Monday, September 30, 2019

Health and Health Care Essay

The book â€Å"Health and Health Care 2010: The Forecast, The Challenge† by Roy Amara et al. provides detailed analysis of trends that will affect health care policies and practices by 2010. In particular, the authors have made an excellent effort to forecast stability and volatility of health care in the USA. The authors cover the following topics: health care forecast, demographic trends, health care demands, health insurance, children’s health, medical and information technologies, diversity and the workforce. Managers and staff members will find the chapters about information and medical technologies of particular interest. Nevertheless, the issue of ablation is paid too little attention. The authors argue that the primary purpose of the book is to make readers aware of critical factors that affect health care system in the beginning of the 21st century. When speaking about demographic trends and burden of disease, they claim that American population will be more ethnically diverse and older. Thus, such situation will be very likely to result in increased number of chronic diseases. One more important problem is that health care costs have increased meaning that less people can afford highly-qualified medical support. The authors predict growth of Medicare and Medicaid by 2010 due to changes in health care insurance systems. They say that â€Å"during the 1990’s, the managed care became the dominant health care insurance and delivery system, covering more than 60 percent of publicly and privately insured lives†. (p. XX) Managed care plays is argued to play important role in controlling national expenditures on health care, and people are provided with coordinated health care. Nevertheless, managed care is highly criticized by physicians, the media and consumers, but the government decided to make managed care an effective mechanism of controlling costs and delivering health care. The way the health care system is organized is swiftly changing, and surplus of hospital beds will contribute to consumer’s market. However, intermediaries will be entailed with a new role. The authors mention that the negative moment is that little changes were provided in the way the physicians practice medicine. Even the invention of the telephone, the computer and Internet didn’t significantly change medical practices. Of course, exceptions are present. It is physicians who are the central figures in health care, but surplus of doctors and new roles of health care providers are very likely to shift that paradigm over the next decades. New medical and information technologies are of particular interest for managers and staff members, and they are claimed to be the key driving force in organization of the health care system in the beginning of the 21st century. The problem is that health care industry is the last in implementing information technologies that would increase quality and effectiveness of health care delivery. The authors write that â€Å"beginning in the19th century, medicine has made great strides in verifying the germ theory, creating aseptic surgical techniques, discovering antibiotics, developing anesthesia, and imaging the inside of the body†. (p. 111) Of course, the impact of such innovations is undeniable and huge as physicians gained an excellent opportunity to improve public health, to extend the life span, and to improve the quality of life. Moreover, the quality of health care delivering was heightened as well. Nine medical technologies are argued to significantly affect the outcomes of patient care and health care delivering: rational drug design, advances in imaging, minimally invasive surgery, genetic mapping, genetic testing, gene therapy, artificial blood, effective vaccines, implementation of stem cells and xenotransplantation. Stem cells â€Å"can generate all other types of cells in the body and therefore hold great promise for replacing or repairing tissues and organs damaged by disease†. (p. 131) Researches of stem cells are nowadays one of the most interesting, the most promising and contradictive area of discussions and medical researches. Many researchers agree that development of the new method would open new doors before medicine. Some scientists say that creating of new human embryo must be prohibited, because it s morally unacceptable and religiously unethical. The authors continue that medical management is implemented sporadically nowadays. In particular, medical management is defined as an active management of the care of the population. Today, medical management fully depends on information systems that are used for monitoring and tracking medical processes and outcomes. Disease management programs positively impact medical practices and patient management. When speaking about public health, the authors admit that â€Å"over the past 30 years the public health system has operated under pressures of resource scarcity, limits in leadership, and organizational fragmentation†. (p. 9) Public health system is safety-net medical provider, and economic problems make its performance hardly bearable. Over the next decades global forces will the context in which public health systems will be very likely to operate. The authors conclude that global economies increase health risks and, therefore, public health system should be embedded in the context of global threats and opportunities. Cost-effective technologies should be developed for enhancing surveillance, screening and environmental health. Finally, public health strategies should aim at employing ecological strategies as ecology is human and structural determinant of health behavior. Managed care will remain dominant in health care insurance. References Amara, R. et al. (2003). Health and Health Care 2010: The Forecast, The Challenge (2nd ed. ). Princeton, NJ: Jossey-Bass.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Last Song

English 12 Summer Reading Book Review The Last Song is a 2009 novel written by Nicholas Sparks to influence and inspire teenagers with similar life experiences. Sparks sparked teenagers’ interest by taking reality from everyday teenage life, society and class. The Last Song portrays the life of a teenage girl with a hard past and tougher future. It consists of an excellent plot; wonderful, unique characters; and a great life lesson. This story is about a seventeen year old Veronica â€Å"Ronnie† Millers.Ronnie has not talked to her father since her parents divorced. The result of her parents’ separation put her into a deep hole of despair to the extent that she refused to play piano again. For the summer Ronnie and her brother, Jonah are sent to live with their father who lives in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina where she changes who she is completely because she finds herself in life or death, love or hate situations. Ronnie Millers had to survive different types of emotions with Will, her new found love, and her father Steve who she finds has stomach cancer and only so long to live.After realizing there was nothing more she could do to change her father’s fate, she finds the piano, her once love and passion; gets over her hate and makes her father happy and proud. She learned to forgive and built a relationship with her father while helping him to hang on to life a little longer. The novel is written from Ronnie’s pint of view which makes it powerful. We feel what Ronnie feels as well as experience her struggles. The tone of the story goes from being rebellious and hateful to loving and caring. Ronnie begins to change from being angry to happy and appreciative.Ronnie’s little brother serves as an example of acceptance and forgiveness. Jonah is open to spending time with his father and rebuilding the lost relationship which shows that he holds no rancor against his father. On the other hand, Ronnie is not open to r ebuilding the relationship and looks toward Jonah as a form of comfort. The story is very sad because Ronnie’s father is dying of cancer. Ronnie and Jonah do not know that he is dying, and that this is the last summer that they will get to spend with him, and to mend their relationships.Sparks connects life and death with sea turtle hatchlings and their father’s situation. He uses the hatchlings as a symbol of new life and as a way for Ronnie to appreciate life and the importance of relationships. Throughout the story, Ronnie’s father is writing a song on his piano, entitled â€Å"The Last Song†. He really wants this song to be shared between him and Ronnie. This song not only symbolizes the relationship between Ronnie and her father but also Ronnie’s final transformation as she finishes the song right after her father’s death.Her love for her father grows to a point where she realizes she has to finish the song for her father because he can not. At the end of the story, she plays the song at his funeral. The story is very emotional that makes even the strongest to cry. I cried when I read the book. Sparks captures the readers by getting them emotionally attached to the characters, the setting, and the plot of the story, and then destroys their world when Ronnie’s father dies. Sparks wrote such an amazing tale those readers of all ages could easily understand and relate to.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Analytical report Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analytical report - Term Paper Example Numerous countries in the world do not use the floating exchange rate system due to its fluctuating nature. However, in this situation, it would be best for the small country to use this system since it has more positives than negatives when it comes to growth. The recommendations in favor of this system and some of its disadvantages are discussed below. One of the main advantages of this type of system is the fact that there is an automatic balance of payment adjustments. This means that if there is disequilibrium in the balance of payments, it is normally be corrected by changes in the exchange rate system. This means that if a country has disequilibrium in the balance of payment, then it means that the currency would have to decrease in value. First of all the disequilibrium is brought forth by the fact that the exports outweigh the imports in terms of supply. Therefore, the local currency would be greatly supplied in the foreign market (Bized, 2011, para. 4). This would drive the value of the local currency down and would mean that the imports would be made more expensive and the exports cheaper. This would lead to an automatic increase in demand for the exports which would ultimately result to a balance of payment adjustment. The other main advantage of this type of system is that it frees the internal policy. This means that t he balance of payment is usually rectified when there is disequilibrium by a change in the external price of the local currency. This is as opposed to a fixed exchange rate system in which if there is disequilibrium it means that there is the need to cause a general deflationary. This deflationary could result to the general unemployment of the citizenry. The other main advantage of this type of system is that the country would be free from economic crisis but not completely as money is usually

Human Development and Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Development and Learning - Essay Example According to Piaget's theory, cognitive development takes place in four separate stages and each stage progresses onto being more refined and conceptual levels of thought. Sensorimotor, the first stage (birth to 24 months) is characterized by knowledge being achieved mainly through sensory impressions and motor action. At the end of this stage, the child will have a little understanding outside what can be sensed. The subsequent stage is the preoperational stage (2 to 7 years) describes how child shifts from sensory testing to the progression of language and using of symbols. The basic characteristics of the stage are reading and a quick increase in vocabulary. The third stage is concrete operational (7 to 11 years) shows significant developments in perception and in the last phase known as the formal operational (11 to adulthood) explains the child's developing the skill to think about hypothetical conditions and reflect abstractly. Lev'Vygotsky, another renowned theorist, proposed the Sociocultural Theory of Development which suggested that children learn through socially interacting with their surrounding culture and communicate with others to learn the cultural values of the society through dialogue. Children progress in the direction of more individualized thought process during these social interactions. The co-constructed development incorporates individuals interacting through shared activities. Once the child is assisted in this process, he or she may be able to use enhanced strategies in the future if a familiar situation arises. This leads to internalization, which further results in the child's independent thought process. There are essential similarities between the natures of development of intelligence in children. This is particularly obvious in their views on the stage-related development process of cognitive abilities. Vygotsky is well known on his position on the importance of social factors in development. Piaget stressed the vital role of social factors in the building of knowledge. According to Piaget, social interaction is necessary in order to develop logic. Furthermore, both Vygotsky and Piaget agreed that it is the development of the individual which ultimately takes place. They also stated that internalization is not a process of copying material from the environment but is a transformative process. Piaget investigated the fundamental mechanisms in the individual constructing its thoughts, while Vygotsky dealt with socially developed mechanisms for constructing language meaning and learning. But both of them relate mental processes to the generative constructions of systems that maintain development, that is, in culture or in the individual interacting with its environment. In Vygotsky's opinion language is makes human species humanized and makes human thought a part of culture. On the other hand, language for Paiget is one of the five behavior patterns that manifest representational intelligence in children. Paiget's theory of intelligence is based on biological factors, but it also implies social dimensions as well. The

Thursday, September 26, 2019

See attachment as well as attachment Coursework

See attachment as well as attachment - Coursework Example (Schaefer 2010) Mexican Americans have been living in American a since very long time and have adjusted and adapted themselves to the requirements of the culture and societal norms of the country. According to survey in 2006 it came into light that 14 percent of the registered immigrants in the United States belonged to Mexico. Mexican Americans are very diverse in their spoken language. Around 26 percent of Mexican Americans can converse in both English and Spanish. Due to the language differences with the mainstream, the Mexican Americans have been overlooked and disregarded in the political field similar to other Hispanic groups that have been ignored. However they have established voting rights and they can vote without any quandary. Moreover, as they form a large percentage of the population, their voting power is very essential for the leaders who approach them for their votes. As a result of their importance for forming an important voting force they have political strength. However, they st ill counter injustice and prejudices in terms of reforms for immigrants, education, etc. They practice Catholic religion. Their economic conditions however differ as compared to those of the born Americans. When compared to the Native Americans unemployment and poverty is higher among the immigrant population. (Schaefer 2010; Keedle 2010) Another prominent group of Hispanics in America are the Puerto Ricans. These Americans have been a vital part of American History and they have been more diverted towards English language. This group has still not been successful in accepting the American identity completely and is known to be undergoing the phenomenon of Neo Colonialism. Their economic status is not as healthy as the whites because they also fall victim to high unemployment rates. They do not have availability of stable jobs in

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Prepare a business and marketing plan for a tourism,hospitality or Essay

Prepare a business and marketing plan for a tourism,hospitality or events organisation of your choice - Essay Example Chakula Restaurant target the central business district that gets crowded during lunch hours with high income individuals. Chakula Restaurant will operate in a sector where individuals with refined tastes spend approximately 500 GBP on a full course dinner items with beverages. The sector however has experienced a slow and sluggish growth majorly due to the rich tourists and business people, coming to the town majorly for business reasons. According to Mintel (2011), the recession has grossly affected the industry and sales have declined by 30%. There has been a reduction in business travel and dining out has also witnessed a decline due to the high costs. The smoking ban in public places has also prevented people from the fine dining sector. This business plan seeks to maximize profits through a fast food enterprise. Chakula Restaurant is likely to succeed due to the experience that the owner has as mentioned earlier. Chakula Restaurant is committed to its fast food business. Throug h this experience, the owner will be able to raise good funds, attract customers, and increase the confidence of both the interested investors and customers. Corporate strategy and mission The corporate strategy of the Chakula Restaurant

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

How to successfully execute business negotiations in Iran Essay

How to successfully execute business negotiations in Iran - Essay Example As a means of communication, shaking hands is the first gesture of recognition when meeting someone. As far as the opposite gender is concerned, a male has to wait to see if the female is extending her hands. If she does not, then a simple nod with a smile is considered as a polite gesture. Doing business in Iran requires the individual to be mindful of the culture and communication that prevails in the country. They are expected to dress conservatively yet smartly. Female alongside wearing a conservative dress, will have to cover their hair with a scarf (Circles of excellence, 2010). 2. Cultural Dimensions 2.1. High Context vs. Low Context Apparently, Iran can be associated with following a ‘high context’ culture of communication. The aspect that puts them into this category is their usage of flowery language and linguistic ability. According to Bar (2004, p. 27), â€Å"Iranians accord great import to the context of communication.† This holds true not only in cas e of communication with each other, but also in case of communicating with foreigners. However, the foreigners arguably may not be sensitive to majority of the contextual implications that are being shared via the communication. In certain aspects, the culture in Iran can be associated with low contextual dimension. They are pragmatic and considerate of force ratios. However, it does not surpass rational considerations. The considerations regarding confidence building, hardly ever bend over to the practical goal. 2.2 Cultural Gender Roles There are different expectations and roles for men and women in Iran. The society as well as the culture requires men and women to portray or rather demonstrate their characteristic in a way that is expected from them. Women have to portray preservation, modesty and dedication towards their home and family, whereas men demonstrate the reputation of their family through work. This kind of behavior is associated with the kind of upbringing that they have had. It is a norm in the Iranian society to maximize gender role differences and discrimination. It has been witnessed that there is no strong desire among the authorities to change this perception. This has been the tradition of the country for a long time (Dastmalchian, Javidan and Alam, 2001). 2.3 Religion and Business Majority of Iranians describe themselves as religious, thereby stating that their beliefs play a crucial role in their way of living as well as conducting business. Religion has some sorts of influence in the way business is done in the country. Religion does not only involve worship and ritual, but they also outline moral principles stating how true believers should be living their lives. The impact of religion on business induces honesty, loyalty as well as justice. This highlights how religion and business is associated to each other in a country like, Iran (Miller and Ewest, 2013). 2.4. Taboo Mannerisms: What Not To Do To make appointments a month before t he actual date of meeting and confirming the same a week before. Thus, avoiding any confusion. To not be late in attending those meetings. To have all business cards and materials translated into Persian (Farsi). To not be impatient as business negotiations often take quite a long time (Vayama, 2013). 3. Business Structures 3.1 Developing Relationships

Monday, September 23, 2019

Uprising in Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Uprising in Middle East - Essay Example A clear view of the entire episode can be comprehended and truly understood only by looking into the factors and elements that contributed to it, the factors and the course that was adopted and what have been the short term outcomes of the entire event as it has unfolded. Egypt faced the heat in form of massive gathering across the Tehrir square which later on became an emblem of revolution and uprising. Egypt has had a history of dictators and usurpers ruling over the people against their wishes and with little political or social participation. It is something that was in offing for a long while, and any place where human rights violation, social and political depravity becomes order of the day, a revolt and revolution finds its way in return. The focus of study is other factors and the neighboring social circumstances as well that ran in parallel and how they propelled an atmosphere of uprising. Understanding the overall scenario of Egypt uprising requires understanding and exploration of the reasons, impact and background of the revolutions that took place in Yemen and Libya. This also includes the study of the regions and the countries that were mostly likely to face and taste revolution yet they survived it and till date have no events and signs on instability that would be seen in form of revolution and overthrow of the government. On economic front it was the downtrodden state of the masses that compelled them into revolt and rebellion, where large percentage of the people lived below poverty line, with no basic facilities of life, no proper education, no health care facilities and far from the basic commodities that are right of every individual. .Religious element and their role cannot be undermined for they provided a platform of awareness and social and political activity which was needed in the environment

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Organization and Environmental Analysis Essay Example for Free

Organization and Environmental Analysis Essay Huawei Technologies technical diversification of its portfolio and value addition to its existing products is highlighted by Huawei being ranked amongst the top 5 in the world in terms of essential UMTS patents. By June 2008, Huawei had filed 30,569 patent applications. (Huawei Corporate Information-Huawei Media release). The big inclination towards RD and strong cost differentiation has enabled Huawei Technologies to achieve what the other dominant players in the telecom industry have been struggling to achieve- customization! .This strong customer focus is also the face of Huawei Technologies projected through its brand logo. The Huawei Technologies brand logo reflects its core principles of â€Å"customer-focus, innovation, steady and sustainable growth, and harmony, conveying Huawei Technologies sincere commitment to helping its customers realizing their potential to launch a variety of competitive services through continuous innovation and an enterprising spirit. † (Huawei Corporate Information-Huawei Media release). The Huawei Technologies logo was recently changed and modified to reflect harmony as also one of its key elements, so as to convey its social responsibility. Huawei Corporate Information-Huawei Media release). This has brought in the much needed image change required by Huawei Technologies primarily being seen as a Chinese vendor. Figure1: Huawei Contract Sales (Source Huawei Corporate Information-Huawei Media release) Opex Capex leverage which Huawei Technologies has been able to offer its customers has enabled it to demonstrate cost leadership which is evident as 72% of its contr act sales were from overseas market in 2007. Let alone in 2007, it had 45% increases in its contract sales revenue. See figure 1. Huawei Corporate Information-Huawei Media release). The strong hold which Huawei Technologies is being able to maintain also comes from the socio-political environment it works in as the labour cost in China is one sixth of that of United States or Europe. Thus it has become a key external environmental factor . Internally Huawei Technologies has capitalized on human resource and RD. But has the cost differentiation been enough, will it still promise growth and more market share? These are the biggest questions which need to be addressed for a guaranteed continuous growth. This question has made Huawei Technologies rethink its marketing strategy towards value proposition, and to value chain analysis (Porter 1985) for a bigger market share. Before that however lies another hurdle of poor quality perception a question mark on the quality of Chinese branding. Issue 2- The dragon brand wagon. With the FMCG market taking blows after blows because of adulterated Chinese raw materials, the general consumer perception on Chinese quality is struggling to establish a stand. Though it specifically affects as said the FMCG market or the business dealing in B2C but the general perception affects all including B2B. And this has been one of the prime challenges. From 1998 to 2001 Huawei was looked at with distrust doubt . With the Cisco lawsuit the market penetration in the developed economies had become more difficult and required 1000 times more effort as compared to its American or European counterparts. (The Economist, Nov 2007). I believe that the focus needs to be shifted towards creating a strong brand if Huawei Technologies needs to keep its foothold in the global telecom market. Thus strengthening of the Huawei brand has become even more important. Remodeling to establish Huawei as a brand has been now the new focus to develop a better perceived quality create brand equity. The need of brand recognition has also become very vital to be seen as a valued collaborator for its customers. Brand development has never been big in China; with large volume market brand recognition never existed in the Chinese market. Hence it becomes more essential as well as difficult for Huawei to develop its brand image to compete in the global economy. The strong need for branding and change for the marketing orientation to move towards the service sector becomes more vital when we look into the 5C’s of Huawei Technologies. Issue 4- The 5C’s. Exploring the 5 C’s of Huawei Technologies highlights the core competencies of Huawei and helps us in understanding why a new orientation approach is required . As discussed earlier Huawei Technologies dominates in cost differentiation and is armed with a strong RD to achieve customization in a high barrier industry and it has been a key strength of Huawei Technologies. But a quick SWOT analysis brings out the lack of perceived quality in the market as one of the greatest threats Huawei Technologies faces. Its major competitor Ericsson currently leading the market share comes with a very strong branding and high perceived quality. The dilemma is not just the market perception but also the perception of the employees themselves despite the fact that human capital is a key resource strength of Huawei Technologies which also drives to low labor costs.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Themes of Liturgy Essay Example for Free

Themes of Liturgy Essay A public duty given in the service of God in Churches is commonly described in Bible as Liturgy. It originated from the Greek word Leitourgia-Leitos where Leos means people and ergo means to perform and the person who performs Liturgy is known as leitourgos. The Christian Liturgy is divided into two sections, the first section is service of the Word, and second is the service of Lord’s Supper. But these two liturgies in real term are same service. Liturgy is a paramount duty of the Church and baptized children of God, â€Å"Devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the community, to the breaking of the bread, and to prayer. † (Acts 2:42) In early days, Churches had made practice of performing the prayers at fixed hours. Then it became a practice to perform prayer at specific time and as the time passed, other hours were fixed for performing common prayers in the service of God and often disciples gathered together at the third hour. The Prince of the Apostles â€Å"went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour† (10:9); â€Å"Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour† (3:1); â€Å"about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God† (16:25). Gradually these prayers began to be performed in a set cycle of hours. This began to be known as Liturgy- a prayer towards Christ and seeking petition from Christ. The basic meaning of theology of Liturgy is that every action of God is revealed through Christ and it is not possible for a man to make his way to God because it is God that makes the way towards us. Thus any action of man that does not lead towards God is not an action at all. Basic essence of Liturgy lies in the fact that through Liturgy, you are united with God. The God himself speaks to us through signs, and even takes the form of body, enters the soul, flesh and blood with only one purpose and that is too unite us with him. Your salvation is with your connection to God and Christian liturgy does this only. Your whole life is spent in search of God and if you join the Liturgy, you have entered doors of the creator itself. Liturgy makes us realize that human soul, the over soul and the super soul are integral to each other. Since the over soul is pure most, the human soul also retains its inherent purity. It can steer us clear of all the difficulties, uncertainties, shams, and imperfections of the worldly life in the same way as the pure-most â€Å"Whole†- The Almighty can. Man is therefore an equal status and importance to God.    According to The Second Vatican Council â€Å"Liturgy is through which the work of our redemption is accomplished, most of all in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, is the outstanding means whereby the faithful may express in their lives, and manifest to others, the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true Church.†1 Eucharist is a pinnacle of the Christian life. They believe that if bread and wine are brought to the altar, the holy spirit with its power will transfer it into the true body and blood of Christ. Lot of research has been undertaken regarding various aspects of Liturgical practices since centuries and their repercussions and effects. The New Testament reveals the fact that the Liturgical practices have seen number of changes, but according to Bradshaw many New Testament books have provided the allusionary account of practices Christians have been adopting in their Liturgical prayers rather than an accurate account. What ever has been interpreted from the New Testament is that Liturgical practices happening in later centuries had its roots in the first century. But there has been no concrete proof regarding the same and they are mere allusions. Further he said that it could be possible that some practices might have been followed from ancient times but there is enough scholarly proof to suggest that these assumptions are impractical and even to make such speculations is highly risky. Abundant illustrations could be offered of such an apprach, but Massey - Pope Paul VI, â€Å"Sacrosanctum Concilium†, 4 December1963, http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html (19 January 2008). Shephard theory, that explains about the link between the Book of Revelation and the Paschal Liturgy can be a good example to present link between the present practices and the past.1 Some reveal that many of the imageries of heavenly worship found in the Book of Revelation are a clear sign of Liturgical practices. For eg. Oscar Cullman could have said, â€Å"the whole Book of Revelation from the Greeting   of the Grace and Peace in Chapter 1.4 to the closing prayer: Come Lord Jesus, In Chapter 22.20, and the benediction in the last verse, is full of allusions to the Liturgical usages of the earlier community.†2 Besides many of other scholars have also questioned about the assumptions of the existence of parallels between heavenly and earthly worship and it has been presumed that the early Christians did not use any order in the ceremony. Inspite of several controversies and debates regarding the actual Liturgical practices, hymns and prayers have been solmenly considered as legitimate and proved versions reflecting the liturgical materials been in use in those times.3 Many research studies have pointed out the connection between the Liturgical practices to the earlier Judaism and the first one to suggest this relation was Dutch protestent theologian, Campegius Vitringa (1659-1722). It had also been stated that Gospels were used as public reading in Chruches and therefore they would have been influenced to some extent by the Jewish Lectionary. Thus attempts were being made to show that the lactionary material was behind the worship process and the first one to follow this theory was RG. Finch in 1939 who found that Jesus teaching did not just found in synagogue but affected that what was found there. And even G.D. Kilpatrick mentioned that Mathew was also used for public reading during worhsip but he did not think that there was any lectionary   process. 4 Paul F. Bradshaw, The Search for the Origins of Christian Worship: Sources and Method for the Study of Early Liturgy (US: Oxford University Press, 2002), 50. Bradshaw, 57. Bradshaw, 59. Bradshaw, 48. The early Christians were all following the Jewish form of worship-which was also considered to be the worship practices of Jesus Christ and was in sense liturgical. The New Testament is a proven record of this fact that even though earlier Christians had added some new components like Eucharist or in other words Communion, which Christ himself had bestowed on his followers during last Supper, their basic worshiping practice was of Jews. But during the ceremonies of the early Church, Eucharist was being celebrated as different services since last many years. The continuous worship procedure that had taken place from Temple to Synagogue and then its finally entry into the early Christian Church was the reason for the start of the Christian Liturgical order since the end of the first century, sixty years after Christ’s resurrection. Paul F. Bradshaw is a professor of Liturgy at the University of Notre Dame and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the University’s London Center. In his book, he evaluated the various difficulties being posed by various researchers while interpreting the earlier documents on Liturgy and made critical reevaluation of the various theories of the origination of Christian worship. He brought before us the notion that primitive form of Christian worship was considered to be diverse in nature. They were pluriform and this pluriformity was not just seen in the theological part of worship in different traditions, but in very basic methods of rites and rituals and despite of the fact that churches have been trying to maintain uniformity in the   rites and rituals over the centuries, the churches began to adopt the liturgical way of worshiping. On one hand, there has been adequate evidence to point out that even though liturgical practices of one group might have created influence on the other but there had been variations in their rites and rituals. Bradshaw even stated that there is lack of evidence in the New Testament about the First Century Christian Worship. As there is a tendency among the scholars to gather the bits of information from whereever they are available and join them to give a unique and single piece of information and give a historical verdict to it.   For example, scholars might have combined references of liturgical activities that might had been performed by our ancestors, from the act of Apostotle or from the Pauline letters and joined with certain illusory signs termed as means of worship from the Johannine literature or from Synoptic Gospels and presented before us the ways of worship by the first Christians.1 Bradshaw emphasised that there never had been any concrete evidence to prove the validity of how first Christians worshiped or what were their ways. But this is a fact that the present Liturgy has at some point or the other roots in our past. It is true that Jesus himself told the woman at the well, â€Å"the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him† (John 4:23).   Liturgy reflects the true spirit of worship in what way it is performed. Catholic liturgy makes use of signs and symbols whose significance lies in the fact that they reveal the sign of Christ. These signs and symbols come from the world of creation- light, water, fire, bread, wine, oil, others from life in society -washing, anointing, breaking bread and others from Old Testament sacred history -the Passover rite, sacrifices, laying on of hands, consecrating persons and objects. These signs speak volume of the intensity of the life that Christ has given to us, but these signs are accompanied by spoken words, which together create the serene effect and reflect the significance of this ritual. - Bradshaw, 59.             Bibliography Bradshaw, Paul F. The Search for the Origins of Christian Worship: Sources and Method for the Study of Early Liturgy. US: Oxford University Press, 2002. Dix, Gregory. The Shape of the Liturgy. London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005. Pope Paul VI. â€Å"Sacrosanctum Concilium†. 4 December1963. http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html (19 January 2008).

Friday, September 20, 2019

Early Growth And Development Of Islam Religion Essay

Early Growth And Development Of Islam Religion Essay The foundation of Islam can be traced back to 6th century Saudi Arabia. Islam is the youngest of the enormous world religions. Islam is the religion of loyalty to God, or Allah, and his prophet Muhammad. The word Islam itself means obedience to Allah. Muhammad is the central prophet of the Islamic faith. He was born into a noble Quraish clan, and he was orphaned at an early age. Mohammed lived from around 570C.-632C. He also grew up to be a successful merchant in his home town Mecca. The prophet Muhammad introduced Islam in 610 A.D. after experiencing what he declared to be an angelic visitation, which consisted of the angels command from God for Muhammad. Muhammad dictated the Quran, the holy book of Islam, which Muslims believe to be the perfect words of Allah, their God. It is said, that beginning when he was around 40 years old, Muhammad was commanded by Allah to recite the words that would later become Islams book and Holy Scripture, the Quran. Mohammed is also said to have rece ived all of his revelations over a period of around 23 years from the angel Gabriel, who was repeating the word of God to Muhammad. However, to a spiritual Muslim, Islam began long before Muhammad ever walked the earth. Early Growth and Development: After Muhammud completed the Quran, he traveled back to his hometown to spread the news of his new religion. Soon, Arab conquests outside of Arabia began under the second caliph, Umar. The religion of Islam and the Muslim community began to stretch through the Middle East through invasion and the result in growth of the Muslim state offered the ground in which the newly exposed faith could thrive. The military occupation was encouraged by religion, but it was also motivated by gluttony and politics. But this combination of motives united to form a procedure that created Islamic and Arab ideals, and societies into a fast-growing spiritual and political uniqueness. The early progress of Islam quickly started with military expansion. Abbasid decline became evident in the second half of the ninth century as the conversion to Islam accelerated. Transition Period: After the death of Muhammad in 632 CE, the youthful Muslim alliance came under tension. Some of the tribes determined that their loyalty to Islam had been principally to Muhammad himself. His death approved them to conclude their faithfulness to Mecca and to Islam. This began to cause many new problems in the Muslim community because many had become sincere Muslim believers and began to fight amongst themselves over who should take control now that Muhammad had passed away. To make things more difficult, Muhammad had not left clear directions as to who should lead and take power of the society. Fortunately, the community immediately choose Muhammads close friend and father-in-law, Abu Bakr, as his heir. Abu Bakr was famous as the first caliph and a innovative monarch of the society. The title of caliph gave Abu the status of a spiritual leader, in addition to his political power. This can be seen as a similar role as the Judaic priest. Abu Bakr took hasty military feat in opposition to the communities that sought to break away. These campaigns, identified as the apostasy or ridda wars, effectively consolidated Arabia into a single nation under Muslim rule within two years. The political position of Islam, and the task Muhammad had given it as a political and religious strength was toughened in the military conquests. Within half a century of the prophets death, Islam had spread to more than three continents. By the 8th century, Africa, western Asia and even Europe had been influenced and conquered, in several regions, by the Muslim conquests. The original Islamic doctrine was not a faith of war nor did it multiply primarily by means of invasion. The wars and battles that took place around Saudi Arabia were targeted at controlling and correcting the many communities of people that worshiped false idols, in contrast to the real God, or Allah. Islam was spread by declaring war against those clans which did not accept the message of God. At first, Christians and Jews were not required to convert or were treated with disrespect. In addition to the region around Saudi Arabia, the vast lands of the Middle East dominated by the Arab armies in a small period were ultimately converted to Muslim by the appeal of the latest religion, instead of by the sword. It was faith in one God and stressed the importance of his mercy that brought immense numbers of people into the religion of Islam. The new faith did not oblige people to convert to Islam. Many continued to remain Jews and Christians and to this day, significant communities of the supporters of these faiths are found in Muslim lands. The expansion of Islam was not restricted to its astonishing early growth outside of Arabia. During later centuries the Turks accepted Islam calmly as did a great number of the citizens of the Indian subcontinent. Islam has stretched during the past two centuries even under the potent authority of European colonial monarch. Today: Islam is a large and powerful worldwide religion up to this day. Although the religion of Islam has spread to throughout the world, Indonesia is the country which has the largest population of Islamic followers. In addition to Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh each have an grand number of 100 million or more devotees. Today Islam persists to grow not just in Africa, but also in Europe and America where Muslims now encompass a well-known minority of people. Today, Muslims and Islamic followers face many new challenges. One of the biggest problems Muslims and Islamic believers are facing is other people having ignorance towards Islam. This ignorance has begun to lead to stereotyping, fear, and distrust towards the Islamic people. Muslim American citizens allegiance and loyalty to the United States has grown to be questioned. Muslims are given a bad name and therefore an easy target for prejudice and racism. Another danger resulting from ignorance of the religion of Islam is the omnibus anti-terrorism legislation that, which unfairly targets Muslims as widespread purveyors of terrorism. Although affected by various ideologies such as communism, during much of the twentieth century, the Islamic individuality and the supremacy of Islam on political troubles and arguments have dramatically increased during the early twenty-first century. The quickly expanding Western interests in Islamic regions, international conflicts and globalization have changed the pressure of Islam on the world of the twenty-first century. Muhammad was born in Mecca just around the time of 570 C.E. and was a affiliate of the Quraysh tribe. As with many famous people, almost nothing is known about his years of adolescence. His parents passed away when he was a juvenile. Something that was quite sad for Muhammad the great prophet was that as a child he was never taught how to read or write. When Muhammad was only twelve years old, he visited Syria and had his first introduction to other religions and other faith groups, Muhammad began to grow respect for these other people. At the age of twenty-five, Muhammad wedded a widow who was called Khadija. Khadija was a merchant, like many people of his time were, and soon enough he began to be a merchant himself. While he left home to go onto a trading expedition, when he was around the age of forty, Muhammad stumbled upon the angel Gabriel. The word of God was discovered to him through the angel Gabriel and Muhammad copied down everything he was told, in Arabic and was later kn own as the Quran. The angel Gabriel began to reveal to him, many special revelations. The revelations which the angel Gabriel revealed to him, said that he was to grow to be the herald of God and he would become a great prophet. Some of the revelations told to Muhammad incorporated that the world would end one day, that God would arbitrator humans fortunately if they gave in to His will, and that people should pray to demonstrate their gratitude to Allah. After his great experience and revelation, he began to follow the path of a prophet. Mohammed hurried to return home to his wife and city where he soon began spreading the teachings he learned. After his teachings began to spread, he started to create a system of conduct that he said had been spoken by Allah himself. The main beliefs of Islam were incorporated over time, as not everyone was eager to believe Muhammads claim to be Gods herald. People who believed in Muhammads knowledge came to be branded as Muslims. The religion that Muhammad had created became to be known as Islam, which means in Arabic, surrender (to the will of Allah). Muhammad was said to be one of the last and most perfectly spiritual prophets. However Muhammad was hated by many people at the time. In addition to having to hear and listen to the criticism of his ideas and what he believed, he also went through a great deal of pain, when his wife and uncle passed away in the same year. In 622, Muhammad left on a journey from Mecca, for an oasis that was known as Yathrib at that time. This trip became known as the hejira, or as the flight from persecution in Mecca. Muhammad soon gained a new home which was renamed Medina, Muhammad became a negotiator, arbitrating arguments and fights between different tribes. Muhammad had respect for the Jews, and his early knowledge appeared to be taken from the Jewish tradition. The Jews started to keep themselves from Muhammad; however, once it was clear that the Jews would not recognize him, Muhammad sta rted to eradicate the Jewish power on his viewpoint. Originally, he said the Arabs were offspring of Abraham through his son Ishmael, but in the Koran Abrahams correlation to the Jews is deprived of, with Muhammad saying that Abraham is only the patriarch of Islam. One of the instant consequences of Muhammads aggravation was the eviction of two Jewish clans from Medina and the execution of all the associates of a third Jewish clan. But what was even worse, was that for the long-term handling of the Jews were a number of provoking statements about them that Muhammad created that appeared in the Koran. Muhammad gradually began to construct his control by the persuasiveness of his confidence. He came to be in charge of the markets, which forced other traders and tribesmen to negotiate with him. During the two centuries after Muhammads death, the rules that all believers were to abide by were codified in the Shariah. Muhammad passed away in 632, and it was left to his followers to carry on the customs he had begun. His clique developed Islam, just as the supporters of Moses and Jesus created Judaism and Christianity over time. http://www.islamfortoday.com/beliefs.htm The Earth and Its People, Houghton Mifflin, Bulliet Crossley, Headrick Hirsch, Johnson Northup, Third Edition, 2005. In the Shade of the Quran, Sayyid Qutb, Islamic Foundation. The True Religion, by Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Needs Analysis: The Who, What, When and Where of Training Essay

Needs Analysis: The Who, What, When and Where of Training In a nutshell, (needs) analysis is the planning we do in order to figure out what to do. Allison Rossett, 1999 Needs analysis is the systematic basis for decisions about how to influence performance (Stout, 1995). This is where it all begins -- establishing relationships, exploring strategies, and defining solutions. The key is to seek the gap between the current situation and the desired situation and then to focus resources where they're most needed. The analysis must determine root causes. For example, a question about why something doesn't or won't work is just as critical as what people do and do not know. Needs assessment then is a study conducted to determine the exact nature of an organizational problem and how it can be resolved. That needs assessment becomes the basis for wise recommendations about instruction and supporting organizational strategies, and for enlisting support throughout the organization. Managers are often in too much of a hurry. They implement a solution which is sometimes, but not always, the correct intervention. This can prove to be an expensive error. The largest expense for human resources programs, by far, is attributable to the time spent by the participants in training programs, career development, and organization development activities. In training, costs due to lost production and travel time can be as much as 90-95% of the total program costs (Gilbert, 1988). There are two ways to learn of training needs. The first method takes the proactive approach. An instructional designer goes into the system and searches for problems or potential problems. The goal is to make the system more efficient and ... ...nowledge Management Meets Analysis. Training and Development, 53, pp. 62-68. Rossett, Allison (1997). That was a great class, but†¦ Training and Development, 51(7), pp. 18-24. Rossett, Allison (1995). Needs assessment. In G.J. Anglin (ed.), Instructional Technology: Past, Present, Future (2nd edition) (pp. 183-196). Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, Inc. Rossett, Allison (1991). When performance and instructional technologists talk: Dialog about impact, change and personal growth. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 7(2), pp. 71-80. Rossett, Allison (1989). Assess for success. Training and Development, 43(5), pp. 55-59. Steadman, S.V. (1980). Learning to Select a Needs Assessment Strategy. Training and Development, 30, pp. 56-61. Stout, D. (1995). Performance Analysis for Training, Niagra Paper Company, Niagra, WI

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

La Rotonda Essay -- Architecture Construction Essays

La Rotonda One of the great architects in time was Andrea Palladio, who was made famous for his magnificent Villas built in Italy in the fifteen hundreds. To do so he drew from the Greek and Roman’s architecture, studying many of their finest works, to create his masterful villas. This process would develop into a style of architecture, which became known as Palladianism. This style has inspired buildings which have dominated the landscape for the last four hundred years. These buildings include: English castles, American public buildings, Swiss railroad stations, Spanish libraries, Tuscan villas and Canadian hotels. Many of these buildings are considered to be the great buildings of the world. Andrea Palladio was born in 1508A.D. in Italy. At a very young age he became a stone mason, however his journey into architecture began when he met Gian Giorgio Trissino who immediately saw ability in him and decided to mentor Palladio. Trissino combined a study of classical architecture with architecture of the time, all the while allowing Palladio room to develop a style of his own. In time Palladio was constructing villas through out the country side of Italy, in all he constructed 30 villas, 18 of which are still standing today. Perhaps Palladio’s most famous work was the Villa Rotondra or La Rotondra which was started around 1565 and took approximately 4 years to build and was greatly inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. It is interesting to note that la Rotondra is different from Palladio’s other villas in a number of ways, and it is evident that these differences help distinguish it from the rest. The main differences between Palladio’s Rotondra and his othe r work are, The Rotonda is set on a hilltop, it is located near a... ...to see why many regard Andrea Palladio as one of the most influential architects of all time, he was able to create some of the most stunning, graceful, and awe-inspiring villas in the world. Unfortunately, Palladio died before his masterpiece, La Rotonda, was complete. The project was completed by his protà ©gà © Vincenzo Scamozzi. Work Cited 1.) http://boglewood.com/palladio/life.html, Wednesday September, 28 2.) Mathew McCann Feton, â€Å"Time: Great Buildings of the World†  © 2004, New York, NY. 3.) http://kuleuven.ac.be/bwk/materials/Research/KVB/EDAMM_intro.html, Wednesday September, 28 4.) http://studentwebs.coloradocollege.edu/~A_LIVESAY/palladio.html, Wednesday September, 30 5.) http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0837370.html, Wednesday September, 28 6.) http://architecture.about.com/b/a/2003_11.htm, Wednesday September, 28

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Exercising Strategy: Never Having to Say ‘You Never Know Essay

A highly educated executive was hired on the spot without background checks. Later it was discovered he had served time in prison for attempted murder. Statistics from a company specializing in background checks shows that in 2000, 39% of the 70 background checks they performed would preclude employment offers. But due to labor shortages companies hire without backgrounds checks. Another company hastily hired a CEO without backgrounds and once his true identity was discovered he was fired. However, the venture-capital deal fell through and when the technology sector took a nose dive they laid off one third of its force. 1.People applying for jobs are always motivated to display themselves in the best light and as a result this can sometimes lead to inaccurate portrayals of abilities, skills, experiences, and personality. Based upon what you have read in this chapter how should you approach a job applicant’s written application and resume if your goal is to make sure that they accurately reflect the person’s past experiences and accomplishments? The approach to verify accuracy in the resume and the application begins with the standard selection process. Performing a prescreening phone interview, human resources would fact find and clearing up any questions on the resume. With candidate’s consent a background and reference check can be attained. The type of position would determine the testing that is used as well as the effectiveness of the selection standard; reliability, validity, generalizability, utility, and legality. There are several tests used for each position; physical ability, cognitive ability, personality inventories, drug testing, and work samples. These criterions are scored and each candidate’s situational interview would involve several trained interviewers. This standardized selection process allows for a better chance to bring in the best people and in return help make the company have  a competitive advantage (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2010). Another approach is the internal and external recruiting where there is knowledge of the candidate’s history. An internal recruitment offers the hiring manager access to the employee’s file. Then there’s classmate Denise DeRosa’s discussion post on the Superintendent that â€Å"hired two additional external applicants† who he had known. We can infer that he knew the history of both candidate’s past experiences and accomplishments (DeRosa, 2014). 2.And the face-to-face interview process what steps can be taken to assure that the applicant is being frank and honest with you and what steps should you take if you feel that he or she is portraying in an accurate picture of himself or herself? We start with the structured interview using multiple trained interviewers from operations that use a standard system to take notes. We partner the work-sample and the structured interview for a more accurate picture. There are two broad standardized categories of the structured interviews; evaluation and content (Campion, Palmer, & Campion, 1997). The rating from each interviewer should be a part of a shared goal which will be based on observable behaviors or knowledge. The situational interview style will offer insight on experience-based and future-oriented, which looks at reactions in different circumstances. These situational interview questions deal with motivating employees, resolving conflict, and overcoming resistance to change (Latham, Saari, Purcell, & Campion, 1980 pp. 422-427). The authors say, â€Å"Situational interviews can be particularly effective when assessing sensitivity issues dealing with the honesty and integrity of candidates† (Noe et al., 2010 p. 249). However, some authors suggest behavioral interviews, which are based on a person’s past performance on the job is the best predictor of future performance, are more effective than in situational interviews (Levashina & Campion, 2007). When job candidates portray an in accurate picture of themselves employers can perform searches on the internet and see if the candidate’s web presence matches the messaging of the candidate. The authors suggest â€Å"the content the person’s digital identity may be at odds with the image or corporate culture that is  being promoted by the organization† (Noe et al., 2010 p. 250). Second, employers can ask for a large reference list of people and call those people on the phone whereas they might speak with candor. Much has been wr itten on reading body language during interviews to identify candidates not telling the truth. There are some employers that request a drug testing. Another method is requesting elaboration on responses or details on projects or goals which puts the candidate on the spot. 3. Beyond the traditional approaches of going over the application conducting face-to-face interviews what other steps can you as an employer take to ensure that the person who is being hired for the job has the right abilities skills past experiences and personality? There are other steps beyond the traditional approaches which can validate the person who is being hired for the job has the â€Å"right stuff† to be effective in the position they are hired in. Depending on the industry or type of the position the steps will vary. The puzzle interview, which has been used mostly by technology companies, typically provides the candidate with a written problem that needs to be solved. The puzzle interview question provides the employer insight on how the candidate will solves problems in unusual situations (Honer, Wright, & Sablynski, 2007). The use of social media like LinkedIn and Facebook has been used by employers to verify information on job applicants. There are employers determining employee value using web based software, which is a useful tool for data mining and combing through massive amounts of information (Noe et al., 2010, p. 242). But there could be information on the web page that should not be used nor consider when selecting candidates to hire; such as pregnancy, race, or weight (Grasz, 2009). Human resources must be cautious of this potential bias and the legal implications. There will be varying methods and steps utilized by hiring managers when selecting job candidates to ensure the person hired has the skills and experiences to do the job. References: Campion, M. A., Palmer, D. A., Campion, J. E. (1997). A review of structure in the selection interview. Personnel Psychology, 50, 655–702 DeRosa, D. (2014) Discussion Forum 3: Denise DeRosa, TESC, April 15, 2014 Grasz, J. (2009). â€Å"Forty-five percent of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates, CareerBuilder survey finds: Career expert provides dos and don’ts for job seekers on social networking†. Honer, J., Wright, C. W., & Sablynski, C. J. (2007). â€Å"Puzzle interviews: What are they and what do the measure? Applied H.R.M. Research, 11, 79–96† Latham, G. P., Saari, L. M., Pursell, E. D., & Campion, M. A. (1980). The situational interview. Journal of Applied Psychology, 65, 422–427 Levashina, J. & Campion, M.A. (2007). Measuring faking in the employment interview: Development and validation of an Interview Faking Behavior Scale. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 1638–1656.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Economy of Russian

In recent times, Russian presses have been full of articles analyzing the Russian economy and making forecasts, most of them pessimistic. Many would say the Russian economy has failed miserably in the past one hundred years. After the 1917 Revolution, an attempt was made by the Communists to create an economy based on socialist principles. The thought was that the capitalist system led to a chaotic economy, cruel exploitation of workers and unemployment. The Russian socialist economy rests on the basic principles formed by Karl Marx: A centrally planned economy. This â€Å"planned economy† would be in use for the next sixty years. â€Å"In 1929-1930, under the process of collectivization, the land of Russia became state-owned and cooperatively-owned. There was no longer any private land ownership.† (Torchinsky, 48) The state became the monopolist of the economy. Economy planning bodies worked out the famous â€Å"Five-year plans.† The plans regulated everything from production of aircraft to nails and even eggs. They believed that since the means of production belonged to the state, and hence, collectively, to the people, (because a socialist state is a state belonging to the people) the state should control everything. This was to include planning, financing, and salaries. Under this system, â€Å"people are to be content and peacefully work for the benefit of society.† (Diller, 168) The Socialist economic theory assumed that people would work hard because they were working for the collective good, and hence their own good; therefore there would be no reason for them to be lazy or dishonest. Thus, the defects of capitalism would not show its face. â€Å"The five-year economic plans would make it possible to wisely distribute society†s resources and to promote development.† (Flint, 17) However, over the long term, this style of economy seems to have failed in Russia. At certain times-for instance, in restoring the national economy after World War 1, the Civil War, and World War II, â€Å"The states rigid economic monopoly achieved certain successes, but later the basic principles of socialist economic management became an insuperable obstacle blocking economic progress in the Soviet Union and in Russia.† (Flint, 12) Abolishing private ownership of businesses and land killed people†s desire to succeed or to create and increase their own property. The driving force of personal gain was absent from all work activity by the people. The socialist lifestyle assumed that tireless and selfless labor for the benefit of society would succeed. Under this system, there was no reason for the common man, or anyone who was not a fanatical supporter of socialism, to work hard or to improve or create anything. Everything disappeared into the state†s bottomless pockets. â€Å"A person could work well or badly-either way, he received the same meager wages.† (Torchinskii, 51) Many people were satisfied, but some did not work for many years, yet were still guaranteed their wages or salaries by the state. Centralized planning also had a ruinous effect. â€Å"Workers and peasants merely had to fulfill the orders passed from ‘above† regardless of their practicality.† (Hughes, 33) This sometimes resulted in goods being produced that no one needed and seed being sown into barren or frozen soil. Personal initiative was neither encouraged nor expected. As the years passed, the economic situation steadily worsened. For some time, â€Å"the country lived on ‘petrodollars† by selling oil and gas at low prices.† (Flint, 19) Rivalry in the arms race with the United States devoured tremendous wealth; plus a lot of money and energy was spent on supporting â€Å"friendly Communist regimes in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.† (Flint, 19) At the 28th Party Congress in 1991, when the delegates started talking at last about the critical economic situation and the necessity of reforms, it was already too late. â€Å"The collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990†³s, and the rupture of economic ties between the former Soviet republics that once constituted an economic whole exacerbated the economic downslide, which rapidly became critical.† (Diller, 121) In the early 1990†³s, production continued to decline. Economic contacts weakened with other republics of the former Soviet Union. The balance of payments crisis increased. There was a lack of funds, especially hard currency, necessary for purchasing raw materials. â€Å"As a result of inflation, the purchasing capacity of the population fell and inventories grew.† (Torchinskii, 51) Although the situation in Russia is very difficult, positive aspects offer hope for a recovery. The privatization process in different industries is progressing, though with great difficulties. The agricultural industry is waiting for the transference of land to the peasants-a very risky step that could either save the country or ruin it completely. Russia has to create a successful agricultural base to thrive economically. â€Å"As of July 1, 1993, the number of private farms in Russia was 258,000; they occupied a territory of 27 million acres.† (Flint, 33) Most farmland is still controlled by former state farms or collectives, but now they are reconstructed to be joint-stock companies. Agricultural output and grain production has been declining since the early 1990†³s. Russia†s military defense industry includes aircraft building, rocket manufacturing, and the space industry. In all of these industries, Russia has a major place in the world market. Russia is also a leading arms producer and supplies countries all over the world. One of the most widely used assault rifles, the AK47, was even invented in Russia. â€Å"This remains the basic weapon of the Russian Army and of many other Communist countries.† (Hughes, 53) Finally, the country has immense manpower-the people who are able and want to work despite many decades of nearly losing the habit. There can be no doubt that regeneration is not far away. â€Å"Russia†s labor resources constituted 86.2 million people in 1992, or 58 percent of the population.† (Flint, 65) In 1993, this number was 85.7 million. The number of people in Russia that are actually employed has been dropping steadily since the early 1990†³s. In conclusion, the economy of Russia is by no means the epitome of a great economy, but many of the resources they have do help. Many people have tried to help boost the Russian economy, (Gorbachev, Stalin, Lenin, Yeltsin, and the Tzar) but all of them had their many moments of failures. The new â€Å"Commonwealth of Independent States† or the CIS has worked hard to make new plans for an economy that can rise to the occasion and become the best it has ever been before. With their abundance of natural resources, manpower, and knowledgeable people, Russia can become a major power quickly, but all they need is a guiding hand.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Zizek on Ideology and the Relationship Between Ideology and “The Real”

Zizek on Ideology and the Relationship Between Ideology and â€Å"The Real† ` CMNS 410 Professor Rick Gruneau December 13, 2011 Zizek on Ideology and the Relationship Between Ideology and â€Å"The Real† Slavoj Zizek is one of the leading theorists on ideology since the 1990’s and his conceptions of the real versus the symbolic versus the imagined are of particular importance when dissecting the question ‘what is ideology? Zizek’s critique of ideology and attempt to unpack it’s inner workings is fascinating, he is a powerful intellectual who aims to expose the †fake† workings of society. In this paper I will outline Zizek’s definition and approach to the study of ideology, paying particular attention to the relationships he draws between ideology and â€Å"the real,† as opposed to â€Å"the imagined† and â€Å"the symbolic†. Zizek opens the book Mapping Ideology (1994) with the introduction â€Å"The Sp ectre of Ideology†, where he defines and openly criticizes the idea of ideology and its illusory personality. First he presents us with the idea that ideology is a sort of matrix, â€Å"a generative matrix that regulates the relationship between visible and non-visible, imaginable and non-imaginable, as well as changes in that relationship† (italics mine, p. 1). He further explains not everything that seems to be ideological, necessarily is, claiming that unless there is a link to power relations in the social realm he does not consider something to be ideological. He points out that sometimes what we consider to be ideological in fact is not; but also how at other times, things which we may not perceive to be ideological, actually maintain a very strong ideological orientation. He states that the â€Å"starting point of the critique of ideology has to be the full acknowledgment of the fact that it is easily possible to lie in the guise of truth† – ideology that is – and this is an important realization for it ispels a common misconception we have of ideology, especially here in the west that, ideology is about lying or misleading others and society. Instead Zizek posits the idea that the content of a message is not what makes it ideological, but instead it is the â€Å"the way this content is related to the subjective position implied by its own process of enunciation† that makes it so (Zizek 1994, p. 8). In other words, regardless of whether the content (of a message or object or interaction) is true or false, it becomes ideological the moment that content functions to achieve â€Å"some relation of social domination† and even more importantly, he adds â€Å"in an inherently non-transparent way†, reiterating that often times ideology is in fact of a misleading nature but not necessarily in content (italics mine, p. 8); it is from this standpoint that we can begin to understand and critique the concept of ideology. It is important to note here, although Zizek stresses the importance of recognizing dynamics of power relations (rather than content) which constitutes ideology, he warns this can also be disadvantageous if it reduces â€Å"the cognitive value of the term ‘ideology’ and makes it into a mere expression of social circumstances† (p. 9). Considering this, as Gerofsky (2010) explains, Zizek takes on Hegel’s theory of the triad as a heuristic for further developing the theory of ideology, which is something I will address later in this paper, after we go a little bit deeper in defining ideology. According to Zezik then, a necessary condition for something to be ideological is that there must be a relation or motivation to power in some way, and it must be done so in a way which is not apparent to the addressees (Zizek, 1994). However this is a rather general and overarching consideration when defining the term ideology and it is important to deconstruct the term even further before we proceed in analyzing its inner workings and effect on society. Zizek states â€Å"ideology is a systematically distorted communication: a text in which under the influence of unavowed social interests (of domination, etc. a gap separates its ‘official,’ public meaning from its actual intention – that is to say, â€Å"we are dealing with an unreflected tension between the explicit enunciated content of the text and its pragmatic presuppositions† (Zizek, 1994, p. 10). Ideology is a system, he argues, of principles, views, theories â€Å"destined to convince us of its ‘truth’, yet actually serving some unavowed particular power interest† (p. 10). An example Zizek presents to illustrate this point is the way media portrayed the conflict and cause of the Bosnian war. News coverage consisted of innumerable accounts of the histories of not only Yugoslavia but â€Å"the entire history of the Balkan’s from medieval times† (p. 5). This incredible amount of information, of the struggles and relations between Bosnia and other countries over decades, if not centuries, gives audiences the impression that they must know and understand all the background information of this issue if they are to have an opinion on it or take sides, again presenting countless hours of information and debate on the issue. Zizek explains that although this is a sort of inversion of what we normally constitute as ideological messaging, and it is unlike the misrepresentation and incessant demonization of Saddam Hussein which was circulated to give justice to entering into the Iraq war, the Bosnian war ideological messaging that took place is in fact â€Å"more cunning,† the over exaggerated and false demonization of Saddam Hussein. ecause â€Å"to put it somewhat crudely, the ‘evocation of the complexity of circumstances’ serves to [defer] us from the responsibility to act† (p. 5). He explains that instead of withholding information (as the media most often does), or misrepresenting information (Saddam Hussein), in the case of the Bosnian war the media over saturates audiences with information to the point of immobilizing them to make a decision or take action against the fact that this war is spurred by political, economic and monetary power interests. Zizek explains the purpose of going into war was portrayed as a need to improve unacceptable human rights conditions in the country, and although human rights conditions may very well be unacceptable in that country, and then improve as a result of the invasion, the true motivations for that war (power, domination, money) were kept hidden. This also illustrates the point made earlier about ideology not necessarily needing to be false in its information, but rather hidden in motive, for the information they presented was by no means false or limited, it was excessive, which proves to be just as debilitating a strategy on the general public. Zizek’s examples and definitions of ideology discussed above demonstrate the division of ideology from Marx’s false consciousness theory (Gerofsky, 2010), but perhaps one of the most important classifications Zizek makes in the realm of ideology, is its connection to dislocation (dislocating truth from falsity) and how this relates to the idea of â€Å"the Real† (Stavrakakis,1997). Coming from the Lacanian theoretical background, the concept of Real versus Symbolic versus Imaginary is an integral part of Zizek’s theory, one which sets him apart from traditional conceptions of ideology. The question of the Real also cannot be separated from the dislocation and presentation of the truth, so these two must be considered together in asserting the concept of ideology. Zizek’s Real draws attention to a fascinating idea, that there is a difference between what is actually real in our world and what is simply a created real by our social structure and by society (Stavrakakis, 1997). The Real, the true real, is â€Å"the part of our world as revealed in our experience, which escapes our attempts to symbolize and represent it in a final way† (1997, p. ). The real is the raw and unstructured experience of what is not yet symbolized or imaged by our social structure, by language, by symbols, and it in fact cannot be symbolized in such a way. Unlike the social reality, the true Real is impossible to represent, explains Stavrakaki of Zizek’s theory, impossible to master or symbolize, whereas the social reality is nothing but symbolism and our desire to categ orize any part of our experience into a definition or material conception of some sort. The real is not only opposed to what is â€Å"socially constructed† as real, the symbolic, but also it is even farther removed from the imaginary, which falls farthest away on the spectrum, from true reality. The symbolic comes closer to the Real but there is still a gap and something will always be missing from the symbolic real for language can never be a full representation of the real, the true Real however is always in its place. The symbolic real, however is still of importance to Zizek, for it plays the largest role in our society and is perhaps the integral component to ideology in the most general sense. The symbolic, although generally in the dimension of lauguage, Lacan (who’s theories Zizek has based his own theories of ideology on) does not describe the symbolic as solely equal to language, because linguistiscs are also present in the realm of the imaginary sphere (Lucaites & Biesecker, 1998). The symbolic rather, is about the relationship to the â€Å"Other†, it is about difference and the signifiers which create a symbolic order. For Lacan the symbolic is characterized by the absence of any fixed relations between signifier and signified† (Lucaites & Biesecker, 1998). Lastly there is the realm of the imaginary, when Lacan discusses this stage he refers to the formation of the ego. Identification is an important part of the imaginary, for â€Å"the ego is formed by identifying with the counterpart or specular image† (Lucaites & Biesecker, 1998). The ego, fundamentally narcissistic, is centered on identification with alienation and this alienation is another feature of the imaginary. The imaginary is most fundamentally, however, a constitution of surface appearances, ones which are formed in deception as part of the social order. Going back to Zizek’s theory on ideology, he suggests that one of the most problematic areas of the concept, is that we as theorists, try to escape from the grip of ideology in order to observe the world from an objective position, however the moment we feel we have managed to take up a position of truth, from which we can condemn the lie of an ideology, we instantly fall back into the grip of ideology again because our understanding of the concept is structured on a binary arrangement, which is constantly playing on this relationship between reality and ideology. It is such the issue of ideology, that the moment we feel we are in the realm of truth, at last, we are in fact instantly back into the ideological exchange, without recognizing it (Stavrakakis, 1997). Zezik does not offer a solution to this, however he offers a way to counter the problem, and this is where the concept of the Real (vs Symbolic vs Imaginary) comes into play, to help us recognize and step outside the atmosphere of ideology that surrounds us. Instead of the binary relationship between reality and ideology, now there is a three way relationship. Zizek favours the Real over the other two constructs because he argues, the symbolic, although it is representing â€Å"reality† it is in fact where â€Å"fiction assumes the guise of truth† (Stavrakakis, p. 3), and the imaginary construct, is of course even farther away from that reality, therefore the Real should be the focus of our understanding. The Real is the â€Å"only non-ideological position available,† and although Zizek does not claim to offer access to the â€Å"objective truth of things†, he explains we must begin with assuming the existence of ideology in every aspect of our society, and to take up an actively critical attitude towards it. This Stavrakakis argues is the main goal of Zizek’s theory, to expose the need for constant critique of the ideological realm, especially in a time where our society has proclaimed that ideology is a thing of the past and no longer relevant in today’s world. Zizek’s theory of ideology is a contemporary one which moves beyond traditional definitions of this concept and is not concerned with the way ideological practices worked in the past and in history, instead he is intrigued with the here and now and argues strongly that the concept of ideology is far from extinct in today’s society – contrary to what many would like to believe. And he explains that rather than discarding the notion completely, what we need to do to understand today’s politics in a completely new way of looking at it and defining what it means to be in ideological space and time. Those who believe we are past the concept of ideology, he argues, are in an â€Å"archeological fantasy† and this is only a sign of the greater ability of ideology to ingrain itself without our recognition. In some of his famous presentations Zizek talks about the ideological meaning ingrained even in the simplest of human object and appliances, ones we don’t even recognize contain an ideological message. His famous example, and one he self critically acknowledges to be some sort of anal fixation which he needs to address, is the example of toilets and how they are constructed in different ideological environments. In France he explains, toilets are constructed with the hole at the back, so that when used, the excrement falls directly in the hole and disappears; he equates this with France’s extremely liberal ideology – out of sight out of mind. In Germany, the toilets are constructed with the hole at the front, in a way that holds the excrement on a shelf (not in water or instantly disappearing) but rather in a way for the individual to see and observe the specimen for worms and any other diseases; he explains this is indicative of the strongly onservative ideology of Germany, where everything is business and completed as necessary. In the Anglo-Saxon world, specifically in America, he explains toilets are somewhere in between, when used the excrement falls in the water but still remains, it is not completely hidden but also not completely displayed; this shows the median position the Anglo-Saxon society usually takes on, not too extreme in either respect (Zizek presentation, You tube. com). This rather disgusting but nonetheless interesting observation does an excellent job of portraying his theory on ideology. First, ideology is very much still at play in our society and should be actively observed and considered (in order to minimize any negative and violent effects it may pertain), and secondly, in order to even be able to recognize the workings of ideology in our everyday lives, we have step outside of our customary reality to which we are so well accustomed to, for this symbolic reality is not the Real, and in taking ourselves out of the imaginary and symbolic which appears to be truth and reality, we can then perhaps attempt to get a true glimpse of what he calls the Real. References Gerofsky, S. (2010). The impossibility of ‘real-life' word problems (according to Bakhtin, Lacan, Zizek and Baudrillard). Discourse: Studies In The Cultural Politics Of Education, 31(1), 61-73. doi:10. 1080/01596300903465427 Lucaites, J. , & Biesecker, B. A. (1998). Rhetorical Studies and the ‘New Psychoanalysis: What's the Real Problem? Or Framing the Problem of the Real. Quarterly Journal Of Speech, 84(2), 222. Stavrakakis, Y. (1997). Ambiguous ideology and the Lacanian twist. Journal of the Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research, 8, 117-30. Zizek, S. (1994a). The spectre of ideology. In S. Zizek (Ed. ), Mapping ideology (pp. 1-33). London & New York: Verso.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Mexican Immigrant Life and Americanization in the 1920’s Essay

In his book, Major Problems in Mexican American History, Zaragosa Vargas describes the Mexican Immigrant experience from 1917-1928. He begins by assessing the Protestant religious experience for a Mexican in the early 1920’s, and then describes Mexican life in both Colorado in 1924 and Chicago in 1928. After defending Mexican Immigrants in 1929, he includes an outline of an Americanization program, followed by an anecdote of a Mexican immigrant in the 1920’s. Vargas uses these documents to show the evolvement of Americanization of Mexicans from a community goal to a societal demand. Vargas begins with the Mexican Immigrant experience in the early 1920’s, and describes it mostly as a community project spearheaded by the Church and called for the aid of volunteers. The children learned and studied English in school, so the programs focused mostly on courses in English for the wives and mothers of the community. These English courses consisted mostly of vocabulary for familiar and most frequently seen objects. Sunday schools resulted from this process, and in turn made way for the development of night schools, clinics, an employment bureau, and a boys and girl’s club. In Colorado in 1924, Mexicans played a respectable role in society as not only a decent part of the population, but also the labor force. Spanish-Americans took a notable part in politics, and were involved in many occupations that included mostly agriculture, mining, and steel works. The recreation was also important to Spanish-American life in Colorado; the somewhat newly developed buildings were a source of community for many. Mexicans in Chicago in 1928, Vargas argues, lived a very different lifestyle and endured different hardships than the Mexicans in the Southwest. They were a much smaller part of the community, consisting of small, well-defined neighborhoods and several smaller less defined colonies. These Mexicans lived in the poorest houses in these neighborhoods, and most buildings guaranteed poor living conditions for these families. Employment only came certain times during the year when demand for labor was high, and it was the Mexicans who suffered most when certain industries reduced labor. In the words of Anita Edgar Jones, â€Å"They are the last to arrive and the first to be laid off† (Vargas). Mexican Life in Chicago during this time period served as a temporary solution for many families as they moved from recent arrivals to a more desirable place with better opportunity as they became more established and stabilized. Some neighborhoods were poorly organized for recreation, and even lacked Spanish-speaking employees at their community or recreation centers. Communities also lacked a Spanish-speaking priest, which is evidently different from early Americanization programs implemented in the Southwest in the early 1920’s. After addressing and defending most of the problems of Mexican Immigration in 1929, Vargas moves on to an outline of a typical Americanization program in 1931, where the Mexican Immigrant experience evolved from a community project that supported and encouraged Mexican assimilation, to a list of demands and requirements for Mexican and Spanish Americans to be acceptable members of society. Vargas uses these documents to show the progression of assimilation of Spanish Americans and Mexican immigrants into American society in the 1920’s. The life of a Mexican Immigrant during this time was very taxing, and these Americanization programs were used as a tool to attempt to create a society that operated under certain ideologies and values. As a result, this created an even stronger division between cultures, and prevented assimilation of the two groups. Work Cited Vargas, Zaragoza. â€Å"The Mexican Immigrant Experience 1917-1928. † Major Problems in Mexican American History. Thomas G. Patterson. Houghton Mifflin Company 1999. 234-53.

Friday, September 13, 2019

A Division of Parody Productions Essay Example for Free

A Division of Parody Productions Essay ? Parody Productions, LLC is a company that sale his playing cards over the internet. The product portrays well-known players from a sports team’s history. The plaintiff in this suit, Ronald Swoboda, is included in the New York Mets Hero Deck. Swoboda claims that he has never given Parody permission to use his image. He further contends that through his attorney he sent Parody a cease and desist letter. Parody refused to stop selling cards with Swoboda’s name and images. In response, Swoboda filed the instant lawsuit to enjoin Parody from the continued use of his name and likeness and for damages for violating his right to publicity, and, alternatively, damages for unjust enrichment. The trial court sustained the exception of lack of personal jurisdiction and this appeal followed. 2. ISSUE: The issue is â€Å"Did Court of Appeal of Louisiana approve lack of personal jurisdiction of an internet merchandiser?† 3. DECISION: Affirmed Since 1945, technology has advanced to such a degree that it is possible for sellers to reach consumers in their homes worldwide. The onset of the Internet has created a lapse between the method of doing business in 1945 and the legal system’s ability to keep up with technology. The â€Å"purposeful availment† requirement for the exercise of personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant ensures that it will not be haled into a jurisdiction solely as a result of a random, fortuitous, or attenuated contact, or by the unilateral activity of another party or a third person. In Quality Design, the court ruled that Tuff Coat’s website was a passive one, whereby information about its product was provided, but actual sales were arranged via telephone or mail. A Division of Parody Productions. (2016, Sep 17).

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Research the topic of Information Security Management from quality Paper

The topic of Information Security Management from quality - Research Paper Example A large number of small-to-medium sized enterprises have and are investing a substantial amount of capital and resources into their business to cement their place within the world of business (eCom Advisor, 2000). The latest networking technology not only helps them achieve this but also allows them to expand their business and upgrade their SME into a large enterprise. This paper would take a look at the security threats that an SME faces online and its need of information security management to tackle these threats. ... This exposes their data to threats such as phishing, Trojans, spam and viruses. These threats could have a serious impact on the daily operations of the business being conducted. Moreover these threats can even sometimes have long term effects that hinder in the company’s growth and become a reason towards the loss in the company’s productivity (GFI software, 2009). SMEs are usually restricted in terms of resources and finances. Any significant loss of data or leakage of secret information could destroy the entire business (GFI software, 2009). This means that data integrity is a vital component within a SME and can make or break its business. An effective Information security management allows businesses to implement various measures that would protect various data and assets that the business owns. Information security management not only allows an organization to tackle security threats that it faces but also allows it to measure the impact the attack would have on t he performance of the business (Alexander, Finch, & Sutton, 2008). Incident response management and disaster recovery Components of an incident: Before the discussion of an incident management system it is vital to understand what an incident is and what the components of an incident are. An incident is an event that occurs due to an action that is executed by a person or an individual. Usually the purpose of these actions is to cause harm to the working of the system or to the data contained within the system. It is vital to point out here that incidents are a subset of events. An incident comprises of three components event, incident response team and incident investigation (Molino, 2006). An event is an activity that causes a deviation of the system from its normal working. An event is

Why do we study the classical theorists Of what use are such concepts Essay - 1

Why do we study the classical theorists Of what use are such concepts as Clausewitzs trinity - Essay Example Their findings have enabled us to understand some concepts faster as opposed to if we were to start from square one. Generally, the works of classical theorists help us take in and process an otherwise a large quantity of knowledge (Ritzer 2003). Concepts such as Clausewitz’s concept of a trinity have proved to be very useful to both theorists and practitioners. The concept has helped students to focus on critical aspect of life that could have been obscured with the experiences of the world that keep on changing. The Clausewitz’s concept of a trinity is an interactive set of three elements which drive the events taking place in a war in the real world. The three elements or forces include people, government and armed forces. Clausewitz’s concept of a trinity has greatly influenced the current strategic theories and policies of war. The concept has familiarized students of military art with the events of war. The theory has stood the test of time and is still being applied in war situations today (New 1996). New, Col Larry D. "Clausewitz’s Theory: on War and Its Application Today." Airpower Journal , 1996. HYPERLINK "http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj96/fall96/new-lar.html"

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Discuss the theory of Optimal Capital Structure Essay

Discuss the theory of Optimal Capital Structure - Essay Example It gives the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC). If the firm needs to have the lowest WACC, it should design its capital structure in such a way that the debt equity ratio is high which would bring down the WACC. The Optimal Capital Structure is that mix of debt and equity that maximizes the firm’s value or minimizes the cost of capital. There is no standard mix of debt and equity that maximizes the firm’s value, but each firm should strike a balance between risk and return thereby maximizing the share price, depending on its size and financial position. 1) If the firm size is small, it is difficult to make regular principal and interest payments in the event of shortages in generating substantial cash flow. Such firms face heavy fines and penalties by the creditors. Trade-off Theory: Maximum debt can be raised when the share price is at its maximum. If the firm raises any more debt, the share price will decline. The point where share price is maximum, it is the trade-off point; risk and return are both at their peaks. Any change would cause a disbalance in the position of risk and return. The maximum risk involved is that of bankruptcy and the maximum return is the maximum value of the shares. Below is a graph that depicts the trade-off between risk and return. Signaling Theory: This theory states that when the firm issues bonds for debt financing, it sends out a positive signal in the market. The cost of borrowing will be low as compared to the return the firm will get by putting money in that project. When the firm issues shares for equity financing, it gives out a negative signal in the market because it reflects the credibility of the company and insinuates that the firm cannot raise finance by borrowing from the market and that it is in dire need of funds. 5) Future flexibility. The firm should leave room for maneuvering and have flexibility in the capital structure

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Case Study Analysis Paper Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis Paper - Case Study Example It's not very clear from the case whether this was Carl's first job. In any case Carl missed the 2nd Habit that Stephen Covey preaches. He was ill-prepared for the magnitude of work required to follow through his recruitment decision. He never had a plan and practice. When Operations Supervisor contacted him in mid-May he claimed to be in full control of the situation. The enquiries from Monica should have alerted him. Believing in his verbal assurances she proceeded with her own orientation programme. Businesses are never run on the spoken words. Capabilities and means to asses are primarily important. This is a mistake that Carl Robins and Monica Carrolls must understand. Both are at fault in this case study. The most important fallout of this crisis would be delayed orientation for these new recruits giving a bad image of the company leading to a early exit of these potential employees in future. One cannot expect this to be a great organization. The application forms have to be verified and corrected now to begin with, this will take time and in business time is money. Lost time means loss of money and an opportunity loss for the company. Carl should be more principled and be organized. One of the most important disciplines is - to learn, to work and to think.

Monday, September 9, 2019

News Production - Audience Imagined and Its Consequences Essay

News Production - Audience Imagined and Its Consequences - Essay Example News today not only reaches the local audience but also global audience. Globalisation has made the world a small place and the effects of an incident in one part of the world are felt in other parts of the world. News production is today a global phenomenon and the process of how the news is gathered and showcased to the audience has undergone a complete transformation. The important aspect of news production is the way the audience are imagined by the journalists or the news companies. Even though, technology has made it possible to have a more interactive news production process, that hasn’t been the case. There are various reasons why the technology hasn’t been used to best effect to improve the overall news production processs. This paper discusses how the audience are imagined in news production and what its consequences are. In order to do so, first how the perception of the audience has changed over the years or stages of the journalism-audience relationship is addressed. News Productions – Imagined Audience There has been a fundamental transformation in the understanding of the audience by journalists. The professional or traditional view of audience is in complete contrast to the modern view of the audience. The advent of the web has increased the responsiveness of the audience to the news and this has now been incorporated into the DNA of news production. The traditional approach was that the desires and wants of the audience were not of much important and the journalists decided what news the audience needed to know. It was the journalists and the management at the news companies that decided what stories that need to be told to the audience. There was very less interaction and also very less the journalists and companies could do to understand their audience. But with this new level of audience responsiveness, which is made possible by the web, the journalists have better tools to understand their audience and their preferences . But the main question remains whether they have used to best effect. This has impacted the way the audience is imagined during the news production. It is claimed that the web has now lead to audience responsiveness in news production which was earlier audience ignorance. That is, the real audience perception was completely ignored in traditional approach. Now the audience responsiveness has bought in a certain reality into how the audience are imagined in news production. But this is most often limited news channels on the internet. The press and the television news channels haven’t completely utilised this. The audience have been imagined differently during different stages in the last century and this century. The professional view in the last century was that the journalists had very little understanding of their audience. As Ettema & Whitney (1994) state that there was an industrial construction of audience. Industrial construction is the way people who create material (for news companies, agencies, etc) think of the people on the receiving end of their material (Turow, 2005). This had serious consequences or implications on the news that the audience would get. Audience would get material that was not contained of the actual facts but was a perception of journalist about the facts. That is, the audience were fed with news that the journalists thought was right. This was the case most of the times. Gans (2004) in his study makes a very