Does Malcolm X deserve the honor of an American Stamp?

Introduction – Before the electronic means of communication reached the hands of everyone equipped enough to access and use such technology for correspondence and even until now that electronic mail or email is as common as the early morning coffee for everyone, the US postal office holds a significant role as an institution in the American way of life. Among the most important aspects of the postal service is the existence of postal stamp and how it has become more than an ornament in the envelope of domestic and international mails that Americans send to friends, relatives and business contacts. It has managed to find a niche outside its utilitarian purposes as it metamorphosed into a collectible item as well as an instrument that helped illustrate the shifting social policies in place inside the United States as time went by, particularly with its role in helping make the country a place wherein equal social rights is in place and improving and that institutions that recognize notable icons and personalities does not consider ethnicity and racial background. Whites, as well as African Americans, are all featured in the different issues of US postal stamps. But is everyone who have earned a status as a social personality have a sufficient enough reason to claim a seat in the list of other icons who are featured in the US stamps or is there a defining line that separates America’s exercise of a system free from racial discrimination from the nomination of every individual who might be a personal favorite but not entirely iconic in the progress of the American way of life as it is today? There are those who will agree that a person such as Malcolm X – born Malcolm Little – achieved a sufficient degree of social importance that earned him the right to have his name and face featured in the US postal stamps, while there are those who may think otherwise. To ascertain the validity of the claims that would stem from those who supports this proposition as well as from those who disagrees with the idea of creating Malcolm X stamps, it is important to put forward first who Malcolm X is and what characteristics and accomplishments he has that made him qualified to be included in the list of African Americans who graced the different issues of the US postal stamp. Who is Malcolm X? – Malcolm X was an Omaha-Nebraska native. Malcolm was the son of Earl and Louise and their fourth child as a couple (since Malcolm X's father also had children prior to his marriage with Louise). Malcolm X's young life was characterized by violence, seeing their house burned by white men and seeing his father physically assault her mother, while her mother was just as abusive towards him physically, which he thought was because of his color (Harvey, p3). Historians claim that the turning point of Malcolm X’s life that led him towards his newfound responsibility towards social and civil rights is during his important transition from being a non-believer to becoming a faithful. He was hardly a religious man during his earlier life, and that is putting it nicely since Malcolm X actually confessed to having ‘very little respect for most people who represented religion’ (Harvey, p5). But when Malcolm X converted to Islam, he adopted the name El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and he became more active in not just religious preaching but as well as political sermons that advocated human and equal rights and consistently encouraged fellow African Americans to not be intimidated by actions of hate from white people. Sadly, religion, the institution that empowered him, is also rumored to be the one responsible for his death also, mainly because of Malcolm X’s leaning too much towards radicalism and his actions and words that nurture the atmosphere of civil disobedience and activism. Malcolm X in the American Stamp: Does he deserve the ‘Post’? – A United States Postal Service article stressed about its strong commitment in the effort to honor African Americans who made positive and significant contributions to the way of life in the country, even commenting about how the series featuring African American icons are amongst the popular US stamps in circulation. One of the areas wherein civil rights, equality and the absence of racism manages to display its self is in the selection of the icons and personalities that have adorned and will be featured in the postal stamps used in the United States for US mail. Civil and equal rights proponents will be glad to know that the US stamps accommodate notable African American icons – as a matter of fact, there are already some popular and iconic African American personalities that have made their way towards immortality via their presence in US stamps, and these personalities include Malcolm X as well as contemporary and fellow civil rights advocate Martin Luther King Jr., Booker T. Washington ( who is the first African American that was featured in a US postal stamp), Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman (the first African American woman who appeared in the U.S. postal stamp), Jackie Robinson, Scott Joplin and most recently, Thurgood Marshall. One of the noticeable characteristics among the African Americans who were selected to be featured in the postal stamps aside from Malcolm X is that they are not inclined to senseless and overt acts of violence and the outright disregard for laws and rules. King was contrasted with Malcolm X during their time because he was generally a pacifist, and Washington was known for using education as his main thrust to empower his fellow African American. As for Marshall, he was a civil rights advocate like Malcolm X during his time, but Marshall did not break or went around the law to have his way – he affected social change through the dispensing of morally correct and unbiased justice through the halls of the Supreme Court Justice. He assimilated himself with the system and made positive contribution towards his advocacy not by the distortion of the system but by helping create a just society bereft of crime. Thurgood was an icon because he believed that ultimately, the never ending social struggle is free from the color of one's skin and ethnicity, like the pursuit of fair and consistent justice by all. This particular characteristic – the ability to win an advocacy without the use of violation and without sowing more seeds of hatred among people of different races, the removal of violence as a means to achieve the victory of an advocacy, to effect social change in a positive manner – is an important characteristic and a significant consideration that the US post office makes every time they select a new icon from the civil rights movement group the act of immortalizing a person via a postal stamp design is a way of supporting everything that the person stands for and represent, and no modern day social institution will deify a person who is synonymous to violence, social disorder and criminal acts. Yes, it is true that not everyone can be saints, but if persons like Mother Theresa and Mahatma Gandhi can live a life without the use of violence, then why should the US postal service consider the criteria of moral soundness be overly high in their selection of the next new face in the US postal stamp? Yes, there are those who achieved their goals by the use of violence and force, like generals who won important wars and ruthless rulers who helped civilized nations and societies – but for those that can be achieved without violence, why would the best man (or woman) in that category be that which utilized violence and showed disregard and disrespect for the law? What message would it send to the public – whose taxes are making sure that federal offices like the US Postal Services operate so that they serve the best interest of the majority, and not the petty qualms of the few whose idolatry towards Malcolm X failed to comprehend the fact that Malcolm X and his acts of violence made him no better than the person and the institution he fought during his lifetime and aimed at changing. Conclusion – Malcolm X was an inspiration to many, mainly because he represents the rebel that every one wanted to become even just for once in their lives, against one act or experience that created the feeling of indignation. And while there are those who staunchly believes that he was instrumental in how the civil rights movement shaped in America during the late 1950’s and before he died halfway the following decade, the position of this paper in this particular issue is that Malcolm X’s violent and law-breaking past have placed him many points below in ranking along with other civil rights advocates – living or dead – in the US history who deserves to be honored with his/her own version of the US postal stamp. Reference: Haley, A. (1995). Autobiography of Malcolm X. Ballantine Books, N.Y.

Effect Of Forced Swim Stress Health And Social Care Essay

Introduction: Stress is an of import factor of depression that causes the alterations in assorted organic structure systems. The forced swim trial is a normally used stressor trial where rats are forced to swim in specially constructed armored combat vehicles for a peculiar period where there is behavioural activation characterized by vigorous swimming and diving to seek for alternate paths of flight. Animal wellness including homo has been shown to be affected by the nerve-racking events of life bring oning state of affairs which alters knowledge, larning memory and emotional responses, doing mental upsets like depression and anxiousness and emphasis in rats. Methods: The experiment was carried out with 12 healthy albino Wistar female rats weighing about 150-180gms. The animate beings were indiscriminately divided into two groups of six animate beings each. Group – I ( control ) , Group – II ( Stressed Group ) . Group -II rats are placed in fictile armored combat vehicles for 45minutes ( between 9.00 AM – 11.00AM for15 yearss / L-100cm, W-40cm, D-60cm ) deepness of H2O in the armored combat vehicle is -30cm. Temperature of H2O was maintained at 20EsC. During stress stage, the animate beings will be trained for forced swim trial, behavioural alterations observed by unfastened field setup for emotions, and eight arm labyrinth for memory & A ; propensity, elevated plus labyrinth for anxiousness. Consequences: Forced swim emphasis causes to a important alteration ( P & lt ; 0.05 ) on cognitive maps: motive, larning and memory. Forced swim emphasis is the factor damaging the hippocampus causes repeated immobilisation and bring forth wasting of dendrites of pyramidic nerve cells and neuroendocrinological perturbations, controlled by the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis ( HPA ) . Repeated emphasis in the signifier of forced swimming activates the free extremist procedures taking to an addition in lipid peroxidation in many tissues. Decision: This survey reveals the consequence of repeated forced swim emphasis causes broad scope of adaptative alterations in the cardinal nervous system including the lift of 5-hydroxytryptamine ( 5-HT ) metamorphosis and an increased susceptibleness to affectional upsets. The earlier findings have reported that chronic and acute emphasis processs weaken working memory maps in rats. There are really few surveies on bomber ague forced swim emphasis on working memory position of the animate being. The survey was undertaken to measure the assorted behavioural alterations by using sub ague forced swim. Cardinal Wordss: Forced swim emphasis, knowledge, behavioural alterations and unfastened field setup.IntroductionNerve-racking state of affairss induce physiological and behavioural alterations in an being to keep the homeostasis. Exposure to nerve-racking state of affairss is among the most common human experiences. In response to stressors, a series of behavioural, neurochemical, and immunological alterations occur that ought to function in an adaptative capacity [ 1 ] . Swiming in little research lab animate beings has been widely used for analyzing the physiological alterations and the capacity of the being in response to emphasize [ 2 ] . Swimming is non ever a simple exercising emphasis, because emotional factors are hard to be eliminated [ 3 ] . The forced swimming emphasis developed by Porsolt et Al. ( 1977 ) has now become widely recognized theoretical account for analyzing physical emphasis in animate beings. Water temperature is another of import factor in forced swimming trial. By changing the H2O temperature, Richter ( 1957 ) found that rats could last every bit long as 80 hours in tepid H2O ( 36AÂ ° C ) . Increasing or diminishing the H2O temperature above or below this point influences the overall behaviour of the animate being and changes the engagement of glucocorticoids [ 4 ] . The transition of O during normal metamorphosis to the by-products, H peroxide, Super oxide and hydroxyl extremist occurs by consecutive negatron add-ons to oxygen [ 5 ] . Toxic free groups have been implicated as of import pathological factors in cardiovascular diseases, pneumonic upsets, autoimmune diseases, malignant neoplastic disease, metabolic upsets, and aging [ 6 ] . However, swimming has besides been used to arouse emphasis responses in rats [ 7 ] . This emphasis is normally elicited by an ague forced swim session of between a few proceedingss to half an hr [ 8 ] . Psychological emphasis ( e.g. pes daze, forced swim trial ) raises degrees of corticosterone in the rat [ 9 ] . Which in bend leads to physiological alterations that include increased myocardial infarct size [ 10 ] Increased memory loss and knowledge [ 11, 12 ] . Therefore we set out to find whether forced swim preparation had an consequence on corticosterone degrees or elicited a alteration in behaviour of rats in the unfastened field. Materials and Methods: Animal theoretical account: Adult female Wistar rats weighing between 150-250 g were divided into two groups as Control ( n =12 ) and Stress ( n =12 ) . All the rats were given standard rat Zhou and tap H2O adlibitum and were housed at 25 AÂ ± 2 o C on a 12-hour dark/light rhythm. All the experimental processs were approved by the IAEC ( Institutional Animal Ethics Committee ) adequate steps were taken to minimise hurting or uncomfortableness. Stress processs: Rats were exposed to forced swimming stress day-to-day for continuance of 45 proceedingss between 09.00AM to11.00AM until 21 yearss. They were forced to swim in fictile armored combat vehicles ( length 100cm, width 40 centimeter, depth 60 centimeter ) incorporating tap H2O maintained at a temperature of 20AÂ ° C. The deepness of H2O in the armored combat vehicle was 30 centimeter. A upper limit of two rats were allowed to swim together during emphasis session. The control rats were housed under the same conditions and they were handled every bit frequently the stressed group.Behavioral surveies: Open-field setup ( OFT )The unfastened field trial is a common step of exploratory behaviour both qualitatively and quantitatively. Each rat was placed in the unfastened field for 5 proceedingss to prove for differences in anxious-like behavior and activity. This was done 24 hours after the last turn of swimming exercising. The unfastened field trial is designed to mensurate behavioral responses such as locomotor activity, hyperactivity, and explorative behavior. The unfastened field is besides used as a step of anxiousness. Rats tend to avoid brilliantly illuminated, fresh, unfastened infinites. The setup for the unfastened field trial is a square enclosure ( 1 m by 1 m ) made of black Perspex. To analyse exploratory and locomotor activities as an indicant of emphasis in the rat, animate beings were placed in the left rear quarter-circle of an unfastened field. The figure of line crossings and the entire distance covered by the rat were measured over 5 proceedingss. These are classical steps of locomotor and explorative activities. The more clip the rat spends in the interior zone of the unfastened field, and the more explorative the rat is, the less stressed it is perceived to be. Procedure: Each rat was placed separately in a corner of the field and its behavior recorded for 5 proceedingss. All activity was recorded utilizing a picture camera mounted above the unfastened field and scored subsequently by an advanced motion-recognition package bundle ( Noldus Ethovision version 3.1 package ) that detects and analyzes the motions of the rat. The video image of the unfastened field sphere was partitioned into 36 equal-size squares ; 24 boundary line squares and 12 Centre zone squares. Entire distance, mean velocity, and clip spent in assorted parts of the field ( e.g. the boundary line countries vs. the unfastened, in-between country ) were measured and analyzed. Testing was carried out in a temperature, noise and visible radiation controlled room. During the trial process silence was maintained in the trial room. The behavioral trials were performed from 1-1:30 pm day-to-day to guarantee that normal day-to-day fluctuations in corticosterone, circadian beat and activity did non impact the consequences. The rats were placed in a coop in the testing room an hr before the trial in order for them to acclimatise to the new environment. The unfastened field was cleaned with 70 % ethyl alcohol after each rat had been tested. Each rat was tested separately and in a separate trial room. Throughout the full testing-session, the sequence of events and processs was ever the same and the trial fortunes ( managing, room-features, equipment used ) were as standardised and controlled as possible. The full trial process lasted approx. 20 proceedingss per animate being, and was recorded on videotape to let analysis at a ulterior clip. Elevated plus-maze setup ( EPM ) : Elevated plus-maze is the simplest setup to analyze anxiolytic response of about all type of anti anxiousness agents. Exposure of the animate beings to novel maze back street evokes an attack turning away struggle which is stronger in unfastened arm as compared to enclosed arm. Rodents ( rats and mice ) have antipathy for high and unfastened infinite and prefer enclosed arm and, hence, spend greater sum of clip in enclosed arm. When animate beings enter unfastened arm, they freeze, become immobile, defecate and demo fear-like motions. The plasma hydrocortisone degree is besides reported to be increased, as a true contemplation of anxiousness ( Kulkarni et al. , 2009 ) . The elevated plus-maze was somewhat modified from that used by Lister ( Lister et al. , 1987 ) . Briefly, it consisted of two unfastened weaponries ( 30 cmA-5cmA-0.25 centimeter ) and two enclosed weaponries ( 30 cmA- 5cmA- 15 centimeter ) , widening from a cardinal platform ( 5 cmA- 5 centimeter ) and raised 50 centimeters above floor degree. The maze floor was constructed from black Plexiglas and the walls from clear Plexiglas. The conventional spatial-temporal steps recorded were the figure of entries ( all four paws on unfastened or enclosed weaponries and expressed as per centum of entire entries ) , the clip spent on unfastened weaponries ( expressed as per centum of clip spent on closed plus unfastened weaponries ) , figure of entries on enclosed weaponries and the clip on the cardinal platform. Ethologically derived steps were preparing, rise uping, as an emotionally related parametric quantity. A selective addition in the parametric quantities of geographic expedition of the unfastened weaponries of the labyrinth reveals an anxiolytic consequence ( Rodgers et al. , 1992 ; Pellow et al. , 1985 ) .Consequences:Table 1: Open field setup Parameters MEANAÂ ±SD P VALVUE Control Study Group Peripheral ambulation 74.5AÂ ±15.9 92AÂ ±117 & lt ; 0.05* Cardinal ambulation 13.8AÂ ±3.6 4.33AÂ ±1.86 & lt ; 0.001** Rearing 44.17AÂ ±10.5 24.5AÂ ±7.61 & lt ; 0.005** Preparing 31.5AÂ ±5.58 40AÂ ±9.05 & lt ; 0.005** Immobilization 28.6AÂ ±5.82 40.6AÂ ±5.2 & lt ; 0.004** Defecation 0.83AÂ ±0.41 1.83AÂ ±0.98 & lt ; 0.05* Micturition 0.50AÂ ±0.55 2.17AÂ ±1.47 & lt ; 0.03** *significant ** extremely important Fig-1: Consequence of emphasis on assorted Behavioral Parameters in unfastened filed setup Table 2: Elevated plus maize Parameter MEANAÂ ±SD P value Control Study Group Time spent in unfastened arm 38.3AÂ ±5.72 31.5AÂ ±3.89 & lt ; 0.03** Number of Open arm entries 1.67AÂ ±0.52 0.83AÂ ±0.75 & lt ; 0.05* Number of Closed arm entries 2.67AÂ ±1.03 1.5AÂ ±0.84 & lt ; 0.05* Fig 2: Consequence of emphasis on assorted Behavioral Parameters in Elevated plus maizeDiscussion:Forced swimming has been used to arouse stress response in rats [ 13 ] . Psychological emphasis like pes daze, forced swim trial raises degrees of corticosterone in the rats [ 14 ] . Corticosterone- let go ofing endocrine is normally released during emphasis and might be a factor that suppressed nutrient appetency in the forced swimming emphasis. The importance of our survey is apparent that the nerve cells in the encephalon are exposed to pulsatile form of free corticosterone [ 15 ] . The forced swim trial is used as a theoretical account of stress depression in neurological surveies [ 16 ] . In emphasis linked neuropsychiatric upsets like recurrent depressive unwellness, there is grounds of structural alterations in the hippocampus, a encephalon part extensively studied with respect to emphasize [ 17 ] . The present informations indicate that forced swimming emphasis a period of 21 yea rss, 6 hr decreased the whole organic structure weight and nutrient consumption and increased weights of liver, kidney and adrenal secretory organs and explorative behavior. This experiment indicate that 21 yearss of day-to-day emphasis is associated with impaired acquisition and public presentation of a spacial memory undertaking, the behavioral theoretical accounts suggest that the hippocampal wasting nowadays after the emphasis [ 18 ] . The present findings suggest a possible function for endoge-nous opiates in behavioural rousing [ 19 ] . Immobility clip in the emphasis group was 6 hours/ twenty-four hours for 21 yearss significantly reduced the stationariness clip. These consequences indicate that the swimming emphasis caused a down province in the stressed group. Refering neurotransmitters in the hypothalamus part, 5- HIAA/5-HT ratio significantly decreased in the stressed group due to increased 5-HT degrees and decreased 5-HIAA degrees compared to the rats without FST, propos ing that the lessening of the ratio perchance reflects the diminution of 5-HT metabolic activity due to swimming emphasis. These phenomena may be included in cardinal mechanisms of the development of depression. Forced swim emphasis causes to a important alteration ( P & lt ; 0.05 ) on cognitive maps: Forced swim emphasis causes Peripheral Ambulation P & lt ; 0.05, Central Ambulation P & lt ; 0.001, Rearing P & lt ; 0.005, Grooming P & lt ; 0.005, repeated Immobilization P & lt ; 0.004, Defecation P & lt ; 0.05, Urination P & lt ; 0.03, Time spent in unfastened arm P & lt ; 0.03, No. of unfastened arm entries P & lt ; 0.05 and No. of closed arm entries P & lt ; 0.05 and factor damaging the hippocampus causes produce wasting of dendrites of pyramidic nerve cells and neuro endocrinological perturbations, controlled by the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis ( HPA ) . Repeated emphasis in the signifier of forced swimming activates the free extremist procedures taking to an addition in l ipid peroxidation in many tissues [ 20 ] . Decision: This survey reveals the consequence of repeated forced swim emphasis causes broad scope of adaptative alterations in the cardinal nervous system including the lift of 5-hydroxytryptamine ( 5-HT ) metamorphosis and an increased susceptibleness to affectional upsets. The earlier findings have reported that chronic and acute emphasis processs weaken working memory maps in rats. There are really few surveies on bomber ague forced swim emphasis on working memory position of the animate being. The survey was undertaken to measure the assorted behavioural alterations by using sub ague forced swim.

Fashion in France during Renaissance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fashion in France during Renaissance - Essay Example The essay "Fashion in France during Renaissance" talks about fashion in the period of renaissance. By the end of the 15th Century, men's Renaissance fashion imposed a short and ornamental mantle, a broad-brimmed hat covered with feathers, and trunk hose, the ample dimensions of which earned for them the name of trousses. Women wore the bodies of their dresses closely fitting to the figure, embroidered, trimmed with lace, and covered with gilt ornaments; the sleeves were very large and open, and for the most part they still adhered to the heavy and ungraceful head-dress of Queen Anne of Brittany.† Females’ dresses became chic and shorter than ever, they wore very colorful garments during the time of renaissance. The female garments were loose and looked chic on the contrary men’s dress was made to be tightly fit and there was a lot of difference in men’s and women’s wear during the time of renaissance. â€Å"During the 16th Century, ladies wore the s kirts of their dresses, which were tight at the waist and open in front, very wide, displaying the lower part of a very rich under petticoat, which reached to the ground, completely concealing the feet. This, like the sleeves with puffs, which fell in circles to the wrists, was altogether a typical Italian Renaissance fashion. Frequently the hair was turned over in rolls, and adorned with precious stones, and was surmounted by a small cap, coquettishly placed either on one side or on the top of the head, and ornamented with gold chains, jewels, and feathers.

Commercial Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Commercial Law - Case Study Example When a company accepts to tranship the goods of a shipper, they must take due care in ensuring that the goods are shipped in time and reach the owner in good order and condition, which Andy's vessel company failed to ensure. The company failed to take due care of the goods entrusted to it. Edith can hold back his freight charges, which she was entitled to pay for the discharge of goods until such a time when the matter is settled and thereafter pay for the discharge of the goods. In this case, Barry is absolved from any ability since; he played his role by enduring all the three bills of lading to Edith, which shows that ownership has changed. The freight payable to the shipment company by Edith should be held by her until the matter is settled. Liability solely lies to the company since it is apparent good order and condition. This means that they were damaged while on tranship. To conclude, Edith has to sue the shipment company Andy's vessel for the loss caused to her arising from damage caused so her arising from the damage caused to her goods. In this case, she should leave the goods in possession of the shipment company until her claim is full settled and discharged. From the point or rule three above, the shipment company is liable to tranship and after reaching the destination, they will not be liable. In other words they accept liability of goods while on tranship. Same way problem or damage was done while on tranship. The damage caused resulting to loss by Edith has to be compensated for since liability arises as per the rules of the carrier. Edith can sue the carrier for the reckless of her cases. Barry should have complied with all the formalities in ensuring that the goods were despatched in good order and in time but the carrier, company had the dispatched the goods in good form only to reach Edith damaged. A similar case studied is that of: Tool Metal Manufactures Co Ltd v Tungsten Electric Co Ltd (House of Lords) In April 1938 the appellant made a contract with the respondent whereby they gave they gave the respondents a license to import, make, use and sell ' hand metal alloys' in accordance with the patent rights held by them. The respondents were to pay royalties on the materials made and compensation if in any one month they sold more than the stated quantity of the alloys. In 1942, following the outbreak of the Second World War, the appellants voluntarily agreed to suspend their right to compensation, it being contemplated that a new agreement would be entered into. In 1944, negotiations for a new contract begun but broke down and, in 1945, the respondents sued the appellants (inter alias) for breach of contract and the appellants counter-claimed for payment of compensation as from June 1 1945. The respondent's action was dismissed. Regarding the counter-claims, the Court of appellants counter-claimed for payment of compensation as from June 1 1945. The respondent's action was dismissed. Regarding the counter-claim, the Court of Appeal held that the agreement of 1942 operated in

Field Report on visiting Ryton Garden Organic. sustainability issues Coursework

Field Report on visiting Ryton Garden Organic. sustainability issues - Coursework Example Expanding food markets is necessary for improving the livelihood of small scale farmers looking for ways of sustaining their livelihoods. Organic farming is part of sustainable agriculture that sustains the health of soils, people, and the ecosystem. The ecological processes, biodiversity, and local condition cycles sustain organic farming rather than agricultural inputs that have adverse effects. Organic farming combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the environment and promote good quality of life for participants. Garden organic was founded in the 1950s and is a national organizational for organic farming based in Ryton. The organization provides an organic approach to a sustainable future for the people and the planet through organic farming. Garden organic provides advice to organic farmers such as increasing the natural health of soil, choosing the right plant varieties, and producing a healthy garden through working with nature. The organization also provides fa rmers with guidelines for sustainable and efficient organic farming. Scientific research conducted by the organization aims to develop and improve techniques of organic agriculture and knowledge advancement on organic farming systems. Research also focuses on crop technology, pests, diseases, weeds, economics and markets, and soil dynamics. Garden organic also provides free resources for schools and maintains a Food for Life Partnership network for transforming the food culture into organic farming. Home composting is also promoted by the organization as a means of providing organic manure for farmers (Garden Organic, 2013). The wider society is involved through the international development program aims at promoting organic agriculture in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The program aims at improving the understanding of sustainable agriculture as a way of improving food security. The program conducts research and training on management and provides resources for poor farmers. Netw orks created in the international program organize farmers for capacity building on ecological agriculture. The program also develops organic agriculture for consumption in the domestic market and for export. The international program has been successful through farming networks created in different parts of the world. European organizations provide information and support in technological development for farming organizations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. NGOs, governments and extension workers in the third world have improved organic farming in their constituent countries (Garden Organic, 2013). Garden Organic owns 30 individual gardens that are set in 10 acres of land. The gardens showcase composting, pest and disease control, growing fruits and vegetables, herbs, roses, shrubberies, lawns, and herbaceous plants. The gardens have a conservation area that has native trees and wildflowers. The production method showcased support the organization’s incentive of organic farming. Wildflowers and native trees support environmental conservation. The showcase also incorporates bee farming and living willow structures that complement organic agriculture. Garden organic has expanded its activities beyond the UK into Africa, Asia, and America. Crop farming has surpassed bee keeping and is the main activity for the organization. Crop farming especially vegetable and fruit production has gained popularity over other farming types

Long essay question 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Long essay question 2 - Coursework Example He believes there are real truths. Real truth is the same as an absolute truth. If there are moral ideas that are truer than that of the next, then it is a real morality thus a real truth (Willard 5). Willard says truth depends on what someone believes. If someone tells you the truth according to what he or she believes, then that is the real truth. Relativism follows natural law according to Richard Dawkins. Dawkins believes we face an equal but more sinister challenge when it comes to addressing the truth. He believes cultural relativism from the view that scientific truth is just one kind of truth. Dawkins says the truth about scientific discoveries is an absolute truth and not just relative to the people that believe in it (Dawkins 406). Tim Keller says the objection to Christianity is because of the mistakes concerning nature of truth, community, and Christianity. Keller believes the truth in freedom. He preaches love of God for human beings as absolute (Keller 48). The Bible holds the absolute truth about God and ways humans should relate to one another and

The Open Source Challenge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Open Source Challenge - Essay Example American elite intelligent team uses OSINT as among the disciplines to combat security threats both at home and outside the country (FBI, 2014). For military officials to manage perfect air strikes and eliminate terrorism, they must have used intelligent Satellites to determine the terrorists’ locations. The intelligent team must have also used direct information from local residents. There is likelihood that the team used internet to acquire the correct photos and information of the targets. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). (2010). IN Tellingence: Open Source Intelligence. Retrieved September 15, 2014 from https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/2010-featured-story-archive/open-source-intelligence.html The Federal Bureau of Investigation. (FBI). (2014). Directorate of Intelligence: Intelligence Collection Disciplines (INTs). Retrieved September 15, 2014 from

A Report on the issue of absenteeism within business organizations Research Paper

A Report on the issue of absenteeism within business organizations - Research Paper Example After concluding, the report will present recommendations that can be used to eliminate or control the issue of absenteeism within business organizations. This present report is based on the issue of absenteeism and in particular, the report will critically analyze this issue in regards to different case examples from different business organizations, According to the studies by Mullins (2007), absenteeism is described as the act of failing to report to the workstation or school without prior knowledge of the work supervisor or the schoolteacher or in other circumstances with prior knowledge to the work supervisor or the schoolteacher. Therefore, absenteeism can be scheduled or unscheduled or it can occur intentionally or unintentionally. Absenteeism is a common issue at the workplace and it occurs in almost all industries, however, De Paola (2008) stated that in the disciplined forces such as the Army or the navy, the issue of absenteeism is not quite prevalent because of stringent rules and regulations in the disciplined forces that prohibit against unscheduled and intentional absenteeism. Numerous studies have focused on the issue of absenteeism because of the overall impact that it has on work operations and the subsequent impact on the bottom line of a business organisation. ... 1.0 Introduction This present report is based on the issue of absenteeism and in particular, the report will critically analyze this issue in regards to different case examples from different business organizations, According to the studies by Mullins (2007), absenteeism is described as the act of failing to report to the workstation or school without prior knowledge of the work supervisor or the schoolteacher or in other circumstances with prior knowledge to the work supervisor or the schoolteacher. Therefore, absenteeism can be scheduled or unscheduled or it can occur intentionally or unintentionally. Absenteeism is a common issue at the workplace and it occurs in almost all industries, however, De Paola (2008) stated that in the disciplined forces such as the Army or the navy, the issue of absenteeism is not quite prevalent because of stringent rules and regulations in the disciplined forces that prohibit against unscheduled and intentional absenteeism. Numerous studies have focus ed on the issue of absenteeism because of the overall impact that it has on work operations and the subsequent impact on the bottom line of a business organisation. Mullins (2007) noted that given the fact that employees perform various roles or duties while on their workstation, it means that during their absence, certain functions will not take place or the output from their respective positions will be considerably low. This is because the employees who will be replacing them or acting on their position will not have similar or matching skills and qualifications. It is however, important to note that the impact of absenteeism on a company’s operations or the bottom line of a company largely depends on the position

Describe The Future of Employee Training and Development Essay

Describe The Future of Employee Training and Development - Essay Example Investing in the employees is considered to be the best investment on the part of the modern organizations. The increasing levels of competition and sustainability issues in the business environments have created a pressing need for companies to manage their assets well. The human resources in an organization are the most valuable resources. Investing in the human resources is seen as a profitable investment with massive returns in terms of organizational improvement, value creation and competitive advantage creation. Learning is a process by which the employees gather information and use this information in their daily job roles. This often leads to the overall development of the employees in terms of skills and knowledge. Many businesses are focusing on developing talent pools within the organizations to ensure efficiency and competitive advantage of their businesses. The future trends of employee learning and development are expected to be innovative and dramatically different from the conventional ways of training and development. One of the main trends expected to play a dominant role in the future of employee learning and development is that learning will assume a central role and evolve beyond mere training and development practices. In the present situation, training is seen as a main medium of imparting knowledge to the employees with the training instructor playing an influential role as the center of all information. This involves a traditional classroom setting. However, it is expected that in the future, the role of the employees would be more established in the training settings with the employees emerging as the seekers of information and knowledge (Wilson, 2005). The focus would be on the employees trying to tap in various resources to satisfy their learning and development needs. The employee training processes are likely to become blended in the future which will

Case studyfinish 2 questions as i send you Essay

Case studyfinish 2 questions as i send you - Essay Example tals that outrun the ability of local firms to compete on the same trading scale with them, and as such, have to seek other ways of protecting themselves from the competition posed by such international corporations. The Coca Cola Company, for instance, is one of the major multinational corporations operating in China as the leading market player in beverage drinks. In fact, the company holds nearly 16% of the total market share control of beverages in the Chinese market, which is a huge threat to the local players in the industry. The company is currently planning to spend $ 4 billion between 2015 and 2017 in the Chinese market in order to cut off the stiff competition it is getting from the here as the world’s most popular beverage drink market. This is just a sign of how much competition the local firms face from established multinational corporations. As such, apart from these firms coming into the domestic market with huge outlays of capital, they also come in with a reputable brand image recognized over a global scale, which makes it difficult for domestic firms to fight their competitive wave. Jianlibao is one of the leading domestic brands in beverage production in China. The brand had humongous success within its home market during the 1990s that spurred the sports drink maker to pursue its dream of expanding into international markets abroad. This move was totally out of line with the company’s local prospects of protecting and safeguarding its domestic playing field from international market players. For instance, its expansion to dozens of overseas markets created room for the entry of new international players like Coca Cola, which came in with a bang, and aspired to take over the local market. As such, Coca Cola produced a local brand that blended appropriately with the Chinese market, the Kekou Kele, which is among the most effective strategies employed by international firms to adapt to local Chinese markets, as well as, connect with local

Ho Chi Minh and Ngo Dinh Diem Essay Example for Free

Ho Chi Minh and Ngo Dinh Diem Essay Following the Geneva conference in1954, an agreement was signed to end the First Indochina war. The agreements also lead to the temporary division of the Democratic of Vietnam into two sub- countries separated along the Laotian border next to the 17th parallel. To the north was the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and its capital in Hanoi and to the south was the Republic of Vietnam and its capital was in Saigon. The leader of the north was Ho Chi Minh and the south was lead by Ngo Dihn Diem. The two leaders possess different skills and ideologies, however with the common target of uniting Vietnam, leading it to freedom. In this paper, an evaluation of the two leaders basing on the context of the Vietnam society will be made, about their leadership styles that lead them to win the hearts and minds of their subjects and consequently support for their initiatives (Schandler, 2009). Ho Chi Minh is a political genius. He fools the people of Vietnam to support his cause through propaganda, terror and betraying even his close friends to form the Communist movement in Vietnam. He even tricks the patriotic solders and makes them to rebel, thinking that they are doing it for the benefit of Vietnam. A good example is the Hue Massacre in 1968. They seize the city of central Vietnam, killing thousands of innocent people, due to them inhabiting the southern Vietnam (Moss, 1990). Even though he commits all these, he is capable of creating good impression to the people of Vietnam and the whole world at large. He manages to mobilize the people in the west through his propagandas. As a result, the person protests the south and praised the north. They are not able to discover his ill motives, but mistook him as good leader with good morals vision (Catino, 2010). He is deceptive and canning. He always wore a smiley face that could easily deceive the masses to think that he has the interest of Vietnam in his mind. He even insinuates that is major aim is to free the people of Vietnam from  the colonial chains of The French. However, his only major aim is to liberate t he nation and leads it to prosperity and development. In 1945, when he returns to Vietnam, he is chosen to lead Viet Minh. Here he convinces many of the leaders by claiming that it is the revolutionary group whose intention is to end the French invaders. He has massive support, and when they win the French at Dien Binh in 1954, Ho Chi Minh is accorded all the praises and seen as a hero (Catino, 2010). Ngo Dinh Diem portrays himself as an honest and courageous leader. He shows his prowess in blocking the French from dominating his homeland. Ngo is equipped with genuine liabilities and his political base is developed through his own family that has high esteem and reputation (Moss, 1990). Also, Ngo Dinh Diem having stayed in the US, has gained him personality and experience from the influential politicians and reputable church leaders like senator Mike Mansfield and the cardinal of catholic church by the name Francis Spellman. This has made him the prime minister and also enjoys the massive support from the Vietnamese people (Moss, 1990). Ngo Dinh Diem is a determined and hardworking leader. He is very muc h focused in closely working with The United States military to in building the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces. The chief reason for this is to create a strong defense at the northern border, against the inversion North Vietnamese. Initiating the creation of Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) in 1963 and also providing the United States for the South Vietnamese is a good indication of his effort and hard work (Moss, 1990). Although he is challenged with the political instability, his determination won the hearts of many people in not only the Southern Vietnam and the entire Vietnam community. Personal leadership was a major factor in reuniting the country following the war. Ngo Dinh Diem and Ho Chi Minh were able to achieve growth and transformational processes as indicated by the conscious decisions they made in uniting the country (Schandler, 2009). Through personal change the leaders played a major role in developing and ensuring an enlightened life that was more meaningful, full of self-awareness, purpose-driven as well as being socially responsible. Overall the leaders embraced vital lessons of personal leadership, which inspired the people to have deep reflection and indoctrination of positive aspects into everyday lives. The personal leadership had positive transformation of the Vietnamese society and had  positive implications on the world around (Moss, 1990). It is clear from the discussion above that various skills and ideologies of the two discussed leaders contributed greatly to the reunion of Vietnam. Though their policies differed, their creativity and diligent leadership styles won the hearts of Vietnamese people, and the entire Continent of Asia. The Vietnamese embraced their leadership and consequently support for their leadership initiatives. They maintained political stability and achieved their dream of uniting the people of Vietnam (Catino, 2010). References Catino, M. S. (2010). Peaceful ActivitiesNorth VietnamsInverson of the South. The Aggressors: Ho Chi Minh, North Vietnam, and the Communist Bloc (p. 86 87). WashingtonD.C: Dog Ear Publishing, . Moss, G. (1990). America’s Diem Experiment The Formation of Seato, . Vietnam, an American ordeal (6th edition ed., p. 24). Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall Schandler, H. Y. (2009). The enemy. America in Vietnam: the war that couldnt be won (p. 14). Lanham, Md.: Rowman Littlefield Publishers.

The Internet revolution Essay Example for Free

The Internet revolution Essay The economics of information in the 1990s permanently altered the traditional linear supply chain of sources, manufactures, distributors, retailers, and customers via the Web (Pyne 2000, p1). With the emergence of the internet over the past fifteen years, the supply chains for e-retailers have evolved in a similar fashion to the industrial revolution. Unlike traditional brick and mortar retailers, e-retailers supply chains include the front-end interaction, the consumers themselves (Cucuzza and Cherian, 2001). Therefore, it is essential that e-retailers ensure a smooth integration of information between the front-end users and the back-end support functions. To be successful, e-retailers need to provide an efficient marketing strategy to understand the customer buying requirements, and to be able to address them. The role of technology has allowed e-retailers the ability to collect and analyze personal trends of their consumers, although at a possible personal infringement of their cliental. In addition, as superb the front-end model may be, many companies fail today due to insufficiently integrating and ensuring a back-end support function is in place to provide efficient and timely delivery to consumers. This paper will address the e-retailer supply chain addressing both spectrums the consumer relationship management and the supply chain management. Moreover, this paper will also draw upon various companies strategic internet successes as examples. The Beginnings of the Internet Revolution Similar to the Industrial Revolution, where growth was predominately spurred by standardized mechanical interfaces, breaking down procedures into many mini-procedures (Fordism), the Internet Revolution is being stimulated by the standardization of interchangeable business processes (Cucuzza and Cherian 2001, p. 3). The interchangeable business processes are the digital interfaces between e-business tools and the internet. These tools are derived from the improvements in technology, from the storage of digital data to digital information (Cucuzza and Cherian 2001). E-Business. The buzzword E-business has emerged as a new strategic initiative for companies to pursue. E-business can be defined as buying and selling over digital media, and includes both front- and back-office applications to maximize customer value (Kalakota 1999, p4). With increased pressures on companies to perform and ensure quarterly growth, senior management has implemented numerous past initiatives including downsizing, re-organizing, and re-engineered processes to cut costs. Utilizing the benefits of technology to exploit the power of e-business allows for senior management to transform the existing business models. As popular as the internet medium has become for on-line shopping for consumers it is not a perfect system. Consumers are unable to touch, smell, or try on products. They may not be able to determine the quality of products, or how some products may compliment others (for example, ensuring the correct speakers are used for a specific amplifier). Although e-retailers do provide quality reports and analysis, it is not the same as experiencing the sound itself. In addition, payments are electronic and have been prone to security flaws, and the delivery of the goods has been cumbersome at times. These difficulties have become a norm for many e-retailers to develop a sustainable business, however with the use of technology they have been able to create advantages that may not be found within the norms of traditional shopping. Marketing of E-retailers On-line shopping has numerous benefits to the consumers, it reduces time and is more convenient to shop from the luxury of your own home, and provides the consumer with the ability to compare prices, products, and availability. However, although this constitutes an opportunity for retailers, it is also a challenge. The critical success factors include i.) use of customer databases; ii. ) easy ordering and; iii. ) quick delivery (Agrawal, Singh, p. 1538). With the notion that buying on-line is convenient, consumers expect e-retailer websites to be very useful and efficient. With the usage of technology, E-retailers have developed websites that are very informative, and easy to use. E-retailers provide information about the product, quality reports, customer reviews, comparison to substitutes, shipping rates and schedules. All the information is at the click of a button, 24 hours a day. The technology has provided the websites to be more interactive, and with better visuals. It is essential that e-retailers provide additional services including a shopping basket for consumers to keep track of goods that have been selected, and a search engine which allows the consumer to search the website quickly without going through many different internet pages. Moreover, a safe and efficient payment system is required that has data integrity. This system is known as the e-commerce paradox. E-commerce firms must be open and closed at the same time (Awad, 2004). They must be able to share information with suppliers, business to business (B2B), and with business to customers (B2C). E-retailers security includes firewalls, passwords and log-ins, and virtual private networks, as well as intrusion devices (Awad 2004, p. 405). Technology has introduced a honeypot system, which is designed to showcase an artificial environment that lure attackers into thinking they have gained access, giving time for authorities to potentially track down the intruder (Awad 2004, p. 403). Another important aspect for e-retailers to increase the likelihood of consumers purchasing on-line from their websites is Customer Relationship Management. The first step is for e-retailers to develop a strategy that will allow e-retailers to properly promote to their target market, and allow them to focus on customer requirements. However, understanding your customer needs has taken on a new avenue with advancements in technological software. Technology gains have also been demonstrated in the marketing techniques of e-retailing. The concept of buying on-line is still relatively new, and many consumers are still hesitant of it. There is nothing to stop a consumer to research on-line, and then purchase the product at an actual outlet. Research has demonstrated that brand loyalty and price elasticity are less important compared to bricks and mortar shopping as consumers are exposed to a lot of information and therefore they usually look for the best value (Agrawal and Singh, p. 1549). In many instances, a person may abandon her shopping cart in the middle of the checkout process, but for reasons unknown. Forrester Research estimates that 82% of e-retailers depend on consumers to hit the links to their websites and page view to manage the success of their websites, however only 2% of the visitors will actually purchase online (Ismretail 2002, p3). With this in mind, online intelligence has become a technical advancement to achieve. Click-stream technology allows e-retailers to ability to understand abandonment and provide them with the information to react accordingly. By analyzing clickstream data a trail of mouse clicks left by a user who visits a website a retailer can make use of details such as the number of users, where they come from, which pages are visited, the order in which they visited them, how much time was spent on each page, and where they went after your site (Ismretail 2002, p3). This information used properly can assist e-retailers in determining trends of their customers, their similar likes and dislikes, and where their websites can be improved. The information gathered can even determine if the consumer chose to go to a competitor site, and compare prices. This data allows the e-retailer to market accordingly to each individual customer. On Amazon, when an individual purchases a book the company will then analyze the purchase with other recent purchases and then promote other books that may be of interest. This is very similar to the movie Minority Report starring Tom Cruise which is set in the year 2054. There is a scene in the film that shows Cruise walking through a shopping concourse is bombarded with personal advertisements based on marketers analysis on Tom Cruises role individuality. With new technology developed over the past few years (i. e. Clickstream software), consumers will be more closely watched by sites and receiving personalized pitches based on past browsing behavior (Stone 2004, p2). This may stimulate increased purchases, and higher sales for the e-retailer, but could be looked at an infringement on the privacy of consumers. Websites now include Meta data and extensible markup language (XML), which are standards for tagging data on web searches. Although, this may be a positive factor for e-retailers to analyze consumer behavior on an individual basis, the ethical side to this comes in to question. When is it crossing the line on consumers rights? Web analytic companies are now increasingly offering their services from $30,000 to over a $100,000 a year (Stone 2004, p2). More recently, Sportsline. com has used a web analytical company to identify customers dropping out of an American football fantasy pool, which enabled Sportsline to address and improve its processes that led to an increased number of paying customers (Stone 2004, p2). Moreover, technology has led firms such as Atomz to offer advance search engines for e-retailers to attach special promotions to the searched item. PalmOne has recently used this service which has converted the number of searchers to buyers by over 60% (Stone 2004, p2). With the immense competition e-retailers face, other global websites, and the traditional brick and mortar stores, it is important that they cater to their customer needs. The traditional statement that location is everything has little value in e-retailing as all websites have equal distance to their consumers. It is therefore essential that e-retailers seek means to ensure customers return to their websites. The key factors are efficiency, personalization, socialization, and the look and feel of the site (Agrawal and Singh, p. 1537). Although, this may indicate that they may infringe on consumer privacy rights, they have used technology to their benefit to obtain information that is beneficial in making strategic decisions. However, having a strong front-end website does not guarantee success. Once the consumer initiates the first step by purchasing a product, the actual delivery of goods becomes just as important in the supply chain. Back-end System Support Once the e-retailer obtains a client, it is essential that they provide an efficient back-end system that will ensure availability, workable ordering website, and delivery on-time. Accenture international research has indicated that 1 in 4 internet purchases fail due to various reasons (Agrawal and Singh, p. 1549). In the traditional avenue of shopping, many consumers will not go back to a store if the ability to purchase items fails 25% of the time. Accenture has also stated that one of the most common reasons for this failure include that items are usually out of stock, which indicates that the front-end systems are not connected to the back-end support systems (Agrawal and Singh, p. 1549). A seamless integration of all systems, for example, implementing an Enterprise Resource System is required. This integration will allow the e-retailers to advise if the product is in stock, the expected delivery date, and substitute and compliment product availability. Moreover, systems that connect with vendors will advise the e-retailers if the products are in back-order, different characteristics of the product (size and colour) and delivery time. This connection of all information systems now provides the capability to consumers to select from a menu of shipping rates and schedules, and then be able to track the fulfillment of the order in real time. Digital Deconstruction processes have accelerated in that by creating digital interfaces between processes, companies can automate these processes to achieve scale efficiencies unattainable in the past (Cucuzza and Cherian 2001, p. 2). Studies have shown that when customers and vendors share a single system, and orders are entered once, a 75% to 90% reduction in transaction costs occur utilizing a web-based catalog. The different processes include: Preparation of purchasing requirements   Identification of potential suppliers Deliverables specification, volumes, price, delivery, transportation   Fulfillment   Receiving and holding supplies   Relationship building with suppliers (Groucutt and Griseri 2004, p180). The use of technology to improve the efficiency of the supply chain, and ensure customer satisfaction can be demonstrated using company examples. Roundpeak Although the company no longer exists, it was one of the first online retailers who used technology to manage its physical and virtual supply chain. It had partnerships with manufacturers across four countries, air cargo companies, and with warehouse, fulfillment and delivery operators. The numerous B2B partners created a need for Roundpeak to ensure that the various departments in the supply chain communicated accordingly. An online order was instantly fed to the fulfillment house, a packaging and inventory control center, and into a warehousing, inventory, and delivery data system that was accessed by all members of the supply chain. If a customer orders a product, a request to the manufacturer goes out electronically. Once it receives the goods from the manufacturer, a digital signature is sent to authorize receipt, which allows the purchase order and receipt to be matched digitally. The purchase order would then instantly be fed into the accounts payable system where funds are transferred at once. This system was known as the Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment system (EBPP). The benefits included streamlining relationships with suppliers and eliminating redundancies by inputting completed once by the consumer. (Case study developed by Pyne 2000).

The Impact of Part Time work towards Academic Performance

The Impact of Part Time work towards Academic Performance 1. Introduction Most of MCAST students work part-time. Does this affect their school performance? If work is related to their studies this would definitely be beneficial. What if work is not study-related? After all, do students really need to work? Is a students life becoming boring? Curtis and Williams (2002) states that combining paid work and study, has become a norm in the UK. Vickers et al. (2003) report a similar situation in Australia, highlighting the global significance of this trend. According to Labour Force Survey carried out in the UK, it states that between 1996 and 2006 the amount of student engaged in part-time employment increased by 50%. According to the Journal of Organizational Behavior (1998) 50% of the full-time students in the U.S. have a part-time job. Part-time work can have a positive impact on the students especially if the work is course-related. Students can have a glimpse of their future job and determine whether they actually like that particular career path. Also, part-time jobs can help students improve time management skills and become more efficient. Parents and educators are in favour of employment amongst students because they believe that employment builds character (Greenberger and Steinberg, 1986). Dwyer et al. (2001) argue that combining work and study promotes a pragmatic perspective on education On the other hand, an excessive workload can have a detrimental effect not only on the students academic performance but also psychologically and physically. Combining work and study can also have negative effect on the students mental health such as stress and fatigue, leading to worsening performance in class. Rolfe (2002) reports that UK students believe that the excessive and unsocial hours of part-time work sometimes lead to tiredness and depression. If we had to look at higher education around the globe, say in the UK, students would have to pay approximately  £3000. In Germany, universities now charge à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1000 enrolment charge per year. In the USA the tuition fee varies around $9000 per year. Malta is one of the few exceptional cases were students are paid to study. MCAST students are entitled to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬83 per month and à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬233 at the beginning of the academic year. Out of which students are entitled to pay à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬372 BTEC registration fee. When I started university 6 years ago I never felt the need to do a part-time job (except in summer). Obviously, my budget was very tight and luxuries were inexistent. Nowadays, I started to believe that students prefer working part-time than keeping away from buying expensive mobiles, laptops and cars. This study examines two types of part-time work. Research has been preformed for students who work in the IT industry and the other research was carried out on students whose part-time job is not study-related. The purpose of this research is to find out whether these two types of part-time work affect the students performance and well-being. In this research we find that part-time jobs for student have a positive impact on their studies as long as the number of hours worked does not exceed twenty. Section 4 provides a background on the apprenticeship scheme at MCAST and other non-IT related jobs. Section 5 analyses the common part-time jobs amongst respondents and the main reasons for engaging in part-time work. Section 6 evaluates the effect of part-time work on students performance. In Section 7 the students well being is analyzed when compared to work and study commitments. Discussion, Future Limitations etc.. 2. Literature Review The literature reviewed below examines the popularity of part-time work amongst students, how employment is affecting students performance and how part-time work is effecting the students life. Some of the issues discussed in this research are the number of hours a student works, whether they still have time for study and leisure and how does this effect their academic performance and well-being. The prevalence of part-time work: According to Social and Economic Conditions of Student Life in Europe over 40% of the students from Spain, Sweden and Finland have work experience prior to entering into higher education. In general, more students from lower education backgrounds have work experience than students whose parents attained a higher education degree. It has been reported that poor students in countries such as Bulgaria, Ireland and Switzerland receive additional grants to compensate for the missing base funding via state support. For example, Irish students from low-educated families receive 93% more state support and high-educated families 44% less than the average student. In Malta students who come from families where the total household income is less than à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5,000 per year are eligible for a supplementary grant of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬42 every four weeks, which is additional to their regular stipend. In Netherlands and Estonia more than two thirds of the students have a part-time job. In Australia half to three quarters of the students work. According to the report of the French Conseil Economique et Social on students employment (2007), 15% to 20% of students work regularly while studying in France. Statistics Canada states that, in Canada more than 48% of the students work part time. Full-time students working more than 35 hours per week has almost doubled since 1990. According to the Canadian Undergraduate Survey Consortium, more than 50% of the students work during their least year of their degree than the first. In Austria, Czech Republic and Estonia there is a comparatively high rate of employment and a relatively close relationship between students jobs and students courses (Social and Economic Conditions of Student Life in Europe). Analyses of the Eurostudent survey indicates that the lowest level of students working part-time is in Southern Europe (especially Portugal and Italy) and the highest rate is in Netherlands and Ireland. Potential reasons for such outcomes may be due to the nature of the labour market and availability of jobs suitable for students. For example, in Greece the majority of students do not engage in paid employment due to lack of job opportunities (Dimitros and Karaliopoulou (2005)). Whereas, in the U.S. part time employment has become the norm amongst students (Bureau of Labour Statistics 2005). In the past few years employment among post-secondary students has been increasing rapidly. The effect of part-time employment on students performance: Ronald DAmico (1994) states that part-time employment provides opportunities to assume greater responsibility, authority and cooperative interdependence. Students who work part-time will develop networking skills; contacts and references will be valuable for future employment opportunities. Employers may prefer students who held part-time jobs while at college because it indicates stronger management skills. Also, there is high probability that students who worked part-time will be employed on full-time basis once they graduate with the same company. Green (2001) also stated that they[students] had gained job skills, experience, knowledge of a variety of jobs, a sense of accomplishment, a feeling of responsibility, and money for personal and school expenses (p. 329). Employment can have a positive effect if balance working hours and study are balanced (Cheng 1995). Research done by the University of Canberra shows that paid employment did not have a large effect on grades. Results show that some paid employment improves grades slightly, but working more than twenty-two hours per week has a negative effect. On the other hand, most of the research indicates that employment negatively affects students academic achievements especially those who work more than fifteen hours a week and they are more likely to drop out (Stern 1997). According to Furr and Elling (2000), 29% of the students working 30-39 hours per week and 39% of those students working full time indicated that work had a negative and frequent impact on their academic progress. (Dallam Hoyt, 1981) anticipated that there will be negative effects on school performance because of part-time employment. Juggling work and study may also lead students to put forth less effort into both because they are spreading themselves too thin (Astin, 1993). According to Canadian Social Trends, 1994 shows that student who worked more than 20 hours had 33% dropout rate whereas students who worked less than 20 hours had a 16% dropout rate. Young and immature students tend to find it difficult to mange working hours and study than older students (Barone 1993). Therefore, age also pays an important role in the students decisions. A March 2009 study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that students with part-time work reduce the time spent on homework, sleeping, and socialization by 84%. McInnes (2001) stated that compared with those who do not work, younger first year students who work part-time are more likely to spend fewer days on campus, to not work with other students on areas of their course, and to have studied inconsistently through the semester. They also tend to anticipate getting lower marks, and are more likely to seriously consider deferring at an early point of their student experience We also know that these negative factors are amplified the more hours students work, and they feel seriously burdened by overcommitment. (p. 5). The effect of part-time employment on the students life: Too many hours spent at work could also affect the students lifestyle such as participating in extracurricular activities. Greenberger and Steinberg(1986) argued that instead of instilling work habits, many students who worked part time at an early age were more prone to cheating and dealing with boring work. Students who are unable to manage their part-time income or have never been given the right advice on how to save money will find it more difficult to make budgets and are more prone to overspending. This will eventually result in increasing the number of working hours. Research also indicates that too many hours of work increases fatigue and may cause lower academic performance. Carskadon(1999) states that students who work more than 20 hours changed their sleeping patterns resulting in later bedtimes, shorter sleeps, possibility of falling asleep during class, late arrivals at school or missing lectures. Many students who work part time find have limited time for their hobbies and extra-curricular activities (Hope 1990). According to researchers Barling, Rogers and Kelloway, Labour force participation by high school students, especially more than 20 hours of part-time work per week, is linked to poorer school performance, increased drug and alcohol use, decreased family contacts, and cynical attitudes toward work On the other hand, Tannock (2001) and (Li-Chen Wooster, 1979) pointed out that student works tend to have low skilled jobs, such as a cashier, fast food worker or retail. It is assumed that these jobs have a negative effect whereas high-quality part-time jobs seem to develop career-related skills. Also, these jobs are more likely to be flexible and work with students schedules (Healy, OShea, Crook, 1985). A number of researchers, for example, found that hard work built stronger academic character because it taught the students time-management skills, gave them experience outside of the classroom, more confidence and provided them with more satisfaction in college (Pennington, Zvonkovic, Wilson, 1989). According to Smith and Green (2001) student who work learn a lot and they develop self-efficacy especially the low-achievers. In her research Singg (2002) found out that students who work part-time tend to show more responsibility in their daily personal situations and have greater career maturity than those students who do not work. Stern (1997) states that students will develop a more positive attitude to work when gaining work experience whilst studying. Managing to work part time during the studies will also be beneficial on the resume. Employers look for students who are capable of managing time, working in teams, able to communicate and work on their own initiative. Research by the University of New Hampshire shows students who have a lot of free time they are more prone to make use of drugs and other substances. Therefore, the benefits of having a part-time job will keep the students occupied during their free time. Moreover, students who work part-time become financially independent and learn how to effectively manage finances. 3. The Research Context MCAST-BTEC National Diploma in Computing (Software) is offered at Malta College of Arts, Science Technology (MCAST). This course is Level 4 and the duration is 1 year Full-time or 2 years part-time on an apprenticeship. The course specializes in Software Development and the modules are relevant to the needs of the industry. Students who opt for an apprenticeship will still cover the same modules but over the duration of 2 years. ETC assists apprentices in finding an employer with whom they can perform their on-the-job training during the apprenticeship period. Apprenticeship will be required to work 27 hours a week and attend lectures twice a week. During 2009/2010 academic year I have noticed a 3% drop out and 25% failure rate. It has been found out that students are not dedicating enough time to practice programming mainly due to part-time work commitments. This study is targeted towards this group of students. The major questions of this research are: What factors influence students to seek part-time employment? How do students juggle study and work commitments? Do students set priorities if study and work commitments clash? If yes, how? Does part-time work have an impact on the students academic performance? Does part-time work have an impact on the students social life and well-being? Do the types of jobs students work have an impact on their academic performance? Do the number of hours worked effect the students performance? Research Methods: A questionnaire was compiled for students enrolled in the second year of the Diploma (specializing in Software). Questionnaires were distributed to two classes (one apprenticeship and the other non-apprenticeship) during one of the lectures. I taught both classes the same modules, i.e. Programming Concepts/Practice and mentoring their end-of-year Software Projects. Students were asked to complete the questionnaire anonymously. The data was collected two months prior to the end of semester when the student attendance was high. A total of 35 students completed the questionnaire. The average age of the students interviewed was between 17 and 21 years. Questionnaire Structure: The questionnaire comprised of four sections as follows: General information including Age, Gender and indicating whether they are apprenticeship students or not. Students engagement in part-time employment, including type of job, number of hours worked per week, number of days worked per week and the average hourly rate Students distribution of income Students experiences in balancing work, study, personal development and leisure. Students were asked to indicate whether they worked during the academic year and, if so, the number of hours and days they worked per week and the hourly rate. To evaluate the impact of part-time work on education, students had to specify how many hours they spend studying and the frequency of missing lectures or assignment deadlines due to work commitments. Ethics Procedure: Students were advised that participation was voluntary and refusing to participate will not affect their academic report. Students were informed that completed questionnaires will be stored in a secure location and treated with strict confidence. The questionnaires did not include any confidential data such as parents income or whether the students family receives government social benefits and grants. 4. Overview of the students background: Apprentices: ICT students at MCAST can opt to form part of the Apprenticeship Scheme during the second year of the National Diploma. They will spend 2 days at the college and 3 days at the work place. Apprenticeship students work 27 hours a week and are paid à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬200 per month (besides the monthly stipend). The course will be completed within 3 years (1 Year Full-Time and 2 years part-time on an apprenticeship). The benefit of students working as apprentices is that they are exposed to the working world and therefore they can better relate theory to practice. These students are led by professionals thus gain training and a learning experience. Apprentice students are more likely to be recruited by the company after they have completed their studies. Non-Apprentices: The option is that students can decide to complete the National Diploma in two years full-time. They will only benefit from the monthly stipend as stated in Introduction Section. These students will be allocated seventeen hours of lecturing per week. Most of the ICT students opt for this choice mainly because they complete the Diploma within 2 years. 5. The prevalence of part-time work: Non-IT related part-time jobs: Employment is the only way students can earn extra cash. Since most of the students are under qualified it is very difficult to find course related jobs therefore they opt for other part-time jobs. According to the Labour Force Survey carried out in the UK, nearly half a million full-time students work in the retail sector and nearly quarter of a million students work in hotels and restaurants industry. This survey shows the complete opposite. Only 11% of the students interviewed work in the retail sector and nearly half the respondents work in the catering industry. Besides the 43% of the students who work at an IT company (apprentices), this survey shows that the most popular part-time jobs amongst MCAST students are the following: Figure 1: Survey Question: What type of job do you have? The most popular non-IT related jobs were waiters/waitresses at fast food outlets, crepe makers, selling fast food at stalls and serving drinks in bars and clubs. In general, there were more male students than females engaged in these types of part-time jobs. The least most popular were cashiers at retail shops, telephone assistants, receptionists and entertainers. On the other hand these types of jobs were more popular amongst female students. These jobs require the minimal responsibility, flexible hours and few qualifications. Conversely, companies prefer people who are committed and work long hours because of the short-term and long-term projects they will have to complete within a stipulated deadline. Reasons for engaging in part-time work: Students at MCAST receive à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬83 per month as stipend. Is this amount enough for a student? Why does a student need to work? The main reason why students work is because they want to buy a car and maintain it. A car gives students independence and a social status. In February 2009 InsiterOnline.com  [1]  carried out a survey showing that 85 out of 170 students own a car and 22 out of 85 have a car bought to them by their parents. This clearly shows that Maltese students priority is that by the age of 18 they own a car. The second most popular reason for working is having money to spend during the weekends. The minimum amount a teenager spends every weekend is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬20 including alcohol, transport and fast food takeaway. The third most popular reason for working is to buy clothing. Over the years I have noticed that students have become more conscious about their appearance. Most of the students wear expensive brand clothing and accessories. Other students prefer to do a part-time job to buy computer games and the latest gadgets. Keeping in mind that 99% of the students live with their parents therefore they do not have any accommodation expenses (besides a small percentage of the students who are expected to contribute to family expenses). The diagram below shows the statistics of this survey: Figure 2: Survey Question: How do you spend your part-time money? The most unexpected result was the 28% of the students who spend their part-time money on clothes. Research by the (Wheeler, 2001)states that in the U.S. an average student spends $57 weekly on clothes. To make matters worse, Malta is one of the most expensive countries in the EU to buy clothing. Evarist Bartolo  [2]  , ex-Minister of Education stated that, Maltas prices are the second highest in the Eurozone (after Slovakia). They are 150% relatively more expensive than EU average. Footwear in Malta has the highest prices in Eurozone: 164% relatively more expensive than EU average. Consumer electronics in Malta are the second highest in the Eurozone (after Slovakia): 186% relatively more expensive than EU average. Case studies: Reasons for students engaging in part-time jobs These case studies mostly suggested that students working long hours were doing so because of money. Working to earn extra money: David* is 19 years old and his obsession is cars. Similar to the majority of Maltese teens by the age of 18 years their first investment would be a car. This gives them independence and social status. David is not satisfied with buying a cheap second-hand car but his dream is have a modern sports car. David also believes that further education is mandatory in todays world, therefore he does not intend to stop studying. To be able to buy his dream car he estimates it would cost him around à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬14,000. Since David is a student he can only apply for a loan of up to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5000, therefore the only option left is to sacrifice his free time and work. Working to pay for accommodation and living costs: Sarah* is 21 years old and comes from a middle-class family. During the last year together with her boyfriend they decided to rent a basic apartment and move in together. Although she comes from a middle-class family her family decided to assist her financially with school expenses but not for accommodation. To cope with the expenses, Sarah works as a shopkeeper between 4 and 7 during weekdays and between 9 and 12 on Saturday morning. Working to pay for leisure activities: Rebecca* is a fashion enthusiast and loves parties. She is always wearing brand clothing and accessories. The stipend is not enough to buy expensive clothing and go out in the weekends. Therefore, Rebecca works 10 hours a week at a clothing shop to make up for the extra expenses. Working to gain experience: Nathan* is one of the brightest students I have ever taught. He is 21 years old and an apprenticeship student. Besides working at an IT company he also works as a freelance web designer. During his free time he is always researching new technologies and enhancing his programming skills. *The names mentioned in the above case studies are fictitious. 6. The effect of part-time work on students performance: Evaluating Students Income: Students living with their parents have a higher amount of income when compared to others who have to maintain their own households. In other European countries students have to spend one third of their income on accommodation. In general, MCAST students spend most of their daily expenses on transport and food. The following table evaluates a students daily expenses; assuming that the majority of the students do not own a car but use public transport. Breakdown of an average student daily expenditure: Public Transport: (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1 each way) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2.00 Lunch Soft drink: à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3.50 Total Daily Expenses à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5.50 If we had to make some calculations: An MCAST student receives à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬83 per month. S/he spends on average à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5.50 a day at the college. Calculation: Monthly stipend à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 83 Less Monthly expenses (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5.50 * 20 days) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬110 Remaining Balance à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬27 The above calculation shows that a student who commutes to school using public transport and buys lunch from the college canteen everyday the stipend will not be enough to cover these basic expenses. The student makes a loss of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬27 monthly. Paid Work: Few working hours will unlikely have an impact on the studies, but the more hours worked the more there will be an impact on the students academic performance. This section will take into consideration 4 factors; pay and conditions for students working part-time, time spent in paid employment, time spent at college and time spent studying. Pay and Conditions for Students working part-time: According to the Part-time Employees (Amendment) Regulations, 2010- L.N. 117 of 2010, published on the 12th March 2010, part-timers should be paid à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4.75 per hour during weekdays and on Sundays and Public Holidays the rate is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬6.50 per hour. It is more likely that students from low-income families engage in a part-time job during their studies. Research shows that nearly half of the respondents earn à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3 to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4 per hour, which by and large is the minimum wage. Only 5% of the respondents earn à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬6 to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬7 per hour. This survey assumes that the statistics are based on the net pay. Figure 3: Survey Question: How much money do you earn per hour (net pay)? Time spent in paid employment: Furr and Elling (2000) and Dallam Hoyt, (1981) agree that the number of hours worked effect the students performance. There is a negative impact when students work more than twenty hours a week. Figure 4 shows that more than fifty percent of the interviewees work more than twenty hours a week. The majority of these students work as bartenders, waitresses or waiters, therefore it is quite common to work long hours because of the opening hours. Their shifts are usually from 5 pm till late at night. Such part-time jobs do not only entail taking orders and serving food but they are also generally requested to clean the place after the establishment closes. Figure 4: Survey Question: How many hours do you work per week? Nearly half of the respondents work between four to five days a week. The majority work on Friday evening and Saturday. Wednesdays and Sundays are also common working days. Students prefer not to work during the weekdays because of school commitments but if they are asked to work during the weekdays the majority of the students admitted that they would not refuse work. This clearly shows that students are eager to make money. Figure 5: Survey Question: How many days a week do you work? Time spent at college: Students are timetabled seventeen hours of lecturing. The following is a timetable of one of the classes interviewed. On average they spend six and a half hours at the college. Out of which they have four and half hours of lecturing. Overall, students wait ninety minutes between lectures. Figure 6: Sample Timetable Time spent studying: ICT students at MCAST spend 8 hours weekly in a computer laboratory. During these hours students will be thought programming concepts and they will also have hands-on sessions where they can practice under the teachers supervision. 8 hours are not enough to learn programming. Students have to practice at home to succeed. According to an article issued by Monash University (Faculty of ICT) states that programming students should spend at least 10 hours per week studying and practicing. Results: This section will describe the outcome of this research. Figures in section 4, 5 and 6 have been analyzed and evaluated. The table below calculates the number of hours remaining after deducting the total number of lecturing hours and hours allocated for studying, working and sleeping per week. The following calculation is based on a student who works 20 hours a week Hours Lectures per week 16 Working hours 20 Studying 10 Sleeping (7 hours * 7 days) 49 Total Hours Remaining (168 hours 95 hours) 73 Total hours in a week: 24 hours * 7 = 168 hours Total appointed hours: 16 + 20 + 49 + 10 = 95 hours The above estimations illustrate a breakdown of the number of hours in a week. As a result a student who works part time can only utilize the remaining 73 hours for study time and leisure. According to the EuroStudent survey, in most of the countries the average time spent on personal study time ranges between 30 to 35 hours per week. According to the EuroStudent document, the national averages for study-related activities (i. e. for taught courses and personal study time) range between 25 hours per week in Slovakia and Estonia and up to around 40 hours a week in Romania and Bulgaria. In most of the countries time spent on studies clusters around 30 to 35 hours per week. Gender % Number of Students Females 23% 8 Males 77% 27 Type of student % Number of Students Apprenticeship 43% 15 Non-apprenticeship 57% 20 Working hours for non-apprenticeship students (i.e. not IT related): Number of Hours % Number of Students More than 20 hours 40% 8 Less than 20 hours 30% 6 Do not work 30% 6 Grades % Number of Students Pass 14% 5 Merit 26% 9 Distinctions 40% 14 Fail 20% 7 Breakdown of grades: Working Scheme No. of students Pass No. of students Merit No. of students Distinction No. of students Fail Apprenticeship 5 10 > 20 hours 1 7 3 3 Do not work 1 1 3 1 The above statistics show that students who do not work or have a course related job are the most successful. The highest number of students who achieved a distinction are the apprenticeship students. With regards the group of students who work more than 20 hours a week, only one out of eight managed to achieve a pass the rest failed the module. The group who worked less than 20 hours a week managed to obtain a Pass and half of the group even managed to obtain a Merit. This shows that if students manage to balance work and st

Career Choice :: essays research papers

Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions a person has to make in their life. It is so important because that is what we will have to do to support ourselves throughout life. Imagine being stuck in a dead end job and having to go to work every morning and dreading it. That is no spending oneÕs time and life is too short to work 35 years and be unhappy with it. If a person likes the job they do then it is not work, because finding satisfaction out of a job can bring great happiness. That information has enabled me to make the decision of choosing my area of study and career in the field of Information Technology. Many things have lead up to my decision to choose a career in Information Systems. It started at my first semester at my local community college. I was enrolled in their graphic design program and most of the classes I was taking consisted of art classes. My first computer class was working in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. They are graphic programs that many graphic designerÕs use to make their design work. While working with these programs I was very intrigued by the power of computers and how they work. While going to school at the local community college I soon got a job at CitiMortgage working at the computer help desk. I was learning more about computers and networking which helped lead to my decision to change my degree of study to information systems. Along with my change of interest and working for a company that helps pay for my school I was looking for a better college to attend and that had a program that would fit my needs. I soon became aware of Maryville University and the weekend and evening college program that they offered.

Julius Caesar - Mark Antony :: essays research papers

Mark Antony The character of Mark Antony from Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar may be viewed as simply the confident and devoted supporter of Julius Caesar. On the contrary, Antony presents the qualities of a shrewd flatterer, a ruthless tyrant, as well as a loyal follower. Antony’s characteristics will change as the play progresses. He will begin using flattery to get what he wants, but he will eventually depend on his powerful relentlessness. Furthermore, Antony uses these various attributes to make him successful. Throughout the play, Antony uses flattering to achieve his goals. Following the assassination of Caesar, Antony quickly grasps that he must deal with Brutus, and he has the shrewdness to take advantage of Brutus’s gullibility. Antony has his servant say, "Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest" (III i 126). From this point, it is clear that Antony intends to flatter Brutus and to work upon those personal qualities of Brutus which represent his fundamental weaknesses. Antony then comes to the Capitol where he further flatters the conspirators by shaking their hands and saying, "Friends am I with you all, and love you all..." (III i 220). This act symbolizes that Antony has made a new friendship with the conspirators, but in reality, he is plotting to seek revenge so he can take over Rome. Antony is also able to flatter the vast angry crowd in order to get his way. He is first able to get the crowd to feel sorry for him. This feeling is evident when the second plebeian says, "Poor soul, his eyes are red as fire with weeping" (III ii 116). Antony is then able to turn the people in the crowd against Brutus by teasing them with Caesar’s will. Antony says, "And being men, hearing the will of Caesar, it will inflame you, it will make you mad" (III ii 144-145). This blandishment provokes an immediate response of the crowd demanding that Antony read Caesar’s will. Although Antony uses flattery to get what he wants, he will also show respect for others with his devotion and loyalty. One of the most significant characteristics of Mark Antony is his strong, affectionate loyalty to Julius Caesar. Antony’s devotion to Caesar extends beyond a simple friendship, but politically as well. This fact is best recognized when he offers Caesar the crown of Rome three times in the beginning of the play. This act shows that Antony is dedicated to Caesar because he is quite willing to serve under the rule of an ambitious tyrant. Immediately following the assassination of Caesar, Antony acts as though he Julius Caesar - Mark Antony :: essays research papers Mark Antony The character of Mark Antony from Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar may be viewed as simply the confident and devoted supporter of Julius Caesar. On the contrary, Antony presents the qualities of a shrewd flatterer, a ruthless tyrant, as well as a loyal follower. Antony’s characteristics will change as the play progresses. He will begin using flattery to get what he wants, but he will eventually depend on his powerful relentlessness. Furthermore, Antony uses these various attributes to make him successful. Throughout the play, Antony uses flattering to achieve his goals. Following the assassination of Caesar, Antony quickly grasps that he must deal with Brutus, and he has the shrewdness to take advantage of Brutus’s gullibility. Antony has his servant say, "Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest" (III i 126). From this point, it is clear that Antony intends to flatter Brutus and to work upon those personal qualities of Brutus which represent his fundamental weaknesses. Antony then comes to the Capitol where he further flatters the conspirators by shaking their hands and saying, "Friends am I with you all, and love you all..." (III i 220). This act symbolizes that Antony has made a new friendship with the conspirators, but in reality, he is plotting to seek revenge so he can take over Rome. Antony is also able to flatter the vast angry crowd in order to get his way. He is first able to get the crowd to feel sorry for him. This feeling is evident when the second plebeian says, "Poor soul, his eyes are red as fire with weeping" (III ii 116). Antony is then able to turn the people in the crowd against Brutus by teasing them with Caesar’s will. Antony says, "And being men, hearing the will of Caesar, it will inflame you, it will make you mad" (III ii 144-145). This blandishment provokes an immediate response of the crowd demanding that Antony read Caesar’s will. Although Antony uses flattery to get what he wants, he will also show respect for others with his devotion and loyalty. One of the most significant characteristics of Mark Antony is his strong, affectionate loyalty to Julius Caesar. Antony’s devotion to Caesar extends beyond a simple friendship, but politically as well. This fact is best recognized when he offers Caesar the crown of Rome three times in the beginning of the play. This act shows that Antony is dedicated to Caesar because he is quite willing to serve under the rule of an ambitious tyrant. Immediately following the assassination of Caesar, Antony acts as though he

Judgment and Superficiality Essay -- Shakespeare Beauty Shallow Essays

Judgment and Superficiality Beauty is only skin deep Beauty is in the eye of the beholder   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Beauty is only skin deep† and â€Å"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder† can be very controversial quotes to some people. Those quotes are all based on how they are viewed by other people. You may not believe in them but others might believe strongly in them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, â€Å"Beauty is only skin deep† all depends on what type of person you are. Both quotes rate directly to each other but let’s pull them apart separately. I think that ‘Beauty is only skin deep’ is expressed in many ways by people. If you are not one of those beautiful people in this world then to some people you mean nothing. When you look around a normal school you see clicks right? Well that’s what I am talking about. You see the people who express them selves by wearing darker clothes, and the people who always wear the trendy and instyle clothes. Sometimes you get jealous and say mean things because either you wished you looked like them or you want the things they have. But we were all created differently. You have to like yourself first for anyone else to like you. Relating to ‘Beauty is only skin deep’ means that people only look at what’s inside that counts. Some people believe at love at first s ight, what is all that about? That means they like the person just from seeing them. So many people in this world can relate. People judge people. You look around and think by the clothes or hairstyle this girl wears that she can either not afford them or chooses to be that way. So you think she is poor. Doesn’t she deserve your attention too? I think that beauty is over rated. People need to look at your mind, your intelligence. Coming from a world where I get compliments a lot, saying that I am pretty I know what its like. I am not trying to be conceited but it’s just the truth. Being pretty is not all it’s cracked up to be. Since being pretty has got me a lot of compliments it also brings in the bad sides of things. Ultimately girls think that I am stuck up and a rich snob, If they knew me or got to know me they would hopefully think differently of me. They also think that since I am pretty that their boyfriends will like me and leave them or something, cause they get really jealous. I do not know why this is but they think I am a boyfriend stealer. When I am only interested in those limited ... ...her for other reasons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then Shakespeare also expresses in Act 3, Scene 1, when Titania wakes up and she falls in love in love with Nick Bottom the weaver. This shows that belief of ‘Beauty is only skin deep’ is irrelevant to that particular scene. Titania immediately falls head over heels for the boy and she chases him with every word. She sends her fairies to wait on him hand and foot to show her affection. Without even knowing him Titania wants him because of the evil spell the King of the fairies puts her under. He wants to embarrass her with something he knows will work, this shows that they know of the fact of love at first sight. Love at first sight is a saying people use on first opinions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why must people be so harsh and mute to the fact that the world is judge mental? I think that everyone knows that everyone else judges’ people they just do not want to admit anything or be wrong. Everyone one is so self involved at one time in another they do not stop and think what other people are feeling. These quotes do not just affect people but the feelings inside people. Next time you say that he/she is hot, think how immoral you are being to yourself and others.