What Are the Results of the Effort of the Civil Rights Movement Essay

What Are the Results of the Effort of the Civil Rights Movement - Essay Example The Southern Christian Leadership Conference started when the Montgomery Bus Boycott that began after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give her seat on a bus to a white man. This incident lasted for more than a year and was pacified and ended by two prominent ministers during that time who were Ralph Abernathy and Martin Luther King Jr. The black leaders led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference from the Southern Part of the United States. The Southern Leaders Leadership Conference fought for their rights and their philosophy to uphold the rights of the African Americans not with the use of force and strength but with the use of propaganda and other forms that ensures nonviolence. Since they initially started in protecting the rights of the Black people in America, they, later on, emerged to also be involved in protecting human rights on a global scope. These people such as Luther and Aberthany along with their followers have this sense of devotion to their country the territory of their state should be equivalent to the boundaries of the nation as well as with the fact that they are proud of their color and they are confident that they have the right to live together with the other Americans. The nationalist ideology has led people to divide people in terms of â€Å"us† and â€Å"we†. The individual has no choice which group he wants to support for there are instances that ethnicity or race becomes the basis for this division. As we all know, a race is a factor we have no control of. Nationalism has this characteristic of universality wherein it establishes the claims as to how the world should be logical or arranged.

Forever Free

Forever Free Exhibit Essay Forever Free, an exhibit held at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California and inspired by Mr. Abraham Lincoln’s promotion and assertion of Emancipation Proclamation, is much related to the written account of Frederick Douglass’ â€Å"narrative of his life as an American black slave† with special regards and attention to its both focus and objectives. Body At the Forever Free exhibit, the implicit objective was to stimulate ambiance of America’s bludgeoning, sadistic, and historical past. For the visitors to commemorate the beginning of the â€Å"anti-black slavery,† Mr. Abraham Lincoln distinguished and proclaimed the pressing need for the aforementioned act, Emancipation Proclamation to denounce and suppress the proliferating Black slavery. Moreover, the exhibit included several sentimental stuffs like: letters made and signed by Mr. Abraham, and the contents of his proclaimed act, the handkerchief signed and belonging to Lincoln’s wife, Ms. Mary Lincoln, and some photographs taken depicting the long time slavery in America. Inspired by Lincoln’s provision of welfare among the Blacks, the theme of the exhibit was carried out successfully (Giller, 2008). On the other hand, the â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave,† tackled the same insatiable thirst for freedom against the injustice, discrimination, and evil acts suffered by the Black Americans (Douglass, 1997). Conclusion The Forever Free exhibit rendering commemoration to Abraham Lincoln’s pursuit for the liberation of the slaves (Giller, 2008), together with the striking and overwhelming account of Frederick Douglass’ personal traumatic experience of the unjust slavery, both presents the truth of the need for liberation, love, and respect for all human race as everyone is a son of one Divine (Douglass, 1997). References Douglass, F. (1997). Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave. Retrieved October 31, 2008, from, http://sunsite. berkeley. edu/Literature/Douglass/Autobiography/01. html Giller, M. (2008). Forever free-Abraham Lincoln and the emancipation proclamation. Retrieved October 31, 2008, from http://www. reaganlibrary. com/pressrelease. asp? press_id=135

Strategic Development History Of Apple

Strategic Development History Of Apple This report will explore the strategic development history of Apple Inc. (previously Apple Computer, Inc.), its current strategies and form the basis of Apples future strategy in the form of strategic recommendations which Apple Inc. can persuade to get sustainable competitive advantage and higher growths in the future. The success of a strategy is determined by the companys initiative actions, how well it anticipates competitors responses to them and how well companys anticipates and reacts to its competitors actions. In strategic development we will analyse how Apple establish a framework for setting its direction and determined the criteria to take strategic decisions. After having analysed it, the report will depict its current strategic situation by doing macro and micro analysis and on the basis of it, the possible future recommendations will be suggested. Introduction: Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and sells consumer electronics, personal computers and computer software. It is best known for its products like iPhone, ipod and Macintosh computers. The company was established in April 1, 1976 in Cupertino, California and incorporated in January 3, 1977. As of September 26, 2009, Apple had 34,300 full time employees and 2,500 temporary full time employees worldwide1. It had worldwide sales of $42.91 billion in its fiscal year ending September 26, 20092. It has more than 284 retail stores3 as of January, 2010 and online store where software and hardware products are sold. The financial Data of Apple Inc. for 2009 are as: Financial Data of Apple Inc. for 20094 Financial Fiscal as Ended on 26-09- 2009 Total Revenue 42,905m Gross Profit 17,222m Total Cash Flow 2,997m Net Income 8,235m Total Asset Value 47,501m 1 www.apple.com 2 Revised Request Quarterly Income Statement Apple Inc. January 25,2010. 3 Apple Tablet Media Event Today. Come See Our Latest Creation MacRumors. January 27, 2010 accessed on [17 July 2010] 4 http://www.google.com/finance?fstype=iiq=nasdaq:aapl Strategic Development Overview: Apple Inc. has managed to create substantial value in the highly competitive consumer electronic and computer industry by innovating and forging a path considerably different from those of the largest competitors in the industry, successfully differentiating its products from those of the competition by choosing to focus on quality, superior customer service and design elegance while outsourcing actual manufacturing to most trusted original equipment manufacturers. Even though despite of this fact Apple has created for itself, the stiff competition within the industry and other external factors present formidable challenges to the firm. The Early Years 1976- 1980 Apple I was the first computer introduced by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronal Wayne. It was sold as the motherboard with Central processing unit (CPU), RAM and the basic textual video chips. By the end of 1970s Apple had a staff of computer programmers and designers and a production line. After Apple II they introduced Apple III in May, 1980. The main competitors for Apple were IBM and Microsoft competing for market share. In 1984 Apple launched Macintosh which was initially sold well but the follow up sales were not strong. The computer industry destiny changed when the Laser writer were introduced. The Mac was powerful in the market due to its advanced graphics capabilities which was already necessarily built in to create the intuitive Macintosh GUI. At that time it has been suggested the combination of these three products was caused for the creation of desktop publishing market. As the desktop publishing became widespread, the sale of Apple has reached new heights and the comp any has offered its first public offerings in September 7, 1984. The reason for the Apple sustainable growth due to its leadership in the education sector, attributed to adaptation of LOGO programming language used in many schools with the Apple II. 1986- 1993 A Move in Strategy After the failure of Bulky Macintosh, Apple changed its strategy and offered Macintosh Portable in 1989. In 1991 Apple introduced PowerBook which made the basis of the modern form of ergonomic layout of laptop computer. In the same year Apple came up with its new operating system System 7 which added colour to interface and enhanced the networking capabilities. It was remained the architectural basis for Mac OS up to 2001. The success of PowerBook brought huge revenues for Apple and it seemed that nothing go wrong with Apple at that time. MacAddict a famous magazine named the period between 1989 and 1991 as the first golden age of the Macintosh. The Apples strategy to attach the market with other products like digital cameras, portable CD audio players, speakers and video consoles did not work well for Apple. The main focus of Microsoft was to gain market share with Windows, focusing on delivering software with cheap commodity where as Apple was even though was rich in engineering matter but was bit expensive. 1994 -1997 Reinvention Apple put its step in the PDA market by introducing Apple Newton which was one the first in the industry. Apple has started working on other platforms by the early 1990s such as A/U. It was needed at that time to replace the platform for Macintosh or reworked to design a powerful hardware to run the Macintosh. 1n 1994, Apple allied with Motorola and IBM. The aim was to create a new computing platform Power PC Reference Platform which would use IBM and Motorola hardware coupled with Apples software. The AIM alliance worked for Apple and Apples software left the PC far behind. Apple introduced Power Macintosh the first time of many Apple computers to use IBMs PowerPC processor. Apple adopted a new built -to- order strategy in November 10, 1997 by introducing Apple store which was tied to its overall strategy. 1998- 2005 A New Start Apple introduced iMac a new all in one computer reminiscent in August 15, 1998  [5]  . The iMac was equipped with new technology and groundbreaking design. Near about 800,000 units sold in first five months and returned Apple to profitability for the first time since 1993. In this period Apple purchased several companies to create a portfolio of professional and consumer- oriented digital production software. In 1998, Apple announced the purchase of Macromedias Final cut software giving a new signal of entering into the digital video editing market. The following year Apple had released two video editing products, one is iMovie and the other one is Final Cut Pro for the professionals. Around 800,000 users had been registered with this software by the start of 2007. Apple has opened its first official store in May 19, 2001 in Virginia and California. In the same year Apple has introduced its first iPod portable digital audio player. This product has given a new success to Apple as more than 100 million units were sold within six years. Apple has a strategy of bounding the customer to its products and doing a business a different way. Apple has given a new theme to music industry business by introducing Apples iTunes Store whereby you can download music for US$0.99 song integration with iPod. Apple has become the market leader in the online music services due to it with over 5 billion download by June 19th, 2008. 2005 -2010 New Era Apple has taken another move in its strategy of dominating the market by announcing on June 6, 2005 in the Worldwide Developers Conference that Apple would start producing Intel- based computers in 2006  [6]  . MacBook Pro and iMac became the first Apple computers to utilize Intels Core Duo CPU. By 7th of August 2007 Apple had transitioned the entire Mac product line to Intel chips. The day Apple announced its iPhone and Apple TV its share price hit $97.80, an all time high at that point and in May that price went up to $100 mark  [7]  . A next step to its success was selling the third party applications for its iPhone and iPod touch. Within a month, 60 millions application sold on this platform and brought in $ I million dollar on average. Three months later it was announced that Apple has become the third largest mobile handset supplier in the world due to the popularity of the iPhone  [8]  . Apple added a one more milestone in its success by targeting the market with its new iPad on January 27, 2010. It runs the same touch based operating system as iPhone and many of the application of iPhone are compatible with the iPad. On the launch day more than 300,000 units sold and this figure reached to 500,000 by the end of the first week  [9]  . Situational Analysis: Apple is one of the most successful companies of the time that bucked the traditional notions of what a corporate culture should look like in terms of organizational hierarchy. After doing the macro (PESTEL), industrial analysis we would be in a position to clearly analyse its current position and suggest further recommendations. Environmental Analysis: PESTEL Analysis For doing environmental analysis of Apple we will use the PESTEL analysis along with keeping of global forces as well. Demographic Economic P/Legal Environment Threats Opportunities Economic 1. Signs of economic turnaround are present but many consumers are unconvinced and spending less. Apple always sell products on premium prices so it may be out of consumer prices range 1. Economic recovery will cause spending. Apple innovative and high quality products attract the customers Demographic 1. Flattening of wages- Levelling Influence 1. Rising prices and stagnant leave workers and families with less money to spend on perceived luxury goods. 1.Apple known for high quality, dependability and long lasting products will attract customers seeking value for their money Political/Legal 1.Potential FCC Internet Regulation 2.Healthcare Reform 1. FCC internet regulations may stifle innovation on the internet, reducing new methods for Apple to capitalize the power of internet. 1.Apples useful portable device could be leveraged in modern healthcare settings, funded in part by government money, increasing demand Technological 1.Device Convergence 2.Shortening Product Lifecycle 1. Apple broad line of devices may become obsolete with the advent of multi-use portable devices. 2. Increased pressure to innovative may result in missed opportunities and inventories losses. 1. As a leader in portable devices Apple can innovate and lead the way in platform. 2. High RD commitments may propel. Apple led the industry by out-innovating competitors. Socio cultural 1.Increase desire for on-the-go devices 2. Greater concern for the environment. 1. Apples portable computers may lose relevance among new on-the-go devices. 2. Device manufacturing will be equated with pollution and climate change. 1. Apple can lead innovation in on-the-go devices utilizing RD portable knowhow. 2. Apples lead in environmentally- sound practices will be a marketing advantage. Global 1.Developing Chinese economy 2. Potential worldwide climate regulation. 1. The developing Chinese economy will require higher wages for factory workers. 2. Emissions regulation will impose huge burdens on Apples production costs. 1. Massive population with increased buying power for Apples products. 2. Apple has already made steps to improve environment- friendliness can be used to the firms advantage. Technological Global S/Cultural Industrial Analysis: For industrial analysis we make use of Porters five forces framework to assess the different forces that affect the overall industry in which firms operate. Porters Five Forces: Threat of New Entrant To analyse the threat of new entrant we have to consider the different barriers that make this threat nominal to sever. The barriers are Economies of Scale Apple had already experience of manufacturing mass- market consumer electronic devices, so Apple was not adversely affected by this barrier. Product Differentiation This trait goes in favour of Apple because Apple is the leader in the innovative products and Apple has certain amount of protection through the strength of its brand identity. But this product differentiation can be emulated to a certain degree. Capital Requirements Apple enjoys a slight advantage here but it may be quickly lost. If we talk about other companies they might have experience in manufacturing cell phones but not necessarily software. To compete with Apple they have to invest a lot on this sector. Second Apple is a leader in innovation as it uses to spend a huge capital on RD which is huge barrier for the new company to spend a significant amount of capital on RD. Access to Distribution Channels Apple remained successful in gaining access to a distribution channel and they also tied themselves exclusively to a single cell phone network. So the new entrant will have to take some time to reach to this level. So having analyzing these barriers we can say that the threat for new entrant for Apple is low to medium. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The main supplier of Apple Inc. is Intel for microprocessor chips and Apple has strategic alliance with Intel and Microsoft as Microsoft enable Apple users to use the Microsoft Windows operating system on its machine. So, Apple has to be very careful in managing its relation with these suppliers especially with Intel. So the bargaining power of suppliers is medium. Bargaining Power of Buyers: The bargaining power of buyers is low as its only Apple which always come with new innovative products. Even though its true that there are many competitors of Apple in the market for different products but even then people wait for Apples new invention. So, clearly the bargaining power of buyers is low in case of Apple. Threat of Substitute: The threat of substitute is high as Apple products are the premium products and there are lot of companies that are making products like mobile phones (iPhone) which are very similar in functionality and in shape. Second companies like DELL, ASCER and Microsoft has started penetrating in the mobile market shrinking the market share of Apple. So keeping in view of todays scenario the threat of substitute is higher for Apple Inc. Competitive Rivalry: The competition among the giants is very fierce and everyone is fighting for large market share through intensive price cuts and changes. The competitors of Apple are Microsoft, HTC, Dell, NOKIA and others. The competition is becoming tough and tough as most of the companies which were specialist in PC related stuff have started coming in the mobile and PC tablet market. Due to this the competition has become tougher and for more market growth and share, everyone is ready to take any sore of moves like price cuts, technology change, etc. The last step to evaluate the company position in conjunction to its industry we do the SWOT analysis which will depict what sort of strength/weaknesses it has what kind of opportunities and threats it has from its surroundings. Potential Entrant Threat Medium Threat of entry COMPETITIVE RIVALRY HIGH SUBSTITUTES High SUPPLIERS Low BUYERS Medium Bargaining Power Bargaining power Threat of substitutes Porters Five Forces Framework for Apple Inc. SWOT Analysis: Strengths Ease of use High Corporate Reputation Leader in Innovation and market leader Loyal customer base Strong Top Management Creative Style Weaknesses High prices Limited Distribution Channels Compatibility issues (e.g. with IBM) Poor Quality Control/Assurance Opportunities New social devices iTunes Distribution International markets Internet Growing industry Demand for innovation Threats Economic Situation Intensive Competition Potential Litigations Potential increase in supplys costs. Price competition Value Chain Analysis: Value Chain Activity Corresponding Firm Practice, Policy/Procedure General Administration A greener Apple reduction in energy use in production and transportation to match trend in green business. Strong cash position allows the firm to internally finance expansion and development without cost of capital. Human Resource Management Selective hiring process find and attract talent Generous employee benefits program retain industry-leading talent. Technological Development Research Development expenditure increased about 66% from 2007 to 2009 Patent filing protection of important inventions and innovations in the US and worldwide Procurement Positive relationships with suppliers EICC member, working to improve working conditions, created and enforces a Supplier Code of Conduct. Inbound Logistics Automated receiving systems reduce facility footprint and space requirements. Delegate raw materials acquisition offer supervision to OEM partners who carry out acquisition. Operations Utilizes OEMs economies of scale offshore production to save money on costs of build. Internal design design and conceptualize products internally Outbound Logistics Economical/Stylish Packaging eye-catching packaging takes up less space and weight, reducing shipping costs and costs of disposal. Apple Stores/Authorized Retailers working to maintain standards over presentation of products for sale. Direct shipment ship products from China to consumer to minimize inventory build-ups in costly locations. Marketing and Sales Get a Mac Ads Various direct/indirect favourable comparisons Strategic Choices: Taking its environment, industry and value chain analysis we may give some options available to Apple Inc. for its future growth in terms of more market share and profitability. These are given as: Reducing the costs of its products and maintaining the same quality standards. Opening of more retail shops for easy access and more physical presence. Providing facility for customization of its different products like Apple Mac Book and others. Consumer electronics diversification. Option 1: Reducing the costs of Products Apple has that kind of brand which attracts everyone but the only problem is the premium prices for its products. Apple can hit the market segment which can afford reasonable prices which we can say not much low and not too much high. By slightly reducing the prices and maintaining the same quality Apple can further dominate the market and achieve more market share. By doing it the major benefit that Apple will achieve is further brand awareness and customer loyalty. Evaluation of option 1: (SAF test) A useful way of looking at evaluation criteria is to view them as falling into three categories: Suitability, Feasibility, and Acceptability Johnson, G., and Scholes, K.(1997) As far as the suitability of this option is concerned, then lowering the prices will be suitable for Apple Inc. because most of competitors of Apple they start making the same products design wise and technology wise with lower prices. The company get two benefits with this strategic option. First it will get more customers who like Apple products but cant buy due to higher prices (means more market share) and the other benefit is killing the competition. So, in my point of view this option fulfils all the three parameters of SAF test. Option 2: Opening of more retail Shops By providing more points of direct contact with the buyers will enable Apple to provide better service to customers and bring the Apple more customer and experience to more people. Apples retail stores have been largely successful, that success can be furthered in new locations within USA, UK and other countries. Apple should practice great caution to avoid over- saturation to retain the halo surrounding the stores and maintain their status as a destination. Evaluation of option 2 (SAF Test) By introducing Apple stores provided Apple with an important physical presence to act as both point of sales locations and an advertisement. Opening of more retail outlets will provide Apple more control on the image of brand and provide excellent customer services. Apple comes in the top retailers in- stores sales, generating $4,032 per retail square foot per year, beating other retailers like Tiffany Co. At $2,666 and Best Buy at only $930.  [10]  Matching success and impact like the Apple store model is hard for others to achieve. Apple possesses all resources like capital and top management to consider this option which can prove one step further in its growing success. Option3: Customization of products Dell has taken a lead from all its competitors in providing customized products to its customer through its website. Dell has set a model for its competitors. Apple can contribute to this area by offering customised products like Mac Book and other through its website. In this way you are buying your customer and giving them what they want. The customer will be more satisfied and happy with the services. Customization will provide efficient value chain management and reduces the inventory level. Evaluation of Option3 (SAF Test) Today is the day of internet and most of leading companies are trading through their websites. Now a days the customers are well IT equipped and more aware. They buy what they want not what the gives. By offering customized products you are giving the customer what they want and biding them. Apple has great intellectual assets, so it is easier to come up with business model which will facilitate Apple to provide customized products to its customers. Secondly it will require minimal capital but its results will be outstanding. There is only one time cost and life time rewards attached to this option. So considering all these aspects, this option is quite good for Apples future growth and sustainable competitive advantage. Option 4: Consumer Electronic Diversification Apple already has a well positioned diversified strategy, but it can broaden its scope while creating value in related and unrelated markets including eBooks and medical equipment. We just examine its current diversification beginning with full sized desktop computers to now a days notebook computer, mobile phones, digital music players, iPad. Despite of this broad range of diversification, opportunities are still there for Apple to avail in further diversification. Evaluation of Option 4 (SAF Test) If we take United States or UK the medical equipment and related devices are growth area of economy. As new healthcare legislation is enacted the importance of modernizing our system will come to forefront. Apples innovative and high quality portable devices would provide excellent platforms for care providers to get benefit of streamlining care. In order get more value from this area and to reduce the capital investment Apple should work with medical equipment manufacturers and core providers to establish Apples devices. Apple can open its portable and mobile platforms for development of unique and efficient medical tools using a combination of new digital medical technologies and current technology of connectivity. Good examples of future products can be digital thermometers and blood pressure monitors that connect through USB to Apple device to automatically log measurements and do real time analysis based on historical values to identify trends. Apple can take advantage of being first mover in this kind of products. After presenting the different aspects we may conclude that this option is valuable for Apple Inc. Recommendations: Based on the above analysis, it is recommended that Apple Inc. formulates a strategy of offering customized products to its consumers to gain more customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Consumer specific customization and hardware packaging- increase product diversification and eliminate threat of competitive alternatives. It will help Apple to strip certain features and hence reduce costs. The sales will be increased and Apple will a far larger customer base. Secondly it should gain access to additional distribution channels and sales outlets in the international markets (International Presence). It has substantial presence internationally but still has to be introduced in many Asian countries including China, Arab countries and most of Africa. Apple should drive down the costs per unit to enable price reductions and attract more customers. In this way it will not capture more market share but also beat the competition increasing in the market. It should exploit its RD to innov ate, should create products with similar usability but at lower costs. Especially in the deep recession period people might respond better to lower prices. It has no doubt that Apple is very good in introducing excellent design and innovative products but we have seen a consistent problem with Apples quality control and assurance department. So, Apple should stress on improving in this area to preserve its brand image as well as to win the customer confidence on its products.

The Epic of Gilgamesh and Oryx and Crake. Essay -- compare, contrast, c

The more thought that is put into the true nature of human beings, the clearer the realization seems to be that as a species, humans are inclined to challenge limits that are thought to be understood and transcend set boundaries. This truth of human nature is quite effectively revealed in both The Epic of Gilgamesh and the novel Oryx and Crake. The Epic of Gilgamesh reveals more about the human disposition to push mortal boundaries. It explores the desire to challenge religious boundaries, which hold extreme repercussions, as well as fears that were faced when dealing with the truth of human mortality. Oryx and Crake, on the other hand, deals more with the human desire to attain eternal youth, and the moral boundaries that are pushed and most certainly crossed in those endeavours. As each text presents evidence to prove the presence of such desires in human nature, both also seem to argue that boundaries are set for reasons, and that nothing fruitful can come from the endeavour of cr ossing them. The Epic of Gilgamesh immediately begins to deal with the human disposition to push limitations for the sport in it, even when there is no necessity which requires it. The reader immediately sees the main character, Gilgamesh, portrayed in an extreme fashion through â€Å"harrying the young men of Uruk beyond reason. Gilgamesh would leave no son to his father, day and night he would rampage fiercely.† Because he was of stronger stock, Gilgamesh found himself unable to resist demonstrating his greatness in comparison to others. Although utilizing ones abilities is clearly a good thing, doing so only through the waste of others when such force is not required is clearly a frivolous pursuit. Since Gilgamesh could find no proper means whereby to... ...fferent ventures in testing the limitations of human life, they both certainly convey a definite end concerning the degree in which humans can change their fates. Oryx and Crake very directly establishes this, with the statement â€Å"grief in the face of inevitable death, the wish to stop time. The human condition,† summing up the mortal limitation and the pursuits of the society in the book quite nicely. The Epic of Gilgamesh also leaves the reader with a similar image to view the quest of breaking limitations with. The city begins and ends in the same way â€Å"one square mile of city, one square mile of gardens, one square mile of clay pits, a half square mile of Ishtar's dwelling, three and a half miles is the measure of Uruk.† Nothing about his world or city is changed despite all the trial that Gilgamesh faced throughout to challenge the boundaries that were in place.

Moral Law Vs Natural Law In The Scarlet Letter Essay

Moral Law Vs. Natural Law â€Å"At the dramatic center of The Scarlet Letter is the idea of the awesomeness and inescapability of the Moral Law, to which all else is finally submitted,† (Levy 384). Assuming that Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter exploring the relationship between Moral law and Natural law, he chooses the moral laws to be absolute. Using definitions of nature and character provided by Seymour Katz applied to the terms natural law and moral law allow an extension of Leo Levy’s claim that Moral laws are supreme. Moral law is an internalization of normalizing aspects of society it, â€Å"is acquired in time through nurture, education, and social experience. The older the individual the more fixed and stable is his character, and the less likely he is to act outside of the principles of his society or his role,† (Katz 5). The natural law is being in a condition where society cannot impose any rules or laws, â€Å"It is undirected impulse or potential energy which the individual will expend and express in various ways in the course of his life,† (4). By applying the definitions of natural law and moral law to the way Hawthorne reveals the truth in the novel and to the development of the character Pearl, Hawthorne proves that moral law is the dominant form of law in The Scarlet Letter. In the forest natural laws should be supreme. Here, the black man or devil makes his home, Mistress Hibbons goes to perform her witchcraft, and Hester and Dimmesdale commit their adultery (Hawthorne 144-145). Moral law forbids each of these three things. Only in the forest, a place where moral law does not apply, can any of these things happen. From a very early age people are taught by the moral laws that the forest contains evil. â€Å"But she fancied me asleep when she was talking of it. She said that a thousand and a thousand people had met him here, and had written in his book, and have his mark on them. And that ugly-tempered lady, Old Mistress Hibbons, was one. And, mother, the old dame said that this scarlet letter was the Black Man’s mark on thee, and that it glows like a red flame when thou meetest him at midnight, here in the dark wood.† (126) Pearl, at the age of seven, already understands the forest contains evil. This normalizing aspect of moral law teaches the society that the representation of natural  law, the forest, is evil. Thus, the moral laws quickly gain an advantage over the natural, before an individual is old enough to form their own opinion on the matter. Another way the moral law proves to be supreme is when examining another theme in the text, hypocrisy. The hypocrisy is so wide spread, even the Reverend Dimmesdale, introduced possessing an, â€Å"eloquence and religious fervor [having] already given the earnest of high eminence in his profession,† (48). This quality combined with a, â€Å"dewy purity of thought, which, as many people said, affected them like the speech of an angel,† (48) caused Dimmesdale to be perceived as a model of purity and godliness for his congregation despite committing a sin incomprehensible to them. Even after his confession his society does not believe the truth that Dimmesdale committed adultery. This shows how strong the character of Dimmesdale is imagined to be by his people. Because the truth is often obscured by hypocrisy, where the truth is found there will be a very strong reflection on the relationship between moral law, and natural law. In the forest, when Pearl asks Hester what the scarlet letter means and why she wears it, Hester lies to her child for the first time. â€Å"What does the letter mean, mother? -and why dost thou wear it?†Ã‚ ¦.And as for the scarlet letter, I wear it for the sake of its gold thread! In all the seven bygone years, Hester Prynne had never before been false to the symbol on her bosom,† (123). Hester lies to her child for the first time while they are in the forest because she is taught to be ashamed of her sin by the moral laws. These laws have a far-reaching power; their effect is felt even in the forest, the idealization of natural law. The truth about Chillingworth’s character reveals itself at the strongpoint of moral laws, the scaffold. This device serves as the deterrent for criminals where they are displayed for the public’s entertainment. â€Å"In fact, this scaffold constituted a portion of the penal machine†Ã‚ ¦but was held, in the old time, to be as effectual an agent in the promotion of good citizenship, as ever was the guillotine among the terrorists of France†, (41). The scaffold punishes people for crimes committed violating the moral  laws by exposing the perpetrator to public ignominy. The true nature of Chillingworth’s character is revealed while Dimmesdale, Hester, and Pearl are performing a midnight vigil on the scaffold. â€Å"To his features, as to all other objects the meteoric light imparted a new expression; or it might well be that the physician was not careful then, as at all other times, to hide the malevolence with which he looked upon his victim†, (107). This revelation occurs at the pinnacle of the puritan penal system, the enforcing agent of all moral laws. Even though the â€Å"meteoric light† might be interpreted as an act of nature, this is not the case. It comes from the heavens where the puritan society acquires the religious justification to carry out their laws. Thus the moral law is responsible for providing the truth to the reader in this instance. Another symbol coming from the forest are the Indians. They live in the forest and only periodically come under the jurisdiction of moral laws by entering a city or town. Because of this their actions and ideas can be interpreted to represent the position of natural law. In the instance when they interpret the meaning of the scarlet letter during the election day sermon their interpretation that, â€Å"the wearer of this brilliantly embroidered badge must needs be a personage of high dignity among her people†, (167) is the exact opposite of what the symbol was originally intended to mean. The symbol for nature in this case considers the scarlet letter a boon. In contrast, the scarlet letter was originally intended to be a punishment having the â€Å"effect of a spell, taking her out of ordinary relations with humanity, and inclosing her in a sphere by herself†. (40) This was the original function, which the moral law dictated the letter should serve. Although the letter comes to symbolize many different things throughout the text, the only one, which is relevant to examine, is the one it was intended for. Because the moral and natural laws dictate different meaning upon the scarlet letter, one positive and one negative, which one is actually the dominant meaning? The negative meaning is the dominant one; this is because the letter serves its original purpose separating Hester from her society. She lived in a house on the outskirts of the town, not in it and whenever she was in public her fellow citizens would form circles around her. The letter is a negative symbol throughout every part of the  novel barring the conclusion, and because of this the moral laws succeeded in imposing their meaning upon the letter. Another conflict between moral and natural comes in the upbringing of Pearl, Hester’s daughter. She is similar to a wild spirit and is ostracized from society similar to Hester. â€Å"Pearl was a born outcast of the infantile world. An imp of evil, emblem and product of sin, she had no right among christened infants†, (65). She was never part of her society, failing to adhere to moral laws. As a child, she had no conception of the moral laws and acted accordingly. â€Å"‘The little baggage hath witchcraft in her, I profess’, said [Mr. Wilson] to Mr. Dimmesdale. â€Å"ËÅ"She needs no old woman’s broomstick to fly withal.'† (80). In addition to the fact that the upright citizen Mr. Wilson compares Pearl to a witch, she did not understand her religion stating, â€Å"‘He did not send me!’ cried she, positively. â€Å"I have no Heavenly Father!'† (68). By not understanding religion she was not abiding by the moral laws. While still a child Pearl is unaffected by the moral laws but as she grows older she begins to adhere to them. By the end of the novel she is entirely assimilated into the moral culture. She had taken a husband and was living a typical life in Europe (177). By taking a husband she is adhering to the moral laws. While she began her life following the natural laws they eventually were overpowered by the pervasiveness of the moral. The moral laws are so powerful she could not resist their influence. Another assertion of the power of the moral laws in relation to Pearl occurs during the forest scene spanning chapters sixteen through nineteen. Here: Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl meet for the first time after the scaffold scene. During these chapters Hester takes off her scarlet letter to prove to Dimmesdale that they can be free of the present situation if they go somewhere else in the world (137). Once Pearl sees her mother without the letter she immediately does not recognize her and becomes scared. â€Å"‘I see what ails the child,’ whispered Hester to the clergyman, and turning pale in spite of a strong effort to conceal her trouble and annoyance. â€Å"ËÅ"Children will not abide any, the slightest, change in the accustomed aspect of things that are daily before their eyes. Pearl misses something  which she has always seen me wear!'† (142) Even in the forest where natural laws reign, Pearl will not approach her mother without Hester wearing the scarlet letter, the symbol the moral laws imposed upon her. The moral laws extend far beyond the edges of towns and cities expanding even into the forest. Hawthorne rejects natural laws by asserting the dominant position and influence of the moral laws. By noticing when and how Hawthorne offers the truth to the reader such as when Hester lied to Pearl in the forest setting or when Chillingworth’s character is revealed under the scrutiny of heavenly light, the moral laws are dominant. Even the chief symbol of the book, the scarlet letter, has a meaning imposed solely by the moral laws. Another character originally having a natural tendency, Pearl, loses that tendency by the end of the novel. In all of these instances the moral laws prove that they are stronger and more pervasive than the natural laws. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. USA: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 1988 Katz, Seymour. â€Å"†Ã‹Å"Character,’ â€Å"ËÅ"Nature,’ and Allegory in The Scarlet Letter† Rept. in Nineteenth Century Fiction. Ed. Blake Nevius. Vol. 23 #1. USA: University of California Press, June 1968. 3-17. Levy, Leo. â€Å"The Landscape Modes of The Scarlet Letter† Rept. in Nineteenth Century Fiction. Ed. Blake Nevius. Vol. 23 #4. USA: University of California Press, March 1969. 377-392.

Moral Dilemmas Essay

Moral Dilemmas, Moral Strategies, and the Transformation of Gender Lessons from Two Generations of Work and Family Change Women seek personal development by caring for others and men care for others by sharing the rewards of independent achievement are the traditional social norm in the 20th century. In the 21st century, people started to question whether women and men should really be separated into two distinct, opposed and unchanging moral categories. Women and men now have conflicts and tensions between family and work, public and private, autonomy and commitment, for these, gender dichotomy cannot be used to solve as in the past. Undoubtedly, gender dichotomy in moral orientation can resolve the universal tension to certain extent, but it is only prescriptive rather than descriptive. Gender is a social institution rather than an inherent trait and it is now transforming. Women now seek self-sufficiency economically and socially, they seek personal and social commitment outside the home, while men’s breadwinning role and obligation to support women and children diminish. Women and men are now facing socially structured moral dilemma. Investigating how the new generation thinks, the interview reveals that the young generation believes that it is difficult to keep a relationship with balanced autonomy and commitment. They believed that it is not morally wrong to end the relationship if the two do not get along well. Ending the relationship would be better than keeping a bad relationship, not only to the couple, but also to their children. Also, they appreciated their mothers if they work and think that both women and men should care for the family both financially and emotionally. As it seems difficult to apportion moral labor by gender-neutral strategies, women and men diverge in their opinion in gender role. Men prefer the Neotraditionalism, that is, the couple share the breadwinning but the women have to place family first, but this collide with what the women long for, autonomy before commitment, and they want to be economically independent. In my opinion, this gender transformation has significant importance to people in the 21st century, especially to women. In the past, because of the gender dichotomy, women are restrained from work and are expected to stay at home to manage the household, e. g. look after the children, do the household chores, they have to devote all their time to the family and have to give up their dreams, even if they are talented or have potential in some fields, they do not have the opportunity to explore into their careers. Also, they have to be tolerant to the household violence just because they are economically dependent and they rely on their husbands for living. They do not have the working ability because they have spent most of their time in the family and they have already been detached from the outside work society. It is also difficult for them to find jobs because of the social and cultural environment that do not encourage women working. As a result, women are trapped in the marriage for their whole life. On the other hand, the traditional gender dichotomy does not only give disadvantages to the women, men also suffer from that. Men are the sole breadwinner in the family and they have to bear the pressure to earn the living for the whole family. Because they have to work hard to support the family financially, always with long working hours, they may not have time to care for their children. They have less time and opportunity to communicate with the children and build good relationships with them. Men have no choice but to sacrifice the time with their family. Now, we are lucky that the gender difference is getting smaller and the moral obligation for men and women are not so obviously divided. Though there are still structural and cultural contradictions in the society nowadays, women and men now enjoy more freedom to choose what they want to do to attain a balance between family and work, autonomy and commitment. To help with the transformation, more family-friendly elements should be added to the society and in the workplace to help women and men to strive for their success in both their careers and their families.

Angiosperms - Definition and Examples

Angiosperms s Angiosperms, or flowering plants, are the most numerous of all the divisions in the Plant Kingdom. With the exception of extreme habitats, angiosperms populate every land biome and aquatic community. They are a major food source for animals and humans, and are a major economic source for the production of various commercial products. Angiosperms differ from non-vascular plants in that they have a vascular transport system for moving water and nutrients to various parts of the plant. Flowering Plant Parts The parts of a flowering plant are characterized by two basic systems: a root system and a shoot system. The root system is typically below ground and serves to acquire nutrients and anchor the plant in the soil. The shoot system consists of the stems, leaves, and flowers. These two systems are connected by vascular tissue. Vascular tissues called xylem and phloem are composed of specialized plant cells that run from the root through the shoot. They transport water and nutrients throughout the plant. Leaves are an important component of the shoot system as they are the structures through which plants acquire nutrition by photosynthesis. Leaves contain organelles called chloroplasts that are the sites of photosynthesis. Gas exchange needed for photosynthesis occurs through the opening and closing of tiny leaf pores called stomata. The ability of angiosperms to shed their foliage helps the plant to conserve energy and reduce water loss during cold, dry months. The flower, also a component of the shoot system, is responsible for seed development and reproduction. There are four main flower parts in angiosperms: sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels.  After pollination, the plant carpel develops into fruit. Both flowers and fruit are often colorful in order to attract pollinators and animals that eat  fruit. As the fruit is consumed, the seeds pass through the animals digestive tract and are deposited at a distant location. This allows angiosperms to spread and populate various regions. Woody and Herbaceous Plants Angiosperms can be woody or herbaceous. Woody plants contain secondary tissue (bark) that surrounds the stem. They can live for several years. Examples of woody plants include trees and some shrubs. Herbaceous plants lack woody stems and are classified as annuals, biennials, and perennials. Annuals live for one year or season, biennials live for two years, and perennials come back year after year for many years. Examples of herbaceous plants include beans, carrots and corn. Angiosperm Life Cycle Angiosperms grow and reproduce by a process called alternation of generations. They cycle between an asexual phase and a sexual phase. The asexual phase is called the sporophyte generation as it involves the production of spores. The sexual phase involves the production of gametes and is called the gametophyte generation. Male and female gametes develop within the plant flower. The male microspores are contained within pollen and develop into sperm. Female megaspores develop into egg cells in the plant ovary. Angiosperms rely on the wind, animals, and insects for pollination. Fertilized eggs develop into seeds and the surrounding plant ovary becomes the fruit. Fruit development distinguishes angiosperms from other flowering plants called gymnosperms. Monocots and Dicots Angiosperms can be divided into two main classes depending on seed type. Angiosperms with seeds that possess two seed leaves after germination are called dicots (dicotyledons). Those with a single seed leaf are called monocots (monocotyledons).  These plants also differ in the structure of their roots, stems, leaves, and flowers. Roots Stems Leaves Flowers Monocots Fibrous (branching) Complex arrangement of vascular tissue Parallel veins Multiples of 3 Dicots Taproot (single, primary root) Ring arrangement of vascular tissue Branching veins Multiples of 4 or 5 Monocots and Dicots Examples of monocots include grasses, grains, orchids, lilies, and palms. Dicots include trees, shrubs, vines, and most fruit and vegetable plants. Key Takeaway: Angiosperms Angiosperms are plants that produce flowers. Flowering plants also produce fruit which covers and protects angiosperm seeds.Angiosperms are organized into a root system and a shoot system. The supportive roots are below ground. The shoot system is composed of the stems, leaves, and flowers.Two types of angiosperms are woody and herbaceous plants. Woody plants include trees and some shrubs. Herbaceous plants include beans and corn.Angiosperms cycle between an asexual phase and a sexual phase by the process of alternation of generations.  Angiosperms are classified as either monocots or dicots depending on seed type. Monocots include grasses, grains, and orchids. Dicots include trees, vines, and fruit plants. Sources Klesius, Michael. The Big Bloom-How Flowering Plants Changed the World. National Geographic, National Geographic, 25 Apr. 2016, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/prehistoric-world/big-bloom/.  Tree of Life Angiosperms. Flowering Plants. Tree of Life Web Project, tolweb.org/Angiosperms.

Male Sexuality in Ancient Rome

Male Sexuality in Ancient Rome Modern sexuality offers a two-tiered dichotomy based on sexual preference. A homosexual is characterized by his exclusive sexual preference for same-sex relationships. Similarly, a heterosexual favors exclusive sexual relationships with members of the opposite sex. Ancient sexuality, on the other hand, finds its basis in status. The active partner, i.e. the partner of a higher social status, assumes the role of the penetrator; whereas, the passive partner, i.e. the partner of inferior social status, takes on the penetrated position.(www.princeton.edu/~clee/paper.html) - Malakos Our modern preoccupation with sexuality has depended on a distinction between homo- and hetero-. That gender-changing operation and other, less dramatic transgender behavior are blurring our neat borders should help us understand the very different Roman attitudes. Today you can have a lesbian who was born a man and a gay male who was born a woman or a male in prison who behaves in ways that to the outside world appear homosexual, but to the prison, ​the  community does not, alongside the more traditional homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual roles. How Did the Romans See Gender? Instead of todays gender orientation, ancient Roman (and Greek) sexuality can be dichotomized as passive and active. The socially preferred behavior of a male was active; the passive part aligned with the female. The relation between the active and passive partner is thought of as the same kind of relation as that obtaining between social superior and social inferior. - Malakos But before I go further, let me stress: this is an oversimplification.   To Be an Ancient Roman Male in Good Standing ...Walters makes a crucial distinction between males and men: Not all males are men, and therefore impenetrable. In particular, he refers to the special nuance of the term vir, which does not simply denote an adult male; it refers specifically to those adult males who are freeborn Roman citizens in good standing, those at the top of the Roman social hierarchy those who are sexually impenetrable penetrators Craig A. Williams Bryn Mawr Classical Review of Roman Sexualities And... ... since the concepts heterosexual and homosexual did not exist, but there does seem to be a high degree of correlation between the conduct of men identified as cinaedi and that of some men now labeled homosexuals, though it must be appreciated that the modern term is clinical while the ancient one is emotional and even hostile, and that both have been imposed from outside. Richard W. Hoopers Bryn Mawr Classical Review of The Priapus Poems To be an ancient Roman male in good standing meant you initiated penetrating acts of sex. Whether you did this with a female or a male, slave or free, wife or prostitute, made little difference as long as you were not on the receiving end, so to speak. Certain people were off-limits, though, and among them were free youths.This was a change from the Greek attitude which, again to simplify, condoned such behavior in the context of a learning environment. The ancient Greek education of its youth had begun as training in the arts necessary for battle. Since physical fitness was the goal, education took place in a gymnasium (where physical training was in the buff). Over time the education came to encompass more academic parts, but instruction in how to be a valuable member of the polis continued. Often this included having an older male take a younger (post-pubescent, but still unbearded) one under his wing with all that entailed. Although later Romans sometimes asserted that homosexuality was imported from Greece, by the close of the 6th century B.C.E, Polybius reported, there was widespread acceptance of homosexuality [Polybius, Histories, xxxii, ii]. Lesbian and Gay Marriages For the ancient Romans, who claimed to have adopted other passive behaviors from the ancient Greeks, free youths were untouchable. Since adolescents were still appealing, Roman males gratified themselves with youthful slaves. Its thought that in the baths (in many ways, successors to the Greek gymnasia), freedmen wore a talisman around their necks to make it clear their naked bodies were untouchable.

Analysis of Canada’s Healthcare System

Analysis of Canadas Healthcare System INTRODUCTION Canada is a developed country located in the northern part of North America. In 1867, it became a self-governing state while retaining its tie with the British crown. When it comes to economic and technology, Canada is developing in parallel to its neighbour to the south, which is the United State of America. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, with a democratic constitutional monarchy as their form of government. In the past years, Canada’s politics faces the challenges of reaching the population’s demands for quality improvement in education, social services, economic competitiveness and health care. The health care system in Canada is funded publicly and delivered on a provincial or territorial basis, within a guidelines set by the federal government (Canadian Health Care, 2007). Every Canadian citizens are provided with preventative services and medical treatments from general practitioners at the same time having access to hospitalisation, dental surgery and other medical services. However, in the past few years Canada’s Healthcare System is facing controversy because of it’s soaring costs. I NCREASING COST OF UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE IN CANADA According to a latest study (Esmail N., Palacios M., 2013), conducted by the Fraser Institute with the title â€Å" The Price of Public Health Care Insurance: 2013 Edition †, the average Canadian household now pays approximately $7,860 in taxes for ‘health care insurance.’, which is 53.3% higher than of in 2003. Over the past decade the cost of healthcare in Canada doubled and is believe to exceed the $200 billion budget mark. Canada’s health care costs continue to grow at a faster rate than the government’s revenue, largely driven by spending on prescription drugs. In the last five years, however, growth rates in pharmaceutical spending have been matched by hospital spending and overtaken by physician spending, mainly due to increas ed provider remuneration (Marchildon G., 2013). In addition, this trend is also caused by what the health system spends on doctors, which rose by an average of 6.8 % every year. Of that value, 3.6% was caused by the increase in physician’s fees. Other driving factors for the increase in healthcare costs are population growth, aging population and increased health care demand. Consequently, this rise in Canada’s universal health care costs is said to be the reason why the government has limited ability to provide other services such as education, transportation and pension benefits. Increased health care costs will results into higher labor costs, which might cause companies to hire lesser workers, produce less output, or raise their prices. The high expenditure for health causes the budget for other government programs and priorities be restricted. EFFECT ON CANADA’S ECONOMY The abrupt rise in health care costs and insurance can affect several parts of the econo my. The rise in health care costs can cause job growth to slow down because it costs companies more money to add new employees. Wage increases have also slowed for current employees, since companies must spend more money on health care premiums. The public sector includes the federal, state and municipal governments. The public sector is dealing with costs rising more than revenues. This places a high degree of examination on discretionary health care spending. Companies are faced with rising health care spending often cut other expenses, such as reducing health care benefits, requiring employees to pay a larger share of their health care benefits, or reducing wage increases.

Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Managment - Essay Example Compared to other graduates, I believe that my superior research skills and ability to organize myself and the team to face challenges puts me at an advantage. I bring the values of honesty, accountability and an ability to meet challenges head on to the table. I am transparent in my dealings and if I am given some responsibility, I ensure that I am accountable as well. Combined with the ability to rise up to challenges, these values make me an ideal person to lead a team. Further, I can subordinate my individual goals to the needs of the team making me a team player as well. Hence, this ability to be a part of the team as well as lead a team makes me versatile and skillful at my job. I will show my value to the prospective employer by telling him about the most significant challenge that I have faced in my life so far and recounting the details of how I overcame the challenge. The challenge being mentioned is about how I led from the front when faced with an intractable problem that required out-of-the-box thinking to arrive at a

Green Mile Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Green Mile - Movie Review Example My mom also watched it with me because she heard it got good reviews, but she’d never seen it before. The majority of Green Mile is set in a Death Row prison ward in 1930’s America. It stars Tom Hanks as guard supervisor Paul Edgecombe, who meets new inmate John Coffey, played by Michael Clarke Duncan. Coffey is portrayed as a ‘slow-witted gentle giant’, whose even afraid of the dark, convicted of raping and brutally killing two young girls. He also appears to have miraculous healing powers, which ultimately heal Warden Moore’s terminally ill wife. The film ends with John Coffey’s execution in the electric chair, but not before he realizes the true killer of the two young girls, a new inmate called William ‘Wild Bill’ Wharton. Coffey offers to share this information with Edgecombe through his visionary powers. Edgecombe is then torn between letting John ‘walk out’, or be executed. However, John tells him that he is re ady to die as there is too much pain in the world. I thought The Green Mile was a very powerful film and piece of acting from start to finish. Almost every scene had me gripped and fixated. I especially liked Tom Hanks’s character, and I viewed him as a fair and moral prison guard. For example, he made it clear to Percy (an irritating prison guard) that the prisoners on death row had enough torment to deal with without the guards exacerbating the situation.

After WW2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

After WW2 - Essay Example l than other western powers and so it was but natural that a mixed economy should emerge from the process of rapid development that the Second World War had necessitated. Following the Second World War, nearly every country in the world realized the value of development and began engaging in measures to recover damages and accelerate growth. However, countries in regions like Africa, Latin America and Asia were severely crippled as the war had depleted many of their already limited resources, and the geo-political scenario in these countries was significantly volatile at the time. As a result, it took countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia far more time to get on their feet than it did for countries in developed regions. For Africa, the Second World War was a message that freedom was a reality that could be acquired and that colonial rule could indeed be abolished to make way for self-government. However, since multiple countries had dominance over different colonies in Africa, it took some time for Africa to acquire complete freedom. Colonists who wanted to sustain control over their Colonies in Africa sought to highlight the positive impact of their rule by establishing schools, hospitals and other public structures in the regions. In contrast, others who believed that it was time to allow Africa to spread its wings promoted the Westminster model. Countries in the Latin American region were in a very bad state after the Second World War came to an end. There was far too much political instability in countries like Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil to move forward. Shaking off the rubble from the Second World War would take a few decades. In fact, look at history shows that Latin American economies were not able to truly recover from the impact of the Second World War until the US began to take an active interest (and inject assistance) in the Latin American economy around, during and after the Cold War. Japans presence in the Asian region made it difficult

The Fiscal and Monetary Policy and Economic Fluctuations Essay - 2

The Fiscal and Monetary Policy and Economic Fluctuations - Essay Example The report further indicated that most businesses had embraced the use of machinery and computers in their operations. The outcome of this was that it affected the labor industry negatively in that people lost jobs as a result of being replaced with machines (Krugman, 2003). In the past five years, the U.S. underwent a great recession period. This period saw a huge drawback in the economy of the country since it recorded high cases of unemployment, high interest rates and a rise in inflation. This is because during the recession period, people were dependent on loans that were being offered by the banks to conduct their business and other operations of investments (Buti, 2003). The recession caused credit markets to stop funding cheap mortgages that were being offered to the public. Home owners were then faced with difficulties of repaying the loans due to the high interests that were imposed on them. This in turn made many individuals default on payment that caused banks to collapse due to them suffering enormous losses (Gramlich and Wood, 2000). The collapsing of banks resulted in detrimental effects to the economy of the country as it was brought to a halt. This is because the growth of the economy was dependent on credit loans that were used for inv estment purposes that in turn helped boost the economy (Krugman, 2003). Most Americans lost their jobs during the recession period. In fact, studies conducted indicate that about 8.8 million individuals lost their jobs as a result of the great recession. This can be equated to between $50,000 to around $120,000 in loss per household (Buti, 2003). However, the drain in the economy was stopped by the Federal and Congress bank who intervened by offering loans with low interest rates. This took place between 2008 and 2009 (Krugman, 2003). From that time to date, banks are still reluctant to lend money to potential investors. This is due to fear of them

Inequality, Hate Groups, and Tolerance Paper Essay

Inequality, Hate Groups, and Tolerance Paper - Essay Example (d) Hate is irrevocably linked to violence. Hate group members are not illiterate, but are well read, well organized, ruthless and armed, and coordinate their acts with like-minded partners. The ‘fourteen words’ are remarkable in their psychological appeal to instincts of survival and protection of children. 3 (a) Alex Curtis, based in San Diego, is one of today’s most influential white supremacists. He has effectively harnessed the media, through his website, e-mail lists, telephone hotlines and magazine, to disseminate his message of violent hatred of minorities. His group stands for the employment of any means to foster hate and violence against Jews, Blacks and all minorities. (b) Alex Curtis’ group feels that the U.S. Government is a Zion Occupied Government, which is manipulated by the Jews and is actively engaged in the marginalization and elimination of white Anglo-Saxons. The origin of White Power Music was marked by violent conflicts among extremists, the most high-profile one being the one between Swedish Nordland and British Ragnarock. In 1997-98 the industry was curtailed by Government actions in the U.S., Britain and Europe. The industry has reorganized and its’ message of violent racism is spreading its’ tentacles all over the world. There is growing cooperation among the leading players, who are (1) William Pierce: leader of the U.S. Nationalist Alliance and the owner of Resistance Records. (2) National Socialist Black Metal: anti-Christian, racist, Skinhead music (3) Hammerskin Nation: premium label for American skinhead bands, extremely violent (4) Blood and Honour: Swedish based, owner of Ragnarock with links to neo-Nazi political parties. (f) Stormfront is the oldest hate website, whose webmaster is Don Black, a former member of the Ku Klux Klan. Its’ philosophy of white supremacist beliefs considers Jews, Blacks and other minorities to

After WW2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

After WW2 - Essay Example l than other western powers and so it was but natural that a mixed economy should emerge from the process of rapid development that the Second World War had necessitated. Following the Second World War, nearly every country in the world realized the value of development and began engaging in measures to recover damages and accelerate growth. However, countries in regions like Africa, Latin America and Asia were severely crippled as the war had depleted many of their already limited resources, and the geo-political scenario in these countries was significantly volatile at the time. As a result, it took countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia far more time to get on their feet than it did for countries in developed regions. For Africa, the Second World War was a message that freedom was a reality that could be acquired and that colonial rule could indeed be abolished to make way for self-government. However, since multiple countries had dominance over different colonies in Africa, it took some time for Africa to acquire complete freedom. Colonists who wanted to sustain control over their Colonies in Africa sought to highlight the positive impact of their rule by establishing schools, hospitals and other public structures in the regions. In contrast, others who believed that it was time to allow Africa to spread its wings promoted the Westminster model. Countries in the Latin American region were in a very bad state after the Second World War came to an end. There was far too much political instability in countries like Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil to move forward. Shaking off the rubble from the Second World War would take a few decades. In fact, look at history shows that Latin American economies were not able to truly recover from the impact of the Second World War until the US began to take an active interest (and inject assistance) in the Latin American economy around, during and after the Cold War. Japans presence in the Asian region made it difficult

Inequality, Hate Groups, and Tolerance Paper Essay

Inequality, Hate Groups, and Tolerance Paper - Essay Example (d) Hate is irrevocably linked to violence. Hate group members are not illiterate, but are well read, well organized, ruthless and armed, and coordinate their acts with like-minded partners. The ‘fourteen words’ are remarkable in their psychological appeal to instincts of survival and protection of children. 3 (a) Alex Curtis, based in San Diego, is one of today’s most influential white supremacists. He has effectively harnessed the media, through his website, e-mail lists, telephone hotlines and magazine, to disseminate his message of violent hatred of minorities. His group stands for the employment of any means to foster hate and violence against Jews, Blacks and all minorities. (b) Alex Curtis’ group feels that the U.S. Government is a Zion Occupied Government, which is manipulated by the Jews and is actively engaged in the marginalization and elimination of white Anglo-Saxons. The origin of White Power Music was marked by violent conflicts among extremists, the most high-profile one being the one between Swedish Nordland and British Ragnarock. In 1997-98 the industry was curtailed by Government actions in the U.S., Britain and Europe. The industry has reorganized and its’ message of violent racism is spreading its’ tentacles all over the world. There is growing cooperation among the leading players, who are (1) William Pierce: leader of the U.S. Nationalist Alliance and the owner of Resistance Records. (2) National Socialist Black Metal: anti-Christian, racist, Skinhead music (3) Hammerskin Nation: premium label for American skinhead bands, extremely violent (4) Blood and Honour: Swedish based, owner of Ragnarock with links to neo-Nazi political parties. (f) Stormfront is the oldest hate website, whose webmaster is Don Black, a former member of the Ku Klux Klan. Its’ philosophy of white supremacist beliefs considers Jews, Blacks and other minorities to

Stereotypes of African Americans in Television Essay Example for Free

Stereotypes of African Americans in Television Essay Stereotypes of African Americans have been around since slavery. Once media got involved it was able to give society a visual as to how other races portrayed them. With television, it’s becoming more and more vivid of how bad the stereotyping is getting. Now a day’s some writers of these shows and try to hide the racial remarks, while others are blunt with it and receive no type of punishment for their actions. You do have some sitcoms that will shine a positive light on the African American community, but these shows never last long. The gatekeepers do not want to put a positive image in your head they want you feel a certain way so therefore they come up with shows like Family Guy and South Park that say racial remarks, but it’s in a subliminal message. The first television was invented in 1927, but it took 33 years before an African American actress and actor would be seen on it. The first sitcom was debut in 1950, and it was Beulah. It was based on a white family whose housekeeper was black and overweight. The show was cancelled because the NAACP didn’t like the negative message it was sending to America. The first sitcom to be influential for African Americans was the Nat King Cole Show in 1956. This paved the way for show like The Bill Cosby Show, A Different World, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and In Living Color, which are still successful today. Donald Bogle’s Primetime Blues, explains the role that African Americans have portrayed all these year in television. Each chapter is broken up into decades and tells the role they have played and how television has mirrored the society’s attitude towards African Americans and other blacks. He describes how regardless of the role an African American plays whether they are a lawyer, doctor, cop, drug dealer, or working on wall street you are still an unknown real person. This has a physical affect on the African American growing up and they don’t realize it. With the help from internet sources and books such as Family Life in Black America, Black Families and The Medium of Television, Racism, Sexism, and the Media, Prime Time Blues I will prove that television has and it still is portraying African Americans in a negative light.

Homeostasis Of Skeletal And Muscular Systems

Homeostasis Of Skeletal And Muscular Systems Living cells of plants and animals are only able to survive under a narrow range of certain conditions that include nutrient availability, pH concentration, temperature, ion concentration among other factors. The human body, usually called inner environment has to time and again adapt to the outside environment which is ever experiencing weather changes and great climate diversification that occurs from one hour to another, one day to another day and from one season to another. It is in this respect that human beings have to device physiological mechanisms in order to survive because any inability by the human body to adjust to these changes leads to either diseases or to death. Human beings for example can only survive under a narrow range of pH values of 7.35 and 7.45.Any value below these results to a situation called acidosis whereas any excess of this causes a situation called alkalosis. It is of paramount importance to note that either condition is as life threatening as the ot her. Likewise, the normal body temperature of 37.2 to 37.7 degrees Celsius has to be equally maintained to ensure survival of a living organism. Any deviation from these results to a condition called hypothermia (if the core body temperature goes below 33 degrees Celsius or 91 degrees Fahrenheit) or hyperthermia (if the core body temperature goes above 42 degrees Celsius or 108 degrees Fahrenheit) This is done through the process called Homeostasis. Homeostasis is the tendency of a system of a living organism, either closed or open, to regulate an internal environment while maintaining a constant and stable condition. Homeostasis is made possible through multiple dynamic equilibrium adjustment and regulation mechanism and not a stable equilibrium as such. This is because internal body conditions are never absolutely stable but varies within a narrow range of average commonly referred to as set point. Several body systems are involved in the process of homeostatic regulation. The Nervous system is in charge of controlling other body parts by sending an electrochemical signal to the brain whenever there is any change from optimum levels. The brain then corresponds by sending the required stimulus to the respective body organ. The Circulatory system, made up of arteries and veins, maintains this balance through the circulation of blood to all other body parts. Through capillaries , an exchange of nutrients in each cell is initiated. This system also enhances the transportation of toxic excretory wastes and other liquid material to the excretory organs. Through lymphatic vessels, the Lymphatic system is involved in homeostasis by collecting excess tissue fluids and taking them back to the veins. The Endocrine system, the main regulator of this process of homeostasis, on the other hand contains hormones (chemical messengers) that keeps circulating throughout the blood stream and acts on the respective target organs. As much as the Endocrine system cannot work without coordinating with the Nervous system, its effects as long lasting even thou they are slow. The process of Homeostatic regulation takes place under a mechanism called feedback. This feedback can either be negative-to ensure stability or positive-to enhance a rapid change. A negative mechanism loop is where a body senses a change in the internal environment and activates methods to negate, reverse or counter that change. A very relevant example of negative mechanism is the process of temperature regulation. A rise in blood temperatures is sensed by specialized neurons located in the hypothalamus found in the brain. This is then signaled to other nerve centers which in turn relay them to the blood vessels of the skin. The dilation of the blood vessels pushes the blood to flow closer to the body surface and excess heat is radiated from the body. If this does not cool the body back to the set point, sweating is activated by the brain. A strong cooling effect is thus felt on the skin due to evaporation of sweat. In the event that the body temperatures fall too low, the same hypo thalamus senses this and signals this to the cutaneous arteries (that supply the skin with blood) to perform an action called constriction. Deeper retention of warm blood in the body is initiated thus less heat is lost from the body surface. If this effect is inadequate, the brain likewise activities the act of shivering and in the course of shivering, each muscle tremor releases heat energy to return the body back to the set point of 37 degrees Celsius. The second mechanism of homeostasis, a counterpart to the negative feedback loop is that of positive feedback and rapid change. In this positive feedback loop mechanism, once the body is able to sense a change, it activates a mechanism to either accelerate or increase that change. As much as this mechanism aids in homeostasis, it mostly produces opposite results and can be life threatening or fatal. A good example of a beneficial positive feedback is exhibited in the process of blood clotting where an enzyme that is used to form the matrix of blood clot thrombin in the complex biochemical pathway is catalyzed thus the process is speeded up. Another beneficial positive feedback is seen in the process of childbirth where the secretion of hormone oxytocin is triggered by the stretching of uterus and this enhances uterine contraction that speeds up labor. Similarly, a beneficial positive feedback is experienced in the process of protein digestion where secretion of hydrochloric acid and enzyme pepsin is initiated by the presence of partially digested protein particles that once digestion begins, it becomes a process that is self-accelerating. However, this mechanism has more harmful and more potential fatal consequences that often results to rapid loss of internal stability. The death of a small area of a heart tissue for example triggers myocardial infarction, a kind of heart attack, because the heart is not able to pump an adequate amount of blood hence the heart itself is deprived of blood and more tissues begins to die. In many cases, this leads to rapid cardiac mal-functioning leading to death. It is therefore important to bear in mind that many deaths that occur are as a result of positive feedback loop. However both the skeletal and the muscular systems work hand in hand in the process of homeostatic regulation in a combined system otherwise known as the muscular skeletal system or rather musculoskeletal system. This system consists of the bones and joints- skeletal system and voluntary or striated muscles-skeletal muscle system. Skeletal muscle fibers contain numerous nucleuses on each cell and the cell nuclei are found beneath the plasma membrane of the skin. Both the skeletal and the muscular systems work together in the process of performing basic and essential functions necessary for life that includes protection (of the brain and other internal organs), supportive services of maintaining an upright posture, blood cell formation in a process called hematopoesis, storage of minerals and fats among other minor duties like leverage that involves magnifying movement or force speed. Musculoskeletal system comprises of five major tissues that include bones, tendons, ligaments cartila ge and skeletal muscles. The ligaments are the tissues on which one bone is attached to another bone. Cartilages are protective and gel-like substances that line interveterbral discs and joints while tendons usually attach muscles to bones. Each of these tissues has four connective blocks that build tissues. They include fibroblasts, collagen, elastic fibers and proteoglycans. Fibroblasts are the mother of all these other connective tissues as it is the one that produces them. Collagens are the principal proteins that are long and thin and are organized into various intertwining fibers to form strong ones that do not stretch. Elastic fibers are found in the walls of arteries whereas proteoglycans are ground substances normally called matrix in which the other connective tissues reside. This combination of functions by both the muscular and skeletal happens mostly when there is a change in both the body pH and the central venous pressure. Active body muscles usually respire and in the process carbon dioxide is produced. The carbon dioxide that is produced dissociates in the blood to produce both hydrogen and carbon ions which have an impact of lowering this pH. Once there is such a decrease in the pH, the chemoreceptors that are centrally located in the brain detect this and induce respiration that accelerates expulsion of the carbon dioxide gas thus maintaining the internal body temperature. The second way in which muscular skeletal homeostasis in the body is evident happens during exercise. Here, more blood is diverted into body muscles as a result of relaxation of arterioles hence a considerable decrease in the volume of blood flowing to the heart. This brings about an impact in the central venous pressure. In order to correct this defect and bring about homeosta sis, the aortic and carotid barroreceptors via the cranial nerves detects this and relays this information in the cardiovascular (medulla) part of the brain. This then lowers the action potential rate in the brain thereby increasing and decreasing the sympathetic and the parasympathetic outputs respectively. The overall result is an increase in not only the inotropy (heart rate) and chronotropy (contractility) but also in vasoconstriction and total peripheral resistance (blood pressure).

Benefits of the WNBA :: Women Sports Essays

Benefits of the WNBA Although Title IX states than, "no person in the United States, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to any discrimination..." it does not guarantee that people will carry this out. After the issuing of Title IX, many women in sports wished to step forward and be recognized. Part of the recognition they wanted was to be included in National Sports Associations like the men's National Basketball Association. Eventually their cries were heard, and sports associations like the NBA agreed to merge and include women. Becoming included was an eye opening experience to many of these women and they have faced (and still do) doubts and discrimination from the public, but along the way they have also reaped benefits they would not have if the merger had never taken place. Title IX was the stepping-stone for mergers and sports, but immediately after the merging took place, women were fully discriminated against. When men and women's sports combined, it opened new administrative positions for women, but what these women found were that they were constantly being pushed down to the bottom of the pile, to the least authoritative positions. Men were the head coaches, and the head of the physical education departments Men organized the teams schedule for the season and organized practice hours. Also, "male sexist attitudes ensured that male rather than female athletic directors and heads of physical education departments were almost automatically appointed to direct merged departments" (Hult p.96) This male over female preference continued right up to today. As of 1992 there are more men in administrative sports positions than women. Women have been playing basketball for over a century before the Women's National Basketball Association came into existence. It was here at Smith College where many women got their first taste of the game. Women were described as having a "masculine performance style... rough and vicious play... worse than in men" (Hult 86). This aggressive playing style had to be modified because the violence and rough-housing that was going on were becoming intolerable. Eventually the Official Women's Basketball Rules were modified in that there was no dribbling allowed on the court at all, players were not allowed to make physical contact with each other and women were not allowed to grab the ball out of another women's hands. Of course over the next century the game evolved, but women's basketball seemed to be submerged under men's basketball.

New York and the Spanish Influenza :: Influenza Epidemics Health Essays

New York and the Spanish Influenza NEW YORK--Although public health officials, including the Surgeon General, have been reluctant to declare an epidemic of crisis proportions, indications that something more than a mild flu season was at hand began to appear as far back as May when reports from China, the Front lines, and other places around the world, were telling of large numbers of people becoming suddenly ill.1 Few deaths were acknowledged in those early reports and most reports indicated the illness only lasted a few days. Five months later we are seeing something that is quite different. Spanish influenza is spreading faster than health care personnel can treat it. The growing number of people being infected and the dwindling supply of doctors and nurses, already strained by the war, makes it more difficult to treat the sick and thereby slow or stop the spread of the disease. The dynamics of the situation suggests that things are going to get worse before getting better. As early as May and June, there were reports of widespread illness amongst the German soldiers, and later reports in July said that the disease struck so quickly and was so virulent that many German soldiers were dying in the trenches from influenza.2 In Berne, Switzerland, the municipality has forbidden all meetings, including performances in theatres, picture houses, music halls, and concerts. The ban also includes religious ceremonies. Those who ignore the order could face fines and imprisonment.3 It was not until August, however, before officials here in the United States, particularly in New York, expressed any real concern for the latest influenza invasion, which incidentally, did not originate in Spain as the name may suggest. The initial cause for alarm in New York was the discovery of nine cases of influenza aboard a Norwegian vessel that had docked at Quarantine in New York Harbor. Dr. Leland E. Cofer, Health Officer of the Port downplayed the chances of more people b ecoming ill or that the disease would spread; however, the concern was great enough amongst health officials that there was talk of imposing a quarantine in New York.4 When discussing the possibility of a quarantine, Colonel J. M. Kennedy, Medical Corps, U.S.A., Chief Surgeon at the New York port of embarkation, indicated he opposed a quarantine because it would clog the harbor and produce delays in sending troops and supplies overseas, and that the influenza here is not at all dangerous, except when pneumonia develops, and even when pneumonia develops, only a few cases are fatal. New York and the Spanish Influenza :: Influenza Epidemics Health Essays New York and the Spanish Influenza NEW YORK--Although public health officials, including the Surgeon General, have been reluctant to declare an epidemic of crisis proportions, indications that something more than a mild flu season was at hand began to appear as far back as May when reports from China, the Front lines, and other places around the world, were telling of large numbers of people becoming suddenly ill.1 Few deaths were acknowledged in those early reports and most reports indicated the illness only lasted a few days. Five months later we are seeing something that is quite different. Spanish influenza is spreading faster than health care personnel can treat it. The growing number of people being infected and the dwindling supply of doctors and nurses, already strained by the war, makes it more difficult to treat the sick and thereby slow or stop the spread of the disease. The dynamics of the situation suggests that things are going to get worse before getting better. As early as May and June, there were reports of widespread illness amongst the German soldiers, and later reports in July said that the disease struck so quickly and was so virulent that many German soldiers were dying in the trenches from influenza.2 In Berne, Switzerland, the municipality has forbidden all meetings, including performances in theatres, picture houses, music halls, and concerts. The ban also includes religious ceremonies. Those who ignore the order could face fines and imprisonment.3 It was not until August, however, before officials here in the United States, particularly in New York, expressed any real concern for the latest influenza invasion, which incidentally, did not originate in Spain as the name may suggest. The initial cause for alarm in New York was the discovery of nine cases of influenza aboard a Norwegian vessel that had docked at Quarantine in New York Harbor. Dr. Leland E. Cofer, Health Officer of the Port downplayed the chances of more people b ecoming ill or that the disease would spread; however, the concern was great enough amongst health officials that there was talk of imposing a quarantine in New York.4 When discussing the possibility of a quarantine, Colonel J. M. Kennedy, Medical Corps, U.S.A., Chief Surgeon at the New York port of embarkation, indicated he opposed a quarantine because it would clog the harbor and produce delays in sending troops and supplies overseas, and that the influenza here is not at all dangerous, except when pneumonia develops, and even when pneumonia develops, only a few cases are fatal.

Pros and Cons of No Child Left Behind Act Essay

On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). This law represents his education reform plan and contains changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) since it was enacted in 1965. It is asking America’s schools to describe their success in terms of what each student accomplishes. The act contains the President’s four basic education reform principles: stronger accountability for results, especially in reading, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and teacher and staff quality. Schools will be held responsible for improving the academic performance of all students, and there will be real consequences for districts and schools that fail to make progress. Within twelve years, all students must perform at a proficient level under their state standards. But, states will set their own standards for each grade–so each state will say how well children should be reading at the end of third grade. Interested parents, families, and taxpayers can look to their state for detailed information about its academic standards. No Child Left Behind combines and simplifies programs, so that schools can get and use federal funding. Schools and teachers will get a boost for more than $4 billion in 2002 that allows schools to promote teacher quality through training and recruitment. Parents with a child enrolled in a school identified as in need of improvement will be able to transfer their child to a better performing public school or public charter school. No Child Left Behind gives districts new flexibility and freedom with Federal funds so children with disabilities can be better served. States will receive the freedom to target up to 50 percent of federal non-Title I dollars under the Act to programs that will have the most positive impact on the students they serve, including students with disabilities. Students will be assessed and assessments must provide for adaptations and accommodations for students with disabilities as defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Though, there must be a separate measurable annual objectives â€Å"adequate yearly progress† (AYP) for continuous and substantial improvement for the achievement of groups of students, including students with disabilities The purpose of the No Child Left Behind Act is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessments. President Bush states, â€Å"every school — every public school in America is a place of high expectations and a place of achievement.† So far, five states have taken the lead in assimilating the requirements of the Act into their current accountability systems and have received approval for their proposed accountability plans from the Department of Education. The states receiving approval are: Colorado, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio. When asking regular education and special education teachers about the No Child Left Behind Act, I realized many did not know much about it. I approached the principal at the school I work at and asked her about it but I received very little information. It was apparent that not many people knew what this act was about; they just knew that it exists. Luckily Anita the assistant to the Director of Special Education returned my phone call and had some more information for me. To Anita this challenges the educational system. As for students with disabilities, it makes the teachers be more responsive and assess special education students. It tries to bring up these students to state standards. She said that it may not be very realistic for students who are mentally retarded and have Learning Disabilities. She states that these students may not even be at the 50th percentile. â€Å"It’s a struggle to get these students to a hire level. Finally, the last thing she said was that thi s act is pushing for kids not to be exempted from testing.

Change Management †the One Right Way Essay

However the offer is often illusory, for particular change approaches usually apply to particular situations, and simple solutions sometimes ignore the complexities of real life. (Stace and Dunphy, 2001, p 5) To utilise a single change approach is to assume that all organisations, all situations and all internal and external variables and influences remain constant. It applies the same logic to all changes without consideration of the many and varied influencing factors. I generally agree with the statement presented by Stace and Dunphy but am interested in the reasons underlying the requirement for simple, easy and fast change interventions. Are managers and change agents lazy and only looking for simple solutions? Does management consider change unimportant? Do management really believe that a single solution is going to work in every case? What is behind this trend? Bold (2011) suggests that change itself is becoming the only constant or ‘business as usual’ in the modern business environment. With technological advancements over the past 10 years, organisation now have the ability to access, collect and process enormous amounts of business data very quickly. This has provided management with the ability to understand the current health of their organisational processes and track against set goals and targets quickly and accurately. Previously, managers may have waited for end of month or end of quarter reporting from all business units to be collated and presented to gain an accurate understanding of the current business position and gauge the results from previous decisions made. Now, when a manager wants to make a change, they want it implemented as soon as possible so they can assess the impact of the change. Due to the high amount of change occurring in modern organisations and management’s requirement for immediate solutions, I believe that pressure is placed onto the change agents to provide solutions, often without the resources or time to perform adequate analysis to plan and implement the best change approach. As Bold (2011) suggested, change is becoming ‘business as usual’ and management may expect change managers to be able to develop a change process (i. e. the one right way), in the way that other parts of the organisation develops other repeatable ‘business as usual’ processes. Corporate competencies for change management constitute the critical capacity that is needed to create a learning organisation which is flexible, dynamic and adaptable in a rapidly changing and volatile environment. (Turner and Crawford 1998) As recent as the 1990’s, research was being undertaken by Romanelli & Tushman (1994) that proposed an alternate viewpoint. Their punctuated equilibrium paradigm argues that relatively long periods of stability (equilibrium) are punctuated by short periods of more radical, revolutionary change. I believe that most organisational change researchers would now agree that this is no longer the case and further progression into the information age has meant that very few industries operate within a long term, stable business operating environment. Although many different change models and approaches have been developed by academics, consultants and practitioners, none has yet to be accepted as a standard that can be used for all change interventions. Bold (2011) argues that there is no right or wrong theory for change management. It is not an exact science. However, through the ongoing research and studies by the industry’s leading experts, a clearer picture of what it takes to lead a change effort effectively will continue to emerge. Andriopoulos & Dawson (2009) agree that in the case of organisational change, there remains considerable debate over the speed, direction and effects of change and on the most appropriate methods and concepts for understanding and explaining change. Kanter, Stein & Jick (1992) found that it would be very difficult for a single solution or approach to meet all the types of changes required and to take into account all of the required aspects as organisations are fluid entities. In an attempt to provide a more broad solution, Stace & Dunphy (2001) proposed a situational approach or framework for change. They argued that there is no single path to successful change implementation that holds true in all situations. This framework however has been criticised by Andriopoulos & Dawson (2009) for neglecting the role of organisational politics and the internal power relationships within organisations as shapers of the organisational change process. Pettigrew (1985) presented a holistic, contextual analysis approach providing a multi-level approach to encapsulate the complexities of change management. Pettigrew argued that strategic change is a continuous process with no clear beginning or end point. However, Buchanan and Boddy (1992) argued that the richness and complexity of the multi-level analysis presented by Pettigrew, while comprehensive, it did little to simplify or clarify the processes of change and thereby rendered the research as largely impenetrable for the organisational practitioner. Change within an organisation is ongoing and involves many variables which are covered by different change models, processes and frameworks. Variables include the type of industry, the geographical location, the organisations size, the style of management leadership, the capability of the people involved, the organisational culture, the local and global economic environment, timing in regard to other events, the organisational structure and many more. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but demonstrates the length and breadth of variables to be taken into account when assessing and managing change. Senior (2002) argues that the trigger for internal change is often in response to external influences which then links the internal and external drivers for change. Often, the change strategy or mechanism used by an organisation is chosen by the change manager and may not necessarily meet the needs of the organisation. This can lead to the change manager selecting an approach that may have worked before, that they feel comfortable with, or that suits their personality. This may not be however, what the organisation really requires. For example, a change manager may have had previous success utilising a consultative and collaborative approach which would take time to fully consult with all impacted parties while the organisation may actually require a fast, dictatorial type approach due to it losing market share which is putting the very existence of the organisation at risk. Kanter (1983) notes that managers sometimes make strategic choices based on their own area of competence and career payoff. A model of change strategies that seeks to develop our understanding of change processes is unfortunately restricted if it excludes considerations of anything other than management as some sort of ‘black box’ wherein environmental fit is sought. Stace and Dunphy argue that change managers need to develop a varied behaviour repertoire rather than remain fixed on a particular approach to change. They argue the compelling need for in our modern economies to create and build more dynamic and innovative corporations which can compete successfully in global terms. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – â€⠀œ – – – – – – – – – – – – – Remember that change involves people, is instigated by people and controlled by people. There are many internal and external influences and forces that affect change but the interests of the change agents themselves and their political interests must also be considered. You cannot expect a change manager to ignore their own self-interest when making rational decisions. (Dunford 1990) Stace and Dunphy argue that the critical requirement for longer term viability and success in the corporation of the future is the ongoing development of what is increasingly being referred to as organisational capabilities or corporate competencies. These are capabilities for the flexible initiation of new strategies and environmental responsiveness that reside in the corporation itself rather than only in the capabilities and skills of the individual members. This will allow organisations to respond quicker to changes and effectively make change management part of the organisational culture. Change would then be regarded as ‘business as usual’. Many of the change approach methods, tools and techniques proposed by researchers and practitioners have overlapping ideas and cover a lot of the same ground. Rather than working independently towards defining improvements to existing ideas or new ideas, it may be more beneficial to take a collaborative approach and create an international standard for change or a recognised body of shared knowledge that could be used as a guide for organisational change.