Police Brutality in United States - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2109 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/03/29 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Police Brutality Essay Did you like this example? Police Brutality in America Police brutality is the use of excessive and/or unnecessary force by police when dealing with civilians. Police brutality comes in many different forms and ways with the clearest form being physical, the other forms include improper use of tasers, political repression, racial profiling, police corruption, sexual abuse, psychological intimidation, false arrests, and verbal abuse. To better understand, for example, DJ had a long day at work and drives to his house. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Police Brutality in United States" essay for you Create order He has a branch with a few leaves on it stuck in between the windshield wipers and the hood of his car. On his way home from work he is stopped by a police officer who asks him for his license and registration. Thinking this is just a quick stop DJ complies and gives the officer what he asked for, and asks What did I do wrong officer? The officer replies Well theres vegetation stuck to your car and I suspect that its a marijuana leaf, so I stopped you. DJ looks at the officer in disbelief and the officer walks back to his car. Thirty minutes later three more cop cars filled with officers arrive on the scene making the whole situation bigger than it is. Finally, after two and a half hours of sitting there the officers let DJ go home. This is a form of police brutality; the officer did stop him to see what was on his car but calling in more officers and wasting time wasnt at all necessary. Despite this example, police brutality has more of a history than what has been broadcasted into the news the last decade or so. Police Brutality has been around since the Industrial Revolution when the workers were harmed physically by policemen because they went on strike. Police brutality was at its peak during the Civil Rights Movement where all forms of police brutality was used to stop the protestors which included high powered water hoses to knock the protestors down, German Shepards to attack protestors, attacked the protestors with intent to kill, tear gas, etc. Since then it has calmed down just a little with a new generation being brought up, but the flames of police brutality were lit up once again. When the death of Trayvon Martin, in 2012, started to make its way across all social media platforms and makes it way onto various news stations that updated the people of America what was going and what was going to happen. After that many more cases of police brutality started to make its way onto the news and across social media over the next few years. There have been many victims of police brutalit y over the last one hundred years, and after all this time the most common target for the police has been African American males. Some of the victims include Rodney King, Philando Castile, Michael Brown, Stephon Clark, etc. Rodney King was born on April 2, 1965 in Sacramento California to parents Ronald and Odessa King. Rodney King was one of the five other children his parents had together, but his father died at the age of forty-two leaving all the children to his wife Odessa. At 24 years old, Rodney robbed a store that belonged to a Korean in Monterey Park, California. He stole 200 dollars in cash and hit the owner. He was convicted and put behind the bars for a year(). On March 3, 1991 Rodney King and his two friends were chased by LAPD after Rodney refused to pull over after he was caught speeding. The high speed chased got intense as many other police cars got involved as well as a helicopter which was also chasing Rodney and his friends. After getting stopped they were told to get out the car, Rodneys friends listened and got arrested, Rodney refuse and when he finally got out of his car he was dragged out by officers and brutally beat Rodney King. At the same time Rodney King was getting brutally beat George Holiday recorded the entire incident. A few days later George sent the video to a television station and the clip of Rodney King getting dragged out his car and beat by police officers was broadcasted nationally for a few days. This tape was used in the trial that lasted three months, however a predominantly white jury acquitted the officers, inflaming citizens and sparking the violent 1992 Los Angeles riots(). Eventually Rodney King was awarded 3.8 million in a civil trial for the injuries he sustained from the beating. Two decades later Rodney King died in his swimming pool on June 17, 2012 in Rialto, California he was forty-seven at the time of his death. Philando Castile was born July 16, 1983 in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from Saint Paul Central High School in 2001 and got a job working for the Saint Paul Public School District from 2002 until his death in 2016. Castile started his career as a nutrition services assistant at Chelsea Heights Elementary School and Arlington High School, both in St. Paul, Minnesota. He then moved on to a higher position at J. J. Hill Montessori Magnet School in St. Paul in August 2014(). What led up to the shooting according to the article On July 6, 2016, Castile was pulled over as part of a traffic stop by Officers Jeronimo Yanez and Joseph Kauser in Falcon Heights, a suburb of St. Paul. According to officers, Castile and the passenger allegedly resembled suspects involved in an earlier robbery. Castile and his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, were returning from grocery shopping earlier in the evening. He had gotten a haircut, had dinner with his sister, Allysza, and picked up Reynolds from his residence in St. Paul. Yanez walked up to the side window and requested that Castile hand over his license and proof of insurance. Castile did and told Yanez he had a gun in his possession. Moments later Officer Yanez told Castile not to take it out. Castile said he was not pulling out the gun. Yanez yelled, Dont pull it out! and pulled his own gun from his holster, striking Castile seven times at point blank range. Castile died on the scene. The aftermath of the shooting was live streamed on Facebook by his girlfriend and viewed by many as she is seen in the live stream talking to the officer who shot her boyfriend. A few days after the shooting an attorney by the mane of John Choi requested a Prompt and thorough investigation of the crime. After the investigation the officer that killed Philando Castile, Yanez, was put on trial and charged with three felonies: one count of second-degree manslaughter and two counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm. Yanez was acquitted of all these charges, however the City of Saint Anthony fired him the same day. Philando Castiles Death sparked protest and marches which caused Interstate 94 in between Minnesota State Highway 280 and downtown St. Paul to be closed. Many more protests happened across the country with some becoming violent. Michael Brown Jr. was born in Florissant, Missouri on May 20, 1996 to parents Lesley McSpadden and Michael Brown Sr. He has struggles early on with h is education, however he recovered and graduated on time and with his class in 2014. He planned to go to trade school right after graduating. According to the article the events of case are as follows At 11:47 a.m., Wilson responded to a call about a baby with breathing problems and drove to Glenark Drive, east of Canfield Drive. About three minutes later and several blocks away, Brown was recorded on camera stealing a box of Swisher cigars and forcefully shoving a Ferguson Market clerk. Brown and his friend, Dorian Johnson, left the market at about 11:54 a.m. At 11:53, a police dispatcher reported stealing in progress at the Ferguson Market and described the suspect as a black male wearing a white T-shirt running toward QuikTrip. The suspect was reported as having stolen a box of Swisher cigars. At 11:57, the dispatch described the suspect as wearing a red St. Louis Cardinals hat, a white T-shirt, yellow socks, and khaki shorts, and that he was accompanied by another male. At 12:00 p.m., Wilson reported he was back in service and radioed units 25 and 22 to ask if they needed his assistance in searching for the suspects. S even seconds later, an unidentified officer said the suspects had disappeared. Wilson called for backup at 12:02, saying [Unit] 21. Put me on Canfield with two. And send me another car. Initially, reports of what happened next differed widely among sources and witnesses, particularly with regards to whether Brown was coming towards Wilson when the shots were actually fired. At noon on August 9, Wilson drove up to Brown and Johnson as they were walking in the middle of Canfield Drive and ordered them to move off the street. Wilson continued driving past the two men, but then backed up and stopped close to them. A struggle took place between Brown and Wilson after the former reached through the window of the police SUV, a Chevrolet Tahoe. Wilsons gun was fired twice during the struggle from inside the vehicle, with one bullet hitting Browns right hand. Brown and Johnson fled and Johnson hid behind a car. Wilson got out of the vehicle and pursued Brown. At some point, Wilson fired his gun again, while facing Brown, and hit him with at least 6 shots. Brown was unarmed and died on the street.() Michael Browns death caused fury around the nation adding fuel to the newly f ound Black Lives Matter Movement. The policeman the killed Michael Brown was put on a trail that lasted more than three months due to the Grand Jury not coming to a decision on the case. After the three months were over the Grand Jury decided not to indict the police officer. Stephon Clark was born on August 10, 1995, he graduated from Sacramento High School where he played football during his time there. Not much else is known about his early life and or life before the shooting. According the article Two officers fired a total of 20 shots at Clark on March 18. The officers were responding to a 911 call reporting someone breaking car windows in the 7500 block of 29th street. A Sacramento County Sheriffs Department helicopter also responded to the 911 call. Deputies in the helicopter reported seeing a man armed with a tool bar in a nearby backyard and began directing the ground officers to that location. Police said officers believed Clark the object was a gun and fired, fearing for their safety. No gun was found at the scene. Police said the object was a cellphone. It was found near Clarks body and taken into evidence. Each of the two officers involved in the shooting fired 10 shots, for a total of 20 shots fired, police say. The Sacramento Police Depa rtment released the body camera footage and helicopter footage three days after the shooting. Video from a Sacramento Sheriffs Department helicopter shows Clark running from a neighbors yard and leaping a fence into his grandmothers property. The deputies in the helicopter can be heard saying the suspect had broken a window on the house next door and was checking out another car in the driveway. Police body-cam videos show the police running down the driveway after Clark and taking cover at the rear edge of the building. Show me your hands! Gun, gun, gun! one of the officers can be heard shouting just before shots rang out. Californias attorney general and the police department are conducting an investigation into what happened that night.() A summarized version of what happened to Stephon Clark: Sacramento shooting of Stephon Clark happened on March 18, 2018. He was killed by two officers of the SPD or Sacramento Police Department. The SPD were looking for a person breaking windows in the area. Once they saw Clark, they deemed him to be the suspect they were looking for. They shot him when he, according to them, pulled out a gun and pointed it at them. After shooting him and killing him in the process, they realized the gun he pointed was a cell phone. The case is still live and has not found a verdict, but because of this, the large protests in Sacramento have occurred. (Side note: If you remember viewing my outline then you know I have a lot more information to type) Work Cited https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/long-painful-history-police-brutality-in-the-us-180964098/ https://thelawdictionary.org/article/what-is-police-brutality/ https://www.biography.com/people/rodney-king-9542141 https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/rodney-glen-king-2737.php https://blackpast.org/aah/castile-philando-divall-1983-2016 https://www.cnn.com/2014/08/11/us/missouri-ferguson-michael-brown-what-we-know/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2014/12/14/justice/ferguson-witnesses-credibility/index.html https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/02/607685905/official-autopsy-of-stephon-clark-killed-by-police-contradicts-family-autopsy https://abcnews.go.com/US/death-stephon-clark-police-shooting/story?id=54039443

Fall of Roman Empire - 1175 Words

The Fall of the Roman Empire The Ancient Roman empire was one of the most prominent and successful societies of its time period. By the end of their reign, the Romans had conquered almost all of the Mediterranean including parts of present day Europe, Asia, and Africa. Rome was at its strongest during the rule of Augustus Caesar, this time was known as the â€Å"Pax Romana† or Roman peace. It wasn’t until later, when Emperor Trajan took over in about 98 C.E. that the Empire reached its peak. After this, the Empire became too large to be governed in unity, so Emperor Diocletian (284-305) decided to divide it into the Western and Eastern Empires. At the same time, Christianity was diffusing throughout the Empire, and had become too large for†¦show more content†¦The money had become unfairly distributed throughout the Roman people, and this caused a large problem. Diocletian did all he could to try and stimulate the economy; he even froze prices and wages at a fair number in order to promote spending, he even went to the extent of executing anyone who would not follow his guidelines. He also created more money in an attempt to boost the currency, but it in fact did the exact opposite; resulting in inflation. Roman money was now worthless and the Roman people no longer supported their Emperor. Diocletian had lost support through his poor management of money. We can relate this to the Chinese mandate of Heaven because the economy had collapsed, and there was no longer any hope for the Roman Empire. For over one thousand years, the Romans remained an impenetrable force and though they were attacked often by foreign invaders, they were never successful. Now, the Roman Empire was weak, and had taken a fatal blow to both their military and economy. They were at their most vulnerable stage to outside attacks. Any substantial assault by Barbarians would surely crush the remains of the once golden civilization, and it was sure to happen soon. The first to succeed in doing so were the Hun Empire, led by Atilla the Hun in about 452 C.E. After the Hun invasion, many Germanic tribes soon followed in doing so. OutsidersShow MoreRelatedFall of the Roman Empire1288 Words   |  6 PagesThe Pax Romana was a two hundred year time period where the Romans had peace and prosperity under Augustus. The Roman empire started to decline at the end of the prevail of the last five emperors, Marcus Aurelius in 161-180 A.D. The rulers in the next century had no idea how to deal with the problems th e empire was having. There was many reasons to the fall of the Roman Empire but three stood out the most. The preliminary reason was the economy begins to decline. 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Compare the way Writers use the Ghost Story Genre To Chill and Enthral Readers Essay Example For Students

Compare the way Writers use the Ghost Story Genre To Chill and Enthral Readers Essay Writers use the ghost story genre in a number of ways; the books I am comparing are The Red Room by H. G. Wells, The Signalman by Charles Dickens and The Old Nurses story by Elizabeth Gaskell. The Red Room centres on an unnamed cocky, confident young man who doesnt believe in ghosts. To prove ghosts dont exist he decides to spend a night in an apparently haunted house. Despite ominous warnings from the elderly protectors of the house he does it anyway. During the night strange things start happening in the room I saw the candle in the right sconce of one of the mirrors wink and go right out, and almost immediately its companion followed it. The flame vanished, as if the wicks had been suddenly nipped between a finger and thumb, leaving the wick neither glowing nor smoking, but black. The narrator reacts by getting more and more frightened and hysterical. The Red Rooms setting is very typical the house is dilapidated and derelict and inhabited by people who neglect their own welfare . The signalman is a story about a signalman he tells the narrator who is an upper middle class gentlemen about a ghost that has been haunting him. During the story he reveals strange warnings of danger when his bell rings that only the signalman can hear. Each warning is followed by the appearance of a ghost and afterwards a terrible accident occurs. The Old Nurses Story is about a maid who goes to work in a manor house in the middle of nowhere. But there are strange things happening in the old house. The maid discovers that her master told her father that her sister had had an illegal baby without his knowledge. In The Red Rooms the main character is the narrator as it is in first the person. It fits into the genre very well I think because as it is in first person you see what the narrator sees. You have no idea of whats coming next. The main character is very cocky and confident and so it clashes immediately with the withered, elderly protectors of the house. So already it gets you thinking about whats going to happen next. In the Signalman the main characters are the signalman and the narrator who is an upper middle class gentleman who is staying in a hotel further up the road. The gentleman is a sceptic and tries to give a logical answer to every anomaly; the narrator fits into the genre because, like the Red Room, there is a gentleman who refuses to believe in the unusual. The Old Nurses Storys main character is a nurse who looks after the master of the house. The nurse is a young lady from a lower class background. This story fits very well into the gothic horror genre as you have the young woman and child, they are seen as vulnerable; children because they are young and impressionable and young women because they are thought of as weak, and an easy target for ghosts and other evil things. The Old Nurses story is child friendly. It has a simple structure and events lead on logically with just one flash back which explains why the ghost of a child is haunting the narrator. In the Red Room at the beginning of the book the author creates atmosphere and setting effectively by setting a gothic scene. He does it by having very strange people by a warm fire, The man with the withered arm, The old woman and The man covered by a shade. These characters all create a sense of uneasiness about them. One character is known all the way through as The man with the shade, This adds mystery, fear and confusion to the reader. .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c , .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c .postImageUrl , .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c , .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c:hover , .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c:visited , .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c:active { border:0!important; } .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c:active , .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4ddaec5d0d7a9bca3e2ef051da6bc81c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Androgyny Shakespeares Female Characters EssayAt the very beginning of the story the young gentlemen is repeatedly warned about going into the red room the old woman keeps saying to the narrator that its your own choosing, the young man repeatedly answers firmly that he still wants to go into the red room. In the Signalman the author immediately creates tension. The quote where the signal man instead of looking directly where the voice of the man came from, which was very clear, he turned himself about and looked down the line', it immediately creates tension because you have no idea what the signalman is looking at, although you do find out later. In The Old Nurse Story Gaskell creates a very typical setting for this type of story. In the opening part of the story it enthralls children listeners by Gaskell making the first words as you know, my dears, that your mother was an orphan, and an only child it also gives a lot of background knowledge about the Rosamond family. The maid is driven to the manor house; the road to the manor house is wild, desolate and a nasty place. The road to the house has gnarled thorn-trees, and old oaks, all white with age. It gives you the idea that the road to the manor house is a sinister, hair-rising passage. But as the narrator arrives at the manor house it is all clear, the great oval drive was without a weed; and neither tree nor creeper was allowed to grow over the long, many-windowed front. These descriptions of the house driveway and the manor house clash, the descriptions give the idea that the house is very isolated, secluded place and that no-one has visited the house in a long time. H. G Wells enthrals the reader immediately. Even before the narrator goes into the red room, the passage is chilly and dusty. It gives the idea that the narrator is walking into a tomb. When the narrator goes into the red room, by using adjectives and metaphors, such as ocean of mystery and like a ragged storm cloud sweeping out the stars he shows the reader what the narrator is seeing. As the narrator pushes open the baize-covered door H. G Wells describes the moonlight covered room in vivid detail. As the narrator looks around the room he sees A bronze group stood upon the landing, hidden from by the corner of the wall, but its shadow fell with marvellous distinctness upon the white panelling and gave me the impression of someone crouching to waylay me. It was actually a Greek statue but the narrator is shook up a bit and throughout the story the narrator gets more and more scared. Charles Dickens keeps the reader guessing in the middle of the book, wondering what is going to happen next and why the signalman is asking these peculiar questions. The first time the narrator visits the signalman in his hut he asks the narrator not to call out, when you are at top. This is peculiar as the reader and narrator does not know what is going on yet. But the narrator and reader find out that it is so the signalman does not mistake the narrator for the ghost. When the narrator has said goodnight to the signalman, he walks down the railway line and has a very disagreeable sensation of a train coming behind me. Charles Dickens is playing with the readers fear and power of trains and making the reader feel scared. The next meeting with the signalman the narrator is told about the ghost the signalman apparently sees. The signalman describes to the narrator how every time he sees the ghost appalling things happen, people die. All the while it keeps the reader riveted to the book. In the middle of the Old Nurses Story Hester is kept busy by not letting Miss Rosamond escape to the malevolent ghost child taunting her to come and play. Miss Furnivall has a premonition of a terrible winter. The premonition makes the reader wonder what will happen especially when Miss Stark pretends not to hear. .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631 , .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631 .postImageUrl , .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631 , .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631:hover , .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631:visited , .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631:active { border:0!important; } .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631:active , .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631 .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua331e12668e66ea7feec4dbf33f1f631:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Story The Birds EssayThis makes the reader even more suspicious. In the final part of the Red Room the narrator who was previously cocky and very confident about himself is petrified and nervous. The candles start going out and the tension builds and builds until the fire goes out. It is very melodramatic and final. It is repeated three times for added effect. All the while the reader is wondering what is going on and where the ghost is. The narrator is getting more and more terrified. As the lights go out the narrator screams with all my might- once, twice, thrice. The narrator runs wildly around and gets knocked out by running into some furniture. In the morning the old man changes his attitude completely. He spoke no longer as one who greets an intruder, but as one who grieves for a broken friend as the old man feels that another confident and cocky young man has fallen to the Red Room. In the final part of the Signalman the reader finds out that the signalman all along was not seeing the ghost. The signalman dies when he thinks he sees the ghost again but it is in fact a man warning the signalman that a train is coming down the track. In the final part of the Old Nurses Story Hester uncovers an appalling secret about Mrs Furnivall. In the climax of the story the reader gets to see the ghost of the lord of the house. The lord has gleaming eyes and grey hair. Miss Rosamond is almost possessed by the ghosts she is writhing and sobbing in my arms. It is very typical of the genre that children get possessed or get drawn to ghosts. The story has a very typical and melodramatic ending to the story.

Social Loafing Tendencies Team Performance-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Social Loafing Tendencies Team Performance? Answer: Introducation From a young age, I had always dreamt of developing an innovative idea that would help me venture into business and create employment opportunities for people in my country especially the youths. When I joined college, I knew I had a more exceptional operations to develop my dreams of being an innovative entrepreneur. In contrary to the first semester of the school all student were required during the second semester to focus on their central subject matters ( see the blog (1).July 2017). One of my chosen subject matter was on design thinking. I chose design thinking because I wanted to explore complex methods that I can use in solving entrepreneurial problems. Secondly, I also picked design thinking because I tried to find techniques for developing logic imaginations, systematic reasoning and intuitive imaginations that would enable me to build upon results not only to benefit my customers but also to satisfy their demands (Van et al. 2016). The increase developments in technology, have enabled me to understand that design thinking is far much beyond innovation and what an entrepreneur can offer people. Instead, design thinking primary focus is on technology and the effectiveness of the implemented innovation to impact on peoples life. One Of the primary reasons why most innovations fails is attributed to lack of proper research in developing an innovation. Design enterpreneurs should also not neglect the compatibility and sustainability fate of a design flexibility in the market (Dalsgaard, 2014). Design thinking process is not a one time process but rather a gradual process that expose individuals to different methods that in turn create learning opportunities for areas to be covered. At the start of our design thinking lesson, we were categorized into groups; In our groups, we were required to develop a design topic which we would later pass to other groups to draw pictures related to our topic choice ( See blog (1). July 2017). This would act as a genesis sample of ideology that our group intended to communicate. Design thinking requires innovators to develop a design protype that would help them monitor an innovative process. A protype is defined as model that is created with an intent of acting as a sample for the inniovative process (Reymen et al 2017). For instance, our group had developed a topic on home design which we again passed on another group to draw a picture on and again passed it to another group to do the same. The purpose of passing our design topic to othe r group was for evaluation purposes and analysis purposes of our chosen topic. Likewise, protyping is geared towards improving a design evaluation and sharpening designers knowledge and skills of the developed ideology. Protyping generally serves the purpose of providing information of the set expectations to the real working systems rather than providing a theoriticaal concept of the expectations. Prototyping also increases curiosity and individual interest in learning or working towards a target they desire to achieve. The design it learning session presented an element of proof of principle protype as it was draft of what was expected through out the learning session but not the actual content of the design that would be covered in future classes. The proof of principle prototype in design thinking, serves the role of substantianting main purposeful feature of the proposed design but does not contain final product functionality (Sandberg et al Holmstrm, 2015) Personal Development All the same, learning opportunity of the design period granted me the chance to discover that developing innovative designs requires individuals full concentration and awareness of what they inted to achieve. As an individual, I learnt that working in groups was paramount for any person that desired to succed. I develop team work skills that enabled me to easily collaborate with my group members and we were thus able to connect easily with other groups. Besides working with my group, my personal experience at the design experience classes enabled me develop a personal tolerance personality as I was required to work closely with members from other groups to ensure the stability of our design project. I discovered that design process had different methodologies that had to be followed in developing an innovative process (Norman Verganti, 2014). Brainstorming of the topic to base our design sharpened my creativity skills as I had to brainstorm of a topic over and over again; this enab led me to gain extensive knowledge of the basic concept of the design that I would later develop before commencing to settle for the concept. Individual development within a group is determined by an individual ability to collaboratively work with team members in fulfilling a group goals. Before beginning to work with a group the members should have better knowledge of what is expected of them; members can gain knowledge of the group expectation by brainstorming and developing a framework that would guide them through. Members should never settle for a certain project unless they are certain, sure and ready to withstand the consequences of the chosen design. For example at the first stage of the design thinking we brainstormed the topics over and over again with the help of other groups until our group was able to generate a topic picture. I felt that perspective of the group had been fulfilled and developed more interest to continually participate In the future projects. Knowledge Development Knowledge development is the process of acquiring external knowledge different from the internal experience that an individual already poses. Knowledge development process exposes an individual to crucial information that they may not obtain when restricted to one area. It promotes individual intellectual development as it involves cooperation and newer networks creations (Bellmann Melendez-Ortiz, 2013). Knowledge development encourages tolerance personality development and restricts dependence on an individual. Through knowledge development, individuals can attain vast knowledge and experience in their fields of concern thus promoting substantial development of individuals, organization or project agenda. Knowledge development requires an individual to be flexible to changes that come along with implementation process of an innovation and adapt to the changes whenever necessary. Knowledge development does not, however, imply inventing new ideas while ignoring the previous ones but it to a certain extent implies the adoption of new ideas while still putting into consideration and absorbing past ideologies that may be of help. Knowledge development discourages rigidity and widens an individual view of other undertaking perspectives that promote innovation and entrepreneurship development (Agyei Keengwe, 2014). For example, when I joined the design it class, my expectation after the course was to meet the lecturer the next lesson and exploit my learning interest (see the blog (1) July 2017). To my surprise, my previous class lecturer was not there in the "think new" class, and I had to see another lecturer to guide me through the course ( see the blog (2), August 2017), to my surprise, I found that lecturer to more exciting and friendly. I later realized that I had readily adapted to the changes due to my tolerance personality attitude, flexibility and desire to learn. In business and entrepreneurship trade, knowledge development serves the purpose of exposing an individual to newer opportunities while at the same time allowing people to learn from their experiences and that of other without necessarily having to design (Ingersoll et al.,2014). During my second class, we discovered on experimenting somethings to experience newer ideas (see the blog (2), August 2017). While in our third class we were exposed to a mind setting scenario where we shared our past experiences and developed and learned different problem-solving approaches from the solution (see the blog (3), August 2017). Adventures in the two classes enabled me to discover that knowledge development involved exploring newer opportunities, learning from your failures and that of others and developing a positive attitude. During three categories, I also discovered that the bottom-up design and structured design were paramount design methodologies for developing knowledge especially for ent erperneurs who desire to attract newer clients and retain their previous customers (Banfield, 2015). This is because the design class allowed us an opportunity to develop our topic thus helped in creating the work foundation which is a basis for bottom-up design. The think new, and the mindset up classes enabled me to identify outputs and inputs such as learning from others and developing problem-solving solutions which are structured design elements of design methodologies. From lessons drawn from first to third class, I learn that knowledge development in the business world has to be structured by entrepreneurs acknowledgement of what they want and entrepreneurs flexibility in creating newer opportunities for customers through learning and adapting different problem-solving techniques (Lee,2016). Our fourth class involved brainstorming and activities visualization which entailed finding a problem and using design thinking technique to solve the problem (see the blog (4), August 2017.). In our fifth class we carried out a journey mapping of our previous activities, compared it to our future plans and learnt on how to utilize our start and ending decisions (see blog (5), August 2017), while our sixth class was a reflection of our daily activities (see blog (6), September 2017). From which we were guided onto working with teams in the seventh class where we were given a dessert to prepare as a team ( see the blog (7), September 2017). From the fourth to the seventh class, I learnt tthat knowledge development is a process that required individuals to identify the different challenges to innovation, seek solution to such problems through reflecting on their past experiences and by weighing on the future implications of their solutions to the project design. From the fourth to the seventh class, I learned that knowledge development is a process that required individuals to identify the different challenges to innovation, seek the solution to such problems through reflecting on their past experiences and by weighing on the future implications of their solutions to the project design (Schein,2017). The eighth class involved getting feedback of our work process whereby we fetch input from our friends who are considered as customers. Each team discussed other group members work and developed possibly strategies for improving our products and customer service to clients (see the blog (8),13th September 2017), While the ninth class was based on personal development based on our derivatives from the last level. We later learned on developing a plan in our tenth class where we were introduced to marketing product presentation techniques (see the blog (10),22nd September 2017). From the experiences earned in these courses, I learned that gaining knowledge on clients feedback was essential as it helps entrepreneurs to research on better techniques for improving their businesses and to increase idea on persona creation. Persona creation boosts a product brand and thus prompting the need for better and improved product presentation technique which is an essential aspect of business devel opment. My learning reflection from the Design thinking and Entrepreneurial activity From the design thinking and entrepreneurial activity I have learned on the significance of participation in enhancing and promoting better design thinking and entrepreneurial developments. As an entrepreneur, I have determined to be dependent, reliable and accountable. A good entrepreneur is one who has been able to overcome all the odds of business challenges by believing in themselves despite the situation and working towards fulfilling their desired business goals (Ayala Manzano, 2014). During the second class, as an entrepreneur, I practiced dependence by consulting with another lecturer after I had missed my lecturer. As an entrepreneur and design thinker, I enhanced my teamwork ability by working and collaborating with other people to ensure the achievement of the organizations goals. My most significant milestone from the entrepreneurial activity was the ability to discuss our experiences with my group members and design solutions to solve the problems by developing problem- solving techniques and designs. Personal Weakness Nevertheless, the interactions during the learning activity ignored focusing on significant aspect of design thinking and entrepreneurship development such as looking for markets and expanding on customer niche after getting feedback from customers. More often than not, customers do exit from an organization either due to poor quality or due to better quality at a cheap or a more improved price (Sheu, 2014). Entrepreneurs can therefore not ignore the aspect of devising new products and customer service techniques after getting feedback from customers, creating persona alone is not enough to attract customers into a marketing niche. Secondly, the design thinking has ignored the marketing mix techniques in the design molding activity. Design thinking by entrepreneurship should be all rounded and focus on all aspects of business development. The entrepreneur activity has ignored the technological element in designing the business development plans which dramatically influences the inten sity of a b business development process. Another thing that the entrepreneurship has overlooked in design thinking is knowledge acquisition by involving external and more experienced professionals to guide and train people through advanced design thinking processes that will promote a globalized developed business. Another personal weakness portrayed form the entrepreneurship and design thinking activity is that people are not allowed chance to work alone as they are working in teams throughout the program. While teamwork is encouraged, people should also be encouraged to work dependently to avoid social loafing and prevent and over-dependence on other individuals. Areas That Need Development Training Technology advancement Independence Action Plan Of Key Developments And Activities Within The Next 6 Months Entrepreneurs should attend more training o design thinking to equip themselves with more knowledge and skills on significant design concepts development. Practice, exposes an individual to newer opportunities, expand their understanding of the design cycles and gives trainees a chance to learn from the failures of professionals (Millard Richardson, 2015). I will advocate for external training professionals in our college to assist to provide a better understanding of the design approach. Secondly ,I will conduct further research on free online training sites and encourage my friend to join such sessions. I will also advocate for training of the various marketing mix as businesses entrepreneurs and innovators cannot prosper without considering the functionality of marketing mix principles in influencing business market and competition (Haynes, 2015) Technology Advancement I would encourage the use of technologically advanced techniques in guiding people through the design process. Some of the ways of applying technology are to teach people on how to make good use of the internet in researching and establishing networks. The world has gone digital, and we can't, therefore, ignore the benefits of globalization by being limited to specific fields. Technology advancement in the mode of presentation and learning will foster better skills atainance and improve an individual knowledge awareness of what is happening around the world. Encourage Independence Teamwork and team collaboration are important determinants of the group and organizational development. However, some members may take advantage of the team and exploit other person efforts in the organization. Members should be encouraged to do other functions solely rather than in a group ( Schippers, 2014).This will help people to think out of the box and also develop a broad and sharp means of solving conflicts. I intend to disperse group work, encourage students to work on some projects individually and share their experiences with colleagues. References Agyei, D. D., Keengwe, J. (2014). Using technology pedagogical content knowledge development to economics learning outcomes. Education and Information Technologies, 19(1), 155-171. Ayala, J. C., Manzano, G. (2014). The resilience of the entrepreneur. Influence on the success of the business. A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Economic Psychology, 42, 126-135. Banfield, R. (2015). Design Leadership: How Top Design Leaders Build and Grow Successful Organizations. " O'Reilly Media, Inc.". Bellmann, C., Melendez-Ortiz, R. (Eds.). (2013). Trading in Knowledge:" Development Perspectives on TRIPS, Trade and Sustainability." Routledge. Dalsgaard, P. (2014). Pragmatism and design thinking. International Journal of design, 8(1). Haynes, S. W. (2015). Combat mindset: the importance of training. Ingersoll, C., Jenkins, J. M., Lux, K. (2014). Teacher knowledge development in early field experiences. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 33(3), 363-382. lee, J. (2016).Deloitte. Retrieved from Deloitte.com:https://www2.deloitte.com/ca/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/consumer-driven-innovation.html Millard, K., Richardson, M. (2015). On the importance of training data sample selection in random forest image classification: A case study in peatland ecosystem mapping. Remote sensing, 7(7), 8489-851 Norman, D. A., Verganti, R. (2014). Incremental and radical innovation: Design research vs. technology management and meaning change. Design issues, 30(1), 78-96. Reymen, I., Berends, H., Oudehand, R., Stultins, R. (2017). Decision making for business model development: a process study of effectuation and causation in new technology?based ventures. RD Management, 47(4), 595-606. Sandberg, J., Holmstrm, J., Napier, N., Levn, P. (2015). Balancing diversity in innovation networks: Trading zones in university-industry RD collaboration. European Journal of Innovation Management, 18(1), 44-69. Schein, E. H. (2017). Organization development: A Jossey-Bass reader. John Wiley Sons. Schippers, M. C. (2014). Social loafing tendencies and team performance: The compensating effect of agreeableness and conscientiousness. Academy of Management Learning Education, 13(1), 62-81. Sheu, G. (2014). Price, quality, and variety: Measuring the gains from trade in differentiated products. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 6(4), 66-89. van Rens, B., van der Borgh, W. M., Reymen, I. I. (2016). DESIGN THINKING AND SALES.

Parenting theory Essay Example

Parenting theory Essay Parenting org will try to answer 2 question: which business should we own? What parenting approach will get the best performance from those busineses? Instead of looking at how businesses relate to one another, a parent organization should look at how well its skill fit its businesses needs and whether owning them creates or destroy value. Parenting theory suggest that most CEO should concern with two crucial questions: what business should this company, rather than rival, own and why? And What org structure. Management process and philosophy will foster superior performance from its businesses? The best parent companies create more value in their businesses than rivals would. We will write a custom essay sample on Parenting theory specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Parenting theory specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Parenting theory specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Multi business bring together under a parent org businesses that could potentially be independent. Such parent company can justify themselves economically only of their influence creates value. For example: The parent org can improve business plan and budget , promote better linkages among them, provide especially competent central function or make wise choices in its own acquisitions , divestment and new ventures. How corporate parenting add value to its businesses units? That occur when the parents skills and resources fit well with the needs and opportunities of the businesses. If there is not a fit, the parent is likely destroy value. A parent that does not understand the critical success factors in a business is likely to destroy vale. To add value: ICM, Restructure, Knowledge, transfer skill and sharing activities. A parent without detailed knowledge of a business market my not be aware of the opportunity to combine sales. Synergy. Five type of synergies: Cost savings, Revenue enhancements, process improvements, financial engineering and tax benefit. COST SAVINGS This is the most common type of synergy and the easiest to estimate. Peter Shaw, head of mergers and acquisitions at the British chemical and pharmaceutical company ICI, refers to cost savings as hard synergies and points out that the level of certainty that they will be achieved is quite high. Usually, they come from eliminating jobs, facilities, and related expenses that are no longer needed when functions are consolidated, or they come from economies of scale in purchasing. Cost savings are likely to be especially large when one company acquires another from the same industry in the same country. For example, SBC Communications, the former South-western Bell, realized substantial cost savings when it acquired Pacific Telesis. Within the first two years of this merger, SBC saved more than $200 million in information-technology operating and maintenance costs. It also saved tens of millions of dollars by combining the merged companies purchasing power. Even though cost savings are t he easiest synergy to calculate, overly optimistic projections certainly do occur, so you need to look very carefully at the numbers you 1 re presented with. If youre evaluating projections, be aware of three common problems. First, analysts may overlook the fact that definitions of cost categories vary from company to company. (For example, are warranty costs included in the cost of production or the cost of sales?) So it may appear that there are more easily eliminated costs in a category than turn out to be the case. Second, costs are incurred in different places depending on the structure of each company. Acquirers may assume they can eliminate more corporate or divisional administrative costs than they actually can because essential work is getting done in unexpected places. Third, it is easier to eliminate positions than the people who fill them. Often a job is eliminated on paper, but the person in the job is very talented and must be shifted ewhere in the company. Therefore, if a consolidation Ins to suggest that 200 jobs are destined for the ax, that doesnt mean that 200 salaries are, too Acquirers often underestimate how long it will take to realize cost savings. Sometimes that happens because the plans specifying how integration will proceed are insufficiently detailed. In other cases, it happens because the people in both companies are resistant to change, and senior managers often delay making tough cost cutting decisions. And, of course, the longer it takes for cost savings to be realized, the less value they create. REVENUE ENHANCEMENTS Its sometimes possible for an acquirer and its target to achieve a higher level of sales growth together than either company could on its own. Revenue enhancements are notoriously hard to estimate, however, because they involve external variables beyond managements control. The customer base of the acquired company, for instance, may react negatively to different prices and product features. A combined customer base may balk at making too many purchases from a single supplier. And competitors may lower their prices in response to an acquisition. Revenue enhancements are so difficult to predict, in fact, that some wise companies dont even include them when calculating synergy value. Matthew Slatter, the CEO of Bank of Melbourne, says, We model this [revenue enhancements], but never factor it into the price. Similarly, Peter Shaw at ICI considers them soft synergies and discounts them heavily in calculations of synergy value. Despite their dangers, revenue enhancements can create real value. Sometimes the target brings a superior or complementary product to the more extensive distribution channel of the acquirer. That happened when Lloyds TSB acquired the Cheltenham and Gloucester Building Society (which had a better home-loan product) and Abbey Life (which had insurance products). In both cases, Lloyds TSB was able to sell those products to its dramatically larger retail customer base, thus generating more revenue than the three entities could have done individually. Similarly, having acquired Duracell for a 20% premium, Gillette was confirmed in its expectation that selling Duracell batteries through Gillettes existing channels for personal care products would increase sales, particularly internationally. Gillette sold Duracell products in 25 new markets in the first year after the acquisition and substantially increased sales in established international markets. In other instances, a target companys distribution channel can be used to escalate the sales of the acquiring companys product. That occurred at Gillette when it acquired Parker Pen. In calculating what it could pay, Gillette estimated that it would be able to get an additional $25 million in sales for its own Waterman pens by taking advantage of Parkers distribution channels. A final kind of revenue enhancement occurs when the bigger, post-acquisition company gains sufficient critical mass to attract revenue neither company would have been able to realize alone. Consider what happened when ABN and AMRO merged to form ABN AMRO, the large Dutch bank. Afterward, other large banks pulled the new company in on syndicated loans that neither ABN nor AMRO would have been asked to participate in individually. PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS Cost savings result from eliminating duplication or from purchasing in volume; revenue enhancements are generated from combining different strengths from the two organizations. Process improvements, by contrast, occur when managers transfer best practices and core competencies from one company to another. That results in both cost savings and revenue enhancements. The transfer of best practices can flow in either direction. The acquirer may buy a company because the target is especially good at something. Conversely, the acquirer may see that it can drastically improve the targets performance in a key area because of some competence the acquirer has already mastered. Take the case of National Australia Banks purchase of Florida mortgage lender HomeSide. HomeSide has an extremely efficient mortgage-servicing process that NAB plans to transfer to its banking operations in Australia, New Zealand, and. the United Kingdom. The same was true of ABN AMRO when it acquired the U.S. commercial bank Standard Federal. In that case, process improvements went hand in hand with cost savings: because its mortgage operation was so efficient, SF eventually took over the combined banks entire mortgage business. Product development processes can also be improved so that new products can be produced at lower cost and get to market faster. Such was the case when Johnson Controls acquired Prince Corporation, a maker of rear-view mirrors, door panels, visors, and other parts of automobile interiors. Prince was better than Johnson Controls at understanding customers needs-both existing and anticipated-and consequently it produced higher-margin products. Prince also had an excellent process for ramping up production of new products, which enabled it to move from design to mass production about twice as fast as Johnson Controls could, maintaining higher quality levels while speeding cycle times. Johnson learned from Prince and was soon able to apply those advantages to its own products. For an example of the process improvements an acquiring company can bring to the table, take a look at newspaper giant Gannett. Gannett has a database of financial and nonfinancial measures for each of its 85 newspapers; executives use this rich resource to determine best practices, both boosting revenue and lowering costs. Larry Miller, Gannetts CFO, explains, We have been able to dramatically improve the papers weve bought. The key for us is knowing in very minute detail how to run a business. This gives us very specific ideas for improvement. Through more efficient production and distribution processes, Gannett has been able to extend its deadlines for news and advertising copy while simultaneously delivering the newspaper more quickly. That helps advertisers and improves Gannetts revenue. Gannett is also able to determine where classified rates are too high, hurting volume, and where they are too low, leaving money on the table. Because it can expect to yield quick, substantial p rocess improvements, Gannett can pay very high premiums for its acquisitions. When you consider that many of the acquisitions are run independently-and so dont offer many consolidation opportunities-the high premiums are quite extraordinary. In fact, Miller has told us, People are often shocked at what we pay. In nearly all cases, though, performance improvements after the fact have justified the high prices. The synergies of cost savings, revenue enhancements, and process improvements may be easy to understand conceptually, but our research demonstrates how hard they are to forecast accurately. Why? Most calculations of synergy value occur under horrendous conditions: time pressure is intense, information is limited, and confidentiality must be maintained. Since conditions are so far from ideal, the managers and board members responsible for the final decision should always scrutinize the assumptions underlying the numbers. FINANCIAL ENGINEERING Acquirers often think-and hope-that if they borrow cash to finance a transaction, theyll reduce the weighted average cost of capital. That is not a good reason to do a deal. If either the acquirer or the target company could afford to take on more debt; each could have borrowed it on its own. However, some companies can find genuine synergies through financial engineering. For example, an acquisition can increase the size of a company to a level where there are clear economic benefits to pooling working- capital finance requirements and surplus cash, as well as netting currency positions. These benefits can be quite substantial. When the Credit Suisse Group merged with Winterthur, 10% of the forecasted synergies came from reducing funding costs through optimized capital management. Heres another genuine financial-engineering synergy: a transaction may allow a company to refinance the targets debt at the acquirers more favourable borrowing rate without affecting the acquirers credit rating. That is especially likely to happen in the financial services sector because those companies are big and their risk is diversified. TAX BENEFITS Tax considerations are often a barrier that must be overcome to justify a deal, a fact that makes tax-related synergies very difficult to assess. Its useful to distinguish between tax structuring, which makes the deal possible, and tax engineering (also called tax planning), which ensures that the overall tax rate of the combined company is equal to or lower than the blended tax rates of the two companies before the deal. Regulators often believe that companies using perfectly legitimate structuring and engineering techniques to avoid incurring additional costs are simply taking advantage of loopholes. Thus companies are not anxious to disclose any clever techniques they may have used. The goal of tax structuring is to avoid as many onetime tax costs as possible. Those costs may include capital and transfer duties, as well as change-of-ownership provisions that can trigger capital gains or prevent tax losses from being carried forward.

Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem

Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem In his book Fortress of Solitude, Jonathan Lethem tells the story of two boys Mingus Rude who is black and Dylan Ebdus who is white. These two boys are friends, but the difference in their races makes their friendship quite hard.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The two live in a Brooklyn neighborhood where most of the inhabitants are exclusively black. In this novel, Lethem tells the story of America in the 1970s when a lot was happening concerning racial issues. The reader can also relate this novel to the 1990s when no one seemed to care about the other person. Fortress of Solitude is the story of racial tension and this paper will focus on analyzing this theme and how this book relates to the American Dream. This novel concentrates on issues of race, gentrification, music and culture. However, the theme of racial tension dominates the b ook especially with the story being centered on two friends who have racial differences. Although Dylan is white and his friend Rude is black, both boys share similar tastes in music and comic books. Dylan is a white kid living in the midst of a black community in Brooklyn and just like the other children in the neighborhood he attends the public schools. Dylan’s childhood is demonstrated as one filled with â€Å"public embarrassment, yoking, and bullying† (Lethem 3).It is clear that there exists a racial tension between the society, Rude and Dylan and as a result their relationship has to be kept a secret. Dylan’s experiences while growing up gives a clear picture of racial tension; he and his parents Abraham and Rachael belong to the â€Å"self styled gentrification project† that is led by a white woman named Isabel Vendle. According to Lethem gentrification means â€Å"uncool† therefore this project demonstrates blacks as â€Å"uncool† (1 2). The intention of Isabel to start the project was to change Gowanus into Boerum Hill by having the brownstones â€Å"figuratively bleached of their colors, and the Puerto Rican and black populations yielding to richer whites† (Lethem 13).Advertising Looking for book review on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Dylan was impressed by the gentrification project and this is evidenced through his refusal to play with a black girl simply because she is of a different race which is said to be uncool. The girls’ description in the first few lines of the novel indicates racial tension; â€Å"the two white girls in red vinyl roller skates with white laces on a cracked blue slate sidewalk looking like a match struck in a darkened room† (Lethem 3). This description casts a picture of contrast between light and dark in the terms of race. Dylan’s friendship with Mingus Rude can be viewed has a pole which he uses to triangulate his own racial identity. With the fact that he is a white boy living in the middle of a black neighborhood whose amusements include muggings and bullying, his friendship to Rude is a gift to him from the heavens. In such a neighborhood and the fact that he is white, Dylan needs a lot of protection from the blacks; this can only be achieved through befriending Rude who is black. As a matter of fact, Mingus Rude is a good friend as well as a role model to Dylan. Dylan depends on Rude for protection and his entrance to power structure of Dean Street. As their friendship progresses, the two boys get attracted to each other romantically. The tension in racial relations here can be thought as the relationship that is expected to exist between a white and a black; a relationship of master-servant. Racial tension is seen where Dylan befriends another white boy Arthur Lomb so as to get through the school years normally. The difference comes in w here both white boys take different approaches towards life. Dylan decides to go to a white and elite high school while Arthur chooses to hang out with black kids. Arthur befriends Mingus Rude and Robert Woolfolk who become his role models teaching him â€Å"niggerfication.† Dylan believes that, the contrast found between being black or white does matter even where it is expected not to. About the Chinese children, Dylan says that â€Å"the Chinese children in school weren’t white and they weren’t so that was a plus† (Lethem 32).Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He continues to say â€Å"anyway it wasn’t their fault they were Chinese† (Lethem 32). It was not Dylan’s fault as well; his cultural inheritance of being white gave him class and racial dislocation. For this reason, Dylan emulates t he black culture by listening to black music, keeping an â€Å"afro† and having a black girlfriend (Lethem 56). In this case, Dylan seems to deny his race thus causing more racial relationship tensions between the black and the white community. The opposing irony of Dylan being white seems to torment him most of the times. His life as a â€Å"white boy† is met by endless humiliations (Lethem 56). All the same, his â€Å"whiteness† also affords him an opportunity to leave the oppressive black neighborhood to a richer and famous one in Vermont. Racial tension is seen where even with white children surround him, Dylan does not actually fit in. when Dylan attends the college party, he says â€Å"that easy appropriation of dance-floor funk was a first taste, for me, of something I desperately wanted to understand: the suburban obliviousness of these white children to the intricate boundaries of race and music which were my inheritance and obsession. Nobody here care d it was only a danceable song† (Lethem 59). This quote illustrates the racial tensions which may exist between people of the same race. Although racial relations are the main theme of this book the characters play roles that seem to be predetermined. All blacks in the novel are sentimentalized despite their varied occupations; whether a mugger or a musician, if the person is black, he o she is sentimentalized. As a racial experiment, Dylan fails when he decides to adorn â€Å"black leather jackets and white boy rock† to be a part of the Stately Wayne Manor band. Discrimination against the black community is evident where Rude is left to be â€Å"a prisoner of the streets† (Lethem 66). At this point, the reader can tell that there exists a racial tension between Dylan and Rude; Dylan exclaims â€Å"hey, it’s not racist to find blacks earnest as hippies, broad, and embarrassing as a comic book these boys are punks and punks sneer that’s what they do deal with it† (Lethem 66).Advertising Looking for book review on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The American dream promises success and prosperity for any citizen of the US despite their racial background. On the other hand, the American Dream suggests that for people to succeed, they must work hard. In the novel Fortress of Solitude, the American Dream of equal rights for every one is found to fail. There is rampant racial discrimination in the Brooklyn neighborhood which makes it hard for the minority to live the American Dream. It is stated in the American dream that â€Å"all men are created equal† but in Dylan’s society there are people who are â€Å"more equal than others.† In conclusion, Fortress of Solitude is a book that explains tensions that exist between people of different races especially the black and the white community. The author Jonathan Lethem actually tells his own tale when he was growing up in Brooklyn and his expectations of the American Dream as a descendant of Greece. The relationship between the main protagonist Dylan and Mingus Rude clearly demonstrate the tension in racial relationships. The race difference in these boys leads them to totally different worlds in the end. While Dylan becomes a journalist, Rude ends up in prison. This is the picture in our modern world especially in countries where racial discrimination is evidenced. Work Cited Lethem, Jonathan. The Fortress of Solitude: A Novel. New York: Doubleday, 2004. Print.

Benefits of using electronic whiteboards as a teaching aid Essay

Benefits of using electronic whiteboards as a teaching aid - Essay Example It is possible to maintain cleanliness in the environment while using whiteboards, as there are no chalks or dusters. Besides providing the convenience of using flipcharts, pictures, maps and charts during demonstration which otherwise would not have been possible, it mainly provides the following benefits: It serves as an excellent tool for brainstorming sessions, either in meetings or classrooms, the demonstrator has the benefit of conducting question-answer session in several ways, which after analyzing and ensuring that all pupils are taking part, uses symbols or communication aid to mark the answer as true or false or to transfer their views on whiteboard for display purpose. It is easy to get students' attention, as it is a colourful medium. Whiteboard is ideal in situations where the computer access is limited as it is an interactive tool, which works best when there is only a single computer in classroom. While working along with computer and projector and in addition to displaying lectures or information, it can also send that information to all students in a class and possess the ability to research a topic using Internet along with the class. Electronic whiteboards help in daily updating of lesson plans.

Benefits of learning Macroeconomics in my life Essay

Benefits of learning Macroeconomics in my life - Essay Example Based on the fact that I am pursuing a course in economics, my dream has always been to become one of the most successful economists in the country. Being a successful economist would involve being a Chief Executive Officer of a manager in the most respected organizations in the world. These roles necessitate one to have a wide range of knowledge in macroeconomics as well as other fields associated with economics. Being a top official in a highly respected organization involves a lot of interviews in televisions and radio stations. In doing so, an individual offers insight into the happenings of his organization and hence this can be considered a form of marketing. Furthermore, one of the units learnt in macroeconomics is leadership. Therefore, learning macroeconomics has enabled me to learn and gain leadership skills and abilities. Learning macroeconomics will ensure that I familiarize myself with all aspects of preceding and current economic issues of benefit in my future role as a top executive. Successful organizations in all parts of the world are governed by distinct rules and regulations. For managers to implement plans of actions geared towards enhancing and maintain organizational structures, incorporation of skills and knowledge in macroeconomics is critical. The study of macroeconomics involves investigating behaviours of various organizations and other successful institutions. Therefore, learning macroeconomics presents me with knowledge on how to create and implement organizational rules. and guidelines associated with macroeconomics. In general, the study of Macroeconomics is involved with investigating comportment, performance, or conduct of the economy. It would be hard for me to implement economic policies without understanding various market conditions such as fluctuating prices of commodities and services. Conditions in the economy are always changing. This can be attributed to the current advancements in technology and globalization. These are some of the factors that determine the price of commodities and services. Researchers have in the past been involved in methodical investigations geared towards identifying why market conditions are ever changing. Results from these studies are very important and are incorporated in the study of economics (Mankiw, 2011). Learning economics has enabled me to gain skills and abilities that will help me predict market conditions in future. Learning macroeconomics comprises of identification, measurement, and comparison of economic assessments from a range of markets and from different countries or regions. It also involves tracking various aspects that affects market conditions and how to create and implement strategies in practice that would mitigate effects of poor market conditions. An individual can effectively understand market conditions through observing previous market trends. Understanding or analyzing these trends requires one to have certain skills and knowledge that can only be acquired through learning macroeconomics. Therefore, I will be able to follow these trends in future and identify opportunities for investments. There are times market conditions are dilapidated and at other times the market is stable. Understanding the concept of supply and demand is of benefit to businessmen today (Madariaga, 2005). As an economist and businessman in future, I

Leadership Matrix and Decision Making Assignment

Leadership Matrix and Decision Making - Assignment Example Assessment of leadership through decision-making ability is a complex and sensitive activity, which can be done through appropriate questioning and drawing leaders’ viewpoints and plans of action in different scenarios. Following is a set of questions with all possible answers/options that different leaders may choose with respect to areas requiring critical decision making such as delegation of authority, involving group members in a decision-making process, and focus on driving results. Based on these questions and the matrix, leaders scoring highest on option-a (strongly agree) can be termed as effective decision makers. These leaders possess good people management skills; they motivate people through involvement in the decision-making process; they create accountability for decisions made. These leaders maintain the integrity and set the right example to the group members by doing the right thing. Servant leadership is more of service than of leadership itself. Such leaders are committed to people through their work, and fully accept their responsibility and accountability for their job. These leaders tend to be highly transparent in their views, possess great willingness to learn, and possess the high sense of honesty and integrity. These leaders value the differences that may exist and work in collaboration with the group. These leaders work proactively towards their vision. Servant leaders possess the insight and ability to make important decisions, allocate resources and decision making authority by empowering others to act for the betterment of people and the organization. Their focus on relationships helps them gain the better understanding of their people, which in turn ensures appropriate empowerment. These leaders are self-motivated, and they bring a lot of emotions in their surroundings to build a strong team for the organization. Servant leaders believe in inclusive working style, i.e. they involve other members of the group in critical areas of work.

History Of Gender Inequality In Movies Film Studies Essay

History Of Gender Inequality In Movies Film Studies Essay The classic Hitchcockian woman remains a staple image of glamorous femininity within Western culture a depiction of femininity which has survived various waves of feminism, Betty Friedans condemnation of The Feminine Mystique (1963) and Naomi Wolfs revelation of The Beauty Myth (1991). Despite these attempts to eradicate such depictions of constructed womanhood, the Hitchcock blonde seems to remain forever in vogue, consistently seeing a resurgence within visual media, both in the cinema and within fashion editorials and advertising. The fact remains that this version of Woman remains steadfast within the culture conscious, upheld as the pinnacle of class, elegance and demure femininity. The dominating and controlling powers of the existing patriarchal culture system has created, promoted and perpetuated the idea of this previously discussed idyllic femininity. Despite the suggested modern progressions in gender equality, inevitably, it must be understood that this version of passive femininity is glamorised simply as it promotes a more manageable version of woman for masculinity. It seems ludicrous; however, that passive femininity is so thoroughly promoted within modern visual culture, openly focusing upon aesthetics which characterise the Hitchcock Blonde, while seemingly choosing to forgo the consideration of what these iconic representations actually communicate. There is a consistent re-emergence of this sort of glamorisation within fashion and advertising (Fig. 1 4), serving only as a constant re-communication of its desirability, seemingly ignoring the fact that this also glamorises the kind of ideology expressed in these films as well as the style. In essen ce, these images of woman, promoted in contemporary times, seems extremely regressive, as all they can inevitably communicate is an era of woman that is constantly depicted as dominated by man while plagued by the feminine mystique, ultimately demoralised and trapped within their domesticity. A time when, as Friedan discusses, women were defined only in sexual relation to men mans wife, sex object, mother, housewife and never as persons defining themselves by their own actions in society. In the twenty first century, however, there exists a general consensus that this kind of gender inequality is a thing of the past, truly a problem for a long forgotten era. Yet, the reality remains that while progress has certainly been made towards a more positive outlook for femininity under patriarchy, progress has been severely overestimated by the media, allowing the facade of equality and demonstrative exhibitions of gender equality in the work place to permit this belief in substantial developments. For example, while women may now have a more substantial position within the workforce, the fact remains that behind the headline figures of near equality of participation, there remain major differences in the employment conditions and pay of women and men, ultimately highlighting the remnants of this deep seated belief in a gender hierarchy, of passivity and dominance. While there may exist this facade of equality, seemingly functioning in order to placate society, the ideology which creates this unequal environment remains in action. This lack of evident progression within media representation seems to highlight what many third wave feminists or post feminism movements have expressed that this lack of significant results is the cause for a decrease in the optimism and idealism which seemed to characterise the feminist movements of the 1970s. Far from seeing this as perhaps position for the current state of feminism, it could be argued to, instead, be a positive progression. Judith Stacey, interviewing the second-wave feminists and their daughters, found that this new generation of feminism did not want to continue the trend of anger and political protests. An opinion which seems to be the current assessment, as the observations of Alice Rossi, through her studies of the feminist movement over the past hundred years, reveals the desire to see a ch ange in how feminist values are acted out. This seems to suggest that movement towards a more post feminist approach to equality, combined with a more postmodern approach to media representations seems to be the way in which progression can be made. A dramatic reorganisation of a representational system would certainly be both too radical and inconceivable, but adhering to more postmodern ideas surrounding complicity would perhaps provide more progressive results. Linda Hutcheon, literary theorist and postmodernist, believes that the combination of both complicity with dominant representational strategies and critique is what characteristically defines a work as postmodern. Essentially suggesting that the process of working within the cinema system, utilising the existing codes and conventions which have been responsible for publicising and perpetuating this image of passive femininity, yet producing work which suggests the possibility for a re-evaluation of the ruling ideology. The use of a more postmodern approach to progression is certainly more appealing, reinforced by the ways in which Hutcheon discusses how: contemporary artists engage with the systems of the media and the market with strategies of subversive complicity, by which she means the ability to operate within dominate codes of representation while at the same time questioning them. Considering this in the context of a more progressive cinema system, postmodernism would function by utilising the position as an insider, operating many usual codes and conventions, yet ultimately working to de-toxify existing cultural conventions, the givens that go without saying' within narrative, mainstream cinema. Presenting the possibility of providing the feminist cause with a way in which to resist or alter oppressive ideologies from within the system which has been responsible for creating them.  While not all postmodern work may utilise this process of subversion through complicity, there is certainly an argument for its use in the cause of progressing equality within cinema narratives for women. Perhaps the best example of such subversion within cinema lays with the work of director David Lynch. Fittingly, his Hitchcockian influence is obvious with his obvious addressal of of film noir aesthetics as well as with his implimation of HITCHOCKIAN THEMES SUCH AS VOEYIRSM, PSYCHOLOGY HIS INTENTIONS ARE OBVIOUSLT ALWAYS TO SUBVERT THE DOMINANT ORDER OF CINEMA   While he may not specifically have such aims, the work of Lynch can be argued to showcase a possible development towards a more agreeable cinematic depictions or messages which differ from the dominant order. While Lynch may adhere to many typical conventions of cinema (often passive women, voyeurism, dominance, violence etc) women are not alone in their degradation within Lynchs narratives. Postmodernism? while not all postmodern work may utilise this theory or complicity in order to create change, there is certainly an argument for the success of such an approach. Such an approach seems useful for the cause of feminism, allowing cinema, to not be utterly deconstructed and reconstructed, but instead, merely subverted. Perhaps one of the most notable examples of this kind of subversion is the work of David Lynch. His work complies to the general rules of cinema, presenting Typical cinematic depictions? Women and men? Narrative? But at the same time, causing spectators to witness a narrative which subverts what mainstream cinema has caused them to expect. Considering this idea of postmodernism within cinema, the discussion of director David Lynch is extremely useful. Primarily considered a surrealist and significantly influenced by Hitchcockian film noir motifs and visual styles, Lynchs narratives adhere to many cinematic conventions, yet subverts the usual message which audiences have come to expect through constant exposure to mainstream cinema. There, for instance, exists a notable lack of the blot which characterises Hitchcocks work, as Lynch instead practices what Zizek refers to a as extraneation: the decomposition of reality in such a way as to expose the fantasy and real elements that constitute it. Essentially, lynch utlisies cinemas abibilty for creating fantasies and entertainment, yet seems to utilise it in a way which creates an unnerving effect. This extraneation presenting fiction, while causing us to consider the reality that formed it. However, it is precisely in this way, Zizek argues, that Lynch achieves what he calls the ridiculous sublime. On the one hand we have the flimsy, absurd symbolic; and next to it we find the real, abominable Thing. In a way quite different from Hitchcock, yet with a certain kinship with him, Lynch has exposed the mechanism of sublimation without altogether dispensing with it. Against the ideology of psychologically convincing characters, Zizek favors Lynchs extraneation of the characters, the effects of which are strangely de-realized or de-psychologised persons. There is a method to Lynchs madness, so to speak. The psychological unity of the characters disintegrates into a spiritual transubstantiation of common cliches, as Zizek calls it here, and into outbursts of the brutal Real, with reality and its fantasmatic supplement acting side by side, as though existing on the same surface. Ultimately, Zizeks reading of Lynch, and by extension Lynchs fim itself, is profoundly political. Their common method is the opposite of obscurantism or pastiche of arcane topics. Both in their own way provide proof that our à ®Ã¢â€š ¬Ã†â€™fantasies support our sense of reality, and that this is in turn a defence against the Real. Together with their sublime thought, both Lynch and Zizek are profoundly entertaining through their ridiculous art.Pg.6 Firstly, Zizeks observation that extraneation in Lynchs work has a magic redemptive quality is ecvhoed in Jungs theory of consciousness and unconscious: Only in an interplay of consciousness and the unconscious can the unconscious prove its value, and perhaps even show a way to overcome the melancholy of the void. If the unconscious, once in action, is left to itself, there is a risk that its contents will become overpowering or will manifest their negative, destructive side (Jaffe. Pg.297) This interplay can be directly observed in the style of all three films, especially where the distinction between dreamlike but real images and dreams as fantasy images are blurred. Pg22 We Live Inside a Dream: The Function and Origins of Dreams in David Lynchs Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and Lost Highway

The History and Literary Context of Silas Marner Essay -- English Lite

The History and Literary Context of Silas Marner Silas Marner was written in 1860 by Mary Ann (Marian) Evans, better known under the pen name of George Eliot. She used this name for several reasons; for one, she'd had affairs with a variety of unsuitable men, which was greatly frowned upon in those days, and she rightly thought this could affect her career as a successful novelist. For another reason, women authors were looked down upon by critics and indeed, society, so she felt sure she would have a greater chance of success under a male name. Other women writers like the BrontÃÆ'Â © sisters have done similar things. Whilst she was young she was a firm Christian, as was expected. It was only later that she began to question her faith, when she met the unconventional Charles Bray and his wife Caroline. Eliot's father was horrified when he discovered this, having an evangelical outlook on life. He broke contact with Eliot entirely, ashamed that one of his children should turn out to be a non-believer. However, when her mother died in 1836, Eliot returned home to look after her father although she wouldn't give up her education and learnt German and Italian. Because of her linguistic skills, Eliot's first publication was a translation of Strauss' Life of Jesus, under her real name. She still was not writing novels until she met George Lewes. Lewes was married and with children, but he and Eliot grew gradually closer until they finally decided to elope. As Lewes was already married, he and Eliot could not be officially joined in matrimony, but they lived together like man and wife, and Eliot even went under the name Lewes. Their relationship was censured by many, and Eliot hardly left the house, becoming... ..., and soon many people from all over Raveloe were coming to Silas to have him cure their rheumatism and other ailments, adding more darkly "that if you could only speak the devil fair enough, he [Silas] might save you the cost of the doctor." So witchcraft was still in people's minds. Drugs were also used in that time, and Godfrey Cass's wife, Molly, was addicted to opium, the drug which finally killed her. The life that George Eliot was depicting in Silas Marner was one in which poverty and wealth lived side by side, and people accepted that that was how things were. Religion was very important to all, whether it was non-conformist or Anglican. By the time George Eliot wrote Silas Marner she had lost her Christian faith, and this could have inspired her to write about somebody who also loses their faith although, unlike George Eliot, Silas regains his.

Automotive Industries in Thailand Essay

Contribution of MNC’s in automotive industry: Most of the developing countries consider that the automotive industry will move the country toward an intensive industrialisation by creating a large set of related businesses. Thailand aims to be regarded as the Detroit of Asia. The country has engaged in the last few decades in the development of the automotive industry, with a special focus on domestic auto-assembly. Thailand is the world’s second largest pick-up truck market after the U.S., and it is ASEAN’s largest automotive market and assembler. Today all leading Japanese car producers as well as BMW, Mercedes Benz, General Motors, Ford, Volvo, and Peugeot, assemble cars in Thailand along with their group of subcontractors and suppliers. Thailand has become the main production base for auto exports in South East Asia. Thailand is considered as one of the most attractive countries for automotive investments mainly due to factors such as the good and growing domestic market size, the relative political stability, liberal trade and investment policy, and the lack of a â€Å"national car program†. The automotive industry is Thailand’s third largest industry, employing an estimated total workforce of about 225,000 employees, and with a total production capacity of around 1,270,100 cars and trucks per year. Japanese-make automobiles have dominated the local auto market; with nearly 90% market share but other global vehicle manufacturers’ investments are growing consistently, creating a very dynamic industry. New global parts manufacturers are in the process of relocating some of their operations to Thailand. Thailand has 16 vehicle assemblers; most of them are large-scale foreign owned or joint venture enterprises. As well, there are more than 1100 small and medium sized companies working as suppliers of original equipment (OEM),  or producing replacement equipment (REM). The automotive industry in Thailand is very concentrated with most of the factories located in the Samut Prakarn province (approximately 20 km south of Bangkok), followed by Rayong (approximately 130 km south-east of Bangkok). The largest car producer is Toyota, and in 2003 it was the first manufacturer to establish a local R&D centre in Thailand. However, this type of initiative, a cooperative arrangement between MNCs and local universities, is so far not a widespread practice in Thailand. Therefore, there is a stringent need to understand the mechanisms allowing for knowledge transfer and sharing, if Thailand wants to position itself as a very competitive country, not only in the automotive industry but in other industrial sectors as well. Thailand benefits from these companies operations as almost 18% of labour and employment are generated by the automotive industry.