial crisis The term financial crisis is applied broadly to a variety of situations in which some financial institutions or assets suddenly lose a large part of their value. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many financial crises were associated with banking panics, and many recessions coincided with these panics. Other situations that are often called financial crises include stock market crashes and the bursting of other financial bubbles, currency crises, and sovereign defaults (Kindleberger and Aliber, 2005, Laeven and Valencia, 2008). Causes of the Crisis The reasons for this crisis are varied and complex, but largely it can be attributed to a number of factors in both the housing and credit markets, which developed over an extended period of time. Some of these include: the inability of homeowner to make their mortgage payments, poor judgement by the borrower and/or lender, speculation and overbuilding during the boom period, risky mortgage products, high personal and corporate debt levels, financial innovation that distributed and concealed default risks, central bank policies, and regulation (Stiglitz,2008). Africa and the Global Financial Crisis The direct impact of the financial crisis on the African economies has thus far been limited as most commercial banks in the region refrained from investing in the troubled assets from the US and other part of the world. This is why most commentators argue that Africa is so far insulated from the direct effects of the financial crisis. The current financial crisis affects Africa and other developing countries in two possible ways; First, there could be financial contagion and spillovers for stock markets in Africa. Stock markets in the region showed some volatility, driven by a sell-off by foreign investors. The Nigerian stock market for instance has been experiencing a continuous downward trend in prices of stocks for over two months now. The India stock market dropped by 8% in one day at the same time as stock markets in the USA and Brazil plunged. Stock markets across the world – developed and developing – have all dropped substantially since May 2008. Share prices have tumble between 12 and 19% in the USA, UK and Japan in just one week, while the MSCI emerging market index fell 23%. This includes stock markets in Brazil, South Africa, India and China (ODI, 2008). We need to better understand the nature of the financial linkages, how they occur (as they do appear to occur) and whether anything can be done to minimise contagion. Possible Policy responses The current macro-economic and social challenges posed by the global financial crisis require a much better understanding of appropriate policy responses. Some recommended policy responses which can be applied to the situation in Nigeria are enumerated as follows: †¢ There needs to be a better understanding of what can provide financial stability, how crossborder cooperation can help to provide the public good of international financial rules and systems, and what the most appropriate rules are with respect to development. There needs to be an understanding of whether and how Nigeria and other developing countries can minimise financial contagion; †¢ Nigeria and other developing countries will also need to manage the implications of the current economic slowdown – after a period of strong and continued growth in developing countries, which has promoted interest in structural factors of growth, international macro economic management will now move up the policy agenda. †¢ Nigeria and other developing countries need to understand the social outcomes and provide appropriate social protection schemes. †¢ Central Banks should regulate issue of foreign exchange to companies during this time of crisis to avoid creating a deep in foreign reserves. †¢ Non-bank financial sector such as Pension Funds should also be regulated. This is to protect pension funds from being invested in some of this complex instruments to enable them meet their liquidity obligation as at when due. †¢ African countries should strengthen domestic and regional markets and boost intra-African trade and it is also important to promote domestic tourism. †¢ There is a need for new stability of the global financial system in which the voice of every nation, every continent is heard and their concerns taken into account. Conclusion The global financial crisis is already causing a considerable slowdown in most developed countries. Governments around the word are trying to contain the crisis, but many suggest the worst is not yet over. Stock markets are down more than 40% from their recent highs. Investment banks have collapsed, rescue packages are drawn up involving more than a trillion US dollars, and interest rates have been cut around the world with US and Japan cutting theirs to all time low of 0. 25% and 0. 1% respectively (bbc. co. uk), in what looks like a coordinated response. With a recession already in place in most developed countries, Nigeria and other developing countries should try and come up with policies that will minimise the spread of this crisis to their economy.

Crosscultural business communication

Crosscultural business communication Intercultural, or crosscultural business communication is one of the most critical factors contributing to business growth and success in todays ever more complex global marketplace whether in Toronto, Canada or internationally. The ability of companies to acquire intercultural competence can either make or break their chances of success in an increasingly competitive, international business arena. As a result, many companies and organizations are wisely investing in cultural awareness training for their leaders and employees in order to tap into some huge potential international markets. [Clark 1999] Even within a single country such as the United States of America, Canada, Australia or the United Kingdom, the population is coming from an increasingly diverse cultural background and many languages are being spoken in addition to a common language such as English. In London alone, the number of cultural backgrounds and languages can run into hundreds while the Hispanics and the Asian communities in the United States of America have become increasingly important as a result of their growing population. [Hyland 1996] Prior to proceeding further, the question that needs to be asked is what is meant by business communications? Effective business communication occurs whenever someone conveys relevant information in any form. Effective communication involves information that is timely for decisionmaking as well as that which promotes your business through advertising and public relations. Idle conversation about the weather or last nights ball game is not necessarily unimportant in a business setting. Hence business communications is not just about writing memos in an office for a culturally diverse workforce or letters to other businesses and offices with which a firm may have dealings. Small talk is an important part of employee relations and is necessary to establish the channels of communication. If a business is related to the entertainment or sports industries, it would no longer be small talk, and could be considered keeping up with the competition or market comparisons. Key elements of busine ss communication are conveyance, effectiveness, structure and editing. Conveying meaning in business communication is of the utmost importance. One has to start with some idea of what the audience or market is required to understand, and this has to be narrowed down to one specific message. In todays hectic and fastpaced business world, no one has the time or patience to figure out a wellintended but obscure purpose. This is particularly true when one is trying to persuade someone towards a line of reasoning, as in an advertisement, sales pitch or job interview. [Clark 1999] When the sole intent is to market the business, make sure you know the difference between advertising and public relations. Advertising involves paying to promote your business through various media. Public relations dont cost anything and refers to anything that conveys a positive image for a business. [Winters 2004] Networking can aid a companys public relations effort in talking to potential customers/ clients, council members and others vital to getting the word out. While networking may cost a business executive a lunch here or there, its main expense is your time and energy. If you are a small business just starting out, it may be more economically feasible to rely heavily on public relations in the beginning or a novel form of advertising, i.e. if there is a small business that paints portraits, there could be a photoprocessor putting out the companys flyers in with their customers pictures. In any case, remember to be bold and stay focused with name recognition and wordofmouth promotion. [Winters 2004] Using a direct approach when structuring communications, whether it is a letter, memo, phone call, or proposal can be important. This does not mean the writer is being blunt or curt in your message. The communication should start with a clear understanding of what is required to be expressed, followed by supporting details, facts and examples. The supporting information should emphasize the main theme of the communication and avoid losing the readers with wordy or flowery prose. Remember that the intent is to convey a specific message and not to entertain or bore the readers. [Hinner 1998] The choice of words, whether written or spoken, is an important consideration and this consideration may be different in different cultures. When composing a letter, thinking about the next conference call or designing the next advertisement consider the intended audience and the complexity of the topic. Multicultural audiences require a different approach from that which may be required in a Japanese market. A lot of research about Arab values and their society will be required for entering the Arab markets and selling cars that have been manufactured by a Japanese parent company. In an effort to sell those cars, there will be an interaction between the Arab local area office and the Japanese Head office in the form of exchange of memos, letters and office documents as well as face to face meetings and interactions which will involve multifaceted communications between two cultures. In such cultural exchanges, care is required o ensure that there is an understanding of both cultures and values in both the societies. [Hinner 1998] Hence there is a requirement for the understanding of cultural norms and values when selling goods and services internationally or in culturally diverse societies and communities. [Hinner 1998] In this paper, we consider various aspects of multicultural business communications and why multicultural business communications is receiving increasing attention in business circles. Diversity in todays workplace and marketplace Todays expanding racial, ethnic and cultural diversity makes it obvious that it will be nearly impossible in the future to manage a workforce or market products as we have in the past. All forms of business communications are affected. [Walker Yabarra 2004] Earlier in this century, immigrants and secondgeneration Americans found jobs that entailed long, grueling hours in steel mills, shoe factories and textile mills. Workers spoke a tapestry of languages, but during the workday these employees learned to speak English. They learned to do whatever it took to conform to the expectations of their employers and society. In a business age defined by mass production and mass marketing, the individual got lost. Workers from diverse cultures and backgrounds learned to assimilate. Immigrants Americanized their names. They learned to talk alike, walk alike, and in so doing many discarded centuriesold traditions and customs. [Walker Yabarra 2004] As people from all over the world came to America, attitudes evolved. Meanwhile, a host of changes took place in society. After two world wars, the United States was transformed into a superpower. Women and minorities began making strides in the workplace. And a growing interdependence among nations has contributed to the growth of international trade and created the global village. [Winters 2004] As all of those societal changes took place, America learned to take pride in its identity as home to a rich mixture of a variety of ethnic groups and cultures. And by the 1990s, with the continual influx of new immigrants, second and thirdgeneration Americans, along with some minorities have come to take more outward pride in their very own cultural distinctions. One case in point is the 25millionstrong U.S. Hispanic market. It is estimated that this market will grow to 30 million by the year 2000. This represents $215 billion in purchasing power, which is expected to rise to $477 billion by the turn of the century. Yet, the numbers dont tell the whole story. U.S. Hispanics have different habits and tastes, depending on cultural values and customs deriving from their respective national origins. Mexican Americans, more prevalent in the west and southwest, respond differently to certain marketing techniques and messages than Cuban Americans in the southeast and Puerto Ricans in the northeast. [Walker Yabrra 2004] As a result of changes in the composition of the workplace, our poll found that most public relations executives believe that the industry will have to become more sophisticated in multicultural communications techniques. These techniques might include training or other measures. Organizations currently offer employees special training programs that cover ethnic diversity issues, gender issues, and issues centered on the disabled. [Simpson 2004] In a business where the supply of good jobs vastly outnumbers those seeking communications jobs, the public relations industry has to approach recruiting, training and communicating to a diverse range of audiences in a more sophisticated manner. And like the organizations we serve, we are only slightly ahead of the curve on marketing to a multicultural society that no longer demands that individuals assimilate to become accepted. [Walker Yabrra 2004] The path we must follow is well marked. It starts with our hiring practices. And it continues with the training programs we conduct, the communications programs we create and implement, and the audiences we include in all of our communications. Diversity is a process that begins with an open mind and never ends. [Walker Yabrra 2004] Cross cultural communication Businesses that hope to sell to or work with clients on an international level, or work with or manage staff members located here in the U.S. or in a company location abroadwho may also be from varying cultural backgroundswill require that their managers, HR directors, and sales forces possess the specialized knowledge and skills to make the most of internal, as well as external business relationships. [Winters 2004] As in any relationship, effective communication skills play a pivotal role. Even in the advertising industry, unless you understand your target market and possess adequate research and data on its demographics and psychographics, your odds for success are greatly diminished. The same is true when managing a diverse workforce, or selling products and services to peoples of other culturesthe more you know about them, the better! [Simpson 2004] In California for instance, a unique marketplace encompasses a melting pot of businesses that are not always Americanowned or based. And even if they are, these businesses often employ people from varying cultures and provide services to people and companies across the globe. This is why heightened understanding and methods of communication are so important in todays business world and the main reason why many universities and institutions have focused on providing cross cultural education courses.[Simpson 2004] The new dimensions of communications Todays global, networked computing environment creates the potential for adding new dimensions to the processes of communication. These include: [The Knowledge Management Connection 2004] Semantic precision and disambiguation. Words are the very imprecise means by which we painfully encode and try to transfer the multidimensional knowledge in one brain to another brain where they are painfully and imprecisely converted back into knowledge. Consuming content — in the form of oral conversations or email or many kinds of documents — entails continuous reinterpretation of words, introducing costs of both time and accuracy. Descriptions, examples, and continuous refinement of content alone are not enough — and certainly not efficient enough. Examples of new precise semantic information in communications include Yahoo and other web directories as well as corporate taxonomies. Integration of structural knowledge. Billions of dollars can be saved every month by detecting the similarities among online queries, email exchanges, and other forms of informationseeking and by providing shortcuts to disambiguation of meaning and accurate retrieval. For integration of structural knowledge, concepts in communications need to be explicit and precise. Continuous connection to application of knowledge. Authority on new business problems ultimately comes from application, not theory. Knowledge seekers must be able to move directly from experiences to authority — with or without interpretation, but always with comprehensive, reliable memory. â€Å"Doubleloop communication.† Valuable knowledge emerges from the sum of all questions, answers, the processes of exchange, and those who engage in that exchange — not just from the sum of all answers. Acts of communication are themselves sources of knowledge. Questions and answers are not dissociated. Questions constitute value themselves. The emergence of patterns as expertise. Newness and heterogeneity of tasks means there simply are no experts on many topics. But the construction of an explicit resource with precisely modeled semantic content ultimately enables us to detect patterns within that structural knowledge. In the knowledgedriven business environment, such patterns will often be the only resource for expertise on some problems. Conclusion In conclusion, it may be stated that there are new and emerging changes going on in the field of communications resulting from changing demographics of the communities in which the business must operate. Another force which is changing the way business communication, knowledge retrieval and storage as well as the way in which business is being conducted is the advent of computers and associated technologies in business. The business communication milieu must, therefore, be researched and has assumed a far increasing level of importance in the present age. References Dou, Weilin Clark, George William Jr. (June 22, 1999). Appreciating the Diversity in Multicultural Communication Styles.. Business Forum. Referenced: June 3, 2004. Web site: http://static.highbeam.com/b/businessforum/june221999/appreciatingthediversityinmulticulturalcommunicati/ Paul Hyland et al. (Fall 1996). MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR A MULTICULTURAL LEARNING ORGANIZATION. University of Western Sydney. Referenced: June 3, 2004. Web site: http://www.google.com.pk/search?q=cache:YJNcXoM7eGgJ:www.csupomona.edu/~jis/1996/Hyland.pdf+multicultural+business+communications+hl=en Elaine Winters. (2004). Cultural issues in communication. Elaine Winters. Referenced: June 3, 2004. Web site: http://www.bena.com/ewinters/culiss.html Michael B. Hinner. (May 1998). The Importance of Intercultural Communication in a Globalized World. Technische Universitï ¿ ½t Bergakademie Freiber. Referenced: June 2, 2004. Web site: http://www.google.com.pk/search?q=cache:pCpyTZqJjYJ:www.wiwi.tufreiberg.de/englisch/downloads/Global.PDF+importance+of+multicultural+business+communicationshl=en AME Info. (May 20, 2004). Nissan launches communications initiative with CNBC Arabiya. AME Info. Referenced: June 3, 2004. Web site: http://www.ameinfo.com/news/Detailed/39934.html Patrice Simpson. (2004). Intercultural Communication. Society and Culture Association. Referenced: June 3, 2004. Web site: http://hsc.csu.edu.au/pta/scansw/intcultsimpson.html Kimberley WalkerYbarra. (April 12, 2004). Bridging the business world communica. (Crosscultural communication). San Diego Business Journal, April 12, 2004 v25 i15 pA2(2) The Knowledge Management Connection. Why Communication is the Answer. The Knowledge Management Connection. Referenced: June 5, 2004. Web site: http://www.kmconnection.com/Why_communication_is_the_answer.htm

Investigation into Chair Design Essay examples -- essays papers

Investigation into Chair Design For my Investigation into chair designs I choose to investigate how simplistic and basic the chairs have become. From Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who was renowned for his style and applied decoration to Philippe Stark who has taken simplistic to another level. I have investigated how the designers have used applied decoration to enhance the look of their chair, to how functional the pieces are (or in some cases un-functional! ). HIGH BACKED CHAIR - CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH - 1902 Mackintosh produced designs on a whole range of furnishings as well as his architectural designs. Many of these were purely functional but he also produced many ‘artistic’ pieces throughout his life. Because of the large amount of applied decoration on Macintosh’s pieces that it could be argued that each piece is a finely detailed work of art itself. Probably the most famous of such pieces are his famous high backed chairs. The high backed chair I have chosen to study was made for the International Exhibition of modern Decorative Art, held in Turin in Italy in 1902 The chair appears to have a very low seat, being only a quarter of the height of the actual chair, this also may perhaps be due to the fact the seat is fairly broad at the front, widening out from a fairly narrow back. The back of the chair is as wide as the back of the seat but tapers towards the top. This main support is framed with two tall slim struts. The construction of the low seat and tapering back makes the chair look almost abstract because of these bizarre proportions. In the photograph it looks as if the picture has been taken from a strange angle which has distorted the shape. There is little in the way of applied decoration on the chair except for the back, which on a portion is padded and covered in a light blue-grey colour. On this is a painted stylised rose bush design that fills the width of the padded portion. Beneath this is what appears to be wilting petals falling from the bush. At the top of the chair carved into a piece of wood is an organic form of sorts with the typical Art Nouveau whiplash stretching the length of it. Mackintosh was renowned for his stylised design - taking the natural form of something, for example a flower, and altering it to fit his style - this could possibly be a very developed stylised design Against the white wood work of this desi... ...d in adds plentiful character to the chair. The function of this chair is to be ‘fun’, to add character to someone’s dining room and I think that this chair would look good in any room regardless of the decor. From this investigation I was surprised by the range of different styles and forms that a chair could take. I enjoyed the form of the God Raysse, but my favourite would have to be the Pepe Chair by far due to its larger than life personality. From the ‘classic’, ‘traditional’ designers like Macintosh who revolutionised and popularised the style of Art Nouveau and to this day still has an impact and influence on designers world wide whether it be on furniture, windows or clothes, to modern designers who have also revolutionised the ‘simplistic’ style making it take many forms from ‘drips’ to ‘giraffes’. For instance the Pepe Chair took the high backed chair and gave it a modern day simplistic twist. Who knows where our rears shall sit in years to come? Shall we be sitting on more simplistic designs than the ones I have used as examples in this investigation or pieces complex beyond the imagination. Who knows? We shall just have to wait and see where our bums shall lead us! Investigation into Chair Design Essay examples -- essays papers Investigation into Chair Design For my Investigation into chair designs I choose to investigate how simplistic and basic the chairs have become. From Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who was renowned for his style and applied decoration to Philippe Stark who has taken simplistic to another level. I have investigated how the designers have used applied decoration to enhance the look of their chair, to how functional the pieces are (or in some cases un-functional! ). HIGH BACKED CHAIR - CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH - 1902 Mackintosh produced designs on a whole range of furnishings as well as his architectural designs. Many of these were purely functional but he also produced many ‘artistic’ pieces throughout his life. Because of the large amount of applied decoration on Macintosh’s pieces that it could be argued that each piece is a finely detailed work of art itself. Probably the most famous of such pieces are his famous high backed chairs. The high backed chair I have chosen to study was made for the International Exhibition of modern Decorative Art, held in Turin in Italy in 1902 The chair appears to have a very low seat, being only a quarter of the height of the actual chair, this also may perhaps be due to the fact the seat is fairly broad at the front, widening out from a fairly narrow back. The back of the chair is as wide as the back of the seat but tapers towards the top. This main support is framed with two tall slim struts. The construction of the low seat and tapering back makes the chair look almost abstract because of these bizarre proportions. In the photograph it looks as if the picture has been taken from a strange angle which has distorted the shape. There is little in the way of applied decoration on the chair except for the back, which on a portion is padded and covered in a light blue-grey colour. On this is a painted stylised rose bush design that fills the width of the padded portion. Beneath this is what appears to be wilting petals falling from the bush. At the top of the chair carved into a piece of wood is an organic form of sorts with the typical Art Nouveau whiplash stretching the length of it. Mackintosh was renowned for his stylised design - taking the natural form of something, for example a flower, and altering it to fit his style - this could possibly be a very developed stylised design Against the white wood work of this desi... ...d in adds plentiful character to the chair. The function of this chair is to be ‘fun’, to add character to someone’s dining room and I think that this chair would look good in any room regardless of the decor. From this investigation I was surprised by the range of different styles and forms that a chair could take. I enjoyed the form of the God Raysse, but my favourite would have to be the Pepe Chair by far due to its larger than life personality. From the ‘classic’, ‘traditional’ designers like Macintosh who revolutionised and popularised the style of Art Nouveau and to this day still has an impact and influence on designers world wide whether it be on furniture, windows or clothes, to modern designers who have also revolutionised the ‘simplistic’ style making it take many forms from ‘drips’ to ‘giraffes’. For instance the Pepe Chair took the high backed chair and gave it a modern day simplistic twist. Who knows where our rears shall sit in years to come? Shall we be sitting on more simplistic designs than the ones I have used as examples in this investigation or pieces complex beyond the imagination. Who knows? We shall just have to wait and see where our bums shall lead us!

Vietnam and its Effects :: essays research papers

When many people think about the 1960s, Vietnam and President John F. Kennedy (JFK) come to mind, and for a good reason for that period in history changed millions of lives. Faced with the possible spread of communism through Asia, JFK stayed with his word to fight communism, thus the Vietnam conflict as we know today was started. In the early 1900s, France conquered Vietnam and made it a protectorate, which is a relationship of protection and partial control assumed by a superior power over a dependent country or region For about forty years Vietnam had not experienced settled peace, as a result, The League for the Independence of Vietnam (Viet Minh) was formed in 1941, which sought independence from the French. On September 2,1945, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed Vietnam independent from France. The French government wanted to reestablish their rule in Vietnam but were beaten at the battle of Dien Bien Phu on May 7, 1954. The French Expeditionary Force wanted to prevent the Viet Minh from entering Laos, they made their attack at Dien Bien Phu. Poor planning on the French's part led to their airway support at Hanoi to be cut-off by the Viet Minh. After fifty-five grueling days of battle, the French surrendered. Ho Chi Minh led the war against France and was victorious.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the war, at the Geneva Conference of 1954, Vietnam was divided into two parts along the seventeenth parallel. North Vietnam was mostly Communist and supported Ho Chi Minh, while South Vietnam was anti-communist and supported by the United States and France. There were still some Communist rebels remaining within South Vietnam, they were known as the Viet Cong. The ruler at the time of South Vietnam was Ngo Dinh Diem who was anti-Communist. Also at the Geneva Conference of 1954, Laos and Cambodia became independent states. North Vietnam disliked the division of Vietnam, and wished to unify North and South Vietnam. Since the United States feared the spread of communism in Asia, John F. Kennedy provided military support and economic relief to South Vietnam to prevent a takeover by North Vietnam. At this point in time, Vietnam is in the midst of a civil war, so the United States was not officially involved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The North Vietnamese opposed the support that the United States was providing to the South Vietnamese, so in retaliation three torpedo boats targeted and fired upon the United States destroyer Maddox on August 2, 1964.

Many Forms of Plagiarism :: Cheating Writing Education Essays

Many Forms of Plagiarism missing works cited One of the main goals of teachers everywhere is to guide their students to write in a narrative style that carries the reader along logically. Their job is to teach writing skills to enhance this and to help them along their learning journey. In most cases, this begins at an early age with the typical, â€Å"What I did on my summer vacation† story that almost everyone wrote every September in Grammar School. Slowly but surely, the stories got longer and as time did not permit in the classroom, they were being assigned homework. Once the student was out of the watchful eye of the teacher, control over how a student’s story was written was lost. If a student isn’t too imaginative, or is lazy, or waits until the last minute and panics, he or she may look at an alternative way of doing a paper as opposed to doing it themselves. They could have a friend write it, get one from someone in a similar course or, now in the age of the computer simply download one in a matter of seconds. All these dishonest methods of obtaining a paper are forms of plagiarism. It’s when you sign your name to someone else’s work, either in full or in part and there can be severe consequences. To combat the increasing ease of committing plagiarism, educators have had to become just as innovative as their students. Plagiarism exists throughout the educational life of students. It is kind of a test to the student to not participate in this illegal and immoral activity. Though this is a tough challenge to resist, it will make you a better student if you don’t cheat. Not only will this resistance make you a better student; it will ultimately make you a better person later on in your life. This will be the case when you get a career in which you will be responsible to make your own decisions, without the aid of any help. Most jobs no matter what they are, require some type of independent work. If someone plagiarizes throughout their life they will be in a lot of trouble once they get out of University by being unable to perform their job on their own. Plagiarism exists in many forms. The following are examples of plagiarism cases according to Brock University.

Philippine Arts Essay

* 1. Filipino Painters :The Few Cream of the Crop * 2. Damian Domingo â€Å"The First Great Filipino Painter†AKA Damian Gabor Domingo â€Å"Father of Filipino Painting† 1st Filipino to paint his face 1st self-portrait in the Philippines Academia de Dibujo y PinturaDate of Birth: 1796Birthplace: Tondo, Manila, PhilippinesYear of Death: 1834 * 3. La Sagrada Familia * 4. La Sagrada Familia Oil on Copper Sheet Measurements: 48.26(length) x 35 (width) cm Where it was made: Manila, Philippines Time Period: 19th Century; 1820’s to 1830’s Owner: Heirs of Luis Ongpin Museum: Ayala Miuseum * 5. La Sagrada Familia The delicate veil over the Virgin’s head and shoulders is transparent to the point of appearing almost invisible. Cloth folds and curves of the figures’ clothing appear quite realistic. Damian Domingo uses color and drama with control. The painting depicts three generations of the Holy Family. * 6. La Sagrada Familia The infant Jesus and his parents are at the center, His grandparents on either side, and God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the angels high above. It marks the peak of his finely detailed miniaturist style. Two misspelled words in the paintings caption. â€Å"Sagrda† and â€Å"Aana† * 7. Juan Luna â€Å"Ilocano Filipino Painter†Political activist of the Philippine Revolution durin g the late 19th century 1st recognized Philippine artists His 1st tutor Don Lorenzo Guerero was so impressed with his early works Don Lorenzo persuaded his parents to send him to Spain to advance his skillsDate of Birth: October 23,1857Birthplace: Badoc, Ilocos Norte, PhilippinesYear of Death: December 7, 1899 * 8. Spoliarium * 9. Spoliarium Oil-on-Canvas Measurements: 4.22 meters x 7.675 meters Where it was made: Rome Time Period: 19th Century , 1884 Award: 1st prize, gold medal at Exposicion de Bellas Artes of Oil Paintings in Madrid Location: National Museum * 10. Spoliarium Largest painting in the Philippines. The Technique used by the artist is symbolism. Heavy strong brush strokes- expressed his anger over the abuses and cruelties. Lines and color- he captured pathos and barbarism of a decadent empire. * 11. Spoliarium Vertical Lines- evidenced by the straight body of an oppressor suggest strength and stability. Horizontal Lines- seen impression of serenity and repose. Diagonal Lines- clearly shown in the arms of men pulling the wounded gladiator toward the other room. * 12. Spoliarium Most well-known painting by a Filipino artist A building or chamber where the dead bodies of gladiators were taken to be stripped of their armor and weapons prior to the disposal of their bodies. Symbol of our social, moral, and political life: humanity unredeemed, reason and aspiration in open fight with prejudice, fanaticism, and injustice.† * 13. Other works of Juan Luna: Death of Cleopatra (Silver medal, 1881 Museo del Prado in Madrid) Parisian Life (Silver medal, 1889, GSIS Museum) Battle of Lepanto, Blood Compact (1886, Malacaà ±ang Palace) Una Bulakenya (1895, Malacaà ±ang Palace) * 14. Felix Resurreccion HidalgoNational Artist of the Philippines for Painting He studied in the University of Santo Tomas where his artistry was encouraged by Fr. Sabater. He was simultaneously enrolled at the Escuela de Dibujo y Pintura. When Juan Luna won the gold medal in the 1884 Madrid Exposition, a Filipino painter shared with him the limelight by securing the second place. His remains were brought to Manila, where he now lies entombed in the Hidalgo family mausoleum at the Cementerio del Norte.Date of Birth: February 21, 1855Birthplace: Binondo, ManilaYear of Death: March 1913 * 15. Las virgenes Cristianas expuestas al populacho * 16. Las virgenes Cristianas expuestas al populacho Oil-on-Canvas Measurements: 115 cm x 157 cm Time Period: 1884 Award: Silver Medalist(9th silver medal award among forty five) Location: Metropolitan Museum of Manila * 17. Las virgenes Cristianas expuestas al populacho Regarded as one of the national treasures of the Philippines Part of art collection of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The original was destroyed in a fire at the University of Valladolid in Spain. Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho is a â€Å"landmark painting† depicting the persecution of Christians in Ancient Rome. * 18. Las virgenes Cristianas expuestas al populacho Described as a masterpiece remarkable in the aspects of quality, composition, and historical context. It portrays two scantily clothed Christian female slaves being mocked by a group of boorish Roman male onlookers. One of the women is posed seated naked at the foreground of the painting with her â€Å"head bowed in misery†. The semi-nude women have been stripped not only of their garments but also of their dignity. * 19. Las virgenes Cristianas expuestas al populacho He derive his subject matter from classical antiquity He brought out the Drama of the moment * 20. Other works of Felix Hidalgo: Flora de Filipinas (Plants of the Philippines) – awarded second place for best cover design for de Luxe edition. La Siesta (Nap in the afternoon) – a piece which was favorably reviewed in La Ilustracion Espanola y Americana in1881. La Barca de Aqueronte (The Boat of Charon) – received a gold medal in the international exposition in Madrid and was bought for 7500 pesetas by the Spanish government. * 21. Other works of Felix Hidalgo: Laguna Estigia (The Styx) El Violinista – was accorded a gold medal at the Universal Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri. * 22. Fernando Amorsolo y CuetoNational Artist of the Philippines for Painting Excellent sketch artist as well as peerless master of light and color. Signature technique. Backlight his object, gently shading them with nuanced color tones & haloing them with incandescent golden glow. Most of his paintings portrayed the Filipino culture, tradition, and customs like Filipino fiestas. Became popular because of his illuminated landscapes and his historical paintings on which you can see the real reflection of a Filipino soul.Date of Birth: May 30, 1892Birthplace: Calle Herran in Paco, ManilaYear of Death: April 26, 1972 * 23. Rice Planting * 24. Rice Planting Oil-on-Canvas Measurements: 24 x 34 meters Where it was made: Philippines Time Period: 1922 Sold by: Geringer Art, a Honolulu based company which specializes in the art of Fernando Amorsolo * 25. Rice Planting His â€Å"Rice Planting† (1922) was a staple of tourist brochures. It’s visual weight is light because the colors used were mostly pastel in nature. No dark colors were used to produce a feeling of calm and peace. The particular genre that was used is realism. * 26. Rice Planting He painted the details as to how it might look like in real life. In rice planting, the backlighting technique manifested wherein figures are outlined against a characteristic glow, and intense light on one part of the canvas highlights nearby details. Sunlight is a consistent element in Amorsolo’s works. Brush strokes were smooth which emphasizes the serene feeling. * 27. Other works of Fernando Amorsolo: The Bombing of the Intendecia (1942) Bataan ) Afternoon Meal of the Workers (1939) Princess Urduja * 28. Carlos V. Francisco aka Botong Francisco2nd Filipino to receive the title of National Artist in Painting in 1973 One of the first Filipino modernist Franciscos art is a prime example of linear painting where lines and contours appear like cut outs. He single-handedly brought back the art of mural painting in the PhilippinesDate of Birth: November 4, 1912Birthplace: Angono, RizalYear of Death: March 31, 1969 * 29. Katipunan * 30. Katipunan Mural Best known mural of Francisco It shows his descriptions about the History of Manila Mayor Antonio Villegas in Manila It describes the enthusiasm of the first Datu in Manila. His murals on the history of Manila for the Manila City Hall represent a high point in his art and the art of the country. * 31. Jose Tanig JoyaNational Artist in Visual Arts in 2003 A painter and multimedia artist Known as an Abstract Expressionist He was the president of the Art Association of the Philippines from 1962 to 1965 and dean of the U.P. College of Fine Arts from 1970 to 1978.Date of Birth: June 3, 1931Birthplace: Manila, PhilippinesYear of Death: March 31, 1996 * 32. Granadean Arabesque * 33. Granadean Arabesque Inspired by Joya’s stay in Granada, a region in Spain.How he was struck by inspiration while travelling on a train andseeing all the beautiful sunflowers pass him by. Bright yellows dominate the canvass and establish the mood –pure joy, life, and energy. * 34. Other works of Jose Joya: 1948 – Barter of Panay 1954 – Christ Stripped of His Clothes 1958 – Granadean Arabesque, his landmark painting 1965 – Dimensions of Fear 1981 – Vista Beyond Vision 1985 – Torogan 1998 – Playground of the Mind * 35. Thank You ☠º * 36. Miniature Miniature isnt merely about size, but also the levelof detail in the painting. Its the detail that differentiatesa miniature from a small painting: if you look at it througha magnifying glass, youll see extremely fine brush markswith every detail scaled down and miniaturized.Techniques used include hatching, stippling, and glazing.Composition, perspective, and color are as important asin larger paintings. * 37. Symbolism A symbol, in general, is a visible sign of somethinginvisible in such as an idea or a quality. Art of Symbolism is the art to use symbols torepresent things, ideas and emotions. * 38. Realism The representation in art or literature of objects,actions, or social conditions as they actually are, withoutidealization or presentation in abstract form. Adopted to describe things represent figures andexactly how they look like in real life. * 39. Mural A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applieddirectly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanentsurface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of muralpainting is that the architectural elements of the givenspace are harmoniously incorporated into the picture * 40. Abstract Expressionism Abstract Expressionism is a school of art thatdeveloped from Expressionism. It applied the principlesof Expressionism to abstract art. The artists brushstrokes, the visible evidence of the process of creating thepainting, together with the use of color, are the subjectof the painting. * Paintings * Artistic paintings were introduced to the Filipinos in the 16th century when the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines. During this time, the Spaniards used paintings as religious propaganda to spread Catholicism throughout the Philippines. These paintings, appearing mostly on church walls, featured religious figures appearing in Catholic teaching. Due to the Church’s supervision of Filipino art and Spanish occupation of the Philippines, the purpose of most paintings from the 16th-19th century were to aid the Catholic Church.[1] * In the early 19th century, wealthier, educated Filipinos introduced more secular Filipino art, causing art in the Philippines to deviate from religious motifs. The use of watercolor paintings increased and the subject matter of paintings began to include landscapes, Filipino inhabitants, Philippine fashion, and government officials. Portrait paintings featured the painters themselves, Filipino jewelry, and native furniture. The subject of landscape paintings featured artists’ names painted ornately as well as day-to-day scenes of average Filipinos partaking in their daily tasks. These paintings were done on canvas, wood, and a variety of metals. [2] * During World War II, some painters focused their artwork on the effects of war, including battle scenes, destruction, and the suffering of the Filipino peoples. * Dance | It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Philippine Dance. (Discuss) Proposed since June 2012. | * There are many different types of Filipino dances varying in influence and region. Types of Filipino dance include Cordillera, Muslim, tribal, rural, and Spanish style dances. * Within the cordillera dances, there is Banga, Bendayan, Lumagen/Tachok, Manmanok, Ragsaksakan, Salisid, Salip, Tarektek, and Uyaoy/Uyauy. The Banga dance illustrates the grace and strength of women in the Kalinga tribe. Women performing the Banga balance heavy pots on their heads while dancing to beat of wind chimes. This mimics Kalinga women collecting and transporting water. Another dance, called Lumagen or Tachok, is performed to celebrate happy occasions. When Lumagen is performed, it is meant to symbolize flying birds and is musically-paired to the beat of gongs. Another cordillera dance, Salisid, is the dance to show courtship. In the Salisid dance, a male and a female performer represent a rooster attempting to attract a hen.[3] * Tribal dances include Malakas at Maganda, Kadal Blelah, Kadal Tahaw, Binaylan, Bagobo Rice Cycle, and Dugso. Malakas at Maganda is a national folklore dance. It tells the story of the origin of the Filipino people on the islands. Another dance, called the Binaylan dance, tells the story of a hen, the hen’s baby, and a hawk. In this dance, the hawk is said to control a tribe’s well-being, and is killed by hunters after attempting to harm the hen’s baby.[4] * Two examples of traditional Filipino dances are Tinikling and Binasuan and many more. Filipinos have unique folk dances like tinikling where assistants take two long bamboo sticks rapidly and in rhythm, clap sticks for dancers to artistically and daringly try to avoid getting their feet caught between them. Also in the southern part of the Philippines, there is another dance called singkil using long bamboo poles found in tinikling; however, it is primarily a dance showing off lavish Muslim royalty. In this dance, there are four bamboo sticks arranged in a tic-tac-toe pattern in which the dancers exploit every position of these clashing sticks. Dancers can be found trying to avoid all 4 bamboo sticks all together in the middle. They can also try to dance an entire rotation around the middle avoiding all sticks. Usually these stick dances performed in teamwork fashion not solo. The Singkil dance is identifiable with the use of umbrellas and silk clothing.[5] * Weaving * Philippine weaving involves many threads being measured, cut, and mounted on a wooden platform. The threads are dyed and weaved on a loom.[6] * Before Spanish colonization, native Filipinos weaved using fibers from abaca, pineapple, cotton, and bark cloth. Textiles, clothes, rugs, and hats were weaved. Baskets were also weaved and used as vessels of transport and storage, and for hunting. These baskets were used to transport grain, store food, and catching fish.[7] * However, during Spanish colonization, Filipinos used fabric called nipis to weave white clothing. These were weaved with decorative, flower designs.[8] * Pottery * Traditional pottery-making in certain areas of the Philippines would use clay found near the Sibalom River. Molding the clay required the use of wooden paddles, and the clay had to be kept away from sunlight.[9] * Native Filipinos created pottery since 3500.[10] They used these ceramic jars to hold the deceased.[11] * Other pottery used to hold remains of the deceased were decorated with anthropomorphic designs. These anthropomorphic earthenware pots date back to 5 BC. – 225 A.D and had pot covers shaped like human heads. [12] * Filipino pottery had other uses as well. During the Neolithic period of the Philippines, pottery was made for water vessels, plates, cups, and for many other uses.[13]

Workplace Discrimination Against Women

Workplace discrimination happens when a worker is subjected to unfavorable or unfair treatment based on nationality, caste, religion, gender and race. This means that discrimination against women at the workplace is gender based. It is inclusive of the workers who suffer retaliation due to their refusal to accept work place discrimination. The federal law is against workplace discrimination is all areas i. e. recruitment, training, promotion, demotion and disciplinary actions. The laws that protect people against unfair treatment do so based on the protected characteristics rather than the personality or the performance of the worker.Discrimination can therefore end up being subjective to a large extent and this means that what one person may consider discriminatory, another person might not (Bartos & Wehr, 2002). Forms of workplace discrimination against women Women have a right not to be discriminated against in the workplace as dictated by the international laws. However, the real ity on the ground is that people do not necessarily comply with the law and this means that women are still discriminated against. They are discriminated against in several ways. One, they lack access to the labor market.Studies claim that the rate of unemployment is higher among women compared to men (Gilliland, Steiner & Skarlicki, 2007). It also indicates that women have a lower participation in labor force when compared to men. There are also more women working at part time jobs than men although this might not be their choice. They further indicate that compared to men, there are more women who work for jobs they are overqualified. Statistics continue to show that among the discouraged workers i. e. the unemployed people who have stopped looking for jobs due to the unavailability of work, there are more women than men.These people are usually shut out of employment due to cultural, social, structural barriers or basically discrimination (Chirwa, 1999). Secondly, there is a big wage gap between employed men and women doing the same kind of work. Women get 15-30% less for work of same value done by men. Studies show that women are not safeguarded by higher educational achievements especially where high positions count. In several countries, the more educated a woman is, the bigger the wage gap (Gilliland, Steiner & Skarlicki, 2007). Despite the fact that women live longer than men, in a lifetime, they earn less.This makes them to be less advantaged when it comes to conditions for pension insurance. They also get lesser pensions on retirement. This kind of discrimination is global affecting even the first world nations despite the existence of laws protecting women against discrimination. Thirdly, we have the issue of glass ceiling. This is the practice where women are least considered when promotions are being done. Most companies have 90% and above of men in their executive positions and the same kind of percentage of women in the lowest positions. In most cases, the higher a post is, the lesser the chance of a woman occupying it.This is irrespective of the educational level of the woman. In fact, women who manage to be at the executive positions are usually an exception to the rule. Even in the companies which are female dominated, you still find more men in the executive positions (Gregory, 2003). The major reasons for such problems are as a result of discrimination against women. The society makes women to compensate or pay a gender penalty as mothers. Most employers do not want to handle the hassles which come with motherhood and therefore, they solve the problem by employing more men than women.However, studies indicate that employers incur an increased cost of 1% or less of gross income of women workers when they hire a woman than when they employ a man. Other than the economic reasons, women are also discriminated against as a result of misguided preconceptions and stereotyping about women’s abilities and roles, leaders hip style and commitment (Landrine & Klonoff, 1997). Sociological perspectives Workplace discrimination against women can be looked at through three sociological perspectives.The first perspective of functionalism which is built upon two emphases: a) use of similarity between society and individuals and b) applying scientific methods to the social world. The first emphasis on the society’s unity makes functionalists to hypothesize about people’s needs which have to be met in order for a social system to be there. It also makes them to consider the ways through which those needs are met by social institutions. The similarity between individuals and society is focused on the homeostatic features of social systems i. e. social systems are there to maintain balance when it is disturbed by external shocks.This is basically achieved through socializing society members to certain common norms and values which enable consensus to be achieved. In the cases where socialization i s not fully sufficient to achieve so, some social control mechanisms are used to either reinstate conformity or isolate the people who can not be conventional from the society. These include gossip, sneering and sanctions (Gilliland, Steiner & Skarlicki, 2007). The second emphasis asserts that the social world can be studied just like a physical world. Functionalists view social world as real and as one which can be observed through interviews and social surveys.It also assumes that the values of the investigator’s do not have to interfere with search for laws which govern social system’s behavior. This perspective tries to show that people’s behavior is usually molded by the forces in the society. Individuals are treated as puppets whose behavior is as a result of the internalized expectations and the social structure of where they were brought up or live. In relation to workplace discrimination against women, functionalists would argue that men discriminate ag ainst women because that is the way the society is (Landrine & Klonoff, 1997).Conventionally, women were treated as home makers and children bearers and men as the bread winners. Although the world has evolved and women have become educated, the society still feels that men should provide and women should take care of their families. Working and earning are only seen as additional benefits of women in the society but they have to fulfill their roles as mothers and homemakers. It is not a wonder then when men do not find women competitive enough to handle the roles which men have always thought that they are theirs. At the same time, men may not feel that women should get better positions in a men’s world.The issue of maternity leaves and sick offs for pregnant women make men view them as incompetent. This explains why men are against women climbing up the ladder. Functionalists claim that is the way the social structure dictates (Chirwa, 1999). The second perspective is symbo lic interactionism. This is a sociological perspective about the society and self which was founded by pragmatists. It dictates that people’s lives are lived in the symbolic field. People derive symbols from social objects which have shared meanings which they create and maintain during social interactions.Symbols usually give provision to the ways through which reality is constructed through communication and language. Reality then becomes product of the society and people’s culture, society, minds and self are based on such symbols. These are the ones which determine human conduct (Gilliland, Steiner & Skarlicki, 2007). In relation to workplace discrimination against women, the society has created symbols which guide its thinking regarding how things should operate. For example, the society looks at men as leaders, heroes, heads and people who show others the way forward.The symbol that the society has created regarding women is that of submission, weakness and peopl e who follow instructions which have already been made by men. When a woman becomes a leader, she goes against the symbols that the society has already established. This is expressed in almost all aspects of life. In movies, the heroes are always men and when we have women, they are created as people who can not make decisions. On the other hand, men who are led by women are seen as weak. This can therefore explain why men do not want to give women leadership positions because that is a symbol of weakness.When women are subjected to this kind of life, they also accept their position as followers and the ones in leadership positions are seen as exceptions to the symbols in a society (Gregory, 2003). Finally, we have the conflict theory as the third perspective of looking at discrimination against women at the workplace. This theory argues that individuals and social classes or groups in a society have different quantities of resources, both non-material and material and that the grou ps which have more usually make use of their power to take advantage of the ones with less power.Its believed that the people in power make use of it in order to keep their favorable positions. They use it to keep the less powerful from gaining as this would only jeopardize their position. This can then explain why women are discriminated against at the workplace. Men have had power for a long time which they gained from the favorable position that the society places them in. However, women have catch up and they also have power in terms of money and education and this threatens the men’s position in the society.Men in leadership use their power to act as barriers towards women’s progression because they do not want them taking their favorable positions. When women are discriminated against in terms of less payments and lack of career advancement, they lose their leverage to gain the power which is to the advantage of men (Bartos & Wehr, 2002). Conclusion Discriminatio n against women makes them to be offered employment which is not gratifying. They get jobs which may not allow career advancement, jobs paying less and work which is precarious.They are also subjected to mobbing, bullying, sexual and moral harassment as well as unfriendly corporate culture. All these contribute to lower labor force participation among women which translates to economic loss in terms of higher social security and unemployment benefits, reduced tax income and lowered economic growth. This means that if men could appreciate the changes in the world and embrace the idea of career women who have equal opportunities as men, this would not only promote sound economic goals but also, it would improve social cohesion in America.