The Crucible By Arthur Miller - 979 Words

The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a very dramatic and partly fictional play written in 1953 about the Salem Witch Trials. Which took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay between 1692 and 1693. Arthur, got inspiration for this story from McCarthyism, which is when the U.S. government blacklisted implicated communists. Miller was questioned by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Un-American Activities in 1956 and convicted of compete of Congress for denying to identify others present at meetings he had appeared at. The play had been performed at Martin Beck Theater on Broadway in 1953, on January twenty-second. This play starred E.G. Marshall, Beatrice Straight, and Madeleine Sherwood. But, Arthur Miller felt that the†¦show more content†¦But, John values honesty, and cannot keep the secret any longer. After telling the truth, it lets him keep his integrity, but he has destroyed his reputation as a man. Later in the story, he must face his final test by th e court. If he pursues to reject the fact that he has performed witchcraft, he will be lynched. Yet again, Proctor is tempted to be dishonest to save himself, he then realizes that this again, is a problem concerning integrity. So, in choosing honesty is John Proctor’s form of preserving his virtue in the eyes of God. After Elizabeth had learned the truth about what John has done, she is unable to forgive him. He is bitter towards her because she can’t trust him, but he is guilty himself of being untrustworthy. The fact that he cannot forgive himself is increasing his backlash towards Elizabeths’ inefficiency of forgiveness for him. You can tell John feels guilty, but he still begs for forgiveness from her. He says, â€Å"I’d have you see some honesty in it. Let them, that never lied die now to keep their souls. It is pretense for me, a vanity that will to blind God nor keep my children out of the wind. Pause. What say you?† (Page 136). She then replies with, â€Å"John, it come to naught that I should forgive you, if you’ll forgive yourself. It is not my soul, John, it is yours.† (Page 136). After confessing, he is asked by Danforth to sign on it as well. Proctor refuses to at first, and says â€Å"You have all

The Mental Consequences Of Drafting Soldiers - 890 Words

The military trains soldiers to be mentally and physically unbreakable, but the emotional baggage they carried expose them to mental and physical risks. Soldiers that are draft run a higher risk of developing mental disorders because the emotional and physical stress they experience contributes to their mental instability. In The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien shows the mental consequences of drafting soldiers, who struggle to reconcile their emotional state, and fail to maintain their sanity. Drafted soldiers have no choice but to fight, so they come in mentally vulnerable. Once they are involved in warfare, they become susceptible to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Soldiers are trained in military bases, where they learn the craft of warfare before being sent to combat. They are prepared physically and mentally, but nothing compares to the real situations in battle. In The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien says â€Å" It was my fourth day [...] I felt a moist sickne ss rise up in my throat. I sat down beside the pigpen, closed my eyes, put my head between knees,† (O’Brien, 214). This quote demonstrates how O’Brien is unable to deal with death, even though he was prepared to confront it. O’Brien mental state starts to deteriorate and he seems to have an emotional breakdown. For example, â€Å" The young soldier stood off by himself at the center of the field [...] the boy’s face was impossible to make out. The filth seemed to erase identities,† (O’Brien, 156). In this moment,Show MoreRelatedThe On The Euthanasia Program1496 Words   |  6 Pageseugenics was, â€Å"the study of agencies under social control that may improve or impair the racial qualities of future generations either physically or mentally.† Through reference of Mendel’s laws of heredity, Galton further theorized that physical, mental, and moral traits were inherited from past generations. These traits were divided al ong racial lines, as superior strains of genetically inherited blood were most often attributed to the Nordic, white race. Since some races were genetically superiorRead MoreThe Weaknesses Within The Prosecution2522 Words   |  11 Pagesto be ready for preemptive action when necessary to defend our liberty and to defend our lives. [(GWB, Speech at West Point)] The detainment and transfer of Iraqi insurgents was in the name of national security and preemption,as since U.S. soldiers were eliminating an assumed threat before any greater harm could be done. To support its objective for preemptive war, the Bush Administration redefined reworked the U.S. definition of torture after the events of September 11th. As a signatoryRead MoreThe On The Euthanasia Program1909 Words   |  8 Pageseugenics was, â€Å"the study of agencies under social control that may improve or impair the racial qualities of future generations either physically or mentally.† Through reference of Mendel’s laws of heredity, Galton further theorized that physical, mental, and moral traits were inherited from past generations. These traits were divided along racial lines, as superior strains of genetically inherited blood were most often attributed to the Nordic, white race. Since some races were genetically superiorRead MoreEnvironmental Effects of War 7089 Words   |  29 Pagesdied due to war each year between 1985 and 1994. Today, for Iraq alone, there have been over a million deaths as a direct consequence of the American occupation of Iraq. The soldiers would have dedicated their lives to fighting battles, with little possibility of regaining the ability to live successfully as a civilian. One-tenth of mobilized American men were hospitalized for mental disturbances between 1942 and 1945, and after thirty-five days of uninterrupted combat, 98% of them manifested psychiatricRead MoreWhat Is The Social Issue You Are Looking At? Essay7531 Words   |  31 Pagesbefore the age of 15 are up to 4x more likely to develop a alcoholism issue than those who begin drinking at the age of 21. For some teenagers, drinking seems to be a solution to issues they no longer wish to face, many of these do not realise the consequences till it’s almost too late. Binge drinking is the practice of consuming large quantities of alcohol in a single session, usually defined as five or more drinks at one time for a man, or four or more drinks at one time for a woman. Drinks refersRead MoreHistory Notes on Cuban Missile Crisis and Protest in America in the 1960s4816 Words   |  20 PagesDisarmament, Peace and Student Movements. A major concern in the 60’s was that the Cold War would become ‘hot’ and that a nuclear war would break out. Protest movements then emerged to ban nuclear weapons as well as Peace Movements who were against the drafting of young USA students into the Vietnam War. Disarmament Movement. After the USA had dropped atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WW2 there was an extremely tense atmosphere as other countries started to develop nuclear weapons and theRead More1000 Word Essay85965 Words   |  344 PagesProgram ...................... 51 Army Safety Program .................................. 53 Army Sponsorship Program .............................. 55 QOLP - Army Quality of Life Program ....................... 56 BOSS - Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers ................. 57 CHAMPUS / TRICARE ................................ 58 DEERS - Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System .......... 59 NCODP - Noncommissioned Officer Development Program ......... 60 Weight Control ....................Read MoreLenin13422 Words   |  54 Pagesrevolution.[55] When his wife finished her sentence, she joined him in Munich; she became his personal secretary, aiding the production of Iskra.[56] Together, they continued their political agitation, with Lenin writ ing further articles for Iskra and drafting the program for the RSDLP, attacking ideological dissenters and external critics.[57] Despite remaining an orthodox Marxist, he had begun to accept the Social Revolutionary Party s views on the revolutionary power of the Russian peasantry, penningRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pagesmake any decisions.† This makes the work simpler but also deepens its monotony. In the cage, Carol Smith says she looks forward to envelopes that contain anything out of the ordinary, such as letters reporting that the donor is deceased. Or she plays mental games. â€Å"I think to myself, A goes in this pile, B goes here and C goes there—sort of like Bingo.† She says she sometimes feels â€Å"like a machine,† particularly when she ï ¬ lls out the â€Å"control card† on which she lists â€Å"time in† and â€Å"time out† for eachRead MoreHuman Resources Manageme nt150900 Words   |  604 Pagesmanagement and to improve productivity, quality, and service while also reducing costs. As a result, jobs are redesigned and people affected. One of the challenges that HR management faces with organizational restructuring is dealing with the human consequences of change. The human cost associated with downsizing has been much discussed in the popular press: a survivor’s mentality for those who remain, unfulfilled cost savings estimates, loss of loyalty, and many people looking for new jobs. Whereas many

All Behaviour Is Learnt free essay sample

It is the response of the system or organism to various stimuli or inputs, whether internal or external, conscious or subconscious, overt or covert, and voluntary or involuntary. It is influenced by culture, attitudes, emotions, values, ethics, authority, rapport, hypnosis, persuasion, coercion and/or genetics. -wikipedia. org It can be defined more precisely as an internally directed system of adaptive activities that facilitate survival and reproduction. Any behavior we can observe by watching an animal is overt behavior. In humans, behavior is controlled primarily by the endocrine system and the nervous system. Generally, complex nervous systems exhibit a greater capacity to learn new responses and thus more adjustment in behavior. In general, overt behavior may be classified as innate or learnt. Many people use the term instinctive behavior as a synonym for innate behavior. Although both termss refer to natural, inborn patterns of behavior. Another category of behaviour which was later on added is complex behaviour which is a blend of innate and learned components. Innate behaviour Innate behaviour is defined as a relatively complex response pattern which is usually present in both sexes of a given species. These responses are said to have a genetic basis and are essentially unlearned and adaptive. eg. Aggression Learnt behaviour If organisms only had innate behaviour then all the organisms of same species would have had identical behaviour. But that is not the case, is it? This led to the new category of behaviour known as learnt behaviour. A learned behavior is some type of action or reflex that we learn after deciding to learn. We learn it because we find it beneficial to us. We can learn these behaviors by watching others do them, such as riding a bike or learning to write. But we can not learn an innate behaviour like crying. Learned behaviour can also be conditioned. Complex behaviour Most overt behavior is neither 100% innate nor 100% learned. Sometimes innate behaviors may be modified (or modulated) through practice and experience. In locusts, for example, the ability to fly is innate, but an older, experienced individual consumes less energy (per unit time) than a novice flier. This suggests that the older insect has learned to fly more efficiently. Similarly, learned behaviors may incorporate or depend upon elements of innate behavior. Indeed, the ability to learn, to associate, or to remember is almost certainly an innate feature of the insects nervous system. Schematically, it may be useful to think of a box that represents the boundaries of an animals ethogram. All behavior must occur inside the physiological limits of this box (e. g. a beetle larva does not have wings, therefore it cannot fly). Within the box, a set of innate behaviors can be simplistically represented by straight lines. By following a zigzag route, an insect can use only innate behavior to get from point A to point B. But a learned behavior, superimposed on this innate grid, might provide a shortcut that is more useful or more efficient. As in the locust example above, the innate ability to fly may be refined and improved through experience. cals. ncsu. edu Whether our behaviour, actions and conduct are determined by nature, the genes given to us by our parents or by nurture, the factors of the environment upon us after birth and through childhood is a debate that has fascinated psychologists throughout history. Starting with Galtons study of Darwins book on evolution and carrying on with other famous Psychologists such as Pavlov, Watson and Skinner, this is an area of s tudy that is both popular and important. There has been no definitive correct answer to the debate of nature versus nurture and so there are still differing views. Some views have differed in the extreme. For example Galton (1883) suggested nature prevails enormously over nurture yet Eysenck (2003) reports John Locke arguing They (Babies) are born with a mind that is like a blank slate (tabula rasa) and experience records itself in such a way that each individual becomes a unique being. We inherit nothing and all behaviour is acquired as a consequence of experience. John Broadus Watson, an American psychologist also quoted Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and Ill guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select – doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and, yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors. It is a very difficult question to answer because it is almost impossible to ascertain whether someones actions are due to genes or environment. One method used to try and determine whether genes are the most important factor are with identical twin studies. If two monozygotic twins have the same characteristics as each other then it suggests that genes are causing this effect. There are however flaws with this reasoning as twins generally experience the same environment e. g. parents, friends, school etc so it could be argued that the similarities are down to this. A perfect study would be identical twins separated at birth who have experienced completely different environments. Unfortunately this case study is hard to come by and so no real proof can be gained from this. A correleational study was conducted by Pavlov, a staunch behaviourist who believed that responses can be conditioned. Pavlov gave an example of behaviour being learnt in his study on dogs. In his digestive research on dogs, Pavlov and his assistants would introduce a variety of edible and non-edible items and measure the saliva production that the items produced. Salivation, he noted, is a reflexive process. It occurs automatically in response to a specific stimulus and is not under conscious control. However, Pavlov noted an interesting occurrence – his canine subjects would begin to salivate whenever an assistant entered the room even in the absence of food and smell. He quickly realized that this salivary response was not due to an automatic, physiological process. Based on his observations, Pavlov suggested that the salivation was a learned response. The dogs were responding to the sight of the research assistants white lab coats, which the animals had come to associate with the presentation of food. Unlike the salivary response to the presentation of food, which is an unconditioned reflex, salivating to the expectation of food is a conditioned reflex. Pavlov then focused on investigating exactly how these conditioned responses are learned or acquired. In a series of experiments, Pavlov set out to provoke a conditioned response to a previously neutral stimulus. He opted to use food as the unconditioned stimulus, or the stimulus that evokes a response naturally and automatically. The sound of a metronome was chosen to be the neutral stimulus. The dogs would first be exposed to the sound of the ticking metronome, and then the food was immediately presented. After several conditioning trials, Pavlov noted that the dogs began to salivate after hearing the metronome. A stimulus which was neutral in and of itself had been superimposed upon the action of the inborn alimentary reflex, Pavlov wrote of the results. We observed that, after several repetitions of the combined stimulation, the sounds of the metronome had acquired the property of stimulating salivary secretion. In other words, the previously neutral stimulus (the metronome) had become what is known as a conditioned stimulus that then provoked a conditioned response (salivation). When you look at nature, different species are born in different stages of their readiness to tackle this pla net. Mountain goats, once born, take a couple of minutes to get their balance, and the next thing you know, they are skipping around happily! Fish can swim immediately as well. So, depending on the species, the â€Å"apprenticeship† has a different time frame. Now, the longest of all these apprenticeships is served by the human being! When we are born, the only thing we are equipped to do is scream, eat and soil ourselves. What does this mean? The human being has to learn about one of the most complex social structures on the planet, has to master language and the very complicated task of walking, and then comes school and all the other good stuff. However, at the very beginning, we are basically blank sleights, waiting to be imprinted with all the necessary information we need to survive in todays environment. Another distinguishing feature to our species is the life long learning process we are engaged in. Basically, we never stop learning, even though the learning curve is steepest at the beginning. The fact that we are blank sleights also means that we learn all our bad habits, annoying behaviors, and our psychological illnesses (given, some people are born with birth defects). To me, this means that things like depression, ADHD, etc are learnt behaviors! Show me a depressed baby†¦. The good new is that if all this stuff is learnt, we can also unlearn it and teach ourselves better things. We can teach our brain and mind to do exactly what we want them to. This of course not only involves a conscious effort, but also unconscious involvement, as all behaviors, learnings and changes are unconscious (soon, more on that). So, maybe we just have to rediscover the child within to truly set us free to be however we want to be†¦

Sales Pattern Analysis of Television in India free essay sample

Main objectives of the research are to understand the market of consumer electronics, mainly Televisions, what are the different technologies in the market and response of people towards it. There are essentially three market sectors i. e. Low Income, Middle Class and High Income Sector and the behaviour of each sector is different from one another. The data was collected from a sample of 7-8 shops in each category via a questionnaire following which an in-depth analysis was conducted. However various figures in sales representations are estimate as the scope for the market research was limited. The research paper shows how the sales of televisions vary across the three sectors based on their types, size and brands. The paper also brings to light the response of people towards the conventional technologies like Ultra Slim TVs and newer technologies like LED TVs. This research study highlights the priorities of each sector through consumer behaviour. We will write a custom essay sample on Sales Pattern Analysis of Television in India or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It shows the thought process of the consumer behind the purchase of a simple commodity, like a Television. The television is one of the most important sources of information. It plays such a significant role in people? s everyday lives that it? s almost impossible to imagine how we would live if there were no TV. The main reason why so many people choose this means of getting information and entertainment is its simplicity and convenience. The television has now become an intricate part of our lives. There may be alternate methods to entertain oneself with the internet, or to get world news, but the television will still never go out of favour. In urban India, almost all households have at least one TV set, which speaks a lot about its reach. As the years progressed, we moved from the first black and white televisions in the 1930s to the first colour television in 1950s. Colour TV was a revelation in more ways than one. Before its arrival, people even dreamt in black and white, colour television even changed that. Constant advancements in this field have been made. People loved the concept of home entertainment and more and more channels started coming up in order to provide it. To improve the viewing experience, rapid technological advancements started being made such as flat-panel displays, to LCDs and LEDs to the current HD and 3D viewing. Starting with 41 sets in 1962 and one channel, by 1991 TV in India covered more than 70 million homes giving a viewing population of more than 400 million individuals through more than 100 channels. In Urban India, 85% of all households have a TV and over 70% of all households have access to Satellite, Cable or DTH services. Approximately half of all Indian households own a television. As of 2010, a total number of 515 channels are available in the country out of which 150 are pay channels. As per the TAM Annual Universe Update 2010, India now has over 134 million households (out of 223 million) with television sets, of which over 103 million have access to Cable TV or Satellite TV, including 20 million households are DTH subscribers. Thus as we can see that the demand for Televisions has gone up drastically. Seeing this huge market, there has been a massive influx of companies in the past decade that have started selling their own line of television sets. We now have in Indian markets, companies such as Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Toshiba, Videocon, Onida and many others who keep coming up with newer and better quality televisions. Everybody from a daily wage earner to a CEO in a Multinational organisation has a television at home. The aim of this research is to analyse the wishes of each section of society, and to find out what type of televisions do they prefer to purchase, what do people from different income groups look for when they want a television system. The idea is to understand the mind of today? buyers, to understand what are their preferences, priorities and mindset, so that informed decisions and strategies can be formulated. To conduct this research, a questionnaire was produced and the market was divided into three broad sections namely Lower income, Middle income and High income Offices sector. Areas were recognised with these specific sections of society and the electronic stores in and around those areas were visited such as Saki Naka, Andheri East for lower income sector, Santacruz West and Andheri West for middle and upper income sector. For high income ector offices, Opera House and Prabhadevi were visited. The volume of people in this sector is also highest in our country. Hence they purchase the most number of TV sets in the country and are the core segment for all the companies other than the Big Three (Samsung, Sony and LG). The main aim of people is buying a TV with its basic features with good looks as an added bonus. Aesthetic value provided by a television is not a major issue. „Value for Money? is the chief endeavour for the consumer. They typically look for Ultra Slim TVs, Small Segment LCDs and Conventional TVs. As cost is a major factor among these people, TVs which have maximum features in a fixed price range are bought.

All Quiet on the Western Front2 essays

All Quiet on the Western Front2 essays All Quiet On the Western Front All Quiet on the Western Front, directed by Delbert Mann, is based on the novel written by Erich Maria Remarque. It tells the story of a German schoolboy, Paul Baumer, and a group of his classmates, who journey from fantasies of heroic glory to the real horror of actual soldiering. Their journey is a coming of age tale that centers on the consternation of war and emphasizes the moral, spiritual, emotional, and physical deterioration suffered by the young soldiers. Paul Baumer is a 19-year-old volunteer to the German army during World War I. He and his classmates charge fresh out of high school into military service, hounded by the nationalist ranting of a feverish schoolmaster, Kantorek. Though not all of them want to enlist, they do so in order to save face. Their first stop is boot camp, where life is still laughter and games. "Where are all the medals?" asks one. "Just wait a month and I'll have them," comes the boisterous response. This is their last vestige of boyhood. War slowly begins to strip away the ideals these boy-men once cherished. Their respect for authority is torn away by their disillusionment with their schoolteacher, Kantorek who pushed them to join. This is followed by their brief encounter with Corporal Himmelstoss at boot camp. The contemptible tactics that their superior officer Himmelstoss perpetrates in the name of discipline finally shatters their respect for authority. As the boys, fresh from boot camp, march toward the front for the first time, each one looks over his shoulder at the departing transport truck. They realize that they have now cast aside their lives as schoolboys and they feel the numbing reality of their uncertain futures. After their first two days of fighting, they return to their bunker, where they find neither safety nor comfort. A grizzled veteran, Kat, suggests these 'fresh-faced boys' should return to the c ...

First-Grade Science Projects

First-Grade Science Projects First grade is a great time to introduce students to the scientific method, which involves looking at the world around you, coming up with an explanation for what you observe, testing your  hypothesis  to see if it could be valid, and then either accepting or rejecting it. Even at such an early grade level, students can begin to learn concepts related to this method.   Harness Their Curiosity Young children are innately curious about the world around them. Introducing them to the scientific method helps kids begin to explore what they see, hear, taste, and feel in a systematic way. First-grade projects should be interesting to the student and mostly exploratory in nature. At this age, a teacher or parent needs to help plan the project and offer guidance  on a report or poster. Some students may want to make models or perform demonstrations that illustrate scientific concepts. Project Ideas First-grade science offers a wonderful opportunity to explore how things work. Start your first-graders on the road to exploring science fair project ideas with some simple questions that might spark their interest, such as: What type of food attracts the most insects? (You can choose either flies or ants.) What do these foods have in common?In this experiment, students use vinegar to remove the calcium in chicken bones to make them rubbery. Questions for students: What happens to a chicken bone or an egg if you put in vinegar for a day? What would happen after a week? Why do you think it happens?  Do all students in the class have the same size hands and feet? Trace outlines of hands and feet and compare them. Do taller students have larger hands and feet or does height not seem to matter?You can also create a fun science project to determine whether mascaras are really waterproof. Simply put mascara on a sheet of paper and rinse it with water. Ask students to explain what happens. Do eight-hour lipsticks really keep their color that long? You may need to review the  concept of time  with students if they have forgotten or are unfamiliar with hours, minutes, and seconds. Other Project Ideas Spark further interest by suggesting- or assigning- other science fair projects. Asking questions related to each project is the best way to elicit a response from young students. Project-related questions you can ask include: Do clothes take the same length of time to dry if you add a dryer sheet or fabric softener to the load?Do all types of bread grow the same types of mold?Do frozen candles burn at the same rate as candles that were stored at room temperature? All of these questions give you the opportunity to review- or teach- concepts that are important for first-graders. For example, explain to students that  room temperature is a range of  temperatures  that denotes comfortable habitation for people. Talk About Temperature An easy way to demonstrate this idea is to turn up or down the temperature-control gage in the classroom. Ask students what happens when you turn the temperature control up or down. Some other fun projects include letting students figure out if raw eggs and hard-boiled eggs spin the same length of time/number of times, if light affects how fast foods spoil, and if you can tell from todays clouds what tomorrows weather will be. This is a great opportunity to take students outdoors, and as they peer at the sky, discuss the difference in outside temperature compared to inside.

President Bush's Crime Control Agenda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

President Bush's Crime Control Agenda - Essay Example In the Des Moines IA GOP Debate in 1999, George Bush states his position on gun control: "I'm in favor of keeping guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them like felons & juveniles. I'm for enforcing the laws on the books.... We need to send a signal to people, don't be illegally selling guns and don't be illegally using guns. The best accountability for somebody who breaks the law with a gun is called jail, certain jail" (Who is George Bush 2007). In this statement it becomes notable that even though the president supports gun ownership, he sets specific rules and restrictions on how firearms should be handled. The gun control of Bush allows gun to be primarily used solely for hunting and self-protection. Believing in the right of a citizen and his family to be protected against threats of crimes, he stresses that "law-abiding citizens ought to be able to own a gun" (St. Louis Debate 2000) yet "we ought to get guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them" (St. Louis Debate 2000). Rigorous background checks are put in place in order to ascertain whether a person is allowed to own a gun. However, if gun laws are broken, people are held accountable for the consequences.

International Finance Assessment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

International Finance Assessment - Case Study Example When a firm operates only in the domestic market, both for procuring inputs as well as selling its output, it needs to deal only in the domestic currency. As companies try to increase their international presence, either by undertaking international trade or by establishing operations in foreign countries, they start dealing with people and firms in various nations. Since different countries have different domestic currencies, the question arises as to which currency the trade should be settled in. The settlement currency may either be the domestic currency of one of the parties to the trade, or may be an internationally accepted currency. In this case, Rolls-Royce has agreed on a dollar as the currency for settlement. The mechanism by which the exchange rate between these currencies i.e. the value of one currency in terms of another currency is determined, along with the level and the variability of the exchange rates, can have profound effect on the sales, cost and profits of a fir m. The change in the value of currencies takes place because of the change in the demand for holding that particular currency. The businesses may be affected in a number of ways because of the changing exchange rate. Some of them are as follows: Exchange rates may be of different types like fixed exchange rate, floating exchange rate and also exchange rates with limited flexibility. Different kinds of exchange rate systems have different methods of correcting the disequilibrium between international payments and receipts. This actually is one of the basic functions of these mechanisms. Fixed Exchange Rate System - As the name suggests, under a fixed or pegged exchange rate system the value of a currency in terms of another is fixed. These rates are determined by governments or the central banks of the respective countries. The fixed exchange rates result from countries pegging their currencies to either some common commodity or to some particular currency. There is generally some provision for correction of these fixed rates in case of a fundamental disequilibrium. The Gold Standard System and the Breton Woods System are some of the examples of Fixed Exchange Rate System. There are also particular variations of the fixed rate system like: Currency Board System - Under this system, a country fixes the rate of its domestic currency in terms of a foreign currency, and its exchange rate in terms of other currencies depends on the exchange rates between the other currencies and the currency to which the domestic currency is pegged. The biggest advantage of a currency board system is that it offers stable exchange rates, which act as an incentive for international trade and investment. The discipline enforced on the government and the financial system also helps in improving the macroeconomic fundamentals in the long run. Target Zone Arrangement - A target zone arrangement is system in which a group of countries sometimes get together, and agree to maintain the exchange rat

Impacts of Negative Leadership Essay Example for Free

Impacts of Negative Leadership Essay Leadership carries considerable influence and responsibility within any organization. Leaders are challenged daily with how to manage this influence effectively. Communication plays a key role in this approach and can have significant impacts to the leader and their staff. The purpose of this paper is to explore the impacts of negative leadership behavior regarding communication and effects on the team as well as the overall organization. Experience with Negative Leadership Behavior Over my career, there have been negative leadership behaviors experienced with both direct mangers and senior management. One of the most destructive is lack of communication. Recently, an executive manager was going to be out of the office for an entire week. This leader has four direct reports of which three are group leaders. The executive manager casually mentions to one of the direct reports that she will be out of the office the following week at a seminar. The direct report appropriately relays this information to their team supervisor to address any concerns or open issues in advance of this absence. The same communication was not made to the remaining three direct reports, in any form, by the executive manager. As the business week of the absence began, the other three direct reports incur an issue require assistance from the executive manager. These managers were rendered unproductive and left wondering when the leader was going to be in the office so that they can discuss the problem at hand. During subsequent discussions, the team supervisor aware of the absence is the one to notify the other three direct reports that their direct manager was out for the week. The gap in communication impacted the teams noted but also other service partners and finally the client due to the delays in resolving the issue timely. It is also important to note that this is not an isolated incident but had happened previously having similar impacts to the same parties noted above. Analysis of Leadership Behavior The leadership behavior described in this experience appears straightforward at the surface but is far reaching in its impact to the firm. The leader showed consistent lack of personal integrity as well as respect and empathy for her staff by not relating her accessibility on a regular basis. It impacts the morale of the direct reports and deteriorates their working relationships ability to collaborate. The leader did not inform all direct reports of her absence. Without a collective knowledge, a subset of the larger reporting team was less effective and efficient during this time. This also created a gap in escalation when issues arose. Lastly it weakens the culture of inclusion. By being excluded, part of the management staff experienced a decrease in satisfaction subsequently affecting their overall performance. Attrition is a by product as well of this negative behavior. Supporting Research of Negative Leadership Behavior â€Å"For it is character through which leadership is exercised, it is character that sets the example and is imitated in turn†¦. The more successfully tomorrow’s manager does his work, the greater will be the integrity required of him†¦. No matter what a man’s general education or his adult education for management, what will be decisive above all, in the future even more than in the past, is neither education nor skill; it is integrity of character† stated Drucker (1954) reiterating the important of reliability in leadership positions. Leading by example creates the ability for the team to tangibly see this character on a daily basis. Additional leadership duties like consideration and management of emotions are becoming more important in the leader-membership interaction per Meike, Jacobs Soares (2012). As these duties increase so will the need for leaders to develop empathetic skills with regard to their staff. This will include appreciation, trust and open communication. Per Fuller and Green (2005), leaders are responsible for embedding strategy in the organization by developing an excellent team, picking the right roles and allowing the rest of the team to make the strategic moves. This requires teams that can function in unison with high level of collaboration. Lack of communication will cause a disjointed approach affecting the vision of the organization ultimately impacting the firm’s success. Hoffman, Bynum, Piccolo and Sutton (2011) noted that transformational leaders are able to articulate a vision that emphasizes the way in which collective goals are consonant with follower values, causing followers to regard organizational goals as their own and submit extra effort toward goals and accomplishments. This sets the groundwork for a culture of inclusion within an organization. When strong unified behavior, values and beliefs have been developed, a strong organizational cultures does emerge per Tsai (2011). Leaders have a primary role in growing and upholding the firm’s culture. It encourages performance and leads to long lasting job satisfaction. When this is not present, organizations will see increased conflict, reduced dialogue between managers and teams and a progressively dysfunctional environment. According to social identify theory, unfair treatment from supervisors may arouse a negative identification which in turn leads employees’ negative behaviors in organizations as outlined by Duan, Lam, Chen and Zhong (2010). This emphasizes the pattern of negative leadership behavior that has the ability to funnel throughout the entire organization is not addressed. Recommendation for Strengthening Leadership Behavior Leadership is a dynamic, ever changing role and requires the leader to be aware of her own behavior and the potential impacts of this behavior on the team. In this situation, the leader needs to understand the value of leading by example. For the team to utilize the leader for her depth of knowledge and broader perspective, a level of reliability needs to be established. From a time management standpoint, simple steps like sharing the leader’s calendar with direct reports could alleviate this issue on a go-forward. This type of planning and organization will benefit the leader as well as the staff’s perception of her abilities and character. Interpersonal skills like active listening, feedback and conflict resolution are critical as well for any leader. Being able to engage her direct reports and the larger staff in a meaningful way will allow for the team dynamic to shift to a positive state. These relationships can be developed through mentoring and engaging the direct reports in projects or other work the leader is responsible for providing insight to her managers of the next level and current challenges of the firm. This end to end view develops the direct reports as well as building a more full bodied relationship with the leader. The impact to the organization also needs a voice n acknowledging the effects of this negative behavior. The leader is accountable for the resulting impacts of any action they take while representing the firm. In this case, the lower performance and higher attrition are concrete costs to the organization. The leader needs to answer for the consequences ofher behavior to a higher power like senior management, stock holders or similar. Conclusion Negative leadership behavior comes in many forms and lack of communication is one of the most pervasive. This paper provides an example of this type of negative leadership and the effects to the staff and organization. It also provides an outline of productive steps to modify the leader’s behavior and limit the adverse impacts in the future. References Duan, J. , Lam, W. , Chen, Z. , Zhong, J. A. (2010). Leadership justice, negative organizational behaviors, and mediating effect of affective commitment. Social Behavior and Personality, 38(9), 1287-1296. doi: 10. 2224/sbp. 2010. 38. 9. 1287 Drucker, P. (1954). The practice of management. New York, NY: Harper Row. Fuller, J. N. , Green, J. C. (2005). The leader’s role in strategy. Graziadio Business Review, 8(2). Retrieved from http://gbr. pepperdine. edu/2010/08/the-leaders-role-in-strategy/ Hoffman, B. J. , Bynum, B. H. , Piccolo, R. F. , Sutton, A. W. (2011). Person-organization value Congruence: How transformational leaders influence work group effectiveness. Academy of Management Journal, 54(4), 779-796. Meike, S. , Jacobs, K. , Soares, M. M. (2012). Emotions and leadership. Reason and impact of emotions in the organizational context. Work, 41, 5671-5673. doi 10. 3233/WOR-2012-0915-5671 Tsai, Y. (2011). Relationship between organizational culture, leadership behavior and job satisfaction. BMC Health Services Research, 11(1), 98-106. doi: 10. 1186/1472-6963-11-98

An Investigation of GAME :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

An Investigation of GAME The organisation I have chosen to investigate is Europe’s leading specialist retailer of computer software and video games, GAME. They operate from over 500 stores, concessions, and franchises in four territories in Europe. As a specialist, they have certain unique attribute that gives them the edge over their competitors. They are mainly due to: * Their customer friendly policies – in the GAME store, all members of staff are required to be friendly and polite to customers; even to customers that are rude and unpleasant. * Unrivalled product knowledge – the GAME Company has knowledge of all the latest products before their rivals. Especially because the company is the top seller of games and consoles. The manufacturing companies want to sell their products to companies that solely do retail in the visual entertainment department and the games/consoles department. They want companies with these requirements because they don’t want other products that do not relate to the product that they are selling. They do not want the customers to be distracted by other items. GAME has met these requirements with ease. * Pre-owned programme – this allows customers to bring in old games or consoles or accessories that they no longer use, but are fully functional, for an exchange for something else. They would be given a value for their product and then the customer will be allowed to deduct that amount away when they are making their purchase of the in-store items. * Pre-orders – customers are allowed to pre-order their product, so they are guaranteed a copy of their product. They are allowed to receive their products on the day it was released. This ensures the manufacturers of how many copies of their product they have to send to the GAME store for the customers that pre-ordered and also extra for the customers that go to the store to purchase their products. * Local price promise – this offer allows the customers to be assured that they are paying a reasonable price for their product and are not being made to pay more than the value of the product. Sometimes the GAME Company makes the price of their products lower than other companies to make sure more customers come to their shops. * 10-day returns policy - GAME has this unique offer, which allows customers ten days to try out the game or hardware they have bought. If the customers are not satisfied then they can return they’re product for something else or a refund, providing they have their receipt. * Widest range of software and accessories – the GAME Company has access to all the current software and accessories that are

People Should Sometimes Do Things That Do Not Enjoy Essay

Some people try to avoid some things that they dislike or don’t enjoy doing them. From my point of view, everyone wants to be successful, but unfortunately, not everyone is successful and it’s not easy to achieve success. You have to work hard and do the right things which can let yourself closer to the goal. Because these things are necessary for us, are linked to our future, and are related to our families or friends. For instance, not everyone likes to exercise, but exercise is good for our health and so we should all do it anyway. Likewise, not many people enjoy going to see a dentist or a doctor, but it is good for us to take care of ourselves, so we should all visit dentists and doctors regularly for a checkup. Another reason is that, at times, the things we dislike are necessary. Students must take tests ins groups to complete their studies, and everyone must work ins groups to make a living. And finally, doing things we dislike can also open up new possibilities for us. Most people can probably remember hating a certain food when they were children even though they enjoy that same food now. So, when we do things we dislike, we may discover something we do like along the way, or simply find a better way to deal with the things we must do. Secondly, studying is the one of the example. Some people do not think that studying is not interesting but most children think studying is not interesting. However, children have to study while they are students. As they grow up, they will find it interesting to study and what they learn while they are students will be useful in their future. You hate to take tests but you have to in order to pass the class. That is something that you hate and you cannot avoid it because we don’t have any control over our lives that we cannot just do whatever things we want to do. My next point is, working or doing housework is also absolutely necessary especially for people who have children. If father does not have a job, they cannot earn money. If mother does not do housework, the house will be messy. Each of them has their own role to support their family. Many things that people instinctively hate to do will actually benefit them in the long run. A basketball states personal experience is a good example. He likes running when he was child. When he was in high school, he joins the track and field team. By a chance, he met a basketball coach and was asked if he wanted to become an occupational basketball player. Although he was not interested in playing basketball, nevertheless, his parents told him that doing something he hated to do might change his whole life in a good way. By taking the advice of his parents, he went to the basketball team and now he turned out be extremely successful! For another example, we are not always interested to move different places. In fact, we will have more opportunities of improving our lives by moving around. As President Kennedy pointed out, â€Å"Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future. † In conclusion, people must do things they do not enjoy doing. Even if they hate it very, sometimes they have no choice but to go through it. After doing it perhaps they feel sense of achievement. This feeling is what I want you to feel. People who went through such harsh times are mentally strong. Therefore, I think people really need to do things they actually do not want to.

King’s attitude towards slavery Essay

Reconciliation struck King as divinely just, and he recommended the same practice for the United States. He suggested that this was the only moral and practical way to bring the Negro’s stand-ups to a realistic level. Reconciliation in the form of compensation was such a good idea in King’s mind because the practice would support the freedom of the human personality and lead to a just society. He also believed that it would make freedom real and substantial for the black people. He never believed that the mere absence of desegregated public accommodations would fully free the human personality and establish a just society. Although many whites were against him, he began to emphasize his belief that real and substantial freedom as well as the mandates of the just society, require not desegregated public facilities but also the economic goods that would allow blacks to use such facilities. King equated freeing the blacks and leaving them just like that to giving a pair of shoes to a man who has not learned to walk. His point was that freedom from desegregation requires the material goods to enjoy freedom from integration. King’s own response to the Johnson administration was to post for state atonement for the Disadvantaged. In King’s view, just as the state properly compensated World War II veterans for the time they spent away from their home, jobs, so too should it compensate blacks for their years of enslavement. He argued that only a few people considered the fact that in addition to being enslaved for two centuries, the Negro was during all those years, robbed of wages of his toil. He believed that no amount of gold could provide adequate compensation for the psychological turmoil caused by slavery, but that a price could be placed upon unpaid wages. King’s extra marital affairs It is clear that King did a lot of good deeds, most of which were based on pure ethical standards. However, there are some ethical challenges that were hard for him, and the most common is the sexual relationships with many women. Two years after King married his wife Coretta, he began his work in the civil rights movement. He left his young wife and baby to pursue endeavors that would take him far from home, putting aside his wife, and while he was home, he spent a lot of time on the phone. His friends who were worried of what these extramarital affairs would do to his reputation cautioned him about the importance of avoiding the appearance of wrongdoing. They also cautioned him that due to his prominence, he would become the target of those seeking to discredit him. He was also warmed that women could become his downfall if he failed to resist this temptation. King failed to take these warnings. By the time he won the Nobel Peace Price of 1964, his relations with women outside his marriage were far from secret. Wiley Branton, a close associate of King approached him about the subject when he was unable to ignore the rumors. He told king that colleagues had expressed concern over his behavior and were worried that he was going to get hurt, but King was unresponsive. The topic again came up with another friend, and this time King responded that because he was away from home the majority of each month, sex served as a way to reduce his anxiety. King’s attitude towards money While king had a hard time resisting sexual temptation, the temptation to profit from his fame was by no means a temptation for him. He had never bee influenced by the prospect of making money. In fact, while in college he had developed an opposition to his father’s concern with money. His lack of desire for material possessions increased after he visited India. Even his wife sensed a change in him. She said that this growing selflessness had led to his increasingly dismissive attitude toward his clothing and appearance, which up until then he had taken pride in. Since his college years at the Morehouse, King had enjoyed nice clothing. His selflessness also affected the financial status of SCLC. When he won the Nobel Peace Prize, he donated the price money to the group, despite the objection of his wife. She wanted to put some of the money aside for college for their children, but King insisted that the money go in full to the SCLC. Later, when two board members suggested that he accept a salary from the organization, King declined the offer. He explained that his income from Ebenezer Baptist church and the sum that he kept from speaking and writing was enough to support his family. Conclusion Due to King’s legacy as a man of good man, his shadow persisted even after his assassination. The poor people’s campaign initially was identified with the martyred prophet, not with his successor. The goals King established, especially for the campaign of equality among the whites and the blacks were probably unreachable, but King-the-symbol remained untarnished by failure. In addition to the charisma of his leadership, King had clear strategies for achieving goals. He believed that besides the use of legal tactics, the federal government was a necessary ally. King believed that because of man’s sinfulness, a restraining force was needed. According to him, it was the government that could counteract collective evil. His ultimate goal in many of his campaigns was to force the federal government to act. Time after time, his strategy worked. From the term paper, it is clear that his leadership was two fold. He was able to mobilize blacks, while at the same time appealing to the consciousness of the whites. King’s influence was as a result of several factors. To African Americans, his background was rooted in the black community, he was a Baptist preacher, and his academic training combined with religious faith provided the leadership skills he needed. To white Americans, he was an African American with the extraordinary ability to convince them of the evil of segregation. His words carried a powerful punch that, while what he was saying about segregation was not new, he stirred a moral awakening. Cementing his position was his leadership through nonviolent resistance, which appealed to decency and the commonality of humanity that, until then, had been ignored. Reference 1) Long M. G. (2002). Against us, but for us: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the state. California; Mercer University Press

TITLE essays

TITLE essays The Sony PlayStation 2 and the Xbox have been competing for a good while now. Some people prefer the Xbox and some people believe the PlayStation2 is better, because the PlayStation2's is the leading game console on the market. This concludes that the PlayStation 2 is in the leading game console being sold and the Xbox is far behind not only in numbers, but also in performance. According to Steven Kent fromGame Console Wars Continue To Rage? USA Today, the PlayStation2 is one of the best game systems on the market today (2). It has about 150 + games to choose from for all different levels and age groups. The Xbox only came up with 40 games to choose from. Kent later describes how the Microsoft Xbox didn't have many game consoles available and the price was more as well, on the other hand Sony PlayStation 2 sold well over 2.8 billion copies in December 2000 (2). Sony sold so many PlayStation2's they had to give people rain checks until Sony could produce enough to satisfy the customers demand. This shows that PlayStation2 is plentiful and it has a large library of games to choose from. Where as the Xbox is not plentiful and it has a limited number of games to choose from. One of the biggest things consumers look for in a video game system is the controller. It will be in the person's hands all the time any time the game is being played. And for some reason Microsoft super sized the xboxes controller, which tells the consumer to stay away from that game system. Many consumers do not like really big controllers. This is the point where the consumer looks to the shelf next to the Xbox and finds the PlayStation 2 with nice sized controllers. In doing this most of the consumer can judge which game system to purchase simply by palming the controller, although controllers aren't the only thing consumers look for in a video game system. They also look for the number of games made fo ...

Excellent paper writing is real with us!

Excellent paper writing is real with us! Writing an Excellent Paper – You Need a Blueprint Constructing a bridge without a blueprint would constitute stupidity, because it would result in a faulty structure that would probably fail. And making an attempt at writing a paper without a blueprint that outlines the steps is just as ridiculous. Just as a blueprint guides a construction crew through a step-by-step process, so does one for construction of a scholarly research paper. You can’t skip any of the steps and still expect an excellent result. Step One: Pick your topic. While this may seem like an easy step, you may actually end up feeling like Goldilocks in the home of the three bears. One will be too broad and another will be too narrow. You will have to find one that is â€Å"just fight† for the length parameters your instructor has given. One way to do this is to take a look at sample papers on the internet, in your broader content area, that meet the breadth and depth of what you need and that interests you. And do pick a topic you like – the entire production process will be drudgery if you don’t. Step Two: The research. Your search for appropriate resources can begin on the Internet, using specific keywords related to our topic.  Now here is the thing about resources. Your instructor or professor will want a variety – one or two books, two-three journal articles, and the perhaps one or two sources solely available on the Internet. You will not have a problem finding resource titles, but you do have to sort the â€Å"junk† from the respected sources. Check out the authors of any source you are considering, so that you know they have credentials to be considered authorities on the topic. Since most campus libraries are online, a lot of current resources are accessible from your home or dorm room, but you may have to actually enter the structure and check out a book or two! Be careful as you take notes, so that you have your resource information included for citation later on. And, if you have a good app for doing so, you can organize your notes by sub-topic, and the combining of different resources on one sub-topic is done for you. If you are unsure about sub-topics to include again, look at a sample paper or two online, and see what sub-topics others have used. Step Three: Get a thesis. What is the purpose for you writing this paper? If your writing paper assignment is to persuade, then you probably already have a thesis – your opinion. But, once the research is done, what do you see as important for a reader to learn about this topic? If you are writing about artificial intelligence, for example, what are the great benefits and what are the potential dangers? If you are writing about the Vietnam War, was it worth the cost in lives and money? You need to make a point with your paper, and your thesis statement comes from your response and your reaction to what you have researched. Step Four: Paper writing cannot begin until you have the most important part of your blueprint in place – your outline. Now, this does not have to be a formal one. In fact, remember how your organized those subtopics? They really are the basis for your organizational structure, so look at them and determine the sequence in which they should be presented. Now, take each sub-topic and read through the information and/or data from your research. Combine pieces of information that are related, and these â€Å"sub-sub topics† will be your paragraphs for that section of your paper. Step Five: The writing. You’re now ready to write the rough draft of the body of your paper. Be considerate of your reader, and use headings for each sub-topic – it keeps his/her thoughts organized (and your professor will be impressed). If you have not yet bought a style-check app, you should do so. It does much more than just a simple Word grammar check, and it will help you â€Å"clean-up† all those poorly structured sentences as you write. Here’s a few other tips for your writing: Don’t use a vocabulary that is â€Å"beyond your years,† and don’t try to impress with lengthy and highly complex sentences. Pretend that you are writing this paper for a fellow student. So, if there are terms that are not commonly known, define them. Don’t use slang and jargon unless it is in a quote. Don’t use contractions as I am using here! They are not appropriate in formal writing. Limit the direct quotes you use to those that are really impactful. Step Six: The Final Draft. Editing and proofreading is a task best accomplished in two ways. If you are doing your own proofreading, put the paper aside for at least 12 hours and do something else (like sleep). This will allow you to be more objective when you do review it. The other and better option is to have someone else review it – you can trade-off with another student and edit each other’s papers, if you are both pretty good writers. The paper has to flow logically, and someone else will pick up issues with coherence that you will not. Step Seven: The Style Format. Your in-text and end-of-text citations must be according to the required style, so do not get sloppy with this. And be certain that your title page, pagination, font, margins, etc. are in compliance. It’s those little things that keep a professor happy! A paper that is worthy of a good grade can only be produced by using all of these steps. You really cannot â€Å"cut corners,† and that is why paper writing consumes so much time. If you don’t have the time or if you really dislike your topic, you will not prepare a scholarly piece of writing. In these instances, you are probably better served contacting a custom paper writing service and getting some help.

Self Assessment Analysis Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Self Assessment Analysis - Speech or Presentation Example I had a problem of making eye contact with my audience ever since I started delivering as a public speaker. But after making gradual attempts of delivering speeches in front of my friends I have improved on the aspect of eye contact. I can now successfully look into the eyes of audience for a bit but then again I tend to feel some kind of problem when looking at the audience for long. Hence it can be said that the aspect of eye contact has improved but it still needs some work. The problem of nervousness when delivering speeches is the most formidable task to handle. It is because of this nervousness that I used to stutter when delivering my speeches. Over time I practiced my speeches and gave them in front of my close acquaintances so that I could work on the problem. When I delivered the speech in front of them I did not face any problem of nervousness whereas when I delivered the speech while being on the stage I began to face the same problem again. Thus it can be said that I hav e some kind of stage fear which can only go if I believe in myself. In other words I should build up on my self confidence level so that I can deliver in front of a huge crowd. Organization of speech is also an important perspective which should be kept in mind when delivering different speeches. It is this organization which helps the audience understands the root and theme of the speech being given. A public speaker should know how to organize and deliver the speech in accordance so that the audience can feel the theme provided by him. I have learned the art of organization and can easily use this skill to organize my speech accordingly. When I deliver my speech these days I tend to use this skill and impress my audience through this organization. When delivering a speech it is important that the public speaker connects himself to the audience so that they can understand what he is actually trying to convey through his speech. Connecting to the audience can be done through differe nt aspects out of which looking into the eyes is an important one. The audience should see my expression when I deliver the speech and this would help them to connect to my inner feelings. As a public speaker I have realized that I can connect to the audience and express my inner feelings to them. It is through this technique that the audience appreciates the speeches that I give. Although I have not mastered this aspect I have gained experience in utilizing the technique. However I still need to work on it and gain more experience so that I can connect fully to the audience when delivering my speech. All these aspects are not yet mastered by me but over time I have improved myself in all these aspects. Gradually with a little more practice I believe that I would be able to master them and successfully deliver as a public speaker. I need to learn more techniques regarding speaking and have to take guidelines from experienced public speakers. I need to learn different ways through wh ich I would be able to successfully deliver a speech like professional public speakers and for such a thing I need to

HST130SP4 The Fall of the Roman Republic 1000words Paper Essay

HST130SP4 The Fall of the Roman Republic 1000words Paper - Essay Example 269). Although these two statesmen were born in different eras and had different family backgrounds, both had marked similarities of thoughts and values aside from being novus homo or â€Å"new man†, along with Cicero. A novus homo is a Roman who got elected to the position of consul, the highest elected position in Rome then, even without having ascendants who were themselves consuls (Mellor 1999 p 40). One similar trait between Cato and Marius was their anti-Hellenistic attitudes. To Cato the Greeks personify material indulgence which was abhorrent to most Roman aristocrats. Cato who also held the position of a censura, the highest Roman magistrate, spoke against Romans who took to wearing Greek dresses, visited the gymnasium and imitated the hedonistic way of Greek lifestyle. Similarly, Marius looked down on Greeks as militarily inferior and refused to learn the Greek literature on the ground that it was ridiculous to learn from teachers who were subjugated by another people (Isaac 2006 pp 387-388). In addition, both men were ambitious although Marius was a little bit overambitious, as can be gleaned from the way they lived their lives, running for the consulship position after serving in wars, with Marius having been elected for seven times. Both are driven men: Cato in accumulating riches through accumulation of agricultural estates, and; Marius for glory in warfare and politic s (Humphrey 2006 pp 137-138; Boatwright, et al 2004 p172). In addition, the fact that both men were able to have themselves voted to the highest elected position, the first in their families, attest to their ambitious nature. Statesmen who rose to prominence on their own without the backing of ancestral nobility are examples of â€Å"the ideology of novitas,† a principle espoused by the likes of Cato, Marius and Cicero. The ideology put emphasis on personal valor rather than on the standard Roman aristocratic principle of ancestral right. Romans that

Management Questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management Questions - Coursework Example Some of the questions that may arise in identifying a market need include the possibility of consumers buying the product and the possibility of their demands being profitable. I would establish a market need through the use of consumer focus groups (Cameron & Freeman, 2001, p. 100). These groups have vital information about consumers including their needs and preferences. This information is vital for an entrepreneur to analyze the properties of the product and align them to the needs of the market. The same applies to Creative Minds as a business in the market for art products. Vital information for the business relate to the needs of children in the market for art services. The needs of the children may include information such as pricing, delivery and forms of arts. What is a new product development process and why is it necessary? The new product development process is a mechanism used by a business in identifying the appropriate features of a product. The process involves a number of stages that include idea generation, screening, concept analysis, development, testing and launching. The process is necessary for a business to determine the suitability of its product in the target market. It ensures that the product entails appropriate features that will make it attractive in the market hence become profitable for the business (Denison & Mishra, 2005, p. 188).

The Shabbat To The Jewish People

The Shabbat To The Jewish People For thousands of years, millions of Jews/Hebrews around the world live according to the Jewish Law. Jewish and some non-Jews believe G-d created the world in six days and G-d took the seventh day to rest and reflect on his creation (Exodus 20:11). What is the importance of the Shabbat to the Jewish people, what are some of the symbolic items used during the Holy Day which starts at sundown the night before? The symbolic of the word Shabbat was given to this day because the root of the word Shin-Beit-Tav, meaning to come to an end or to rest. Shabbat is the only day mentioned in the commandments therefore it is the most important of all the holy days (jewfaq.com). While the word shamor, means to observe however the word observe has a different cogitations to the Orthodox Jews, then to the Reformed Jews or Conservative Jews. Generally there are variations amongst the different Jewish communities but for the most part the traditional Jewish lethargy is the same. The Orthodox Jews are the more restrictive and will walk two to and from their place of worship while reformed Jews are likely to drive. It is also customary Orthodox men and women to sit separately to allow for the focus on prayer, while in the Conservative and Reformed synagogues the focus is on family, which prays together. My wife and I while traveling to Athens, Greece on our honeymoon attended Friday Evening Sabbath services at Beth Shalom Synagogue. The Temple was constructed in 1930 and is extremely Orthodox. We had no prior knowledge but the usher whom spoke no English, pointed upstairs to my wife and the main floor for me. Like the Hebrews in ancient times, many religions of the Verdic period and the Roman Catholic faiths only Men are Priests. Perhaps traditions and rituals of the past have symbolic meaning but have not changed all that much? The Conservative and Reformed Jewish movement has already crossed this bridge and my research paper will be written from a conservative to reform traditional Jewish approach. My Wife, Kids and I frequent Temple Beth Elle in Boca Raton where my relatives are members. Its not unheard of to see more than one Rabbi in a synagogue but is unheard of to see a template with three full time Rabbis two of which are women. In addition they have a female cantor soloist that makes for a beautiful service. The second candle is lit the welcoming of the Sabbath begins. The welcoming is also known as the Kabbalat Shabbat and is the first of two very short services. Several Psalms are recited such as the Lchah dodi, which is the greeting of the Sabbath Bride. The Psalm is beautiful both in lethargy and the Hebrew melody. My beloved, come to greet the bride; let us receive the Sabbath. The Pslams translation is as follows The only God caused us to hear keep and remember in one utterance; the Eternal is One and Gods name is One, for honor and glory and praise. Come, let us go to greet the Sabbath, which is the source of blessing. From its opening it is pouring as from the beginning; the end of Creation from the beginning of thought. Wake up! Wake up! For your light has come! Rise up my light! Awake! Awake! Sing! The Eternals glory is revealed to you! Enter in peace, O Crown of Your husband; enter in joy and exultation. Come, O Bride! Come, O Bride! To the faithful people of the treasured nat ion. The last prayer, the mourners Kaddish, which is referred to as saying Kaddish and is for those that, have recently lost a loved one(s). The mourners Kaddish does not refer to death at all. The Kaddish is a prayer to praise of G-d in Gods name. The prayers main idea goes back to ancient times and is reflected a similar lethargy of the Christians Lords Prayer (http://www.britannica.com/). The Barchu prayer, meaning to Praise God, the Exalted One starts the Evening Shabbat Services. Two short prayers are recited before the most important prayer the Shema, which means Hear, Israel, the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One. The Shema affirms G-ds unity and is often said several times throughout the day but most notability when you wake and before bed. The second paragraph of he Shema is also recited followed by three short prayers, then comes the Amidah, a series of 7 blessings which talks about the Avot The Ancestors, Gevurot The Devine Power, Kedushah G-ds holiness, again the blessing of the Shabbat, Avodah The Sacrificial worship, Hodaah The Thanksgiving and Shalom The prayer for peace. Several more prayers complete the evening service including the silent prayer, which is usually last for a few minutes to give everyone a time for a personal prayer. The Mourners Kaddish said a second time followed by one of two medieval poems Adon Olam, meaning, Before creation shaped the world, God, eternal, reigned alone or my personal favorite, Yigdal meaning, Revere the living G-d. The poem has always had a great tune and I have always felt something spiritual to the Yigdal prayer. While reading the comments written by R. Eliesers I have learned the Yigdal poem is a poetic variation of Maimonides thirteen principles of faith (myjewishlearning.com). Meaning summarizes the required beliefs of Judaism. It is also the name of a hospital in Brooklyn where my Grandmother had passed on. Now I understand why I felt so connected to the Yigdal and what a great way to end the service reaffirming my beliefs. The festive meal awaits, the Kiddish, which is an overflowing glass of wine or grape juice is said. The overflowing reminds us of the fullness of joy that we have in the Shabbat. We proceed to wash our hands with a short prayer and finally the blessing of the Challah, called the Ha-Motzi or just the Motzi for short. Symbolically, two Chalot are used for the reason during the time in Egypt on Fridays a double portion of Manna fell from the heavens. The prayer is as follows: Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe who brings forth bread from the earth. (Amen). Many years ago my wife and I befriended an Israeli couple and adopted the dipping of the Challah into sea salt. Not understanding why, we looked it looked it up and found sea salt never spoils or decays, therefore, it is symbolic of our eternal covenant with G-d (http://www.askmoses.com.) Finally, the festive meal begins filled with an evening of singing, laughing, rejoicing with family before repairing to bed. Around 9:00am Saturday morning Jews begin to congregate to synagogue also called Shul. The adult men are required to place a Yamaka and a Tallit which both sanctifies a personal space between you and g-d. The Shacharit service begins; the Torah is taken from the Ark and a series of selections are read which are based on the past weeks teaching. The Torah is written with no vowels and is difficult to read even by most skilled Torah readers. It is so important two proof readers called biguys follow along carefully to ensure its accuracy. The Hoftorah is recited, which many Jews like I ask why the Hoftorah is read when its reading are linked to the same torah portion. My understanding is during a period of time Jews were forbidden from reading the Torah and the Hoftorah was a substitute. The Hoftorah reading had continued although the Torah was once again allowed to be read. The Ashrei prayer is repeated and the Torah scroll is returned to the Ark again in a care but accurate procession. Usually, the Rabbi will offer a weekly spiritual sermon, something that is related to the weekly Torah portion. The liturgy in the Musaf service has been changed, identifying the State of Israel as the Jewish homeland, but recognizing the Temple only as historical and not as a structure that will one day be restored (Wikipedia find other source). The Musaf service also includes the Amidah and it follows the same service read Friday evening. The Mincha begins; the second Torah is removed from the Ark using the same procession as the first. The first portion of the upcoming weeks Torah is read and the Torah is returned to the Ark. By the time birkat ha-mazon is done, it is about 2PM. The family studies Torah for a while, talks, takes an afternoon walk, plays some checkers, or engages in other leisure activities. A short afternoon nap is not uncommon. It is traditional to have a third meal before Shabbat is over. This is usually a light meal in the late afternoon. Shabbat ends at nightfall, when three stars are visible, approximately 40 minutes after sunset. At the conclusion of Shabbat, the family performs a concluding ritual called Havdalah separation, division). Blessings are recited over wine, spices and candles. Then a blessing is recited regarding the division between the sacred and the secular, between Shabbat and the working days. As you can see, Shabbat is a very full day when it is properly observed, and very relaxing. You really dont miss being unable to turn on the TV, drive a car or go shopping. Cersus the Christian point of view as a day of prayer much different then that of the Jewish faith. While the following day for morning services. For everyone Simcha, I assure you the oldest grandparent will also do the Mostzi regardless of how shaky their hand is. What does Shabbat mean to me and why is it after all these years I dont consider the things I do on Saturday as working My Grandmother Ida, may she be rested and Im sure she would be very proud to know that we continue to use her candle stick holders each Friday night as she did for some seventy plus years Do not get me wrong here there are variations amongst the different Jewish communities but for the most part the traditional Jewish liturgy are the same and are sung or chanted with traditional melodies.

Evolution of Thought Essay -- Science Biology Biodiversity Essays

Evolution of Thought It is interesting to contemplate a tangled bank, clothed with many plants of many kinds, with birds singing on the bushes, with various insects flitting about, and with worms crawling through the damp earth, and to reflect that these elaborately constructed forms, so different from each other, and dependent upon each other in so complex a manner, have all been produced by laws acting around us. –Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species I knew very little about and did not have much interest in evolution, systematics and biodiversity prior to the first week of this class. The knowledge I had about these topics came from introductory courses and what I was being told by my family. I soon discovered that I had a lot to learn. I was raised in the Roman Catholic Church. I completed my First Communion and Confirmation. I grew up being told that God created all that is around us. Everything seemed so cut and dry until I began studying evolution in school. It was hard for me to try and understand both points of view initially. However, through several courses and due to my interest in science, I eventually came to my own conclusion. This conclusion however, as I found out this week, was still incorrect. I thought what I believed in was evolution. I found out this week that what I thought was evolution was in fact progressionism. Progressionism is the idea that life on Earth can be characterized by forward movement from lower to higher life forms. In the beginning of the first class we were asked to answer a few questions related to evolution and systematics. One of the questions asked what we thought the most highly evolved organism was. I had al... ...ws he defines. I do not yet completely understand the laws Darwin defines, but I know that during the course of the semester I will learn so much more than I already have as I gain a better understanding of Darwin’s words, evolution, biodiversity, the study of systematics and how they are interconnected. I do understand one thing completely now as a result of this week, however. I understand that no matter how simple or disgusting an organism may seem to me, it is amazing, beautiful, and vital to understanding evolution, systematics, and biodiversity. Works Cited Darwin, Charles. 1979 (originally published 1859). The Origin of Species. Gramercy Books. New York. Larson, Gary. 1998. There’s a Hair in My Dirt! A Worm’s Story. HarperCollins. New York. Savage, Jay M. 1995. â€Å"Systematics and the Biodiversity Crisis.† Bioscience. 45(10): 673-697.

Art or Propaganda? Essay

1. Introduction. W.E.B. Dubois and Alain Locke were important contributors to the epoch called â€Å"Harlem Renaissance†. With their writings atrists wanted to do something against racism, they wanted to show that the African – Americans don’t have to feel inferior. Writing in the April, 1915, issue of Crisis, DuBois said: â€Å"In art and literature we should try to loose the tremendous emotional wealth of the Negro and the dramatic strength of his problems through writing †¦ and other forms of art. We should resurrect forgotten ancient Negro art and history, and we should set the black man before the world as both a creative artist and a strong subject for artistic treatment.† DuBois stated what were to be recurrent themes of the decade of the twenties: the Negro as a producer and a subject of art, and the Negro’s artistic output as indices of his contribution to American life. (Linnemann R.J. p 79) In essense, both Locke and DuBois agreed about what constituted good art. It was the function of art on which they did not agree. DuBois doubted if one could really have a disembodied art or beauty; but Locke was not seeking for the Negro writer a disembodied beauty. (Linnemann, R.J. p 92) DuBois strongly disagreed with Locke’s view that â€Å"Beauty rather than Propaganda should be the object of Negro literature and art. †¦If Mr. Locke’s thesis is insisted upon too much is going to turn the Negro Renaissance into decadence.† (Marable, M.. p 130) First I will give some basical facts about the Harlem Renaissance. In the main part I will show the opinions of A. Locke, who preferred arts, and W.E.B. DuBois, who was for propaganda. In point three I will write about DuBois’s life. After that I will show what he wanted in general. The last part of point three I will show why he was for propaganda. Therefore I analysed several of his works, especially his paper â€Å"Criteria of Negro art†. In point four I will introduce Alain Locke with a short biography and then I will show what he wanted for the African – Americans. The second part of point four will show why he preferred art. My focus will be on his anthology â€Å"The New Negro† and his article â€Å"Art or Propaganda?†. Basically there were thoughts which DuBois and Locke shared. One example is the idea of education which will play a role in point five. In point six I will give a short summary. 2. The Harlem Renaissance In the early 1900s, particularly in the 1920s, African-American literature, art, music, dance, and social commentary began to flourish in Harlem, a section of New York City. This African-American cultural movement became known as â€Å"The New Negro Movement† and later as the Harlem Renaissance. More than a literary movement, the Harlem Renaissance exalted the unique culture of African-Americans and redefined African-American expression. African-Americans were encouraged to celebrate their heritage. (Johnson, W.) One of the factors contributing to the rise of the Harlem Renaissance was the great migration of African-Americans to northern cities (such as New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.) between 1919 and 1926. In his influential book The New Negro (1925), Locke described the northward migration of blacks as â€Å"something like a spiritual emancipation.† Black urban migration, combined with trends in American society as a whole toward experimentation during the 1920s, and the rise of radical black intellectuals — including Locke, Marcus Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), and W. E. B. DuBois, editor of The Crisis magazine – all contributed to the particular styles and unprecedented success of black artists during the Harlem Renaissance period. (http://encarta.msn.com) More than a literary movement and more than a social revolt against racism, the Harlem Renaissance exalted the unique culture of African-Americans and  redefined African-American expression. African-Americans were encouraged to celebrate their heritage and to become â€Å"The New Negro,† a term coined in 1925 by sociologist and critic Alain LeRoy Locke. 3. About W.E.B. DuBois – what did he want? Pioneer in the struggle for Afro-American liberation and for African liberation, prolific black scholar, W.E.B. DuBois (1868 – 1963) was one of the giants of the twentieth century. (Foner, flap text) DuBois’ mature vision was a reconcilation of the â€Å"sense of double consciousness† – the â€Å"two warring ideals† of being both black and American. He came to accept struggle and conflict as essential elements of life, but he continued to believe in the inevitable progress of the human race – that out of individual struggles against a divided self and political struggles of the oppressors, a broader and fuller human life would emerge that would benefit all of mankind (Kerry W.). Dr. Dubois was awarded the first Spingarn Medal in 1920. This was awarded â€Å"to that Negro who achieved the highest in any human endeavor.† He was an activist for global affairs, editor of the NAACP Crisis publication, and set up the meeting for the first Pan-African Congress. He was an individual of principle and conviction. The seeds he planted still nourish us today. (http://www.websn.com/Pride/Pride/w.htm) To reach racial equality he founded the Niagara Movement – a group of African-American leaders committed to an active struggle for racial equality. The Niagara Movement was founded in 1905, by a group of African-Americans, led by W. E. B. Du Bois, John Hope, and William Monroe Trotter, who called for full civil liberties, an end to racial discrimination, and recognition of human brotherhood. (http://en.wikipedia.org) W.E.B. DuBois saw that racism and prejudices are a problem. Therefore he wrote: â€Å"Once upon a time in my younger years and in the dawn of this century  I wrote: ‘The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line.’ It was a pert and singing phrase which I then liked and which since I have often rehearsed to my soul and asked:–how far is this prophecy or speculation? Today in the last years of the century’s first quarter, let us examine the matter again, especially in the memory of that great event of these great years, the World War. Fruit of the bitter rivalries of economic imperialism, the roots of the catastrophe were in Africa, deeply entwined at bottom with the problems of the color line. And of the legacy left, the problems the world inherits hold the same fatal seed; world dissension and catastrophe still lurk in the unsolved problems of race relations. What then is the world view that the consideration of this question offers?.(DuBois, W.E.B. â€Å"The Negro Mind Reaches Out†) DuBois wanted to encourage African – American people. In his essay â€Å"On Being Ashamed Of Oneself† from 1933 he described the feeling of inferiority. At the same time he encouraged the people to feel confident â€Å"†¦we must oppose all segregation and all racial patriotism; we must salute the American flag and sing ‘Our country’ Tis of Thee’ with devotion and fervor, and we must fight for our rights with long and carefully planned campaigns; uniting for this purpose with all sympathetic people, colored and white. †¦ But there are certain practical difficulties connected with this program which are becoming more and more clear today. First of all comes the fact that we are still ashamed of ourselves and are thus stopped from valid objection when white folks are ashamed to call us human.† (Weinberg, M. p 12) DuBois wanted to fight against the problems which African – Americans have. Their bad situation was explained in his paper â€Å"The Study Of The Negro Problems†: â€Å"†¦let us inquire somewhat more carefully under the form under which the Negro problems present themselves today after 275 years of evolution. Their existence is plainly manifested by the fact that a definitely segregated mass of eight millions of Americans do not wholly share the national life of the people, are not an integral part of the social body. The points at which they fail to be incorporated into this group life constitute the particular  Negro problems, which can be divided into two distinct and correlated parts, depending on two facts: First – Negroes do not share the full national life because as a mass they have not reached a sufficiently high grade of culture. Secondly – They do not share the full national life because there has always existed in America a conviction – varying in intensity, but always widespread – that people of Negro blood should not be admitted into the group life of the nation no matter what their condition might be. Considering the problems arising from the backward development of Negroes, we may say that the mass of this race does not reach the social standards of the nation with respect to a) Economic condition, b) Mental training, c) Social efficiency. † (Foner, p 108) Du Bois was a pioneer advocate of the black beauty concept and of black power although he refrained from attaching a color tag. In his â€Å"Immediate Program of the American Negro† (April, 1915) he asserted: â€Å"The Negro must have power; the power of men, the right to do, to know, to feel and express that knowledge, action and spiritual gift. He must not simply be free from the political tyranny of white folk, he must have the right to vote and rule over the citizens, white and black, to the extent of his proven foresight and ability.† (Moon, H.L.) One way of looking at it is that the Harlem Renaissance attacked the superstructure of White supremacy while legal and political activists in the 1930s and 1940s began to attack the daily practice of racism through the courts and demonstrations. For example, the Harlem Renaissance is generally credited with heightening awareness of the cultural contributions that African and African American peoples have made to American culture, specifically in music, dance, poetry, and speech, as well as in agriculture, medicine, and inventions. Here the idea was that (1) racism in America would be undermined not only through protest against racist practices, but also by changing the prevailing images and associations that European Americans, especially educated European Americans, had about Black people. And then (2)  by disseminating positive images of African Americans as contributors to American Culture, many of these Harlem Renaissance intellectuals hoped to raise the self-esteem of Black people themselves. A people with a higher self-esteem would be more resistant to segregation and discrimination, and more willing to challenge the system than those who were demoralized. (Powell, R.) 3.1. How did he want to reach his aims? After scholar Alain Locke compiled the New Negro – heralding a younger generation of black voices and establishing Harlem as a cultural center – Du Bois vented his ire about the state of the arts in Harlem. At the NAACP’s annual convention in June 1926, Du Bois delivered a lecture entitled â€Å"Criteria of Negro Art† in which he insisted that all relevant art should be propaganda. The lecture was later published in a special Crisis series, â€Å"The Negro in Art.† (http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/) In his paper â€Å"Criteria of Negro art† W.E.B. DuBois wrote: â€Å"Thus all art is propaganda and ever must be, despite the wailing of the purists. I stand in utter shamelessness and say that whatever art I have for writing has been folk to love and enjoy. I do not care a damn for any art that is not used for propaganda. But I do care when propaganda is confined to one side while the other is stripped and silent.† (Weinberg, M. p 258) DuBois didn’t totally reject art but in his opinion art is supposed to have a message. He points out that there is no need to feel inferior and because of that Black people should fight for their rights. â€Å"Colored people have said: ‘This work must be inferior because it comes from colored people.’ White people have said: ‘It is inferior because it is done by colored people.’ But today there is coming to both the realization that the work of the black man is not always inferior.’ † ( W.E.B. DuBois â€Å"Criteria of Negro art† in: Weinbeg, M. p 255) I already mentioned that Harlem Renaissance intellectuals wanted to raise people’s self – esteem. In his paper â€Å"Criteria of Negro Art† DuBois also emphasizes that the art coming from African – Americans is good. â€Å"And then you know what will be said? It is already being said. Just as soon as true art emerges; just as soon as the black artist appears, someone touches the race on the shoulder and says, 2he did that because he was an American, not because he was a Negro; he was born here; he was trained here; he is not a Negro – what is a Negro anyhow? He is just human; it is the kind of thing you ought to expect. I do not doubt that the ultimate art coming from black folk is going to be just as beautiful, and beautiful largely in the same ways, as the art that comes from white folk, or yellow, or red; but the point today is that until the art of black folk compels recognition, they will not be rated as human. And when through art they compel recognition, then let the world discover if it will, that their atr is as new as it is old and as old as new.† (Weinberg, M. p 260) Du Bois’ extreme attitude regarding the relationship between art and politics was not entirely shared by Alain Locke, but adequately expressed the prevailing mood among the intelligentsia in Harlem in the early and middle part of the twenties. Post-war American might still be determined to deny the Negro social, political and economic equality, but art was another matter. It was the chink in the racist’s armour. (Williams, A. p 5) DuBois believed that art could bridge cultural gaps between black and white Americans if black artists were given the opportunity to explore their talents, because, he reasoned, art can inculcate a sense of cultural heritage and identity to an oppressed group. For DuBois, African culture and African American heritage were rich enough to help blacks in the United States regain their political and cultural consciousness. DuBois started a forum of discussion in the Crisis magazine, entitled, â€Å"How Should the Negro Be Portrayed?† in which he asked artists to write in and discuss what kinds of images of Black people ought to be disseminated by artists in America. While there was a wide divergence on how much control should be imposed on what images artists should create, most believed that out of the greater access to the publishing and art world would come an abandonment of the racist imagery that predominated in popular American culture and justified, by dehumanizing Black people, the racist social and political practices that also abounded in America in the 1920s and 1930s. Du Bois even coined the phrase, â€Å"all art is propaganda† to reflect his view that the purpose of an art movement among African Americans was to combat the negative propaganda against the Negro coming from racist America with a positive propaganda for the Negro. (Powell, R.) 4. About Alain Locke. For Alain Locke, propaganda was the slanted rhetoric that cautioned the Negro writers of the Harlem Renaissance to avoid. Being a Negro, he knew the harmful effects the contented slave stereotype of a Thomas Nelson Page, the buffoonery of an early Roark Bradford, and the savage beast in the works of Thomas Dixon had on his race. He new that the works of these authors, aside from presenting such insulting and distorted images, neither had verisimilitude nor were they great literature. (Linnemann, R.J. p 91) African American philosopher – educator Alain LeRoy Locke (1886 – 1954) played an influential role in identifying, nurturing, and publishing the works of young black artists during the New Negro Movement. His philosophy served as a strong motivating force in keeping the energy and passion of the Movement at the forefront. He spent his life seeking to understand the nature of cultural conflicts and suggesting measures that must be taken to reduce conflict and allow harmony to prevail. A fundamental question that lingered in his mind was: How can a multiethnic society, such as that in the United States organize itself so that its diverse groups can live together without intense violent conflicts? (Washington, J. p vii) He served for many years as a chairman of the philosophy department at Howard University, but his main contribution to American culture lies in his efforts to make the public aware of the Negro’s aesthetic achievements – from the art and artefacts of Africa to the poetry and novels of the American writer. (The Negro Almanac, p 990) Alain Locke played an influential role in identifying, nurturing, and publishing the works of young black artists during the New Negro Movement. His philosophy served as a strong motivating force in keeping the energy and passion of the Movement at the forefront. Ernest Mason explains that: â€Å"†¦much of the creative work of the period was guided by the ideal of the New Negro which signified a range of ethical ideals that often emphasized and intensified a higher sense of group and social cohesiveness. †¦The writers†¦literally expected liberation†¦from their work and were perhaps the first group of Afro-American writers to believe that art could radically transform the artist and attitudes of other human beings.† (Dictionary of Literary Biography p 313) As a pioneer collector, Locke was one of the first Americans to write about the significance of African art, demonstrating its importance far beyond an influence on the cubists and other members of the European artistic avant-garde. He wanted all African Americans, in particular contemporary African American artists, to seek inspiration and take pride in their rich artistic heritage. To this end he lectured, organized numerous exhibitions, and wrote the introductions for several landmark catalogs of African art. (http://www.africawithin.com) In his anthology â€Å"The New Negro† (written in 1925) Alain Locke wanted to show that Afro – Americans are able to produce art and literature as well as white people. He discussed the value of black art in terms of its contribution to community. In his defining essay of 1925, â€Å"Enter the New Negro,† for instance, Locke urges young artists to embrace the fullness of their  heritage, old customs married to new possibilities. Once again, Locke emphasizes the purpose for artists in doing so: the responsibility of these artists to be leaders for their people. In Locke’s words: â€Å"With his renewed self-respect and self-dependence, the life of the Negro community is bound to enter a new dynamic phase, the buoyancy from within compensating for whatever pressure there may be of conditions without. The migrant masses, shifting from countryside to city, hurdle several generations of experience at a leap, but more important, the same thing happens spiritually in the life-attitudes and self-expression of the Young Negro, in his poetry, his art, his education and his new outlook, . . . From this comes the promise and warrant of a new leadership.†(Locke, A.: Enter The New Negro† in: Bracey, J. p 222) The â€Å"New Negro† emerged from within the black community, in contrast to the white stereotyped literary image of the comic and pathetic plantation black. Alain Locke is acknowledged as the leading black philosopher who asked blacks to recognize their African heritage as â€Å"New Negroes†. 4.1. A. Locke -how did he want to reach his aims? Writing in 1928, Alain Locke, the influential philosopher of the Harlem Renaissance, observed that the fundamental question for any anti-racist social agenda was â€Å"Art or Propaganda. Which?† (Locke, A.) Artists and writers of the movement regarded the Harlem Renaissance not simply as a spontaneous flourishing of African-American creativity but as a critical historical moment to be seized in order to alter the course of American racism. Its social mission, as Locke and many others saw it, was to overturn the prevailing perception of Blacks as inferior to whites. Its effects would be two-fold: fostering pride amongst the Black population and addressing whites from a position of strength. Yet if the anti-racist social agenda of the Harlem Renaissance were to succeed in changing people’s minds about race, Locke believed, it could not proceed rhetorically. Art could offer a new social vision; propaganda would only exacerbate the polarization of Black and white positions. (Thompson, A.) His strategy was to create a new and an own esthetic in order to strenghten the standing and the self-confidence of African-Americans. (http://userpage.fu berlin.de) For A. Locke art ist he best means to prove that Black culture and art is as good as the culture and the art of white people. â€Å"†¦ Art in the best sense is rooted in self – expression and whether naive or sophisticated is self – contained. In our spiritual growth genius and talent must more and more choose the role of group expression, or even at times the role of free individualistic expression – in a word must choose art and put aside propaganda.† (Locke, A. â€Å"Art or Propaganda?† p 312) The problem with propaganda, he argued, is that it cannot reframe the terms of the debate. To try to discredit racism is already to accord racist arguments a presumptive legitimacy. â€Å"†¦ My chief objection to propaganda, apart from its besetting sin of monotony and disproportion, is that it perpetuates the position of group inferiority even in crying out against it. For it speaks under the shadow of a dominant majority whom it harangues, cajoles, threatens, or supplicates. It is too extroverted for balance or poise or inner dignity and self-respect. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Locke, A. Ibid. p 312. ) Propaganda, in Locke’s view, is inevitably either defensive or strident, if not both. By contrast, art â€Å"is rooted in self-expression and whether naive or sophisticated is self-contained.† (Locke,A. Ibid. p 312) Creating its own terms for understanding and appreciation, art allows us to sidestep the received, conventional terms of meaning, and to take up possibilities presented to us within the â€Å"self-contained† realm of the individual work. While art could not â€Å"completely accomplish† the transformation needed to realign Black and white relations in American society, Locke believed that it could â€Å"lead the way.† (Locke, Ibid. p 312) For the most part, therefore, the art and literature of the Harlem Renaissance were expressive rather than creative, creative rather than argumentative. And it was specifically because they avoided propaganda, avoided engaging racist ideology directly, that Locke believed that art and literature could teach the truth about blackness in the white world. For Locke, the educational value of the movement consisted above all in its capacity to represent blackness without reference to the terms set by a racist society. Disregarding conventional perceptions and assumptions, art could offer an objective look at black experience, physiognomy, and heritage. (Thompson, A. p 18) Key to Locke’s notion of art as education is its avoidance of argumentation. For him, the problem posed by propaganda is not that it serves a particular agenda – obviously, he meant for art to serve a distinct social, political, and intellectual agenda. The problem with propaganda, as he saw it, is that it is reactive, and thus reliant upon the very assumptions it is intended to displace. Unlike the more familiar opposition between propaganda and common sense or between propaganda and open inquiry, Locke’s art/propaganda dichotomy suggests that the most important obstacle to social understanding may be a form of literal-mindedness: accepting our starting points as a given and seeking change through incremental adjustments. In effect, then, Locke rejects the kind of approach to promoting interracial understanding taken by liberal education. In the traditional liberal arts model, the path to a freer understanding is through careful analysis, reasoned argumentation, and dialogue. But from Locke’s perspective, that approach reintroduces at every turn the very assumptions that preclude a transformed understanding. Particularly in the case of Black/white relations, what is called for is a reorientation in our thinking rather than the correction of each and every error in existing understandings. As a pragmatist, Locke saw change not in terms of incremental improvement but in terms of shifts: adopting new positions and entering into new relations. Whereas propaganda, in Locke’s formulation, refers to an emendatory or editing impulse, art refers to the development of new perspectives. The importance of art lies in its refusal to read social convention literally.  As a metaphor for anti-racist education, it means, in part, problematizing the supposedly neutral standards that privilege whiteness, and, in part, reconceiving both whiteness and Blackness. In invoking art as the opposite of propaganda, though, Locke grants too much to art. By holding on to Enlightenment assumptions about truth, Locke proposes a misleading role for art as somehow apolitical in contrast to propaganda as inherently ideological. The romantic strain in Locke’s conception of art is revealed in his belief that â€Å"the art of the people,† specifically peoples of African ancestry, is â€Å"†¦a tap root of vigorous, flourishing living.† (Locke, A. â€Å"Art or Propaganda† p 313) Such art, he believed, is the source of a beauty that reveals truth, for unlike academic art, it has not been subjected to â€Å"generations of the inbreeding of style and idiom,† (Locke, A. â€Å"The Legacy of the Ancestral Arts,† p 258) nor lost the capacity to see objectively. â€Å"The Negro physiognomy must be freshly and objectively conceived on its own patterns if it is ever to be seriously and importantly interpreted. Art must discover and reveal the beauty which prejudice and caricature have overlaid. And all vital art discovers beauty and opens our eyes to that which previously we could not see. â€Å"(Locke,A. Ibd. p 264) Art, Locke believed, offered a way to break with old stereotypes and invent new forms, while remaining true to â€Å"some sort of characteristic idiom,† (Locke,A. Ibd. p 267) is a distinctive heritage and expressive style. Pragmatist that he was, he saw art as a way to come to experience both with a fresh eye and with the funded experience of a rich ancestral legacy. (Thompson, A. in: â€Å"Anti-Racist Pedagogy: Art or Propaganda?†) 5. What is it that DuBois and Locke have in common? A. Locke and W.E.B. DuBois had different opinions about the question whether art or propaganda is the right way to integrate the African – Americans into the American society. I have written about W.E.B. DuBois ,who is for propaganda, and about A. Locke, who is for art, so far. What we should keep in mind is: basically they wanted the same. The thing they have in common is  that they generally had the same ideas: they wanted to do domething for the African – Amerians, they wanted a â€Å"racial uplift†. (http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~wilker/harlem/Bildungselite.htm) One example is the idea of education and the idea of a Black elite, which they both shared. It is obvious that DuBois and Locke felt that the Black elite (or Talented Tenth) were to articulate the Black ideals for which the masses were to strive. A task that required members of the Talented Tenth to be well educated. For DuBois, no less than Locke, insisted that an education that allowed Blacks to achieve cultural freedom and autonomy would be an education that exposed the selected Black youth to the higher cultural values – the arts, music, drama, poetry, and history, aimed at the development of labouring skills. Alain Locke, no less than W.E.B DuBois, focused on Blacks cultural contributions to America. Hence, the importance of educating the Black elite, who would serve as Socratic midwives in such creative efforts. (Washington, p 22 ff.) Significant social transformations occurred, according to Locke, through the effort of what he called the black elite – the talented, well educated, cultured class of Blacks that distinguished itself from the Black masses through the former’s contributions to the development of art and culture. The black elite took initiative in the realm of human affairs. It was concerned with helping to shape, among other things, public policy. Booker T. Washington, Alain Locke, W.E.B. DuBois, Mary Bethune, Zora Hurston, Roland Hayes, Paul Robeson, Countee Cullen, Ida B. Wells, Langston Huges, Marian Anderson, James Weldon Johnson – these were among the Black elite during Locke’s time. It was their artistic and political activities to the civil rights movements of the 1960s that advanced the social – political status of Black Americans, and induced the country to make a more serious commitment to the principle of equality. Indeed, members of the Black elite inspired Africans on the continent of Africa in the 1950s and early 1960s as they sought to rid themselves of European colonial rule. In a word, the American Black elite, especially through the effort of W.E.B. DuBoi’s Pan –  African movement, was instrumental in helping to dissolve the closed societies on the continent of Africa, societies nurtured and sustained by colonialism. (Washington, p 34) In his speech, â€Å"The Training of Negroes for Social Power,† Dr. DuBois set forth clearly and fully his views at the time of the type of education he felt was essential for his people. â€Å"†¦The Negro problem, it has often been said, is largely a problem of ignorance – not simply of illiteracy, but a deeper ignorance of the world and its ways, of the thought and experience of men; an ignorance of self and the possibilities of human souls. This can be gotten rid of only by training; and primarily such training must take the form of that sort of social leadership which we call education. †¦ The very first step towards settlement of the Negro problem is the spread of intelligence.† (Foner, p 132 ff) 6.Summary W.E.B. DuBois emphasized that art must have a function. It is not the beauty which is important. In his magazine â€Å"The Crisis† he wrote: â€Å"We want Negro writers to produce beautiful things but we stress the things rather than the beauty. It is Life and Truth that are important and Beauty comes to make their importance visible and tolerable.† Locke suggested that fellow artists of the Harlem Renaissance always strive for art and avoid propaganda. Unfortunately, however, he felt that there have been very few â€Å"purely artistic publications†, as most of their expressions were included in the â€Å"avowed organs of social movements and organized social programs.† He felt that there must be discussion of social problems, but propaganda is too one-sided to serve that function, and there must be some means of bringing all views to the table. However, he never claimed that art can serve this function, and merely hypothesized such a forum of ideas. (Cabrera, J.) DuBois doubted if one could really have a disembodied art or beauty ; but Locke was not seeking for the Negro writer a disembodied beauty. He expected â€Å"tangible† results from the Negro knowing himself through his folk cultural experiences, particulary given the Negro’s special circumstances as an American citizen within the wider American cultural tradition. (Linnemann, R.J. p 92) I think it is important to mention that W.E.B. DuBois was for propaganda but he didn’t totally reject art as long as art has a message. DuBois had a strong sense of race pride and saw great value in drawing upon the racial heritage. He was an early advocate of the use of black folk music for classical American music tradition. Though he felt that art and propaganda could not be separated, he took the middle – class position that characterization of black life should project a proper image of the Negro. (Linnemann, R.J. p 78) The question â€Å"Who was right?† is difficult to answer. A. Locke saw the beauty of art but in my opinion every kind of art has a message and is therefore more or less propaganda. One cannot separate the terms. Artist are just able to influence the kind of propaganda when they create provocative works but it is not possible to produce art just for arts sake. Sources: Bracey, John H. ed.: African American Mosaic, Volume Two – From 1865 To The Present. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2004. Locke, Alain: â€Å"Art or Propaganda?† in Voices from the Harlem Renaissance, ed. Nathan Irvin Huggins. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. DuBois, W.E.B.: â€Å"The Negro Mind Reaches Out (excerpts)† The New Negro, An Interpretation. New York: Albert and Charles Boni, 1925, p. 385. Foner, Philip Sheldon : W.E.B. Du Bois speaks – speeches and addresses 1890-1919. New York: Pathfinder Press, 1970. Linnemann, Russell J., ed. Alain Locke: Reflections on a modern Renaissance man. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1982. Locke,A. â€Å"The Legacy of the Ancestral Arts,† in The New Negro: An Interpretation, ed. Alain Locke New York: Arno Press and the New York Times, 1968 (1925). Marable, Manning: W.E.B.DuBois, Black Radical Democrat. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1986. Ploski, Harry A. ed. The Negro Almanac : a reference work on the Afro-American. Detroit: Gale Research, 1983. Washington, Johnny: Alain Locke and philosophy : a quest for cultural pluralism. New York: Greenwood Press, 1986. Weinberg, Meyer ed.: W.E.B. DuBois: A Reader. New York: Harper & Row, 1970. Electronic Sources Cabrera, Jennifer. Art or Propaganda? 10 December 1999.< http://www.en. utexas. edu/ classes/bremen/e314l/student_pages/student.sites/jennifer/final/home.html> Moon, Henry Lee: History of the Crisis. November 1970. The Crisis Magazine Online 10.03.05 Powell, Richard: , 08.03.05 Thompson, Audrey: For: Anti racist education (p 1 – 38) 25.02.2005. University of Utah. < http://bama.ua.edu/~cdi/thompson.pdf, S.18 > Thompson, Audrey : Anti-Racist Pedagogy : Art or Propaganda? 27.02.2005. University of Utah William H. Johnson Feb.16, 2000 25.02.05.