Thursday, October 31, 2019

John Steinbeck Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

John Steinbeck - Essay Example The institutions that yielded from World War Two were regarded as denials of human dignity and sustenance in The Grapes of Wrath which was John’s most controversial work in his writing career (John, 2011). The novel condemns the generation for all wrong reasons and its inability to uphold and guarantee human sustenance and dignity. This description of the 1930s and 1940s generation although strict has shifted the paradigm to the current generation. The current generation is by far significantly different from the one described by John in 1930s. The current generation does not entertain and permit slavery and other form of dehumanizing practices like what happened then. A departure from the past generation, the current one is offering economic, socio-cultural and political freedoms to countries and regions unlike the only capitalism that was preferred then with all its inadequacies. Currently, countries may choose any form of socio-economic system from capitalism like United States to communism like China (John, 2011). However a common characteristic with the two generation is how they handle natural disasters. The preparedness is not adequate considering how the John’s generation handled the Great Depression is not any different from what the current generation handled the Great Recession in 2007/2008. The difference is perception and perspectives of how the current generation approaches issues and natural disasters due to advancement of technology unlike the past. Point worth noting is the responsiveness of natural disasters and economic recessions, the current generation has improved mostly due to sophisticated way of information transfer. Respect for human rights has greatly improved with the current generation compared to that of our parents and grandparents. In conclusion the current generation differs significantly virtually in all

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

International Organizations in Question of Global Climate Research Paper - 1

International Organizations in Question of Global Climate - Research Paper Example It devastated parts of the Caribbean, Eastern Canada, Northeast of the United States and Mid- Atlantic. It has been termed as the second most costly hurricane of Atlantic after Hurricane Katrina. Losses that have arisen due to Hurricane Sandy have been estimated to be about 50 billion US dollars. In the seven countries that fell in the path of the storm, it was found out that at least 209 people were killed. As a result of such occurrences, the regional and global, international organizations, which are involved in both the political and economic aspects of life, should be able to arrange a global response that is effective (Weiss, Forsythe, Coate, & Pease, 2009, p. 19). So far, very little has been done as these effects of global climate change are so rampant and occur frequently compared to previous centuries. These international organizations face a number of weaknesses that hinder them from effectively dealing with problems such as global climatic change, civil wars, poverty, and disease. As most organizations, the international organization has two major kinds of stakeholders. These include the stakeholders who act as the core of the organization, with members who control it formally. The second type of the stakeholders are those persons who are external to the organization and do not have any form of authority concerning the decisions made, though they are affected directly by any actions or decisions of the organization. International organizations have a lot of responsibilities in the countries which are elements of their membership. Unfortunately, there is little room for citizens in each of these countries to make their contribution in concerning decision making. It is had also been found out that of all nations that are in membership with international organizations, darned few nations participate in the making of decisions.  

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Causes of the Collapse of the Weimar Republic

Causes of the Collapse of the Weimar Republic Collapse of the Weimar Republic To what extent can it be said that the Great Depression and the overburdening of the German welfare State were the main causes of the Collapse of the Weimar Republic? When considering the importance and extent to which the Great Depression and the overburdening of the German welfare state were the main causes of the collapse of the Weimar, it is necessary to assess other factors which also added to its failure. This essay intends to argue, the Great Depression and overburdening of the welfare state were prominent reasons in the latter stages of the Weimars collapse, they accelerated its failure in 1929 and by 1932 arguably the Weimar Republic was realistically unworkable. Despite this, the main cause of the collapse was the continuous poor economic state of Germany which hindered the success of democracy and finally resulted in the failure of the Weimar. The legacy of the First World War, the effects of the Treaty of Versailles and the 1923 hyperinflation crisis significantly worsened Germanys economic problems. The Great Depression and the overburdening of the welfare state derived from this constant financial strain that the government suffered under and eventually spiralled the situation out of control which proved unmanageable for the government. This created a cut back in support from those who were in favour of democracy and produced resentment amongst the radical Right and Left wing party members themselves. Finally, much attention will be given to the Weimars inability to deal with the crisis via unsuccessful decision making and the long term traditional attitudes of the elites within the government that were also highly important contributions to the collapse of the Weimar. Consequently with detrimental ongoing economic crisis and contributing political factors, the Weimar Republic was doomed from the outset[1], resulting in its collapse. Arguably the Great Depression and the overburdening of the welfare state played a vital role in the collapse of the Weimar but was not the main reason. The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic crisis that began in the United States with the Wall Street Crash on October 29th, 1929. International trade, incomes, and profits plummeted. The Depression had massive repercussions on Germany as they relied on loans from America to facilitate their prosperity, pay off their reparations and revive their economy. Arguably the Depression was prominent in the very last stages of the Weimars life as it was not until after 1929, the economic outlook changed from gloomy to distinctly stormy[2]. The use of the word gloomy indicates that previous to the Depression, Germany was already struggling economically and thus this statement adds weight to the notion that the Depression acted as a catalyst to the eventual breakdown of the government. Furthermore, the outburst of the Depression in 1 929 had a disastrous impact on the German economy [3] as almost one third of German production was exported by 1920. However after this time, exports had decreased. As imports had fallen by two thirds, this had linkage effect on German workers as many lost their jobs between 1929-1933. Official figures in January in 1928 stood at 1,862,000 unemployed and by 1930 when the Depression had taken real effect in Germany, this increased to 3,218,000.[4] These statistics indicate that even before the Depression Germanys unemployment rate was high, thus Germany was in a financial crisis before the Depression and the Weimars reputation was already on the verge of failure. Although the government attempted to resolve the problem of unemployment for example, chancellor Heinrich Brunning who introduced a series of policies to deal with this fiscal crisis. He cut down wages, salaries and prices in an effort to restore confidence in the German financial and industrial system.[5] His efforts were unsuccessful and ineffective as subsequent to this by 1931 there were nearly 4.5 million people out of work, thus illustrating the Weimars inability to deal with the crisis contributing to its own collapse. This initiated further opposition and bitterness towards the Republic. Clearly the depression contributed to the Weimars unpopularity and more so its collapse. Additionally both liberal parties, the DVP(Germans People Party) and DDP (German Democrat Party) witnessed a decrease in votes during the 1930 election as much of their support rested on the middle class; these white collar workers with status, who were monetary advantageous to the average class man felt humiliated, betrayed and angry towards the Weimar Government.[6] Consequently faced with insoluble economic problems many people turned to force and coercion[7], (the Nazi party) in hope of a radical solution to their troubles. This strengthens the argument that economics was central to the collapse of the Weimar, the Depression added the final touches. Furthermore with large firms dependent on USA loans and German banks that also had taken out loans to invest in businesses, when the depression struck it destroyed the relative stability of the financial system and hence placed an overwhelming burden on the welfare state. The welfare States purpose was to provide benefits for the unemployed, pensioners and disabled. In 1927 the welfare state introduced the unemployment insurance Act. By 1929 as a result of the depression it was unable to provide unemployment insurance for the amount of unemployed people. Arguably these two factors were linked as without the Great Depression the welfa re state would not have suffered an overwhelming burden. This is evident as the percentage of unemployed supported by the unemployment insurance declined from 80 per cent at the beginning of 1929 (before the Depression) to 30 per cent in January 1932 when six million people were unemployed. The welfare states failure to deliver this unemployment Insurance during this crucial period reflected the weakness of the Weimar system itself. Henig agrees with the concept that the welfare state played a key role in the collapse of the Weimar arguing, ironically this major achievement of the unemployment insurance threatened to engulf the government in a major financial crisis.[8] Additionally as people expected a great deal from the welfare state, when these expectations were not met they became sour and anti-democratic.[9] On the other hand Bookbinder challenges this argument that economic crisis was the main reason to the Weimars failure proclaiming, in times of crisis such as the 1923 hyperinflation, these difficulties endangered the order and resilience of the Weimar but did not make the Republics failure inevitable.[10] However one may say the fact that these economic problems persistently occurred, suggests that this was the Weimars governments downfall and resulted in its failure; the Great Depression and overburdening of the welfare state were just the last straw. Evidently economic instability was the main reason of the Weimars collapse as the inflation problem was announced before the First World War had ended.[11] More so, on top of the colossal debt incurred from financing the war of around 150 milliard marks, Germany was even more devastated when they received their reparations bill of 6.600 million pounds.[12] With the country already in social and political ruin, the economic reparations ultimately destroyed the foundations of the Weimar. This proved too much for the Government to handle and by 1922 they declared themselves unable to make payments.[13] Additionally due to heavy taxation which, was also an effect of inflation meant students, pensioners and people with savings lost all their money; thus the governments status deteriorated amongst these groups.[14] Even more, German agriculture was fiancially tarnished as farmers suffered from the fatiguing effort to supply Germany during the war and by 1920 they were experiencing low crop yields and diminished number of livestock.[15] Heavy industrial owners were also financially effected as they witnessed a decline in their profits and what is more they were a vital part of the anti- republican bloc and made life difficult for the republic.[16] Peukart also holds economics responsible for the main cause of collapse arguing, these problems hindered the new Republic from guaranteeing their survival.[17] Post-war inflation further affected German political parties, for example the liberal parties who struggled to afford paper and stamps by 1920 and suffered extreme financial difficulties.[18] The First World War deteriorated the economic situation in Germany even more, as Weitz argues, the legacy of World War One was the republics greatest obstacle. It hobbled developments at every turn and gave the enemies of democracy endless rounds of ammunition.[19]Bookbinder strengthens this opinion stating, before the war Germany was a strong nation producing 13.1 million tons of pig iron and 13 million tons of steel. Arguably it was there involvement in the war which initiated their national debt and an inflated currency.[20] Germanys decision to finance the war through borrowing money instead of increasing taxations accelerated their economic downturn even more , this programme of war financing precipitated the monitory inflation which was to continue through to 1923.[21] Subsequently wages increased but for some people this did not match the increase in the cost of their living.[22] White collar workers, who in pre war years had great prestige, were now experiencing economic har dship due to the war and inflation.[23] The Treaty of Versailles was also a result of the First World War and had disastrous impact on the German economy contributing to the Weimars failure. The government accepted responsibility of the war and signed the War Guilt Clause (article 231), this encouraged social unrest in Germany and resentment especially amongst the Right wing nationalists. Mckenzie claims that Versailles presented the Nationalists with a persuasive pretext for mounting the blame of Germanys troubles on the Republic, they felt betrayed and stabbed in the back[24]. During this time, the fact that the Weimar was a newly established democracy meant it was vulnerable and under threat. It is important to remember that for a newly established democracy to survive, it must have the support of the people in especially in turbulent the most times. However the Weimar government lacked this assistance as Mommsen notes, German people did not really support democracy from the beginning, instead they viewed it as the onl y possible outcome for the new state. [25] On the other hand it could be argued that German people were in favour of democracy but lacked the principle foundations of it, as many envisioned a progressive reform of their previous monarch system. Never the less it is clear that the Weimar was never whole heartedly supported even before it came into practice. Additionally Right wing groups also attacked democracy mainly because of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, because their members were incredibly powerful being were highly integrated into the major institutions of state, society, business, civil service, army, universities and churches.[26] This highlights a flaw in the Weimar government, because the coalition parties were not united with a common goal this was proved difficult to implement policies and deal with opponents. Attacks from the Left wing radicals also endangered democracy. In January 1919 an attempt was made from the Left wing group, the Spartacuss who attempted to overthrow the government, however this was crushed by the army and the Freikorps. Although the Weimar did survive these attacks, arguably these uprisings only failed not because these opposition groups lacked clear aims and an alternative system. Even more the economic burden created by the Treaty, made continued reforms and tax policies difficult.[27] Thus Germany was now economically weaker then previously in 1914 as they had increased national debts, inflated currency and reparation stood at the value of 132 billion marks.[28] On the other hand Hobsbawm disagrees with the view that the radical Right wing oppositions came about due to the resentment of the Treaty of Versailles and states, The rise of radical Right after the First World War, was undoubtedly a response to the danger.of social revolution and working class power in general, to the October revolution and Leninism in particular. Without these, there would have been no fascism[29]. Despite this, it is evident that the Right wing movements were an outcome of the First World War. Hyperinflation in 1923 another crucial disaster brought the inflationary situation to its final crisis phase[30]. The economic effects of the occupation were catastrophic. Kolb also agrees with this opinion describing it as a miracle[31] the Weimar survived. However, chancellor Stresemann rescued Germany and introduced new currency and borrowed loans from America to facilitate Germanys finances, following on from this it could be argued that the German economy did experienc e a period of prosperity. However the solution was temporary and one that depended on international loans.[32] Again reflecting a grave decision made by the government as having provided a permanent solution, this would have prevented the severity Great Depressions impact on Germany. Stresemann himself described this period of affluence as dancing on a volcano[33] , this exemplifies that too was aware that depending on American loans was risky. Still in 1929 when the Depression hit, Germany was once again faced with economic problems. Economic historian Borchhardt believes that even without the occurrence of the Depression Germanys economy was abnormal and would not have been able to continue in the same way.[34]This reinforcing the view that economics was the main cause of the collapse of the Weimar. Clearly, the Weimar governments failure to take firm action played a vital role to the collapse of the Weimar. This is particularly evident with invasion of the Ruhr, as previous to this the SPD (Social Democrat Party) had the backing of the working class who were protected from the inflation via trade unions and also the support of large landowners who were able to pay of their debts which if made the efficient decisions could have excelled on this support. However in 1923 their misguided efforts to print money steered them in to hyperinflation. Hinton and Hite strengthen this argument claiming, although some of the problems were beyond Germanys power to control, the collapse came about due to the Weimars weak policies and lack of decisive action.[35] Consequently endless economic disasters became too unmanageable for the government to keep combating, as with any government this repeated economic crises would too inevitably lead to their failure. Another equally significant factor w hich contributed to the collapse of the Weimar Republic, was the traditional attitudes of the ruling elites and a lack of bureaucratic culture. Furthermore because democracy was introduced the most inauspicious circumstances[36] , the old elites such as the DVP and the DNVP ( German National Peoples Party) were monarchs at heart and never fully fledged their support to the Republic or the notion of democracy [37] , consequently they wanted a reversion back to the old system. However the KPD (communist party) and the NSDAP (The Nazi Party) was determined to unify the people of Germany. Germany had always been an imperialist country and headed by constitutional monarch, this meant the long term values of democracy were deficient in order for the Weimar to be successful. Subsequently by 1930 there was a powerful current of opinion in Germany demanding a more authoritarian government.[38] The elites could not regard the new republic as a rightful descendant to the pre-war imperial regim e,[39] thus if the ruling class were not in favour democracy how was the rest of the country going to support it? The Weimar was unable to accomplish unconditional support of these traditional elites such as the Junkers and army officers.[40] Kocka reinforces this notion and believes the failure of the Weimar was due to the bourgeoisie who seemed relatively weak and unbourgeois .[41] Consequently with the combination of old and new political forces present in the government, this halted the triumph of democracy. In conclusion it is clear that economics was the foremost reason to why the Weimar collapsed as even before the Great Depression which was followed by the overburdening of the welfare state, Germany was constantly faced with financial constraints that was caused by the damage of the First World War, this meant straight away the Weimar was forced to introduce a new democratic way of life in the most unpromising conditions. Even more, the reparations of the Treaty of Versailles and the exacerbated the governments financial pressures, thus resulting in a decline of support of the Weimar and the rise of radical Right and Left wing parties which threatened democracy. Lastly the major hyper inflation crisis in 1923 meant money completely lost its value, subsequently as demand rapidly decreased many people lost their jobs. However the introduction of a new currency and loans form the America temporarily revitalised their economy. Yet when the depression hit, America could no longer assist t hem and as Germany had no money of its own to aid its finances, this resulted in the unemployment of six million people. This placed a overwhelming burden on the welfare state and led to severe poverty as by 1932 people who had worn out their entitlement to state benefit and were thrown on the streets to beg for food.[42] The Depression tore apart the fragile political compromise that the Weimar had made via the welfare state and placed an enormous burden on to it. No doubt, the actions of the government themselves contributed to their own downfall as incremental thoughtlessness decisions decreased their popularity and status amongst Germany. Alongside this attribute lies the ruling elites for example the DNVP as their failure to support the vulnerable democratic meant the regime itself lacked confidence. Together these were a vital contribution to the collapse of the Weimar Republic. It is evident t .hat economic hurdles occurred throughout the Weimars life and led to abnormalities within the system and eventually its collapse. This concludes me to suggest that the Weimar Republic itself was the special path that Germany followed (the Sonderweg), as this failed experiment of democracy ultimately caused Germany to propel towards the Nazi regime. BIBLIOGRAPGHY: Hobsbawm .E, The Age of Extremes 1919-1941 (London 1995) Baldeston .T, The Origins and Course of the German Economic Crisis, (Berlin, 1993) Jones .L, German Liberalism and the Dissolution of the Weimar party system, 1918-1933, (Chapel Hill, 1988), Kocka .J, Asymmetrical Historical Comparison: The case of the German Sonderweg, History and theory, 38, (1999), p.40-50 Henig. R, The Weimar Republic 1919-1933 (London, 1998) Mckenzie P. R. J,Weimar Germany 1918-1933 (London 1971) Bookbinder . P, Weimar Germany, The Republic of the Reasonable, (Manchester, 1996) Weitz E.D, Weimar Germany Promise and Tradgedy, (New Jersey 2007) Hidden .J, The Weimar Republic 2nd Edition (London 1969) Hinton .C and Hite . J , Weimar and Nazi Germany, (London, 2001), Kolb .E The Weimar Republic, Second Edition (New York, 2005) Childs .D, Germany Since 1918, (London 1971) Stachura .D P (ed.), Unemployment and the Great depression in Germany, (London, 1986) Mazower. M, Dark Continent, (London, 1999) Evan. J. R, and Geary D (eds), The German Unemployed, (London, 1987) To what extent can it be said that the Great Depression and the overburdening of the German welfare State were the main causes of the Collapse of the Weimar Republic? [1] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.78 [2]Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.61 [3] P. Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, The Republic of the Reasonable, (Manchester, 1996), p.178 [4] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 174 [5] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 146 [6] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 167 [7] E. Hobsbawm, The Age of Extremes,(London, 1995), p.136 [8] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.60 [9] J. Kocka, Asymmetrical Historical Comparison: The case of the German Sonderweg, History and theory, 38, (1999), p 46 [10] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 161 [11] J. Hidden, The Weimar Republic 2nd Edition (London 1969)p.30 [12] Hidden, The Weimar, p.30 [13] Hidden, The Weimar, p.31 [14] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p.166 [15] Hidden, The Weimar, p. 34 [16] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 171 [17] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.83 [18] L. Jones, German Liberalism and the Dissolution of the Weimar party system, 1918-1933, (Chapel Hill, 1988), p. 165. [19] E. D. Weitz, Weimar Germany Promise and Tradgedy, (New Jersey 2007)p.127 [20] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p.163 [21] Bookbinder:164 [22] Bookbinder: 164 [23]Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 166 [24] J. R. P. Mckenzie,Weimar Germany 1918-1933 (London 1971)p.71 [25] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.78 [26] Weitz, Weimar Germany Promise and Tradgedy, p92 [27] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p.164 [28] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p.164 [29] E. Hobsbawm, The Age of Extremes 1919-1941 (London 1995)p.124 [30] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p.167 [31] E. Kolb, The Weimar Republic, Second Edition, (New York, 2005), p.35 [32] Hidden, The Weimar, p.32 [33] C. Hinton and J. Hite, Weimar and Nazi Germany, (London, 2001), p.74 [34]C. Hinton and J. Hite, Weimar and Nazi Germany, p.75. [35] Hinton and John , Weimar and Nazi Germany, p.103. [36] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.78 [37] Weitz, Weimar Germany Promise and Tradgedy, p.92 [38] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.62 [39] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.79 [40] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.84 [41] Kocka, Assymetrical Histroical Comparison, p. 42 [42] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.67

Friday, October 25, 2019

How to get a Job in the US :: Resume, Cover Letter

In the United States, it is very difficult to acquire an occupation with so many people struggling and striving to get a position that only one applicant can have. A course of action one may take to place himself above others in the eyes of the employers is to plan and submit an outstanding resume. A resume is a professional approach to provide employers with written evidence of one’s qualifications and skills. Resumes are required for professional, technical, administrative, clerical, sales, secretarial, managerial, and many other jobs (â€Å"Resume Writing† 1). It is essential to have an impressive resume for one to attain a decent job and earn a reasonable salary. There are three critical steps to take, in order to complete a successful resume such as gathering information, creating a cover letter, and creating a resume. The first step in this fulfilling task is gathering the information that will be applied in the cover letter and resume. The main components of information that must be compiled are as the following: past awards, recognitions, honors, job history, clubs, and college or high school transcripts. Another crucial component of information that needs to be acquired are the references. References can be anyone from past teachers to family friends to family doctors. References are important because they are the people that will tell what kind of person one is to the employer. One must gather all the information one wants to insert in his resume. Also one must begin a list of appropriate skills for whatever job he is applying for. Some desirable skills are basic computer skills, communication skills, and organizational skills. After compiling all of this information one is ready to submit the information into the cover letter and or resume. Next one must create a cover letter to showcase his top qualities in a single page (â€Å"Savvy Cover Letter† 1). The cover letter basically summarizes an applicant’s abilities (â€Å"Resume Writer† 1). To create the cover letter one must get a template to show the format of the cover letter, so one can implement his qualifications in it and customize it himself. One can also take a cookie-cutter approach to it and just take the easy way out (â€Å"Savvy Cover Letter† 1). One must keep in mind that he is trying to convince the employer to be interested in him enough to read his resume and eventually call him in for an interview.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Lorenzo’s Oil Reaction Paper Essay

George Miller’s film â€Å"Lorenzo’s Oil† demonstrates the vital importance of extensive research. If you do not conduct proper research you will never gather enough information to make smart decisions. The moving film is about a little boy named Lorenzo Odone and his two parents Michaela and Augusto Odone who conduct a relentless search for a cure for their son’s Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) through extensive research. The Odones found their so prognosis unacceptable and amazingly, they did something to change it. Both Mr. and Mrs. Odone set out to educate themselves to tackle a complex medical mystery, and take on the slow-moving medical establishment in the process. On their own, they undertook the job of determining what, if anything, would keep their son alive. This film discovers a different kind of courage than the quality that is usually displayed on drama movies. â€Å"Lorenzo’s Oil† is not the sentimental television-movie version of such a tale. There are no false miracle and no self-congratulatory triumphs. The movie displays tremendous compassion for all three Odones and what they have been. The Odones organize their own medical symposium doing extensive research work that leads to the title discovery, a miraculous substance that is mostly olive oil. The most evoking scene in Lorenzo’s Oil comes when Augusto Odone is challenged about the oil. â€Å"I am not a scientist, I am a father and nobody can tell me what dressing I can put on my kid’s salad, O.K.?† Due to the Odones extensive research about ALD they were able to create an oil to prolong the life of their son that was diagnosed to die within two years.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Like dove and serpent

Brief SummaryThe article depicts the life of an imprisoned priest, Edicio de la Torre, while he was involve with a Christian movement for national liberation in the Philippines under the regime of autocratic leader, President Ferdinand Marcos. His passion for human rights work continued even after he was released from prison that set him off to leave the priesthood.The Priest has made public his idealism through the interview with the representatives from Mennonite Central Committee; Earl Martin, Dave Schrock-Shenk, and Brenda Stoltzfus. The disclosure of his experience, ideas and outlook in life was impelled by three guide questions that encouraged him to freely express his position in some circumstantial events involving the helpless victims suffering from the ruthless governance.When he was asked the first question on how did he survive being imprisoned for nine years, and how did his faith help him, he humbly affirmed that it was his faith that helped him survived. But, he furthe r elucidate that it was his perseverance in living that encourages him to stay focus in order to help the people that seek his assistance even he is in prison. He has accordingly, extended inspirational or counsel or even technical advices to the people that worth him the living. He remained steadfast being part of the movement, even he is in prison.The second question being asked to the priest is about the need for reconciliation in Philippine society and what is necessary for reconciliation considering that Marcos has fallen.   The priest answered citing that reconciliation is quite a problem.   Accordingly, it is difficult to handle reconciliation that demands justice. It might be easy for the oppressor or for the human rights violators to ask forgiveness, but for the victims, it’s not just simply to â€Å"forgive and forget,† it’s a challenge to find the divine grace to forgive. He cited that if a military man is asking for forgiveness from the family of the people he killed, then, he has to be genuinely repentant and initiate restitution and offer penance. With that, just reconciliation could be attained assuring or safeguarding mental, human and Christian values, and acknowledging realities of human wickedness and deceitfulness.The priest calls it as biblical politics which reflects simplicity of heart, like a dove, and assessing the deviousness and intricate ways of human mind, like a serpent. Accordingly, it is the problem of any movement to be both simple and forgiving and at the same time politically clever and cautious to live within a historical world.   The priest further stated that something should happen in the Philippines where reconciliation with justice will be realized, just like what Gandhi of India has proposed for a repentant Indian who set fire a Muslim house and roasted the people there, to raise a Muslim orphaned baby.   This has to be done on an individual basis, but for those who are in the movement, it is not easy to do it and it is also hard on the social and political level. Genuine reconciliation is accordingly, hard to attain with so many victimized people grieving family members who suffered cruelty.The third question on what reflections could the priest would offer on liberation and the movement for democracy in the Philippines after spending nine years in prison and much work in the movement, was   accordingly hard for him. He expressed regret for being with the complicated situation that requires one to be modest and less dogmatic. The priest thought that liberation was just simply witnessing that the sinful world had been redeemed and that God has promised the kingdom.   But, it is accordingly, more than that, everyone should contribute something and should work together to create a better world, a better earth.   It requires full commitment of oneself using resources, skills, strengthens and even weaknesses to claim a part of historical moment where each one could recollect and reaffirm commitments.Finally, the priest did not see anymore himself in traditional or institutional ministry. He has change his vocation, he has see more meaning and the need to be with the people’s movement as a fulfilling task to be part of historical and popular movement toward the coming of the kingdom.Reflection and Relevance to Today’s SocietyGod has given everyone the right to chose what is good and what is bad. Hence, we have to respect the decision of the priest (Edicio de la Torre), in choosing to join the movement and deny his priesthood for the sake of helping the struggle of the many Filipino people who are victims of injustice, social and political oppression, and economic deprivation. Being radical with the movement is the best way for him to help the people than working in traditional institution, in which he implies that it is not enough to evangelize and witness the word of God, but to actually release the people from the bandage of per secution manipulated by oppressors.On the other hand, there had been so many Filipino priests like Fr. Edicio de la Torre, who had changed their vocation (as priest) and joined liberation movements. But their struggle for better future and better world is in vain, some have died along the way. However, this does not stop the struggle, instead, encourages the movement to go on.ConclusionSocietal problems are manipulation of the forces in the dark. Everyone should be aware that the power of darkness wants dominion over the whole world. The problems in the Philippines, whether social, political, economic and even religious are likewise the kind of problems presently faced by the whole world. Solving these problems and healing wounds could be done by addressing the root causes of the problem in a wise and humble way, not using force or rebellious act. As what God has promised; blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God, and blessed are they that hunger and thi rst after justice, for they shall have their fill. Lastly, God said that, blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

What is Urban Fantasy Definition and Examples

What is Urban Fantasy Definition and Examples What is Urban Fantasy? Definition and Examples Urban fantasy is perhaps one of the most exciting subgenre fantasies right now. From werewolves in Manhattan to gnomes in suburban gardens, it is a major part of the movement that is re-defining â€Å"fantasy† in the 21st-century.But what is urban fantasy exactly - and where can you go to read more of it? This guide is here to help, along with a few tips on how to write urban fantasy in this magical subgenre.What is urban fantasy?Urban fantasy describes a subgenre of fantasy in which the real world collides with the decidedly supernatural or magical world. Sounds simple, right? Think again! Fantasy and its subgenres are notoriously elastic, making the definition of â€Å"urban fantasy† decidedly open-ended. In the past, the term’s been used to describe a fantasy story that is set in:a city in an alternate world,a city in the modern world, orthe modern world.These days, this is the understanding that is most widespread: to be an urban fantasy, the story simply ne eds to be a fantasy with supernatural elements that is set in our world and modern time. Under this definition, the â€Å"urban† in â€Å"urban fantasy† is a bit of a red herring. So long as there are supernatural elements, the story can take place in either a modern New York City or Milwaukee, and it will still count.Urban fantasy stories also generally have strong tropes, such as gritty action, a noir feel, and a procedural plot (and we’ll get into this later in this post). This is why you’ll commonly hear the Sookie Stackhouse series, which is actually set in a rural small-town, labeled as an â€Å"urban fantasy† - whereas Harry Potter, for instance, rarely is.How does it differ from paranormal romance?Paranormal fantasy and urban fantasy are two birds of the same feather, which explains why they’re confused so often! Both are speculative fiction with supernatural elements in a real-world setting. Both also feature a romantic plot or sub plot in some shape or form.However, romance is the main plot and primary conflict in paranormal romance, while it is generally a subplot in urban fantasy. More than that, urban fantasies are known to have gritty violence and a tone that can get so dark it might even touch the horror genre. Keeping that mind, let’s see what urban fantasy looks like in action.Examples of urban fantasyThe best way to learn what is urban fantasy is to look at some examples! Here are two urban fantasy books that helped define the genre.American Gods by Neil GaimanIn the bygone days, people in the United States believed in gods and mythological beings. Indeed, immigrants brought leprechauns, elves, and all sorts of magical spirits with them when they came to the U.S. However, the influence of these deities has begun waning as belief in them dies and people turn their attention to the new gods: media and technology.This is the stage of Gaiman's acclaimed novel, which begins with an ex-convict, Shado w, being accosted by a Mr. Wednesday, who is not all that he seems. Shadow soon discovers he is standing in the middle of a war between America's ideological past and future - with nothing less than the country's fate hanging in the balance.Why is it a good sample of urban fantasy? American Gods is a 21st century classic of the genre: a grand fusion of fantasy and the modern world that doesn’t forget to explore the ramifications of such a mindmeld. Defying genre expectations, also  American Gods is not situated in a city. Instead, Shadow’s road trip is set mostly in America’s liminal spaces - its rest stops, motels, and small towns.The Dresden Files by Jim ButcherIn an embattled Chicago where vampires, demons, werewolves, and fairies co-exist with humans, Harry Dresden is the world’s only â€Å"consulting wizard.† Hired by humans and supernatural beings alike to solve everything from murders to rogue bakus, he has to get by on his private inves tigator’s salary, even as his work thrusts him into the darkest - and most magical - corners of gritty Chicago.Why is it a good sample of urban fantasy? Another classic in the genre - and a popular example of the way that traditional P.I. plots and fantasy collide in urban fantasy.And if you’d like the whole buffet of urban fantasy: head over to this Reedsy Discovery post of  20 best urban fantasy books  or this post that contains  33 best vampire books. You can also check out this list of the 100 best fantasy series ever, which includes a number of urban fantasy seriesPRO-TIP: To get early and exclusive access to new indie urban fantasy books, consider signing up for Reedsy Discovery! It's free and you'll be the first to discover tomorrow's bestsellers in the genre.How to write urban fantasyConfident that you know what urban fantasy is now and want to give writing it a go? Great. Here are some tips to help you along.1. Know the tropes How to Create a Character Profile: the Ultimate Guide (with Template) Read post Urban fantasies are also character-driven at heart. First person point of views abound, letting readers inside the head of the protagonist. It would be well worth your time to sit down and figure out the key details of your character, including their motivation and backstory. If you need help, you can grab this free fillable character profile.The best part of writing urban fantasy is that there’s so much room to explore. Now that you have a framework for the genre, it’s up to you to pick up that pen - and let your imagination carry you the rest of the way.Do you write or read urban fantasy? Leave your thoughts (and book recommendations) in the comments below!

Monday, October 21, 2019

Resistance of a nichrome wire Essay Example

Resistance of a nichrome wire Essay Example Resistance of a nichrome wire Paper Resistance of a nichrome wire Paper Introduction In this piece of coursework I aim to find the effects of length on a piece of nichrome wire. Resistance is a force which opposes the flow of an electrical current, this is why energy is needed to push the particles around. The circuit also contains its own resistance if the wires vary in thickness, a thin wire has a high resistance as there is less room for the particles to move and a thick wire has a low resistance because the particles can move around very easily. Its also measured in ohms. George Ohm discovered that the emf (Electro motive force) is directly proportional to the current, this means if you double one you double the other. He called this resistance; the formula for working it out is as follows- Resistance = Volts Current Prediction I predict that as the length increases the resistance will also increase in proportion to the length, my graph should also show that they are proportional this is from my scientific knowledge that says. Nichrome wire conducts electricity very well and because current is the movement of atoms through the wire, if the wires length is doubled so is the number of electrons which will double the resistance. Predicted graph- How am I going to do it? Materials 1. Power pack 2. Rheostat 3. Volt meter 4. Ammeter 5. Nichrome wire 6. Wires 7. Crocodile clips 8. Sellotape The wire was sellotaped to a metre rule with excess at both ends for the crocodile clips to be attached. The rest of the equipment was assembled as shown in the diagram below. I chose to take the readings in ten 10cm gaps. I placed a crocodile clip at each measurement and record the resistance three times for an accurate average and then put the averages on a graph. Circuit diagram Results table To make sure of a fair test I am going to do the test 3 times and then plot a mean on a graph. Length Pd(v) Current (I) Resistance(V/A) 3 Length Pd(v) Current (I) Resistance. From all these results a mean was worked out. Length Resistance What do they mean? Without a graph its hard to tell below is a graph of the results Conclusion The graph is a straight line and passes through the origin, this indicates that resistance is directly proportional to length. This means that if the length is doubled then so is the resistance Evaluation From my graph I can see that my results that I collected are very reliable. I know this because my graph does not show any anomalies, this is because the graph is a straight line with no bulges or severe direction changes. There are several changes I could make to ensure better results were gained. When I was measuring the lengths of wire, my measurements might have been inaccurate, as the rulers used might be slightly varied and not exact. It was difficult to get an accurate reading of length by eye, as the wire was not completely straight or flat, these could have caused slight variations in my results. But not affected them too much. Other variables that could be changed are * Temperature of the wire * Diameter of the wire Overall the experiment went well and my results were good, and clearly prove my hypothesis. 1 5 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Book Summary Essay Example for Free

Book Summary Essay The book I chose to read was â€Å"When I Say No, I Feel Guilty† by Manuel J. Smith. The first thing to stand out to me in this book was it seemed a little outdated. Even though the writing style and the examples appeared to be from a different era, I was still able to see how different points were relevant today and to me personally. This title screamed my name when I was browsing the list of choices because no matter what I am saying no to, I always feel guilty. From the first moment that we can feel and translate emotions, we have been manipulated by others. We have grown up under the sense that we should feel certain ways about particular actions. We forget to a chore when we are young, we should feel guilty. We bring a bad grade home on out report card, we should be scared of getting in trouble. Many activities are labeled either good or bad and we should portray emotions to match. As a manager, you should try to keep commands or statements neutral. A neutral statement is one that doesn’t assign the label of good or bad to a behavior so the recipient will not feel manipulated. Everyday, people try to manipulate you into doing what they want by making you feel nervous, uninformed, or blameworthy. If you let them push you around you will feel frustrated, angry or depressed. When you permit others to control your actions, you renounce your sense of personal responsibility. Smith states that the first step in fixing the situation is to know that â€Å"no one can manipulate your emotions or behavior if you don’t allow it to happen. † Also, following the Bill of Assertive Rights will help lead to non-manipulative relationships in all situations. The rights are the basis for all healthy relationships and are listed as: You have the right to judge your own behavior, thoughts and emotions, and to take the responsibility for their initiation and consequences upon yourself. You have the right to offer no reasons or excuses for justifying your behavior. You have the right to judge if you are responsible for finding solutions to other people’s problems. You have the right to change your mind. You have the right to make mistakes – and be responsible for them. You have the right to say, â€Å"I don’t know†. You have the right to be independent of the goodwill of others before coping with them. You have the right to be illogical in making decisions. You have the right to say, â€Å"I don’t understand†. You have the right to say, â€Å"I don’t care†. The first right is the foundation of all of the remaining rights. When you become your own judge, you help to build a barrier against manipulation. Judgements should be based on your values and not external systems of what is right or wrong. People base their manipulative actions on the belief that you should live up to their rules. If you are accepting of this situation, you open yourself up to a limitless variety of manipulation. Criticism is a common tool people use to get someone to behave according to their standards. Reactions to criticism can be negative with anxiety, denial, and defensiveness. Learning to take criticism in a constructive manner helps to avoid manipulation. Verbal coping methods to help accept criticism effectively are fogging, negative assertion, and negative inquiry. Fogging is when you only agree to the truths in a statement and respond to what someone has specifically stated rather than what is implied. A negative assertion is statement that takes responsibility for something you have done wrong. It takes courage to make a negative assertion and say, I’m sorry. Last, using negative inquiry encourages the critic to reply assertively instead of manipulatively. This tactic is typically used to ask for additional information about a critique. There are also different types of relationships that fall into three categories, commercial, authority, and equality. Basic verbal skills used to minimize manipulation do not change as problems are handled throughout these different relationships. Commercial relationships are clearly defined with a contract. Since this type of relationship follows a defined structure an assertive verbal skill works most effectively. In an authority relationship there is one person in charge while the other is not. Authority based relationships emphasize finding compromises that grow on existing interpersonal dynamic. Both parties are equal in an equality relationship. This relationship is the most informal and tends to have everything open for discussion. Thoughtful open communication reassures people that you will not hinder their decision making, even if you may disagree. The main concept I took away from this book is, it’s my life and what happens in it is completely up to me! I will not cower when I face manipulation. My reactions to particular situations can pave the way for a disaster or a triumph. We must always be in touch with reality to promote our own well-being and happiness. We also have to accept the possibility that changing our mind is completely normal and healthy. Keeping the Assertive Bill of Rights in mind will help to stand up against manipulation and keep our dignity, self-respect, and control over our own behavior. Book Summary. (2018, Oct 21).

Friday, October 18, 2019

Consumer Behavior Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Consumer Behavior Paper - Essay Example In this case, my problem was motivated by an internal stimulus. The social factor that prompted my decision was the need to experience convenient mobility around my hometown. Additionally, the psychological motivator was the need to be feel I belonged to the same class with my peer, Arnold. When it came to seeking information about possible solutions to my needs, I looked for external information because I had never owned a car before. My search was active; initially Arnold was the primary source. He explained the fundamentals of a fuel efficient vehicles and the convenience offered by different transmission system. He suggested many models, but only two met buying criteria; Honda CR-V 2014 or a Toyota Harrier. Additionally, I did an online search on the various sports utility vehicles available before the search culminated with visits to at least three dealerships. Salesmen offered different pricing range for the two models. They explained the off-road performance for each type. I was had a hand on experience with both vehicles through brief road tests. Evaluating the alternative needs the buyer to choose a model by which to access the available choices. I used the expectancy value model. Fuel efficiency, five gears automatic transmission, sunroof, intelligent multi-information display and price were the attributes I was seeking in a car. My comparison was based on ease of operation with an element of perceive reliability. It is worth noting that consumer will always assess products by the characteristics or benefits that are significant to them. Since I was a young, I always wanted my first car to be blue in color, and this can attributed to my association of the color blue with coolness. While making these decisions, there were risks that I perceived in my mind could come as a result of making that purchase. These included; functional risks, physical risks, and psychological risks. To deal with the

Politics of climate change science and its uses and abuses Essay

Politics of climate change science and its uses and abuses - Essay Example nd the challenges that he encountered during his research from Papal, fellow scientists and even had to be held under house rest for the rest of his life. He shows that the progress of scientific knowledge is determined by lack of political dictation. Politics cannot dictate what scientists research on, nor can their findings be ignored even if they threaten our beliefs or personal economic circumstance. On the other hand, Sarewitz supports that there is looming climate change crisis which he says is grounded on scientific rationality that lacks, moral base, experience and empathy. This is a rationality that relies on natural sciences and economics and excludes history, culture and politics. In his case, science and climate policy may not be adequate ways of combating climate change. Rather a change in the morality of the society and the need to care about science, rationality and truth, he argues are the key towards scientific rationalism. The film, an inconvenient truth, produced by Al Gore also identifies with the presence of a looming climate change and global warming. Gore discusses the scientific facts behind global warming showing how it affects the environment. He provides the effects that result from failure to respond to this crisis and points out an inconvenient truth of what all individual can do to conserve and protect the

Instruction on how to deliver a presentation about a formal proposal Coursework

Instruction on how to deliver a presentation about a formal proposal. List all steps - Coursework Example The mentors and mentees must be identified and paired with each other. The HR department should also decide on the number of participants who will take part in the project. After the identification of the participants, the guidelines will be discussed and the schedule of mentoring activities will be laid out. Furthermore, the timeline and duration of the program will be communicated. Subsequent to presenting the objectives and timeline of the program, the topics and activities that will be included will be discussed. The implementation strategies will be proposed. After acquainting the audience with the program, to further emphasize its importance, a brief discussion of the benefits that may be obtained from the mentoring activities will be conveyed. Experiences of other organizations with similar programs will be shared. Finally, the presentation will end by stating that a feedback mechanism must be employed to monitor the progress of the participants. Progress reports will be required during specified review periods (Miller, n.d.). Moreover, at the end of the presentation, it must be emphasized that there is no standard mentoring program. It should be tailored to the needs of the organization and the employees. It should be flexible enough to adapt to the needs of those involved in the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Literature and art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Literature and art - Essay Example Both of them are actually a representation of the creator’s thought process. They reveal their creator’s inner self for the world to see. It is interesting, however, that whereas artists do it by their selection of color, line, space and symmetry; writers do it by the selection of their plot, theme, characters and setting. It seems as if both art and literature actually have a story to tell to the world at large. Although arts demand much more imagination from the world, in that the viewers have to come up with their own explanations about a lot of things, whereas in literature, a writer normally gives almost the entire story to the reader, however, even here, the reaction of each reader is different. Based on our own life experiences and knowledge, we form our own interpretation, both after looking at a piece of art or after reading a piece of literature. Both art and literature give depth to common ideas, bringing certain nuances to our notice as well as creating room for certain new ideas. Both art and literature have been used time and again for the purpose of creating awareness among the public about certain issues as well, what is more, both of them depict emotions extremely well. They are not only a joy to behold or read, but they also cause us to pause and think about ourselves and the world. Not only do both of them bring beauty in our lives, but they also create a world of ideas where others can come and gain more insight into the world. The thing that surprised me the most about literature was, that before I always used to think that literature was only the feelings or thoughts of the writer depicted on page. I thought it was one dimensional. However, for me it was surprising to see that everyone who partakes in it comes out with his or her own understanding of the piece of writing. Whether it is poetry or fiction, the words of the writer are not limited, although they appear to be so. There are always more meanings than one that can be gleaned from literature. There is the writer’s original meaning, undoubtedly, but there are also other elements in the writing that may cause one to come to their own conclusion about it. Literature is very rich in meaning, and the fact that it can elicit such varied responses from the readers is a cause of wonder for me. I never thought of literature like that, like I said, I thought that literature was only limited to what the author had to say and nothing more. A good piece of writing is truly a joy to read, no matter what genre of literature it is, however, for me, fiction is the most appealing out of all these genres. The same events or the same story can be told in a myriad of ways in fiction to elicit different responses from the readers, or even to create to a different set of readers. I am fascinated by the richness of fiction. There is such a treasure of ideas and thoughts in fiction: the changes in a society, the ideals of enlightenment, the discussion of emotions , laying bare the ugliness and beauty of life all at the same time, there is so much that fiction has accomplished. I like the way fiction draws the reader into a woven web of a tale and then transports them into a world other than their own where they get to meet people and go places and then learn life’s lessons from them. Without fiction this could only be possible for the well-traveled amongst us, but due to literature we can learn a

Black Power Mix Tape Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Black Power Mix Tape - Movie Review Example Davis argues that any movement would require a focus towards its goals and the achievement of these goals needed to be done through means that were available to the resisting community. Davis points out the hypocrisy of the government, members of whom make incendiary comments against the African American community and in the same breath accusing the African American community of violence. Davis’s grouse against such comments stems from the institutional violence that African Americans have to face on a daily basis, leading to reduced economic and political opportunities. Diane Ravitch argues that society as a whole, if it is to be an educated one, would have to preserve its integrity (Ravitch). This idea can be connected to Davis’s notion of revolution. Revolution, for Davis, is for the establishment of a society that has integrity. The very notion of revolution too is characterized by its honesty, as far as Davis is

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Instruction on how to deliver a presentation about a formal proposal Coursework

Instruction on how to deliver a presentation about a formal proposal. List all steps - Coursework Example The mentors and mentees must be identified and paired with each other. The HR department should also decide on the number of participants who will take part in the project. After the identification of the participants, the guidelines will be discussed and the schedule of mentoring activities will be laid out. Furthermore, the timeline and duration of the program will be communicated. Subsequent to presenting the objectives and timeline of the program, the topics and activities that will be included will be discussed. The implementation strategies will be proposed. After acquainting the audience with the program, to further emphasize its importance, a brief discussion of the benefits that may be obtained from the mentoring activities will be conveyed. Experiences of other organizations with similar programs will be shared. Finally, the presentation will end by stating that a feedback mechanism must be employed to monitor the progress of the participants. Progress reports will be required during specified review periods (Miller, n.d.). Moreover, at the end of the presentation, it must be emphasized that there is no standard mentoring program. It should be tailored to the needs of the organization and the employees. It should be flexible enough to adapt to the needs of those involved in the

Black Power Mix Tape Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Black Power Mix Tape - Movie Review Example Davis argues that any movement would require a focus towards its goals and the achievement of these goals needed to be done through means that were available to the resisting community. Davis points out the hypocrisy of the government, members of whom make incendiary comments against the African American community and in the same breath accusing the African American community of violence. Davis’s grouse against such comments stems from the institutional violence that African Americans have to face on a daily basis, leading to reduced economic and political opportunities. Diane Ravitch argues that society as a whole, if it is to be an educated one, would have to preserve its integrity (Ravitch). This idea can be connected to Davis’s notion of revolution. Revolution, for Davis, is for the establishment of a society that has integrity. The very notion of revolution too is characterized by its honesty, as far as Davis is

Monday, October 14, 2019

International and Domestic Human Resource Management

International and Domestic Human Resource Management INTRODUCTION Human resource management has become an important issue as more and more firms operating internationally are in need to develop an understanding on how to operate competitively in an international business environment (Dowling Welch, 2005). As the global playing field has become more competitive, international companies are forced to  adopt efficient HRM and give more focus to their international than their domestic operations. Due  to the sensitivity of the issue, the concerned HR must address the key issues such as the impact of  globalization, environmental influences, cultural differences, the domestic HRM policies in different  countries and the global workforce involved in the action (Armstrong, 2009). The aim of this essay is to provide a clear overview of the main differences and similarities between  International and Domestic Human resource management. The essay will to some extent discuss the  practice of Human resource management in a domestic and international level together with the  factors that affect this process. Finally, a conclusion will be drawn with an analysis of the research  findings. DEFINITIONS OF DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGMENT When we look at the historic development of Human resource management, we find that it  evolves from the term Personnel management. The gradual development of management  activity from administration of personnel to strategic planning of human resource, has given a  competitive advantage to international companies. Personnel management focused more on  administrative functions and how to control the employee rather than commit the employee to  the organization strategic planning process. But the present Human resource management  system is structured more on the commitment of the staff and involves the employee in the  strategic planning and development process of the organization. It also stress that organizations  should consider their employees as assets than variable costs (Armstrong, 2009, Torrington et al,  2005). It is not quite easy to provide a precise and exact definition of Human resource  management due to the varying and different activities it refers to. One attempt made by Storey  (1995) is HRM is a distinctive approach to employment and management which seeks to  achieve competitive advantage through the strategic development of a highly committed and  capable workforce using an array of cultural, structural and personal techniques. On the other  hand, Human resource management is also defined as representing two activities. One is the  generic term concerned with the key objectives of human activity, which are the staffing,  performance, change management and administrative objectives, and the other activity is the  Human resource approach to carry out the activities stated under the generic term one  (Torrington et al, 2005). In order to clearly see the commonalities and differences shared by Domestic and International  human resource management, identifying the activities which change or evolve when HR goes  International is a vital point. To this effect, a module developed by Morgan (1986) is helpful. The  module presents three dimensions of International Human resource management with various  categories of HR activities, countries involved and employees in International activities. The first  dimension deals with the tasks of Human resource management; the procurement, allocation and  utilization of HR which goes further down to detailed activities mentioned earlier in this paper under  the generic term explanation for HRM. The second dimension deals with three country categories;  the host country where the subsidiary is located, home country of the companys headquarter, other  countries which are source of manpower, finance and other inputs. The third dimension is  concerned with three category of employees; Host-country nationals, Parent-country nationals and  Third-country nationals. Thence, according to Morgan, The interplay between these three  dimensions is what define international Human resource management (Dowling Welch, 2005). At this point, it shows that the elements or issues related to International HRM practice are complex,  higher in number and have broader scope than those found in Domestic HRM practice. In order to  cope up with these complex issues the management may need to choose a strategy-ethnocentric,  Polycentric, regiocentric or geocentric that best fits its business plan. In ethnocentric strategy, a  company uses identical Human resource strategy both at home and in its abroad business activity. The polycentric strategy, with embracing the idea that each country is different in every aspect,  gives foreign subsidiaries autonomy to employ host country nationals and exercises local  appropriate HR practices to the subsidiarys location. Regiocentric approach is when companies are  structured on a regional basis and best regional practices of HR are prescribed. Lastly, geocentric  strategy holds an open for all employment opportunity where, all nationals from the HQ, subsidiary  and third country may be employed. It upholds Best person for the job motto and promotes higher  company integrity with less room for nationality (Storey, 2007). In the next section, the paper will discuss if the HR practices at the domestic level can be  implemented at international level and would try to identify the factors that may facilitate or  hamper this process in general. THE PRACTICE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGMENT AT DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL The increasing business activity at international level has shown the importance of understanding  how Multinational companies can operate efficiently and effectively in the global dimension. In  general, International Human resource management involves the internationalizing company in  different practices such as diverse HR activities than found in the home country, greater involvement  in employees private lives, greater risk of exposure to the human and finance involved, more  external influence from the host country and greater complexity than found at Domestic HRM level  (Dowling Welch, 2005). An International HR manager also needs to address the challenges due to  cross cultural differences, global competition, language and political differences when posted at  international level. Apart from the different intensity level of HR activities and strategic coordination  of different business units, both Domestic and International HRM share same major activities of  HRM. In addition, an International Human resource manager also needs to understand the degree of  soft or hard HRM present in the home base and foreign subsidiaries. Companies with Hard HRM  policy are more business focused and apply cost minimization systems while companies that engage  the employee in participation have Soft HRM policy (Storey, 2007). Dowling Welch (2005) identified some factors that moderate the difference between International  and domestic Human resource management. According to Dowling, these variables are cultural  environment, the industry with which the Multinational is primarily involved, the extent of reliance  of the multinationals on its home country or domestic market and the attitudes of senior  management in international operation. Let us discuss to what extent these variables would act as  moderators between Domestic and International HRM practices. INDUSTRY TYPE One important variable that moderates International and Domestic Human resource management is  the type of industry an MNC is involved in and the international competition it faces. Putting the business playing field in one straight line, let us say we have at one end of the  continuum a multi-domestic industry and the other end a global industry. The multi-domestic end  designates an industry operating in various countries but the completion in that industry type is  specific to the country. While at the other end, the global industry group is about an industry that  operates in different countries but interlinked with other industries in the same group (Dowling   Welch, 2005). Industries that fall under the multi-domestic structure have a free reign and are not strictly  controlled by the Headquarter of the MNC. They exhibit a highly decentralized HR structure and play  a passive role in the transfer of HR practices outside their boarder. Examples for this category can be  distribution agents and insurance companies. The global industry represents a model whereby HR  management transfers management practices abroad and these practices are replicated and put in  use by the subsidiaries. Example for this group includes commercial aircraft companies and  computer manufacturing companies (Dowling Welch, 2004, Beardwell Claydon, 2010). CULTURE The other influential factor in the moderating International and domestic Human resource  management is culture. (Dowling Welch, 2004) Armstrong (2009) define organization culture as the patterns of values, norms, beliefs, attitudes  and assumption that may not have been articulated but shape the way in which the people in the  organization behave and get things done. (Armstrong, 2009, p384). Hofstede in his part put culture  as the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or  category of people from another (Hofstede, 2001, p9). Other authors also have tried to define culture in different ways but in general it is expressed as a  process present in a social environment which holds the rules and regulations and the accepted  norms on how people are expected to behave. According to Hofstede (2001) there are five  independent dimensions of culture that explain the major difference between national groups. The  first is power distance. It is the degree to which members of an organization below the leadership  rank accept and expect the unequal distribution of power. High power distance shows an autocratic  leadership while low power distance denotes a democratic practice. Uncertainty avoidance refers to  the degree in which the people in a society feel uncomfortable for lack of structure and avoid  ambiguity. High uncertainty avoidance exist in countries having a strong rules and job scrutiny as  they try to avoid uncertainties and low uncertainty avoidance is registered in countries promotingà ‚  more lax and flexible social rules and regulations. Hofstede third dimension is the individualism  versus collectivism point. This dimension is concerned with the tendency of peoples response to  identifying themselves either in larger groups or more to themselves. High individualism is scored in  countries like the USA where people mostly identify themselves in small family groups while in low  individualistic countries people prefer to co-habit together and form large social groups. Masculinity  or femininity is the fourth dimension which refers to emotional roles attributed to both genders. It  balances the tough masculine virtue of assertion and aggressiveness with the softer feminine  virtue of emotion and caring. Japan scores high on this regard while Norway is the lowest. The fifth  dimension is the long term versus short term orientation. This dimension deals with the recognition  of status in a society and perseverance. In general understanding the cult ural norms of a foreign country and adapting to the environment would benefit a company in an international level and  more importantly the HR policies of an organization are mostly influenced by the cultural practice  surrounding the organization. Human resource activities like hiring of staff, promoting, rewarding  and dismissal of employees are determined and affected by the cultural practice of the host country (Dowling Welch, 2005). There is a school of thought that stresses the concept of Etics and Emics as an important aspect to  understanding culture in different settings. The Etic concept refers to the culture-common aspect  while the Emic approach deals with culture-specific concepts of behaviour. Understanding the  difference between the two concepts is helpful in cross-cultural business communication. To this  effect identifying which Human resource activity falls under Etic and which falls under Emic is also  crucial as it have an effect on the performance of companies outside their home country (Dowling   Welch, 2005). As noted earlier Emic refers to practices specific to one culture and are not transferrable across  cultures and Etic refers to the common practices found in different cultures and are transferrable  across cultures. Other dimensions of culture that may affect Human resource practices are the  political condition of the country where MNC operate, its economic rank and development and its  legal position. The Multinational companies need to be careful in countries with strong religious  views as they may have both civil and religious laws in use (Dowling Welch, 2005). RELIANCE OF THE MNC ON ITS HOME COUNTRY DOMESTIC MARKET The status of the organizations home domestic market is another moderator differentiating  International Human resource management and Domestic Human resource management. One major factor pushing companies to go outside their home market is the small market demand in  their home country but also the international market may not be their target market for big  companies as they have high demand in their home country. Hence, when analysing company  performance, focusing only on the international market activity may not give the true stand or rank  of an international company. Some international companies originate from small countries with  small domestic demand or saturated domestic market and play a big role in the international  business activity. As an example ABB Company from Switzerland, INTERBREW from Belgium and we  can also mention PHILIPS Electronics originating from The Netherlands. United Nations Conference  on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) made an annual survey on foreign direct investment and with  some detailed analysis made, it published a list and it reveals that Coca cola and McDonalds are  ranked 27th and 39th res pectively. As stated earlier the main reason for this situation is, these big  Multinational companies have high domestic demand in their home country; the USA. This may influence to some extent on their international business practice as well as deprive their managers  an international management experience (Dowling Welch, 2004). MANAGEMENT ORIENTATION The last moderator presented by Dowling Welch, (2004) is the level of orientation of senior  management. Managers from different cultures have different perceptions towards the overall  management system of a company. Lack of knowledge of competitive management skill on an  international level would lead to failure as it may fail to identify and address the issue differently  from the domestic management issue. Beardwell and Claydon (2000) also observe the significance role Multinational companies play in the  world economy and with regard to the interrelation and restructuring of management issue at  international versus the national level wrote Management style, Strategies and policies are  shaped by home business system -the financial, institutional, legal and political framework in  which they developed as domestic firms. Thus there is a persistent country of origin effect in the  behaviour of MNCs whereby the country the MNC originates from, exerts a distinctive effect on the  management style, particularly the management of Human resource. (Beardwell and Claydon,  2010, p19)   On the other hand Taylor et al (1996) presents the exportive, adaptive and integrative models and  explain why the international companies adopt different form of Strategic International Human  resource management. The adoptive models reflect that Human resource policies are designed to  match the local environment of the subsidiary. There would be less transfer of Human resource  practices from the parent company and use differentiation as a priority point. In the exportive  orientation the subsidiary copies Human resource management policies from the parent company. This upholds the integration of global management system and is ethnocentric in nature. The  integrative orientation model is the selection of best HR practice across the world and is more  liberal and flexible in allowing the subsidiary adopts local HR practices (Beardwell and Claydon,  2010). But each orientation requires different consideration in line with the HR policies practiced by  the parent organization. BUSINESS INTEGRATION AND GLOBAL STRATEGY As the global commerce is increasing so has the activities of International Human resource  management becomes an important and more complex than Domestic Human resource  management. While we acknowledge the expanding business activity, there is a school of  thought that support and concur on the alignment of business practices on global scale. The idea  posits three major perspectives towards the practice of Human resource management,  Universalistic, Contingency and Configuration. The Universalistic perspective is about identifying the best standard of Human resource practice  through various and continuous Human resource activities while the Contingency or externally  fit perspective suggests the need for a mix of different policies and practices to get high results  or best HR performance. The Configuration perspective stand for the interaction of business  strategies and HRM practices used to determine business performance (Beardwell and Claydon,  2010). Another observation toward the HR practices in the international level says that, organizations  operating under same environment would be compelled towards a uniform management  practice. This Isomorphic pull as they refer to it or isomorphism has three forms. Management  practices under the Coercive form adopt foreign HR practices due to external pressure, such as  pressures or expectations from the state, Legal or cultural environment. The Mimetic form is  when companies copy HR models from other companies operating on the same line of business  and accept it as the standard form of practice against various uncertainties. The last model is the  Normative and it is a pull resulting from the professionalization functions or widely accepted HR  practices (Brewster et al, 2007). In the practical field most organizations have been confronted with the deregulation of the  market, free global trade and also slow business transactions. To this they have been forced to  apply uniform and cost minimization strategies and as these international companies apply the  prescribed strategies it indirectly put pressure on the host country management system to adopt  /copy same management practice (Bratton and Gold, 2003). EXPATRIATES One important point in International Human resource management is the movement of  employees across national boundaries to foreign country assignments. These employees are  termed as Expatriates while Employees transferred from subsidiary branch into Headquarters  are referred as Inpatriates (Dowling Welch, 2005). As the global business activity of  International companies increased, it demanded high controlling system and follow up of the  subsidiaries business performance. To this effect, MNC have chosen the use of Expatriates,  Parent company nationals, as a controlling mechanism by assigning them in key management  positions in the subsidiary branches of the parent company (Bartlett Ghoshal, 1989). The efficiency of the deployed expatriate may also depend on the adaptability the expatriate on  his/her foreign assignment. A study conducted by Mark Mendenhall and Gary Oddor in 1985  suggests that expatriate success and adjustment depend on several dimensions. The first is self-oriented dimension, which deals with the expat personal competence and adaptability to the  foreign environment. The second dimension is the others-oriented dimension, which consist of  relationship development and willingness to communicate in reference to the reluctance to  assimilate and learn the language of the foreign land. The Third dimension is the perceptual  dimension, which is concerned with the ability of expatriates to comprehend the behaviour of  foreign nationals and the fourth dimension is cultural toughness and this is to gauge how quickly  an expatriate adapts to a harsh environment (Brewster Harris1999). Apart from parent  country nationals, Nationals from host country and third country are also considered as  expatriates. But this paper will focus only on expatriates from parent country nationals to  discuss the main reasons as to why an MNC send an employee on a foreign assignment. Expatriates are assigned in a foreign country as, An agent of direct control- The assigned expatriate is used to control the activities of the subsidiary and ensure its compliance through supervision (Dowling Welch, 2005, Bartlett Ghoshal , 1989) An agent of socialization- The expatriate in question understands the companies values and beliefs and acts as a medium to transfer these qualities of the parent company to the subsidiaries (Dowling Welch, 2005) As network builder- An expatriate having a knowledge pertinent to his/her job qualification will in due course bond with people in different key positions and together build a network of interdependence (Dowling Welch, 2005) As boundary spanner- This refers to activities performed by the expatriate, such as gathering information that bridge internal and external organizational context. It would be the expatriates duty to promote the company profile as well as gather information that may be of use to the betterment of the company (Dowling Welch, 2005) As language nodes- Expatriates with foreign language background would eventually become an asset especially when they repatriate to their home country (Dowling Welch, 2005). The advantages of using expatriates are mainly to maintain organizational control, international  work experience and follow up the fulfilment of the companys objective by the subsidiary. Whereas the disadvantage points are the problem with the adaptability of expatriates to the  foreign environment and the high cost incurred by the parent company to the selection and  training of expatriates (Dowling Welch, 2005). The process of selecting the right person to the  right position is crucial to the success of the oversees mission and it is to noted that an  expatriates success in one environment does not imply that the same expatriate will fill gaps in  all circumstances (Brewster Harris, 1999). To this end, In order to select an expatriate for an international assignment, Dowling Welch  (2005) have set six basic factors which may assist managers in the process. As individual factors  they have set Technical ability, cross cultural suitability and family requirements are listed  essential while in as situational factors country or cultural requirements, language and MNE  requirements need to be analysed and considered in the selection process. In another  perspective Schneider and Barsoux (1997) list nine point they believe are important for the  selection process. They are interpersonal skill, linguistic ability, ability to tolerance and cope up  with uncertainty, motivation to work and live abroad, flexibility, patience and respect, cultural  empathy, strong sense of self and sense of humour. (Dowling Welch, 2005)   In general the extent of the selection criteria is wide and companies need to identify and consider the most important and pertinent points to the position to be filled. CONCLUSION There are various factors that differentiate International Human resource management from  Domestic human resource management. The Globalization of world economies has forced  international companies to adjust and continuously change their company strategy and Human  management systems in order to survive the competition. To this, the function of Human  resource management has become an important subject as it has proved to be a vital point to  the success of International as well as Domestic companies. In this paper various perspectives  towards International Human resource management are discussed briefly. Authors in the field  are also quoted on how the present and future shape of Human resource management is and  would be. In summary, the paper has tried to identify the main similarities and differences  between International and Domestic Human resource management. From the literature review  presented, different internal and external factors are discussed to the complexity of  International human resource management, presented the various interpretation of HRM and  have tried to show how management and the market would dictate the shape of Human  resource management in general.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

High Fructose Corn Syrup and Cane Sugar Industries Introduction :: Agriculture Agricultural Mexico Papers

High Fructose Corn Syrup and Cane Sugar Industries Introduction In my previous paper I did my research on the history, production, and trade of cane sugar that was mostly produced in the United States. On our study abroad trip to Mexico we saw some sugar cane fields from the road, but we did get to tour any of the farms or see any sugar processing factories. So I was thinking to myself how I am going to write a paper on sugar cane in Mexico if I never experienced any of it while I was down there. Fortunately I found a topic that was very close to home and related to some of the agriculture in Mexico as well. While visiting the Trade Management Services, Inc., we met with the Iowa trade representative, Jose Antonio Jimenez. Jose mentioned some things about the controversy with the United States and Mexico with the imported high fructose corn syrup into Mexico and the effects it has had on the sugar markets and the producers. Since Iowa is the number one grower of corn in the United States, and number one in producing high fructose corn syrup, it is a major issue for Iowans because of the great market share we have with Mexico. In this essay I will discuss some of the issues with the trade barriers, taxes, and tariffs the two countries have opposed on each other. Throughout the late 1990's and the beginning of the twenty first century there has been a major controversy on United States exports of high fructose corn syrup with Mexico. The United States Trade Representative has conducted an investigation under the Trade Act of 1974, which has been amended to the certain acts, policies and practices of the Mexican government that affects the Mexican market for high fructose corn syrup. On April 2, 1998, the Corn Refiners Association Inc. filed a petition alleging that certain acts, policies, and practices of the Government of Mexico are affecting the Trade Act because they are unreasonable and deny fair and equitable market opportunities for United States exporters of high fructose corn syrup. The United States Trade representative started their investigation on May 15, 1998, in response to the petition filed by the Corn Refiners Association Inc. They believed that the Mexican government encouraged and supported an agreement between the Mexican sugar industry and the Mexican soft drink bottling industry to limit the soft drink bottling industry's purchases of high fructose corn syrup.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

How to Write a Last-minute Essay -- Expository Process Essays

How to Write a Last-minute Essay In high school I was assigned a number of essays to write. With each essay came a lengthy period of time when I was to brainstorm, develop a thesis, piece together an introduction, craft supporting arguments, and deliver an exemplary conclusion. After several attempts at stretching out this process over the allotted time, I discovered that it was to my advantage if I saved the entire project until the last day or two and raced myself against the deadline clock. What resulted in almost all my efforts were pieces of writing that used my creative talent and focused my incessant desire to write into a clear essay. Now that I am taking a college composition course, I feel that the skill of writing a quality last-minute essay under pressure should be shared with my companions in the world of college writing. To successfully piece together a last-minute essay, a topic must be selected and agreed upon before sitting down to write. This ensures that the writer can stay mentally focused and be able to concentrate solely on writing the essay. Once the to...

Friday, October 11, 2019

Immanuel Kant Essay

A. Kant’s ethical theory Standard rationality is the major foundation of Kant’s ethical theory. Moral requirements are also associated with the standard rationality but this standard could be based on instrumental principles of rationality or based on the sui generis rational instinct. A conventional conformity could be achieved through the analysis of rationality with instrumental principles. Kant argued that conforming to instrumental and non-instrumental principles (â€Å"Categorical Imperative†) will both be justified to rationality (Kant’s Moral Philosophy 2004). Kant supported his arguments that being rational reflect free will, law of autonomous will. Each of us is accepted based on our self-governing reasons and gain equal respect from other people. According to him, the standard of rationality is the key foundation of moral requirements. Violation of such rule is thereby irrational. Kant believed that a â€Å"good will† is the highest notion of being such ‘good person’, or ‘a person of good will’ (Kant’s Moral Philosophy 2004). There are no other qualifications of being ‘good’ other than ‘good will’. Basically, the notion of ‘good will’ is the possession of a will that is consistent and on the basis with the notion of the moral law. A person of good will is the one who make decisions, do good things in such a way that he/she told to be morally and taking moral considerations According to Kant, the outcome for search for the inherent and fundamental ‘good’ was not inherently good. Happiness and pleasure could be the result from most evil acts. In fact, he use the term good to describe the ‘good will’ – the resolution in accordance with duty. He believed that reason would give individuals to work out what one’s duty was. Kant also criticized the notion that we are free. According to him, we can’t be described as free if our actions are just circling around a defined boundary. He also stressed that following the belief that god and life is existing, morality would make no sense. The principle that one should act in accordance with such truths was criticized by Kant for this principle says that we would perform these actions of which it is true that they are right and ought to be performed. Wolff’s principle tells that actions must be performed if it falls under the concept ‘to be done’. Autonomy and Heteronomy In philosophical perspective, autonomy refers when a person/individual acts by himself/herself based from his/her internal drives, needs and ideals while heteronomy is defined when an individual acts based upon outside forces and responsibilities. According to Kant, â€Å"Autonomous agents† acts to what their instinct tell them (Kant’s Moral Philosophy 2004). In addition, they act in accordance with the categorical imperative of willing what is â€Å"univerzable† to be known and consistent with moral law. â€Å"Heteronomous agents† think first to the possible consequences of their actions as affected by their environment (Kant’s Moral Philosophy 2004). They derive principles of actions from outside by putting into consideration the consequences of their action or the perception of others towards one thing or object. In a narrow perspective (person), autonomy reflects to selecting right decisions for one-self. In broader sense (political perspective), autonomy reflects the right of self-determination (Kant’s Moral Philosophy 2004). A heteronomous will lies its rules of actions that have been legislated externally to it while autonomous will is completely self-legislating. Kant’s Categorical Imperative Kant is known form his theory called the ‘categorical imperative’ rooted from the idea of duty. According to him, categorical imperative is a principle that is essentially and fundamentally legitimate; universally good to him and to others; it requires to comply with when the situation is associated with the moral law.   Ã‚  Ã‚   His theory is the fundamental foundation at the basis of all our moral values and duties. If we observe, it coined the word â€Å"imperative.† His theory is an imperative for it is a command. It informs and commands us to exercise our wills in a particular way, and not performing the opposite of the theory. Kant distinguished another form of ‘oughts’ other than our moral duties. This principle is so called â€Å"hypothetical imperative† (Kant’s Moral Philosophy 2004) which is being based on a quite different kind of principle. Like categorical imperative, hypothetical imperative is also a command that also applies to us in virtue of having a good will. However, it is not simply a virtue for we have need of to exercising our wills. Hence, this theory is a command in a conditional form. Kant listed three formulation of the categorical imperative which he believed to be   almost equivalent – Formula of Universal Law (First Formulation), Formula of the End in Itself Second Formulation), and Formula of Autonomy (Third Formulation). The Formula of Universal Law simply states that the maxim should be selected. A supreme law guides this formulation – to do deeds in harmony with that maxim. The first formulation is interpreted as â€Å"universality test† having five steps: (1) finding the agent’s maxim; (2) putting oneself in a parallel circumstance on the real world agent followed that maxim; (3) decide on contradictions; (4) if there’s contradiction, acting on that maxim is not permissible in the real world, and (5) if there’s no contradiction, acting on that maxim is allowed. The second formulation simply says to respect for humanity. Don’t put an end to a certain situation by doing bad deeds just to serve as a getaway. According to him, we must all act accordingly to every rational being and to place restrictions on the acts we adopt on the search of our ends, do not accept it. Kant enumerated two kinds of imperative – hypothetical and categorical. Hypothetical imperative requires an immediate action because it is a necessity and a requirement. In example, if I am hungry, then I must eat something. Categorical imperative refers to an unmodified, categorical prerequisite that is both a requirement and justified. In Kant’s hypothetical imperative, he believed that it would not be accepted. Hypothetical moral systems cannot be as bases for moral judgments since imperatives are subjective. What is morally accepted in an individual may not be absolutely true for others. Consequently, the categorical imperative was presented as an option to the inconsistency of hypothetical imperative (Kant’s Moral Philosophy 2004). Categorical Imperative: Autonomous Ethical Choice The foundation of Kant’s theory states that human wills are self-directed. He believed that we could understand and justify moral requirements if we could be self-governing. Freedom is not merely consisting of any law that everyone is liberated to perform a certain actions. However, freedom is consisting of a law in such a way that this law, in some sense, would allow individuals for one’s own making. The idea of freedom as autonomy is where a person has laid down laws where he has also the decisive authority. Kant explains that free will is naturally inexplicable. A rational person would base his/her decisions on reasons and justifications of his/her act. Categorical Imperative is met when a person justified his/her acts. Thus, reflecting to autonomous ethical choice of a person. With our free will and/or autonomous ethical choices, we act on it objectively. B. Kant’s Ethical Theory: An Analysis For me, I support Kant’s theory on ethical decision-making. Kant pointed-out, we cannot exceed to the limitations of our thinking. Based from our line of reasoning, we justified things objectively. We make decisions based on our understanding. I think these statements are true and absolute. Kant’s argued that categorical imperative must reflect on our free will. He argued that instrumental and non-instrumental principles are necessary to meet the categorical imperatives. General facts may or may not be true for a person who do not understand its concepts or understand it on the other perspective. Good will responds to the universal moral law and we follow these laws according to our autonomous acts. We accept humanity, rational agency as represented by our understanding.