Poetry and Ozymandias Heart Essay

How life goes on: the analyzing of diction and imagery in â€Å" Ozymandias† The poem â€Å"Ozymandias† by Percy Bysshe Shelley is about a traveler telling the speaker about a statue in the desert. This statue is half sunk in the sand and the traveler explains that the â€Å"sneer of cold command† on the statue’s face shows that the sculptor understood the passions of the statue’s subject. This man sneered at the people who were not as powerful as him, but he fed his people because of something in his heart. The Traveler goes on and says that on the pedestal of the statue, it is written, â€Å"My name is Ozymandias’, king of kings: / Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!† But when you look all around the statue for the â€Å"works† there is nothing but sand and a bare desert. In this poem, Percy Bysshe Shelley creates the image of destroyed sculptures to show that nature destroys all and his choice of diction is quite intere sting. The diction in this poem creates a strong sense of imagery. The notable diction is combined with alliteration to create even more powerful imagery, such as the â€Å"Sneer of col command†. Ozymandias’-â€Å"ozy† meaning air and â€Å"mandias† meaning King/God, is a sonnet, a fourteen lined poem metered in iambic pentameter. Percy Bysshe Shelley uses words such as, Trunk-less- torso is gone, visage- another name for face, and colossal- which is an allusion of the colossus of roads. He uses this choice of diction to interest the reader furthermore by being more descriptive and letting the readers imagination go wild. The poem â€Å"Ozymandias† has two voices. The first is the speaker, who tells the entire poem. The other is the traveler, who tells the main speaker about the poem. The speaker tells us the traveler is from an â€Å"antique land,† which is a metaphor for the old age of his country. Antiques are valued mainly for their age and are almost always not modern. The traveler is described as well- traveled, knowledgeable, and wise. The Traveler’s whole speech is about a statue that he once saw in the middle of a desert. He tells us that the â€Å"trunk† of the statue is gone; The head of the statue lies in the sand at the feet of the legs and the expression on the face is still visible. There is a lot of death in this poem. The figure represented in the statue is dead, along with the civilization to which it once belonged. The Traveler says that the lip is â€Å"wrinkled†, but he says this is not because of old age but it is the â€Å"sneer of cold command†. This leaves the reader with an impression that Ozymandias’ was a cold ruler and had no trouble giving orders. In this  octave though it is suggests that the stone is â€Å"lifeless†, but on it is some â€Å"passions†. The reader, most likely imagines that these passions are greed, conceit, and other passions that are appropriate to a harsh, power-loving ruler. These same passions are said by the traveler to â€Å"survive† the â€Å"hand that mocked them,† which would be the sculptor, and the â€Å"heart that fed† them, which is Ozymandias’.The poem is consistent to a single metaphor: the shattered, ruined statue in the desert wasteland, but another metaphor is â€Å"the heart that fed†. Ozymandias’ heart â€Å"fed† these passions. The heart seemed to be compared to a powerful figure and the passions seemed more like an animal the master throws some food to, but I think the sense is more that Ozymandias’ heart fed on the passions. When you look at it like this, Ozymandias’ heart becomes a killer and the passions his prey. It seems obvious then that the passions kept the heart alive and beating, the passions are sustenance to the heart. The passions don’t seem to be suggested to be bad, but Ozymandias’ feeding on these passions of greed and conceit resulted in evil, the same evil we see on the statue’s face. His image of the broken sculpture shows how things change over time and that human beings and materialistic values are seasonal and are bound to end. They are all prone to be affected by the laws of time.

Opposites and Paradoxes in King Lear Essay

The sequence of oppositional characters and motifs in the play bring about in the audience a sense of the corruption of principles that beset the protagonists of the play. With this sense of opposition comes a strong sense of the duality within the play seemingly centred on the Epodoclean theory of a â€Å"world governed by the contrary forces of love and hate. Though this is not unusual for a stage production, McAlindon believes that when the bond of opposites that constitutes the natural order of â€Å"revolt against limit and fly to extremes. † This can be seen in the characters foremost as the sons of Gloucester as well as the daughters of Lear are directly opposed to each other. Indeed it is in the internal nature of Lear that this is focused most powerfully as his beliefs in love and kindnesses are offset by the egocentric and chloric feelings that dwell within his heart. It is mainly from the character and fate of Lear that the true extent of the breakdown of nature can be seen as within the space of two weeks he has sunk from kingship to a world of destitution and poverty as he suffers at â€Å"th’ extreme verge† in his relationship with his family. What is most tragic in relation to Lear though is his rediscovery of Cordelia before the heart wrenching death she endures as he is thrown from the heights of grief before his heart gives way under the strain of ecstatic joy. But while the emotional converses that Lear endures are tremendously powerful they are not the only matters in opposition throughout the play. There can be seen in the various settings of the play a number of thematic oppositions, with the most apparent being the contrast between the nocturnal and gloomy castle of Gloucester as opposed to the serene Dover fields where Father and daughter are reunited, where love opposes strife. Indeed there are a great number of inversions that apply a new number of possible thoughts to the understanding of the play. Lear’s sufferings are completely opposed to the more typical tragedies of the Shakespearean era where there was a distinct separation between the suffering of the social elite and â€Å"the low and the ludicrous† in the principal of the Senecan school of thought. In King Lear though it would appear to be the Saturnalism theories that prevail as the positions of the lowest are inverted with those of the highest, as Lear takes the place of his fool in declaring the unpalatable truths of the world in his madness, adopting a sense of tragedy in the manner in which this is done. There are none more demonstrative of inversions than the antonymic nominalism that occupy the play with the most pathetic being Gloucester’s praise of Goneril and Cornwall, whereby his loyalty to the king becomes â€Å"treason† whereas Edmund’s betrayal is described as a show of â€Å"loyalty. † But more than this it is a key illustration of the wickedness of protagonist such as Goneril who condemn â€Å"harmful mildness. † This sense of paradox is prevalent mostly in the evil party where it comes to signify a moral and social inversion of a rational order of things. In contrast to this a positive paradox comes to represent a renewal through destruction and a discovery though loss, most notably seen in the increase of France’s attraction for Cordelia following her rejection by Lear as she becomes an â€Å"unprized precious maid,† becoming â€Å"most choice, forsaken† as the isolation of â€Å"forsaken† seemingly highlighting the paradox. What is more is that a sense of pathos is granted through this as Lear’s misinterpretation of each one of his daughters and his reliance of the â€Å"wolfish† Regan and Goneril, as well as Gloucester’s miscomprehension of Edmund as being a â€Å"loyal and natural boy. The twin paradoxes that appear in the discovery of madness, characterised by Lear, and the discovery of vision in blindness are the most powerful in the development dignity undertaken by Lear and to an extent Gloucester in this play. McAlindon believes that of all the paradoxes it is the fact that th e tragedy develops around an inability â€Å"to contain the worst effects of a terrible eruption in nature,† and none is more terrible than the progressive failing of family links. The typical familial bond of mutual love and affection that is the ornerstone of most families is shockingly absent in King Lear though it is desperately craved by Lear himself. McAlindon believes that this style of bond involves love and justice as well as that it â€Å"predicates a glad and spontaneous performance of offices and responsibilities. † It is therefore bewildering that Edmund would break such a bond in such an anti-familial manner, undermining civilised society in the process, and comparisons can be drawn between him and Iago in his mistreatment of Claudius in Othello. Gloucester, however, can be seen to be as equally to blame for Edmund’s waywardness as his dreadful mistreatment of him, whose breeding is only acknowledged as Gloucester â€Å"often blushed,† and seems to be a victim of tragic causality as Edmund comes to believe that he owes everything to himself. The ancient Greek writers Plato and Aristotle believe that love creates emotional awareness and allows for the creation of just law. With this in mind the manner with which Lear treats the link between him and his daughters in such a material way shatters any sense of order or responsibility in his court with the dismissal of Cordelia and Kent becoming a satire of what passes for justice in society. If Plato’s theories are developed then it would seem that the main cause for injustice is a loss of human kindness and sympathy, explaining fully Edmund’s pathological hardness as his bastardy alienates him. In the same manner in which Edmund suffers a lack of acknowledgement, so too does Lear suffer the same fate, it is only through his mistreatment on the familial ties. McAlindon believes that Lear holds a heavy â€Å"dependence of personal identity on the bond† and it is his reliance on the bond as a material tie makes him a nobody after he divulges himself from his power and estate resulting in one of the most pathetic lines â€Å"I gave you all† separated from the cruelty of Regan. The greatest dignity is then conveyed onto those around him who still perceive the bond to be a union through love, and therefore still hold the same respect for Lear despite his failure to recognise them. The importance of a character understanding the treatment of time plays an integral part in the possibility of them being seen as a tragic figure. King Lear is a tragedy characteristic of its age, a tragedy of extreme and terrible violence, as there is a sense of the untimeliness of violence and destruction that rashness and impatience bring about. Most characteristic of this flaw is Lear as his kingdom implodes through his â€Å"hideous rashness† as he signals the unleashing of pitiless violence that culminates in the utterly pathetic death of Cordelia. He is ironically guilty too of being overly patient as there is an almost comic stichomythia between him and Kent portraying his unwillingness to accept facts. A parallel can be drawn with Gloucester in this as his impatience regarding the supposed traitor Edgar is both unjust and demonstrative of the nexus between time and justice as well as injustice and haste. Calculated swiftness becomes characteristic with the actions of the evil party and can be seen by Edmunds manipulation of Gloucester under the pretence of judicial behaviour as well as that of his brother as he acts â€Å"in cunning† and its placement a the beginning of the line illuminates its two meanings. In an extreme contrast the good party align themselves with time, adopting a policy of patience that is both dignified and tragic. Edgar is keen to wait for â€Å"the mature time† whilst Kent waits for the perfect moment to reveal himself to his master, however, it is his own personal tragedy that he never finds the right moment. This can be seen as a demonstration of a true heart as this is a play that appeals profoundly to the heart as much as it does to the mind. Emblematic of a noble heart is the manner in which a protagonist empathises and treats those around them and powerful contrasts can be seen between characters and their counterparts. Indeed the most powerful of these contrasts is between the â€Å"dog-hearted daughters† of Lear and Cordelia with the scenic juxtaposition of tranquil Dover and the castles and courts of Regan and Goneril a clear demonstration of this. To be truly tragic in King Lear a character possess a good heart and this is perfectly shown by the â€Å"marble hearted sisters† as opposed to Kent’s whose own heart is pierced by Lear’s rejection of Cordelia. Alongside the good characters Lear’s heart is true in its nature, though he seems to suffer the promethean anguish, with his heart replacing the traditional liver, culminating in his death which must be presumed as being from a broken heart. Compassionate love is the supreme value in the play and as discussed above beliefs and social morals come from love and therefore the heart. Conversely though a slighted heart can produce the most devastating fury and hatred through grief as not only does the heart present the duality of nature with the possibility for disunity and anarchy but in this same manner emphasizing the importance of patience. Therefore the presence of all the aforementioned undertones and subtle themes tragedy is both made distinctly more unattainable as well as becoming much more powerful in its nature, with pathos coming to play a key role in its development.

Environmental Impact Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Environmental Impact Analysis - Assignment Example Every meeting that is regularly done, the topics include all the environmental concerns that relates to every project. The recent meetings for 2015 is summarized below with highlights on the project proposal description, major key players, environmental issues related to the project, actions done, and fairness of the project. The project proposes construction of a three levels open parking garage with dimensions 91, 800 square foot, having 304 spaces with project location at the Century Centre Office Complex. The scope of works includes removal of the already existing 143 parking spaces and the current landscaping. The addition of 161 new spaces for parking with the 143 existing spaces would sum up to 304 spaces per level. In totality of the construction, there will be 1,013 parking spaces that would be created. The project with title â€Å"Century Centre Parking Structure† with Project Number PA 14-083, is a project of the Executive Office of the Planning division of the City of San Mateo. The proposed project will be located in 1400 and 1450 Fashion Island Boulevard, San Mateo, California. The planning is headed by Tricia Schimpp, with Senio Partner, Tom Wagner of the Harvest Properties. The project will provide more parking space for the workers, residents, and to all the people in the nearby vicinity. The proposed project site is at the Century Centre Office Complex with two towering office building at the middle of the parking lot. The site is surrounded with low to high multi-family at the north and south end, respectively. An executive office and the Marina Lagoon are located at the east and west side respectively. The location of the proposed project is at the Century Centre Parking Structure with address at 1400 and 1450 Fashion Island Boulevard with Parcel No. 035-440-690 and 035-440-700. A location map has been provided showing the project site location highlighted with yellow for emphasis The proposed parking lot

Treatment plan for Paranoid- type Schizophrenia Case Study

Treatment plan for Paranoid- type Schizophrenia - Case Study Example The paper tells that the goals of treatment for paranoid- type schizophrenia emphasize the promotion of safety of the client and other involved people, ensuring proper nutrition, enhancing therapeutic relationship between the client and the therapist, and prevention of complications associated with medications and inappropriate social behavior. Recent developments in mental health research stress out the importance of treating the client as an individual case rather than as part of the general afflicted population. In considering the treatment plan in this particular scenario, the psychiatric diagnosis may be complicated with the consideration of the client’s current substance abuse. Since substance abuse appears to be co- morbid for this client’s case, prescription of medications should consider all aspects that could hinder the client’s adherence to the regimen. When the climax of the appearance of signs and symptoms starts to stabilize, assistance may be neede d to facilitate the client’s reintegration to the society. In this phase of treatment, follow- up care should facilitate the participation of the client’s family to identify early signs and symptoms of relapse. Since the client is potentially harmful to herself and others, safety should be regarded as the highest priority. Based on the initial assessment performed in the clinic, the client looked paranoid and seemed to be threatened by her new environment. At this moment, it is important that the therapist approach the client in a non threatening manner. Furthermore, the therapist should also be careful not to sound authoritarian as it may increase the client’s stress level. Space is a vital component to be considered especially in the early phase of interventions (Videbect, 2007). With the status of the client, preemptive measures should include securing a physician’s order for administering medication to control potentially injurious behaviors. Moreover , the therapist should continue to observe signs of escalating aggression such as pacing, kicking, and yelling. A quiet and less stimulating environment may be helpful in calming the client. However, seclusion and other forms of restraints may also be needed in heightened situations. Evaluation of this intervention is concurrent and does not end until the client demonstrates full recovery. The therapist should be careful in deciding whether the client has fully achieved a mental status at a functional level. Research has suggested that the client’s report of feeling a sense of well- being is never an assurance that the risk for self- injury has subsided (Videbect, 2007). Management of medications and side effects Another important aspect regarding the establishment and maintenance of safety for the client is the careful monitoring of the adverse effects of medications (Valenstein et al., 2011). Potent psychotropic drugs may affect the organ function, especially the liver and kidneys, of clients on prolonged therapy. BUN and liver enzymes monitoring should be part of the treatment regimen to ensure that the client maintains a safe level of the medication. Other minor side effects like frequent urination, constipation, dry mouth, and photosensitivity may affect the client’s adherence to prescribed therapy. Most patients initiating antipsychotic medications tend to terminate the regimen within the first few months of treatment (Olfson et al., 2007). Studies have shown that failure to follow the prescribed medications for mental health conditions is the most common cause of relapse of psychotic symptoms and subsequent hospital readmission (Videbect, 2007). With proper adherence to the prescribed therapy, the client is expected to attain a functional recovery and lead a normal life. Actually, the client’s adherence to the prescribed regimen may be facilitated by the therapist in various ways.

Legalizing Performance Enhancing Drugs Research Paper

Legalizing Performance Enhancing Drugs - Research Paper Example It is about time when the law and policy makers stopped being hypocritical and paranoid about the use of PEDs, and sought their legalization instead. This is an obvious question. Why is there a debate on this issue in the first place? Performance enhancing drugs can simply be banned because they give an added advantage to their users. Then why are people objecting to the ban? Do they wish to be unfair? Not exactly. Banning of PEDs has led to the introduction of other evils apart from further aggravating their illegal use. For instance, while anti-doping policies in sports seek to â€Å"level the playing field† and prevent sportsmen from taking unfair advantage, they have not been successful at this attempt (Kayser, Mauron and Miah 521). Sportsmen who intend to use them do so without fail, and many go undetected. This proves to be unfair for those who do not use such drugs out of fear of being caught. This has not at all leveled the playing field, as illegal use of drugs is already prevalent among sportsmen. It is just that most of them are not being caught. According to Herper, to address the issue of illegal doping by spo rtsmen: The most obvious solution has always been to legalize those drugs that work, and to experimentally monitor new entrants, including dietary supplements, for both efficacy and safety. Biological improvement would be treated much as athletic equipment like baseball bats and running shoes. If these drugs are legalized, it will at least be possible to monitor the use of such drugs and even level the playing field as those innocent players who were earlier deterred from using them

The History of Oil and Gas in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The History of Oil and Gas in China - Essay Example China was the first country to discover the presence of oil accumulations in salt wells. The Chinese identified beforehand the significance and the possible use of oil and gas in boundless applications. Early on in history, about 500 B.C., consistent with some historical accounts about China, the old Chinese express about wells with the depth of 100 feet holding a significant volume of water and natural gas. Also, the Chinese were pioneers in conceptualizing the use of bamboos to serve as pipelines to draw natural gas and oil from wells. These recovered gas and oil were originally used for lighting (Business Reference Services, "History of Oil and Gas Industry"). In addition, the Chinese eventually ventured in searching and excavating wells with depths of over 2000 feet (American Petroleum Institute, "All about Petroleum - As Old as History").While China was the first country to venture in the exploration and excavation of oil and natural gas reserves, it was not the first country to take innovative approaches in developing petroleum products like kerosene, gasoline, etc. It commenced adopting a modernistic method in developing oil and gas products only during the 1950s. Even up to the present, China is comparatively fresher in modern oil and gas discovery and production compared to the US. Initially, China was an oil importer but later managed to become independent; and even became an exporter between 1965 and 1993; however, it went back to being an importer in 1993.

(See the information which I have uploaded) Essay

(See the information which I have uploaded) - Essay Example A firm must bring about certain efforts which are geared up to make it sound, look and eventually feel different from the rest of the lot and in the long run, have a selling proposition in it and in its products that help it in winning the customers time and time again. It is significant to understand that having the most sought after employees and workers in the market is necessary since they will give the most productivity in the toughest times possible. (Cappelli, 1999) From a truly organizational standpoint, the current needs in the training regimes require the employees to get themselves acquainted with the ever changing role of Information Technology and the like within the business quarters as well as learn for their own betterment the different mechanisms through which they can make use of the business processes and management activities in a steady and quick manner. (Egan, 2001) They need to align themselves with the advanced technological applications and that too in a quick way because the corporate world of present times is on the move. The training needs are required within any organization since the same would ensure that all the employees understand what they are doing and there are as such no hiccups in the office place so to speak. It is a fact that the workers must know what the end goal for the business is like and on what parameters success is measured as far as the top management of the organization is concerned. There must be uni son in their working mechanisms so that they are all on the same wavelength no matter how trying or tough the circumstances turn out to be. (Varey, 2001) Service marketing and management has remained the key for a long time, especially within the contexts where the same offers a creative edge over other service organizations – the competitors in essence. From an office standpoint, there are certain instances when it is best to choose different people for the various jobs that are

Recruitment, Selection, Training and Development Essay

Recruitment, Selection, Training and Development - Essay Example The credit crunch has implications both on recruitment and selection on one hand and training and development on the other hand of human resources across organisations in the United Kingdom such as Standard Chartered (Amyx, 2004, pp121-9). The rate of unemployment increases releasing the tensions associated with shortage of skills. But where the skill shortages result from the constraints of supply side, then the tension remains. Similarly, the skills arose from buoyant demand will disappear (Venugopal Reddy, 2010, pp256-289). The tight search for talents will continue after recession at a comparatively lower level. Additionally, the management of talents is focused on the retention of strategic personnel. The rate of growth for wages will be moderate, but will shrink mostly in sectors where a significant proportion of the pay benefits comprise bonuses due to the need to reduce costs (Allison, 2013, pp178-234). The company will have to revise its current salary schemes as it tries to look for cheaper means to finance its activities. The earnings of the public sector will trigger industrial unrest as negotiations for wages will become more difficult with the trade unions. Marx explains the credit crisis from the perspective of the business cycle. The business cycle refers to the booms and slumps in an economy. He explains the occurrence of the boom as when invest heavily while anticipating generation of huge profits. This results into competition among the firms. Consequently, output expands rapidly. The investments by firms to widen their profit bases again create an opportunity for other firms which supply them with capital goods, for example machinery, and other products. The economy experiences booms as more output is produced and reduced unemployment rates (Amyx, 2004, pp121-9). This boom does not last as accumulation of capital with time reduces the profits made by the companies. According to Marx, the

Culture and Education Essay Example for Free

Culture and Education Essay The institutions of education which are shaping the minds of todays youth do not all teach the same facts and curriculum. Throughout the world there are differing opinions on what, when, and how certain facts, theories, and concepts should be taught. Not all children are taught the same truths; this statement might sound unfair, or maybe incomprehensible. How, one may ask, could accepted truths not be taught as such; and what decides whether they will be or not? Cultural constructs such as norms, morals, and shared religious beliefs play a role in what education consists of and looks like for different groups of children all over the world. Let’s take a look at the common History class. When taking a History class in the United States you will most likely be learning U. S. History, and even if you take a World History class it will still focus on the U. S. and how it interacted with and impacted other countries. In Japan you would be learning Japanese History. However if you were to read through certain Japanese history text books you might be alarmed to find that Japan is portrayed not only as a victim instead of an aggressor in the context of WWII and that there is a lack of general information regarding their participation in the war all together. Largely in debate is the Nanking Massacre in which the Japanese allegedly systematically kill 300,000 people including both civilians and soldiers. There are two schools of thought, The Massacre Denial and The Massacre Affirmative. Japan’s culture is one of honor which makes it difficult for them to acknowledge their mistakes, and thus largely try to ignore the Nanking incident in a sort of sweep it under the rug fashion. In Japanese Universities many teachers will teach that while the event did happen the numbers were closer to 10,000 and included only soldiers while some classes do not cover the topic at all. In China they teach that it did in fact happen and claim the body count reached 300,000 or more. The effect of this difference in truths being taught is that in Japan younger generations do not view Japan as having been an aggressor in the war, and younger Chinese generations continue to view the Japanese as horrible people. Then there is Human Growth and Development / Sex Ed. While many believe it is a necessary section of what children learn in Health classes, some find it to go against their culture. In certain groups simply discussing opening a woman’s menstrual cycle or how a baby is made can be taboo. Not to mention once you start getting into discussions about birth control options and how to properly put on a condom all hell can break lose. To those whose culture forbids them from having premarital sex, these classes can seem obscene and worrisome in the sense that perhaps these classes will cause their children to commit these sins after acquiring knowledge about it. Then there are also cultures who simply think that school is not a place for these things to be covered, and that it is the parents’ responsibility to teach their children about them themselves. Another main concern is also when these things will be taught. I myself remember being taught about the changes that would happen to my body once I hit puberty starting around 4th grade in Human Growth and Development classes. It wasnt until high school that anyone really talked about sex, and ways to make it safe. Some people think that due to rates of teen pregnancy and the way these teen parents seem to be getting younger and younger, that it may be necessary to begin bringing up safe sex much earlier on. However, many people believe this would be overstepping many cultural boundaries. Either way schools almost always allow parents to remove children from these classes as they understand that these matters are viewed differently by different cultures. The way in which the Theory of Evolution is taught throughout the U. S. s another prime example of how cultural beliefs try and sometimes succeed in shaping educational curriculum. While throughout the science community the Theory of Evolution is greatly accepted as the reason behind animals and humans being the way they are today, the fashion in which it is taught to students throughout the United States varies from state to state. A map published in a 2002 issue of Scientific American which was based on data collected by Lawrence S. Lerner of California State University the map depicts the quality of coverage given to the Theory of Evolution in each states Science Standards. It shows that while in a little over half of the states the teaching of the theory is considered very good to satisfactory, a number of states, particularly several in the Bible Belt, an area of the Southern United States where the culture reflects the strongly conservative and Evangelical population which boasts higher church attendance than the countries average; there is â€Å"unsatisfactory, useless, or absent† coverage of the theory. The battle to allow for another theory to be taught instead of, or alongside Evolution is ongoing but has been approved in Kentucky as well as Tennessee. These states now teach Creationism/Creation Science, â€Å"A literal belief in the biblical account of Creation as it appears in the Book of Genesis. Creationists believe that the creation of the world and all its creatures took place in six calendar days; they therefore deny the theory of evolution. †() In areas of the U. S. where religion is not a large part of culture it is not likely for Creationism to be seen as something which should be taught in science classes, however is areas where the religious roots of a culture run deep the attempts such as these to control education are apparent. If one were to make a list of all things which are agreed upon by their culture to be truths and compared it to that of another’s there would undoubtedly be differences. While one would hope the majority of facts matched there will always be variations. This is reflected through the words of teachers and the knowledge of their students. Ones’ culture defines what education consists of and looks like for them, perhaps it seems unfair, but it is undeniably true. Not all children are taught the same truths.

Chocolate Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Chocolate Research Paper Essay Chocolate is a key ingredient in many foods such as milk shakes, candy bars, cookies and cereals. It is ranked as one of the most favourite flavours in North America and Europe. Despite its popularity most people do not know the unique origin of this popular treat. Chocolate is a product that requires complex procedures to produce. The process involves harvesting cocoa, refining coca to cocoa beans, and shipping the cocoa beans to the manufacturing factory for cleaning, coaching and grinding. These cocoa beans will then be imported or exported to other countries and be transformed into different types of chocolate products. Cocoa beans grow in countries like Cote dIvoire, Ghana, Indonesia, Brazil, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Malaysia, but the highest cocoa producing country is Cote dIvoire. The production process of cocoa beans include: first, cocoa is harvested manually. The seed pods of cocoa are collected and the beans are selected and placed in piles. These cocoa beans are then ready to be shipped to the manufacturer for production. Cocoa grows in pods that sprout off the trunks and branches of cocoa trees. The pods have the shape and almost the size of football. The pods start out green and turn orange when they are ripe. When the pods are ripe they are harvested gently with machetes. Machines can damage the trees or the clusters of flowers and pods that grow on the trunk, so workers have to harvest the pods by hand, using short, hooked blades mounted on long poles to reach the highest fruit. The cocoa seeds then undergo a process of fermentation by placing them in large, shallow, heated trays or by covering them with large banana leaves. If the climate is right, they may be simply heated by the sun. Workers mostly women come along periodically and stir them up so that all of the beans come out equally fermented. This process may take up to five or eight days. After fermentation, the cocoa seeds are dried before they can be scooped into sacks and shipped to chocolate manufacturers. Farmers simply spread the fermented seeds on trays and leave them in the sun to dry. The drying process usually takes about a week and results in seeds becoming reduced to about half of their original weight. During the production process, labor is not equally divided between men and women who work in the planation; this brings us to the issue of gender division. The gender divide that exists on the cocoa plantation is that most farm work is conducted by men, although most certainly there are tasks where women are very active, such as scooping the beans from the already opened husks, turning the beans during the fermentation and drying process, and sewing the jute sacs needed for the packaging of the dried beans. Women in the farms normally tend to the needs of the family. When female labor is hired during the harvesting time the wages given to them are not the same as those for men. Perhaps another reason why men are preferred is because of their assumed higher productivity rate compared to that of women. Due to different practices followed in individual regions, even within countries, the participation of women and their assigned tasks vary enormously. For instance, because of the popular method of sun drying cocoa beans in Ecuador, it is necessary to â€Å"clean† the beans. This job is mostly undertaken by women. This is not the case in Ghana or Brazil where sun drying is accomplished while protecting the beans from foreign matters and waste. It is interesting to note however that there is no specific pattern for the assignment of tasks to women, except during the harvest when the scooping of the beans from the opened pods is primarily performed by women in most cocoa producing countries. Given the great differences in the systems of production in producing countries it is difficult to find a common percentage that reflects the average participation of the female work force. It is worth mentioning that unlike the coffee agricultural sector, there are no associations or specific groups that house ‘women only’ involved in the cocoa sector at any level, although all associations and cooperatives are open to all who qualify. Due to fluctuation of cocoa prices in the world market, farmers have no long-term security, and in some situations, they do not have enough funds to support their farming business. Cocoa farmers are always faced with financial hardship; they are not able to provide for their families as they would want nor have enough funds to start up their own farming business because they only receive a fraction of the proceeds from the selling of the beans on the world market and there are many people in the trading chain. Cocoa farmers around the world face many challenges. It is estimated that about one-third of global cocoa crops are destroyed by pests and diseases every year. Many cocoa farmers have limited access to the latest agricultural technologies or methods of cultivation and few of them have business backgrounds to help them effectively market their products and manage their operations. Many of the farming communities live in poverty and are infected with diseases. Industry groups, governments and consumers worldwide have raised concerns about the use of pesticides and child labor on West African cocoa farms. An interview conducted by Christophe Koffi showed that one major problem that women in cocoa production encounter is the lack the of financial capability or backing due to the fact that most of these women find themselves in a male dominated occupation. It is very difficult for them to secure financial aid or loans to manage their farms. For instance, â€Å"Women cannot inherit or even create a cocoa plantation under our patriarch-dominated tradition,† said Vanie, criticising what she called a â€Å"backwards and misogynist† practice† (Koffi, 2008) because we still live in a patriarchal dominated society where women do not have the right to own lands and properties. This paper further talks about the sustanability in the production process of cocoa. We will be looking at Lindt Sprungli’s which is a family company and a major producer of chocolate and other cocoa products with a headquaters in Kilchberg, Switzerland. Lindt Sprungli is one of the few chocolate makers that have complete control over every step of the production chain starting with the precise selection of the finest cocoa varieties from the best growing areas in the world right on through the careful and expert processing until ending with the elegant packaging. Lindt gets its cocoa beans mostly from Ghana and Central and South America. Lindt has been very conservative in the amount of energy its invests in the chocolate production process. Each existing and future facility and investment undergoes very detailed analysis to determine how much energy can be saved. Through better insulation and energy recovery, Lindt Sprungli was able to cut down on energy consumption by more than 13% per ton produced between 2004 and 2010. The company intends to continue reducing the energy consumption rate per ton produced by an average over the coming years. According to the Lindt publication, The company’s efforts: since 1999, Lindt Sprungli’s Swiss subsidiary, Chocoladefabriken Lindt Sprungli (Schweiz) AG, has been an active member of the Lake Zurich Energy Model Group†¦The Swiss government and independent engineers have audited the progress and as a result, the Swiss subsidiary has been granted the official certificate. (Kilchberg, 2012) Since 2007, Lindt Sprungli under water conservation has been participating in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)†¦Since then, the measurements of water emissions and energy consumption have been largely based on the concept of the ‘Methodology Fossil Fuels’ set out in the CDP Protocol†¦Waste water, Lindt Sprungli continuously monitors and analyses the use of water and the output of wastewater in the production process and intends to further reduce the use of fresh water in this process, which, in turn will impact the output of wastewater (Kilchberg, 2012). The major people that benefit from cocoa production are mostly the big corporations. The corporations exploit cocoa farmers in the sense that they do not pay them the true worth of their labour. Women who work on the farms are underpaid and marginalized. There is also the issue of child labor where children of school going age are forced to work on the farms instead of going to school thereby denying them the right to education. The big corporations are not forth coming in releasing information as to how and where they get their cocoa beans from. Most of these African countries where these big corporations get their raw materials from do not have access to good roads, health care facilities, schools, electricity, and there is poverty in most of the communities. These big corporations buy the cocoa beans at a very cheap rate and then import them to the western society and the refined product is processed into different kinds of chocolates (e. g. chocolate drink, chocolate bars of different shapes and sizes and chocolate candies etc. ) . Which are sold consumers at exorbitant prices considering the price at which the cocoa beans are bought from the cocoa farmers. This explains how capitalism and big corporation exploit cheap labour. Almost everyone enjoys a bit of chocolate every now and again. But if you take a closer look at how cocoa is produced, it may well leave a bitter taste in your mouth. The conditions under which the cocoa farmers in many producer countries live and work are worrying: Despite the fact that cocoa is usually their main source of income, the families struggle to make a living from it. Child labour is not uncommon. As consumers we can work with NGOs to find means of helping the farmers to adapt to new systems of cocoa farming that result higher yields, under socially more acceptable and environmentally friendly conditions, to meet market demands and hence ensure a stable flow income. As a major part of the global cocoa industry which has remained inactive and invisible for so long, consumers of chocolate can demonstrate that they want slavery in the cocoa sector stamped out, and your pressure can highlight their lack of commitment and make them more accountable. Finally all cocoa products, including chocolate, run the risk of being tainted by child labour and slavery. To achieve a satisfactory standard of ethical production in chocolate consumers must help to ensure that companies commit to credible and sufficient actions against such things as use of child labour and the exploitation of cocoa farmers and not make false and unsustainable promises to consumers of being â€Å"slavery- free†. The consumers can liaise with government bodies and NGOs to negotiate fair prices for the purchase of cocoa products and this will in turn help the farmers to gain access to basic social amenities of life. Reference Page Archer, D. (2012). ADM’s commitment to sustainable cocoa. Milwaukee: Copyright 2012 Archer Daniels Midland Company . Clarkson, T. (1998). Anti-slavery. Retrieved November 15, 2012, from www. antislavery. org: http://www. antislavery. org/english/privacy_policy. aspx Kilchberg. (2012, April 22). The environment in the Production Process. Retrieved November 13, 2012, from www. Lindt. com: http://www. lindt. com/swf/eng/company/social-responsibility/lindts-sustainable-cocoa-supply-chain/ Koffi, C. (2008, November 7). Ivory Coast women defy taboos. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from iol News: http://www. iol. co. za/news/africa/ivory-coast-women-defy-taboos-1. 423405.

Forms And Modern Manifestations Of Racism Social Work Essay

Forms And Modern Manifestations Of Racism Social Work Essay Racism embodies the ideology or practice via demonstrated power of perceiving the dominance of one group over others by on the grounds of color, race, ethnicity, or cultural heritage, whereby ethnic minorities might be perceived as being biologically (intrinsically) inferior and, thus, practices detailing their domination and exploitation are justified. In many places across the world, racism is manifested at individual, group, or institutional level. Individual racism comprising of overt acts perpetuated by individuals that injure another or their property; institutional racism, which details processes that, deliberately, or not, yield to the prolonged exclusion of a subordinate group and activities and practices that are fashioned to safeguard the advantages of the superior group and/or sustain or broaden the uneven position of a subordinate group. Racism has over the years been institutionalized and sustained via educational, economic, religious, political, social, and cultural po licies and activities. Racism is functional in that it is employed to sustain structural inequalities within the society that are skewed against individuals of color or minority groups. Systematic discrimination against certain members of visibly identifiable racial and ethnic groups has continued to pervade most aspects of peoples lives inclusive of education, politics, economics, religion, social relationships, housing, and employment. Sources and causes of racism and deeply embedded throughout major aspects of many societies. The sources and causes of racism can be delineated as colonialism whereby the intrinsically racist process of colonialisation availed the basis and continued presence of systematic racism within most societies. Other causes of racism include pervasive ignorance, fear and lack of appreciation of cultural diversity, power and privilege. One of the outstanding impacts of racism in disadvantaging the minorities details the invisibility of the achievement of minorities over the centuries. Since capitalist societies mainly recognize achievements that can be translated into monetary terms, the portrayal of minority groups as criminals or poverty stricken serves to paint them as burdens of history. As a result, racism leads to entrenching of disadvantaged position of ethnic minorities. Historically, racism has been employed to validate the conquering of ethnic minorities to obtain key resources such as land, strategic military outposts, or forced cheap labour. In most societies diverse racial and ethnic groups possess unequal access to power, prestige, presumed worth, and resources whereby individuals possessing superior power, majority group, develop a system of inequality by controlling the less-powerful groups. The resultant system of inequality is then sustained and perpetuated via social forces. The impact of racism within the society are widely manifested in poor health and health services, low wages, inadequate access to mental health services, substandard housing, high incidences of school dropouts, high unemployment and under-employment, and reduced access t higher education opportunities, as well as other institution maladies. It is ironical that the lack of jobs, housing, or other resources has led to minority scapegoating whereby ethnic minorities are increasingly becoming a scapegoat for prevalent social problems within the society. Forms and modern manifestations of racism In equality in access to critical resources within the society such as health across ethnic groups may not be necessarily reducible to socioeconomic arrangement. Indeed, the relative deprivation encountered by ethnic minorities within the society is highly likely to involve more than mere material disadvantage as ethnic minorities face significant alienation and racial harassment. Research indicates that racial harassment and perceptions of prejudice possess significant impact in disadvantaging ethnic minorities within the society. Political sphere In the contemporary society, there is an increase and support gained by political parties and entities that that openly express racist, bigoted, and xenophobic views. This has placed ethnic minorities, who are marginally represented, at a disadvantage mainly through exclusion policies. Minorities are also underrepresented in decision-making and administrative positions and the instituted affirmative programs have only yielded conflict and polarity among the employees. Employment, Racism has been widely reported in the arena of employment, which leads to economic depression for members of the oppressed racial and ethnic groups. The experience of majority of ethnic minority within the job market has not been always pleasant or positive with some individuals from minority groups and recent immigrants earning relatively lower pay than their white counterparts despite being sometimes well qualified and highly educated. In some cases, racial discrimination is reported within the workplace centring on an individuals appearance, denial of career advancement opportunities, and ascription of cultural stereotypes to individuals. There is a continued absence of employment opportunities for ethnic minorities, although the general agreement cited mainly details lack of skills on the part of the ethnic minorities. Nevertheless, in most cases structural barriers hamper access to the labour market, plus other economic opportunities. Similarly, the unemployment rate for adolescents from ethnic minorities is in many instances disproportionately distributed with higher percentages reported among people from ethnic minorities compared to their white counterparts. Education Individuals from minority groups often have lower education attainment. The persistent low levels of educational and occupational outcomes attained by ethnic minorities can be cited, in part, as resulting from structural discrimination within the education sector. This can be regarded as systemic racism and the reluctance education authorities and the government to introduce various cultural models of learning and teaching within the curricula, which in turn leads to a disproportionate access of education. The education system in some societies systematically denies similar access and prospect to children from ethnic minorities, especially where the minorities are poor. Accommodation Some minority groups encounter challenges in gaining accommodation whereby minorities (people of different race or color) are expected to reside in separate districts. This represents a microcosm mirroring all the major facets at all levels of society. Ethnic minorities are often denied accommodation based on race manifested in numerous cases where individuals from the ethnic minorities are informed of availability of accommodation, but later informed of non-availability after their race or ethnic background became known. Similarly, individuals from ethnic minorities are sometimes issued with inadequate and inappropriate public housing stock. In many instances, ethnic minorities have minimal choice as to places that they reside and often end up paying higher rent for less adequate housing. It is documented that mortgage and lending institutions within the U.S. have on several occasions perpetuated the illegal practice of redlining mortgages in minority neighborhoods. Studies in this area have unearthed consistent discrimination against ethnic minorities by financial institutions, real estate agencies, and landlords. Service provision Individuals from ethnic minorities often face discrimination in the day-to-day provision of goods and services manifested by the lack of services availed by majority of Councils. Social service mainly masks symptoms of larger problems such as racism, illiteracy, unemployment, and poverty. The need for social service stem from economic policies and practices and in many cases, the society puts the blame on minority groups and constantly adjust the individuals to suit the existing societal conditions. Criminal justice The pervasive disproportionate high rates of incarceration of individuals from ethnic minorities are frequently cited as mirroring the systemic discrimination within the society. Individuals from ethnic minorities often, especially males, often complain of over-policing. There are numerous claims of individuals from ethnic minorities being searched by security personnel devoid of reasonable justification. The ethnic descriptors employed by the police, politicians, and the media yields criminalization of ethnic minorities. As a result, Ethnic minorities sometimes are unwilling to report incidences of racist crime to law enforcement authorities in the belief that their report will not be acted upon. Minority ethnic groups often possess disproportionately high incidences of criminal offending and victimization. This is largely driven by factors such as persistent racial inequality and concentrated poverty that culminate into frustration, which, in turn, heightens delinquency and possible aggression. Ethnic minorities who are racially segregated and who manifest high rates of poverty, family disruption, social isolation, and unemployment experience high levels of crime and violence. High concentrations of poverty and high levels of racial segregation have interacted to create social conditions that disadvantage ethnic minorities. Healthcare The core factor influencing health inequality within the UK centres on the social class. A significant section of ethnic minorities are frequently located within the lowest social classes, which renders them vulnerable to diseases of poverty and deprivation. Healthcare systems in societies where racism is rife do not meet the needs of people of ethnic minorities whereby healthcare costs continue to increase while the quality and accessibility of services decrease. Moreover, too many health care facilities tend to be established in places that are inaccessible to low-income urban neighborhoods where most ethnic minorities reside. Public welfare The welfare system has in instances been exploited to keep wages low and sustain a pool of people available undertake menial, unskilled jobs. Public welfare services in most instances fail to include services such as educational, child care, family planning, job training, or unemployment insurance services that will contribute to the empowerment of individuals to gain from the economic system. The disregard for individual rights and human dignity, incoherent policies, and contravention of regulations has frequently typified the administration and delivery of public assistance, which, in turn, places minority groups who apply for assistance at a disadvantage. Conclusion Racism significantly restrains and minimizes the contributions that ethnic minorities deliver in any society. Racism is pervasive within majority of societies and continues to be silent code that methodically constrains the opportunities for most minority groups. The consequent discrimination and social exclusion of ethnic minorities can yield to a disadvantaged socioeconomic position and poor health of ethnic minorities within the society. Similarly, racism may disadvantage ethnic minorities as a result of the psychological processes that might stem from the direct experience of racism, or perceptions regarding living in a racist society. It is apparent that members of racial and ethnic dominated groups persist to struggle for equal access and opportunity, especially during moments of widespread, unemployment, and inflation.

Langston Hughess poem Theme for English B :: English Literature

Langston Hughes's poem Theme for English B is a complicated piece, which is able to stimulate the mind of any person that gives it a chance. Langston Hughes's poem Theme for English B is a complicated piece, which is able to stimulate the mind of any person that gives it a chance. This poem touches on the ever present topics of racism, commonality and differences, with insights on how people are so frequent to prejudge others without even knowing their name. Racism is still present today, even most who would not consider themselves raciest have used some sort of raciest remark or gesture. Racism does not only affect a person with more or less melanin, but also those of a different creed or religion. Many people use everyday slang which contains some sort of derogatory meaning. With the ongoing effort of individuals as well as organizations most hope that our home, our planet, will progress into the all accepting society that is has the potential to become. This poem has made me contemplate all that our country is, and the right to a fair and equal life that we all deserve. With the giant steps we have taken over the past century, I know that we are on the right track. People must realize that we are all the same, except for the melanin concentration in our skin. In fact it has been recently proven through DNA science that a person of African decent in America is more closely related to a Caucasian in America then another African-American. I found this to be amazing and proof of just how close we all our. I am as well as everyone that I know, are guilty of making prejudgments on people without even knowing a thing about them. Whether it is the clothes one wears or the parlance they use, all of use have thought a certain way about a person just from that first impression. This is not a just an American characteristic, in fact in England one could be thought of as smarter and even better looking if

The fall of absolutism in Sweden :: essays research papers

THE FALL OF ABSOLUTISM IN SWEDEN It was a typical November night with a light cold breeze in the air. The time was nine o clock in the evening and the date 30th of November 1718. The King was standing firm at his place on the parapet that was facing the fortress of Fredriksten. It was the second military campaign against Norway and the siege had only lasted for ten days, until an unexpected event changed the situation dramatically. While heavy firing was commencing from the fortifications, Charles XII stood there, on the very front line, gazing beyond the surroundings with his head out, uncovered by the parapet, as projectiles were swarming overhead. In close vicinity stood Bengt Vilhelm Carlberg, who served as fortification officer during the siege. This is his eye witness account of the event that followed: â€Å"It was now when the unfortunate time had come, the time that ended everything. Barely a quarter of an hour had passed before His Majesty the King, who had been standing above and beside several high officers, was shot from nowhere. It was a shot that pierced through the left side of His Majesty The King’s head, leaving him motionless and dead .† Charles XII efforts to strengthen the Swedish empire ultimately led to its fall and the rise of parliamentary reforms in Sweden This was the end, and not only the end for Charles XII King of Sweden. But also the beginning of the end of the Great Northern War, and ultimately the end of the Swedish Empire. Sweden had fought two decades of constant war against Poland, Russia, Denmark and Norway. The outcome was over 200 000 casualties and an economy that was crippled. Charles XII had been ruling Sweden as a divine right monarch. Absolutism brought him total power and with it responsibility. The responsibility to protect his people and strengthen the glory and greatness of Sweden, but both these responsibilities he failed to comply, and left was a poor, betrayed, miserable people with nothing but despise towards the state, and in particular absolutism as a form of government. The time of absolutism in Sweden was over, while the beginning of parliamentary reforms was taking its course. What efforts did Charles XII make to strengthen the Swedish Empire? How did these efforts lead to the fall of Absolutism in Sweden, and finally what was the reason for reforming the parliamentary climate in Sweden?

PepsiCo’s Restaurants Essay

In the case study, PepsiCo is considering in Carts of Colorado and/or California Pizza Kitchen. Senior Management is faced with the question of whether the necessary capital investment in order to purchase one or both of the businesses can be profitable for each of the acquired businesses, but must also take into consideration that the additional business units will not hinder the profitability PepsiCo itself. Would investing in other companies be the best way to expand PepsiCo? This question is important because it could affect the success of the company. By investing in a company PepsiCo started from Pepsi-Cola and then moved into a more diversified business with mainly soft drinks, snack foods and restaurants. In early 1990s, PepsiCo’s restaurant business is composed of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC, all of them are business leaders in their segment. 1By investing in C1a1r1t1s1 1o1f1 1C1o1l1o1r1a1d1o1, it1 1w1o1u1l1d1 1e1n1a1b1l1e1 1P1e1p1s1i1C1o1 1t1o1 1e1n1t1e1r1 1n1e1w1 1m1a1r1k1e1t1 1a1n1d1 1n1e1w1 1c1u1s1t1o1m1e1r1s1 1a1n1d1 1h1e1l1p1 1t1o1 1a1c1c1e1l1e1r1a1t1e1 1t1h1e1 1s1a1l1e1s1 1g1r1o1w1t1h1 1b1e1s1i1d1e1s1 1o1f1 1o1r1g1a1n1i1c1 1g1r1o1w1t1h. The Cart of Colorado’s (COC) industry is subject to strict government regulations and the uncertain demand for carts and kiosks, so the attractiveness to enter this industry is between low and medium. COC had succeeded in purchasing their largest competitor that generated sales of $2.5 million in 1990, which gives them potential to grow in the manufacturing and merchandising of mobile food carts and kiosks industry. PepsiCo will gain competitive advantage for its link with COC because it will be able to customize the carts and kiosk for its fast food chain; it is more aligned with PepsiCo’s current strategies of quick service. However, the tradeoff will be PepsiCo may focus on too many different strategies and product markets. Focusing on the same customer targets can minimize this tradeoff. It will be an advantage for PepsiCo should go and form a strategic alliance with COC. PepsiCo can use the carts to expand their KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut businesses. In my opinion, I think it would be in PepsiCo’s best interest to invest in the two companies because in this case they are both successful and would help boost PepsiCo sales.

Hold the Future in Your Hand

â€Å"Hold the Future in your Hand† In 1962, Sony put an ad out to introduce one of the first micro televisions (TV). This tiny box was a milestone in television viewing at that point in time. Who could believe that in is era that Sony would create a television that could actually be held in the palm of the hand? At only 8lbs. it is not much larger than your telephone. Think of it, it’s the early 60’s and a typical household only had one television, then suddenly an advertisement comes out describing a television that can be held in your hand.Imagine it, a rechargeable TV, one that could be used by normal battery, auto battery or by plugging it into the wall. Now all of a sudden this was not only a small TV to fit in a person’s hand, but one that could be brought anywhere. No longer was a family tied to watching TV just at home, now television was able to be watched anywhere. The 1962 ad â€Å"Hold the Future in your Hands, by Sony† is an effective advertisement that in it’s time was cutting edge technology; Sony shows appeal to men and women, versatility as well ad keeping up with a demanding future.To begin with, Sony’s attempt in bringing portable televisions to the horizon was very effective in the way they advertised. They created a television that was not only designed to appeal to both sexes but to show their leap in technology as well. Sony did not just put out a hand held television they also made one that you could use without having to watch television in the home, but rather one that you could watch on the road or outside.Secondly, over the past 66 years, Sony has continually shown us that they are always on the cutting edge of something big. Even back in the 1960’s when they were well ahead of their competitors; Sony produced a product that was not only new and inventive but versatile as well. Sony jumped ahead in the competition by creating a television that was not only useful at home but on the go as well. At that point in time they were the first on the market to design a television with portability.When Sony created this ad showing a woman holding the television in her hand Sony created an appeal to both sexes with this Micro TV, which made it an easier sell. In the 1960’s men were the primary television watchers when they got home from work, but by Sony using the type of ad they did they were able to appeal to the women. Although, this is not as characteristic today as it was in 1960, back then more woman were stay at home wives and mothers and their job was to ensure that dinner and housework was completed.Having this Micro TV that did not have to be plugged in was a blessing for women to be able to watch television wherever they were in the home. Finally, over the years Sony has continually surprised me with their ability to create electronics that make our life easier, as well as give us items to make our life more enjoyable. I would fully recommend Sony to anyone who was in the market for cutting edge electronics. References Yue, Michelle (2012, November). Retro Ad of the Week Retrieved from: http://mascola. com/insights/? p=5460

Art Appreciation Essay

While it is and can be said that what art is truly up to the viewer to interprete is true; it is up to the artist to display his definition of art. Thru his skills of observation, imagination, he displays to his thoughts and feelings condensed. Whatever their medium maybe it be painting, sculpture, or any of the many others. The world may or may not agree what art is, but the saying is true. It is with in the eyes of the beholder. The definition of Art has been a long debated topic I society. Some say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. These being the case several people have tried to put a definition of it into words. One definition listed is â€Å"an occupation requiring knowledge or skill†, and goes on to say â€Å"the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also: works so produced† (Merriam-Webster, 2012). Also a far more simple worded, yet complex in thought definition is â€Å"Art is form and content† (Shelly Esaak, 2012). While both say two seemingly different things, they are part of the ever evolving definition and essence of Art. There are several types of art; with in this paper I will cover eight types. They include painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, printmaking, conceptual art, installation art, and performance art. While these are a small cross section of art, they are important pieces. The first example is painting. While there are several noticed painters and examples of their work, the example I chose to give is â€Å"The Adoration of the Shepherds†, painted by Andrea Mantegna (1450). This piece is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. While this piece does fit the definition of works so produced, what about the rest? While painted in the Middle Ages, Mantegna couldn’t have been able to witness the birth of Christ. He draws from the biblical tale of the birth and his own imagination to paint a portrait of the adoration of the lord, as well as his parents doting over him. He uses his skill to not only paint the adoration in the foreground, but also the landscape for miles. The way Mantegna paints the entire picture, while he could not have been there having happened centuries before, displays he posses the skill and imagination to product a true masterpiece even though he was only in his early twenties. One of the most widely known sculpture pieces is â€Å"The Thinker† by Auguste Rodin (1902). The painting was originally made to be a piece included in his â€Å"Gates of Hell†, a mass door made for the Paris Museum of Art (www. statue. com, 2012). While Rodin completed the sculpture he saw something greater in the form and made it stand alone piece. Rodin applied his skill and creative imagination to craft and see the greater potential within the sculpture. Although not talked about as paintings and sculpture Architecture is a form of art as well. One of the most highly noted Architects is Frank Lloyd Wright. Applying his personal motto of â€Å"Form follows function† (Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, 2012), he applied the artist eye to everything he created from building to furniture. One of his most noted pieces, the house at Falling Water. Wright used his skill and experience to craft the large stone house at the family’s request. Although the family originally wanted the home to face the falls; Wright chose to have it located on top of the falls as an integral part of the structure (http://www. fay-west. com/fayette/fallingwater, 2005). Ansel Adams integrated his keen observation and use of skill to capture the rugged land of the western United States during the period of 1916 to his death in 1986 (http://www. anseladams. com/ansel-adams-information/ansel-adams-biography, 2012). He took several photographs of the west, but is most famous for his photos of Sierra Nevada Mountains. Adams took photos of the wildlife and terrain, and using his skill and depth of knowledge of the medium he was a major contributing factor to the conservation of Yosemite National Park and the Serria Nevada Mountains. Although famous for numerous reasons, Andy Warhol was also a highly commended Printmaking Artist. Using his highly creative imagination and skill he took everyday objects such as soup cans and even people and made art of them. He refined a process involving projection photo images to a silk screen thus speeding up his production process (http://arthistory. about. com/cs/namesww/p/warhol. htm, 2012). This gave the public a new outlook on ordinary things. Joseph Kosuth is one of the most famous artists in the realm of Conceptual Art. His piece aptly name â€Å"Three Chairs† is currently on exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The exhibit has a blank and whit picture of the chair, the actual chair, and lastly the printed definition of the word chair (http://www. moma. org/collection/browse_results. php? object_id=81435, 2012). While this may seem strange on the surface the artist is trying point out our lack of observation and is trying to make use want to study and dive deeper into his intended meaning (The Museum of Modern Art, MoMA Highlights, New York: The Museum of Modern Art, revised 2004, originally published 1999, p. 257). Ilya Kabakov’s â€Å"The Man Who Flew into His Picture† Installation Art piece displays a look inside the artist true mindset. He displays true creative imagination and skill. It is a room modeled after a Soviet apartment and has a miniature version of the artist flying thru the fog on the white board. Possibly look for outside validation (http://www. moma. org/collection/browse_results. php? object_id=81057, 2012). Lastly is Performance Art. This style of art is defined by a piece of performance art must be centered on an action carried out or orchestrated by an artist (Kyle Chayka, 2011). â€Å"The Mirror† that has been created by Iselin Bruff and Torsten Klimmer aka Omananda, Liquid Crystal Vision is a current example of performance art (http://www. omananda. com/movies/performance-art/143-neon-pink-mangas-emerge-from-pyramids-into-qthe-mirrorq, 2012). The performers use light, projectors, film, dance and other mediums to explain the Star of David. While I personally feel this is the strangest of all art forms, it does fulfill the definition of art. While it is and can be said that what art is truly up to the viewer to interprete is true; it is up to the artist to display his definition of art. Thru his skills of observation, imagination, he displays to his thoughts and feelings condensed. Whatever their medium maybe it be painting, sculpture, or any of the many others. The world may or may not agree what art is, but the saying is true. It is with in the eyes of the beholder. References http://www.musee-rodin.fr/

Cesar Guarin “First Filipino Ultra-Marathoner” Essay

Will you gamble your own welfare for the sake of others? Cesar Guarin, a 56-year-old entrepreneur and the first Filipino, first Asian and fourth person in history to run around the world proved that with a strong determination and with a purpose to help, anyone can bring their dream into reality. Guarin is known as the â€Å"Father of the Philippines Ultramarathon†. He joined Global Run which considered as one-of-a-kind marathon and the toughest run ever that began 1983 and will end in 2016. He already finished the first four legs of his Global Run wherein he run 11,583 kilometers from 1983 to 2009. After his last run in US-Canada (2009), he will again venture in another run, 2,053 kms. in the Australia marathon, the fifth leg of his Global Run. After completing the Australia leg, he will run across- Middle East (2012), England-Norway (2012), Finlan-Moscow (2013), Egypt-Israel-Jordan (2013), Japan-Korea (2014), India-Myanmar (2014) and Thailan-Singapore (2014) to complete the marathon. Despite of different hindrances like injuries, Guarin continuously run and this time it’s for a mission. He started a fund raising projects called â€Å"Batang Pangarap† and â€Å"Global Run, Alay sa Pilipino† to help poverty alleviation in the Philippines, to reduce the number of children on the street by encouraging them to venture into sports, to campaign the tourism of the Philippines and to show his appreciation to the Filipino community abroad for helping the country (Philippines). Guarin as an Ultramarathoner showed to the world that Filipino is a one-of-a-kind race.

Space Shuttle Columbia

On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during re-entry resulting in the loss of the seven crewmembers and the shuttle. For the next several months an extensive investigation of the accident was performed by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB). The board published their final report in August, 2003 and concluded that the cause of the loss of Columbia and its crew was a breach in the left wing leading edge Reinforced Carbon-Carbon Thermal Protection System initiated by the impact of thermal insulating foam that had separated from the orbiters external fuel tank 81 seconds into the missions launch. During re-entry, this breach allowed hot gas to enter the wing’s leading edge and support structure which ultimately led to the breakup of the orbiter. The CAIB also discovered multiple flaws within the shuttle safety program, the hazard analysis techniques, communication and leadership between management and engineering, and an obstructive organizational culture. NASA responded to the Columbia accident by grounding all space shuttle missions for a total of 905 days while they complied with all the recommendations made by the CAIB as well as restructuring their system safety and communication procedures. Space Shuttle Columbia The Columbia STS-107 mission lifted off on January 16, 2003, for a 16-day science mission featuring numerous microgravity experiments. Upon reentering the atmosphere on February 1, 2003, the Columbia orbiter suffered a catastrophic failure due to a breach that occurred 81 seconds into the launch when falling thermal insulating foam from the left bipod area of the External Tank struck the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the underside of the left wing. The orbiter and its seven crewmembers were lost approximately 16 minutes before Columbia was scheduled to touch down at Kennedy Space Center. Within this paper I will discuss the history, mission, and anatomy of Space Shuttle Columbia, the incident and the breakdown in communication and safety practices, as well as information found during the formal investigation by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB). History of Space Shuttle Columbia The Space Shuttle Columbia was built in the years leading up to 1981 when it was the first space shuttle to fly into earth orbit on April 12th. There were four sister ships in the fleet over the next ten years: the Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and the Enterprise. The Endeavour was built to replace the Challenger that was destroyed in 1986. Columbia was the first on-line orbiter to undergo the scheduled inspection and retrofit program. It was transported August 10, 1991, after its completion of mission STS-40, to prime space shuttle contractor Rockwell International's Palmdale, California assembly plant. The oldest orbiter in the fleet underwent approximately 50 modifications, including the addition of carbon brakes, drag chute, improved nose wheel steering, removal of development flight instrumentation and an enhancement of its thermal protection system. The orbiter returned to Kennedy Space Center February 9, 1992 to begin processing for mission STS-50 in June of that year. Primary Mission The primary objectives of this mission was to research in physical, life, and space sciences, conducted in approximately 80 separate experiments, comprised of hundreds of samples and test points. The crew was divided into two alternating shifts to achieve the most productive use of time for each 24 hour period. The crew’s payload consisted of the following: first flight of SPACEHAB Research Double Module; Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR); First Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) mission since STS-90 (Wilson, 2006). The expected duration of the STS-107 mission was 16 long days. Anatomy of the Space Shuttle The space shuttle is made up of over two million moving parts and 150 miles of internal wiring, making it the most complex machine ever created. Empty the space shuttle weighs in at 158,289 lbs and with the main engines installed it tips the scales at over 178,000 lbs. Once all the fuel and cargo are added, the space shuttle weighs an astounding 4. 5 million lbs. There are three main parts to every space shuttle, the orbiter, solid rocket boosters, and the external fuel tank. The solid rocket boosters and the external fuel tank are ejected from the orbiter while the space shuttle is leaving the atmosphere. The orbiter has enough crew space for eight crew members and a cargo capacity of 50,000 lbs. The Incident On January 16, 2003 the Space Shuttle Columbia was launched from Cape Canaveral, FL. 81 seconds into the launch a small piece of thermal insulating foam, the size of a small briefcase, impacted the leading edge of the left wing, damaging the Shuttle's Thermal Protection System (TPS), which protects it from heat generated from the atmosphere during re-entry. The foam had a total weight of 1. 67 lbs which is equal to the weight of 100 marshmallows and originated from the left bipod area of the External Tank. At the time of the impact the Columbia was traveling at 2300 fps through an altitude of 65,900 feet. The impact velocity of the foam was 775 fps. While Columbia was still in orbit, some engineers suspected damage as early as day two of the mission, but NASA managers limited the investigation, on the grounds that little could be done even if problems were found and therefore, never informed the crew of any possible damage. The damage to the left wing’s Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panel provided a pathway for hot gas to enter the wing’s leading edge and support structure upon the attempted re-entry. This resulted in major structural and skin damage causing the loss of control and all vehicle data at 207, 135 ft above the Earth while traveling at 12,500 mph. The Columbia Space Shuttle broke up over north-central Texas just 16 minutes prior to its scheduled landing at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The Investigation Soon after the space shuttle disaster NASA created the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) with the objective to determine the cause of the Columbia accident and to recommend ways to improve the safety programs and communication procedures within NASA. The Board published a working scenario along with several preliminary recommendations in advance of the final report which was published on August 26, 2003. Preliminary Recommendations The first of five recommendations the CAIB made was for NASA to develop an inspection plan for the examination of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) system components since the current inspection techniques were not adequate in assessing the structural integrity, its supporting structure, and the attached hardware. The RCC system is used on the leading edges of the wings, the area aft of the nose cap, and the area around the forward orbiter/external tank attachment structure due to the fact that these are the parts of the orbiter that are subjected to the greatest amount of heat during re-entry. At the time the CAIB conducted their investigation, they discovered and published that NASA did not fully understand the mechanisms that have caused foam loss on almost every space shuttle flight to date. They also found that the original and present day operating design specifications required the RCC components to have essentially no impact resistance. In order to mitigate future risk to the space shuttles and crew, the CAIB believed that NASA should look into the advanced non-destructive inspection technology and take advantage of it. The second recommendation made to NASA stated that they should amend their existing Memorandum of Agreement with the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) to make it a standard requirement for every space shuttle flight to have on-orbit imaging available. The foam strike was first seen during the standard review of the launch video and high-speed photography, by the Intercenter Photo Working Group (IPWG) on the morning of Flight Day Two. The IPWG was concerned about possible damage to the Orbiter since this foam strike was larger than any seen in the past. No conclusive images of the foam strike could be found so the Chair of the IPWG asked management to begin the process of getting outside imagery from the Department of Defense (DOD) to help in damage assessment. This request, the first of three, along with the IPWG’s first report, including a digitized video clip and initial assessment of the strike, was distributed on Flight Day Two and began its journey through the management hierarchy. Even though the IPWG routed its request through the proper channels used during a mission, the management hierarchy yielded no direction, progress, or results. Therefore, the IPWG then routed its second and third requests for external DOD imagery through institutional, not mission-related, channels which diluted the urgency of the requests and the management viewed the requests as non-critical desires rather than critical operational needs. Communication did not flow effectively up to or down from the management hierarchy which lead to the three independent requests for imagery being subsequently denied. It was determined by the CAIB that the United States government along with NASA did not utilize every imaging resource it had in order to assess the damage of the Columbia while still in orbit. Recommendation three examined the repair capability of the space shuttle. The CAIB suggested that for all future missions to the International Space Station (ISS), NASA develop a method to inspect and conduct emergency repairs to the Thermal Protection System (TPS) tiles and RCC while docked at the ISS and recommended that a â€Å"comprehensive autonomous [†¦] inspection and repair capability† be developed for Shuttle missions that do not dock at the ISS. The end goal is to develop a â€Å"fully autonomous capability for all missions†, in the event â€Å"that an ISS mission does not achieve the necessary orbit, fails to dock successfully, or suffers damage during or after docking† (Troxell, 2009). The last two recommendations addressed the space shuttles imaging systems. The fourth recommendation recommended upgrading the imaging system to provide at least three useful views of the space shuttles from liftoff to at least Solid Rocket Booster separation, and further recommended exploring the possibility of taking additional pictures and observations of the space shuttle during launch using ships and aircraft. Recommendation five pertained specifically to the External Tank (ET) and the Thermal Protection System (TPS) imaging systems examination. The CAIB recommended modifying one of the two on-board umbilical cameras in order to â€Å"downlink high-resolution images of the ET after separation,† and further recommended that a similar system be put into place to â€Å"downlink high-resolution images of the underside of the orbiter’s leading edge system and the forward section of the TPS† (Troxell, 2009). Organizational Culture Communications procedures between managers and engineers at NASA were also investigated by the CAIB. The need to communicate effectively and efficiently between the individuals and organizations involved in the space shuttle program were found to be paramount, given the complex and high level of technology along with the extensive risks involved. The CAIB found that the original damage assessments contained substantial uncertainties for a variety of reasons, including management failures, communication breakdowns, inappropriate use of assessment tools, and flawed engineering judgments. The CAIB also determined that there were lapses in leadership and communication that made it very difficult for engineers and management to raise concerns and understand decisions. Management failed to actively engage and analyze the potential damage caused by the foam strike. Before the accident, flight managers had been under extreme pressure from Congress and the public to maintain launch schedules, and they had not followed established procedures for clearing unresolved problems. Based on these and other observations, the CAIB concluded that NASA was not a learning organization. Organizational learning is not one but several processes by which organizations seek to improve their performance by searching out the causes behind what they judge to be unacceptable results (Mahler & Casamayou, 2009). The CAIB concluded that the organizational causes to the accident included deficiencies in the command structure and safety monitoring systems, an inability to cope with strong external political and budgetary pressures, and an obstructive organizational culture. System Safety The CAIB found that NASA’s safety program was inadequate of achieving the level of safety necessary for the space shuttle program. As a result, the CAIB recommended that the safety system at NASA be restructured to include the system safety fundamentals. System safety is the name given to the effort to make things as safe as is practical by systematically using engineering and management tools to identify, analyze, and control hazards (Stephans, 2004) throughout all phases of the life cycle. At the time of the investigation, NASA’s definition of system safety was as follows: The optimum degree of risk management within the constraints of operational effectiveness, time, and cost attained through the application of management and engineering principles throughout all phases of a program. It was a great definition but NASA did not follow or operate under these fundamentals which were proven by the CAIB time and time again. They found that the system safety engineering and management was not vigorous enough to have an impact on system design, and it was hidden in the other safety disciplines and separated from mainstream engineering which proved extremely ineffective in regards to safety. They also found that the space shuttle safety program had conflicting roles, responsibilities, and guidance. Hazard Analysis The hazard analysis techniques used by NASA at the time of the accident were the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FEMA) and the Fault Tree Analysis (FTA). The CAIB found that the risk information and data from the hazard analyses were not communicated effectively nor could they find adequate application of a process, database, or metric analysis tool that took an integrated, systemic view of the entire space shuttle system. Post Columbia Procedures at NASA Once the investigation into Space Shuttle Columbia’s accident was finished, NASA shut down all space shuttle missions until they felt their system safety and communication procedures where brought up to par. This space shuttle grounding lasted 905 days and finally ended on July 26th, 2005 when the Space Shuttle Discovery successfully flew the STS-114 mission. System Safety NASA took the recommendation of the CAIB and restructured their system safety program. The purpose of the new system safety program within NASA is to ensure that the optimum degree of safety is achieved through management and engineering practices that minimize the number and magnitude of hazards in NASA systems. This is coupled with the application of system safety engineering analyses to detect and assess the nature and magnitude of risks so that they may be eliminated, reduced, or accepted depending on project requirements, schedule, and cost. This purpose is reached through the application of management, scientific, and engineering principles during all phases of a system life cycle. The ultimate goal is to avoid loss of life or injury to personnel, damage to or loss of equipment or facilities, project or test failures, and undue exposure to risk and adverse environmental effects. To date NASA has flown 19 separate space shuttle missions with no incidents under their new system safety program. NASA’s space shuttle fleet is set to retire after just two final missions. Space Shuttle Discovery is expected to launch on November 1st, 2010 and Space Shuttle Endeavour will launch no earlier than February 26th, 2011. Post Columbia Improvements NASA spent $1. 4 billion in an effort to improve the space shuttle after the Columbia incident. The most notable area of improvement was the External Tank. The bipod foam that caused the Columbia disaster was replaced with an electrical heater to prevent ice from forming. Another notable area of improvement was too the Foreign Object Debris (FOD) procedures which improved safety. They also added over 100 tracking cameras to view launches as well as cameras mounted on the External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters. NASA also has two aircraft equipped with high-definition cameras which offer the unique perspective of a shuttle flying toward the viewer (Chien, 2006). All of NASA’s improvements seem to have worked so far. In the years following Space Shuttle Columbia’s accident, NASA reinvented their company from the ground up and is now used as a model company that others look to for advice and operational information. Conclusion The Space Shuttle Columbia accident may or may not have been preventable. There are numerous things that could have gone differently that might have given the crew a different fate, however, the accident happened in the least bad manner possible. The astronauts were able to enjoy themselves the entire mission, complete essential mission experiments, and reach a goal many of them had worked toward their entire lives. They had no knowledge that the shuttle was damaged and their deaths were mercifully swift. Columbia’s re-entry path over the U. S. made debris recovery far easier than if it had fallen over the ocean. Because so much debris and information was recovered it was possible to determine exactly what happened without any shadow of a doubt. It will certainly always be regrettable that the accident happened, but the fate of the Columbia crew could have been far worse. They will always been remembered as heroes.

Structure And Anarchy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Structure And Anarchy - Essay Example majority votes to determine group positions, consensus, working to avoid having leaders or seeing everyone as a leader, group processes, and the time taken in efficiently reaching clear positions. Individual freedom and rights for expression of almost all sorts are enshrined in most democratic constitutions the globe over. Are these rights unbridled or uncontrolled letting an individual act in any manner either in group or as an individual? No these rights and freedoms are well defined and controlled often these find the forms of duties and responsibilities of citizens. Any organization has a structure and leadership. It is also recognized that an organization is primarily its people. In theoretical discussions it is widely agreed that social movements are not organizations. As Freeman (1978) says,† Granted, most movements are not organizations and thus not able to make conscious decisions about their direction. Usually they consist of numerous core groups and a large penumbra of sympathizers. Nonetheless, these core groups serve as the foci of a movements values and activities and determine much of its deliberate policy†. It is here that the crux issue rises. Lac king a resolute structure a social movement always faces instability and the conflict between group maintenance needs and goal achievement needs. The core values of the movement can have a constellation of other values supported by differing groups. These values can be parallel or opposed to core values. The opposing values and their support groups can be in a consensus and form a noticeable opposition. So long as the leadership and the majority that support leadership and movement’s core values are able to outnumber and control opposing opinions and groups structure prevails and the movement sails along smoothly with foci values. The instability of movements and opposite values and opinions are particularly strong in movements with democratic values, where the structure is deliberately loosely

The representation of savagery and civilization Term Paper

The representation of savagery and civilization - Term Paper Example The American civilization for example, was a combination of European immigrant new technology in terms of superior weaponry farming and international trade technology. It therefore easily overpowered that native technology of bows, arrows and constant migration of Native American tribes. This paper sets out to distinguish between the concepts of savagery and civilization with reference to the contribution of a number of primary sources who have tackled this topic in the past. Perspectives of Primary Sources on Savagery and Civilization In the Descent of man, Darwin describes as native the communities that were to be found in the Western Frontier during the expansion of American rule. He makes the assertion that reproductive power is lower in barbarons or savages than in civilized people (Darwin 45). This was an attempt to compare a purely biological process [reproduction] in people who had attained different levels of civilization. It is clear from the argument in the paper that Darw in is actually talking about mortality rate or reproductive rate. This is because he goes further to argue that because of the poor living conditions, the barbarons have a lower rate of survival. However he goes further to allege that savages appear to be â€Å"less prolific that civilized people† (Darwin, 46). Among the reasons given for the low population levels among the savages are wars with neighbors, a tendency to wander from place to place that endangers the lives of infants, diseases, famine and lack of water. Darwin also states that infanticide is a major cause of depopulation since the savages would rather kill children, especially girls, in an attempt to keep down the population levels (Darwin, 46). Another great blight of colonialism was slavery. Arguments that some cultures were superior to others and civilized persons were much more superior to native savages fuelled the slave trade. This trade ensured that some people were subhuman as they had not undergone the full extent of development in the process of natural selection. According to Darwin certain humans were a sub species of the human species (Darwin 175). Humans therefore shamelessly traded in other humans like commodities. They owned them, made them work and then sold them up to other owners. However, Darwin’s allegations have since been challenged by later day scholars who termed some of Darwin’s assertions as inadequate, presumptive and not supported by irrefutable evidence. Among the scholars who disagree is Fredrick Jackson Turner who refers to the civilization of America as meeting of minds between the European settlers and the American native life (Turner, 3). He goes further to describe how the European had to adjust to the American life by planting corn, using the birch canoe to travel and even adopting the native Indian war cry in order to survive. He acknowledges that the European brought with him some superior technology including the gun and train, but the se alone were not enough for his survival as the environment proved too tough unless he adjusted (Turner, 4). According to him, therefore, it is the combination of cultures that brings about civilization rather than a single purist culture (Turner, 4). The contribution of these arguments towards colonialism was that colonists always argued that they were bringing forth a new

Critically evaluate the PESTLE and SWOT tools and discuss when it Assignment

Critically evaluate the PESTLE and SWOT tools and discuss when it would be appropriate for a strategic HRBP to them. Support you - Assignment Example It will also discuss another relevant theory with regard to its application in HR field. PESTLE/PEST PESTLE/PEST analysis explores different external macro-environmental situations such as political, economical, social, and technological factors in which the firm operates (PEST analysis). In other words, the PEST analysis is an overall environmental scan so as to assess opportunities and threats in the external environment. PEST analysis is a widely adopted concept and it has large number of applications as listed below; Business planning: this tool gives accurate information to management regarding targets toward the development of new products. Marketing planning: it also improves marketing planning process by providing valuable elements in a situation analysis phase. SWOT is the acronym of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It is a globally accepted concept that explores internal organizational factors such as strengths and weaknesses and external environmental fac tors such as opportunities and threats of a project. The SWOT analysis provides beneficial information whether a firm’s resources and potentials fit with the competitive environment in which it operates (SWOT analysis). Main applications of this concept are discussed below Strengths such as patents, reputation, and strong brand name; and weaknesses like poor brand name and high cost structure can be identified. Arrival of new technologies and withdrawal of regulations are some of the opportunities to a business whereas trade barriers and introduction of substitute products are threats. SWOT analysis focuses on these issues also. In addition, there are a lot of advantages and disadvantages to both techniques. Firstly, both these methods are easy to understand and simple to operate. PEST tool is very effective for assessing external changes in the case of multinational companies. The SWOT analysis is suggestible to achieve organizational mission while PEST analysis brings a cle ar picture of business’ external environment. A SWOT analysis can be performed by anyone who has adequate information regarding the day to day operation of the business and the market; hence it is a cost effective method. At the same time, a PEST analysis develops strategic thinking and clearly points out the threats to a business. Similarly, PEST tool would assist the organization to avert future difficulties. Although the simplicity of SWOT analysis is beneficial for a firm to reduce related expenses, it also eliminates the possibility of a critical presentation. Since the SWOT analysis does not assess the degree of threats and opportunities, the results obtained from this method require further research in order to get a comprehensive picture. The rapid changing nature of society raises many difficulties to PEST analysis in anticipating future developments. According to Haughey, PEST analysis tends to rely on assumption and therefore, it would minimise the accuracy of outc omes. In the opinion of Rabin (1999), Organisational downsizing is a management strategy that aims to focus more on the business activities by reshaping the firm’s structure into a smaller size. By downsizing the organisation, the management can terminate employees with poor performance; and it is possible to maintain a group of potential workers. The SWOT and PEST analyses greatly contribute to