Emotions and the Brain Essay

The organization of perceptual systems is identical to that of motility. Perception does not occur through a constructive phase of in-processing that begins in koniocortex. Rather, it develops in the reverse direction over a series of levels to a koniocortical end phase. In other words, the process of object formation unfolds in a cognitive sequence leading from a brainstem preobject through a limbic and generalized neocortical phase, to a final modeling achieved through â€Å"primary† visual cortex. The presumed role of frontal cortex in the elaboration of action structures, that is, the rhythmic or oscillatory components of an action, can explain other seemingly non-motor phenomena which occur with frontal lobe damage. For example, perceptual disorders may arise, not from a primary deficit of perception, but from impairments in the visual exploration of space, including changes in visual search, orientation, and ocular displacement. Two aspects of dynamic systems theory deserve specific mention here; the first is the emergent quality of Jung’s methods. Amplification is an intentionally non-linear circumambulation of an image or psychic content; it operates by allowing contextually meaningful associations to be gathered up and enter consciousness. The concept of the â€Å"limbic system† as the focal brain division that must be investigated in order to understand emotionality. The medial surfaces of the telencephalic hemispheres (including cingulate, frontal, and temporal lobe areas — especially the amygdala) and interconnections with septal, hypothalamic, and central-medial brain stem areas as part of the neural landscape that constituted the â€Å"emotional brain. Cortical control of primitive behaviors and basic emotions has been achieved in several ways. One way was for the cortex to extend emotions in time by allowing organisms to dwell on past and future events. The organizational principle that has been most commonly used to summarize the neural infrastructure of emotional processes has been Paul MacLean’s concept of the triune brain. According to the classic version which offers a conceptual cartoon of the major layers of neural development, the functional landscape of the brain is organized in three strata of evolutionary progression. Although humans have the largest frontal lobes of any species, dolphins have a massive new brain area, the paralimbic lobe, that we do not possess. The paralimbic lobe is an outgrowth of the cingulate gyrus, which is known to elaborate social communication and social emotions (such as feelings of separation distress and maternal intent) in all other mammals. We should always keep in mind a key conceptual distinction when we consider brain operating systems, namely, how â€Å"open† or â€Å"closed† are these systems in relation to environmental influences FLA loop The neural substrate of language consists of a complex hierarchical system of levels corresponding to stages in neocortical evolution. The system has an anterior (frontal) and posterior (temporo-parieto-occipital) component. The two main classes of aphasia, the non fluent and the fluent aphasias, refer to these components, while the various aphasic syndromes within each class point to different levels within the anterior or posterior sector. The structure as a whole develops out of medial and paraventricular formations through several growth planes of limbic and paralimbic (transitional) cortex to a stage of generalized (â€Å"association,† â€Å"integration†) cortex. The organization of perceptual systems is identical to that of motility. Perception does not occur through a constructive phase of in-processing that begins in koniocortex. Rather, it develops in the reverse direction over a series of levels to a koniocortical end phase. In other words, the process of object formation unfolds in a cognitive sequence leading from a brainstem preobject through a limbic and generalized neocortical phase, to a final modeling achieved through â€Å"primary† visual cortex. In a fashion similar to that of the frontal sector, the perception leads from a global pre-object in a unitary field at a preliminary level to the final more or less contralateral hemifield representation at a koniocortical end stage. (Christianson, 1992) Impaired initiation with lesions of mesial or orbito-frontal cortex may involve the action as a whole, or partially. The patient may be unable to initiate any action (akinetic mutism) or show hypoactivity, inertia and lack of spontaneity. These latter symptoms may represent attenuated forms of akinetic mutism. Perhaps, the degree of encroachment on, or distance from, core regions of frontal limbic cortex (e. g. , anterior cingulate gyrus) determines the extent of hypoactivity. In the partial disorders there is difficulty initiating a vocal act (mutism, transcortical motor aphasia) or limb action (alien hand, SMA syndrome and related disorders). Perseveration also occurs with damage to frontal limbic areas and is related to disturbed initiation. The persistence of a performance is the other side of an inability to go on to the next. Impaired initiation may occur without perseveration, but it is questionable whether the reverse is true. In fact, in perseveration, the initiation deficit often seems primary, for perseveration is greater for tasks which are more difficult, and it tends to involve previously successful performances. (Christianson, 1992) With convexity lesions the action is disrupted at a stage subsequent to its activation. Derailments occur at serial points in the unfolding of the action toward a goal. Apraxia, a substitution or defective selection of partial movements with lesions of left premotor cortex, is due to an alteration of motor timing, or a change in the kinetic pattern for a particular motor sequence. Other frontal disorders may have a similar basis. Agrammatism, dysprosody and expressive amusia probably represent the disruption of an oscillator which elaborates the rhythmic or prosodic contour of an utterance or vocal action. The presumed role of frontal cortex in the elaboration of action structures, that is, the rhythmic or oscillatory components of an action, can explain other seemingly non-motor phenomena which occur with frontal lobe damage. For example, perceptual disorders may arise, not from a primary deficit of perception, but from impairments in the visual exploration of space, including changes in visual search, orientation, and ocular displacement. The lack of drive or motivation in frontal patients can also be approached from a motor standpoint. I have suggested that base levels in the action elaborate the experience, or feeling, of drive and that this experience, like the Innervationsguhl of Wundt, arises as an accompaniment of the action development rather than as an energy or a force which is only an underpinning. In other words, drive undergoes a development together with action. Some actions appear to be motivated by drives or instincts, others are purposeful or goal-oriented, and still others are volitional, in the sense that decisions are made, actions can be delayed and even witheld in pursuit of a goal. My guess is that these feeling states drive, purposefulness, volition correspond with evolutionary levels in the action development, and that this is why damage to the action structure impacts on the feeling state specified by the damaged processing stage. (Lazarus, 1991) Actions also elaborate intentions, the feeling that one it an agent who acts on an environment. This is part of the temporal unfolding of the action and its continual surge toward a future state. It is the basis for our distinction of passive and active movements. This feeling, and the other affects which the action generates, are bound up with the sense of anticipation and forward growth. The loss of, or a change in, this direction toward the future has the consequence of a greater responsiveness to ongoing stimuli and an apparent tendency to live for the immediate present. The loss of this active or volitional relation to the world is, ultimately, the most profound effect of damage to the frontal lobes. The action unfolds into the volumetric space of limbic cognition, a space of dream and hallucination. The action moves outward beyond the body itself to an extrapersonal field of body movement that is still part of and continuous with subjective mental space. This is not a grasping or manipulation space, for objects have not yet exteriorized. The emerging action is read off into keyboards innervating the proximal musculature. Actions leave the body axis and are distributed through the proximal muscles into the space around the body or onto the body itslef. At this stage, the first separation appears between perceiver and object, actor and object acted upon, agent and action. The motor envelope differentiates into partial actions, objects begin to clarify, and space begins to expand, fractionate, and draw away from the perceiver. (Lazarus, 1991) The role of limbic mechanisms in action is brought home even more clearly by conditions in which there is damage to limbic-derived neocortex on the mesial aspect of the frontal lobe. Bilateral damage to the anterior cingulate gyrus gives rise to a state of akinetic mutism resembling that which can occur with damage to the upper brainstem. The patient appears to be in a catatonic stupor and, as in catatonia, there are periodic bouts of excitement that give way to a persistent vegetative state. Stimulation of this region in man produces motor and affective responses suggestive of â€Å"a primitive or archaic level in behavior†. Stimulation adjacent to the anterior cingulate gyrus in the supplementary motor area (SMA) causes iteration or arrest of vocalization and proximal movement, especially of the upper limbs. With damage there may be a â€Å"release† of automatisms and primitive synergies of the arm and hand (alien hand) or difficulty initiating action with the arm though strength and coordination are intact. There may also be difficulty initiating speech. This can lead to selective mutism or selective akinesia, that is, ambulatory mutism or good speech with imparied initiation of limb movement. Selective difficulty initiating movements with the lower extremities occurs in the so-called gait apraxia, or magnetic gait, often associated with hydrocephalus. (Wilson, 1983) In the microgenetic theory the SMA mediates preparatory stages in action generation prior to conscious awareness. Lesions of this area disrupt speech, limb, and body action in a common manner early in the processing of the action, prior to the specification of constituent movement patterns. The disturbance of speech was viewed as motoric, not linguistic or propositional. In the microgenetic view, each response represents a bundle of action structures, consisting of the series of stages through which the action develops. Pathology disrupts the action at different points in this process. The site of the lesion determines the point in the sequence that is disrupted, and this point or processing stage constitutes the symptom or abnormal behavior. Microgeny maps onto patterns of phyletic growth. The structure of an action and the symptoms that correspond to levels in this structure are distributed over stages in forebrain evolution. Damage to older orbital and mesial frontal limbic formations leads to impaired activation (response bias or perseveration and lack of initiation), damage along the convexity leads to derailment of the action after adequate initiation (distractibility, apraxia, and confabulation), and damage to premotor and motor cortices leads to a defect in implementation of distal targets (misarticulation, clumsiness, and weakness). Specifically, the evolutionary progression from limbic to motor cortices retraces the sequence of processing stages in the microtemporal elaboration of an action. Seizures involving mesial frontal limbic cortex can lead to stereotypical actions of a purposeful type, such as scratching one’s head, manipulating imaginary objects, or pacing. The alien hand syndrome also represents a type of released automatism. Here a more complex integrated behavior of a purposeful but not volitional type is associated with damage or stimulation to zones intermediate in the action microgeny. The inner relationship between (impaired) initiation and (â€Å"released†) automatism recurs but now in the context of a more differentiated action pattern, involving segmental or vocal movements. Non-Linear Dynamic Systems. Two aspects of dynamic systems theory deserve specific mention here; the first is the emergent quality of Jung’s methods. Amplification is an intentionally non-linear circumambulation of an image or psychic content; it operates by allowing contextually meaningful associations to be gathered up and enter consciousness. As the limit of personal associations is reached, if further analysis is required, the net is widened to include cultural and archetypal elements. For this expansion to remain clinically relevant it must offer an experiential dimension as well as being an intellectual event; affective involvement is crucial, as will be discussed with dream work. A precondition for entering a state of (analytic) consciousness that can facilitate a mutative employment of transpersonal material was noted by Jung and more fully discussed by Bion, the suspension of ordinary knowing – this link between Jung and Bion was delineated by Fordham along with a number of other areas of overlap between them. All psychoanalysts looking at the applications of infant research to adult analysis, subscribe to variants of an emergentist paradigm grounded in non-linear dynamic systems. Sander’s ideas about paradox and polarity are resonant with Jung’s core perception of the dissociability of the psyche that leads to his theory of complexes with the consequent aim in analysis to foster synthesis and integration via the transcendent function. Every living system must cope with uncertainty that places it in a state somewhere between continuity and change, core polarities for Sander. In the therapeutic setting, fluctuations in relational certitude and doubt provide an emergent edge through which the co-constructed third of the relationship becomes the locus of the transcendent function. The system radically expands our understanding of transference and points to the creative possibilities inherent in a â€Å"new† experience. Which complexes are constellated in the analyst, in the patient and between them at such moments should likely be considered.

Freedom to Comment Reflection Essay

People are pressured to conform with the decisions within the group because if we do not we create tension, which is socially unacceptable. It happens all the time, and most of the time keeps quiet so we do not make waves. It’s all about social acceptance and associations that we have an innate need for relationships and we fear the loss of those connections when we oppose the group – which could be on micro level (as small as complying with household/workplace rules). When I worked for this Greek restaurant us the waitress’s had issues of ethical dilemmas all the time with our boss. He had no respect for women and showed this all the time by offering all of us, at different times, if we would do sexual favors for him for exchange of new apartments, and offering to buy new cars, and cash every week besides our paychecks. As a group we got together to discuss what we should do if anything, and in this case we all needed our jobs to support our families. We could not just up and quit our jobs. Most of the group decided not to do anything, or say anything to anyone. Myself and one other decided to tell him no, and report him to the owner, and the next day we were fired from our jobs, and mailed our checks. For me to go against the group I lost my job, but my moral and ethic values would not let me remain at the job with that kind of treatment going on.

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

Learning English - Essay Example It is necessary for English learners to become perfect speakers of the language. Regardless of the fact that majority of these learners would be interacting with other second language speakers, learning perfect English is still a crucial aspect of the general learning process. It is necessary for English learners to learn perfect English in order to establish a strong baseline for their English learning, including the grammar, spelling, pronunciation, syntax, and proper usage of the words in a sentence (Sweeney, 2003). Knowing the proper usages of English in a sentence helps reduce communication barriers among speakers and learners (Seagert, 2007). In the current age of cell phones and short messaging services where words are often shortened to fit limited characters in text messages, the importance of learning perfect English has become more important than ever. Without instructions for learning perfect English, improper grammar and spelling would likely become the norm which would cause the deterioration of the English language (Freudenberg, 2009). Moreover, this improper English language would also infiltrate the English of secondary speakers. As their English-speaking counterparts are learning imperfect English, they too would be learning imperfect English. In the end, the quality of the language would be reduced. With more transactions being carried out with secondary English speakers, the burden of learning how to speak perfect English must not be eased or reduced. (Segaert, 2007). The importance of learning perfect English is based on the demands of the English language itself, not with those who would eventually use it (Pakenham, 2004). Moreover, secondary English speakers would also benefit well from the perfect English which is used in communicating with them. The foundation of their English communication has to hinge on the proper application of the English language. Adjustments made on the English language can then be made to incorporate the usage of other foreign words (Cleary, 2004). Throughout the years, the English language has adapted these foreign words into its vocabulary, but the essence and the structure of the English language has not been changed to accommodate a structure more appealing to the secondary English speaker. And this has helped preserve the structure and form of the English language (Cleary, 2004). It is easy to argue that it is unnecessary to learn perfect English because many people speak it only as a secondary language (Kubota, 2009). They point out that not learning perfect English would make the language more relatable to the secondary English speakers; in other words, English would have a more universal appeal if people would not have to pay attention to speaking it perfectly (Kubotam 2009). It may also be important to note that the pressure of knowing and learning perfect English may discriminate against the secondary English speakers who often speak heavily-accented imperfect English (Hojena and Flege, 2006). These arguments however cannot be used as an excuse not to learn perfect

Cause, effect and lessons learnt from the asian financial crises Research Paper

Cause, effect and lessons learnt from the asian financial crises - Research Paper Example In addition, the crisis brought doubts on the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) approach in its efforts to dealing with financial imbalances within the private financial markets. It is also clear that the financial crisis can be attributed to panic of local and foreign investors and its role in enhancing the situation (Noble and Ravenhill 2). The Asian economies were at the height of success due to their fast growth and immense gains on the living standards their populations enjoyed. They were basically experiencing sensible fiscal polies and even high rates in private saving which was enticing to the world. There was no prediction that these countries would ultimately fall suddenly into a deep financial crisis in the post war era. Many questions were raised by economists on the causes of the crisis and whether or not they became victims of their own accomplishment. The abundance success may be one of the reasons that also led to their down fall but it also shows that struct ural and policy misrepresentations among the countries in this region played a role in the crisis. The 1997 financial crisis is therefore, a combination of many factors including market over response, which led to a drop in exchange rates, property prices, and economic stability (Noble and Ravenhill 2). Causes of the Asian Financial Crisis The financial crisis in East Asian countries began immediately after the huge high savings and vigorous growth they enjoyed. Since the 1980s, this fast growth was followed by high increment in asset values, increasing property and stock prices, and even in some instances a growth in temporary borrowing from oversees. In the mid-1990s, a tremendous emergence of external shocks specifically the devaluation of major currencies largely impacted export returns. This meant a decline in economic growth as property prices increased in most Asian economies. The devaluation of the currencies begun in Thailand after the decline of the Thai Bhat and this made investors to lose confidence in the Asian markets. The events in Thailand forced many investors to reassess their lending and evaluate the robustness of the region’s currency. This led to a huge wave of currency depreciations while stock, asset and market fell starting with Southeast Asian and then followed closely by the entire region. The year that followed the devaluation of the currency, most of the affected currencies fell as low as 35% to 83% against the United States dollar. There were even records of serious fallout as big as 40% to 60% decline against the U.S. dollar and the Asian financial crisis became a reality (Noble and Ravenhill 2). In Southeast Asia, there was record of capital inflows in the major East Asian upcoming economies that grew from 150 billion U.S dollars in the 1980s to 320 billion U.S dollars in the early 1990s. Private companies were doing excessive borrowing form the foreign capital economies mostly for short-term needs instead of looking for l ong-term earnings for productive security. The main capital inflows were meant for bank loans and even direct immediate foreign investments (Matsumoto 4). The huge capital flows resulted in increase in prices especially for non-tradable goods while the abundant foreign investment caused the currency to appreciate but decreased

Multiple Topics to Choose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Multiple Topics to Choose - Essay Example In the story, she happened to host the Earl of Beresford, a passenger from Canada, who got caught in her beauty to the extent, that he proposed her. Despite being an average girl with nothing materialistic to take pride in, she would refuse the proposal of any lad accoutered with utmost richness and wealth just like a princess, though she had completely different and unique reasons for doing so. â€Å"No princess of the blood could have been more stalely, self-possessed and politely determined to keep one at a distance† (Stowe 123). Although she was a house girl and did not have interaction with strangers in her unmarried life, yet she was brave and bold enough to have argument with a stranger like the Earl of Beresford. She refused to marry the Earl of Beresford because she could not feel attracted to all the fantasies he attempted to make her realize being his wife. Her priorities in life were far from materialism. She believed in succeeding through struggle. She would not t ake success for granted. She was determined and consistent. That was why, she had complete confidence in George. Mary was portrayed by Stowe as a character that had no materialistic proof to have faith in George but her own confidence and determination. Moved by her encouragement and confidence in him, George struggled and ultimately became a minister. All credit went to her. She married him. Conversion of an ordinary man into an American Minister is indeed, an achievement. This tells how important role women play in building an educated, learned and civilized society. Harriet Beecher Stowe has portrayed woman as having equipped with extreme courage, bravery, boldness and determination that contrasts with her intrinsic beauty and delicacy. The fundamental cause of George’s success was Mary. This tells that a woman keeps all the potential to cause a big change in the society remaining within the premises

Answer the 5 questions of investment portfolio management Essay

Answer the 5 questions of investment portfolio management - Essay Example Present value of Dividends employs the cost of equity as the discount figure. Operating free cash flow is the cash residue after eliminating direct costs, working capital and capital expenditure needed for future growth, but before any payments to suppliers of capital. The firm’s weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the discount rate employed in determining operating free cash flow. Free cash flow to equity refers to operating free cash flow less payment to debt holders (Strong, 2008). The firm’s cost of equity is used as the discount rate. Present value of Cash flow allows a degree of flexibility for changes in sales and expenses, which implies varying rates of growth over time. However, present value of cashflow valuation approach has a weakness in that it is heavily dependent on growth rates of cash flows and the discount rate estimates. Relative valuation approach to security valuation offers information on how the market is presently valuing the stock. Compon ents measured using the relative valuation technique include the price earning ratio, price to sales ratio, price to book value and the price to cash flow. Unlike the present value of security valuation, relative valuation approach does not offer insights as to whether current valuations are appropriate. Thus, valuations could be too low or high at a certain point in time. As such, Relative valuation is suitable when there are comparable firms in terms of the risk, industry and size in the market. It is also appropriate when the aggregate market and the entity’s industry are not under valuation extreme. That is to mean that the collective market and the firm’s industry should not be acutely overvalued or undervalued (Strong, 2008). Both cash flow approach and relative valuation approach have several factors in common. One is that they are both affected by the investor’s required return on the stock since this return rate becomes a significant element of the disc ount rate. Secondly, the two valuation approaches are affected by the growth rate estimation employed in the valuation technique such as dividends, sales or earnings. Therefore, the two approaches may be considered as complementary. 2. The concepts of systematic and unsystematic risk, variance, covariance, standard deviation and beta as each of these relate to investment management. Unsystematic risks refer to the kind of uncertainty that is associated with the industry in which a company operates. Unsystematic risks are also referred to as specific risks or diversifiable risks for they are specific in each industry, and they are reduced through diversification. Unsystematic risks arise as a result of factors particular to an industry or the firm such product category, marketing, research and development and pricing. Systematic risks refer to the kind of uncertainty that is inherent in the whole market segment. They are also referred to as market risks or non-diversifiable risks bec ause they are inherent in the entire market and diversification do not result in their reduction. Systematic risks are such as war, inflation, change in taxation, global security perils and political instability that affect the functioning of firms in all industries. Total risk is a combination of systematic and unsystematic risks. Variance is the measure of volatility from the mean. Variance helps an investor to establish the risk involved in purchasing a certain security. A higher variance indicates greater variability and thus greater risk. A greater variance also

M6A2 Leadership and Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

M6A2 Leadership and Ethics - Assignment Example Implementation Plan The first step of the implementation plan would include the depiction of the ethical issues related to the company (i.e. Tesco). One of the prime ethical issues that the company is facing is regarding coming up with misleading advertisement. It has been observed from the previously conducted analysis that the company showed price cuts for it’s certain products but in reality they had intended to increase their sales through the reduction of price of disliked products and increase in price of the accepted items. This is also considered as one of the ethical issues of the company. It has been further recognized that in order to deal with such issues proper leadership guidance would be quite vital. A leader is a person who would be held responsible for the entire performance of the group (Northouse, 2010). Thus, it is vital that a company should have leaders with appropriate characteristics so that they can handle varying as well as unpredictable situations wi th utmost effectiveness. In this regard, it has been noticed that transformational style of leadership model would be quite appropriate. It has been learnt that this type of leader would enhance motivation and morale of the employees. These would further include enhancing a sense of identity and responsibility of the employees so that they can work effectively by keeping in consideration the ethical aspects (Simic, 1998). The first step a leader should follow with regard to solving any ethical dilemma would be to analyze the concerned issue of the company from different perspectives. He/she first needs to understand about who would be affected the most by such ethical issues. It can be said that the issue mentioned above is immoral as well as illegal. Leader would have to take the responsibility or the accountability of the entire situation. It can easily depict that the whole issue generally take place mainly because it is overlooked when it was actually taking place. The leader ha s a big role to play with regard to tackling these issues. He/she would have to instruct the employees of the company about how these issues could harm the reputation of the company in the long run. It also needs to be discussed by the leader that customers are the sole reason for the success of any business. Hence, it is highly unethical to mislead or cheat customers with such advertisements as they are the biggest asset of the company (McLeod, 2007). He/she would also need to form a set of ethical code of conducts and encourage all the employees to follow the same. These the issues could be resolved by the leader with transformational leadership characteristics. Contingency Plan The contingency plan could be considered as a substitute of the implementation plan. This would be implemented if the first plan fails to create an impact. In this plan, a leader with strict personality would be taken into consideration. In this regard, an autocratic leader can be considered to take the le ad. He/she would need to be quite severe in their conduct. The leader should aim to complete a particular task mostly through negative motivation. He/she would also need to maintain a close supervision on the ethical conducts of the employees. High Penalties would be imposed on employees who are caught following any unethical practices that can ultimately harm the reputation of the organization. This approach could be considered negative but it is mostly observed to be effective (Daft, 2008).

Accounting assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Accounting - Assignment Example any can achieve this strategy by charging Priority, Team, and Shop different prices and at the same time, these respective customers selling to different purchasers. A business that sells to different places with different cost differentiating their products from their competitors through use of trademarks or advertising. This will allow customers to be associate of distribution in different packaging is capable to monopolize the market. This promotes brand loyalty among your customers. Brand loyalty is a significant asset as it upholds a company against the threat of competitors. Price differentiation will also encourages innovation, it is very important for Duncan Shirt Company to set itself apart from the rivals through a transformational innovation to explore the market further and come up with a new product. This will also focuses on improving the existing products. Innovation gives benefits to both stakeholders and customers by reinvigorating goods, improving fabrication processes will offer promising economies of scale. Differentiation will create a barrier to entry for new investors in the market because the customers will have associated the existing product. A company who also offer a distinct product would be doing advertising to make it popular in the public eye, thus making it very difficult for new entries companies by restricting them since they lack capital to advertise effectively. However, this cost should be reflected on the products through charging high profit margins. Moreover tastes of customers do change with time and competitors are o ut to copy and imitate flourishing differentiators. For this reason, product differentiation should offer something which the customer value for long term sustainment. Generally, an extreme usage of materials is the main cause of unfavorable direct materials quantity variance. Form the data give positive (annex) which is very favorable to the company. This may be due to substandard quality of materials,  or

Violet Crawley and Fitzwilliam Darcy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Violet Crawley and Fitzwilliam Darcy - Essay Example Violet Crawley is from a noble family but her family was impoverished. Her marriage brought her a noble title but little wealth since the Earldom was also impoverished. Her children married into money rather than nobility. She was against Robert’s engagement to Cora. This is because she had pride in nobility and not money (Fellowes, 2011). Violet discriminated people on the basis of social classes. Her granddaughter could not marry Mathew Crawley, the new heir of Earldom, since he did meet her expectations as he was from the upper middle class rather than nobility. She also refused to acknowledge the change in Mary’s inheritance which resulted in her forming an alliance with Cora Crawley, her daughter-in-law. Violet has many quarrels with Isobel Crawley. Violet, president the Downton Hospital, has complete control over the hospital’s chief doctor Richard Clarkson and the whole hospital in general. Mrs. Crawley started intimidating the doctor into applying modern medical practices. One of these practices was curing dropsy by administration of adrenaline. This was contradicting to the Countess of Dowager’s protest against administering adrenaline to cure a local farmer. The Countess pursues Clarkson and Isobel into the operation room to air her protests, where she witnesses the farmer being saved. The doctor is forced to appoint Isobel Chairman of the Board in order to prevent further, forcing pride ridden Violet to share power with Isobel (Fellowes, 2011). Violet remained a strong influence at Downton Abbey throughout World War One. On learning Matthew’s engagement to Lavinia Swire, she reacts in distaste as she watches Matthew, now an army captain, match. Rosamund and Violet scheme to intimidate Lavinia in cancelling her engagement to Matthew. They are especially motivated when Rosamund overhears Lavinia being threatened by Sir Richard about a political scandal. But Violet’s pride does not bear fruits because they both do not succeed in convincing Lavinia to end her engagement. When Isobel proposes to Cora that Downton Abbey be utilized as a convalescent dwelling for wounded soldiers, Violet reacts in disgust and with horror at the prospect of strangers living in the house. Cora phlegmatically reminds Violet that she no longer holds the title of Countess of Grantham. Therefore, Cora is the sole decision maker regarding issues of the house. Violet is accused of inability to communicate between social classes, instigating her to expose that she and Carson always had the first promenade at the servants’ ball. This illustrates Violet’s pride (Fellowes, 2011). At one point during the war, an exceedingly burned Canadian officer named Patrick Gordon goes to Downton to recuperate and impersonates Patrick Crawley, who ostensibly survived the Titanic, recuperated in Canada, and was involved in a deadly explosion in the war. Violet reacts with indignation, displaying her pride. When Sybil plans to push through with her marriage to the family chauffeur, Tom Branson, Violet and Robert attempt to persuade her out of it because it would be scandalous to the elite. After their unsuccessful attempt, Violet makes up details about Branson in order to minimize damages to the aristocracy. These details would seem more acceptable by other members of the aristocracy. This suggests a sense of pride in Violet and the aristocracy in

Outline of the Tea Party Platform Essay Example for Free

Outline of the Tea Party Platform Essay Believe that heavy taxes are a burden for those who apply their personal liberty to work hard ? Need for government to protect the freedom of citizens with interference of the government that has exceeded its necessary size or scope. 2. Eliminate National Debt ? there is a need to have fiscal conservative policies at all levels of government ? narrow down the national debt for the good of the average American 3. Protect Free Markets ? Allow free markets to prosper without the infringement of the national government ? Belief that free markets should be protected and are the backbone of the U. S 4. Abide By the Constitution of The United States ? Belief that the U. S Constitution is the supreme law and should be held as so ? Constitution but be upheld in all areas, levels and branches of government 5. Promote Civic Responsibility ? Citizen involvement should be upheld ? Belief that citizen inolment directs the behaviors of the representatives both on a local and national level 6. Reduce the Overall Size Of Government ? Belief that a â€Å"bloated† or overcrowded bureaucracy leads to uneconomical spending ? Reducing the size of governement will than in turn help eliminate inefficiencies that result in deficit spending 7. Believe In The People ? Guaranteed freedoms for the American people will cause then to thrive and grow in a democratic, capitalist enviroment which allows individuals to achieve and go after achievements 8. Maintain Local Independance ? The strength of the Tea Party movement is the ability of citizens at the local level to establish their own platforms ? Belief that each citizen’s voice should be heard

Mtn Nigeria: Telecommunication

Mtn Nigeria: Telecommunication MTN Nigeria is a well know telecommunication industry geared towards dealing with all aspect of telecommunication infrastructural development as it concerns GSM rollout. MTN Nigeria has its central head quarter in South African. MTN was incorporated in Nigeria February 2001 as the first none indigenous Telecommunication Company in the areas of GSM technologies. They have passion for excellence. Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) is a digital mobile telephony system that is widely used all over the world. GSM is widely used in place of all other wireless telephony technologies among which are TDMA (Time division multiple access), CDMA (Code division multiple access). This uses a variation of time division multiple access (TDMA). MTN Nigeria GSM system operates at either the 900 MHz or 1800 MHz frequency band. In todays highly competitive business environment among telecommunications companies in Nigeria, MTN as organization know that Change Management is critical to their competitive advantage and long term success and survival. This reality have made MTN to invest huge resources on formulating and implementing organizational change for their success survival and at the same time investing huge resources in training of their employees (both management and lower-level staffs) on the knowledge of Change management. As Tofler A. stated in the ilearn module (2010), module03, unit1, page2, There is only one constant today and that is change change is inevitable for a successful business achievement. Based on this eminent quote, MTN Nigeria adopted a change program, MTN Nigeria Project office was enlarged to become Capital Programs Group (CPG) within the last five years. Collection of materials on the enlargement of Project Office to Capital Programs group was done through personal contact with top management levels, Program Managers, Managers, Engineers, course material relevant materials from the web. MTN STRUCTURE PRIOR TO ENLARGEMENT OF PROJECT OFFICE TO CAPITAL PROGRAMS GROUP (CHANGE PROGRAMME) As earlier mentioned MTN Nigeria has passion for excellence in areas like, Acquiring and retaining customers, Developing Implementing Market Strategies, Stimulating increased usage of products and services, Generating revenue, Retaining Customers, Stimulating usage Research. . Prior to the enlargement of their project office, MTN Nigeria has only one technical unit that oversee all their network rollout operation maintenance activities. This comprises of many divisions as showed below. Network Implementation Division Network Programs Unit Network Project Management Network Operation Division Network Intelligent Engineering Support Services NMC Operation Network Access Division Network Quality Assurance RF Planning Unit Wireless Bearer Services RF/BT S OPS TX Planning Unit Network Group Figure i: Structure of MTN Network group before the change program implementation. The various divisions implement any given task as stipulated by the organization. Large numbers of sites built was not necessary because the need for expansion was yet to arise. RESTRUCTURING OF PROJECT OFFICE TO CAPITAL PROGRAMS GROUP (CHANGE PROGRAMME) MTN Nigeria having established their vision and mission statement, Vision: To be the leading provider of telecommunication services in Nigeria with a mission to provide first class network quality, customer service and value. Mission statement is To be a catalyst for Nigeria economic growth and development ,helping unleash Nigeria strong development potentials not only through the provision of world class communication but also through innovative and sustainable corporate social responsibility initiatives To be able to leave up this expectation meet up with the new challenges associated with GSM companies within Nigeria beyond. After the end of the financial years 2003, the CEO top management executives of MTN Nigeria came up with new structure that is deemed to alleviate and accelerate network expansion quality throughout the federation. New departments were emerged, job responsibilities changed, new regions were created, new managers were appointed according to company policies. The new structure that was created is Capital Programs Group, CPG works in partnership with various technical suppliers and applies extensive project management skills to rollout all elements of MTN GSM network to the highest standards. The Department is comprised of the following Units: Logistics Core and Fibre Implementation Site Build Rollout BTS/Transmission/3G Upgrade Network Rollout Programme Support The creation of the new divisions gave the company better visibility in managing and rolling out of a better network infrastructure in the areas of 2G 3G networks at a very high speed to meet up with the present demand for customers expectation, and also generated serious revenue increase in subscribers base to relatively 30,000 million. INTERNAL EXTERNAL DRIVERS FOR CHANGE: INTRODUCTION MTN Nigeria came into the country not anticipating that the population in terms of their subscribers base will seriously increase after 3-4 years of operation. The rate at which call drop happens became erratic. MTN Nigeria needed more sites to fill the dead spots that bring about the high rate of call drop. The challenges on GSM technology expansion is seriously increasing in Nigeria. There is need for new technology advancement and new business models. This is a critical path in which top level management, program managers their subordinates needs to focus in achieving a better productivity. MTN conduct a survey through employees and consultant after the 2003 financial year ending with the origination for the CEO and top management. With reference to ilearn module (2010), module03, unit1, lesson 1, page2 internal external drives for change in MTN, the following factors are the primary drivers of MTN organisational change. Rapid technology advances. Weak business performance Poor customer satisfaction High rate of project failure Lack of innovation Mergers acquisitions Collaborative partnership models Outsourcing Greater agility in customers responsiveness New business models RAPID TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT This is a significant driver for organizational change. Rapid development in technology motivated for technology innovation in MTN Nigeria. The increase in new technology advancement in GSM industry in Nigeria gave rise to the need for equipment upgrade in order to integrate the old equipments that may be obsolete in the near future with the new equipments. This was considered by the change agents in order to meet up with the new technology required to make them not to face a diminishing market share to competitors lose capital invested, most importantly bring about a reduction in their CAPEX capital expenditure to a reasonable value. POOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Due to the high volume of traffic been carried my MTN, customers started experiencing poor quality of service which gave rise to great number of call drops, capacity congestion, low voice quality, inadequate coverage area. Customers were unable to enjoy the real benefit of GSM using MTN Nigeria network.MTN saw the need and acted in that line to avoid losing their customer base to other competitors. WEAK BUSINESS PERFORMANCE There is a perceived threat from customers regarding the performance of the MTN network. When MTN started in Nigeria many people were in eager to purchase MTN sim card and other various products that meets customers expectation. There was high rate of product acquisition from customers within and near the neighboring countries. The demand for sim cards became tripled it became obvious that the present network capacity cant handle the demand for lines. The rate at which network rollouts were done could not meet up with the new challenging factors. This contributed to a great lose in their revenue generation. HIGH RATE OF PROJECT FALIURE The rate at which project failure occurs within the project office gave a concern to the entire management, this contributed to low number of sites rolled out per quarter yearly. There was no close supervision of site build contractors (SBCs) in other to achieve the desired quality on area of the infrastructures. The introduction of turnkey solution not properly managed also contributed to the failure, site build contractors having insufficient funds to finance their various projects. LACK OF INNOVATION Project office was made up of Engineers Project managers who are pioneers of MTN from South Africa. This group of people are expatriate who operates without processes and procedures, there was no lay down procedure. Virtually all projects where handled and micro managed by them, this gave birth to having most of the site build contractor been none indigenous companies. Projects became very slow because of inadequate man power to operate and handle various assigned works. NEW BUSSINESS MODEL There is need for MTN Nigeria to embrace new business models. The inadequate Transmission capacity became a hindering factor in terms of adopting new business models that will be profiting to the company. Before the restructuring of the project office to capital programs groups new business models like providing E1 solutions to customers couldnt be achieved. But after the restructuring MTN Nigeria started providing E1 solutions to various banks industries in the country which also increased their revenue. MERGER ACQUSATIONS When MTN Nigeria merged and consolidated operations with VGC communications limited sometime in October 2006, significant reengineering took place. To align the management objectives restructuring was the main drive in this factor. The integration of MTN and VGC created a major challenge in streamlining and integration of existing satellite operations structure. After the merger acquisition, some of VGC staffs left the organisation due to change in portfolios, change of project task. This shows that a careful, committed dedicated planning should have been adopted in bring this to realization. OUTSOURCING There is need for MTN Nigeria to adopted outsourcing in some of their business areas. This is expected to improve flexibility and services to their customers. Initial when MTN started in Nigeria, recharge cards where been produced from South Africa, subscriber in the remote area where there is MTN coverage experience difficulty in purchasing the required air time for their business. After the restructuring some of the air time denomination was outsourced and transferred to other parties, along with personnel and other resources to increase the production rate. MTN OBJECTIVES IN MAKING THE CHANGE MTN Nigeria has passion for excellence in following areas, acquiring and retaining customers, Developing Implementing Market Strategies, Stimulating increased usage of products and services, Generating revenue, Retaining Customers, Stimulating usage Research. MTN Nigeria also ensures that the human organisational structure is consistently aligned to business goals in order to achieve organisational effectiveness. The below objectives where considered by MTN Nigeria adopting the change process. To set up a body(Capital Programs Group) that will effectively project manage the accelerated rollout of MTN Nigeria site build rollout In order to meet up with high competition of mobile networks in Nigeria, MTN Nigeria decided to create structure and culture that will be imbedded in operation for operational efficiency Network Rollout at a cheaper cost while achieving same target in terms of quality and service Clarity of responsibility and Value Addition To drop entire operational cost(OPEX) Improve top down and down top communication between executives, managers their subordinate Greater Client and Stakeholder Orientation There is need for MTN to reduce call rate to an affordable value. Network expansion to provide adequate capacity to customers. Increase speed of rollout figures by adding up more regions in order to overcome terrain and distance complexity. Removal of bureaucracy in order to boost up implementation time Empowerment of region for faster decision making Market differentiation by having wider network coverage in the country Maintain Checks and Balances Consistent with Effectiveness Offering different customer choices in terms of broadband, 2G 3G, enterprise solution, Wimax, rural telephony etc. Expanding subscribers base in order to generate more revenue. Environmentally friendly mode of operation example, Safety and health activities (SHE), Nigeria civil aviation authority (NCCA), Environment impact assessment (EIA), building permits approvals before implementation. HOW MANAGERS COULD IDENTIFY THE CENTRAL ISSUES PALN THE ACTION REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES. INTRODUCTION Managers must embarrass the fact that people mind set constitute of environment and culture (ways of doing things). Major factor that must be considered for a successful organisational change still lies with environmental, people technology issues. Mangers should also consider peoples issue which has some constraints namely social political cultural factors, these two constraints will go a long way in helping managers identify central issues plan for action in achieving their various objectives. There are always bottle necks in managing the affairs of organisational change by managers, by applying the Seven Ss model such issues will be address and optimum result achieved by managers. EXPLAINATION OF SEVEN Ss MODEL The 7Ss model is the management model that has seven interconnected factors that is used in organizing a company in a holistic and effective way. McKinsey 7Ss model ensures that organization works effectively and well once they reach the desired endpoint. Managers should ensure that 7Ss model is being used in a wide variety of situations where an alignment perspective is useful, this will also boost the performance of MTN Nigeria managers helping in identifying the central issues and project proper action plan, The seven Ss factors are mentioned below: Super ordinate goals Strategy Structure Systems Style Staff Skills Figure 2 below depicts the interdependency of the elements and indicates how a change in one affects all the others. Super ordinate goals This is one of the factor that comes from the top level management, e.g. CEO, this determines the organizational stand for what MTN believes in the Can Do Spirit , share values characterizing the principles aims which should pull it towards successes of MTN Nigeria, core values, the corporate/team culture, Strategy: What is our strategy? How do we intend to achieve our objectives? How do we deal with competitive pressure? How are changes in customer demands dealt with? How is strategy adjusted for environmental issues? Structure: How is the company/team divided? What is the hierarchy? How do the various departments coordinate activities? How do the team members organize and align themselves? Is decision making and controlling centralized or decentralized? Is this as it should be, given what were doing? Where are the lines of communication? Explicit and implicit? Systems: What are the main systems that run the organization? Consider financial and HR systems as well as communications and document storage. Where are the controls and how are they monitored and evaluated? What internal rules and processes does the team use to keep on track? What are the fundamental values that the company/team was built on? Style: How participative is the management/leadership style? How effective is that leadership? Do employees/team members tend to be competitive or cooperative? Are there real teams functioning within the organization or are they just nominal groups? Staff: What positions or specializations are represented within the team? What positions need to be filled? Are there gaps in required competencies? Skills: What are the strongest skills represented within the company/team? Are there any skills gaps? What is the company/team known for doing well? Do the current employees/team members have the ability to do the job? How are skills monitored and assessed?

The Airline Passenger Reservation Systems ( APRS ) :: Essays Papers

The Airline Passenger Reservation Systems ( APRS ) Executive Summary In a time when establishing and maintaining a market advantage is crucial, the use of technical innovations such as the Airline Passenger Reservation Systems (APRS) becomes a competitive necessity. Good business strategies in developing strategic alliances and exposing the consumer to a globally expanded product base allows airlines to compete. A wider range of products, the ability to be flexible with fluctuating consumer needs are all potentially exploitable through the power of technology and strategic planning. The following report provides an understanding concerning the Airline Passenger Reservation System. It will briefly discuss the advantages associated with integrating the system across the airline industry and what and where are the potential gains. Introduction There has been much discussion concerning how information technology may contribute to the development of a competitive advantage. Whilst there are some notable examples, investment in information technology (IT) is often a matter of competitive necessity. The technological advances emerging from the integration of computing, microelectronics and telecommunications are creating significant changes in organisations (Stoner, et al 1994). The information technology revolution of the past 20 years has made information technology an integral part of any core business activity. Information technology management now contributes to all the management functions of planning, organising, leading and controlling and affects competitive strategy and business operations. This report will briefly discuss the strategic nature of networked Airline Passenger Reservation Systems and some of the benefits derived from deploying such a system. The Competitive Edge Since the beginning of commercial aviation, airlines have developed a wide range of co-operative arrangements to provide a wider, more efficient range of services (Qantas 2000). However, since the deregulation of the US airline industry in 1978 and the subsequent follow on of the Japanese, Australian and European industries in 1985, 1990 and 1997 respectively (Chatfield & Bjorn-Anderson 1997) competition between rival airline companies has intensified. Since it is neither practical nor economical for any one carrier to operate across the entire globe (Oneworldalliance 2000) airlines and their subsidiaries must form alliances to remain competitive. These alliances brought about the introduction of the Airline Passenger Reservation System (APRS) or Computer Reservation System (CRS) as it is sometimes known. This system offers airlines the ability to expand their product line to meet a broader range of customer needs through gaining access to product and services of other companies to which they have a strategic alliance.

Amistad Essay example -- essays research papers

Vanessa Breslow  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Professor Dublin 11/17/99  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  History 103-3 L’Amistad   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Amistad, ironically a ship that means â€Å"friendship,† was the setting of one of the most historical slave revolts led by black Africans in 1839. This revolt gained considerable attention from the American population, the media and well as other international interests. It was the black insurrection on board the Amistad that ignited the underlying issues of politics, slavery, sectionalism, religion, trade rights, and anti-British sentiment that already plagued the nation at the time of the Amistad incident. The controversy drew the entire world into the conflict over human and property rights, an issue that divided our nation and would eventually catapult it into war over the relationship of race and slavery to liberty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Treaties and Laws in the 1800’s sought to further slavery regulation by making it legal, but prohibiting the further importation of slaves. Great Britain banned slavery in its own colonies, and pursued the suppression of trade. The United States passed the Slave Importation Act of 1807, which declared further importation of slaves into the United States illegal. Yet these Laws proved to be unenforceable due to Presidential denial of power to halt trades in the United States, as well as the rising cotton production in the South and the demand for Cuban sugar and Brazilian coffee, both expanding the market for slave labor. Thus the 1817 treaty with Great Britain that also outlawed foreign slave trade especially hurt the Spanish colony of Cuba. In spite of the ban, slave-traders continued to smuggle in slaves for several decades and tried to pass them off as legal. Slaves were constantly kidnapped from their homeland and taken most on route to Cuba, where slave labor was in most frequent demand. In 1839, the two men, Jose Ruiz and Pedro Montes chartered the Amistad to transpor... ... and that selfishness was a card. Another negative association about slavery, viewed by evangelicals, was its association with great wealth. In the following November, the Africans, a translator, and some missionaries (both black and white) left for Africa aboard the ship the Gentleman. The arrival of those Amistad Africans who had successfully rebelled against slavery two years earlier, had ignited a sectional debate of significance within the United States. The immediate support of the blacks by leading abolitionists, when contrasted to the immediate denial by the federal government of the Africans right to be free, indicated how firmly different forces in the nation were committed to the slavery issue. General public response to the case revealed the importance of party allegiance, the divisiveness of slavery, the limited place of the black man, and the extreme aversion to the abolitionists and Great Britain shared by Americans at the close of the Van Buren administration. These prevalent and resistant differences would remain firmly settled in the United States, and would gradually tear the nation apart until there co mes a call of war to finally settle sectional differences. Amistad Essay example -- essays research papers Vanessa Breslow  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Professor Dublin 11/17/99  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  History 103-3 L’Amistad   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Amistad, ironically a ship that means â€Å"friendship,† was the setting of one of the most historical slave revolts led by black Africans in 1839. This revolt gained considerable attention from the American population, the media and well as other international interests. It was the black insurrection on board the Amistad that ignited the underlying issues of politics, slavery, sectionalism, religion, trade rights, and anti-British sentiment that already plagued the nation at the time of the Amistad incident. The controversy drew the entire world into the conflict over human and property rights, an issue that divided our nation and would eventually catapult it into war over the relationship of race and slavery to liberty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Treaties and Laws in the 1800’s sought to further slavery regulation by making it legal, but prohibiting the further importation of slaves. Great Britain banned slavery in its own colonies, and pursued the suppression of trade. The United States passed the Slave Importation Act of 1807, which declared further importation of slaves into the United States illegal. Yet these Laws proved to be unenforceable due to Presidential denial of power to halt trades in the United States, as well as the rising cotton production in the South and the demand for Cuban sugar and Brazilian coffee, both expanding the market for slave labor. Thus the 1817 treaty with Great Britain that also outlawed foreign slave trade especially hurt the Spanish colony of Cuba. In spite of the ban, slave-traders continued to smuggle in slaves for several decades and tried to pass them off as legal. Slaves were constantly kidnapped from their homeland and taken most on route to Cuba, where slave labor was in most frequent demand. In 1839, the two men, Jose Ruiz and Pedro Montes chartered the Amistad to transpor... ... and that selfishness was a card. Another negative association about slavery, viewed by evangelicals, was its association with great wealth. In the following November, the Africans, a translator, and some missionaries (both black and white) left for Africa aboard the ship the Gentleman. The arrival of those Amistad Africans who had successfully rebelled against slavery two years earlier, had ignited a sectional debate of significance within the United States. The immediate support of the blacks by leading abolitionists, when contrasted to the immediate denial by the federal government of the Africans right to be free, indicated how firmly different forces in the nation were committed to the slavery issue. General public response to the case revealed the importance of party allegiance, the divisiveness of slavery, the limited place of the black man, and the extreme aversion to the abolitionists and Great Britain shared by Americans at the close of the Van Buren administration. These prevalent and resistant differences would remain firmly settled in the United States, and would gradually tear the nation apart until there co mes a call of war to finally settle sectional differences.

Lewis Latimer :: essays research papers

Lewis Latimer Lewis Howard Latimer was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on September 4, 1848, six years after his parents, George and Rebecca Latimer, had run away from slavery in Virginia. They were determined to be free and that their children be born on free soil. Because of his light complexion, George was able to pose as a plantation owner with the darker-skinned Rebecca as his slave. Shortly after arriving in Boston, Massachusetts, he was recognized as a fugitive and jailed while his wife was taken to a safe hiding place. The arrest was protested vigorously by the community. Frederick Douglass, a former slave who had escaped to Massachusetts several years earlier, and abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison spoke forcefully against the arrest. There was a trial, and the attempts to recapture George and return him to Virginia caused considerable agitation in Boston. When the trial judge ruled that Latimer still belonged to his Virginia owner, an African-American minister paid $400 for his release. Although free, George was still extremely poor, working as a barber, paper-han ger and in other odd jobs to support his wife, three sons, and one daughter. Lewis Latimer, the youngest child, attended grammar school and was an excellent student who loved to read and draw. Most of his time, though, was spent working with his father, which was typical of children in the 19th century. In 1857, the Supreme Court ruled that a slave named Dred Scott could not be considered a free man although he had lived in a free state. George Latimer disappeared shortly after the decision became known. Because he had no official papers to prove he was a free man, he possibly feared for his safety and that of his family. With his father gone and his mother struggling to keep the family together, Lewis falsified his age and joined the U.S. Navy in 1864 when he was sixteen years old. When the Civil War ended he was honorably discharged and returned to Boston to seek employment. In 1868 he secured a job as an office boy in the Crosby and Gould patent law firm, a company that specialized in helping inventors protect their patents. By closely observing draftsmen at work and reading books on the subject, Latimer taught himself mechanical drawing. He learned to skillfully use the vital tools of the trade, such as T squares, triangles, compasses, and rulers, and mastered the art of drawing to scale.

General Description of the Community Essay

Target area being assessed by the author is hospice service in Sioux Falls and surrounding areas provided by Avera Mckennan. Hospice care is end-of-life care provided by health professionals and volunteers Hospice care provides medical services, emotional support, and spiritual resources for people who are in the last stages of terminal illness. Although most hospice patients are cancer patients, hospice accepts anyone regardless of age and type of disease. The goal of hospice treatment is to keep patient comfortable and improve quality of life. Hospice care tries to manage symptoms so that patient’s last days may be spent with dignity, surrounded by his/her loved ones. Hospice care is family-centered: the patient and family are both included in the care plan and emotional, spiritual and practical support is provided depending on the patients wishes and families needs. Hospice is not so much a place, as it is a philosophy of care with a family-centered approach that considers the patient and family to be the unit of care (Lattanzi-Licht et al. , 1998). Avera Mckennan Hospice Services are the main focus of author. Avera McKennan’s Home Hospice and Palliative Care program office is located in the Dougherty Hospice House. Through this program, they provide hospice services in a variety environments: hospice care in the home setting, hospice care in an assisted living facility, hospice care in a skilled nursing facility and also, in Dougherty Hospice House. The Dougherty Hospice House is a unique sixteen bed hospice facility located on the Prince of Peace campus. This place provides a home like setting with specious rooms for patient and sleeping accommodations for family members. It also has a meditation room, wireless internet, beautiful meditative garden, large dining and family room for families to gather, and library. Dougherty Hospice House and its surrounding property are tobacco free environments. About 80% of all hospice care is provided in private homes, nursing homes, independent and assisted living facilities (Caffrey, C. et al. , 2011). If hospice care provided in patient’s home, a family member will look after their loved one much of the time. Someone form hospice team will usually visit patient once or twice a week assessing a patient and addressing current health issues. Avera McKennan Hospice team consist of 25 people including nurses, social workers, spiritual advisors/chaplains, nursing assistants, trained volunteers, pharmacist and medical director. In case of emergency home hospice patient can call the 24-hour hospice number for advice. A nurse usually can come to patient’s house at any time of the day or night or give an advise over the phone. Based on the patient’s circumstances and stage of care, a hospice interdisciplinary team (IDT) may provide variety of services. Registered nurses assist patient with management of discomfort, pain and side effects of previous treatment ( nausea from chemotherapy). Also nurses help educate both patient and family about what is happening. The nurse is a link connecting patient, family and physician. Home health aids provide extra support for personal care such as bathing, shaving, dressing and eating. Trained hospice volunteers offer assistance with everyday tasks such as shopping, babysitting, and carpooling. They are being available to listen to the patients and families and offer compassionate support. Primary doctor approves plan of care for hospice patient and works with hospice team. A hospice medical director who has expertise in symptom management and end-of-life care is available to the attending physician, patient and family, and hospice team as a great resource and consultant. Chaplains, priests, or other spiritual counselors help patient and family explore the meaning of the death, and perform religious ceremony specific to the patient. Respite care can be provided by inpatient hospice to give family a break from stress of care giving in up to 5-day periods. This service recognizes the need for caregivers to have time away from caretaking roles (Ingleton, Payne, Nolan, & Carey, 2003;Lattanzi-Licht e. l. , 1998). Terms such as caregiver burden (Chwalisz & Kisler, 1995), caretaker role fatigue, spousal burnout, and role engulfment refer to an imbalance between the physical and mental resources needed to give care and those available within the family unit (Reese & Sontag, 2001). Regularly scheduled family conferences most often led by the hospice nurse or social worker allow patient and family members share feelings, talk about what to expect, what is needed, and learn about process of dying. The interdisciplinary team coordinates Avera McKennan Hospice services and supervises al care 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. The team is making sure that current information is shared among all the services involved in patients care. Official Community Government (form of government). For-profit and nonprofit hospices have the same regulations. They must comply with State low and Code of Federal Regulations governing hospice care. For-profit hospices grow more than six times faster than nonprofit hospices. Profit sometimes risks compromising the quality of care patients receive. Nonprofit hospices provide hospice services to anyone including persons who do not have health insurance coverage and cannot afford to pay for care. In this case, nonprofit hospice can provide services to person free of charge as part of its charitable mission because nonprofit status of the hospice requires it to offer charitable services and they are dedicated to the mission of caring those in need. Main purpose of for-profit hospices is to make money and pay dividends to their stockholders. They have no obligation to provide services to anyone who does not have Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance coverage. However, both type of hospices are trying to make money, but when they compete for patients, they must provide better care. Avera’s Home hospice services are covered 100% under Medicare and some Medicaid plans, but inpatient care at the Dougherty Hospice House involve some financial expense. Social workers offer patients and their families help with payment options and never turn away a patient for inability to pay for the service. Medicare is the primary payer for hospice services covering 77% of all hospice expenses. The rest is paid for by Medicaid (4%), private insurance (12%) or other sources (7%). Compare to hospital and skilled nursing facilities, hospice is considered a cost-effective service. Hospice charges per day are much lower than hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. Hospice care is covered in full by most insurance. Medicare and Medicaid provide a special Hospice Benefit. This benefit provides 100% coverage for visit by staff, medications related to the hospice illness, durable medical equipment in the home, and supplies for skin care, incontinence management, dressings, etc. Hospice care covered under Medicare includes both inpatient care when needed, and home care services. The focus of hospice is on care, emphasizing help the person to make the most of each day by providing comfort and pain relief. Most private insurance companies include hospice care as a benefit. Patient and family can hire hospice providers and pay for their services out of pocket. If patient has a limited financial resources, non-profit hospices provide services without charge as part of charitable mission. Any patient who enters hospice must be evaluated at the time of admission to the hospice program. Hospice dietitians assist the patient in reaching the best nutritional goals, depending on the current state of the patient’s condition. Common problems for hospice patients are nausea and vomiting. These can be controlled with anti-emetics in some cases, while for some patient s change of diet is sufficient. Educating patient and family about the changes occurring in the patient’s body is imperative. During the course of illness, patient experience changes to some extend in their food intake. It is common for the hospital patient to reduce oral intake of food and fluids as the disease progresses. In general, there is metabolism alterations occur in patient’s body with a terminal illness. Furthermore, there comes a time when the body begins to break cells down instead of building them up. At this point, the body is no longer takes nutrients in. Sometimes patients are forced to take food by family members; in this case the body may refuse through vomiting or diarrhea. A hospice dietitian will explain when this point is reached. However, addressing to stop oral intake before this point is reached is not appropriate. Ongoing assessment of hospice patient nutritional needs will help to determine if there is any appetite change or ability to take the food in and keep it. Based on a study of the non-hospice end-of-life experience of 3,357 seriously ill patients who died reported 40% were in severe pain prior to their death, and 25% experienced moderate to great anxiety of depression before they died (Lynn, 1997). However, hospice is a compassionate way to deliver health care and supportive services. Despite the low South Dakota’s death rate compare the national death rate, the two leading causes of death are heart disease and cancer, accounted for half of South Dakota deaths. Healthy lifestyle changes are critical in reducing deaths due to cancer and heart disease. These modifications can be accomplished by reducing tobacco use, increasing physical activity, and developing healthy eating habits. Minorities in South Dakota include African American, Asian, and Hispanic populations. In general, language barriers, transportation, finances, and lack of insurance were found to be the issues encountered by minorities in seeking adequate health care. Furthermore, end of life care is not reach minority population and remains as a national issue. The majority of hospice patient care is provided in the place patient calls â€Å"home†. In addition to private residences, this includes nursing homes and assisted living facilities. As the health care becomes better, the population lives longer. Nursing home patients benefit from hospice services as much as people living in their homes. According to studies, nursing home residents enrolled in hospice were less likely to be hospitalized in the final 30 days of their life (24% vs. 44%) (Miller, 2001). They were more likely to be assessed for pain, were twice as likely to receive pain management within clinical guidelines (Miller, 2004). Large percentage of elderly people receives home hospice service. Many homes need some modifications for the hospice services to be provided. For example, a bedroom may need to be relocated to a main level of the house for those who have difficulties claiming stairs. There is widening of the hallways may be required to accommodate a wheelchair access. Because of the growing number of people who wish to stay and receive care at home, general contractors are available to assess remodeling needs. A number of programs and sources provide reduced rates, loans, or free services with home modifications.

Guiding Principals of Professional Learning Communities Essay

Normally, in a professional learning community also known as a PLC, the educators work together brainstorming ideas, lessons, and activities that will support a plan to be implemented all in hopes of the student’s achievement. A professional learning community can benefit a school’s environment by reinforcing teacher morale and leadership skills. As the school moves forward, every professional in the building must engage with colleagues in the ongoing exploration of three crucial questions that drive the work of those within a professional learning community: †¢ What do we want each student to learn? How will we know when each student has learned it? †¢ How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning? The answer to the third question separates learning communities from traditional schools. A PLC can serve as a support system that motivates teachers to follow a guided plan. Educators who are building a professional learning community recog nize that they must work together to achieve their collective purpose of learning for all. Therefore, they create structures to promote a collaborative culture. This plan can include classroom assistants, parent volunteers, and other school personnel like librarians. The PLC culture can influence teachers through numbers. When teachers come together and have strength in numbers they can support each other, collaborate, and brainstorm the most effective methods and techniques to instruct the students. Even the grandest design eventually translates into hard work. The professional learning community model is a grand design, a powerful new way of working ogether that profoundly affects the practices of schooling. But initiating and sustaining the concept requires hard work. This is where the challenges may arise. It requires the school staff to focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively on matters related to learning, and hold itself accountable for the kind of results that fuel continual improvement. A PLC will construct a solid foundation of committed teachers who are passionate about their career and working with families a nd fellow colleagues. The benefit(s) of a PLC is that everyone has the opportunity to be involved and share goals and positive learning experiences of the schools learning environment. When educators do the hard work necessary to implement these principles, their collective ability to help all students learn will rise. If they fail to demonstrate the discipline to initiate and sustain this work, then their school is unlikely to become more effective, even if those within it claim to be a professional learning community. The rise or fall of the professional learning community concept depends not on the merits of the concept itself, but on the most important element in the improvement of any school; the commitment and persistence of the educators within it. In conclusion, educators who work together form structured atmospheres that promote learning. References Barth, R. (1991). Restructuring schools: Some questions for teachers and principals. Phi Delta Kappan, 73(2), 123-129. Marzano, R. (2003). What works in Schools: Translating research into action, Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Globalization and the Effect of Conflicts & Terrorism Throughout the World After 1500 Essay

â€Å"We live in a world that is simultaneously shrinking and expanding, growing closer and farther apart†¦. National borders are increasingly irrelevant. And yet globalism is by no means triumphant. Tribalism of all kinds flourish. Irredentism abounds†. (Attali, 1991: 117) The rate of global change is a remarkably fast process. Even people trained and focused on recording such changes remain at a loss due to the difficult task at hand. However, trends and patterns are often noted and rapidly transcend to topics of discussion in the media, classrooms, and the corresponding governments. One example of such terms is globalization. Although it is quite vague, the paradox is used to describe widespread diversity. Globalization displays a disposition that carries over to the lives of every person who walks the Earth by pointing out that our lives are progressively influenced by forces which have surpassed borders and are changing, forever life on this planet. The process of globalization is reshaping all levels of society. From an individual level, a person may experience a threat or boost to their livelihood due to events that are happening far from their region, such as a drought in a distant country where certain vegetables are domestically exported. However, on a larger scale, governments may succumb to threats from other powers and consequently experience a loss in their nations’ freedom. Both are examples of the concept that the world is more interconnected than ever before. The globe is essentially border-less in the twenty-first century. The origins of global interdependence can be largely contributed to the wars and battles fought throughout history for various reasons. Dating back to the American Revolution, the colonists saw a brighter future for their growing nation and took the necessary steps to ensure their freedom. This desire for freedom ultimately led to the revolution that we now know as the â€Å"American Revolution†. Another similarly brutal conflict prior to the 1800s was the French Revolution. The revolution was set forth to bring an end to the French monarchy, but was unfortunately followed by a comparably bad reign of terror. The reign brought a spell where rival sectors dueled for control of power, resulting in the executions of nearly 40,000 people. However, out of the resulting destruction and rubble emerged the infamous Napoleon. The French and Americans were not singled out in their strive for freedom, power struggles in Latin America erupted into wars for independence as well as the Russian Revolution in 1917. What we currently brand as globalization can be traced back to the post-Civil War era, when the world was just greeting the dawn of internationalization. Up until 1914 an international economy was in place, under the control of the transatlantic trade. This trade system was managed by Great Britain and relied on open markets and developing lands as resource bases and consumers in underdeveloped nations. It was in the midst of this international industrial economy that the U. S. became a world power due to the potential noticed by the European trading authorities. This period did not undergo the radical form of globalization that characterized the post-Cold War era, with their highly efficient worldwide communications, means of transportation and technological advancements. Prior to this time, less production was outsourced. The people affected by globalization were most likely the wealthy, rather than the common people, in the early twentieth century. Likewise, prior to the world wars, it was very distinctively clear which nation was in control of the corresponding aspects of the market (production, marketing, culture, etc. . However, as the turn of the century approached, so too did an upheaval of the old ways in which the world divided its economy. In the pre- World Wars (I and II), there was a much more clear divide on the nations and their role in the world market. But, as the turn of the century approached and soldiers returned home from serving in World War II, there was a paradigm shift and the sense of ownership sort of dissipated. Concurrently, as the market changed so too did the rate of globalization. The twentieth century brought a new, irrevocable change to this world as it allowed people from every nation to communicate and trade unlike ever before. Another aspect of great importance in the talk on conflict and terrorism in the world is the role of religion. Religious values and views play a prominent role in the lives of people as they deal with issues affecting their communities. It provides its followers’ lives with a core vision, which in turn colors their behaviors, choices, and aspirations. For this exact reason, any large issue must be addressed in a sensitive manner. The attacks on the world trade centers in 2001 bring to mind this concept of religion and the diverse ways in which it can lead people to respond to a tragedy. Henry Wilson poetically stated his view on the importance of coexistence in, â€Å"Whether the future of humanity will be shaped by the ‘clash of civilizations,’ the ‘clash of ignorance,’ the clash of religions and ethnicities, or confrontations between the ‘West and the rest’ is hard to predict. It may be a combination of several of the above as they are all intricately interlinked. It may also be caused by the emergence of hitherto unclear issues of polarization†. As touched on in the presentation, conflict and terrorism have played a key factor in the revolution of the world. It has ramifications that affect nearly everyone on the planet from the individual level all the way up to entire nation-states. The economy too transforms during times of war and people must compensate for the portion of the population that is off in battle. This adaptation described is a fairly perfect example of globalization. It adequately displays how times of conflict in one region of the world can strongly influence the rest of the world due to the interconnectedness of our planet.

Netflix’s Business Model and Strategy Essay

Netflix is the largest subscription service for sending DVD’s by mail and streaming movies and TV episodes over the internet. Netflix’s revenues grew from $500 million in 2004 to $519.8 million in 2010. Company’s net income increased from $21.6 million in 2004 to $141-156 million in 2010. It attracted 1.6 million subscribers in 2004 and had to 15 million subscribers by 2010. Reed Hastings founder and CEO of Netflix have pushed the company to outcompete its movie rental competitors by building the world’s best internet movie service. Netflix is the world largest online entertainment subscription service and revolutionized the way that people rent movies. Netflix has outcompete its rivals on the basis of differentiation features, with their higher quality, wider product selection, added performance and services, and has superior technology. Netflix has a large selection of DVDs to choose from. It maintains relationships with entertainment providers to expand the title selection. Movies are prescreened for customers based on peer reviews. This allows Netflix to increase their inventory with movies chosen by viewers. There are no late fees. Netflix technology is superior because movies and TV episodes can be streamed directly onto nearly any device in a matter of seconds. Netflix business model and strategy can be analyzed with the 5 competitive forces in the movie rental marketplace: 1-substitute, 2- buyers, 3- suppliers, 4- potential for new entrants, 5- rivalry Substitute-It does not matter who sells the movie or the TV episode at the end the end user is getting the same product whether he got it from Walmart or Blockbuster. Substitute for Netflix and a potential threat is pirating movie files from the internet and illegal. This is a substitute that is inexpensive or free copy of the file. Buyers- Have the power to select where they are going to get movies or TV episode. They are going to look provides the best price and best quality. Buyers are not loyal and can get this product from other vendors. Competitors compare industry prices and quality. They will reduce cost in order to attract the buyer. Suppliers-Such are Hollywood are likely to increase cost if the industry profits increase. Suppliers have the capability to make movies and TV episodes harder to get by limiting license agreements. In order for suppliers to maximize their revenues they sell large number of movies and TV episodes the outcome results in competition and does not allow supplier to have much power on the product. Potential for new entrants- Blockbuster, and Netflix are the dominant retailers in the market it is very difficult for new entrants to succeed. Rivalry- Consumers have multiple sellers they can buy or rent movies and/or TV episodes. Main competitors are online subscription services internet movies and TV episode provider, kiosk services, and DVD rental outlets. From SWOT analysis we found the Strengths as followed, by operation on line is very flexible and very low cost, it has high customer satisfaction levels, and strong knowledge base and brand identity. Weakness are the industry, it is constantly changing at a fast speed, it is supplier dependent, postage is a variable cost (increases), customers need to have internet access and or DVD players. Opportunities are: It can expand globally to international markets because its internet access, new technology. Threats: If it’s not able to adapt or keep up with technology, rivals such as Walmart.com or Blockbuster have capital to compete against Netflix. There are some issues Netflix is facing Netflix needs to watch out for growing competitors with deep pockets and need to keep up with the fast growing changes with technology. It is recommended that Netflix increases its customer base (subscribers). This income will offset the ongoing costs. Netflix should move away from DVD rental, it creates a large percentage of its operating cost. Netflix should find out why people are still ordering DVD’s Netflix should educate customers with their streaming and downloading and focus on encouraging customers to stay with the service. Blockbuster advantage over Netflix is that they are able to release new released titles. Netflix needs to negotiate with entertainment providers to get new releases earlier than the competitors. Finally it is suggested that if Netflix is able to get new releases earlier they should pass a cost for the newest release (separately from subscription download monthly fee).

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

English - Essay Example Chris on the other hand left behind his luxurious life so he can achieve what he really wants to achieve, what his heart wants and work towards that goal. Maya who dealt with the racism around her alone, was separated from her brother and was forced to live a life where she was tortured for being black which was not even her fault, still she was able to live a life where her own self was her priority irrespective of what people think about her. Courage made a very difficult journey of Lalu, later on known as Polly Bemis a dignified path for her. In the novel â€Å"Thousand Pieces of Gold† in 1853 Lalu started her life in Nathoy China, however she ended up becoming Polly Bemis living in Grangeville, Idaho in 1933. She was very dear to her father who used to call her â€Å"thousand pieces of gold† as she was very precious for him. During a bad patch Lalu was sold to a bandit and in return her father received two bags of soya bean. Lalu who was thousand pieces of gold for her father was actually sold for just two bags of soybean. Difficult phase of her life started where she was forces into sexual slavery. She was a slave of trader and later a Chinese saloonkeeper kept her as well in Gold Rush country. Lalu never lost her hope and even during extremely crucial and hard times was bravely protected her dignity and self respect which was important for her. She lived a life of a homesteader after she was won by a man in a poker game. Her spirits very always high and nothing in the world, no difficulty was able to affect her spirits. The importance of valuing ones self gives person courage to even cross hardships of the life with a smile on the face. In the novel when Lalu was sold, the scene depicts the story in a beautiful manner, "He reached out, hesitated, and then looked up at Lalu, his eyes pleading for understanding. She twisted her face away -- Behind her, she heard him snatch the bag and scoop up the spilled seed. 'Two bags,' her father begged. ' She's worth two bags of seed† (McCunn, 67). Novice to Master   is a story of Soko Morinaga who lived a life full of courage and self determination from 1925 till 1995. After completing his high school, he got into the practice of Zen. Zuigan Goto started training him to become a monk at monastery at Daitokuji from 1949 till 1963. Sesso Ota Roshi gave him the Dharma transmission seal. He also in the book says, â€Å"He led a very difficult life, Narrow experience of knowledge generated misconceptions for him however with a smile on his face, extremely high level of patience and spirit he led a life with sleep deprivation, without food, eating without any sound, strict behavior of his masters and a very difficult lifestyle. Morinaga says, "The purpose of practice is not to increase knowledge but to scrape the scales off the eyes, to pull the plugs out of the ears. Through practice one comes to see reality. And although it is said that 'no medicine can cure fully,' whatever pr ompts me to realize 'I was a fool' is, in fact, just such a medicine." In his sermons he talks about mental states, how no favorability and adversity is made and projected by the state of mind. He says, "In people or things, there is no such thing as trash" (Morinaga, 96). â€Å"Into the wild† is a story that reveals journey of a man who is from a well known family, Christopher Johnson Mc Candless. He decided to leave everything he had behind, from $25000 savings which he donated , his car which was very

Reflection Paper 2-1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflection Paper 2-1 - Essay Example The intellectual human resource management school of thought that underlies the above recommended change is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Cherry, n.d.). If the employees’ lower level needs mentioned in Maslow’s hierarchy which includes job security/compensation are not satisfied, the employees cannot be motivated to work well. If they do not do their best in their jobs, they cannot be assets to society; therefore, will not be able to contribute to the improvement of the economy. Another reform that must be instituted is the passing into law of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) which â€Å"would enable working people to bargain for better benefits, wages and working conditions by restoring workers’ freedom to choose for themselves whether to join a union† (AFL-CIO, 2011). The AFL-CIO goes on further to say that the EFCA will allow employees to enter into a collective bargaining agreement without any hindrances (2011). Moreover, it can guarantee that these employees can have a contract. With the passing of the EFCA the employees may be allowed â€Å"to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation† (AFL-CIO, 2011). If the EFCA is passed, it would be easier to form unions without the usual harassment from management. Further, it will provide for more rigid penalties for companies who violate the law of the right of the workers to organize. The EFCA reform is also in line with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in that it will satisfy both the security and social needs of a person. Employees always seek for better wages and better working conditions to meet his physiological and security needs. Being part of a union satisfies the social needs of the workers. The EFCA will reinforce the satisfaction of these needs; thus, it is important that this reform be implemented. Aside from the reforms stated

African slavery and African Catholicism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

African slavery and African Catholicism - Essay Example Many historians and scholars hold that the domination of European rule in Africa caused African slavery and the development of African Catholicism. However, there is much evidence showing that the development of African slavery and African Catholicism occurred due to deep rooted African systems and an already established traditional form of religion. It will also provide evidence of the roots and development of African slavery. Roots and Development of African Catholicism and African Slavery Many scholars view Christianity in Kongo, especially Catholicism as a foreign religion introduced by the colonizers during the 15th and 16th centuries. In addition, these scholars often deem this form of religion as serving the interests of foreigners more than the indigenous Kongo people. The result of this assertion is that Christianity overlooked the independence of Kongo people. In addition, this caused most historians to view the deemed introduced Christianity as a form of colonization and d omination by the Portuguese in Kongo. Moreover, these historians also assert that the conversion of Kongo to Christianity and the development of African Catholicism was a direct effect of westernization of Kongo (Thornton, 147). The history of religion and African Catholicism was quite different from the assertions of these historians and scholars. The conversion of Kongo in to Christianity was under a free will. Consequently, it is evident that the Kongo people and leaders highly determined the structure of the church and its doctrines as well as practices. It is also evident that the Portuguese attempted to control the church under political terms. However, this was not possible since Kongo highly controlled the activities and practices of the church. Even though contemporary studies reveal that there was substantial syncretism in Christian doctrines in Kongo, the European clergy who visited Kongo, recognized it as conventional (Thornton, 148). In the case of African slavery, ther e are misconceptions by most scholars as to what prompted slave trade in the region. Most of these scholars considered the roots of African slavery as a product of economic underdevelopment in Africa, in which forced labor dominated the economy rather than free labor. However, this was not the case but there was the spirit of slavery rooted deep in the African institutional and legal structures of communities of Africa. In addition, this kind of slavery occurred very differently from the form of slavery in Europe. The main reason that slavery occurred widely in the Atlantic Africa was that in African law, slaves were the only recognized form of private ownership. It became very perverse in the African society because there lacked landed private property (Thornton, 74). The incorporation of Christianity as a part of indigenous religion is the main reason it survived and hence the documentation of the cult dates from the early sixteenth century to the present day. In the nineteenth ce ntury, Christianity briefly disappeared from Kongo. However, the disappearance was not due to a lack on the part of Kongo, a failure on the part of the clergy or a resurgence of suppressed local religion. Rather, it was because of the changing definition among European clergy including Rome as to what made up Christianity, together with more chauvinistic attitudes towards non-Western and particularly colonial peoples that happened after I850 (Thornton, 148). In African law, one could only establish a claim on a product through taxation and slavery rather than through the fiction of land ownership. However, this did not make the African legal system backward or egalitarian, but only legally divergent. Due to this