UAE History Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

UAE History Questions - Assignment Example The main business was fishing, pearl diving while agricultural sector was poor: only oasis zones allowed growing vegetables and date farms. Due to its comfortable location before Strait of Hormuz, Dubai was a trading point for Bedouins. This tribe society served for a basic model of social organization for pre-UAE population. The Prophet Muhammad wasn’t a prophet only but a warrior and influential political leader (including famous Taking of Mecca). His ambassadors were spreading the religion, and after Muhammad’s death at Dibba battle non-Muslims were defeated. Islam entrenched itself on Arabian Peninsula. 637 AC is another important date because then by conquering Julfar (later Ras al-Khaimah), an important port and a great point of trade during centuries, Islam started to spread on Iran. It was a period of a great sea traveling in 16th century when Portuguese expanded Indian Ocean, and reached Persian lands for the first time. Being more technologically developed nation, Portuguese dominated in the Persian Gulf about 150 years, and for that time step by step conquered a native population of Arabic Peninsula. The reason was a very important trade highway to India a great Portuguese traveler Vasco da Gama discovered when leading his ships to the Cape of Good Hope in 1498. The main product was very precious those days Asian spices. It was previously mentioned that Julfar was a wealthy port, and thus, Portuguese wanted to control the Arabian Gulf to control a trade market. Important is to mention that local Persians often participated Portuguese when conquering allowing conquerors to use their forts. Portuguese weren’t only Europeans interested in a sea trade, and soon in 16th century British came traveling along the Arabian Gulf. By that time, the Peninsula generally was under Ottoman Empire power, but some local tribes were really strong. Qawasim

Phylosofi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Phylosofi - Essay Example There is a complex relation between the both. We live in a materialistic world but still possess a spiritual self. Despair in human beings are of two forms, willing to be one it is not or doesn’t wish to be one it is. Kierkegaard states that human beings who are immensely involved with the spiritual beliefs are the most affected with despair, hence they themselves are held responsible for pain and sufferings attained due to despair, as it is something faced internally by individuals. Despair brings about frustration and pain making it tough to be overcome. Providing a simple example of a girl who lost her lover Kierkegaard states that she has to overcome with the loss and lead her life on her own similarly Christians need to understand that physical death is un-avoidable and rather overcome their despair with Kierkegaard relates the Christianity and despair to state, that despair is universal in nature. People say that they are not in despair but they are unaware of being in despair except for a true Christian. Any personal illness can be cured by prescribing certain medication but despair can only be overcome by mere belief in â€Å"God†, the only way to reduce the psychological problems and gain eternity. Human self is composed of various components like finite and infiniteness, possibility/necessity, consciousness/lack of consciousness relating itself to itself. The willingness to become itself and overcome despair can only be possible by becoming concrete that is by establishing a relation between these elements. Kierkegaard explains the forms that strike the imbalance of self components: Despair based on the elements of Finitude/ Infinitude and Possibility/ Necessity: Despair due to infinitude, which is when an individual focuses on fantasies and forgetting his own self. Despair due to finitude, which is to just exist as any other person in the society. Life may

Perfume by Patrick Suskind Analysis

Perfume by Patrick Suskind Analysis The novel Perfume by Patrick Suskind explores deep into raw human emotions, such as love, hate, and death. By doing so, the novel purposes a universal question that supports numerous themes in the novel. The universal question: are human beings ever extremely detached and cruelly inhuman? is examined throughout the novel with many themes such as the importance of childhood, the hatred for humanity, and the power of scent. With these themes in mind, the question is further analyzed and answered. Madame Gaillard, who was brain-damaged by a blow from her father in her childhood, is entirely incapable of emotion. She is also unable to smell anything, so Grenouilles lack of personal scent does not bother her. Thus she raised him for years, and with her as a role model, Grenouille did not have much chance to be capable of normal human emotions such as having concern for other human beings. Already hampered by the horrors of his birth, his strange fascination with his sense of smell, and his regrettable looks, he was not cared for with any kind of love or affection. This is explained when a past wet nurse says This baby makes my flesh creep because it doesn`t smell the way children ought to smell, (Suskind 11). His basic needs were taken care of (as if he were a domestic animal), and Madame Gaillard gave him away as an apprentice to Grimal because the parish stopped paying for his room and board. Therefore, Grenouille was never taught that he was a valuable human being, and theref ore his psychotic tendencies were magnified. Grimal the tanner also treats Grenouille no better than a domestic animal. The tanner locks Grenouille in a closet to make sure that he doesnt run away. While Grimal does not actively try to hurt Grenouille, he does not treat him much like a human being either. This is shown when Suskind narrates the following By evening his clothes were dripping wet and his skin was cold and swollen. After one year of an existence more animal than human, he contracted anthrax, (Suskind 31). The tanner also seems to feel no regret over how he treats Grenouille. This is shown when Suskind explains He was no longer locked in at bed time. His food was more adequate. Grimal no longer kept him as just any animal, but as a useful house pet, (Suskind 32). In consequence to the fact that Grenouille was not treated as a human being, he began to become less attached to society. When Baldini is willing to take him off of Grimals hands (for a good price), Grimal coul dn`t wait to get rid of Grenouille and send him off to Baldini. Baldini treats Grenouille only as a source for perfume invention, and he feels extremely uncomfortable in the presence of the young man, yet he is too concerned with appearances to treat Grenouille cruelly when Suskind states Baldini was shocked of the magnificent scent, and realized he had to be firm on Grenouille in order to get full results, (Suskind 85). All of these factors diffidently contribute to a persons personality when they reach adulthood. Grenouille as an adult progressively becomes extremely detached from society because of his neglected childhood. As a result of the characters: Madame Gaillard, Grimal, and Baldini, the protagonist Grenouille forced upon characteristics by how they treated Grenouille during the course of the novel. Due to these characteristics, they allowed the protagonist to become a very detached and inhuman individual. In addition, these characters also nurtured the protagonist to have hatred for humanity, which is another rising theme in the text. Grenouilles hatred of humanity, while not surprising (considering his upbringing and early adulthood), is so complete that he retreats to the farthest point he can to get away from the smell of human beings. This takes the form of a seven-year hermitage on the top of a volcano in the Massif Centrale in what amounts to solitary confinement. This is shown when Suskind clarifies He had withdrawn from society for his own personal pleasure, only to be near to himself, (Suskind 123). He retreats so far into himself that the only thing that matters to him is his own very pathological fantasy life. To call this a hatred of humanity is an understatement; Grenouille tries to be the only person in his world. Once Grenouille has concocted his ultimate scent, which is the scent that inspires love from all other human beings, Grenouille finds that he has no use for this love. It doesnt fulfill him. Since he has no more places to explore Grenouille is ready to die the author describes He had experi enced that life once and it had proved unliveable, (Suskind 251). Nothing in this world other than the pursuit of scent has any attraction for him; no human being holds any interest or love for him (or he for any of them other than scents to collect), so he decides to die. Thus substantiates that the character Grenouille is a perfect example of a human that has become detached from society and inhuman. His final rejection of humanity and life goes beyond a hatred for human beings and extends to himself. Grenouille is perchance the perfect pessimist. This novel takes as a premise that scent controls a large portion of human behaviour, usually on an unconscious level. It is important to note this evidence, for the entire internal plot turns on this idea. It is not only his supernatural sense of smell that is the focus of Grenouilles life, but the idea that humans scents are integral to their humanity. Grenouille is subhuman, both in his own mind and, at least unconsciously, in the minds of others because he has no personal odour. When he discovers this personal characteristic in his hideout in the Massif Centrale, he is shocked and somewhat horrified Suskind clarifies Grenouille needed a long time to believe what he was smelling, (Suskind 121). He has never met another human being with no smell; that he cannot smell himself, despite his marvellous nose, seems monstrous to himdemonstrating why he seems monstrous to everyone else. This shows a factor as little as scent can have a huge role in whether or not a person will be disconne cted from society. Grenouille suffered inflictions with his lack of scent, and has contributed to the protagonists downfall. Grenouilles collapse occurred when the character decided that there was nothing more to live for. In June 1766, Grenouille arrives in the city of Paris. Grenouille goes to the Cimitià ¨re des Innocents and waits for nightfall. A ruffian-looking group gathered around a small bomb fire; they are mostly murderers and criminals. Grenouille comes to their bomb fire and immediately covers himself with the entire contents of the bottle of the exquisite perfume. In short order the mob surrounds Grenouille, tears him to pieces, and eats him alive. The cannibals feel incredibly happy, if a bit embarrassed, when Suskind explains For the first time they had done something out of love (Suskind 255). In any case, Suskinds novel Perfume is much more than a spine-chilling tale of a murderer. It is visibly shown that Perfume goes further into the subject of humanity by exploring the universal question: are human beings ever this detached and cruelly inhuman? In Addition, the novel explores this concept with the many themes depicted in the novel such as the search for acceptance, the hatred for humanity, and the sovereignty of scent. Through these themes and the knowledge from the novel, perfume explains that human beings can, in fact be detached form society and very inhuman, and can be clearly shown through the character of Grenouille.

Andrew Jackson :: essays research papers

Andrew Jackson became the nation’s seventh president in 1829. He made significant changes in American politics at that time. He was very popular with the people because of the fact that he was a hero of the War of 1812. He had also served in the senate and was a tough man who had manifested the spirit of the frontier. One change Jackson brought about was the steadily increasing power of the west. He happened to be the first president to come from the west of the Appalachians. Jackson was also the start of a new era of democracy in American politics. He didn’t belong to a party but rather had much popular support.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jackson supporters were poor and relatively new voters. Unlike other races (besides that of 1824) all white men were allowed to vote rather than just white male property owners. The election of Jackson in 1828 tripled the votes cast from 356,000 in 1824 to 1.1 million in 1828. Most of those new voters gave their votes to the man of the people, Jackson. The power of the voters was evident. Jackson had won 178 electoral votes to Adam’s 83. The election also stirred another change; the revival of the two-party system. This race gave voters a choice between two candidates with sharply differing views. An opposition party had arisen and with it came many conflicts but the new party would also strengthen the democratic process by stirring debates on key issues and giving two different views on matters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many newly elected officials elected to office used a practice called patronage. Jackson made the practice official by dismissing more than 200 presidential employees and about 2,000 other officeholders. They were replaced with 2,000 Jacksonian Democrats. The term spoils system was soon derived for the patronage system under Jackson. The spoils or pillage (jobs of previous appointees and officeholders) were taken from a defeated enemy. Jackson stated, in defense of the spoils system that any intelligent man could hold a public office. His support for the system made him popular with the common man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jackson did not approve of a overpowering or controlling federal government. He felt the national government should be the least involved as possible. He vetoed many acts of congress in his term as president, one being a road from Maysville, Kentucky to Lexington, Kentucky. He felt the state should build the road and not the national government.

Principles of safeguarding and protection in health and social care Essay

1.1 Define the following types of abuse: †¢Physical abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm. †¢Sexual abuse is the forcing of undesired sexual behaviour by one person upon another. †¢Emotional/psychological abuse may involve threats or actions to cause mental or physical harm; humiliation; isolation. †¢Financial abuse is the illegal or unauthorised use of a person’s property, money, pension book or other valuables. †¢Institutional abuse involves failure of an organisation to provide appropriate and professional individual services to vulnerable people. It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour that amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness, stereotyping and rigid systems. †¢Self-neglect is a behavioural condition in which an individual neglects to attend to their basic needs, such as personal hygiene, appropriate clothing, feeding, or tending appropriately to any medical conditions they have. †¢Neglect is a passive form of abuse in which the perpetrator is responsible to provide care, for someone, who is unable to care for oneself, but fails to provide adequate care to meet their needs. Neglect may include failing to provide sufficient supervision, nourishment, medical care or other needs. 1.2Identify the signs and/or symptoms associated with each type of abuse: †¢Physical abuse when you have Bruises, pressure marks, broken bones, abrasions, and burns may indicate physical abuse or neglect. †¢Sexual abuse can be bruises around the breasts or genital area, as well as unexplained bleeding around the genital area, pregnancy, STI’s may be signs of sexual abuse. †¢Emotional/psychological abuse can be unexplained withdrawal from normal activities, changes in behaviour and unusual depression may be indicators of emotional abuse. †¢Financial abuse can be no money, food, clothes. Large withdrawals of money from the bank account, sudden changes in a will, and the sudden disappearance of valuable items may be indications of financial exploitation. †¢Institutional abuse can include poor care standards; lack of positive responses to complex needs; rigid routines; inadequate staffing and an insufficient knowledge base within the service; lack of choice, individuality. †¢Self neglect can be bedsores, poor hygiene, unsanitary living conditions, and unattended medical needs may be signs of neglect. †¢Neglect by others can be failure to take necessary medicines, leaving a burning stove unattended, poor hygiene, confusion, unexplained weight loss, and dehydration may all be signs of self-neglect. 1.3 Describe factors that may contribute to an individual being more vulnerable to abuse: If an individual is not mobile, is confused, has dementia, or is aggressive or challenging then this can increase the risk of abuse as the carer might not know how to deal with this, get frustrated and might take it personally and abuse the individual. 2.1 Explain the actions to take if there are suspicions that an individual is being abused: If I suspected any kind of abuse I will record the facts on appropriate paperwork and let my manager know. 2.2 Explain the actions to take if an individual alleges that they are being abused: If an individual alleges that they are being abused, I will record the detail of all allegations that the individual tells me using the individual’s own words, I will not ask any questions or make any judgements about what I have been told. I will take the allegations seriously and reassure the individual that they are right to tell me as their safety is the most important. I will make sure that I record the date and time when the abuse was report it to the manager. 2.3 Identify ways to ensure that evidence of abuse is preserved: †¢Record the facts immediately †¢Report immediately †¢Do not tamper with evidence 3.1 Identify national policies and local systems that relate to safeguarding and protection from abuse: †¢National policies – Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, the Vetting and Barring Scheme run by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), Criminal Records Bureau, Human Rights Act 1998. †¢Local Systems – Safeguarding Adults Boards, Safeguarding policies and procedures for vulnerable adults.’ 3.2 Explain the roles of different agencies in safeguarding and protecting individuals from abuse: Safeguarding Adults Boards Role: The overall objective of the board is to enhance the quality of life of the vulnerable adults who are at risk of abuse and to progressively improve the services of those in need of protection The Police Role: Serving the community, respect and protect human dignity and maintain and uphold the human rights of all persons. CRC Role: We monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and we publish what we find, including performance ratings to help people choose care. 3.3 Identify reports into serious failures to protect individuals from abuse: †¢October 2013: Police have arrested 7 care workers from the Veilstone Care Home in Bideford in Devon over alleged abuse of people with learning disabilities. †¢February 2011: Julie Hayden was designated safeguarding champion for the London Borough of Hounslow’s older people’s team at the time the thefts were reported, but failed to follow correct safeguarding procedures in either case. †¢August 2012: The serious case review into events at Winterbourne View, near Bristol, comes after 11 ex-staff members admitted offences against patients 3.4 Identify sources of information and advice about own role in safeguarding and protecting individuals from abuse: You can obtain information from Care Quality Commission, Local authority Adult Services Department like Social Services and Independent Safeguarding Authority. Can get advice on own role from my manager, care workers and my company’s policies and procedures on safeguarding from the office. 4.1 Explain how the likelihood of abuse may be reduced by: Working with person centred values: Person-centred values include the individuality of the person, the rights of the individual, the individual’s choice, the individual’s privacy, the individual’s independence, the individual’s dignity and the individual being respected. Encouraging active participation: Active participation is a way of working that recognises an individual’s right to participate in the activities and relationships of everyday life as independently as possible; the individual is regarded as an active partner in their own care or support, rather than a passive recipient. Promoting choice and rights: Individuals are supported to make their choices in anything they want like in choosing food or drink, in what to wear, whether to use hot or cold water to bathe. No individual will choose what will hurt him or her therefore abuse is reduced to the minimum. Individuals’ rights are promoted throughout the service. My service user has the right to do anything that they wish to do and if it is what they want as long as it is not dangerous; a risk assessment is then done to stop any abuse happening. 4.2 Explain the importance of an accessible complaints procedure for reducing the likelihood of abuse: †¢The complaints procedure gives the complainant the right to be heard and supported to make their views known. An accessible complaints procedure is understandable and easy to use. It sets out clearly how to make a complaint, the steps that will be taken when the complaint is looked into. It also provides flexibility in relation to target response times. †¢An accessible complaints procedure resolves complaints more quickly as the complainant feels that they are being listened to and their complaint taken seriously. This sets up an open culture of making sure that abuse will not be tolerated in any form and encourages the complainant to not accept this. 5.1 Describe unsafe practices that may affect the wellbeing of individuals: †¢Unsanitary conditions can spread infection as cross-contamination can occur and can affect the well-being of the individual and others. †¢Dirty kitchen surfaces and equipment can spread infections. †¢Improper hand washing can also pose a risk. †¢Staff not recording in care plans about a service user’s wellbeing and health and not monitoring them. †¢Staff not checking when a service user is ill or unsteady on their feet. †¢In terms of health and safety not having risk assessments in place when a service user hurts themselves. †¢leaving a service user on the toilet too long, ignoring or not listening to them. 5.2 Explain the actions to take if unsafe practices have been identified: If I identify unsafe practices, I must follow the whistle-blowing procedure and immediately report to my manager or if it involves my manager then to another appropriate person. 5.3 Describe the action to take if suspected abuse or unsafe practices have been reported but nothing has been done in response: †¢If suspected abuse or unsafe practices have been reported but nothing has been done in response or if it has to do with my manager then I will report to the next level or manager. †¢If it has to do with my manager then I will report to management,  then to the social worker and safeguarding team and to the care quality commission and even to the police depending on the response I get. Principles of communication in adult social care settings. 1.1 Identify different reasons why people communicate? †¢expressing and sharing ideas, feelings, needs, wishes and preferences †¢obtaining and receiving information †¢getting to know each other 1.2 Explain how effective communication effects all aspects of working in adult social care settings? †¢service provision †¢teamwork †¢participation, support and trust †¢empathy and shared understanding †¢recording and reporting 1.3 Explain why it is important to observe an individual’s reactions when communicating with them †¢to understand what an individual is trying to express †¢to meet the individual’s needs †¢to identify any changes in an individual’s needs †¢to enable effective communication 2.1 Explain why it is important to find out an individual’s communication and language needs, wishes and preferences An individual is someone requiring care or support Preferences may be based on: †¢beliefs †¢values †¢culture Importance of finding out an individual’s needs, wishes and preferences may include: to enable effective communication †¢to understand what an individual is trying to express †¢to understand an individuals’ needs, wishes, beliefs, values and culture †¢to avoid the individual feeling excluded †¢to avoid the individual becoming distressed, frustrated or frightened †¢to support the individual to be fully involved in their daily life 2.2 Describe a range of communication methods Communication methods include: Non-verbal communication: †¢written words †¢facial expressions †¢eye contact †¢touch †¢physical gestures †¢body language †¢behaviour †¢gestures †¢visual aids e.g. flash cards, pictures, symbols Verbal communication: †¢vocabulary †¢linguistic tone †¢pitch 3.1 Identify barriers to communication Barriers may include: †¢not understanding or being aware of an individual’s needs, wishes, beliefs, values and culture †¢not making communication aids available or checking they are working †¢a noisy environment †¢an uncomfortable environment e.g. lighting, temperature †¢a lack of privacy †¢different language, use of jargon 3.2 Describe ways to reduce barriers to communication Ways to reduce barriers may include: †¢understanding and being aware of an individual’s needs, wishes, beliefs, values and culture †¢supporting individuals to communicate their needs †¢avoiding using jargon in written documents and when speaking †¢speaking slowly and clearly †¢ensuring communication aids are available and working properly †¢showing you are listening and interested †¢providing a quiet and private environment †¢making sure the environment is comfortable 3.3 Describe ways to check that communication has been understood Ways to check may include: †¢observing the person you are communicating with †¢Ã¢â‚¬Ëœreading’ facial expressions and body language †¢checking with the individual that they have understood †¢asking questions, re-phrasing †¢consulting others 3.4 Identify sources of information and support or services to enable more effective communication Sources of information and support may include: †¢individual’s care plan †¢individual’s communication profile †¢individual’s communication passport †¢individual themselves †¢colleagues †¢key worker †¢translator †¢interpreter †¢speech and language therapist †¢advocate †¢family or carers Services may include: †¢translation services †¢interpreting services †¢speech and language services †¢advocacy services 4.1 Define the term â€Å"confidentiality† Meaning of confidentiality may include: †¢keeping information private and safe †¢passing on private information with the individual’s permission †¢only passing on information to others who have a right to it and need to know it 4.2 Describe ways to maintain confidentiality in day to day communication Ways of maintaining confidentiality may include: †¢keeping written records safe †¢not leaving written records in places where others might see †¢ensuring confidential information is passed on only to others who have a right to it and who need to know it †¢password protecting electronic files †¢checking the identity of the person before passing on information †¢not discussing personal information about individuals outside of work †¢providing a private environment 4.3 Describe situations where information normally considered to be confidential might need to be shared with agreed others Situations may include: †¢when working with others †¢when a criminal act has taken place †¢when an individual or another person is at risk of danger, harm or abuse †¢when an individual or another person is being placed in danger, harmed or abused Agreed others may include: †¢colleagues †¢social worker †¢occupational therapist †¢GP †¢speech and language therapist †¢physiotherapist †¢pharmacist †¢nurse †¢specialist nurse †¢psychologist †¢psychiatrist †¢advocate †¢dementia care advisor †¢family or carers 4.4 Explain how and when to seek advice about confidentiality How to seek advice may include : †¢the organisation’s confidentiality policy †¢speaking with the manager When to seek advice may include when: †¢confidential information needs to be shared with agreed others †¢clarification is needed

There’s no such thing as a free lunch

â€Å"There is No Such Thing as Free Lunch,† although is a clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ statement, is true. Nothing comes without a price, although whether the price involves money or not, is still there. Corepower Yoga, off Kipling and C-470, offers one free week of yoga to new time customers. The yoga is unlimited for the week and has no strings attached such as continued membership. Although the ad is labeled as free, and monetary it really is, due to trade-offs, benefit/cost analysis, and comparative benefit/cost analysis the free week of yoga comes with a price. The definition of trade-offs is giving up something to get something. Getting a free week of yoga at Corepower Yoga is great, but what if a different yoga center is better? Corepower Yoga does many hot yoga classes. This means that the room will be heated up to one hundred and five degrees and the humidity turned up to fifty percent. This could create a lot of discomfort and strain to new yoga users that they are not ready for. In addition, there are only about six classes a day, so the timing could not be right, considering there is a gap of classes between the times of twelve and four. These things could be wrong for a customer making the trade-off a costly thing. Another cost would be whether yoga is worthwhile or not. This is called benefit/cost analysis. Going to yoga involves working out and time and these are costs. Yoga creates a healthier body, more flexibility, more balance, and increased stamina. These are all positives, but take hard work to reach and maintain, which just one free week will not get you. To reach the full potential, a membership will be required, which is a monetary cost. If the addition of a membership is not taken at the end of the week, the yoga that has been done would not be very effective. A continuous membership costs about a hundred dollars a week for unlimited yoga. Not all people can afford this. One week of free yoga, although technically free, has the potential to cost more later on. This brings up the thought of if this week is a good deal, is it the best deal? This is called comparative benefit/cost analysis. Working out has benefits, but is yoga the best method? A gym also offers good workout potential. There are many different machines, work out classes, possibly tanning, and a very upbeat environment. Yoga is just one class and a very relaxed environment. Yoga created relaxation about life, and helps to distress the body, whereas working out just focuses on toning the body. The membership costs are about the same, but Corepower Yoga offers a free week to test out all of the things it has to offer. Nothing comes freely. Corepower Yoga's advertisement offers one free week of yoga to all new users. This is false advertisement, because it is not free. It must be taken into consideration the time, location, hard work, and the schedule of Corepower Yoga. All of these things cost something, although it may not deal with money are very important to the decision of taking up the offer or not.

James Joyces Dubliners.

James Joyces Dubliners. Larissa ZhurakovskyaWith a population of 1,009,100 today Dublin has always been a large city. It is only logical that the daily thought processes and life force of its people inevitably produce certain spiritual energy, a collective consciousness. This collective consciousness does not disappear after it is created. It is absorbed by the city itself, as it has nowhere else to go. The roads, the buildings, the bridges, and the trees gobble up this life energy. Therefore, the city becomes animate with this life force and gains a certain "psychosomatic" will. A large city then intentionally uses this asset to manipulate its inhabitants through emotions that it uses its energy and will to create. Based on these emotions the people make decisions that (as emotions generally created a uniform response) enact the will of the city. Nonetheless, because the energy and "spirit" of the city was produced by previous generations, its will must reflect the life of the past.James Joyce, one of the controversial omissions of...Therefore the emotions and actions produced by the city in present inhabitants are repetitive and regressive. James Joyce recognized this pattern and wrote his Dubliners to show this stagnation and paralysis that Dublin spread over its inhabitants. Joyce uses characterization, organization, and setting to promote this theme.The setting of Dubliners is obviously Dublin. Joyce vividly and painstakingly describes the city to show how it uses its looks and ambiance to create emotions and reactions within its residents."We spent a long time walking about the noisy streets flanked by high stone walls,watching the working of cranes and engines and often being shouted at for ourimmobility by the drivers of groaning carts. It was noon when we reached the quaysand...all the laborers seemed to be eating their lunches."Dublin creates emotions such as entrapment, glumness, and aimlessness with...

Affirmative Action Essays - Social Inequality, Affirmative Action

Affirmative Action Essays - Social Inequality, Affirmative Action Affirmative Action Affirmative Action: Reverse Discrimination? Affirmative Action is a hot issue in the United States, with wide differences of opinion over the correct way to expand opportunity for people who have historically been discriminated against. With the philosophical difference behind the legal and political tensions is deep. One side wants a total rollback of affirmative action programs, making individual merit the only criterion for hiring and promotional considerations. While the other extreme wants affirmative action to be pushed until the racial makeup of all professions mirrors the racial makeup of US society exactly. While both these sides are to the greatest ends of the argument there needs to be an approach to come up with a medium. This could include laws to force companies to vigorously recruit and develop minorities for professional and managerial jobs. However, there should not be any outright quotas, which reserve a certain number of slots for particular minority groups. This will cause resentments and constitutional obs tacles down the road. The objective here is not to do away with affirmative action in one sweep, rather to seek out strategies to help promising minorities and match them with opportunities they have rightfully earned and deserve. Now, what does the law say? Although Title VII has an affirmative action component part of it, most regulations stem from a requirement imposed by Executive Order 11246. There are a lot of misconceptions about affirmative action and what laws companies actual have to follow. One is that all companies are required to adhere to the laws under affirmative action, this is not the case. Executive Order 11246 states that once a company enters into a contract with a federal governmental agency that exceeds $10,000 it must abide by the affirmative action rules and regulations. These regulations include, but are not limited to, the following: to post in a conspicuous place, available to all applicants, provisions of the nondiscrimination clause; include in contractor's advertisements that all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, or national origin; include statements of these obligations to all subcontractors; and furnish all informa tion and reports to the Secretary of Labor for purposes of investigation to ascertain compliance with the executive order and its regulations. In addition to the above regulations if a corporation enters into a contract of $50,000 or more additional requirements are put in place. A Corporation must develop a written action plan within 120 days of the beginning of a governmental contract. They must also perform a workforce analysis, which must indicate how many women and minorities are in job categories ranging from unskilled workers to managerial employees. These are the basic rules and regulations companies and corporations must follow in order to be within the compliance of the law. There have been several major court decisions that have helped define the application of the statutes and regulations. One of the biggest and earliest cases was that of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. This case was not against an individual's employer rather against a university. Bakke applied to Davis for two consecutive years but was rejected on both occasions. In both years, applicants with lower scores than Bakke were admitted due to a special admit program. Davis had a program that says applicants who are not of minority status are totally excluded from a specific percentage of the seats in the entering class. When the State's distribution of benefits hinges on the color of a person skin, that individual is entitled to a demonstration that the challenged classification is essential to promote a tangible state interest. For this reason the court's judgment was that Davis' special admission program was invalid under the Fourteenth Amendment. Another case, that di d deal with the employer-employee relationship, was United Steelworkers of America, AFL-CIO v. Weber. In this case a white employee sued because his employer adopted a voluntary affirmative action plan reserving for black employees fifty percent of the openings in a training program. Because the company had put in place a voluntary program to eliminate an apparent racial imbalance the Supreme Court held that the program was permissible and did not unnecessarily trample the rights of white employees. These are just

Cheating Behavior Among Undergraduate Students Psychology Essay

Cheating Behavior Among Undergraduate Students Psychology Essay The journal articles that are reviewed here have common keywords which are students and cheating, which can be classified as academic dishonesty. The research in the first journal is about cheating behavior among undergraduate students. The critical review in the first journal basically criticized the Methodological issue and theoretical issue which involve the sample of the study, procedures and how the research is beneficial to others. The research in the second journal however is about Academic dishonesty and perceptions of Pakistani students. The critical review in the second journal criticized about the Methodological issue and theoretical issue which involve Sample of the study, research instrument and procedure of study. Journal 1 Cheating behavior among undergraduate students Batool, Saeeda; Abbas, Anam; Naeemi, Zahra. International Journal of Business and Social Science, ISSN 2219-1933, 01/2011, Volume 2, Issue 3, p. 246 Summary This research paper has taken into considerat ion the factors that persuade students at the undergraduate level to cheat. The basic purpose of this research paper is to analyze the reasons that persuade students to cheat at the undergraduate level. In this paper, the factors taken in to account are student CGPA, parental pressure, lack of preparation for a particular exam, student’s time consumed in extracurricular activities and gender on the level of cheating done by students. Specifically, for this paper the term ‘cheating’ means the following; cheating on quizzes, exams and assignments. For research and data collection purposes, the total sample size taken is 300 undergraduate students from five different universities. With the data that was collected, analysis was done through cross-tabulation and other tools for defining the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Lastly, this paper also talks about the relationship between the factors that cause undergraduate to cheat. Journal 1 Critical Review Methodological Issue Sample of the Study A total of 300 undergraduate students were involved in this research. 60 undergraduate students were selected from five different universities and colleges. The universities and colleges that were involved were NUST Business School, Bahria University, FAST, Islamic International University and Shifa Medical College which are all situated in Islamabad. Even though the sample size of each institution was equal, the data from this research cannot be generalized worldwide due to the small sample of this research and the race of the sample. Even though the sample size of the study was equal, but it is unknown that whether the male ratio and female ration are equal in each sample size. Moreover, the data that were collected were all from the undergraduates in Islamabad, which composed of mostly Middle Eastern students. In addition, the institutions were not chosen at random, due to the institutions were chosen based on the authorsâ €™ ability to conduct the study. Thus, it will be inappropriate to use the title of this research which is â€Å"cheating behaviors among undergraduate students† due to the data cannot be generalized. Aside from, that it is unknown that whether the participants were selected randomly or the participants voluntarily participate the research. But, in this case, the researcher most probably adapted the method of convenient sampling. Even though, convenient sampling allows researcher to collect data easily, but it also has the element of selection bias which might affect the results of the research.

Gattaca Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gattaca - Essay Example Supported later in the late 19 th century it became a serious scientific study then failing as a science in WWII when Nazis used eugenics to support the extermination of entire races, arising then severe ethical questions regarding "the survival of the fittest." (eugenics,2007) But because the quest for perfection has always been latent in human beings and organizations, in late June 2000, the press announced that a joined project between the public and private sectors had completed the map of human genome. When the two team leaders for both sectors where interviewed about the future of human engineering and specifically about "Designer babies" by paying customers, they both laughed in unison and responded; "Mostly what people want is offspring who are good looking smart, talented in one way or another and easy to get along with. The day when such complexities could be managed is not just a long way off, it will probably never arrive for a simple reason; Genes are not alone in determ ining such characteristics; the same genes in a different environment will yield a different personality."

I am a nurse nursing students learn the art and science of nursing Article

I am a nurse nursing students learn the art and science of nursing - Article Example The meaning of experience came through in five themes that were threads throughout the responses from the students (Idczak, 2007). The first was fear of interacting with patients in which nursing students talked about how they felt about their first interactions with patients. Those feelings included fear, anxiety, nervousness, and lack of confidence. They did not have the confidence in how they might respond to feel comfortable. They found that they were afraid to ask RN's on the floor and so they were dealing with these feelings alone. Developing confidence was a second issue in which nursing students felt insecure, however, most of them felt that if they performed skills well that their level of confidence improved rapidly and that this confidence then helped with their interactions with patients. Becoming aware of oneself was felt to be something that was needed in order to interact well with patients. These nursing students felt that they developed self awareness through : "reflecting on their thought, reflecting on an interaction with a patient, comparing their thoughts to the actions of another nurse, and seeing inner role conflict" (Idczak, 2007 pg. 69). Nursing students must connect their new found knowledge of the science of nursing with their need for the art of nursing and their ability to interact with patients.

Apple Services and iOS Systems Information Sharing Dissertation

Apple Services and iOS Systems Information Sharing - Dissertation Example The literature review chapter stated the pros and cons of the information sharing system along with highlighting the loopholes in the iOS and problems faced by users. It was found that third parties applications along with insiders and hackers play an important and significant role in leaking private and confidential information that often affects the privacy of users. It was also found that the majority of users do not have an idea over the breach of security and its implications that can be considered as a major issue. The research methodology chapter presented an overview of different elements of the methodology along with justifying the overall preference in a logical manner. The chapter also offered the importance of each element in terms of accomplishing the proposed research objectives. The findings and analysis chapter revealed that majority of the interviewed participants believed that, breach of security happens mainly because of the use of WiFi, sharing of ID, and access o f information by the insiders of the company, and by the attack of hackers. It was also found that not many were aware of safeguarding their privacy and security and was assumed as a major issue. ... ionale for the Research Topic 7 1.7 Scope of the Research 7 1.8: Proposed Methodology 7 1.9: Outline of the Dissertation 8 1.10: Summary 9 Section 2.0 Literature Review 10 2.1 Introduction 10 2.2 Information Sharing System 10 2.3 Benefits of Information Sharing System 12 2.4 Challenges of Information Sharing 14 2.5 Apple’s Breach of Security 16 2.6: Summary 21 Section 3.0 Research Methodology 22 3.1 Introduction 22 3.2 Research Philosophy 22 3.3 Research Approach 23 3.4 Research Design 23 3.5 Data Collection Methods 24 3.6 Sampling 24 3.7. Ethical Considerations 25 3.7: Strengths and Limitations of the Methodology 25 3.8: Summary 25 Section 4.0 Findings and Analysis 26 4.1 Introduction 26 4.2 Critical Analysis of Interviews 27 4.3: Summary 35 Section 5 Conclusion and Recommendations 36 5.1 Introduction 36 5.2: Conclusion 36 5.3: Recommendations for IOS System and Information Sharing 41 5.4: Recommendations for Future Research 41 5.5: Summary 42 BIBLIOGRAPHY 43 CHAPTER-1: INTRO DUCTION 1.1: Introduction In today’s world, business, and society is driven by the use of technologies that often shape human minds and activities in a significant manner. With the advent of computers, human beings were exposed to numerous opportunities making their life simple. With the introduction of Smartphones, it became all the more easy to get connected to anyone in any part of the world along with doing wide arrays of works like playing games, listening to games, checking emails, making business presentation, and sharing and receiving information through social media, GPS, and GPRS (Browning, 2000). All these things have made life simple yet a bit complicated in many ways.

Critically analyse class expectation and gender in Pride and Prejudice Essay

Critically analyse class expectation and gender in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Essay Example Collins who spends so much of his time fawning Lady Catherine expresses class consciousness. Mr. Collins is an epitome of a society that cares nothing but getting their feet off the mud with the misconception that wealth, status and power are the basis of a good life. He has a complete disregard of the more important values in life. Austen depicts the barriers in classes in the 19th century England in the character of Mr. Collins. (Pascoe, 2002, p. 11-19) The boundaries in class are vividly drawn by Austen through the characters in the novel. Another example is Lady Catherine’s aristocratic image in the story. She appears as the protagonist who comes in between the relationship of Darcy, his nephew, and Elizabeth. The image-conscious aristocrat represents the people from the upper class of the society. She is prejudiced of the likes of the Bennets and most especially, Elizabeth. She finds the Bennets inconsequential due to their status and the fact the sisters are not able to draw. Aside from those, Elizabeth’s character, an uncommon girl in her era, makes Lady Catherine dislike her even more. Her incompetence in singing and playing the piano is far from what a girl in that time should be. (Goodin, 1972, p. 85-96) The social structure in the 19th century is present throughout the novel though the definition of characters relies more on the dialogues and not much on the description. Darcy for instance, portrays a character with excessive pride which is due to what society expects of him and with the big influence of what his father taught him. He is basically born into aristocracy but due to his honest and kind heart, tagged with his encounters with Elizabeth, Darcy eventually sees that the factors other than material possessions, status quo and power are the ones that truly belong to aristocracy. (Peterson, 1982, p. 11-13) When she declines the marriage proposal of Darcy, it shows that she does not belong to the class-conscious women that the only thing that runs in mind is to look for a wealthy man who can give them tiaras to make them belong to the upper class. Her character is the most prominent in the novel that breaks the stigma on women marrying wealth to climb a few notches higher in social ladder. The novel shows how someone like Elizabeth, a woman from the middle class values what she thinks and couldn’t care less if the society rejects her for being far away from the norm. Her character defies the concepts of social class and gender in the 19th century. (Austen, 1933, vol. 2 p. 86-89) Pride and Prejudice portrays the absurd value of marriage – financial security. Charlotte Lucas explains to Elizabeth upon accepting the marriage proposal of Mr. Collins that is refused by Elizabeth, â€Å"I am not romantic you know. I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collin's character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state." (Haggerty, 2008, p. 125) This line shows that Lucas sees marriage as resolution to poverty. Lucas represents women in general who will do everything to enter the upper class world to attain the respect middle class women don’t get. A marvellous irony of disrespecting oneself to be respected is what Austen tells through Charlotte’

Employment Law Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employment Law Issue - Essay Example Sexual harassment usually involves males who are at higher positions and they harass their subordinate women in order to get sexual favors by threatening them of getting fired from the job. It is not only a form of unlawful employment discrimination that is based on sex but also it violates title VII of the civil rights act 1964. If we talk about harasser, we can say that at any specific workplace, the harasser and the victim can be an employee, an employer, supervisor, a person from the management staff, and even the boss. Some cases of sexual harassment may involve such homosexual men who are at higher positions and they harass their subordinate heterosexual men in order to get sexual favors. Conte (2000) found that in some cases, the victims of sexual harassment make complaint to the higher officials regarding offenses and in some cases they don’t want to expose the situation because of the society and the relatives. In such cases, sexual harassment gets increased and the victim sometimes gets in more trouble instead of coming out of the unwanted situation. The strategy which our company’s manager has implemented regarding the prevention of sexual harassment involves privacy of the victim. If a case of sexual harassment occurs in our company, the victim writes the incident on a paper and submits it to the manager instead of telling him by words. Then the manager calls the offender and the victim in a separate room in order to settle down the issue and take the required action against the offender. â€Å"It is the organizations responsibility to encourage staff to report incidents of sexual harassment by making the process accessible to all and by being approachable and dealing allegations in a sensitive and confidential manner† (Dawkins, 2007). At present, the management of the companies focuses on the privacy of the victim in order to

Apple Services and iOS Systems Information Sharing Dissertation

Apple Services and iOS Systems Information Sharing - Dissertation Example The literature review chapter stated the pros and cons of the information sharing system along with highlighting the loopholes in the iOS and problems faced by users. It was found that third parties applications along with insiders and hackers play an important and significant role in leaking private and confidential information that often affects the privacy of users. It was also found that the majority of users do not have an idea over the breach of security and its implications that can be considered as a major issue. The research methodology chapter presented an overview of different elements of the methodology along with justifying the overall preference in a logical manner. The chapter also offered the importance of each element in terms of accomplishing the proposed research objectives. The findings and analysis chapter revealed that majority of the interviewed participants believed that, breach of security happens mainly because of the use of WiFi, sharing of ID, and access o f information by the insiders of the company, and by the attack of hackers. It was also found that not many were aware of safeguarding their privacy and security and was assumed as a major issue. ... ionale for the Research Topic 7 1.7 Scope of the Research 7 1.8: Proposed Methodology 7 1.9: Outline of the Dissertation 8 1.10: Summary 9 Section 2.0 Literature Review 10 2.1 Introduction 10 2.2 Information Sharing System 10 2.3 Benefits of Information Sharing System 12 2.4 Challenges of Information Sharing 14 2.5 Apple’s Breach of Security 16 2.6: Summary 21 Section 3.0 Research Methodology 22 3.1 Introduction 22 3.2 Research Philosophy 22 3.3 Research Approach 23 3.4 Research Design 23 3.5 Data Collection Methods 24 3.6 Sampling 24 3.7. Ethical Considerations 25 3.7: Strengths and Limitations of the Methodology 25 3.8: Summary 25 Section 4.0 Findings and Analysis 26 4.1 Introduction 26 4.2 Critical Analysis of Interviews 27 4.3: Summary 35 Section 5 Conclusion and Recommendations 36 5.1 Introduction 36 5.2: Conclusion 36 5.3: Recommendations for IOS System and Information Sharing 41 5.4: Recommendations for Future Research 41 5.5: Summary 42 BIBLIOGRAPHY 43 CHAPTER-1: INTRO DUCTION 1.1: Introduction In today’s world, business, and society is driven by the use of technologies that often shape human minds and activities in a significant manner. With the advent of computers, human beings were exposed to numerous opportunities making their life simple. With the introduction of Smartphones, it became all the more easy to get connected to anyone in any part of the world along with doing wide arrays of works like playing games, listening to games, checking emails, making business presentation, and sharing and receiving information through social media, GPS, and GPRS (Browning, 2000). All these things have made life simple yet a bit complicated in many ways.

Employment Law Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employment Law Issue - Essay Example Sexual harassment usually involves males who are at higher positions and they harass their subordinate women in order to get sexual favors by threatening them of getting fired from the job. It is not only a form of unlawful employment discrimination that is based on sex but also it violates title VII of the civil rights act 1964. If we talk about harasser, we can say that at any specific workplace, the harasser and the victim can be an employee, an employer, supervisor, a person from the management staff, and even the boss. Some cases of sexual harassment may involve such homosexual men who are at higher positions and they harass their subordinate heterosexual men in order to get sexual favors. Conte (2000) found that in some cases, the victims of sexual harassment make complaint to the higher officials regarding offenses and in some cases they don’t want to expose the situation because of the society and the relatives. In such cases, sexual harassment gets increased and the victim sometimes gets in more trouble instead of coming out of the unwanted situation. The strategy which our company’s manager has implemented regarding the prevention of sexual harassment involves privacy of the victim. If a case of sexual harassment occurs in our company, the victim writes the incident on a paper and submits it to the manager instead of telling him by words. Then the manager calls the offender and the victim in a separate room in order to settle down the issue and take the required action against the offender. â€Å"It is the organizations responsibility to encourage staff to report incidents of sexual harassment by making the process accessible to all and by being approachable and dealing allegations in a sensitive and confidential manner† (Dawkins, 2007). At present, the management of the companies focuses on the privacy of the victim in order to

Economic Analysis of Crop Diversification Essay Example for Free

Economic Analysis of Crop Diversification Essay There is a dramatic change in the earning, spending and saving pattern of the people of India in the post reform (economic) period that is post 1991. During this period, income generating mechanism in this country underwent massive changes. With a sustained economic growth, rising per capita income along with an ever increasing population, the dietary pattern in India is also changing very fast. The Indian food basket is diversifying in favour of high value food commodities like fruits, vegetables, dairy products, poultry products and fish products from staple food such as rice, wheat and coarse cereals. This raises a challenge to Indian agriculture. On the other hand the modern agriculture dominated by chemical and irrigation intensive farming system has not only raised productivity but simultaneously has also resulted in soil erosion, water contamination, pesticides poisoning, land degradation through water logging and soil salinity, depletion of bio-diversity, etc., forcing farmers to apply ever-increasing doses of fertilisers and to make water supply available on a continuous basis, in order to maintain the productivity levels. This again raises another challenge to Indian agriculture. It may not be wondering if we assume that organic farming system may generate such situation to address both the challenges mentioned above. This paper is concerned with an analysis of crop diversification under organic and inorganic farming in West Bengal. Crop diversification is different from the concept of multiple cropping or succession planting over the growing seasons. Moreover, it implies the use of environmental and human resources to grow a mix of crops with complementary marketing opportunities. Thus, it implies a shifting of resources from low value crops to high value crops such as fruits, vegetables, etc. The concept of crop diversification in globalized market of agricultural produce refers to increase the total crop productivity in terms of quality, quantity and monetary value under different specific agro-climatic situations across the world. There are two approaches to crop diversification in agriculture. First is horizontal diversification, which is the primary approach to crop diversification in production agriculture. The approach takes place through crop intensification by adding new high-value crops to existing cropping systems. Thus, the approach facilitates the improvement of overall productivity of a farm or farming economy of a region. The second approach is the vertical diversification. Under this approach, farmers and others add value to products through processing, regional branding, packaging, merchandising or other efforts to enhance the farm-product. The opportunities for crop diversification may vary depending on risks, opportunities and the feasibility of proposed changes within a socio-economic and agro-economic context. However, crop diversification through substitution of one crop or mixed cropping / inter-cropping may be a useful tool to mitigate problems associated with aberrant weather to some extent, especially in the arid and semi-arid drought-prone / dry land areas. Impact of crop diversification Crop diversification is intended to practice of growing more than one crop (or enterprise) in any year to increase financial and biological stability of the farm. In the agricultural context, diversification can be regarded as the re-allocation of some of a farms productive resources, such as land, capital, farm equipment and paid labour, into new activities. These can be new crops or livestock products, value-adding activities, provision of services to other farmers, etc. On the other hand, diversification of agriculture refers to the shift from the regional dominance of one crop to regional production of a number of crops, to meet ever increasing demand for cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables, etc. It aims to improve soil health and a dynamic equilibrium of the agro-ecosystem. Crop diversification takes into account the economic returns from different value-added crops. Crop diversification can better tolerate the ups and downs in the market value of farm products and may ensure economic stability for farming families of the state. The adverse effects of aberrant weather, such as erratic and scanty rainfall and drought are very common in a vast area in agricultural production of the state. Incidents of flood in one part and drought in the other part are a very frequent phenomenon in the state. Under these aberrant weather situations, dependence on one or two major cereals (rice, wheat, etc.) is always risky. Diversification in agriculture has tremendous impact on the agro-socio-economic condition and uplifting resource-poor farming communities. It generates income and employment for rural youth year round for the ultimate benefits of the farmers in the state. It implies the use of local resources in a larger mix of diverse cropping systems and livestock, aquaculture and other non-farm sectors in the rural areas. Problem statement The yield as well as farm income is the essential part for crop diversification for the farmer of an agricultural based economy like West Bengal. Normally, the farmers diversify farm enterprises to meet the cash requirements of the family and to mitigate risk associated with mono-cropping, depending on conventional wisdom over the years. The crop diversification in the state is also considered with greater emphasis from the view point to price response, market infrastructure, availability of resources and public interventions (price and credit policies of farming business, research and development in farming activities, etc.) in agriculture. The judicious crop mix has facilitated increased farm incomes. It has also contribution towards the utilization of under employed resources to mitigate seasonal and under unemployment of rural labour force. The crop diversification has also helped to reduce risks and uncertainties in crops yields due to climatic and biological vagaries. Thus the study was conducted to analyze the extent of crop diversification at different levels of farm size as well as crop growing seasons in West Bengal for both inorganic and organic farming systems, commonly followed by the farmers in the state.

Is There A Timeless Wisdom To Neorealism Politics Essay

Is There A Timeless Wisdom To Neorealism Politics Essay Neo-realism is the starting point of international politics analysis and the basis of construction for the variant posterior theories. However, nowadays the emergence of new challenges against the neorealist thought lead to the partial marginalisation of the theory. This essay attempts to demonstrate that neo-realisms wisdom, is diachronic and its main arguments can be proved over the time, considering the past and contemporary international system. To prove my argument, I will mainly focus on the theoretical analysis given by the two most significant representatives of neo-realism, Waltz and Mearsheimer. Firstly, I will examine neorealisms fundamental assumptions regarding its interpretation of structure, power and alternations of war and peace, with a parallel evaluation of them. Throughout this process I will mention relevant examples taken from the past and recent history. Secondly, I will discuss the controversial criticisms made against the theory with a coincidently judgment o f them. Finally, in the conclusion I will argue that instead of the recent decline, neo-realisms depictions continue to be and always will remain a timeless wisdom for evaluating the International Relations. Neo-realisms worldview about structures and alternations of war Neo-realist theory comes to the front of politics debates before the beginning of Second Cold War, as a reaction to the new challenges of globalisation, as a resurrection of states role over the system and to restate the significance of bipolarity and systemic constraints in international politics (Burchill 2009: 87). To begin with, we should consider the neo-realist main theoretical arguments to form a clear view about the continuity of the theory until the present. Waltz was the first who dedicated the autonomy of international politics, as a separate field, apart from domestic politics, in his attempt to introduce the scientific rigour to the study of politics (Waltz 1990: 27-28; Burchill 2009: 88). Waltz suggests that the system is formed by structural and unit levels (Waltz 1990: 29). Therefore, he makes a distinction between external and internal factors that affect the international system (Waltz 1990: 27-28) and he proposed the so-called systemic theory as a key to explain the behaviour of the states in the international system (Keohane 1986: 13). Waltzs theory can be valuable for predictions (Burchill 2009: 89). According to him, there is a defined structural continuity over the time situated in the anarchical condition of the international system (J.G. Ruggie 1986: 134). The variety of the units structures, secures a disproportion in their policy outcomes. Hence, similarities in political structures between states sound similarities in their political effects (Waltz 1986: 81). Internationally, the anarchy is the superior law that rules the universe and produces the perpetual willing of survival and power between them (Waltz 1986: 70-97). Though states are characterised by variety domestically, their foreign policy has an exceptional analogy: international political systems stand in relations of coordinationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦No one is entitled to command and none is required to obey (Waltz 1986: 81). States concede an existence of some systemic constraints (commanded by the situation of anarchy) between them, which determinatively affect the relations and impose the game of diplomacy and survival. States reconcile their interests and goals looking to their neighbours (Burchill 2009: 90; Waltz 1986: 70-97). As a result, the structure of the international system is defined by the position each state possess in the whole world ordering (Waltz 1986: 72). Waltz analyzes his ambitious political structure concept reliant on three necessary calculations, in his attempt to distinguish the domestic politics from the international (J.G. Ruggie 1986: 134). The ordering principle of anarchy In international politics, the existence of anarchy indirectly demands from its members to take part in a process of a continuous competition, an informal battle. The international system is formed by self-regarded autonomous units. There is no centralised authority upon them to ensure their integrity, so each unit has the right to fashion its foreign policy and fight for its survival. Waltz states, that the balancing of power must be the ultimate aim of all states (Waltz 1986: 81-93, 99-115; J.G Ruggie 1986: 134-135; Mearsheimer, 2007: 72-75; Burchill 2009: 91-92) At the same time, from the side of offensive realists, Mearsheimer, an equally significant representative of the neo-realism theory, further argues that states are always preparing to confront gainfully a future possible attack or even to gain the opportunity to be a powerful hegemony. Thus, there is no other path except for the pursuit of power in a self-help world. (Mearsheimer 2007: 72-75). Each country sets its own aims and goals which are always depend upon their capabilities. There is no night-watchman who can command powerful states such as United States, so they continue to have the priority among the others. (Mearsheimer 2007: 72-75; Waltz 1986: 81-93, 99-115). Even an international organization such as the United Nations has no influence upon its most powerful members. Indicative is the case of the war against Iraq. Even though the Security Council did not approve the war, the US disregarded the decision and invaded Iraq (Mearsheimer 2006: 699; Weiss Kalbacher, 2008: 332). Furthermore in Europe regional institutions such as NATO and European Union do not have the ability to enforce their member states to go against their strategic interests (Mearsheimer 2006: 699-700). The intentions and the character of a state This assumption allows for the fact that no one state always acts exclusively to ensure its survivalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦States are free individuals who often make decisions under the heavy pressure of events (Waltz, 1986: 85). Simplifying this statement, neo-realism argues that we cant just trust that a culture or a democratic regime or the peaceful history or a status-quo character of a country or ideology can guarantee the deterrence of a war. The intentions of a country are not always certain (Waltz, 1986: 87-92, 99). Viewing the past, many traditionally peaceful states have changed their pure intentions into aggressive war strategies. This becomes worse if we account that every state has the military capability to do this. This is evident in the United States policy. Does any from the above reasons dissuaded Americans from declaring war against Iraq? The answer is no. This necessity imposed by the anarchy, began an endless game of power between the states. This competition actually is inevitable because no one can predict and be sure about the further intentions of a state. Of course the interests of statesmen are not always predictable as well. In the case of Germany for example, if the world knew from the beginning that Hitlers ambitious plans, was to make his country an empire and a great power all over the world, I am sure that a big number of countries would have changed their foreign policy radically (Mearsheimer 2007: 72-75; Waltz 1986: 81-93, 99-115). And Mearsheimers point completes the meaning: In anarchic systemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦states that want to survive have little choice but to assume the worst about the intentions of other states and to compete for power with them. This is the tragedy of great power politics (Mearsheimer 2007: 75). The distribution of capabilities among the states The distribution of capabilities among the states also helps to define the structure of the international system. As Waltz argues, states are differently placed by their power. The units of the anarchic system distinguished by their greater or lesser capabilities for performing similar tasks (Waltz, 1986: 92-93). Although states seek to ensure their survival in the political order, they dont have equal capabilities (Waltz, 1986: 101). A states capability of possessing military power for instance, can strike the fear in its competitors and the necessity of having an equally powerful military force. Consequently, neo-realists divide the states as great and small powers according to their place in the global system. (Burchill, 2009: 92) A vivid illustration is the United States. As Mearsheimer states, no country in Western Hemisphere would dare to strike the USA, because it is so powerful relative to its neighbours (Mearsheimer, 2007: 74; Waltz, 1986: 92-93, 99-115). We can illustrate the diachronic value of neo-realism, by looking at the past behaviour of certain states. On the twentieth century Imperial Germany, Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan have all tried to establish their hegemony by conducting great wars, but they failed (Mearsheimer, 2007: 77). In addition, Mearsheimer interestingly examines the case of China, which is parallel with Germanys past behaviour. While USA had established its regional hegemony in the twentieth century, the gradual growth of Chinas power over Asia frustrated United States and Chinas neighbours. How the world will react on Chinas challenge? Will China balance its power with the other great powers or will it assert the hegemony as a new Germany? Surely, the great powers will not just stand by and watch to their concrete position in the world being lost and consequently they will try to chain Chinas increased development. So, no one is to guarantee that Chinas rise will be peaceful (Mearsheimer 2007: 82-86). Chang es like this in power distribution may cause a future war (Mearsheimer 2007: 78). A growing power always light the suspicions of the dominant powers and the dominant state knowing its days at the pinnacle of power are numbered, has strong incentives to launch a preventive war against the challenger to halt its rise (Mearsheimer 2007: 82). Germany for instance, seeing the threatening rise of the Soviet Union in the 90s launched preventive wars in 1914 and 1939 correspondingly, to maintain its power in Europe. Furthermore, nowadays we can see Chinas rise as a similar case, since as I have already mentioned before, its significant growth keeps United States and its neighbours in a constant lookout (Mearsheimer 2007: 78-82). A controversial matter which neo-realism also tries to identify, is how many great powers are enough to rule the world (Mearsheimer 2007: 75). The most significant representatives of neo-realism, Mearsheimer and Waltz, converge in their analysis about the ideal polarity system and on how dangerous the unipolar system is. Both point out that the end of bipolarity between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 90s and the latter unipolarity of United States is the single most dramatic change in contemporary world politics. The theorists who claim that bipolar systems are less war-prone than unipolar, rely on the distribution of capabilities theory (Burchill 2009: 97-98). Waltz proposes that with the end of bipolarity, the distribution of capabilities among states has become lopsided and the growing inequality between states would undermine the peace (Waltz, 2000: 7). As a result of Americas dominance over the world, other states would attempt to balance against it or reach its p ower. Moreover, United States would probably feel militarily secure to impose its domination to other regions and try to reorder their polity, as in the case of Iraq and Afghanistan (Burchill 2009: 80). Critics and challenges against neo-realism The importance of neo-realism has been widely recognized as the primary school that established the international politics as autonomous field in politics (Keohane 1986: 16). However, the theoretical exhibition of neorealists approaches in the 90s was and continues to be the reason of the countless divergences between the critics, who mainly judge Waltzs theories and propose new ways on viewing international relations. Some of them criticized Waltzs theory for its omissions. Ruggie, for example, provides his institutional transformation concept (Keohane 1986: 17), an attempt to prove that Waltzs political concept was substantively mistaken (Ruggie, 1986: 152), because he didnt account structures property relations changes, such as dynamic density variations (Keohane, 1986:17, Walt, 1990: 28). Keohane, also discusses the weakness of Waltzs theory to include further explanatory elements of the internationals system structure, like economic interdependence, international institutions and the information richness (Keohane, 1986: 18). They both believe that Waltzs theory should paid more attention to aspects of world politics that ignores (Keohane 1986: 24). Waltzs response, is that these elements, even though are important, cannot be a part of a states theory because they are matters of practical interest and cannot alone write a theory. In contrast the positional picture of a state should stay the main explanation key for states relations because simply the anarchy rules the whole. States are positioned in a self-help world where there is a perpetual game of survival. Moreover, as Waltz argues, theories are useful for understanding and explaining and are not necessarily guides for application (Waltz 1986: 329-330; Waltz, 1990: 28-29). Therefore, critics of neorealist theory fail to understand that theory is not a statement about everything that is important in international political life, but rather a necessarily slender explanatory construct (Waltz, 1990: 30). Other critics underestimate the conservative character of Waltzs theory. They support that, Waltz presents structures as given political fixtures and the international system as a cyclical pattern (Burchill, 2009: 93-94). As a result, Cox argues, neo-realism legitimizes the status-quo, which favours the great powers and establishes a permanent disability of weak states for positional change (Burchill, 2009: 94). In other words, the prospects for alternative expressions of political community are limited (Linklater 1995: 258-9; Burchill 2009: 99). But Waltz identifies that Coxs accusations are based on the fact that he overstates the states role as units in the international system and thereby make them static (Waltz 1986: 338). Other theoretical perspectives have also emerged as a response to neorealist thought, and challenged neorealist. An example of those theories is liberalism. With childish naivety these theories strongly support the ideas of a big economic community co-operation, pacification and globalisation. In other words, neo-liberalists put the importance of ruling the world peace, not in the military capabilities like neo-realists, but on economic factors. Neo-liberalists argue that the new challenges of globalisation, the technological evolution and the appearance of non-state actors, have established a borderless world where states have now a very low profile (Burchill 2009: 95-97). Doyle suggests that because the unit-members of a liberal democracy have pounded continuously from violence and wars as a product of the anarchic system, now they have reduced their aggressive incentives and they are ready to co-operate with each other in the name of peace (Doyle 1986: 1151-1169). But, these hopes for a peaceful world in terms of economic globalisation and democracy were shattered in the wake of September 11 and neo-realism has made a stunning comeback in the realm of international relations (Mearsheimer 2007: 86). (Besides, I dont believe that Cyprus could ever be as equal as United Kingdom politically or economically nor as able as it to pretend rights on the international foreground. This cant be accomplished because, states are rational actors. The higher amount of power each state has, the higher security will enjoy (Mearsheimer, 2007: 74). ) Furthermore, neo-liberalists havent consider countries such as Africa which are unaffected by globalisation and consequently have little opportunity to take part in this community (Burchill 2009: 95-97). In addition, Krasner claims that, not all the constituent parts of a nation-states sovereignty are equally vulnerable to globalisation and the transnational corporations are not as global as first thought. Despite their popular image, they remain largely anchored at home (Krasner 1999). Burchill concludes that, the distribution of capabilities will always remain the primary key for understanding politics because the economic interdependence of the last century failed to prevent the First World War and some conflicts among this alleged economical community of the world, like the break-up of Yugoslavia. Nuclear weapons and the possession military power will always have the greatest importance in International Relations (Waltz 2000: 4-7; Burchill 2009: 95-97). Waltz further accounts, that a state will never diminish its self-interests for the sake of international order (Burchill, 2009: 93). This will happen because the states constantly looking for opportunities to gain advantage over each other, with the ultimate prize being a hegemony (Mearsheimer, 2007: 77). Conclusion This essay has argued that neorealisms main assumptions could constitute a diachronic guide book for states and statesmen. One claim made about neo-realism, is that neo-realism died with the end of Cold War, because the new challenge of globalisation guarantees the world peace in terms of cooperation, liberalisation and paralyzes the role of states. Another suggests that neo-realism is old-fashioned because now the idea of democracy and the subordination on laws recommendations overflow into the world. However, there are strong evidence that the neo-realists view of politics will always remain a fundamental and essential key to explain world affairs and states behaviours (Burchill, 2009: 86). Firstly, the units function in an anarchic international system. Domestically, the variety of the units still leads to differently potential outcomes and interests. Internationally, states still seek to maximize their power or balancing each other to survive. Secondly, states always fear for possible attacks and therefore try to acquire as much power as possible in order to ensure their security. The inequality of capabilities gives a state the opportunity to be a threat against others or even to assert the hegemony. There is no one above states to safeguard their integrity and so states are never certain if other states intentions are aggressive or defensive. Associatively, the military and security power still remain the main concern for international politics with economic factors coming second. Thirdly, neorealists views on what causes war, seems that are still well-timed. A change in the distribution of capabilities can light the suspicions and launch a preventative war. In terms of polarity, states struggle to gain the label of a great power and thereby to succeed their interests. As a result, even more states have the right and the opportunity to participate in this game of power which it may cause a war. Those reasons, as neo-realism dictates, somehow coerce states to march each other temporally to keep a balanced peace or to cause a likely war. Therefore, though the theoretical line of neo-realism is fashioned on the past, it can also apply to the present and the continuity of the theory can be detected in neorealists approaches over the years. The world remains a dangerous placeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦States still worry about their survival, which means that they have little choice but to pay attention to the balance of power. International politics is still synonymous with power politics, as it has been for all of recorded history (Mearsheimer, 2007: 86).

Free Othello Essays: Women as Victims in Othello :: GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Othello

Women as Victims in Othello Othello is a play that only contains three female characters. Their roles vary and it would be an exaggeration to categorize them all as victims. However, there are similarities between the three women. [1] The least involved woman in Othello is Bianca[2]. Her relationship with Cassio does not appear to be full of commitment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "What keep a week away? Seven days and nights?"   It could be argued that Cassio used Bianca somewhat.[3] The manner in which he asks for a favor creates an impression that he is experienced at sweet-talking her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Sweet Bianca, take me this work out" The way that Cassio initially addresses Bianca is rather sycophantic, especially as the task is so menial. Therefore, the role of Bianca and her relationship with Cassio is poor. It appears that he uses her and shows little affection, only when he wants something.[4] Emilia's role is more complex in Othello. Iago likes to dominate Emilia and in many respects uses her quite badly. However, she also proves that she can be strong and show control.[5] Halfway through Act 3 Scene 3 Emilia and Iago have their first moment alone together. Iago doesn't use any romantic setting for his wife.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "now now what do you here alone?" This lack of affection, straight to the point attitude continues throughout their conversation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "A good wench, give it to me." Throughout their conversation Iago's attitude towards Emilia has no respect. He doesn't talk to her like a husband but more like an employer. Emilia may be typecast as a victim early in the play but she shows real strength at the closing stages of the play. Despite the dominance that Iago has over her she manages to undermine his position and bring about his eventual downfall. Her strength can be clearly seen in her lines   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "She give it Cassio! No alas, I found it and I did give't my husband." Her strength and determination to punish Iago leads to her death though in this respect she may be seen as a victim. In her only moment of strength she was struck down. Iago's language towards Emilia gives an impression that she may be a victim.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Villainous whore!" and "good wench" He rarely complements her. Desdemona enjoys a much more loving relationship with her husband. Othello even says he is dependant on her. Free Othello Essays: Women as Victims in Othello :: GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Othello Women as Victims in Othello Othello is a play that only contains three female characters. Their roles vary and it would be an exaggeration to categorize them all as victims. However, there are similarities between the three women. [1] The least involved woman in Othello is Bianca[2]. Her relationship with Cassio does not appear to be full of commitment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "What keep a week away? Seven days and nights?"   It could be argued that Cassio used Bianca somewhat.[3] The manner in which he asks for a favor creates an impression that he is experienced at sweet-talking her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Sweet Bianca, take me this work out" The way that Cassio initially addresses Bianca is rather sycophantic, especially as the task is so menial. Therefore, the role of Bianca and her relationship with Cassio is poor. It appears that he uses her and shows little affection, only when he wants something.[4] Emilia's role is more complex in Othello. Iago likes to dominate Emilia and in many respects uses her quite badly. However, she also proves that she can be strong and show control.[5] Halfway through Act 3 Scene 3 Emilia and Iago have their first moment alone together. Iago doesn't use any romantic setting for his wife.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "now now what do you here alone?" This lack of affection, straight to the point attitude continues throughout their conversation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "A good wench, give it to me." Throughout their conversation Iago's attitude towards Emilia has no respect. He doesn't talk to her like a husband but more like an employer. Emilia may be typecast as a victim early in the play but she shows real strength at the closing stages of the play. Despite the dominance that Iago has over her she manages to undermine his position and bring about his eventual downfall. Her strength can be clearly seen in her lines   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "She give it Cassio! No alas, I found it and I did give't my husband." Her strength and determination to punish Iago leads to her death though in this respect she may be seen as a victim. In her only moment of strength she was struck down. Iago's language towards Emilia gives an impression that she may be a victim.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Villainous whore!" and "good wench" He rarely complements her. Desdemona enjoys a much more loving relationship with her husband. Othello even says he is dependant on her.

Failures of Early American Higher Education :: essays research papers fc

The Failures of Early American Higher Education The intention of colleges in the United Stated during the 18th and 19th centuries was to create a system that would serve in loco parentis (in place of the parent). In the early years of American higher education, college professors sought to be disciplinarians, who played a parental role. However, the students at these institutions often behaved in a disruptive manner towards teachers, as well as fellow students. This unruly behavior can be directly linked to the economic background of the students attending these institutions, in addition to the philosophies set forth by the colleges. During this time period, colleges attracted mostly upper class men who showed little interest in their academic studies. They were individuals following generations of family members to the institution, and as a result of their connections possessed more authority at the school than the faculty. This issue began to change in the early 20th century, when colleges began admitting more economically diver se individuals. The economic background of the students, in addition to their reluctance to abide by the rules, led to violent and unruly behavior at these institutions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Students who attended these institutions of higher education were typically born into a wealthy family, where the individuals already had made a name for themselves. They survived college, as disruptive students, because college was not a necessity for them to succeed in life. Referring to Harvard College, in his family’s newspaper, the New England Curant, in 1677, Benjamin Franklin wrote that it had become a â€Å"rich man’s school, a place that wealthy parents sent their sons to, where, for want of a suitable genius, they learn little more than to carry themselves handsomely, and enter a room genteely† (Lucas, p. 109). Prior to the American Revolution, higher education did not impact the majority of the people first hand. It is estimated that no more than one in every thousand colonists attended any college present before 1776 (Lucas, p. 109). This supports the idea that college was only available to those individuals who had enough money to attend college simply for the ability to move up the social ladder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many individuals went to college, not for the education, but to continue a tradition set forth by generations of family members. They did not take college seriously, for it was simply the next step, in order to follow through along the path that their family members had paved.

Using Cost Accounting Information to Enhance Firm’s Competitive Position and Performance

Cost Accounting in Theory The last two decades has seen a revolution in management accounting theory and practice due to the challenges of the competitive environment in the 1980s. Kaplan and Johnson (1987) identified the failings and obsolescence of existing cost and performance measurement systems, which led to the re-examination of traditional cost accounting and management control systems. Conventional financial and management accounting methods have developed primarily as a result of corporate legislation in the 1930s forcing companies to provide externally published financial accounts. Management accounting is primarily focused as a decision making tool for running a business, hence they require more flexibility. According to Kaplan, management accounts have become a subset of financial accounts and that they reflect more on the external rather than internal requirements of the company. Most of the managerial decision-making and control systems in use in the late 1980s were described by Johnson and Kaplan as stagnant. As a result, they went onto research in new accounting systems raising the profile of internal accounting systems by use of financial and non-financial measures. Although their work was at first seen as controversial, it is now considered of key importance for companies aiming to enhance their competitive position and performance. The purpose of cost accounting is to ascertain the costs of products and services. When properly implemented, the cost accounting function will provide necessary information for pricing decisions, identify the profitability of each product, service, or job, aid management in maximizing profits by detecting sources of wastages and excess capacity, and can influence management behaviour. In theory, cost accounting help managers make decisions to fulfill an organization’s goals. Cost Accounting in Practice However, according to a July 2003 study done by the Institute of Management Accountants and Ernst and Young, 98% of managers believe their cost data is distorted while almost 40% believe their cost data is significantly distorted. In practice, most companies still use the same cost accounting and management control systems that were developed decades ago in a competitive environment drastically different from today. In the many cases worked on throughout the semester in Accounting Planning & Control, for example Putz, Seligram Inc. and Zytec, there was an underlying problem of inaccurate costing information that failed management when making decisions. This was due to the traditional cost systems that these companies utilized despite the changing nature of their business environment. One of the main triggers that a company will need a new cost system is when changes occur in the organization and its environment. The article â€Å"You need a new cost system when†¦ † highlights the many signals in which a company needs to redesign or create a new cost system. This article proposes that a cost system must be up to date and functioning properly in order for the theory of cost accounting to be applied in practice. The problem with the state of the accounting profession is the skewed emphasis towards Financial Accounting, as identified by Kaplan. Financial Accounting is used to prepare financial statements for external users. These Financial Accounting reports are for outsiders to assess the business, but the reports focus on compliance with GAAP in broad totals and are not designed to support decision making. Despite this fact, 80% of organizations rely on the GAAP required Normal Costing method to provide management with reports (Sharman and Mackie 12). When management reports echo standard financial reports, management loses. These reports have no activity data and often require managers to prepare their own ad hoc reports when they require decision analysis. These financial reports are difficult to understand by non-accountants and do little to give managers the information they should have at their fingertips to run a company. The Management Accounting problem in this country does not seem to be as problematic in other countries. According to the Sharman and Vikas article in the December 2004 Strategic Finance German companies employ just as many Managerial Accountants as Financial Accountants; The U. S. employs one-tenth the number of practicing Management Accountants than the U. K. , Canada, and Germany. The weak emphasis on Management Accounting and providing information to managers to run a company is partly caused by the overwhelming requirements external parties place on corporations. Companies lose sight that the most important viewers of company feedback are people inside the company. State- of the Art Cost Accounting Information to Enhance Competitive Position Companies realizing the importance of internal reporting adopt state-of-the-art, or up to date cost accounting techniques, straying away from financial reporting and normal costing, in an attempt to accurately measure the costs of acquiring or using resources. This state-of-the- art cost accounting information enables management to add-value for the consumer, and to enhance their firm’s competitive position and performance. In order for a company to enhance their competitive position, they must have an effective competitive strategy. The competitive strategy describes how an organization will compete and the opportunities its managers should seek and pursue. There are two competitive strategies that companies can decide to implement: cost- leadership or product differentiation. When companies adopt the cost-leadership strategy, they decide to uphold a competitive advantage in the marketplace by providing the best value at the lowest price. When companies adopt the product differentiation strategy, they choose to uphold their competitive advantage by offering unique products or services at higher prices than their competitors. According to the confrontation strategy, competitive advantage is not sustainable. This is a realistic view of competition by recognizing that competitors will quickly bring out similar products and match price changes. The underlying argument of the confrontation strategy is that firms must compete in terms of the survival triplet. The survival triplet consists of three strategic dimensions that characterize a product: price/cost, quality, and functionality. These three dimensions are bounded by a minimum and maximum acceptable level which defines the survival zone. In order for firms to survive and remain competitive, firms must operate in their survival zone. With that being said, companies face continuous pressure to reduce the cost of the products or services they sell, or continuously improving the consumer’s perception of quality as related to their competitors. To successfully implement such strategies, managers must have state-of-the-art cost accounting information that will allow firms to adopt target costing to enhance their competitive position. Being that managers have little influence over pricing, (the central theme of economics states that prices are determined by supply and demand), management must monitor costs to receive desired profits. â€Å"Target costing is the allowable amount of cost that can be incurred on a product and still earn the required profit from that product† (Ansari, Bell, Klammer, Lawrence). The article â€Å"Target Costing† proposes that target costing is particularly important at the design stage, where â€Å"70-80 percent of the costs of a product are committed†. Hence, target costing is more than just a cost accounting technique; it is an integral part of the comprehensive management process that aids management in reducing the overall product’s life-cycle costs, helping an organization to survive in an increasingly competitive environment. Nonetheless, target costing is useful in pre-production as well as post production and has many advantages to allowing firms to uphold their competitive position. Target costing requires analysis on competitors’ products and the customer’s perception of their products, and uses this information to assess which particular customer segment of the market to target. This analysis done in target costing allows for companies to create products that adds value, in the eyes of the customer, while staying ahead of the competition by identifying areas of improvement based on the customers’ perceptions. Furthermore, target costing enhances a firm’s ability to uphold their competitive advantage. Target costing reinforces top-to-bottom commitment to process and product innovation and is aimed at identifying issues to be resolved, in order to sustain competitive advantage. Target costing helps to create a company’s competitive future with market-driven management for designing and manufacturing products to meet customer expectations and market price. Also, target costing identifies market opportunities that can be converted into real savings to achieve the best value rather than just simply the lowest cost. Target costing enhances competitive position in the ways aforementioned; however, without state-of-the-art cost accounting information, target costing is impossible to achieve. State-of-the-art Cost Accounting Information Enhancing Performance State-of-the-art cost accounting information can also enhance a firm’s performance in the marketplace. In measuring a firm’s performance, a state-of-the-art accounting technique was developed by Kaplan and Norton called the balanced scorecard. â€Å"The balanced scorecard translates an organization’s mission and strategy into a set of performance measures that provides the framework for implementing its strategy† (Hongren). The balanced scorecard uses financial and non-financial measures to evaluate short-run and long-run performance. Key strategic nonfinancial and operational indicators measure adjustments that a company is making for the long-run. For example, an improvement in quality, as measured by improvement in yields, signals a strong likelihood of higher sales and income in the future. By balancing the mix of financial and nonfinancial measures, the balanced scorecard brings management’s attention to short-run and long-run performance. In for profit companies, the main goal of the balanced scorecard is to improve a company’s financial performance. Non-financial measures simply serve as leading indicators for hard-to-measure long run financial goals. Kaplan and Norton developed four perspectives that firm’s should analyze to achieve performance levels that are necessary to meet customer needs, compete effectively, and achieve financial goal; the financial perspective, the customer perspective, the internal-business-process perspective, and the learning and growth perspective. The financial perspective focuses on increasing shareholder value. Measures of the financial perspective include ROI, ROCE, residual income, and EVA. By managing financial performance, managers are able to manage costs and unused capacity. This will enhance performance by increasing profitability of the firm. The customer perspective measures customer satisfaction and focuses on the importance of the customer on the business. This enhances performance by increasing the firm’s market share and overall customer satisfaction. This will enable firms to meet the future needs of customers and increase customer focus of sales on the organization. The internal-business process perspective focuses on the internal business processes that will meet the needs of customers. This area focuses on product design and innovation, improving efficiency and quality, and post-sales service. This perspective enhances performance by improving the customer-service process, identifying operational problems to improve quality, reducing delivery time, and improving manufacturing capabilities. The learning and growth perspective includes employee training, system capabilities, and employee motivation. Measures of learning and growth perspective include employee satisfaction, and employee training programs. This enhances performance by empowering the workforce, developing employee’s process skills, and enhancing system capabilities. By implementing an effective balanced scorecard, for-profit companies are able to motivate managers to take actions that result in improvements in financial performance. When financial and nonfinancial performance measures are properly linked, nonfinancial measures serve as indicators of lagging future financial performance. These indicators can aid management in improvements in future performance. Conclusion State-of-the-art cost accounting information allows for the implementation of modern cost accounting techniques. Such techniques include target costing and the balanced scorecard. Target costing enhances competitive position and uses state-of-the-art cost information to identify activities that do not add value to the customer. Without modern cost accounting information, there will not be a breakdown of activities and their respective costs to assist managers in analyzing non-value added activities. Target costing relies on state-of-the-art cost accounting information to identify these non-value added activities that managers will eliminate to reduce costs, and uphold their competitive position. The balanced scorecard uses state-of-the-art cost accounting information to motivate managerial behaviours and enhance performance. Managers’ rewards are based on the financial perspective, which metrics rely on cost accounting information. Analysis of operating income, a metric of the financial perspective, depends on modern cost account information that accurately separates material costs and conversion costs to identify spending variances and efficiency variances, which aid management in future financial performance. State-of-the-art cost accounting information enhances a firm’s competitive position as well as their performance in the future by allowing the implementation of modern techniques. Focusing on internal reporting, and not just financial reporting will allow companies to adopt continuous improvement in dynamic, highly competitive environments, through techniques such as target costing and the balanced scorecard. Works cited Sharman, Paul A. and Kurt Vikas. â€Å"Lessons from German Cost Accounting† Strategic Finance. 2004, December. 28-35. Cooper, Robin. You Need a New Cost System When†¦ † Harvard Business Review. 1989, January. 6 pages. Sharman, Paul and Brian Mackie â€Å"Grenzplankostenrechnung (GPK)† Notes from Institute of Management Accountants Annual Conference. www. imanet. org. 1-58. Ansari, Bell, Klammer, and Carol Lawrence. â€Å"Target Costing† Management Accounting, A Strategic Focus. McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. , 1997. Hongren, Datar, Foster, Rajan, and Christopher Ittner. Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis. Thirteenth edition. Pearson Education, Inc. New Jersey 2009. 462-485. Print