Poetic Techniques Employed by Robert Herrick Essay

Much of the poetry of the 17th century was heavily romantic, focusing on damsels and decadent parties where the Roman wine God Bacchaus ruled supreme. Amongst the movements’ teachings was the idea of â€Å"Carpe Diem† – the Latin phrase for â€Å"seize the day†. Herrick, fascinated by this ancient philosophy, centred many of his poems on the theme, cautioning people to use their time wisely. Robert Herrick was one of the â€Å"Tribe of Ben†, a group of poets who followed and were inspired by the works of the dramatist Ben Jonson. The Cavalier Poets were seen as followers of Ben Jonson because, in the words of Professor Jennifer Mooney, â€Å"they drank with, rhymed with and modeled themselves after Jonson.† The name â€Å"Cavalier† was given to the group as they were a movement who believed in living life to the full. Anniina Jokinen states: â€Å"They treat life cavalierly, indeed, and sometimes they treat poetic convention cavalierly too† They glorified the ordinary rather than great historical or fantastical epics. However it is not only this group of poets that Herrick is connected with, but with the Carpe Diem poets such as Andrew Marvell who was the author of the famous â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† and Christopher Marlowe. This dissertation will look at the texts: â€Å"All Things Decay and Die†, â€Å"To Live Merrily and To Trust to Good Verses†, â€Å"To Daffodils†, â€Å"To Bed of Tulips†, â€Å"Corinna’s Gone a Maying† and the famous â€Å"To the Virgins to Make Much of Time†. Each of these poems are very similar, however there are many differences that render them unique. This dissertation aims to analyse Herricks’ carpe diem poetry by studying the techniques employed by Robert Herrick in his exploration of the concept. One reason why Robert Herrick’s poetry is so successful is because it is simple. Part of this simplicity is helped by symbolism that is used to mirror the ideas of mortality and carpe diem. These symbols are universally understood and give the poems not only richness but also an element of clarity that is gracefully treated. This simplicity is brilliantly evident in â€Å"To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time†: â€Å"Gather Ye rosebuds while ye may Old Time is still a flying But this same flower that smiles today Tomorrow will be Dying.† This first stanza displays Herrick’s effective simplicity. Sarah Gilead states that the first line is the â€Å"distillation of the carpe diem message† as it states a mere fact of life: we are here for a limited time only and we must use our time wisely. It is the universality that has made Herrick’s poetry last throughout the ages. He uses parallels that are everlasting. The rosebuds in this stanza symbolize the fruits of life – things we set out to gain in our lives. The â€Å"rosebuds† could be anything – they could be ordinary material objects such as a house, or something more sentimental like love. Herrick advises us though, to get them while we are young, for youth quickly dies. Therefore the rosebuds not only symbolize the objects and aspirations of life, but life its self for we too â€Å"tomorrow will be dying†. A similar use of flowers as a symbol of the briefness of life is evident in â€Å"To Blossoms†: â€Å"Fair pledges of a fruitful tree, Why do ye fall so fast?† Blossom is, of course, the blooming of flowers. However, despite their obvious beauty, they quickly wither and die. In this poem Herrick looks upon the dying blossoms of a tree. Through this Herrick sees that these blossoms show how it is the nature of all things to pass away. This is evident as Herrick describes how in its leaves one can read â€Å"how soon things can end†, and by saying: â€Å"Like you awhile, they glide Into the grave.† Thus, Herrick is comparing the lives of blossom, to the lives of humans to find that they are both the same: they are both mortal and must die. By choosing something like Blossom that passes away so quickly, Herrick exaggerates the shortness of the human life span but in doing so reveals that we too life for only a brief time. This idea is also shown in â€Å"All Things Decay and Die†, which concerns itself not with flowers, but rather with the mighty trees of the forest. Again Herrick shows how no one is invincible by showing that even the mightiest of trees has to â€Å"decay and die†. Nothing withstands time but time itself. Herrick portrays this theme by using the idea of trees. Trees, unlike blossoms, live for hundreds of years. Yet they are not immortal and must therefore die. Herrick displays this by writing: â€Å"The sovereign of all plants, the oak Droops, dies and falls without the cleavers stroke.† What is interesting is the use of the word â€Å"sovereign† as it’s connotations to royalty and King. This concept of power and nobility is repeated earlier in the poem when the oak is described as â€Å"the proud dictator of a state like wood†, which once more implies strength, power and authority. So why does Herrick use such words to describe a tree? The answer is because he wanted to show that the mighty fall as well – that they are not immune to the rules of the cosmos. Therefore it is evident that through the use of vegetation Herrick has created a simple, yet effective parallel of human life that explains just how short our lives are and illustrates why exactly we should â€Å"seize the day†. Herrick’s poetry, though, has other ideas which illuminate the theme of carpe diem. The flowers in â€Å"To the Virgins† and â€Å"To a Bed of Tulips† not only symbolize life, but are used to represent virgin women. These two poems urge the virgins â€Å"Be not coy, but use your time And while ye may go marry: For having lost but once your prime You may forever tarry.† Robert Herrick strikes a note here as it is human nature to put things off and to say â€Å"There’s always tomorrow†, but if we â€Å"forever tarry† then we shall never do what we planned – time will catch up on us. In other words: seize the day! â€Å"To a Bed of Tulips† has an almost identical last stanza as again Herrick repeats his message to those unmarried maidens by saying – â€Å"Come virgins, then and see Your frailties, and bemoan ye For, lost like these, twill be As time has never known ye† Once more Robert Herrick is drawing a parallel between his two subjects as he compares these virgins with the Tulips. In this final stanza he describes the virgins as frail and insignificant in the world. This mirrors the rest of the poem as the tulips â€Å"quickly wither† and that they, like the virgins, will die â€Å"even as the meanest flower.† However, these stanzas’ show another side of Herrick which, four hundred years after these poems were written, is not quite as popular. To the modern reader, who may regard these stanzas as sexist, might find these final verses as an anti climax. After three beautifully lyrical verses of flowers and rising suns, a final stanza describing marriage as a woman’s greatest ambition is not going to appeal to the career woman of the 21st century. So why, then, are these poems still popular in our modern times? The answer is quite simply that the earlier  verses with their simple imagery and the parallels of the sun and flowers make up for a somewhat dated ideology. Flowers though are not the only use of symbolism in Herrick’s writings. The sun and its daily path of sunrise and sunset has also featured in some of his poems. For example in â€Å"To the Virgins† the second stanza begins: â€Å"As yet the early-rising sun Has not attain’d his noon.† This shows how the suns rising and setting are used to symbolize the cycle of life. Perhaps not an uncommon thing in literature or religion, but effective as it not only parallels life and death but it also holds links to the idea of heaven and eternal life – an ironic feature in poems about mortality. The connection with heaven is evident in â€Å"To the Virgins† when in verse two Herrick states: â€Å"The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun The higher he’s a getting The sooner will his race be run And nearer he is to setting.† What Herrick is saying here is that time is wearing on and that life is drawing to a close for the sun is almost setting on a day and on a life. However it is the first line in this stanza – â€Å"The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun† – that is the most effective. It has connotations with God, the land of eternal youth and happiness – the immortality that does not exist in our physical world. The word â€Å"glorious† makes the sun seem dazzling, brilliant, and because â€Å"glory† is also a biblical term, it echoes this link with God and heaven. â€Å"Lamp† though is a curious term to be used to describe something of such importance and beauty. Yet it works, for the sun is the  light of Heaven, which all people hope to be our final destination and homeland. Roger B Rollin says in his study of Herricks’ poetry that the rules of the atmosphere mirror the rules of all life – whether it be animal or plant, and that we are f ated to die before we come to our prime. This argument is extremely accurate as the sun’s daily routine of rising and setting is a mirror of human life that begins in child hood and ends in a withering old age. As Herrick has used symbolism and imagery expertly in his work he has created many beautiful poems which, despite outdated views on the role of women in society, remain favourite verses in this modern world of equal opportunity. Another reason though, why Herrick’s poems are still popular today is his cultural experimentation: namely the influence of Greek and classical mythology in his writings. Greek mythology, which appears frequently in Herrick’s writings, has greatly influenced his poetry. H. R. Swardson says: â€Å"all the girls are Antheas and Julias and Corinnas and even the ‘sea-scourged merchant’ is going to Ithaca.† In fact such is this influence that some critiques suggest that it shows a devotion to the pagan spirit. However as Robert H Denning states: â€Å"It is a humanistic fusion which is neither exclusively Christian nor classical-pagan, but rather an imaginative blend.† This â€Å"imaginative blend† creates what Denning describes as â€Å"ceremonial universality† – meaning that the poem can appeal ceremonially to all faiths and generations. This is most clearly seen in â€Å"Corinna’s Going A Maying† where classical myths are used in harmony with more Christian ideas and rituals to describe the idyllic English countryside in spring. For example, in the first stanza Herrick describes the birds as singing â€Å"hymns† and it being a â€Å"sin† to still be inside at Dawn. However, whilst these two references are plainly Christian the description of the â€Å"Titan† on the eastern hill is distinctly classical. The celebration of May is also heaped in lore as its many myths show that it is a pagan festival about fertility when sexual relations, which were generally not accepted in Herrick’s day,  were tolerated. May Day is used in â€Å"Corinna’s Gone A Maying† as a celebration of youth. This is effective as May Day is the gathering of spring and spring is youth. This is evident in the poem as Herrick writes: â€Å"There’s not a budding boy or girl this day But is got up and gone to bring in May; A deal of youth, ere this, is come† This describes the festive spirit of the occasion: a mood that is portrayed so often in Herrick’s writings. By depicting the boys and girl’s as â€Å"budding† he reflects the setting of the warm spring day and the flowers opening in the sun of May. Herrick also shows that it is a celebration of youth by saying it is the boys and girls getting up and describing the youth as coming to bring in May. However the moral holiday is evident later in the poem when Herrick says: â€Å"Many a kiss, both odd and even; Many a glance, too, has been sent From out the eye, love’s firmament† This part of the poem exhibits the social looseness of May Day as Herrick illustrates the flirtatious nature of the day by describing how the kisses are both â€Å"odd and even† which gives the impression that many advances have been made that day. Also, by writing how love has been sealed by looks from â€Å"out the eye† Herrick shows the festivity and the sexual nature of the day. Swardson suggests though, that Herrick is only able to create this relaxed atmosphere in a strict society because â€Å"†¦the classical framework or setting allows a temporary suspension of Christian standards. It may provide, in the modern phrase, a ‘moral holiday'† . In other words, because Herrick uses both strict Christian doctrines and the more liberal atmosphere of pagan May Day and classical ideas he is able to write a poem using looser  morals than would normally be allowable. This ‘moral holiday’ that Swardson describes is essential in Carpe Diem poetry for Christian guidelines generally promoted patience, simplicity and in some factions it discouraged the art of merry making. Herrick though, uses the looser principles of Paganism along in harmony with Christianity to create a legitimate, but festive setting. The festive setting is fundamental in Herricks’ poetry as he uses it to mirror the idea of living life to the full and seizing the day. This technique is evident in â€Å"To Live Merrily and to Trust to Good Verses† as once more classical mythology plays its part. This poem is about the ‘ceremony of mirth’ and uses mythology to create as in â€Å"Corrinna’s Gone a Maying†, a loose and festive setting in which to portray the theme of seizing the day. â€Å"To Live Merrily and to Trust to Good Verses† follows typical Herrick structure in its simplicity and lyrical style. Each verse toasts a classical writer like Homer. However the poem starts by describing the flowering earth. â€Å"Now is the time for mirth, Nor cheek or tongue be dumb; For with the flow’ry earth The golden pomp is come.† Swardson says in his article â€Å"Herrick and the Ceremony of Mirth† that the festivity of the moment is associated with the flowering of the earth (spring). This is evidently very similar to Corinna’s Gone A Maying which also uses the gaiety of May Day as a platform for the theme of seizing the day. The theme of this poem is slightly different than others though as Herrick recognizes that there is an element of immortality in writing – after all Homer and Ovid were all writers many centuries before and yet they were alive in Herrick’s day , and are still alive in ours through their art. Swardson describes this by saying: â€Å"Death is conquered not by renouncing the ‘frail world’ whose beauty dies, in favour of an everlasting other world, but by realizing most successfully the beauty and mirth in the natural world. Thus you do not abjure verses but ‘trust to good verses’.† Swardson explains how by recognizing the magnificence of this temporary world, rather than be loyal to that of the next you can become immortal. This is evident in his poetry as it consistently conveys the beauty of the world. Therefore Herrick sees his poetry as immortalizing himself. The poem â€Å"His Poetry His Pillar† displays this theory as it describes how Herrick fears ensuing death and hopes that his poetry shall remain when he is gone. This is an uncommon idea in Carpe Diem poetry. The majority of writers in this movement wrote poems that seemed â€Å"as fleeting as life and youth themselves† in the hope of convincing their lover to cast caution to the wind. The Sonneteers though, wrote poetry for a reason similar to Herrick – in the hope that they and their loves could become immortal. Part of â€Å"To Live Merrily and to Trust to Good Verses† festivity though, is due to its structure. The majority of Herrick’s poetry uses a simple ABAB rhyme scheme, and â€Å"To Live Merrily† is no exception. Although the poem is longer than the majority of Herrick’s poetry (which is usually no more than four verses long) is simple rhyme scheme and flowing verse help to mirror the party atmosphere in which the poem is set. The majority of Herrick’s poetry is lyrical – short and songlike. Most of his poems are no more than four verses and use only six to seven syllables per line. This factor, and the simple rhyme scheme create a quick and fast flowing lyrical verse. This is apparent in the poem â€Å"To a Bed of Tulips†. â€Å"Bright Tulips, we do know You had you’re coming hither And fading time does know That ye must quickly wither.† This technique results in a poem that is short and to the point (another similarity between Herrick and his fellow Cavaliers). This simple, song-like rhythm and rhyme scheme are very effective as they help to create that joyful party atmosphere that is so well portrayed in â€Å"To Live Merrily† and to Trust to Good Verses†. However another interpretation sometimes offered is that this flowing rhythm mirrors the reality of mortality. Critic Gordon Braden describes Herrick’s lyrical style as almost childlike for he says in his book â€Å"The Classics and English Renaissance Poetry† that Herrick’s poetry is like: â€Å"That of childlike discovery and amazement, a short but bright faculty of attention continually distracted by something new.† This is evident as in â€Å"To the Virgins† each parallel – the sun, flowers, the description of youth – are all dealt with quickly before Herrick begins his new channel of thought. The idea of Herricks’ poetry as being child-like in aspects is also evident in his subject matter as although his theme is serious, his glorification of the sun and of the festive party atmosphere creates something more playful and fun. Yet not all Herrick’s lyrical poems comply with the same structure. â€Å"To Blossoms† and â€Å"To Daffodils† are both slightly more erratic and complex in rhythm and rhyme. â€Å"To Blossoms† consists of one stanza of eighteen lines, its rhyme scheme is In â€Å"To Daffodils† we have two stanzas of eleven lines with only the occasional rhyme such as â€Å"soon† and â€Å"noon† and â€Å"spring† and â€Å"thing.† The number of syllables in these two poems is also not consistent. In â€Å"To Blossoms† lines range from having four to eight syllables and in â€Å"To Daffodils† there is from two to seven. These poems, you assume on first glance, would have a more rambling rhythm rather than flowing style of the majority of Herrick’s other poems, and yet when read the poems retain Herrick’s musical sound. This is maintained simply by the combination of both styles. For example at the start of â€Å"To Daffodils† we have his more regular sound: â€Å"Fair Daffodils, we weep to see You haste away so soon As yet the early rising sun Has not attained his noon.† This first part of the poem uses the iambic foot. What this means is that the stresses fall on every second syllable and therefore when reading the poem the stresses always fall on the last word at each line creating a sing song effect that suits Herrick’s lyrical style. However in the second part of the poem: instead of using his regular structure he uses a cross between long and short lines using enjambment. For example lines five to seven use a pattern of one six syllable line sandwiched between two, two syllable lines. This part of the poem is particularly effective as by putting â€Å"Stay, stay† twice on the one line the speaker sounds more urgently pleading as thought the daffodils would wither away before his eyes unless he begged them not to. This structure of the two part stanza is repeated in the second verse as once more it begins with Herrick’s usual lyrical form, before changing in the latter half to a more irregular one. This second half of the stanza uses enjambment to put an emphasis on certain words. â€Å"We die As your hours do, and dry Away† The way the words â€Å"We die† are placed on their own line reminds the reader that we share the same fate as the daffodils. The effect is mirrored with the word â€Å"away† and by putting this emphasis on these words it creates a more drumming rhythm. The manner in which the word â€Å"Away† is put onto a line  of its own suggests the hollow finality of death. â€Å"To Blossoms† uses a similar technique as â€Å"To Daffodils† as once more there is a contrast between long and short lines ranging from eight syllables to four. The rhyme scheme is also slightly more complex with an ABBCCB structure. These factors help to produce a slightly more interesting rhythm as it speeds up and slows down. For example in Stanza 1: Fair pledges of a fruitful tree Why do ye fall so fast? Your date is not so past† The longer line followed by the two shorter lines creates a fast first two lines, but when typical Herrick structure dictates that line two should be followed by a another line of eight syllables and it does not then it creates a slower rhythm which makes line three stand out. This is evident to a greater extent of the last lines of each stanza, which are also the shortest at only four syllables. The lines â€Å"And go at last† and â€Å"Into the grave† are the most noticeable of these. The words â€Å"Into the grave† end the poem on a chilling note. The fact that the poem is fairly fast paced up until that point means that the words are given a particular stress and reveal a particularly sudden and abrupt end – the very nature of life. Herrick reflects the relative simplicity of his narrative with an exceedingly uncomplicated structure, both with rhyme and rhythm. Even his more complicated verses still hold the musical quality that his simpler poems contain. This is one of Herricks’ merits as an over adorned structure would clash with the content and would ruin his poetry. On the other hand, when he ventures slightly outwith his simplistic sphere he creates very effective structures that help to emphasis the theme as can be seen in â€Å"To Daffodils† and â€Å"To Blossoms†. In conclusion it is evident that Herrick uses structure, symbolism and an  interesting blend of religious ceremonies in his exploration of the theme Carpe Diem. Through the simplicity in the rhythm and rhyme of his poems, Herrick has invoked the fleeting quality of life and the beauty of the world we live in. These two ideas are portrayed in the content of these poems through the use of symbolism and imagery. Yet the reason why Herrick, despite having somewhat dated opinions on the role of women, is still a poet of our time is because of his simplicity and â€Å"ceremonial universality†. To describe his poetry one would have to say â€Å"simple but beautiful†, for throughout his writings Herrick pays homage to the flowering of the earth and uses it to show how brief and temporary our presence is a parallel that all can understand. Herrick’s blend of different cultures and religions in his writing has also helped to immortalize him as it gave his poetry an acceptable but care free moral tone that remains relevant and enjoyable today. Bibliography A. Leigh Deneef This Poetick Leturgie Duke University Press 1974 ISBN 082230323X H.R Swardson Poetry and the Fountain of Light Allen and Unwin ISBN: 0048210161 1962 Robert H. Denning Robert Herrick’s Classical Ceremony John Hopkin’s University Press 1967 Roger B. Rollin Robert Herrick Twayne Publishers 1992 ISBN 0805770127 Sarah Gilead Ungathering Ye Rosebuds: Herrick’s misreading of Carpe Diem Critisism: A Quarterly for Literature and the Arts 1985 Other Resources Used Websites: http://www.luminarium.org http://people.whitman.edu/~dipasqtm/herrick.htm http://athena.english.vt.edu/~jmooney/renmats/cavaliers.htm http://www.bartleby.com/217/0107.html http://encarta.msn.com/text_761566707___2/Versification.html

The Arrival

English Speech The Arrival by Shaun Tan is a graphic novel which follows the story of a man who embarks on the journey of migration. The notions of belonging that are highlighted in the text are belonging to a place and belonging to a family. The composer establishes these through the masterful employment of various visual techniques. One of the foremost themes of the novel is the concept of belonging to a place, in particular the connection to a homeland. A disturbance in the main environment signifies as the stimulating factor for the disruption of the man’s sense of belonging.There exists an fragmented sense of existence in the old land, something that is established primarily by the ominous, malicious serpent like figures that force the man’s departure and his search for a new way of life. Tan’s symbolic representation of the serpents as the threatening and severe influences in the early pages of the novel drives the man out of his homeland as it is is a sour ce of unease and discomfort for his family. Upon entering the unknown land the man feels alienated from the new way of life that he is faced with.The author highlights this through the use of various shades of grey which are evidence of the shared melancholy of the migrants. Furthermore the positioning of all the migrants huddled up together reinforces the turmoil and hardship that they have collectively encountered. The use of dark and malicious tones and the overshadowing images of the technologically averse boat that towers over the migrants furthers their insignificance and defencelessness. The commonality with fellow migrants is carried throughout the novel and it soon becomes a source of solace for the man who is otherwise alien to the new world.Tan uses flashback scenes to illustrate the man’s opportunity to connect with his fellow migrants. Tan uses darker tones in the flashback scenes and the tumultuous journeys of the other migrants are elicited. Our protagonist is able to relate to their troubled background and this allows the connection between the two parties. The man is drawn into their stories and this is highlighted greatly through the change in tone to a grim, darkened one which the reader appreciates to be both captivating and intriguing. Tan is thus able to illustrate to his audience, a true appreciation of belonging to a place and its connotations.In addition to this, belonging to a family is a key concept in this novel. The novel opens with an alluring introduction to the family; a blissful atmosphere is created through the picturesque icons of their family life. The composer uses small photograph like icons to allude towards the widely acknowledged contentment that is readily associated with the memories in a picture album. Tan introduces the motif of the paper crane which he carries through the length of his novel as a symbol of affection and belonging between the family members.The next pages signify the break in contentment as t he man begins his journey and a salient image of the couple with their hands grasping the other’s parallels the anxiety and despair in their downcast facial expressions. Although the gloomy atmosphere, the light sepia tones in the picture allow an insight into the tender and loving relationship that the family members share. Upon the man’s departure the paper crane motif returns and he hands it to his daughter as a token of his undying love for her.His migratory experience is studded by the comfort and ease that he obtains from a picture of his family. In paralleled scenes on the boat and the new apartment, the man is seen reminiscing his time with family. He dines with and converses with the picture, the repetition of which is significantly indicative of the unfaltering sense of belonging he feels to them. In both scenes, the composer then zooms out to illustrate the man’s isolation in the ostensibly large structure that he resides in and the reader can then tr uly appreciate his sense of solace in the people from the picture.Through the use of these various techniques the concept of belonging to family is emphasised. The Arrival can now be truly appreciated as a graphic novel with allusions to the intricate and complex nature of belonging. In particular belonging to a family and to a place was discussed today and I hope I did justice to the carefully developed messages that Tan portrays. The Arrival by Shaun Tan is a graphic novel which follows the story of a man who embarks on the journey of migration. The notions of belonging that are highlighted in the text are belonging to a place and belonging to a family.The composer establishes these through the masterful employment of various visual techniques. | One of the foremost themes of the novel is the concept of belonging to a place, in particular the connection to a homeland. A disturbance in the main environment signifies as the stimulating factor for the disruption of the man’s s ense of belonging. | There exists an fragmented sense of existence in the old land, something that is established primarily by the ominous, malicious serpent like figures that force the man’s departure and his search for a new way of life. Tan’s symbolic representation of the serpents as the threatening/menacing authoritarian influences in the early pages of the novel drives the man out of his homeland as it is is a source of unease and discomfort for his family| Upon entering the unknown land the man feels alienated from the new way of life that he is faced with. The author highlights this through the use of various shades of grey which are evidence of the shared melancholy of the migrants. | Furthermore the positioning of all the migrants huddled up together reinforces the turmoil and hardship that they have collectively encountered. | | |

Psychology: the Affects of Violent Video Games

Gavin Hoy PY102 Prof. Martin The Affects of Violent Video Games Video games haven’t been around for long, but they are heavily impacting the youth of America. As the years go by, video games become more realistic, and more violent. The first video game was bouncing a ball in between two paddles, which hardly seems amusing, couldn’t possibly have a violent effect on a child. Today, games have blood, decapitations, and guns and weapons all that look real and make the child feel like a real police officer, or a real criminal, or whichever character they are in that particular game.Research suggests that violent video games make children more aggressive, and violent in everyday situations. Also, children are likely to use one of their characters in a video game as a role model for them, and try to be like he or she while reenacting what their character does in the game. This article interests me because as a kid, I was allowed any video game I desired, and turns out I am no more aggressive then a bus driver.This paper will present two different articles that say I should be aggressive and try to reenact video games. The first article I read about violent video games was: â€Å"I wish I were a warrior: The role of wishful identification in the effects of violent video games on aggression in adolescent boys† by Brad Bushman. Bushman states that boys, when trying to figure out their own identity, tend to take shape of those identities in their video games (e. g. superhero police officer or a hero of some sort) Bushman also explains that the children with lower education are the ones who will express more aggression and violence in everyday life after playing a violent video game. (Bushman â€Å"I wish.. †). Bushman confirmed his hypothesis: â€Å"violent video games are especially likely to increase aggression when players identify with violent game characters† meaning, if a child plays a violent video game, they are likely to take o n the traits of that main character, including the violence.Bushman let 112 boys around 15 years of age play four different types of video games. Violent-realistic, violent fantasy, nonviolent-realistic, and nonviolent fantasy. The boys, after playing one of the games, were then set up with a partner of the same sex and started a â€Å"competitive reaction time task† (Bushman â€Å"I wish†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ), the task was to push a button, when told to do so, as fast as they could, the boy who lost would receive a blast of noise through their headphones.Each boy chose their partners punishment level for not winning the task, they set the level of noise their partner would receive if he lost. Of 25 trials with the reaction time task, 12 boys who played violent video games gave their partner a level 10 noise blast, even though the boys knew a level 10 will damage their hearing, one boy was quoted saying â€Å"I blasted him with Level 10 noise because he deserved it. I know he can get hearing damage, but I don't care! (Bushman â€Å"I wish†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). So, the boys who played violent video games expressed a great deal more aggression towards their partner in the reaction time task, which confirms Bushman’s hypothesis. Out of the boys who played to nonviolent video games, they did not give their partner a high noise blast, which demonstrates low levels of aggression. I personally did not like this article, the results were hard to interpret and statistics were irrelevant to my purpose for reading the article.I think the article could be a quarter of the size it is and still be effective. The article uses too many abbreviations it expects the reader to 1) understand, and 2) remember once they were told about them. I think the article provided little information where it counted (e. g. statistics that matter, not the decibel level of the noise blasts (irrelevant)). This article should be revised, restructured, and scaled down for future psychology stu dents.

Comparison and Contrast of two U.S Presidential Inaugural Addresses Essay

Comparison and Contrast of two U.S Presidential Inaugural Addresses - Essay Example The paper includes the analysis of the ethos theme of these speeches. The use of ethos is prominent in both the speeches and this theme is majorly used by both the presidents in their speeches. As in the beginning of the speech President Obama used ethos by crediting the audience for his selection and by thanking them and President Bush for the efforts which they have rendered. He also referred to the sacrifices which the people gave in the past as he said: â€Å"I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.† The reference to the past and complete credibility to the audience is an efficient way of appealing to their emotions as people usually do have a soft corner regarding their ancestors and their sacrifices. We can see the very same methodology and use of ethos in President Bush’s speech in which he said: â€Å"As I begin, I thank President Clinton for his service to our nation. And I thank Vice President Gore for a contest conducted with spirit and ended with grace. I am honored and humbled to stand here, where so many of America’s leaders have come before me, and so many will follow.† ... Thanking the previous presidents also reflected that these presidents do not hold grudges against any of the previous leaders and they are humbled by the efforts which the previous leaders have rendered for the state. Both President Obama and President Bush used Ethos to provoke the sense of responsibility in citizens of United States of America. President Obama convinced people that the United States of America can prosper only if each and every individual takes hold of his responsibility and works toward their common goal which is the common benefit and welfare of all the citizens. Ethos usually requires strong and persuasive selection of vocabulary and Obama's strongly framed sentences did the job well and he persuaded the people that they are responsible for the prosperity of the country and for the wellbeing of their fellow citizens as well. It was declared by him: â€Å"For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American p eople upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.† The same phenomenon was delivered by President Bush in these words: â€Å"What you do is as important as anything government does. I ask you to seek a common good beyond your comfort; to defend needed reforms against easy attacks; to serve your nation, beginning with your

Debate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Debate - Essay Example However, the definition of freedom varies from culture to culture depending on different traditions, religions and family restrictions but the best is defined by Europeans. According to them a person is allowed to do anything unless or until it starts affecting any other’s person. Though we believe now that everyone is born free but it cost people quite heavy to attain it in history. In the Civil War, thousands of people were murdered. Black people had an argument that they were being treated unfairly in the country, they struggled for their rights and freedom. For instance, in a bus if all the seats are filled and a white person get into the bus, the black person who is already sitting has to give his seat to him. This took them very long and the issue got a vibe after a lady Rosa Parks stood against. History is full of heroes and veterans who fought for the freedom. Men and Women struggled for their peaceful lives when they had a choice of living freely or to be scared all their life (The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights). Freedom is a precious thing and its importance can be asked from those who are still struggling from it like people in Palestine, Kashmir or Syria. Discrimination among cultures, races, religions and countries have been very vibrant in the history. Later on, developed societies made a policy for the protection of minorities, women or any group who has been affected by discrimination in the history. People argue differently for this policy. Some are against it while others are quite happy about the policy. Those who believe that this policy is essential for the individuals to live in prosperity argue that world is a global village and no one can discriminate any other person on any basis. Everyone has the right to live whether he belongs to a specific society or not. In this scenario, affirmative action works as a shield for such people. It creates diversity in a society and brings in new

Recieving and storing (report) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Recieving and storing (report) - Assignment Example In understanding these areas, the study selected a small restaurant which is located in Toronto. The restaurant is a small-scale one and deals with mostly fast foods, which are consumed on a continuous basis by the locals. The restaurant is called stockyards smokehouse and larder. The study will attempt to provide a detailed analysis of the kind of activities which the restaurant is undertaking through information that has been obtained from the management as well as the means through which the business could be improved specifically on its receiving as well as storage procedures. The management together with the supplier of the restaurant has cash on delivery agreement as regards to the reception of the deliveries. Upon arriving with the products at the restaurant, the supplier drops off the products at the back of the restaurant at midday mostly. Reception of these food deliveries is usually by the person washing the dishes or the morning cook who on most does not verify on either the quality or quantity of the products. Deliveries of aprons and rags are made on Tuesday and Friday (Ghiani, 2007).. Duration of the deliveries is usually approximately 1 to 2 minutes and at most is 5 minutes. New products such as rags and pop are received on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, while dry items for storage such as napkins, boxes and condiments are received on Saturday. Major challenges during reception of the deliveries include reception of goods at a busy time, unavailability of staff to countercheck the quality as well as the quantity of delivery and also limit ed space to store the items delivered. The restaurant uses different storage items for storage of different products with different characteristics. The storage items include walk-in-fridges, smoker freezers, and larder. These storage materials are not adequate and as a result, the restaurant requires additional storage space for refrigeration in order to

Discussion Board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Discussion Board - Essay Example A disaster recovery plan includes such modules and applications which saves data in case of failures. A disaster recovery plan assesses all aspects of data and puts proper procedures in place to make the data as secure as possible. I have sent the proposal regarding creating, testing, and maintaining a proper disaster recovery plan to ensure data safety. Although it will take some time and money to create and implement an effective disaster recovery plan, but the benefits associated with the implementation of plan will overshadow the costs. Nothing is more important to an IT based company than data security because every function of an IT company needs analysis of data. Therefore, implementation of disaster recovery plan will be very beneficial for the company as it will not only make the data secure but also will prevent disruption to the computing environment. I have also proposed the use of intrusion detection software to the company in order to prevent unauthorized access to the sensitive data. Installation of such system will not be cost; rather it will provide a strong mechanism to deal with the issues of data stealing and unauthorized access. Some of the main benefits of installing such system include defense against data stealing, prevention of network hacking, continuous network monitoring, update of firewall settings, and many other benefits. Therefore, both of my proposals should be accepted because they will ensure data security to the company. A hot site is a part of a disaster recovery service using which a company can continue its activities in case of a disaster. Benefits of hot sites include availability and convenience for the customers whereas disadvantages include cost and complexity (Moore, 2011). A cold site is also a part of a disaster recovery service but using these, customers need to install necessary equipments to perform data related activities in case of a

Cultural diversity and the challenge of innovation Essay

Cultural diversity and the challenge of innovation - Essay Example The effect of this change, aided as it is by the blinding speed of globalization’s driver ICT represented by the Internet, was more than enough to put every organization ready to become global or international. The change has set everybody on equal footing with the rest in terms of opportunities. With the change, business has to move faster if it does not want to be left behind. â€Å"Innovate or die,† warns Tom Peters, as if the options were a breeze. Of course, dying was not a desired option, and innovation, the one and only last, has the greatest impact on organizations as it touches on people and culture. One natural consequence of globalization and ICT is the sudden increase in the number and diversity of people in organizations. From educational institutions to tourism to every other business, there would be heightened people movement, and this was not only happening across nations. Some two decades ago, Cox (1994) talked about the relevance of cultural diversity in organizations. He wrote along the lines of an increasingly diverse workforce by reason of race, gender and nationality – a trend that was addressed at that time by such strategic concepts as cross-functional teams for competitive edge. He also noted the growing emphasis of companies to internationalize – a business activity that naturally required crossing of cultures – and the recognition given to cultural diversity as an influence to organizational productivity. The aim of this paper is to examine cultural diversity and determine how relevant it is in the effort of organizations to respond to the current changes that affect them. The paper shall attempt to answer the question â€Å"Is cultural diversity relevant to organizations?† by describing its dynamics and implications upon organizations, and if found to be still relevant, to identify how it can be made more useful in responding to the challenge of innovation. 2. Cultural Diversity Diversity is said to be right at the core of human development (Lamb and Bornstein, 2011). Every person is unique. By reason of his genetic configuration and psychology, a person will be different from another in the face of their similarities. That differentiation is what shows in his gender, age, color, birth, race, culture, health, sexual orientation and other dimensions. When this uniqueness is ranged against a social, economic or any collective setting, it produces a condition known as diversity (Diller, 2011). Culture People are different in many ways. When they meet with regularity, as in a workplace or as members of an aggrupation, people exhibit certain norms of conduct and follow certain procedures that taken together is known as culture. Culture is defined in different ways by different authors. Bodley (1994) sees culture as what people think and do, what they produce, their beliefs and values. Cant et al (2007) refer to culture as myths, values, customs, rituals, language and laws th at combine to form the basis for their behavior. Culture is seen as a peculiar way of behaving or believing which members share with one another (Briscoe and Schuler, 2004). Hofstede (1991) defines culture as the â€Å"collective programming of the human mind that sets the distinction of the members in relation to other groups.† In sum, culture can be described as a set of values, beliefs, and concepts that enable a group to make sense and meaning of its existence. It is also a collective expression that

Research Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Research Project - Essay Example tz, 2002), one of the greatest accomplishments at the onset of the 21st century is the continuous pursuit of fitness since the beginning of our existence. Fitness remains to be paramount to health and well-being. In cognizance of the recognized importance of fitness in the life of everyone, fitness centers or health clubs commonly known as a gym emerged almost everywhere. Fitness gyms cater to almost all age groups but usually to teens, adults and even elderly. The Fitness Center is a health, recreational and social facility geared towards exercise, sports and other physical activities. It may be for a for-profit commercial facility or a community or institutionally supported center. A successful facility will accommodate both the serious athlete and the casual recreational user. (Mion, E.G. 2010) It was found that fitness centers in the past 20 years have not only proven to be popular and very much in demand by fitness conscious consumers but also a very profitable business opportunity. There are many aspects to carefully consider prior to starting a fitness center. However, with careful research and proper planning fitness center can be a fabulous business to start, operate, and own not to mention that it also has the potential to be very profitable. Opening a fitness center requires careful planning and research and the following are some aspects of the business that should be considered: Where will the fitness center be located, how much square footage would be required/ focus of the business (caters to all people or one specific group, service (Will the center be full service meaning optional aerobic classes and one-on-one personal training for clients, staff, marketing, competition(How much does the competition charge?). ( Business Idea Center: Fitness Center) The fitness centers shall continue to be a profitable business venture. It may also important to know that top fitness trends for 2011 include fitness programs for older

Implementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans Essay - 2

Implementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans - Essay Example It is due to this reason I choose to venture in the education sector but in a different venture. The business venture is the Online State of the Art Educational Portal. The venture can also be referred to in personal state of the art educational portal. With parents with the thirst of interactive education for their children this venture aims to prove a quench of that. This approach is unique and provides the best quality form of education. To add to its advantages, the approach involves the integration of parents who outline the weaknesses and strengths of a child. Additionally, the approach a rectangular circulation and interaction of tasks. It provides a child-parent-teacher interaction basis. This mode of interaction lacks in most educational systems. With current trends taking over in the society, parents need to be part and parcel of their children growth and this approach provides the best medium of interaction. The implementation of this approach however must come with its shortcomings. It is this logic assumption that makes it possible to have a business environmental analysis. Both the internal and external environment factors can affect this venture. With the environmental analysis, there is a clear picture of shortcomings and the possible ways to dealing with them (De Wit, 2003). Apart from the external environmental analysis there is the need for a SWOT analysis. The SWOT analysis provides the entrepreneur with a picture of their strength and weaknesses. It is satisfied by one maximizing on their strengths and avoiding and dealing with their weaknesses. Additionally, the analysis tends to provide warning to an organization on which parts to cushion to prevent heavy losses caused by misfortunes. External environmental factors are factors which are not in the capacity of the institution to deal with. However, they must be considered since they affect the operations of the institutions.

A Profile of the Irish Republican Army Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

A Profile of the Irish Republican Army - Essay Example Irish Volunteers used to be a militant nationalist group, which came into being in 1913. IRA claimed to represent the nationalist, Catholic community in Northern Ireland. The group is linked with the political party Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein was formed in 1905 at Ireland. It is the oldest political party, whose name originates from the Irish Gaelic phrase for â€Å"We Ourselves.† Since its foundation, the party has strived for the right of Irish nationals aiming at attaining national self determination (Derkins 2002, p. 20). The Provisional Irish Republican Army was instituted in 1969 as the covert armed division of Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein was a lawful political movement committed to confiscating British army from Northern Ireland and uniting Ireland. The group used violence as the tool of removing British authorities from Ireland. The differences arose within IRA regarding the widespread use of violence. As a result of the Sinn Fein conference in Dublin, in 1969, the IRA was split into two, Provisional and Official divisions (Derkins 2002, p. 22). Although both wings were dedicated to a unified socialist republic of Irish, the Official favored parliamentary strategies and shunned violence after 1972. On the other hand, Provisionals supposed that violence, especially terrorism, was a crucial component of the struggle to remove United Kingdom from Ireland. The group has received assistance from a range of organizations and states. The group has received substantial training and weapons from Libya and Palestine Liberation Organization. As a result of the similarities of IRA operations, there is the probability of links between IRA and Basque militant organization, ETA, and guerrillas FARC in Colombia (Shanahan 2009, p.12). Aims and Ideology As Derkins (2002, p. 32) observes, the main aims of the group were to establish an Irish republic, ending the British rule in Northern Ireland and the reunion of Ireland. This would then lead to establish a democratic socialist republic. The group claimed to be the Catholic republicans fightin g for the rights of the Catholics. The IRA purpose was to employ military to make British ruling in Ireland unsuccessful. This would then assist in attaining the broader goal of an independent republic, which Sinn Fein was pursuing at the political level. Since its formation, the group has functioned independently of political power. However, its membership overlaps with that of Sinn Fein. During the Anglo-Irish War, from 1919 to 1921, the IRA, under the direction of Michael Collins, used guerilla tactics, comprising raids, sabotage and ambushes, to force negotiations with the British government. The war led to an agreement that established two new political units; the Irish Free State and the Northern Ireland. The Irish Free State consisted of 26 counties and was given dominion status inside the British Empire. Northern Ireland, also known as a province of Ulster, comprised of 6 counties, and it remained a fraction of the U.K. Significant elements within IRA rejected this partition and started a civil war, eventually triumphed by the pro-treaty Irish army (Tugwell 1981, p. 13). In the 1970s, the relationship between Britain and Free State remained chilly. The old IRA sustained a low degree of campaign of violence intended at reuniting Ireland. However, in 1960s, its activities had diminished significantly. The developments in Northern Ireland, in the late 1960s, accelerated the diminishing influence of IRA. Civil rights activists engaged in civil defiance in reaction to discrimination against Catholics in Northern Ireland. The activists claimed discrimination in housing, employment, and voting by the dominant Protestant administration and population (Shanahan 2009,

A considerate of contemporary management function Essay Example for Free

A considerate of contemporary management function Essay A considerate of contemporary management function of the employer-employee relationship The six journal articles that have been looked at stem from the original Locke, (1982) article. Frederick W. Taylor popularised of scientific management. The essay will discuss 5 aspects of Taylor’s ideas about scientific management and show how understandings of contemporary management functions and the employer-employee relationship have been developed from Taylor’s ideas. What was Taylor’s idea about the management? Management involves coordinating and overseeing the work activities of others so that their activities are completed efficiently and effectively. The ideas about the relationship between employer and employee have been developed from a nother. Retain critical employees is important and necessary. According to the Fitz-enz(1997), the company average losses 1 million with every 10 people who is the managerial and professional employees. In addition, the total cost of least a former employee at least a year of wages and benefits, up to two years of unpaid salary and benefits. This is a huge economic loss with a company loses a number of critical employees. As a manager, we must give employees adequate physiological, safety, love, esteem. One of the advice is managers should look into a way to motivate employees to achieve a satisfactory and unmet needs through activities and exercises. Managers have a responsibility to create a suitable environment to inspire employees to their fullest potential. If no such right environment, will lead to a big difference such as lower job satisfaction, lower productivity, lower profit with a company. How to effectively improve the relationship between managers and employees? Taylor given 4 methods. (a) Scientific management: In Principles of Scientific Management (1911)Fredrick Winslow Taylor, the â€Å"Father† of scientific management utilises scientific methods to define th e â€Å"one best way† for a job to be done (b) Scientific selections. Taylor advocated selecting only first class(i.e., high aptitude) men for a given job because their productivity would be several times greater than that of the average man. (c) Money bonus. Taylor claimed that the money is what employees want most, he thinks employees should be paid from 30% to 100% higher wages for to do his job. (d) Management responsibility for training. Taylor thought that most contemporary managers should fully accept the notion that training new employees is their responsibility. My understanding about the  employer-employee relationship has also been shaped by these articles. I have learnt that (1) Scientific management can focus speed of production, low cost production and availability of an unskilled workforce. In addition, today’s use of scientific management can use time and motion studies to increase productivity, hire the best qualified employees and design incentive systems based on output. Equity theory is a theory of social comparison effect on employees. This theory appears to be very common, but it is very important. Equity theory refers to the rate of employees with their work output and input compared with others. Time input includes the time of the work, work habits, work experience, work attitude, and so on. When they found unfair, they usually can’t change the rate of others, can’t change their input, so employees will find ways to change their output. This may mean that they will reduce their work time or effort to work. Then, the manager can use the equity theory to motivate employees. Managers can use a more open system of remuneration paid for employees to understand each position and every effort should position relative to how much salary can be get. (2) Scientific selections: Everybody have their own good aspects, based on each person strengths and rational allocation of work. As a result, not only can bring effectively produce but also can make person enjoy their work. According to the Wren (1979) notes that Taylor focuses on scientific selection can promote the develop ment of industrial psychology and personnel management and other areas. (3) Money bonus: How to influence people? The most common method is money bonus. Such as up wages, bonuses, benefits. These things are the most effective way to influence the work of passion and power of a work. Through the Vroom’s (1946) expectancy theory, we can find that an employee will play his better efforts when he is convinced that his efforts would be better evaluated. And these evaluations will bring him more rewards such as bonuses, salary increases. These rewards will meet staff personal goals. Individual employee attitudes and enthusiasm in their work will determine to a large extent a companys performance. According to the Porter (1968) and Lawler’s expectancy model of motivation, this model proposes two factors that determine spending on a number of tasks energy. The first is the personal rewards from work to get. These returns will be the psychological perception of employees is their own work to be sure. The second is that these returns will be formed job satisfaction. (4) Management  responsibility for training: The staff training is an essential element of human resource management. Managers can’t ignore their training responsibilities. Understanding management system in staff training in this area can help you build an effective training system to help you prepare new employees for their work To sum up, from the six articles considered, scientific management can not only getting the most output from the least amount of inputs but also focus on those work activities that will help the company reach its goals. Taylor’s idea has shaped modern employer-employee relationships. Work is still specialised, personal are still trained. The quality of work is still rewarded in bonuses, as well as other. Reference: 1.Three chapters in The Ideas of Frederick W Taylor: An Evaluation. 2.Wren, D. A. The evolution of management thought (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley, 1979. 3.Towards a unified model of employee motivation / Darren J. Elding, Andrew M. Tobias and David S. Walk [Chichester, West Sussex, England] : John Wiley Sons, Ltd., 2006 4.Kotter, John P. What effective general managers really do / John P. Kotter Boston [etc.] : Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University, 1982 5.Managing in the new millennium : understanding the managers motivational tool bag / Patricia M. Buhl Burlington, Iowa, etc., National Research Bureau, etc.], 2003 6.A review of employee motivation theories and their implications for employee retention within organiz Hollywood, FL : Journal of American Academy of Business, 2004

Rational Choice Theory: Death Penalty

Rational Choice Theory: Death Penalty The death penalty has been debated over and over with no clear solution to whether it should be continued or be abolished. One thing is clear and to provide an argument for the death penalty can be made with the rational choice theory (RCT)/deterrence theory (DT). In their model, Cornish and Clark (1986) understood that people are not empty vessel when they approach a situation in which a crime might be committed (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2007, p. 276). Environmental, psychological, and biological factors create the motivations to commit crimes. The rational choice theory is advancement towards the causation of crime because it looks beyond the background factors and looks more at conscious decision makers who weigh options and act with a purpose (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2007, p. 277). The basic idea of the rational choice theory is that individuals or criminals engage in some intelligent thought before choosing to commit a crime (OConnor, 2007, para. 2). This means that the individual is already thinking of the risk, consequences, and possible rewards if they continue on with the thought of committing a crime. The other side of the RCT is the DT. As RCT would explain, individuals make a personal choice on whether they will commit a crime or not. The RCT suggests a more promising approach to reducing crime: situational crime prevention. By studying how offenders make decisions to commit criminal acts certain steps may be taken to reduce such opportunities for these offenses to occur (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2007, p. 277). By installing such things as alarm systems could prevent a potential burglary on your own but this is also a purpose of the deterrence theory. With regards to the death penalty, the assessment of action weighs the benefit of killing someone (for financial gain, revenge, etc.) against the threat of death and a possible result is that offenders would not make a choice to murder someone because of the threat of dying themselves at the hands of the government. Both the rational choice theory and deterrence theory work together when answer the call to murder and whether the death penalty is a rational punishment for committing a murder. Once again, the rational choice theory is explained by the personal choice made by the individual to commit a crime. The deterrence theory is the answer to that personal choice to commit a crime or for the purpose of this explanation; murder justified by the death penalty should suffice an effective deterrent to committing murders. To many this sounds good, you commit yourself to following through on a murder; you receive the death penalty but as it common knowledge that death penalty is not given to individuals all of time for committing murders. Therefore, the rational choice theory and deterrence theory immediately receives criticisms for a solution to preventing murders. Why does this happen? Our justice system pretty much tells us that for example, killing your wife because you just found out she was having an extra-marital affair does not necessarily mean you will get the death penalty. You have expert lawyers and then poorly constructed juries that defeats ideas of the rationa l choice and deterrence theories. Rational choice and deterrence theories are supposed to provide quick, swift, and certain death to offenders who commit murders but as mentioned before, this is not always the right or correct answer. Though both theories serve to the answer the question of whether or not a murder is a rational choice made by an individual and the quick answer to it, they also unfortunately lay down the issues with rational choice and deterrence as a solution to committing a murder. The problems within our justice system allow those who are on death row to extend their time alive because of appeals thus defeating both theories. According to Montaldo (2006), The U.S. Supreme Court has issued two rulings that make it easier for death row inmates to file additional appeals to avoid execution, extending the appeals process for many of the 3,300 inmates on death row and delaying justice for the families of their victims (para. 1). Final thoughts on the rational choice and deterrence theories as solutions to murder have issues but both can work and for the death penalty to serve the purposes of both, the justice system must make some changes. Death penalty cases are expensive from the court time sentencing to the actual execution can last for years because of the number of appeals for possible mishaps in the case or any other problems the individual could have with their case for example, rights violations, arguments for cruel and unusual punishment can all bring up points for new case. Unfortunately, this does happen and a death penalty sentence may get reduce to life in prison and most of the time without parole. However, some instances, individuals do get parole and release back into society and commit more crimes. To limit things like that, the rational choice theory and deterrence theory could be utilized to limit such instances. Right now, the death penalty cannot be used as deterrent in our current justi ce system because of some of the mentioned. If the theories were used, they could really provide a deterrent to murder. How would conflict theory explain the phenomenon of racial profiling in America? The conflict theory is based on an assumption that criminal behavior is delivered from the social and economical forces imposed on individuals. The criminal justice system and criminal law are thought to be operating on behalf of rich and powerful social elites, with resulting policies aimed at controlling the poor (Conflict, 2005, para. 1). The hierarchy falls as follows: High class society, Middle class society, Lower class society. The rich and powerful has always had the upper hand when establishing policy for the country. Much of that power came from capitalism. As stated by Lilly, Cullen, Ball (2007), capitalism was considered to be at the root of the conflict because it was taken to be the source of the unjust inequality (p. 151). In many opinions, capitalism makes the rich people richer while the rest are left behind thus defeating the 2nd Bill of Rights proposed by former President Roosevelt. In his State of the Union Address to Congress, FDR proposed a 2nd Bill of Rights b ecause of the capitalism had over run the country. The highlights of FDRs speech are the 5 specific Bill of Rights and they are provided for Woolley Peters (1990): Therefore, in order to concentrate all our energies and resources on winning the war, and to maintain a fair and stable economy at home, I recommend that the Congress adopt: (1) A realistic tax law-which will tax all unreasonable profits, both individual and corporate, and reduce the ultimate cost of the war to our sons and daughters. The tax bill now under consideration by the Congress does not begin to meet this test. (2) A continuation of the law for the renegotiation of war contracts-which will prevent exorbitant profits and assure fair prices to the Government. For two long years I have pleaded with the Congress to take undue profits out of war. (3) A cost of food law-which will enable the Government (a) to place a reasonable floor under the prices the farmer may expect for his production; and (b) to place a ceiling on the prices a consumer will have to pay for the food he buys. This should apply to necessities only; and will require public funds to carry out. It will cost in appropriations about one percent of the present annual cost of the war. (4) Early reenactment of the stabilization statute of October, 1942. This expires June 30, 1944, and if it is not extended well in advance, the country might just as well expect price chaos by summer. We cannot have stabilization by wishful thinking. We must take positive action to maintain the integrity of the American dollar. (5) A national service law- which, for the duration of the war, will prevent strikes, and, with certain appropriate exceptions, will make available for war production or for any other essential services every able-bodied adult in this Nation. These five measures together form a just and equitable whole. I would not recommend a national service law unless the other laws were passed to keep down the cost of living, to share equitably the burdens of taxation, to hold the stabilization line, and to prevent undue profits. (p. 1) Though this was a dream of FDR, it never came to pass but if it did chances are that the separations between the classes may not have ever occurred. Unfortunately, a separation did occur and created why as to the reason in which the conflict theory exists. Inequality is now a part of our society and will stay that way until the people want change. In the United States, the competitions for decent paying jobs are overloaded with applicants vying for jobs that would provide a decent living for their families. Those at the lowest level of the socio-economic ladder often find themselves working jobs with poor pay and using that little money to pay for insurances e.g. life, health, etc. Even with the Civil Rights Act, Affirmative Action, and other things meant to help there still lies the shadow of inequality in the United States thus leaving most individuals in poverty for their entire existence. In the United States, our poorest people are minorities including African Americans and Hispanics and it is easy to be placed into a group and most of the time those particular groups are targeted by police as bad seeds that want to upset the balance of the rich and powerful or the upper class of society. Trying to get a piece of the pie falls short and therefore commits crimes making it easier for racial profiling to occur. In other words, police are able to target whole groups of people that are minorities in order not to mess up the way of life for the upper class of society. The constant harassment makes the minority people feel fear of rebellion and maintains the inequality that benefits the upper level of society. By being the top of the pyramid, these people are able to dictate the rules to the lower masses and are doing so by implementing (or trying to implement) racial profiling. If a group of society is always in fear of being accused of crimes they did not commit, they are unlikely to find a common and loud voice of protest but by still having the ability to vote maybe there could be a change in the thought process of societys upper class. It is truly unclear on whether President Barack Obama can keep his promise of change alive but many people in the lower socio-economic classes believe that the change can and will happen. Also, there is no guarantee that if the classes were equal that crime would not exist because even those with all the money still commit crimesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦hence Bernard Madoff. Can the concept of rational choice involve passionate crimes? Explain and defend your answer. Yes, because the rational choice theory blames the crime on the personal decision of the individual. The belief that human nature was predicated upon the search for pleasure and the avoidance of pain, and that human action was consequently organized around calculative strategies aimed at utility maximization (Hayward, 2007, p. 233). The deliberate acts done in passion crimes are calculated in short periods of time. Many times the actions in passion crimes are usually at a moments notice and therefore are judged as ill advised, if not foolish (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, p. 277). The rational choice theory ultimately teaches that people make decisions to act or not to act based whether the actions would satisfy the main objective. Crimes of passion is a term used to define a crime which is committed by an individual in the form of assault or murder against a spouse or a lover out of jealousy or heartbreak and is not a preplanned crime. The thinking process is based on the limited amount of information available to the individual but it is common knowledge that the brain reacts faster than the body can process the signal and therefore even if in a split second to stop the first blow it may not be stop in time. So, when a person says they cannot stop themselves from acting what they are truly trying to say is that there is no need to suffer the pain or difficulty it would cause them from carrying out the criminal act. The most common example of a crime of passion is when a husband discovers his wife is having affair with another man and out of jealousy he can murder her. Peoples brain can make the choice to eliminate the pain of a breakup by covering it with anger, frustrations, and pain. With enough pain built up, there is usually a lot of trouble for the one who caused it. The choice being made is one that is rationalized. I believe that most courts in the United States understand crimes of passion and incarceration is the end game because though it was choice or decision it is understood that the act happened without a clear thought. However, it is still a poor decision, but a choice that brings instant satisfaction and delays pain. Therefore, explaining that the decisions in crimes of passions can be understood with the use of the rational choice theory.

Strategic Personnel Considerations Human Resources

Strategic Personnel Considerations Human Resources Introduction This report critically analysis all the issues affecting the organisation to enter into an international market. Many companies like Proctor Gamble, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, MS, Tesco are moving towards the global market because revenue maximization. IHRM is an integral part of the Human resource management. Human Resource Management (HRM), is the process of policies and practices which involved in carrying out the people or human resource aspects of a management position which includes recruiting, screening, training, rewarding and appraising, (Dessler, 2008). When companies are operating their businesses out of the national boundaries than it is becomes the multinational enterprises. Multinational companies are the firms that are headquartered in one country but have operations in one or more other countries, (Rugman, et al., 2009, p.7). Some of the major multinational companies are Wal-Mart (US), BP (UK), Exxon Mobil (US), General Motors (US) or Toyota (Japan). The reasons for going in the international market are to create an economic integration and increase the market share and companies are using different international entry methods like mergers or acquisitions, joint-ventures, franchising to gain the competitive advantages in the international market. However, there are some challenges in the international market such as the cultural differences, diversity in the workplace or the pressures from the rules and regulations of the government and the trade unions. International HRM deals with all of these issues regarding the management of human capital in an international context. International HRM is the process of selecting, training and developing and compensating personnel in overseas positions, (Rugman, et al., 2009, p. 354). There are some challenging factors in the global work environment such as cultural diversity at the workplace and thats why the compensation practices may vary from one country to another and employment laws and regulations will be differ from one country to another as well. The strategic role of HRM in an international context will also be different than in the domestic firms. The strategic role of HRM is complex enough in a purely domestic firm, but is more complex in an international market, where profound differences between countries in labour market, culture, legal systems, economic systems and the complicate staffing, management and development, performance evaluation and compensation activities, (Hill, 2009, p.626) The main approaches to IHRM can be ethnocentric, polycentric or geocentric depending on the nature of the country and its cultural background. In an ethnocentric approach there is a belief that ones own way of doing things is superior to that of others and it can be a major challenge for the IHRM. Ethnocentrism can be a major challenge for international HRM and these challenges include recognising differences, combining the advantages from different styles and approaches, adjusting and adapting to succeed with different people in different partnerships in different markets, (Rugman, et al., p. 134). In an ethnocentric firm, the top management will dominate the employees working for the organisation. Ethnocentric firms are where top management is dominated by home-country nationals and procedures and management styles that are transferred from the head office and imposed on regional subsidiaries in place of local ways of doing things, (Rugman, et al., 2009, p.147). On the other hand, the polycentric firms are looking likes a semi-autonomous organisation where restriction will put in some of the departments and other departments may not be influenced by restricted rules. This act like a federation of semi-autonomous organisations with financial controls or strict reporting structures holding them together and subsidiaries are able to reflect the local cultural norms, and headquarters appreciates the need for different organisations designs, procedural norms, reward systems etc. as long as profits flow to the centre, (Collinson, et al., 2009, p. 147). Furthermore, the geocentric organisations are seen to be an ideal, collaborative and meritocratic form of global organisation for example, Unilever. It includes an equal sharing of power and responsibility between headquarters and subsidiary, senior management promoted according to the ability rather than nationality and subsidiaries that share worldwide objectives with managers focusing beyond national market interests, (Collinson, et al., 2009, p. 147). Furthermore, it is required to have a business strategy when operating in the international market. The role of IHRM is to fulfil the objective of the business level strategy and fulfil the corporate strategy. Corporate strategy is concerned with the overall purpose and scope of the business to meet stakeholder expectations. This is a crucial level since it is heavily influenced by investors in the business and acts to guide strategic decision-making throughout the business. Corporate strategy is often stated explicitly in a mission statement, (Johnson, et al., 2008) The objective of this report is to identify the different issues which are affecting in the international HRM and the ways of overcoming the challenges of IHRM. This report critically analysis and evaluates all the factors related to the IHRM in an international context. Main Body Previously people management was related to the managing people within the organisation but they never treated as resources. Human resource policies should be integrated with the strategic business planning because strategic HRM is emphasizing the integration of the HR policies with both one another with the business planning, (Keith Sisson, 1990). There is a strategic significance of the HRM in the international market. Strategic HRM thinks people as most important asset and it deals with the improvement of human resources. People are the most important asset and the people management is the responsibility of everyone and far too important to be left to personnel managers. It follows that HRM needs to be owned by line managers and by senior managers and by implication is too important to be left to personnel managers, (Guest, 1991). HR managers need to implement the policies strategically in order to manage their people and to gain the competitive advantages. International Training and Development: Training and development is an important aspect of IHRM. Training means the process of teaching new employees the basic skills they need to perform their jobs, (Dessler, 2008, p-294). The difference between the local training and development and the international training and development is to get more experiences from the international market. Many companies like IBM, Microsoft are sending their in different counties to get the international knowledge and experiences. Challenges of IHRM: The challenges of HRM include the standardisation and adaptation of work practices of different countries. HRM in the host country context standardisation and adaption of work practices such as IHRM are using some of the strategies of making the standardisation such as language training, cultural adaptation and competitive compensation. One of the major aspects of IHRM is the adaptability which is an individuals ability to adapt a cultural change. It is important for the HR managers to adapt along with the different cultures if they want to run their business in an international context. The degree of integration of policies within the local country such as the degree of integration of policies within the local country will depend on the self-reliance, age, experience and education and health and family status. HRM implications of language standardisation like there are some HRM implications of language standardisation of HRM by the local companies by language learning. Learning the local language can be helpful because it will help the managers to learn and understand the languages of the colleagues and help to increase the performance of the organisation. Integration between IHRM Strategy and Business Strategy: It is important to maintain the integration between the IHRM strategies with the business strategy. There are some strategies which will help to make an adjustment between the IHRM and the business strategy such as the transition strategies. Transition strategies are designed to help smooth movement from foreign to domestic assignments, (Rugman, et al., 2009, p. 358). Some of the other strategies which are affecting the IHRM are the following:- Repatriation agreement: This agreement will tell how long a person will stay in an overseas place. It is an agreement that spells out how long a person will be posted overseas and sets for the type of job that will be given to the person upon returning, (Rugman, et al., 2009, p. 358). Rent or maintain the expatriates home during the overseas tour: under this agreement the company can reduce the financial burden for the managers who went for a particular place over a tree-year to four-year plans. Both Union Carbide and the Aluminum Company of America have such arrangements which is used to reduce to financial burden, (Rugman, et al., p. 359). Assign a senior executive as a sponsor for every manager posted abroad: some of the companies put some senior executives when every manager went to visit in different places. This ensures that there is someone looking after each expatriate and ensuring that his or her performance, compensation and career path are on track. When the expatriate is schedule to return home, the sponsor begins working internally to ensure a suitable position, (Rugman, et al., 2009, p. 359). Many companies like IBM and Carbide use this form of the mentoring process. Maintaining the on-going communications with expatriate managers: this strategy will ensure and let the managers know what is happening in the home country. it will ensure that what is happening in the local office and if they are scheduled to be home on leave for any extended period of time, the company works them into projects at headquarters and in this way they can maintain their visibility at headquarters and increase the likelihood that are viewed as regular members of the management staff rather than the outsiders, (Rugman, et al., 2009, p. 359) The impact of IHRM effects on culture: Culture is a major aspect of International HRM where there are some challenges in the cultural diversity in the workplace. Corporate culture is the shared values, traditions, customs, philosophy and policies of a corporation also the professional atmosphere that grows from this and affects behaviour and performance, (Rugman, et al., p. 132). Managing the cross culture arises from the international market situation where the managers from the international patent company need to understand the local employees from the host country and it may require different organisations structure and HRM procedures. Because of globalisation there is an impact of cultural diversity in the work place. People from different countries are working together or they are moving from one place to another place more easily because of this globalisation. To manage this cultural diversity HR managers can use Hofstedes cultural dimension in the national cultures such as the following:- Power distance: The cultural differences can be understood by the cultural difference among the two countries. This refers to the extent to which people in a particular culture accept and expect that power in institutions and organisations is, and should be distributed unequally, (Edwards Rees, 2010). Uncertainty avoidance: Another important element of understanding the cultural differences is the uncertainty avoidance. This indicates the extent to which people in a culture feel nervous or threatened by uncertainty and ambiguity and hence create institutions and rules to try to avoid them, (Edward Rees, 2010) Individualism/collectivism: It will determine the nature of the culture in any particular country. In an individual culture people tend to look after their own interests and those of their immediate family, whereas in collectivist culture there is a tighter social framework in which each person respects the group to which he or she belongs, (Edward Rees, 2010) Masculinity/femininity: Depending on the masculinity or femininity structure the culture will be different. In a masculine culture the dominant values are said to be ambition, assertiveness, performance and the acquisition of money and material objects, where as in a so-called feminine culture values such as the quality of life, maintaining personal relationships and care for the weak and the environment are emphasized, (Edward Rees, 2010). Time orientation: Finally, the time orientation will determine the cultural influences in any country. originally termed as confusion dynamism and this is related to the time horizons that people in different cultures are oriented towards with some looking several years ahead in declining upon particular courses of action whilst others are more generated to the shorter term, (Edward Rees, 2010) It is important to understand the cultural diversity at the workplace and manage them accordingly and Hofstedes cultural dimension will help the HRM manager to make the decisions. The concept of an expatriate can help the international organization to expand their market operations in different countries and to gain the competitive advantages. An expatriate (in abbreviated form, expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the persons upbringing or legal residence, (Mercer, 1996). The role of an expatriate is to change the shape of the cultural influence by living on that particular place. Resourcing Strategy in IHRM: Resourcing strategy in IHRM deals with the all the issues related to the management of human resources. It considers the consequences of international cultures on employee performance and welfare and explores the consequences (such as diversity issues) of the various employee resourcing options, for example: hiring local staff vs. international appointments. It also examines training and development in an international environment and the complexities of multinational reward management practice, (www.koganpage.com, 2010). Understanding the resourcing strategy can help to gain the competitive advantages in the international market. Recruitment of Labour Market: One of the major challenges for the multinational companies is the varying demand of the organised demand of the labour around the world. Because of national differences the nature of economic, political and legal systems can create a variety of labour relations systems and strategy. In managing labour relations the most multinational companies use a combination of centralization and decentralization with some decision being made on headquarters and others being handled by the mangers on site, (Colinson, et al., 2009, p. 366). For example, US companies are exercising more centralized management control and close reporting system and UK and EU companies are more decentralized and less control on the reporting system and flexible management control. Understanding the labour market is an important aspect of the IHRM and companies need to consider the labour market relations with the companys goals and objectives. Labour relations practices vary widely in the international arena, for example, union-management relations and industry democracy approaches are different throughout the Europe and these dramatically differ from those in Japan, (Rugman, et al., 2009, p. 377) Labour market can support the international organisations by decreasing the labour costs because in some countries the labour costs are lower than the other countries and it will help to gain the competitive advantages as well. A strong relationship between the labour market and the international organisation will help to gain the competitive advantages in the global market. Legislation: Understanding the labour legislation in the international market is required to make an effective IHRM activities, in an international market such as labour laws, rules and regulations from the labour union imposed in any particular countries, compensation and payment activities based on the international laws and regulation etc. According the porters generic strategies the IHM can make the profit either by cost leadership or a differentiation strategy. Cultural awareness: One of the major aspects of International HRM is to understand the cultural differences in different countries such as the cultural difference and the cross-culture influences among the people living on those places. IHRM should take a lead in the development of organisations intercultural competence as well as in managing groups and teams, (Tung, 2008). The growing concern about the cross cultural activities includes the awareness of culture by learning making a suitable multicultural environment where people from different cultural background will work together as a cross-cultural perspective. Political dimension: Because of globalisation companies are moving towards the global business environment because of revenue generation and expansion of market share in the emerging market. The political dimensions towards the international markets are growing but there are some risks associated with the international business. The different political risks are affecting the firms such as political philosophies in different countries made by the local government, social unrest, terrorism or arm conflict, rising nationalism, competing between the religious groups or the newly created international alliances, (Collinson, et al., 2009, p. 392). In contrast, the careful planning and implementation of HR planning can help the HR managers to reduce the political risk in the internal market. Conclusion: International HRM is a challenging issue in modern business environment and the HR managers need to carefully implement those policies and procedures related to the IHRM. The role of HR managers is to adopt the new cultural diversity and employee diversity in the workplace. It can be done by the training and development activities and employee empowerment. Employee empowerment can help the organisation to increase the profit and to get the competitive advantages by the use of flexible working team and rewarding the employees who made a big contribution in getting the results. International recruitment policy making need to be effective by selecting the employees from different locations such as outsourcing or offshoring for example, Unilever and PG are one of the most successful organisation for making the outsourcing activities in the world market, (Edward Rees, 2009). Furthermore the international compensation plan needs to be in line with the countrys rules and regulations and government policies and procedures. The concept of competitive compensation can be a solution for the international HR managers to overcome the challenges in the global market. Finally, globalisation is affecting the HRM in different ways and the managers role is to fit them according to the requirements of the company. The overall objectives of an organisation are to maximize their profit and the HR managers need to be concerned about fulfilment of the companys goals and objectives. Some of the limitations need to be considered when making this essay such as the limited amount of sources of information in an international country and the limited accessibility of the sources of information. However, this essay can give an idea about the IHRM and their uses and disadvantages in the international context.

Language of Love in Shakespeares As You Like It Essay -- Shakespeare

As You Like It is love:   The Language of Love  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The most obvious concern of As You Like It is love, and particularly the attitudes and the language appropriate to young romantic love. This is obvious from the relationships between Orlando and Rosalind, Silvius and Phoebe, Touchstone and Audrey, and Celia and Oliver. The action of the play moves back and forth among these couples, inviting us to compare the different styles and to recognize from those comparisons some important facts about young love. Here the role of Rosalind is decisive. Rosalind is Shakespeare's greatest and most vibrant comic female role. She is clearly the only character in the play who has throughout an intelligent, erotic, and fully anchored sense of love, and it becomes her task in the play to try to educate others out of their false notions of love, especially those notions which suggest that the real business of love is adopting an inflated Petrarchan language and the appropriate attitude that goes with it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rosalind falls in love with Orlando at first sight (as is standard in Shakespeare), becomes erotically energized, and remains so throughout the play. She's delighted and excited by the experience and is determined to live it to the full moment by moment. One of the great pleasures of watching Rosalind is that she is always celebrating her passionate feelings for Orlando. She does not deny them or try to play games with her emotions. She's aware that falling in love has made her subject to Celia's gentle mockery, but she's not going to pretend that she isn't totally thrilled by the experience just to spare herself being laughed at (she even laughs at herself, while taking enormous delight in the behaviour which prompts... ...anet Lloyd. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1993. McFarland, Thomas. Shakespeare's Pastoral Comedy. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1972. Marsden, Jean. I. The Re-Imagined Text: Shakespeare, Adaptation, and Eighteenth-Century Literary Theory. Lexington, Kentucky: University of Kentucky Press, 1995. Odell, George C. D. Shakespeare from Betterton to Irving. Vol. 2 New York: Dover Publications, 1966. Russell, Anne E. "History and Real Life: Anna Jameson, Shakespeare's Heroines and Victorian Women." Victorian Review: The Journal of the Victorian Studies Association of Western Canada. 17.2 (Winter 1991): 35-49. Shakespeare, William. As You Like It. in The Riverside Shakespeare. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin company, 1974. Terry, Ellen. Four Lectures on Shakespeare. New York: Benjamin Bloom, Inc., 1969.      

Personal Narrative: My First Day at School Essay -- essays research p

My first day at school My first day at school was a new adventure for me. I had to wear a school uniform: a blue dress and handmade leather sandals. Having run around all but naked for the first eight years of my life, it was very exciting. At school we learnt about Australian culture and its social classes as well as social classes worldwide. Throughout my studies I learnt that Australia wasn't a classless society. The class to which a person belonged determined how they were treated and we learnt through two particular films:' Educating Rita' (Willy Russell, 1983) and 'My Fair Lady' (Bernard Shaw, 1964) that it is indeed possible to break the mould and change where you end up in life. Rita is a twenty-six year old hairdresser from Liverpool who wants an education. Not the sort of education that would get her a better job or higher wages, but an education that would give her more choices and freedom. Rita wants to be a different person and lead a different sort of lifestyle she has led previously. ?Educating Rita? describes the tests and alterations that the young hairdresser has to go through to develop from a person with very little education to someone who passes her exams with distinctions. Frank Bryant teaches comparative literature and it is his job to teach Rita. Frank has lost all enthusiasm for his job. He loathes most of his students, and the main purpose of the rows of classical literature in the bookshelves in his office is to hide the whiskey bottles. Rita is seen as a lower class citizen. She has very little education and describes a religious painting as ?pornography of its days?, she drops the end consonants of her words and swears often. As she?s walking down towards her house it?s raining and looks ve... ...hange in confidence. Just like Rita, she has developed a sense of worth and no longer endures all of the insults like she use to and this is easily seen when she exclaims , ?I won?t be passed over?I want a little kindness?.am not the dirt under you feet?I stand alone without you? In both of the films we are swayed to side with Rita and Eliza because they are battling against impossible odds by trying to attain education. We are led to disprove of Frank?s and Henry?s attitudes towards their students and social class because they have everything that most people dream of, yet they don?t seem as thankful. Both of these films are displaying a uniform message to its audience. Education, in another word, is emancipation. It is the liberation of a person from a member of a stereotypical society to an active agent who can choose and change where he or she ends up in life.