European Renaissance

Empire and the Pope Renaissance is the name traditionally bestowed upon the remarkable outpouring of intellectual and artistic energy and talent that accompanied the transition of Europe from the middle ages to the modern epoch. The term is extended to politics and economics as well. The Renaissance was one of the most significant movements in European history, because it effected a change in man's attitude towards the problem of human existence. However, historians have long debated what is meant by the term ‘Renaissance'.For some it is a distinctive period, for others a momentous event and for a third group a definable movement of ideas and beliefs. Each choice has its problem and detractors. The Dutch historian Johan Hugging wrote. ‘At the sound of the word ‘Renaissance' the dreamer of past beauty sees purple and gold'. More exactly he or she sees in the minds eye Botulism's Birth of Venus, Michelangelo David, Leonardo Monomials, Erasmus, the Chateaux of the Loir e and Faerie Queen, all rolled into one, into a composite picture of a golden age of creativity and culture.Jacob Bureaucrat in his famous Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy (1860) defined the period in terms of two concepts, individualism and modernity. He wrote, ‘In the Middle Ages human consciousness †¦ Lay dreaming or half awake beneath a common veil†¦ Man was conscious of himself only as a member of a race, people, party, family or corporation – only through some general category. In Renaissance Italy, however, the veil first melted into thin air†¦ An became a spiritual individual and recognized himself as such, Renaissance meant modernity. It began in Italy and at a later stage spread to the rest of Europe. Peter Burke comments that the grand edifice created by Bureaucrat and his contemporaries has not stood the test of time. It has been undermined by the researchers – the medievalists in particular. They argue that – in the firs t place the ‘Renaissance men' were really rather medieval. They were more traditional in their behavior assumptions and ideals than we tend to think.Two of the most famous books written in 6th century Italy, the ‘Courtier' and the ‘Prince', have turned out to be closer to the Middle Ages than they appear. Secondly, the medievalists have accumulated arguments to the effect that the Renaissance was not such a singular event as Bureaucrat and his contemporaries once thought and the term should really be used n the plural. There were famous ‘Renaissance' n the Middle Ages, notably on the 12th Century and in the age of Charlemagne.Can we therefore assume there was no Renaissance at all? Here Peter Burke comes to our rescue. He says, ‘ if we describe the Renaissance in purple and gold, as an isolated cultural miracle or as the sudden emergence of modernity, my own answer would be ‘no'. If however, the word is used without prejudice to the achievements o f the Middle Ages, or those of the world beyond Europe, to refer to a particular cluster of changes in western culture, then it ay be regarded as an organizing concept which still has its uses. ‘ J. M.Thompson has very succinctly summed up what is meant by the Renaissance. ‘Let the word be freedom. Freedom from the tyranny – none the less cramping because so easily borne – of the medieval world order. Freedom of thought from Aristotle as interpreted by Aquinas. Freedom in history from the parochialism and credulity of the monastic chronicler. Freedom in art, from the illustrated manuscript and the stained glass window. Freedom of literature from the censorship of the Church. In politics freedom from feudalism: in religion from traditionalism.With a new universe in the sky, a new world across the sea and anew learning on his study shelf, the 16th century student might well feel that the old age was passing away and that the dawn off new age was at hand. â₠¬Ëœ SOCIAL ROOTS The Renaissance was actually not so much a particular movement as a concrete expression of changing mentalities in a new world. A movement implies a definite period of activity with a precise beginning and end. The Renaissance had neither. It is however generally assumed to have started with the activities of the first humanist Francesco Patriarch as he is commonly known.The Renaissance flourished due to the patronage of the Popes, princes, cardinals and merchants. The 1 5th century Italy was rich enough to support an extravagant and self-indulgent merchant aristocracy. In the urban centre of Northern Italy which possessed a high degree of cultural self consciousness as well as economic buoyancy, urban identity and pride was reflected in the construction of the churches and public buildings and through the emergence of universities as centre of learning.As the Northern Italian urban society was based on individual property and private contract, the most important ed ucated roofs were those who dealt with commercial and industrial activities, I. E. , lawyers and notaries who had to attain mastery of Roman law and Latin (the language of the law courts) and who were able to quote from the Classical and the Christian authors as well as had developed an interest in the language literature, institutes and customs of antiquity. Patriarch and Vacation are pointed out as the pioneers of the Renaissance, the precursors or pre-humanists were all either lawyers or notaries.Religion still occupied an important place and the Pietas, Madonna's, Crucifixion and he innumerable saints portrayed in Renaissance art, show that the traditional faith of most artists remained Christianity. Renaissance society was essentially aristocratic. It offered economic, intellectual and political opportunities to only a small number. But it did not possess the usually universally accepted standard of nobility. The Commercial Revolution of the high Middle Ages and the social chan ges connected with it had already undermined the aristocracy of blood.The Great Depression of the mid 14th century and the stagnation which followed, shook the financial security of the aristocracy of wealth. The aristocratic structure of the society during the Renaissance period persisted and was not submerged by the growth of the merchant class. The Renaissance witnessed as much penetration of the ideas and manners of the nobility into the ethos of the bourgeoisie as the other way round. Noble births were desired but it was the sophisticated merchants of Florence and Venice who helped to promote civility, and to widen the horizons of the aristocratic life.Now for a soldier, statesman, priest or a merchant to be known as a gentleman, a knowledge of the ancient classics and an appreciation of art, literature, music and of conversation ere necessary. The Renaissance was the work of hundreds of gifted men living in scores of cities like Vaccine, Riming, Ferreira, Robin, Mantra and Pra m. But it was the strongest in the four cities – Florence, Milan, Rome and Venice. Florence cradled the Renaissance and produced a remarkable number of gifted artists while Rome and Milan patronized these artists.The Renaissance reached Venice late but stayed here longer. The Renaissance enriched artistic influence spread all over Europe. One of the reasons as to why the Renaissance was Italian in origin was the continuous reminder of her read past provided by the ruins of temples and villas especially in the city of Rome. From the 1 5th century a new appreciation of these classical ruins appeared and the Renaissance Popes ordered their preservation and encouraged their excavation. Pope and princes competed with each other in making collection of ancient objects.The interest in Greek thought and literature, among those who discovered and collected ancient manuscripts, was also stimulated by contacts with the Byzantine Empire through Venetian and Genomes traders. The princes a nd republics of the Renaissance lived in dangerous and unsafe times but they desired fame, which could be expressed in something more concrete and permanent than war, such as buildings, arts, pageants and patronage. They all tried to immortality their greatness by constructing buildings and encouraging painting and sculpture.Leonardo dad Vinci sought the patronage of Cesar Boring as well as Spoors, Raphael began his career in war ravaged Peruvian, Ladino's frescoes, Liberties churches and Vitiation's influence in education, all brought fame to Mantra. Social circumstances were also very favorable to the artists and craftsman. There was a deep rooted tradition of early Christian Europe that buildings were a part of Christian life. So the wealthy ordered their parish churches and founded and patronized monasteries, nunneries and cathedrals. The Popes were the foremost in this field.It was also a custom for the princes to adorn their palaces, and so provide an impetus to the crafts of metal work, jewelry, tapestries and frescoes. Since the competitive state system of the Renaissance Italy was obsessed not only with power and war but also with the furtherance of art, Venice and Florence, the two republics were Jealous of their menus. Money and social energy was poured into art. In the competition of artists was added the competition for artists. Now merchant princes and despots were vying for the service of the great architects, sculptors, painters and scholars.Many of the rulers of the smaller states cultivated a princely style of generosity to arts and magnificence in order to popularize their rule. The patrons spent their fortunes in ways that would benefit the community. The building of chapels and the commissioning of many public works of art were a result of a new conception of wealth spent for civil purposes. New modes of religious thought and feeling underlay new styles in architecture, sculpture and painting. With patronage becoming competitive, the arts became more costly.Renaissance society was meant for rich men, rich cities and rich Popes. To maintain the expenses of the Renaissance art, culture and society, an active and profitable commerce was essential. Venice, Florence, Milan and Rome were full of wealthy men who patronized the Renaissance achievements and nurtured genius. Among the Italians, the Florentine especially revered the wisdom, grace, philosophy and literature of the antiquity. By 1400 there ere hundreds of merchants of Italy who could afford to patronize art when earlier it was only the prerogative of the aristocracy.In Florence, Milan, Rome and Venice, the practice and patronage of art had become a civic virtue. Ferreira, Bologna and Robin also had talents. Though the cities of the papal states was war torn because the Pope was in Avignon, and both trade and population had declined there, yet artistic life did flourish in Peruvian (Perusing frescos, Bastion's and Repeal's paintings). Constant fighting turned the Renaissance historians and political philosophies into supporters f tyranny, since it ensured peace and order, as in the case of Machiavelli.Renaissance statecraft is typified by a single man – Nicola Machiavelli – who belonged to Florence. He was highly influenced by the constant warfare of those times and also by the fact that Florence continued to be a republic in spite of the ambitions of the Duke of Milan. By resisting him, the Florentine saved the liberty of both Florence and Italy. The outcome of the crisis made Florence the centre of new humanism, a new appreciation of political liberty and civic virtue and a new attitude towards man's place in society.It was this attitude that ensured the independence of the major Italian states and consequently the vigor and diversity of Italian artistic and cultural development which characterized the Renaissance. Trade, high finance, a large and a partially urbanize population, quickening industry and the absence of a deepl y rooted, all-powerful political structure, all helped the future development of Renaissance Italy. Renaissance was a movement of cities where a rich urban class, free from the pressures of feudalism flourished. The Italian city-state formed a perfect domicile for the Renaissance art and literature.

Love Essay

When I think about the concept of love, my thoughts are uncertain. When I think about the word love, the four letters arranged in a random pattern, nothing is simpler. Clearly, a distinct difference lies between a word and what it represents. The importance of the word love lies in the power it has over people. When asking someone what love means, not one person has a solid answer to the question. The word love is so abstract, as to which why I adore the word â€Å"Love.† While growing older, we have used the word love in many contexts. The word love can be referred to as a variety of different feelings and attitudes, ranging from just common pleasure â€Å"I loved that meal† to an intense interpersonal attraction â€Å"I love my boyfriend.† The word love can be used in numerous ways and with endless feeling. In certain situations, the word love is such an expression that sometimes one’s relationship might even depend on it. For example, If for a long time someone has not said â€Å"I love you† to a loved one, they might think something is wrong. The word â€Å"love† is a word that makes one wonder how much power one word could have. Love does not have just one meaning, but rather many different definitions. It is a word used in many different contexts, with many different levels of feelings that are unexplainable. Love is a word that is universal in every language of the world. Everyone knows of it or has used the word. Although we know of it, no person has an actual definition of it. The uncertainty of this word makes me realize how powerful the word is, even though we still seem to know what someone is trying to say. Everyone uses the word love, but never took a minute to think about it’s meaning. I adore this word and will always think about as the future generations use the word love in ambiguity.

Marketing Analysis of GOD Essay

Company Description: GOD is now a fast-growing furniture and furnishings company brand in Hong Kong. They describe them as â€Å"More Than Just a Furniture Store†. GOD is the phonetic sound of the Cantonese slang â€Å"to live better† which a basic human desire all around the world. The founder of GOD – Douglas Young and Benjamin Lau opened the first GOD store at Ap Lei Chau in 1996. Within 2 years, two more shops opened in Central and Tsim Sha Tsui respectively. In 2001, GOD has opened a 20,000 sq.ft. flagship store in Causeway Bay. The mission of GOD has always been â€Å"to define a new Hong Kong identity† – by exploring age-old oriental traditions and updating them with modern consumers in mind, their demonstrations of the techniques and wisdom of past generations in the east still has a place in the future world. Most of the furniture of GOD is made in China to their stringent standards of quality and workmanship. Their products range from furniture, bathware, kitchenware to even lighting and carpets. Among these various products, furniture occupies the highest proportion of sales revenues. What makes GOD different from other convectional furniture and furnishing company is that all of their furniture is designed by local designers. The company is strongly against today’s mass produced and soulless products. The main theme of their furniture is creative, comfortable, and multifunctional. In order to surprise their customers, GOD constantly turns out new items on a weekly basis. Because the marketing strategy in GOD is so clear that make the company become one of the few furniture companies that can still make a profit, and even expand their business, in the time of economy downturn in HK these years. Situation Analysis: 1. SWOT Analysis: Internally, GOD has a management team with designing knowledge which could perfectly apply to the daily management in the company. Small size of management team also benefits the company with the efficient division of  labor. Despite the fact of having numerous competitors with lower price, G.O.D. is still taking the leading role in the industry with its unique offerings of the oriental tradition Asian design in products, as well as the extraordinary decoration in each branch . G.OD is expanding its market share by connecting to other different industries, so as to attract more customers from different aspects. The diversification of production and also the â€Å"custom made† strategy contribute to the company as it prevent excess inventory. Moreover, its own R&D team takes a big responsibility in fulfilling the demand of the customers in having a better quality. Other than all those favorable circumstances, G.OD is still encountering certain weaknesses. Due to the short history of establishment, G.O.D. is lack of experience and specialization. Its relatively high price and narrow choice of products has also prevented the visit and purchase of customers. Also, due to the limited capital inflow in the company, GOD is still not able to develop a large R&D team; it also regards advertisement as a big burden for the company. Regardless of the success of the manufacturing approach, it, on the other hand, has lead to the high cost of production as it could not achieve the economy of scale. Favorable external factors include the increasing upscale market which people are more concerned about quality of life, there are only few and not well-established local competitors, and as the economic is recovering, there are more opportunities. Ergonomics is one of the most popular topics in furniture industry because the customer’s perceived value can be raised by introducing it. Unfavorable external factors include the taste of customers which people like international culture more, like Japan. In addition, the favorable investment condition attracts competitor from foreign countries. 2. Industry analysis: The furniture and furnishing industry has a long history in Hong Kong. It includes the production of household, office and furniture, as well as  bedding and parts of furniture. There are 249 furniture manufacturers in Hong Kong, employing more than 704 people as at Sep 2002. Around 90% of them are small companies engaging less than 10 people . Although it is not the major industry in the local market, the competition is very keen. In terms of market segmentation, the current furniture industry in Hong Kong is generally divided into three main categories: high-end, middle-end and lower-end market. However, in the past, the craft-based, labor-intensive furniture industry was one of the oldest industries in Hong Kong. It was developed to meet local demands. At that time, the furniture industry was dominated by a large number of small firms and could be divided into three major sectors, namely, wooden furniture, rattan furniture and metal furniture . After the economic crisis in 1998, many small companies went bankrupt and customers’ incentive on buying furniture was lower. To maintain their competitive power, many large companies strive to reduce their costs and increase their efficiency. Some relocate their manufacturing operations to other areas with lower operation costs like Mainland China. Foreign manufacturers are taking steps to strengthen their domestic production through production specialization. Hong Kong’s furniture makers also start to establish their own brands and some concept stores in order to develop their unique product lines to differentiate their firms from the others. Companies like GOD and Franc Franc are the most apparent examples which produce products with Hong Kong local characteristics and Japanese culture respectively. Recently, due to the economic recovery and the change of customer trend, people are going to be responsive to the new trends and design of furniture. Thus, the industry is going to produce products to cater the needs of Hong Kong people. Also, many furniture manufacturers become more careful about the choice of raw materials to meet international standards, such as compliance with legal or other environmental requirements in their target markets. Because of the limited living space in Hong Kong, the industry produces the furniture which is highly practical and multi- functional. Moreover, most of them embrace innovative designs and combinations of furnishings which allow them to save home spaces and provide a sense of style and modernism. To cater the growing trend and design of furniture which correspond to their taste and lifestyle, the industry produces DIY furniture which can let consumers to make their ‘unique’ furniture with their own styles. Moreover, most of them are made of the environmental friendly materials for production. 3. Competitor Analysis: Competitors in relevant market: There are three main competitors of GOD in Hong Kong, accordingly Franc Franc, IKEA and PRICERITE. Their target market segments do not necessarily the same but do have some overlapping as they both target on the market segments of middle-income level families. Further, the mission of their competitors also stress on developing a new concept of life style to Hong Kong people. Franc Franc’s company would invest over 30 million dollars in Hong Kong and expect there will be 36 million HK dollars gross profit in the first year. There will also be 2 or 3 new branches opened in the next few years. They will be mainly located in some big shopping malls. IKEA have 4 branches in Hong Kong mainly located near big housing town. IKEA is the most well known furniture company in Hong Kong due to the massive advertising programs. The concepts of their design are simple, multi-functional and sustainable. They also have a successful and well-developed customer service system which helps them to develop the loyalty of their customers. PRICERITE’s target group mainly focuses on lower income families. They  provide a relatively low price to their customers, thus helping them to develop a low cost, comfortable and multifunctional living environment. They have over 45 branches in Hong Kong so as consumers can easily find a PRICERITE nearby. Comparative advantages: 1. GOD—Uniqueness of local culture In these years, many industries especially those expose frequently to young people like filmdom and musical industry, advocate local original design and innovation. This atmosphere makes young people create a good feeling to Hong Kong local products. Today, GOD is the unique furniture store with strong â€Å"Hong Kong† concept. What Hong Kong concept here means is Hong Kong’s own culture and social atmosphere. GOD is a local brand and all of their exclusive designers are local. GOD claims their products have â€Å"soul† because their products can turn out local people’s opinion and attitude to lives. It can attract a group of Hong Kong new generation who like to show off their characters and tastes by their home furniture . 2. Franc Franc—Adhere to Japanese-styled goods The trend in Japan always is a benchmark for the young people in Hong Kong. It is because the young people in Hong Kong think Japanese always stand on the tips of the trend. Thus, most of them are adherent to Japanese-styled goods. Many Japanese brands like Fancl and Sanrio have successfully developed their business in Hong Kong. Their successes are also based on this reason. Franc Franc is the sole furniture concept store with Japanese style in Hong Kong. This make it exclusively enjoys the adherent from Hong Kong young people in this market . 3. IKEA—Cost Leadership To provide goods with high quality at relatively low prices, IKEA drives tough bargains with its suppliers in order to employ lowest cost suppliers  of raw and semi-finished goods from all over the world. IKEA Also, their products developers seek out manufacturers who can produce in the most cost-effective way and designers always work with solutions that result in a low price. This cost-focused supply chain model results in getting the goods with cheapest price and good quality.

What’s Wrong in Marrying?

On reading Catherine Newman essay â€Å"I Do. Not. : Why I Won’t Marry? ,† the first point that arises in the mind is the amount of power and choice that women enjoy today. One cannot simply imagine this kind of freedom of thought or expression from a woman say, a hundred years back. Those were the times when most women didn’t even have the liberty to analyze or acknowledge their needs and desires. While the freedom that women enjoy today is a welcome change, Newman’s essay is wrought with a number of misconceptions and apprehensions. It appears that she hasn’t gotten over the fear of slavery that people experienced centuries ago, especially the one brought by the institution of marriage. The invisible bond that keeps together any relationship is trust. It may a bond between a child and its mother or father, between friends, between a student and a teacher, between two life partners, or between husband and wife. In today’s world a man and a woman have every freedom to choose their life partners. And, they can also choose on how they wish to live—whether they want to formalize their relationship by marrying or simply carry on until they are sure of each other. Prudent people will use their wisdom in weighing the pros and cons of any relationship that they may get into. Newman’s objection to marriage is the way in which a bride is â€Å"given away† by her father to her husband in the altars. She argues that the number of gifts that the father bestows on the daughter and the heavy money that he spends on the wedding make the bride look like a â€Å"commodity† that is being transferred from one to another for a sum. By this argument she overlooks the love and care that the father has for the daughter, and the last thing that will be in the father’s mind at the altar will be the welfare of his daughter and her new family and definitely not the money that he is spending on the occasion. There are many marriages that take place in a very simple manner and there are many that take place in a pompous manner. It all depends on the spending capacity of the families concerned and that doesn’t have any relation to the bondage and goodwill that goes with the ceremony. Newman mocks at the ritual where the bride blows the candle from her father by telling that the bride blows away her â€Å"naughty old independent self. † This straw man argument totally misrepresents the bride’s position and it is a negative way of looking at things. It would have been healthier if she had looked at the ritual from the point of view of the bride lighting up one for her husband and had said that it portrays that beginning of a new life. This only goes to strengthen Newman’s misconceptions of marriage. Another lame argument that Newman puts forth against marriage is by projecting the gay people. She argues that married people fail to acknowledge gay people and even humiliate them. This is a gross generalization and her fear of marriage is further proved when she asks the readers to assume marriage as a â€Å"fragile and gasping little injured bird† in trying to promote the cause of the gay community. She acknowledges that she had had gay relationship in the past until she found her partner, Michael. Her thoughts are baseless when she argues that she will be doing injustice to her gay friends â€Å"if I put on a beaded cream bodice and vowed myself away in front of all our gay friends. † She assumes that they will be â€Å"gossiping wickedly† against her and even goes to justify that â€Å"what they’re snubbing should certainly be a viable option. † Newman states out loud and clear that she doesn’t believe in monogamy. The argument that closely follows this statement is purely sensual in nature. She argues if â€Å"climbing onto the same exact person for fifty years† will maximize our â€Å"brief fling on the earth. She argues for variety and says that â€Å"it seemed cruel and unusual that one should have to give up so much in order to commit to a man. † She agrees that she and her partner do not practice monogamy and doesn’t seem to have any regrets about it. This doesn’t justify her stand against marriage nor are her arguments sound enough to rationalize polygamy. Some fears that Newman expresses towards marriage are the fear of losing her individual identity and the life-long commitment that wedlock demands. She conveys that neither she nor her partner ever felt the need to get married. She argues that strongly held beliefs on marriage and commitment can be aloof â€Å"from the world where people actually feel things†¦ The best life partner is exactly the sort of person who doesn’t crave possession. † She claims that marriage brings with it the baggage of possession of one’s wife or husband! This argument is feeble in today’s world. People are quite independent to do what they want, and what keeps a family together is not â€Å"possession† but simple caring, and love and take. Newman seems to enjoy the fact that she gets to choose and be chosen to continue her relationship with her partner every day. She says that when a couple is not married and when they remain partners, they have to constantly keep choosing each other. She seems to take pleasure in the choice that she and her partner make every day to keep the relationship going. This way they feel more wanted and the â€Å"unmarried space† helps them to move forward and keeps them going she says. Dr. Neil Clark Warren in The Cohabitation Epidemic sums up this attitude beautifully well: â€Å"The fundamental agreement upon which live-in relationships are based is conditional commitment. This attitude says, â€Å"I’ll stick with you as long as things go well. But if we run into problems, all bets are off. † Relationships that begin with a quasi-commitment carry the same mind-set into marriage. When things become trying, as inevitably they will from time to time, the spouses say goodbye. † Newman says that they are quite devoted to each other, and with the birth of her child the bond between them has only grown stronger. She feels that there cannot be anything more â€Å"permanent soul binding than the sharing of the child. † She proudly confesses that her partner has taken on to his duties as a father like a fish to water. But somehow, the fear of getting married seems to linger on and she continues arguing against marriage. Newman’s fears are purely psychological in nature and they do not have any solid reason behind them. In putting forth pseudo intellectual arguments she does not offer clarity of thought. Her thoughts are distorted views coming from an immature person with some kind of a psychological fear for commitment. It is natural that a person who seems to have a fear psychosis towards marriage objects to it. Wedding or live-in relationship—it all depends upon the individuals. As Nancy L. Van Pelt and Fleming H. Revell put it, â€Å"Whatever happiness is achieved results from personal effort, knowledge, love, and commitment. † No magic happens with marriages in making individuals better. There are men and women who walk out of marriages even after having children. So, Newman’s argument that kids are â€Å"permanent soul binding† is void. However, with marriage, the commitment becomes legal and the people involved in the break up are legally bound to fulfill certain obligations to each other. So even while the break up is painful, there is still a legal protection offered. In a live-in relationship, this protection doesn’t exist.

Proctor and Elizabeth Relationship

‘The Crucible’ is a novel which was written by Arthur Miller in 1953. It takes place during the times of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts. This was a time of much hypocrisy in the people of the town of Salem. Many people believed anything they heard or saw. Although The Crucible is fictitious, the story depicts the historical information of the Salem witch trials, and blends them with fictitious characters to create a very realistic plot and conflict in the story. Miller wrote this play as a response to the political environment in which he lived. The story relates to the McCarthy trials. During the 1950's Senator Joseph McCarthy accused many American leaders of being communists. This lead to many accusations that people were communists. Some people believed him because they had fear of communism. McCarthy was, in effect, conducting â€Å"witch hunts†. The Red Scare was a witch hunt where the US government was searching for â€Å"dangerous communists. † Accusations came from left and right, much the same as the characters did for â€Å"real witches† in The Crucible. This meant that people were forced to either confess to the crime of witchery or shove the blame towards a different person. As an effect of this bias, the accused were never discharged, but were given the opportunity to confess to the crime of witchcraft to lessen their sentence. With the red scare, the accused were given a chance to give up names of other suspected communists to lessen their sentence as well. In both situations, there were people who confessed even though they had no relation to the crime at all. The majority, however, valued their morals and refused to give into political pressure by lying. This is shown as abuse of power. The puritans were a group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th century. The entire plot of the novel is moulded by the repressive Puritan society. Like many puritan women, Elizabeth Proctor is dutiful and loves her husband dearly. Yet, Elizabeth is hurt by the fact that her husband was having an affair with their â€Å"strikingly beautiful† young servant (Abigail). She finds it hard to show emotion and this affects her relationship with John Proctor vastly. In Act One we can see that there is ‘heat’ and ‘passion’ between John and Elizabeth. When Abigail says, ‘I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near! ’ She's saying that John still lusts after her, breaking into a sweat when he sees her. She's holding the affair over his head and reminding him how he has sinned would like to sin again. We can see that Abigail has real feelings for John and they have a sexual attraction between them. With Abigail being a 17 year old puritan girl and John being a married man, this is clearly outrageous and shows that he was prepared to break his rules. Proctor convinced himself he was a sinful man that had done wrong, and to have respect for himself once again, he must break off all ties with Abigail. When Abigail mentioned to Proctor the relationship she and he once had, he said to her, â€Å"No, no, Abby. That's done with,† and, â€Å"Abby, you'll put it out of mind. I'll not be comin' for you more. Even when Abigail tried to persuade Proctor to admit his love for her, he still denied it and claimed he had no love for her any longer. In all of Abigail's persuasion to try to get him to admit his love for her, Proctor replied, â€Å"Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I'll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby. † Proctor saying to Abigail that they never touched was his way of trying to get through to her that the relationship between the both of them had to end here. In Proctor's mind, saying that to Abigail was a finalization of their affair and gave him the closure that he needed to truly forget what he and Abigail had between them. The affair between Proctor and Abigail also had made his love for Elizabeth grow stronger. The guilt of the affair made him realize how Elizabeth was a good woman and deserved more than a cheating husband, and he refused to allow Abigail to speak wickedly about her. Abigail said bitterly to Proctor, â€Å"Oh, I marvel how such a strong man may let such a sickly wife be -,† in which he interrupted angrily with, â€Å"You'll speak nothin' of Elizabeth! Abigail, realising the respect he now had for Elizabeth as to not let her speak of Elizabeth in such a manner, then tried to convince Proctor otherwise, saying, â€Å"She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, snivelling woman†¦ † Elizabeth is shown as a ‘cold’ woman whereas Abigail and Proctor have ‘heat’ – ‘no wintry man’. The anger he felt at this time was not only towards Abigail, but also towards himself. He felt he had sinned greatly and did not provide Elizabeth, a mother of three children, with the respect and loyalty that one would expect out of a husband.

Critically Assess Geert Hofstede’s Use of Cultural Dimensions

ABSTRACT: Along with the trend toward globalization, communication across cultural and national boundaries has a significant effect on business. The Dutch management researcher Geert Hofstede’s work of culture dimensions is regarded as an approach to measure inter-cultural differences to business for scholars and practitioners. However, such a significant work does not escape criticism. Even though his theory consummates to six dimensions based on varies datum and is widely applied by many academics, McSweedney and many specialists assert his work as an absolute assumption.INTRODUCTION: Nowadays, the country boundaries are shaped by the spread of global communication networks and the development of transportation. Because of globalization, countries are tied closer than ever before. Since the beginning of 1970s, scholars such as Geert Hofstede started to notice the importance of cultural differences for many aspects of business life, in particular, when business related to com municate between people with different cultures. Hofstede (http://geert-hofstede. com/dimensions. html) claimed that â€Å"Culture is more often a source of conflict than of synergy.Cultural differences are a nuisance at best and often a disaster. † Such conflicts are determined by the people’s perception which is partly the product of culture. Therefore, in order to avoid the conflict caused by culture, it is important to recognise cultural differences under global business environment. Hofstede’s cultural framework provides a guideline to recognize the differences between cultures and may improve the inter-cultural communication in business area. However, his work is critiqued by scholars and researchers as an unreliable framework.This essay firstly outline Hofstede’s cultural framework briefly and then apply his theory into practical situation to access whether it can improves the inter-cultural communication in the workplace. Afterwards, it will criti que the limitations based on the literatures opposite to Hofstede’s viewpoint. HOFSTEDE’S MODEL: Geert Hofstede’s work is ground-breaking and he himself is considered as the pioneer and pathfinder in inter-cultural study(Bond, 2002 and Sondergaard 1994). He described his significant research result based IBM employees’ attitudes and work-related values around the world.In the past 30 years, he persists to refine his theory from the previous four to six dimensions: Power distance, Individualism versus Collectivism, Masculinity versus Femininity, Uncertainty avoidance and Long-term orientation, and Indulgence versus Restraint (Hofstede et al, 2010). In his book, each country is evaluated by scores on every dimension, thus people can take an insight into the cultural differences by comparing countries’ scores. Power distance (PDI) is defined as that, to what degree people can perceive the unequal power distribution in a society.PDI scores, deriving fr om value of the less powerful people, indicate the level to which members accept power inequality. A low score demonstrates that members of the society prefer equality; whereas a country has a high PDI score means that people accept large power differences. Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV) is the dimension relating to how people ties to others within the community. Individualism pertains to societies whose members tie loosely and concern about themselves and their immediate family. On the contrary, in collectivistic countries people belong to strong and cohesive group.Masculinity versus Femininity (MAS) refers to whether emotional gender roles are distinct or overlap. In masculine societies men are supposed to behave ‘assertive, competitive and tough’, on the contrary, women are supposed to be ‘modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life’ (Hofstede, 2010: 140). Uncertainty avoidance (UAI) related to extent to which members handle anxiety w ith ambiguous and unknown situations. Strong UAI Countries maintain â€Å"rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas†.Countries exhibiting weak UAI encourage practice than principles with a more relaxed attitude. Long-term versus Short-term orientation (LTO) deals with which kind of value is fostered. This dimension is based on Bond’s World Values Survey on â€Å"Confucian dynamism†. Long-term oriented countries foster virtues such as perseverance and thrift for future rewards, whereas short-term orientation focuses on rewards in the present and the past, which means particularly ‘respect for tradition, preservation of ‘face’, and fulfilling social obligations’ (Hofstede, 2010: 239).Indulgence versus Restrain is linked to happiness. An indulgent society permits ‘relatively free gratification of basic and natural human drives related to enjoying life and having fun’ (http://geert -hofstede. com/dimensions. html). On the contrary, restraint countries use strict social norms to control gratification of needs and regulates. Application As the world becomes globalized, to remain competitive and minimize conflicts which are the result of ignoring cultural differences, companies should not adopt an ethnocentric management mode to different cultural staff.To minimize these conflicts, many scholars and practitioners utilize Hofstede’s work of cultural dimensions as a means to narrow the cultural gap in business. One reason why his framework is widely adopted is that his data are collected from varies companies and the fifth dimension is based on ‘Confucian dynamism’. Thus, to access its practical applicability to decrease the negative aspect of cultural differences and to elevate cross-cultural communication level, it is important to apply Hofstede’s work into real cases.Since the late 2009, the famous Japanese auto-maker Toyota struggled into an unprecedented crisis due to pedal quality problems which led Toyota to its historical largest recall in the world. The Economist (Feb. 6, 2010) commented that safety recall is a common issue in vehicle manufacture but Toyota changed the order. In the process of managing crisis, Toyota acted according to Japanese culture without taking the American cultural values into account. It can be said that one reason deteriorates the normal recall cars to a crisis is the ignorance of cultural differences.Some literatures analyse the cultural aspect affecting the crisis and group them into two main points (Feng, 2010, Huang, 2010). Firstly, the Japanese management mode and organizational behaviour is different from American. As a result of the Japanese organizational culture, Toyota responded slowly after the accident. It is reported that on American time 28th August 2009, a Lexus ES 350 caused a fatal crash due to the gas pedal was stuck and the car was out of control (Los Angeles Tim es, Oct. 25, 2009). Yet Toyota did not respond to the accident immediately.US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that documents show that Toyota knew of the problem in late September but did not give response until late January, moreover, â€Å"they knowingly hid a dangerous defect for months from US officials and did not take action to protect millions of drivers and their families† (Thomas, 2010). The second reason is the different communication behaviours between Japan and the U. S. A. In the American hearing and variety interviews, Akio Toyota, the president of Toyota Motor Corporation, spoke implicative, tactful and modest with a large number of modest words without any directly answers (Huang, 2010).In addition, Akio Toyota’s behaviours are understood as hiding the truth by American people. According to Hofstede’s framework, Western culture, represented by the U. S. A. , and such Japanese Eastern culture have significantly differences. The magnitude of the differences has been directly described in ways. See from the figure 1. 1. Figure 1. 1 Japan and the U. S. A It is obvious that there exist large differences between Japan and the United States. One of the most telling to explain the crisis can be the collectivist versus individualist dimension.The fundamental issue related to IDV is the extent of connection between individuals and the group (Hofstede, 1980). From the data provided by Hofstede, Japan, at a score of 46 on a scale of 1 to 100, is a collectivist society, whose group allegiances are strong, cohesive and invoke higher authority. The individuals adhere to the entity and preserve harmony. Thus the Toyota North American office was been called a â€Å"little safety deaf† by LaHood (CBC news, Feb, 2010). The North American office need invoked by the highest authority to handle the accident and the applicable proposal must pass through the whole company.Nevertheless, this system is not adaptable in handling probl ems in America. According to Hofstede, Toyota needs to handle the problem immediately rather than make a long-term agreement. Meanwhile, the high power distance (Japan 54) can be used to analysis the slow response. Japan is a more centralized decision country, and it is therefore all the command should be endorsed by the president of Toyota Motor Corporation, Akio Toyoda. Because only the CEO can respond to the allegations, the response to the event was hauled in respect to the stakeholders living in a country that has only 40 in the index.As mentioned before, the official recall and apologize came four months later after the car accident has been reported. Yet the stakeholders demanded immediate response to the accident from Toyota regardless from the CEO or other representative. Moreover, during the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing, in response to why Toyota responded so slow, Toyoda claimed that do not answered directly but reiterates his plan to set up a g lobal commission to address complains more quickly (CNN Politics, Feb. 24, 2010).This phenomenon can adopt Hofstede’s fifth dimension, long- term versus short-term orientation to demonstrate the inevitability of this divergence. Hofstede himself defines long-term orientation as ‘the fostering of virtues oriented towards future rewards' (Hofstede 2010: 239), which means that high long-orientation scores countries (Japan 80) pay more attention to the things that will benefit the future whereas low score countries tend to focus on nearby benefits or rewards. Jealous writes, â€Å"In America, we ultimately judge people on what they are doing today for tomorrow, not for what they did yesterday. (CNN Politics, Feb. 24, 2010). In the hearing, American part were expected that Toyota undertake their obligations by providing continuous plans to the stakeholders. Akio did not account for this and responded indirectly to the solution to the current accident therefore caused Americ ans the disgusted and suspected feeling. Consequently, if Toyota can notice the cultural differences and adopt Hofstede's theory to handle the problem in their American market in the bud, the common recall would not exacerbate American people and became a crisis which will threaten its reputation. CRITIQUE:Culture is deeply rooted in many aspects of business life when people must interact with the people such as suppliers, buyers, employees or stakeholders. The case of Toyota crisis demonstrates that Hofstede’s framework of cultural dimensions is practical to uncover these conflicts in cross-cultural communication. If people could realize the cultural differences concluded by Hofstede and take proper communication style and management mode, the fate of Toyota might be changed. However, the framework cannot act as a textbook to interpret the whole cultural gap even in the case of Toyota crisis.Many intercultural researchers criticized Hofstede’s theory for not providing valuable guiding intelligence or regard it as absolute assumptions. Hofstede did not mention the impact of linguistic on the communication. Different languages and contents have objectively impact on the understanding of the conversation. Take the US-based 3M Company as an example. The company earns $7 billion per year in their overseas market, it become the â€Å"forefront of language instruction by sponsoring an in-house Language Society that provides linguistic and cultural support† to 3M (Frey-Ridgway, 1997).Freivalds (1995) said that the French firm Bull adopted the 3M model to train its employees in the competition of global marketplace and still in success. Language plays an irreplaceable position in the inter-cultural communication. Different types of body languages cause misunderstanding as well. In japan, apology needs humility, in order to be forgiven, Japanese usually avoid eye contact stands for rudeness, offend and provocation, but it would be decoded as disint erest, dishonesty and cunning in western countries (Huang, 2010, Dahl, 2004).Gudykunst and Nishida (1994:2) said that misunderstanding between Japan and American people often â€Å"stem from not knowing the norms and rules guiding each other’s communication†. In hofstede’s model, the data come from the English-speaking company IBM and it is aim to evaluate work attitude and value, this led his theory ignore linguistic and body language difference. Moreover, in the process of communication among Akio Toyoda and the American interlocutor, the stakeholders, the Congress representatives or the media people, misunderstanding occurred continually.As mentioned above, Toyota responded euphemistic to the problem (Huang, 2010). Akio repeated the apology several times and declined to give pithy answers to undertake the obligation and to interpret the information and plan for the stakeholders in the hearing (Clark ; McCurry, 2010). The answer type can be derived from the pa tterns of Japanese communication. Lincoln (1995) studied Japanese and found that due to the politeness cultural they reluctance to say â€Å"no† directly. Hall (1976) separated communication into High-context and low-context.The United States is a typical low-context communication country while Japan belongs to high-context communication. Low-context communication refers to the patterns of communication use explicit verbal to convey meanings, whereas high-context pattern draw heavily on context. This cultural difference is raised by Hall instead of Hofstede. Michael (1997) claim that literatures are lack of specific details and are concluded in broad behavioral terms. Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997) classified cultures has seven value orientations which is more than Hofstede’s six dimensions and has somewhat different perspectives.Additionally, Dahl (2004) criticizes the theory is the result of very little data, especially from specific companies with limited num bers of questions. This indicates that culture can be separated into more dimensions and those national scores and ranks are not the exclusive guide to improve inter-cultural communications. From Hofstede’s (1980) research, Japan ranks in the middle level of Individualism versus collectivism dimension. Yet Japan is widely stereotyped as a harmonious society.Woodring (2010 cited in Jandt, 1995: 163) used the original Hofstede’s questionnaire to study Japanese students and found that students scored lower on power distance whereas higher on individualism comparing with Hofstede’s original sample. Woodring explained that the different scores might be the result of age; that is means, students may praise more on individualism and equality than the whole Japanese society. About 1990, youths 25 years old and under were named as shin jin rui (literally â€Å"new human beings†), who were described as â€Å"selfish, self-centered, and disrespectful of elders and tradition† by older Japanese.In the description from Hofstede suggested that the Japan is a group oriented and hierarchical country. However, there are evidences to show that the young generation seeks for egalitarian and individualism. This demonstrates that Hofstede’s research can lead to stereotype and this ought to be avoided. Furthermore, this study shows that cultural value is dynamic. Holden (2002) criticizes the â€Å"relative reliance† on Hofstede’s paradigm in the workplace. He points out that the data is outdated as it was collected before 30 years.Hofstede attempts to set a certain form of culture for people to understand specific cultures and he (Hofstede, 2010: 34) states that â€Å"cutlures, especially national cultures, are extremely stable over time†. This has been criticized as â€Å"functionalist ambition of measuring largely unquantifiable phenomena† (Gray and Maloory, 1998: 57). Hostede himself stated, â€Å"There is no such thing as objectivity in the study of social reality: we will too often to be subjective, but we may at least try to be ‘inter subjective’. As His data are come from the questionnaire made by a group of western people, as a result of this, the question are tend to reflect western culture which means Hofstede’s theory has its cultural bias. Meanwhile, there is a debate about what level of analysis is practical for the term â€Å"culture† to be a viable tool. McSweeney (2000) questions the classification of culture in Hofstede’s theory. Hofstede (2010: 10) stated that people are shaped by â€Å"certain cultural trains† from the same country. Although general cultural dimensions can be established at a cultural level, ndividuals may not necessarily reflect the national culture they belong to. Hofstede (1980, 1991) admits that using data from the level of country to analyze the individuals is not appropriate, and labeled it â€Å"ecological fallacy†. He (1991:253) affirms that national cultural level reflects â€Å"central tendencies (†¦) for the country†, it is, not practical to analyze and predict specific individual behaviors or events. Conclusion: Generally overview the assessment, Geert Hofstede’s use of cultural dimensions provides a measurable paradigm to attract people’s attention to cultural differences and contribute to the inter-cultural study.For those people who are involved in international commerce, culture is important for many aspects of business life, thus, if people go into another country to communicate with local company, changing the management process and practices to meet their values is essential. Concluding from the case analysis of Toyota crisis, Hofstede's cultural model indeed provides an effective reference to support better cross-cultural communication as it uncover the reasons of cultural conflict for people to apply appropriate method to minimize its nega tive influence.However, cultural dimension theory functions limited in small space as it is not perfect. It regards culture as a fixed concept and separates it by national boundaries is improper. The data is collected in several decades years before even it has been updated in recent years based on questionnaire in a specific group in international companies from a perspective of western people. Moreover, it narrows culture into six dimensions may potentially disturb the derived value prediction as certain context influences on the individual respondents.The inter-cultural communication conflicts exist no matter how much understanding goes both ways. In conclusion, Hofstede’s work of cultural dimensions is a supplement for supporting better inter-cultural communication, the bilateral respect of culture and positive attitude are the core to successful inter-cultural communication. Bibliography: Bond, M. H. (2002). â€Å"Reclaiming the Individual from Hofstede's Ecological Ana lysis- A 20-Year Odyssey: Comment on Oyserman et al. † Psychological Bulletin, 128 (1): 73-77 CBC news (Feb 2, 2010), â€Å"Toyota slow o react: LaHood- US Transportation Secretary criticizes automaker†. Available at (13 May, 2012) Clark, A. & McCurry, J. (2010). â€Å"Toyota boss offers ‘sincere regrets' for faulty accelerators†, The Guardian, Thursday 25 February 2010. Available at < http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/2010/feb/25/toyota-akio-toyoda-congress? INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487> (13 May, 2012) CNN Politics (Feb 24, 2010). â€Å"Toyota president testifies before Congress†. Available at < http://articles. cnn. com/2010-02-24/politics/toyota. earing. updates_1_toyoda-inaba-national-press-club? _s=PM:POLITICS > (13 May, 2012) Dahl, S. (2004). â€Å"Intercultural Research: The Current State of Knowledge†. Middlesex University Discussion Paper No. 26. Available at < http://papers. ssrn. com/sol3/papers. cfm? abstract_id=658202 > (13 May, 2012 ) Feng, Y. (2010). â€Å"Toyota crisis: management ignorance? – a swedish case of consumers perceptions†. Available at < http://hh. diva-portal. org/smash/record. jsf? pid=diva2:349746> (13 May, 2012) Freivalds, J. (1995). â€Å"Learning languages†. Communication World, December: 24-7.Frey-Ridgway, S. (1997). â€Å"The cultural dimension of international business†. Collection Building, 16(1): 12 – 23 Gudykunst, W. & Nishida, T. (1994), Bridging Japanese-North American Differences, Communicating Effectively in Multicultural Contexts Series, Thousand Oaks: Sage, p. 2 Hofstede’s website, available at < http://geert-hofstede. com/dimensions. html > (13 May, 2012) Hofstede, G. (1980) Culture’s Consequences:International Differences in Work-related Values Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Hofstede, G. (1991). Cultures and Organizations: software of the mind, 2nd Ed.New York: McGraw-Hill Hofstede, G. , Hofstede, G. J. & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures an d Organizations: software of the mind, 3rd Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Holden, N. (2002). Cross-cultural management: a knowledge management perspective. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall Huang, Z. (2010). â€Å" —— â€Å" â€Å" † (From the perspective of inter-cutlural communication to see Japan-America cultural differeces—analysis Toyota â€Å"recall†). Journal of Huaihua University,29 (6) Jandt, F. E. (2009). An Introduction to Intercultural Communication: Identities in a Global

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Market Analysis of a specific commodity - Essay Example The class of commodity goods includes products with high market demand, but that are supplied to the market without qualitative differentiation e.g. from the taste of coffee, one cannot easily differentiate that it is from Brazil or Ethiopian highlands or if the coffee is a product of Nestle or Sara Lee companies without careful study of the brand. However, even though the commodity products are considered equal to one another, they are not exchangeable if they do not meet the market standards. For example, sugar as a commodity product, there is no company that has a higher chance of controlling its market supply or price level than other companies since to a consumer it is difficult to differentiate the taste of sugar (Holihan 2008). Based on the economic perspectives and arguments of commodity markets and commodity products, this research paper aims to analyze the market of coffee (as a commodity product): and the players in the coffee market. The analysis will encompass descriptio n of the coffee market structure, companies or players involved, market share, market size, major players, coffee demand and supply, competition and market dominance. Commodity market: Coffee Market The product coffee Often, people depict coffee as a homogenous product. However, this is not right because there are different types and forms of coffee in the market. According to ICO (2002), the two main types of coffee are Robusta and Arabic: Arabica is the largest, covers almost over 70% of the worldwide coffee trade, and exports while Robusta constitutes the remaining percentage of lower than 30% of the world market. ICO (1995) listed 70 coffee producing countries worldwide with Brazil and Colombia leading in coffee production. The Coffee Market Coverage In reference to Fridell (2007), coffee is not just a drink to enjoy; it is a global commodity and influences world economy. The commodity coffee has a global market and occupies a higher position in the world commodity markets. Frid ell (2007) explains that the product has been an important international commodity for trade since 1800s. Coffee is the world’s most widely traded agricultural commodity. Research shows that many, including the world’s renowned historian Mark Pendergrast, have describe coffee as the second most legally traded world commodity after oil. Coffee has cemented its position in most world stock and securities exchange as an essential exchange commodity (Kirsten 2009). As a global product, Fridell (2007) notes that coffee follows a long market chain before its final consumption. On one, hand, the market of coffee constitutes net producers and net consumers while, on the other hand; there are net exporters and net importers in the world. Research shows that most producer countries are net exporters and not net consumers (Kirsten 2009). In addition, large multinational corporations that roast and retail the coffee to final consumers dominate the coffee market. Holihan (2008) say s that the international trade has essential significance in global marketing and distribution of coffee. In the global market, international dealers, traders or international trade houses purchase coffee from the exporting countries. Roasters in Europe tend to purchase their coffee from international trade houses or specialized import agents with contracts of exporters in producing countries. While large roasters-corporations prefer ex-doxy purchase of coffee, small roasters prefer purchase of small lots

Freedom from Fear and Want in the Context of International Human Essay

Freedom from Fear and Want in the Context of International Human Rights Law - Essay Example Center of discussion in this paper is freedom from fear and want that appear to be unattainable aspirations. It is perhaps unreasonable to expect to live a life free of fear and want, unless the individual shares the upper echelons of society. The connection between freedom from fear and want with human rights is based on concepts of human security and human welfare. Essentially freedom from fear is a manifestation of the trend toward aligning human security with fundamental human rights at international law. Likewise, freedom from want adds to existing international human rights by extending fundamental liberties to include welfare as an arm of fundamental human rights. On its face, the inclusion of human security and welfare as an arm of international human rights is certainly consistent with developments in modern times particularly with respect to international poverty and international conflicts and terrorism. However, making human security and welfare a fundamental human right poses some problems with respect to protecting welfare and security and safeguarding other fundamental freedoms which may necessarily be contravened in the interest of promoting freedom from want and security. It may be misleading to think of international human rights as an international Bill of Human Rights because in the absence of a centralized system of enforcement, the recognition and enforcement of an international Bill of Rights are only as good as the national state’s implementation and enforcement of those rights. ... nternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1976 (CCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights 1976 (CESR) (Meron, 1986). The International Bill of Human Rights has been expanded via a number of subsequent declarations, covenants and protocols internationally and regionally (Smith, 2007). It may be misleading to think of international human rights as an international Bill of Human Rights because in the absence of a centralized system of enforcement, the recognition and enforcement of an international Bill of Rights are only as good as the national state’s implementation and enforcement of those rights. It is one thing for a national government to recognize an international Bill of Human Rights and quite another for a national government to implement and enforce an international Bill of Human Rights. Even more uncertain is the economic ability of a national government to guarantee that citizens within its territories are accorded freedom from fear and want as legitimate arms of the international Bill of Human Rights. Be that as it may, it has been argued that the idea of international human rights was initially articulated by US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his â€Å"Four Freedoms† address to Congress on December 10, 1948. During that address, Roosevelt stated that his political aspirations were built around pursuing a social and political environment in which the â€Å"world† would be secure enough to safeguard four specific freedoms: the freedom of expression, religion, from want and fear (Power & Allison, 200, p. 4). Freedom of religion and freedom of expression are more easily achieved as the cost of enforcing free expression and free religion is arguably quite low compared to the cost of ensuring freedom from fear

Case 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case 1 - Essay Example The type of structure obtained varies with every organization. There are those that are pyramidal and some that are elliptical. Every organization has the top managers and employees who are entitled to the basic works thus holding the whole system together. The diagram in page 22 strictly shows the how the organization function in accordance to the specific department that exist in the organization. The co-existence of the sections therein is so crucial, and the diagram play a major role in showing how labor is distributed from the top managers, who are the board of directors, to the support staff. One way that an organization may overlay its strategies down the hierarchy is through the system of formal authority. This system is somewhat a map that only shows how information flows from the top managers to the foreman or from the purchasing agents to the shippers. However, it does not inform us on the specific activity that takes place in every section. At a glance, one may know the p ositions that exist in an organization and the manner in which authority flows in the organization. The system of regulated flows is as well incorporated in the operations of the organization. The flow of production is well broken down from the administrative hierarchy to control the centre of operations. Another flow of communication within the organization is the informal communication system which has the role of laying emphasis on the coordination process amount the employees in the various departments. The communication layout among the employees in the organization is very essential. Through communication, the operations within the organization beginning from the top managers to suppliers and the shipping department will be smoothly run without encountering barriers that may cripple the efforts made. There are sections within the organization that do not need official attention and thus such sections only gain access to the unofficial communications posed to them. From the dia gram, it can be clearly seen that the arrows move from one part to the other without a clearly defined path. This is a clear indication that the informal communication does not take a specific path to its destination. The information relayed may by-pass one department to the other, but the message would still be relevant and fruitful in the end. The organizational structure depicted above may be attributed to the Waterstones Company. The flow of operations in this company takes the different systems discussed therein within the organization. It follows the traditional hierarchy of the organizational structure, which consist of Board of directors, Chief operations officer, departmental heads and employees. Waterstones is the largest book retailer in the UK and Ireland. Recommendations and Implementations 1. Implement a well defined Hierarchy. The top manager will oversee all the operations of the organization. 2. Every department should be managed by a skilled and knowledgeable indiv idual. The departmental heads will oversee the operations within their own department and ensure that what is delivered is up to the standards required by the board of directors. 3. Layout a channel for communication. Since communication is an essential tool in passing of information, the entire organization has to speak a common language that is understood by everyone. Through this, flow of information within the o

Role of Advance Practice Nurse Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Role of Advance Practice Nurse - Research Paper Example According to the paper the ANP should use his advanced level of education to advice and counsel the public on healthy living habits. Hamric, Spross and Hanson suggest that he or she should also assist middle level nurses in solving serious medical anomalies. ANPs are allowed to use their advanced medical knowledge for medical diagnosis and prescription. The administrative roles of ANPs include monitoring and mentoring junior medical staff and managing specialty medical sections according to Hamric, Spross and Hanson . ANPs should engage in research in their various specialty areas to realise and improve treatment methods and medical practices. An Advanced Nurse Educator (ANE) is a nursing instructor that is responsible for educating nursing students and they are mainly based in universities, colleges and medical research facilities. Furlong and Smith assert that the main role of ANEs in clinical practice is to implement the most effective medical research and care standards into the nursing profession. The role of ANES in primary care is to impart high standard skills and knowledge to nursing students to ensure they practice primary care effectively.

Restaurant Concept Project Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Restaurant Concept Project - Term Paper Example This restaurant project involves the purchase of an antique, 19th Century Hong Kong â€Å"junk† boat, and deconstructing the boat’s elements to become the decoration for a restaurant interior. The decor will follow a design developed by Robert D. Henry Architects in New York, but transform it so that the antique wood of the ship and the old carvings of the hull will be prominently displayed. These elements will be used throughout the restaurant interior, for example in the main bar area and the greeting lobby. The design is for an upscale Chinese restaurant in the downtown San Jose area, near to the HP Pavilion. The area includes many of the five-star hotels of San Jose, as well as being located near to San Jose State University. The combination of business, tourism, and retail shopping in the neighborhood is well established. The plan is targeting a second floor location on South First Street in San Jose, above an existing cafe-restaurant establishment. The Sailing Boa t restaurant will also have bar, lounge area, and dance floor so during the weekend it can set up like a club in order to attract more customers. Contemporary Hong Kong Junk in Traditional Style + Source: (Travel with a Challenge, 2011) Concept Development The traditional Hong Kong junk boat is known worldwide as a historical symbol of the city, yet it is a tradition that is rapidly being superseded by new technologies. The Sailing Boat restaurant is based on an upscale Chinese restaurant plan with a specialization in Hong Kong and fusion cuisine. The restaurant will involve the purchase of an antique Hong Kong junk boat and then deconstructing it into a series of panels that will be finished and restored to be used as the side panels in the restaurant. Similarly, the masts, sails, deck, and interior elements will be taken apart from the antique boat, restored, and used to build the bar, restaurant decorations, and main lobby / greeting area. The panels of the ship will be reconstru cted in the restaurant interior following a plan developed by Robert D. Henry Architects in New York, and will involve a renovation of the location as well as specialist crew for the ship preservation work. Restaurant Interior - Robert D. Henry Architects, New York (Interior Design News, 2011) The antique wood from the ships sides will be reformatted into panels approximately 10 to 12 feet square that will provide the covering for the walls behind the tables in the dining rooms, lounge, bar area, reception, and lobbies. Contemporary wood floor tiles will be used and the antique Hong Kong junk ship’s elements will be used in the corners, to build buffet elements, as the bar, and in the lounge are as a special theme. The antique Hong Kong junk ships typically had an elaborately carved set of railings, hull, and upper deck that will be perfect as the backdrop of a restaurant. By abstracting the ship elements into a modern restaurant design, the decor of The Sailing Boat

Terrorism on September 11, 2001 Essay Example for Free

Terrorism on September 11, 2001 Essay Terrorism is no vague concept but a modern danger and growing concern throughout the world. With the peak of violence seen on September 11, 2001 and the subsequent attacks experienced throughout the world following that attack, the United States awareness and reaction to terrorism and terrorist acts has changed. In an ideological war with no end in sight the way in which America fights the war on terror will help determine the eventual outcome. In his report, Unconquerable Nation, terrorism analyst Brian Michael Jenkins attempts to provide background and a deeper understanding of the threat faced by the United States in the coming years from al Qaeda and similar groups. This information teamed with advice and analysis gleaned from decades of terrorism research, lay out a plan for combating terrorism through deeper means and deeper understanding of the enemy. As Jenkins explains is his introductory chapter, a five-point philosophy of war must be employed not only by the government in the war on terror but also supported and carried by the average citizen. The five points are a necessity of knowing the enemy, mobilization of individual courage and commitment to the necessary good, psychological strength, an understanding and commitment to the longevity of the mission, and embracing â€Å"liberty as the source and sustenance of security† (2006, p. 5). Among some of the flaws in the current campaign is the failure to perform many of these points, chief among them is a lack of understanding of the enemy and the reality of the time necessary to defeat such a foe. Brian Michael Jenkins has been part of terrorism research and strategy from the beginning, when in 1972 the U. S. first began to take a look at terrorism as a distinct and increasingly dangerous risk (p. 6). As he notes, the Lod Airport massacre in Israel and the murder of Olympic athletes in Munich in 1972 led to the creation of the Cabinet Committee to Combat Terrorism (p. 7). However, terrorism has continued to evolve over the past several decades as the terrorist ideology has shifted from a strictly political standpoint into the arena of religious (p. 8). Conventionally defined as â€Å"a small, artificially defined segment of political violence† (Jenkins, 2006, p. 8), it has grown to be most visible in recent years as a mix of skewed religious ideologies and political unrest viewed through centuries of historical and theological unrest. In the 1980s the threat from terrorism grew outside the arena of simply a political vehicle. Where once terrorist acts were committed to gain visibility and understanding of the group and their demands, the attacks had now become more bloody and indiscriminate as the terrorists are not interested in image. Jenkins explains that, â€Å"today, many terrorists want a lot of people watching and a lot of people dead† (2006, p. 9). With the increase of senseless, casualty-heavy violence fears over what methods they will employ have increased. In the 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union a general sense of fear began to permeate among international and political analysts (p. 146). The United States and other western countries began preparing for the worst, as predictions were made on nuclear proliferation, the diversion of the Soviet Union’s heavy arsenal to terrorist groups and unsympathetic countries (p. 147-148). However, none of these fears has yet come to tangible proof. While on 9/11, terrorists were able to deal the largest blow to the United States through conventional terrorist methods of attack, their bombs were neither nuclear or biological; their infiltration into society and subsequent hijacking were done using conventional means and bombs (p. 149). Primary among, Jenkins points is the understanding of al Qaeda and related jihadist groups in waging a successful campaign against terrorism. Terrorists today aren’t the same as traditional guerilla militias or the terrorists of the 1970s. â€Å"The enemies we face have changed fundamentally† (Jenkins, 2006, p. 14). Though the current U. S. led efforts to subdue and eradicate al Qaeda and related groups have been successful in driving them underground, they have not addressed the root of the terrorist discourse or stemmed recruitment or what Jenkins calls the political war (p. 14). In ignoring the current implications and ideology of al Qaeda and like-minded terrorists the U. S. is counteracting its own progress. The concept of jihad, the driving force behind al Qaeda, has been elevated, â€Å"from a struggle within one’s soul to an unlimited war against the West† (p. 23). Their grievances with the West, as espoused by Osama bin Laden and his brothers in arms, are both valid and unattainable. One of the root causes noted by bin Laden and his followers include the treatment of Palestine by Israel which the U. S. is seen as supporting through their support of Israel. This could and, according to Jenkins, should be addressed as it is a â€Å"noble† cause (p. 125). However, many of their grievances such as the presence of the U. S. in the Middle-East, Saudi Arabia, a saturation of Western culture as a destructive factor in Islam are unattainable goals. Jenkins implies and I agree, that the demands are unattainable by design and therefore supportive of a never-ending jihad. Those who believed that the war on terrorism would begin and end with the war in Iraq were only half right. While of strategic and ideological importance, Iraq has been both an overly dominant and distracting force in the overall war on terrorism. I agree with Jenkins assessment that the conflict will only reach another stage with the withdrawal from Iraq and whether viewed with defeat or victory the withdrawal will usher in a new stage in an ongoing conflict. I agree wholeheartedly with Jenkins assessment that, â€Å"we are still closer to the beginning then the end of what is likely to be a very long campaign† (p/ 176). In fighting a political war against al Qaeda and other jihadists, the U. S. would be most effective in trying to stem recruitment, prevent the spreading of their ideology by promoting alternatives and education on religion (p. 125). By using measures to halt recruitment and reeducate detainees, the U. S. would see more long term results. Many of the tactics used so far like the fall of the Taliban and closing of training camps in Afghanistan, thwarted attacks, and disrupted funding (pp. 27-29), while important do not dispel the group’s danger. As Jenkins explains, they have adapted to the new limitations and not knowing the actual size of the enemy it is difficult to assess the true danger and actual gains (p. 27). The jihadist’s real weapon against the U. S. is ideological, â€Å"Armed forces alone cannot win this war. The real battle is ideological† (Jenkins, 2006, p. 120). A loss of capital hasn’t prevented attacks since 9/11 or halted recruitment. In the environment created by the U. S. ’s continued presence in Iraq, the jihadists have attempted to seize an opportunity to use discontent to build their numbers. The U. S. has to fight this as well. The U. S. and other countries fighting the war on terrorism have to discredit al Qaeda’s message and to use their extremism against them. Jihadists’ beliefs are the minority, â€Å"to many Muslims, even those angered by U. S. policies, bin Laden is a crackpot† (p. 107). Still to some he speaks the truth and even changing the way in which believers are handled would be effective in the long run in defeating the threat. By trying to change the thinking and treatment of detainees, the U. S. and other governments can prevent future acts of terrorism. By working with willing defectors and possible converts, the U. S. could stem their flow of willing bodies, which is their greatest weapon, as Jenkins explains and I agree, â€Å"political warfare accepts no for as having irrevocably crossed a line† (p. 122). If the U. S. government and it’s allies write off the discontent of the recruitment population they run the risk of alienating a whole new generation of terrorist fighters. Jihad’s strongest weapon is its connection to the people; recruiters are able to recognize and weed out the committed and able to manipulate religious belief. Islam is used as a unifying factor by these terrorist groups, they see unity in the Muslim world as an outcome of jihad (p. 107). Increased modes of communication such as the internet and intense organization have allowed for a broader reach in the jihadist message. Their leaders are in for the long haul, â€Å"al Qaeda will not quit its leaders have no alternatives† (p. 38). By fighting the root causes of the movement and creating disillusionment and doubt in its followers, though more time intensive, the West will create a better future. As long as jihadist ideology is treated as outside the realm of reasonable understanding, it will not be defeated. As Jenkins pointedly explains, â€Å"their mindsets and their concepts of fighting are foreign to us, but they make sense in the context of their beliefs and circumstances† (p. 60). Through understanding, the war on terrorism will have its greatest victories. It can’t be treated or viewed like a conventional war, the enemy is not another country or a distinct leader but a mindset bred from circumstance and perverted ideals. So, first and foremost we must battle against the mindset. Countries like Yemen, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia have had success with religious counseling and debate with detainees (p. 130-131). Why doesn’t the U. S. do the same? Instead their have been indeterminate detainments, isolation, and endless interrogation (p. 132). Torture as a means of interrogation, something thought to be beneath American values has been not only practiced by defended. This is not the way to show and maintain our values in the face of a belief based insurgency. We have to learn from other countries examples and Jenkins proposes acceptance of even our imperfect allies, particularly Russia and Pakistan (p. 134). I agree with Jenkins in his assessment of realizing and accepting the risks and realities of this type of campaign is paramount in a publicly advocated and successful war (p. 153). War does not come without risk or with guaranteed successes, there will be discouragements as not every attack can be foreseen and prevented but conscientious persistence is a must. References Jenkins, B. M. (2006). Unconquerable Nation: Knowing Our Enemies, Strengthening Ourselves. RAND Corporation.