Saturday, December 28, 2019

Quotes from Gray Panther Leader Maggie Kuhn

Maggie Kuhn is best known for founding the organization often called the Gray Panthers, a social activist organization raising issues of justice and fairness for older Americans. She is credited with the passage of laws prohibiting forced retirement and with reform in health care and nursing home oversight. She worked for many years with the Young Womens Christian Association (YWCA) in Cleveland and then with the United Presbyterian Church in New York City, doing programming for social causes including on race, womens rights, and the elderly.  (Note: the organization called Gray Panthers was officially known at first as the Consultation of Older and Younger Adults for Social Change.) Selected Maggie Kuhn Quotations †¢Ã‚  My goal is to do something outrageous every day. †¢ Few people know how to be old. †¢ Stand before the people you fear and speak your mind—even if your voice shakes. †¢Ã‚  We who are old have nothing to lose! We have everything to gain by living dangerously! We can initiate change without jeopardizing jobs or family. We can be the risk-takers. †¢Ã‚  A healthy community is one in which the elderly protect, care for, love and assist the younger ones to provide continuity and hope †¢Ã‚  Were missing a historical perspective that older people can provide. My generation has to be heard and heeded †¢Ã‚  Learning and sex until rigor mortis. †¢ When you least expect it, someone may actually listen to what you have to say. †¢Ã‚  There is a pervasive societal bias in the U.S., which contends that old age is a disaster and a disease.... On the contrary, it is a part of the continuum of life and oug †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Weve had enormous success all out of proportion to our numbers. We have set a pace. Weve been very outspoken in our positions, and weve caught the attention of the media. †¢ Power should not be concentrated in the hands of so few, and powerlessness in the hands of so many. †¢Ã‚  Many things started by a person disappear when the person dies, but Id consider my job a failure if that happened. †¢Ã‚  [What] I dream of and yearn for is that the Gray Panthers will continue to be on the cutting edge of social change, and that the young and old together will continue to work for a just, humane and peaceful world. †¢Ã‚  about a protest in Washington, DC:  The police came on their horses and rode right into us, you know. That was frightening, those enormous beasts and those hard shoes. A blow could kill you. †¢Ã‚  about the name Gray Panthers:  It’s a fun name. There’s a certain militancy, rather than just a docile acceptance of what our country’s doing. †¢ Old age is not a disease—it is strength and survivorship, triumph over all kinds of vicissitudes and disappointments, trials and illnesses. †¢Ã‚  Im an old woman. I have gray hair, many wrinkles, and arthritis in both hands. And I celebrate my freedom from bureaucratic restraints that once held me. †¢The worst indignity is to be given a bedpan by a stranger who calls you by your first name. †¢Ã‚  If you are not prepared, retirement at 65 makes you a non-person. It deprives you of the sense of community that has previously defined your life. †¢ By the year 2020, the year of perfect vision, the old will outnumber the young. †¢Ã‚  Old people as elders of the tribe should be seeking and safeguarding the survival of the tribe—the larger public interest †¢ Men and women approaching retirement age should be recycled for public service work, and their companies should foot the bill. We can no longer afford to scrap-pile people. †¢ There must be a goal at every stage of life! There must be a goal! †¢Ã‚  What she wanted on her tombstone:   Here lies Maggie Kuhn under the only stone she left unturned.

Friday, December 20, 2019

General George Washington And His Continental Army Had

General George Washington and his Continental Army had just defeated the English Army. In 1776, the founding fathers of the United States of America signed the Declaration of Independence, according to ushistory.org 60 delegates signed the document that granted the country we know today as the United States free from British rule.Some of the men that inked their name into American history were Thomas Jefferson. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Hancock. From that point on the United States was an independent nation. Being an independent nation means the founding fathers had to establish all the characteristics of a successful country, several example include: government, economic system, laws, etc. It is evident that a country cannot†¦show more content†¦Now let’s take a look at each of the amendments and determine the exact reason why our founding fathers inserted them into our Constitution. The first amendment of the United States states â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances (Bill of Rights Institute).† In simpler words this amendments means that any citizen may practice any religion that he or she identifies as their faith. It also grants all citizens the right to free speech. Free speech means that an individual can say whatever they wish, without any restrictions, even if the words are inappropriate, disrespect any political leader or disrespect the government itself. We have a right to say what we desire. The first amendment along with granting the freedom of speech and the freedom of religion, allows freedom of press. This allows the press the ability to publish what they desire, even if it is absurd or incorrect. The seco nd amendment of the United States Constitution states â€Å"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed (Bill of Rights Institute).† The second amendment grantsShow MoreRelatedEssay on General George Washington and The Continental Army1009 Words   |  5 Pagesnew ideals was General George Washington and his continental army, but the road ahead of Washington and his men was not an unproblematic one. The winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania proved this to Washington and his men. Yet the true American ideal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were never forgotten in their battle. General George Washington gained command of the continental army in July 3, 1775 from the directions of General Artemus Ward who said, â€Å"The Continental Congress havingRead MoreRevolutionary War1150 Words   |  5 PagesWar had started because the Americans wanted the same rights the as the British citizens had. The British refused to give Americans the same rights because they (British) didn’t think the Americans shouldn’t be represented as a part of the British Parliament, instead their (British) minds were more focused on building revenue. The British had ignored the Americans demands in which the British thought the Americans demands were a cause of outrage. There were so many different wars that had eruptedRead MoreDivine Intervention : The American Revolution1265 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican Patriots had not been followers of faith, their hard fought fight for independence would have been lost. The effect of God on the revolution was essential to the v ictory of the Americans. Divine intervention led the Continental Army through the hardships of Valley Forge in the terrible winter of 1777. Later in the revolution God would produce two major thunderstorms to weaken the British forces and give the Americans a victory at the Battle of Yorktown. After this the American Army would be quelledRead MoreGeorge Washington s First President1160 Words   |  5 Pagesknow why George Washington had trouble sleeping? Because he couldn t lie! George Washington was the best man to lead the Continental Army. Back in 1775, George Washington, who would later become America s first president, accepts the assignment to lead the Continental Army. The Second Continental Congress unanimously voted and offered him the role of commander in chief. Washington was the perfect choice, because of his military experience from the Virginia Militia in 1753. George Washington s childhoodRead MoreEssay about Biography of George Washington1369 Words   |  6 PagesGeorge Washington an American Hero The Revolutionary War proved to be the most important experience in the transition of Washingtons history. The war made George Washington, a man to be revered in history, and helped transform him into a symbol of a new republic and its principles. George Washington is the Founding Father of our nation. The American Revolution was a result of a series of social, political changes, within American society. Washington played an important political and military positionRead MoreGeorge Washington : The First President Of The United States1415 Words   |  6 PagesGeorge Washington, the First President of the United States, one of the most famous people in his time and in our time, was not always the President of the United States of America. He had an interesting life as Commander in Chief of the Colonial Army, a General in the Colonial Army, a father, and a husband from when he was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia on February 22, 1732, until he died on December 14th, 1799 at Mount Vernon where he had lived two years after he left the presidency. MostRead MoreWas Benedict Arnold a Real Traitor? Essay951 Words   |  4 Pages All the Americans relate George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson as their heroes, but there is a debate whether Benedict Arnold was a victim or a traitor. Arnold was a general during the American Revolutinary War, and he fought for the Continental Army. His name became synonymous with the word traitor. Benedict Arnold was a Revolutionary Hero that had a huge effect on succeeding in the war. He had motivated a lot of soldiers during the war with his victorious discourses, andRead MoreHenry Clinton s First Stop On His Life1210 Words   |  5 PagesNewfoundland, Canada. Sir Henry was the son of Admiral George Clinton and grandson of Sir Francis Fiennes Clinton, who was the 6th Earl of Lincoln. Although nobody knows much about his childhood, we know that as a young child, Henry was influenced greatly by his father. His father joined the navy before the birth of Henry, and impacted his s on as he grew up. His father then became the governor of Newfoundland. Even though his father encouraged his son to join the Navy, young Clinton set sail into aRead MoreGeorge Washington s Secret Six Essay1250 Words   |  5 PagesGeorge Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution, a monograph written by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger, narrates the Culper Spy Ring’s operation in New York City and its contribution toward the American victory over the Great Britain in the American Revolution. Under the order of General George Washington, Major Benjamin Tallmadge established the Culper Spy Ring with the purpose to outspy the British troops’ activities and movements in Manhattan, therefore allowingRead MoreDual Enrollment Virginia / Us History Essay1614 Words   |  7 Pages NATHANAEL GREENE AND HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR Bradley Greiner Dual Enrollment Virginia/US History October 2016 1 From a young age, Nathanael Greene showed much interest in militaries and war, and soon in his life, he got his chance to become a very glorified hero. Potowomut on August 7, 1742. Before the beginning of the war, Greene worked as a blacksmith. His father, also named Nathanael, owned an iron forge, serving as the place of Greene’s work. Also, Greene

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Discuss the Influence That Social Networking Plays in Society Today free essay sample

How, and to what extent, has it re-defined social relationships and is this generationally specific? Social Networking plays an important role in society today; it will be argued that social networking has redefined social relationships and that this effect is generationally specific (Salman,2009) Social Networking sites such as Facebook have had a profound effect on personal relationships. The twenty first century is an imprisoned atmosphere where the Internet is the most prominent method of communication. Its users will most probably argue that using these social networking sites have had no direct impact on how they interact with others or have any direct affect on their social relationships, that in fact social networking sites had increased their participation in social activities and contact with their friends and family (APS 2010). However, with its increasing popularity and high usage, social networking has become the new way to â€Å"socialize†. In the past people developed social relationships through interaction face to face, by mail, by telephone, and in person, however there have been dramatic changes since the impact of the internet and sites like Facebook. These sites allow people to create online profiles, upload pictures and disburse personal information to their online allies which allows users to proclaim a perception of identity lived through a technological world. â€Å"These sites allow informal, 24 hour communication regardless of physical proximity†. The â€Å"social grid† boasting 175 million users, has been found to be â€Å"positive for social relations† (Kang,2010, p1) but according to the research I have undertaken, I will argue otherwise. To strengthen my argument I will use statistics from a survey that was conducted by The Australian Psychological Society (2010) with a total of 1,834 respondents. Fourteen percent of the survey respondents were male and seventy three percent were female. Thirteen percent of respondents chose not to disclose their gender (APS, 2010). Concerns about excessive use of online social networking were investigated. 0% of the participants felt a need to log on to these sites several times a day and believed that they wasted time on these sites, however 53% had declared that using social networking sites had increased their participation in social activities. (APS, 2010). Further studies into the effects social networking sites had on how people communicate with each other indicated that internet communication may supplement traditional social interaction like talking face to face and making time to see the other person in physical figure. Cyber bullying was also an expression of concern, particularly among children and adolescents with 28% of respondents reporting inappropriate and distressing behaviour whilst online (APS,2010). A few of the tasteless behaviours included abusive messages and harassment which is not only upsetting but can severely affect how someone feels about how they communicate with others and may feel a need to shut themselves out further from society in fear of abuse and confrontation. Some other disadvantages in using online social networking included: concerns about how catching up with friends had become increasingly non existent and a fear that using online social networking would become addictive. A study conducted by Chak and Lueng (2004) concluded that the more a person is addicted to the Internet, the shyer the person is, which will reflect the way that person communicates in the outside world where face to face interaction is significant. With Internet addiction fast becoming a popular enslavement, studies have indicated that some patterns of Internet use are associated with loneliness, shyness, anxiety, depression and self-consciousness. (Chak Lueng 2004) which in turn will affect your social relationships. Valkenburg, Peter Shoulten (2006) investigated the consequences of friend networking sites with negative feedback illustrating a decline in self esteem and well being. However, the positive feedback indicated that social networking sites had increased their social self esteem and well being. Although the association between Internet use and subsequent social support is negative, the effect is not statistically significant. People who use the internet more subsequently reported larger increases in loneliness while greater use of the internet was associated with increased depression at a subsequent period (Social Tech Science, 2010). â€Å"Social networking displaces face-to-face time: an hour longer spent on the Internet has been shown to equate to half an hour less face-to-face time in a day† (Social Tech Science, 2010, p1). The explosion in Social Networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook is broadly regarded as an exciting opportunity, especially for youth as they are more inclined to embrace the new technologies that are becoming increasingly available, although a study conducted by Kennedy (2009) found that the fastest growing demographic on Social Networking Sites were women aged 55 and older, and Facebook users older than 35 had doubled by the end of March 2009. This proves that Social Networking really has nothing to do with age but with society wanting to embrace new technologies to enhance their personal and professional lives. The results from the research I have gathered demonstrate that social networking sites do have a profound influence on society and it re-defines social relationships. However, it is not generationally specific. â€Å"In every era, cultures go through numerous changes, and in recent years ours has been more impacted than anything else by social media†. (Gordhamer,2009). Although there is a lot of research to support the argument that Social Networking Sites are the most beneficial form of communication and boosts self esteem and well being, we cannot ignore the body of evidence that suggests the impact social media has on our personal and professional lives.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Effective Communication of Coca-Cola Company †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Effective Communication of Coca-Cola Company. Answer: Brief introduction Coca-Cola Company is ranked as the worlds biggest organization that deals with selling of refreshments. Its operations are in more than 200 countries and hold a market portfolio of more than 3000 drinks. These drinks include sparkling beverages and refreshments such as juice drinks, water, squeezes, espressos and beverages that are caffeinated. The company has its headquarters in Atlanta Georgia and has close to 93,000 co-partners which are in six working groups of Africa, Europe, Latin American, pacific region and North American. The production process of Coca-Cola lays its focus on the manufacture of refreshment syrups and bases and this has made its mark very exceptional (Chester and Montgomery, 2007). It also provides packaging operations. The company is in possession of brands and licenses for legal operations. For it to unify its client base the company invests heavily on advertisements that incorporates TV and print promotions, use of retail store shows online, engagement in sponsorships, bundle plans and challenges. The company has for a long time been able to meet the ever changing refreshment needs of its consumers in the world through the focus on the production of beverages and advertisements. Many people simply perceive it as Coca-Cola but in real sense its framework has operations in various channels that are linked to it (HBC, 2013). Apart from producing beverages it also contracts production of syrups and drinks for packaging operations and in this manner it claims the marks and its therefore responsible for the advertising activities of the purchaser marker. This kind of system is very effective that it has ensured the suppliers of the company are able to sell products to consumers at a rate close to 1.6 billion servings per day. Background Coca-Cola Company has been in existence for many years and its history dates back to the year 1886 (Coca-Cola Company, 2013). A drug specialist by the name John Pemberton was driven by some basic interest to have some positive transformation on peoples lives. In one of the evenings he made some mix up of a fragrant i.e. caramel hued fluid where he sent it to some pharmacy (Jacobs pharmacy). Its in this pharmacy that the fluid was mixed up with some carbonated water and some clients inspected it coming to a conclusion that it was a new beverage. Frank Robinson who was by then Pembertons clerk then named the beverage Coca-Cola and in the first year Pemberton was selling 9 glasses of the beverage per day. At the end of one century the Coca-Cola Company had made drastic changes and it was selling close to 10 billion gallons of syrup. In 1888 Pemberton died and he could not live long to witness the growth and popularity of his business (Haenlein and Kaplan, p 3). This led to Candler being made the companys first president and he is actually the pioneer that brought the real vision of Coca-Cola business and brand. His taking of office saw the packaging operations kick start in Hawaii and was spread to France, Philippines, Bermuda, Belgium, Honduras, Colombia, Mexico, Italy Haiti and Burma in the years that followed. By the year 1940 Coca-Cola soda was being packaged in 40 countries globally. Various trademark items have since then been infused by the marketing and promotion of these beverages (Euromonitor, 2013). Such trademarks include but not limited to, the pause that refreshes used in 1929, have a coke and a smile used in 1979 and always Coca-Cola a slogan used in 1993 and by this year the companys sales had surpassed the 10 billion mark globally. With the tremendous evolution in the world of business there is dire need for the companys managers to adopt more techniques that are strategic and visionary if it has to keep succeeding in the industry of beverages. This is because the completion has taken another high level. The company has to always look ahead and make projections of the trends in business (Kaplan and Haenlein, p 873). This involves a lot of investment in effective communication with its various stakeholders and maximizing on the use of e-communication. Synopsis of non-electronic communication methods and practices that the company uses to engage its stakeholders Coca-Cola Company uses various means of no electronic communication stakeholder engagements by engaging in different dialogues that have long term impacts. These dialogues are important in informing decision making and have helped the company to make continuous improvements and progress towards their sustainability commitments of the year 2020. This form of communication can either be formal or informal and it happens across the entire system of Coca-Cola Company. (Dooley, 2007). This has enabled the company to be able to address pressing global challenges. The proactive communication with some of the external stakeholders has enabled the company to be able to identify and deal with issues by consolidating different expertise, passion and knowledge of different individuals and organizations. Coca-Cola has varied stakeholders and this therefore means adoption of different means of non electronic communication and methods (Dignan, 2007). Therefore key stakeholders are engaged differently; Bottling partners; with these stakeholders there is a constant day to day interaction, carrying out of joint projects, engaging in business plans and being involved in functional groups on strategic issues such groups include top to top seniormanagement forums and global environmental council. With its consumers the company uses non electronic communication such as plant tours, surveys, focus groups and research so as to ensure they dont lose their consumer base. When it comes to communicating with its customers Coca-Cola company makes regular visits , use account teams that are dedicated, engage in joint business planning with their customers as well as joint value creation initiatives, communication is also done using customer care centers where customers can visit and register their concerns and use of one on one surveys (Gillin, 2007). The company also plans community meetings on regular basis and engage in lectures in universities. The company communicates with their staff in surveys, town hall meetings etc. for the government and regulatory authorities Coca-Cola engages with them through chambers of commerce and foreign investment advisory councils. Coca-Cola also organizes annual meetings with shareowners to ensure whatever information that is necessary has been communicated to the right recipient. There has always been an annual supplier conference that ensures effective non electronic communication between the company and its suppliers. Overview of the key electronic media and communication strategies used by the company Its clear that most of coca colas communication strategies with its stakeholders are done via advertisements because their main aim is to attract many consumers worldwide (Polaris Institute, 2005). Media has been adopted by many companies to ease and facilitate effective communication among stakeholders. Its a facilitating institution that suggests appropriate message in the operative constrain of space. Its therefore the most effective means of communication or advertisement among many marketing practitioners. It can either be in form of a publication or visual media forms. The media that is published may include magazines, professional press, internet and newspapers. The visual media include radio, cinema, TV, billboards, posters and use of direct mails. Coca-Cola has engaged in the use of newspapers to communicate with its stakeholders for more than 100 years as well as use of magazines at a global level for their advertisements (Coca-Cola, 2013). The companys choice of magazine has been influenced by the readability of the magazine by their target customers. In most cases its advertisements are found occupying a whole page so as to maximize on the positive impacts of the initiatives of marketing. The online communication is mostly undertaken using banners, pop up ads and onsite sponsorship in many global websites which are mostly dedicated to funs of Coca-Cola. The company spends a good amount of financial resources to promote communication via television and radio. The company has as well taken advantage of using cinemas to communicate with its clients by putting adverts in some movies just before they kick off, or use of product placements in various movies by ensuring its drink is featured in the movies (McKinsey, 2007). The company has also invested in posters and billboards where they are placed in busy and central places like cities to ensure their message reaches a wider clientele. Coca-Cola has maximized the use of face book in electronic communication by attracting close to 64 million fans on its face book page. On this page a lot of information regarding its brand image and awareness has been accessed by its users. The company has over 700,000 followers on its twitter account and it has separate twitter feeds for its local markets. Its social team on twitter responds to huge numbers of mentions on a daily basis such s complaints and complements. This has thus contributed to effective communication. Coca colas social team has made use of Pinterest to communicate with its global clients and it engages in Pinterest competition which has recently become a good tactic of driving awareness and increasing number of stakeholders (Ford, Stephens and Cooper, 2007). All these efforts are done to ensure effective electronic communication between the company and its various stakeholders and especially consumers who are the main stakeholders. SWOT Analysis on the companys overall communication methods and practices (RM, 2013). Strengths The companys biggest strength its the marketing strategies which are strong. Its campaigns attract people of all ages and from different backgrounds. Its good at global advertisements. Its brand equity is also good and the company has ensured strong presence in its partner countries globally. Its brand holds the highest value in the world. The company is also good at customer loyalty and this is as a result of the larger customer base it commands globally. Its investment in low calorie brands such as coke zero has given it more than 80% absolute growth in the business market. Weaknesses The company has not fully invested in healthy beverages. It has proven difficult for the company to brand itself as a healthy option for many. Most of its products are taken to be junk and unhealthy and therefore the healthy beverage market is not easy to penetrate. The companys image and brand has almost been tainted by cases relating to pesticides. There has not been exploration of foods and snacks by the company. The company has also been criticized for advertising its products to children who do not know how to decide on what product to buy. Opportunities The company is better placed to expand into markets that they have not yet tapped into. The company can still conduct more advertising and marketing in other new markets. The company is in a good position to get more companies so as to boost its operations. Coca-Cola has room to expand its product portfolio and accommodate foods and snacks. Threats There have been previous allegations of Coca-Cola manufacturing products with negative effects on health especially with excessive consumption. The company has faced challenges of dealing with government regulations of different countries. The company had to face the inflation rates and global economic instabilities. Stiff competition from rivals like red bull and Pepsi has been a great threat to the company. Findings From the SWOT analysis the company has much strength compared to weaknesses and the opportunities far outweigh the threats. From the analysis its therefore important for the company to support a strategy that is aggressive. Despite facing several threats and weaknesses it has very good potential for growth and increase of market share by adopting a strategy that is growth oriented. Communication practices of Pepsi and Star buck companies as the main Coca-Cola competitors These two companies are among the leading Coca-Cola competitors in the beverage industry. Pepsi Pepsi Company has recently made some changes to its communication strategies owing to increased competition in the beverage business world. The company has adopted the basket weave which is a structure that provides many touch points across its business units so as to have a corporate strategy that is cohesive and responds more readily on different ideas. The company has put up centers of excellence where sustainability and crisismanagement sectors have been assigned to SVPs to facilitate constant communication across units (Anfuso, 2005). There has been a digital revamp where the internal intranet and Mypepsi.com were relaunched and they have added capabilities such as blogs which enables its many associates to be aware of whatever happens in the company. The company has also embraced global meetings where it aims at consolidating its various stakeholders in conferences to share the companys information. Starbucks The communication strategies for Star bucks are very effective for instance the company has constant branding. Their brand personality comes through in every communication. The logo, storefront and store presence all have looks and feels that are familiar. They make use of the web as their content hub. The clients can access a lot of information on the companys website such as rewards, new brands, access to a nearby stall etc. they make use of videos to tell stories of their consumers and tie in an appropriate message. They have integrated their content across channels such as subscriptions to their information via emails where interesting information about the products can be accessed (TSF, 2009). Its presence in social media is quite good. Their reward delivery mechanisms are via direct mails. They are making use of mobile experience where one can view their products via a Smartphone and therefore one can easily get any information anywhere. It has even launched an app dubbed the star bucks app. The company has also made it easier for consumers to share their contents using one click options by asking one to share the relevant information. A site called Myideas has been created by the company to engage their consumers and the web serves as the hub of the experience and people are allowed to make submissions or comments on ideas and its social team provides quick feedback (Walter, 2012). Suggestions and recommendations for how the company can improve its communication The company should encourage the art of sharing, dialogue and input. This will ensure good internal communication which has to flow in two ways. People should be taught on giving feedback on any information they get and the company should reward open dialogue. The company has to ensure its mangers lead by example so that the employees can get the psyche of communicating (SMI, 2013). The managers should be told to share, comment and give feedbacks. Coca-Cola should get employee buy in by showing and providing value to employees. This can be done by exciting them on the cause of information sharing. The companys goals and objectives should be made public this has been a successful process in companies like Google. The company should reduce on meetings and instead use online tools to make communication very effective and faster (Weill and Vitale, p 7). It can adopt the online team update and reporting tools. It should shun from big information blasts and instead establish regular proces ses with granular real time updates. Its stakeholders should be trained in the language of sharing the companys information to attract more consumers and remain relevant in the market (Prince, 2007). There is need to provide more tools for internal work related sharing using tablets and phones. The company should run regular employee surveys to get answers and be aware of their current state. The company should be ready to listen and encourage inputs from all ranks. Conclusion Coca-Cola Company is among the leading companies in the beverage industry and this success is partly attributed to the effective non electronic and electronic communication it uses to run its business. Despite being top in business the company faces some weaknesses and threats which it need not assume despite having many strengths and opportunities related to effective communication. It should therefore maximize on the opportunities so as to remain relevant in the beverage business environment. The company should embrace the suggested ways of improving on its communication strategies so as to constantly outcompete its main competitors such as Pepsi and Starbucks. References Prince, L. (2007). Organizational analysis: Retrieved on May 18, 2017 from https://www.lesleyprince.com/Organisational Analysis Notes and Essays.pdf. Weill , P . and Vitale , M . ( 2001 ) . Place to Space, Migrating to e-Business Models , Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA, USA . P 3-11. Kaplan, A. M., Haenlein, M. (2009b). Consumers, companies, and virtual social worlds: A qualitative analysis of Second Life. Advances in Consumer Research, 36(1), 873874. RM (Research Markets). (2013). The Coca-Cola Company -SWOT Analysis. Retrieved on May 18, 2017 from https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/481395/ SMI (StrategicManagement Insight). (2013). Coca-Cola SWOT Analysis. Retrieved on May 18, 2017 from https://www.strategicmanagementinsight.com/swot-analyses/coca-cola-swot-analysis.html May 17, 2017. TSF (The Saylor Foundation). (2009). Globalization and the Coca-Cola Company. Retrieved on May 18, 2017 from https://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BUS208-2.5.6-Globalization-and-The-Coca-Cola-Company-FINAL.pdf Euromonitor. (2013). Coca-Cola Co, The in Soft Drinks (World). Retrieved on May 18, 2017 from Euromonitor Passport Database. Polaris Institute. (2005). Coca-Cola company-inside the real thing. Retrieved on May 18, 2017 from https://www.polarisinstitute.org/files/Coke profile August 18.pdf Walter, B (2012). "Soft Drinks and Disease." The Nutrition Source. N.p., 4 Feb. 2012. Retrieved on May 18, 2017 from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/soft-drinks-and-disease/. Chester J and Montgomery KC (2007). Interactive Food Beverage Marketing: Targeting Children and Youth in the Digital Age. Berkeley Media Studies Group. May 2007 [Online]. Retrieved on May 18, 2017 from https://www.digitalads.org/documents/digiMarketingFull.pdf. Ford, W., Stephens, R., and Cooper, L. (2007). W., Stephens, R., and Cooper, L. (2007). Coca-cola case study: An ethics incident. Retrieved on May 18, 2017 from https://www.marketingpower.com/Community/ARC/gated/Documents/Teaching/AME/AME_Teaching_Materials_2007_08_Ford, W., Stephens, R., and Cooper, L. (2007). _Stephens_Cooper.pdf HBC (Hellenic Bottling Company). (2013). Our Product Portfolio. Retrieved on May 18, 2017 from https://www.coca-colahellenic.com/aboutus/productportfolio/ May 17, 2017. Haenlein, M., Kaplan, A. M. (2009). Flagship brand stores within virtual worlds: The impact of virtual store exposure on real life brand attitudes and purchase intent. Recherche et Applications en Marketing 24(3). Coca-Cola Company. (2013). About Us. Retrieved on May 18, 2017 from https://www.thsblazers.com/marenas/coke/history.htm May 17, 2017 Coca-Cola. (2013). Code of Business Conduct. Retrieved from https://bba353cocacolagroup.wikispaces.com/file/view/Report.pdfAccessed May 17, 2017 Gillin , P . ( 2007 ) . The New Infl uencers, A Marketers Guide to the New Social Media , Quill Driver BooksWord Dancer Press, Inc, CA, USA . McKinsey. ( 2007 ) How business are using Web 2.0: A McKinsey global survey , The McKinsey Quarterly Retrieved on May 18, 2017 from https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Marketing/How_businesses_are_using_Web_20_ A_McKinsey_Global_Survey_1913_abstract . Anfuso D (2005). Pepsis John Vail. iMedia Connection. September 1, 2005 [Online]. Retrieved on May 18, 2017 from https://www.imediaconnection.com/content/ 6631.asp. Accessed May 17, 2017. Dignan L (2007). Facebook launches its ad platform; Coca-Cola as friend? ZD Net, November 6, 2007 [Online]. Retrieved on May 18, 2017 from https://blogs. zdnet.com/BTL/?p6910. Accessed May 17, 2017 Dooley R (2007). Brain scans predict buying behavior. Futurelab. January 5, 2007 [Online]. Retrieved on May 18, 2017 from https://blog.futurelab.net/2007/01/ brain_scans_predict_buying_beh.html. Accessed May 17, 2017

Thursday, November 28, 2019

How important was the part played by the third estate in the french revolution up to 1793 free essay sample

To convoke this Assembly of Notables was to do exactly what ought not to have been done at that moment: it was exactly the half-measure which on one side made the National Assembly inevitable, and on the other hand inspired distrust of the Court and hatred of the two privileged orders, the nobility and the clergy. Through that Assembly it was learned that the national debt had mounted up to sixteen hundred and forty-six millions — an appalling sum at that time — and that the annual deficit was increasing by one hundred and forty millions annually. And this in a country ruined as France was! It came to be known — every one talked of it and after every one had talked about it, the Notables, drawn from the upper classes and practically a ministerial assembly, separated on May 25 without having done or decided anything. During their deliberations Calonne was replaced by Lomenie de Brienne, Archbishop of Sens. We will write a custom essay sample on How important was the part played by the third estate in the french revolution up to 1793 or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But the new minister, by his intrigues and his attempted severity, only succeeded in stirring up the parlements, in provoking widely spread riots when he wished to disband them, and in exciting public opinion still more against the Court. When he was dismissed on August 25, 1788, there was general rejoicing all over France. But as he had proved clearly the impossibility of despotic government there was nothing for the Court but to submit. On August 8, 1788, Louis XVI. was at last obliged to convoke the States-General, and to fix the opening for May I, 1789. Even in this the Court and Necker, who was recalled to the ministry in 1788, managed so as to displease every one. It was the general opinion in France that in the States-General, in which the three classes would be separately represented, the Third Estate ought to have twice as many members as the two others, and that the voting should be by individuals. But Louis XVI. and Necker were opposed to this, and even convoked a second Assembly of Notables on November 6, 1788, which would, they were sure, reject the doubling of numbers in the Third Estate and the individual vote. This was exactly what happened; but in spite of that, public opinion had been so predisposed in favour of the Third Estate by the provincial Assemblies that Necker and the Court were obliged to give in. The Third Estate was granted a double representation — that is to say, out of a thousand deputies the Third would have as many as the clergy and nobility combined. In short, the Court and Necker did everything they possibly could to turn public opinion against them, without gaining any advantage for themselves. The Court’s opposition to the convocation of a national representative Assembly was in vain. The States-General met at Versailles on May 5, 1789.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Individual Management and Leadership Plan The WritePass Journal

Individual Management and Leadership Plan Introduction Individual Management and Leadership Plan ). This would mean that not only is goal-setting beneficial for the organisation but for the people working on these goals as well. Increasing my preference for team work over individual work in accomplishing goals Since leadership is about leading people, individual work is not the paramount aspect of goal achievement, but teamwork. In a team, people work together towards achieving desired goals, have full and sufficient understanding in the importance of these goals, how these goals may be achieved successfully, and what each one and the whole team may contribute to their successful achievement. If the leader and even the team members are more focused on working individually rather than as a team, the essence of teamwork is lost. (Ricketts and Ricketts (2011) indicate that working as a team is more effective than working individually; thus, the motivation to utilise teamwork and the various literature on the importance of this concept (e.g. Dyer, Dyer, and Dyer, 2007; Morgeson, Reider, and Campion, 2005; Valle and Witt, 2001).   Since the results of my Four Temperaments Personality Test indicate that I have an extraverted temperament, this temperament would help in my ability to build team work.   The result of my Four Temperaments Personality Test on the phlegmatic aspect, specifically self-indulgence, is a good point to consider in my current preference for individual work over team work. On the other hand, since my dominant sanguine and choleric propensities show that I am inclined to being extraverted, this preference is likely to be changed with ease, given such initial knowledge for its imperative change. Heneman and Greenberger (2002) state that the facilitation of team work is through the efforts of some extraverted individuals. Placing the Plan in an Organisational or Industry Context/Strategy Having accomplished the plan, the next step would be to place this in an organisational or industry context, creating clear links to organisational strategies. First of all, leadership is an important concept in the success of an organisation, which is why organisations always gear for effective leadership or management in the workplace. Leadership is different from seniority or one’s position in the hierarchy of his or her organisation. It is an influential relationship that takes place between a leader and his/her followers as they pursue certain changes or objectives that mirror shared meanings, purposes, and strategies (Mills, Mills, Forshaw, et al., 2007). The potential skills and limitations, on which the plan has been established, will eventually add up to my series of strengths identified by the Belbin Test. After implementing the plan, the expected outcomes for me would be above-average interpersonal skills, ability to communicate with others with relative ease, improved team-based problem solving ability, setting many goals for team projects, and increased preference for team work over individual work. These skills are useful in an organisational context; specifically in managing people where the leader/manager needs to unify his/her team towards successful goal attainment. By being able to work in a team and foster good communication skills, problem solving ability, and other skills thus cited as my strengths, I and my team would together work on the necessary aspects of several tasks, which we are responsible to accomplish. The retail industry is the specific industry context on which the plan is placed. This industry is characterised by several challenges in attaining competitive advantage because of the presence of new entrants, substitute products, bargaining power of customers and suppliers, and rivalry between existing competitors (Stonehouse, Campbell, Hamill, et al., 2004).   These challenges serve as a factor for my pursuit for effective leadership and team roles, on which the plan is established. My ability to effectively resolve conflict with teammates and to plan and coordinate with them plays a significant role in smooth working relationships within the team. This importance is further seen in the claim that conflict and lack of team coordination serve as a barrier to attaining desired goals (e.g. Lencion, 2012; Rout and Omiko, 2007). Moreover, my improved interpersonal skills will enable me to communicate my ideas more effectively across people and departments. It has been noted that inte rpersonal skills refer to analytical and decision-making skills (Grant et al, 2010), which means that my possession of these skills will aid my team and the organisation in addressing the competition that retail companies commonly experience.   These together with my improved ability to communicate with others with relative ease, improved team-based problem-solving ability, setting many goals, and increased preference for team work over individual work – will help the company develop strategies for competitive advantage. Incorporating Appropriate Professional Reflection at Relevant Intervals This research has enabled me to identify my own strengths, limitations, and potential skills in leadership and team roles. Apparently, I had no prior ideas of these skills and limitations on a systematic basis, but the Belbin Test and the Four Temperaments Personality Test enabled me to find out approximately what these skills are. I certainly have an initial knowledge of myself, but these tests confirmed them and even added some more which I was not very aware of, such as my satisfactory level of my interpersonal skills, a need to communicate with others with relative ease, a need to improve my team-based problem-solving ability, and my inclination to set only a few goals instead of many goals for team projects. Some of the skills that I am already aware of are effective conflict resolution and ability to plan and coordinate with teammates. Moreover, the Four Temperaments Personality Test made me understand the ease that the potential skills and limitations may be improved. This is because of my dominant combination of sanguine, choleric, and melancholic temperaments, which have positive traits for leadership abilities (e.g. extraversion, being a people-person, optimism, and enthusiasm, being task-oriented, being competition-focused, and being success-specific and strong leadership skills). A further realisation that I have derived from this exercise is the importance of knowing oneself – strengths, skills, abilities, potentials, and limitations – since such knowledge serves as a prelude to being able to manage teams and the organisation as a whole. By being able to systematically identify my strengths, I have been personally assured of my abilities. By being able to also systematically identify my potentials and limitations, I have found out the areas that need improvement. These limitations and potentials allow me to better focus on what I must take an effort to improve on, whilst seeing them as a way for constructive criticism. In addition, no effective leader can function without self-realising his own strengths, skills, and limitations since only when he/she has fully realised them can they be able to function more effectively.   Conclusion This paper has provided an investigation of one’s own individual management and leadership plan, using such diagnostic tools as the Belbin test and the Four Temperaments Personality Test. These tools helped identify and own my individual leadership development requirements. Through the Belbin Test, certain strengths were thus identified along with the potential skills and limitations. The Four Temperaments Personality Test also identified the dominant temperaments that helped in the assessment of one’s leadership propensities and abilities. The plan for development of the skills is centered on improving my interpersonal skills from satisfactory level to above-average level; increasing my ability to communicate with others with relative ease; improving team-based problem-solving ability; setting several goals for team projects instead of only a few ones; and increasing my preference for team work over individual work in accomplishing goals. The retail industry is the specific industry context on which the plan is placed. A professional reflection is conducted, focused on how the entire work is done. References Adair, J. (2007) Develop Your Leadership Skills. London: Kogan Page. Banhegyi, s. (2007) Fresh Perspectives: Management. Cape Town: Pearson Education South Africa (Pty) Ltd. Butterfield, J. (2011) Illustrated Course Guides: Teamwork and Team Building. Mason, OH: Course Technology Cengage Learning. Dyer, W. G., Dyer, W, G., and Dyer, J. H. (2007) Team Building: Proven Strategies for Improving Team Performance. NJ: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Gallos, J.   (2008) Business Leadership: A Jossey-Bass Reader. NJ: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Givens, R. J. (2008) Transformational Leadership: The Impact on Organizational and Personal Outcomes. Emerging Leadership Journeys, 1 (1), 4-24. Grant, M., Rothstein, G., and Burke, R. (2010) Self-Management and Leadership Development. Glos, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. Heneman, R. L. and Greenberger, D. B. (2002) Human Resource Management in Virtual Organizations. US: Information Age Publishing Inc. How Much Do I (2014) What Is My Personality Type? Four Temperaments Personality Test. Retrieved on May 10, 2014 from howmuchdoi.com/personality/What-is-my-personality-type-Four-Temperaments-Personality-Test-70.html Kandula, S. R. (2006) Performance Management: Strategies, Interventions, Drivers. New Delhi: Prentice Hall of India Private Limited. Kezar, A. J. (2009) Rethinking Leadership in a Complex, Multicultural, and Global Environment. Sterling Virginia: Stylus Publishing. LLC. Larkin, D. (2010) Rethinking Leadership† New Look at Old Leadership Questions. Glos, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. Lencion, P. (2012) The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: Intact Teams Participant Workbook. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer. Lussier, R. N. (2012) Management Fundamentals: Concepts, Applications, Skill Development. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Michealsen, L. K., Sweet, M., and Parmelee, D. X. (2008) Team-Based Learning: Small Group Learning’s Next Big Step. New York: Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mills, J. C., Mills, J. B., Forshaw, C., and Bratton, J. (2007) Organizational Behaviour in a Global Context. Plymouth, UK: NBN International. Morgeson, F. P., Reider, M. H., and Campion, M. A. (2005) Selecting Individuals in Team Settings: The Importance of Social Skills, Personality Characteristics, and Teamwork Knowledge. Personnel Psychology, 58 (3), 583-611. Nohria, N. and Khurana, R. (2010) Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice: An HBS Centennial Colloquium. US: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. Psych Tests (2014) Team Roles Test. Retrieved on May 10, 2014 from http://testyourself.psychtests.com/bin/transfer Quenk, N. L. (2009) Essentials of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Assessment. NJ: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Rainey, H. G. (2009) Understanding and Managing Public Organizations. NJ: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Ricketts, C. and Ricketts, J. (2011) Leadership: Personal Development and Career Success. Mason, OH: DELMAR Cengage Learning. Riding, R. J. and Rayner, S. (2001) Self Perception. Westport: Ablex Publishing. Robinson, V. (2011) Student-Centered Leadership. NJ: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Rout, E. and Omiko, N. (2007) Corporate Conflict Management: Concepts and Skills. New Delhi: PHI Learning Private Limited. Stonehouse, G., Campbell, D., Hamill, J., and Purdie, T. (2004) Global and Transnational Business: Strategy and Management. Second Edition. NJ: John Wiley Sons. Valle, M. and Witt, L. A. (2001) The Moderating Effect of Teamwork Perceptions on the Organizational Politics-Job Satisfaction Relationship. The Journal of Social Psychology, 141 (3), 379-388.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Read the article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Read the article - Essay Example The thing to be kept in mind is that the economic constraints forcing the Liberals to raise tuition fee in Quebec are very different from those in Chile. Somehow, the writer is perhaps trying to link the unpopularity of the Chilean government with the Charest government in Quebec. In the first paragraph, the writer seems to be realistic and fact based while elaborating on acts of vandalism and mass protests being attributed to a large proportion of the students in Quebec. It becomes amply clear in the second paragraph that the education funding in Quebec is right now undergoing many changes. Now, the big question that needs to be asked is that had the students in Quebec tolerated this change, if it was led in by some other government than that of Mr. Charest? In that context, the Liberals come out in a positive light in the sense that they are willing to lead and manage change in consonance with the imminent economic realities in the province. Perhaps, this also leads to the conclusion that Parti Quà ©bà ©cois (PQ) is pro status quo and intends to grab power by pandering to the youth sentiment. It is amply clear that Quebec faces a huge budgetary deficit and hence needs to cut down on the government spending. However, is it that the government intends to make the best of this situation by fomenting the youth sentiment or is it that it is sincere in its intentions of cutting down on the budgetary deficit by initiating austerity measures in other aspects of the government spending also? The one other thing that needs to be asked is that why the successive governments in Quebec continued to resort to populist measures, as far as the funding of university education is concerned and why did they not initiate the austerity measures well in advance? Why now only? The steps taken by the Liberal government to manage student unrest seem to be reasonable, logical and understandable. The

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Financial markets and institution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial markets and institution - Essay Example A good combination of a well-developed financial market and a diversified financial instrument and products sufficiently provides for the needs of lenders and borrowers, and hence improve the overall economy. For instant, financial institutions like banks have special roles to play for multiple companies that are in need of funds. Banks can contribute to prevent the effect of a sudden economic shock that might affect their customers. The banking industry always stands ready to provide their clients with financial aid even in difficult circumstances, like when the liquidity of financial market dries up. They are the financial intermediaries that add cost to the allocation of capital. In addition, some economic projects can be financed by financial institutions such as banks in cases where the market cannot finance such projects. Big financial markets which have lots of financial and trading activity ensure that more liquid funds are provided to the market participant than in smaller markets. Most assets of financial market are liquid which may sometimes have secondary market to ensure that the existing financial asset transfer occur at a very low cost (Willem, 2001). The effective flow of finance in a given market ensures that the market participants are able to provide their goods and services effectively and therefore ensures an improved economic growth of the given country. Commercial banks are the most diversified and largest financial intermediaries due to the enormous range of liabilities and assets that they hold. Most of their liabilities are always in the form of saving deposits, time deposit and various types of checks. The type of assets that commercial banks hold are the securities of the various denominations and forms, which include consumer loans, mortgage loans, loans that are given to the state and the local government. These banks are the most

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Discussion 8 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion 8 - Article Example The university philosophy promotes cultural diversity. Students from diverse cultural backgrounds get the opportunity to meet and interact with each other. This enables the students to provide health care services to diverse groups irrespective of race or ethnicity (FIU, 2015). Moreover, the philosophy enables the students to play critical roles in overcoming the healthcare challenges of the ever-changing world. Entering the workforce, students are able to work excellently in their roles and cooperate with other health professionals in providing patients with a complete variety of care. The Florida International University has developed a strategic plan to enhance student learning and academic excellence. The strategic plan also enhances the quality, quantity and impact of research and creative initiatives to help in solving health care problems within the society. The nurses are able to link research to local economic development in providing quality health services to the community. The University has human and material resources that promote learning and achieving nursing goals. The resources fund research and training projects that are domineering in promoting health services delivery to the society. Furthermore, the institution evaluates the trained nurses to ensure that they deliver exceptional health care services to the

Friday, November 15, 2019

Ethical Debates on Music Sharing

Ethical Debates on Music Sharing To file share or not to file share? That is the question. Should free music off the internet be legal? Who is in the right- Napster or the music industry? There are some of the topics I hoped to discuss when I invited four journalists to my house to debate the controversial issue of online music. Ding-dong! â€Å"Uh-oh†, I think, wiping my hands on a paper towel. â€Å"They must be here early.† Its six-thirty, my guests arent due to arrive until seven, and I am already a half-hour behind. The lobsters are still boiling on the stove, the chunky potatoes are rock-hard and my spinach salad lies in pieces all over the kitchen floor. Things arent off to such a good start. I am supposed to be hosting a small, informal discussion tonight with a few journalists. The topic of the forum concerns the recent legal uproar about online music organizations such as Napster, Morpheus and Kazaa. I have invited a variety of people; some of whom have clashing opinions. I am looking forward to a heated and intellectual discussion; which will be good because I am planning on writing a book on the subject of online music. I havent decided yet whose side I am on; the music industry or the internet music providers. Hopefully, tonights discussion will provide me with some insight as to which side to stand on. Or maybe, I wont have to choose a side†¦who knows? As I walk to the front door, I cant help but feel just a little bit anxious, but excited at the same time. â€Å"I wonder who it is†¦who had the nerve to be fifteen minutes early?† I think to myself. I open the great oak door to find Tobey Grumet, a journalist from Popular Mechanics magazine. â€Å"Hows it going?† he asks casually as he walks through the entryway. â€Å"Its nice to finally meet you.† I say. I cant help but stare at him. I had heard that he was good looking, but geez! He has shoulder-length blonde hair that he has pulled back into a ponytail. He has chiseled features, but not too chiseled. He is wearing gray tweed pants that are only slightly baggy, a black woolen sweater and a hemp necklace. â€Å"Wow, nice place,† he remarks as he walks into my dining room. â€Å"Do you own this house?† â€Å"Yeah, I do..† I reply, shaking my head to get out of my trance. He follows me into the kitchen, and, seeing the state that it is in, offers to help me get ready. â€Å"Its a good thing I got here first. I dont think that Michael Miller would appreciate this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he remarks as he is chopping up a tomato for the salad. â€Å"That guy is a total corporate pushover† he continues, his chopping getting a little bit more intense. I smile politely. I want to be completely impartial tonight, and I try very hard not to let what Tobey is saying affect my opinion of Michael Miller, a journalist a PC Magazine. We work in silence for about ten more minutes. By the time the doorbell rings again, the only thing left to do is drain the water out of the potato pot. â€Å"Thank you so much for all your help,† I exclaim as I walk to answer the door. â€Å"You are a lifesaver!† â€Å"No problem!† Tobey shouts after me. Who should be at the door, but Michael Miller. â€Å"Nice to meet you† he says to me in a grave manner. He is a short, thin man of about 45, with graying hair. His gray Armani suit looks a tad bit too big on him. â€Å"Goodness, Mr. Miller,† I exclaim. â€Å"You are making me feel like a bum in my jeans and turtleneck!† â€Å"Please,† he replies, â€Å"I apologize for the way Im dressed. You must forgive me; I just came from a journalists convention downtown. I didnt have time to change.† â€Å"No worries,† I assure him. One by one, they all arrive; Brian Smithers and Margaret Popper. We chat informally for a few minutes in the study over bourbon. I am mostly quiet, making mental observations of the ways my guests treat each other. For the most part, they seem to be enjoying each others company. Even Tobey seems to be getting along with Michael Miller. Next, my guests are all seated while I bring out the food. Our conversation starts out very formal. Then, I bring out the big question: â€Å"So, does anyone have any thoughts on the new online music providers like MUSICNET?† There is a short silence. My guests look at their plates, as if thinking about the best way to answer the question. I know all of them are thinking hard about the question; being journalists to major technology magazines, this kind of issue is a major obsession with them. It was finally Michael Miller who breaks the ice. â€Å"Well,† he says, putting down his fork, â€Å"I think its obvious that the Napsters of the world were breaking the law and cheating legitimate musicians out of money.† â€Å"Wait a second,† protests Tobey. â€Å"Dont you think its a little bit unfair to say that? Its not like the ‘musicians arent getting enough money anyways. And it isnt the musicians who are getting gypped, its the multi-million dollar music companies like BMG.† â€Å"The real issue isnt about money, its more about the reputations of musicians,† says Margaret Popper, a journalist at Business Week. She tucks her short brown bob cut back behind her ears. â€Å"Doesnt it concern anyone here that free online music allows people to essentially preview albums? Most people wont buy an album just for one song if they can listen to it beforehand for free. These online music providers are contributing to a complete decrease in album sales.† â€Å"Look,† says Brian Smithers, â€Å"you are all missing the point. Free online music is about more than just getting music. Did you ever stop to think that independent musicians use these providers to get out there? It is a fabulous resource for people who arent affiliated with the music industry giants like EMI and BMG.† I sit back and watch interested. So far, Ive got two for free online music, two against it. I ask another leading question. â€Å"Do you think it should be legal to create and share music files online for free?† Again, there is a slight pause. Brian Smithers raises his shaven head and replies, â€Å"Well, yes, absolutely. I mean, think about it. You are already paying for internet service. Why shouldnt the music be free? The internet is a place where everyone can come together and share things. It is a community. It should be free.† â€Å"No,† snaps Michael Miller, â€Å"the music that is shared online is part of an industry. An industry has a major goal to make a lot of money. How are industries supposed to make any money, and keep the economy going, if people can get music for free? It is cheating them out of money.† Brian looks directly at Miller with a glare in his eyes. His eyebrow ring glints in the light. â€Å"This is exactly what I am talking about. People who are obsessed with corporate America. Well, I hate to break it to you, but life isnt all about corporations. Its the little people who matter too.† â€Å"Whoa, hold on there partner!† exclaims Miller. â€Å"I am not suggesting that. But when something is copyrighted, by law that copyright cannot be broken. Its a legal thing.† As the night wears on, the conversation grows more and more heated. My guests remain stubborn and stick to their original points until it is time for them to go. As the last car drives off down the street, I head to the kitchen to wash dishes. My mind starts to wander. Napster launched in early 1999. It was the first of its kind; the idea and technology for sharing music files online had never been dreamed of before. (Brown) It quickly became wildly popular; after all, what music listener could argue with free music? Soon after its emergence, several other Napster copy-cats came onto the scene. Also soon after its launch, the Recording Industry Association of America made Napster its â€Å"public enemy number 1† (Brown). Napster was the first to be hit with claims of illegality by the music industry. According to Janelle Brown in her article on www.salon.com, bands such as Metallica complained that they were being cheated out of copyright money, and they claimed that CD sales were dropping. The Supreme Court ultimately decided that the music industry was correct to demand that Napster shut down (Brown). One by one, the music industry and the courts put a stop to all free online music. Napster wanna-bes continue to emerge, but they will be br ought to court sooner or later and receive the same fate as Napster. Although the ruling has been made final, there are still many activists who continue to argue the validity of free online music. My guests on both sides had brought up valid points. But in order to write my book, I realize I would have to take a side. This was not a black and white issue. I think about the opposing sides. I definitely agree with Michael Miller about the legalities of free online music. Copyrights are protected under the law. But, on the other hand, it is very difficult to monitor what goes onto the internet. There are plenty of things on the internet that are supposedly protected under copyright laws, but they are still there and can be accessed for free. No one is bothering to go to the Supreme Court over these things. I dont think that it should be different for music. Additionally, Margaret Poppers point that free online music hurts musicians reputations is very hard to swallow for me. I dont believe that big name bands like Metallica care about their reputations as much as they care about milking as much money as they can. The same goes for companies like EMI and BMG. Brian Smithers had br ought up an interesting point about the internet being a community. I think about how this remark could potentially add to my book. The idea that the internet is increasingly replacing traditional social settings has always been a topic of major interest to me. I find it fascinating how much things can change over time, yet not really change. People are still communicating with each other and participating in a community, but many have found a different medium for doing so: the internet. Instead of sitting around in a coffee shop discussing the latest popular album that everyone just has to buy; now people can congregate on the internet. Most online file-sharing sites have a place where you can talk to people and share your opinions on the music. The more I think about it, I also like the idea of being able to preview an album before I actually decide to buy it. There are a lot of albums out there that, in my opinion, only have one good song on them. I dont want to be throwing seventeen dollars down the drain if I can save that money by realizing beforehand that the album might not be very good. I dont think that this is the case a lot of the time. Most likely people will preview an album and then decide that they really like it, so they will go out and buy it. If anything, being able to preview an album is a good thing because it puts pressure on mainstream musicians and record companies to produce the finest work they can. Most songs on an album are â€Å"filler songs†, that is they are there simply to take up space on the album, and arent usually very good. Ive come to the conclusion that I will write my book on the advantages of online music file-sharing. Before I started this project, I really didnt have strong feelings either way about online file-sharing. I have used free sharing, such as Kazaa and now Lime Wire, but I never stopped to think about what I was doing. I did have more of a bias towards favoring online file-sharing, but mostly because it allowed me to download music for free. I also never knew very much about the Napster court case. To me, that was the defining moment of sort of the end of free music downloads. I knew that Napster was going to not be free anymore, but I didnt know why. Now I know the specifics of the case, and I favor Napsters side. As an avid music lover, and a consumer, I think I have the right to listen to music for free before I go out and buy it. It might decrease CD sales by a small percentage, but the music industry is still huge. And perhaps putting musicians on the spot by listening to their songs for free and then deciding whether or not to buy their album is a good thing. It puts more pressure on them to spend time making their music as good as it possibly can be. I think that the most compelling argument for me was Tobey Grumet. He argues that the controversy, although it is claimed to be about reputations, is more about money. This is absolutely true the more you think about it. Many little band names do not have a problem with free file sharing. It is the very popular bands signed under big label names, like Metallica, that are causing an uproar. I dont see how their songs being on Napster is harmful to their reputation. If anything, its good because it means that people like their songs. It doesnt harm their reputations as musicians; it more than likely helps it and allows them to be recognized as a very influential band in the history of modern rock music. My sources, I think, were all very legitimate. They all came from magazines that our library subscribes to. Salon.com is most likely biased towards free online file sharing, but the information that I got from them was purely fact-based, like when Napster was launched and so forth. I think that I got a good variety of journalists opinions on the issue of online file-sharing. Each of them had to take an opinion on the subject because it is part of their job. And, for the most part, I dont believe there was any kind of prior incentive to their taking one side or the other. Each of them has an extensive technological background and I think they looked at the issue pretty objectively. I learned a lot about online music from this project. I never realized what an important part of the technology community it plays. It is fun to download free music, rate it, and perhaps even discuss it with fellow music lovers. And it is convenient and thrifty to be able to check out albums before you decide to buy them. My final decision is that online music is a positive aspect of the internet that I hope, somehow, will continue to remain free and entertain music lovers through the means of the internet.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Allegory of the Cave?? in Different Perspectives :: essays research papers

 ¡Ã‚ §The Allegory of the Cave ¡Ã‚ ¨ in Different Perspectives  ¡Ã‚ §The Allegory of the Cave, ¡Ã‚ ¨ written by Plato, is an interpretation of a conversation between Socrates, Plato ¡Ã‚ ¦s mentor, and Glaucon, one of Socrates students.  ¡Ã‚ §The Allegory of the Cave ¡Ã‚ ¨ can be interpreted several different ways. Imagine men in a cave chained up by their necks and legs, forcing them to only look forward at a wall. An opening behind them lets the light in. Above the burning fire and chains, there is a road. Have these chained men ever seen anything else of themselves or others beyond the cave ¡Ã‚ ¦s shadows made by the fire? Some people would say the truth is only perceived by the shadows seen on the walls of the cave. What if one of these men ¡Ã‚ ¦s chains were taken off and he was free to leave? Would the man feel pain when seeing the real world? Would he be confused on believing what is real? Would it make a difference if the chained man was briefly educated about what he was going to see first? Perhaps he would understand and not be confused about what is real. Will the man think what he saw before was much more real than what he sees now? Questions like these will bring different opinions and meaning to  ¡Ã‚ §The Allegory of the Cave. ¡Ã‚ ¨ Whose interpretation, if any, is correct when explaining the meaning of  ¡Ã‚ §The Allegory of the Cave ¡Ã‚ ¨? Does it have mathematical meaning, explain a vision of the whole world, or is it just a comparison to the field of social work? I personally feel that  ¡Ã‚ §The Allegory of the Cave ¡Ã‚ ¨ is a great explanation of how people in the world live. People are just like the men chained inside the cave, people only know and believe what he or she might have seen. Outside of the cave is the world around us. People are very narrow minded beings, a persons perception on life is only from their own experiences. When the chained men are let free is when people finally realize what is going on in the world and not just what is around them.  ¡Ã‚ §The Allegory of the Cave ¡Ã‚ ¨ can be interpreted with different meanings, such as Michael O ¡Ã‚ ¦Leary ¡Ã‚ ¦s theory of the cave being a place away from the world. Michael O ¡Ã‚ ¦Leary believes  ¡Ã‚ §The Allegory of the Cave ¡Ã‚ ¨ is Plato ¡Ã‚ ¦s explanation of the education of the soul towards enlightenment.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Palliser Funiture Essay

Nowadays, Palliser Furniture Ltd. is a leading North American furniture company with local manufacturing facilities in Canada and Mexico, and they are dedicated to leader ship in design, service and customer value in the furniture industry. With a general agreement among manufacturers and retailers that the key success factors were: overall product quality and customer service, quick delivery and appropriate price, and innovative design. Palliser furniture did a good job on all of the aspects. Palliser outsources the raw leather from Brazil because Brazil has the best source of leather in the world. Also the raw leather was delivered from Brazil to Mexico to process such as cutting and swing which lower the cost of the furniture. The quality of the resources and powerful supplier is add-value for the value chain of the firm, and it can have a big impact on more efficiently integrating the activities within the firm. The quick delivery was another strategy for Palliser, which can be considered as a competitive advantage for the company. Compare with the rivals the Palliser is more focused on custom business, and was able to charge a slight premium for the service which directly eliminate customer’s inventory cost. This operation strategy is more flexible in terms of time and diversity. The design team of Palliser is passionate about the subtleties of style, and the collections reflect a carefully considered selection of pieces that represent quality feature extensive choice and impart innovation. Also, the developers carefully source and test materials to meet Palliser Furniture’s high standard for durability, safety and value. Overall, each department is integration through the whole company, which shows the management in Palliser Furniture Ltd is successful and effective as well.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Inspiring and Celebratory 40th Birthday Quotes

Inspiring and Celebratory 40th Birthday Quotes Your 40th birthday welcomes you into grand middle age- or as some like to think of it, the sweet spot. This decade doesnt have the casual immaturity of youth, nor does it have the constant dependency of old age. Gone are the days when you are busy settling in your marriage or career, and youve long said goodbye to the angst-filled teenage years and the roller-coaster ride of your twenties. At forty, you have earned your place in the sun. You have carved yourself a niche and established your identity. Enjoy your fortieth turn around the sun in quiet reflection on four decades of a beautiful life, starting with these age-appropriate quotes. Famous Quotes About Turning 40 Benjamin FranklinAt twenty years of age, the will reigns; at thirty, the wit; and at forty, the judgment. Helen RowlandWhat most persons consider as virtue, after the age of 40 is simply a loss of energy. AnonymousAt the age of twenty, we dont care what the world thinks of us; at thirty, we worry about what it is thinking of us; at forty, we discover that it wasnt thinking of us at all. Arthur SchopenhauerThe first forty years of life give us the text: the next thirty supply the commentary. Helen RowlandLife begins on your 40th birthday. But so do fallen arches, rheumatism, faulty eyesight, and the tendency to tell a story to the same person, three or four times. George Bernard ShawEvery man over forty is a scoundrel. Edward YoungBe wise with speed; a fool at forty is a fool indeed. French ProverbForty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age. CiceroThis wine is forty years old. It certainly doesnt show its age.(Latin: Hoc vinum Falernum annorum quadragenta est. Bene aetatem fert.) Colleen McCulloughThe lovely thing about being forty is that you can appreciate twenty-five-year-old men. Maya AngelouWhen I passed forty I dropped pretense, cause men like women who got some sense. Laura RandolphIf life really begins on your 40th birthday, its because thats when women finally get it†¦ the guts to take back their lives. James ThurberWomen deserve to have more than twelve years between the ages of twenty eight and forty. Samuel BeckettTo think, when one is no longer young, when one is not yet old, that one is no longer young, that one is not yet old, that is perhaps something. W.  B. PitkinLife begins at forty.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Results from the 2010 Census essayEssay Writing Service

Results from the 2010 Census essayEssay Writing Service Results from the 2010 Census essay Results from the 2010 Census essayThe article in question is divided into several parts, each exploring on different topics related to the census of 2010 and its future perspectives. The authors of the article investigate such issues as the changes in the US population, increasing racial and minority diversity as well as state and local population changes. The article represents a full-fledged analysis of different issues concerning the US population and its growth. It also deeply covers the issues of minorities in this regard. It is known that every 10 years the US conducts a census to see the changes in the state population (Mather, Pollard, and Jacobsen 3). Thus, the next census will be completed in 2020. It seems like there is a lot of time ahead, but in reality time goes by extremely fast. The authors of the article answer such questions as where the population of the US has increased and what proportion of the country’s population belongs to the ethnic and racial minorit ies.In this relation, it needs to be said that such census is evidently one of the most important issues for the US of today as more and more representatives of other race or ethnicity immigrate to the country for different reasons, mainly in search of prosperity and better living and working conditions. Thus, the number of minorities is ever increasing. The article summarizes the major findings of the 2010 Census. It states that the census conducted in the nearest past included a slightly different range of questions provided to the US citizens in comparison with the censuses that were carried out decades earlier. The results of the census showed that the population of the US has grown to 300 million people (Mather, Pollard, and Jacobsen 5). However, the authors of the article claim that the pace, at which the population of the US has grown, was traced to be considerably slower than that of the previous years.However, according to the article, the census conducted in 2010 was not a ccurate enough. Thus, it has been historically viewed as a survey with inaccurate coverage often missing minorities and children (Mather, Pollard, and Jacobsen 6). The 2010 Census was not an exception. As for the minorities, it needs to be admitted that according to the data obtained through the census, the Latino population has grown 43% in comparison with the previous decade (Mather, Pollard, and Jacobsen 7). In general, it is evident that the growth of minority population is ever increasing and this trend is likely to continue in future. The census also shows that the increase of the Asian population will also take place in the proceeding decades.As for my personal point of view, I consider that the demographic situation in the US has a tendency to constantly change and there can be no clear perspectives as for the future alterations in the population of the country. We can only suggest that some changes will take place, but in reality, it is hard to say whether our suggestions w ill be 100% true as even the most accurate census does not guarantee total coverage. In general, it can be predicted that the minority population of the US will continue to grow along with the number of immigrants who are likely to become future citizens of the country. I consider that carrying out censuses like the one that was conducted in 2010 is of great importance as it is vital to constantly monitor the demographic situation in the country. I should also say that I agree with the authors of the article that the number of children and population in general will increase at a rapid speed and might grow to â€Å"one-third of a billion people†

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Business plan Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Business plan - Coursework Example This will be on peak hours of the day, that is, mornings and evenings from Monday to Saturday. During the day time, the buses will ferry passengers within the city. The buses will make as many trips as possible. The operation starts from 5.00 am to 11.00pm. This is because many city residents work at extreme times of the day and all should be accommodated. This will assure the company stable market all the time. It is approximated that 18,000 people accessing the town every day. Some of them use personal cars, others buses and taxis while the majority on foot. The available transport vehicles have taken the opportunity of scarcity and escalated the fares making the ordinary citizens walk to and fro the city daily. Nevertheless, their condition is pathetic. In order to reach many customers, the city track bus service will prepare business cards and brochures showing the services offered and the location of the company. To reach many customers, the company will introduce online services. This include creation of the company website, use of Facebook and twitter and even internet. This will enable other customers, especially those who want to hire for private use or other functions, to access the services. There will be a central office where the company manages its operations. The long distant travelers will book for their tickets to facilitate effective service. The company will fix bus stations on all routes. The passengers gather at the bus stops for easy service delivery. As the company grows, the buses will be fixed with modern flat-screen TV sets. This will entertain the passengers as the travel. Apart from this, music systems shall be amalgamated. This strategy has not been employed by the existing companies. The city track company will have centralized management system with the manager having full control over them. The central office located within the town will include

Friday, November 1, 2019

Free Will Unit4 DB Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Free Will Unit4 DB - Assignment Example My argument is empiricist. It is supported by some evidence including Psychiatric illness like Schizophrena whose findings after studies suggest a remarkably high degree of influence of genetics, mostly evidence that is additive with no shared influence of the environment. Mental ability, where the IQ is only governed by the environment at an early age, but genetic influence increases gradually while the effects of the shared environment drop to zero. Social attitudes, where studies reveal that environmental influence on conservatism is only up to the age 19 after which genetic influences takes change (Bouchard & Thomas, 2004). My argument is based on findings from different researches taken by different institutions and which focuses on different areas. I have also provided supporting evidence of those findings. Therefore, my conclusion is that genetics affect the human personality and physiology more than the environment does and given that this argument is empiricist the freedom to choose among the two is restricted to a single option being genetics. Baker C. (2004) Behavioral Genetics: An introduction to how genes and environments interact through development to shape differences in mood, personality and intelligence. Retrieved March 4, 2013 from

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

World literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

World literature - Essay Example It contains a lot of advice that seems pretty reprehensible today, but is definitely pragmatic. For instance one important piece of advice is that it is better to be feared than loved, because men who are afraid of their leader are less likely to rebel (132). The Heptameron story shows a similar view towards mankind, although it is not quite as pragmatic but more tragic. It shows how mankind, when placed in situations that are difficult, or that dont let them get exactly what they want, will do all sorts of things regardless of their professed intentions or their supposed interest in things like chivalry. That is seen in how the tale of Florida and Amador ends up, and how both characters are seen to have made up ideals which do not match reality. Of Cannibals is an essay arguing for how to convert non-European people to acting more "civilized" in the manner of the times. It is very explicitly about how the European culture should push its own ways of living off on other people, which would give them a lot of power over them culturally as well as just by military might. These three pieces of work taken together give us a clear glimpse of some of the diverse ways people at the time thought about their fellow human beings and

Monday, October 28, 2019

The love for American football Essay Example for Free

The love for American football Essay Someone who is from another country like me, may believe that life in the United States is very diverse from life anywhere else. Countless people from other countries have a completely distorted image of how we may live there in America and the mentalities thatthey all posess. Not all of Americans are spoiled, overweight, or are obsessed with football. All of them are completely different for the most part, and are actually concerned about what is occurring in the world today. However, I do believe I can say that most Americans are proud to be here, and proud to represent the UNITED States, and that pride and love is shared by everyone, kind of like a big family. Just like other countries, there are things that the people tend to be attracted to more than another group of people would. For example, in Mexico, soccer is huge, and almost everyone there is crazy about it, but here in the United States, soccer doesn’t hold near as many fans. Since one doesn’t really know a lot about the life in the United States, and the things all Americans seem to enjoy, I would like to enlighten you to the one thing that I believe is totally ‘American’. And of coarse, I would have to say its football. Now, no all of Americans enjoy the hazardous sport, but about nine out of ten of them absolutely adore it(including myseld). The competition and the thrill that you get from watching breathtaking game, will most likely have you sitting at the edge of your seat, not wanting to miss a minute of whar you are seeing take place on the television screen. The runs, the cheers, the interceptions, the touchdowns, and most of all the victory when it’s all over is what I believe makes football what is it today in the society of Americans. If you were to meet another Amrican, I can almost guarantee that the person has a favorite football team that they support with all of theit hearts.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

William Shakespeare :: essays research papers

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was born in the Hole Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire on April 23, 1564. He was the first son and third child of John Shakespeare, a leather tanner and a maker of gloves, and Mary Arden Shakespeare. William’s parents were married around 1558 and had a total of eight children, three of which died in childhood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William’s family had been living in the area of Warwickshire for many years and was respected. William’s father was at one time prosperous and elected to municipal offices. He was a member of the Stratford council in 1557 and appointed mayor in 1568. John was not without fault, though, and four times from 1570 to 1572 he faced prosecution for money lending and illegally buying wool. He fell into hard times financially and stopped buying property, went into dept, and even mortgaged part of his wife’s inheritance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Despite financial difficulties in the family, the boy William’s education was not neglected, and he went to the local school in Stratford. Some scholars questions whether a single could have written all the great literature attributes to Shakespeare, citing his schooling as proof that he was poorly educated, but their assumption is probable false. ( ) The teachers in school the William had attended had degrees from Oxford, and the education that the boy received was likely very good.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Exactly what young William did after his years of schooling is not really clear, but we do know that during the winter of 1582, at the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, the eldest daughter of Richard Hathaway. She was 26, much older than her teenage husband, and pregnant by him. The church announcement of the marriage was waived on November 28, 1582 and less than six months later their first child, Susanna, was baptized in Stratford church on May 26, 1583. Early in 1585, Anne gave birth to twins: Hament, their only son (who died young), and Judith, their second daughter. With a wife and three kids to maintain, and still dependent on his father one of the London acting companies that had been touring in Stratford.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shakespeare moved to London in 1585, where he was very successful. He was an actor and a writer and even owned his own playhouse. He was very respected man there. He was the first playwright to have his formal biography written and published with his works.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By 1592 William was firmly established in the big city of London.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Discuss the contribution of material culture Essay

The aim of this essay is to explore how useful material culture studies is to understanding societies which existed under Roman rule, especially those of Gaul and Britain. These provinces of Rome adopted Roman culture and used Roman objects for their own use, which could come under the heading of cultural bricolage, where new cultural items are obtained by attributing new functions to previously existing ones, however I shall address this later on in the essay. Woolf comments that anthropologists and archaeologists use the concept of culture as a way of making sense of the diversity of human societies that cannot be expressed simply in terms of biological variation. It is seen by many to be a more precise way of understanding societies rather than seeing how advanced or rich a society was.1 Studying and understanding social identity can also be seen as an excellent alternative to relying on narratives written by Roman authors who were biased and wrote from a ‘Romano-centricâ₠¬â„¢ position, and it also allows us to consider other elements, for instance class,status, gender, age, occupation, and religion. Material culture can be defined as â€Å"the study through artifacts (and other pertinent historical evidence) of belief systems–the values, ideas, attitudes, and assumptions–of a particular community or society, usually across time. As a study, it is based upon the obvious premise that the existence of a man-made object is concrete evidence of the presence of a human mind operating at the time of fabrication. The common assumption underlying material culture research is that objects made or modified by humans, consciously or unconsciously, directly or indirectly, reflect the belief patters of individuals who made, commissioned, purchased, or used them, and, by extension, the belief patterns of the larger society of which they are a part.† 2 Concerning Roman culture, Woolf defines it as â€Å"the range of objects, beliefs and practices that were characteristic of people who considered themselves to be, and were widely acknowledged as, Roman.† It is believed that every man-made object required the operation of some thought and design. Therefore it is the assumption of material culture studies that this thought is a reflection of the culture that produced the man-made objects. With this theory we can see, in some way, how a culture, which had no written records of its existence, lived. One advantage of material culture studies is that it is beneficial to social historians who wish to know about an entire group and not just the elites of a particular society. A useful definition of the term archaeology is that it uses â€Å"fieldwork and excavation, and the comparative study of sites and objects to compile information about the past†¦which can illuminate aspects of Roman life which were never recorded†. However it does have its limitations as it cannot achieve certainty as â€Å"all known sites and artefacts are merely a surviving sample of what once existed- and not necessarily a representative sample.†4 So in understanding identity we may be able to place these artefacts in context as we will know what particular objects are used for certain practices, for instance burial customs or forms of pottery produced.5 Jones defines cultural identity as â€Å"that aspect of a person’s self-conceptualization which results from identification with a broader group in opposition to others on the basis of perceived cultural differentiation and/or common descent.†.6 Concerning material culture, Pitts chose 12 areas of study, these were: â€Å"architecture, art, epigraphy (inscriptions in stone), faunal remains(animal bones), floral remains, funerary evidence, literature, monumentality, pottery, settlement (morphology and landscape archaeology) and small finds(portable material culture other than pottery)†.7 Epigraphic inscriptions allows us to observe how literacy spread through Gaul and Britain, along with helping us to trace an â€Å"outline of the cultural geography of Roman Gaul†8 Woolf also comments that inscriptions are useful as they represent a wide range of Roman cultural customs which included political, cultic, and funerary practices. He adds to this by suggesting that inscriptions should be seen as attempts made by people to assert their identities and to show their achievements in terms of status. Art and architecture are important as it gives us some insight into cultural ideologies, however this type of evidence only really survived if it was owned by the elites of the society, and the art and mosaics were only limited to this class, so it has its biases. Although it does have its uses as we can see how the adoption of villa architecture by the British and Gaulish tribes shows the acceptance and spread of Roman culture throughout the conquered countries.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Partisan election Essay

The research of Lawrence Baum deals with the relationship between the quantity of information that voters possess and their party voting behavior in partisan election. The paper aims to discern whether there is either a strong or a weak relationship between voters and the knowledge on the candidates of parties involve in the election. The paper explored the relationship in non-partisan elections contested by candidates from opposing parties. Past studies regarding this relationship has produced mixed and confusing empirical results that motivated the author to conduct his own study to further explore and analyze the topic. (Baum, 1987) In political science, the structure and functions of politics in a society are greatly scrutinized and evaluated. This is not meant just to enrich knowledge, but rather to provide society with enough critical evaluations on how they should treat and consider politics in their life. The issue is crucial as it involves the practice of voting which is considered as one of the freedom people living in a democratic is entitled to. Thus, the study is relevant in cultivating the understanding in political science which concerns the nature of politics in society and society itself. Through the effort of the author to bring light into the topic, he analyzed a survey done on two contestants in the 1984 election for Ohio Supreme Court and compared it with the presidential election also during that year. The findings of the study show that despite the highly partisan campaign, part defections by voters were far more common in Supreme Court races than in the presidential race. (Baum, 1987) This reflects the importance of party affiliations of the candidates as the voter’s source of information about the candidates, which will definitely determine their choice during the elections. Another notable finding of the paper is that different levels of voters information, at the individual level, has differing effects in two supreme court races for the Democratic and Republican voters. Through this finding, the author suggests that the impact of the information levels on the voters’ choice is a reflection by the information contained in the candidates’ campaigns. (Baum, 1987) But the author failed to mention the correlation between voter’s information about the parties involved in the elections and the result of the elections. What I noticed in the researched was that it also failed to show the true relationship that undermines the effect of information on the voter’s choice, and whether the popularity of a particular party makes the difference in casting an individual vote. The author notes that the research findings should be critically evaluated and interpreted based on two respects: first is that the individual level findings was based to what is believed to be only moderate good surrogates of voter’s information thus not implying a concrete viable measure of the information itself, and the second being that the Ohio Supreme Court race is far different from the typical nonpartisan races in the country. (Baum, 1987) The analysis of the research had only contributed by attesting to the logic made by previous research, agreeing or disagreeing to some of the conclusions past research had made and was not able to discern the concrete findings to which we can understand better what the relationship of information on the parties to the candidates, and also in the outcome of the elections. The author admits that the study was not able to settle the issue, rather have suggested only the relationship that is based on a complex and highly conditional situation. With that, the research has contributed only a partial explanation and findings that what was expected from it. Although the study answered the research question directly, it failed to deliver the aspects which concerns to the findings. The paper evaluated the problem by analyzing the issues that surrounds the partisan election during the 1984 Ohio Supreme Court elections. The author analyzed the individual level survey done by Ohio State University Department of Political Science. The telephone interviews of 500 adults in Ohio were done through questions that relate voter’s information of the parties and their choices of the candidates. The research method through the survey was not able to reach the individual level of perspective of the interviewees, but as the author states, provided logical background on the perception of the voters. This in turn was proven by the author as a means that moderately touched the individual perspective and does not reflect the core of the relationship between information of the party and voter’s choice. The research only relied on second hand information provided by only one notable institution. Given the exploration of the research aspect in political science, I deem that this method used by Baum was not enough and sufficient to analyze the said complexities of the relationship between party information and voter’s choice. But the author should be credited for his thorough discussion of the issues surrounding his research method. In this way, he was able to prove that the complexity of the subject must be dealt with an on-going process of research and analysis rather than claiming that he has the answer. As mentioned earlier, political science is a pursuit to understand the complexities of politics and its function in the society. It is an undergoing process to accumulate much and further enrichment of knowledge based on the realm of politics and our everyday living. It is substantial; after all, the author had concluded significantly that the relationship is there, although the complexities and challenges in resolving the issues are evident. The research was intended to explore the issue, not just give the answer to the problem right away. The research was able to do this effectively and the author is humble and honest enough to relate all the things that should be rethought, re-evaluated and analyzed by the reader. One of the roles political science has is to inform and educate society of the complexities of politics, and how the function of politics in society will affect the way they live, think and behave. The research accomplished the goal of educating and exploring further the realm of politics which is known in the society. But further challenging the generation of political scientist, observant, and the society in general to further study the matter and contribute to the increasing knowledge in the area of political science. To this, people are learned, cultured, and are equipped with the knowledge on how to view politics in society so they can make informed and wise choices. Reference: Baum, L. (1987). Information and Party Voting in â€Å"Semipartisan† Judicial Elections. Poltical Behavior, 9(1), 62-74.