Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Local Business Lawsuit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Local Business Lawsuit - Essay Example Summary of Lawsuit Goodyear Time & Rubber Company, operating a plant in Danville, Virginia was sued by the US Department of Labor for alleged discrimination in hiring personnel during the latter part of the 1990s (Lindsey, 2006). The alleged discrimination was directed against hundreds of female applicants. As a result of such denial, the lawsuit was filed against the company (with headquarters in Akron, Ohio). The lawsuit asked the court to hire the discriminated women, pay for back wages, and provide other benefits due to workers (Lindsey, 2006). According to the Labor Department, the company implemented a procedure in the hiring and selection of employees from January 1998 to June 1999 that is gender-discriminatory against female applicants at the entry level (Lindsey, 2006). The case stemmed from the routine procedural review conducted by the department’s Federal Contract Compliance Programs in Richmond that showed such discriminatory hiring. The company, on the other hand , strongly denied such allegation. Goodyear, as a federal contractor, is not allowed to discriminate in hiring based on race, religion, color, sex and ethnicity (Lindsey, 2006). The Philadelphia labor office acting Regional Director Patsy Blackshear said that companies contracting with the federal government must ensure that equal opportunity program is being implemented at the highest level, and that includes discrimination in the hiring process. The complaint was lodged at the Office of Administrative Law Judges in Washington, D.C., the trial court of the Labor Department. Risk Management Risk management refers to the identification of the different kinds of risks that affect an organization that could have an impact upon the business (What is Business Risk, n.d.). After identifying the risks, probability of its occurrence must be determined. Then, a plan should be devised, and lastly, to monitor the effectiveness of the plan (What is Business Risk, n.d.). The risks that a busines s may have include physical and environmental risks, financial risks, employee risks (What is Business Risk, n.d.), and several others depending on the nature of the business. In the present case, the risk present involves the internal policy of the organization. By ignoring the equality laws mandated by the government, Goodyear presents itself as vulnerable to litigation risks that may come from the Labor Department or the persons discriminated upon. As a mitigation action that Goodyear could do, it should ensure that men and women are equally represented in its workforce, no matter where they are located in the US. During the period reviewed by the department, discrimination against women was seen since hundreds of them were not hired in one year while men were continuously absorbed into the labor force. Thus, the Human Resources Department of Goodyear should implement a hiring policy that would make sure that men and women are more or less equally hired within a specific period. Ethical Considerations The hiring process may be influenced by discrimination on the part of management if not guarded against. Thus, the management must establish a detailed hiring policy that takes into account the civil rights protected by the laws. Ethical considerations refer to doing what is deemed to be right and proper as dictated by society, the code of ethics of organizations, or the best practices. Therefore, doing something against the identified good practices would be unethical for the organization. The laws applicable in

Monday, October 28, 2019

Public Opinion Caused by News Media Essay Example for Free

Public Opinion Caused by News Media Essay Public opinion is a sensitive but important issue to consider. Taking into consideration relative literary works, this paper identified and presented that Bush’s war on terrorism policy is the best reason that resulted into the unfortunate negative public opinion towards U. S. Most importantly, this paper justified that it is the power of the media field that ultimately paved the way for anti-American public opinion about the said presidential strategy. War on Terrorism: The Anti-American Public Opinion Caused by News Media Public opinion, especially how people and societies view a particular leader and his policies, is undeniably an important factor of success or failure. Taking into consideration the sentiment of the public is supposed to be an ideal principle and practice for the government and leader of a country. This is because of the reality that public opinion significantly speaks of what and how the people and community think and feel thereby affecting a President’s management of a nation. Coupled however with the compelling nature and impact of mass communication, news media in particular; public opinion expectedly signifies and creates either an acceptance of or opposition to the decisions and policies of a leader. The media component has long been proven to be a vital ground that determined whether a country and its President are positively or negatively perceived by the public. In fact, with the enormous impact of news media, a leader as well as his strategies and judgments are scrutinized by the media and the subsequent news presentation results to either criticism or recognition. It is under such premises and circumstances that the government and his leader must highly regard what the news media can offer and eventually do. This is also under the principle that news media absolutely has the power to affect public opinion. With such influence, it will be empirically valuable for a President to formulate and perform his policies and course of action fundamentally in accordance to what and how news media views a specific event. It is therefore necessary and worthy for a President and his government to consider the established authority of news media to achieve a consenting public opinion otherwise any policy or decision, however good it is, may be opposed and paves the way to the downfall of the administration. Public Opinion, an Overview Prior to digging further into the issue of the significant influence of news media to what and how a leader and his policies are perceived, it is useful to initially learn and understand the nature and relative components of public opinion. In doing so, it is hoped that the true essence of public opinion is known and that the manner how it is shaped by news media is ultimately realized. Public opinion remains to be a relevant element which energizes the political field of one nation. This condition holds true for American politics judging from the persistent nature and indication of public opinion in the lives of American people and most importantly, with their leader and his policies. To be specific, public opinion manifests â€Å"What does the public think? † (Glynn, Herbst, O’Keefe, Shapiro Lindeman, 2004, p. 3). Public opinion is importantly considered because authorities are required to learn what kinds of ideas, policies and decisions that the public adheres to and uphold. Additionally, the thought and sentiment of the public are valuable factors which leaders regard in order to come up with acceptable, rational and effective undertakings. It is also through getting the public opinion that the government determines what endeavors will be agreed to or supported by the people. Hence, creating and implementing policies that are sure to conform to what people and the society think and feel are the very purposes of public opinion (Glynn, Herbst, O’Keefe, Shapiro Lindeman, 2004). Glynn and company further presented the three provisions that comprised public opinion. These included public opinion in the light of â€Å"politics, communication, and social process† (Glynn, Herbst, O’Keefe, Shapiro Lindeman, 2004, p. 4). The authors however signified that of the said three vital terms, it is public opinion in the context of communication that is most significant (Glynn, Herbst, O’Keefe, Shapiro Lindeman, 2004). They explained that while public opinion shapes the political and societal or cultural frameworks of a country, it is communication which established a difference. This is primarily based from the fact that public opinion is communicated and imparted both to people and societies based on the influence of the media profession. Aside from the generalized mass media and interpersonal communication, it is news media that is directly connected with public opinion. This is basically due to the field’s power to manipulate the minds and feelings of the public (Glynn, Herbst, O’Keefe, Shapiro Lindeman, 2004). â€Å"To See Ourselves as Others See Us† It is through Holsti’s (2008) â€Å"To See Ourselves as Others See Us† that the relationship between public opinion and both the local and international news media environments was analyzed and eventually recognized. A part of the Holsti book offered different several probable explanations and foundations of the nature and effect of public perspective. This is because such causes determined how an anti-American public opinion widely and deeply affected U. S. President George W. Bush and his policies after the country was struck by tragic terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 (Holsti, 2008). As an offshoot of dreadful 9/11 terror assaults, the public opinion towards President Bush as well as his decisions and policies was attributed to several reasons. These included, but not limited to, the war on terrorism specifically against the country of Iraq. This issue relatively resulted into the reported violations supposedly committed by the administration against people’s basic rights such as the alleged use of too much force by American military. In the book, Holsti eventually noted that the presented explanations aggravated the anti-American public opinion. This is supposedly because the international news media influenced the public opinion thereby made the Bush policies and decisions unpopular especially those related with 9/11 (Holsti, 2008). If analyzed on a personal perspective, it is the war on terrorism particularly which targeted Iraq as â€Å"axis of evil† that made the most sense. From the variety of reasons that explained the breadth and depth of the anti-American public opinion resulting from the September 11 attacks, the Holsti book realized that it is indeed the war against terrorism specifically on Iraq that rationally described the negative opinion of people about Bush and his policies (Hoslti, 2008). In discussing the why and how the war on terrorism paved the way for the anti-American public opinion, the book relied and became firm on a condition which signified the connection between news media and public opinion. This is also because of the premise that we can only recognize ourselves based on how others view us. Hence, the Holsti book made the public realize that Bush’s policies and decisions concerning the war on terrorism are the ones that affected the reason and manner how Bush and his policies are viewed, first by the news media and eventually by people and the society, (Holsti, 2008). Holsti further stated that while survey and poll supposedly establish the ground of public opinion, such practices do not always and reliably manifest the entire or collective view of the public. This is because a leader such as Bush is more directed by â€Å"the national interest† that, in turn, is influenced by the structure of both the local and international news media. Such condition, in fact, signified a chain reaction and the link between public opinion and news media. Hence, the anti-American public opinion is shaped by how the news media presented the Bush’s policies specifically concerning its administration’s war on terrorism (Holsti, 2008). News Media’s View on War on Terrorism Caused Negative Public Opinion The title of this section appropriately described and logically explained the significant connection between the media and public opinion. Centered on the issue of war on terrorism, such link specifically proved and paid particular attention to the power or influence of international news media. This is basically based from the reality that the manner how media presented to the public the said policy created a significant effect on Bush and his policies. This particular principle was what Entman (2004) clearly and effectively exemplified in the book â€Å"Projections of Power: Framing News, Public Opinion and U. S. Foreign Policy. † In carrying-out and eventually recognizing the reality and harmful impact of news media on public opinion, the author discussed how Bush’s decision and policies towards engaging in war against terrorism was unfortunately taken against his administration (Entman, 2004). In the first part of the book, Entman initially presented the surrounding circumstances of the post September 11 terrorist attacks in the U. S. Relatively, the news media initially presented that such factors necessitated the undertaking of the war on terrorism policy. In fact, the book showed how such presidential strategy was tremendously approved and even supported by the public. This is because during its initial stage and precisely because the world is still fresh from the glaring outcome of 9/11, the public appreciated and realized the need for Bush and the country as well as even the worldwide community to embark on such daring policy (Entman, 2004). Noticeably, news media initially presented that it was only proper for Bush and his war on terrorism policy to be executed. Entman cited CBS news anchor Dan Rather who, after Bush made the said policy, offered to put on his combat uniform and said â€Å"George Bush is the president, he makes the decisions, and, you know, as just one American, he wants me to line up, just tell me where† (Entman, 2004, p. 1). Entman added that such kind of statement and other relative remarks symbolized the â€Å"patriotic fervor† manifested by the media as an aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and based from the intense speech of Bush (Entman, 2004). However, it is not all the time that the Bush administration got an ally in the person of Rather. Entman noted that this is because of the link between the content and purpose of a news media report and what the White House really required the media to present. Relatively, such connection or should it rather be said as conflict worsened the relationship between a free and impartial press and the Bush government that is bent to retaliate against terrorists under the leadership of Saddam Hussein while at the same time maintain a supposedly consenting public opinion (Entman, 2004). As the author further explained, a supposedly ideal affiliation between Bush’s war on terrorism policy and news media reporting does not exist in reality. This is because of the fact that the two entities treat each other in a remote way and definitely not in accordance with what is expected. As Entman specifically said: â€Å"†¦in practice, the relationship between governing elites and news organizations is less distant and more cooperative than the ideal envisions, especially in foreign affairs† (Entman, 2004, p. 2). Thus it was worthy to note that an originally ideal and useful leadership strategy, such as the principle and practice of engaging into war against terrorism by the Bush administration, unfortunately marred the President’s relationship with the media and negatively affected the public opinion towards him. Such condition also resulted from the premise that the field of media was restricted with the contents and purposes of its reporting in order for the government to maintain a cordial yet in reality, a cruel foreign approach resulting from the damages of 9/11 (Entman, 2004). Most importantly, it was the objective but painful presentations made by the international news media environment that inevitably resulted into an anti-American public opinion, criticisms against Bush war on terrorism in particular. When analyzed however, it is likely that the media side is more justified in its efforts and objectives in presenting the nature and effects of the government’s war on terrorism specifically against Iraq and Hussein. This is precisely because of the innate quality of the media to provide the public with fair and accurate reporting (Entman, 2004). The author further justified that despite the tragedies created by 9/11, it did not alter the expectedly conventional nature and standard of the media profession. As such, Entman maintained that: The attacks of September 11, 2001, may have â€Å"changed everything,† as a cliche’ of the time had it, but at least on first impression, one thing it did not change was the news media’s traditional promotion of patriotic rallies around presidents when America appears under attack. Reflecting the surge of outrage and nationalist fervor, the news made little room for any but official, government-sanctioned interpretations. Even the mildest dissent was immediately condemned. It would be unrealistic to expect much else in light of the stunning, unprecedented, and heinous nature of the violence. (p. 2) Ultimately, the Entman book imparted that the projection of power made by Bush and his war on terrorism policy, in the light of the 9/11 terrorists’ attacks, framed the way how news media adhered to uphold its natural reporting principles. In doing so however, it required the field to expose the glaring cruel objectives and implications of the said policy. By bravely, explicitly and objectively presenting the American war on terrorism, first against Iraq and Hussein and eventually with other terrorist-laden countries; the minds and sentiments of the people were opened and, unfortunately for the part of Bush and the entire nation, it resulted into an anti-American public opinion (Entman, 2004). Media Reports on Bush Policy Led to Anti-American Public Opinion At the onset, the power and eventual influence of media concerning how people think and feel was already presented. In the book â€Å"Framing Terrorism: The News Media, The Government and the Public, such premise or argument was emphasized by Norris, Kern and Just (2003). Beyond the supposed rational and righteous nature and objectives of the war on terrorism policy by the Bush administration, it is the instinctive and ethical attitude of the international news media community that prevailed (Norris, Kern Just, 2003). In particular, the authors maintained the position that it is the rightful obligation of the news media profession to provide the public with just and correct reporting. Regardless of the own authority of the government, the media is expected to present to people what are actually happening even if such conditions put the government in bad light. Hence, in the course of the mandate of the news media to report the nation’s engagement into war in Iraq and other â€Å"terrorists† nations, the human rights violations reportedly committed by American soldiers were exposed. While after the 9/11 attacks, the public opinion was collectively geared in favor of the government and its planned policies, the aftermath of such undertakings created bad impressions among people and eventually resulted into an opposing American public opinion (Norris, Kern Just, 2003). This condition is where the role and involvement of the news media field were highlighted. The authors made a clear position that in shaping the nature, circumstances and effects of terrorism, the news media industry definitely has a significant function in the manner how the government policy is criticized or accepted by the people. Ultimately, due to the undeniable violations and hostilities brought about by the said Bush war on terrorism policy, the news media played an important part in shaping the general perspective that eventually led to an anti-American public opinion (Norris, Kern Just, 2003). Conclusion It is now clear that the war on terrorism policy by the American government explained the extent and intensity of the negative public opinion. Beyond this however, it is the undisputable influence of news media that was identified as the best reason for the said opposing public perspective towards U. S and its president. Such condition is a sad but true occurrence that ultimately affected people’s view on Bush and his leadership style. References Entman, R. M. (2004). Projections of Power: Framing News, Public Opinion and U. S. Foreign Policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Glynn, C. J. , Herbst, S. , O’Keefe, G. J. , Shapiro, R. Y. , Lindeman M. (2004). Public Opinion. Boulder, CO: West view. Holsti, O. R. (2008). To See Ourselves as Others See Us. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. Norris, P. , Kern, M. Just, M. R (2003). Framing Terrorism: The News Media, The Government and the Public. New York: Routledge.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Chivalry Essay -- essays research papers

Chivalry Chivalry, the order of knighthood, and especially, the code of knightly behavior, comes from many origins. In Middle English, the word "chevalrie" meant "mounted horseman". In Old french, the word "chevalrie" meant knightliness or "chevalier" meaning knight. (Microft, Encarta) Almost all origins of the word meant horseman. Warfare was not an option in the medieval period and the knight was the most crutial part. The knight's ability, and the military strength of the lord or king were nessesary for their survival. A knight was loyal to his king even though he was not always a member of his personal court. He was also loyal to his lord or landowner. Most of all, he was loyal to God, as all Christian knights were. A Christian knight had virtues of fidelity, piety, loyalty and devotion to God. However, some knights did not live this ideal lifestyle. (Duby) A young boy in training to be a knight spent the first few years of his life in care of the women in his family. At the age of 7 years old, a child of noble birth would be placed in the castle of a lord or govenor. This is where the training for knighthood began. As a page, the boy would be tutored in Latin and French, but he devoted most of his time to physical exersice, and duties. A page was educated in wrestling, tilting with spears, and military exercises that were done on horseback....

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Emily Dickinson vs. Robert Frost Essay

Darkness is usually associated with fear or the unknown. As children, we are afraid of the unknown under our bed that darkness brings, which, in turn, makes our imaginations run wild, creating monsters, ghosts, and of course, the occasional boogeyman. Even as adults, we still have an antipathy to drive at night or go walking alone in the darkness. So it only makes sense that darkness is used in all forms of art to symbolize some kind of fear, unknown thing or place, or a mournful state. Within the world of poetry, the contrast of light and dark can be seen in hundreds of poems, including â€Å"We Grow Accustomed to the Dark† by Emily Dickinson and â€Å"Acquainted with the Night† by Robert Frost where the darkness symbolizes something much deeper than just fear. Both poems, â€Å"We grow accustomed to the Dark† and â€Å"Acquainted with the night† use the elements of Light and Dark as symbols within the speakers’ lives. In â€Å"Acquainted with the night† the speaker talks of darkness as his past experiences, most of them not good, and perhaps the depression that accompanied them. He says, â€Å"I have walked out in the rain and back in the rain,† meaning he has been through events, emotion, and sorrows through his life several times, but has managed to come through each one. He talks of how he has seen lugubrious moments when he says, â€Å"I have looked down the saddest city lane.† However, he is either ashamed or just unwilling to elaborate on his experiences in the line, â€Å"I have passed by the watchman on his beat and dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.† The speaker’s depression is so deep; he feels he has no hope or way of recovering. This is said in the line, â€Å"I have outwalked the furthest city light.† When the speaker gives descriptions of â€Å"the sound of feet† and â€Å"an interrupted cry,† it gives the reader a sense of blindness and furthering the speaker’s darkness and uncertainty of his life. The light that is shed by the â€Å"luminary clock† or the moon shows the prolonging of time that the speaker has to wait for something, possibly hope, to renew the â€Å"light† in his life. The speaker in â€Å"We grow accustomed to the dark† talks of similar things. He talks of problems most face throughout life and difficult decisions that are unavoidable. The darkness in this poem, much like Robert Frost’s, does not talk of literal darkness, but emotional darkness of the speaker. However, he  does not talk about dark as life in general. In the line â€Å"As when the Neighbor holds the Lamps to witness her Goodbye,† Dickinson saying that other people may hold â€Å"light†, meaning hope, faith, or happiness, but sometimes darkness is inevitable. He articulates that when good things are taken away from a person’s life, he must adjust his perception to the â€Å"darkness.† This is said in the line â€Å"Then-fit our Visions to the Dark-. † Then, when he talks of the moon having to sign, he says that not even the moon, usually the brightest light at night, cannot give him hope. He says that brave people will search for things but only fail. That people try to run away from the darkness within them and try to deny it. But in the line â€Å"And sometimes hit a Tree† shows that even when you run from a problem or try to deny it, there will be other problems you run into. However, this halt in moving on only makes that person stronger and wiser, learning from his mistakes. He says the only way to find oneself when there is no light or goodness is to move forward and adjust. The two poems are structured very differently. While Emily Dickinson uses short phrases with long sentences, Robert Frost uses whole sentences that flow easily. In â€Å"We grow accustomed to the dark,† the short words or phrases clumped together add emphasis and description. These cut phrases symbolize inner conflict or struggle within the speaker. The line â€Å"As when the Neighbor holds the Lamp† is one of the few lines that does not have a dash at the end. This is because the light illuminates the darkness, destroying the struggle. Dickinson adds these descriptive phrases to give more imagery to the poem. But still, each phrase and stanza fits with the next, adding to the whole picture of a lightless midnight. An example of the preponderance of dashes and their symbolizism is seen in the line â€Å"Or Star-come out-within-. † This line is about the mental darkness with no solution or â€Å"light† and the amount of dashes adds emphasis to the hopelessness in the search for light. â€Å"Acquainted with the Night,† Frost uses sentences that flow lightly from one to another. This gives the poem an effect of movement. It is read like a story, making it easy for the reader to connect things within the poem. Frost also uses a very steady rhyming scheme to draw the poem all together as whole. The rhyming at the end that corresponds to the beginning brings the reader back to the start of the poem, similar to a  circle and symbolizes the speaker’s recurring sadness. Everyone experiences dark times in his life-some more than others-with what seems like a never ending battle. These two poems, with two different experiences of darkness, tell us that there have been people who went through the same darkness we may be going through. Their dominance through the seemingly maelstrom night gives us hope for a better day. Dickinson and Frost have shed some light into an increasingly darkened world.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Acceptable Use Policy Essay

An Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is an organization-wide policy that defines what is allowed and what is not allowed regarding use of Information Technology (IT) assets by employees. The following policy is to be followed by all employees of Richman Investments, authorized individuals, vendors, and contractors who use any information technology (IT), electronic, or communication devices owned and/or provided by Richman Investments for the purpose of assisting them with their job-related duties. Access to the Internet is a privilege and all employees must adhere to the policies regarding computer, email, and Internet usage. Violation of these policies will result in disciplinary and/or legal action that may include counseling, revocation of company devices, termination of the employee, and legal action. II. Roles and Responsibilities Every employee must acknowledge that they have received a copy of the AUP and confirm that they have a complete understanding and agree to abide by the rules set forth in the AUP. See more: Basic Economic problem of Scarcity Essay Receipt and signing of the AUP will occur at Employee Orientation, and in the event of changes to the policy, a revised AUP must be signed. III. Policy Directives A. Acceptable Use Management Requirements A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be established to support the development and maintenance of this AUP. Richman Investments’ management team is responsible for keeping the AUP up to current standards and ensuring that new and current employees are kept abreast of major changes and that signatures are obtained from each employee following these changes. At a minimum, skills that should be included include annual User Training and Awareness. A formal review cycle will be established to review all Acceptable Use initiatives. B. Ownership Any electronic files created, sent, received, or stored under the custody of Richman Investments are the property of Richman Investments and use of these files by employees is neither personal nor private. Richman Investments management has the right to monitor and/or log all employee use with or without prior notice. C. Acceptable Use Requirements All users must report any incidents of possible misuse or violation of this AUP. Users must not attempt to access any documents, data, email, or programs in which they are not authorized to do so. Users must report any weaknesses in computer security to the management and/or the appropriate security staff. Users must not share their account passwords, PINs, or Smartcards used for identification and authorization purposes. Users must not make any copies of copyrighted materials or Richman Investments-owned software. Users must not engage in activity that Richman Investments may consider to be indecent, obscene, offensive, or that is illegal according to any law. Users must not download, install or run security programs or utilities such as scanners or password cracking programs that exploit weaknesses in the security of Richman Investments’ computers systems. Access to the Internet from company-owned, home-based computers must follow all rules and regulations outlined for in-house computer resources. Any security issues will be reported to and followed up on by management for further investigation. D. Incidental Use Incidental use of email, Internet access, FAX machines, printers, and copiers is restricted to approved users only and does not include family members. These must not result in direct costs to Richman Investments or cause legal action to be taken. Incidental use must not interfere with the normal performance of any employee’s work duties. Storage of voice messages, email messages, files and documents must be limited. IV. Enforcement, Auditing, Reporting Richman Investments management is responsible for the periodic auditing and reporting of compliance with this policy. Violation of this policy may results in disciplinary action that may include counseling and/or termination, depending upon the seriousness of the infraction. Any employee may anonymously report policy violations via Richman Investments’ Intranet or by telephone at 303-303-3030. IV. References A. Richman Investment POLICY: Information Security. 2013. P 1-6. B. Information Technology Acceptable Use Policies and Procedures. 2013. P 1-8. C. Internet Usage Policy. 2013. P 1-2.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Film Analysis of Citizan Kane essays

Film Analysis of Citizan Kane essays Citizen Kane 1941, directed by Orson Welles, and composed by Bernard Herrmann, has been listed as one of the greatest films ever made. Although this was Bernard Herrmanns first film score, he definitely laid the cornerstone of greatness in this film of which his other works would soon join. A bit of noteworthy information that should be addressed about Bernard Herrmann is his scoring style in Citizen Kane, as aptly stated in Robert L. Carringers book, The Making of Citizen Kane. The classical Hollywood approach to film scoring during that time was represented in works by composers such as Max Steiner, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and Miklos Rozsa. The main features they emphasized on was full symphonic scoring symbolic of late nineteenth century European romanticism, particularly Wagner, Mahler, Strauss, etc. What makes Bernard Herrmanns approach in Citizen Kane so special is his avoidance of using a full orchestra to score the music. He also employed unorthodox techniques such as smaller groupings of instruments that normally wouldnt be grouped together in an orchestra setting, which youll hear very frequently in the Leland flashback. His basic structure throughout the movie is a leitmotif. Only the opera sequences and the ending are scored for a full orchestra. The flashback from Citizen Kane I have decided to use is the Jed Leland flashback. The Jed Leland flashback gives the viewing audience a look at Charles Foster Kanes first wife Emily Norton and events leading up to the eventual marriage with Susan. The Jed Leland flashback begins with a close up shot of Mr. Thompson looking on at the Huntington Memorial Hospital tucked away underneath a large bridge. Right away as soon as the scene starts we are given a very strong but brief music score in the major. The tone stands out as the prominent feature, with the help of a lot of emphasis put on soft wind instrument i.e. flutes, clarinets etc. accom...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Kate Chopins The Storm Example

Kate Chopins The Storm Example Kate Chopin's The Storm – Book Report/Review Example of of Affiliation The meaning of the â€Å"The storm† by Kate Chopin The â€Å"The storm† is centred on an illegitimate date between two ex- lovers: Calixta and Alcee. Initially they are compelled to seek shelter on the porch, then in the laundry. Finally, the two are compelled to retreat indoors to the home that Calixta shared wither husband. They were fleeing the ambush of the unbearable storm. How does the author’s life influence the story?The story â€Å"The Storm† is a reflection Chopin’s life. She uses various stylistic devices such as irony and satire to confront the theme of women sexuality and the involvedness of the married state. The story reflects Chopin’s affair with a married man called Albert Sampite. She uses Albert’s personality to construct the character Alcee. Do the characters change?The main characters in the story â€Å"The storm â€Å"include; Alcee and Calixta. The two are both married, however due to loneline ss, they engage in an illicit affair. The author asserts that after the affair the two are relieved off their stress and loneliness. This is an indication that the two characters changed in state. PlotThe plot is a conflict, because it starts by the arrival of Calixta’s old lover at her house, only to be trapped by the storm. A conflict situation is created, when Calixta would have worried about her husband and a son who were outside in the storm, but a cute man strolls into the house to give her the comfort and protection she needed at the time. The act of adultery by the two married people represents a conflict. Further, the author represents the act as normal for individual satisfaction; however, this representation does not reflect the expectations of the audience consequently, enhancing the conflict Quotationâ€Å"..So the storm passed and everyone was happy†This quotation implies that the burden of the loneliness and traditions attributed to marriage was over aft er the illicit affair.Literary TheoryThe author uses the feminist theory to enhance her literary criticism to express her perception on patriarchal authority and sexual fulfilment as evidenced by the main characters: Calixta and Alcee.Question(s) What sort of intimacy exists between Calixta and Alcee? Can anything significant be inferred from the past about it?ReferencesChopin, K. (1974). The storm and other stories: With the awakening. Old Westbury, N.Y: Feminist Press.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Shakespeare for Kids

Shakespeare for Kids Shakespeare for kids should be fun – and the younger you get into it, the better! My Shakespeare for kids activities are sure to spark an early interest in the Bard ... but these ideas are just for starters. If you have your own ideas, please share them on our Readers Respond: Your Shakespeare for Kids Activities page. The key thing is not to get bogged down in the detail and the language - that comes later! For starters, it is about getting your kids excited about Shakespeare and perhaps saying some snippets of text. Here are my top Shakespeare for kids games and activities for some family fun! Top 6 Shakespeare for Kids Activities Build Shakespeare’s Globe: Start by building your own model of Shakespeare’s Globe. There’s a great free resource at Papertoys.com where you can print out, cut out and assemble the Globe. You can download the Globe construction kit here: www.papertoys.com/globe.htm Do a Bit of Acting: Kids hate reading Shakespeare (I certainly did!), so get them on their feet. Extract a short script extract and do some drama. The two best scenes for this are the witches scene from Macbeth and the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet. They will probably already know the words to these scene extracts – even if they didn’t realize it was Shakespeare! Stage a (choreographed) fight: Get some sponge swords and choreograph the opening swashbuckling scene from Romeo and Juliet in the back garden. â€Å"Do you bite your thumb at me, sir?† If possible, film it on your home video camera and watch it back the next day. If your kids are up for a bit of direction, see h ow much of the scene you can get through. If they are too young, put them into two teams: Montagues and Capulets. You can them theme any two player/team game into a Romeo and Juliet adventure. Tableau:  Work together to tell the story of a popular Shakespeare play in just ten freeze frames (tableau). Photograph each one on a digital camera and print them out. You can now have fun getting the photos into the right order and sticking speech bubbles to them with selected lines from the play. Draw a Shakespeare Character: For older kids, the best way to do a basic character study is to pick the name of a Shakespeare character out from a hat. Talk about who they might be, what they are like, are they good or evil ... and then let them loose on with the pens, crayons and paints. As they are drawing/painting, keep talking about the character and encourage them to add the details into their picture. Trust me, you will be surprised at how much they will learn. Shakespeare Dress Up: Get the dressing up box out and put in the middle of the floor. Let your kids pick a Shakespeare character and ask them to dress up as the character. You will need to be ready to tell them all about t he character as they are choosing the clothes. When ready, give them a line from the play to practice. This works well if you take a photo and review them with your kids afterwards to reinforce who the character is in their minds.    Please do share your own Shakespeare for kids activities (big or small) with fellow readers on our Readers Respond: Your Shakespeare for Kids Activities page.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Self Reflective Log Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Self Reflective Log - Essay Example By the time we were ending our project, we had become so close, that if one did not know us better, he or she would have thought that we had known each other all our lives. I believe that our diverse cultural backgrounds played a significant role in the formation of the bonds of work and friendship which made our team such a success. One of the greatest benefits that I personally reaped from being within this team is the confidence in my ability to do all the tasks that are assigned to me, most especially those concerned with the promotion of the principles and practices within Belif. This new confidence in myself has enabled me to think of a greater role for myself in future than I had previously considered. Moreover, through the team work, I have managed to attain the skills which I think are necessary for dealing with prospective issues concerning the promotion of various products that are offered by Belif. I have found that the only way to convince stakeholders to accept a propos ed product is by making it as attractive, creative, and cost effective as possible (Stevens, Williams and Smith 2000 p.607). I have learnt that this is the only way through which these stakeholders can develop any interest in what one has to offer them. In the course of my stay at the Belif, several group and individual tasks have been completed. This was the most exciting part of the work, and all of the activities being important, individuals were given the opportunity to share what they had done individually and also as teams. It was, indeed, a privilege to work and share activities and experience with a group of people who were not only friendly, but also supported me whenever I experienced any problems. Moreover, all members within the work group were willing and able to help each other out to finish all the work that had been assigned to us. All the people involved in the work put in as much effort as they could to do it, and because of this, all the team members were able to work effectively together to ensure that the work was done successfully (De Sousa, Pellissier and Monteiro 2012, p.31). Belif is a unique company because it has facilities which are dedicated to making the lives of all it employees, as well as those individuals who are related to them, comfortable in their environment. Among these facilities are those which are designed to make their children and guests feel at home in their new environment by encouraging them to participate in such programs as health education and dialogue between members of diverse groups and backgrounds (Scotton, 2002 pp.276). Despite this, there are also some problems which are faced by the staff of Belif and among these is the shortage of staff especially when there is an influx of new products in the market and orders for them might overwhelm the Belif staff. One of the most fulfilling aspects of being a staff member of Belif is being able to work with my fellow employees to make sure that the working environm ent is as comfortable and efficient as possible (Schyns 2006, p.192). In addition, I have found that at Belif, the six thinking hats theory is applied in almost every aspect of the business and this is perhaps the reason why the company has displayed such a high level of success. Education is one of the most important aspects that dominate the world today and it has become essential for individuals to have a good education in order to prosper. This is the reason

Assignment from the book understanding human communication Case Study

Assignment from the book understanding human communication - Case Study Example These differences created concerns for me as I undermined his cultural values and expected him to act as per my cultural values. I think our relationship has acquired the stage of differentiating. As both of us shared close friendship therefore, we both want to keep a pace now. Although, Hideki didn’t show such emotions but his culture bound nature has created distances amongst us. Now that both of us have gained the commonalty, we need to reemphasize on our individual identities. Differentiation had to occur as Hideki’s behavior started disturbing me and I tended to avoid him despite of his kind nature. Hideki, bound by his culture, was too reserved to let me know about him, and that made me feel frustrated. The dialectic tensions operating in our relationship are of two types. Both of us do not want to forfeit our individualities. My own behavior shows a conflicting wish for staying connected as well as being independent. The other dialect tension encircling our relation is â€Å"openness vs. privacy†. As disclosure is one of the essentials of interpersonal relationships, but keeping a space between ourselves and others is also necessary. This leads to the creation of openness vs. privacy dilemma. Hideki belong to Japanese culture which is quite different from mine. Therefore, he may limit himself in disclosing as in his case self disclosure could be influenced by culture and it may occur incrementally. However, the guidelines suggest that as I am engaging myself in business partnership with Hideki, his disclosure to a reasonable degree is important to me at the situation at hand. The clear and understandable disclosure by both the parties is constructive in the long run. Hinting could be used as an alternative to self disclosure in this situation (Adler, Rodman & Cropley, 2011). Tempestuous, Scorching, arid, misty and story weather related adjectives could be used to describe

Friday, October 18, 2019

Experiences of Colonization by Indigenous People Essay - 4

Experiences of Colonization by Indigenous People - Essay Example And who furthermore have maintained at least in part their distinct linguistic, cultural and social/organizational characteristics and, in doing so, remain differentiated in some degree from the surrounding populations and dominant culture of the nation-state Several other related terms are also in vogue e.g. aborigines, native peoples, first peoples, Fourth World, first nations and autochthonous (derived from Greek, meaning â€Å"sprung from the earth†). However, in this era of political correctness, the term Indigenous People is more commonly used to avoid implications of racism etc. [1]. Indigenous peoples living in more than 70 countries, of whom approximately 150 million live in the Commonwealth countries. These are; Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea (South Pacific), Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, and Malaysia (South and South East Asia), Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda (Africa), and Canada, Guyana, and Belize (North Americas and the Caribbean).† [2]. Despite the diversity of indigenous peoples, it may be noted that they share common problems and issues in dealing with the prevailing, or invading, society. They are generally concerned that the cultures of indigenous peoples are being lost and that indigenous peoples suffer both discrimination and pressure to assimilate into their surrounding societies. This is borne out by the fact that the lands and cultures of nearly all of the peoples listed at the end of this article are under threat. Notable exceptions are the Sakha and Komi peoples (two of the Northern Indigenous Peoples of Siberia), who now control their own autonomous republics within the Russian state.  

Different approaches to strategy development might be appropriate in Essay - 1

Different approaches to strategy development might be appropriate in different organisations - Essay Example This paper will discuss how different approaches to strategy development might be appropriate in different organizations. Wherever business executives sit to deliberate on their corporate strategy, they always begin by critically examining the industry or the existing environmental conditions from which they operate in. they then follow this by examining both the strong and weak points of their competitors. With the industry and competitive aspects in scope, they then set out to establish a unique strategic position that can give them an opportunity to outperform their competitors. In order to attain such a competitive advantage, an organization has to come up with development strategies that differentiate it from other organizations that are dealing in the same products and it does this mostly by lowering their prices. This also calls for the organization to place its value chain strategically and to come up with manufacturing, marketing, and human resources development strategies in the process. This then gives the organization room to set up its budgetary allocations for its operations (Sterman, 200 0). Using the above analogy, one thing that comes out clearly is that the options that any organization has are defined by the environment under which it operates and this means that strategy is impacted by structure. It is therefore logical to conclude that an organization that sells its goods online would have a varied development strategy from another organization that has physical shops for its goods and services. This â€Å"structuralist† approach has been the subject of discussion for over three decades now and more organizations are adopting it in the new model of industrial organizational economics. According to this new paradigm, the performance of an organization is greatly dependent on how it conducts itself and this conduct is in turn greatly impacted by the existing

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Construction Technology And Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Construction Technology And Innovation - Essay Example In the provided setting, looking out for all the environmental impacts comes in handy. The building is located in a busy location with a lot of traffic. It is thus important to understand that the cars passing by the house do not spend a lot of time at the location because the ground is rather weak. It is a requirement that the house uses rather tough tiles and the most recommended is the ceramic tiles. Green Raw Materials and Concepts Ceramic is harder than stone and hence effective enough to use in places with clay soil and having many people around. In the making of such houses, it is important to ensure that there is minimal use of space while still providing satisfactory area for people to use. The surrounding environment to the house should not have any building around it and should provide ample space for some form of field with grass. Grass is necessary seeing as the ground beneath is clay provides a rather smooth setting and environment for growth. Moreover, research has sho wn that having chemicals sprayed over the grass eventually leads to the clay soil beneath the foundation of the house stronger and can assist during the rainy season (Vasil, 2009, 77). Clearly, having ample grass space is not an aspect to conform to because it is a town setting but leaving space for it nevertheless is advisable in the setting. Clay soil is strong and provides a great support for the foundation and the basement. This is from the way its particles join to form one large compact Substance. This substance leaves no space for air and thus makes it even harder. However, during the dry periods, the soil gets wet and the particles, having not supported themselves alone, end up breaking into pieces. This consequently has the building developing cracks and eventually falling to the ground, which is a hazard needless to state. Below is an example of a building in the initial stages of construction just before the pouring of concrete Energy Conservation Conservation of energy i s one of the most important aspects to understand when dealing with the construction of a green building basement. The basement in this situation is for the provision of energy from a more effective and reputable source. Natural lighting comes in effective for the preservation of any type of commodity that the building owners may term important. The basement should have photovoltaics that are rather an effective method to save on energy used in not only the preservation of the basement, but also the establishment of the foundation. Fuel cells to run the mortar in the creation of bricks can come from new house appliances. An environmentally friendly house is otherwise known as a green house. Inspection An inspector is a vital aspect in the analysis of the already set foundation for the building. Most precisely an engineer ought to observe the already set foundation for the determination of the stability position that the building will have. Failure to analyze this may lead to the con tractors and the builders carrying on with their work with no idea whatsoever of the sensitivity of the issue (Pearon, 2011, 102). The surveyor then comes in after this stage and determines the kind of footing to put depending on the type of building that the owner requires. In this case, a green house would require a rather high footing provided the soil formation and characteristics at the

Organisational Transformation in Practice Assignment

Organisational Transformation in Practice - Assignment Example The task requirement was to attempt the project in the light of the lectures and seminars attended on the subject matter within a period of 2 months. The project was to be done in groups that were made by random selection of people; meaning they were made by the instructor and not according to our will in order to ensure an even distribution so that all individuals of the same calibre do not form a single group. In my case, a group of six members were formed; two of which were friends already, while the rest of us barely knew each other. Moreover, the team leader assigned was a female. The main challenge was to cope and keep pace with the team members and complete the assigned task within time. Performing projects within the given time constraint had never been an issue for me, but what really served as a challenge for me while working on this particular project was the aspect of working with a team that were I was not entirely familiar with. And this aspect of learning how to deal w ith people I don’t know, which is especially crucial when it comes to team tasks, is precisely the most valuable thing that I take away from this experience. Self-Awareness Despite being a fairly social person, it has always been hard for me to adjust to new people. I always need some time to get comfortable while interacting with people I don’t know. So, during the first few weeks I felt very uncomfortable working with new team. Although, I have a friendly personality, but still I needed some time and space to get along with the new members. The group kicked off the work with small tasks such as role plays and brainstorming exercises; which encouraged us to speak up and to share our view points. These exercise helped us understand and get to know each other. But still the major task was yet to be done. Later, in third week we were directed to start thinking about a Multinational Company that we, as a group would choose for the project. This proved to be quite a diffic ult stage for all the team members as this is where conflicts started to arise because everyone had his separate opinions. I noticed that some of my team members were reluctant to share their viewpoint, while some members kept on bombarding their ideas. The most enthusiastic of the lot in giving their inputs were the two members that were friends already and who were of the view that the group should consider Red Cross for the study at hand. At that stage, I personally felt that those two friends were quite strong in our group due to their affiliation as the rest of us had still not opened up to each other and were therefore, a little hesitant at these initial stages of work. So, my leader asked every member to give their best shot regarding the company, which they thought was the best. Although, I did not like the company that was chosen for our study, but still I had to accept it as I was working in a team, the aspect of which can be related to the term referred to as â€Å"Chang e Management Iceberg† by Wilfred Kruger (Kruger, n.d.). Moreover, the most difficult tasks for me were: group working, and practical implication of applying knowledge and theories to the assigned task. I was able to deal with these two aspects only through talking myself into believing that it’s never too late to learn new skills be it human or technical, and by taking every aspect of that whole project

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Construction Technology And Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Construction Technology And Innovation - Essay Example In the provided setting, looking out for all the environmental impacts comes in handy. The building is located in a busy location with a lot of traffic. It is thus important to understand that the cars passing by the house do not spend a lot of time at the location because the ground is rather weak. It is a requirement that the house uses rather tough tiles and the most recommended is the ceramic tiles. Green Raw Materials and Concepts Ceramic is harder than stone and hence effective enough to use in places with clay soil and having many people around. In the making of such houses, it is important to ensure that there is minimal use of space while still providing satisfactory area for people to use. The surrounding environment to the house should not have any building around it and should provide ample space for some form of field with grass. Grass is necessary seeing as the ground beneath is clay provides a rather smooth setting and environment for growth. Moreover, research has sho wn that having chemicals sprayed over the grass eventually leads to the clay soil beneath the foundation of the house stronger and can assist during the rainy season (Vasil, 2009, 77). Clearly, having ample grass space is not an aspect to conform to because it is a town setting but leaving space for it nevertheless is advisable in the setting. Clay soil is strong and provides a great support for the foundation and the basement. This is from the way its particles join to form one large compact Substance. This substance leaves no space for air and thus makes it even harder. However, during the dry periods, the soil gets wet and the particles, having not supported themselves alone, end up breaking into pieces. This consequently has the building developing cracks and eventually falling to the ground, which is a hazard needless to state. Below is an example of a building in the initial stages of construction just before the pouring of concrete Energy Conservation Conservation of energy i s one of the most important aspects to understand when dealing with the construction of a green building basement. The basement in this situation is for the provision of energy from a more effective and reputable source. Natural lighting comes in effective for the preservation of any type of commodity that the building owners may term important. The basement should have photovoltaics that are rather an effective method to save on energy used in not only the preservation of the basement, but also the establishment of the foundation. Fuel cells to run the mortar in the creation of bricks can come from new house appliances. An environmentally friendly house is otherwise known as a green house. Inspection An inspector is a vital aspect in the analysis of the already set foundation for the building. Most precisely an engineer ought to observe the already set foundation for the determination of the stability position that the building will have. Failure to analyze this may lead to the con tractors and the builders carrying on with their work with no idea whatsoever of the sensitivity of the issue (Pearon, 2011, 102). The surveyor then comes in after this stage and determines the kind of footing to put depending on the type of building that the owner requires. In this case, a green house would require a rather high footing provided the soil formation and characteristics at the

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Sophisticated narrative review of Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret life of Essay

Sophisticated narrative review of Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret life of Bees - Essay Example is a major character or merely an asterisk to the action, the white woman is, by virtue of her symbolic importance in Southern history and culture, a significant presence in novels about the Civil Rights Movement. This might be counterintuitive since the white man would seem the likely arch-adversary in the civil rights dilemma—or worse, focus on the white woman might appear as an attempt to usurp the centrality of African Americans in favor of the group furthest removed from civil rights issues. And yet, the white woman was at the center of those issues. The white woman is central to civil rights issues and to fiction that specifically and substantially depends upon the Civil Rights Movement for material because she was the supporting beams and pillars of the culture the Movement sought to dismantle. That the relationship between the white woman and the Civil Rights Movement has been neglected suggests only that the significance of this relationship has been somehow overshadowed, not that it is insignificant. In 2002, a novel hit the New York Times best-seller list. The setting was the rural South in the late sixties, just after the passage of the Civil Rights Act. The main characters, take refuge with a family of women who live in a house on the outskirts of town. The book is Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees. Its heroine, Lily Owens, thus achieves spiritual transcendence through communal living with a family of women, self-styled religious rituals, and racial integration. Kidd’s novel exemplifies the two trends that have emerged most clearly in American women’s fiction over the last quarter of the twentieth-century: the move on the part of women writers to a creative and individualized religious practice rather than a traditional institutionalized one, and the examination of the intersections of religion, gender and race as they shape identity. Everything from the novel line to the references of the Civil Rights Movement occurring in 1960’s

Monday, October 14, 2019

Power And Powerlessness Essay Example for Free

Power And Powerlessness Essay When I hear the word power many thoughts come to mind, but I feel power has many different forms. We could assume that power means more money, a bigger title, a corner office, a more generous budget, or â€Å"a seat at the table†. But that may not be true for everyone. For some, power may mean having the ability to control one’s career destiny in keeping with personal values and interests. Or power could mean having the opportunity to be creative as a project lead without too much interference from others. Or power could mean making decisions with trust and autonomy, such that no one can easily override your decisions. To me, power is control and the capacity to bring about change. For example, the United States government, they control everything and also other countries. Our government has the power to create and print money, regulate interstate and international trade, make treaties and conduct foreign policies, declare war, provide an army and navy, establish post offices, and make laws necessary to carry out these powers. In addition to their elusive powers, both the national government and state governments share the power of being able to; collect taxes, build roads, borrow money, establish court’s, make and enforce laws, charter banks and corporations, spend money for general welfare, and take private property for public purposes. Power is also acquired through possession or acquisition of the following resources: authority, money, status, knowledge, professional degrees, goods, services, votes, public support, information, ability to influence the media, and relationships with powerful people. Power can be derived from one’s authority to make decisions in organization s or by virtue of one’s gender, ethnicity, social class, or personal attributes, such as appearance and charisma. People often acquire power by establishing alliances and coalitions with others to support or oppose various policies or decision-making options. Workers in social service organizations also acquire power because they often decide whether individual clients receive services, resources, or referrals. But how would it feel to not have power, a sensation of being out of control with no apparent solution to help you to regain control, powerlessness. When the lack of capability to affect the realities of life that you can’t control such as; how others act towards you, if you will get a job you want, what the weather will be like, or if an accident will occur. Powerlessness can be simply defined as the absences of power resources. However, the â€Å"Mother of empowerment practice, Barbara Solomon (1976), defines powerlessness as a product of the interaction between individuals and the social structures that limit life opportunities for them: Powerlessness is defined here as the inability to manage emotions, skills, knowledge, and/or material resources in a way that effective performance of valued social roles will lead to pe rsonal gratification. The power deficiency so often seen among minority individuals and communities stems from a complex and dynamic interrelationship between the person and his relatively hostile social environment. When you feel powerless, you feel afraid to express your needs because you fear that what little you have will be taken from you. You may have learned powerlessness if you were kept in powerless positions repeatedly and/or over long periods of time, possibly during childhood, by those who used external forces (money, physical strength, legal status, and/or military force) to control you. You may have been abused as a child, a partner or spouse, an employee, a soldier, or you may have been the victim of racial or ethnic attacks. Such prolonged abuse can cause you to become afraid to feel even your own needs, to admit to yourself that you need something, you become immobilized and in certain critical ways you stop growing, you cease to thrive. When powerlessness is learned, it becomes self-perpetuating, even if the external forces are no longer there. An abused child may grow up to feel permanently powerless as an adult, even though his or her parents no longer have physical or economic power over him or her. One may then enter into a situation that repeats childhood experiences such as; living with or marrying an abusive partner, and therefore keeping oneself in externally imposed danger. Or one may keep oneself down through self-abuse, compulsive behaviors, and depression because the powerlessness has become internalized. The first step to overcoming learned powerlessness is to learn to feel entitled to your personal rights. You have the right to live a life free from physical, emotional, sexual, and financial mistreatment. You have the right to be treated with respect, to earn a livable income, to be informed of matters that affect you, and to express yourself freely, without harming others. Most importantly, you have the right to ask for what you need, even though you may be turned down, and to fight for what you need and want, even if you are turned down. Most people who have learned powerlessness barely feel entitled to speak, let alone to speak freely. Often professional therapy is necessary to overcome the ingrained patterns. Never the less, to overcome learned powerlessness, you must gradually, but persistently lay claim to each and every human right, one after the other. The purpose of the empowerment approach is to help people overcome feelings powerlessness by acquiring power. Mondros and Wilson (1994) differentiate power from â€Å"empowerment† by arguing that this second concept is actually a psychological state that â€Å"allows one to pursue concrete activities aimed at becoming powerful.† The literature on empowerment in organizations focuses on two distinct categories of organizations actors: program beneficiaries and staff members. Rapp, She ra, and Kisthardt (1993) define empowerment in individual clients as; confidence, control, decision authority, influence, autonomy, and self-trust.† According to Shera and Page (1995), empowerment of employees in organizations can be defined as, â€Å"a process of enhancing self-efficacy among organizational members through the identification of conditions that foster powerlessness and through their removal by both formal organizational practices and informal techniques that provide efficacy information.† Empowerment in the social services can take place within the context of relationships between workers and clients, within the organization’s formal decision-making structure, and within the contact between the organization and institutions or groups in its external environment. It should be noted that empowerment in organizations involves the redistribution of resources such as decision-making authority or goods and services. Therefore, in addition to producing specific outcomes, empowerment is a political process. Staff members may feel they will lose power and authority to make service decisions if clients are treated as equal partners in the decision-making process. Because one of the primary assumptions of empowerment in direct social work practice is to reduce feelings of powerlessness by increasing personal self-perceptions of one’s own power, the model focuses on facilitating the acquisition of leadership skills and actual political power among agency clientele. Staff members also acquire power through participation in organizational decision-making and by advocating for improvements in organizational policies and services. The organization gains political power as constituents become empowered to advocate for changes in government policies and campaign for meaningful social change. In conclusion, power, powerlessness, and empowerment all have a different meaning and serve a different purpose but each one has a powerful meaning in its own way.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

British Colonialism In Daniel Defoes Roxanna English Literature Essay

British Colonialism In Daniel Defoes Roxanna English Literature Essay Max Weber in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism claims that Capitalism educates and selects the economic subjects it needs through a process of survival of the fittest (Weber 154). Weber believes that there is a direct link between institutions and individual characters. In other words, one can say that Capitalism would not survive without economic men and also economic men could not maintain their social place without Capitalism. In the following the researcher tries to show that at least certain men and women, were swayed by the logic of Capitalisms productive possibilities. Defoe was intensely interested in capitalist modes of production, efficiency and improvements and in the exploitation and expansion of new markets along imperialist lines that would favor English trading interests. Defoe was also interested in the politics of his time and in the social issues. Defoe was a mature product of the cultural process initiated by Capitalism. In other words he is a master over circumstances, over nature. He has the confidence, despite his mediocre birth, to comment on the social, political, and economic affairs of his day. In turn, Roxana was a woman, who, despite her reverses and her own mediocre birth, could entertain princes and kings. In the beginning of this emerging capitalist interest, and with the thirst of reform, Defoe was able to synchronize in his own life Capitalisms vision of a new social order, of commerces role and change. All his novels are rich in content and context. Roxana has been called by modern critics Defoes darkest novel. Many critics have claimed that the greatest difference between Defoe last novel and his earlier works is Roxanas greater gravity. Many critics described it as a novel whose primary concern is with the psychological nature of Roxana and Amys sin. Roxana has most often been appraised as a story of moral decay, in which the heroine progresses from virtuous poverty to corrupt wealth. Roxana has also been criticized as a woman with a cynical attachment toward those who love her and whose rational self-interest places her as the embodiment of Defoes vision of a corrupt society. Roxana is a heroine who rushes toward material comfort and self transformation at the price of her soul. Roxanas internal world of memory and guilt concerning her various sexual partners, the death of her daughter Susan at the hands of Amy, and the like, becomes the price Roxana pays for the control she assumes in external world of financial and sexual interests. In this aspect, two factors about Roxana should be emphasized: the nature of Roxana as a new economic woman caught between profit and spirituality and the issues of empire and slavery which were not only important in the fictional life of Roxana, but also in Defoes life. Considering the above mentioned remarks, some examples are traceable in the novel. For instance, when Roxana discusses the dangers of marrying a foolish husband her remarks repeat one of Defoes favorite maxims about the nature of commerce, while also underlining the context of commerces international nature: I was a Warning for all the Ladies of Europe, against marrying of Fools; a Man of Sence falls in the world, and gets-up again, and a Woman has some Chance for herself; but with a FOOL! Once fall, and ever undone; once in a Ditch, and die in the Ditch; once poor, and sure to starve (ibid 96). Roxana addresses her comments to the Ladies of Europe, and Roxana like so many of Defoes novels is at the center of attention internationally and all these shows that Roxanas warning have larger international designs. Another example of this imperialist economic instruction can be found in Sir Robert Claytons disquisition on prudent money management. As he instructed Roxana, he talks about industry as such: If the Gentlemen of England would but act, every family of them would increase their Fortunes to a great degree (ibid 167). That international commerce and empire are part of the overall fabric of Roxana is also evident in the rituals of adornment which Roxana undergoes with each of her lovers. Because the English female body and female dressing were powerful motives of 18th centurys imperialist ideology. Roxanas Turkish dress is an example of this motif. This dress comes to the hands of Roxana from a Malthese Man of War, which had captured as spoils a Turkish ship and enslaved its passengers, one of which Roxana bought during her tour of Italy (ibid 173-174).This dress enables Roxana to market herself to English court culture. Roxana explains: that Notion of the King being the Person that dancd with me, puffd me upto that Degree that I à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ was very far knowing myself (ibid 177). Further, this dress is also, as Roxana emphasizes, a counterpart to the slave she purchases. She says: I bought the rich clothes tooà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦as a Curiosity, having never seen the like (174). Here Roxana confront s the other in the form of a person, and the material culture of that other. The dress is explained as extraordinary fine indeedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the Robe was a fine Persian, or India Damask à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ embroidered with Gold, and set with Pearl in the Work, and some Turquoise stones(ibid 174). Both the slave and the dress are also delivered to Roxana through the agency of imperialist aggression- by the acts of a Malthese Man of War (ibid174). Significantly, Roxana who is without Amy on her travels throughout Italy uses her slave as a means to put the dress, with its various decorations, on her body. In other words, she learned how to cover herself in the dress of the other with the aid of an other. Literally, Roxana is using the local knowledge of the Turkish womans material culture in order to use that knowledge to her advantage and this is a good example of the methodology of imperialist expansion. On the other hand, Roxanas dress is an important metaphor for imperial expansion; another important metaphor is her purchase of a slave. Defoe, like many of his contemporaries during the early eighteenth century, was ambivalent about the issue of slavery; in other words, Defoe was no abolitionist. Defoe demonstrated his ambivalence toward the slave trade by generally giving it strong support to increase his nations share of the market in human chattel, and in the African trade in general. Like Defoe, Roxana was also interested in what profits she could reap from the slave trade. She versed herself in the culture of the Turkish woman she bought from the Malthese, so one can assumes that Roxana did not find her slave, or her slaves manners, repugnant or distasteful. In dressing for her second husband, Roxana even set her picture in diamonds above her heart, which was a compliment among the Eastern peoples (ibid 247). In fact, in learning the language of the Turkish woman, Roxana sought to know this Turkish slave and her culture in a way that was far more intimate than most Westerners at this time could have claimed or even imagined. The knowledge Roxana acquired of her Turkish slave is used to advance her socially and for a time, in London court society. Therefore, for Defoe and Roxana alike, prosperity could be found in the slave trade, and in the monies and knowledge of the world found in that trade. Like Defoe, Roxana claims that I could give up my virtue, but not gi ve up my money (ibid147). In conclusion, while Roxana is a novel with an emphasis on the psychology of sin, that psychology is informed by more than just her own guilt, and her quest for individuality. It is informed by issues that concerned her creator: trade, imperialism, and slavery. Each was used to create networks of knowledge and power over the world within sight of both Defoe and Roxana. Like any other good capitalist, they both used knowledge to further their own ends. The acquisition of this knowledge was, in turn, directed toward populations of others- Africans, Arabs, Native Americans, etc. who could most readily serve their interests. For Defoe it was in form of improving Britains economy and social structure and for Roxana in the form of improving ones social status. Therefore, Roxana, as a creation of Defoe, mirrored Defoes life as a capitalist. Yet she mirrored it as a seeker of personal aggrandizement than as a person committed to seeing Britain flourish. In conclusion, this may ultimately ex plain Roxanas fall.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Affirmative Action :: Affirmative Action Essays

For the past several years the argument over affirmative action has been a highly debated topic. The issue at hand is whether or not affirmative action is reverse discrimination or not. Affirmative action by definition "means taking positive steps to end discrimination, to prevent its recurrence, and to create new opportunities that were previously denied to qualified women and people of color," (Work & Family). The reason that affirmative action is so controversial is because Americans can't decide what they want. "Poll after poll concludes that Americans firmly support "‘affirmative action'" to create opportunities for women and people of color, while they vigorously oppose "quotas'" and "‘preferences'" for unqualified candidates," (Work & Family). Which is odd considering that the same "affirmative action" that people support does in fact, in some cases, put unqualified personnel in undeserving positi ons. For those people who believe affirmative action works they generally are only focusing on the diversity affirmative action has brought to jobs. Their arguments consist of wanting to see more ethnic and gender diversity in jobs that are usually being worked by white males. To many of these people quality is sometimes put aside for quantity and diversity. The strongest argument that the people who are in support of affirmative action is that having more gender and ethnical diversity brings more to the work place. This argument is very good and very accurate. Having different people in different jobs helps a company to work and receive input from all sorts of different perspectives. Which leads to a better understanding of what a wider cross-section of the target market wants. On the other hand the people who support affirmative action also give some not so strong arguments. The one that stands out the most is that companies don't try and fill quotas in their gender and ethnical h iring. Instead it is done entirely on skill alone. This is their weakest and most disputed argument. Especially when in many cases if two potential employees are close in skill the job will more than likely go to the potential employee who is a minority. As in the case of Paul Johnson versus Diane Joyce. Both had comparable skills, but even though Paul Johnson's oral interview was scored higher than Diane Joyce it was her that was selected for the job. "The Court upheld the county's use of Ms. Joyce's gender as a positive factor in choosing between these similarly-qualified candidates," (Work & Family). Affirmative Action :: Affirmative Action Essays For the past several years the argument over affirmative action has been a highly debated topic. The issue at hand is whether or not affirmative action is reverse discrimination or not. Affirmative action by definition "means taking positive steps to end discrimination, to prevent its recurrence, and to create new opportunities that were previously denied to qualified women and people of color," (Work & Family). The reason that affirmative action is so controversial is because Americans can't decide what they want. "Poll after poll concludes that Americans firmly support "‘affirmative action'" to create opportunities for women and people of color, while they vigorously oppose "quotas'" and "‘preferences'" for unqualified candidates," (Work & Family). Which is odd considering that the same "affirmative action" that people support does in fact, in some cases, put unqualified personnel in undeserving positi ons. For those people who believe affirmative action works they generally are only focusing on the diversity affirmative action has brought to jobs. Their arguments consist of wanting to see more ethnic and gender diversity in jobs that are usually being worked by white males. To many of these people quality is sometimes put aside for quantity and diversity. The strongest argument that the people who are in support of affirmative action is that having more gender and ethnical diversity brings more to the work place. This argument is very good and very accurate. Having different people in different jobs helps a company to work and receive input from all sorts of different perspectives. Which leads to a better understanding of what a wider cross-section of the target market wants. On the other hand the people who support affirmative action also give some not so strong arguments. The one that stands out the most is that companies don't try and fill quotas in their gender and ethnical h iring. Instead it is done entirely on skill alone. This is their weakest and most disputed argument. Especially when in many cases if two potential employees are close in skill the job will more than likely go to the potential employee who is a minority. As in the case of Paul Johnson versus Diane Joyce. Both had comparable skills, but even though Paul Johnson's oral interview was scored higher than Diane Joyce it was her that was selected for the job. "The Court upheld the county's use of Ms. Joyce's gender as a positive factor in choosing between these similarly-qualified candidates," (Work & Family).

Friday, October 11, 2019

Hate Crime in America Essay

â€Å"A Hate Crime is an intentional, deliberate, and methodically-charged crime executed in order to cause harm or damage with regard to a specific victim chosen as a result of prejudice, racism, bias, and unlawful resentment. The range of Hate Crimes is a broad one†. The paper will inform readers of different types of hate crimes and behaviors of hate crime. From that topic, readers will learn what hate crime, the history of hate crime is and what makes hate crime different from other crimes. The topic will continue with the causes and characteristic of hate crimes informing readers of the popular hate crimes, their victims, and perpetrators. As the paper progress, the paper will inform readers research on what motivates people to commit hate crimes such as people sexually preference, race or their religion. The topic will also touch on common ways of committing hate crimes and who is known for committing those different hate crimes. The paper would also provide research information on ways to address hate crime. Victims of hate crimes now have laws to protect them from people’s cruel intentions. These laws help protect the rights of people who is victimize because of their religion, race, sexual orientation, handicap, ethnicity, or national origin. Offenses motivated by hatred against a victim based on their religion, sex orientation, race, handicapped, ethnicity, or national origin is considered a hate crime, this issue has risen up on the political charts; however, the phenomenon is hardly new. Hate crimes was largely inspired by United States religious and racial bias (Phillips, 2009). Hates crimes go as far back as the early 16th and 17th century when Native Americans were the target of intimidation and violence. (Phillips, 2009). The number of hate crimes committed in the US seems small when compared to other crimes that are committed, but the crime can become more violent than other crimes (Wessler, 2001). When hate crimes are committed, it is not to just victimize that certain person but the group of people that victim represents. This then causes chaos and hatred to spread through the community like a virus. Unlike other crimes hate crimes causes retaliation and may be the cause of series of deaths to occur through a community very rapidly. Wessler (2001) says that young people mostly commit hate crimes and their victims endure more physical and psychological harm than victims of other crimes do. Victims  should not have to deal with hate crimes alone communities and others should definitely speak out when others are being demeaning to others because of their religion, race, gender or sexual preference. According to Wessler (2001) â€Å"Everyday eight blacks, three whites, three gays, three Jews, and one Latino become hate crime victims†. Hate crimes is motivated by many different reasons, however race and religion inspire most hate crime that is committed in the Unites States (Wessler, 2001). When this bias act motivates this unlawful act, it targets forty percent of blacks and 13 percent are anti white. (Wessler, 2001). This bias act has been a rife in American history since the early 1800s. The new face of hate crime that has out number other hate crimes in the 20 century would be the attack against the Asian American and the homosexuals, according the FBI statistics (Wessler, 2001). Hate crimes is a human condition that is taught and has a host of factors that created a climate in which people , motivated by their biases, take criminal action (â€Å"1999 Hate Crimes Laws, Anti-Defamation League,†, 1999). According to â€Å"1999 Hate Crimes Laws, Anti-Defamation League,† (1999), â€Å"such factors include poor or uncertain economic conditions, racial stereo types, in films and on television†. As early in the paper, it stated that most hate crime is committed because of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. Race is the leading cause for hate crimes to be committed. African Americans who constitute the single largest minority group are more likely to be victims of hate crimes than to be a perpetrator of hate crime. In 1995, there were 8,000 hate crimes reports and nearly 3,000 were motivated by bias against African Americans (â€Å"Early Warning, Timely Response, Us Department of Education†,). The other victims consist of Jews, Asian Americans and Muslims. Attacks upon gays and lesbians are becoming more violent and the number of attacks against this group is increasing. The â€Å"Early Warning, Timely Response, Us Department of Education informs that there were 29 gay related murders. Most of the murders were accompanied hideous violence including mutilation. The brutality of these attacks can be conveyed by describing the weapons involve. There are a range weapons used to commit these violent acts such as, bottles, bricks, and rocks, followed by bats, clubs and blunt objects. Violence against gays and lesbians were so brutal, communities and most members of minorities that  were already subject in discriminations often demonized them. This often left gay and lesbians feeling isolated and vulnerable because of the difficult relationship with their communities and the police department. Religion is also a face that motivates hate crime. Every week there is a cross-burned according to Wessler (2001). At St, John Baptist Church a historic black church founded in 1765 has been a target of attacks committed by a group of whites which most of the time belong in a vicious hate group called the Ku Klux Klan. Groups like the KKK had such a negative impact on the society that they influenced 85 percent of the hate crime committed by single civilians and the other 15 percent they were directly responsible for committing those bias unlawful acts against others. Phillips (2009) Hate groups have so much power that they can spawn violence even not being present during the time that the crime was committed Phillips (2009). St John Baptist Church was just one of at least 73 other churches that suffer vandalism and suspicious fires from hate groups Phillips (2009). Most hate crimes committed against African American churches was victimizing during the 1800s and early 1900s during the period of slavery. Hate crimes are committed for different reasons and can occur anywhere and anytime. The important thing is catching these hateful acts as soon as they are committed, starting with hateful jokes and comments. Every Hour a hate crime is committed Wessler (2001). Phillips (2009) says that every one hate crime that is reported there are nine other hate crimes that go UN reported. Victims have a myriad of reasons why they do not report when they are a victim of hate crime. Some homosexual may not be ready to come out the closet fearing ruining relationships with co-workers family and friends. Some victims have little confidence that the authorities will not help them receive justice from there perpetuators. For hate crimes that is reported political leaders, law enforcement agencies state and federal agencies and public interest groups are working together to track down the origin of the bias acts committed Wessler (2001). If ever a victim of hate crime there is laws to protect people from people bias unlawful acts. A victim should first contact their local police or speak with someone at a higher level to inform them of the perpetrator’s cruel intentions Wessler (2001). When hate crimes are committed, their perpetrators face punishment  such as fines to their victims and jail time depending on how severe the crime is Wessler (2001). The Good news of all of this is that as a nation it is more people fighting against hate crimes Wessler (2001). People are speaking out more when bias acts flares up in their present. If ever been physically attacked, threatened with physical harm or discriminated against because of race, color, religion, national origin, ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, or disability is a victim of hate crime. Hate crime existing since the early 1800s now have laws to protect people from bias unlawful acts committed against them. Although America still filled of hatred, with the help of the government, law enforcements, nonprofit groups against hate crime and good people, can help slow down the motivated bias acts. References 1)Early Warning, Timely Response, Us Department of Education. (). Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/earlywrn.html 2)1999 Hate crimes Laws, Anti-Defamation League,. (1999). Retrieved from http://www.adl.org/frames/front_99hatecrime.html 3)Wessler, S. (2001). Addressing Hate Crimes. Six Initiatives That Are Enhancing the Efforts of Criminal Justice Practitioners. Hate Crimes Series. Bureau of Justice Assistance Monograph, 4)Phillips, N. D. (2009). The prosecution of hate crimes:. The Limitations of the Hate Crime Typology,

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Humans and the Environment Essay

Japan is an isolated nation covered with mountains, which means little land for agriculture. They went to the sea, and found fish, which was graciously delicious. They also farmed rice where there was land for farming, as well as other vegetables such as water bamboo, and lotus root. During the middle ages, the largest numbers of people in Japan were farmers and fishermen. Their way of life was often hard. Farmers’ crops perished in storms, drought, and floods. Fishermen risked their lives to go out on their small boats in rough seas. Both farmers and fishermen worked hard and had to pay heavy taxes to the nobles, who owned their land. As to China, they were a river civilization. In china the landscape was covered with loess, which is fine yellow dirt. During floods, loess would often clog irrigation ditches. Then they began to build dikes, so they could control the water flow. It was a semiarid region. The crop-fallow rotation was practiced by the Chinese in farming. Crop rotation avoids a decrease in soil fertility, because growing the same crop repeatedly in the same place eventually rids the soil of various nutrients. The fallow was primarily for storing moisture, rather than a fertility restoring device as in shifting cultivation. Then they began rice farming. The rice field would be flooded, and each plant would be planted by hand in the soft soil of the field. Since there wasn’t much animal manure, farmers usually used human feces to fertilize their fields. Their fertilizing allowed them to use the fields year after year, without the need to allow it to lay fallow. This type of rice farming was booming in China, resulting in the population also rising. Japan and China were both similar in using their environments, because they both herded animals. They also grew rice along their coasts. China had a better way of growing rice, but they pretty much only grew rice. China had irrigation ditches, but, were flooded from the loess. They also built dikes to control how much water would fill the fields. They also did the crop-fallow rotation. Japan went to river mouths to the deltas and rich plains to grow crops, which flourished their trading because they grew a lot of rice and vegetables. China grew and used silkworms to make silk. China then took the silk from the silkworms and made it into things such as blankets, towels, clothing, and other things. They obviously traded these all. The way Japan used their environment helps us understand a current issue or event today, because Japan still flourishes from the use of river mouths and flood plains to grow crops. The way china used their environment helps us understand that they were invaded a long time ago and needed protection, so they built a huge wall. The Great Wall of China is used today, not for protection, but for mainly show now. Tourists from around the world come to see the great wall. China also had its share of mistakes. In my opinion, they could have farmed other things than rice. Sure, it gave them a lot of publicity from their technique, but they could have had a lot more if they grew other crops. They could also use animal manure, even the little that they had. Which leads to grazing more animals.

Language Analysis Essay

The piece titled ‘getting our future back on the rails – slowly’ is written by a member of The Grow Slow organisation who believes that the most convenient occupant for the land of the abandoned railway yards is a community garden. The author begins the article in a confined toned aiming to convince the reader that a community garden is the right choice and later transfers on to a more critical tone when talking about convenient foods. The author’s main arguments include firstly that community gardens are a global trend and that their community should be one to follow such a trend, secondly a community garden will be beneficial to everyone and is the most efficient option and lastly community gardening will bring the whole community together. Firstly the author asserts that a community gardening is a growing global trend and that the council should accept the chance to bring their community ‘up to date with the rest of the world,’ by stating this the author implies that their community is behind compared to the rest of the world and encourages the reader to feel the urge to catch up with the world and support the growing trend. The author re-establishes this effect when informing the reader of the productivity that city farms bring to ‘hundreds of millions across the globe.’ The author also acknowledges opposing arguments that community gardening is ‘just a passing fashion,’ and further rebuts those arguments by giving examples of community gardens which are still around from the time they were dug in World War 2. Using World War 2 as an example not only causes the reader to agree that community gardens are not just a trend but also can be beneficial in times of crisis; this is furth er supported by the first image which accompanies the article. Secondly the author contends that a community garden will be the most sustainable option and will benefit the whole community. This is when the audience faces the transition in tone which becomes more critical about convenience foods. The author appals to their readers hip pocket nerve when declaring the ‘hidden price tag’ that convenience foods carry because ‘a lot of it is wasted’, ‘ends up in landfill’ and adds to ‘environmental damage.’ Not only does this cause the reader to stray away from the idea of convenience foods, it also brings upon the realisation that growing their own food will benefit the planet as well as themselves. The author further convinces the reader of the negative economic impact that convenience foods have by providing a chart from the NSW environment protection authority  which provides that each year in just one state the cost of processed food waste is approximately $360 million is wasted on packaged f ood, $240 million on frozen food and $170 million on takeaway. In contrast of this the author communicates that if people grew their own food they would value it too much and hence there would be no waste. Lastly the author recommends community gardening as the best option because it will bring the community together. The author claims that the garden will be ‘a great way for children to learn,’ also that ‘kids spend far too much time inside’ and the garden will provide a healthy option for them to go outside and do some physical work in the fresh air. Referring to children as one of the main benefiters from the garden the author not only appeals to the council, because children are the future of their community but also appeals to parents as they want their community to be a healthy and sufficient place for their children. The author declares to the council that voting for the garden will be a ‘visionary’ step and invites the community to ‘join in’ to ‘dig for victory again.’ By using the word visionary the author applies a positive effect on council members who may be reading the article making them feel that if they vote for the garden they will have been a part of a revolutionary step for their community, and inviting the community to ‘dig for victory’ implies to community members that the community option is the right option and as it was successful in the past it should be successful today as well. In conclusion the author’s main purpose is to gain the support of community members and convince council members that the garden is the best option to vote for in the upcoming hearing. The author justifies this through her three main arguments including that community gardens are a global trend to be considerably followed, secondly the author criticizes those who rely on convience foods and provide them with evidence that community gardens are the better and more sustainable option and lastly the author asserts that community gardens wi ll unite the community.