Acting a Scene From the ”’Crucible”’ Essay

Near the end of the work on the play ‘The Crucible’ I have been working in a group consisting of Kerry, Claire, Kirsty, Hayley, and myself. We were somewhat limited about what scene we could act out, as the size of our group was so large. The scene we choose had mixed emotions and high suspicions on certain characters. We believed that with this mix of emotions and actions it would allow us to present a highly effective and realistic piece of drama. The start of our piece is kicked off by the appearance of Mr Hale. Hale, tells Elizabeth and proctor news about Elizabeth’s name being associated with witchcraft in court. The scene soon turns to backstabbing and high emotions. The whole scene is about the ease at which rumours and stories spread and, due to the time period it is set, there is no evidence needed to put someone into court, especially, when it comes to witchcraft. Their house is effectively searched for things that could prove witchcraft. I played two very contrasting roles; the first role I play is that of Francis. This role is relatively short. Francis is complaining about the fact that his wife has been taken to jail. The second role I played was that off Cheever, a court clerk. Cheever comes into the scene to take Elizabeth to jail. This in its self causes much tension in the scene. It was tricky to act two very contrasting roles, but I had valuable input from my group about the way I should speak and the way my body language was. This helped me a lot and I think I managed to create two very contrasting characters. The scene was all set in one room so we had to make sure there was enough movement to keep the audiences interested. The group took many suggestions from each other to help the scene be more effective and appear more complete. The issue of me defining two separate characters was one of the main talking points with many helpful ideas being put forward. Another main talking point was Kerry’s body language. There were a lot of ideas put forward throughout the group, which Kerry took on board, and her character improved as a result of this. One of my main problems was getting off stage when Francis left, and then returning in a completely different character only seconds later. I achieved this by just taking my tie off so to at least show a visual difference. My first line as Cheever was, â€Å"Good evening to you Mr Proctor.† In the stage notes this was supposed to achieve a shocked silence. I tried to achieve this by saying it quietly but forcefully. This along with a sudden hush on stage made this bit one of my favourite pieces of drama in the particular piece. Evaluation I think that our overall performance was good. I felt that we worked well as a group, discussing our problems without tension rising. I felt the everyone took on board ideas and suggestions from everyone in the group. I think this showed in our final performance. I feel it would have been even better if we had been as focused on the work in every lesson. I still feel that I could have distinguished my character more successfully if I could have achieved a better voice difference from the two characters. However I felt that my body language as well as costume helped distinguish my two characters very successfully. I felt that if I had learned my lines more thourghouly I would have felt far more confident on stage. The rest of my group, I felt, performed very well, using facial expressions and vocal expressions very successfully. I found that Kerry in particular was very effective, as she had to play the part of a man, which added a whole new set of problems to her. I think that if we were to act this scene again I would have tried to put in more movement on stage and I would have made sure that my back was facing away from the audience as much as possible. However saying this I felt we used the space we had well and I think that when we choose to sit down the position of our chairs on stage was very effective.

Employing Strategy in a Competitive Environment Essay

Question # 1- Create an environmental scan for the company indicating the most significant environmental threats and discuss how the company should respond to each threat to ensure that the impact to the business is minimal. Companies and industries are constantly impacted by their surroundings. For example, â€Å"all companies operate in a macro environment shaped by influences [including threats] emanating from general economic conditions; population demographics; societal values and lifestyles; legislation and regulations; technology; and closer to home the industry and competitive environment in which the company operates (Thompson, Strickland, & Gamble, 2010, p.56). Companies have an inner and outer ring in their macro environment. Happenings in the outer or inner ring of their macro environment may occur rapidly or slowly, sometimes even without advanced knowledge or warning. However, the major forces and factors that can have the largest impact on shaping the strategy of a company will normally pertain to the company’s â€Å"immediate industry and competitive environment–the actions of rival firms, buyer behavior, supplier related considerations, and so on† (Thompson, et al., 2010, p.57). All of the major influences and threats will be discussed below. This discussion will include how Sky Renovations Inc. (SRI) will respond to each threat to ensure that the impact on the business is kept at minimal. Economic Conditions Today’s economic conditions are a great advantage for SRI. Because of the current foreclosure market, there is more property that is available to enable SRI to renovate, rent, and resale properties. There are so many different stages and types of foreclosures, including the pre- foreclosures, the auctions, and the real estate owned (REO) properties, SRI will have no problem finding its market niche (Caplin, 2004). Population Demographics The current population demographics show that there are many† baby boomers† that are in the process of retiring. Some of these â€Å"baby boomers† have been life-long tenants. Some of these people will be first time home buyers and some will be in the process of purchasing another home, where a prior home may have been loss during the past economic turnover. â€Å"Demographics are not quite destiny but do exert a powerful influence on future housing demand† (Belsky, 2009, p. 99). SRI will make sure that population demographics will be carefully considered in all operations and expansions within the company. Societal Values and Lifestyles Societal values and lifestyles will determine the very existence and expansion of SRI. The determination of how clients and customers choose to live will determine the profitability of the company. SRI must make sure that its core values, mission statements, and vision statements coincide with the society’s values and lifestyles for this specific era. A strategic vision will point SRI in the desired direction, plan SRI’s strategic path, and form its organizational identity (Thompson, et al., 2010). Legislation and Regulations SRI must be very sensitive to the legislation and regulations that will be surrounding the foreclosure and real estate markets. These laws and regulations will determine SRI’s competitive advantage over other companies entering the market. Since much of SRI’s business depends on its ability to buy property at a discount and sell or rent this property at a discount or affordable price, SRI much stay abreast to and legislative and regulative changes in regard to the real estate and renovations industry. Technology Technology is changing at such a rapid pace. SRI must keep the accurate, proper, up-dated computer equipment, and websites to make sure that SRI’s presence and availability is accessible to any client or potential clients. These technological up-dates must be done on a regular and consistence basis. This will give SRI a physical and web presence on a local, national, and international level. The factors, issues, and occurrences that are found in a company’s industry and competitive environment should be considered the strongest of the external threats.†However, the factors and forces in a company’s macro-environment having the biggest strategy-shaping impact typically pertain to the company’s immediate industry and competitive environment-the actions of rivals firms, buyer behavior, supplier-related conditions, and so on† (Thompson, et al., 2010, p. 57).

Contemporary Issues in Human Resource Management Essay

Contemporary Issues in Human Resource Management - Essay Example 91-92). There are several other functions that the human resource department of the company has to monitor along with recruitment and selection of the employees. These functions includes job analysis, training the employees, monitoring performance of the employee for appraisal, ascertaining the remuneration for the particular job position or employee, allotting incentives for good performance, taking care of the employee benefit policies of the company, acting as a communication channel between the employees and the top level management, developing employee welfare, safety and health care plans, taking care of promotions, transfers, maintaining industrial relationships, handling the issues of the Trade Union, solving disputes within the employees or departments, assessing the ethical issues in the department or organization, etc (Aswathappa, 2007, p. 5-6). The study aims at mainly focusing on the contemporary issues involved in human resource management, such as job stress, discrimin ations, diversity, safety issues, emotional labour, and employee burnout. In this study the issues of skill shortage, diversity management and emotional labour has been considered with the help of journal articles, and newspaper editorials to capture the latest discussions on these issues. Skill Shortage Newspaper Article by - Coventry Evening Telegraph (England); July 5, 2011 Tuesday Nuneaton Edition: In the article, â€Å"Skills shortage for city's small firms; business briefing†, it has been highlighted that nowadays companies are struggling to find really skilled employees to meet the requirements of the organization. These major concerns compelled Lloyds TSB Commercial to conduct a survey, which revealed that there was a skill short of about 43 percent in the small business industry. The owners of these firms believed that there was major scarcity of skilled workforce in most of the region. Gary Saxon, a representative of Lloyds TSB Commercial accepted the fact that ther e is short supply of skills; so on job training or hands on experience would surely solve the problem of shortage (Perry, 2011, p. 42). Journal Article by- Sussman, Dan: The journal article â€Å"Skills Shortage†, focuses on the shortage of skilled employees in the manufacturing industry. According to CIA World Factbook, 29 percent of the global production was derived from US, but this statistics has fallen to 21 percent. Though there are many reasons for such situation, such as enormous layoff in the automobile sector, advent of automation in manufacturing segment, etc. The National Association for Manufacturers (NAM) has revealed that 80 percent manufacturer agreed to the shortage of skilled personnel in their organization. Another important reason is that nowadays education and training is very important even in manufacturing industry. Gone are the days when people with less education could also gain good jobs in manufacturing industry. One needs to have the ability to sol ve problems, communicate, understand statistics and utilize brain (Dan, 2006, p. 2-3). Newspaper Article by- Coventry Evening Telegraph (England); February 20, 2012 Monday Nuneaton Edition: In this news article, â€Å"Credit Easing Can Boost Employment†, UK’s labour market is considered and has been analyzed that, the situation has become very

Demand and Supply Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Demand and Supply Paper - Essay Example This people interact in the market freely, or at the time there is intervention by the government or local authority (Welbourn 2007). The forces of demand supply come together and make up the market equilibrium. If the supply of a certain good or service is too high, this will push the price for that particular good or service downwards. If there is too much demand in the market surpassing the supply, the prices of the goods or service will go up (Welbourn 2007). This is because their will be too much money chasing too little goods. For the market to be in equilibrium the forces of demand, have to come together. This will help to determine the price of a particular good or service. To help take in this concept, I have decided to elaborate the concept of demand and supply using a good that most people cannot do without. Toothpaste. Most people tend to be extremely uncomfortable when they do not brush their teeth using toothpaste. The dentists also recommend people to brush their teeth with toothpaste at least twice in a day. This makes toothpaste a vital commodity in every household. QQuantity The above are the demand and supply curves for toothpaste. The demand curve is determined by plotting price on the y-axis and quantity on the x-axis. Since tooth paste is packed in different sachets containing different quantities. One can obtain this information in the local supermarkets. We take the different quantities of toothpaste and the amount they sold for. Through this method, one can easily come up with the demand curve for toothpaste. The same process is to be followed so as to determine the supply curve. The curve obtained by plotting the quantity on the x-axis and price on the y-axis (Welbourn 2007). Equilibrium is the point where the demand and supply curve intersect. In our case indicates no allocative inefficiency. The equilibrium price is P while the equilibrium price will be Q. This, however, is not static as the prices of toothpaste are constantly changi ng. These fluctuations have an effect on demand and supply curves. This will in turn affect the equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity (Klein 2011). In our case, however, the markets are not in perfect equilibrium. This is because there might be excess demand or supply of toothpaste in the market. Another reason might also be that the market does not entirely depend on demand or supply forces to determine the market price (Welbourn 2007. There will be government intervention through taxes, licenses and various other regulations put in place by the government. There are two economic theories that may be used to explain this phenomenon. The first one is the theory of demand, and the other one is the theory of supply (Adil 2006). The theory explains the relationship between the goods demanded by the consumer and the prices. The more a good supplied in excess, in the market then the price for the good or service will drop. This will also have an effect on the equilibrium price as it will also drop. The other theory is that of supply theory. This theory explains that when consumers are in need of a product. That is the supply does not meet the consumers demand than the prices of that commodity increases. In other words, whenever the supply of a commodity is too much the price of a product will decrease (Klein 2011). For the market to be in perfect equilibrium, the following has to happen. The cost of production for any good or service should be constant. This

UK Commercial law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

UK Commercial law - Essay Example This essay will primarily cover the niceties of agency law governing the relationship between Iffy and Victor. It will also touch upon the sales law, both international and domestic, relating to the relationship between Iffy and the Chinese automotive seller and also with the UK car dealers. Because of the handicap of Iffy, having neither experience of dealing with the Chinese automotive industry nor any contacts therein, it will be necessary for them to hire the services of Victor by appointing him as their agent to deal with the Chinese in their stead for the delivery of a certain number of utility vehicles, spare parts and accessories. Indeed, this is so because a limited company can only act through its human agents,1 whether through its own directors, employees or through independent agents. I would prepare for Iffy the agency2 agreement, through which Victor will deal with the Chinese automotive executives, empowering him to negotiate and constitute a contract or contracts between Iffy and chosen Chinese auto manufacturing or dealer company or companies, as agent3 in the name of Iffy, together with the necessary instructions and document forms needed for the transactions. In the present case, I will be preparing the necessary documents to be signed by the proper company officers with the agent's conformity. The provisions of the agency agreement shall task Victor with negotiating and executing the necessary contracts for the importation of the chosen automobiles and effecting the proper secure means of delivery of the same vehicles to UK for distribution to sellers. In the present case, the agency agreement would oblige Victor to expressly name his principal, considering that there are no facts in the case that would tend to obstruct the consummation of the contract or contracts should the Chinese know of Iffy's identity. The agreement would also contain provisions on the required methods of shipping the vehicles and the means of payment. It is very crucial considering that the business transaction will be made outside of UK that the terms and conditions of the agency be expressly laid out in black and white. It is necessary for Iffy as principal to lay down the terms and conditions of the employment or to employ the agent in a specific position in the company in order for the tasks to be deducible from the very position itself. I would advise Iffy that the agency agreement between them and Victor binds both of them to the following consequences, in terms of rights and duties expressly imposed by law, jurisprudence and regulations: Iffy must remember that Victor has the following rights against them, which rights Victor can enforce in the proper judicial forum. 1. Right to remuneration4 - Victor will be entitled to the consideration based on the contract or in quantum meruit according to the extent of his performance of its terms. Furthermore, Victor as agent will be entitled to retainer or commission or royalty from Iffy for every vehicle imported even after the termination of the agency pursuant to common law rules and the Reg. 8, 1993 Commercial Agents (Council Directive).5 2. Right to indemnity - He will also be entitled to indemnity or restitution and refund

Focus On Music, Text and Drama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Focus On Music, Text and Drama - Essay Example Music, at all times, has been accompanied with drama, and its function in this combination remains quite multifaceted (BaileyShea, 2007). From early epic poems and ballads with simple musical auxiliaries to the increasingly complex sound worlds of fresh drama and music can ease drama in a couple of ways. This paper will be exploring on how a certain artist narrate his story in his music and analyze one of his vocal songs to analyze. The song I chose to analyze is The Great Disappointment composed by Davey Havok from AFI. He is also responsible for every performance of the song. This paper will be discussing the meaning in this song and various factors as stated in the instructions. To enlighten you, I will be employing three main conventions Music, Structure and Lyrics. Davey Havok is an American actor, singer and fashion designer. He is best recognized as the lead singer of the bands Blaqk Audio and AFI (Kresky, 1977). He was born on 20th November 1975. Havok is a frank supporter of the straight edge lifestyle, atheism, and veganism. The great disappointment, the name of this song, was a historical event, which took place on 22nd October 1844. Some Christians argued that Jesus was allegedly going to return to earth during this day. However, that did not happen. This is where the main topic of my understanding comes from. In the song, Davey Havok uses past tense to explain that he had once done something, or to be more precise, he had once believed in a matter. All through the entire lyrics, there are concealed messages that a person would need to dig for a number of times to see the message clearly. The structure of a normal song contains three main sections - choruses, verses and ordering of ideas (Hoek, 2007). This song also has one main chorus, three main verses and the ordering of ideas. Ordering of ideas in the song is from positive to negative as is the flow in every song. In this song, the author’s point of view alters from optimism to disappoint ment when he notices that the â€Å"amaranth† and the â€Å"white creatures† are not real. It is as if he has been wasting his time hoping, searching and waiting for good news. These creatures are only in his dreams, which is a sick twisted story of this own subconsciousness. The main elements of the song are tone or mood, as well as rhythm. The mood, which this song gives off, is sad and gloomy (Hoek, 2007). The tone of the voice, on the other hand, is extremely frustrating as the artist sometimes whispers and at other times he screams. The verses, however, are sad and calm. The chorus is extremely angry, loud and even. A statement like â€Å"while I lingered I was wasting away† seem like an extremely strong statement. The lyrics section incorporates conventions like repetition, language, title, imagery and rhyme. The language in this song is grammatically correct and normal. In my opinion the â€Å"creatures dressed in white† and the â€Å"amaranthâ₠¬  in the great disappointment are descriptions for purity, angels, love, happiness and joy. The artist’s subject is wasting his life through waiting for these â€Å"creatures to emerge† for happiness and purity to emerge, but then he notices that the creatures do not exist - purity is all, but a dream. This world is never going to be pure, pristine or innocent (Hoek, 2007). Also, according to the song, the world will never be full of happiness, love and joy. Symbolism is broadly used in this song. The white chrysanthemums might simply mean that – a white flower. It can also symbolize purity and blamelessness. Amaranth might mean a never contemptuous flower or it might mean a never ending love. The great disappointment has a lot of symbolism and metaphors. These factors have more than one connotation but in spite of these differences they extremely well present the theme of disappointment. In numerous songs, it is not only the chorus which is repeated. The repe tition in a song signifies that the artist wants to point these

Why I am not a Vegan Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why I am not a Vegan - Personal Statement Example Discussion and facts backed up by authentic research which are presented in this paper are basically meant to illuminate the reality of the claim that we humans are naturally meant to eat meat not only because our digestive systems are well suited to break down animal protein, but also because meat bags higher position on the scale of food value than plant sources. I am proud on not to be a vegan because meat fulfils my daily energy requirements better than plant foods ever can do. I find people around me, who happen to be rigid vegetarians, munching different types of snacks all day long because their energy requirements do not get fulfilled by relying on plant sources alone like tofu, soybeans, etc. and their vigor markedly recedes consequentially. In order to meet with the amount of calories required to be consumed by a person per day, vegetarians have to cook and eat some portion out of every item from a variety of plant foods at one time while people who do not hesitate in indul ging with meat consumption do not have to go through any such trouble. One meat item is more than often found equivalent to a variety of plant foods, therefore though vegetarians may claim that relying less on meat sources can save humans from many cardiovascular disease, this also remain an open reality that saying goodbye to meat means a great decline in human energy level which gets distorted as a result of consuming vegetables low in food value. People should consume meat fearlessly because even if certain diseases are found to be linked with certain cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure and heart attacks, this issue can be ruled out easily by reducing the amount of meat consumed on daily basis, rather than quitting meat altogether and following fake vegetarian concepts like eating a meat burger can be anything close to an unethical act. One credible defending point which can be used by meat lovers against vegetarians is that plants would be extinguished today if all humans become vegetarians which would leave no food for cattle as well. â€Å"If we only consumed plants, all the farmland now used to raise livestock would have to be used to raise edible plants, which could mean no livestock† (Hayward). I am also not a vegan because eating vegetables alone can never provide me with the kind of stamina and power which is required to fight various infection and diseases by a normal human being. Research identifies that eating meat not only maintains the balance of sound body health, but it also helps one in combating against several infections by providing enough strength to a person. It also remains a reality that though many efforts are made by vegetarians to advance their cause of saving animals and relying on vegetables, meat forms a fuller source of food for humans than vegetables or other plant sources do. Meat does not happen to be a source of high quality protein alone but research shows that it does much more to enhance human health because â€Å"its loaded with other healthful goodies, including high levels of: iron; B vitamins like niacin and riboflavin that provide healthy skin and nerves as well as help digestion† (Opposing Views, Inc.). Slacking around with minimal energy but showing off by maintaining a slim body status does not seem to form a very excitable idea for me to cut down on meat and go for plant foods,

Cultural Similarities and Differences of Hip-hop in the U.S. and Essay

Cultural Similarities and Differences of Hip-hop in the U.S. and France - Essay Example Price added that Hip Hop is a thought-provoking music contained therein is the culture and sentiments of the displaced minorities. Considering the emergence of Hip Hop in various Western countries, this paper focuses on the Hip Hop culture in the U.S. and France. Accordingly, this paper contends that the fundamental similarity of Hip Hop culture in both countries lies in the representation and ways of expression of the minorities, regardless of the range of differences, which lies in the different ways in which the displaced minorities attempt to reconstruct themselves. Similarities Primarily, the Hip Hop culture in the U.S. and France is a product of the Liberation Movement that attempts to emancipate minority groups from social and cultural displacement, particularly the Afro-Americans. Relatively, the Afrocentric themes of the American and French Hip Hop create the relatedness of the American and French Hip Hop. Hip Hop develops in the U.S. and France in the same time frame, which is during the 1970s-1980s, and the said music genre serves as a medium of expression for the displaced minorities and immigrants, particularly the youth in their attempts at social integration (Marshall 570). The movement aims to integrate cultural minorities, such as Afro-Americans and Latinos, with the mainstream society without prejudice (Price 1).

Healthcare Administration Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Healthcare Administration - Research Paper Example In fact, large amount of medical research breakthroughs take place in Academic Health Centers. These consequently result in clinical benefits and philanthropy towards the patients. Let us look at some of the famous Academic Health Centers in the World. 1. The Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC) is one of the foremost associations of Academic Health Centers. It is a nonprofit organization, and consists of allopathic and osteopathic medical school. The AAHC contributes variously to the education system of the different countries. AAHC is vital for generation of newer ideas, concepts and therapies. It is responsible for original centers of innovation and benefit mankind on a large scale. 2. The Biomedical Research Centre at Bethlem Hospital, London, has majorly paced the research facilities at the institute. They’ve sought some ‘personalized medicine’ that has been a medical breakthrough in psychological medical history. 3. Centre for Rural Health, South Africa, undertakes research activities that are pertaining to the regional ailments; it was started off way back in 1980’s. However, today it has spread to a large number of countries, due to the efforts of its academic health centre. Ans 2. Telemedicine is a largely popular form of clinical medicine; to make the process of medicine audio-visual and also convenient for many to use. Telemedicine is a process of two professionals discussing the possibilities of a case over a telephonic conference. Telemedicine is of great benefit to remote communities who have scarce resources of finding adequate medical help at the right time. In fact, telemedicine is now rapidly replacing many technologies like Doctor-on-Wheels, due to its immensely beneficial results that it has cropped up with. Telemedicine can provide for accurate diagnosis as well as accurate examinations of the various techniques of medicine on a patient in a very efficient manner. In many of the

The Tell Tale Heart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Tell Tale Heart - Essay Example The writer of irony here is Poe, of course, and not the narrator since the narrator appears to be entirely oblivious to the ironic component of his monologue. Or is he While convention critical analysis of "The Tell-Tale Heart" engages the story from the point of view that the narrator's attempt to prove his sanity is an exercise in irony, his clearly deluded state of mind can just as easily be interpreted as a brilliantly conceived plot to escape extreme punishment for his crime by convincing the people that he is insane when he is not. In a sense, "The Tell-Tale Heart" contains the nugget of an idea that would be fleshed out to novel-length status in Joseph Heller's Catch-22. The catch-22 in the narrator's case is that he would clearly be sane if he attempted to prove his innocence, but if he doesn't try to prove his innocence he will most likely receive capital punishment. One of the fascinating aspects of this story is that it remains unclear to whom the narrator is addressing his appeal to be found sane. It might be the police; it is more likely a judge; the most likely consideration of all is that is the warden of the prison or even a group of people gathered to watch him hang. The question of the direction of the narration is left open to interpretation, but one thing is clear. Instead of attempting to prove his innocence, the narrator's long monologue becomes a case of trying to prove his sanity. The lack of a concrete explanation of the person or office to which the narration is addressed leaves much room for interpretation. The only aspect with even a close approximation of certainty is that the story is not being addressed to the police officers since he mentions that they were satisfied. The climax of the story is the revelation of the dead body and the story is told as a remembrance, so the most likely estimation is that the narrator is addressing some kind of court official or personage who may influence over the judgment of the narrator. The story that the narrator is telling, therefore, is most accurately realized as an appeal for mercy rather than merely an appeal to be thought sane. After all, if the exhortations to be found sane are accepted, then the judgment cannot help but be merciless. It is only if this obsessive quest to be considered sane results in the ironic reversal of being declared insane that the narration makes any sense whatever. "The Tell-Tale Heart" can thus be said to work on two levels of dramatic irony at once. The most obvious level of irony, the one that most readers recognize and that forms the crux of so much literary analysis, is that the narrator's obsessive devotion to proving his sanity undermines that devotion to the point that it is impossible to designate him as anything other than psychotic and at least semi-delusion. The irony in this reading of "The Tell-Tale Heart" is based upon the traditional reading that irony is produced by the contradiction of what is actually being said and what is actually meant. When a reader peers closer and brings into context the potential for whom the narrator is addressing and why he would choose to prove his sanit

Problem Solving & Spreadsheet Modeling Essay Example for Free

Problem Solving Spreadsheet Modeling Essay This paper talks about the problem solving process along with examples, as well as one of more commonly used modeling and analytical techniques, i.e. spreadsheet modeling. It also talks about its dependency, its uses, disadvantages and well as explores ways to better this very new, but powerful technique. | Modeling is the process of creating a simpliï ¬ ed representation of real life problems and representing them in an organized fashion in order to understand a particular problem. These models can take many forms such as mental, visual, mathematical or electronic spreadsheets to name a few. Their uses can be seen in almost every field of our daily lives such as businesses, governments, human resources, science and engineering, and medicine etc. Their primary function is to gain insight into a specific problem and after getting a clear understanding of the topic, one can easily approach it from different directions with possible solutions. This paper discusses this process in detail, starting with gaining insight into a specific problem by using a problem solving model, and then moves on to how it applies to spreadsheet modeling. It also discusses different aspects of electronic spreadsheet engineering, its uses and caveats, as well as its dependency in the business world these days. Before creating any models, visual, mathematical or spreadsheets, one has to start with the problem solving process. The problem solving process consists of six stages that can be followed to solve almost any problem. These stages or steps are employed and are repeated multiple times, not necessarily in the same order, to obtain an efficient and refined solution to a particular problem. The first of these stages is exploration of a â€Å"mess†. â€Å"A mess is a morass of unsettling symptoms, causes, data, pressures, shortfalls, and opportunities† (Baker Powell, p.18). One of the key issues in solving any problem is to be able to take any given situation and extract key information, problems, issues as well as opportunities from it. A problem never presents  itself in a clear, well-posed statement. It is usually hidden in a scenario, along with a lot of other trivial information and any problem solving should start by understanding a given situation and be able to extract key information from it. â€Å"During this phase, questions that are explored include listing problems or opportunities that are to be faced, gaps between current and desired situations, and thinking about stated and unstated goals.† (Baker Powell, p.21) Baker and Powell use an example of a pharmaceutical company in their book, where majority of that company’s revenue is generated from the production and distribution of a single drug, and present a scenario where the patent for that drug heads towards its expiration date in upcoming months. Using this scenario, exploring the mess stage would involve the company officials to perform individual researches and evaluate any threats and affects the expiration of the drug patents would have on their revenues as well as taking initial steps to address the upcoming problems (Baker Powell, p.21). Second stage of the problem solving process involves searching for information. â€Å"This includes opinions, raw data, impressions and published literature etc. and involves casting about widely for any and all information that might shed light on what the problem really is† (Baker Powell, p.22). This is basically a â€Å"brainstorming phase†, and usually involves approaching the mess from different directions. In the case of the pharmaceutical company, for example, senior managers would handle this phase by holding meetings and addressing their discomfort towards the upcoming problem as well as hiring outside consultants to perform company as well as industry research and gathering all the necessary facts involving this problem. â€Å"This stage is usually complete when relevant information for the situation at hand if found and organized and when initial hypotheses about the source of the problem and potential solutions are discussed.† (Baker Powell, p.22) The next phase of the process, known as â€Å"identifying the problem†, st arts out in its divergent phase with a few possible problem statements that can be inferred from earlier stages. These problem statements are evaluated and results in a final, more detailed, problem statement that may or may not be an aggregation of one or more initial statements. It is imperative that each of the initial problem statements are examined individually and eliminated carefully and the end result is an unambiguous problem statement. For  example, the pharmaceutical executives may initially come up with two different problem statements, one dealing with somehow extending patent dates and focusing on revitalizing their strategy around the existing drug, while the other group thinking about how to come introduce other drugs into the market to cover the decline in revenues. Another option looks at decreasing costs and expenses overall to cover the losses incurred. From these initial statements, developing a portfolio and introduction of new drugs seems to win the general consensus. The next phase of searching for possible solutions to the now defined problem statement involves open-ended process searches for good, even radical, solutions. This can only be done however, when a problem statement has already been described. â€Å"Considering possible solutions to an ambiguous problem is not only inefficient but also dangerous as well, since it can lead to solutions that were nowhere close to the original problem and can result in a lot of wasted time and resources. This stage is complete when a list of potential solutions is produced and perhaps a list of advantages and disadvantages for each one† (Baker Powell, p.23). In the case of the pharmaceutical example, this phase can start out with solutions including speeding up FDA approval process for the new drugs, investing RD resources and funds towards drugs with the highest percentages of approval and focusing on a new portfolio of drugs in the same medical category, and thus providing expertise in one or two specialty areas (Baker Powell, p.23). Next comes the stage of evaluating all possible solutions and deciding on the preferred solution. This is done through evaluating each of the initial solutions against a set of given criteria. â€Å"This can lead directly to a preferred alternative. More often, this process leads to changes, and improvements, in the solutions themselves. Often, stronger points of multiple solutions are grafter together while less attractive aspects are removed and through this process, a final, preferred solution is refined† (Baker Powell, p.24). For example, for the pharmaceutical drug scenario, after evaluating and grafting various solutions, it can be decided that one most critical area for improvement is how RD funds are allocated over time. And finally, the problem solving process concludes with implementation the preferred solution. In this phase, a problem-solving team will identify sources of resistance as well as support for their solution. During this stage, once a  solution has been implemented, a final evaluation is done after some time to see if the implementation has been successful or not. This stage concludes when an implementation plan is produced and executed enough so that the team may begin to evaluate how well it is succeeding. For example, the pharmaceutical problem solving team will have to get approval and support from the senior management for their solution and when they carry the plan forward, they must monitor its impacts and modify it as needed, and solve a new set of problems as they arise. In order for a solution to be refined, these six steps must sometimes be repeated multiple times, each time creating a new solution to the problems in the previous cycle. â€Å"It is also worth stating that only rarely are these six stages followed in a strict sequence. Most problem-solving processes move back and forth from one stage to another, perhaps rethinking the problem statement while evaluating solutions, or returning to an information-gathering mode while searching for solutions (Baker Powell, p.25).† Now a brief overview of the problem solving process has been outlined, we can discuss one of the more common problem solving and analyzing techniques used in the business world today, i.e. spreadsheet modeling. Baker and Powell explain it in their book that â€Å"spreadsheet is the second best way to do many kinds of analysis and is therefore the best way to do most modeling (p.4).† Basically what this means is that for any singular modeling task, there is always some better, more powerful software available that can handle that specific task. However, due to the complexity and costs related to such applications and their very narrow scope of problem solving capabilities, it becomes inefficient for most companies and analysts to use separate software for separate models. Therefore, most of the modeling in the business world is done in electronic spreadsheets due to its nature of being able to handle and process a wide scope of modeling and analytical tasks. There are, however, limitations to electronic spreadsheets due to its broad capabilities but most modeling tasks in many companies can be easily handled through spreadsheet modeling and analytical tools. Despite their limitations, spreadsheets allow modelers to build more detailed and more complex models and also have the advantage of being pervasive in business analysis. On the other hand, however, using ele ctronic spreadsheets is not without its downsides. The business world is still at an early stage of understanding how to develop error-free  spreadsheets. And one of the caveats of using electronic spreadsheets is assuming that they are error free. In fact studies and research have shown that only less than ten percent of spreadsheets in individual studies have been free of any errors (Graves, p.1). These errors may be small and would seem very insignificant, such as improper sorting or entering numbers as text, but in larger companies, the results can be devastating and can cause effects ranging from ineligible candidates becoming police officers to a school losing more than $50,000 in funding due to budget understatements (Baker Powell, p. 6). When using electronic spreadsheets, or any software for that matter, it is also imperative to ensure that the software packages are always up to date. This can range anywhere from applying security updates to upgrading software versions altogether. â€Å"Upgrading a business software is more than just an economic business decision. It is a matter of security, productivity, lower costs, and employee morale† (Garger, p.1). The longer any software has been around, the more vulnerable it gets to malicious viruses and security breaches. Therefore any software must be updated or upgraded routinely since newer versions would be safer from a security standpoint guarding against vulnerabilities from previous versions. Another reason to keep software up to date is from a budget point of view. Usually, older versions of any software are more expensive to maintain than the newer versions (Garger, p.1). And probably the most important reason to update any software, and especially spreadsheets, is an increase in productivity. Software companies are continually adding newer features to their applications that increase productivity and are efficient in handling various tasks. More often than not, newer versions usually have larger set of capabilities and tools under their belt and can perform more tasks in lesser time and with more ease (Garger, p.2). Even though electronic spreadsheets are still quite new in the business world, their dependency has been increasing drastically in the past two decades. About 25 years ago, the idea of personal computers was unknown to most and â€Å"modeling was performed only by specialists using demanding software on expensive hardware. This meant that only the most critical business problems could be analyzed using models, because only these problems justified the large budgets and long time commitments required to build, debug, and apply the models of the day (Graves, p.1). However, since then, the ever evolving technological advances  starting with personal computers, spreadsheets and now the add-on features for specialized analyses have greatly changed the business world. Nowadays, anyone with a laptop and little background in spreadsheet modeling can easily handle tasks that would have been thought of as quite complex 25 years ago and would have required teams of specialist to perform (Baker Powell, p.5). In fact, â€Å"these applications have become a staple of end users and business professionals and are widely used by businesses, service agencies, volunteer groups, private sector organizations, scientists, students, educators, trainers, researchers, journalists, accountants and others† (Graves, p.2) In conclusion, spreadsheets represent an ever-present platform for businesses and our dependency on them cannot be understated. However, as with any great tool, there are many stipulations. Any tool can be only as useful and powerful as its user. Therefore, in order to use electronic spreadsheets properly, one has to be proficient in their use and must acquire the necessary skill set to create and analyze powerful and effective business models. Knowing the capabilities of any given software as well as its limitations is crucial. And finally, planning a spreadsheet model properly and never assuming that it will be error-free are necessary to create successful business models. â€Å"Only with a solid foundation in spreadsheet engineering can the business analyst effectively generate real insights from spreadsheet models (Baker Powell, p.8). References Baker, Kenneth R.; Powell, Stephen G. (2010-10-08). Management Science: The Art of Modeling with Spreadsheets, 3rd Edition. John Wiley Sons, Inc. Kindle Edition. Garger, John. â€Å"The Advantages of Upgrading Your Business Software†. Bright Hub. Nov 8th, 2010. Accessed Dec. 12th, 2012. http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/43180.aspx Graves, Sherry. â€Å"The Importance Of Excel In The Workplace†. SparkNET. Sept. 10, 2007. Accessed on Dec.12th, 2012. http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-Of-Excel-In-The-Workplaceid=724646

Credit Card Fraud Detection through Data Mining

Credit Card Fraud Detection through Data Mining Abstract With the increasing fraudsters day to day, the fallacious transaction is rapidly growing thus making the frauds in this scenario a matter of high importance. Huge database patterns are identified by various data mining models assisting to strengthen and detect the credit card fraud. This research primarily focusses on Credit Card Fraud Detection analyzing two different methods used to detect fraudulent systems and implement the new technologies to the system to minimize frauds in credit card transactions Keywords- Data Mining, Methods, Credit Card, Fraud Detection, Hybrid Technology, Neural Network, Support Vector System Data Mining is filled with application growth opportunities and research which are reliable and usable from the data. Rapid development of e-commerce, usage of credit card has become well known mode for online and regular transactions, increasing the credit card fraud simultaneously. Fraud detection is a complicated problem as unwanted transactions are hidden in the authoriosed transaction. Due to security reasons and also to gain trust of users credit card fraud detection has now become important to companies. Neural Networks [1], Bayesian Network [2], Hidden NaÃÆ' ¯ve Bayes Network [12], Dempster Shafer [10] are few methods to be justified in detecting the credit card fraudulent system. With the new technologies, it has now become easy for the companies and banks to detect the fraudulent system. With the growing credit card fraud problem in the industry this literature review will help us to understand and detect the techniques involved in detecting the fraudulent system. We will be describing two different approaches Neural Network and Support vector machine approach thus learning a new method to minimize the fraudulent system. This paper helps us to analyze data mining methods with respect to credit card fraud system. A. Neural Network Approach Neural network fraud detection method is primarily based on working of a human brain. Just as the human brain is capable of learning things from the previous experiences and uses the knowledge to decide things occurring in day to day problems the same strategy is used while detecting a credit card fraud with Neural Network system. Neural Network can reflect a small part of complexity and regulation Banks use this kind of network method to detect the credit card fraud. The moment a transaction takes place there are a set of attributes attached to it characterizing the account holder, the amount and the merchant. Considering an example, for the Mellow Bank Fraud Detection Feasibility Study a particular archived amount of data was used for model development as the authorized data wasnt easily available due to security reasons. P-RCE [3] neural network technique is used. P-RCE is used for pattern recognition as it helps to describe what exactly the human brain is thinking about. P-RCE has a single cell layer which outputs a numeric response called as Fraud score. The lower the threshold the more no. of credit card fraud is detected. Higher the credit card detection threshold less no. of fraud is detected. With 2000000 transactions of Mellon Banks data from Oct-Nov 1991, nearly measuring 50 accounts per day 40% of the fraudulent transaction was observed but prior to use of P-RCE method in Mellon Banks feasibility study the result came out to be 1 fraudulent transaction per week on reviewing 750 account per day. The improvement in the fraud detection performance was undeniably considerable. The p attern recognition method can actually help the banks to reduce 20-40% (in total) credit card fraud losses. B. Support Virtual Machine Approach An online transaction has four entities: credit card holder, credit card, the seller and the buyer. There is an independent history of transactions with each set of entities in the data set. Each entity keeps almost a consistent behavior pattern in authorized transactions. The risk of a transaction can be estimated by calculating the inconsistency of a transaction from the history of authorized transactions. Let us define Xe(t) {a1, a2, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, an) as the transactional set in the entitys history is equivalent to f(t) beingF(t) {seller, buyer, holder, card) set of entities. We calculate the score of transactions, by defining l = (l1 , l19) [3] with c as value of a feature, as SC(l,e,t) = count(c,Xe(t)) The idea to calculate how near a transaction is related to past authorized transactions therefore we consider only those transactions that are proved legitimate from Xe(t). To train and test a classifier (weight and score) we have a vector in conjunction with the classification: SVM (Support Vector Machines). They are essentially supervised learning models used for analyzing data and recognition of patterns. Using the traditional methods, raw data was classified with SVM to check the impact of general weight in the outcomes and reduce SVM complexity as well. SVM classifier was used in classifying the transactions as fraud or authorized resulting in 40-50% in most months with false alarm rate 10-12%. The online credit card fraud system can be detected and improvised with the Big Data Technologies framework. The main aim is to achieve the goal of fusing various detection methods to enhance the accuracy. A workflow was proposed [13] containing common designs of fraudulent system thus making it easier to integrate identification of fraud system. In recent years, big data platforms were released to process and operate data including MapReduce and Apache Hadoop frameworks (open source for MapReduce). Two components are primarily considered: spouts and bolts. The source of streams is referred to as spout which reads and sends tuples from external source into topology. The data processing is done by Bolt. With the reference, the paper proposes a hybrid structure with Big data efficient in solving challenges related to performance and integration. The basic workflow is defined [13] in the figure. QF- Quick filter, DSA Demper Shafer Adder (combining different fraud scores and generating a merged result), EF- Explicit filter. This workflow is designed by combining different algorithms together for a higher accuracy like two DSAs are combined so that we can aggregate their fraud score to get better accuracy; 2) Another aspect can be considered by combining supervised unsupervised fraud approaches to examine a good cover of types of fraud; 3) The filters used: QF detects only the behavior of card holder whereas EF detects the historical data in the whole model. So, to achieve faster filter we can combine QF and EF as well as to get better efficiency the combination is good to go. In this paper, we have reviewed two data mining detection methods of credit card fraud. The research papers which arent considered here might have comprehensive methods to research and implementations of new detection techniques. This research paper describes: The Neural Network can be implemented in banks to reduce the credit card fraudulent system with it P-RCE algorithm. 2) Support Vector machine can detect the frauds in ecommerce system real time but isnt much reliable for complex frauds. 3) Hybrid technology framework, the workflow is essential to detect frauds in offline system as the method but can improve accuracy, performance and efficiency. To develop a credit card fraud system, the neural network method is best suited according to my understanding as it is efficient, accurate and cost effective thus implemented in Mellon Bank. Neural Network method has some failures as well but gradually with new technology it can overcome. But to develop a strong fraud detection system using credit card we need to combine few more complex detecting methods. References [1] S. Ghosh and D. L. Reilly, Credit card fraud detection with a neural network, in System Sciences, 1994. Proceedings of the Twenty-Seventh Hawaii International Conference on, vol. 3, Jan 1994, pp. 621-630. [2] G. F. Cooper and E. Herskovits. A Bayesian Method for the Induction of Probabilistic Networks from Data. Machine Learning, 9(4):309-347, 1992. Santiago, Gabriel Preti, Adriano Pereira, and Roberto Hirata Jr. A modeling approach for credit card fraud detection in electronic payment services. In Proceedings of the 30th Annual ACM Symposium on Applied Computing, pp. 2328-2331. ACM, 2015. Online Credit Card Fraud Detection: A Hybrid Framework with Big Data Technologies You Daià ¢Ã‹â€ -, Jin Yanà ¢Ã‹â€ -, Xiaoxin Tangà ¢Ã‹â€ -, Han Zhaoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   and Minyi Guoà ¢Ã‹â€ - à ¢Ã‹â€ -Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  School of Computer Science Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China Philip K. Chan, Wei Fan, Andreas 1. Prodromidir, and Salvotore 1. Stalfo, Distributed Data Mining in Credit Card Fraud Detection 2016 IEEE TrustCom/BigDataSE/ISPA H. Michael Chung Fredric C. Gey Data Mining, Knowledge Discovery, and Information Retrieval, Proceedings of the 34th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 2001 Agrawal, Ayushi, Shiv Kumar, and Amit Kumar Mishra. Implementation of Novel Approach for Credit Card Fraud Detection. In Computing for Sustainable Global Development (INDIACom), 2015 2nd International Conference on, pp. 1-4. IEEE, 2015. [2008] Abhinav Srivastava, Amlan Kundu, Shamik Sural and Arun K. Majumdar, CreditCard Fraud Detection Using Hidden Markov Model IEEE, Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing, Vol. 5, No 1., January-March D. L. Reilly and L. N. Cooper, An overview ofneural networks: early models to real worldsystems, in An Introduction to Neural and Electronic Networks, ed. S. F. Zometzer, J. L. Davis and C. Lau, 227-248, Academic Press, (1990). S. Panigrahi, A. Kundu, S. Sural, and A. Majumdar, Credit card fraud detection: A fusion approach using dempstershafer theory and Bayesian learning, Information Fusion, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 354 363, 2009. Z. D. Zhao and M. s. Shang, User-based collaborative-filtering recommendation algorithms on hadoop, in Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining, 2010. WKDD 10. Third International Conference on, Jan 2010,pp. 478-481. [12] Jiang, Liangxiao, Harry Zhang, and Zhihua Cai. A novel Bayes model: Hidden naive Bayes. IEEE Transactions on knowledge and data engineering 21, no. 10 (2009): 1361-1371. [13] Dai, You, Jin Yan, Xiaoxin Tang, Han Zhao, and Minyi Guo. Online Credit Card Fraud Detection: A Hybrid Framework with Big Data Technologies. In Trustcom/BigDataSE/Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ SPA, 2016 IEEE, pp. 1644-1651.IEEE, 2016.

Global Leadership And Organizational Behavior

Global Leadership And Organizational Behavior Leadership has stimulated thousands of research studies for social scientists for over 60 years (Yukl, 2006). More than four hundred definitions have been proposed to explain the dimensions of leadership (Crainer, 1995; Fleishman et al., 1991), yet Crainer (1995) addressed that it is a veritable minefield of misunderstanding and difference through which theorists and practitioners must tread warily (p. 12). Leadership is, therefore, not an easy concept to define. Whilst one definition of leadership, directly related to our discussion, is the system proposed by Stogdill (1950), whose work had a profound impact on one of stages of research to be encountered below: Leadership may be considered as the process (act) of influencing the activities of an organized group in its efforts toward goal setting and goal achievement (p. 3). Three elements can be addressed in this definition: influence, group and goal. First, leadership is viewed as a process of influence where the leader has an impact on others by inducing them to behave in a certain way. Second, that influence process is conceptualized as taking place in a group context. Collinson (2009) argues group members are invariably taken to be the leaders followers, although that is by no means obligatory. He, however, emphasizes that without followers leaders do not exist and that leadership only exists in the interaction between leaders and followers. In addition, Parry and Bryman (2006) add leadership, being a process of influence, need not come from the person in charge, but can come from anyone in the group. Third, a leader influences the behavior of group members in the direction of goals with which the group is faced (Mullins, 2008). Moreover, leaders must help create cohesive and motivated teams (Knippenberg DeCremer, 2008). They must sell, or champion , new initiatives (Howell and Boies, 2004). And leaders must help people make sense of crises (Drazin et al., 1999). 2.2 Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) Project 2.2.1 Introduction of GLOBE Project Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) Project highlighted the investigation of leadership, national culture and organizational practices concentrated on further sharpening and refining the cultural knowledge for providing a systematic and integrated methodology on the interaction of cross-cultural management (Chhokar, et al., 2007; House, 2004a; Gupta and House, 2004). Based on the quantitative data of 17,000 managers in 62 societies, GLOBE as a ten-year research program is supported by 150 investigators throughout the world (House, 2004b). The major constructs investigated in the GLOBE Program are nine dimensions of cultures in the perception of global leader behaviors: Power Distance; Uncertainty Avoidance; In-Group Collectivism; Institutional Collectivism; Gender Egalitarianism; Performance Orientation; Assertiveness Orientation; Future Orientation; Humane Orientation. 2.2.2 Intellectual Roots of GLOBE Constructs Gupta and House (2004) emphasized that GLOBE constructs were theoretically derived, and empirically validated. They argued that Power Distance and Uncertainty Avoidance are based on Hofstedes (1980) work; In-group Collectivism measures pride in, and loyalty to, the family, and is derived from the Triandis et al. (1988) work on in-groups; Institutional Collectivism captures (inversely) the same construct as Hofstedes Individualism. They addressed that Hofstedes (1980) construct of Masculinity was used as a basis to develop the two distinct dimensions: Gender Egalitarianism and Assertiveness Orientation. Gender Egalitarianism is similar to the United Nations Development Programs (UNDP) concept of Gender Empowerment. Assertiveness Orientation is rooted in the interpersonal communication literature (Sarros Woodman, 1993). In addition, they claimed that Performance Orientation was derived from McClellands (1961) work on the need for achievement. Future Orientation is derived from Kluckho hn and Strodtbecks (1961) Past, Present, and Future Orientation dimension, and from Hofstedes (2001) Long Term Orientation, which focuses on the temporal mode of the society; and Humane Orientation has its roots in Kluckhohn and Strodtbecks (1961) work, Human Nature is Good versus Human Nature is Bad dimension. 2.2.3 Strategic Significance of Cultural Dimensions 2.2.3.1 Power Distance Hofstede (2001) and Schwartz (1994) address that Power Distance refers to a cultures preference for differentiated, hierarchical versus undifferentiated, egalitarian status within the society. Building on their work, the GLOBE Project definition of Power Distance is the degree to which members of an organization or society expect and agree that power should be shared unequally (House and GOLBE Program, 2004, P.517). Therefore, lower-status individuals are expected to concede to higher-status individuals who, in turn, have the responsibility to attend to the needs of the lower-status individuals. In cultures low in power distance, superior-subordinate relations are theoretically close and less formal in nature; in cultures high in power distance, their relationships are expected to be more hierarchically distant, ordered and reserved (House and GOLBE Program, 2004). Beliefs about the appropriate Power Distance between authorities and subordinates could shape the nature of peoples relationship with authorities (Offermann and Hellmann, 1997). Power Distance, therefore, is highly relevant to the study of leadership. High Power Distance indicates a preference for autocratic and paternalistic management, while low Power Distance requires more managerial consultation and approachability (Gupta and House, 2004). 2.2.3.2 Uncertainty Avoidance The dimension of Uncertainty Avoidance is concerned with the extent to which people seek orderliness, consistency, structure, formalized procedures, and laws to deal with naturally occurring uncertain and important events in their daily lives (Luque and Javidan, 2004). People socialized to have a high need for security are likely to resist change because it threatens their feelings of safety. In higher uncertainty avoidance societies, more priority is given to the training of experts rather than lay people for particular tasks (Hofstede, 2001). Here, Citizens are not only more dependent on government, but they want it that way. (Hofstede, 2001, P. 172) Uncertainty Avoidance is also associated with tight societies, where social solidarity and stability is emphasized (Hofstede, 2001). Thus, Uncertainty Avoidance is related to the values of personal conformity, resistance to social change, interest in national rather than international affairs, and a call for national leadership (Eckhardt, 1971). On the other hand, the loose societies tend to be less uncertainty avoiding. Here the values of group organization, formality, permanence, durability and solidarity are undeveloped, and deviant behavior is easily tolerated (Pelto, 1968). 2.2.3.3 In-Group Collectivism In-Group Collectivism relates to how the individuals relate to their family, as an autonomous identity or alternatively as consciousness of responsibilities towards their family (Gelfand, et al., 2004). It is associated with pride in affiliation and a general affective identification with, and a general affective commitment towards, family, group, community, and nation (OReilly and Chatman, 1986). In strong in-group collective cultures, people from birth onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, which throughout peoples lifetime continue to protect them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. (Hofstede, 1980: 51) In such cultures, there is an emphasis on collaboration, cohesiveness and harmony, as well as an effort by people to apply skills for the benefit of their family or in-group. The in-group serves three basic needs: the need for affiliation, involvement, inclusion and belongingness; the need for intimacy, affection, and a sense of identity; and the need for social security, support, control, and power (Schutz, 1958; Festinger, 1954). It represents a high degree of emotional attachment and personal involvement of people in the larger group, and thus fosters an interest of the people in the overall best interests of the group (Allen Meyer, 1990). In-group collectivism fosters connectivity to a group primarily because people want to be a member of the group and only secondarily because they ought to or need to. 2.2.3.4 Institutional Collectivism The dimension of Institutional Collectivism is reflected in preferences for closer work relations and higher involvement with ones social unit (Chhokar, et al., 2007). Institutional Collectivism emphasizes shared objectives, interchangeable interests, and common social behaviors of the people based on association with others in groups (Chatman et al., 1998). In contrast, a lack of institutional collectivism tends to be associated with a preoccupation with self-esteem (Bellah et al., 1985). In less institutionally collective societies, people remember their past performance as much better than it actually was (Crary, 1966), claim more responsibility than their spouses give them credit for in household tasks (Ross and Sicoly, 1979), judge positive personality attributes to be more appropriate in describing themselves than in describing others (Alicke, 1985), and take credit for success, yet attribute failure to the situational variables (Zuckerman, 1979). Institutional Collectivism ten ds to be greater in the Eastern parts of the world, which typically rely on stable informal institutions for social stability and economic activity, as compared to most societies in the West, which rely on more formalized institutions (Gupta, Sully and House, 2004). 2.2.3.5 Gender Egalitarianism Gender egalitarianism reflects an inherent understanding between men and women, which enhances their ability to work together in social and economic spheres (Gupta, Sully House, 2004). Gender egalitarianism, therefore, influences role differences between men and women, as well as the common values of men and women. In gender egalitarian societies, gender discrimination is mitigated, enabling women to engage fully in both the public and the community domains (Coltrane, 1988). In contrast, in most societies of the world where men traditionally are engaged in jobs that do not sufficiently reward women for their labor, women often work part-time in feminine jobs, such as family maintenance activities, nurturance, and relationships with others in a service capacity (Littrell, 2002). Thus, gender egalitarian societies not only tolerate diversity, but also emphasize understanding, respect, and the nurturing of diversity in their communities, through sustained committed efforts (Martin, 1993). 2.2.3.6 Performance Orientation The performance orientation dimension reflects the extent to which a society encourages and rewards improved performance, goal-oriented behavior, and innovation (Gupta, Sully and House, 2004). Performance oriented societies put a thrust on achievement motivation, or need for achievement (McClelland, et al., 1953). The achievement motive translates into behavior through two major components: the hope for success (approach) and the fear of failure (avoidance) (Gupta and House, 2004). People with high achievement motive tend to approach rather than avoid tasks related to success, because for them success is a culmination of ability and hardwork about which they are confident of (Weiner, 1980). But in the face of continuing obstacles, they respond with a helplessness response, involving avoidance of challenge and a deterioration of performance (Diener and Dweck, 1980). They seek positive feedback and focus their efforts in areas in which they have already been successful (Dweck, 1986; Dw eck and Leggett, 1988). 2.2.3.7 Assertiveness Orientation The dimension of assertiveness orientation is associated with a strong consciousness, expression, articulation, and communication of ones thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and rights; in public, political and social forums, and is related to physical and psychological aggressiveness and confrontation (Gupta and House, 2004; Hartog, 2004). People in assertive societies stand up for their individual or collective rights, and demonstrate strong interpersonal competence (Lange Jakubowski, 1976). Assertiveness implies an action-oriented focus, founded on confident decision-making behavior, and characterized by strength, forcefulness, courage, initiative, conviction, and determination (Sarros Woodman, 1993). Assertive societies emphasize social skills and communication, direct personal influence and expression, and overall inter-personal effectiveness (Crawford, 1995). 2.2.3.8 Future Orientation The dimension of future orientation is reflected in behaviors such as planning, preparing and investing for the future (Ashkanasy, et al., 2004). It is related to the concept of short-term vs. long-term orientation (Hofstede, 2001). At a much deeper level, it is also associated with the distinction between materialistic vs. spiritual orientation (Cervantes Ramirez, 1992). Less future oriented cultures focus on the short-term materialistic considerations of respecting traditions to avoid isolation from the society, and maintaining face to protect ones reputation and creditworthiness in the society (Ashkanasy, et al., 2004; Hofstede, 2001). In contrast, more future oriented cultures emphasize long-term considerations of education for self-development, and the inner ability to persist in the face of obstacles for self-actualization (Gupta and House, 2004). Therefore, in the less future oriented cultures, people seek material acquisitions to make their life more meaningful; in future or iented cultures a strong concern for virtue allows a pragmatic integration of morals and practice (Hofstede, 2001). 2.2.3.9 Humane Orientation The dimension of humane orientation is concerned with generosity, compassion, and empathy for others (Kabasakal and Bodur, 2004). The value of humane orientation is deeply rooted in the human experience, and in the moral values arising from the situational and spontaneous demands of this human experience (Kurtz, 2001). Five distinct characteristics of humane oriented societies can be identified (Kurtz, 2001): Concern with Happiness: Humane oriented societies emphasize individual and social pursuit of happiness; Human Equality: Humane societies recognize equality and dignity of each person, and identify people as ends, not merely as means; Moral Freedom: Humane societies focus on the development of modem values of high intelligence, morality and aesthetics, and help individuals freely express their own needs and diverse views on life; Respect for Diversity: Humane societies instill tolerance for diversity of values and norms in individuals and groups without forcing dogmatic similarity. They encourage responsibility and consideration for others. Thus, these societies are founded on moral and civil virtues, such as honesty, uprightness, truth, sincerity, integrity, fairness and empathy; Experiential Reason: Humane societies recognize the need for evolving and discovering new moral principles as societal situations change. 2.2.4 GLOBE Project in China Although the history of China has been marked by periodic political upheavals, yet China, as a united country has experienced the longest span of homogeneous cultural development of any society in the world (Child, 1994). Chinese culture and tradition is deeply rooted and omnipresent in its present society. Fairbank (1987) argues that the influence of Chinas long past is ever-present in the practices of government, business and interpersonal relations. Other researchers have also emphasized the influence of Chinas culture in the way that its organizations are managed (e.g. Lockett, 1988; Pye, 1985; Redding, 1980). While there exist great differences in terms of political, social and economic dimensions among Chinese societies where Chinese culture dominates, it is still possible to identify certain core culture characteristics that are held in common by these Chinese societies. Therefore, the results from the GLOBE Project about Chinese societal culture and organizational culture will be presented as follows. 2.2.4.1 Power distance The two Chinese scores on Power Distance As Is (5.04) and Should Be (3.10) showed the largest discrepancy among the nine pairs of scores. In fact, scores of all countries on Should Be were lower than As Is, showing a common desire that people in all these countries aspire for more equality than they currently have. The relatively higher ranked Chinese Should Be score (12th) compared to As Is (41st) among the 61 countries may indicate that, compared to managers from other countries, the Chinese managers demonstrate a higher level of tolerance for inequality of power in society. The discrepancy between Chinas two scores may be viewed as an indicator of the existing two forces: whereas traditional values are still highly respected, and constantly pull back Chinese organizational leaders, the internal desire to become competitive, and the external pressure to do so, are all pushing Chinese organizational leaders toward modern Western ideologies (Fu, et al., 2004, p. 891). 2.2.4.2 Uncertainty Avoidance Chinas two scores on Uncertainty Avoidance are fairly consistent between As Is (4.94) and Should Be (5.28), ranking 10th and 9th, respectively. The high Chinese scores are consistent with the traditional Chinese value of order. Starting with Confucius, the Chinese seek peace and security by clinging to the past. For centuries, Chinese people were comfortable and felt secure only when they played-it-safe (Fu et al., 2004). It may sound bizarre to Westerners, actually ridiculous even to us Chinese now, but it was unfortunately true that during the 1960s and 1970s people in China were led to seek unity and order to such a degree that they would run their businesses the same way year after year without change, maintaining the same structure, the same products, the same everything (Bachman, 1991). Therefore, if one understands the long history and the traditional values of order, one should have no problem understanding why the current Chinese society has such a high intolerance for uncer tainty (Fu et al., 2004). It is true that all Chinese people enjoy the better living they have now and welcome change in that sense, but many of them are worried about the loss of order, therefore longing for more rules and regulations to reduce uncertainties (Chu, 1988). 2.2.4.3 In-Group Collectivism Chinese scores on family cohesiveness As Is (5.80, ranked 9th) were slightly higher than the scores on family cohesiveness Should Be (5.09, ranked 58th). The concept of family has always been discouraged. In China, altruism and loyalty, loyalty to parents a home and to bosses at work, are values that the society tries very hard to instill in children (Chen, 2001). A close parent-children relationship is a virtue that is widely respected and valued. Chinese parents take great interest in their children throughout their t lives, and their children, imbued with the doctrine of filial piety, are constantly reminded of their filial duty towards their parents (Chao, 1983, p.72). The reforms, nevertheless, have forced the Chinese to take care of themselves. A study that compared values held by Chinese managers before and after the Tian An Men Square incident in 1989 found a growing spirit of Chinese-style individualism, which is tempered by cultural relationships and centralized controls, yet compatible with Western values (Ralston et al., 1995, p.15).Young people are becoming increasingly independent. In addition, one-child-per-family policy also makes it impossible to maintain some of the traditional values of a family (Chen, 2001). That is probably a good reason explaining why the Chinese score on family collectivism Should Be is much lower than its score on in-group collectivism As Is (Fu et al., 2004). 2.2.4.4 Institutional collectivism For centuries, the individual as an end in itself was de-emphasized in Chinese society. Instead, the network of obligations and responsibilities as a group member of the society was emphasized (Chew and Putti, 1995). As Michael Bond (1991) described it: Chinese think of themselves using more group-related concepts than Americans do; and they see their ideal self as being closer to their social (or interpersonal) self than Westerners do (p,34). Based on these traditional values, the Chinese score on Institutional Collectivism As Is (4.77) was among the highest, ranking 7th among the 61 countries, meaning Chinese society is very collectivistic. The Chinese score Institutional Collectivism Should Be (4.56), however, is slightly lower compared to the As Is score. Although it ranked in the middle (36 among the 61 countries), the absolute difference between the two scores was very minimal (0.21). The relative discrepancy to other countries may be the result of the changes taking place in C hina. Like many other Chinese cultural ideologies that are being threatened by the acceptance of Western views, the collectivistic orientation, too, is being challenged (Chen, 1995). Individual contributions are now being acknowledged and rewarded. However, overall, peoples values in collectivism are still quite consistent with the traditional values (Fu et al., 2004). 2.3 Confucianism and Guanxi 2.3.1 Confucianism on Relationships The philosophy that is known as Confucianism comes mainly from the speeches of Confucius and writings of his disciples. Confucianism has been the main foundation of traditional thought that is deeply rooted in Chinese society. Confucianism is ethical teachings rather than a religion as described in Western literatures. Confucianism is widely regarded as the behavioral or moral regulations that are mainly concerned with human relationships, social structures, virtuous behavior and work ethics. In Confucianism, rules are specified for the social behavior of every individual, governing the entire range of interpersonal relations within the society. The core virtues of Confucius basic teaching can be extracted as Ren (Humanity), Yi (Righteousness), Li (Propriety), Zhi (Wisdom) and Xin (Faithfulness). According to Confucius, each person had a specific place in society, certain rules to follow and certain duties to fulfill. Confucius hoped that if people knew what was expected of them they would behave accordingly. He, therefore, set up Five Cardinal Relations, in which most people are involved, moreover he also laid down the principles for each relation. These can be illustrated as follows: Basic Human Relations Principles Sovereign and subject (master and follower) Loyalty and duty Father and son Love and obedience Elder and younger brothers Seniority and modeling subject Husband and wife Obligation and submission Friend and friend Trust Source: Fan, 2000 All of these five, except the last, involve the authority of one person over another. Power and the right to rule belong to superiors over subordinates. Each person has to give obedience and respect to his/her superiors; the subject to his/her ruler, the wife to her husband, the son to his parents, and the younger brother to the older brother. The superior, however, owes loving responsibility to the subordinates. These relationships are structured to generate optimal benefits for both parties, and the principles are laid to achieve a harmonious society (Fan, 2000). Among these five basic human relations, three are family relations, which show strong family-orientation in the Chinese society. Such a characteristic when applied to organizational management, leads to the birth of a paternalistic management style in Chinese society (Hsiao, et al., 1990). As China is a high context culture (Hall, 1976) and places much emphasis on Confucianism, relationships within the Chinese society have been explained in terms of harmony, hierarchy, and development of morality and kinship (Shenkar and Ronen, 1987). Defining Guanxi Under the impact of Confucianism, China is a nation whose social relationships are neither individual-based nor society-based, but typically a relationship-based society (Liang, 1974), in which almost everyone tries to maintain Guanxi. Guanxi, which literally means social relationship or social connection, is a prevalent cultural phenomenon that has strong implications for interpersonal and interorganisational dynamics in Chinese society. The concept of Guanxi is enormously rich, complex and dynamic (Yang, 2001). In English as well as Chinese, it can be defined at various levels and from different perspectives. Chen and Chen (2004) argue that rather than social networks or interpersonal relationships found in the Western literature, Guanxi should be viewed as an indigenous Chinese construct and should be defined as an informal, particularistic personal connection between two individuals who are bounded by an implicit psychological contract to follow the social norms as maintaining a long-term relationship, mutual commitment, loyalty, and obligation. The Confucian heritage of Guanxi The connotations of Guanxi vary greatly in different Chinese societies and may change over time even within a single Chinese society. However, some of the fundamental meanings of Guanxi are still traceable in ancient Chinese philosophical writings, particularly the analects of Confucius (Lau, 1983). King (1991) was among the first who took a theoretical approach to explore in to Confucianism for the historical and cultural roots of Guanxi. He contended that instead of Guanxi, the word Lun is used in the Confucian classics, which captures some of the most essential aspects of the ancient Chinese social, political and moral philosophy. Expanding the understanding of Lun may shed lights on the historical backgrounds of Guanxi. First, Lun attaches paramount importance to human relationships. The Five Cardinal Relationships as a whole, pictures a social system advocated by Confucius to achieve harmony, integration, and development through a hierarchical form. Inside this system Chinese people view themselves interdependent with the surrounding social context, and the self in relation to others becomes the focal individual experiences (Luo, 1997). Although the structural framework of relationship evolved since Confucius time, modern Chinese societies, both mainland and overseas still remain relationship-oriented (Redding and Wong, 1986) or in other words Guanxi-oriented. Second, Lun stresses social order. In Confucian society, everyone knows their own place and whom they must defer to. These status differences are regarded as the appropriate way of conducting relationships and are accepted and maintained at all levels of the hierarchy (Bond, 1991). Rights and obligations of the individuals also differ according to each ones position in society. Third, Lun refers to moral principles in regard to interactive behaviors of related parties. Confucianism has been a main pillar of current Chinese society for forming individual morality as well as for building harmonious community. Confucian principles put emphasis on self-cultivation and sociopolitical harmony. For example, considering the Confucian sociopolitical norms for the ruler, Confucius suggests that those who want to be rulers have to be ethical leaders having virtuous characters and attitudes. However, just as the relationships are highly differentiated, so are the moral principles. In Confucianism, furthermore, there is no universal moral standard applicable to all human relationships. Instead, each relationship has its own moral principles. The concept of Guanxi is embedded within the Confucius philosophy and it subtly defines the Chinese moral code and perpetuates its influence in Modern China (King, 1993). Lun in Confucius philosophy is actually a concise description of Guanxi. As a social hierarchical theory, Lun has prompted almost all Chinese rulers to adopt Confucianism as a strategic tool to achieve social stability in the Chinese society (Man and Cheng, 1996). 2.3.4 Characteristics of Guanxi Chinese people attach great importance to face (Mianzi). Face in Chinese context refers to an intangible form of social currency and personal status, which is affected by ones social position and material wealth (Park and Luo, 2001). Chinese people value the enjoyment of prestige without the loss of face and saving of others face (Hwang, 1987). Therefore, to cultivate Guanxi and expand the Guanxi network, it is necessary to maintain a certain level of face. Renqing, as elaborated by many scholars (e.g. Luo, 2007) is another Chinese philosophy related to Guanxi. It refers to an informal social obligation to another party as the result of a favor gained from a Guanxi relationship. On the one hand, Chinese people weave Guanxi web in their daily life; on the other hand, they are bound by Renqing obligations. Tsui and Farh (1997) contend that in essence, reciprocity, he/she not only loses his/her own face but also jeopardize his/her Guanxi. Based on its Confucian heritage and those philos ophical foundations like face and Renqing, Guanxi in Chinese context is characterized by some principles. First, Guanxi operates in concentric circles, with close family members at the core and with distant relatives, classmates, friends, and acquaintances arranged around the core according to the distance of the relationship and the degree of trust (Yang, 1994). In a preordained relationship, e.g. family, since ones behavior and responsibilities are largely fixed, his/her behavioral expectations and individual desires are heavily suppressed. However, in an external Guanxi network beyond the preordained relationship, one has considerable freedom in deciding whether to enter into voluntarily constructed relations (King, 1991) or not. Second, Guanxi operates in an exclusive manner. It is network-specific and does not extend to members of other social networks. Many observers have noted that in comparison to Westerners, Chinese have a stronger tendency to divide people into different levels of categories and treat them accordingly in terms of ingroup-outgroup boundary (Triandis, 1989). Guanxi binds people together and defines those who are ingroup and/or outgroup people. Ingroup members are always protected and benefited while outgroup people are walled off and may be rejected (Hui and Graen, 1997). To develop Guanxi is to form the basis for a gradual transition from an outsider to an insider so that a long-term close relationship can be built. Entering such networks ensures trust building, decision-making, and competitive advantages for network members (Haley, Tan Haley, 1998). Third, Guanxi is reciprocal. A person will lose his/her face and be viewed untrustworthy if he/she does not follow the rules of reciprocity and refuse to return a favor (Alston, 1989). In Western networks, reciprocity often requires exchanges of roughly equivalent value (Powell, 1990). However, the Chinese Guanxi network is often implicit, without time specifications, and not necessarily equivalent. Guanxi links people of different social ranks, and usually the weaker party can call for special favors from the str

Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction Essay -- Aesthetic Attitude

Visit any major museum of art, at any given time, and one could find an abundance of monumental names listed on tiny plaques hanging next to even more recognizable works of art. The excitement felt by any art enthusiast when walking into these buildings of time and creation, is undeniable and especially unique. Could it be the atmosphere of the building, the presence of artwork, the people, possibly the grandeur of the space, or perhaps, could it be the spirit of the artists themselves, peering through the work they created? As onlookers peer into the artworks in front of them, there is no question as to whether or not they considered what the artwork means, where it came from and what the artist was interested in who created it. The intrigued viewer quite possibly could also want to have a conversation with that artist and ask them questions about the artwork and what it was that they were thinking about when producing it, with a goal of better understanding what they were looking at. As the viewer and after serious contemplation, would you believe you understood the artwork as the artist or artist’s society believed the work? Could you appreciate the work the same? Walter Benjamin, a well known German-Jewish Marxist literary and cultural critic, philosopher, translator and essayist introduced ideas and questions similar to these in his epic essay, â€Å"The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.† He wrote about many different ideas concerning the concept of art, writing, po litics and society. Benjamin was born in Berlin on July 15, 1892. He worked and lived in Germany for the majority of his life. He earned a Ph. D in 1919, but never held an academic career (egs.edu, 2009). â€Å"He dedicated his life’s work to writ... ... 41-46. Ebscohost. Web. 12 Nov. 2009 Luehrman M., Unrath K. â€Å"Bringing Children to Art- Bringing Art to Children.† Art Education. Jan. 2009: 41-47. Print. Peim, Nick. â€Å"Walter Benjamin in the Age of Digital Reproduction: Aura in Education: A Rereading of ‘The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.’† Journal of Philosophy of Education 41.3 (2007): 363-380. Wilson Web. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. Stolnitz, Jerome. â€Å"One The Apparent Demise of Really High Art.† The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 43.4 (1985): 345-358. Wilson Web. Web. 15 Oct. 2009. Stolnitz, Jerome. â€Å"The Aesthetic Attitude’ in the Rise of Modern Aesthetics.†Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 36.4 (1978): 409-422. Wilson Web. Web. 15 Oct. 2009. Townsend, Chris. â€Å"Knowledge as Spectacle.† Art Monthly 322 (Dec.2008/Jan.2009): 11- 14. Wilson Web. Web. 15 Oct. 2009.

landscapes essay :: essays research papers

Take-Home Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The world we live in today is always changing, whether it be technology or the land. As these changes take place, society must adapt to them. Many things begin to change as a result of this and society beings to turn into something completely different. One of the most overlooked changes that takes place is that of the environment and landscape. The landscape is one of the most important parts of our society’s culture and has a great effect on how we live. It seems that nowadays, many individuals are taking advantage of the land and nothing appreciating it for every thing that it is worth. Its true that not everyone is going to look at the environment and landscape in the same way, however that is no excuse to disrespect it. Then again, a whole new argument can start from that, as different individuals are going to have different views on what disrespecting the land. Many positive things have come from taking advantage of the land, and a lso, there have been many negative things to come as a result of this. It all depends on how you look at it. One thing is for sure though, no matter what the case is, the land and environment we live in plays a huge part in each of our everyday lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Our landscape is constantly changing, since the Big Bang Theory to present day. There are many different factors which can a huge impact on the shaping of the land. There are many natural disasters such as floods, typhoons, earthquakes, hurricanes, and even wildfires. They can change the face of the landscape and they can change the shape of the landscape. Then there is also the human factor. Many huge companies and businesses are always taking advantage, or as Denis Wood refers to as in â€Å"The Spell of the Land,† the raping of the land. It is a very rare sight to being driving nowadays and not see some type of building being built or a future sight of some type of business. There is nothing that can be done when looking at the natural disaster factor, but as for the human factor, there are steps that people can do to prevent the â€Å"raping† of the land. Again, like I touched upon in the introduction, not all usage of the land by companies is a negative thing. landscapes essay :: essays research papers Take-Home Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The world we live in today is always changing, whether it be technology or the land. As these changes take place, society must adapt to them. Many things begin to change as a result of this and society beings to turn into something completely different. One of the most overlooked changes that takes place is that of the environment and landscape. The landscape is one of the most important parts of our society’s culture and has a great effect on how we live. It seems that nowadays, many individuals are taking advantage of the land and nothing appreciating it for every thing that it is worth. Its true that not everyone is going to look at the environment and landscape in the same way, however that is no excuse to disrespect it. Then again, a whole new argument can start from that, as different individuals are going to have different views on what disrespecting the land. Many positive things have come from taking advantage of the land, and a lso, there have been many negative things to come as a result of this. It all depends on how you look at it. One thing is for sure though, no matter what the case is, the land and environment we live in plays a huge part in each of our everyday lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Our landscape is constantly changing, since the Big Bang Theory to present day. There are many different factors which can a huge impact on the shaping of the land. There are many natural disasters such as floods, typhoons, earthquakes, hurricanes, and even wildfires. They can change the face of the landscape and they can change the shape of the landscape. Then there is also the human factor. Many huge companies and businesses are always taking advantage, or as Denis Wood refers to as in â€Å"The Spell of the Land,† the raping of the land. It is a very rare sight to being driving nowadays and not see some type of building being built or a future sight of some type of business. There is nothing that can be done when looking at the natural disaster factor, but as for the human factor, there are steps that people can do to prevent the â€Å"raping† of the land. Again, like I touched upon in the introduction, not all usage of the land by companies is a negative thing.

Euthanasia Essay - A Proper Death :: Free Euthanasia Essay

Euthanasia and a Proper Death Assisted suicide is a very controversial topic in American society that must be dealt with. In assisted suicide, a patient who is terminally ill requests the doctor to administer a lethal dose of medication to end his life. Assisted suicide brings up many moral and legal issues regarding the right of a patient to die with respect and the duties of a doctor. This issue is divided among people who believe that doctor assisted suicide is illegal and immoral and those who believe that suicide is a right that people have. Doctors who aid a patient to commit suicide are performing an illegal act and should be penalized to the full extent of the law. According to most state laws assisted suicide is illegal. An assisted suicide is a form of murder since the doctor administers a lethal dose of medication to the patients. Therefore, a doctor who has performed this act should receive the jail sentence of a murderer. Some people believe that these doctors are not performing anything illegal and that they should continue their practices. This group of people believe in euthanasia, meaning an easy and painless death or a peaceful manner of dying (Webster 631). This includes committing suicide when the person is fully competent but wishes to end his life as a result of the pain that he must endure every day. Committing suicide is viewed by its opponents as an act of cowardice that many people perform because they do not want to deal with their problems in life. This type of action should be dealt with immediately. A study shows that one-fifth of all doctors and nurses have actively helped end a patient’s life (Van Biema 2). This i s not a promising statistic for the future of America. One out of every five doctors has helped a person escape his life. Aside from being illegal, doctor assisted suicide is also immoral. From the following information, it can be clearly seen that doctors who commit these crimes have violated many of the rules and values that they agreed to follow when they became a doctor. They have violated all the moral values that they agreed to follow when they became doctors. A doctor’s job is to help a patient at any cost, not help the patient to end their lives. Doctors who have aided patients in committing assisted suicides have violated the Hippocratic Oath, which very doctor must swear to before he receives his license to practice.