Developing Teamwork Productivity in Diverse Workforce Essay

Developing Teamwork Productivity in Diverse Workforce - Essay Example In a team, the unique skills can be combined in effective ways. However, it is not as simple as creating a team and waiting for results. For a team to be effective, attention must be paid to several other areas. This will now be discussed by describing some of the important considerations necessary to creating effective teams. The first major benefit of teamwork is that it allows organizations to make use of the skills and abilities of all its employees. Another benefit of teamwork is that an organization requires that individuals work together. Even if teams are not present, all of the individuals within an organization are working together to achieve some overall goal. This makes it logical to suggest that an organization will function better if all the employees are able to work well together. In a diverse workforce, this can be a problem because individual differences are often a source of conflict. In response, many employees will avoid working with people they consider as different. When this occurs, the differences become greater rather than lesser. The importance of teamwork in a diverse workforce is that it forces individuals to come together and work together. In doing so, they gain a greater understanding of each other and differences are bridged. Even if the team does not continue to operate, the workplace overall has been improved by the process. This is an important benefit to a diverse organization. Of course, teams have disadvantages as well as advantages. One of the cons is that they may not be as efficient as having individuals working independently. Team members may be spending time trying to function as part of the team, where this time could be being spent completing work tasks. This con recognizes that it takes time and effort to manage and run a team. Another con is that it can be more difficult to manage and control a team. In a workplace without teams, tasks could be assigned and employees managed by their supervisor. This is a reasonably simple approach that makes it easy to control processes. If a task is not being completed effectively, the organization only needs to look at who is responsible for a certain task. This is more complicated if a team is present because it means that the task is owned by many It may not be a simple process of identifying and solving the problem. Another con is that teams often create conflict in the workplace. In diverse teams, conflic t can be greater because individual differences make it difficult for people to communicate and understand each other. In some cases, individuals may consider themselves as different to everyone else, reject their role in the team, and isolate themselves from others. In other cases, diverse individuals that share common traits may group together. This can create division in a team accompanied by struggles over power. These are all reasons that a team created to produce positive results can actually have a negative impact on the organization. There are also complicating factors related to motivating people in teams. A major part of motivation is providing positive rewards for desired behavior. If individuals are working independently, it is generally easy to identify desired behavior and provide rewards to encourage it. In a team, it is more complicated. Firstly, individuals are best motivated when the rewards

Positive psychology Essay Example for Free

Positive psychology Essay As a child we are told the future is our oasis But is this really the truth when we look at the basics? When I was young and asked what I wanted to be I of course replied â€Å"just like daddy† Now I wasn’t referring to his business success I was only concerned about the love he expressed So when we are told that the future couldn’t be brighter Why do people only think about becoming an astronaut or fire fighter? What is often forgotten is the truth of the matter There is much more to life, this is just a part of the batter Making the cake is a process that is extensive. What we need to remember is that it doesn’t need to be expensive Why does one’s life have to be determined by their occupation? It has become a norm in society, almost a fixation In order to be happy one has to have a high paying job and big house Luxuries extend as a far as a Maserati or a cottage with a boathouse With this in mind, young students face great pressure and tension School has become an entity beyond comprehension It was in my understanding that we come here to learn But when I look around all I see is heads turned. Heads turned from the reality of the true meaning of life Kids only concerned with grades as if they are being forced with a knife This figurative dagger comes in the hands of universities What happened to opening the door for a girl or showing a little common courtesy? People approach university with a new hopeful attitude We can now receive self fulfillment and gratitude The reality of the situation is long, grueling hours spent with your head buried in a book No one reflects on themselves or even lifts their head to take a look. Many pass these four years with not an aspiration in mind Not even looking ahead, continuing to remain blind Then university is over, time for life to begin With endless possibility, one cannot help but grin Then it hits you, like a strike across the face Money is happiness therefore you join the rat race What is interesting about this race is that there is no winner The winner is still a rat; the only objective is to provide a better dinner What has been lost in the mix is the wisdom and prudence Any successful man would point out that our actions are rather foolish And by successful I am not referring to economic victory I am referring to the people who have shaped our history Not the Donald Trumps, Mark Zuckerberg’s or Warren Buffets These are simply the people enslaved as economic puppets I am referring to the Gandhi’s, Malcolm X’s and Martin Luther King’s The people who created change, the liberation they were able to bring I believe that with great people comes great change. This change is not as simple as a stock trade, it is long range Not only is it eternally priceless but it has a rippling effect One great person affects all around them, sometimes unknowingly or indirect When I think of inspiration I think of the president of Uruguay The poorest president in the world challenged what society sees as the way Donating 90% of his salary leaving just $1250 dollars per year to his name It makes one question why we only seek to make large sums of money or achieve great fame Don’t mistake my message for an attempt to say that we are all greedy I simply want you to be aware that life isn’t all that easy Money can solve your surface problems but this solution is temporary. Reflect on your goals and ambitions before you end up in a cemetery I feel that change is possible regardless of your situation It does not depend on your gender, race, religion or sexual orientation Change isn’t easy but we are all more than capable When life pushes you to the curb, you are hurt but unbreakable In a world that seams hopeless it is important to remember life goes on Make sure to look up, stay positive and never get withdrawn. We are all brothers and sisters part of something that is greater Be fearless and hopeful and live up to your nature We are often referred to as the careless generation who lack a work ethic But I would argue that statement is unjustified and rather pathetic We have the means to create change and it is already happening People like the Keilburger’s come across as rather baffling But when looked at in perspective they are simply two people with a dream A dream that arises a common theme. This theme is that we must love and be aware We must create a life for all that is just and fair In saying all this I am not trying to discourage I hope all your child hood dreams come to the surface There’s a world full of hope, possibility and prosperity And my wish to all is a fulfilling life of mental clarity Ultimately what it comes down to is the way we are taught as youth There is nothing more powerful then the honest truth When asked what we would like to be in our future Happiness should come to mind, the only acceptable answer.

Analysis of Debating Democracys The Media: Vast Wasteland or New Frontier? :: Democracy Debates Media Essays

Analysis of Debating Democracy's "The Media: Vast Wasteland or New Frontier?"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Debating Democracy's "The Media: Vast Wasteland or New Frontier?" Jarol Manheim and Douglas Rushkoff present opposing views of the media. Both authors raise the questions of what the media represents and what messages the media tries to send to the public. Is the media's coverage of events just for entertainment value or do the reports have political content and value? Are the viewers capable of distinguishing between the media's glitz and the real facts? Do different sources of the media system actually portray different views and stories? A key question is how typical objective reporting is. If the knowledge can easily be obtained elsewhere, it is possible to conclude with pluralists that citizens have the tools to govern themselves more or less democratically. If, on the other hand, there are serious shortcomings, one might agree with the power elite camp that the people, because they have insufficient meaningful information, wield less power than they could and should.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Manheim claims that the media is not as diverse as it claims to be. He states, Though for competitive purposes they might have us believe otherwise, most American news organizations have a great deal in common with one another . . . they define news itself in essentially the same terms. (Manheim, 1991) He argues that the media entertains the viewers rather than giving them information that is relevant and socially important. Manheim's view about what the mass media system actually does to the news is similar to what W. Lance Bennett lists as the four main media biases: fragmentation, normalization, personalization and dramatization (Bennett, 1996). These biases are described by Manheim as the media system "[rendering] the content of the news less burdensome by packaging it more attractively" (Manheim, 1991).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Contrary to Manheim's views, Rushkoff looks at how the viewers are able to use and understand the media's messages. Rather than viewing the media as a mass system composed of the elite who view the public as a commodity, Rushkoff believes that the people strive to shape and understand the world through the messages the media portrays. Furthermore, he claims that the media is merely a reflection of the society that the viewers themselves have created. The viewers have the ability to choose which medium of media they will use (Internet, network, newspaper, etc.). Rushkoff says that the news has now become "interactive" and the people (particularly those under forty) have come to understand the media's symbols better (Rushkoff, 1994).

Analysis of Paragraph on Page 271-272 of Porter’s Pale Horse, Pale Rider :: Porter’s Pale Horse Pale Rider

Analysis of Paragraph on Page 271-272 of Porter’s Pale Horse, Pale Rider In the opening sentence of this paragraph, two workers at the newspaper office are described. They are not, however, described as people though, they are instead said to be solely â€Å"two pairs of legs† (Porter 271). By describing solely this part of the people, Porter is drawing attention to a part of the body seemingly unrelated to newspaper writing. This gives the reader the impression that these two writers are either unskilled in the area or writing, or unimportant to the speaker. Interestingly, the legs are also described as, â€Å"dangling,† which paints the picture of a lifeless body. This could be perhaps indicating that these people are dead to her; both unimportant and unwanted. Porter then goes on to describe the legs as being â€Å"stuffed thickly into funnels of dark expensive-looking material.† The way in which this is described seems to imply that the fabric itself is strangling these legs that have now become representative of the speakerâ€⠄¢s time at the newspaper. By describing the material as â€Å"dark† and â€Å"expensive looking,† Porter makes the writers at the newspaper appear to be both evil and fake. As Porter continues her description of the two writers, she notes how one of then was â€Å"oldish† and the other â€Å"youngish.† The vagueness in this description goes along with the feeling of universality in the writers that Porter has achieved by having them represented by a mere body part. Also, by having one writer be old, and the other young, the writers are closer to representing every man. As Porter describes the writers as having a â€Å"stale air of borrowed importance which apparently they had got from the same source† she is indicating that the newspaper itself, and thus the media is the source that writers in this wartime community derive their unreal importance. Porter makes the speaker seem almost intimidated by the writers as she euphemistically refers to them as being â€Å"well nourished† rather than fat. This is again referenced when Porter states that Miranda â€Å"pulled out her chair without removing her cap or gloves (†¦) as if she had not a moment to spare.† Miranda’s resentment of the newspaper community is embodied in these two people.

Is The Secret Sharer an appropriate title for this short story? Essay

1. Is The Secret Sharer an appropriate title for this short story? Support your ideas with detail from the text. In The Secret Sharer, a captain escapes his ship where he was held captive after murdering a member of the crew. He swims to another ship and admits the whole truth to the captain. Both captains have bad relationships with their crew and they empathise with each other. Legatt, who came from the other ship, is to be kept secret from the crew as his life depends on it. They have to keep quiet and whisper. An intense relationship is built up between the two of them. The captain always refers to Legatt as my â€Å"other self†, â€Å"my double† or â€Å"my second self†. This indicates that they belong together such as lovers. It implies that they are one person and are bound together. Legatt tells the captain immediately that he just killed a man and the captain just accepts it without question. He understands why he did it. They trust each other totally. Between them they know everything about each other, they knew each other before their eyes met. For Legatt to expose himself to a complete stranger there would have to be a bond. It is a twisted love at first sight. Another aspect of the title’s secretively is brotherhood. The two captains conspire together like brothers. â€Å"Whispering side by side, with our dark heads together and our backs to the door, anybody bold enough to open it stealthily would have been treated to the uncanny sight of a double captain busy talking in whispers with his other self.† They both look alike and are conversing in whispers. They are even sitting the same way. Like two little twin brothers making up some plan, which will guarantee that they get into trouble. This comes before sharing a secret; this is the creation of a secret, which will only be between those two, so effectively they are sharing the secret. Legatts existence is so secret that the captain starts to doubt he even exists. He is so secret that he cannot exist. â€Å"An irresistible doubt of his existence flickered through my mind. Can it be, I asked myself, that he is not visible to other eyes than mine?† He begins to think that Legatt is so secret, that he is imagining him. This shows us that the relationship is so secret and fantastic, that he cannot believe it. Legatt is barely described; we know only that he has dark hair, is pale and resembles the captain. In the beginning he was glowing phosphorescently, which reminds us of ghost. So he is almost spirit like. This reflects the title in that the secrectness of his existence cannot be shared. The captain describes Legatt to be like himself, he is a mirror. The captain can understand Legatt instantly as if he were in his shoes. He shares his very soul with Legatt, which is so unreal he can’t believe it. It’s double secret, materialistically he cannot tell the crew and has to hide him, and spiritually because he has shared his heart with Legatt. In conclusion, â€Å"The Secret Sharer† is an appropriate title for this account. The title can be interpreted into different meanings all of which can be associated directly to the story. The title focuses wholly on the relationship between the captain and Legatt.

How does social pressures affect the family Essay Example

How does social pressures affect the family Essay Example How does social pressures affect the family Paper How does social pressures affect the family Paper There are many social pressures that affect todays family, not only in the Bahamas, but also all over the world. Some of these pressures are: unemployment, lack of finance, and alcoholism just to name a few. Social pressures such as domestic violence and substance abuse have resulted in an increased crime rate in the Bahamas. According to my research, money has been a primary source of survival for the family for a very long time. It is a fact that while there are some families that rake in a large amount of income there are those that have very little money. The most efficient way to obtain money is to get a job. However there are some people who want to work but cant find a job, thus resulting in the problem of unemployment. As you can imagine life is very difficult for the unemployed, especially if they have a family to take care of. Being an unemployed parent is even more difficult than being an unemployed person without a family. The parent is faced with the task of feeding, clothing, and sheltering his/her family. This can only be achieved by having money. They receive bills that they know they cant pay so they just let them pile up all the time promising to pay them. Finally it becomes so bad that the bank seizes everything that wasnt paid for out of pocket. That includes the house, furniture and car or cars. Thus the family is now on the streets with no means of transportation or income. In the case where both parents are working and one loses their job the working spouse is left with the responsibility of taking care of the family. What used to be handled by both finance wise is now only handled by one. Here again we see the problem of paying the bills. Believe it or not unemployment may also be a cause of divorce. Heres an example of how this can happen. The working spouse may come home after a long, hard day of work and meet the house filthy because the unemployed spouse did not care to clean or even straighten it up a little. After working so hard meeting the house in this state may easily anger the working spouse. Words exchanged between both spouses concerning this matter may lead to a fierce argument. Arguments like these can then force either spouse to file for a divorce. A social pressure can also take the form of Domestic Violence also known as spousal abuse. This is simply emotionally or physically harmful acts between people in an intimate relationship. Abuse between intimate partners can be physical, psychological, sexual and economical. Spousal abuse affects every member of the family. If the spouse that is being abused is abused physically they may obtain injuries so bad that it becomes virtually impossible to work without protesting in pain. Spousal abuse also affects the family financially seeing that more money would have to be used on medical bills than usual. The victim of spousal abuse may fall into a deep state of depression. So deep that all he/she can think about is death and committing suicide to escape the pain. They may become drug and alcohol dependant and thus slowly but surely waste away, not caring about anything . Not their appearance, attitude, children, nutritious needs or anything else. With their parent being in such a state the children may take advantage of it and do things they would not have normally done if their parent wasnt in that state. Another social pressure that affects the family greatly and is very common is alcoholism. Often the cause of alcohol abuse is stress. This stress could be brought on by overworking with little pay or abusive spouses. The actions of a person under the influence of alcohol can be terrifying and even fatal, if not to others, to himself. If the alcohol dependant person is the one handling all the financial papers in the house, the family would eventually find themselves in a state of debt, if another person doesnt take over that job, due to the alcoholic forgetting to pay the bills. An alcohol influenced person may become angry and violent towards his spouse and children for no apparent reason. Thus the children are afraid to even come home or speak to that parent. Eventually after the children are abused so many times they may feel a need to put some alcohol in their system to deal with the situation and here we see a pattern begin to form. An alcoholic child is just as bad as an alcoholic adult maybe even worse. Being so young they may have more unbelievable ideas then the adult. They may come up with things to do which they think is fun but in truth can prove to be fatal. The parent of this alcoholic has to deal with the shame and violent acts that are committed by the child. He/she will want to spend as much time helping the child as possible. This could cause the other siblings to feel neglected and unloved and they too can fall into a great depression. Every family member is faced with a social pressure at one point in time, but it is up to them as an individual to decide whether they would let the pressure affect them positively or negatively. If the family goes through the phase and comes out unharmed they will most likely become a stronger family.

The Realism Theory in Relationships of State and Non

The Realism Theory in Relationships of State and Non The three main theories used in international political economy are constructivism, realism and idealism or liberalism. Scholars commonly use the theories to explain economical events in the international political economy. Liberalists are concerned about private enterprise while constructivists are much concerned about wealth, political and material interactions of actors in the system.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Realism Theory in Relationships of State and Non-state Actors specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper uses realism theory to explain relationships among state and non-state actors in the international system. Realism is based on the idea that the international system exists according to the Hobbestian state of nature, which is anarchic and brutal. There is no centralized authority in the system. The influential states have powers that they use to subjugate the poor and powerless in the system. The paper evaluates three supranational regimes in order to understand the theory in detail. States agree to form governments that control internal affairs. It is not surprising that any sovereign state has the power to enforce and prescribe laws. These powers are limited in the international system because there is no Leviathan that controls the activities of all members. The first argument is that the US and other major powers use supranational organizations to further their interests ((Wolf 87). WTO is a world body that is charged with the responsibility of overseeing how countries conduct trade globally. Liberalists argue that the body is beneficial to all states that subscribe to it because they benefit from free markets and business opportunities. In the liberalists’ view, the world organization in charge of trade is supposed to arbitrate on conflicts emerging from trade and commerce. Nearly all states in Africa, Europe, South and North America are members. Member state s are required to follow the laid down rules and regulations if they are to benefit from the organization. In this regard, the organization ensures that the interests of all states are catered for. Managers are answerable to states whereby they are called to explain inconsistencies during hard economic times. In the realists’ perspective, the organization is the property of the rich nations, which is used to enforce compliance. The headquarters of the organization is in the United States meaning that everything is operated from there. States are usually forced to come into terms with unfavorable policies in order to be members. The Chinese case would serve as an example. China was requested to adopt some policies that would favor the West in order to be incorporated in the system.Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Less developed countries do not actually b enefit from the organization. The organization allows US manufacturers to exploit markets in the third world but not vice versa. The third world is incorporated in the system as underdogs meaning that they assist the rich nations in producing goods. This is why the gap between the rich and the poor is widening day after another. The organization ensures that the poor states do not pursue interests that seem to contradict with those of the US. The organization is quick to slap economic sanctions to states that do not conform to the set rules. In the late 1980s to early 1990s, Libya was barred from exporting fuel to Europe, US and other friendly countries (Wolf 90). Oil trade nearly collapsed in Libya, which had caused sufferings due to lack of basic needs. This proves that states are usually in pursuit of their selfish interests not universal ideas. The US could have allowed Libya to sell its fuel to other states because citizens were suffering. This was never an issue to the US and WTO because Libya was non-compliant. Economic sanctions have been slapped to nations not because of misconduct but because of going against the wishes of the US and other major world powers. The second argument is that the US uses donor agencies to enforce compliance. IMF is a world organization that was established after the Second World War mainly to reconstruct Europe. This was an attempt to restructure European financial system after it was worst hit by the war. The organization offered assistance to European states that cooperated. After completion of its mission, the organization was turned into political tool that would subjugate and dominate developing countries. The US used the organization to restructure institutions of developing countries for its own interests (Milner 845). The organization forced many developing countries to restructure their governments in order to qualify for loans and other monetary assistances. For instance, the organization was effectively utilized in Kenya to boost American investment. The government, under Daniel Moi as president, was urged to privatize key national industries such as Kenya Airways, Rift Valley Railways and Kenya Ports Authority. Furthermore, the state was not supposed to interfere with the market meaning that prices of commodities could be determined by market logics (Milner 851). The Kenyan government suffered a lot because it had to retrench some of its employees in order to qualify for the IMF loan. The IMF program introduced in many countries was referred to as structural adjustment program (SAP). Liberalization of the economy benefited the US and other developed nations because they exploited the poor with cheap goods.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Realism Theory in Relationships of State and Non-state Actors specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Finished goods were imported from developed countries while raw materials were exported to the US and other developed nations. This was seen as unbalanced trade because Kenyan citizens could not afford processed goods, which were originally Kenyan. To ensure political compliance, the US used IMF to request third world leaders to accept multiparty politics (Stone 346). Accountability was demanded from leaders before they could qualify for monetary assistance. This ensured that US joint ventures were managed well. The US entered into contracts with governments of the third in order to construct expensive projects such as Geo-thermal power plants and ports. Such projects could not yield needed profits without proper management. This is why accountability became a pre-requisite of assistance. The organization was effectively used to further the interests of Americans because US firms took over major investments in Kenya and the whole of East African region after the introduction of SAPs (Stone 349). The third argument claims that developed nations relate with developing co untries in terms of natural resources. It is true that the US and other major powers in the international system are led by their selfish interests not world ideas. The US and other powers have been reluctant to intervene in Somalia militarily because national interests would not be achieved. Somalia does not have oil and gas that may attract foreign powers. This can be compared to the Middle East where each world power is camping there mainly because of oil and gas (Gholz and Daryl 465). The US has been planning to sell military radar to Saudi Arabia mainly to strengthen diplomatic ties. The US would reap maximally from the deal meaning that national interests drive a country to participate in world affairs actively. The US could not intervene militarily in El Salvador to save the lives of many people who were undergoing brutal treatment from an autocratic regime because national interests would not be achieved. The European gas crisis also proves that a state cannot participate in world politics without an interest. In Europe, there are two competing pipelines that is, Nabbuco and Nord. Nabbuco is owned by the Russian government and has a backing of the EU. Britain and the US have been supporting the construction of Nord pipeline because it would benefit them in future.Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Nabbuco cannot be wrestled from Russia because it is also a major power (Rosato 54). The British government and the US have justified the erection of Nord conduit claiming that Nabbuco cannot effectively supply gas to Europe. Such arguments are based on the Turkish gas conflict where Russia delayed supply because of diplomatic reasons. Critics of realism theory argue that states offer assistance to the needy out of goodwill. This could be witnessed in times of catastrophes where countries in conflicts help each other (Rosato 53). For instance, the US offers humanitarian assistance to some Middle East and Asian states during earthquakes but gets nothing in return. This could be witnessed during the Japanese nuclear accident. The US was in frontline offering technical assistance to Japan. This argument could be valid but the reality is that the US intervenes to further its interests. In the Japanese case, the US intervened to gain political mileage in the world political arena. Hegemo nic powers are strengthened by participating in important events. It can be concluded that national interests drive a state to act in the international system. Constructivists and idealists are misplaced by believing that states act to restore order and justice in trouble regions. Somalia case would act as an example, where major powers are silent because they would not get anything by intervening. Kenya has been forced to intervene militarily because its national security is in danger. Tourists have been abducted more than once, which has greatly affected the tourism industry. It should not be forgotten that Kenya generates more than 20% of the total revenue from tourism. Al shabaab militiamen are therefore a threat to Kenyan interests. Gholz, Eugene and Daryl, Press. Protecting the Prize: Oil and the U.S. National Interest†. Security Studies, 19.3, 2010, 453-485. Milner, Helen. â€Å"Globalization, development, and international institutions: Normative and Positive Perspec tives†. Review Essay, 3.4, 2005, 833-854. Rosato, Sebastian. Europes Troubles: Power Politics and the State of the European Project.† International Security, 35.4, 2011, 45-86. Stone, Randall. How to Reform the IMF†. Current History, 109.730, 2010, 342-348. Wolf, Martin. Why Globalization Works. 1st ed. Sydney: Yale University Press, 2004.

Theodore Rooselvet essays

Theodore Rooselvet essays Theodore Roosevelt, vice presidential candidate 1900, campaigned furiously for the Republican Party for which William McKinley was its presidential candidate. Roosevelt gave speeches in 567 cities, in 24 states, and over 3 million people saw him in person. He was a major factor in keeping McKinley in office for his second term, and the Republican party in power. In September 1901, just a year after McKinleys election as President, he was assassinated. Vice President Roosevelt succeeded him as the twenty-sixth president of the U.S. He was 42 when he entered office making him the youngest ever to hold office (Theodore). After three years as Head of the U.S. Roosevelt decided to run for a second term and win on his own accord. He chose his words more carefully to try and keep his votes and maybe gain back some voters he might have lost during his term. Most importantly, he placed his people in key party positions and maneuvered Mark Hanna, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, to endorse his candidacy months prior to the 1904 convention. Then he turned to the public, holding press conferences, launching a national tour of western states that lasted for thirty days, and boldly providing (by Executive Order) pensions for all veterans between the ages of sixty-two and sixty-seven (Theodore). But he did not actively participate in the campaigning. He more so directed from the porch of his home in Oyster Bay. In the end, he won 57.4% of the popular vote and 336 of the electoral votes, so his victory was clear. Roosevelt was considered one of the first modern Presidents in domestic and foreign policy. At home he worked against greedy private interests while abroad making the U.S. a world leader. It is curious that Theodore Roosevelts face is on Mount Rushmore along with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. Washington guided our nation in its beg ...

Business Case for Investment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Case for Investment - Research Paper Example mme contribute in the investment, what things are done in order the projects can fit with future and current capabilities, the funds and resources needed and the delivery of the benefits acquired. Business case development should be in possession of a sponsor of the business and later all the stakeholders should be involved in documenting and creating a business result of an investment that is complete. Curley (2004) asserts that the business case should illustrate how business results are measured and the initiatives needed in achieving a good result. The initiatives are either any changes of the nature of the business enterprise, processes in the business, and skills of the people, technology involved and competencies. The business case identifies how these initiatives contribute in the business. Risks are needed to be spotted and documented. The sponsor of the business is the one who will make a decision on whether to go on with an IT-facilitated investment. He also verifies if the business case is viable to be evaluated on the portfolio stage. Distinguishing between the processes needed to be followed when getting on IT-facilitated investment is important. The investment category, size of the investment and the position of the investment in the financially viable life sequence are factors that establish business case parts that need more attention (Curley, 2004). In an IT-facilitated investment, the business case considers the resources needed to be developed, a technology service to support the investment, business and operational capability and the values of the stakeholder. The business case is usually developed from top to down. In creating a business case, a clear recognition of the outcomes desired in a business should be the one starting. When the investment is endorsed, delivery of the capabilities needed and the outcomes should be monitored and managed in the investment’s life sequence (Ross, 2001). The components in the business case are

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Case study - Essay Example Acquisition or alliance is a kind of strategy where a company purchases ownership stakes of another company in order to capture a particular target market. These strategies are also considered as among the pertinent growth strategies of companies in today’s business environment (Sherman, 2010). Many of the companies have come up with such strategies in the recent years. The latest company that has incorporated this strategy is Facebook. The company acquired the stakes of Instagram. It is the company that provides online services such as photo sharing as well as social networking for the users. The company has more than 30 million users worldwide with a total valuation of the firm of around US$20 million. Facebook, a social media giant offered a price of US$1 billion to purchase the stakes of the company. This acquisition will enhance the position of Facebook in front of its competitors, as through the assistance of it the company can provide finest photo sharing experience to its users all around the globe. This is also considered as among the key growth strategies of Facebook (Wharton, 2012; Kosner, 2012; BBC, 2012). This essay will analyse the entire case about the acquisition approach of Facebook and discuss the various threats and opportunities for the company. Furthermore, the essay will also analyse the methods of strategic development and evaluate the ones that will be applicable in Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram. In the later part of the essay, TOWS matrix will be used to analyse the strategic decisions of Facebook and Instagram regarding the acquisition. Strategic Opportunities and Threats of Facebook It can be observed from the analysis of the case study that Facebook will have certain opportunities as well threats as a result of its approach of acquisition of Instagram. There are certain potential benefits for the company. Opportunities It has been determined that owing to the acquisition of Instagram Facebook will strengthen its p osition in front of its major rivals in the market. Acquisition of Instagram will benefit Facebook users quite considerably. Facebook always intended to provide best photo sharing experiences to the customers or users. In this regard, the acquisition will enable the company to accomplish the aforesaid goal as Instagram is capable of delivering best photo sharing experiences for the users. In addition, the applications provided by Instagram will facilitate users of Facebook to leverage instant filters facility, which will be quite unique. This is also among the major opportunities for Facebook. Furthermore, it has been learnt that pictures and images taken from mobile devices appear to be blurred and ordinary. This aspect of photo viewing experience will be completely changed with the inception of the alliance of Facebook with Instagram as the later will enhance the quality of pictures captured and they can also be easily shared. Moreover, pictures taken with the help of cell phones cannot be processed before uploading them to Facebook, but with the help of

Health Problems among Teens and Young Adults Assignment

Health Problems among Teens and Young Adults - Assignment Example Consequently, family support is very vital as it allows the concerned persons to make appropriate decisions. Teenagers and young adults are strongly accustomed to social associations with their peers. In case their peers cannot make healthy decisions or indulge in activities that are against the law like drug abuse, they will also tend to develop risk-taking behaviors. Specific attention is directed to the wellbeing of teenagers brought up in single-parent families. It has been discovered that such children do not fare well compared to those coming from families with both parents (Amato &Fowler, 2002). Researches have always indicated that such teenagers and young adults tend to experience health or academic problems. These might change their mindset and make them think of unhealthy decisions like taking alcohol or drugs to reduce the levels of stress. Teenagers and young adults form and join groups for different reasons. For instance, some may decide to join the groups because they want to have a sense of family. They develop feelings that they are not receiving sufficient consideration at home. Moreover, children raised by single mothers might also search for a father figure from the groups (Sanchez-Jankowski, 2003). Negative behavior increases when the teens try to copy their peers in the group. For instance, when most of the members in the group are smokers, one would also be tempted to smoke in order to act in a similar manner. With time, this leads to addiction. Teenagers tend to get involved in gang violence, drug trade, drug abuse, and other unlawful activities due to the social and economic status of the marginal population in United States (Vigil, 2003). This becomes dangerous to the health. For instance, drug abuse or smoking always comes with serious health problems. Such teenagers will not afford and access quality health care. Other issues affecting minority groups that

The Health Systems Issues and Managements Research Paper - 1

The Health Systems Issues and Managements - Research Paper Example Developing countries are the worst hit with this problem. Most of them face challenges such as lack of enough health worker, little financing, poorly functioning information systems and lack of coordination between various agencies. The existence of these challenges in the health systems has been majorly blamed on their management. The managers have failed to tap the available resources and effectively use their management skills in planning and implementing interventions that reach all citizens. This paper identifies and analyses issues (challenges) that face the health systems and gives proposed strategies to be used in managing them. Developed countries such as the United States do not face serious challenges in their health systems as much as the developing countries. However, their health care concerns revolve around three major issues. These issues include cost, quality and access (Andersen, Rice and Kominski, 2007). In the United States of America, the cost of health care is v ery high and has become a leading issue for healthcare mangers. Since the United States moved from heavy-handed managed care, expenditures have quickly increased, and the number of people who are not insured has also increased. In fact, it is estimated that about forty seven million US citizens are not insured (AFL-CIO, 2011). In addition, the population that continues to increase every year has put a lot of pressure on Medicare. The crisis in state budget has forced nearly all states to make serious cutbacks in programs aimed at assisting the poor. These cutbacks have put America’s health care system in crisis since medical health care spending and the number of uninsured people in the country has increased (Trouth, Wagner, and Barrow, 2010). The rising cost of health care services in the United States has attracted a lot of concerns and featured in the news a lot. A large portion of the country’s resources is being spent on health care. The spending is not expected t o go down soon but is predicted to reach 21 percent of the GDP by 2016. With this high spending on healthcare, most US citizens are still not able to access quality healthcare. Over 46 million Americans are currently uninsured even though America’s expenditure on healthcare is the highest globally (Farrell, 2009). Healthcare accounts for more than USD 2 trillion in the United States annual expenditure. While this is the largest economic sector of the country, millions of citizens are not able to take care of their health needs and the situation is getting worse (Farrell, 2009). For the past nine years, insurance premiums have increased therby making health insurance unaffordable to many US citizens. The rapidly increasing medical bills are continuing to leave families in debt. In fact, according to the organization Health Care For All –California, about one-half of all personal bankruptcies are due to medical bills. With this huge number of uninsured individuals unable to access quality healthcare and costs continuing to increase, the healthcare system of United States of America seems to be collapsing. The healthcare system of the United States of America is financed by premiums paid for health insurance or from government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. The high numbers of people who are not insured in the country significantly increase the cost of healthcare. This is because health problems that

Open Source vs. proprietary solutions. A horror story about IT Essay

Open Source vs. proprietary solutions. A horror story about IT implementation gone bad. Ethical problems with a new Information Technology - Essay Example This software has a calendar, password, notification for coming period and ovulation, it is multi user and it uses multiple languages. One is supposed to feed necessary data in it, for instance when she had sex, took pills, when the period started and when it ended. Long gone are the days when one had to literally mark a calendar which is not as portable as your phone, thus keeping track of your physiological changes was a hectic task. Christians believe that life starts at conception; therefore an abortion is a murderous act that is actually punishable by God. Health complications do result in prescribed abortion so as to save a life, but the leading cause of abortion in the society today is unwanted pregnancy. However, unwanted pregnancies do occur due to unruly sexual habits or ignorance on your body’s state. My day app enables ladies to keep track of their periods and ovulation, this therefore enables them to be responsible in their sexual behavior and it could be used as a family planning strategy for married people. However, the good will of this app’s inventor has been compromised. It is factual that teenagers tend to be more experimental than theoretical. Girls at teenage can use this software to hide their immoral sexual habits. They might become lose and careless since they are assured of not getting pregnant. Therefore, the society will have a difficult time to cope with these teenagers than the situation initially was; since many teenagers were scared of getting pregnant at a tender age, now that the risk is predictable controlling their sexual behavior is a difficult task that parents of this era should learn to leave

The Health Systems Issues and Managements Research Paper - 1

The Health Systems Issues and Managements - Research Paper Example Developing countries are the worst hit with this problem. Most of them face challenges such as lack of enough health worker, little financing, poorly functioning information systems and lack of coordination between various agencies. The existence of these challenges in the health systems has been majorly blamed on their management. The managers have failed to tap the available resources and effectively use their management skills in planning and implementing interventions that reach all citizens. This paper identifies and analyses issues (challenges) that face the health systems and gives proposed strategies to be used in managing them. Developed countries such as the United States do not face serious challenges in their health systems as much as the developing countries. However, their health care concerns revolve around three major issues. These issues include cost, quality and access (Andersen, Rice and Kominski, 2007). In the United States of America, the cost of health care is v ery high and has become a leading issue for healthcare mangers. Since the United States moved from heavy-handed managed care, expenditures have quickly increased, and the number of people who are not insured has also increased. In fact, it is estimated that about forty seven million US citizens are not insured (AFL-CIO, 2011). In addition, the population that continues to increase every year has put a lot of pressure on Medicare. The crisis in state budget has forced nearly all states to make serious cutbacks in programs aimed at assisting the poor. These cutbacks have put America’s health care system in crisis since medical health care spending and the number of uninsured people in the country has increased (Trouth, Wagner, and Barrow, 2010). The rising cost of health care services in the United States has attracted a lot of concerns and featured in the news a lot. A large portion of the country’s resources is being spent on health care. The spending is not expected t o go down soon but is predicted to reach 21 percent of the GDP by 2016. With this high spending on healthcare, most US citizens are still not able to access quality healthcare. Over 46 million Americans are currently uninsured even though America’s expenditure on healthcare is the highest globally (Farrell, 2009). Healthcare accounts for more than USD 2 trillion in the United States annual expenditure. While this is the largest economic sector of the country, millions of citizens are not able to take care of their health needs and the situation is getting worse (Farrell, 2009). For the past nine years, insurance premiums have increased therby making health insurance unaffordable to many US citizens. The rapidly increasing medical bills are continuing to leave families in debt. In fact, according to the organization Health Care For All –California, about one-half of all personal bankruptcies are due to medical bills. With this huge number of uninsured individuals unable to access quality healthcare and costs continuing to increase, the healthcare system of United States of America seems to be collapsing. The healthcare system of the United States of America is financed by premiums paid for health insurance or from government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. The high numbers of people who are not insured in the country significantly increase the cost of healthcare. This is because health problems that

Why are UFOs still Mystery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why are UFOs still Mystery - Essay Example When people see lights moving in a way that suggests something other than an airplane, the intriguing prospect that something extraterrestrial is up there moves us to create in our minds the possibility of space ships and alien beings. Of course not all strange lights in the sky can be attributed to space ships. Weather balloons and aircraft have been mistaken for UFOs. â€Å"An unidentified flying object was spotted in Barron County about a month ago. But was it something extra-terrestrial or can a weather tool give us the answer? Scott Doering, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service says it's possible the UFO could have been a weather balloon.†1 Poor reporting, government cover-ups, conspiracies and faulty eye witness accounts are also fuel for the fire surrounding UFOs; and television and film have increased our speculation and fascination about UFOs. It may also simply be that flying saucers don’t exist, being figments of our imagination or they could be stories created to obscure real life military secrets. Inconsistent records from eye witnesses could account for one reason why people do not believe in UFOs. When an object is seen by several people travelling at high speed, it’s likely that there will be different interpretations of the event. Another theory that discredits the existence of UFOs is a government cover-up. Perhaps we have been visited by aliens and the government, fearful about public reaction, obfuscates the truth. Yet another theory is that the military is in fact using UFO stories to hide new technologies and highly classified secret aircraft. â€Å"Area 51, also known as Groom Lake, is a secret military facility about 90 miles north of Las Vegas. The number refers to a 6-by-10-mile block of land, at the center of which is a large air base the government will not discuss†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 2 There is undoubtedly life in other parts of the galaxy and the Universe. We would be arrogant to assume that one tiny pla net in the vast network of stars could be the only one to contain life. The question is whether or not other beings have the ability to travel here. Given the distance between stars and the amount of time it would take to travel between them, even at the speed of light, it would seem unlikely that voyage would be possible. â€Å"Chemical-based rockets get terrible fuel efficiency, achieving very little thrust per kilogram of propellant used, and their exhaust velocity can’t exceed 5,000 meters per second. Using these tools, Lozano adds, it would take at least nine months to get to Mars...†3 Or would it? We have a limited view based on our experience. Space travel for human beings has only been in place for the past 50 years, and we’ve only travelled as far as the moon. Probes such as Voyager have certainly exited our solar system, but their slow speed means that data returned to us takes years. Based on what we know, flying to another planet is impossible. Yet, reports of UFOs persist. Sightings could be attributed to dreams or hallucinations, but there have been reports from credible sources such as the military and police where sightings have been distinct and over prolonged periods of time. In a â€Å"Summary Report on Observations 30-31 March 1990† from the Belgium Air Force, W. de Brouwer Kol Vl SBH stated â€Å"†¦the head of the police of WAVRE had alerted 4 other police stations in the area. All four, separated +- 10 NM from each other, confirmed the visual observations [of unidentified flying objects].†4 This particular sighting came during a period where both average citizens and the military also viewed these craft. When members of a police department or military report sighting

Ha Long Essay Example for Free

Ha Long Essay A customer buys products based on their look and the quality inside . This is an example of how tourists choose their tourist destination and I have a wonderful destination that everyone should come once time in their life Ha Long . Ha Long is one of seven nature wonders of the world. Visiting Ha Long bay, you can experience the diversity of natural views, from sandy beaches to thousand year old rocky mountains. Why should you choose Ha Long bay to visit ? The word Ha Long in Vietnamese means the dragon descends into the sea and he legend says that the island of Ha Long was created by a great dragon who lived in the mountain, it sounds very interesting. First, I will let you know about the wonderful scenery. When you come to Ha Long, you can just describe as a wow , from great father mountain to thousand year old caves, from sandy beach to diving to discover the sea . Ha Long bay will lead you from one surprise to another. Beside that, Ha Long has had a particularly significant position because of its location o​n the important communication and trade route between China, Japan and Thailand , so you can see the great combination of culture of four countries. What will you do when you come to Ha Long bay ? As I said, Ha Long is a great combination of scenary and culture , so there are so many trips that take you to experience the beauty and culture of Ha Long . You will visit Ha Long on a cruise , which is called cruise tour that will lead you visit all places in Ha Long , it looks like you are mixing with the natural , beauty of sea , mountains and caves .Come to Ha Long bay, you will have agreat opportunity to get experience about life on water , which means people live all their life on water , we call that fishing village on the sea. you can also enjoy the fresh seafood, from shrimp, fish, jelly fish to many kinds of seafood that you have never eaten and if you want to cook for yourself , you can do it . Especially , you can try a famous dish of Ha Long jelly fish noodle . I promise that Ha Long bay is a value trip that you should try , the friendly traditional of people in Ha Long , the wonderful lanscape. Imagine you are walking up in the beautiful sunshine amid the rock, islets and caves and see  the view of Ha Long bay on the top of the mountain will give you a bird-eye view on the bay. I promise that no place in the world has the wonderful view like Ha Long bay. The experience from one to another will lead you to many surprises, the culture, the landscape, cuisine of Ha Long bay . Do not procrastinate , come to Ha Long and enjoy a wonderful gift of nature.

Urban Regeneration And Social Exclusion In Sheffield Geography Essay

Urban Regeneration And Social Exclusion In Sheffield Geography Essay GEO 151: Assessment I In this essay we will be discussing urban regeneration and social exclusion in Sheffield. The research for this essay was conducted as a series of 2 walks and information comes from observation of these areas. The walk chosen was walk 3 which included Netherthorpe, Kelham Island and the Inner City but the focus of this essay is on one section of the walk Kelham Island. Like many areas in Sheffield, Kelham Island was originally an industrial area, particularly in the manufacture of steel. There are still numerous factories and workshops still standing and their proximity to the River Don suggests the river would have once been used to power the industry in this area. To me, these buildings portray the traditional origins of Sheffield as being a highly industrial city, vast non-descript buildings with many large windows which could accommodate the large space required for heavy industry. From observations made whilst undertaking the walk, it becomes clear that these original buildings can now be divided into different types due to urban regeneration. The first of these is residential. Around Kelham Island many of these former factories have been converted into modern flats and apartments. It is great that the developers are choosing to retain the original look of these buildings whilst totally changing their function as I believe it is important to t ry and retain the historical character of a city. The second main usage of these factory buildings is business- mainly offices, although one of the factories is still used for its original function as a factory, and another has been converted into the â€Å"Kelham Island Museum† which contains many historical artefacts from the area and gives visitors the chance to experience the heritage of Kelham Island. This shows 2 other new land uses in the area business and tourism. The remainder of these factories are currently derelict but in the future may be redeveloped or demolished to be replaced by modern apartments or office blocks. Elsewhere in Kelham Island there are a number of large, highly modern looking apartment and office blocks; this area is known as â€Å"Kelham Riverside† and is described by the   Kelham Island website as â€Å"a stylish mixed use development in a picturesque waterside setting† (http://www.kelhamriverside.com). This area is more aesthetically pleasing and in total contrast to the factories nearby it is strange to see these 2 types of buildings sitting side by side. This is the main site of urban regeneration, but also evokes images of social exclusion. It is clear that this entire area has been totally redeveloped recently; all of the buildings looking less than 10 years old and the focus of employment here has shifted from primary to tertiary. The new apartment blocks which overlook the river are very modern, even futuristic looking incorporating chrome and glass into the design it could be said that these buildings, however, have little ‘character whilst the older factory buildings do. From simple observation, this area looks like a particularly nice area to live, but it becomes apparent that social exclusion comes into play here. Firstly, there are no gardens and very little green space at all and there were no parks or even many benches in this area. Facilities included a small number of pubs and upmarket bars and restaurants, a museum for tourists, and little else other than office blocks. The apartments look expensive and seem to be targeted at affluent young professionals without children as there are no apparent facilities that cater towards the needs of children or the elderly (not â€Å"family orientated†). This idea was backed up during walk by the absence of any youths- the only people to be seen were men and women in suits and a few builders who were working on more developments on the riverside. The presence of the builders did however indicate that further development of this area was underway, which may in the future lead to more facilities for other social groups in order to incorporate them more into this area. The atmosphere in this area was one of peacefulness, although I believed this to be due to the fact that the only people that lived in this area were at work, considering it was in the middle of the day. There was a significant lack of any old or young people- just middle aged people in suits. In the most modern part of Kelham Island it seemed eerily quiet and the environment almost sterile due to the large modern yet plain buildings and lack of any graffiti, litter and advertising. It also gave the impression of being a relatively safe area with the availability of secure underground car parks and high CCTV presence. In my opinion, however, such a high CCTV presence could lead to oppression and fear due to constant surveillance by an unknown authority. Many people are very against this form of security and so is another example of social exclusion against those who do not wish to be recorded constantly. One important thing which was noted during the walk was that on one of the walls of the new buildings in Kelham Island was a large plaque which had the name â€Å"European Regional Development Agency† on it. This agency belongs to the EU and is involved in allocation of the European Regional Development Fund; according to the EU website (http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/funds/feder/index_en.htm): â€Å"The ERDF aims to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European Union by correcting imbalances between its regions. In short, the ERDF finances: direct aid to investments in companies (in particular SMEs) to create sustainable jobs; infrastructures linked notably to research and innovation, telecommunications, environment, energy and transport; financial instruments (capital risk funds, local development funds, etc.) to support regional and local development and to foster cooperation between towns and regions; Technical assistance measures. So, based on this information it seems that the EU thought of South Yorkshire as being less developed as neighbouring regions and have therefore directed a proportion of the ERDF at Kelham Island in order to fulfil the points described above. There were limitations to this study. Firstly, the 2 visits we made were possibly not at the most suitable times, particularly for this area where most of the people living here would have been at work, and any children that do live in the area would have been at school. Another thing was that in this observational walk there was little importance put on personal emotion, or how individuals felt whilst in that particular area. There was also no record of any smells along the walk which is one thing that could possibly be investigated further in any subsequent walks. Word count: 1111 GEO 151: Assessment II Part I For this part of the assessment a series of photos were taken along a route (walk 3) which intended to represent the feel or sense of place in the area regarding social exclusion and regeneration. The 2 photos chosen to be analysed can be seen on the next page (figures 1 and 2). They were both taken at the same time of day (Around 1pm on a Thursday afternoon) and show 2 contrasting areas which are actually only 1-2 minutes walk away from each other, in the area of Sheffield known as Kelham Island. Fig 1 shows one of the more modern looking areas of Kelham Island and demonstrates very obvious urban regeneration as the apartment block buildings on the right hand side of the image are clearly very new. In fact, this whole area looks very clean and tidy, although the lack of people makes the area seem as if it is not inhabited. Behind the apartment buildings and to the left of the image are old factory buildings. It is not clear from the image whether these buildings are currently in use or not but some of the factories in this area have been converted into offices and apartments so it is very likely that being so close to other new developments, urban regeneration would have taken place within these buildings too. I like the fact that these buildings and even a chimney from an old industrial furnace are still standing regardless of the ultra-modern apartments right next to them, it acts to retain the character of the area- being able to market this area to a whole new audience wi thout totally destroying the history ingrained in the factories and workshops which once would have employed the majority of people living here.   The river which runs through the centre of the image would once have been used to power these factories, but has now been developed into a feature and the new pathways and hand railings provide the opportunity to look at the river and brings much character to the area. Social exclusion also comes through in this image, as there is no green space or playing areas for children, no benches or shops very little facilities to support a community. This excludes those who thrive off the community around them which are children and the elderly. Children need other children and spaces to play to fulfil their childhood whilst the elderly require a range of facilities including those which promote sociability with others in the community as they often lead lives of loneliness. This area is not accommodating for either of these types of people. I chose to take a picture of this particular area as I believe it incorporated several elements which were important in portraying Kelham Island the modern apartments, the factories and the river. I also thought this image was an accurate representation of the area during my visit, that being very quiet with few people to be seen.   If a person who was not from Sheffield i believe this image would give them a good idea of what Kelham Island was like, which in my opinion can be described as a cultural mix of historical factories and modern apartments and offices developed to be functional whilst staying true to the heritage of Sheffield. This would be a good image to show to people to give a good idea of what Sheffield looks like a combination of old industry and new development. The second image (Fig 2) shows a totally different scene to that of Fig 1. This is a large industrial looking building which was probably once used as some sort of factory in the past when Sheffields steel industry was booming. Now this building lies empty and disused with windows broken and doors boarded up. Given the fact that this building is disused, the exterior (except the windows) is still in relatively good condition, presumably because these types of buildings were built to be strong and resilient. It is strange in this area how quiet it was considering when this building would have been in use, the sound coming from it and the many other factory buildings in the area would have filled the area. This is a contrasting image as it shows a totally different type of building to Fig 1. Here, it looks as if there has not been any urban regeneration whatsoever as the road is empty apart from one car, the building is disused and the pathways are old and damaged. It does not look lik e a particularly â€Å"run down† area, although it is clear that little if any money has been spent on this site in a long time. If this image were to be shown to a person who was not from Sheffield it would probably serve to confirm the perception that many people have that Sheffield is still a highly industrial city with many ugly buildings. This perception of Sheffield is based on history but is now an outdated view with the amount of money that has and is currently being spent on new development in the area. This image fails to show any of the modern developments which are visible all around the city. GEO 151: EXERCISE 2, PART 2 In the workshop we discussed how the images we took differed from those which we were shown from the pages of tourist guides of Sheffield, local magazines and adverts for places around the city. There were many differences between these images and the photos we took our self, some of them were very obvious (such as the image itself and what it included, what activities were happening and what people were included) and others were more subtle (such as the angles the photos were taken, the time of day, the lighting, etc). We discussed the way that people would perceive these images, particularly if they had never been to Sheffield before and the impression they would get of the city based on these images. The reason why these differences were so apparent was because of the intention of the image and what it was trying to portray. For example, the photos we took ourselves were trying to capture images of social exclusion and urban regeneration so the imagery reflected this. Although they were taken with an aim in mind they were totally natural images as they were not staged, and they were not taken with the intention of implying anything in particular- rather they were accurate representation if the things we saw on our walks which we personally felt reflected urban regeneration and social exclusion. The difference between this and the images we were shown is that most of these had some sort of intention. Those that were on printed materials from organisations such as the Sheffield City Council and Travel South Yorkshire were obviously aimed at attracting tourists to the area.   They were taken by people who are looking to give a good impression of Sheffield and their target audience would be those people who may never have visited Sheffield before and wanted to find out more before they decided to visit. These images focused mainly on either the new, vibrant, modern developments in Sheffield such as the millennium galleries; or the beautiful rugged countryside of Sheffields surrounding areas such as the peak district. The images looked as if they could have been digitally altered to make colours appear more vibrant for example and to give the impression of Sheffield being a clean, modern city which it is in certain areas, but chose not to portray the more deprived areas of Sh effield such as those from the photos we took ourselves. The images on the next page are a sample of those taken from the recommended websites. They show a range of images from around Sheffield and were taken by different people/organisations for different reasons. The 4 large landscapes came from www.creativesheffield.co.uk which is described as â€Å"Creativesheffield is the UKs first ever city development company, charged with delivering Sheffields economic transformation†. The images come from different pages which have individual aims, the headings of which I have written on the images. The first, ‘Live in Sheffield portrays an idyllic, quite countryside area with most of the focus on a family taking a bike ride. The image itself is quite simple and the colours used are earthy and green, again conveying the idea of nature and countryside. There is little going on in the picture, suggesting peace and quiet in the countryside, where families can enjoy a nice day out to escape the hustle and bustle of city living, yet this a rea would not be too far away from Sheffields city centre. This image is aimed at families, such as the one in the image who may be looking to relocate to a city nearby idyllic countryside this image shows that Sheffield can be that place as the peak district is on your doorstep. On the CreativeSheffield page this image is shown at the top of a page where it lists the many benefits of living in Sheffield, and is obviously aimed at people looking to move to Sheffield but maybe wanting some more information. The ‘Develop in Sheffield image is the most obvious image of urban regeneration as it shows a whole landscape of Sheffield showing development. I believe this is an accurate representation of Sheffield as it is currently undergoing a huge amount of regeneration and it is evident that there is a lot of money being spent on the heart of the city redevelopment which is making huge changes to the centre. It shows Sheffield as a sprawling metropolis, but one which is currently b eing given a total makeover, with a vision of the future. The next image, ‘Locate in Sheffield is aimed at businesses looking to locate in Sheffield. It shows an area of Sheffield which looks extremely clean and modern, almost futuristic with the large stainless steel balls dotted around. The large inclusion of glass and steel complements this idea of modernism as they are 2 materials which make a building look sharp and modern. The inclusion of people moving (blurred) in the image is trying to give the impression of Sheffield being a busy commercial centre with people constantly on the go, with a lot going on around Sheffield. All of these images have one thing in common a target audience. Each of them have been taken specifically with a certain audience in mind, rather than randomly as my photos were taken.   Even though the photos which I took had a purpose, which was to portray social exclusion and urban regeneration in different areas around Sheffield, they were taken in a totally natural way and were a reflection of what I saw. I did not intentionally omit anything from the images, however I did intentionally try to incorporate all aspects of what I could see in my surroundings into my images- as a photo is just a snapshot of what I was surrounded by. Also, the images from the website (in most cases) had the intention of marketing Sheffield to a specific market, be that families looking to relocate, or new businesses deciding where to locate their offices. GEO 151 Assessment 3 Part 1 To prepare for the interview i made sure i had all the main questions that i was going to ask the subject ready. I typed these out and left large gaps underneath the questions so that i had enough space to write plenty of notes from the interview. I contacted the subject and arranged a time that was convenient for them, and so that i could get their consent to conduct the interview. I then met up with the subject in my flat so that it would be in a comfortable, quiet environment that was convenient for the subject. I took notes on the interview rather than recording it, which i would probably not do in the future. The conversation flowed well as the questions were well structured and i made a point of using prompts to promote further conversation into a certain topic (for example, â€Å"what do you mean by† or â€Å"can you tell me a bit more about†) However, because i was taking notes the conversation became slightly disjointed as i was having to make notes on intervie w whilst asking questions, so at points i had to pause to catch up on my notes before i could ask the next question. Also, this meant i didnt have a full record of the interview, just brief notes. If i were to do this in the future i would record the interview and make a transcript as this would be more useful for analysis of the data. GEO 151 Assessment 3 Part 2 The data we were provided in the transcribed interviews followed the themes already being analysed throughout this course urban space (and regeneration) and social exclusion; but they also touched on issues of crime and disorder- particularly among the youth and talked extensively about housing and other projects which were being implemented into the community in order to improve the social wellbeing of the people living in these places. In addition to the theme of community, the theme of family was also discussed often in both the interviews and how families help shape a community. The 2 interviewees were from different areas in Scotland one a deprived anonymous area (EDDEP), the other an affluent anonymous area (EDAFF), but looking at similar issues throughout, therefore giving 2 different perspectives. The process of analysis and coding involves carefully reading through material transcribed from an interview and selecting labels to associate with specific parts or whole sections of data. This can apply to single words, phrases, sentences or paragraphs and the codes relate to certain themes or ideas expressed through the text. It may also relate to specific words and phrases. The coding itself involves marking specific part of the text based on these themes or ideas to make it easier to compare and analyse parts of the text that may be relative (for example, sections that discuss similar ideas). This also makes it easier to search the data and find any patterns emerging throughout so that this can be further investigated. To code the interview i was provided, i read through the text twice to make sure I had a complete grasp of the text, and the concepts involved in the interview. After this, i carefully went through the text, picking out common words or themes which i then annotated at the side of the page by hand. Some of these tags were of particular words or simple sentences or references to a theme, but often the tags applied to whole sections of the text and often these tags overlapped. My interpretation of the first interview is that the subject is someone who lives in a deprived area of Edinburgh (EDDEP), talking about their experiences working as a project staff member in this area of Scotland. Throughout the interview, she talks about housing and new developments in the area and the effect this has on social and community problems. In particular the topics included alcoholism and their exclusion from society, however the subject felt that although these alcoholics were excluded from conventional society, they had created their own community and had their own issues and conflicts within this segregated community. Topics also included youth crime and disorder. The subject felt that this crime and disorder among the youth population maybe a result from social exclusion, as EDDEP is a deprived area which offers little to stimulate the youth.   They also mention how family can greatly influence the community in which they live due to the way they deal with youth an d the elderly. The second interview is taken with a councillor for the more affluent area of Edinburgh (EDAFF) and also touched upon housing issues in Edinburgh, with reference to families. In this interview the subject talks more about   the boundaries between the affluent and deprived areas of Edinburgh, and the fear in the community of some of the people living in the deprived areas due to the division between them. Again there is a lot of emphasis on crime and disorder, particularly among the youth of the area, however the problems in this area seem more trivial, as oppose to the serious crime mentioned by the subject in the first interview The strengths of my analysis and interpretation are that I believe that from reading through the interviews several times I managed to get a firm grasp of the issues being covered throughout and was able to find patterns of topics throughout through coding the transcripts. In the future I think I could code the transcripts slightly better as i feel that my labels may be slightly superficial many of them simply describe the topics being discussed in that part, and could be more in depth.   However, i think this form of data is quite valuable as a lot of the topics featured can be explored a lot more in depth than with other methods such as questionnaires. GEO 151 Assessment 3 Part 2 The data we were provided in the transcribed interviews followed the themes already being analysed throughout this course urban space (and regeneration) and social exclusion; but they also touched on issues of crime and disorder- particularly among the youth and talked extensively about housing and other projects which were being implemented into the community in order to improve the social wellbeing of the people living in these places. In addition to the theme of community, the theme of family was also discussed often in both the interviews and how families help shape a community. The 2 interviewees were from different areas in Scotland one a deprived anonymous area (EDDEP), the other an affluent anonymous area (EDAFF), but looking at similar issues throughout, therefore giving 2 different perspectives. The process of analysis and coding involves carefully reading through material transcribed from an interview and selecting labels to associate with specific parts or whole sections of data. This can apply to single words, phrases, sentences or paragraphs and the codes relate to certain themes or ideas expressed through the text. It may also relate to specific words and phrases. The coding itself involves marking specific part of the text based on these themes or ideas to make it easier to compare and analyse parts of the text that may be relative (for example, sections that discuss similar ideas). This also makes it easier to search the data and find any patterns emerging throughout so that this can be further investigated. To code the interview i was provided, i read through the text twice to make sure I had a complete grasp of the text, and the concepts involved in the interview. After this, i carefully went through the text, picking out common words or themes which i then annotated at the side of the page by hand. Some of these tags were of particular words or simple sentences or references to a theme, but often the tags applied to whole sections of the text and often these tags overlapped. My interpretation of the first interview is that the subject is someone who lives in a deprived area of Edinburgh (EDDEP), talking about their experiences working as a project staff member in this area of Scotland. Throughout the interview, she talks about housing and new developments in the area and the effect this has on social and community problems. In particular the topics included alcoholism and their exclusion from society, however the subject felt that although these alcoholics were excluded from conventional society, they had created their own community and had their own issues and conflicts within this segregated community. Topics also included youth crime and disorder. The subject felt that this crime and disorder among the youth population maybe a result from social exclusion, as EDDEP is a deprived area which offers little to stimulate the youth.   They also mention how family can greatly influence the community in which they live due to the way they deal with youth an d the elderly. The second interview is taken with a councillor for the more affluent area of Edinburgh (EDAFF) and also touched upon housing issues in Edinburgh, with reference to families. In this interview the subject talks more about   the boundaries between the affluent and deprived areas of Edinburgh, and the fear in the community of some of the people living in the deprived areas due to the division between them. Again there is a lot of emphasis on crime and disorder, particularly among the youth of the area, however the problems in this area seem more trivial, as oppose to the serious crime mentioned by the subject in the first interview The strengths of my analysis and interpretation are that I believe that from reading through the interviews several times I managed to get a firm grasp of the issues being covered throughout and was able to find patterns of topics throughout through coding the transcripts. In the future I think I could code the transcripts slightly better as i feel that my labels may be slightly superficial many of them simply describe the topics being discussed in that part, and could be more in depth.   However, i think this form of data is quite valuable as a lot of the topics featured can be explored a lot more in depth than with other methods such as questionnaires. GEO 151 Assessment 4 The first section of this module was based on observational methods in qualitative data research. This visual method involved observing the â€Å"real world† the built and natural environment whilst walking a route through Sheffield, specifically taking note of scenes which represent social exclusion and urban regeneration. Although mainly focused on the visual observation of a place, this can also include observation of sounds and smells. The task was to undertake this walk and observe the surroundings, while keeping the themes of social exclusion and urban regeneration in mind, and recording the observations in an appropriate manner. During this walk I mainly focused on the built environment of the area when thinking about urban regeneration, and the people in the area and the facilities available to them for social exclusion. I then had to do a write up of these observations and discuss. I believe this method is an important way to get a good impression of an area, so woul d be an effective way to start a research project about an area. It provides good basic ideas about an area, such as those mentioned. The negatives of this method are that it is not a particularly ‘in-depth method, and much further investigation into an area would be required via other methods. The second section involved visual methods. The task for this section was to photograph scenes of urban regeneration and social exclusion from the walk, so that they could be referred to at a later date and used to compare to other images of Sheffield taken from various sources (magazines, websites, etc). From these photos we could also analyse the impressions that these photos gave of Sheffield, especially to someone who had never visited Sheffield before.  Ã‚   I felt that this method was fairly effective, and a very good way of conveying ideas of urban regeneration more so than urban exclusion to other people through showing them photos that were took. I do feel however that a weakness of this method is that it is highly variable, as the photos represent one snapshot of an area and are not totally representative of a whole area. Also, the images taken would be very different depending on the time of day and even the weather, as poor weather in images can often convey a sense of unwelcoming. In the future I would try to take some panoramic photos which would include far more of the surrounding than by a standard size photograph, and would therefore be more representative of the area. The third method used was â€Å"in depth interviewing†. To prepare for this the task we were asked to carefully read through a transcribed interview and then use coding in order to analyse themes and patterns throughout the text. This gave me an idea about how in depth interviews would slow, and about how I would go about analysing it afterwards. To conduct my own interview, I first had to write a framework for the interview, and contact the subject to make sure I had permission to conduct the interview and to arrange a suitable time and place. Throughout the interview I made sure I used plenty of prompts as well as just questions when I wanted to discuss a poin

The Scrivener Essay -- Literary Analysis, Moby-Dick

I think the events preceding the writing of â€Å"Bartleby, The Scrivener† are just as important to understanding the story as the events transpiring within the tale itself. Melville, when he wrote the short story, was coming off of two failures, Moby-Dick and Pierre, that he thought would cement his place in the literary cannon; â€Å"Bartleby† is his way of addressing this chaotic time in his life. In the tale, Melville is being brutally honest with himself and his work: addressing the concerns of his critics through the narrator, while using Bartleby to admit his own faults in failing to gain the recognition he thought he deserved. When Moby-Dick was published in late 1851, it was met with mixed reviews. â€Å"A reviewer for the London Britannia declared it ‘a most extraordinary work’; and a reviewer in the New York Tribune proclaimed that it was ‘the best production which has yet come from that seething brain, and †¦ it gives us a higher opinion of the author’s originality and power †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"Herman Melville† 2305-2306). Many critics, however, were â€Å"unhappy with the novel’s length, philosophical abstractness, and mixing of genres, and the novel quickly vanished from the literary scene without bringing Melville the critical admiration that he had expected† (2306). A particularly damning review came from the prestigious London literary magazine, Athenaeum: â€Å"The style of his tale is in places disfigured by mad (rather than bad) English; and its catastrophe is hastily, weakly, and obscurely managed† (Parker 18). What’s most interesting about Moby-Dick is that it seems to be exactly the kind of book Melville always wanted to write, knowing full well that no success would come of it. In a letter to Hawthorne he wrote, â€Å"‘What I feel most moved to wr... ...arrator to talk reason into Bartleby occurs in the scene before the new landlord calls the police to have him escorted to jail. â€Å"‘Bartleby,’ said I †¦ ‘will you go home with me now—not to my office, but my dwelling—and remain there till we can conclude upon some convenient arrangement for you at our leisure? Come, let us start now, right away.’† Responds Bartleby, â€Å"‘No: at present I would prefer not to make any change at all’† (Melville 2385). Bartleby isn’t willing to meet the narrator half way. â€Å"Bartleby† isn’t about whether or not the narrator did enough; it’s about whether or not Bartleby did enough. Concerning Melville: it isn’t about whether or not the critics did enough to understand his new way of writing; it was about whether or not Melville did enough to help them try and understand. In â€Å"Bartleby†Ã¢â‚¬â€through Bartleby—Melville is admitting that he did not. The Scrivener Essay -- Literary Analysis, Moby-Dick I think the events preceding the writing of â€Å"Bartleby, The Scrivener† are just as important to understanding the story as the events transpiring within the tale itself. Melville, when he wrote the short story, was coming off of two failures, Moby-Dick and Pierre, that he thought would cement his place in the literary cannon; â€Å"Bartleby† is his way of addressing this chaotic time in his life. In the tale, Melville is being brutally honest with himself and his work: addressing the concerns of his critics through the narrator, while using Bartleby to admit his own faults in failing to gain the recognition he thought he deserved. When Moby-Dick was published in late 1851, it was met with mixed reviews. â€Å"A reviewer for the London Britannia declared it ‘a most extraordinary work’; and a reviewer in the New York Tribune proclaimed that it was ‘the best production which has yet come from that seething brain, and †¦ it gives us a higher opinion of the author’s originality and power †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"Herman Melville† 2305-2306). Many critics, however, were â€Å"unhappy with the novel’s length, philosophical abstractness, and mixing of genres, and the novel quickly vanished from the literary scene without bringing Melville the critical admiration that he had expected† (2306). A particularly damning review came from the prestigious London literary magazine, Athenaeum: â€Å"The style of his tale is in places disfigured by mad (rather than bad) English; and its catastrophe is hastily, weakly, and obscurely managed† (Parker 18). What’s most interesting about Moby-Dick is that it seems to be exactly the kind of book Melville always wanted to write, knowing full well that no success would come of it. In a letter to Hawthorne he wrote, â€Å"‘What I feel most moved to wr... ...arrator to talk reason into Bartleby occurs in the scene before the new landlord calls the police to have him escorted to jail. â€Å"‘Bartleby,’ said I †¦ ‘will you go home with me now—not to my office, but my dwelling—and remain there till we can conclude upon some convenient arrangement for you at our leisure? Come, let us start now, right away.’† Responds Bartleby, â€Å"‘No: at present I would prefer not to make any change at all’† (Melville 2385). Bartleby isn’t willing to meet the narrator half way. â€Å"Bartleby† isn’t about whether or not the narrator did enough; it’s about whether or not Bartleby did enough. Concerning Melville: it isn’t about whether or not the critics did enough to understand his new way of writing; it was about whether or not Melville did enough to help them try and understand. In â€Å"Bartleby†Ã¢â‚¬â€through Bartleby—Melville is admitting that he did not.

The Symbolic Meaning of the Radio in The Enormous Radio Essay -- Enorm

The Symbolic Meaning of the Radio in The Enormous Radio  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Many authors use the personification of inanimate objects to symbolize the feelings and expressions of their characters. One example of this is in John Cheever’s short story, "The Enormous Radio." Although critics argue that the characteristics of the radio are the opposite of those of Jim and Irene Westcott, the radio actually reflects the couple’s life. Even though in the beginning of the story the Westcotts’ old radio is outdated and constantly malfunctioning, it has the same innocence and simplicity as the couple. The radio, being "an old instrument" (817), and the couple, resembling "statistical reports in college alumni bulletins" (817), are both average and uncomplicated. Neither Jim nor Irene "understood the mechanics of the radio" (817), just as the radio, a machine, did not understand the human music and language it transmitted. Eventually the couple’s life begins to fall apart. This happens as the old radio get worse and finally "the music [from the radio] faded away all together" (817). When the ...

Role of Medieval History in Modern Day

A common story plot in modern day films portraying Middle Age themes is a damsel in distress being saved by a knight in shining armor. For instance, the popular animated children’s movie, Shrek, follows the story line of Shrek and his partner, Donkey, going off on a journey in order to save a princess imprisoned in a tall castle tower and guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. The entire plot setting is based roughly around the same time frame as the actual middle ages, so the elements of medieval culture in this movie are clear.The guarded castles, mythical creatures, and feudal system enforced between the peasants and royalty are all elements of medieval culture. One major scene that depicts the essence of the Middle Ages best is when Shrek leads Lord Farquaad to Fiona as an exchange for guaranteed privacy of Shrek’s swamp. Two main aspects of this scene to focus on is the interaction between Lord Farquaad and Shrek and also the use of Princess Fiona as an object of trad e for Shrek’s reward.Traditional ranking of nobles and commoners are rooted within the Middle Ages, and although Shrek acts rather brutish and unpolished in Lord Farquaad’s presence, there is still an act of submission as depicted by Shrek’s delivery of Fiona. It was typical of knights in the middle ages to battle against one another or perform favors and acts of bravery in order to gain favor in the eyes of a King. Lord Farquaad’s use of Shrek as a way of obtaining Princess Fiona would then give Shrek an opportunity to gain favor in Lord Farquaad’s eyes so that his request of gaining back full ownership of his swamp would be granted.Due to the treacherous nature of retrieving Fiona, this would constitute as one of many acts of valor that many knights would partake in at the time. Princess Fiona’s part in this scene is as an object of bargaining, as shown when Shrek brings Lord Farquaad to her in order to fulfill his side of the arrangement. It should be noted that Princess Fiona’s hand in marriage was necessary for Lord Farquaad to gain full control cover a larger jurisdiction and for him to have the title as King bestowed upon him.The use of marriage as a way of combining kingdoms and making negotiations derive from medieval culture and also emphasize the importance that the feudal system played during this time. Although Lord Farquaad had enough power to grant or take away land from landowners, such as the fairy tale creatures, the only way for him to become a real king was to marry a princess, which in this case would have been Princess Fiona.Similar situations like this regularly occur in modern popular culture, such as the film The Princess Diaries 2, where Princess Amelia is being urged by the Genovian government to marry someone who holds an official title as a prince in order for her to become a true queen. It has become common knowledge in today’s society that a Princess or Prince cannot hold th e title as a Queen or King until they are married—this particular idea originating from the Middle Ages.By looking at these examples, one can see how ideals from the Middle Ages carried over into modern day popular culture. In fact, modern day knighting still takes place in the British government and is still based off of recognition of service and contributions to the British nation. The Order of the British Empire is perhaps the most common knighthood given today and is frequently awarded to British scientists, educators, doctors, and even Paul McCartney. This tradition is significant evidence of the carry over of Middle Ages in contemporary culture.However, one of the many misconceptions of the medieval times is the mistreatment and the demeaning of woman as being a prominent thing in society. This is portrayed in the treatment of Princess Fiona as a means for bargaining, and one should note that her objections to being married to Lord Farquaad held little to no weight whe n it came down to her fate. Aside from Princess Fiona, the amount of parts where women held significant character roles were almost nonexistent and further pushed the stereotype of how medieval women were disregarded in medieval times.On the contrary, women, such as St. Joan of the Arc, held positions of high authority in the time of the Middle Ages and were not treated with as little esteem as modern society thinks today. This kind of thinking encourages the damsel-in-distress scenario where the woman is rendered helpless and waiting for a strong and able man to come and save her. Such depictions associated with medieval society are emphasized over and over until the image of an incompetent woman is incorporated into the general consensus of what medieval times were like.The use the medieval times as the setting for Shrek also played along with stereotypical Middle Ages as being a time of ignorant common people that blindly followed the rule of the king without any question. The ov erall appearance that the environment in Shrek gives off is a place that is unorganized and unhygienic, much like what modern society thinks of the middle ages today. Setting Shrek in the Middle Ages effectively played out the stereotypes and general idea of what medieval society means to popular culture.The exaggerated difference of living conditions between peasants and royalty, the disregard of women, the bartering by marriage, and even the uneducated and dirty lifestyles of many commoners exemplify common misconceptions of the Middle Ages that many people in society take as fact. Popular culture, in turn, starts to immediately associate a time of ignorance and uncleanliness as being characteristic of the Middle Ages—whether they are true or not.