Relationship between Team Members Free Essay Example, 1500 words

Team members should have competition but it should be healthy competition with the help of which the standard of work increases and the overall performance of the member improves. Team members usually belong to diverse cultures and have different traditions and ways of living. Instead of creating huddles team members should be co-operative which increases solidarity amongst team members. for example, if one team member is a Muslim and an important Muslim festival like Eid is on the day of deadline other team members should distribute his work because of which he will be able to attend his festival. Then team members should feel that the good of the team should hold maximum priority. People in a team should not accuse each other or be unsupportive due to personal reasons. People in a team should keep their team ahead of all other feelings. They should support their team members, help them and cooperate with them. An example can be that if a subdivided task given to an employee one is not finished on time because of which the other member employee two cannot continue his task. We will write a custom essay sample on Relationship between Team Members or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

After studying the sonnet of Shakespeare, I think if the...

After studying the sonnet of Shakespeare, I think if the emotion between two men is only called male friendship, Shakespeare‟s sonnets assert too much love to be addressed to a man. It seems ridiculous that Shakespeare, a moral man addressed abundant affectionate sonnets to men. His poems use language of love: â€Å"lord of love†, â€Å"eternal love†, â€Å"my lovely boy†, â€Å"my friend and I are one†, â€Å"thou mine, I thine†. Those languages sometimes can be regarded as non-sexual friendship, in Shakespeare‟s work; they are certainly the language of sexual love. Many of the sonnets are saturated in the language of longing and desire; they showed some sorrow about the lacking of the male friend‟s â€Å"sweet love†. There are many explicit and implicit clues in the†¦show more content†¦In a conventional concept, Antonio is an unattached man who takes no part in the courting games of the play and who is unassimil ated into its happy ending. He is a gloomy people which making me think that maybe his unhappiness caused by his love. There are many clues showed Antonio‟s love to Bassanio, the core plot which Antonio is willing to sacrifice his life to repay debt for Bassanio is a kind of dauntless love. This action reminds me one of the proverbs in the Bible: â€Å"Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. I t bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.† (Matthew 7-13, 14). Enduring all things is one of the true essences of love, if Antonio‟s behavior is not out of love, no other thing in the world can be called love. In Bassanio and Antonio part, Bassanio told him he would make some speed of his return. He answered, â€Å"Do not so. Slubber not business for my sake, Bassan io, but stay the every riping of the time; and for the Jew‟s bond which he hath of me, let it not enter in your mind of love. Be merry, and employ your chiefest thoughts to courtship and such fair ostents of love. As shallShow MoreRelatedCompare How the Theme of Love Is Presented in a Selection of Pre-1914 Poetry7665 Words   |  31 Pagestimeless issue that has always been discussed and forever will be. People are searching for the true meaning of love and how it is different from person to person and from race to race. Everyone is amazed by how love can make people experience so many emotions and how love can bring sadness and happiness and confusion. ‘La Belle Dame Sans Merci’ By John Keats and ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ by Robert Browning for example both share the common theme of love, both lovers had to depart their loved ones whether dueRead MoreTrue Love in William Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream1928 Words   |  8 PagesMidsummer Nigh ts Dream I have been studying A Midsummer Night’s Dream and exploring how the characters within this play deal with love and the consequences resulting from falling in love. I will be answering the question asked by providing quotes and examples of Shakespeare’s technique in showing that ‘The course of true love never did run smooth’ as well as providing answers as to why Shakespeare made this the case in the play. Shakespeare was born on the 23rd AprilRead MoreSantrock Edpsych Ch0218723 Words   |  75 Pagescognitive development influence the way you teach? †¢ How does language develop? What is the best way to teach students to communicate verbally? PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT Exploring How Children Develop Language Development Developmental Why Studying Issues Children’s Development Processes, Is Important Periods, and Stages Physical Development and Health Growth in Childhood Pubertal Changes Child Health and Education 32 What Is Language? Biological and Environmental Influences CognitiveRead MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 PagesContent Page 1. Media a. New vs. Traditional b. New: narcissistic? c. Government Censorship d. Profit-driven Media e. Advertising f. Private life of public figures g. Celebrity as a role model h. Blame media for our problems i. Power + Responsibility of Media j. Media ethics k. New Media and Democracy 2. Science/Tech a. Science and Ethics b. Government and scientist role in science c. Rely too much on technology? d. Nuclear technology e. Genetic modification

Mahayana Buddhism Free Essays

Asian Behavior and Thought 10/16/12 Study Guide 7 – Mahayana Buddhism 1. What are the four sublime states? 1. Boundless love is related to friendliness. We will write a custom essay sample on Mahayana Buddhism or any similar topic only for you Order Now Buddhists cultivate love that is unconditioned and unlimited, based on the knowledge that all are one in the ocean of love. 2. Boundless compassion is the intense fellow feeling one should have for all living beings who suffer through pain, anxiety, ignorance and illusion. 3. Sympathetic joy- moves one to seek out happiness and prosperity of others and rejoice with them. . Equanimity – is the sense of nonattachment to self and to the world that the arhat achives by following the path of transformation and rooting out all desire and clinging. 2. What is Early Buddhism’s view of material well-being? Buddhist vision for society is the fundamental principle that all types of people are equal and that honor depends not on circumstances of birth but on moral and spiritual achievement?. ( is this the answer) 3. How does the ethical life of lay persons compare with that of monks and nuns? Lay people – There are many scriptures that spell out practical guidance and concrete disciplines for the good life. There are five percepts that leads the good life of compassion, love and fulfillment. 1st percept is the principle of nonviolence – concept expands not only to humans but also to animals. 2nd percept is not to steal – concept expands to avoild all forms of cheating, dishonest dealings to gain advantage over the others etc. 3rd percept is refrain from wrongful sexual relation – concept expands to be married and have sexual intercourse in the right way. th percept is refrain from wrongful speech that would cause others hatred, enmity, dishmarmony. And 5th percept is refrain from drugs and liquor because it can cause breaking of other percepts. Monks and nuns – has to follow high level of detachment from those material, economic and social attachments that characterize life for lay people. They have 10 percepts. 1. Taking life, 2. Not s tealing. 3. Sexual misconduct 4. Lying. 4. Drugs and liquor 5. Drugs and liquor 6. Earing after noon 7. Watching shows, singing and dancing 8. Using adornments of perfumes etc. 9. Sleeping in a high bed and 10. Handling gold or silver. 4. Outline an overview of the general spread of Buddhism through Asia. Theravada (ways of elders) came to be dominant in South Asia and South east Asia (especially in Srilanka). Mahayana (greater vehicle – one reaching the goal was being broadened to include others, even lay people) Buddhisim spreaded throughout the lands of East Asia ( monks and missionaries brought Buddhism to China than from China it spreaded to Vietnam, Korea and Japan). Vahrayana (diamond vehicle or tantrism) was accepted in Tibet and 1 Japanese Buddhist school. 5. How is Mahayana Buddhism distinguished from Early Buddhism. Mahayana discarded the narrower concept of the arhat as the one reaching the goal was being broadened to include others even laypeople. Al can be equally on the path toward achieveing Buddhahood While Theravada(early Buddhism) only focused on original teachings of the Buddha. 6. In Mahayana Buddhism what is a bodhisattva? Bodhisattva- being who is intent on becoming fully enlightened in Mahayana Buddhism, one who reaches enlightenment but vows to continvue rebirths in samsara to assist others. 7. How does the conception of Buddha change? The Mahayana group expanded the conception of who or what the Buddha is. They emphasized that Buddha is really the eternal power of the Dharma and that this Dharma body of Buddha is universal. Dharma body is the only real body of Buddha and it is ultimate reality. 8. What is the relation of nirvana to samsara? Nirvana is freedom from samsara and therefore, is a permanent, unconditioned state. Nirvana is not in any sense like God but Nirvana is a reality experienced within as it were a state of unconditioned freedom. 9What are the meaning of emptiness (shunyata) and â€Å"suchness† (tathata)? Emptiness is actually the common predicate of all dharmas. Emptiness means the absence of own being, where own being means something existing through its own power and having an immutable essence. So emptiness is really the same as the truth of dependent co-arising. Mahaynnists point out that not only are all conditioned dharmas empty but also the unconditioned reality of nirvana is empty. This leads to the idea that both Nirvana and samsara is empty there is no difference btw them. Suchness is seeing the world as it really is. Karuna – Buddhist ideal of compassion Pure Land – focusing on worship of AMitabha Budhha, with hope of reincarnation pureland paradise. Amitabha – heavenly Buddha who presides over the pure land Buddha realm Chan – school of meditation Buddhism in China, Korea. Zen – important school of meditation Buddhism in japan Lotus Sutra – imp. Early scriptures ofMahayana Buddhism. Vajrajana – Damond Vehicle, tantric tradition of Buddhism especially in Tibet and Japan. Mandala – painting of cosmic Buddhas or a symbolice cosmos, used especially in Vajrayana Buddhist ritual and meditation. Dharma – teachings of budhha ependent co-arising (dependent origination) – central Buddhist teaching that everything is conditioned by something else, that all reality is interdependent. Three Bodies (Trikaya) – Dharma body – universal Buddha essence. Bliss Body – heavenly Buddhas and Transformation body – human manifestations of Buddha. Mahavairocana  œ great sun Buddha IITuesday, October 23. Tibetan Buddhism. In class video: The Reincarnation of Khensur Rinpoche Read: Ch. 6: pp. 103, 106-108. Iyer Pico on the Dalai Lama (on Blackboard). [2nd ed. Ch. 6: 95, 98-100] 1. What are some of the special characteristics of Tibetan Buddhism? The religious specialists were the lamas. Tantric Buddhists actively engage with their feelings, emotions and imagination. For example, during meditation they will imagine what it was like to be the Buddha in a certain place or time. 2. Based on Pico Iyer’s presentation, how would you describe the Dalai Lama? 3. What stands out most to you personally in Iyer’s presentation? Why? Lama – spiritual masters often thought to be living gods Dalai Lama – head of the Geluk Tibetain Buddhist school, traditionally recognized as spiritual and political leader of Tibetans. How to cite Mahayana Buddhism, Papers

Robust Control and H-Infinity-Optimization free essay sample

In Section 6 the resulting mixed sensitivity problem is discussed in some detail. It is shown that it can be used not only for robustness optimization or robustness improvement, but also for design for performance. The design method based on the mixed sensitivity criterion features frequency response shaping, type k control and specified high-frequency roll-off, and direct control over the closed-loop bandwidth and time response by means of dominant pole placement. To illustrate these features two design examples are included. In Section 7 a textbook example is discussed hat is simple enough to be completely transparent. In Section 8 the application of the mixed sensitivity method to a benchmark example involving ship course control is described. Sections 9-11 briefly review the theory needed to solve ~-optimal regulation problems. In Section 9 it is shown that the mixed sensitivity problem is a special case of the so-called standard ~Â ®-optimal regulation problem. In Section 10 the frequency domain solution of the standard problem is outlined, while Section 11 describes the main features of the state space solution. We will write a custom essay sample on Robust Control and H-Infinity-Optimization or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

Deviance In Gangs Essays - Crime, Criminology, Gang, Urban Decay

Deviance in Gangs Mark Sirignano 027-66-7577 Tues. Thur. 9:25-10:40 12-14-99 Deviance in Gang Involvement: Why Join a Gang? The problem of gang activity is not a new one facing our country. Ever since the beginnings of human existence gangs have served as a means of protection for humans. The issue of gang activity has recently, however, come to the forefront of dilemmas facing our nation. While cities like Chicago and Los Angeles are chronic gang sites, other cities such as "Miami, Portland, Columbus, Dallas, and Milwaukee have only recently (within the last decade) had what they termed as a gang problem" (Conly 7). Gang numbers have, without question, skyrocketed over the past 10 to 20 years. Los Angeles, for example, has recently been estimated to have as many as 90,000 gang members (Conly 14). The importance of these numbers cannot be overlooked. However, to fully understand the problems that gangs may pose to society, the term gang must be defined. Without a definition the impact of gang maliciousness on society may be lost. Throughout its history the term "gang" has possessed a diverse usage, being linked to outlaws in the "wild west" and organized crime groups among others (Decker and Van Winkle 2). Due to this, a clear-cut definition of a gang does not exist. However, most agree that a gang is a group of mostly males that engages in delinquent activities. However, the definition goes much further than that. A police officer, for example, may call a gang "an on-going, organized association of three or more persons who individually or collectively engage in or have engaged in criminal activity" (Conly 5). Notwithstanding, this definition is terribly obscure. That definition could include a group of boys who occasionally drink alcohol. On the other hand it could also include a group of youths that rapes and steals from old ladies. This definition obviously ranges from one extreme end of the spectrum to the other end. While images of boys drinking in the woods does not conjure up representations of hard c ore gang activity it does fit under the umbrella of the definition given above. This definition, obviously, leaves much to be desired. A sociologist, on the other hand, may describe the term gang with another set of values. As a result, a sociologist may describe a gang as a group whom: Are generally perceived as a distinct aggregation by others in their neighborhood, recognize themselves as a denotable group (almost invariably with a group name) and have been involved in a sufficient number of delinquent incidents to call forth a consistent negative response from neighborhood residents and/or enforcement agencies. (Sanders 9) This definition is less obscure than the previous one. However, it still leaves much to be desired. As one can see a "clear cut" definition is extremely hard thing to determine. In order to define the term gang one must take a combination of several definitions. As a result, a combination of these two definitions must be faceted for the purpose of this paper. Gangs, for our purpose, can be characterized in the following manner: A group of youths that commit crimes that recognizes themselves as a "gang". As a result of a sufficient definition being unearthed, the focus of this paper can next be turned to the reasons for joining a gang. While there are a variety of reasons one may choose to enter into the gang environment, there are three prominent reasons that stand out. These reasons are psychological, financial, and physical. The psychological aspects of gang life are plentiful. Many youths in the inner city come from broken homes. As a result, these youths may turn to the gang life as a "pseudo" family. The gang, which has a definite family hierarchy, becomes the family for the youth. However, the purpose of a family is to provide support, love, and protection. The hazardous gang life-style often provides injury and death as well. In addition to psychological support, gang life often provides financial support as well. Teens who would normally be making fifty to sixty dollars a week at a part time job can rake in as much as a thousand dollars per week by stealing or selling drugs in a gang setting. In fact, many gang members claim to "join and

Free Essays on Success

Success When we define at the word success, there are many meaning to it depending on how you look at it. But when we narrow it down, we can defined it as accomplishing a certain goal. Emerson defines the word success in a different way. He defines it as to finding the best in others. When we accomplish a certain goal or excel in something, we can say that you successfuly accomplished that or excelled it. When Emerson looks at the word Success he look's at it as finding the best in others or to appreciate the beauty. Emerson tries to look at life of other people and when one is Successful because of him that's when Emerson feels he is also successful. But Success to us is when we move up in our life by accomplishing a certain goal that we faced. So if that would have happen to someone else and Emerson would have taken a part, to him he have won the respect and goten successful. So people can have different meaning to the word success. We find it as overcoming and an obstacle that we have faced which made us successful. And while Emerson finds other people successful and the best in other he feels that he has defined what the word success is to him.... Free Essays on Success Free Essays on Success Success When we define at the word success, there are many meaning to it depending on how you look at it. But when we narrow it down, we can defined it as accomplishing a certain goal. Emerson defines the word success in a different way. He defines it as to finding the best in others. When we accomplish a certain goal or excel in something, we can say that you successfuly accomplished that or excelled it. When Emerson looks at the word Success he look's at it as finding the best in others or to appreciate the beauty. Emerson tries to look at life of other people and when one is Successful because of him that's when Emerson feels he is also successful. But Success to us is when we move up in our life by accomplishing a certain goal that we faced. So if that would have happen to someone else and Emerson would have taken a part, to him he have won the respect and goten successful. So people can have different meaning to the word success. We find it as overcoming and an obstacle that we have faced which made us successful. And while Emerson finds other people successful and the best in other he feels that he has defined what the word success is to him.... Free Essays on Success â€Å"Success is a journey, not a destination† (The Success). Webster's Dictionary describes success as a degree or measure of succeeding and a favorable or desired outcome. I disagree. A desired outcome? Success is a choice. You can sit around and desire success all day, or you can make it happen. â€Å"Some people dream of worthy accomplishments while others stay awake and do them† (Successories). It is your decision. Most people just let life happen to them, but there are few that decide what's going to happen to them in life. Those are the successful people. In my opinion, success is a choice, an accomplishment, a decision, a goal, a journey, a dream, and a victory. Success Magazine did a study on what people thought it meant to be successful, and 58% of the people answered â€Å"good health†. But, with good health alone and nothing else, could you truly be successful? It comes back to what is success? If you don't know what success is, how are you ever going to be successful? Success is for everyone. In "The Success Journey," by John C. Maxwell, he describes a successful person as: â€Å"The wealth of Bill Gates, the physique of Arnold Schwarzenegger (or Cindy Crawford), the intelligence of Albert Einstein, the athletic ability of Michael Jordan, the business prowess of Donald Trump, the social grace and poise of Jackie Kennedy, the imagination of Walt Disney, and the heart of Mother Teresa.† Perfect! A great example of success is Donald Trump, â€Å"a very goal-driven person†. Trump has accomplished more goals than most people even dream of. As far as the future goes, he said â€Å"Anyone who thinks my story is near over is sadly mistaken.† Trump’s goals are never-ending; as soon as one is accomplished he already has another one waiting to be attacked. He is an entrepreneur, and not only that but one of the most successful ones in the business world today. But success comes with failure. If you make a goa... Free Essays on Success Success Most people think of success as getting rich or having a loving wife. But not all people think like that. Some people don’t need to be rich to be successful, because they do something that other people see as memorable. When you think of success, you usually think of famous people first. In my mind, the first person that I thought of was Bill Gates. Bill Gates is a famous and successful person. People see him as a symbol of success. Most people consider him to be very successful. My teacher describe's, â€Å"He is just a little bit smarter than the smart person.† People only like to talk about beautiful things. Nobody we talked about had been kicked out of school. They never thought about how difficult that person had work. If you are a Christian, you will believe Jesus Christ was very successful, because he washed our sins away with his blood. He was crucified by the Romans for us. But some people who are not Christians have a different view of Jesus Christ. They may consider him a loser. Because he was not rich, was not welcomed by other people, and claimed himself to be a god. But the meaning of his success is different than our meaning of success. The meaning of his success is that he died for our sins on the cross. For myself, success is getting respect from my friends. I don’t need to get rich to become successful. I don’t want my name to be memorable to other people. I just want to have a happy family and a loving wife of my own. That is my definition of success. People have their own definition of success. Some people think success is money, and some people think that success is fame....

Analysis of Corporate Governance by Monks, Robert & Minow, Nell Article

Analysis of Corporate Governance by Monks, Robert & Minow, Nell - Article Example As a result, the managers strengthened the company’s governance by ensuring that their imperative efforts focused on their judicial systems reforms, property rights, and informational freedom as well as evaluating other institutions that were vital for realizing democratic market economies. In addition, Banca Comerciala Romana of Romania experienced successful cases of good corporate governance in 2004. Due to itemized corporate governance, the institution was able to access cheaper debt that made it possible for the bank and its affiliate rating agencies to access lower borrowing costs. Fitch Ratings upgraded both individual ratings and long-term counterparty ratings from C/D and BB- to D and B+ respectively. The company cited the upgrading of the ratings came because of the improvement of corporate governance. They were able to manage the bank’s risks that led to changes that brought the bank back to European Union standards hence acting as a role model for the other financial institutions in the region. Furthermore, good corporate governance brings success in companies since it helps facilitate profit-making operations. With good corporate governance, investors will not just assume whether the company will perform better, but knows it will perform best due to better corporate governance (Monks & Minow, 63).  Ã‚   According to the study, the companies transformed due to affirmed systems of good corporate governance. The refining and developing of standards of corporate governance often followed cases of failures within the subjugated company. For instance, in the late 1990s, there were bursts of high technology bubbles associated with telecommunication companies. As a result, there was the development of interests by both brokers and analysts that led to conflicts, underpinning the ability to introduce the principle that would bring advice and analysis into the new system of corporate governance. Enron is one of the companies that felt the heat of failed corporate governance as it pointed the source of its failures to the auditing committee. The auditor and audit committee was an independent body thus mistakes involved during corporate governance application led to deficiencies due to failed accounting standards. Enron’s system of corporate governance failed due to lack of advice and an alysis principles. Another failed case of corporate governance is that of Parmalat. The Parmalat is a group of companies in Italy that deals with dairy food business worldwide. In December 2003, the company’s management team announced the collapse of the company due to lack of funds and entered into the bankruptcy protection program.  Ã‚  

Islam in the Performing Arts Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Islam in the Performing Arts - Research Paper Example As religion has always created a great deal of influence over people and developing their opinion about participation in different forms of performing arts, that is why permission to act or to participate in any forms of performing arts does differ to a great extent among them. What is a religion? According to Durkheim, â€Å"†¦a religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden – beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral community†¦all those who adhere to them.† (Cipriani and Ferrarotti, 2000, p.2) Durkheim’s observation regarding the role of religion as a catalyst for social unity is relevant in this context as religious permissibility of acting can help to a great extent in spearing morality across society. Thus, acting in film or theatre has received a special focus from different religious disciplines and at the same time, this issue has also raised several debates and arguments concerning this argument. Apart from this factor, as every religion goes through a process of maturity (Roof and McKinney, 1987, p. 108), it gradually develops certain forms of prejudices that create pressure over followers of such religion. Keeping in mind the factor of general humane morality factor, every religion provides some kind of restrictions over people but in the general social context, those aspects are often misrepresented and finally those emerge as strict regulations for people in every society Thesis Statement: In this context, the important question arises if it is permissible under the laws of Islam to act in film or theater or if it violates the rules of morality as laid down in the philosophical approach of Islam.

PHILOSOPHY - What is skepticism Describe Descartes' attempt to build a Essay

PHILOSOPHY - What is skepticism Describe Descartes' attempt to build a secure foundation for knowledge using his method of d - Essay Example Through this, Descartes hopes to find his foundational belief from which a reliable, clear and distinct philosophy can be deduced. But how will Descartes arrive at such a foundational principle? Descartes will doubt all his beliefs in order to arrive at the one thing which cannot be doubted further; this is Descartes attempt to build a secure foundation for knowledge. However, â€Å"is there anything at all that he can know to be true, that can survive the process of doubt?† (Williams 2005, 57) Descartes’ skepticism is termed methodological skepticism; this is defined as â€Å"the use of doubt methodically in order to arrive at true knowledge† (Lavine 1984, 95). In doing so, he first doubts his beliefs on sense perception, which he claims are by nature deceptive. Second, he doubts his beliefs on material objects and the physical world, which are based on sense perception. Third, he doubts his beliefs on natural sciences, which uses objects that are based on sense perception. Fourth, he doubts mathematics. In doing so, he invents an evil demon or genius that conditions his mind and deceives him to fall into error (Greetham 2006, 86). However, Descartes realizes that in order to be deceived, he must exist; in order to doubt, there must be someone doing the doubting. Thus, Descartes arrives at his self-evident principle, which can be stated in Latin as â€Å"Cogito, ergo sum† or â€Å"I think therefore I am† (Copleston 1958, 91). â€Å"This proposition: I am, I exist, is necessarily true each time that I pronounce it, or that I mentally conceive it† (Descartes 2007, 430). So Descartes is now certain of one thing, that is, his existence as a conscious subject; that whenever he is thinking, he is assured of his own existence – but what about the external world? Descartes feared that he may fall into solipsism, the view that â€Å"my mind with its thoughts is the only thing that exists, the only reality: and that othe r persons and the physical world are only ideas within my mind† (Lavine 1984, 100). So in order for Descartes to escape the solitude of solipsism, he has to be able to prove the existence of something other than his own mind. At this point, he sought to prove the existence of God, and bases his proof on his theory of ideas and causes. An idea, for Descartes, is the effect of causes. Herein, he formulates three basic propositions. As Lavine (1984) explains: â€Å"there must be as much reality in the cause as in its effect, something cannot proceed from nothing, and what is more perfect cannot proceed from the less perfect† (104). Given this aforementioned background, Descartes (1993) begins with the claim that he has a â€Å"clear and distinct idea of God† as a perfect being (177). Since ideas are effects of causes, then something must have caused his having such an idea. And since its cause must have the same magnitude to its effect, and that something perfect ca nnot come from something less perfect, then God exists as the only possible cause for his idea of a perfect being, for something cannot come from nothing. Therefore, God exits. Given that God exists, how can this prove that the external world exists? Descartes reaches all â€Å"these conclusions by the application of a method of systematic doubt† (Kenny 2008, 36). Having established his own existence, as well as the existence of God, Descartes now replaces doubt with certainty. Herein, he comes to know that he gains knowledge of material objects

What Are The Weaknesses Of Democratic Transition Theory Politics Essay

What Are The Weaknesses Of Democratic Transition Theory Politics Essay Throughout the 20th century, democracy has gained its status as the predominant and most legitimate form of national governance. Through complex and diverse processes of democratization, not all successful, increasingly more states embedded democratic characteristics and procedures into their governance systems. Consequently, democracy and democratization swiftly became the subject-matter of extensive academic literature, widely referred to as Democratic Transition Theory (hereafter: DTT), which aims to scrutinize various aspects of emerging democratic regimes and democratic transitions. This essay will focus on the question What are the weaknesses of democratic transition theory. It will assess, while using the case-study of democratization processes in the former-Yugoslavia states, different shortcomings of existing DTT, which arguably undermine its theoretical validity and call into question the extent to which it is useful in explaining contemporary democratic transitions First, at the theoretical level, DTTs incoherent and diverse use of concepts, variables and methods, which weakens its internal validity. Second, at the empirical level, DTT is inapplicable to contemporary variants of democratic transitions mainly due to the impact of globalization processes on notions of statehood and citizenship in post-conflict situations, which weakens its external validity. Third, at the practical level, DTT blurs boundaries between academic accounts and policy prescriptions as well as between descriptive and normative perspectives, which calls into question its utility as a guiding principle for democratization policy. Based on these three critiques, I will argue that we should differentiate between notions of DTT as an academic theory and as a political paradigm. As an academic theory, we should perceive it as an open project and thus further develop it in order to suggest plausible explanations of contemporary transitions. As a political paradigm, we should acknowledge the theoretical limitations in using it to underwrite democratization policy and therefore revisit its prescriptive and normative strands. (A)Democratic-Transition-Theory: A-Historical-Background DTT is a field of study that focuses on exploring the political phenomenon of regime transitions. In this sense, DTT is a fairly coherent research program, which encompasses various studies which aim to scrutinize the process by which a state attempts to embed democratic features in its formal and informal patterns of governance. DTTs contemporary incarnation evolved in light of the democratic transitions in Latin America and South Europe starting in the mid 1970s. These processes, which Huntington-(1991) dubbed the third wave of democratization, begat a prominent line of DTT studies (e.g. Huntington, 1991; ODonnell and Schmitter,1996), suggesting various explanatory frameworks for these transitions. Nevertheless, studies on democracy as a form of governance emerged before that. Seminal works of American scholars in the 1960s articulated the first configuration of DTT, which aimed to scrutinize the structural settings that arguably explained democratic patterns, these usually focused either on economic factors, like modernization and economic development or on cultural factors, like political culture. These were nevertheless more of an attempt to empirically identify the structural conditions that shape specific modes of political institutions and focused less on the studying the process of democratic transition itself. The political processes of the-Third-Wave, have generated a new approach to DTT, which diverted the focus from strictly structural explanations to agent-oriented ones. This new approach emphasizes the role of political elites as agents that realize and execute democratic transitions (for an overview on DTT, see Bunce,2000: 705-715) The study of democratization expanded in light of democracys worldwide expansion. Multiple regional and cross-regional studies were performed in various attempts to deduce theoretical generalizations regarding democratization. Altogether, these studies explored a common type of transition, characterized as the process through which a breakthrough of an authoritarian regime in a certain state results in transition toward democracy (Carothers, 2002:). In this sense, DTT studies differed in the various causal explanations of the factors that facilitate the political phenomenon of regimes transitions. By focusing on the processes features rather than on its diverse origins or potential outcomes, these studies suggested a certain and limited prism on democratic transitions. This prism, based on retrospective empirical evaluations of concrete and deliberated democratization processes in Latin America and South Europe, painted a picture of relatively sequenced and pre-determent patterns of democratic reforms within nondemocratic states. The criteria for evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of theories are typically based on assessing their internal and external validity. Internal validity refers to the strength of the causal links a theory suggests in terms of conceptualizing, measuring and qualifying its variables-and the relations between them. External validity refers to the extent to which theories can be generalized and applied to situations other than those examined. In the next section, I will evaluate-both the internal and external validity of DTT. First, internally in terms of concepts and methodology, and then externally in terms of its applicability to explaining more recent regime transitions- specifically, the fragmentation of Yugoslavia from 1990-1999. (B)DTT-Weaknesses: Internal-Validity DTTs main weakness in terms of internal validity is the lack of sufficient coherence in its concepts, variables and the links it suggests between them (Munck,1994). DTT as a research program encompasses various studies aiming to explain democratic transitions; however, these studies define democratic and/or transitions in different ways. This in turn creates a situation in which theories that allegedly claim to offer alternative explanations to the same phenomenon, actually explain different phenomena. For example, the book of ODonnell and Schmitter (1986), a seminal DTT work, posits in its first paragraph that it deals with transitions from certain authoritarian regime toward an uncertain something else' (ODonnell and Schmitter, 1986:3). Huntingtons book, probably the work that is most identified with the DTT, declares in its preface that it is about the transition of some thirty countries from nondemocratic to democratic political system (Huntington: 1991, 3). Linz and Stephen (1996), present a third approach, which attempts to revisit the traditional DTT and explore how the character of different nondemocratic regimes affects, or does not affect, the paths that can be taken to complete a transition to a democratic regime (Linz and Stephen, 1996: 3). These three examples reflect three different conceptualization of democratization: ODonnell and Schmitter focus on the origins of a political transition, Huntington examines the factors that shape the process of democratization, and Linz and Stephan illuminate the final phase of the process, the consolidation. These different explanatory frameworks, although complementary to a certain extent, are incomparable in terms of evaluating the strength of their arguments and their plausibility. Furthermore, DTT studies not only conceptualize democratic transition differently, but-also conceptualize democracy differently. This illuminates two major disagreements that hinder the internal validity of DTT. At the conceptual level, DTT theorists disagree over which democratic features should be used to signify the degree of both existence and success of democratic transitions. At the methodological level, they-disagree on how these features can and should be measured. For example, while Huntington prefers to stick to the minimal definition of democracy as a political system in which decision-makers are selected through fair, honest and periodic elections (Huntington,1991:7), Linz and Stephan choose a wider definition comprising behavioural, attitudinal and constitutional elements (Linz and Stephan,1996:6). The challenge of defining and operationalizing democracy indicators corresponds with the extensive academic literature of democratic theory. The latter, a close relative of democratic transition theory, focuses on highly contested questions of defining, measuring and qualifying democracy both procedurally as a form of government and conceptually as a conduit of specific values and norms (e.g. Beetham, 1994). The challenge for DTT in this sense is obvious. If there is no consensus on how to define democracy, how to qualify it and how it can be measured, how could DTT attempt to portray the trajectories of transition to democracy, let alone explain the factors that shape them. For example, the common explanation of elite-driven transition, which emphasizes the essential role of political elites in the transition process, fails to explain the relations between democracy and political elites, namely to explicate why, and under what conditions, political elites will be motivated to perpet uate political transition (Bunce,2000). These are just several examples of the theorys internal shortcomings. Alongside others, these examples raise questions regarding the ability of DTTs causal explanations to depict a complete picture of the specific transitions they aim to explain (Munck, 1994). This by itself is a sufficient reason to question the transferability of the theory and the ability of applying it on other transitions (Pridham, 2000:1-3). The next section will focus on democratic transitions in the Balkans as a case-study to illustrate the limitations of using classic premises of DTT as plausible theoretical lenses for explaining political transitions in contemporary post-conflict situations. (C)DTT-Weaknesses:-External-Validity Yugoslavias disintegration and the Balkan wars (1990-1999) that followed led to the creation of seven new independent states (including Kosovo). All were required to face the complex mission of reconstructing (actually constructing) basic political and economic state-infrastructures. This mission is composed, according to Offe (quoted in Kostovicova and Bojicic-Dzelilovic,2006: 226) , of triple transition: (1) At the societal level, nation-state building (which can be separated into two different building processes state-institutions and the nation); (2) at the economic level, economic liberalization and (3) at the political level, democratization (see also Blunden, 2004:22-23 and Hippler, 2008). These are not separated transitions. In practice, they not only overlap and intertwine, but they also affect each other and are shaped by similar factors. In this respect, democratic transitions in the Balkans cannot be examined separately from the context of concurrent transitions on one h and and of the historical circumstances and legacies that generated those, on the other (Pridham, 2000:9-15). Herein lays DTTs main deficiency: it is almost blind to the importance of different contexts, at both the domestic and international realms which could potentially affect democratic transitions. . For years, DTT studies explained democratization from the inside, whether by structural variables like economic and cultural factors, or by agent-oriented approaches, which focus on political elites and their role in redesigning political institutions. By that, DTT largely refers to the transition as an isolated process that is dependent on the confluence of a set of (rather contested) driving forces that arguably promote democracy. It thus ignores the specific contexts and preconditions within which it takes place, as well as the related external forces (Carothers, 2002; Whitehead, 2002). I will elaborate only on the two contextual impediments of DTT, which seem most relevant for explaining political transitions in the global era: (1) the role of statehood and citizenship and (2) the international dimension. Both of these factors gain extra significance if one accepts the common understanding that processes of globalization for the past couple of decades have challenged classical no tions of the states legitimacy and authority. One of the main indicators of democratization processes in the Balkans is popular elections, which were held in all of the emerging Balkan states ever sense the-aftermath of the Balkans-wars. Even if we will accept the disputed assertion that elections endow a polity with the label democratic, the statehood of these polities still remains questionable (Edmunds, 2007; Krastev, 2002). The puzzling phenomenon of democracy preceding statehood, simply does not meet the basic premises of DTT, hence highlights the latter inapplicability to post-conflict political transitions. One of DTTs core assumptions is that the polity in transition is not only a state, but also a consolidated one. It assumes that the transition is occurring within the framework of an existing infrastructure of political institutions and is reconstructed through the transition process (Carothers, 2002). The case of the Balkan states imposes a new challenge to this. When former Yugoslav states declared independence, they not only lacked effective and legitimate governments, but were also locked in a state of ethnic conflict. Both conditions have fundamental effects on subsequent democratization processes. Democratization in the Balkans was essentially entwined with processes of state-building and nation-building, and thus was framed more as means to empower forces who wanted to shape the future nation-state and less as an independent aim. This argument could be applied to both nationalist forces operating within quasi-states and to the participating international and transnational acto rs (Blunden, 2004; Pridham, 2000). The fragmentation of Yugoslavia and subsequent wars created a great political and social vacuum in its former republics. Opposed to the basic assumptions of DTT, the political transitions in this region were not a consequence of a regimes breakthrough but rather of a state. This did not lead to processes of political reconstruction, but rather a fundamental need to construct social, economic and political institutions. The post-conflict vacuum, characterized by a great sense of social insecurity, facilitated a competition between various forces over power and authority within a given territory (Hippler, 2008). This competition was embodied in the Balkan conflicts and in the reconstruction processes that followed them. Subsequently, post-war processes of state-building in the Balkans became associated with nation-building processes evolving around ethnic-fragmentation. Given the legacies of the failure of the prior state-authority to maintain its statehood and conflicts that generated from that, the post-conflict situation in the Balkan illuminated the attractiveness of state authority alternatives in the form of nationalism and identity politics (Kostovicova and Bojicic-Dzelilovic,2006:229-230; 2009; Smith,1996: 2-3). Consequently, crucial power shifts within the realm of the state allocated more power to exclusive ethno-nationalist groups than to inclusive ones (Zakaria,2003:15). For example, In Bosnia-Herzegovina(BiH), since 1996 the parliament has been dominated by the wartime nationalist parties, reflecting popular support for ethnic divides and separatism (Waters,2004). This demonstrates the inability of the new state systems to create what Smith (1996) calls a balance between the civic and ethnic dimensions of nationalism (Smith,1996:97-102). Constant disagreements over the definition of the people and the transformation from a Westphalian d efinition, which is based on bordered territory, to an ethnicity-based definition of people, undermined the ability of any state representative to establish equilibrium and therefore to consolidate effective and legitimate democratic states. Furthermore, nationalist groups use democratic practices to recreate the nation and national identity rather than create a functioning state (Smith, 1996:80-82). For example, in 2004-5 Serbian and Montenegrin nationalist group used the political institutions in Serbia and Montenegro (unified state back then) as part of their as part of their struggle for independence and separation (Edmund, 2007). Under the circumstances of weak and fragile states, these ethnic fragmentations just could not be accommodated under any constellation of democratically-elected government (Edmunds, 2007; Krastev,2002:49; Waters,2004; Zakaria, 2003:113-155). As a result, the emerging Balkan states emphasized their ethnic components and therefore provoked processes of hyper-nationalism, ethnic-centralization and exclusion (Smith,1996:105-106), all of which are essentially counterproductive to state-building processes. The lack of a civic component, which essentially defines the relationship between the state and its citizens, imposes more challenges for DTT, which presupposes the existence of statehood and in particular, clear definitions of citizens and citizenship. In this respect, citizenship is acknowledged as prerequisite to democracy, not to mention one of its constitutive elements. After all, if democracy is literally the rule of the people, without agreement on who are the people there cannot be a democracy. Thus, if one embraces Grugels concept of democratization as the establishment of democratic practices of citizenship (Grugel,2003:250), the absence of a clear civic component in the Balkan states questions the mere existence of democratic transitions within them and emphasize their embedded weakness (Kostovicova and Bojicic-Dzelilovic,2009). In terms of DTT, this emphasizes the need to expand its explanatory frameworks to cases in which there is not only a regime transition but also a transition (or construction) of a state, which entails differentiating between the constitutive elements of democracy citizenship and statehood and its procedural practices, like elections. Another neglected dimension of DTT, which arguably has crucial impact on contemporary post-conflict transitions, is the international dimension (Schmitz,2004). International forces, and external forces in general have always had some impact on domestic democratization transitions as demonstrated by US efforts in the Alliance for Progress (1961) and various foreign aid schemes for democratization states in Latin America. Nevertheless, although prominent DTT scholars acknowledged the role of the US in third wave democratization processes (Huntington,1991:91-100), and recognized ,its part in the history of democratization, the role of external forces or superpowers was not incorporated into DTTs explanatory frameworks thus was absent from democratization theory (Schmitz,2004). More than that, the DTTs reliance on firm division between the external and domestic realms overlooks the involvement of external, international, global and transnational elements in these transitions and thus ign ores their role in shaping the course of contemporary post-conflict transition. Here again the political transitions in the Balkans reveal the inapplicability of the DTT to contemporary conflicts because of its tendency to decontextualize the political phenomenon it aims to explore. The DTT treats democracy and democratization as unitary concepts that have firm meanings regardless of time and space constraints, and thus assumes they can be defined and measured via objective and positivist lenses. Nevertheless, since democracy as a set of political procedures is the manifestation of set of ideas and concepts, its meaning is dynamic and interpretative, that is constructed and socialized by social institutions and actors under specific social and historical circumstances. An important shift in the ideas and meanings of democracy and democratization has occurred in the past few decades (Whitehead,2002:7-9). The end of the Cold-War marked for many the triumph of democracy as a desirable idea. This, accompanied by recently emergent ideas of human security, generated a paradigm shift in the academic and political agendas toward the need to embody and realize notions of human, liberal and political rights. President Clinton articulated this trend in its first inaugural speech (1992): [O]ur greatest strength is the power of our ideas, which are still new in many lands. Across the world, we see them embraced, and we rejoice. Our hopes, our hearts, our hands, are with those on every continent who are building democracy and freedom. Their cause is Americas cause.  [1]   In light of these notions, NATO, under U.S. leadership, framed its involvement in the Balkan wars at both diplomatic level (e.g. the Dayton Agreement, 1996) and military one (e.g. NATOs Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo,1999). Another example for the ideational framework of the external forces in the Balkans is the involvement of NATO the UN, the EU, and GCS bodies in managing reconstruction and state-building tasks in the region. The official objectives of these tasks illustrate their aim to develop in these states the civic components of statehood and democracy. For example, the mission of NATO-led stabilization force in BiH articulates that its legal and political framework was determined in light of Dayton Agreements goals (1996): To provide a safe and secure environment; To-establish a-unified, democratic Bosnia-and Herzegovina.; To rebuild-the-economy.; and To allow the return of displaced persons and refugees to their prewar-homes.  [2]   The mandate of the UN-Mission in BiH (1995) emphasizes the role of law enforcement, whose main tasks include: Monitoring, observing and inspecting law enforcement activities and facilities; advising law enforcement personnel and forces; assessing threats to public order and advising on the capability of law-enforcement agencies to deal with such threats  [3]  . It also makes its assistance to specific parties in BiH conditional and declares that it will: Consider-requests from the parties-or law-enforcement agencies in-Bosnia and Herzegovina for-assistance, with priority being given to ensuring the existence of conditions for free and fair elections. The objectives of the UN peacekeeping force in Kosovo (KFOR, 1999) are also similar: Support the-establishment-of civilian institutions, law and order, the judicial and penal system, the electoral-process-and other-aspects of the political, economic and social life of the province.  [4]   The main-problem though, is that these forces by attempting to design and supply the civic components of the state in-light-of western models of statehood and democracy, served as substitute for the state and practically empowered the anti-statist forces in the region, namely the ethno-nationalist groups as a by-product of democratization (Waters, 2004:424-427). The American diplomat Richard-Holbrooks expressed his concern from this implication in the course of the 1996 Bosnian-elections: Suppose the election was declared free and fairà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and those elected are racists, fascists, separatists, who are publicly opposed to [peace and reintegration]. That is the dilemma. (Quoted in Zakaria,2003:17-18) As exemplified above, this has realized in practice, and the institutions that the external forces aimed to achieve in the Balkans, were used by ethno-nationalist movements as a platform to fuel trends of populism and claim their authority in the name of an exclusive ethnic majority (Smilov and Krastev, 2008:8-10). The above examples illustrate two important notions regarding the weakness of DTT to theorize the role of external forces. First, its indifference to the fact that international and transnational forces play a significant role in processes-of democratization and state reconstruction (Lewis,1997). Second, its indifference to the significance-of contextual and ideational-evolutions in concepts of democracy, as shaping and determining-this role. A comprehensive theoretical account on democratic transitions thus has to consider both the ways in which external forces fulfill their role in the transitions and the material and ideational factors that motivate them to do so. By further scrutinizing the role of external forces in democratization processes, DTT, could perhaps suggest refined and crystallized notions regarding the relations between external and internal forces in contemporary democratic transitions as well as provide further insights regarding the appropriate ways to manage and execute these transitions (e.g. Kostovicova and Bojicic-Dzelilovic,2006; Schmitz, 2004). The first question to be asked, in this respect, is if DTT in its essence is adequate to serve as a guiding policy tool for democratic transitions. (D) DTT: Between-Academic-Theory-and-Political-Paradigm: The relative success of the third wave of democratization coincided with the end of the Cold War, conferred extra normative weight upon concepts of democracy and democratization and anchored democratization processes to the conception that democracy is good and desirable. This conception developed in light of historical and social circumstances that generated specific normative perceptions and-interpretations of democracy. DTTs main theoretical and empirical assertions were combined with similar normative notions regarding the merits of democracy. It was thus shifted from a merely descriptive and explanatory framework to a prescriptive one, representing a new paradigm, in the academic and political realms, regarding the prospects of democracy promotions (e.g. Diamond, 2003; Fukuyama, 1992). Consequently, more and more entrepreneurs of democracy promotion framed and justified their policies via a mixture of normative and descriptive notions of DTT, as the paradigmatic foundation for attempts to support and encourage democratic transitions around the globe. The essential question thus is if indeed DTT is designated to serve as the theoretical basis of democratization policies in general and of contemporary post-conflict transitions in particular. The democratization attempts in the Balkans can shed light on this question. The attempts of the international community and GCS networks to democratize the Balkan states by emphasizing the virtues of elections as a platform for democracy and of law enforcement mechanisms as a platform for constitutionalism, exemplify the limitations of DTT. The overall success of these attempts is questionable as much as-the democratic transitions in the Balkan states are questionable due to, alongside other reasons, the theorys deficiencies pre sented above. First, in terms of cause and effect, these attempts were-based-on incoherent means and methods that were incompatible to the aim they wished to-achieve. Second, they were inapplicable under the ontological features of the political transitions in the Balkans, which were shaped by the new and unfamiliar context of globalization, manifested in non-statist (i.e., sub-national, transnational and global) trends and patterns of conflict and post-conflict reconstruction (Kostovicova and Bojicic-Dzelilovic,2009; On the EUs Europeanization-approach to the Balkans see Kostovicova and Bojicic-Dzelilovic,2006). These patterns demonstrate the blurred trajectory DTT has taken in recent years and calls into question its ability to serve as the theoretical basis for policies of democratization. This, I wish to argue, has less to do with DTT itself but rather with its transformation from academic theory to political paradigm. As argued above, the end of the Cold-War served as a normative leverage for democracy and democratization as political concepts. Those consequently gained normative weight, which altered the concept of democratic transitions from being a mere dependant variable in terms of DTT to aspired political objective. In this sense, DTT was politicized and shifted from being a framework, which aimed-to understand and explain reality into a framework which ascribed its shape and designed desirable political realities. Furthermore, DTT became a tool to justify and frame policy, migrating it from the academic sphere to the political one. Nevertheless, DTT was not simply applied to new c ases of political transitions as a guiding principle, but rather was translated and rephrased. Different entrepreneurs stripped DTT of its original theoretical constructs and rephrased them as both public conventions and political convictions (see also Ish-Shalom,2006 on the migration process of the Democratic Peace theory.). I use the word strip since once a theory migrates from academic to political discourse, it is detached from the skeptical and cautious discourse to which it was originally anchored. Academic theories are essentially specific adhered-to standards that qualify it to participate in the academic discourse. Among these requisites are expressed notions of cautiousness and skepticism that frame theorizing processes more as a set of probabilistic assertions than as a natural law. In return, theorists usually refer to-their theories as-project that is open to interpretations, refutations and further developments. More than that, theorists set the conditions under which their theories can-be-applied, and-by that acknowledge the limitations of theoretical generalizations (Ish-Shalom, 2008:683-685). This, for example, is clearly a part of the theorizing process of the DTT in its original setting as an academic-theory, which was explicitly cautious regarding its ability to serve as a model, rather than an explanation. Huntington for example, clearly states that his account of the third wave of democratization is limited-to the specific cases he selected for the study and thu s questions his own theorys external validity (Huntington,1991:xiii). ODonnell and Schmitter explicitly suggest in their books title tentative-conclusions and point that although there is a normative strand to the DTT that recognizes democratization as desirable, one has to acknowledge that transitions are essentially disordered and thus difficult to theorize and deduce to concrete generalizations. Democratic transitions thus should not be regarded as either linear or deterministic in their nature (ODonnell and Schmitter,1986:3-5). Interestingly, Carotherss critique (2002) The End of the Transition Paradigm implicitly acknowledges the theorys migration process by referring explicitly to subject under critique democratic transition paradigm rather than to democratic-transition-theory. It is important to stress the differences between theory and paradigm. A paradigm is a worldview composed of a set of axiomatic, possibly normative, notions regarding facets of the world. Theory on the other hand is the result of complex process of systematically organizing paradigmatic conceptions into sets of assumptions, testable hypotheses, and feasible arguments usually framed by conditioned if and then matrixes. DTT, in this sense, shifted from being a theory, constrained by the common standards of academic theorizing, into a political paradigm that embodies a specific set of values and norms. Consequently, the use some would even argue abuse of the idea of DTT as a paradigmatic-framework for democratization policies is inadequate given its initial purposes and limitations as a theory. This use can be seen as a selective, even distorte

Pride and Dignity in No One Writes to the Colonel, by Gabriel Garcia Ma

In a state of martial law one individual does not have much to say. This statement holds true in the novel, No One Writes to the Colonel, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The author discusses the political climate of one man, the Colonel, who after fighting to create the government in power is being controlled by the bureaucracy. A corrupt government can ruin a man, sap his will, and drive him mindless with hunger; although times are hard the Colonel keeps his dignity and pride.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The government, through the use of martial law, controls the people quite readily. The government maintains itself through "Big-Brother" tactics that include the use of censors, secret police, and ordinances like "TALKING POLITICS FORBIDDEN." The sweeping control that is present under this martial law is evident in the every day life of the Colonel and the people of his town. The first example of the nature of their lives is shown through the funeral. A poor musician has died of natural causes; the first in a long period of time. The government in attempt to avoid a demonstration and possibly a riot, reroutes his funeral procession to avoid the police barracks. Since the musician is a first to have died of natural causes, we can assume that martial law has resulted in the untimely death of many people. Another example is the death of the Colonel's son, Agustin, Whom after his death has become the embodiment of the underground. It is rightly so, being that he was the writer of the "clandestine" papers.   Ã‚  Ã‚   "'Agustin wrote.'   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Colonel observed the deserted street.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   'What does he say?'   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   'The same as always.'   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They gave him the clandestine sheet of paper" (p.32)    Martial law has restricted the free flow of id... ...is moment the Colonel feels "pure, explicit, invincible" (p.64) in replying "shit." (p.64)      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This novel takes place somewhere in South America and it is evident that because of the type of government, conditions are difficult during this period for the group of people fighting tyranny. The Colonel has little material wealth after a life of work and service to his country. These monetary circumstances dictate how he and his wife must live day by day; and this hardship is in addition to the medical problems they both endure requiring the service of a doctor.   And yet through it all, the Colonel with steadfast resolve awaits his letter from Congress regarding his pension. This corrupt and unjust government has ruined this man, but has not broken him. His pride enables him to retain his dignity through it all.

Nutrition Practices

Receiving proper nutrition to satisfy the physiological needs of man is a general knowledge that everyone is aware of. The food that we eat is necessary not only to fulfill the biological urge to satisfy hunger, but also to nurture the human body in order to withstand illnesses and diseases for a longer and healthier life.Although this is a common goal for nations, particularly of the United States, as manifested in health care services and policies granted to their citizens, other external factors seem to influence how individuals perceive nutrition. One major factor which affects the nutritional decisions and influences of individuals is their culture, for one’s racial or ethnic roots or backgrounds are attributed to nutrition practices.This fact may be observed in hundreds of individuals who belong to various racial and ethnic groups residing in the US. The evaluation or assessment of the nutrition practices undertaken by these individuals reveal that they are at high risk for experiencing health and nutritional deficiencies.For instance, the Prima Indians were found out to be at great risk for contracting diabetes primarily fueled by obesity. However, in this case, aside from the nutrition practices, the genetic make-up of this ethnic group also influences their health and wellbeing. Another case is the implication of the exclusion of milk, and other dairy products in the diet of Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans. (â€Å"Ethnic Traditions,† 2008)This is because studies have shown that these particular ethnic groups are more prone to lactose intolerance which leads them to remove dairy products from their nutrition practices or diet (â€Å"Ethnic Traditions,† 2008), consequently leading to Vitamin A, B12, D, and Calcium deficiencies (â€Å"Vitamins and Minerals,† 2008)Other health and nutritional deficiencies that are most common in the US for racial or ethnic groups include lack of Omega 3 fats, Copper, and dietary fiber. Fo r the male populations belonging to African American and American Indian ethnic groups, they are most at risk for Vitamin A deficiency.This is because it has been observed that they refuse to consume vegetables in their diet. Some vegetables that are essential parts of the American diet contain beta-carotene which is a valuable substance present in them from which Vitamin A is taken from. (â€Å"Ethnic Traditions,† 2008*)Aside from the minor influences of physical and genetic features or characters, one component of racial or ethnic culture also influences nutrition practices. Religion plays a major role in dictating what kind of diets individuals will be implementing. For instance, individuals who are Jewish refrain from eating the common types of meat such as beef and pork and prefer meat from sheep, goat, etc. instead.This religious belief has something to do with the distinction of the clean and unclean meats. Moslems on the other hand are not allowed to consume pork and alcohol. In addition, some Islamic festivals require that they practice fasting which refrain them from consuming food and drinks at a particular time during the day. This particular cultural and religious practice affects the health and wellbeing of Moslems. (â€Å"Ethnic Traditions,† 2008)From the various, but limited, examples provided in this text of the various cultural nutrition practices that racial and ethnic groups observe, the influence of such practices are perceived to be detrimental to their health and wellbeing.In addition, resolving the issue of ethnic disparities in terms of health care and nutrition is quite difficult to resolve since it would be far-fetched to reverse a culture that has long existed. Moreover, the influence of physical and genetic factors is unavoidable. The challenge presented within this text now is how cultural differences and the standards and guidelines of health and nutrition are to be reconciled in order to come up with a cohesive soc iety that is consciously aware of the need to promote health and nutrition for the betterment of human life.Referencesâ€Å"Ethnic Traditions.† (2008). Retrieved December 20, 2008, from The World’s Healthiest Foods. Website: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=specialneed&dbid=11 â€Å"Vitamins and Minerals.† (2008). Retrieved December 20, 2008, from The Vegetarian Society of United Kingdom. Website: http://www.vegsoc.org/info/vitmineral.html   

Online Sociology Class

Ch 5 dba Us our text, as needed! 1)   In the opening vignette to Chapter 5, the Crips provided Monster Cody a sense of brotherhood, belonging, and superiority while the Bloods were described as being the enemies of the Crips and unworthy of their respect. In this scenario, what sociological concepts apply to each group for Cody? For instance,   what is/are Cody's ingroups, outgroups, reference groups, primary groups, secondary groups? 2. What essentials elements are missing from aggregates and categories that are found in â€Å"groups.   Why are groups more important to humans than either categories or aggregates? 3. Why do you think secondary groups frequently break down into primary groups? 4. Which of the following  do you think this online sociology class is and why:  Ã‚   an aggregate; a category; a primary group; or a secondary group. 5. How do reference groups work? Do you have to be an actual member of  your reference group? What are some of your reference groups ? 6. Why did many of the subjects in Solomon Asch's experiment give answers that they knew to be incorrect? Have you ever been a â€Å"victim† of group conformity?Share the details of your answer DQ5 Sociology is the study of life in groups–chapter 5  | DQ5A YOUR groups†¦ 0 messages – 0 unreadWho are your primary groups, your secondary groups? Your reference groups? Your ingroups, your outgroups? * Unlocked: Feb 9, 2013 4:51 PM – Mar 4, 2013 11:55 PM| DQ5B Social networking 0 messages – 0 unreadSocial networks are important in the study of sociology. Understand what they are. Have you ever benefited from your social network. For instance, have you gotten a job or met someone nice through a friend of a friend?Another way to look at it, how many degrees are you away from from contacting former President George Bush? It never fails that I have a student who knows someone who knows  Bush personally! * Unlocked: Feb 9, 2013 4:53 PM – Mar 4, 2013 11:55 PM| DQ5C Facebook and Suicidal Content Link 0 messages – 0 unreadIs anyone familiar with this link on Facebook? It's the first I've ever heard of it. It could be really useful. http://www. latimes. com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-facebook-military-suicide-20120508,0,1357844. story * Unlocked: Feb 9, 2013 4:53 PM – Mar 4, 2013 11:55 PM|

Concept of Employee Downsizing

Concept of Employee Downsizing Introduction and overview of the article Human resource is an important capital for an organization; however, during organization change, employee downsizing may be an essential strategy for an organization’s survival. Employee downsizing may not involve laying off staff, but can be done through freezing of hiring. However, hiring freeze, also known as attrition, does not always result in staff reduction; instead, it may cause staff imbalances especially considering that there is no replacement of retiring employees[1].Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Concept of Employee Downsizing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Employee downsizing is defined as planned reduction of the workforce by either laying off, early retirement or failing to replace retired staff and does not include termination due to poor performance[2]. This strategy is used by organization to cut back the cost of operating. In addition, downsizin g is done to reduce managerial layers, hence speed up decision-making process, to increase productivity and increase core competencies, and outsource peripheral duties. There are various criteria that management uses when choosing the employees to downsize productivity, age, competency of employee and health or fitness of the employees. Generally, managers indicate that they use performance appraisals and evaluating skills of employee when selecting employees for downsizing[3]. Downsizing can produce adverse consequences to employees and the employer. Generally, employee motivation on those left behind is largely affected, which can be translated to low productivity. Besides, the organization can lose valuable staff due to voluntary retirement that may be difficult and expensive to replace. In the event downsizing is unavoidable, management should ensure that the process is done at the appropriate time, proper selection criterion is used, while sufficient communication and secrecy is maintained to avoid negative effects[4]. In another perspective, both the leaving and staying employees may be affected health wise. Therefore, this research evaluates the effects of downsizing on the health of leavers and those staying in an organization. This article evaluates the health of employees in municipal before downsizing and after downsizing. Consequently, the article tests the hypothesis that employees with health problems before downsizing in an organization are the target of layoffs, while the health of leavers after downsizing is dependent of reemployment. In support of first hypothesis, many researches indicate that, organization may consider the health of an employee during downsizing. Generally, various researchers suggest that loss of job due to downsizing considerately affect the health of employees.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Theme an d article summary The theme of this article is health trends of employees before and after downsizing. It explores the links of health problem with being targeted for layoff and the consequences of being laid off on individuals’ health. The research was based on two hypotheses selection and consequence hypothesis. The selection hypothesis suggests that employees with health problems are a target of being made redundant while consequence hypothesis indicated that downsizing increased the risks of health problems. Leavers were grouped into three categories depending on the amount of reduction of days worked, which included minor, intermediate and major. Consequently, they were also classified as reemployed leavers or unemployed leavers. In deed, this pre downsizing health problems determined whether leavers obtained subsequent employment. The result was that, employees who obtain reemployment after downsizing expressed better health than their counterparts did. However, the st ayers experienced the highest risk of health problems after downsizing. Generally, this was attributed to high levels of stress and anxiety due to strict supervision by the management. Importantly, the research dispels the selection hypothesis that claimed that leavers were less healthy than stayers were. Contrary to the selection hypothesis, healthy and more competent employee easily volunteered to leave. Authority, timeliness, and Bias The research was conducted by a panel of experts in the field of human resource management hence a reliable authority in the matter. In addition, it comprised of several authors who brought onboard wide variety of expertise and knowledge on the matter. Despite this, the article has weaknesses as it reports on a research done in 1990, which is quite a long time ago; hence, the findings might not be applicable in present settings. Finally, the authors have referenced many other authors who may contribute to some preconceived notions. Accuracy, Reliabi lity and Viability The research evaluated the health of both stayers and leavers, hence creating a platform for critical comparison. However, the research did not evaluate the reasons for leaving by the leavers. Data concerning health before downsizing was collected in a fairly stable time, hence producing accuracy. However, the findings may not apply universally as labor and social policies differ from one country to another. Primarily, data was collected from employers’ records and questionnaires filled out by employees, hence the data used were reliable. The participants in these research comprised of a wide range of employees including different sexes, age groups, and thirty-two variant job categories.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Concept of Employee Downsizing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Furthermore, the research was conducted over three years duration, giving sufficient time for possible conseq uences of downsizing to be identified. Moreover, the research categorized the leavers and the stayers into smaller categories that aided comprehensive assessment of each group. Methodology The researchers used quantitative methodology research technique through consultation and evaluation. Based on previous research on impact of downsizing on health of stayers, the researchers sought to identify the effects of downsizing on both stayers and leavers. They used a methodology of testing two hypotheses selection and consequence hypothesis. Analysis, Significance of the findings The article illustrates the impact of various levels of downsizing on the employees, both leavers and stayers. Consequently, it outlines various levels of downsizing. The findings support the consequence hypothesis; leavers were exposed to physiological, mental, and physical problems. Moreover, the selection hypothesis is disapproved partially since there are employees who are willing to leave voluntarily and ar e healthier than the stayers are. Subsequently, the stayers in the job categories where there was major downsizing expressed more health problems than their counterparts in other job categories that had lower downsizing did. The findings can be used by social service providers in supporting employees who lost their jobs to avoid health complication. Based on these findings, proper structures can be formed by the governments to meet the needs of immediate unemployed persons. Moreover, the organization can provide safety nets to assist its employees to transit easily from employment to unemployment status. The finding can also be used to compel organizations to put in place programs and mechanism to aid employees during downsizing[5]. In quest for high productivity and effectiveness, the organization can formulate downsizing in a manner that would lower the negative health effects on employees[6]. Strengths The major strength of the research is that, foundational information and data was collected before any rumors of downsizing were spread. This is in realization that, the fear of downsizing can affect the health of employees even before loss of job has occurred. Besides, the respondents that were involved in this research were many, hence a sufficient sample to evaluate and draw conclusions. The data excluded employees who retired due to old age in this research.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, the researchers did not use reduction of number of employees as a measure of downsizing; rather, they calculated the number of days worked. The sample being worked on comprised of several correspondent from wide demographic and variant job categories, hence providing a viable sample. Finally, the article articulates its findings and methods clearly, and gives logical explanations. Limitation The major limitation of these findings is that the research did not include the reasons for leaving during downsizing. These factors can influence the likelihood of employees to obtain new employment. Additionally, the research included early retirees in the group of non-employed leavers, which can influence the findings, as most of these persons were relatively older and prone to health problems. Consequently, the researchers did not attain statistically significant percentages that support the claim that non-employed leavers have higher health problems. Several assumptions were appli ed during this research, which can influence the findings. Moreover, many other factors that contribute to ill health are not factored in this research. The research links lack of reemployment opportunity to poor health, while there are other factors that contribute to lack of jobs i.e. economic forces and competency levels. Therefore, the authors recommend additional research on how downsizing affects stayers and leavers. Nevertheless, the article is written by several authors that could have led to lack of objectivity of the matter. Summary The research draws a link between downsizing and the level of downsizing to the health of the affected employees. Primarily, this research clearly indicates that there is connection between deterioration of health and downsizing of employees. It suggests that non-employed leavers are at a higher risk of various health issues compared to other groups. Nevertheless, the stayers in job categories that experienced major downsizing were also largely affected i.e. higher levels of downsizing implied higher risks of health problems. In addition, leavers with better health have better chance of reemployment compared to unhealthy leavers, which contradicts the selection hypothesis. In addition, the research concluded that the average age of reemployed leavers was lower than unemployed leavers. Further, the health of reemployed and non-employed leavers did not differ significantly from stayers in job categories that experienced minor or no downsizing. Data The data clearly indicates a correlation between health problems and downsizing in an organization. However, in some respect, the research did not obtain statistical significance percentage to support the claim. Importantly, organizations and the local governments’ structures can be set in order to help employees to transit from employment to unemployment during downsizing. Employee loyalty Besides lack of motivation, employees especially stayers lack loyalty and commitmen t to their employers and their responsibilities is prevalent during downsizing[7]. Mainly, loss of loyalty is caused by fear, anxiety, and strict supervision. Additionally, employees are concerned about possible job loss, chances of advancement, new supervisors, and hence variant expectations[8]. In deed, lack of loyalty is higher in job categories that are more exposed to major downsizing. This can translate to lower productivity or even lose of valuable employees due to insecurity. Therefore, during downsizing, the organization management should formulate plans to motivate the stayers and restore employee trust and loyalty in the organization. Bibliography Anertez, Bengt Ekman, Rolf. Stress is Health and Disease. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH, 2006. https://books.google.com/books?id=JSXzO-iZElwCprintsec=frontcoverdq=Stress+is+Health+and+diseasehl=enei=SyhMTZ2pK5LW4gaD4IyODAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false . Diane publishing Company. Workforce Reduction: Downsizing strategies used in selected organizations. NY: Diane Publishing, 1995. https://books.google.com/books?id=BwUNAAAAIAAJpg=PA25dq=Diane+publishing+Company:+Workforce+Reduction:+Downsizing+strategies+used+in+selected+organizations.+Diane+Publishing,+1995hl=enei=gyhMTfynF4_qOdmsoOAPsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false . Roussea, Denise. Psychological contracts in organizations: understanding written and unwritten agreements. California: Sage, 1995. https://books.google.com/books?id=FG1qprRMUlECprintsec=frontcoverdq=Psychological+contracts+in+organizations:+understanding+written+and+unwritten+agreements+California,+Sage,+1995hl=enei=5ChMTYygMY704Qb2ntiuDAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false . Shalhoub, Zeinab Karake, Zeinab. Organizational downsizing, discrimination and corporate social responsibility. CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999. https://books.google.com/books?id=B_T7lvd0mHECpg=PA96dq=Organizational+down sizing,+discrimination+and+corporate+social+responsibility.USA,+Greenwood+Publishing+Group,+1999hl=enei=GylMTdY0oLDgBsOJgfgLsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false . Yankelovich, Daniel. Mother Jones Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 4, Jul-Aug 1997. Mother Jones Publisher, 1997. https://books.google.com/books?id=oOcDAAAAMBAJpg=PT63dq=employee+loyalty+during+downsizinghl=enei=5BxMTdOVMoXrOZqAiSQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=4ved=0CDYQ6AEwAw#v=onepageqf=false . Footnotes Diane publishing Company, Workforce Reduction: Downsizing strategies used in selected organizations, (NY: Diane Publishing, 1995), p. 6. Denise Roussea, Psychological contracts in organizations: understanding written and unwritten agreements, (California: Sage, 1995), p.212. Diane publishing Company, ibid, p.31 Zeinab Shalhoub Zeinab Karake, Organizational downsizing, discrimination and corporate social responsibility, (CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999), p.60. Diane publishing Company, ibi d, p.35 Bengt Anertez Rolf Ekman Stress is Health and Disease (Weinheim: Wiley-VCH, 2006), p.106. Daniel Yankelovich, Mother Jones Magazine, Jul-Aug 1997 Vol. 22, No. 4 (NY: mother Jones Publisher, 1997), p.60 Diane publishing Company, ibid, p.32

Community Health and the Local Hospital Assignment

Community Health and the Local Hospital - Assignment Example There is a separate department that handles the community health aspects which is undoubtedly something significant for the sake of the community. The budget is around US$25000 each year as it is served towards addressing the needs of the underserved. The desired audience is comprised of individuals who cannot manage to look after their health domains and need assistance medically. The in charge of the area is the municipal health director who has done his Masters in Clinical Psychology and has over 8 years’ experience overall. (2) The Department of Community Health within a hospital setting is often viewed as a "loss leader" to introduce the community to the hospital services or as a department which is necessary to substantiate the fact that a not-for-profit hospital is indeed fulfilling their responsibilities as a tax exempt organization. What are your thoughts? What part of the total hospital budget should be given to this area? One should believe that quite a significant proportion of the total hospital budget must be dedicated towards community health realms. The Department of Community Health can be seen as a loss leader within the hospital regimes but then again onus should be on achieving results more than making it tax exempted. A not-for-profit entity might not win favors if it fails to address the health needs of the people. (3) It is imperative that the Dept. of Community Health be linked to the strategic initiatives of the hospital. One of the challenges is to help other department directors and managers see the value of wellness initiatives and health promotion events and how these initiatives link to their services. What are your thoughts on how to break down these barriers? Indeed it is important that the Department of Community Health is somehow connected to the long term initiatives of the hospital. In essence, the other department directors and managers might not be able to estimate the value of health events and wellness

Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Safety - Essay Example Before ignition process likewise, it is important that all the personnel on the site should be well acquainted by the attached FMEA. FMEA provides for systematic and qualitative tool, typically created from a spreadsheet during the testing, to assist the personnel anticipate what can go wrong with the process, and then to develop plans to mitigate various risk of failure. It is important to point out that all the debris from the test site must all be cleaned up before setup. Despite the distance, they should always ensure they wear protective gear for both their ears and eyes. This ensures that they are protected at all time with the sound and any unforeseen eye direct infection. However, all these are only done after a 10-12 second countdown to ignition has been in place to ensure every at the site is attentive. The testing is procedural to ensure safety at all times and whenever ignition is not in place, the rocket must be covered by a cap and all materials will be stored safely af ter are disassembled by the in-charge at the site. Likewise, Subscription to all Smart Monitoring System is also provided. All chemical materials containers and must be easily stored and transport availed to and from the test area. Connected to this is the fact that the ventilation system & emergency light must be provided based on site size. Nonetheless, instances misfire are common during testing. In case of such, the first thing to do is to close the remote bottle opener and immediately put off the main power supply. This procedure is important as it ensures deactivation of the closed solenoid. After successfully doing this, it is important to give an allowance of about 70 seconds before anyone can approach the rocket motor housing. Safety before and after the ignition is of importance since if the assumption is made and some of the safety precautions are ignored, it may be risky to the operators and likewise losses may be incurred unnecessarily. When the process