Causes for the Central Powers Losing the First World War

After the First World War had ceased on the 11th of November 1918, there were a lot of negotiations on the issue of how to sustain peace, and how to treat the Central Powers, which consisted namely of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria. France wanted urgent reparation for the damages Germany had caused, and did not consider giving her a â€Å"mild punishment†, such as the one Britain had suggested. There are several important reasons as to why the Central Powers lost World War One.During this analysis I will be looking at the most vital ones, and giving a brief idea of how and why these shaping events took place. There was one particular event involving especially Germany at an early stage of the war: the von Schlieffen plan. In 1914, Germany tried to pursue the so-called â€Å"von Schlieffen plan†, in which the goal was to surround the French armies. They planned to do so by flying through Belgium to the coasts of France, to then capture the Channel ports an d use the way of the rivers to surround France, their support and their navy.This was easier said than done; the Belgian resistance was strong, making Germany unable to capture the Channel ports and thus unable to get somewhat control of France. The fact that the von Schlieffen plan failed had a great impact on the Central Powers’ motivation throughout the war, as well the fact that it did not manage to show their authority from early on. Several smaller reasons to why the Central Powers lost also need to be taken into consideration. Britain tried to block German ports and trade routes, making it difficult for them to acquire weapons, ammunition, transport and food from other countries.Considering that the Germans were already exhausted by the war, because of the fact that they did not expect a long-term war. To add to that, there was not a lot the other Central Powers could do to help Germany, meaning that they all-in-all did not get many new supplies of tools for warfare. I n conclusion, there were many minimal causes for the results of the First World War, such as British blockade of German ports and trade routes, German exhaustion and the fact that they did not get much help from the other Central Powers. US entered the war in April 1917.This was a vital reason for the Allies’ victory. Seeing as it was at the very end of World War One, and Germany was already exhausted, it did a great deal to their morale when a whole new continent joined the war. The US contributed by providing Britain and France with food, merchant ships and credit. By mid-1918 over half a million American soldiers were involved in the war. As well as the physical help, the USA gave a vast blow to German morale. Thus, the US joining the war was one of the leading steps to the Allies winning.As my short analysis has shown, there were many different reasons for the Central Powers losing the First World War, in which there were small reasons as well as big ones. The causes I ha ve mentioned are the failure of the Schlieffen plan, small reasons such as British blockade, German exhaustion and not getting any help from the other Central Powers and lastly, the US joining the war towards the end. These are only some of the reasons, however they show how German morale to some extent affected the

A Brief Encounter

The sun was beaming down onto the hills of Konstanz, a small and low-lying village, very close to the border with Switzerland. The men were walking to the station. They had been walking a long way and were very tired. It was late in the evening. They stopped off at a small cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ where they ordered some water and some crisps each. They paid and walked the final few metres until they arrived at the small and derelict station. There, they were stopped by a small group of soldiers, wearing their green, olive-coloured suits. They asked the men for their papers. The men handed their tatty papers over very reluctantly. They checked the papers and then told the exhausted men that they were not allowed to cross and that they had to see the general of the area. The tired men slowly walked the few steps across the battered platform, accompanied by the tired soldiers. On the other side of road, there was a small, brick-walled hut. They walked slowly up to it. Inside the general was reading the local newspaper, slouched back in his leather chair. ‘Ah, hello,' he said calmly. They did not respond but looked around the little building. On the wall, there were lots of photographs of the squadrons in which he must have trained as a pilot. ‘You know that there are a group of fugitives from a German concentration camp, where are you from?' he said. ‘We come from France. We are going to Zurich to greet our friends from school,' Francois said. ‘You are the fugitives, aren't you?' he said, ‘you have caused us enough trouble.' ‘We are not the†¦' ‘Yes you are,' he said interrupting, ‘we have been told by General Heimlich back in Munich. Remember him? He has sent us a telegram of what you look like and your names.' They stood still, looking at the photos. The sun was dying down as the evening started to approach. ‘We are not the fugitives, we are going to Zurich to see our friends,' Francois said very persuasively. The general was not to be moved. He stayed there, smoking his pipe casually. ‘You are; because I know what you look like, so there is no point in trying to plead your case; and even if you are going to Zurich, you do not have the right papers to do so,' he replied. ‘That is absurd!' Raphael said. He stamped his foot on the ground loudly. ‘What is happening to us, then?' said Francois. ‘No, don't say that; I want a reason why we are being refused entry. Go on then, why?' said Raphael. ‘The general from the camp in Munich has told others, and me, that three men of French origin have escaped. They match your figures and so I have to enquire as to who they are. He did not say any names so I will phone him now. If you could wait for a second or two,' he replied. He picked up the phone from the other side of his wooden desk. He dialled the number carefully and slowly. He then listened in. ‘Ah, hello, is that General Heimlich?' he enquired. ‘Yes,' was the reply from the other end. ‘Hello, this is General Fuser, here in Konstanz,' he replied. ‘I have three young men here, who say that they are French. They say that they are visiting some friends in Zurich. What are their names? ‘Francois, Raphael and Danni. They must be returned to Munich,' he replied. ‘Ok, thanks, bye,' he responded. He put the phone down onto the desk quietly. ‘Ok then,' he said calmly. ‘General Heimlich has ordered that you be returned to Munich at once. You will get the next train, which leaves in ten minutes.' ‘What!' said Raphael. He started to shout at the general. He was restrained with difficulty by two of the soldiers and they were led of the building to the other side of the destroyed station. They picked up their bags and headed for the furthest platform. They were accompanied by the same soldiers. The train rolled into the station slowly. A pile of travellers got off it and dispersed into different parts of the station. The distraught men then got onto the train and it quickly left. The hills of the village quickly disappeared as the train gradually got further away from the ruined station. ‘How long will the journey be?' Danni asked Francois. ‘Oh, only an hour. We will be there by seven,' he replied. By now, the sun had died and it was beginning to get dark. The station was approaching and there were lots of people waiting patiently on the station platform. Also, there were a group of soldiers with General Heimlich. They were escorted of the train by the soldiers and taken to General Heimlich. The men were led to a car and then driven a few minutes to the familiar site of the Munich Concentration camp. When they arrived, there were about two hundred men, lined up against the fence, watching them arrive. All of the men quickly walked into the general's office. He was furious. ‘Right then, you know why you are here. Why did you try to escape? We monitor all of the paperwork very closely. You will not escape again, though I am sure you will try again.' ‘You will face a bad punishment,' he said to them. ‘I think that two weeks isolation will do you a bit of good. If you do it again and then get caught, you will be in front of a firing squad.' They looked around the room with a sense of concern. It was cold and windy outside and the only light was from a car over the hills in the distance. ‘Do you hear me,' he shouted to them. ‘Yes,' they said timidly. ‘You will be monitored very closely by the soldiers, and I will see you every two days. Also, there will be cabin checks every week,' he said very angrily. ‘You have caused me enough trouble, and you will be punished.' ‘Understand?' ‘Yes,' they replied quietly. The fugitives walked out of the room escorted by soldiers. When they neared the entrance, there was a huge cheer for them. The distraught men walked into the compound, surrounded by captives, congratulating them on what they had done. General Heimlich stood outside his office, pondering what to do with them next. A Brief Encounter The poem â€Å"Summer Love† by Marilyn Chin written in 1994 uses descriptive emotional imagery through various tones to illustrate short lived relationships during the summer of a woman’s life. The situations and settings of the poem add to the theme of the poem as well as her use of figurative speech to describe the emotions she experiences during and from these relationships. The author Marilyn Chin has expressed several emotions within the poem through the use of descriptive imagery and by altering the tones of the piece, subsequently stimulating the readers’ imagination. The author’s creative writing conveys her underling message of change of emotions that are experienced in any relationship, whether it lasts minutes or a lifetime. Her use of figurative speech captivates the reader, and allows them to experience her emotional journey through language. Mei Ling Chin was born in Hong Kong in 1955 and migrated to the United States with her family where they resided in Portland Oregon. Upon the insistence of her father her name was changed to Marilyn as he thought it was necessary for school and he also had an obsession with Marilyn Monroe. Having family in Hong Kong, Hawaii and all over the West Coast reinforced assimilation as an important issue to her. 1 Being afraid of losing her roots she used poetry to recapture this aspect, however she acknowledges that the truth is we cannot recapture the past. Marilyn Chin is an Asian contemporary writer who has three collections of work and her other pieces can be found in various anthologies. She was influenced by activist poets and has won numerous awards throughout her career. This piece is reflective of a short lived relationship between a young woman possibly the author, and her encounter with a desirable partner with whom she has had a brief sexual encounter. This is concluded in the first stanza, which has her explaining that her companion has spent the night and that she does not mind him staying for breakfast, but she does not want him to remain afterward. Her statement that there is nothing worse than last night’s love implies there was a sexual occurrence of some sort. She also reflects on former companions during the third stanza, speculating if her resent beau plans to follow similar actions taken by her previous partners. She describes her previous lovers as being scorned, possibly due to her actions during their brief encounters. Throughout the poem the young woman’s sentiments toward her lover change via each stanza. There is a profound sexual undertone expressed throughout the piece which could also be associated with the title of the poem. The phrase summer love commonly implies a brief love affair during the summer months between two people who know that it will come to an end. The author has appropriately altered the tones of the piece to enhance the reader’s understanding of each stanza. The first emotion expressed is one of indifference towards her lover. The third line in the first stanza is the initial affirmation to the young girl’s apathy. â€Å"If this doesn’t please you, too bad, its all I have. †, (Chin 3) referring to her cooking breakfast consisting of dried lotus, bay oysters with scrambled eggs. Her unemotional statement has let her companion know that she is not concerned about their feelings. She has cooked breakfast and it does not matter if they stay to eat, yet if the meal is not of his preference, it is not of importance to her. The next line shows a more callous attitude towards her lover. â€Å"Do not linger; nothing worse in the morning than last night’s love. † (Chin 4-5) She is ready for him to depart, creating an intimidating atmosphere. The author has conveyed the impassive view she takes on the encounter through the woman’s statements in the last three lines. The woman’s apparent communications of these distant feelings demonstrate her indifferent attitude toward this person during the commencement of the poem. The second stanza denotes a lustful, yearning of her partner. She describes her partner’s physical attributes starting with his stomach, which she describes as flat, and uses a metaphor of their skin as milk in the moonlight. The second line’s hyperbole allows the reader to understand that even though they were amidst many people, she noticed his glimmer. As they dance, her judgment becomes clouded and her inhibitions appear to fade. The last two lines illustrate the physical connection that has occurred. â€Å"I let you touch me where I am most vulnerable, heart of the vulva, vulva of the heart. † (Chin 9-10) This metaphor is twice as significant. The first half represents that they have pleasured her physically in the most personal part of her body, while the second half symbolizes the emotional contact that her partner has made with her heart. 2 The author alters the mood of the piece again, when the woman expresses the compassion she begins to show. The first lines declare her trepidation that she might not find someone else like her partner. She does not want this association to be comparable to her past relationships, in which her previous lovers left scorned. The sentiment of the first three lines of this stanza illustrates her empathy. â€Å"Perhaps, I fear, there will not be another like you, / or you might walk away in the same face of others- / -blue with scorn and a troubled life. † (Chin 11-13) The feeling of dispassion once expressed has now been replaced, possibly due to her knowledge of the impending closure of the relationship. The author then gives the realization of the situation saying, â€Å"But, for now, let the summers be savored and the centuries be forgiven. † (Chin 14) The woman would like to preserve the good times and put any other concerns out of her mind for now. She ends the poem with the lines, â€Å"Two lovers in a field of floss and iris- / where nothing else matters but the dew and the light. † (Chin 15-16) The author poignantly ends her poem, where the woman is holding on to her memories, unconcerned of the future only thinking of the present. The situations and settings of the poem vary as much as the tones do. Our speaker stays the same yet her location seems to change throughout the stanzas. In the beginning our speaker appears to be at home. This is inferred by her comment to her partner regarding him not lingering around. Then it seems that either she has gone to a place where she is reminiscing about meeting, or seeing her partner, at what would be perceived as a function due to her reference of â€Å"a thousand tired eyes†. Chin 7) The last stanza doesn’t give the impression of the woman being at a specific setting but more of her reflecting on her past circumstances. The last two lines seem to be more of a daydream that has her envisioning herself and her partner in a field of floss and iris. The author uses figures of speech to captivate and retain the readers’ interest. The hyperbole used in the seventh line strengthens the author’s emphasis of her desire for her lover, being able to n otice her lover amongst many people. The metaphor used in the last two lines symbolizes the physical and emotional feelings experienced by the speaker. In conclusion, the author has used creative writing to express the emotions felt during diverging relationships to explicate the same emotions experienced in this particular relationship. In my opinion, the altered tones and situations create a balance to the poem that keeps the reader intrigued. The author has expressed the emotions that most people experience during their own relationships, whether or not the relationship was the similar to the one described in the poem.

Effects of credit crunch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Effects of credit crunch - Essay Example ; data cover both central government debt and local government debt, which China's National Audit Office estimated at RMB 10.72 trillion (approximately US$1.66 trillion)in 2011; data exclude policy bank bonds, Ministry of Railway debt, China Asset Management Company debt, and non-performing loans 51.9% of GDP (2012 est.) 50.5% of GDP (2011 est.) note: data cover central government debt, and exclude debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions Central bank discount rate $3.389 trillion (31 December 2011 est.) $4.763 trillion (31 December 2010) $5.008 trillion (31 December 2009 est.) $1.015 trillion (31 December 2011) $1.616 trillion (31 December 2010) $1.179 trillion (31 December 2009) Commercial bank prime lending rate 2.25% (31 December 2011 est.) 3.25% (31 December 2010 est.) 5.5% (31 December 2010 est.) 6% (31 December 2009 est.) note: the Indian central bank's policy rate - the repurchase rate - was 8% during December 2012 Stock of money 6% (31 December 2012 est.) 6.56% (31 December 2011 est.) 10.8% (31 December 2012 est.) 10.19% (31 December 2011 est.) Stock of quasi money $2.434 trillion (31 December 2008) $2.09 trillion (31 December 2007) $278.8 billion (31 December 2009) $239.8 billion (31 December 2008) Stock of domestic credit $4.523 trillion (31 December 2008) $3.437 trillion (31 December 2007) $853.4 billion (31 December 2009) $687.7 billion (31 December 2008) Stock of narrow money $12.59 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $10.92 trillion (31 December 2011 est.) $1.402 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $1.249 trillion (31 December 2011 est.) Stock of broad money $4.91 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $4.6 trillion (31 December 2011 est.) $342.3 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $305.7 billion (31 December 2011 est.) Taxes and other revenues $15.58 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $13.52 trillion (31 December 2011 est.) $1.451 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $1.293 trillion (31 December 2011 est.) Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) 22.3% of GDP (2012 est.) 8.8% of GDP (2012 est.) -2.3% of GDP (2012 est.) -5.6% of GDP (2012 est.) Table 1; comparison between Indian and Chinese economies, retrieved from http://www.indexmundi.com/factbook/compare/china.india/economy. China and India have some similar country economic profiles and

Television Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Television - Case Study Example Virgin Media, the Cable Company in which Sir Richard Branson's empire is a major shareholder accused Sky of using its dominant position in Pay-TV to stifle competition. According to Sky, the row between the companies started because of the Virgin's refusal to pay the asking price. Virgin says that Sky is trying to dominate the market by asking 'more than double' charges for its channels with a view to 'coerce' virgin customers to switch to new providers by denying access to basic channels. Sky maintains that the price it wants is 'reasonable' taking into account the benefits it provides to the Virgin customers. It also says that it has adopted a 'product differentiation' along with the 'price increase' by offering new 'high definition' service, where the quality of the broadcasting will be better. "It denies allegations by Virgin that it is demanding "more than double" the amount currently paid." (BBC News 2007) According to Richard and Mark (2007) "Sky added that its offer of 3p per Virgin Media customer per day is still on the table should the cable group wish to return. Sky added that it is still willing to supply its channels directly to cable households." Marketing The strategy behind the move of Sky is to reposition its channel Sky one by revamping it to include live football and UK TV premieres of big US films giving Sky One a content which is being currently offered under Sky's premium sports and movie channels. Couple with this Sky is providing programmes in High Definition (HD), which it claims as a key selling point. With this differentiation and improvements in the products Sky demanded higher charges from Virgin. Virgin Media's View Point: Virgin Media implies that Sky is using its dominance in the market to its advantage. Steve Burch, the Chief Executive of Virgin says "we will not allow Virgin Media or our customers to be the victim of Sky's market power." Virgin says that it cannot afford to pay the charges being demanded by Sky since as per the costing calculations virgin would end up in paying Sky 1.23 per month per subscriber that is more than one third of the 90p cost outlined by Sky. Moreover Sky is also demanding a 'minimum guaranteed payment' that is twice the current annual payment being made by Virgin to Sky. "Virgin has closed the gap with Sky to some extent by signing deals with major content owners to offer programmes on demand - though these do not include US drama 24 and mainly cover older series" (Chris Tryhorn 2007) Strategy of Virgin Media: To combat the pressure from Sky Virgin had already signed deals with some content owners to provide programs on demand. Virgin Media would continue to charge the customers at the same level without any reduction for the loss of Sky channels. Virgin says it would compensate the viewers with 2700 hours of on-demand viewing. Effect on the Customers of Virgin: With the Sky basic channels going off the cable, the viewers would end up paying more for lesser channels, although Virgin says it will compensate the customers with more hours on-demand viewing. Around 3.3 million subscribers of Virgin would loose channels like Sky One, Sky Travel, Sky News and Sky Sports News. They will not get the value for the money they pay to Virgin. This would result in the subscribers switching over to other providers where they may get full value for their money. Effect of BSkyB and Virgin

BMW Automobiles. BMW Demand and Supply Coursework

BMW Automobiles. BMW Demand and Supply - Coursework Example Microeconomic Analysis Demand is the willingness and the ability of consumers to buy a certain product for a certain price at a particular period. While other factors are held constant, the prices of goods and services increase as its demand increases and vice versa. Supply is the willingness of the manufacturer or the company producing then goods or services to sell the products at a given price at a given period. While other factors are held constant, the supply of goods and services will increase at an increase in price. Various demand and supply factors affect the production and sale of BMW 3 series vehicles (Flaschel, 2010, p.1). The first factor is affecting BMW’s demand and supply is consumer taste and preference. Different consumers have a varied taste and preference for the product. BMW 3 series is a mid-level luxury performance sedan. The car is also a bench marker in the market. It has played a great role in influencing the competitor’s in trying to achieve i ts class. The consumers also have their taste, which varies with the individual. The taste and preference of this car by some individual consumers is predominantly affected by its price in the market, the performance both on road and on off roads modes, the cars ability to perform, and the fuel consumption. The BMW 3 series has a relatively high fuel consumption capacity as compared to its competitors and it is better in performance than its competitors are. Secondly, consumer income affects the demand of the BMW 3 series. Consumer income is the amount that the consumer has which they are willing to invest on that commodity. The BMW 3 series retail price varies depending with the model. The lowest price for the BMW 3 series is $32,400. This price may not be affordable to many consumers. The consumer income is the greatest determiner of the demand for this product both in America and outside the American market (Flaschel, 2010, p.1). Additionally, price of substitutes and other compl ementary vehicles affects the demand of the BMW 3series cars. BMW, being a luxury mid-level vehicle, has many substitutes and complementary vehicles. An example of these substitutes is the Audi A3, Infiniti G35, Cadillac CTS, and the Acura TL. These substitutes have a relatively low price and perform equally with the BMW 3 series. The availability of these substitutes has greatly affected the consumers’ decision in determining the best car available for them. The availability of these substitutes also influences the ability of the consumer to save in comparison to what they would have used if they purchased the BMW 3series. Additionally, the BMW 3 series has been affected by the complementary goods. Complementary goods are the goods that are used alongside the product. The BMW 3 series is a relatively high consumer if gasoline in comparison to its competitors. This has hugely influenced the demand of this car (Hortacs, et al, 2010, p.1). The forth factor that has influenced t he demand of this car is the consumer expectations. The BMW 3 series car has largely met the consumers’ expectations. BMW is actually an envy of many people, which has also increased the demand of this vehicle. The BMW 3 series is a great performer both on road and on off road modes. This has enabled it to have an innovative over the others in the market. The BMW also produces high quality vehicles that are not prone to damages as compared to it

PTSD sources analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

PTSD sources analysis - Essay Example Some people overcome this problem over time while others continue to be affected in their lifetime. Veterans especially Army and firefighters are the majority group likely to get PTSD. It has been found that people involved in combat situations are highly likely to have mental health problems due to what they encounter. After surviving in combat zones, many veterans have been seeking help in mental health care to overcome PTSD. However, they receive little or no medical attention for their life after they leave the army.4 Some of the problems that soldiers are forced to live with include anxiety, stress, and nightmares while others take their life after failing to get the necessary attention to PTSD. Because of this reason, the Veteran Affairs, set aside 300 million dollars for veteran mental health, but not all this amount will be spent.5 In fact, The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report that faults the â€Å"Department of Veterans’ Affairs for failing to fully spend a promised $300 million since 2005 to fill gaps in mental illness treatment for veterans and returning troops.†6 The lack of support system in places of mental health care is due to lack of qualified medical professionals and resources.7 Moreover, there is lack of qualified mental health professionals in the field of mental health specializing in the recognition and treatment of PTSD. For example, many troops and veterans have not been screened for neurological and psychological injuries due to lack of physicians and inadequate medical screening process.8 A report published in Jan 2009 by the organization IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) states â€Å"Instead of screening troops through a face to face interview with a qualified mental health professionals, the DOD relies on an ineffective system of paper work to conduct mental health evaluations.†9 The report also mentions, â€Å"Mental health support for troops in Iraq is actually declining;

Vietnam War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Vietnam War - Research Paper Example in O’Brien’s â€Å"The Things They Carried†, but the author illustrates the base that Kiley used to be at in â€Å"The Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong†, which is comparable to the base at the Khe Sanh. O’Brien’s intention in the book is to portray on how the war changes people and even if we know the story, what happens inside their minds is still impossible to â€Å"truly† understand. O’Brien writes, â€Å"Fine with me. But you don’t know human nature. You don’t know Nam† (O’Brien 97). The author wants to emphasize that while people strive to understand each other, this attempt would only be limited to personal opinion, and there can be no truth in every individual understanding. O’Brien adds, â€Å"He couldn’t pin it down; her body seemed foreign somehow – too stiff in places, too firm where the softness should be† (99). It appears that the author is trying to evaluate the re sponses of people in the war against his personal views on how people should really behave during a war scene. But as aforementioned, the Battle of the Khe Sanh is one of the most controversial wars in history. Why? The war shows evidence of the fabrication of the American national identity. There are many misrepresentations of facts, particularly in the socio-cultural and political dimensions of the war. In order to obtain control over the infiltration routes south of the Demilitarized Zone and near the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the former French outpost along Khe Sanh was walled and nearly 6 thousand Americans and South Vietnamese were designated in order to secure the base (Browne, â€Å"Battlefields of the Khe Sanh†). In the succeeding passages, the display of horrific scenes including more than 150,000 projectiles and more than 100,000 pounds of explosive ordinance were released on the encompassing hillsides of once silent village of Khe Sanh (Clarke 185). The lush foliage will never go back to the valley that surrounded Khe Sanh and the pristine beauty that it used to have can no

Union organizing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Union organizing - Essay Example In every establishment the employee and employer relationship and their performance are regulated by proper labor laws. Though most of these labor laws are intended to protect the interests of the employees, they are seen generally exploited by the employers. The act of the employers may provoke the employees so that they may organize themselves to safeguard their interests by bargaining their needs collectively, through strikes or by other means. In order to avoid such strikes that may thwart the progress of the establishment, the employers may seek settlements.These settlements may have pros and cons. Sometimes these will go in favor of the employees due to their power of collective demand. And at other times if there is conflict in their demands the settlement may favor the employers too.Success of any organizations largely depends upon the intensity of the employee-employer relationship. This relationship is based on the quantity and quality of safety and protection, care and val ue an employer gives to the employee, and the magnitude of service an employee provides to the employer. Different labor laws were enacted in the course of time to restrict the employers from exploiting the employees. If the employees suspect that the employer is exploiting them the employees will tend to organize to safeguard their interests. No democratic government can prohibit the rights of the employee to organize. However, to avoid wanton dealings untoward conflicts certain laws were formulated on to how this union organizing can be processed. As per the provisions contained in Section 8(a) (1) of the National Labor Relations Act no employer can restrict the employees from exercising their rights to collective organization, or unionization. Section 8(a) (3) prohibits employers from interfering labor union activities through company hiring and employment decisions. But mostly, these prohibitory orders are violated at workplaces. For instance, consider the case of Dynasteel Corp. v. NLRB, 181 LRRM 2201 (5th Cir. 2007). The Dynasteel Corp has two plants, one in Mississippi and the other in Tennessee. The employers at Mississippi plant put illegal threats and discipline on employees, while at Tennessee plant; they discriminated against the applicants for employment. Accusing unfair labor practice NLRB framed charges against Dynasteel. The Fifth Circuit was convinced of the illegal practices of the company and granted NLRB's request to enforce its order. Union Organizing 4 Now that discussion on 'The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) is in progress, it will bring in drastic changes in the matter of union organizing during the first leg of the presidency of Mr. Obama. It is likely that the provisions contained in NLRA may be revamped, taking a much lenient attitude towards the employees and at the same time adopting somewhat stringent steps against the employers. In nut shell, if The Employee Free Choice Act becomes federal law, the workers will get an edge over the employers with their right to form a union. This may torpedo the interests of the employers as it is considered that it will bring harm to their business. Union Organizing 5 Discussion Union organizing from the employee's perspective is to gain collective bargaining for better wages, good and safe working conditions, protection from exploitation, and increased job security. But the nature of employee relations and the roles of trade union may not be in conformity with legislation. Many argue that employee relations are not confined to unions and its collective bargaining, but cover all employment relationships. They are of the opinion that it is beyond pay and other benefits. However, it is quite certain that if the right to organize is jeopardized the safety of the

Lincoln-Douglas Debates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lincoln-Douglas Debates - Essay Example He also insisted that he would be happy to abolish slave trade and slavery â€Å"I should be exceedingly glad to see slavery abolished in the District of Columbia.† His lack of support for the slavery was however not that passionate and he would not put in personal effort to see it end unless Congress as a whole made that decision based on the power the constitution had accorded them. He made this position very clear in his speech when he said â€Å"†¦I should not with my present views be in favor of endeavoring to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia†¦ (Henretta and Kevin 333)† His position on slavery was legal as he based everything on the constitution. This is evident for example when he said that he would abolish slavery because he was a member of the Congress and the Congress had the constitutional power to abolish it through changing or amending the slavery laws that were currently present. He also gave a number of legal conditions in which he would abolish slavery including if the majority of the voters in the District of Columbia voted for it to be abolished and also if the owners of those slaves were to be compensated for having to part with their slaves who were their laborers. An individual watching this speech would expect that once Lincoln becomes the president, he would honor his words by using his constitutional power to abolish slavery or influence the Congress to amend the constitution and especially the clauses that allow slavery as a way to abolish slavery. These expectations are based on the fact that Lincoln was a man who knew law very well and followed it to the letter and he was also a man of actions and especially when it is something he desired. If his desires were therefore on abolishing slavery, he would have made that happen as soon as he became president. His desires to abolish slavery

Management - Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management - Diversity - Essay Example Moreover, empathy can result in discouraging organizational subcultures to form. Subcultures ostracize those outside them, and a sense of superiority in those who form parts thereof, however, a little empathy, even if learned/forced, can go a long way in mutual respect, resulting in the discouragement of such subcultures to be formed. 2. Overcoming differences for effective teamwork: it is all but natural for organizational employees to have differences in their personalities and ideals. Effective and successful teamwork is a must-have in any organization’s operations. Often, teamwork is hampered when employees cannot overcome their differences, sometimes resulting in all out confrontations. An organization that fosters diversity needs to train its employees in ways to overcome their differences for effective teamwork, so that the organization’s operations can run successfully and smoothly. 3. Inclusivity of various different employees of the organization as much as pos sible: it is important that none of the employees feel sidelined in an organization, especially based on their personal differences (e.g. gender, class, ethnicity, religion etc.). Organizational work, as well as employee morale, is adversely affected if employees feel that the organization does not value them or their opinion. ... ss dealings with abroad: whether it is the organizational employees inter se or organizational employees and organizational foreign clients, it is very important for them to be sensitive to the cultural differences and the nuances these differences bear. In inter-office dealings, cultural intelligence can lead to a friendlier work environment, where all employees feel their beliefs are respected; whereas in international dealings, cultural sensitivity and intelligence can result in success along with avoiding the organization embarrassment. There are myriads of ways to attain these objectives, however, some of them can include the following: 1. Just like other regular training workshops and seminars, training regarding diversity can also involve having guest speakers and lecturers, coming from diverse background to come and talk to the employees. These lectures/talks can involve various topics dealing with diversity and can help the employees gain a better understanding of problems f acing the minority at work. 2. There can be an hour or two set aside, every two or four weeks, for employees to share their personal stories, where they relate their personal diversity experiences. Negative and positive both aspects should be equally highlighted. Just like there is a need for employees to learn what to avoid, they need to learn what would be a good thing to do in certain situations with regard to diversity. This can also foster a sense of inclusion in the employees, as well as make them feel that their voices are being heard. 3. An informal office party, where everyone is invited is a good idea, however, to make it more interesting (or more â€Å"diversity training efficient†) the employees can be asked to socialize/interact with those different than them once they are at

The American Civil War Essay Example for Free

The American Civil War Essay The impact that religion had on reforms from the 1820s to the 1850s can clearly be seen in the effect that it had in contributing to the American Civil War. Religion played a key role in the different positions that the North and the South were going to take with regard to the issue of slavery. The Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist teachings espoused themes of both unity and separation. This was echoed well during the activities in 1837, 1844 and 1845, respectively, when the bond of national unity was broken. Instead of unifying a country, most of the religious influences during this time caused the alienation of most sectors by projecting distorted images. In turn, this led to the establishment of independent sects in a once united country. This rift and sectional independence was sustained by the growing moral outrage that each side felt for each other. The overemphasis of the church, during this period, on individualism failed to provide the leadership necessary to steer the nation through many issues, none more pivotal than that of slavery. An example of this would be the reforms instituted by the Republican Party. These reforms were rooted on a form of Calvinism that was deeply moderated. The southern evangelicals on the other hand, attempted to resist the influence of religion into politics by supporting the confederacy. The opposite reforms that each side was about to take from the 1820s to the 1850s was caused by the inability of religion to collectively and squarely address the issue of slavery. For the north, it was reforms that were rooted on social action while the South focused their reforms on personal piety. While both sides championed the Bible in their quest to resolve the issue on slavery, they each took opposing opinions which eventually took them down the path of one of the most radical reforms in American history.

Stakeholders In Planning Of Change

Stakeholders In Planning Of Change Prior to implementing a companywide change, it is important to get stakeholders on board. Organisations take their stakeholders into confidence, just to ensure the smooth transition, since they are the one who will be affected by the change. For an organisation stakeholder can be its employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, managers, government, local community, creditors etc. n order to achieve this goal, stakeholder analyses are carried out. Stakeholder Analysis The process of identifying those who will be affected by the actions of organisation. It also enables the managers to analyze the attitudes of stakeholders towards the change. In order to carry out these analysis, following steps are taken: Identify the stakeholders in stakeholder analysis the first step is to come up with the list of any who will be affected by the organisational actions, this can include an individual, a group or an organisation. The possible stakeholders for Gill Construction can be: new Managing Director previous MD senior managers suppliers lenders / banks customers public future recruits, environment protection groups regulatory bodies Prioritize your stakeholders For organisations the list of stakeholders can be very long, in one case of university 20,000 stakeholders were identified. This doesnt mean that everyone is very important to the organisation. Hence the next step in stakeholder analysis is to prioritize stakeholders. This can be done using Power / Interest Grid. Using this grid, Gill construction can identify their key stakeholders, which can be: new Managing Director senior managers suppliers lenders / banks customers public environment protection groups and regulatory bodies existing workforce Understand Your Key Stakeholders this is the last step in stakeholder analysis. It focuses on understanding the key stakeholders, and defines the way they will be affected. It also highlights the interests stakeholders have with the organisation. It answers the following question: What financial or emotional interest do they have in the outcome of change? Is it positive or negative? What motivates them? What information do they want? How do they want to receive information? What is the best way of communicating with them? What is their current opinion? Is it based on good information? Who influences their opinions generally? Do some of these influencers therefore become important stakeholders in their own right? If they are not likely to be positive, what will win them around to support change? How to manage their opposition How they can influence others by their opinion? Convergence and Divergence Another model adopted by management gurus to analyze the stakeholders. It enables the managers to identify the factors which are opposing the stakeholders and which are supporting it. Divergence analysis of the factors which are opposing the change for stakeholders. The first step is to identify the basic change factors which are causing the opposition, these can be beliefs, values, and goals associated with the stake holders. Managers need to answers like What are their beliefs about change and which have led them to oppose it? What are the values being transgressed by change actions? Are their stress values being triggered? How is the change affecting their career social goals? Managers also need into their perception of the change, analyzing this can give them huge edge converting their opposition. They need to answer questions like What do they think about change? What do they think will happen? How do they look at other stakeholders? Convergence elements which are supporting the change. It is much focused on those who oppose the change. Managers need to understand who they are dealing with, what they are capabable how and how they can affect them. For-example A regulatory body or HSE will have permission to shut down the work in progress if they find anything in violation of the laws. Also in case of Supply chain, they may also ruin their relationship with the supplier. Banks and Lenders will have their leverage over the organisation since a loan was taken for the purchase of new machinery. Managers need to look into the following cases: How the stakeholder will be managed? Do they need any leadership or they will just follow? What made them follow the leadership How will they support the change? How prepared are they for the change? Evaluate the systems used to involve stakeholders in the planning of change Stakeholders Circle: A tool designed to gain stakeholder commitment and involve the key stakeholders in developing a change management strategy. This cycle has six steps and also known as Six Steps Stakeholders Cycle Identify the stakeholders The first step is to identify the key stakeholders, which can influence and have interest within the organisation. Prioritize the stake holders Managers need to identify the key stakeholder using the Power-Interest Grid. For Gill Construction these key stakeholders are : MD Employees Management Customers Suppliers Regulatory Bodies Map the Profile next step is to map the profile, how will they be affected, what is in the change for them, how they can be supported, what kind of support we can get from them, what are their culture and values. All the questions will be answered at this point Engagement strategy At this point a managers need to decide how they are going to address the issues of stakeholders in order to gain their commitment and support. New MD of Gill Construction need to hold a meeting with management of the company. Clearly define what He wants to achieve and what his goals are. Since his goal is to improve the quality of the work done and also expand the business. It will be then the job of Management to directly contact their respective staff members and explain the situation to them. Ideas for improvement will be taken. Meeting and Presentations will be held with suppliers and explain your objective to them. Also Management will seek advice from regulatory bodies to assists them in improving the H S at workplace. Banks and Lenders will also be taken into confidence. A clear business plan will be presented to them. Optimise their Support next step in this cycle is to optimise the support from stakeholders. Managers need to be very clear and specific about their objective to the stakeholder and try to get most out of them. They need to keep good relationships with their lenders/ banks and suppliers. Monitor the last and final stage is to monitor the strategy. They need to keep going back to their stakeholders and ensure their support is still with them. If they have any kind of doubts they need to clear them out. Develop a change management strategy with stakeholders A strategy will be formed which will help management at Gill Construction to gain commitment from their stakeholders. A general change management strategy involves three steps: Situational awareness before a companywide change is implemented, everyone will be made aware of the change and what is going to happen in result of this change. A vision will be created Stakeholders will be informed that how this will effect. Suppliers will be notified about what will be expected of them. Employees will be taken into confidence to avoid panic. Supporting structures second step is to structure teams and sponsor coalition. They will be debriefed about who is going to do what. If they will be let go off, they will be informed at this stage. They will be informed that they need to trained to operate the new machinery. Bank or Lender will be informed about new purchases and equipment. New policy about H S will be sent to HSE and they will be informed about it. Suppliers will be contacted and new terms regarding JIT will be set, also material price will be revisited. Strategy analysis this stage involves risk analysis to be carried out. what degree of risk is involved in this change. What will happen if this strategy fails. In case there is no progress even after this change, what will we do, what if lenders refuse to pass a load. In case of resistance from stakeholders a resistance to change strategy will be required. Management will give their best to negotiate on good terms with the suppliers and use the bargaining power. Management also need to convince the bank and lenders to pass the load and take them into confidence. Create a strategy for managing resistance to change It is in human nature that whenever they are asked to move out of their comfort zone or change, they resist it. When organisations go under change it is very obvious that stakeholders will be afraid of its outcome. Hence it is very important to manage this resistance because this resistance can raise the risk factor during the change or transition process. Passive versus Active Resistance A framework adopted from Active Passive Being critical Agreeing verbally but not following through Ridiculing failing to implement change Appealing to fear Procrastinating or dragging one feet Using facts selectively Feigning ignorance Blaming or accusing Withholding information, suggestion, help or support Intimidating or threatening Standing by or allowing change to fail Manipulating Blocking Starting rumours Arguing Managing Resistance Before a change is implemented it is very important for managers to either eliminate resistance completely or bring it down to a very lower level such that it has a very minor effect. There can be number of ways for managing this resistance. Some of the ways adopted by Gill Construction can be: Communication everyone within the organisation should be made aware of the situation. Managers need to communicate openly with all the stakeholders and discuss the issues with them. Even if they are supporting the change management need to check with them back to back to ensure the full commitment. Management need to hold meetings, brainstorming session with the staff and communicate with them. Suggestions will be taken from the staff and their participation will be encouraged. Training staff will be provided with appropriate training to build up their skills so that they can operate the new machinery. This will help to eliminate the resistance put up by the operational workforce. Also work-shops will be held with other staff to ensure that they are not left behind. They will be provided with the information and steps involved in this transition will be explained to them. Feedback Taking feedback or suggestions from the stakeholders is always the best way to gain their commitment. This shows to them that management is still listening to them and they hold a value to them. Taking feedback about the training is also good to monitor the staff performance. Develop appropriate models for change In the current scenario, Gill Construction has newly appointed Managing Director, who is not very happy with the current operational situation of the organization .He wants to improve the internal situation of the organization as well as the product quality. In past there were a lot of incidents related to poor health and safety at work place, this was due to the fact that no one was following the policy. Also there were cases of project being delayed due to the lack of appropriate equipment and machinery. Since the management decided to go under a change they have faced a heavy resistance from Suppliers, and employees. Also there were concerns over H S policy. The appropriate change management model for Gill construction would be ADKAR model by Prosci. Awareness Management need to create awareness among all the stakeholders and communicate the vision to them clearly, this will help to get them on board. Meeting will be held with suppliers and explain to them about the Just in Time approach for the material in order to avoid storage costs and material wastage. Employees will be explained that what will be expected of them. They will be informed about the new machinery and equipment and their usage. They will also be debriefed about following H S policies or they will face fine. Desire next step is to get feedback from the stakeholders and see what they desire. Full stakeholder participation will be encouraged. They will also monitor the desire for the stakeholders to change. This will be done using meeting and brainstorming sessions Knowledge next step is to educate and train the staff. This will help to motivate the work force and gain their trust. A list will be made regarding the skills and knowledge needed to support the change. If the supplier can provide the stuff on time. Ability even if the stakeholders have the skills and knowledge to support the change but do they have the ability to support it. For-example Supplier has the complete knowledge of JIT and has skilled work force but do not have enough sources or ability to carry it out. Same is the case with employees they might have skills to operate the machinery but they might not have ability to work at a certain place Reinforcement the last step is to reinforce the sources to retain change. Training should be provided to the staff to motivate them and make them feel empower. Also managers need to look if the current supplier cannot agree on the new terms than a new supplier might be required. Plan to implement a model for change Organizational Development A companywide effort to increase organizations effectiveness. It focuses to change the beliefs, attitudes, values, and structure of the organization, so that it can adopt the change e.g. technological or new market or competitor. OD involves process re-engineering and system re-structuring within the organization to increase the effectiveness. Business Process Re-engineering- the complete rethinking, redesigning and reengineering of the business process. The process of material delivery or supply chain will be redesigned. Supplier will be asked to adopt the JIT approach and supply the material at right time. The material will be kept in very low quantity, and if there is need of more material Mangers have to inform supplier prior to 3-days. They will demand for more stock when they have 20% of the stock left. Also Management will adopt a strict approach towards H S policies at work place. If anyone found in violation of these policies will be heavily fined. Customers will be in direct contact with the Project Manager and everything will be done through him. Project Manager will discuss the issues with senior management on weekly basis. Push-Pull Strategy In the current system, organization is following the Push Strategy, which means the stock is Supplier driven. The demand for material is sent to the supplier and it is then delivered but it is resulting in overstocking and in some cases delays which is unacceptable. Hence a new strategy is required, which will be Pull based supply chain. In this strategy the order is placed by the organization in the required quantity, and supplier has to deliver that on time. This will be a mix of Push and Pull. The demand will be given by Gill Construction when the stock reached the 20% mark, and then supplier will be required to deliver the material as demanded. Develop appropriate measures to monitor progress Once the change implementation strategy is planned, the next step is to put appropriate measures in place which will monitor the performance. This can be achieved with the use of following: Goal-based evaluation the aim of this evaluation is to monitor the performance of change and see if the desired goals have been achieved, this involves: Formulating clear goals, what we wanted to achieve. The goal was to improve the operational quality and supply chain. The next step is to align the organizational goals with the change goals. Gill Construction aim is to provide quality service to the client and gaining customer satisfaction, that will be aligned with the goals for change, the change was required to improve supply chain, and also service quality by using new equipment. Next step is to recognize if we have achieved our goals. The effectiveness of supply chain can be checked by measuring waste levels. Also work force commitment can be seen by appraisals and the percentage of accidents at work place. Process-based evaluation it is another tool which measures the effectiveness on the basis of process performance. This checks if the process redesigning has improved the service quality. It will focus on the supply chain process and see if the process has shown its effectiveness. Are the stakeholders happy with the process. The new process for customers to be in direct contact with project manager and not with head office, is it really helping customers or not. Feedback can be taken at this point, which can assists the managers in monitoring the situation.

Study Of Mobile Application Development

Study Of Mobile Application Development Nowadays all around the world have the explosive growth of the mobile application market has created a vast and complicated set of alternatives for developers because of an increasingly important role in everyones life. Consumers are migrating to Smartphone mobile devices that are Internet enabled for work and play and, most importantly, with family, friends and colleagues. The mobile software technology comprises a wide variety of platforms, technologies, and architecture choices. So it makes mobile application development easier and cost-effective. Application developers must address both business and technical issues in deciding which platforms to support. There are more than a dozen platforms for which developers can build applications. Research is in Googles Android and Apples iOS (short for iPhone Operating System). Research will directly to do a survey of application developers to understand their processes to decide the platform(s) for whom they would like to develop applicat ions and learn about the development processes. This research is trying to discover how and why Mobile Developers in processes to decide the platform(s) for whom they would like to develop applications and learn about the development processes. And will looking for the solution to improve their problem especially for who are interesting in a mobile application development. To answer the questions above, this research must explore: Both the business and technical factors are an important component to help developers make a decision on the technologies for mobile application development. Background of developers technical and the simplicity of development affect their selections of mobile platform(s). The impact of the developers attitudes in the technical or business drivers is dependent on the size of their organizations or their environments. Developers Attitude and developers openness toward the open source development is a factor of the decision for choosing development platform. Sub-Question What is the impact of business factors that help developers make a decision? What is the impact of technical factors that help developers make a decision? What is the impact of developers background that helps developers make a decision? What is the impact of the ease of development that helps developers make a decision? Significance of the Study The major dynamics of the mobile industry have morphed with such alacrity that keeping tabs on the various highs and lows of mobile application development has become a challenge for any mobile application developer. Mobile software development and mobile application development has seen its development initiatives branch out into two distinct segments typically known as the web based mobile application development and native mobile application development. Moreover, its the challenge for both developers and customers. By customers here I mean enterprises and organizations, because estimating the risks of mobile implementation projects is difficult due to mobile platforms variety. The difference between mobile and desktop applications is the challenge for customers and developers, because lots of things, starting from user design and finishing with implementation, are different for PCs and mobile devices. UI design and the size of applications for mobile devices are another challenge, for mobile doesnt allow big pictures sizes and, on the whole, big sizes of apps. Besides, there is a lack of unique development environments. But thats again about multiple platforms and the difficulty in providing interoperability. Nevertheless, mobile application development is on the rise. App Store that proved to become a new business model on the market has opened the door for the similar market models mobile developers are going to get access to very soon.   Research in Googles Android and Apples App store is to widen the market of mobile applications. Research Design and Methodology This research is a combination of quantitative and qualitative research. This paper focuses on the review and comparison of the most popular mobile application development platforms with respect to technical issues, application development, capabilities, constraints and market success. The comparison is based on experiences gained by research pursued at the authors laboratory, review of literature/technology white papers and blogs related to mobile applications development platforms. Most importantly, the comparison is based on the ground of experiences gained throughout the development of a case study application implemented on all reviewed application platforms and reports collected from an online survey (participants have been mobile application developers with hand-on experience on the reviewed application platforms). Organization of the Study This study is organized into four chapters as follows: Chapter 1 Introduction: This chapter states the process of how to decide the platform(s), for who they would like to develop applications, states the research question, identified the significance of the study, and explains the research design used to answer the question. Chapter 2 Context of the Problem: This chapter explain how and what is make Googles Android and Apples iOS different and also provides an overview of the literature regarding the problem and shows how to practices in creating mobile applications and finding the balance of the long-term challenges. Chapter 3 A Research Agenda for Mobile Application development This chapter including the pragmatic, with the guidelines and pieces of sample code as example. And identify some of the promising areas for software engineering research related to development of mobile applications. Chapter 4 Summary and Conclusion: This chapter is only a part of the research topics in software engineering for mobile applications, but serves for the emerging field to indicate the breadth of research needs and opportunities. Chapter 2 Context of the Problem Introduction Nowadays, there exist numerous development platforms for mobile devices; including native environments (Googles Android, Apples iOS, Blackberry, Symbian, Palm OS, etc) and web based mobile application. This section will try to discuss the most important characteristics of platform environments for mobile devices (mainly Googles Android and Apples iOS), which currently enjoy the largest developers and deployment base: Googles Android and Apples iOS. The reasons are different for every software company. Some prefer the technology that Apple offers and also some prefer the technology that Android offers, which other competitors dont offer. Others prefer the iPhones built-in payment platform. Others note cant support high-end graphics. Googles Android Googles Android has been launched in 2007, devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices. Android is an Apache free-software platform with open- source licensed for mobile devices based on Linux. It essentially comprises a software stack for mobile devices that includes an OS, middleware and key applications. Android is a Linux based open source operating system, which has JAVA library (similar to SE). And it is a robot or synthetic organism. Android is a total operating based environment and a modified version of Linux kernel. Android is a bundle of software for Smartphone and mobile devices, which include key applications. Android Application Development provides strategic advantage by possessing skills, knowledge and expertise in Android Development Services. The Android mobile phone market is growing at an impressive rate of 32 per cent every month, with new handsets being released all the time. Industry experts believe the boom owes much to the popularity of the Motorola Droid, MotoBLUR, certain HTC models, and the openà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ source nature of the OS. Apples iOS Up to now, Apple has released four versions of the iPhone. The first was initially introduced on January 9, 2007. Its successor, the iPhone3G was revealed on July 9, 2008. The iPhone3G was including the original six; in 8GB and 16GB models, with the larger capacity version having the option of being in black or white. The iPhone 3G added 3G cellular network capabilities and A-GPS location. The iPhone 3GS was releases on June 19, 2009  (2009-06-19). The iPhone 3GS added a compass, faster processor, and higher resolution camera, including video. The iPhone 4 has two cameras for FaceTime video calling and a higher-resolution display. It was released on June 24, 2010. The iPhone is one of the few devices that have its very own operating system. This means that there is a maximization of the software-hardware compatibility. There are 3 key components to be able to develop for the iPhone. The first is the knowledge of the programmer, mainly focused on the programming languages. A decent knowledge of objective-c, basic c++ and XML is needed to independently create a standalone application for the iPhone. However, these languages are well-known and we can find many tutorial books and online tutorial. Summary

Discrimination and Racism in Country Lovers and The Welcome Table Essay

Discrimination and Racism in â€Å"Country Lovers† by Nadine Gordimer and â€Å"The Welcome Table† by Alice Walker Discrimination and racism is always an issue, but the hardship these women had to face and suffer is something that is still being discussed. Understanding the fear, struggle and hardship that women of color went through during this time period is very important. Both â€Å"Country Lovers† by Nadine Gordimer and â€Å"The Welcome Table† by Alice Walker discuss race and the struggle with trying to be accepted in society. The short story â€Å"Country Lovers† written by Nadine Gordimer, who in 1991 received the Nobel Prize for Literature, writes about forbidden love and racial politics between a black girl and a white boy on a South Africa farm. This story takes place during the time South Africa was dealing with racial segregation and is filled with irony and a theme that is clear from the start and that is deeper than racism, but the love between the two of opposite race. Thebedi and Paulus have grown up playing together is childhood. He is the son of the farm owner and she was the daughter of a farm worker for the farm. As they grew older, Paulus went off to boarding school and Thebedi would eventually drop out of school and help on the farm. It was known that â€Å"once the white children go away to school they soon don’t play together anymore.† (Clugston, 2010). When Paulus went off to school, they were entering adolescence and body changes were uncommon to all. Paulus was a popular boy at school and with the â€Å"sister† school that the girls went too. When Paulus would return from school on break he would bring Thebedi gifs and she would give him a handmade bracelet in return, and this is where they grew closer and th... ...oing on in this day in age, and it will always be an issue. With so much negativity, that we see and deal with on a regular basis is a consent battle, which influences us and the way we handle things. However, we have come a long ways as to what it used to be as if people have learned to accept each other. References Chopin, K. (1894). The story of an hour. Vogue. Clugston, R. W. (2010). Country lovers (p. 3.1). San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from http://content.ashford.edu/books Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from http://content.ashford.edu/books Racism. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved June 13, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/racism

Old Leisure - Literary Devices :: essays research papers

History has seen advancements in technology, philosophy, and industry, all of which radically changed the lives of those witnessing such developments. Slower, more relaxed lifestyles have given way to lifestyles of a faster paced nature. George Eliot describes her preference for the leisure of the past, conveying the message that the rushed leisure of her time is hardly leisure at all. She accomplishes this by using several stylistic devices, including personification, imagery, and diction. The most obvious stylistic device used by Eliot is that of personification. She uses this device to create two people from her thoughts on old and new leisure. The fist person is New Leisure, who we can infer to be part of the growth of industry in the 19th century. He is eager and interested in science, politics, and philosophy. He reads exciting novels and leads a hurried life, attempting to do many things at once. Such characteristics help us to create an image of New Leisure as Eliot sees him. Old Leisure is quite contrasting to New Leisure. Being a stout country squire of the 18th century, he is laid back, simple minded, well fed, and financially well off. He reads but one newspaper and favors Sunday services that "allow him to sleep." "He never went to Exeter Hall, or heard a popular preacher, or read Tracts for the Times or Sartor Resartus." He is not bothered by his "inability to know the causes of things" and sleeps "the sleep of the irresponsible." Eliot describes Old Leisure more than New Leisure because today's readers are familiar enough with living a life as hurried and fast paced as New Leisure's. Her description of Old Leisure is nostalgic of a slower paced way of life. While Eliot uses human characteristics and actions to describe Old and New Leisure, she also creates images of both personages to further depict their contrasting lifestyles. The images of Old Leisure include him "scenting the apricots when they were warmed by the morning sunshine." They also depict portraits of life in Old Leisure's era as "slow waggons," "spinning wheels," and "pedlars, who brought bargains to the door on a sunny afternoon." They also tell of how Old Leisure "fingered the guineas in his pocket" and was "fond of sauntering by the fruit-tree wall." New Leisure, on the other hand, does not live in a world where such images are present. He is ""prone to cursory peeps through microscopes" and is "prone to excursion- trains, art museums, periodical literature, and exciting novels.

Law Schools :: essays research papers

The Beginning of Law Schools and The Study of Law   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Up to the middle of the last century, the more popular method of legal instruction in America was the training of young law students in the office of a judge or practicing attorney. Even today a large number of lawyers in the United States receive their training somewhat in the same manner. In order to be admitted into the practice of law, one must pass a bar examination. This exam is conducted by a court or board acting under judicial direction. The knowledge needed to study for and pass the exam can be found wherever the candidate thinks they can find it. The oldest law school in America was of Judge Reeve in Litchfield, Connecticut, established in 1784. For several decades’ law students received their training through lectures and instruction by Judge Reeve and his assistants, whom were practicing lawyers. This oldest American law school was a private institution. After some time there was a rise in competitors, and law courses were introduced in connection with existing colleges. Among the new schools was Harvard College, whose first professorship of law dates from 1816, but the school did not attain its position of great and rapidly increasing significance for the development of legal instruction till 1830 (Gillers 20). In the beginning, the older American law schools were referred to as lecture schools. The “Blackstone’s Commentaries';, which were used for instruction earlier, formed the sole basis of work for these lecture schools. Through the lecture method a new style of teaching came about. It was called the text-book method. The main concept of this method was for the students to study and memorize the literature in the books and recite it to the instructor. In this method most of the students class time was occupied by mechanical testing of their knowledge and quizzing them during special hours (23). The two methods of instruction-lecture method and text-book method- were always present in newer schools and very effective. Even today in the United States these methods are used with a lot of improvements and added detail. During the early 1870’s a man by the name of Christopher Columbus Langdell created a new method of instruction for English law. Langdell was a New York city lawyer, he was appointed dean of Harvard law school in 1875. Langdell wanted to revise the curriculum of the school.

Iic- Hkuspace Ass

HKU SPACE Community College Intra- and Interpersonal Competencies (IIC) Lecturer: Office: Email: Tel. : 1. Introduction 1. Human beings are social animals. We meet people and make friends throughout our life. However, building a positive relationship is not an accident, it requires understanding and effort and is an art to be learned and practiced. Learning, developing, expanding, and improving interpersonal skills and competencies are essential for future success.This course prepares students for the future by helping them improve themselves and their relationships with family members, friends, classmates, co-workers and even people who may be perceived as difficult. Aims & Objectives 2 This course aims at increasing students’ knowledge and understanding of basic human communication principles, identifying their strengths and weaknesses in intrapersonal and interpersonal communication, developing skills to achieve positive relationships with significant others and people aro und them. 2. 2By the end of the course, students should be able to: . 2. 1understand the concept of self, self-esteem and self-efficacy; 2. 2. 2know themselves throughout the life span, personality types and realize their strengths and weaknesses in communication; 2. 2. 3identify emotion and feelings and develop appropriate skills to express them; 2. 2. 4understand the meaning of happiness and develop ways to achieve life satisfaction; 2. 2. 5clarify values and understand moral development; 2. 2. 6develop better listening skills; 2. 2. 7master basic skills of giving and receiving responses; 2. 2. understand the features of healthy relationship and identify skills for managing conflicts; 2. 2. 9develop ways to enhance intimate relationships; 2. 2. 10 recognize the significance of parenting and strengthen family relationship. General approach 2. Mini lectures, role-plays, case discussions, psychological tests and other creative methods will be used as necessary. 3. Each meeting is 3 h ours per session, 12 meetings per term. References 5 Compulsory text Hanna, S. L. , Suggett, R. , & Radtke, D. (2010). Person to person: Positive relationships don’t just happen (5th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Suggested references Baker, L. L. , & Gaut, D. A. (2002). Communication (8th ed. ). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. DeVito, J. A. (2012). The Interpersonal communication book (13th ed. ). NY: Addison Wesley Longman. DeVito, J. A. (2002). The interpersonal communication reader. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Erber, R. , & Erber, M. W. (2010). Intimate relationships: Issues, theories and research (2nd ed. ). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Johnson, D. W. , & Johnson, F. P. (2008). Joining together: Group therapy and group skills (10th ed). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Knapp, M. L. (2002). Handbook of interpersonal communication (3rd ed. ). London: Sage.Ratliffe, S. A. , & Hudson, D. D. (1988). Skills building for interpersonal competence. U. S. : Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Sq uirrell, G. (1998). Developing life skills. Lyme Regis: Russell House. (2000): ( : )? (1999): ( : )? (2002): 180 ( : )? Syllabus |Class |Unit Title |Content | |(3 hours each) | | | |1 |A.Introduction |Course introduction, | | | |Concept of self | | |B. Knowing and Valuing Yourself (Chapter 1 of|Developmental areas of self | | |the text) |Self-esteem, self-concept, self-efficacy & ways to build and raise it | |2 |C. Understanding yourself throughout the life|Personality types and theories | |span (Chapter 2 of the text) |Gender and personality | | | |How to write psychology paper in APA format | |3 |1. Exploring values and making wise choices |Value and moral development | | |(Chapter 3 of the text) |Define wellness and ways of promoting wellness | | |2.Experiencing and expressing emotion |Emotion and self | | |(Chapter 5 of the text) |Constructive & appropriate ways to express emotion | | |And Achieving happiness & satisfaction |Define happiness | | |(Chapter 4 of the text) |Ob stacles in the pursuit of happiness | | | |Ways of achieving satisfaction | |4 |Student presentation |Group 1 – Chapter 3 | | | |Group 2 – Chapter 4 & 5 | |5 |3.Becoming a positive listener (Chapter 7 of|Verbal and non-verbal language | | |the text) |Define listening | | | |Develop better listening skills | | |4. Improving Communication |Style of verbalizing | | |(Chapter 8 and 9 of the text) |Effective communication | | | |Self-disclosure | | | |Giving & receiving compliments | | | Checking your perception | | | |Using dimensions of awareness | | | |Respond effectively | |6 |Student presentation |Group 3 – Chapter 7 | | | |Group 4 – Chapter 8 & 9 | |7 |5. Building Positive Relationships (Chapter |Creating healthy relationships | | |10 of the text) |Types of relationships | | | |Support systems | | | |Define conflict styles and conflict management | | |6.Strengthening Family Relationships |Family strengths & weaknesses | | |(Chapter 13 of the text) |P ositive parenting | | | |Changes in the family | |8 |Student presentation |Group 5 – Chapter 10 | | | |Group 6 – Chapter 13 | |9 |7. Developing & Enriching Intimate |What is love? | | |Relationships (Chapter 12 of the text) |Types of love | | | |Obstacles to love & intimacy | | | |Building intimacy | | | |Sexual fulfillment | | |Cohabitation | | | |Marriage | | | |Recommendation for marital success | |10 |Student presentation |Group 7 – Chapter 12 | | | |Group 8 – Chapter 12 | |11 |Self-reflection; |Students’ oral presentations: reflecting what one has learned in this | | |Submit term paper |course | |12 |Self-reflection; |Students’ oral presentations: reflecting what one has learned in this | | |Quiz |course | Assessment 100% course work ? Attendance10% ? Participation10% ? Quiz10% ? Group presentation25% ? Oral presentation20% ? Written assignment25% 6. 1Attendance10% 6. 1. 1Compulsory Attendance Students’ full attendance i s required. Prior approval should be sought from the lecturer for any leave of absence. Formal letter and medical certificate are required to prove students’ absence. Students must be punctual for their lessons.Three ‘late come-ins’ will be counted as one absence. Absence of any three sessions without reasonable written explanation and prior approval from the lecturer will lead to failure of the whole course. 6. 2Participation10% 6. 2. 1To facilitate students’ contribution to class learning, they are expected to: 6. 2. 1. 1prepare and present mini-lectures, take a leading role in class discussion, group activities and presentations; 6. 2. 1. 2share own experiences and thoughts with the group; 6. 2. 1. 3reflect on and learn from experiences and feedback; 6. 2. 1. 4provide fruitful, concrete and constructive feedback to classmates. 6. 3Quiz 10% 6. 3. A multiple choice, open book short quiz related to the text will be carried out at the beginning of class 12. Students are reminded to read the text regularly. 6. 4Group Presentation25% 6. 4. 18 groups will be formed in the first class. Starting from class 4, each group will be responsible for presenting and running activities during the session. 6. 4. 2The content of presentation is related to the content of chapter/s of the textbook being assigned. Each group has to hand in a Pre-task Form to the lecturer at least one week before their presentation (see p. 15-16). Marks may be deducted for late submission. It is highly recommended for groups to discuss with the lecturer before the presentation. 6. 4. In addition to the textbook, students are encouraged to look for other relevant materials when preparing the presentation, such as newspapers, local statistical reports, personal experiences and other electronic and paper journals etc. 6. 4. 4The format of the presentation is flexible and should be creative. Mini-lecture, drama, role-plays and games involving the entire class are recommended . The class activity should be related to everyday life, and as original and stimulating as possible. 6. 4. 5Duration of the presentation should be around 40 minutes. 6. 4. 6Students are required to use English in the presentation. 6. 4. 7After the group presentation, the entire class will assess and provide feedback on the group’s overall performance. Each roup will ask one question and give a brief verbal comment on the performance of the presentation group. Each group will also need to fill in an evaluation form and submit it to the lecturer (p. 8). 6. 5 Oral Presentation 20% 6. 5. 1Each student shall prepare a self-reflection speech in about 300 words in English. Self-reflection means anything one believes one has learned or gained from this course that is beneficial in self-understanding and developing positive relations, and would like to share verbally in English. 6. 5. 2Each student will have at most 3 minutes to present in the class in class 11 and 12 6. 5. 3After th e presentation, each group will ask the student a question.Each group will provide written feedback and rate the performance of the student (p. 10). 6. 5. 4Students are required to hand in their script for reference at the beginning of their presentation. Marks will be deducted if students fail to submit a written script of their presentation. 6. 6 Written assignment 25% 6. 6. 1Students are required to submit a paper in this course. This paper should be written in English and submitted at the beginning of class 11. The submission deadline of the paper will be strictly enforced. Without prior approval from the lecturer, zero mark or F Grade will be given to any late submission. For security purpose, student is recommended to keep a spare copy of the paper. 6. 6. Format of the paper: neatly typed on A4 papers, double-line spacing, font size 12, Times New Roman, 1 inch margin. 6. 6. 3Word limits: 1000 words with word count provided. 6. 6. 4 Proper references should be included in the p aper. 6. 6. 5Students have to demonstrate their ability to integrate knowledge they learnt from this course to analyze a case. Assignment questions: see p. 12. 6. 6. 6 Term paper marking criteria |Excellent A |Criteria in obtaining a B and | | |Strong evidence of original thinking | | |Good capacity to analyze and ynthesize | | |Indication of critical thinking | | |Superior grasp of subject matter | | |Evidence of extensive knowledge base | | |Excellent suggestions that definitely can be used in real life situations. | |Good B |Criteria in obtaining a C and | | |Elaborate and illustrate with appropriate examples. | | |Good grasp of the subject matter. | |Some evidence of critical capacity and analytical ability | | |Reasonable understanding of issues | | |Good insights and/or practical suggestions. | |Satisfactory C |Well organized – with introduction, content, conclusion and reference sections. | | |APA format used | | |Content is relevant to the question asked. | | |Indic ate basic knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. | |With acceptable conclusion and appropriate suggestions or insights. | |Fair D |Written in understandable English. | | |Content is somewhat relevant to the question asked. | | |Unable to use proper APA format. | |Poor F |Little evidence of familiarity with the concept and subject matter | | |Poor English | | |Plagiarism | HKU SPACE Community College Intra- and Interpersonal Competencies Group Presentation Classmates’ Group Feedback Form Class: Mon/Tue/Wed/Thur/Fri Group: ______ Presentation Topic: _______________________________________ From Group: ___________am/pm |Presenters: | | | | |Name: ______________ |Name: ______________ |Name: ______________ |Name: ______________ | |Name: ______________ |Name: ______________ |Name: ______________ |Name: ______________ | Performance Appraisal Item |Excellent |Good |Satisfactory |Fair |Poor | |Structure & organization | | | | | | |Preparation | | | | | | |Time allocation | | | | | | |Appropriate content | | | | | | |Interesting activities | | | | | | |Clarity of message | | | | | | |Classmates’ response | | | | | | |Sound rationale | | | | | | |Overall | | | | | | Your group’s comments _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ HKU SPACE Community College Intra- and Interpersonal Competencies Group Presentation Lecturer’s Immediate Feedback Form Group: ______ Presentation Topic: ___________________________________________ Class: Mon/Tue/Wed/Thur/Fri _______am/pm Name: ______________ |Name: ______________ |Name: ______________ |Name: ______________ | |Student ID: __________ |Student ID: __________ |Student ID: __________ |Student ID: __________ | | | | | | |Name: ______________ |Name: ______________ |Name: ______________ |Name: ______________ | |Student ID: __________ |Student ID: __________ |Student ID: __________ |Student ID: __________ | Performance Appraisal Item |Excellent |Good |Satisfactory |Fair |Poor | |Structure & organization | | | | | | |Preparation | | | | | | |Time allocation | | | | | | |Appropriate content | | | | | | |Interesting activities | | | | | | |Clarity of message | | | | | | |Classmates’ response | | | | | | |Sound rationale | | | | | | |Overall | | | | | | _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ ________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ HKU SPACE Community College Intra- and Interpersonal Competencies Individual Oral Presentation Classmates’ Group Assessment Form Class: Mon/Tue/Wed/Thur/Fri Presenter’s Name: ______________________ From Group: ___________am/pm Performance Appraisal Item |Excellent |Good |Satisfactory |Fair |Poor | |Structure & organization | | | | | | |Preparation | | | | | | |Time allocation | | | | | | |Content | | | | | | |Clarity of presentation | | | | | | |Responses to questions | | | | | | Question(s) your group raised or you want to raise and the presenter’s response: __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ _______________ __________________________________________________________________________________ Overall comment on the presentation: _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ HKU SPACE Community College Intra- and Interpersonal Competencies Individual Oral Presentation Lecturer’s Feedback Form Presenter’s Name: ______________________ Class: Mon/Tue/Wed/Thur/Fri _______am/pm Performance Appraisal Item |Excellent |Good |Satisfactory |Fair |Poor | |Structure & organization | | | | | | |Preparation | | | | | | |Time allocation | | | | | | |Content | | | | | | |Clarity of presentation | | | | | | |Respons es to questions | | | | | | HKU SPACE Community College Intra- and Interpersonal Competencies Individual Oral Presentation Lecturer’s Feedback Form Presenter’s Name: ______________________ Class: Mon/Tue/Wed/Thur/Fri _______am/pm Performance Appraisal Item |Excellent |Good |Satisfactory |Fair |Poor | |Structure & organization | | | | | | |Preparation | | | | | | |Time allocation | | | | | | |Content | | | | | | |Clarity of presentation | | | | | | |Responses to questions | | | | | | Case Study My name is Sammy.I had unsatisfactory results in my public examinations and could not be admitted to a university. My parents wanted me to further study, therefore, I went to college without giving it much thought. I do not like studying. Actually, I don’t’ know what I like and dislike. The question â€Å"Who am I? † still confuses me. It is clear to me that I am not as competent as my friends and classmates. My classmates have better academic and sports per formance than me. My elder sister is better looking than me. My cousin is more†¦ I cannot remember the last time I talked to my parents peacefully. My parents go home late because of work. When they come home, I am usually in bed.If they happen to come home earlier, they usually find me lying on the sofa with the television on, or surfing the Internet aimlessly. They often complain and nag, which irritates me very much. I once lost my temper and banged the door harshly after their criticism. Since this incident, I have become accustomed to respond to their complaints with a blank face or going back to my room quietly. I think silence is better than quarrels. Pre-assignment preparation (to be completed in class 1): According to your common senses, list out the possible problems of the main character of the scenario (Sammy) and your suggested solutions to the main character’s problems. Assignment questions (1000 words, submission deadline: in class 11):Base on what you hav e learned in this course (including your textbook and any reference materials that you may have read), analyze the case study provided. Using theoretical support: identify the problems the main character has and suggest possible solutions. HKU SPACE Community College Intra- and Interpersonal Competencies [pic] Assignment Checklist (Will be attached to students’ paper) 1. Format Double-line spacing( Typed (yes, the computer is just fine)( 2. ContentExcellentPoor Identifies the possible problems of the scenario ((((( Proposes pragmatic solutions to the scenario((((( Shows how the theories apply to the scenario((((( Cites references with APA format((((( 3. Writing StyleExcellentPoor Organized(((((Understandable((((( Appropriate Grammar & correct spelling((((( Cohesiveness((((( Other comments: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Grade ___________ Teacher ____________________ Date ___________ HKU SPACE Community College Intra- and Interpersonal CompetenciesGuidelines for writing an essay 1. Structure and presentation 1. Essay is well-structured with table of content, introduction, sections (parts) and conclusion (or suggestion ) 2. Paragraphs (or sections/ parts ) are logically linked 3. Appropriate insertion of tables or figures whenever necessary 4. Good reference section 2. Content (be regarded as more important) 1. Materials are addressed to the topic with evidence of extensive reading. 2. The theme is well mastered & logically developed 3. The major theories / concepts are well mastered. 4. Arguments are adequate and critical. 5. Theory(ies) applied are critically evaluated. 6.Draw r eference from relevant local examples as far as possible. 3. Conclusion / suggestions 1. Summarize the key points briefly 2. Having new ideas & insights into the topic 3. 3. Provide workable suggestions HKU SPACE Community College Intra- and Interpersonal Competencies Group Presentation Pre-task Form Course Code: _________________ Class: Mon/Tue/Wed/Thur/Fri am/pm Group: ______ Presentation Title: __________________________________________ |Name: ________________ |Name: ________________ |Name: ________________ |Name: ________________ | |Student ID: ____________ |Student ID: ____________

Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America

In Culture War? The fiction of a Polarized America,1 Morris Fiorina takes aim at the contention that in that respect is a culture war in America, that our society is badly landmarkd and polarized so that we argon rapidly falling into devil competing camps ready to do battle with iodin an a nonher(prenominal). It is a bold argument.The idea that a culture war is raging in America is a staple of plastered media outlets, especially AM talk radio, where the the likes of Michael Savage, dick OReilly, and Rush Limbaugh on the beneficial, and Thom Hartman, Randi Rhodes, and Al Franken of left-leaning Air America constantly function alarms, crying that whichever barbarians they dread are around to storm the temple. Against this habitual belief, Morris Fiorina has impressive credentials he taught at for ten geezerhood at CalTech, for sixteen years at Harvard, and he is now a senior fel depressive disorder at the Hoover work and holds an endowed chair in political science at S tanford University.Using sophisticated taste data, Fiorina come outs that the American usual holds a err of diverse opinions, that finds that instead of organism change magnitudely polarized, the American public has mainly been moving to the center of the political spectrum on many issues. Consider an issue which he admits is a hot button souvenir homosexuality. Fiorina finds that the American public has gradually but steadily become more than than judge of homosexuals over the past 30 years.True enough, the public does not have a bun in the oven homosexual marriage, nor did they concur opening the military to gays, but these are not the entire question of homosexuality. On the issue of being willing to accept homosexuals in command, the public attitude has shown increasing moderation. To establish this, Fiorina considers polls in which the examine group was asked to rate homosexuals on a thermometerscale, in which 100 is total acceptance, and 0 is total rejection. In 1984, homosexuals earned a 0 score from 30 share of Americans.By 2000, the theatrical roleage of 0 scores has dropped to that 10 pct, and the overall acceptance place for homosexuals has risen from 30 percent to 49 percent. (84) While these ratings do not show that homosexuals have managed to escape the stigma chthonic which they have been compelled to live, they show that the shocking divide in which the issue is often gifted does not exist. Similarly, the spontaneous abortion issue, long considered the approximately divisive of social issues, is decidedly less(prenominal) divisive than it is pictured in popular media.A clear majority of Americans now reserve the basic decision in hard roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court abortion case. more than 65 percent of Americans support a strong right to choose. (54) Further, attitudes as to when abortion should be allowed are to the highest degree unvarying since 1973. As of 1999, the last year for which Fiorina has data, 88 percent of Americans hope that abortion should be allowed if the life or health of the large(predicate) cleaning woman was seriously endangered. (55) In 1973, the government issue was 87 percent.If, like Fiorina, we accept the norm that a change of quadruple percent or less in a survey of this type is not statistically operative, then the wholly factor more or less which the surveys have asked which has seen a statistically significant change is the right to a woman to have an abortion based on a claim that she has an income so low that she cannot afford another child. Even in this situation, some 40 percent of the general population would allow the abortion. (55) The change in attitudes, such as it is, is in the percentage of Americans who bank that all abortion is murder.While this adage a slight rebound in the late 1990s, it has fallen from 22 percent in 1973 to 18 percent, and since Roe, it has neer been in a higher place 25 percent. (71) Another remarkable determi nation that Fiorina uncovered is that men and women have virtually identical attitudes on abortion, even though they differ markedly in their views on other issues. (71-72) The percentage of men and women who believe that abortion should be legal to a lower place all circumstances has varied mingled with 21 and 36 percent for women, and betwixt 20 and 30 percent for men, with the residue betwixt sexes never being more than six percent.The percentage of men and women believe that abortion should be illegal to a lower place all circumstances has run amidst 15 and 23 percent for women and between 13 and 21 percent for men, with never more than a difference of four percent. (71) By contrast on other issues, the difference between mens and womens attitude is far more marked. Responding to the suggestion that all handguns except those carried by police or other persons in authority should be illegal, exactly 28 percent of men agree 48 percent of women agree.Regarding the caning of an American adolescent arrested in Singapore for acts of vandalism, 61 percent of men applaudd of the punishment single 39 percent of women approved. While 43 percent of men consider themselves conservative, only 29 percent of women do. (72) In short, era abortion does not appear to be as divisive an issue as it is portrayed, there are other issues on which there is instalment. Fiorina presents a sweeping roam of data, all of which shows far less air division than is generally assume to exist.This raises a essential question if there are fewer deep divisions than Americans believe, why do Americans believe that there are such division? Fiorina points to several sources, including political parties, media, and pundits. Media and pundits want to portray conflict, because conflict sells. (115-23) As the quip goes, If it bleeds, it leads. To fulfil his conclusions, Fiorina has to delve into sophisticated statistical models.The ref wishing to follow his argument in detail face s a daunting task, because Fiorina uses tether dimensional statistical models ass he works through and through assumptions about elector and candidate behavior. (118-24) In the end, Fiorina argues that it is not the general populace that is divided, but the elites, the nation who are active in party work. (125-31) In their turn, the elites are the or so accessible to and the most accessing of the media and the pundits. (141-42) Party elite organizations tend to be strongly self-selecting.Only a true worshiper among Republicans can rise far through the Republican party organization only a true believing democrat gets to the top of the Democratic party. Once in the elite, these people tend to demand liken zeal from anyone else wanting admission, and to select people with the same ideals to join the elites. The result is clan of self-perpetuating cadres of zealots, who believe, or at least would like to believe that they stand on the ramparts and react for the Lord. In Fiorina convincing? He would plausibly find a certain irony in the response maybe.Any serious commentator must give pause. There is easiness in the idea is that we are not becoming constantly more polarized. mute we are conditioned to believe we are polarized. That idea appears so often that a refutation is hard to accept. But anyone who reads this bind will probably ponder if Fiorina is right or not. He would probably approve of that response. AUTHORITY CITED Fiorina, Morris, with Samuel Abrams and Jeremy Pope. Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized Amierca. New York, New York Pearson/Longman, 2005.