Kiss the game goodbye

Sally and john were planning a mission to steal the original painting of the ‘Rambrat', which was painted by Rambrat. This painting was highly protected by laser beams and police guards. For many days they had studied the building very closely and knew which officers were on duty which days. So the day came, it was midnight, perfect time to execute the plan. They slowly watched the officer going back and forth, with they luck, they noticed a window that was slightly ajar. As they were on the roof, they had to go down to the 85th floor. As Sally and John went down, the officer nearly caught his eyes on a leg; he saw a foot on the top left hand corner of the window. Sally noticed this and shouted, ‘move your foot', but it was to late, the officer pulled his foot, sally hesitated and did not know what to do. Then she saw the pavement, and quickly went down. Sally quickly went up to the floor, and ran away, but before she ran, she could hear a gun shot. She then said to herself, ‘the game for him has finished', so she silently walked off. ‘Sally' come here, shouted detective carter. ‘I have a special assignment for you there is a very dangerous dealer called Kobe, he is going to steal the redraw face I want you to help him' ‘Why' said sally, ‘Because we have no real evidence to actually put him down for good', ‘Fine'. So the next day she meets Kobe in London, she greets him and tells him that she would like to help him in the mission which he his going to go ahead with. Although Kobe does not trust Sally, he gives her a go. ‘Firstly' Kobe said, ‘to see good you really are, I want you to do a job for me'. ‘What' sally replied? ‘They is a shop in on Lakers Ville, I want you to collect a vase from there'. ‘No problem' sally said in a pleasant way. So Kobe drove to the shop in a black Mercedes, and told Sally to go to the shop and get the vase. ‘No problem Kobe boy' ‘You will pay for it with this visa card, now go'. As sally entered the shop, she could smell ‘rat'. Mr. O'Neal greeted her by saying ‘hello there', with a grin on his face. ‘I would like to collect the 1856 sphere vase' said sally ‘Who are you', Mr. O'Neal said ‘Kobe sent me' ‘Ok, it'll we à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½600.000' ‘Do you except visa' ‘Sorry darling, we aren't in Paris' ‘I know, Paris don't have rats' Then Mr. O'Neal came up with a knife, and said ‘listen here missy, we don't take crap nonsense' Sally caught her eyes on the vase, she quickly got it, smashed it on Mr. O'Neal's head. As the vase broke, she saw a film on the floor, she took the film and left the shop and entered the car. ‘Where's the vase', Kobe said ‘I broke it' ‘You did what' ‘I'm sorry' ‘You completely miss-understood the whole point of the exercise' ‘No I didn't' Kobe saw the film in her hand and said ‘well done, now give it here' ‘What is it'? ‘It's the plan to the whole of the exercise which you wanted to help me with' Kobe was going to take sally to his castle, which was located on a small island near Ireland. As sally woke up, she could she the castle. ‘Holy smack a rony, is this your place', sally said ‘Yes' As they entered the castle, Sally notices many paintings ‘Are these your' Sally quoted in a mysterious manor ‘Yes of course' ‘How did you pay for them'? ‘Visa perhaps' ‘Blood' Sally with a grin on her face, said ‘ok' Kobe showed sally to her room, and said you will be staying her until you would like to go home. The next morning, Kobe woke sally up, come on, we are going to train you to steal the diamond face. As sally was going to leave for a swim before the training, she was stopped by Kobe. ‘What you doing' Sally said in a angry mood ‘Where are you going'? ‘For a swim' ‘No', first the training then the swim ‘Fine then'! So the training began, the first exercise was to manoeuvre strings, which were supposed to represent lasers that protected the face. Sally kept on failing and kept her anger at a minimum, but all of a sudden ‘The hell with this' sally shouted out in an angry way ‘Shut up' and do it ‘Yes sir, what ever you say sir' in a mocking manor She finally got it right, and rubbed it in Kobe's face. ‘Your ready to steal the face', tomorrow we will go ahead with the plan. Because Kobe bought sally a dress, sally felt sorry for Kobe and offered to get Kobe a present, he insisted her not to worry, but she kept refusing, so she went out and got him one. As she saw a public telephone, she thought to call her boss, and inform him of what was happening, because Kobe owned the island, he knew what telephone calls were being made and where, he also could listen to each conversation being had. He was very interested in what sally was talking about on the phone, so he thought he would listen. As he switched it on, he heard ‘I am so close to putting him down, just give me a couple more days', so he knew that she was a cop and wanted to put in him, but then I thought of a plan. As sally arrived she saw a small note on the table, saying go upstairs, as she went up stairs she saw Kobe on the roof of the castle, she approached him, ‘Do you know, every time I come on the roof, I always drop something' Kobe said in a mysterious manor' ‘Go on then' sally said, sally had strange thoughts in her mind; does he know that I'm a cop? As he walked towards her, he bent towards her, as he put on hand on her, he dropped the cup. Sally was very relieved that she was not the one being dropped. ‘Come one, we are leaving in 2 hours get ready' Kobe said. Sally had put on the dress that Kobe had bought for her, it was a size 4 but she was a size 6. As sally was walking down the stairs, Kobe was stunned how beautiful sally looked, and said to her, ‘I know you are a size 6, but I thought you will look good in a size 4. Salt with a grin on her face said, ‘that's very thoughtful of you'. Since it was a ballroom dancing party, all males and females had to be wearing suits and dresses. As they were being toured around and shown the beautiful place, Sally and Kobe caught they eyes on the diamond face, they located the place, and put a sensor on the floor where the face was. As the building was closing Sally and Kobe was planning the plan. They once was an underground tunnel that was used by Queen Victoria to escape from the press and the public. This tunnel was which was not being used any more. They were planning to use that tunnel to get into the museum and steal the face. Because the tunnel was under a canal, they had to use a speedboat to get into the tunnel. After being under the canal, they used diving suits to enter the tunnel. As they entered the tunnel, they saw sunlight. Kobe said, ‘are you ready, time to steal the face' So the plan went ahead, because the museum was closed and the face was guarded by lasers, only one person could get the mask and one person to tell the other person the direction so that he/she does not hit the laser, because if they hit the laser the alarm will go of and the police will be there in a matter of seconds. Sally was the one who had to go and manoeuvre her way pass the lasers and Kobe was to tell her how to manoeuvre them. Because they was a security guard out the room where the face is kept, they had to make sure that the guard did not see sally, and therefore sally movement and speed is vital.

Global Poverty, Development, and Global Processes Uganda Essay

It was British Prime Minister Winston Churchill who conceived the term â€Å"Pearl of Africa† pertaining to the small country teeming with magnificent scenery, wildlife, and friendly people. Uganda was really beautiful, until war tore it apart and left it in the clutches of poverty and underdevelopment. Uganda is a country in East Africa surrounded by other countries, making it a landlocked country. Its borders include Kenya on the east, Sudan on the north, the Democratic Republic of Congo on the west, Rwanda on the southwest, and Tanzania on the south. The name â€Å"Pearl of Africa† may have been based on the fact that it is at the center of different countries and it had great wildlife and natural resources, as well as a very welcoming people. With all the good qualities Uganda possessed at that time, Winston Churchill was merely stating the obvious in saying that it was Africa’s pearl. At the time when Uganda was given the â€Å"pearl† recognition, the country was really a picture of abundance in terms of natural treasures. It was considered to be one of the most bio-diverse countries in the African continent (Kasirye, 2005). It was blessed with jungle rainforests, boasting of more than a thousand species of birds, as well as other types of wildlife including mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, and other primates. It also has a site being passed by the Nile River, giving life to various animals and people inhabiting near the waters. Its diverse environment includes snow-capped glacier peaks, healthy and surviving rainforests, and a lot of wildlife all of which are great ecological importance to the people. At present, it is hard to say that Uganda still is the pearl of Africa because a lot has changed, following Churchill’s visit, when he gave Uganda its moniker. It wasn’t only the physical characteristics that changed in Uganda but also its people. This aspect is really crucial because it is what defines a country, and the changes that took place in Uganda may have long-term effect on the country and its people. Uganda may still have teeming wildlife and abundant natural resources, but in the present time, this may not be enough for it to be considered the pearl again. The changes that happened were really formative, affecting people’s prejudices and biases, thus affecting their decisions and activities. It was a common in Uganda’s politics to see one president getting overthrown by another. Most of their changes in leadership back in those days were results of drastic measures like coups and counter-coups. It was during the rule of Idi Amin when Uganda saw a really big change. It was not on the positive aspect though. Amin ruled over Uganda alongside the military, so anything that crosses his path would have to be illuminated. Many Ugandans died, while some were forced to flee to nearby countries. The Indian minorities which served as a backbone of their economy were driven away, causing a great fall in the country’s economy. Idi Amin tried to make his decade-long stay in power worthwhile by passing stricter laws to regulate the people and maintaining peace in the country (Short, 1971). His cruel means wouldn’t go unchecked when the neighboring Tanzania invaded Uganda with the help of Ugandan exiles. The Uganda-Tanzania war overturned the whole country, all in order to remove Amin from his position. His rule ended in 1979, replaced by another person that would also be removed shortly after (Fallers, 1955). After a series of coups and wars, the abundant resources that gained Uganda the titular â€Å"pearl of Africa† seemed to be getting smaller and smaller. It is true that the country is still teeming with wildlife, but the problem is that Uganda is running out of space to house that wildlife and its people. Uganda’s people aren’t just expanding in numbers but also expanding in expectations (Myers, 1971). After the problematic years of wars and settling political differences between leaders, they seem to be facing a problem of a different level, something that can’t be easily solved by taking arms and fighting one another. Uganda has a land area of less than 200,000 sq km, about twice the size of Pennsylvania. However, Uganda’s population of more than 30 million is ten times more than that of the said state. Now, we can no longer say that Uganda is still the pearl of Africa. Even though it has the resources and wildlife to boast, it’s still not enough to support the consumption of its population. It would have stood out if it could cater to the needs of the people of Uganda along with being a global wildlife landmark. But the predicament it is on right now is more of a pressing concern than maintaining its position as the pearl of Africa. Many people are cramped up in a small country, so it is expected that there would be a shortage of space and opportunities for the people. Uganda is more of a dead fish right now, instead of being the pearl of Africa. It tries to survive with the international aid from other countries, but still the problem continues. The population continues to grow, the number of moths to feed increases, the number of food and space available continue to shrink. In a nutshell, Uganda is suffering and is barely able to support its people. If these events continue, then the future would be vague for country. One problem that was worsened by wars and political unrest in Uganda was the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which was evident not only in the country, but all throughout the continent of Africa (Hooper, 1987). Sexual abuses brought about by war worsened this problem, as it spread throughout the country, affecting 20% of the population back in the early decades. It easily spread throughout the country because it was left unchecked, with political leaders more concerned about their positions instead of focusing on the welfare of the people. Coupled with poverty and overpopulation, HIV/AIDS easily spread throughout the population. It is common to expect this kind of problem in countries like Uganda. With political unrest, leaders give little interest to the things that really matter to the populace. There is insufficient funding for the efforts to solve the problem; worse, there could be no efforts at all in solving this kind of situation. Less developed countries like Uganda have very limited funds, and they’re often spent on things that won’t do the people any good. These funds would also be subject to the corruption of the political leaders, so only a small portion of the small budget would be appropriated for large scale problems like spread of diseases. On a lighter note, when the government of Uganda settled after the war and political unrest was resolved, the HIV/AIDS problem was given proper attention. Uganda’s HIV/AIDS problem was a success story because they were able to reduce the prevalence of the disease from almost 20% in the 1990s to just 5% in 2002. Well, compared with other countries, it is still high, especially with a population of 30 million. But the degree of the problem was greatly reduced, proving that it is not too late for Uganda. If they’re able to solve one problem, it is likely that they can solve more. Another matter of concern for Uganda is education. With the increasing number of population, more and more people are not able to go to school, both because of poverty and the lack of educational facilities. Consequently, the decline in the quality of education available for the people is hurting Uganda, as it causes them additional financial constraints. Education provides the people a chance to land a stable, good paying job, and for the government, this means efficient taxation. But with people unable to get good jobs or at least any job, then they would be a great blow to Uganda financially. The education problem is prevalent not only in Uganda but also to other parts of the world. It goes along with poverty, since poor families wouldn’t really be able to send their children to school. Instead of paying for education, they’d rather use whatever money they have to put food on their plate. The children are also expected to work to earn additional income for the family, instead of attending school. With the sheer number of Uganda’s people, the schools get filled easily. Even if a student is willing and able to go to school, if there is no school available, then they have no other choice but to do other things. Because of the wasted opportunities and financial constraints brought about by Uganda’s education situation, the government exerted more effort to finance education in the country. One set-up that they focused on was the introduction of student loans for the higher education in Uganda (Kajubi, 1992). Through this way, students would be encouraged to finish their studies even if they don’t have the money. Those who would be able to finish their studies with the help of these loans would be able to land better jobs or work for the government, and that would be the time for them to pay their loans. Currently, government efforts to solve education problems are just being executed. The short run effects aren’t really obvious, but the long run outcomes are the ones being anticipated. Focusing on education problems would hopefully solve their problems, though it would take some time to really see some concrete effects of their efforts. But still, there are a lot of children who are unable to go to schools, so the government still has to intensify their efforts to solve the problem of education in the country. There are also government efforts to revive Uganda’s title â€Å"pearl of Africa†. Promotion of the country is being done through websites and magazines, featuring Uganda’s nature spots and rich wildlife (Africapoint. com, 2008). Through these campaigns, Uganda is again being promoted as a tourist spot, just like what Winston Churchill did a few decades ago. With the help of contemporary mass media, people from different parts of the world learn about Uganda, and hopefully, attract them to come and visit. Tourism offers a source of income for the people, which could in turn help them with their daily needs. Uganda is a good example of how political mismanagement, wars, and other factors affect the development of a country. Uganda is not an isolated case. A lot of other countries experience the same situations as that of Uganda. But that shouldn’t stop them from desiring to improve and develop. Despite the constraints experienced by Uganda because of wars and political unrest, they are slowly recovering, with the help of the international community. More and more projects are pushed through, all for the improvement of the country and its people. Its global connections are really a big help, and hopefully, it would continue to benefit Uganda, so that they would again deserve to be called the Pearl of Africa. References: Africapoint. com. (2008). Uganda – The Pearl of Africa Glows Again. Retrieved April 1, 2009, from http://72. 14. 235. 132/search? q=cache:OqX1jq7MkQQJ:www. africapoint. com/downloads/Uganda-Tour. pdf+pearl+of+africa&cd=5&hl=tl&ct=clnk&gl=ph Fallers, L. (1955). The Predicament of the Modern African Chief: An Instance from Uganda. American Anthropologist, Vol. 57(No. 2). Hooper, E. (1987). AIDS in Uganda. African Affairs, Vol. 86(No. 345). Kajubi, W. S. (1992). Financing of Higher Education in Uganda. Higher Education, Vol. 23(No. 4). Kasirye, V. (2005). Uganda the Pearl of Africa. Retrieved April 1, 2009, from http://72. 14. 235. 132/search? q=cache:55WX2tzvlaYJ:www. worldharvestmission. org/Uganda_Report. pdf+pearl+of+africa&cd=10&hl=tl&ct=clnk&gl=ph Myers, N. (1971). Wildlife and Development in Uganda. BioScience, Vol. 21(No. 21). Short, P. (1971). Amin’s Uganda. Transition(No. 40).

Quantum Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Quantum - Coursework Example Consequently, LDA is generally related to functionals, which are based on HEG approximation. LDA are implemented in realistic systems measurements and calculations (for example, molecules and solids). In a general view, for a spin-unpolarized system, â€Å"LDA for the exchange-correlation energy is the following where  ?  refers to the  electronic density  and  ?xc, the exchange-correlation energy concentration, is a function of the density. The exchange-correlation energy is split into exchange and correlation terms in a linear view: thus separate expressions for  Ex  and  Ec  are defined. Separate expressions known for the correlation density lead to numerous different approximations for  ?c†. (Parr and Weitao, 1994) LDA is a part of any approximate exchange-correlation functional. Its main function is to â€Å"replicate direct results of the HEG for non-varying densities† (Parr and Weitao 1994, p. 35). As a result, LDA is often mentioned as an exp licit component of such kind of functional. The Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) Modern scientists and researchers are greatly concerned about updating GGA functionals in their implementation in molecules and solids. ... Currently, accents in â€Å"generalized gradient approximations are shifted toward the description of free-atom energies† (Perdew et al, 2008). A group of scientists, Perdew et al (2008) have transformed and â€Å"adapted the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof generalized gradient approximation that updates equilibrium characteristics of dense solids and their surfaces† (Perdew et al, 2008). It is relevant to underline that the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof is a widely-used tool in solid state calculations. Consequently, a relevant note is that PBE is currently transformed with regard to GGA implementing both the density and its gradient at every space point (Perdew et al, 2008). If to correlate both concepts GGA and PBE, it will be clearly seen that GCA counterbalances â€Å"computational efficiency, numerical accuracy, and reliability† (Perdew et al 2008, p. 4068). Moreover, â€Å"PBE refers to the demands of quantum chemistry and solid-state physics† (Perdew et al 2008, p . 4068). Modern scientists think that it is necessary to ‘widen horizons’ of PBE implementation. Thus during the last decade it has been found out that â€Å"PBE reduces the chronic overbinding of the local spin density approximation (LSDA) [1], but, while LSDA often slightly underestimates equilibrium lattice constants by about 1%, PBE usually overestimates them by about the same amount† (Perdew et al 2008, p. 4070). Moreover, another important point of PBE properties is its equilibrium properties (e.g. bulk moduli, phonon frequencies, magnetism, and ferroelectricity). The abovementioned properties are susceptible to the lattice constant; thus they are ‘overcorrected’ by PBE (Perdew et al, 2008). Moreover, in spite of the fact that LSDA defines low

A letter to the editor in the Wall Street Journal Assignment - 1

A letter to the editor in the Wall Street Journal - Assignment Example Additionally, he also made mention of emerging markets as reaching attractive levels because of short-term troubles that brought price levels to near- bargain levels. What his article basically said is that investment advisers made wrong guesses or bets as to which way the markets will go and those investors who believed in the advice are now sorry. However one looks at it, any investor should do his or her own homework and not accept as the gospel truth any so-called â€Å"sage advice† offered by some self-proclaimed financial market experts. It is worth noting that any investor who looks at the long-term prospects (whether stocks, bonds, or other investment vehicles) is bound to come out ahead if the investment horizon is long enough for dividends and price appreciation to take its effect (meaning, the time element kicks in like in the time value of money when invested). Anyway, most investors have a wrong or unrealistic time frame when they invest, so many are well advised to listen to reason (Jaffe para. 9) and look at the longer term instead. (Note: word count = 295) Jaffe, Chuck. â€Å"Always invest in what scares you: How to build a portfolio with a long-term outlook.† Wall Street Journal, 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.

Applying Research assessment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Applying Research assessment 2 - Essay Example This report deals with the research methodology of an article named â€Å"Blowing The Whistle on Police Violence† written by Louise Westmarland which was published in British Journal on Criminology in 2001. â€Å"This article highlights a number of issues related to the witnessing of ‘illegal’ police violence by researchers† (Westmarland, 2001). The researcher focuses on a very sensitive issue i.e. the violence committed by police. The main purpose behind this research was to make the general population including the higher authority aware of the violence propagated by police so that a mass awareness can be developed against it. This article uses the ethnology study to reason out the factors for these types of violence. It unfolds many facts regarding the various degree of violence. This report will discuss the research methodology applied by the researcher and the extent to which this methodology is feasible for this subject. The validity of the outcome of this research will undergo various critical studies and suitable recommendation will be discussed and analysed. Westmarland in his article has identified the specific behaviour of police that lead to violence in society. This research can be termed as the outcome of the ethnographic research. The researcher has devoted a considerable amount of time to study the police violence through the ethnological study. Westmarland has himself been a first hand witness to various situations as a fieldworker and therefore have seen the situation more clearly. The fieldworkers are appointed to observe the real life violence committed by police. To analyse the qualitative aspects like human behaviours the ethnographic research plays a very significant role. â€Å"One primary difference between ethnography as science and other social and behaviour science methods of investigating is that ethnography assumes that we must first discover what people actually do and the reasons they give for doing it before

The Development of Marketing over the Last Century Research Paper

The Development of Marketing over the Last Century - Research Paper Example This marketing concept became applicable from the 1900s to the 1950s. Therefore, the current marketing concepts involving branding, communication, and intensive ads that characterize the modern business environment are merely a rebirth of the concepts used by marketers at the start of the 20th century up to the 1950s (Belz, 2006). At the turn of 1960, a new marketing concept known as marketing orientation emerged. This concept became common from 1960 onwards. This marketing concept emerged because of market saturation that triggered intense competition. Marketing also became a strategic thinking process for managers. Today marketing as a discipline has become an outward looking discipline where strategies and actions depend on the external environment of a company. As such, any change in the external environment affects the marketing strategy adopted by a company (Belz, 2006). The world has also experienced radical changes in technological, economic, and socio-cultural environments s ince the beginning of the 20th century. These changes have created new marketing opportunities and challenges. Globalization has transformed marketing concepts by bringing regional and global societies and economies together. Some of the opportunities that globalization has brought include increased number of market opportunities. For instance, globalization has made it possible for companies to set up businesses in other countries easily. In addition, globalization has transformed marketing by making it easier for companies to penetrate some markets with more ease than ever before. Further, it has provided companies with the opportunity to develop and implement cost-effective international marketing strategies (Johnson, 2007). Despite the benefits that globalization has brought in the... The Development of Marketing over the Last Century This discourse attempts to explore the developments of marketing throughout history and the implications of the developments to marketing organizations. The history of marketing dates back to early 1900 although some marketing practices can be traced back to 1700 B.C according to Dix et al. (2005). Segmentation, marketing developments, promotion, and branding are some of the marketing activities practiced today that have a long history. The origin of these marketing activities dates back to as early as the pre-colonial era. Dix et al. (2005) notes that the marketing concepts of relationship orientation and ‘domesticated markets’ began during the agricultural era. As such, the current popularity of relationship marketing is merely a rebirth of the marketing practices of the pre-industrial period when consumers and producers interacted directly with each other and built structural and emotional bonds in their economic market behaviors. History shows that marketing was init ially based on production orientation. This was the marketing concept that was applicable during the industrial revolution. According to this marketing concept, the focus of marketing was based on efficient production and distribution. Marketing has undergone many changes over the years. It has become apparent that as new technologies emerge, consumer behaviors also changes. As a result, marketing managers must be able to respond to the changes appropriately for the companies they manage to survive, otherwise they will be faced out.

Alcohol problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Alcohol problem - Essay Example These questions can be used for a person with a current at risk behavior, but people with past or future at risk behavior are not analyzed. This quiz could be given to all ages due to the generality of the questions. However, only current at risk, moderate risk, and low risk can be determined at the time of the quiz. This quiz should include questions about past behavior. Instead of asking about recent or within a year, the quiz should ask the same questions with no time limit set. If high risk behavior is detected, maybe a more detailed timeline could be used. Finally, the most important question is missing from the quiz. I believe family drinking habits should be visited. For example, I have alcoholics on both sides of my family tree. This is an important factor to determine at risk individuals. 2. What is the difference between binge drinking and alcoholism? Why does society accept binge drinking in so many circumstances? In your life, what shaped your beliefs (acceptance, participation, or abstinence) regarding binge drinking? What do you think could change the culture of bingeing, especially in the college setting? Binge drinking is more hardcore alcoholism or for social reasons. It starts at parties and socially, but soon a person has to have that much alcohol. My views were shaped by my father’s drinking. At first on the weekends and then through the week. At the end, he was drinking 2 1/2 cases a day, plus a bottle of tequila. The violence, vomiting, and psychological belittlement made me want to abstain. Unless a college or university banned drinking totally on and off campus, I do not think that binge drinking would ever really change. 3. Taking what we have talked about in class so far regarding the pathophysiological changes in the brain that occur with addictions, what is the main area of the brain that might be involved with why young adults choose to consume alcohol.

William Blake, Romanticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

William Blake, Romanticism - Essay Example Firstly, the poem â€Å"The Marriage of Heaven and Hell† somehow speaks of the goodness in all things even in those which people consider as negative. In the poem, the capital sins are regarded by Blake as good things to God: pride is glory, lust is bounty, wrath is wisdom, and nakedness if the work of God. This then somehow creates a pattern where the succeeding lines illustrate the same polarities between evil and good which are actually the same. Thus, following from the line â€Å"Excess of sorrow laughs. Excess of joy weeps†1, which means that things are not what they seem, it simply means that all lines in the poem are lines of contradictions too2.Therefore, following through from the line â€Å"Joys impregnate, Sorrows bring forth†3, one can conclude that joys will give people something negative and that sorrows will bring people something opposite too. This means that joys impregnate or somehow make someone pregnant, which is basically a bad thing if two people are not married yet. On the other hand, when someone says â€Å"Sorrows bring forth,† it means that perhaps sorrow brings someone â€Å"forth† or forward. This means that such a negative thing like sorrow may always be instrumental in advancing someone. Perhaps, it is because one learns much from sorrow as much as he learns from happiness. The meaning of the line â€Å"Joys impregnate, Sorrows bring forth† (Blake) is also evident in the historical context in which Blake’s â€Å"The Marriage of Heaven and Hell† was written. In fact, William Blake was born during a time when the Bible was glorified4. It was at that time that Blake started pointing out the inaccuracies and errors in the Bible in order to somehow educate the people and make them believe that the Bible was actually a mere creation of man. This was Blake’s protest against organized religion. Thus Blake, through his â€Å"The Marriage of Heaven and Hell,† was able to instill in his readers

Discussion Article 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Article 5 - Essay Example In their method the researchers are seen to be comparing two approaches in order to test which actually yields the expected results (Varroud-Vial, 2011). The randomized trials are done on diabetic patients within a hospital setting. Although testing and trails is an advanced methodology used in quantitative research we can still see that this research actually used it to find the impacts that the use of one approach would have on the patients. By subjecting a group of patients to EMR’s and not the other they wanted to test the validity of the statement that they had come up earlier or the research question they had identified. The methodology was quite appropriate in this study because they needed to establish the validity of the statement. Tests are carried out in scientific research in order to qualify or disqualify a given fact and this was what was used in this study. In the second article titled Physicians and Electronic health records the authors wanted to know exactly what the use of electronic medical records by physicians was on the ground in hospitals as concerns. There were two questions proposed for this study and these asked whether the Electronic health records were available for use and secondly the degree to which the physicians used the Electronic health records. The methodology that was adopted for this study was a random survey and this involved a group of 1884 physicians in Massachusetts. The survey used structured questionnaires that required them to answer different issues as concerns addressing the two questions identified earlier. The questionnaires were then mailed to the participants. The questions assessed the following components: availability and use of HER functions, predictors of use and the relationships between HER use and physicians perceptions of medical practice (Simon, 2007). The sample population used

Ethnic Notions Essay Example for Free

Ethnic Notions Essay Ethnic Notions is a documentary directed by Marlon Riggs. The title itself explains what the movie is about-impressions of race. Throughout the documentary, Riggs presents the history of stereotypes and shows how they still exist. In today’s society we have become so accustomed with stereotypes that they are considered normal. The movie Ethnic Notations introduces the problem of stereotypes by explaining their origin and history, giving examples, and showing how they still exist today, so that we are no longer fooled and unaware of stereotyping and racism. During the early and mid 1900’s black people were depicted on television and media as ignorant, ugly, violent and inferior to white people. These negative, degrading and horrible images of black people over time shaped people’s views and thoughts about black people and this was how stereotypes were created. Media used caricatures which are exaggerated representations of people to get racist views across to white and black American people. One example of a caricature is The Sambo. The Sambo was a caricature created to depict the black male as being lazy, child like ignorant and care-free making the black male seem more like a child than a male. Another example of a racist caricature is pickaninnies which are black children. Pickaninnies were depicted as ugly kids with rough wooly hair, big eyes, dark black skin, big mouths and bright red lips. Pickaninnies often resembled animals in children cartoons and were viewed as savage by white people. One of the most popular caricatures of the 1900’s is the mammie caricature. The Mammie was an older black woman who took care of the white man’s family. Mammies were shoed as loving mother figures who were fat black and unattractive. Mammies were created to show that some blacks were happy as slaves and loved black people. These stereotypes were disturbing, degrading and in most cases poor representations of black people. It saddens me how whites could think so low of black people or any other human being at all. Sadly stereotypes still exist today in television, media and society. One stereotype I feel definitely still exist today ids the Sambo stereotype although there are great black actors that play dramatic roles most black men in the media are still shown as being careless and immature. However not all stereotypes today are exactly the same as the caricatures from the 20th century but a new modern version. For example instead of black women being depicted as unattractive mammies on television, they are now ghetto loud and un-lady like. Sometimes I even find myself acting out a stereotype, like being loud or cursing in public. After watching Ethnic Notions I feel like stereotypes are too deeply rooted in Americas culture to ever be completely gone. Although this conclusion is unfortunate I do believe that we could make people believe in stereotypes less and less through media, by depicting blacks in a more positive light.

Diversity Management: Case Studies

Diversity Management: Case Studies The role of the Human Resource Manager is evolving with the change in competitive market environment and the realization that Human Resource Management must play a more strategic role in the success of an organization. Organizations that do not put their emphasis on attracting and retaining talents may find themselves in dire consequences, as their competitors may be outplaying them in the strategic employment of their human resources. With the increase in competition, locally or globally, organizations must become more adaptable, resilient, agile, and customer-focused to succeed. And within this change in environment, the HR professional has to evolve to become a strategic partner, an employee sponsor or advocate, and a change mentor within the organization. In order to succeed, HR must be a business driven function with a thorough understanding of the organizations big picture and be able to influence key decisions and policies. In general, the focus of todays HR Manager is on strategic personnel retention and talents development. HR professionals will be coaches, counsellors, mentors, and succession planners to help motivate organizations members and their loyalty. The HR manager will also promote and fight for values, ethics, beliefs, and spirituality within their organizations, especially in the diversity management. This assignment will highlight critically on what are best practices of diversity management are in the contemporary Organizations. Can HRM meet the challenges of diversity management, how to motivate employees through gain-sharing and executive information system through proper planning, organizing, leading and controlling their human resources? Diversity Management Introduction Diversity management developed as a concept in the late 1980s in North America and concept gained popularity as a new management approach in the United Kingdom and also continued with the same because of persistent social and economic climate. Now days it is requisite for any successful workplace strategy due competitive pressures on organisation to sustain and improve economic performance and the changing expectations and aspirations of society. The increasing pressure is forcing attention on the requirement to address contextual realities, which have been ignored for the years. The diversity management implications of this are an employee composed of white, heterosexual, able-bodied males is now out of date as it does not reflect the correct mixture of current labour market. When people think of diversity, they think of first ethnicity and race, and then gender; however, diversity is much broader than that. Dimensions of diversity include, but are not limited to: age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, religious beliefs, parental status, and work experience. Its important to understand how these dimensions affect performance, motivation, success, and interactions with others. Institutional structures and practices that have presented barriers to some dimensions of diversity should be examined, challenged, and removed. The Basic concept of managing diversity accepts that the workforce consists of a diverse population of people. The diversity consists of visible and non-visible differences which will include factors such as sex, age, background, race, disability, personality, work style. It is founded on the premise that harnessing these differences will create a productive environment in which everybody feels valued, where their talents are being fully utilised and in which organisational goals are met. (kandola and fullerton 1998) Business Case of Diversity Management Key facts about employment and people with disabilities 65% of people with a learning disability would like a job. 48% of people with disabilities are in employment. 6.8% of adults with learning disabilities known to Social Services are in any kind of paid employment. As many as 2.5 million disabled men and women are without work in Britain. Research conducted by the Department of work and Pensions concluded that it would not be possible to support oneself on earnings alone if a person is working less than 16 hours per week. 3.4% of people with a serious mental health need are in paid employment. Nearly one in five people of working age (7 million, or 18.6%) in Great Britain has a disability. Discovering the hidden workforce It is clear from the fact that a large number of people with disabilities are unemployed however would like to work. Defining disability A physical, sensory or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term (more than 12 months) effect on normal day to day activities (anonymous. (2011). The Business Case for Diversity Management. Available: http://base-uk.org/employers-business-case. Last accessed) The business case for employing a person with a disability and engaging with a supported employment agency The average cost of recruitment across the UK is estimated to be  £5-7k per vacancy. His figure includes (advertising the vacancy, preparing and processing applications, screening candidates, interviewing candidates and training process. If at the first attempt to recruit, the wrong candidate is selected for the job then the cost may increase substantially. The legal case Since the introduction and implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act in 1995 and following amendments over the years organizations have a legal duty to comply with the law and not discriminate against people with disabilities. If a person has stated a disability the organization would be required to consider making an appropriate alteration to ensure that they are able to receive quality services, products and fair treatment in employment. The moral case Organizations more aware of their reputation in the communities they share and serve. Boards of directors should be involved with developing a corporate vision and producing statements that present an image to the public of being a caring organization and caring employer. Best Practices for Managing Organizational Diversity Best practises are the practises which are appropriate under the circumstances especially as considered acceptable and regulated in business (Patricia A. Kreitz. (2008). Best Practices for Managing Organizational Diversity. Available: www.slac.stanford.edu/cgi-wrap/getdoc/slac-pub-12499.pdf. Last accessed 02nd Dec 2011. ). Techniques or methodologies that through experience and research have reliably led to desired or optimum results. Best practices in the field of diversity management are often derived from systematic and careful reflection of hard work and practical experience. Top leadership commitment a vision of diversity demonstrated and communicated throughout an organization by top-level management. Diversity as part of an organizations strategic plan a diversity strategy and plan that are developed and aligned with the organizations strategic plan. Diversity linked to performance the understanding that a more diverse and inclusive work environment can yield greater productivity and help improve individual and organizational performance. Measurement a set of quantitative and qualitative measures of the impact of various aspects of an overall diversity program. Accountability the means to ensure that leaders are responsible for diversity by linking their performance assessment and compensation to the progress of diversity initiatives. Succession planning an ongoing, strategic process for identifying a diverse talent pool and developing them into an organizations potential future leaders. Recruitment the process of attracting a supply of qualified, diverse applicants for employment. Employee involvement employees contributions in driving diversity throughout an organization. Diversity training organizational efforts to inform and educate management and staff about diversitys benefits to the organization. Case Study 1- Sainsburys Supermarkets Sainsburys supermarket is one of Britains largest food retailers, with an annual turnover of approximately  £11.5 billion. The company trades from Aberdeen to Truro, employing in excess of 127000 people. Sainsburys has a long-standing commitment to achieving equal employment opportunities. It is an active member of Opportunity 2000, the Employers Forum on Disability and the National Mentoring Scheme for Ethnic Minority students, by whom it was awarded the Employer of the Year in 1996. Women employees outnumber men by two to one in the company. People from ethnic minorities represent 8.5 per cent of the total workforce. Women managers account for approximately 40 per cent of managers and ethnic minorities for 4.2 per cent. The company is reviewing how it monitors employees with disabilities it the light of the Disability Discrimination Act. A number of equality measures have been introduced by the company over the last decade including a career break scheme, paternity leave and part -time working at managerial level. Until now Sainsburys approach to promoting equality was based on similar formulae to those adopted by a number of other large UK companies. Firstly the company ensured compliance with legislation followed by positive action initiatives targeted at women and people with disabilities. Sainsbury has also modified its equality and diversity policy and introduced a fair treatment policy. The two pillars on which positive long term relationship between the company and its employee are built. The company is also developing an approach to disability which takes account of the increasing public interest in ensuring accessibility for customers with disabilities. The result of the same is treated as companies reputation as a provider of high standards of service to customer with disabilities. (Anonymous. (1999). Institute of personnel and development. Managing Diversity. 1 (1), 46.) Case Study 2- Ernst Young Ernst Young continues to be a diversity-management leader in talent development and the innovative use of its people to connect with clients globally and domestically. Under the leadership of chairman and CEO James Turley and Americas Managing Partner Steve Howe, the firm has put its diversity-management efforts in the capable hands of Americas inclusiveness officer Billie Williamson, a true business leader. (Anonymous. (2011). THE 2011 DIVERSITYINC TOP 50 LIST. Available: http://diversityinc.com/the-2011-diversityinc-top-50/no-5-ernst-young-2/. Last accessed 03rd Dec 2011.) The firm aligns its executives goals with each executive developing a personal scorecard that has inclusiveness as one of two global transformational priorities. The Americas level Balanced scorecard applies to each partner, principal and executive. The compensation is also affected by the ethnicity and gender inclusive snapshots, which track more than 20 metrics on the progress of women, latinos, Asians and American Indians. Metrics include headcount, retention, promotions, partner pipeline, recruiting, flexible work arrangements, and participation in high potential development programs, survey scores and client assignments. Ernst and young has extraordinary benefits, including generous domestic partners, such as weekend travel expenses for partners for out of town multiweek assignments and six weeks of paid parental leave for primary care providers including men and adoptive parents. The company continues its strong talent development with best and varied mentoring programs, includ ing Nextgen, career watch, Tax excellence program, Diversity mentoring program and cultural and cultural connections. Mentoring offering are available across the entire company. And also include cultural awareness training for participants which few are doing till now. Ernst and Young have extremely firm employee resource. With fifty percent of its employees are participating in them and thirty percent in more than one single group. The groups are always in search of identify and nurture talent and are involved in the on boarding process of new employees. Employee resource group success is measured in different ways e.g. promotion, retention, engagement and contribution to the business. Each group has an executive sponsor who is responsible for showing the groups contribution to the business. In conclusion Ernst and Young continue to demonstrate consistent progress in building diversity into its global business goals. Critical Discussion There  is evidence that workforce diversity improves organisational effectiveness through increased organisational and individual creativity and innovation, and also improves decision making and problem solving by problem solving by providing work teams with different and diverse perspectives. Diversity Management is one of the important strategic organizational goals which interact with all other aspects of the business e.g. Leadership, Management practices, human resources, product development, marketing and sales, financial projections, and community and global communications. Just having diversity does not by itself guarantee that the business will be successful or also it does not guarantee qualitative social and creative improvement. Research has proved that by mare changing the structure of the workforce will not lead to business success. On the other hand in some instances workforce diversity may even undermine business performance. The negative results of managing diversity can be low morale, ambiguity, conflict and tension, communication problems, confusion. The diversity might create discomfort for few members of workforce and result in lower organisational attachment and integration. Still there is possibility that even if diversity leads to better performance the cost of co-ordinating diverse workforces can block the advantages. There is also difficulty of merging different styles, values and attitudes which we can find in teams with diverse members. If it is not managed effectively then diversity can create internal processes that can cause dela y in the decision making and keep members from concentrating on the task. The teams which are made up of individuals from different thought may find it difficult to develop a shared purpose and an efficient group process. The employees who are working together they will maintain their diverse culture, distinct identities and separate lifestyles. Managers must learn to with their diverse pool of behaviours. Organisations can secure lead in the marketplace when they have effective Human Resource Management practises and diversity initiatives that accepts differences, create preferred places to work, values equality. The gender and sexuality are central to all workplace power relations and that the boss and secretary relationship provides the most vivid example of this. In case disabled people managers often justify decision not to employ them on the grounds that the necessary workplace adjustments would increase their operating expenses though equality and diversity initiatives often have a cost associated with them. Case study Diversity training often triggers workplace conflict and lawsuits, by compelling employees to talk about contentious racial or sexual issues, with resulting acrimony, and remarks that are misinterpreted or perceived as racially or sexually biased. For example, in Stender v. Lucky Stores (1992), statements made by managers during sensitivity training were held by a court to be admissible as evidence of discriminatory intent within the organization. That prevented the employer from getting a lawsuit dismissed. Conclusion The role of the Human Resource manager must parallel the needs of the changing organization. Successful organizations are becoming more resilient, adaptable, quick to change policies, and customer centric. Within this environment, the HR professional must learn how to manage effectively through planning, organizing, leading and controlling the human resource and be knowledgeable of emerging trends in training and employee development. Organizations can be strengthened by leveraging differences that mirror the diversity of its employees. Surveys have proved a positive impact on high performance where senior management teams include a diversity of ages, ethnicity, and gender. A diverse workforce also can improve organizational productivity and creativity. Managing a diverse workforce can be a challenge. When people from different backgrounds come together in the workplace, there is potential for great accomplishment, but also for great conflict. This paper has attempted to highlight th e diversity efforts of those organizations that are leaders in diversity management. Organizations will consider adopting some of the practices of those organizations that have been acknowledged as leaders in the diversity management area.

The Character of Sméagol in Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings Essay

The Character of Smà ©agol in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings      Ã‚   Although JRR Tolkien is notorious for his numerous, and often seemingly irrelevant, minor characters - the necessity of an index of names in The Return of the King proves this without a doubt - one of the most crucial and fascinating characters of The Lord of the Rings physically appears in barely more than one-sixth of the novel. The character Smà ©agol, often referred to by his alter ego Gollum, on a basic level serves only to guide Frodo and Sam to Mordor, as well as to destroy the Ring when Frodo cannot. However, in the course of doing so, we are revealed, hint by hint, of the enigmatic and contradictory character who "hates the Ring and loves the Ring - just as he hates and loves himself" (Sibley 170). In The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien uses the character Smà ©agol, forged from a collection of historical and historically mythological tales, as a foil for the central hero Frodo Baggins as well as the Christian example of hope, despite the powerful corru ption of evil.    Tolkien, Oxford's Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon, was an avid fan of history; the ancient past of his beloved Europe fascinated him to such a degree that it is little wonder the history of Middle-Earth mirrors our own. Smà ©agol's lust for, reverence to, and even fear of the One Ring bases its roots, most especially, in the ancient practice of Dactyliomancy, or the use of rings for divination and magic. In the first century AD, Apollonius of Tyana, a major figure in the Gnostic religion and early alchemy, received seven rings from the Brahman Indian prince Iarchus, which he believed gave him healing powers if he would "[revere] them as divine... and... ...ous power of evil, but the everlasting, and far greater, power of good.    Works Cited Bruner, Kurt, and Jim Ware. Finding God in The Lord of the Rings. Illinois: Tyndale House, Publishers Inc, 2001. 69, 89. Chance, Jane. The Lord of the Rings: The Mythology of Power. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1992. 34, 102. Day, David. Tolkien's Ring. New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 1999. 22-23, 50-51, 88, 154. Sibley, Brian. The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. 170, 171. Tolkien, JRR. The Letters of JRR Tolkien. Ed. Humphrey Carpenter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1981. 330. - - - . The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993. 68, 643, 659, 979. Tyler, JEA. The Tolkien Companion. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1976. 446, 454.

Mistaken Identities: Problems of Movie Discussion Boards :: Online Cyberspace Web Essays

Mistaken Identities: Problems of Movie Discussion Boards â€Å"There’s always another mind there. Its like having the corner bar, complete with old buddies and delightful newcomers and new tools waiting to take home afresh graffiti and letters, except instead of putting on my coat, shutting the down the computer, and walking down to the corner, I just invoke my telecom program and there they are. It’s a place† is how Howard Rheingold described online communities in his essay The Virtual Community (94). Is this what the world has come to? The fact that shutting down your computer is such a horrid thought that walking down the corner to a bar or a cafà © becomes unrealistic and almost an absurd thought? That this small task has become too much effort to put forth? I would like to believe that such a mind frame does not exist throughout the population. These were just a few of the thoughts that raced through my mind after reading this essay. With Rheingold’s continual praise of online communities and in reading articles that confirm that others agree with this new lifestyle, I became extremely interested and wanted to learn more. I decided the only way to know what these communities were about was to join one. I chose Internet Movie Database (ImDb) Message board as my starting point. The topic of general film talk caught my interest. I read the posts left by those who had visited the site and found their knowledge of movies to be overwhelming. Many of the members were even able to name characters of many movies. One post was called, â€Å" Name that tagline†. It proceeded to list ten quotes from random movies. Within minutes responses were given with the answers to each quote; it was amazing that people were this indulged in movies on a daily basis. Another point I found a bit odd was the language in which the po sts were written. It was not typical everyday talk, rather highly structured, as if each person was attempting to outdo each previous post. â€Å"I realized this afternoon that the reason I can't stand him is not because he is dividing up the movie audience into marketing niches and then pandering to them. What he is doing is glomming onto daring artistic statements and movie projects that might be unprofitable if done with integrity, and guaranteeing himself a profit by dumbing them down and star sucking them up to make Oscar bait for a mass audience.

Subnet Masking And Addressing :: essays research papers

Ok, this explains subnet addressing which is useful if you run a scanner, a firewall, a router or anything else that is bound to IP subnet addressing. Note that this only describes IPv4 subnets. Reading binary values Normally, you read binary numbers bytewise (8 bit wise). Start at the last bit, bit 0. If it is 1, add 2^0 to your number, else add 0. Then the next bit, bit 1, If it is 1, add 2^1 (2) to your number, If bit 3 is 1 add 2^2 (4) to your number, if bit 4 is 1 add 2^3 (8) to your number ... if bit 8 is 1 add 2^7 (128) to your number. You see, the base is always 2 because it can be either 0 or 1. Example 1: 10100100 = 2^7+0+2^5+0+0+0+2^2+0+0 = 164 Example 2: 11111111 = 2^7+2^6+2^5+2^4+2^3+2^2+2^1+2^0 = 255 Thats it! Now to subnet addressing. When you state a host including a subnet (example: nmap), you do it like this: 1.2.3.4/24, where /24 is the subnet. Lets have a look at what this means: an IP address is a 32 bit address. It is divided into 4 bytes (each 8 bits meaning they can be 0 to 255) in general notation: 00000001 00000010 00000011 00000100 = "1.2.3.4" now, IP uses one part of this address to specify which Net it is on. Most of the time, this is a physical Net like an ethernet LAN that is linked to the internet. Nets that link to the internet get dedicated IPs for each of their hosts from the IANA.org. /24 means that the first 24 bits are the Net address and the remaining 8 bits are the Host address. This looks like this: Net: 000000010000001000000011 Host: 00000100 Meaning, we are on the net 1.2.3.0 (0 used as a wildcard here) and on the host 4 of 256. SUBNET MASK: In this case, the subnet mask would be 255.255.255.0. A subnet mask is created simply by filling all NET address bits with 1 and the HOST bits with 0. (11111111 = 255). There are 4 "Classes" on the Internet, which are the standard Subnets. *Class A: "0" + 7 net bits + 24 host bits, hosts 0.0.0.0 to 126.255.255.255 Net IDs: 0 0000000 to 0 1111111 (which is 127 => 127.0.0.0 reserved for local loopback) *Class B: "10" + 14 net bits + 14 host bits, hosts 128.

Mission Statement Essay

Microsoft â€Å"Our vision is to create innovative technology that is accessible to everyone and that adapts to each person’s needs. Accessible technology eliminates barriers for people with disabilities and it enables individuals to take full advantage of their capabilities.† —Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation Mission Statement The Microsoft mission regarding global diversity and inclusion is to create an environment that helps Microsoft capitalize on the diversity of its people and the inclusion of ideas and solutions to meet the needs of its increasingly global and diverse customer base. A Vision and Strategy for the Future Global Diversity and Inclusion are integral to the vision, strategy, and business success of Microsoft. Microsoft officially formed the Office of Diversity & Inclusion in recognition of the fact that leadership in the global marketplace requires a corporate culture and an inclusive business environment where the best and brightest diverse minds—employees with varied perspectives, skills, and experiences—work together to meet consumer demands. During the past few years, we have accomplished the following: * Developed a cohesive Global Diversity & Inclusion strategy linked to the company’s business and vision * Strengthened global perspective and integration of this diversity strategy across the company * Enhanced leadership engagement with the chief executive officer (CEO) and executive diversity sponsors * Improved overall quality and accuracy of diversity data in the U.S. and globally * Increased portfolio of diversity and inclusion training tools and courses Our results demonstrate that the collaboration of different cultures, ideas, and perspectives is an organizational asset and yields greater creativity and innovation. Global diversity and inclusion are business critical to the current and long-term success of Microsoft. Microsoft Accessibility Accessibility makes it easier for everyone to see, hear, and use a computer, and to personalize their computers to meet their own needs and preferences. For many people with impairments, accessibility is what makes computer use possible. Mission At Microsoft, our mission and values are to help people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential. We consider our mission statement a promise to our customers. We deliver on that promise by striving to create technology that is accessible to everyone—of all ages and abilities. Microsoft leads the industry in accessibility innovation and in building products that are safer and easier to use. Apple As a leader in innovation, the mission statement of the Apple company should be equally innovative, inspiring and somewhat lofty, but officially and unofficially Apple’s mission is barely a mission at all. (See the Apple, Inc. mission statement below.) The Mission Statement, Global Vision, and Values of Apple, Inc. It was widely reported that a famous quote from Steve Jobs in the 1980’s was the Apple company mission statement: â€Å"Man is the creator of change in this world. As such he should be above systems and structures, and not subordinate to them.† The â€Å"official† mission statement on the Apple corporation website, however, is not really a mission statement at all, but rather a list of products and past accomplishments. As stated, Apple’s â€Å"mission† is†¦ â€Å"Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.† Apple ends its press releases with a statement that resembles what a traditional mission statement is expected to be†¦ â€Å"Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.† Coca Cola The world is changing all around us. To continue to thrive as a business over the next 10 years and beyond we must look ahead. Understanding the trends and forces that will shape our business in the future and moving swiftly will prepare us for what’s to come. These are the declarations of our overall mission and goals, and the values that we are guided by as a company and as individuals. The CocaCola Company Mission Our mission is: * To refresh the world – in mind, body and spirit * To inspire moments of optimism – through our brands and actions * To create value and make a difference everywhere we engage The CocaCola Company Vision To achieve our mission, we have developed a set of goals, which we will work with our bottlers to deliver: Profit: Maximising return to shareholders, while being mindful of our overall responsibilities People: Being a great place to work, where people are inspired to be the best they can be Portfolio: Bringing to the world a portfolio of beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy people’s desires and needs Partners: Nurturing a winning network of partners and building mutual loyalty Planet: Being a responsible global citizen that makes a difference Productivity: Be a highly effective, lean and fast-moving organisation Our Winning Culture Our Winning Culture defines the attitudes and behaviors that will be required of us to make our 2020 Vision a reality. Live Our Values Our values serve as a compass for our actions and describe how we behave in the world. * Leadership: The courage to shape a better future * Collaboration: Leverage collective genius * Integrity: Be real * Accountability: If it is to be, it’s up to me * Passion: Committed in heart and mind * Diversity: As inclusive as our brands * Quality: What we do, we do well Focus on the Market * Focus on needs of our consumers, customers and franchise partners * Get out into the market and listen, observe and learn * Possess a world view * Focus on execution in the marketplace every day * Be insatiably curious Work Smart * Act with urgency * Remain responsive to change * Have the courage to change course when needed * Remain constructively discontent * Work efficiently Act Like Owners * Be accountable for our actions and inactions * Steward system assets and focus on building value * Reward our people for taking risks and finding better ways to solve problems * Learn from our outcomes — what worked and what didn’t Be the Brand * Inspire creativity, passion, optimism and fun Mc Donald’s Mission & Values McDonald’s brand mission is to be our customers’ favorite place and way to eat and drink. Our worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers’ experience. McDonald’s Values We place the customer experience at the core of all we do. Our customers are the reason for our existence. We demonstrate our appreciation by providing them with high quality food and superior service in a clean, welcoming environment, at a great value. Our goal is quality, service, cleanliness and value (QSC&V) for each and every customer, each and every time. We are committed to our people. We provide opportunity, nurture talent, develop leaders and reward achievement. We believe that a team of well-trained individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences, working together in an environment that fosters respect and drives high levels of engagement, is essential to our continued success. We believe in the McDonald’s System. McDonald’s business model, depicted by our â€Å"three-legged stool† of owner/operators, suppliers, and company employees, is our foundation, and balancing the interests of all three groups is key. We operate our business ethically. Sound ethics is good business. At McDonald’s, we hold ourselves and conduct our business to high standards of fairness, honesty, and integrity. We are individually accountable and collectively responsible. We give back to our communities. We take seriously the responsibilities that come with being a leader. We help our customers build better communities, support Ronald McDonald House Charities, and leverage our size, scope and resources to help make the world a better place. We grow our business profitably. McDonald’s is a publicly traded company. As such, we work to provide sustained profitable growth for our shareholders. This requires a continuous focus on our customers and the health of our system. We strive continually to improve. We are a learning organization that aims to anticipate and respond to changing customer, employee and system needs through constant evolution and innovation.

Native Americans in the United States Essay

Dentify the economic, political, and/or social causes of the Civil War assess the influence of individuals and groups in the U. S. government on Reconstruction assess the influence of individuals and groups in the South on Reconstruction distinguish and analyze the freedoms guaranteed to African Americans in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution analyze the various components of Jim Crow legislation and their effects on Southern minorities describe efforts by the U. S. Government to assimilate Native Americans into American culture identify significant events that impacted the relationship between the government, Native Americans, and American citizens identify settlement patterns in the American West, the reservation system, and/or the tribulations of the Native Americans from 1865–90 After completing this lesson, you will be able to evaluate the causes and consequences of the Civil War identify the economic, political, and/or social causes of the Civil War assess the influence of individuals and groups in the U. S. government on Reconstruction assess the influence of individuals and groups in the South on Reconstruction distinguish and analyze the freedoms guaranteed to African Americans in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution analyze the various components of Jim Crow legislation and their distinguish and analyze the freedoms guaranteed to African Americans in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution effects on Southern minorities describe efforts by the U. S. Government to assimilate Native Americans into American culture identify significant events that impacted the relationship between the government, Native Americans, and American citizens identify settlement patterns in the American West, the reservation system, and/or the tribulations of the Native Americans from 1865–90After completing this lesson, you will be able to evaluate the causes and consequences of the Civil War identify the economic, political, and/or social causes of the Civil War assess the influence of individuals and groups in the U. S. Government on Reconstruction assess the influence of individuals and groups in the South on Reconstruction distinguish and analyze the freedoms guaranteed to African Americans in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution analyze the various components of Jim Crow legislation and their effects on Southern minorities describe efforts by the U. S. government to assimilate Native Americans into American culture identify significant events that impacted the relationship between the government, Native Americans, and American citizens identify settlement patterns in the American West, the reservation system, and/or the tribulations of the Native Americans from 1865–90.

Deontology Should Govern Decision Making in Business

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2 2. Decision making in business   2 3. Characteristics of deontology .   3 4. Arguments in favour of applying deontology in business   4 5. Arguments against applying deontology in business   6. Conclusion   9 References   9 â€Å"Deontology should govern decision making in business†. Discuss. 1. Introduction Boylan (2000: 2) refers to ethics as â€Å"the science concerning the right and wrong of human action†. Teleology and deontology are the two major schools of thought that dominate ethical decision-making in the context of business.Teleology refers to consequences and is founded on the principle of utility maximisation. This concept judges behaviour by its effects on the overall welfare of all stakeholders. Deontology, on the other hand, views consequences as secondary. Under this philosophy, decisions and acts are evaluated in terms of their intrinsic worth. Deontology is more demanding than teleology, because it rates decisions and acts in absolute terms. For example, even if a decision or action satisfies the rule of the majority, deontology would reject that articular option if, as a result of it, a minority of stakeholders are likely to suffer. 2. Decision making in business When business firms are charged with infractions, and when there is legal investigation on the managers of those firms, there is a concern raised about moral behavior in business. Hence, the level of trust, which is one of the foundations of the business environment, is threatened. In fact, managers often have to make decisions under economic, professional and social pressure. The decision-making process will always present ethical challenges. Is this the right thing to do?This question is the essence of the ethical dilemma for any decision maker in today’s corporations. A collection of factors will be taken in consideration in answering to this question. Is it right for the company? Is it right for the shareholder s? Is it right for the society? For the customers? For the decision maker himself? Indeed, business people have many sources of ethical theories to choose from when making decisions. Each moral system gives a unique perspective on different situations. Managers and business owners use these guidelines to act in fair and socially responsible ways.The ground rules about which a decision maker will care are hence highly dependent on the moral approach. 3. Characteristics of deontology Deontology bases itself on the intrinsic worth of the decision or act. No allowance is made for unethical conduct under this philosophy. A business manager, who accepts deontology, will hold that some moral principles are binding, regardless of the consequences. Deontological ethics is the opposite of consequential ethics. The moral person does his duty regardless of the consequences.If a manager takes a deontological approach to ethics, he defines his duty by asking â€Å"What is the universal principle to be followed? † Deontological ethics refers to an established source of ethics guidance, such as industry standard or an official code of company conduct. In fact, Immanuel Kant refined deontological ethics and posited that the nature of morality is to do one’s duty even when we are not inclined to do it, and not because we are afraid of the consequences of not doing it. Kant referred to deontology as the categorical imperative.Under this principle, a moral imperative must be categorical or absolute, providing a lasting motive to adopt a particular course of action, categorized as ‘right’ or ‘ethical’. The rationale behind the principle of deontology is that each action has intrinsic worth and unconditional value. Ferrell et al. (2008) refer to deontology as non-consequentialism, ethical formalism, or ethics of respect-for-persons. The principle of deontology states that decisions should be judged on the circumstances in which they are made, rather than by their consequences.Deontology is the study of duty. In philosophy, it means specifically ethics based on duty regardless of consequences. Deontological ethics refers to rules stated in terms of other features of the courses of action, notably whether they represent fulfillment of an agreement or other duty or right, and/or involve the treatment of others with due respect. Since human beings have free will and thus are able to act from laws required by reason, Kant believed they have dignity or a value beyond price. Thus, one human being cannot use another simply to satisfy his or her own interests.This is the core insight behind Kant’s second formulation of the categorical imperative: â€Å"Always treat the humanity in a person as an end and never as a means merely. † What are the implications of this formulation of the categorical imperative for business? 4. Arguments in favour of applying deontology in business The deontological theory states that peo ple should adhere to their obligations and duties when analyzing an ethical dilemma. This means that the person will take into consideration his obligations to other people involved and the society at large when taking a decision thus fulfilling his duty which is considered ethically correct.A deontologist will never break a promise made to other parties. He will never to do something that is against the law. Thus a deontologist will be very consistent in his decision making which will be based on duty of the individual. Deontology provides the basis for special duty towards other individuals like your family members. For example, older children have a special duty of protection and care for their younger siblings, in the absence of parents older children are expected to take due care of the younger ones preventing them in doing things that may cause harm to themselvesDeontology also praises those who do an act of supererogation; this is when someone exceeds his duties and obligatio ns towards other persons or the society at large. For example, in case of a fire in a building, someone may go inside the building on fire risking his own life to save the lives of others. His duty would have been to call the fire services where fireman are equipped to handle this situation but instead of waiting for the firemen , he exceeds his duty by saving other people himself. It should be pointed out that the â€Å"respect for persons† principle does not prohibit commercial transactions.No one is used as merely a means in a voluntary economic exchange where both parties benefit. What this formulation of the categorical imperative does do is to put some constraints on the nature of economic transactions. Another concern about contemporary business practice is the extent to which employees have very limited knowledge about the affairs of the company. In an economic view, a Kantian approach to business ethics terminology, there is high information asymmetry between managem ent and the employees.Wherever one side has information that it keeps from other side, there is a severe temptation for abuse of power and deception. A Kantian would look for ways to reduce the information asymmetry between management and employees. In practical terms, a Kantian would endorse the practice known as open book management. The adoption of practices like open book management would go far toward correcting the asymmetrical information that managers possess, a situation that promotes abuse of power and deception. Open book management lso enhances employee self-respect. For a Kantian, meaningful work: * is freely chosen and provides opportunities for the worker to exercise autonomy on the job; * supports the autonomy and rationality of human beings; work that lessens autonomy or that undermines rationality is immoral; * provides a salary sufficient to exercise independence and provide for physical wellbeing and the satisfaction of some of the worker’s desires; * enab les a worker to develop rational capacities; and * does not interfere with a worker’s moral development. . Arguments against applying deontology in business Management, by definition, is the planning, leading, organizing and controlling available resources to achieve goals and objectives. Hence, one of the basic functions of management, controlling, is according to Harold Koontz, â€Å"the measurement and correction of performance in order to make sure that enterprise objectives and the plans devised to attain them are accomplished†. Consequently, it is largely based on outcomes and accountability of the business.Managers are therefore required to be accountable towards achieving their objectives and one of the ways to achieve this is by analyzing whether their actions are in line with expected outcomes and henceforth modify their future decision making process accordingly. In fact, this function is considered as one of the fundamental aspect of management and deriving from this will give rise to a major shortcoming in management decisions. Relying on universalism and good will of managers will not be enough in management decision making to achieve the vision, goals and objectives set by the organisation.Deontology requires that managers’ decisions be based on duty instead of consequences and must be followed for its own sake irrespective of the outcome. Such stance is considered as inflexible. It should be noted that norms vary from culture to culture, society to society and even people to people. Consequently having a rigid stance in respect of decisions may not be the best initiative for managers. The definition of right and wrong will depend on the culture, individual or historical period.Decisions taken in particular societies might be considered as ethical while in others as non-ethical. In this context, it is easier to understand why, when faced with the requirement to select a model of how we ought to live our lives, many people ch oose the idea of ethical relativism, where that ethical principles are defined by the traditions of their society, their personal opinions, and the circumstances of the present moment. The idea of relativism implies some degree of flexibility as opposed to strict black-and-white rules.From this perspective, it is better for managers to base their decision as a result of interactions with individuals and social institutions. Moreover, by definition an organization comprise a group of people with common objectives. No organization would be able to survive without its â€Å"people† such as owners who risk their money in the business, employees who provide the mental and physical efforts required for successful working of the business or managers who are involved in the daily operations of the organization.Managers know that without its people there won’t be any organization. Hence, recognizing the stakes of such stakeholders is sometimes fundamental for the survival of th e company. Sticking to a â€Å"rule based† approach as proposed by deontology might not help in certain cases where human resource for instance is involved. Care based-theorists seek solutions to ethical challenges on a case-by-case basis. To do otherwise means applying a blunt instrument across all situations (Hovland & Wolburg, 2012).They recognize that their approach requires stepping out of a comfort zone of â€Å"infallible† rules, but because it is grounded in human relationships, their approach is more likely to find solutions based on fairness (Hovland & Wolburg, 2012). Care-based theorists assume that humans are interdependent and need others for survival (Tronto 1993), that moral reason involves the interplay between emotions and reason (Noddings 2003; Held 1993), and that moral solutions must work for people within the context in which they live (Slattery et al. n press). In 1970, Nobel Prize winning economist, Milton Friedman published an article under the provocative title ‘The social responsibility of business is to increase profits’ where he posited that the managers’ fiduciary responsibility is to make profits since it is the main reason behind the setting up of firms. He added that distancing from such objectives would simply mean a theft towards shareholders(Crane and Matten 2004).Hence, he vigorously favoured the philosophy that firms should only aim towards profit maximizing and any other responsibility can only be considered if firms achieve their main objective. If we look at the ethical egoism principle which stipulates that it is necessary and sufficient for an action to be morally right that it maximize one's self-interest, we can see that there is link between these two philosophies. Egoism differs in content from deontological theories such as Kantianism which give weight to the interests of others (Stanford Encyclopedia, 2012).Abiding to deontology in decision making and favouring any other consider ations than that of the shareholders own interests would simply mean drawing away from ethical egoism and hence would considered as a theft out of their pocket. On the other hand, Edward Freeman, who was one of the founding fathers of the stakeholder theory, challenged the idea of Friedman that the main responsibility of business was to maximize profits without any considerations for the interests of all those affected by the business, including customers, suppliers, employees, and, of course, stockholders.There are two principles underlying the stakeholder theory (Crane and Matten 2004): * Principle of corporate rights which requires that a corporation should not violate the rights of others to achieve theirs; and * Principle of corporate effect which requires that business should be accountable of the effect or impact on other parties. However, if we analyze the second principle, it is clear that it is drawn from the utilitarianism philosophy which considers morality on the basis of consequences of actions and the maximization of good to all sections of the society (Greenwood and De Cieri, 2005).Based on this principle of corporate effect, making decisions only on a sense of â€Å"duty† or universal principles may not necessarily give rise to the greatest good to the greatest number of parties and will be in contradiction to the Stakeholder Theory. 6. Conclusion The perceived weaknesses of deontological theories have lead some scholars to consider how to eliminate or at least reduce those weaknesses while preserving deontology's advantages. One way to do this is to embrace both consequentialism and deontology, combining them into some kind of a mixed theory.Given the differing notions of rationality underlying each kind of theory, this is however a difficult task. References: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Center for the Study of Language and Information, Stanford  University, Stanford,  CA  94305 http://www. bio. davidson. edu/people/kabe rnd/indep/carainbow/Theories. htm http://atheism. about. com/od/ethicalsystems/a/Deontological. htm http://www. ehow. com/about_6686029_role-business-ethics-decision- king. html#ixzz2AatMlvUJ

The Children’s Hour

PACE UNIVERSITY WS 296: Dealing with Difference Dr. Karla Jay Midterm Directions: Write an essay of approximately 600-800 words on two of the following questions. Lengths are suggested. Be sure to support your position with facts, details, and examples. Check your essay structure, grammar, and spelling against the checklist on Blackboard (Writing Tools). Remember to include a good opening paragraph and a conclusion! Please provide citations and a bibliography if you use outside sources.There are writing rubrics on Blackboard under the Writing Tools button. Your midterm is due March 7 at 11 p. m. (I have provided an extension. ) You will lose three points for each day your midterm is late. Your midterm will not be accepted more than a week late without a doctor’s note or other valid excuse. Follow directions for Turnitin. com. Remember that our course number is 5841197, and the password is â€Å"beebo. † (You all seem to be registered. ) Note: Please load the two essays as one file. Remember to label the file as follows: Yourname.WS269. midterm. 1. How do Willa Cather, Gertrude Stein, and Angelina Weld Grimke let lesbian readers know that they are reading a lesbian story or poem without ever using terms like â€Å"lesbian† or â€Å"third sex†? 2. Lillian Hellman said The Children’s Hour is not about lesbianism but about a â€Å"lie. † Do you agree with her? Why or why not? 3. In The Well of Loneliness, Radclyffe Hall took the position that members of the â€Å"third sex† are different from birth. Though today, some critics use different terminology and label characters like Stephen â€Å"butch,† mannish† (Esther Newton), or even â€Å"transgendered,† do you think that Hall was ahead of her time in suggesting that lesbians are biologically (essentially) different in some way? How is Stephen different from most of the other lesbians in the novel? Even Hall sees two types of lesbian. Though this e ssay allows for you to be speculative, try to ground your thoughts in some details from the novel, please. Do only one of the following questions that relate to Beebo Brinker: 4. Many lesbian novels have been banned or prosecuted for â€Å"obscenity. † Start with the trial and content of the Well of Loneliness.Then connect it to the Gathings Hearings and government concern about pulp novels like Beebo Brinker. You should consider some of the following questions: Why were they banned? Were similar non-lesbian books banned? What is the impact of banning books on lesbian readership? You MUST credit all research in the text. Please do not use Wikipedia, as it is not a reliable source. 5. What did you learn from Beebo Brinker about gay and lesbian life in Greenwich Village in the late 1950s? Don’t retell the story but use specific details of to characterize the life that people led.

Marketing cases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing cases - Essay Example Moreover, by establishing a headquarters that specializes in seeking to gauge consumer demand and key market trends and shifts, the ability of the franchises to anticipate and response to key market forces is exponentially greater than that of its closest competitors. With regards to whether Darden has differentiated and positioned its brands effectively, this is something of a two part response. Firstly, the level of overall success that the firm has experienced since it has transitioned Olive Garden, Long Horn Steakhouse, and Red Lobster from the prior ineffective models to what is seen today, the reader can rapidly see that the firm has expertly positioned these components to reap a vastly increased size of revenue. However, to say that these efforts have perfectly positioned the brands effectively would be to state that no further work is necessary. As a basic unit of understanding, although the firm has experienced a high level of success, there always remains a certain level of improvements that can further integrate the chains with the needs exhibited by a rapidly shifting climate of needs and desires among the consumer. Standardization is a powerful tool whereby a firm can seek to provide a level of expected service or goods to its customer across the range of its many market representations. However, although such a practice helps to simplify the consumer choices that might be acted upon, it portends the necessary danger of providing too high a level of standardization so much so that little if any differential is realized by the consumer with regards to whether one alternative is necessarily better than another. In this way, such a level of standardization can ultimately hurt the firm. With regards to whether or not the success of the Darden firm will continue to be realized, this is a question that a firm understanding cannot be integrated with unless the researcher knows key information concerning the way

Parent Preparedness When Discussing Child's Sexual Education Essay

Parent Preparedness When Discussing Child's Sexual Education - Essay Example Right when parents begin to assume their responsibility in educating the child, the children seek an escape and thus, generate a communication gap that lead to lack of knowledge transmitted form parent to child. Another argument that sex education supporters raise is that the success rate of abstinence only program are low. One cannot observe any significant difference between individuals who enroll and who do not in this program. In order to frame a sex education program for school counseling, it is a recommendation that one starts with the most basic knowledge and then progresses to higher level of complexities. A very important perspective that needs attention here is the preparedness of parents in terms of educating their children. Experts believe that parents can play a crucial role in teaching children about sex. Introduction The paper aims to address the importance of sex education in adolescence. With the growing number of cases of sexual abuse and rapes, the matter is a pres sing concern for schools and parents all over the world as it is their responsibility to educate the child beforehand. ... Studies by World Health Organization reveal the contribution of healthy sexual development to overall well being of an individual. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, David Satcher, â€Å"sexual health is inextricably bound to both physical and mental health,† (Moore & Rosenthal, 2006). In terms of definition, sexual education refers to "education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and other aspects of human sexual behavior" (Klein, pp. 9, 1992). Although people all around the world accept the importance of sexual health, very few actually agree to the idea of education system to promote it. Main arguments regarding sex education programs involve role of government in family life; limitations to parent’s role in defining a sexual pattern for their children, subjectivity of values associated to sex for instance, gender and po wer etc and above all how does one define a mature sexual behavior for adolescent (Bruess & Greenberg, 2008). In addition, there are also questions as to how can one effectively communicate these ideas to adolescents, the content of such courses and mainly who is better suited to provide this guidance. Sex education has never been this critical an issue. Researches (Reintsma, 2007) reveal that there are 850,000 pregnancies and 9.1 million STIs (sexually transmitted infections) (Moore & Rosenthal, 2006). In addition, 70% females and 62% males have already experienced vaginal sex by the age of 18 in US. It has been a grave problem with little attention given. Moreover, as per U.S Department of Justice, every 2 minutes, a woman is raped. Only in the year 1995, 354,670 females encountered rape or

Demonstrate how people draw on social representations in making sense Essay

Demonstrate how people draw on social representations in making sense of their career trajectories. Draw on theoretical and empirical work in your response - Essay Example tremendous impact from these social representations, such as the need to conform and identify with similar groups of people, to act within the context of rule systems, and to be shaped by human relationships in our decisions. Occupational pursuits structure a large part of people’s daily social relations. How, then, does one come to choose the path of one’s career? In this paper, we will explore this very question, using the concepts of social representation and examples drawn specifically from an interview conducted with Bryony, a 19-year-old second year university student (see Appendix for interview transcript). systems of values, ideas and practices with a two-fold function; first, to establish an order which will enable individuals to orientate themselves in their material and social world and to master it; secondly, to enable communication to take place amongst members of a community by providing them with a code for social exchange and a code for naming and classifying unambiguously the various aspects of their world and their individual and group history. (Foreword) A social representation, then, is a kind of social knowledge which is shared by individuals through communication. It is practical in the sense that it is aimed at mastering real problems and issues, and is situated within unmistakable contexts faced by different groups of people in different positions. The manner in which one happens to be living ultimately directs the extent along which identities and relations unfold, and essentially defines social representation. Moscovici argues that there is a connection between the self-directed individual’s choices and his notions of the family, institutions, and professional categories, which determines possibilities for action, and eventually the destiny of each individual as well as society as a whole (International Balzan Foundation, 2006). Individuals essentially organize their experiences in the social realm, in situational dynamics