Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Ache vs Ama Code of Ethics - 2372 Words

ACHE v. AMA Codes of Ethics ACHE v. AMA Codes of Ethics The American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Code of Ethics is a list of principles set forth to guide healthcare executives in their daily practice. The Code of Ethics clearly defines the behavior and performance standards required by those performing the duties of healthcare executives. The ACHE Code of Ethics is designed in a way that clearly directs healthcare executives in their interactions with patients, employees, and the community. The ACHE Code of Ethics also clearly defines the responsibilities of the healthcare executive to the profession of healthcare management and also the responsibilities of the healthcare executive to the organization, as well as the†¦show more content†¦The Code of Ethics defines the behavior standards with which physicians must comply. The AMA Code of Ethics is designed as a concise document outlining the basic duties and responsibilities of physicians. One of the major areas of strength of the AMA Code of Ethics is the principle that outlines that the physician must â€Å"regard responsibility to the patient as paramount† (American Medical Association, n.d., par. 9). This principle outlines that importance of putting the patient first in all care aspects when working with a patient. Along with this, other principles set forth in the AMA Code of Ethics, while involving other aspects of care, state that the rights of the patient shall be acknowledged and followed during patient care. It is very important that healthcare codes of ethics are clear in defining that the patient needs to be considered first and foremost. A weakness of the AMA Code of Ethics is concise nature of the document. While concise can also be regarded as a strength, the concise nature of this Code of Ethics is a disadvantage, as it does not allow for more clear definitions of the ethical principles. For example, the principle stating that physicians shall support access to medical care for everyone does no t outline the ways in which physicians should do this or provide any guidance. It seems as though more guidance could be provided with a moreShow MoreRelatedFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesPractices 6 Recruiting 7 Employee Selection 7 Training and Development 7 Ethics and Employee Rights 7 Motivating Knowledge Workers 7 Paying Employees Market Value 8 Communications 8 Decentralized Work Sites 8 Skill Levels 8 A Legal Concern 8 Employee Involvement 20 How Organizations Involve Employees 20 Employee Involvement Implications for HRM 20 Other HRM Challenges 21 Recession 21 Off Shoring 21 Mergers 22 A Look at Ethics 22 Summary 23 Demonstrating Comprehension: Questions for Review 24 Key

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Battle Analysis Iran / Iraq War - 1844 Words

Battle Analysis Karbala V Iran-Iraq War 9-28 January 1987 I. Introduction By 1987, The Iran- Iraq War had been fought to a bloody stalemate after seven years. Both nations were looking for a final victory that would secure regional dominance when the war ended. Iran, which enjoyed a 3-1 population advantage over the Baathists, had shocked Iraqi commanders by their use of human wave offensives to breach minefields and swarm positions. The religious furor of the Shias seemed to be a substitute for inferior weapons, equipment, training, and logistics. Iraqi units, however, were hardly defenseless. The use of chemical munitions and armor tactics by Iraqi units, as well as their use of rehearsal techniques often gave them decisive†¦show more content†¦Large numbers of Iranians continued to flow out of the bulge crowding the narrow space between berms two and three. Their progress, however, was blocked by the Border Guards, who gave way slowly contesting every meter of ground. This produced a frenzied butting match that went on for over a week. Finally, on or about January 17, the Border Guards side-slipped across the Jasim, opening the way for the Iranians to surge across the Shatt Al Arab. Before they could do so, however, they had first to ford a small channel and then traverse an island in the middle of the Shatt. Before the Iranians could start their river-crossing, the Iraqi high command committed a division of infantry to stop them. The division attacked south on the island and within 48 hours had succeeded in driving the Iranians off it. The fighting now subsided for a brief interval, while the Iranians continued moving fresh troops into the liberated zone, and the Iraqis consolidated their defense line along the Jasim. On January 27, the Iranians played their last card-they tried to ford the Jasim and were briefly successful in doing so. However, after an advance of no more than a few meters, they stalled as the Iraqi defense stiffened, hurling the Iranians back. On January 28 when a new infusion of Republican Guard reserves crushed the bulge along Fish Lake, preventing the Iranians from makingShow MoreRelatedThe Outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War, An Outline826 Words   |  3 Pageslargest and most destructive conflicts to occur since the end of the second world war started between the states of Iran and Iraq. Lasting eight years, the war left approximately 1.5 million dead and around a million casualties with thousands of refugees fleeing both nations. †¢ Cost up to $1,000,000,000 monthly †¢ Total cost to date may exceed $300,000,000,000 †¢ (Swearingen, 1988) Using three levels of analysis - the individual, domestic and systemic - the causes of the conflict will be analysedRead MoreInternational Policy Between Western Countries And The Middle East Essay1377 Words   |  6 PagesCHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION 1) ISIS changed foreign policy between western countries and the Middle East Data Analysis and Sources: *Empirical history USA Foreign policy: From 1945 to 1990 the United States of America kept an important military deployment in Europe and Asia and in contrast they had a low military footprint in the Middle East counting relying instead on their local allies; more particularly the conservative Arab monarchies in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Persian gulf and hadRead MoreAnalytical Failure Of Iraq During Persian Gulf War1599 Words   |  7 Pages Analytical Failure of Iraq in Persian Gulf War Affiliation Student’s Name â€Æ' Introduction Failures analysis is the process of gathering data and information in order to find the cause of failure especially when the goal had been set. Analytical failure of war, on the other hand, is failures by decision making bodies to make appropriate decision which will lead to victory. This failures occurs when military and political leaders come up with war strategies which when implemented leads toRead MoreIranian Hostage Crisis 1617 Words   |  7 Pageselude capture and took refuge with officials from the Canadian embassy (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). Day 10 November 14, 1979, President Carter ordered all Iranian assets in United States banks frozen, embargoed oil from Iran (PBS, 2013a) and sent an envoy to Iran, but Khomeini refuses to meet with them. In December, the United Nations Security Council passes a resolution calling for the release of the hostages and the Shah leaves the United States for Panama (CNN Library, 2014). That yearRead MoreThe United States And The Middle East834 Words   |  4 Pagesbeen heavily involved with and invested in the Middle East. Geographically, the Middle East region contains a large percentage of the industrialized world’s most prized resource, oil. Throughout this time, the United States has participated in Gulf War I, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Southern Watch, Operation Northern Watch, and numerous other contingencies and operations. Most recently, the region fell further into turmoil with the civil unrest and uprising in SyriaRead MoreStrategic Rela tions Between Saudi Arabia And Iraq3133 Words   |  13 PagesRepublic in 1958 and the shifting relationships between Saudi Arabia and Iraq . In fact, in Walt’s list of eighteen Middle Eastern regional alliances formed between 1955 and 1979, none lasted for longer than five years (Walt, 1987, p.150). In light of this heritage, it is therefore particularly remarkable that the most persistent regional arrangement to-date has been between Syria, a secular, Arab and predominantly Sunni state and Iran, a Persian, Shia theocracy. And the relationship has certainly beenRead MoreU.s. Iraq During The Reign Of Saddam Hussein4113 Words   |  17 PagesTable of Contents Abstract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..Page 2 Iraq during the reign of Saddam Hussein†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... Page 3-7 Summary of first half†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Page 7 Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..Page 7-13 Summary of Second half†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Page 13 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... Page 14-15 Analysis of Current Events: ISIS in Iraq†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦......Page 16 Works Cited†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Page 17 Abstract In order to fullyRead MoreThe Islamic State Is No More A Collection Of Psychopaths1716 Words   |  7 PagesISIS stands for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The Obama administration prefers the term ISIL which means the Islamic State in Levant. The term Levant literally means the rising; in reference to the land where the sun rises. However, many western news have decided to switch and call the group by the name Islamic State. ISIS finds its roots after the invasion in 2003 of Iraq by the United States. â€Å"ISIS is a Sunni jihadist group born in 2004 in Iraq. Known at the time as a cell of al-Qaeda - Al QaedaRead MoreRecruitment And Retention Battalion For The State Of Georgia974 Words   |  4 Pageschanges in regards to mission goals, the method and process by which leads and prospects will be approached and gathered and what the total Army s needs will be going forward, especially in light of the end of combat operations in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but with the rise of ISIS and other global terrorist threats. As a former member of the recruiting organization, I have intimate knowledge of how the organization works, its overall mission and the impact of how not accomplishing that missionRead MoreRecruitment And Retention Battalion For The State Of Georgia971 Words   |  4 Pagesorganizational changes in regards to mission goals, the method and process by which leads and prospects will be approached and gathered and what the total Army s needs will be going forward, especially in light of the end of combat operations in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but with the rise of ISIS and other global terrorist threats. As a former member of the recruiting organization, I have intimate knowledge of how the organization works, its overall mission and the impact of how not accomplishing that mission

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Episodic and Disruptive Change in a Static - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theEpisodic and Disruptive Change in a Static Environment. Answer: Change management is a continuous process adopted in an organization with the aim of experience a high rate of growth compared to others. it is a way the organization plan out its structure to take up successful change management in their process. This is turn will affect their success and overcome competition in the market. The process of change management differs from organization to organization. However, the change taken by a company influences each of its members in a great way. Change is something that is viewed in a static environment and then continues to grow. On the other hand, it is seen that managing a change is considered as an episodic activity which means that it is occurs, continues and gives out a result (Booth, 2015). This paper discusses the process of change management and its effect on the organizational growth. Further the essay presents an argumentative descriptive whether this change is episodic or continuous. Change management means a way of managing a change process in an organization in order to reach its actual objective. Change in organizations is not a small and easy process. It requires a long term planning about investment, division of task and the ways to start with the change process. A proper planning can only make it possible for the organization to achieve its short term and long-term goal. There are three levels involved in a change management process of an organization such as individual change management, organizational change management and enterprise change management. Individual change management is focused on the individual that realizes their issues and decides on bringing a change to their skills to grow in the organization. However, the company as a whole to bring about a change in their process and techniques to achieve long-term growth adopts the second type of change management. This change can also take place in a group that lack certain skills or the problem in their processes (Sarayreh, Khudair Barakat, 2013). Lastly, change can also take place in the competency capability of the organization to cope up in this competitive environment. There are various arguments that the change management process that takes place in the organization is an episodic process or a continuous one. There have been various evidences showing the managing a change in the environment of an organization is episodic because it has a start point and an end. The process of change actually starts by unfreezing the static environment of the organization, bringing a change and then freezing the environment after the change (Cummings Worley, 2014). However, there are arguments that the process of change is not episodic; it is a continuous process as some type of change continuously occurs in the organization (Booth, 2015). It is seen that episodic change is evident from the fact that there are various variables involved in a change management process that a change in one affects the others. Thus, it is essential for an organization to bring the change into an equilibrium point (Hayes, 2014). This fact has been questioned in the ground that change affects variables and someone or the other gets affected continuously in the organization. The company cannot bring a change in an equilibrium pint and assume that it will bring no further affects to others (Cameron Green, 2015). The episodic nature of change can also be explained in context of the large ship that reaches to its destination at some point or the other. Similarly, change is also a ship that starts its process and aims to reach to a point where it can be judged as successful pr unsuccessful (Goetsch Davis, 2014). However, the concept of reaching a result is true but not fixed in the context of change. This is because every change process leads to a result and the result that is generated from it helps in bringing further change. Thus, the process continues nd not end anywhere (Matos Marques Simoes Esposito, 2014). It is evident that change management s about bringing a change to an organization and thus a change occurs from a static state and remain there. An organization can bring about a continuous improvement in their processes and not going on changing it continuously (Waddell, 2013). However, some argumentative approach to it states that change can take place continuously because of its continuous cause and effect factor. Thus, it is very different from improvement where the company only improves the existing technology or process and does not change it. According to the Kurt Lewin model as well, change is ending process, which starts and reaches it destination. He has drawn the process of change in a form of a model that starts with unfreezing activity, continues with change and ends by freezing the change (Hornstein,. 2015). Some scholars have identified that the episodic change in an organization is intentional, infrequent and discontinuous. There are certain changes which help the external agents to create leverage which helps in changing the meaning, schema and system. The failure occurs in all episodic changes and thus the organization suffers losses and has to make certain plans to change. The organization also needs to implement those plans and deal with those consequences accordingly (Jun Rowley, 2014). However, some scholars have opined that continuous change theories can help many leaders in addressing the various limitations of episodic change models and it also provides an in-depth analysis of the adaptive, continuous and informal processes. These are used in the dynamic interaction and it helps to adapt those factors which are inside or outside the organization. It is also important to develop sensitivity in the continuous change process which will help the leaders to influence and evaluate the readiness in the changes and thus develop the organization (Worley Mohrman, 2014). Many scholars have stated that episodic change starts with the failure and these failures may trigger different kinds of failure. Such change includes government regulations, emerging and urgent threats, new ideas which help to initiate different change initiatives. In certain cases these changes may also help in influencing the different environmental factors. However, many scholars have opined that the continuous changes are incremental and it helps through the dynamic interaction of the people, environment and the processes. The idea of continuous change in the self organizing and emergent organization is evolving constantly. This continuous change is an extension of the earlier practices of the current knowledge and skills of the people (Hamel Zanini, 2014). According to some scholars, episodic change may lead the organization to various kinds of opportunities and threats and this may tend to be disruptive. The leaders can help to enhance the adaptability by creation of certain important and resilient organizations. The episodic change is regarded as the transformational change by many scholars and it helps the organizations to address the various kinds of issues. On the other hand, some scholars have regarded that continuous change involves modifications and practices which are unending. They also refer this process as a process of freeze, rebalance and unfreeze state. The continuous change perspective as predicted by many scholars has stated that the employees will try to resist the changes which require external intervention and thus help in the removal of different kinds of obstacles. This will also help in replacing the different kinds of resistant and the employees will be willing to implement the new strategies (Maltais et al., 20 13). It has been argument that in the competitive environment companies are continuously adopting becoming turbulent and adopting episodic change in their organsiation. They continued to say that the episodic change adopted by companies is done in order to bring about a continuous change. This proves that episodic change and continuous change is linked process I themselves which is followed by the other. They are linked to one another, as without one the other cannot take place. The episodic change occurs in the organization in which the process of change takes place slowly and in a continuous manner. However, continuous change looks after the limitation that occurs from the episodic change management process. Thus, this proves that they are interdependent on each other (Lewis, Passmore Cantore, 2016). Thus, it can be concluded that episodic and static change are not separate terms but they are interdependent on each other. Various arguments has been stated which helps in connecting the different theories of continuous and episodic changes. These two concepts provides comprehensive framework for understanding and influencing the different kinds of changes. Various integration approaches has been made to analyze the two opposite terms and thus it creates a mid way to focus on the similarities. The connection and interdependency of the two concepts helps to offer a complete framework for understanding the changes. Thus, it can be concluded that in a static environment the leaders of the organization can plan the business accordingly. References Booth, S. A. (2015).Crisis management strategy: Competition and change in modern enterprises. Routledge. Booth, S.A., 2015.Crisis management strategy: Competition and change in modern enterprises. Routledge. Cameron, E., Green, M. (2015).Making sense of change management: A complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers. Cummings, T. G., Worley, C. G. (2014).Organization development and change. Cengage learning. Goetsch, D. L., Davis, S. B. (2014).Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson. Hamel, G., Zanini, M. (2014). Build a change platform, not a change program.Retrieved November,12, 2014. Hayes, J. (2014).The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave Macmillan. Hornstein, H. A. (2015). The integration of project management and organizational change management is now a necessity.International Journal of Project Management,33(2), 291-298. Jun, W., Rowley, C. (2014). Change and continuity in management systems and corporate performance: Human resource management, corporate culture, risk management and corporate strategy in South Korea.Business History,56(3), 485-508. Lewis, S., Passmore, J., Cantore, S. (2016).Appreciative inquiry for change management: Using AI to facilitate organizational development. Kogan Page Publishers. Maltais, S., Costello, W. T., Billings, F. T., Bick, J. S., Byrne, J. G., Ahmad, R. M., Wagner, C. E. (2013). Episodic monoplane transesophageal echocardiography impacts postoperative management of the cardiac surgery patient.Journal of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia,27(4), 665-669. Matos Marques Simoes, P., Esposito, M. (2014). Improving change management: How communication nature influences resistance to change.Journal of Management Development,33(4), 324-341. Sarayreh, B. H., Khudair, H., Barakat, E. A. (2013). Comparative study: the Kurt Lewin of change management.International Journal of Computer and Information Technology,2(4), 626-629. Waddell, D., Creed, A., Cummings, T. G., Worley, C. (2013).Organisational change: Development and transformation. Cengage Learning. Worley, C. G., Mohrman, S. A. (2014). Is change management obsolete?.Organizational Dynamics,43(3), 214-224.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

We feel we know the self to be an equivocal commodity Essay Example For Students

We feel we know the self to be an equivocal commodity Essay Although he does abandon any morals he has he has more scruples over doing so than Cromwell clearly, as we can see from his performance when with the Mores when his guilty conscience suspects that he is no longer welcome there; later we see him showing his conscience to Cromwell; Im lamenting. Ive lost my innocence. (page 44) However, Cromwell quickly brings him into check and so seems to dissolve the last trace of Richs ever fading conscience. Thomas Cromwell was clearly a follower of pragmatic political thought, we can see this through the fact he advised Rich to read works Machiavellian literature. We will write a custom essay on We feel we know the self to be an equivocal commodity specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We see him labeled by the boatman as the coming man, this is because he is a very pragmatic politician, and it is his pragmatism that brings about his success as nothing holds him back; When the King wants something done, I do it. (page 21) Cromwell is a schemer, is ambitions are clearly very powerful ones. He is a suspicious character, this can be seen through the agitation on stage at the mere mention of his name, he certainly is not a well liked character. He uses people, notably Rich in order to achieve what he desires. He has no scruples in knowingly setting up an innocent man, clearly he is not a man of conscience. He is a rather sadistic character and we see this side of him as we see him hold Richs hand in the candle flame, this incident also serves to demonstrate Richs weakness as even after this Rich continues to follow Cromwell in order to progress. His attitude could be well summed up in the following phrase, which gives an insight into his lack of conscience and moral standards; so much wickedness purchases so much worldly prospering. (page 43) Cromwell is jealous of more and his success and relationship with the King, and resorts to Richs perjury in order to defeat More. Clearly, Cromwell is a character lacking in morality and any sense of human decency. More describes him as threatening like a dockside bully. Ambition can lead to moral downfall. Since the power that drives on ambition is great enough to push aside any signs of conscience if it achieves the seemingly greater cause, we see this in the actions of both Rich and Cromwell. The Common Man too is guilty of finding fewer and fewer things, which he is willing to stand up for. He will keep his quiet about anything and everything if it keeps him out of trouble and out of the spotlight.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Fight club - analysis of a sequence essays

Fight club - analysis of a sequence essays Analyse a sequence of a film using film language and narrative concepts. The film I have decided to analyse in this essay is Fight Club (1999) directed by David Fincher (Se7en) and based on the novel by Chuck Palahunk. The film points fingers at numerous issues in society, namely the effect of consumerism on peoples lives, and how it is gradually taking over those lives. The story is told trough the eyes of a narcoleptic named Jack, played by Edward Norton (American History X,). Jacks only joys in life are the possessions he owns, until he meets Tyler Durden played Brad Pitt ( Se7en). Tyler believes that it is self-destruction that makes life worth living, not self-improvement. The very same night they meet, an explosion blows up Jacks apartment and possessions. Tyler offers Jack a place to stay but on one condition Tyler I want you to hit me as hard as you can. Despite Jacks doubts about hitting Tyler he does and discovers that fighting for recreation can give the ultimate high. This leads to them setting up Fight club which gradually sweeps across America taking with it Tylers influence and philosophy. The big shock of the story comes when Jack realises he is Tyler, and he came to life as a means of escaping his agonizingly boring life. When he realises this he must deal with the dramatic consequences of Tylers actions. The narration is restricted as its told by Jack, and therefore has a voice over. The films structure is un-conventional as its cause and effect is told in a non-linear narrative, looking at the decisions Jack has made and how they has effected the plot. The sequence I am analysing made up of four sections. The first is in the parking lot when Tyler asks Jack to hit him, the second is in a movie projection booth where Tyler splices sex organs into films, the third is in the Pressman hotel dinner area and kitchens where Tyler urina...

Friday, November 22, 2019

How to Be Prepared for Freshman Year of College

How to Be Prepared for Freshman Year of College Did you know, that approximately one third of students who enrol in college drop out during or immediately after their freshman year. This can largely be attributed to the fact that starting college is such a huge transition for students. It can often be the first real taste of independence a young person has and that comes with responsibilities they might find overwhelming. College life is very different to high school, but if you start out having made appropriate preparations for Freshman year then you are more likely to survive! What to Bring with You to College One of the big questions that most new college students have is what they should bring to college with them and how to pack all that. For many Freshmen this will be their first time living away from their parents, so it can be a pretty overwhelming prospect! A great way to prepare is to make a list of things that you think you will need at college. Start with the basics. You will need things like: bedding for your dorm room crockery and silverware to eat of and of course things like cleaning supplies, towels and other basic items. However, you are also going to need a selection of personal items too. These will include: clothing toiletries books music and other personal belongings. A tip for students who move to another city: If you are moving out of state for college then you are also going to need to take appropriate clothing items. If you know there will be cold winters, then pack a warm coat and boots. Similarly, if there is likely to be a hotter climate than at home you will need lighter clothing. Take a Piece of Your Home With You Everything that we have mentioned so far has been fairly practical in nature. However, one of the most important things that a freshman student needs to pack when heading off to college is going to be a special item that reminds them of home! This could be an ornament with sentimental value, a favorite family photograph or maybe even just something that represents your home town. It is perfectly natural to feel a little bit home sick when you head off to college. However, having a small token to remind you of the people you love will bring you some comfort. How to Prepare for Studying in College So, you are all packed up and you have everything you need for college life, but are you prepared for the actual academic aspect? Many freshmen are astounded by just how different college is to high school and it is a good idea to do some research so that you fully understand what you are getting yourself into. How many classes should you even be taking in Freshman year? The first thing to so is choose which classes you are going to take. However, that might be easier said than done. The answer is highly personal. However, as a general rule most colleges recommend 12 to 15 credits for Freshman year. Classes tend to be worth 3 credits, which means you should be looking to take 4 or 5 classes during that first year of college. How to choose your classes? Once you know how many classes to take, the next step if knowing how to choose your classes. If you already know what you are going to major in, then it makes sense to start with some of the classes you require for that. It is also wise to opt for the introductory classes and prerequisites in your first year if for no other reason than to get them out of the way quickly. If you are not too sure what you want to major in then why not spend some time looking at course catalogs to try and shortlist the topics that catch your interest. It’s not even just choosing the classes that can be a little bit daunting. Making the transition from school to college can be completely different to what you were expecting. We advise trying to do as much preparation as possible before you get there. Here are a few basic steps you can take to be better prepared for your college studies: Research what the teachers and professors are like. Look for forums and social media groups where you can meet other students. Study the requirements and learning outcomes for your chosen classes. Start working on your time management and prioritizing skills. Set yourself some goals you hope to achieve during freshman year. Housekeeping for College Freshmen It is also important to get to know your new home. That’s why researching some general housekeeping tasks is also important to prepare you for freshman year at college. Some of the things you might want to find out about include: Finding out where to do laundry. Is there a place in the dorm or do you need to go off campus? Mapping out the local stores you will need to visit including grocery stores, coffee shops, book shops and restaurants. Look for places with a student discount or special deals to help stretch your money a little further. Checking out some of the on-Campus facilities like the library, canteen and other amenities you might want to make use of. Is there a pool or a student gym? Find out some of the college rules and regulations, especially linked to the dorms. Are you allowed visitors? Is there a sign in system? Are there restrictions over common areas? Most colleges will have a student handbook that covers these types of questions. Some of the listed items we have added to our college freshman survival kit before. Havent you seen it yet? Building Your Social Life A big part of college life is of course socializing. Everyone has heard of the legendary dorm parties! Of course, your college social life doesn’t just revolve around partying! One of the big things about college is the sheer diversity of the people you will meet on campus. It can be scary to go off to college and leave your high school friends behind, but college is really the best place to make new friends! Start building your social life by joining some of the many clubs and organizations that are on campus. Whether you are into sports or science you are sure to find a suitable group to join. There are also lots of social events on campus, so you will have plenty of opportunity to meet new people. If you are struggling to make friends during freshman year, you can also think about joining study groups to get to know your classmates a little better – plus as an added bonus it is sure to help your grades too! In conclusion, if you are getting ready to start college it is a good idea to make sure you are as prepared as possible for freshman year. Heading off to college is a big transition and it is easy to get overwhelmed. You will be amazed at just how much a little preparation can help make things easier! Hopefully, these tips and other freshmen tips (infographic) you can find on our website will help you to get things ready before college begins.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Quantitative Reasoning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Quantitative Reasoning - Essay Example The following paragraphs will separate the results obtained after employing descriptive statistic tools to the pair of observations. These tools figure out the mean and the median percentage of smokers in the population, distinguished on the basis of gender. Mode has been ignored in this respect since it is irrelevant to figure out the maximum percentage to assess the average characteristics. The mean as well as the median percentage of smokers is lower for females than for males. An obvious implication from the same is that males are more inclined towards smoking than their female counterparts. Here mean is the weighted average implying approximately 19% and 27% of the female and male populations in any nation to be regular smokers, respectively. On the other hand, the median value indicates that among all nations taken collectively, in half of the cases, more than 18.9% of the females are found to smoke, in contrast to 24% among the males (Gravetter & Wallnau, 2008). Measures of dispersion indicate the degree to which the observations are scattered around the mean value. The higher the value of the measure, greater will be the dispersion about the mean and thus, the applicability of the mean value as a core feature of the population will be disturbed. Significance of standard deviation is almost equivalent to that of variance given that the former is the positive square root of the latter. The percentage of female smokers distributed among various groups in the entire population differs from the mean value so calculated, though it is lower than the degree of dispersion of the male smokers. The variance and standard deviation statistics yield that percentage of male smokers in some nations is much higher as well as lower than the mean percentage of male smokers so calculated. However, similar statistics for females rule out such extremeness. The adjoining diagram compares the percentage of male and female smokers in the entire

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Interview Reflection Worksheet Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Interview Reflection Worksheet - Coursework Example My weak point is in competence that majorly rises from my inability to make some decisions under pressure effectively. Competence will improve when I gain the necessary work experience and gain more knowledge in my area of operation. The assessment of people to some extent showed me the various points of weakness. I realised that I need to improve on competence and efficiency in decision-making. The alignment of people’s perception and mine shown that i am ethical similar to my personal assessment. My surprise was the knowledge of other people that i am incompetent due to the minimal experience I possess. It was not easy to stay open minded and non-defensive during the interview. The questions were touching on my personality and i felt like faking and lying about some aspects of the issues under discussion. I achieved this by trying to be ethical and comprehensively cooperative. I am being perceived this way because am truthful to my acts. My partner was ethical and tried to corner my answers but due to professionalism and adhering to the set standards, he got the right information that provided the right illustration of my characters. However, the results were not as per my expectations but they are a true reflection of my

Sunday, November 17, 2019

An Introduction to Genre Theory Essay Example for Free

An Introduction to Genre Theory Essay An Introduction to Genre Theory Daniel Chandler 1. The problem of definition A number of perennial doubts plague genre theory. Are genres really out there in the world, or are they merely the constructions of analysts? Is there a finite taxonomy of genres or are they in principle infinite? Are genres timeless Platonic essences or ephemeral, time-bound entities? Are genres culturebound or transcultural? Should genre analysis be descriptive or proscriptive? (Stam 2000, 14) The word genre comes from the French (and originally Latin) word for kind or class. The term is  widely used in rhetoric, literary theory, media theory, and more recently linguistics, to refer to a distinctive type of text*. Robert Allen notes that for most of its 2,000 years, genre study has been primarily nominological and typological in function. That is to say, it has taken as its principal task the division of the world of literature into types and the naming of those types much as the botanist divides the realm of flora into varieties of plants (Allen 1989, 44). As will be seen, however, the analogy with biological classification into genus and species misleadingly suggests a scientific process. Since classical times literary works have been classified as belonging to general types which were variously defined. In literature the broadest division is between poetry, prose and drama, within which there are further divisions, such as tragedy and comedy within the category of drama. Shakespeare referred satirically to classifications such as tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comicalhistorical-pastoral (Hamlet II ii). In The Anatomy of Criticism the formalist literary theorist Northrop Frye (1957) presented certain universal genres and modes  as the key to organizing the entire literary corpus. Contemporary media genres tend to relate more to specific forms than to the universals of tragedy and comedy. Nowadays, films are routinely classified (e. g. in television listings magazines) as thrillers, westerns and so on genres with which every adult in modern society is familiar. So too with television genres such as game shows and sitcoms. Whilst we have names for countless genres in many media, some theorists have argued that there are also many genres (and sub-genres) for which we have no names (Fowler 1989, 216; Wales 1989, 206). Carolyn Miller  suggests that the number of genres in any society depends on the complexity and diversity of society (Miller 1984, in Freedman Medway 1994a, 36). The classification and hierarchical taxonomy of genres is not a neutral and objective procedure. There are no undisputed maps of the system of genres within any medium (though literature may perhaps lay some claim to a loose consensus). Furthermore, there is often considerable theoretical disagreement about the definition of specific genres. A genre is ultimately an abstract conception rather than something that exists empirically in the world,  notes Jane Feuer (1992, 144). One theorists genre may be anothers sub-genre or even super-genre (and indeed what is technique, style, mode, formula or thematic grouping to one may be treated as a genre by another). Themes, at least, seem inadequate as a basis for defining genres since, as David Bordwell notes, any theme may appear in any genre (Bordwell 1989, 147). He asks: Are animation and documentary films genres or modes? Is the filmed play or comedy performance a genre? If tragedy and comedy are genres, perhaps then domestic tragedy or slapstick is a formula. In  passing, he offers a useful inventory of categories used in film criticism, many of which have been accorded the status of genres by various commentators: Grouping by period or country (American films of the 1930s), by director or star or producer or writer or studio, by technical process (Cinemascope films), by cycle (the fallen women films), by series (the 007 movies), by style (German Expressionism), by structure (narrative), by ideology (Reaganite cinema), by venue (drive-in movies), by purpose (home movies), by audience (teenpix), by subject or theme (family film, paranoid-politics movies). (Bordwell 1989, 148) Another film theorist, Robert Stam, also refers to common ways of categorizing films: While some genres are based on story content (the war film), other are borrowed from literature (comedy, melodrama) or from other media (the musical). Some are performer-based (the Astaire-Rogers films) or budget-based (blockbusters), while others are based on artistic status (the art film), racial identity (Black cinema), locat[ion] (the Western) or sexual orientation (Queer cinema). (Stam 2000, 14). Bordwell concludes that one could argue that no set of necessary and sufficient conditions can  mark off genres from other sorts of groupings in ways that all experts or ordinary film-goers would find An Introduction to Genre Theory acceptable (Bordwell 1989, 147). Practitioners and the general public make use of their own genre labels (de facto genres) quite apart from those of academic theorists. We might therefore ask ourselves Whose genre is it anyway? Still further problems with definitional approaches will become apparent in due course. Defining genres may not initially seem particularly problematic but it should already be apparent that it is a theoretical minefield. Robert Stam identifies four key problems with generic labels (in relation to film): extension (the breadth or narrowness of labels); normativism (having preconceived ideas of criteria for genre membership); monolithic definitions (as if an item belonged to only one genre); biologism (a kind of essentialism in which genres are seen as evolving through a standardized life cycle) (Stam 2000, 128129). Conventional definitions of genres tend to be based on the notion that they constitute particular conventions of content (such as themes or settings) and/or form (including structure and style) which  are shared by the texts which are regarded as belonging to them. Alternative characterizations will be discussed in due course. The attempt to define particular genres in terms of necessary and sufficient textual properties is sometimes seen as theoretically attractive but it poses many difficulties. For instance, in the case of films, some seem to be aligned with one genre in content and another genre in form. The film theorist Robert Stam argues that subject matter is the weakest criterion for generic grouping because it fails to take into account how the subject is treated (Stam 2000, 14). Outlining a fundamental problem of  genre identification in relation to films, Andrew Tudor notes the empiricist dilemma: To take a genre such as the western, analyze it, and list its principal characteristics, is to beg the question that we must first isolate the body of films which are westerns. But they can only be isolated on the basis of the principal characteristics which can only be discovered from the films themselves after they have been isolated. (Cited in Gledhill 1985, 59) It is seldom hard to find texts which are exceptions to any given definition of a particular genre. There are no rigid rules of inclusion and exclusion (Gledhill 1985, 60). Genres are not discrete systems, consisting of a fixed number of listable items (ibid. , 64). It is difficult to make clear-cut distinctions between one genre and another: genres overlap, and there are mixed genres (such as comedy-thrillers). 2 Specific genres tend to be easy to recognize intuitively but difficult (if not impossible) to define. Particular features which are characteristic of a genre are not normally unique to it; it is their relative prominence, combination and functions which are distinctive (Neale 1980, 22-3). It is easy to underplay the differences within a genre. Steve Neale declares  that genres are instances of repetition and difference (Neale 1980, 48). He adds that difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre (ibid. , 50): mere repetition would not attract an audience. Tzvetan Todorov argued that any instance of a genre will be necessarily different (cited in Gledhill 1985, 60). John Hartley notes that the addition of just one film to the Western genre changes that genre as a whole even though the Western in question may display few of the recognized conventions, styles or subject matters traditionally associated with its genre (OSullivan et al. 1994). The issue of difference also  highlights the fact that some genres are looser more open-ended in their conventions or more permeable in their boundaries than others. Texts often exhibit the conventions of more than one genre. John Hartley notes that the same text can belong to different genres in different countries or times (OSullivan et al. 1994, 129). Hybrid genres abound (at least outside theoretical frameworks). Van Leeuwen suggests that the multiple purposes of journalism often lead to generically heterogeneous texts (cited in Fairclough 1995, 88). Norman Fairclough suggests that mixed-genre texts are far from uncommon in the mass media (Fairclough 1995, 89). Some media may encourage more generic diversity: Nicholas Abercrombie notes that since television comes at the audience as a flow of programmes, all with different generic conventions, means that it is more difficult to sustain the purity of the genre in the viewing experience (Abercrombie 1996, 45; his emphasis). Furthermore, in any medium the generic classification of certain texts may be uncertain or subject to dispute. Contemporary theorists tend to describe genres in terms of family resemblances among texts (a notion derived from the philosopher Wittgenstein) rather than definitionally (Swales 1990, 49). An individual text within a genre rarely if ever has all of the characteristic features of the genre (Fowler 1989, 215). The family resemblance approaches involves the theorist illustrating similarities between some of the texts within a genre. However, the family resemblance approach has been criticized on the basis that no choice of a text for illustrative purposes is innocent (David Lodge, cited in Swales 1990, 50), and that such theories can make any text seem to resemble any other one (Swales 1990, 51). In addition to the definitional and family resemblance approach, there is  An Introduction to Genre Theory another approach to describing genres which is based on the psycholinguistic concept of prototypicality. According to this approach, some texts would be widely regarded as being more typical members of a genre than others. According to this approach certain features would identify the extent to which an exemplar is prototypical of a particular genre (Swales 1990, 52). Genres can therefore be seen as fuzzy categories which cannot be defined by necessary and sufficient conditions. How we define a genre depends on our purposes;  the adequacy of our definition in terms of social science at least must surely be related to the light that the exploration sheds on the phenomenon. For instance (and this is a key concern of mine), if we are studying the way in which genre frames the readers interpretation of a text then we would do well to focus on how readers identify genres rather than on theoretical distinctions. Defining genres may be problematic, but even if theorists were to abandon the concept, in everyday life people would continue to categorize texts. John Swales does note that a discourse communitys nomenclature for genres is an  important source of insight (Swales 1990, 54), though like many academic theorists he later adds that such genre names typically need further validation (ibid. , 58). Some genre names would be likely to be more widely-used than others: it would be interesting to investigate the areas of popular consensus and dissensus in relation to the everyday labeling of mass media genres. For Robert Hodge and Gunther Kress, genres only exist in so far as a social group declares and enforces the rules that constitute them (Hodge Kress 1988, 7), though it is debatable to  what extent most of us would be able to formulate explicit rules for the textual genres we use routinely: much of our genre knowledge is likely to be tacit. In relation to film, Andrew Tudor argued that genre is what we collectively believe it to be (though this begs the question about who we are). Robert Allen comments wryly that Tudor even hints that in order to establish what audiences expect a western to be like we might have to ask them (Allen 1989, 47). Swales also alludes to people having repertoires of genres (Swales 1990, 58), which I would argue would also be likely to repay  investigation. However, as David Buckingham notes, there has hardly been any empirical research on the ways in which real audiences might understand genre, or use this understanding in making sense of specific texts (Buckingham 1993, 137). Steve Neale stresses that genres are not systems: they are processes of systematization (Neale 1980, 51; my emphasis; cf. Neale 1995, 463). Traditionally, genres (particularly literary genres) tended to be regarded 3 as fixed forms, but contemporary theory emphasizes that both their forms and functions are dynamic. David Buckingham argues that genre is not simply given by the culture: rather, it is in a constant process of negotiation and change (Buckingham 1993, 137). Nicholas Abercrombie suggests that the boundaries between genres are shifting and becoming more permeable (Abercrombie 1996, 45); Abercrombie is concerned with modern television, which he suggests seems to be engaged in a steady dismantling of genre (ibid. ) which can be attributed in part to economic pressures to pursue new audiences. One may acknowledge the dynamic fluidity of genres without positing the final demise of genre as an interpretive framework. As the generic corpus ceaselessly expands, genres (and the relationships between them) change over time; the conventions of each genre shift, new genres and sub-genres emerge and others are discontinued (though note that certain genres seem particularly long-lasting). Tzvetan Todorov argued that a new genre is always the transformation of one or several old genres (cited in Swales 1990, 36). Each new work within a genre has the potential to influence changes within the genre or perhaps the emergence of new sub-genres (which may later blossom into fully-fledged genres). However, such a perspective tends to highlight the role of authorial experimentation in changing genres and their conventions, whereas it is important to recognize not only the social nature of text production but especially the role of economic and technological factors as well as changing audience preferences. The interaction between genres and media can be seen as one of the forces which contributes to changing genres. Some genres are more powerful than others: they differ in the status which is attributed to them by those who produce texts within them and by their audiences. As Tony Thwaites et al. put it, in the interaction and conflicts among genres we can see the connections between textuality and power (Thwaites et al. 1994, 104). The key genres in institutions which are primary definers (such as news reports in the mass media) help to establish the frameworks within which issues are defined. But genre hierarchies also shift over time, with individual genres constantly gaining and losing different groups of users and relative status. Idealist theoretical approaches to genre which seek to categorize ideal types in terms of essential textual characteristics are ahistorical. As a result of  their dynamic nature as processes, Neale argues that definitions of genre are always historically relative, and therefore historically specific (Neale 1995, 464). Similarly, Boris Tomashevsky insists that no firm logical classification of genres is possible. Their de- An Introduction to Genre Theory marcation is always historical, that is to say, it is correct only for a specific moment of history (cited in Bordwell 1989, 147). Some genres are defined only retrospectively, being unrecognized as such by the original producers and audiences. Genres need to be studied as historical phenomena; a popular focus in  film studies, for instance, has been the evolution of conventions within a genre. Current genres go through phases or cycles of popularity (such as the cycle of disaster films in the 1970s), sometimes becoming dormant for a period rather than disappearing. On-going genres and their conventions themselves change over time. Reviewing evolutionary change in some popular film genres, Andrew Tudor concludes that it has three main characteristics: First, in that innovations are added to an existent corpus rather than replacing redundant elements, it is cumulative. Second, in that  these innovations must be basically consistent with what is already present, it is conservative. Third, in that these processes lead to the crystallization of specialist sub-genres, it involves differentiation. (Tudor 1974, 225-6) Tudor himself is cautious about adopting the biological analogy of evolution, with its implication that only those genres which are well-adapted to their functions survive. Christine Gledhill also notes the danger of essentialism in selecting definitive classic examples towards which earlier examples evolve and after which others decline (Gledhill 1985, 59). The cycles and transformations of genres can nevertheless be seen as a response to political, social and economic conditions. Referring to film, Andrew Tudor notes that a genre defines a moral and social world (Tudor 1974, 180). Indeed, a genre in any medium can be seen as embodying certain values and ideological assumptions. Again in the context of the cinema Susan Hayward argues that genre conventions change according to the ideological climate of the time, contrasting John Wayne westerns with Clint Eastwood as the problematic hero or anti-hero (Hayward 1996, 50). Leo Baudry (cited in Hayward 1996, 162) sees film genres as a barometer of the social and cultural concerns of cinema audiences; Robert Lichter et al. (1991) illustrate how televisual genres reflect the values of the programme-makers. Some commentators see mass media genres from a particular era as reflecting values which were dominant at the time. Ira Konigsberg, for instance, suggests that texts within genres embody the moral values of a culture (Konigsberg 1987, 144-5). And John Fiske asserts that generic conventions embody the crucial ideological concerns of the time in which they are popular 4 (Fiske 1987, 110). However, Steve Neale stresses that genres may also help to shape such values (Neale 1980, 16). Thwaites et al. see the relationship as reciprocal: a genre develops according to social conditions; transformations in genre and texts can influence and reinforce social conditions (Thwaites et al. 1994, 100). Some Marxist commentators see genre as an instrument of social control which reproduces the dominant ideology. Within this perspective, the genre positions the audience in order to naturalize the ideologies which are embedded in the text (Feuer 1992, 145). Bernadette Casey comments that recently, structuralists and feminist theorists, among others, have focused on the way in which generically defined structures may operate to construct particular ideologies and values, and to encourage reassuring and conservative interpretations of a given text (Casey 193, 312). However, reader-oriented commentators have stressed that people are capable of reading against the grain. Thomas and Vivian Sobchack note that in the past popular film-makers, intent on telling a story, were not always aware of the covert psychological and social  subtext of their own films, but add that modern film-makers and their audiences are now more keenly aware of the myth-making accomplished by film genres (Sobchack Sobchack 1980, 245). Genre can reflect a function which in relation to television Horace Newcombe and Paul Hirsch referred to as a cultural forum, in which industry and audience negotiate shared beliefs and values, helping to maintain the social order and assisting it in adapting to change (Feuer 1992, 145). Certainly, genres are far from being ideologically neutral. Sonia Livingstone argues, indeed, that different genres are concerned to establish different world views (Livingstone 1990, 155). Related to the ideological dimension of genres is one modern redefinition in terms of purposes. In relation to writing, Carolyn Miller argues that a rhetorically sound definition of genre must be centered not on the substance or form of discourse but on the action it is used to accomplish (Carolyn Miller 1984, in Freedman Medway 1994a, 24). Following this lead, John Swales declares that the principal criterial feature that turns a collection of communicative  events into a genre is some shared set of communicative purposes (Swales 1990, 46). In relation to the mass media it can be fruitful to consider in relation to genre the purposes not only of the producers of texts but also of those who interpret them (which need not be assumed always to match). A consensus about the primary purposes of some genres (such as news bulletins) and of their readers is probably easier to establish than in relation to others (such as westerns), where the very term purpose sounds too in- An Introduction to Genre Theory strumental. However, uses and gratifications researchers have already conducted investigations into the various functions that the mass media seem to serve for people, and ethnographic studies have offered fruitful insights into this dimension. Miller argues that both in writing and reading within genres we learn purposes appropriate to the genre; in relation to the mass media it could be argued that particular genres develop, frame and legitimate particular concerns, questions and pleasures. Related redefinitions of genre focus more broadly on the relationship between the makers and audiences  of texts (a rhetorical dimension). To varying extents, the formal features of genres establish the relationship between producers and interpreters. Indeed, in relation to mass media texts Andrew Tolson redefines genre as a category which mediates between industry and audience (Tolson 1996, 92). Note that such approaches undermine the definition of genres as purely textual types, which excludes any reference even to intended audiences. A basic model underlying contemporary media theory is a triangular relationship between the text, its producers and its interpreters. From the perspective of many recent commentators, genres first and foremost provide frameworks within which texts are produced and interpreted. Semiotically, a genre can be seen as a shared code between the producers and interpreters of texts included within it. Alastair Fowler goes so far as to suggest that communication is impossible without the agreed codes of genre (Fowler 1989, 216). Within genres, texts embody authorial attempts to position readers using particular modes of address. Gunther Kress observes that: Every genre positions those who participate in  a text of that kind: as interviewer or interviewee, as listener or storyteller, as a reader or a writer, as a person interested in political matters, as someone to be instructed or as someone who instructs; each of these positionings implies different possibilities for response and for action. Each written text provides a reading position for readers, a position constructed by the writer for the ideal reader of the text. (Kress 1988, 107) Thus, embedded within texts are assumptions about the ideal reader, including their attitudes towards the subject matter and often their class, age, gender and ethnicity. Gunther Kress defines a genre as a kind of text that derives its form from the structure of a (frequently repeated) social occasion, with its characteristic participants and their purposes (Kress 1988, 183). An interpretative emphasis on genre as opposed 5 to individual texts can help to remind us of the social nature of the production and interpretation of texts. In relation to film, many modern commentators refer to the commercial and industrial significance of genres. Denis McQuail argues that: The genre may be considered as a practical  device for helping any mass medium to produce consistently and efficiently and to relate its production to the expectations of its customers. Since it is also a practical device for enabling individual media users to plan their choices, it can be considered as a mechanism for ordering the relations between the two main parties to mass communication. (McQuail 1987, 200) Steve Neale observes that genres exist within the context of a set of economic relations and practices, though he adds that genres are not the product of economic factors as such. The conditions provided by the capitalist economy account neither for the existence of the particular genres that have hitherto been produced, nor for the existence of the conventions that constitute them (Neale 1980, 51-2). Economic factors may account for the perpetuation of a profitable genre. Nicholas Abercrombie notes that television producers set out to exploit genre conventions It makes sound economic sense. Sets, properties and costumes can be used over and over again. Teams of stars, writers, directors and technicians can be built up, giving economies of scale (Abercrombie 1996, 43). He adds that genres permit the creation and maintenance of a loyal audience which becomes used to seeing programmes within a genre (ibid. ). Genres can be seen as a means of controlling demand (Neale 1980, 55). The relative stability of genres enables producers to predict audience expectations. Christine Gledhill notes that differences between genres meant different audiences could be identified and catered to This made it easier to standardize and stabilise production (Gledhill 1985, 58). In relation to the mass media, genre is part of the process of targeting different market sectors. Traditionally, literary and film critics in particular have regarded generic texts (by which they mean formulaic texts) as inferior to those which they contend are produced outside a generic framework. Indeed, film theorists frequently refer to popular films as genre films in contrast to non-formula films. Elitist critics reject the generic fiction of the mass media because they are commercial products of popular culture rather than high art. Many harbor the Romantic ideology of the primacy of authorial originality and vision, emphasizing individual style  and artistic self-expression. In this tradition the An Introduction to Genre Theory artist (in any medium) is seen as breaking the mould of convention. For the Italian aesthetician Benedetto Croce (1866-1952), an artistic work was always unique and there could be no artistic genres. More recently, some literary and film theorists have accorded more importance to genre, counteracting the ideology of authorial primacy (or auteurism, as it is known in relation to the emphasis on the director in film). Contemporary theorists tend to emphasize the importance of the semiotic notion of intertextuality: of seeing individual texts in relation to others. Katie Wales notes that genre is an intertextual concept (Wales 1989, 259). John Hartley suggests that we need to understand genre as a property of the relations between texts (OSullivan et al. 1994, 128). And as Tony Thwaites et al. put it, each text is influenced by the generic rules in the way it is put together; the generic rules are reinforced by each text (Thwaites et al. 1994, 100). Roland Barthes (1975) argued that it is in relation to other texts within a genre rather than in relation to lived experience that we make sense of certain  events within a text. There are analogies here with schema theory in psychology, which proposes that we have mental scripts which help us to interpret 6 familiar events in everyday life. John Fiske offers this striking example: A representation of a car chase only makes sense in relation to all the others we have seen after all, we are unlikely to have experienced one in reality, and if we did, we would, according to this model, make sense of it by turning it into another text, which we would also understand intertextually, in terms of what we have seen so often on our screens. There is then a cultural knowledge of the concept car chase that any one text is a prospectus for, and that it used by the viewer to decode it, and by the producer to encode it. (Fiske 1987, 115) In contrast to those of a traditionalist literary bent who tend to present artistic texts as nongeneric, it could be argued that it is impossible to produce texts which bear no relationship whatsoever to established genres. Indeed, Jacques Derrida proposed that a text cannot belong to no genre, it cannot be without a genre. Every text participates in one or several genres, there is no genre-less text  (Derrida 1981, 61). Note *In these notes, words such as text, reader and writer are sometimes used as general terms relating to texts (and so on) in whatever medium is being discussed: no privileging of the written word (graphocentrism) is intended. Whilst it is hard to find an alternative for the word texts, terms such as makers and interpreters are sometimes used here as terms non-specific to particular media instead of the terms writers and readers. 2. Working within genres John Hartley argues that genres are agents of ideological closure they limit the meaning-potential  of a given text (OSullivan et al. 1994, 128). Robert Hodge and Gunther Kress define genres as typical forms of texts which link kinds of producer, consumer, topic, medium, manner and occasion, adding that they control the behavior of producers of such texts, and the expectations of potential consumers (Hodge Kress 1988, 7). Genres can be seen as constituting a kind of tacit contract between authors and readers. From the traditional Romantic perspective, genres are seen as constraining and inhibiting authorial creativity. However, contemporary theorists, even  within literary studies, typically reject this view (e. g. Fowler 1982: 31). Gledhill notes that one perspective on this issue is that some of those who write within a genre work in creative tension with the conventions, attempting a personal inflection of them (Gledhill 1985: 63). From the point of view of the producers of texts within a genre, an advantage of genres is that they can rely on readers already having knowledge and expectations about works within a genre. Fowler comments that the system of generic expectations amounts to a code, by the use of which  (or by departure from which) composition becomes more economical (Fowler 1989: 215). Genres can thus be seen as a kind of shorthand serving to increase the efficiency of communication. They may even function as a means of preventing a text from dissolving into individualism and incomprehensibility (Gledhill 1985: 63). And whilst writing within a genre involves making use of certain given conventions, every work within a genre also involves the invention of some new elements. An Introduction to Genre Theory As for reading within genres, some argue that knowledge of genre conventions leads to passive  consumption of generic texts; others argue that making sense of texts within genres is an active process of constructing meaning (Knight 1994). Genre provides an important frame of reference which helps readers to identify, select and interpret texts. Indeed, in relation to advertisements, Varda Langholz Leymore argues that the sense which viewers make of any single text depends on how it relates to the genre as a whole (Langholz Leymore 1975, ix). Key psychological functions of genre are likely to include those shared by categorization generally such as reducing complexity.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Progressivism Essay examples -- Progressivism American History Essays

Progressivism The Progressive Movement in the late nineteenth century, early twentieth century presented quite a situation for historians to conquer. At the turn of the twentieth century political questioning was the norm. Practically every historian that writes about this time period has a different opinion of what made up â€Å"Progressive Movement,† some even going so far to beg the question if it was actually a movement or if it was more of an â€Å"era.† The two are interchanged so often that they have in many ways come to mean the same thing although according to some they are distinctly different. The four works, Richard Hofstadter's The Age of Reform, Peter Filene's "An Obituary for the Progressive Movement," Richard McCormick's "The Discovery that Business Corrupts Politics," Paula Baker's "The Domestication of Politics" all discuss the Progressive â€Å"time period† in varying degrees of depth. The four historians all wrote after the 1950’s when the age in question was clearly over. Richard Hofstadter’s book discussed all facets of the age from the mid to late 1800’s to the early and middle 1900’s he touches on the politics, the economics and the social and societal conditions of the age. The Age of Reform, specifically, covers the time period from the 1870’s to the 1940’s. He includes populism, progressivism and the New Deal as main topics in his book and it is mainly biographical in nature. He discusses which groups attempted certain reforms and the part of the era it occurred during. He attempts to explain why they attempted when they did and the political atmosphere. He even notes the geographic locations of specific â€Å"pushes† in some cases. Hofstadter, like most historians agrees that reform is the defining feature of th... ...gument that there was no actual â€Å"movement.† Anyone with a political affiliation or any interest in politics at the time championed one of the ideas of the progressives. The progressives were the people seeking reforms in all agencies and aspects of life. With the changing time and with the wavering leaders and growing uncertainty of the party politics everyone was attempting to change what they could. The time period between the mid nineteenth century and the mid twentieth century did not house the progressive movement, it was the progressive era. Sources: Richard Hofstadter's The Age of Reform Peter Filene's "An Obituary for the Progressive Movement" (Article 1) Richard McCormick's "The Discovery that Business Corrupts Politics" (Article 2) Paula Baker's "The Domestication of Politics" (Article 3) *all three articles were taken off of the database JSTOR

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Being Virtuous Though Confucius, Krishna and Socrates Essay

From the beginning of time, the quest of all humans has been to discover how to live the good life. What is a good life exactly? This term will mean different things to different people, and yet I believe there are the same ingredients that all â€Å"good lives† share, even from the classic Eurasian time until present day. Virtues of character, which are also called ‘moral virtues’, seem to be more complex and are an integral part of the completeness of life that is said is necessary for a good life. There seems to be a pattern with people of always trying to achieve being a good person. Is being a good person the answer to having a good life? The Author, Robert W. Strayer makes the point that Confucius, Krishna and Socrates had opinions of ways to a good life but they are all different from one to the other. I will argue that there is a pattern between the three and that the belief to the good life is the same throughout the writings. The saying that history repeats itself is certainly true, but it is also true that people all want to live good lives. Confucius believes living a good life is being virtuous and treating others with respect creates the kind of person that then is given the good life. Being a leader he believed that ruling under an iron fist didn’t create people that respected him and that listened to the law, instead using kindness and sincerity gave the people an example of how to live. He says, â€Å"Let him be ? nal and kind to all; then they will be faithful to him. Let him advance the good and teach the incompetent; then they will eagerly seek to be virtuous† (pg. 218). He also goes on to describe forgiveness which is an essential component in all of the opinions on what is a good life. If one is not being virtuous they can change, which tells us that people are never intended to be perfect but to continue to strive for goodness is always better than to never attempt to be good. That same ideal is true to our modern world. â€Å"To subdue one’s self and return to propriety is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subdue and return to propriety, all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him† (pg. 219). According to Confucius seeking to be virtuous will bring the good life. In Strayers words he associates the ideas of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita as being different than those of Confucius. I believe that essentially they are one in the same. Krishna says, â€Å"a man possessed of a pure understanding, controlling his self by courage discarding sound and other objects of sense, casting off affection and aversion, who frequents clean places, who eats little, who’s speech, body, and mind are restrained who is always intent with meditation and mental abstraction and has recourse to unconcern who abandoning egoism, stubbornness, arrogance, desire, anger and all belongings, has no thought that this or that is mine, and who is tranquil becomes fit for assimilation with the Brahmah† (pg. 21). Krishna is telling us that controlling one’s self and the environment one keeps one’s self in, the abandonment of being stubborn and arrogant all contributes to a virtuous soul, which in turn leads to the good life. This point is exactly what Confucius and Krishna share the same opinion finding that mean or middle ground, that balance or yin and yang, is essential to establishing a completeness which develops virtue is vital in order to lead a successful, fulfilling life ultimately leading to happiness. Socrates also collaborates these same thoughts He states, â€Å"For I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to take thought for your persons and your properties, but ? rst and chie? y to care about the greatest improvement of the soul† (pg. 223). He spent his life trying to convince people to strive to be better people. This is one of the most important things to do in order to find happiness. Socrates believed that the state of one’s soul is the answer to happiness and that there is always improvement that can be made to one’s soul. His mission was to encourage people to think for themselves and thus become more virtuous. Socrates was sentenced to death and as he is near his final moments He says, â€Å"The dif? culty, my friends, is not in avoiding death, but in avoiding unrighteousness† (pg. 223). He also shared the same ideas of Confucius and Krishna that living righteously is the key to the good life. In conclusion what creates a good life for an individual person? It appears to be the same answer that Confucius, Krishna and Socrates had during each of their lives. They learned the same thing that people look for and believe in today. We continue to search for the same answers, but I think the answers are very clear in what history tells us and we learn from these brilliant men, Confucius, Krishna, and Socrates. To be virtuous is having a life with moral integrity and having or showing moral goodness or righteousness. It means being honorable to others and yourself in which will gain the honor and respect from others. Virtue is a belief used to make moral decisions. It does not rely on religion, society or culture; it only depends on the individuals themselves. Virtue has more to do with the character of a person than their earthly riches and possessions. As people continual strive to become a better people, practicing virtuous acts regularly helps develop the good life and they are examples to others striving for the same thing. I believe in what Confucius, Krishna and Socrates taught us, that being a good person is the foundation on which everything else in life is built on, and this I believe is the answer to having the good life.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

IFRS Article Review

The title of the article that I choice to discuss for the article review is entitled â€Å"IFRS Adoption in the U. S. : Why the Postponement? †, written by Qun and Kenneth Hiltebeitel. The article came from the The CPA Journal, November 2010 Issue . In the article the writer’s main focus is on IFRS, which are principles based Standards, Interpretations and the Framework adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board. The article most importantly analyzes the survey results of the targeted audience to decide if IFRS will be ready by the proposed date.The SEC initially created a proposed Roadmap, which outlined when IFRS, would be put into transition by small and large public companies to be changed from financial reporting based on the U. S. Generally Accounting Principle being in 2014 to 2016. The proposed roadmap stated if the filings of 2014 from large companies be made they would be required to include a certain amount of balance sheets, income statements, s tatement of cash flows, and changes in stockholder’s equity for specific dates. Also, those companies adopting IFRS for the first time would have to present a beginning balance sheet, v. . a. the date of transition. The IFRS adoption for the year of 2014 could really mean as early as 2012. After this decision made by SEC in 2008, just as any major decision in the U. S. , more than 200 letters and surveys were submitted by people in and affected in the accounting or financial world. These surveys helped to shape the decision of the SEC in regards to the date of transition. Hiltebeitel discusses three different types of surveys from different places and people: a survey of executive officers, a survey of accounting professionals, and a survey of accounting educators.In the survey of executive officers three accounting firms were discussed in â€Å"Exibit 1† of the article. Each firm wad asked different questions but the overall message was conveyed as the same. The surve y conducted at Grant Thorton LLP, it was taken of financial executives and CFO’s. When asked the question â€Å" Do you believe the U. S. should require the use of IFRS† 50% of the executives selected the answer of â€Å"in 5 years or longer†. The second firm of the study was Pricewaterhouse Coopers.The survey was directed to manager’s directors and CFO’s. 51% of the company was at the learning stage. Most of the companies’ executives had knowledge about the change to IFRS but had no plan to action for IFRS. Deloitte was the third to be surveyed and what was found out was quite the similar to the first two firms findings. After one survey was completed Hiltebeitel was already concluding in the article that most of the U. S. companies would not be ready for the switch in 2014. The second survey was conducted with accounting professionals.The AICPA took an â€Å"IFRS Readiness Survey†. The survey was both done in the year 2008 and 2009 and were to be completed online. The percentages of the survey increased and decreased between the two years with regards to the many questions but the main one of if firms would be ready for the transition. Moreover, eventhough CPA’s were preparing for the change with IFRS, they still had a lot of evident work to do before the change. Lastly, the third survey in the article was of the accounting educators.Educators argued points about not up to date textbooks, extensive needed case studies, and college administrators last minute and not so serious attitude, being the main issue for their hold up in regards to the transition into IFRS in the education sector. Educators were on the side that IFRS should indeed be apart of the curriculum (80%) due to the foresight of â€Å"the first graduating class of accounting students to enter the work force with a substantial knowledge of the IFRS education will be the class of 2015†. With that being said a lot of work needs to be d one in the education side as well.In conclusion, the SEC responded to all of the surveys, comments, and letters by a published statement . The surveys presented in this article helped to bring about the points of this article and helped to shape the most important factors of will the U. S. be indeed ready for the transition in 2014. The answer according to the writer is no. The surveys , comments, and letters did help to influence the SEC decision of IFRS ( as of Feb. 2010), and the exact date of timing of the transition of IFRS is unsure. Will the public companies, accounting firms, and educators be ready?

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Impact of the Civil War essays

Impact of the Civil War essays War, for the most part, has been glorified. The stories have been packed full of honor and bravery in the face of danger. Join the Army, its an adventure, the government tells me and my peers. Though if you sat down with someone whos seen war, the blood soaked battle fields, their dead friend with a bayonet sticking out of his chest, theyll tell you a different story about war. Stripped of its honor and bravery its nothing more butchery. As horrible as it may seem I regretfully think that its here to stay. Well just keep making bigger and better weapons until we blow each other to hell and wipe the Earth clean of all human life. Allan Nevins feels that war is atrocious and overly glorified. He spoke of the Civil War in particular. Possibly one of the bloodiest in our history and the sod thing is that we were killing our own people. Nevins believes that war had two sides the glorious and the terrible. The glorious is represented in things such as statues, poems, and novels (Nevins pg 212). The terrible is represented in pictures of the battlefields and the stories told by those that were there. The battlefield surgical facilities during the Civil War were of the same caliber of those in Napoleons time(Nevins pg 215). Many of the wounded soldiers received no attention for at least a couple days. By that time many had died of shock(Nevins pg 215). From a passage out of Battles and Leaders , General John D. Imboden speaks of soldiers in his forces saying things like,My God! Why cant I die?,My God! Will no one have mercy and kill me?, and Stop! Oh, for Gods sake stop just for one minute; take me out and leave me to die on the roadside.(Nevins pg 216) The war brought with it immorality and neglect. Many large cities were equipped with saloons, brothels, and casinos (Nevins pg 220). Perhaps the largest impact of the war w ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Definition and Examples of Secondary Data Analysis

Definition and Examples of Secondary Data Analysis Secondary data analysis is the analysis of data that was collected by someone else. Below, we’ll review the definition of secondary data, how it can be used by researchers, and the pros and cons of this type of research. Key Takeaways: Secondary Data Analysis Primary data refers to data that researchers have collected themselves, while secondary data refers to data that was collected by someone else.Secondary data is available from a variety of sources, such as governments and research institutions.While using secondary data can be more economical, existing data sets may not answer all of a researcher’s questions. Comparison of Primary and Secondary Data In social science research, the terms primary data and secondary data are common parlance. Primary data is collected by a researcher or team of researchers for the specific purpose or analysis under consideration. Here, a research team conceives of and develops a research project, decides on a sampling technique, collects data designed to address specific questions, and performs their own analyses of the data they collected. In this case, the people involved in the data analysis are familiar with the research design and data collection process. Secondary data analysis, on the other hand, is the use of data that was collected by someone else for some other purpose. In this case, the researcher poses questions that are addressed through the analysis of a data set that they were not involved in collecting. The data was not collected to answer the researcher’s specific research questions and was instead collected for another purpose. This means that the same data set can actually be a primary data set to one researcher and a secondary data set to a different one. Using Secondary Data There are some important things that must be done before using secondary data in an analysis. Since the researcher did not collect the data, its important for them to become familiar with the data set: how the data was collected, what the response categories are for each question, whether or not weights need to be applied during the analysis, whether or not clusters or stratification need to be accounted for, who the population of study was, and more. A great deal of secondary data resources and data sets are available for sociological research, many of which are public and easily accessible. The United States Census, the General Social Survey, and the American Community Survey are some of the most commonly used secondary data sets available. Advantages of Secondary Data Analysis The biggest advantage of using secondary data is that it can be more economical. Someone else has already collected the data, so the researcher does not have to devote money, time, energy and resources to this phase of research. Sometimes the secondary data set must be purchased, but the cost is almost always lower than the expense of collecting a similar data set from scratch, which usually entails salaries, travel and transportation, office space, equipment, and other overhead costs. In addition, since the data is already collected and usually cleaned and stored in electronic format, the researcher can spend most of their  time analyzing the data instead of getting the data ready for analysis. A second major advantage of using secondary data is the breadth of data available. The federal government conducts numerous studies on a large, national scale that individual researchers would have a difficult time collecting. Many of these data sets are also longitudinal, meaning that the same data has been collected from the same population over several different time periods. This allows researchers to look at trends and changes of phenomena over time. A third important advantage of using secondary data is that the data collection process often maintains a level of expertise and professionalism that may not be present with individual researchers or small research projects. For example, data collection for many federal data sets is often performed by staff members who specialize in certain tasks and have many years of experience in that particular area and with that particular survey. Many smaller research projects do not have that level of expertise, as a lot of  data is collected by students working part-time. Disadvantages of Secondary Data Analysis A major disadvantage of using secondary data is that it may not answer the researcher’s specific research questions or contain specific information that the researcher would like to have. It also may not have been collected in the geographic region or during the years desired, or with the specific population that the researcher is interested in studying. For example, a researcher who is interested in studying adolescents may find that the secondary data set only includes young adults.   Additionally, since the researcher did not collect the data, they have no control over what is contained in the data set. Often times this can limit the analysis or alter the original questions the researcher sought to answer. For example, a researcher who is studying happiness and optimism might find that a secondary data set only includes one of these variables, but not both. A related problem is that the variables may have been defined or categorized differently than the researcher would have chosen. For example, age may have been collected in categories rather than as a continuous variable, or race may be defined as â€Å"white† and â€Å"other† instead of containing categories for every major race. Another significant disadvantage of using secondary data is that the researcher doesnt know exactly how the data collection process was done or how well it was carried out. The researcher is not usually privy to information about how seriously the data is affected by problems such as low response rate or respondent misunderstanding of specific survey questions. Sometimes this information is readily available, as is the case with many federal data sets. However, many other secondary data sets are not accompanied by this type of information and the analyst must learn to read between the lines in order to uncover any potential limitations of the data.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Assignment - Research Paper Example It is advised that one confirms to know whether or not test results belong to him/her based on their full names and other identifying information. It is encouraged that if staff doesn’t ask such information, the patient should speak up and asks to see the labels on the tests. Patients are encouraged to ask the healthcare worker why a given test is being done. In order to ensure that the test ordered by the doctor is actually obtained, patients are advised to take the test order copy from the doctor to the test. Again, if one feels the test being done is the wrong one, it is important that clarification is sort from the staff. The brochure further highlights the need for filing complaints about a lab or a facility if mistakes are identified. This is one way of improving the services offered by such facilities. Finally, the brochure lists some of the questions patients need to ask the doctors and the staff performing the tests. These questions help the patient adequately prepare for the test and ensure that the test is done in the right manner. For instance, the patient may ask the doctor questions regarding the foods to be taken before a test, if there is need for prior medication and the reason for taking the test. Through such questions, communication between the patient and the healthcare workers is greatly enhanced. In this article, information is precisely and to the point, making it easy to be understood by many patients. In addition, the questions written at the end of the brochure are good triggers for communication between the patient and the healthcare provider, thereby enhancing the quality of care. However, the article needed to provide more information on how one needs to prepare for a medical or laboratory test. In particular, the article needed to provide basic steps one has to follow from preparation to the final

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 32

Questions - Essay Example record of assembly-line workers and evaluate their performance with the help of deciphering the ratio of mistakes committed by each of them over a specific period of time and appropriate rewards and punishments are allocated based on the data gathered by the system as well (Gupta & Banerjee, 2013). Additionally, performance discrepancies are covered by offering training modules while; employees with exceptional level of leadership qualities are developed into future managers. The leadership capabilities are often noticed by observing behaviors of employees and HRIS is of little help in this regard. The strategic planning of Human Resource of an organization is done by applying HRIS because the company’s secret of development lies within its quality of workforce and therefore, talent need assessment is an imperative advantage of HRIS. The employees who are emotionally sober with tolerant behaviors and open minds are considered ideal for expatriation. The Employee Self Service is a robust web based application which allows the employees to manage their account details, contact information and they can also apply for leave through the same mechanism. The employees must be informed to use ESS via giving them repetitive notifications and finally, in my experience, all employee related issues must be entertained through a web portal only so that people do not have any other option but the usage of ESS as a tool of reporting their issues to higher

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Grief Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Grief - Research Proposal Example The process of acquiring is made balanced by the fact that we must loose. All relationships, objects or positions we acquire in life must be taken away or experience a phase that eliminate the effectiveness of the relationship. The loss is painful to the human life and we involuntary develop a process that tends to react to the loss. The reaction may be displayed in numerous forms. Different people display varying reactions to loss based on their idea of mourning and recovery. In an example a person may cry while another may alter their eating habits. However, an explanation to loss and recovery may be explained in a theological perspective to understand the existence this part of human life and spirit. Grief can be defined as a way in which a person may react to loss. Grief is a person’s way to recovery after experiencing loss of something they had a relationship with1. However, the explanation of grief does cannot be exhausted by the understanding of the person relationship with what they lost. This is after the consideration that the magnitude of the loss determines the magnitude of grief one experiences2. Does grief exist in a theological scope or is grief extensively explained just by the reaction of human nature? Does one’s grief relieve them of the pain they experience when they undergo loss? It is involuntary to grief. Human nature is incorporated with characteristics that require them to adjust to their environment in an instance of change3. The adjustment requires any mechanism that would minimize the feeling of pain4. This explains the difference in the way in which different people grieve. A person may heal from crying while another person may not heal from the same mechanism. The process of grieving is also determined by the magnitude of the loss5. Grief is influenced by the level of one’s exposure to pain6. The magnitude of grief one may undergo when they lose their family member is different from one they experience when they

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Age of Innocence | Analysis

The Age of Innocence | Analysis The Age of Innocence is the novel of Edith Whartons maturity in which she contemplates the New York of her youth, a society now extinct and even then under threat. She was born in 1862 into the exclusive, entrenched and apparently immutable world of wealthy New York families. It was a world of structured leisure, in which attendance at balls and dinners passed for occupation, in which the women devoted themselves to dress and to the maintenance of family and system and the men kept a watchful eye on the financial underpinning that made the whole process possible. It was a complacent and philistine world, but one with inflexible standards. These standards and any offences against it lies at the heart of The Age of Innocence; the sexual passion between Newland Archer, a married man, and Ellen Olenski, nonconformist and separated from her husband, threatens conventional mores and family security; the financial irregularities of Julius Beaufort require that he and his wife be ejected fro m society before they corrupt its most cherished integrities. The form of the novel allows its author to examine, with the wisdom of hindsight, a world which was in the process of breaking up when she was a girl, and which she herself rejected in any case. She wrote with the enclyclopedic knowledge of an insider with the accuracy and selective power of a fine novelist and the detachment of a highly intelligent social and historical observer. From the opening pages of the Age of Innocence, when Newland Archer attends the opera at the Academy of music in New York, we see through his eyes the stage and the cast of the book. Her selection of points of view: of the two central figures, Newland and Ellen Olenski, with whom he falls fatally in love, only Newland is allowed a voice; Ellen is always seen through his eyes and those of others, and is thus given a detachment which makes her both slightly mysterious and strengthens her role as the novels catalyst. Newland, on the other hand, by being given absolute definition of thought and action, is laid out for inspection and judgement; he has the vulnerability of exposure, while Ellen is left with privacy and silence. One is ultimately trapped by custom and circumstance, and the other a free spirit, harbinger of the future. As the novel begins, Newland is about to announce his engagement to May Welland, a conventional alliance with a beautiful girl from a suitable family. He loves her, but sees her, even at this early stage, with a clarity that is prescient: when he had gone the brief round of her he returned discouraged by the thought that all this frankness and innocence were only an artificial product. May, indeed, can be seen as embodying in her personality all the rigidity and implacable self-righteousness of the society itself A KIND OF INNOCENCE, but a dangerous and eventually self-destructive innocence. The novel falls naturally into two halves, before and after the marriage, and it is in the second half that we see the characters of the book Newland and May mature and conflict. In the first part of the book, Newland is allowed to appear as somewhat innocent himself, more sophisticated of course than his financà ©e because he is a man and has been permitted both emotional experiences (he has had a brief affair with a married woman) and an intellectual range not available at the time to a young woman, but nevertheless conditioned and relatively unquestioning. He views the New York of his birth and upbringing with a degree of affectionate impatience. He bows to the dictates of convention silver-backed brushed with his monogram in blue enamel to part his hair never appearing in society without a flower in his buttonhole and accepts a world in which people move in an atmosphere of faint implications and pale delicacies. But at the same time, he is capable of criticism and rebellion, and it is in the second half of the novel that we see this capacity fanned into active life by his feelings for Ellen Olenski and his assessment and understanding of her situation and what is that is being done to her by the tribe. Newlands TRAGEDY is that in the last resort he is unable to obey his own instincts: nurture triumphs over nature. May is a more interesting character than she immediately appears; towards the end of the novel she appears to be anything but innocent. Ellen Olenski is her cousin, returned from Europe to the family fold after the collapse of a disasterous marriage to a philandering Polish count. May, initially, has been graciously kind to her and has encouraged Newlands friendly support and advice over Ellens complex and precarious situation: should she divorce her husband? But in the months after the marriage the passion between Newland and Ellen has become apparent to May (even though they dont seem to meet very much in the novel). We never know quite how but must assume that May is more astute and observant than she has appeared. With stealthy adroitness, she moves to save her marriage and avert the threat to social tranquility the outsider cannot be allowed to strike at the heart of all that is sacrosanct and must be ejected. The family tacitly close ranks around May, and Ellen is put under subtle pressure to return to Europe. In the final scenes, Newland realizes what is happening but he is mute and helpless because there is nothing he can do about it because to protest would be to betray himself and Ellen, who is the challenge and the threat to the status quo. She fascinates the men and repels the women by her cosmopolitanism, her taste for literature and art, her cooly amused view (almost flippant attitude) of the world of her childhood: Im sure Im dead and buried, and this dear old place is heaven, she says to Newland at their first meeting, and from that moment he is doomed. From the start, it appears she has decided to have him, judging by her offhand and unconventional assumption that he will visit her. The whole situation is very ambiguous because we as the reader are not privy to her thoughts and true intentions. Ellens family stands behind her at first and as a last resort they solicit the help of the almost fossilized and aristocratic van der Leydens, to ensure her acceptance. But Ellen is fatally tainted: although Ellen is the one who is the innocent party in her failed marriage (her husband, the Count had eyes with a lot of lashes [to lash = discard his eyes roamed] and when he wasnt chasing the women he was collecting china [china plate = mates] and paying any price for both [meaning he was a philanderer with both women and men and paid them handsomely as well], she is polluted there are even unconfirmed rumors that she has consoled herself. The double standards on which that society functioned becomes most apparent here: a woman must be blameless but a blind eye is turned on male sexual indulgence. Initial sympathy eventually turns to suspicion and then to rejection as it is realized that she is not going to conform that she is no longer one of them due to her freedom of mind and of spirit that is unacceptable in a woman. Ellen emerges as the victor, escaping to the freedom of a more expansive and imaginative society. The price she pays is her relationship with Newland Archer. Newland, Ellen and May are products of their time; whatever their instincts and their inclinations, they are obliged to obey its dictation. The author singles our Sillerton Jackson and Lawrence Lefferts, authorities respectively on family and on form. The unexpected ending is neither tragic nor happy. Archer has no hinders towards being with Ellen now, but chooses to keep her as a memory like a relic in a small dim chapel. She is now significantly older and perhaps does not want to be confronted with reality. She is simply a regret of his youth. Wharton frustrates the reader with this ending, and even with Archers and Ellens frustrated love. One of the central themes in The Age of Innocence is the struggle the individual has with his/her own desires and the dictates of the moral codes and manners of the group of which one belongs. Several times, both Archer and Ellen are expected to sacrifice their own desires for what the family and societal desires and expectations. A profound sense of irony is experienced in reading The Age of Innocence. The hypocrisy demonstrated by so many characters in the book, not least by the character of society, leads one to believe that Wharton must have had a facetious undertone when giving the title of the book. Also, Whartons style, with so many details that have meaning, such as the raised eyebrow or a meaningful glance, communicates that many details have crucial significance, which came well to pass in the filming of the novel as well. The problems with making a film from an existing novel are many; films can use visual images to their advantage, whereas un-illustrated books cannot. The verbal nuances in the text get lost when being translated to film. A world of meaning in a glance, carefully analyzed by Wharton in the text, gets lost in its translation to film. Details of fashion in the text go unnoticed by modern readers. Scorsese dealt with this issue by having a voice-over narrator, telling us the details about things that were necessary to comprehend the story and the various scenes in it. Summary of articles: I read the introduction to the book and I think I saw it as a background to the story but did not summarize the introduction itself. I used the information, at the back of my mind, while reading the book and taking notes. Perhaps it would have been better not to read the introduction first, but only after reading the novel itself. Pamela Knights Forms of Disembodiment: The Social Subject in the Age of Innocence There were many different subjects dealt with in this article, but the part of it which most appealed to me (and which I believe I have use for in other areas of study) was the overall psychological and anthropological analysis of the novel. The quote that sums it up: Any observation about an individual character about his or her consciousness, emotions, body, history, or language also entangles us in the collective experience of the group, expressed in the welter of trifles, the matrix of social knowledge, within and out of which Whartons subjects are composed where and how that entanglement extends is one of the novels questions. Nancy Bentley Hunting for the Real: Wharton and the Science of Manners The quote that sums this article is: The gap between reputation and reality here is provocative, for it hints at the complexity of Whartons relation to her cultural context and to the changing concept of culture itself, the subject at the heart of her fiction. And the historical turn to primitivism. This article is an analysis of Whartons style and the authors relationship to her work and her use of symbolism. Lawrence S. Friedman: The Cinema of Martin Scorsese This article discusses the irony in the novel and Scorseses interpretation of Wharton in two scenes and focuses on the frustration of unconsummated desire. Brigitte Peucker Scorseses Age of Innocence: Adaptation and Intermediality This article deals with film understood as a medium in which different representational systems specifically those of painting and writing both collide and replace one another, but are always supplemental to each other . This makes film a medium congenial to the artistic concerns of Wharton (who was not particularly positive to film), because her work is very visual and multi-layered both imaginistic and verbal. The adaptation of this work was particularly challenging because of the aspect of being multi-layered and it was difficult to translate one medium to another.