Challenging the Pedagogy of the Oppressed Essay

The essay, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, discusses how we can be humanized. According to Paulo Freire, oppression dehumanizes both the oppressed and the oppressor. This is because due to oppression, the oppressed is reduced to being a thing, deprived of its rights and freedom. It comes to a point that even the oppressed believe that they are not worth anything. The oppressors are also dehumanized because in the process of subduing the oppressed, they treat the oppressed as things to be overpowered. The oppressed to them are no longer humans, because they do not have the same rights as the oppressors have. Therefore, according to Freire, liberation must come from the oppressed: they must free themselves. This is because the oppressors cannot give true liberation; this is a type of false generosity. Since both are of different classes, they have different interests. Therefore, if the oppressor gives liberty, the oppressed is risking a lot more than the oppressor if they take the offer. The oppressor is giving liberty on its own terms: it will only give what it is willing to give, and not what is right. For the oppressed to be truly free, they must gain freedom by themselves. They must do this through their own efforts. Now, according to Freire, since the oppressed are so downtrodden that they cannot believe in themselves, they must be taught to believe in themselves because no one can save them but themselves. This can only be done through trusting in the abilities of the masses (the oppressed), as well as believing in the cause. Unlike the oppressors, one’s attitude must not be condescending towards the oppressed; one must treat them as equals, capable of learning. Unlike the oppressors, who learn abstract ideas inside classrooms, the oppressed learn concrete things outside. They are treated as unlearned because they are unable to have the same type of education those in power have obtained. Since this is the case, they must not be treated as charity cases, because they are not charity cases. Freire’s essay is very interesting, to say the least. The concept of humans abusing each other is not exactly novel, but the concept of empowering each other to attain freedom, juxtaposed with what love really is, is innovative. These concepts were connected by Freire. As part of the privileged class, Freire puts responsibility upon my shoulders. Instead of making me feel guilty because of my status, he points out that I can be part of change. My status is not important; only my commitment is. Which is why it is my responsibility to be part of the movement to change the system wherein society is divided into the privileged and the poor. This ideology is comparable to Daniel Defoe’s Education of Women. He talks about educating women in a special school designed to teach them certain subjects. Unlike Freire though, Defoe talks of an education solely for women. This means that men receive a very different kind of education. The curriculum, of course, is decided upon by men. Frerie’s though, talks of an education everyone receives. Also, Frerie does not talk of passive students; he is talking of a kind of education where students interact with the teacher. This is based upon the the concept that the teacher has as much to learn from the students, as the students have as much to learn from the teacher. In effect, the students mold their education as they learn. Defoe mentions no such thing. It is as if the students will forever rely on the teacher, and that the students are teachers are not equals. Which is revolutionary, actually. It has been inculcated in us that teachers are at a higher position than us. The platforms in front of classrooms emphasize this fact. We are taught to learn from them because they know so much more than us. We are made to feel as if we are blank slates, or even empty sponges. But this is not true. We are, before becoming students, children of life. We explore the world outside, and come up with answers to explain our questions. Just as the oppressed are experienced, so are we. We have a lot to contribute to the class, much more, as we can combine our kaleidoscope of experiences and contrast it against the teacher’s. Freire also redefined teaching as merely imparting information. Freire goes beyond this to discuss humanizing people. After all, teaching is not about making robots. It is about imparting a part of yourself, sharing a piece of your soul. Freire exposes how education is used to alienate people, and then instructs how it can be redeemed. We can redeem ourselves, to turn away from the bestiality this system enforces upon us. Freire exposes how large the system we are fighting, but at the same time, leaves hope that we can transform it. And this is the challenge Friere leaves us.

Ezra Pound’s “In a Station of the Metro” Essay

Ezra Pound first published this poem in 1913, at a time when writers of poetry were trying to break from the traditional pentameters associated with their craft. This piece is an excellent example of Imagism, in which poets, instead of describing an image in detail , tried to use a minimal amount of words, and evoke an image by use of a well-written phrase. Pound uses haiku style of poetry in this piece which contains only 14 words- a stark contrast to the 20-30 lines from previous era of Victorianism. Pound once explained that he did not wish the heart of the poem to be in the first or second line- but to be the thought process that connects them. While this is a concept used in Imagism, it is more like the latter form he embraced- Vorticism. This categorization comes from the endeavor of the author to treat the poem as a piece of graphic art. Upon examination of the poem itself, it is interesting to note that no verbs are used in the poem, yet it conveys a sense of movement. His choice of the word â€Å"apparition† automatically makes the reader conjure images of mysticism and spirits, thus he begins his contrasts between the real and the unreal; the beautiful and the ugly; the mundane and the exotic. His contrast of nature versus man-made and the quick transition he makes is very typical of the Japanese haiku style. Interestingly he uses â€Å"petals† instead of flowers, giving it a softer, more feminine quality; thus the dark masculinity of the black bough is doubled. The comparison of these two is simultaneous with what the poet has seen on the railway platform- opposites that not only are extremes but that compliment each other. There is continued debate among scholars as to the true meaning of this poem and what Pound intended to convey when he wrote it. Nevertheless, they all have to agree that he did what he set out to do- transcend traditional form and make an eye-opening statement to his readers. References â€Å"Pound’s ‘In A Station of the Metro’: A Textual Note. † English Language Notes 8. 4 (June 1971). retrieved on June 16, 2009, from http://www. english. illinois. edu/ Maps/poets/m_r/pound/metro. htm Hishikawa, Eiichi â€Å"Ezra Pound† published by Kobe Univesity April 2004 retrieved on June 16, 2009 from http://www. lit. kobe-u. ac. jp/~hishika/pound. htm

Baroque Composers

This meaner you complete all work in a word processing document (e. G. , Microsoft Word) and attach the file using the dropped tool. Use the Unit 5: Text Questions dropped basket. The answers to the Review & Critical Thinking questions are worth 10 points. Unit Five: Text Questions Review Questions 1 . What are figured bass and basso continuo? How are they related? 2. What is ornamentation? 3. What is an oratorio? How does it differ from an opera? 4. What is an orchestra? How did the development of orchestras influence Baroque music? 5. What is an instrumental suite? Critical Thinking Questions .What are the characteristics of Baroque music? How would you describe Baroque 2. Choose one of the composers discussed in the unit and listen to several of the composer's works. Which works did you listen to? How would you describe this composer's music? Why do you think this composer was an influential figure in Baroque music? 3. How did composers and musicians think about themselves during the Baroque period? How did this influence the music that they created? 4. What advantages and disadvantages did Baroque composers have in the patronage system? What did they gain from this practice?What limitations did it place on them? 5. Baroque music often tried to capture and reflect a particular emotion or feeling. Choose one of the musical works in the unit. Identify the work that you chose. What feeling or emotion is the composer trying to capture or reflect in the work? What aspects of the music lead you to this emotion or feeling? Discussion Questions Please post questions and answers on the UNIT FIVE discussion boards. Unless otherwise instructed, you should submit at least one full paragraph for each question. Each discussion assignment is worth 5 points.

Lets reform our schools Essay

Alcohol is dangerous for health because it causes intoxication. Every person is possess an inhibitory centre in their brains which prevents the person from doing things that he considers wrong. When a person drinks alcohol it inhibits the inhibitory centre which causes intoxication. For instance a person does not normally use abusive language while addressing his parents or elders. I he has to answer the call of nature, his inhibitory centre will prevent him from doing so in public; therefore he uses toilet. When a person consumes alcohol, the inhibitory centre itself is inhibited. The intoxicated person is found to use abusive and foul language and does not realize his mistake even if he is addressing his parents. Many even urinate in their clothes. Neither do they talk nor walk properly. They even misbehave. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of Justice (U.S. Department of Justice) in the year 1996 alone everyday on an average 2,713 rapes took place. The statistics tell us that the majority of the rapists, were intoxicated while committing the crime. The same is true in cases of molestation. According to the statistics, 8% of the Americans commit incest in other words one in every twelve to thirteen persons in America is involved in incest. One of the major factors associated with the spread of AIDS, the most dreaded disease, is alcoholism. There are so many cases of adultery, rape, incent and AIDS found more among alcoholics. The statistics tell us that the majority of the rapists, were intoxicated while committing the crime. The same is true in cases of molestation. Due to that fact we come to know when someone consumes alcohol once and commits something shameful, it will remains with him for a lifetime. In a state of intoxication he commits rape or incest. Even if the act is later regretted, a normal human being is likely to carry the guilt throughout his life. Most of the people don’t know what could happen after the consumption of alcohol. The maximum number of deaths in the world related to any one particular cause is due to the consumption of alcohol. Millions of people die every year only because of intake of alcohol. There are so many ill-effects of alcohol such as Cirrhosis of Liver, Cancer of Oesophagus, Cancer of Head and Neck, Cancer of Liver, Cancer of Bowel, Oesophagitis, Gastritis, Pancreatitis, Hepatitis, Cardiomyophagitis, Hypertension, Coronary Artherosclerosis, Angina, Heart Attacks, Strokes, Apoplexy, Fits, Paralysis, Peripheral Neuropathy, Cortical Atrophy, Cerebellar Atrophy, Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome, Beriberi, even Pellagra occurs in alcoholic, and many other diseases are cause by alcoholism. Due to that fact alcoholism is a very serious risk and we all should be prevented by this evil desire. Consumption of alcohol is very dangerous for our health.

Animal Farm. The Great Purges

Emily Mills The Great Purges As previously quoted by George Orwell, â€Å"Political language†¦ is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind†. In many cases, a historical significance used in literature can be very effective and can be used to get an event or message across using symbolism and metaphors. George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, incorporates both a children’s read of talking animals taking over a farm and the historical horrors of the 1900’s.One of the many underlying events that the book includes is the Great Purges. Both metaphorically introduced in Orwell’s satire version, and historically researched, the Great Purges were displayed as â€Å"respectable† murders and ways to gain power and leadership. George Orwell’s Animal Farm demonstrates how the unwillingness to deny those of higher importance or authority condemns the lower classes to bear the op pression of those in command.The murders of innocent victims, or purges, with which Josef Stalin eliminated any potential threats and demanded his political title find expression in Animal Farm when the forced confessions and executions of animals, such as other pigs, sheep, and hens whom Napoleon finds distrustful following the collapse of the windmill. Though thought to have been merely out of fear, the confessions were previously coerced and forced by Stalin. In fact, the fear was instilled in Napoleon who warned the other animals to â€Å"†¦ keep [their] eyes open.For [they had] reason to think that some of Snowball’s secret agents [were] lurking among [them] at this moment! † (Orwell, 82). Those animals who showed even the slightest hesitation in one of his orders or disapproval toward Napoleon, such as the pigs who opposed the cancellation of Sunday Meetings, were executed immediately. Similar to the 1930s, when Stalin staged a number of infamousâ€Å"purge s,† trials where Stalin and trusted allies forced government members and citizens to â€Å"confess† their disloyalty to Stalinist actions. Napoleon forced confessions from other animals with the use of the terror installed by his hounds. In most cases, the victims of the purges would admit to assisting in these illegal actions in which they had never engaged in in order to eliminate further torture. Unfortunately, once confessed, the alleged traitors were murdered as â€Å"enemies of the people. † Both the pigs who admitted to forming an alliance with Snowball and the goose who confessed to â€Å"having secreted six ears of corn during the last year’s harvest and eaten them in the night† (Orwell, 84) where both slaughtered along with three hens and a sheep.Stalin and Napoleon used their purges to terminate any form of disloyalty or mutiny among their people or animals and to instill fear in the eyes of their societies. The Great Purges were a mass o f killing streaks lead by Joseph Stalin in the late 1930’s. The purpose behind the purges was so that Stalin had a way of keeping his party loyal to him. Also, he executed anyone with power or thought to have power who opposed or challenged him. Before Stalin, it was Vladimir Lenin who had planted the seed, but Stalin who took the initiative to proceed with the idea.Instead of expelling members of his party, like Lenin had suggested, Stalin took the drastic and unnecessary route of execution. Another huge part of the Great Purges was known as â€Å"the confessions†. Stalin’s policeman, the NKVD, would round up innocent people and accuse them of crimes against society and proclaim them as traitors. Then, through methods of torture, confessions would be signed, and they would be executed. Killing nearly 500,000 people and sending many more to concentration camps, Stalin left a huge and unforgettable bloodstain on Soviet Russia’s history.This historical even t connects to George Orwell’s story Animal Farm in several ways. The actual event of the Great Purges is shown in chapter seven when Napoleon has all of the animals executed for helping out Snowball. This is exactly what Joseph Stalin did when he executed the men of his party and all of the innocent people for being traitors. Also when all of the animals confess to the crimes that they didn’t commit connects to how during Stalin’s reign, the NKVD tortured people until the confessed to the crimes they didn’t even commit.While reading Animal Farm, it is easy for the reader to find the similarities in characters and events and connect them to the real life events that took place. George Orwell incorporated and captured the horror of the Great Purges in Animal Farm. He truly grasped the main ideas of the evil ways of Stalin, the tremendous loss of lives, and â€Å"the confessions†. The terror of the Great Purges is so hard to comprehend, but through re ading Orwell’s satire version it helps society understand, in a more simple way how awful he Great Purges were. In the very few pages that he wrote relating to the Great Purges he really did capture the horrible losses and ghastly events that took place back in the late 1930’s during Stalin’s reign. Works Cited Page 1. â€Å"George Orwell Quotes. † BrainyQuote. Xplore, n. d. Web. 24 Feb. 2013 2. Orwell, George. â€Å"VII. † Animal Farm;. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1954. 82-84. Print. 3. â€Å"Union of Soviet Socialist Republics: Chapter 3C. Stalin and Stalinism. † Countries of the World. 1991. eLibrary. Web. 24 Feb. 2013.

Porter’s Five Forces

Porter’s 5 forces summary According to Porter, in order to achieve competitive advantage over its competitors, analysis of current industry structure is vital because the structure of an industry determines the nature of the competition and the form that a sustainable competitive advantage takes and the industry structure is determined by the five competitive forces; the treat of substitute, the treat of entry, bargaining power of buyer, and bargaining power of supplier and the intensive of rivalry. Porter work simplified to identify five forces and then, to select one of the generic strategies.Last step of his framework is using the value chain from identifying and enhancing the business activities. His concept is based on the idea that forces facing the industry play a key role in determining success and profitability of an organisation. The analysis of five forces tells how management should respond to and try to influence those forces in a favourable way. Threat of entrant s: according to Porter new entry into the industry certainly reduces the existing firm’s profitability. How high the entry barrier of the industry affects the degree of new entry:Simply, internet banking dramatically lowers the entry barrier of bank industry. It is because entry barriers such as ‘economics of scale’, ‘brand identity’ and ‘access to distribution’ do not work any longer. Physical size can only mean high operating cost as well as in efficient and limited degrees of flexibility. The banking market is likely to see the emergence of new small banks that use internet to compete on equal ground with the financial giants. Power of buyer: buyer power affects the prices that firms can charge.Porter theorised that the more products that become standardised or undifferentiated, and hence more power is yielded to buyers. The products of banking market are getting similar therefore it increases the bargaining power of buyers. Also, buy ers have full information on demand and cost with internet, it implies that they can play the game more rationally with significant bargaining power. As more new comers are expected to enter the industry, banking customer are facing more alternatives. This is evidenced by the fact that internet banking services are now free of charge. Porter’s Five Forces Porter’s 5 forces summary According to Porter, in order to achieve competitive advantage over its competitors, analysis of current industry structure is vital because the structure of an industry determines the nature of the competition and the form that a sustainable competitive advantage takes and the industry structure is determined by the five competitive forces; the treat of substitute, the treat of entry, bargaining power of buyer, and bargaining power of supplier and the intensive of rivalry. Porter work simplified to identify five forces and then, to select one of the generic strategies.Last step of his framework is using the value chain from identifying and enhancing the business activities. His concept is based on the idea that forces facing the industry play a key role in determining success and profitability of an organisation. The analysis of five forces tells how management should respond to and try to influence those forces in a favourable way. Threat of entrant s: according to Porter new entry into the industry certainly reduces the existing firm’s profitability. How high the entry barrier of the industry affects the degree of new entry:Simply, internet banking dramatically lowers the entry barrier of bank industry. It is because entry barriers such as ‘economics of scale’, ‘brand identity’ and ‘access to distribution’ do not work any longer. Physical size can only mean high operating cost as well as in efficient and limited degrees of flexibility. The banking market is likely to see the emergence of new small banks that use internet to compete on equal ground with the financial giants. Power of buyer: buyer power affects the prices that firms can charge.Porter theorised that the more products that become standardised or undifferentiated, and hence more power is yielded to buyers. The products of banking market are getting similar therefore it increases the bargaining power of buyers. Also, buy ers have full information on demand and cost with internet, it implies that they can play the game more rationally with significant bargaining power. As more new comers are expected to enter the industry, banking customer are facing more alternatives. This is evidenced by the fact that internet banking services are now free of charge. Porter’s Five Forces Porter’s 5 forces summary According to Porter, in order to achieve competitive advantage over its competitors, analysis of current industry structure is vital because the structure of an industry determines the nature of the competition and the form that a sustainable competitive advantage takes and the industry structure is determined by the five competitive forces; the treat of substitute, the treat of entry, bargaining power of buyer, and bargaining power of supplier and the intensive of rivalry. Porter work simplified to identify five forces and then, to select one of the generic strategies.Last step of his framework is using the value chain from identifying and enhancing the business activities. His concept is based on the idea that forces facing the industry play a key role in determining success and profitability of an organisation. The analysis of five forces tells how management should respond to and try to influence those forces in a favourable way. Threat of entrant s: according to Porter new entry into the industry certainly reduces the existing firm’s profitability. How high the entry barrier of the industry affects the degree of new entry:Simply, internet banking dramatically lowers the entry barrier of bank industry. It is because entry barriers such as ‘economics of scale’, ‘brand identity’ and ‘access to distribution’ do not work any longer. Physical size can only mean high operating cost as well as in efficient and limited degrees of flexibility. The banking market is likely to see the emergence of new small banks that use internet to compete on equal ground with the financial giants. Power of buyer: buyer power affects the prices that firms can charge.Porter theorised that the more products that become standardised or undifferentiated, and hence more power is yielded to buyers. The products of banking market are getting similar therefore it increases the bargaining power of buyers. Also, buy ers have full information on demand and cost with internet, it implies that they can play the game more rationally with significant bargaining power. As more new comers are expected to enter the industry, banking customer are facing more alternatives. This is evidenced by the fact that internet banking services are now free of charge.

Managing Communications, Knowledge and Information Essay

Managing Communications, Knowledge and Information - Essay Example Knowledge management and information flows within organizations form a critical link to its productivity and performance. However, effective knowledge management practices remain a distinctive challenge for organizations in the form of identifying the key information needs of the organization and developing effective systems for channelising the information flow across departments and business units. How does an organization define the need for knowledge and skills among its employees and what are the measures that it takes to equip the workforce with the desired skills? How can strategic planning in identifying information needs within each department or operational processes in the business and how can this help in meeting the organizational goals and objectives? These are some of the pertinent questions facing organizations and this paper focuses on providing an insight into strategies that can be adopted by an organization to meet its information needs and overall business object ives. The paper analyses the information needs and knowledge management strategies taken by Apple to meet one of its business objectives. On 22 August 2008, Apple launched the I-phone in India. The response they received from consumers was not as expected as hardly any consumers showed up. This was a bit disappointing as compared to the launches in other countries where there were thousands of consumers standing outside the stores to get their I-phones. It was identified that the lack of marketing led to not having enough consumers at the launch date. (Iphone in India, 2011) The graph below shows the Mac market share of Apple: Market share of Apple by geographic divisions (Source: OSXDaily, 2011) By looking at the above graph, we can see that the market share in Asia is 1.61%, out of which about half is China and the rest is India. Considering the population size, it may not seem as low but as compared to other continents, it is considerably low. With

Korean Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Korean Literature - Essay Example cause the she-bear followed all the instructions of Hwanung, which involved eating sacred magworts, and being in the darkness for a period of a hundred days. The two are compared because the both developed human forms. The she-bear transformed into a woma, and also the Holy Hwanung changed into a human male. The two procreated, and the resulting son was referred to as Tangun Wangg’om. Korean shamanism entails the ancient religion and beliefs of the Korean society. In the ancient belief, the priest is referred to as the mudang if female and the baksu if he is male. The mudang has the main responsibility of being an intermediary between the gods and the people through rituals. The spiritual intermediaries also aim at solving problems that humans experience, in the course of their development. The central concept in the Korean Shamanistic practices entails the worship of Hwanin, also known as Haneullim. Hwanin is considered the source of the entire universe, which comprises all the beings and gods that exist in nature. The mu is traditionally illustrated as the descendants of the son of the heavenly king. This investiture is generally passed through the princely lineage. But, certain significant myths in the Korean Shamanistic beliefs connect the heritage of the ancient belief to Dangun. Dangun is considered as the male heir to the Heavenly King, also the initiator or the founder of the ancient Korean nation. Korean Shamanism is closely linked to; the Japanese Shinto, Siberian Mongolian, Chinese Wuism, and Manchurian beliefs. Anthropological studies illustrate that the ancient Korean god Dangun, has a lot of similarities to; the prince, the Ural-Altaic Tengri, and the shaman. Likewise, mudang is closely associated with Japanese miko and Ryukyuan yuta (Hogarth 117). The myth illustrates adequate relationship between the northern China and Korea, before the formation of the Han dynasty. Ancient Korea and Yen state illustrates adequate political influence of Old

Develop Work Prop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Develop Work Prop - Essay Example It is important that customer's are kept in good humor by being in regulat touch with them and updating them about the latest on their orders. Customers, if taken in confidence, do take the occasional delays in their stride. Delegation of power to suitable and capable subordinates is very crucial for smooth functioning of any organization. Reassigning the responsibilities in such a manner that if someone is not in a position to come to office for couple of days then there must be a stop gap arrangement who can take over the responsibility and the overall functioning doesn't come to a halt. For example Jose himself is feeling overburdened already therefore he must stop insisting that all communication about the installation was routed through him. Ans 3: Action Plan for Jose Goal Action/ tasks Standard applied Who Date Change in Attitude A motivated manager Behavior monitoring Jose Sept 1, 2006 Fine tuning relationship with others A cohesive team formation Team management Jose and other team members Sept 10, 2006 A good leader Leadership Training: A leader owning responsibility for failures while distributing the credits for success Leadership skill and respect from other members Jose Oct. 17, 2006 Action plan for Jose's Team Goal Action/ tasks Standard applied Who Date Mutual respect Start respecting each other's viewpoints Behavior monitoring All team members Sept 1, 2006 Fine tuning relationship with others A cohesive team Team management Jose and other team members Sept 20, 2006 Meeting deadlines All orders to be completed within the deadline The team output Team Oct 5. , 2006 Clearing the backlog All delayed projects to be completed Team output as well as customer's goodwill Team As soon as...A person not having a title/ post of manager is also supposed to manage the things. If someone thinks that only 'manager' has to manage that means either he is running away from responsibility or he is not skilled enough to manage. Jacinta is good in scheduling technique so, instead of, discouraging and suppressing her ability, Jose must try to make good use of her scheduling expertise. This will have a positive impact on the outcome of Jose's section, which in turn will enhance the reputation of Jose - the Manager. It is important that customer's are kept in good humor by being in regulat touch with them and updating them about the latest on their orders. Customers, if taken in confidence, do take the occasional delays in their stride. Delegation of power to suitable and capable subordinates is very crucial for smooth functioning of any organization. Reassigning the responsibilities in such a manner that if someone is not in a position to come to office for couple of days then there must be a stop gap arrangement who can take over the responsibility and the overall functioning doesn't come to a halt. For example Jose himself is feeling overburdened already therefore he must stop insisting that all communication about the installation was routed through him. 1. Jose has to realize that he is a 'Manager'. And a manager is responsible for making 'things happen'.

Organization Development and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Organization Development and Change - Essay Example More importantly, the wrong intervention may have repercussions in the organization that cannot be resolved. OD practitioners must always think about the impact of the intervention on the organization. How would you as an OD practitioner rule out alternative explanations? What must you understand in order to do this? To avoid alternative explanations as an OD practitioner, I have to understand the â€Å"before and after† of evaluating an intervention. For example, I should understand that the variables and measures involved to properly evaluate the intervention should be considered well. They should be reliable, valid and not just be based on one method. This is the â€Å"before† stage of evaluation. The â€Å"after† stage involves understanding that there are internal and external checks on the validity of the research design or â€Å"the setting up of the conditions for making valid assessments of an intervention’s effects.† (Cummings, T. & Worley, C., 2008, p. 210) I need to understand that the assessment should show if the intervention produced the expected results and if it the intervention would work the same way in other

Virgil's prologue from Aeneid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Virgil's prologue from Aeneid - Essay Example epics; the parallel with Homer’s works can be found in Virgil’s attempt to define the two parts of the story as an odyssey and a tale of war--though in reverse of Homer’s story structure. Because of the widespread use of Latin, Virgil succeeded in reaching a large audience and, as a result, was able to share and expand on the idea of the Roman hero. The storyline of Aeneid explores the challenging journey of a pious, selfless warrior chosen by destiny to found the city of Rome. There are a variety of themes running through the story: the conflict of order vs. chaos; the superiority of the Roman hero; and the role of destiny in shaping a man’s actions. The reader can find these references within the prologue, as Virgil paints a vivid picture of the epic story to follow. The central theme of order vs. chaos can be found in Virgil’s description of Aeneas’ journey across the treacherous seas. â€Å"A fugitive, this captain, buffeted/ Cruelly on land as on the sea/ By blows from powers of the air--behind them, / Baleful Juno in her sleepless rage† illustrates the representation of chaos--Juno being the embodiment of emotional rage--stirring the weather and causing havoc. Order is found in the presence of Aeneas as he fights to reach Rome--the land of rational thought and law. Another theme is the ideal figure of the Roman hero; Aeneas is presented as the perfect example of Roman self-sacrifice, piety and clear-minded purpose. When Virgil states: â€Å"A man apart, devoted to his mission--/ To undergo so many perilous days/ And enter on so many trials† he is telling the reader of the exceptional strength--of both mind and body--found in his main protagonist. The role of destiny plays a major role in Aeneas’ story. At the start of the prologue, we learn that â€Å"He came to Italy by destiny† and the reader understands the important nature of Aeneas’ assignment and purpose. Virgil ends his prologue with the following lines: â€Å"They wandered as

English Composition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English Composition - Essay Example ot only mean surfing online research sites or going to the libraries to dig up on records, books, and journals about the chosen topic; it also means talking or doing interviews with the experts on the field that covers the topic to be written about. Persuasive essay is also known as the argument essay because the writer states an argument about the chosen topic of a literary piece. The argument must always use sound reasoning and solid evidence by stating facts, giving logical reasons, using examples, and quoting experts (Essay Info, 2007). Topics for this type of essay may vary from a simple question whether a school uniform is still apt to wear these days to a more volatile subject of abortion or death penalty. Persuasive essays are usually written in a way that it can be delivered as speeches. Writing a persuasive essay requires an open-minded writer. For example, the topic is about the fear of the elderly about the new technology such as computers. The writer may make a stand that there is no reason to fear the technical innovations. Apart from preparing for the facts that will support the argument of the essay, the writer should also get ready for objections that the opposition will most likely present. In thinking about the opposition, here are a few questions that the writer should ask: What will they say against my idea? How can I defend my idea against their arguments? Are there any of my points that they can easily attack? Can I see any weak links in the oppositions thinking? (Geocities, 2007). In the topic on the elderly people’s fear of new technology, the opposition will be the elderly themselves and some old-fashioned persons. Every possible points of the opposition should be included in the essay, and the writer must be able to answer and overcome the objections. However, this style may not be applicable to other topics. Hence, experts suggest four steps in planning for a persuasive essay: the writer needs to choose the position or stand on a

What is the importance of custom, prejudice and tradition in Burkes Outline

What is the importance of custom, prejudice and tradition in Burkes philosophy - Outline Example To add on this, they always insisted on the total and rash implementation of those abstract rights. The French revolution was intended at bringing wholesale and instantaneous political and social transformation of the French society based on abstract and rationalist principles. He therefore saw this revolution as a direct threat to the British way of life and constitution. According to Burke, revolution could be progressive and he appraises the creation of the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the Magna Carta as good examples of progressive revolutions. In the two cases, the ancient constitution had been restored and finally set back on its true and desired path of gradual evolution (Harington 1). Burke therefore called for the enactment of particular concrete rights and liberties as means of achieving protection against possible governmental oppression. Burke’s affinity for already established traditions and customs is also evidenced his 1791 Letter to a Member of the National Assembly. In this letter, Burke claimed that, for a long time, the various parts of the British constitution had gradually and almost insensibly accommodated themselves, their common purpose as well as to their separate purposes (Burke 333). He believed that this process adaptation could not be achieved through the effect of instantaneous regulation in France or elsewhere else. Holding to this view, Burke viewed the French revolution as a phenomenon so unprecedented and dangerous, negating the desired nature of historical progress shown by the evolution of the British constitution. A comparison between the reaction of Burke to the American Revolution and his reaction to the French Revolution reveals the grounds of his opposition to the French revolution and his philosophy on the same. Burke had seen and loved how the Americans resolved their crisis.

D.A.R.E. Drug Abuse Resistance Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

D.A.R.E. Drug Abuse Resistance Education - Essay Example The most prevalent drug education program in existence is the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, commonly referred to as D.A.R.E. This is a program currently taught in all 50 states as well as in foreign countries and is in the vast majority of all school systems. Despite its immense popularity, there has been great debate in whether or not the program is successfully maintaining its own goals of preventing the nations’ youth from engaging in substance use/abuse. In this paper, I will present arguments and studies both for and against the program and its effectiveness. This paper will also demonstrate that with all the research that has been examined in the debate over the effectiveness of the D.A.R.E. program, there may be crucial questions that have not yet been addressed that might further reveal D.A.R.E.’s influence on youth. Literature Review The following literature review attempts to demonstrate and support the hypothesis that the D.A.R.E. program is effect ive in combating drug use among the nations’ youth. Ennet et al., (1994) carried out a research to analyze the effectiveness of D.A.R.E program in meta-analysis. ... In two of their studies, there was reliable information on the long-term effects of the program. However, there was no indication D.A.R.E’s effectiveness deters individuals from using drugs even at their adult stage. In illuminating some light on Ennet et al., (1994), (Hansen, et al. 1988) conducted, a study to that aimed at preventing multiple substances among seventh grade students. In their research, two drug abuse prevention curricula tested aimed at determining their efficacy in preventing the onset of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use among adolescents. The first program focused on prevention through social pressure resistance training, while the second featured affective education approaches to prevention. A test on curricula was on seventh grade students. Subjects were pretested just prior to the program and post-tested at 12 and 24 months. Post-test analyses indicated that the social program delivered to seventh grade subjects was effective in delaying the onset of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. There was no preventive effect of the affective education program was observed. By the final post-test, classrooms that had received the affective program had significantly more drug use than controls. A study conducted in 1991 suggested that two strategies for preventing the onset of alcohol abuse and marijuana and cigarette use were tested in junior high schools in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California. The first strategy taught skills to refuse substance use offers. The second strategy corrected erroneous normative perceptions about prevalence and acceptability of use among peers and established conservative groups norms regarding use. Four experimental

Heritage Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Heritage Films - Essay Example The film Orlando is based on the novel by Virginia Woolf of the same name written in 1928 and Brideshead Revisited is based on a novel by Evelyn Waugh written in 1945. Both were influential books in their time by respected authors. Of the two, Woolf is the more radical in terms of structure, exploring techniques like stream of consciousness. Writing in an aristocratic circle of writers and artists in the Bloomsbury area of London, Woolf and her circle of friends represented a rather radical upper class social group which experimented with socialism and liberal views on marriage and sexuality. Although writing well before the liberalisation of laws against homosexuality and the permissive society, Woolf anticipated the freedoms that would come later in the century with her depiction of Orlando, who starts out a man and ends the book four hundred years later as a woman, breaking all usual limitations of a normal person’s lifespan and sexual identity. Turning such a quirky book i nto film is no easy task. The book is written in seven sections but Potter breaks the story up into the book into short episodes which are given one-word titles like â€Å"sex† or â€Å"birth† which crystallize life events and stress the unity of the persona, despite the changing historical periods and the shift from male to female. At various points in the film Orlando turns to the camera and addresses the viewer directly, which at first is somewhat disconcerting, but as the film develops, it becomes a pattern which invites the viewer to look again at the screen and re-evaluate the surface images to reflect particularly about how the gender and identity of the people in the film is being portrayed. The camera dwells on Tilda Swinton’s oval face, recording many impassive scenes where she/he lets the chatter of other characters wash over her, until she suddenly turns to the camera with an arch look. Ferris explains this technique: the film highlights instability of identity in its use of direct address, non-linear narrative, and parodic framing, reconstructing Woolf's novel as a postmodern text. (Ferris, p. 110) Other techniques are used to jolt the audience out of a surface reading of the film. In the scene where Orlando meets Queen Elizabeth the first, for example, there is interference from modern society because the elderly monarch is played by famously flamboyant male homosexual Quentin Crisp. Orlando approaches the throne and kneels and the wide angle of the camera captures the pale costumes but above all the striking red hair of both Orlando and the Queen. As Ferris notes â€Å"The scene highlights both the construction of the narrative and of sexuality, for the male Orlando is played by a female actress, Tilda Swinton, who addresses the female queen, played by a male homosexual.† (Ferris, p. 113) This playful treatment celebrates a diversity of genders, and sexual orientations, drawing parallels and contrasts which cross over the normal male/female and gay/straight divides. Modern feminist readings of the film appreciate the blurring of these binary divides and the exploration of how gender is culturally constructed. The persona and languid narrative voice of Orlando remain intact, whether in a male or

Personal statement Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Statement Example Of particular interest to me is the opportunity to write a dissertation based upon my personal experience and case-studies of my workplace. Academic work that is based upon the dual foundations of scholarly theory and practical knowledge is perhaps the most powerful type of educational experience. I feel that this is particularly the case within a field such as Public Policy in which what is learned should have a close practical application to real world issues. The fact that CeFIMS deliberately stresses the relationship between academic work and real-world problems makes it very attractive to me. I am particularly interested in those sections of the coursework that deal with decentralization of government programs and the policies that go along with them. Decentralization appears to be an excellent idea on a superficial level, but various problematic issues arise on closer examination. The apparent dichotomy between "personal interest" and "career advancement" does not necessarily apply to my situation. To me the best career advancement involves an academic and personal background that involves personal interest. To be succinct, personal interest should drive one's career goals, as it is only through a passion for the subject-matter and practical nature of one's career that one can achieve the most.

Bipolar Disorder Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Bipolar Disorder - Research Paper Example The difference between perceptions of mental illness today and in the 19th century is between night and day (Nunes, 2002). That said we need to dramatically increase the amount of information and education out there on this issue. We need to know when such things become a problem and when they should be left alone. Mental health is an issue that affects all of us and must be taken very seriously by all of us. Among the more serious mental health problems that practitioners are starting to address are those arising from bipolar disorder. This essay will examine bipolar disorder and include an interview with an individual who suffers from the disorder. Bipolar disorder is a serious problem. It involves mood disorders. Sufferers swing from manic episodes to depressive episodes. Sometimes there are triggers, but sometimes these are very hard to detect (Behrman, 12). It is said that creative people often suffer from this disorder and produce some of their greatest work during the manic phases. But those who suffer from it have serious problems with relationships and employment. Some need need to be medicated, others hospitalized. It is a disorder with a wide prevalence. What can society do to help bring these issues to light and to try to help? A key thing to do is to encourage people suffering from mental illness or mental disorders such as bipolar disorder to seek help. No man or woman is an island and it can be very difficult to balance one’s life and to know when and if you might have a problem (Millon, 78). You might need help. Sometimes this involves asking your partner to help you out, to have a shoulder to cry on. But it might also involve asking a professional to talk to you and prescribe something. There’s no shame in that: it is important to get past the stigma of mental illness. That’s why those people exist and they know what they’re doing. Sometimes people have so much on the go that they themselves are unable to get a

Discuss the diversity of young children's experiences of language and Essay

Discuss the diversity of young children's experiences of language and literacy at home. To what extent can there be a match be - Essay Example 4). Since the mind is believed to be a blank slate, the culture or the behavior prevalent in the child’s surroundings may affect the way he learns language. The infant can learn through social interaction and transmitted learning, which is largely behavioral in a sense that what he observes dictate the way he learns language. However, the behaviorist theories on language were criticized by Noam Chomsky saying that the mind is already structured and that language learning is highly psychological through his theory of Universal Grammar. Chomsky believes that children’s language acquisition is â€Å"closely tied to the theory of the mental mechanisms children use in acquiring language† (Pinker, n.d.). A part of the brain which Chomsky called â€Å"learning acquisition device† is part of the â€Å"human genetic endowment† which makes the person involuntarily and innately learn his natural language (Kellog, 1997, p. 242). If Chomsky’s theory shoul d be followed, there would be no formal pattern as to how children learn how to talk, since they do it â€Å"their† way and not because of behavioral ‘patterns.’ Since each child is unique in his way of learning the language, there could be no one way to teach it nor there is one process which stood above all others in terms of effectiveness and accuracy. Children are born with their own facet of learning the language and the environment’s role is just to aid the development of language learning through experience; the idea of Chomsky reveals to be more relevant if basing on the effectiveness of teaching strategies following such principle. Language Learning in the Early Years One of the most unique characteristics of humans apart from other animals is the use of language in many ways, aside from communication. Through language, people were able to build civilizations with sophisticated culture and arts which were innovated by the present age for utility a nd fashion. Truly, human’s leap towards the development of language leads them to discover more about themselves and their surroundings. The transformation of language is magnificent, but what truly is amazing is how people learn the language in the early years of life considering that babies are born without a language. This idea wonders linguists from different times; they explored a human’s language development and made theories about it, but still, no absolute principle is governing the process of language acquisition. Bock (2005) revealed more interesting findings about babies and their language. She reported the findings of Patricia Kuhl, a university professor, found out that the babies’ mind is set by birth to distinguish different sounds that they have â€Å"no trouble hearing distinctions and sorting out sounds† (Bock, 2005, p. 4). The same claim was made five years earlier through an experimental research by Professor Peter Eimas of Brown Unive rsity. In the experiment, Professor Eimas took advantage of the baby’s habit of sucking. The baby subject, Jean-Paul, is French exposed to French culture and language. The recorded sound pattern of his sucking became the basis of comparison along the process. When he was initially exposed to the Russian language, he sucked the rubber nipple more vigorously and began to subside as he tend to ‘get bored’ with the Russian sound. When the researcher exposed him back to the French language, he showed

Industrial Hemp Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Industrial Hemp - Essay Example Since 2007, the commercial value of hemp has grown tremendously. Today it is considered to be the fastest growing bio mass ever known to exist. It produces around 25 tons of dry matter per hectare per year. In modern agriculture a normal average yield is tipped to be 2.5-3.5 t/ac. As a crop, hemp is also very environmentally friendly and does not require many pesticides or herbicides. Contemporary research has not focused much on soil fertility and hence there is very little data available on that front. Results and analysis show that a high yield of hemp may lead to high yielding wheat crop. Hemp is hence one of the most ancient domesticated plants that ever existed. (Citizen) There are various varieties of Hemp out there. There is cannabis sativa, sativa vary. And sativa. These are grown for industrial use whilst on the other hand sativa indica is generally known to have poor fiber quality. Its primary purpose is for use for recreational purposes and for medicinal drugs. Talking ab out the differences in the plants at chemical level, their major difference rests in the amount of tetraydrocannabinol that is genetically produced in the plants. It is secreted by epidermal hairs called glandular trichomes and can be easily made out on genetical grounds. (Melody) There are some oil seed and fiber varieties of cannabis as well. They have been approved for industrial hemp production and can produce very little amount of psychoactive drug. They don’t produce any physical or psychological effects. On the global scale China is the leading producer of hemp. It is also produced in Europe, Chile and Korea. Benefits and Many Uses of Industrial Hemp: Hemp is used for reasons that are manifold. It is said to produce above 50,000 products in the United States itself. These include the manufacture of textiles, cordage, and nutritional products. Cordage can be produced in varying tensile strength. The bast fiber is normally blended with some other organic fibers for insta nce flax, cotton and silk. These are used in the production of apparel and furnishing and have cotton and hemp in the ratio of 55:45. However 100% pure industrial hemp can also be used. It is just that more commonly it is blended and mixed with cotton. The two fibers inside the hemp tend to be woodier. Because of their characteristic properties they are used commonly in non-woven items, mulch, litter and animal bedding. (Alberta) Hemp is also used in the production of oil-based pained, as a moisturizing agent in creams, for cooking and even in plastics. Basically, the oil present in the seeds gets oxidized when exposed to air. This helps in the extraction of oil and the use of Hemp in oil based products. Hemp seeds have been very fruitful in their use as bird seed mix and now they are also used to make fishing bait, Food: The chemical composition of Hemp seeds is very interesting. They contain essential amino acids and essential fatty acids which are important for a healthy balanced human life. These can seeds can be eaten raw, can be cooked with meal, and even made into hemp milk. This milk is used to prepare tea and in baking. The fresh leaves of hemp are also eaten in salads by many. Some of the most popular products made via hemp include cereals, waffles, nut butters and hemp tofu. There are some companies who try to gain more value out of industrial hemp. They try

Metamorphosis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Metamorphosis - Essay Example Some sort of psychological grounding will have to be found out for such an occurrence. The presence of an insect anywhere within the house, is the most unwelcome feature but Samsa is one (transformed into beetle perhaps with his own volition) and members in the household accept the fact for the reasons best known to them. The readers of the story are expected to go with the fact to enable them appreciate the developments that take place in the family consequent to the isolation of the prime member from the mainstream dispositions and activities of a normal household. Insects live a regulated life within the perimeters bestowed to them by Nature. Before his transformation Gregor lives such a life, comparatively lackluster and remains engrossed in his work. He does his best to provide for the secular necessities of the family. He has no friends circle, no hobbies that make his life passionate, and no close interaction with the family members except with his sister. Why the family does not involve him in day to day small incidents of happiness and sorrow is not explained in the story, but the fact is that he is a marginalized member and this realization intensely bothers him leading to his ‘transformation as the beetle.’ In fact, that is his mental sickness that shapes into a beetle and his cynicism is the cause for that to happen. The family expects of him to provide for them, nothing more, and nothing less. Just as an ant or the worker-bee labors without intermission for providing food for the rest of the members of the nest, Gregor carries on with his life solely for the benefit of others. His life becomes totally regimented devoid of any fun and sacrifice for others become the watchword for him. He just works, that’s all without any essential human dignity or charm. No thanks or words of gratitude for him and the family expect him to do what he does, as if it is his bounden duty. He owns total responsibility on his shoulders, for issues

Individual case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Individual - Case Study Example urship and innovation challenges faced by the founder and the co-founder at the initial stages of operation and the strategies adopted by them to expand their business in the international markets (Stokes and  Wilson, 2010, p.65). Jeroen Glabeek and Gilbert Gooijers, the founder and the co-founder were classmates and shared same interest in academics during their college days with the activity of radio broadcasting as a commercial business. Glabeek and Gooijers considered the proposal of their customers to send ringtones and sms to the overseas European markets such as Spain and tying up with the telecom service providers in those countries. In the course of their step towards innovation and entrepreneurship, they also considered their failed venture in the past in Poland. Taking into account the prospects of the international markets, the company considered at the development of software in the mobile phones of the customers all over the world (Kumar, 2008, p.57). In order to attr act customers, they started to make their customers aware of the wide reach of the sms service and the response of the people after reading their sms. The clients of CM were able to send the plan of their activity to their customers and the overwhelming response of the customers led to the increase in sms traffic over the years as shown in Exhibit 1. The increase in the sms traffic and the growth of business reflected in the financial statements of the company. From the time the company started in 2000, the company has moved from a net loss position in 2000 to a net profit position of â‚ ¬1233602 in 2009. The income statement of CM over the years has been given in Exhibit 2. The decision criteria for success and sustainability of CM’s business are the analysis of the entrepreneurial and innovative measures in the business of sms service. The success and sustainability is decided by the impact of measures taken to meet the challenges in the competitive industry, the impact on the

Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co - Essay Example This is because; there are laws that explicitly spell out the obligation of corporate entities in ensuring public safety and the responsibility these entities are to be charged with, when these standards are not met. One of the most significant law of tort cases in the US is the Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co., 248 N.Y. 339, 162 N.E. 99 (N.Y. 1928). The case can aptly be described as significant since its effects shaped and established the concepts of the scope of business liability, the relevance of proximate cause and the limits of negligence. A Brief Summary on the Case At the heart of the case is Mrs. Helen Palsgraf who was waiting on a Long Island Railway train platform, until two men approached running after a train. As a security officer helped one of the men get on board, the man dropped his package. Since this luggage contained explosives, an explosion of a very powerful scale resulted there-from. This resulted in Palsgraf’s injury. Mrs. Palsgraf entered a person al injury lawsuit against the company, Long Island Railroad. The two main issues that emerged from the case are: the manner of determination of the duty of care; and the person to whom the party owes its duty of due care. In this case, the Court of Appeals ruled against the favor of Mrs. Palsgraf. The court maintained that there was no direct relationship between the guard’s action (of pulling the second passenger on board) and Palsgraf’s injury. The crux of the matter is that there has to be a direct nexus between the guard’s action and Mrs. Palsgraf’s injury, in order for liability to be cited. The Senior Judge Benjamin Cardozo, while writing for the three-judge bench, maintained that the guard in no way was aware of the presence of the explosion in the package. Therefore, by shoving the passenger inside, he was not aware that an explosion would ensue. Cardozo continued that even the most cautious mind could not guess the presence of danger in the packa ge. Moreover, there was no way the soldier’s action of pushing the passenger into the train directly affected Mrs. Palsgraf. Cardozo affirmed that not only was the harm emanating from the guard not willful, but his act was also not in itself dangerous. This is to the effect that the act of pushing the passenger into the train was not in violation to Palsgraf’s rights (Cross, 2011). Personal Opinion about the Case and How It Relates To What Is Being Learnt On personal grounds, the case was justly ruled by Senior Judge Cardozo and the three-judge bench. Palsgraf’s claims in her personal injury legal suit against Long Island Railroad are not sustainable, on several grounds. Lessons that have been drawn from classroom context underscore this standpoint. One of the lessons gleaned from the classroom lectures is that of the limitations of negligence. Generally, to find negligence, there must be a total finding of an instance where a particular duty owed was breached. In respect to the foregoing, to find negligence with Long Island Railroad, evidence must be produced on the side of the company’s personnel. There is no clear relationship between the guard’s action and Mrs. Palsgraf’s injury so that he can be accused of negligence. In a closely related wavelength, the limitations of liability require that the injury or liability sustained must have been avoidable, should the defendant have acted responsibly. This aspect of making harm avoidable is only applicable in light of knowledge.

The Split-Cycle Engine Essay Example for Free

The Split-Cycle Engine Essay The Split-Cycle Engine changes the heart of the conventional engine by dividing (or splitting) the four strokes of the Otto cycle over a paired combination of one compression cylinder and one power cylinder. Gas is compressed in the compression cylinder and transferred to the power cylinder through a gas passage. The gas passage includes a set of uniquely timed valves, which maintain a prechargedpressure through all four strokes of the cycle. Shortly after the piston in the power cylinder reaches its top dead center position, the gas is quickly transferred to the power cylinder and fired (or combusted) to produce the power stroke. Split-cycle internal combustion engine claims have the potential to double fuel efficiency for same size engine, while reducing the manufacturing price by up to 50% which includes a built in dedicated compressor. Rather than using batteries and electric motors/generators to harness braking energy, the engine uses the air compressor. A split cycle engine includes a novel compressor apparatus driven by the combustion engine, a closed-cycle refrigeration system in cooperation with the compressor apparatus, and a pneumatic motor driven by compressed air from the compressor apparatus. Refrigerant in the compressor absorbs thermal energy from compressed air and assists in compressing the air. High-pressure air from the compressor is stored in a storage tank and may be used to drive the pneumatic motor or other auxiliary equipment in addition to providing high-pressure combustion air for the internal combustion engine Introduction An engine includes a crankshaft having a crank throw, the crankshaft rotating about crankshaft axis. A compression piston is slid ably received within a compression cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft such that the compression piston reciprocates through an intake stroke and a compression stroke of a four stroke cycle during a single rotation of the crankshaft. An expansion piston is slid ably received within an expansion cylinder. A connecting rod is pivotally connected to the expansion piston. A mechanical linkage rotationally connects the crank throw to the connecting rod about a connecting rod/crank throw axis such that the expansion piston reciprocates through an expansion stroke and an exhaust stroke of the four stroke cycle during the same rotation of the crankshaft. A non-circular path is established by the mechanical linkage which the connecting rod/crank throw axis travels around the crankshaft axis. Moving Engine Technology into the 21st Century The first four-stroke piston engine was developed in 1876. This four-stroke piston arrangement is still the primary design of engines built today. Today’s engines operate at only 33% efficiency. This means that only 1/3 of the energy in each gallon of fuel is used the rest is lost through friction and heat. With over a billion engines currently in use worldwide, even small gains in efficiency will have huge impacts on the economy, dependency on foreign oil, and the environment. Despite immense efforts over the past century, engine efficiency has remained the same. The Heart Of The Engine Needs To Change: The heart of the internal combustion engine is a piston moving up and down in a cylinder connected to a crankshaft. Its simplicity makes improving performance almost impossible. Small improvements have proven difficult and large improvements have been considered impossible. Improving the four-stroke piston design has become the Rubik’s Cube of engineering, a puzzle that nobody has been able to solve until now. While the industry struggles for gains in the 1% range, the design of the Split-Cycle Technology pushes engine efficiency and performance to an entirely new level. Conventional Engine Design The heart of the internal combustion engine is a piston connected to a crankshaft, moving up and down in a cylinder through the four strokes of the Otto Cycle, the intake, compression, power and exhaust strokes. In a typical four-stroke cycle engine, power is recovered from the combustion process in these four separate piston strokes within each single cylinder. This basic design has not changed for more than 100 years. The Various Strokes And Stages Involved A. Intake and Compression: The basic concept of the Split Cycle Engine is to divide the four strokes of a standard engine over a paired combination of one compression cylinder and one power (or expansion) cylinder. These two cylinders perform their respective functions once per crankshaft revolution. The concept is illustrated in Figures 1 through 8. A common misconception is that twice as many cylinders are required. This is simply not accurate. Because this engine fires every revolution instead of every other revolution, the number of power strokes produced is equal to the power strokes produced by two of the conventional piston/cylinder designs. A four cylinder engine would still have four cylinders. There would simply be two sets of paired cylinders instead of four individual cylinders. In the configuration shown, an intake charge is drawn into the compression cylinder through typical poppet-style valves. B .Compression Stroke The compression cylinder then pressurizes (Fig. 2) the charge and drives the charge through the crossover passage, which acts as the intake port for the power cylinder. In this illustration, a check valve (best seen in Figures 6, 7 and 8) is used to prevent reverse flow from the crossover passage to the compression cylinder, and likewise a poppet-style valve (crossover valve) prevents reverse flow from the power cylinder to the crossover passage. The check valve and crossover valve are timed to maintain pressure in the crossover passage at or above firing conditions during an entire four stroke cycle. C. Power and Exhaust: Combustion occurs soon after the intake charge enters the power cylinder from the crossover passage. This means that the start of combustion occurs after the power cylinder passes through its top dead center position. The resulting combustion drives the power cylinder down. Exhaust gases are than pumped out of the power cylinder through a poppet valve to start the cycle over again. D. Previous Split-Cycle Designs There have been other similar split-cycle engine designs in the past, but they have never been able to match the thermal efficiency levels of the standard four-stroke engine. This is due in large part to the fact that, as the gas is transferred from the crossover passage to the power cylinder in the prior engine designs, the gas has always been allowed to over-expand in the power cylinder and then must be recompressed before initiating combustion. The extra work required to recompress the gas greatly reduces efficiency levels.

Personal Financial Advisors Essay Example for Free

Personal Financial Advisors Essay I want to live the good life. By that I mean a life of wealth, privilege, loving family relationships, and warm friendships. At the end of my life I will be satisfied if my spouse and children are still by my side and if I have a close circle of friends. I intend to earn a lot of money and I intend to give generously to charity. To achieve this, I need time and money. I intend to marry and have three children. My spouse and I, who are still passionately in love with each other, are building an art collection. Both sets of grandparents live no more than an hour away. We visit frequently and the kids adore them. I own my own hedge fund and earn $25 million a year. My spouse owns a business—maybe an art gallery or a professional practice. We live in a spacious penthouse apartment, probably in New York. We have floor to ceiling windows, views in every direction, a clean, sleek, modern decor, with lots of space for entertaining, which we do frequently. The kids each have their own bedrooms and share a playroom. We have a live-in nanny for the kids, a live-in cook, and help with the cleaning. We have a beach house, probably in South Hampton. We go there most weekends by helicopter. We all have busy lives so the quality time we spend together on the weekends is incredibly important to us. We take exotic vacations two times a year as a family—usually involving some kind of adventure travel pertaining to my love for scuba diving and for studying the ecology of coral reefs. Once a year my spouse and I go some place romantic on vacation together. Each year I take a vacation with one of the kids, just the two of us. The kids go to great schools with small classes and a progressive curriculum that lets them follow their own interests: there is no teaching for the exams in this school. The kids are learning to ride, and to play tennis, squash, and polo. I play these sports regularly. I have a lot of physical energy so I run or bike each day. I also work out every day in the gym in our apartment. I have given up smoking. My spouse and I are active in charity work. We are each on the board of a prestigious charity and when we go to their annual fundraising events we get our pictures in the gossip columns. We give 10% of our income to charity each year. I am a member of the Explorer’s Club because I have contributed something important to the scientific study of coral reefs. I spent a year studying the coral reefs in the Similan Islands in Thailand before starting my career. While there, I also studied Vipassna meditation, which I still practice. I am confident and gregarious. I don’t sweat the small stuff. I plan for the future and I work my plan, but I am flexible enough to enjoy surprising opportunities when they come along. 2. Career goals My long-term career goal is to own my own hedge fund and earn at least $25 million a year. The top hedge fund owners can earn considerably more than this (Story B1). To achieve this I need three things: proven skill at investing (or the skill to hire someone with skill at investing), connections to the kind of wealthy investors who put their money in hedge funds, and the ability to convince potential clients to trust me with their money. 3. A Strategic Plan for My Future I have four major goals: to stop smoking, to learn more about coral reefs, to start a hedge fund, and to find the right spouse and start a family. I can quit smoking this year. I have decided to join a smoking cessation program at a local hospital this summer. I have consulted with my doctor and he thinks this is a good option for me. I am determined to succeed. I don’t know how long, or if, I will, as a devoted amateur, ever be able to make a scientific discovery significant to earn me admittance into the Explorer’s Club, but I intend to proceed as though this is possible (Explorer’s Club). So far, my experience with scuba diving and studying coral reefs has only been as a tourist and an avid reader. I would very much like to participate in a real scientific research expedition. One of the world’s leading organizations for research into the ecology of coral reefs is the ARC Center for Excellence in Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia (ARC Center of Excellence). My plan is to contact the scientists at the Center to learn what kind of opportunities there are for amateurs to participate in research projects. I am also considering participating in a research expedition, sponsored by the Earthwatch Institute, to Thailand’s coral reefs in December 2009 (Earthwatch Institute). I have another motive for doing this, which is that I can imagine meeting my future spouse on such an excursion. I would like to meet someone with whom I have interests in common. I think it will take me ten years to get the experience and contacts I need to start a hedge fund. I would like to apprentice myself to a leading hedge fund operator such as James Simons of Renaissance Technologies, John Paulson, or John Arnold of Centaurus Energy (Story B2). I am pursuing an education in finance. I have also been studying investment methods and I seem to have an affinity for technical analysis. I am managing a fictional portfolio as if it were real—tracking trades and so forth—and I am doing reasonably well. I am planning to join the Marketing Technicans Association and to earn the CMT credential. This involves a course of self-study and passing three challenging exams (Marketing Technican’s Association). Preparing for all three tests is said to take a total of 400 hours of study (Marketing Technician’s Association). I also intend to be active in the association—to meet others in the field and hopefully to network my way into a job in finance. As everyone knows, this is not an ideal time to be looking for a job in finance. The sector has cut 400,000 jobs in the past two years (Bowley Story). I plan on being persistent. To start a hedge fund, I will need clients. To find them, I need to go where rich people and people who manage portfolios for large institutions go. I plan to be active in fundraising for our alumna association. I play squash and tennis. I plan to learn to play polo, an expensive sport. I also plan to be active in several charitable organizations. I hope this networking will put me in touch with the right people. Salesmanship is very important in the hedge fund business. Why should a potential client trust me with their money? I intend to build a reputation as an ethical, dependable, solid person. People will trust me because I will be trustworthy. This may sound obvious, but one thing that is sorely missing right now in the financial community is trust. Too many people have been too badly burned by the people they trusted to give them financial advice. Probably the goal that matters most to me is meeting a life partner. I hope I can do this in the next five years. I know how to meet people—that’s easy. But what I want to do is form strong, lasting relationships based on honestly knowing each other. The best way for me to do that is to be considerate and honest. In the past I have noticed in myself a tendency to play to the crowd. I will do what is necessary to get a laugh or to make someone like me, even if it means saying something about my thoughts, feelings, or opinions that isn’t really true. This is not going to work when it comes to finding a life partner. I need to be funny, considerate and honest at the same time. I am somewhat afraid of doing this. 4. A Strategic Plan â€Å"B† for My Future What if my plans don’t work out? I find this very hard to imagine. If I put myself in the right place, frequently enough, I know something good will happen, even if it isn’t exactly what I have in mind now. There are always options. I intend to follow my heart so I make the right choices. Suppose I can’t get a job in finance when I want to? I will probably consider going to work for one of the government regulatory agencies; they will probably be hiring. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is one possibility, especially since the CMT credential takes me part of the way towards the FINRA Registered Research Analyst credential (Marketing Technicians Association). This would open more doors. I am very ambitious, but if ten years pass and my dream of starting a hedge fund begins to look like an impossible goal, I will probably consider starting my own personal financial advisor practice. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is forecasting that demand for personal financial advisors will increase by 44% over the next seven years (Bureau of Labor Statistics). I am very interested in the idea of starting my own business, even if it can’t be a hedge fund. Right now, I can’t say what other kind of company I might start but it could be anything. I believe that I have to put myself in the way of opportunities. I will do this by becoming an avid watcher of the economy and an avid investigator of business conditions. I know what I am looking for: a product or service that is necessary and nonexistent. This is how the great fortunes are made. In a general sense, I am most interested in ways in which the internet can be used to deliver new services. Netflix is an inspiration. The question to ask is how could computing and networking be applied to get people this service. If you are talking about a service or product that can be delivered globally over the internet, so much the better. Amazon changed the way people shop for books. Fresh Direct has changed the way New Yorkers shop for groceries. Seamless Web has changed the way people order meals in from restaurants. I see the world as being endlessly full of possibilities. I know my dream is of extreme wealth and privilege. Maybe it is more of a fantasy than something that can be planned for. But I know all the steps I take in pursuing my dream—networking, CMT certification, building a reputation as trustworthy—will open opportunities for me. I can’t know what these opportunities are in advance. My plan â€Å"B† really is much more strategic than tactical. My plan â€Å"A† is tactical. But for plan â€Å"B† I intend to do things that I am really interested in, to take advantage of all opportunities to meet others with similar interests, especially those with a track record of achievement, and to continue studying and learning. There will be opportunities and I will have my eyes open so I can see them. The CMT isn’t the only certification I can pursue; it is just the one that interests me the most right now. The CFA Institute offers the CFA certification which is one of the most prestigious on Wall Street (CFA Institute). This is another course of self-study followed punctuated by three exams (CFA Institute). The more I try to make a plan for the future, the more convinced I become that preparation is the most important thing I can do. This is regarding my love life, my family life, my interest in coral reefs, and my career. If I study and if I seek out other people, I will discover opportunities. You can’t study for love, but you can understand yourself and what you desire. The more I learn about who I am and what I have to give to a life partner, the more likely I will be to find that special someone. I want intimacy, depth, and trust. I want to know and be known as much as possible. I don’t want secrets and I don’t want lies. I am convinced that the only way I will find a person who wants what I do, and with me, is if I give these things first. Works Cited ARC Centre of Excellence. Coral Reefs on Brink of Disaster, Scientists Urge Action Now. Science Daily. 22 October 2007. 28 April 2009 http://www. sciencedaily. com ¬ /releases/2007/10/071021225256. htm. Bowley, G. Story, S. â€Å"Crisis Altering Wall Street as Big Banks Lose Top Talent. The New York Times. 12 April 2009. 27 April 2009 http://www. nytimes. com/2009/04/12/business/12wall. html? partner=rss. Bureau of Labor Statistics. â€Å"Financial Analysts and Personal Financial Advisors. † Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009 Edition. 27 April 2009 http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos259. htm. CFA Institute. â€Å"What Is the CFA Program? † 28 April 2009 http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos259. htm. â€Å"Coral Reefs of Thailand. † Earthwatch Institute. 28 April 2009 http://www. earthwatch. org/exped/heiss. html. Explorer’s Club. 28 April 2009 http://www. explorers. org/. Marketing Technicians Association. â€Å"CMT Program. † 28 April 2009 http://www. mta. org/eweb/DynamicPage. aspx? webcode=CMTProgram. Story, Louise. March, 25, 2009. â€Å"Top Hedge Fund Managers Do Well in a Down Year. † New York Times, p. B1.

Geert Hofstede vs Fons Trompenaars

Geert Hofstede vs Fons Trompenaars Introduction How do we market in different cultures? Although we have done many researches about the different cultures, marketing, which is as a discipline, has lagged behind other researches in recognizing the need for it. Before we have found the importance of marketing in different cultures, usually, the approach for marketing was too simple, and we often use the economic theory to explain facts and solve problems, however, international marketing and management is a kind of practical work, which is different from the economic research. Firstly, we always assume that tastes, preferences, and habits are transferable between different countries; secondly, it also implies that we can do the trade freely in different countries. In the end of 20th century, we began to lay more emphasis on the influence of cultural differences, and more research have been done about the cultural differences. Take wine as an example, even now wine has become a global product, it still takes the French at least ten t imes longer to chose the right vintage and grape combination than it does the Dutch, who tend to be more focused on price. If we ignore this kind of difference, wine producers cannot success in both countries. The researches about cultural differences of marketing are still a new field. The first serious book on the subject of the cultural aspects of marketing was written by Jean-Claude Usunier in 1997. In this book, he mainly compares the differences between cultural systems and refers that culture is also a factor affecting business, like other socio-political,. financial, ecological, and legal factors. However, Usunier does not resolve the dilemmas and offer practical solutions. Culture, based on our research at Trompenaars Hampden-Turner, is different from what describe in Usuniers theory, which is not simply a factor like most processes in the transactional environment. The factor of culture challenges the fundamental strategy of marketing, customer relations management, definition of product, price, advertisement and other business processes. In short, culture is all pervading. However, so far there are a few famous approaches to the whole subject of cultures and their classification and generalization, that can be employed in developing a truly transnational approach to marketing. The ones that we are going to discuss and compare further are those of Geert Hofstede and Fons Trompenaars. Geert Hofstede and Fons Trompenaars: biographies and theories Geert Hofstede He is a dutch psychologist and writer who was born in 1928. Hofstede was interested in the influence of culture on peoples behaviour. He was inspired by the Culturalism (a trend which dominated the American sociology from the 1930s to the 1950s). The culturalists qualify culture as the way of thinking, feeling and acting of a human group, which was acquired and transmitted by symbols and which represents its specific identity. (donner sources de la citation) Geert Hofstede explains the origins of the differences in behaviours, which can tend to problems. As we grow up and live in a multi-cultural world, we have to understand why people from different nations act differently. This question is very important in business when a company from a certain country has to deal with a company from another country, or even within a company which is composed by employees from different nations, we have to know how to act and communicate. Hofstede wrote several books: Cultures consequences (1984), Cultures and Organizations: Software of the mind (1992), co-authored by his son Gert Jan Hofstede. To explain and solve the problems engendered by people from different cultures living or working together, he included 5 factors of cultural differentiation: individualism/collectivism, masculinism/feminism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance and long term/short term orientation. According to Hofstede, these 5 criteria explain the disparities between the nations and the individuals. He applied his theories to all the countries in the world. Hofstede used his culture dimensions by examining work related values in employees of IBM during the 1970s. Fons Trompenaars Fons Trompenaars is a Dutch author in the field of cross-cultural communication. His books include: Seven Cultures of Capitalism (1993), Riding the Waves of Culture (1998), Building Cross-Cultural Competence (2000), 21 Leaders for the 21st Century (2001) and Innovating in a Global Crisis (2009). Trompenaars studied Economics at the Free University of Amsterdam and later earned a Ph.D. He experienced cultural differences first-hand at home, where he grew up speaking both French and Dutch, and then later at work with Shell in nine countries, where he worked for 7 years as the director of the Human resources. At this moment, he wrote The Multi-cultural company (1993) in which he explains his theories. According to him, international companies tend to standardize their management functioning because of globalisation, and impose this way of thinking to their subsidiaries. Problems in companies appear as they dont take care about the cultural differences of employees and certain ways of managing are not appropriate to certain cultures. He defines culture as the way a human group solve its problems. Taking the example of Geert Hofstede and modifying his theories, he invented with Charles Hampden-Turner the 7 dimensions of cultural differentiations: universalism/particularism, individualism/communitarianism, affective/neutral, specific/diffuse, achievement/ascription, sequential/synchronic, internal/external control. These are the 7 criteria of cultural differentiation which have an impact on the management trends. He shows how to manage complexity in a heterogeneous environment, which is a major challenge for todays international managers and corporate leaders as well as a critical component of long term success. He explains how to reconcile cultural differences, which will lead to competitive advantage. Trompenaars wrote The Seven Cultures of Capitalism in which he applies his methods to 7 countries (France, Germany, US, Japan, Netherlands, UK and Sweden). Hofstedes dimensions of culture It is often said that, deep inside, all people are the same. But they are not. Actually, everyone is very different from the others. For those who work in international business, it is sometimes very hard to adapt, because people can live in very different ways. Therefore, if you go abroad and make decisions based on how you usually operate in your own country, there are obvious chances you dont act properly. Geert Hofstedes researches permit us to understand easier other cultures, so we can be more effective when interacting with people all around the world. For example, in some coutries, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½yesà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ means à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½I hear youà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ more than à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½I agreeà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. Stereotyping can have intense negative effects, especially when managers make fewer attempts to involve those of other cultures. Hofstede led a study on the IBM employees, in more than 50 countries. Its goal was to identify the major differences in mental programming. This worldwide analysis made him realize that there were five fundamental differences between the societies, which he called five dimensions: Low vs. High Power Distance Index (PDI) This dimension measures the degree of equality, or inequality, between people of one society ; and how much the less influent members accept the hierarchy. The institutions or organizations where less powerful members accept power is distributed unequally will have a high PDI. This is also often indicating that the governments allowed inequalities to grow within the society (ex: Malaysia). Those countries will be more likely not to allow significant upward mobility of its citizens, because they accept autocratic and paternalistic relations. A low PDI indicates the society tends to reduce the differences between citizens power and wealth. In those cultures (ex: Austria, Denmark), people expect power relations that are more democratic. They relate to others regardless of formal positions, such as if they were consulting them. Subordinates are more comfortable with contributing to and criticizing the decisions of those who are hierarchically higher. Individualism vs. Collectivism (IDV) It focuses on how much people of a society define themselves apart from their group, and on how much the country emphasizes individual or collective achievements. A High Individualism ranking indicates that people are expected to develop and to be proud of their personalities and their choices. People often tend to form a higher number of looser relationships in those societies. A Low Individualism ranking typifies societies where the individuals are more likely to act as a member of a group (ex: family, town, profession). This collectivist nature tends to develop relationships between individuals, and reinforce à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½extended familiesà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. Masculinity vs. feminity (MAS) This dimension measures the degree the society reinforces the traditional masculine work role model (as understood in most Western countries) or not. A High Masculinity ranking indicates the country gives a high importance on traditional male values (such as ambition, accumulation of wealth and power). Those societies emphasize high gender differentiation. In these cultures, males dominate a significant portion of the society, while females are under domination. In the opposite case, a low MAS will indicate that the society de-emphasizes the gender differentiation. In those countries, females are treated equally to males in all aspects of the society. The valuable things are relationships and quality of life. This strong opposition between the quantity values (masculine societies) and the quality values (feminine societies) led many users of Hofstedes work to rename this index the à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Quantity of Life vs. Quality of lifeà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. Low vs. high Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) It focuses on the level people try to cope with stress by fighting uncertainty and ambiguous situations within the society. A high UAI indicates a rule-oriented society, where citizens prefer explicit laws, rules and controls, in order to reduce the amount of uncertainty (ex: religion, food industry). A Low Uncertainty Avoidance ranking indicates the country has less concern about ambiguity and has a greater tolerance for informal situations. This is reflected in a society that is less rule-oriented, where people value implicit or flexible guidelines. Michael Harris Bond subsequently found a fifth dimension which was originally called à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Confucian dynamismà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. Hofstede later integrated this into his dimensions of culture as : Long-Term vs. Short-Term Orientation (LTO) It focuses on the degree a society attaches importance to a future oriented perspective rather than a short-term point of view. In other words, this index describes the à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½time horizonà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ of a society (future vs. past and present). A high LTO characterizes countries where people value the behaviors that affect the future, such as perseverance, thrift and shame. (ex: Asian countries). Those societies are often superstitious or based on many truths or faiths. Cultures scoring low on this dimension believe in absolute truth. They (ex: Western countries) have a short-term orientation and a concern for immediate stability, which means they value actions that are affected by the past or the present (ex: normative statements, respect for tradition and reciprocation of favors and gifts). Those five dimensions describe tendencies and not precise characteristics of individuals. Consequently, a societys score should not be interpreted without no further reflection. Trompenaarss dimensions of culture According to Trompenaars, culture is a way a group of people act to solve problems. From three basics which are the relationship with others, time and environment, Trompenaars identifies seven fundamental dimensions of culture. His definition of culture is a mix between organizational and national cultures. He proceeded by using a database which contained more than 30000 survey results so that he could analyse the seven dimensions of culture. Universalism vs. Particularism In universalistic cultures, people share the belief that general rules, codes, values and standards are much more important than needs, claims and relations. On the contrary, in a particularistic culture, people think that human relationships are more important than rules and codes. They are not against rules, they just aim at showing that everybody can count on their friends. Rules come after human aspects. Individualism vs. Collectivism (Communitarianism) In individualistic cultures, people place the community after the individual, which is definitely the contrary in a communitarian culture. People are autonomous in the first case, they can take decisions, they can take care of them and their family on their own. In the second case, people are responsible for the good functioning of the society and are the representation of the health of a society considering his degree of involvement in the development of the society. Neutral vs. Affective Relationships People in an affective culture can show up there emotions and their feelings. They do not have to hide them and people from this type of culture sometimes interpret less explicit signals from neutral cultures. People in a neutral culture think that it is not correct to show emotions and feelings even if they have it. It is the degree of manifesting it which is limited and controlled. They might interpret signals from an affective culture as excited and too emotional. Specific vs. Diffuse Relationships People in specific cultures always start analyzing by small details, specific elements to finally put them together to have a global idea. They concentrate on facts, standards and contracts. They have a larger specific sphere than the private one (which is very difficult to enter in. On the contrary, people in diffuse cultures start analyzing the whole and then the elements, but in a perspective of the whole because all elements are linked to each other. In fact, the elements matter less than the link between them. They have a large private sphere and a small public one. Achievement vs. Ascription This cultural dimension is similar to the power distance dimension of Hofsede. In achievement cultures, people respect their colleagues basing their respect on anterior demonstration of knowledge and previous achievements. They do not look at the title of peoples job. In ascription cultures, people use their titles of job and respect their hierarchical superior. Time orientation He shows that meanings of past, present and future depend on cultures. For instance, people who have a past-oriented culture respect older people and are quite traditional whereas people who have a future-oriented culture enjoy discussing potential and future achievement. There is a second division of cultures possible thanks to time orientation which compares sequential and synchronic cultures. This dimension looks like a distribution of tasks in the time in a culture. People who have a sequential culture tend to do one activity at a time by following plans whereas people who have a synchronic culture can do many tasks and activities at a time by changing the subject at any time. Human-nature relationship: Internal vs. external control This last dimension lays the stress on the fact that cultures think that they control their environment and others think that they are controlled by it. In an internalistic culture like the United States, people believe that what happens to them is their own doing. Many Asian countries have an external culture in which the environment shapes their destiny. Because they dont believe they are in full control of their destinies, often externalistic people adapt to external circumstances. Comparison and criticism Hofstedes aim was to evaluate work values, while Trompenaars Hampden-Turners questionnaires inquired into respondents preferred behaviour in a number of both work and leisure situations. What both studies have in common is that in both questionnaires the focus is on the ultimate goal state, and that the underlying values, the underwater part of the culture iceberg, are derived from a series of questions about more outer layers of the culture onion, closer to the top of iceberg. Trompenaarss system appears focus-oriented; it speaks a lot about what is on peoples minds and what is in their sight, it speaks about the logical organization and framework of their behaviour (specific vs. diffuse, internal vs. external control, universalism vs. particularism) and relationships (individualism vs. collectivism; achievement vs. ascription; neutral vs. affective). Hofstede, on the other hand describes some of values present in people and finally affecting their behavior. The difference therefore is that Trompenaarss investigation lies on the surface of the investigation of the persons culture, showing exactly the choice and manner in which the actions are planned and handled, while Hofstede tries to go in the very deep of culture layers and lets us make our own forecasts of peoples behavior based on the knowledge of the hidden part of iceberg. Taking a closer look into the comparison between the dimensions themselves, we can notice similarities between the two theories. One of these is the closeness between the notions of collectivism vs. individualism of Hofstede and communitarianism vs. individualism of Trompenaars. For a marketer, from our point of view, there is close no difference which index to use. There is some degree of similarity in Hofstedes power distance index and achievement vs. ascription. One values the accepted degree of high class/low class lifestyle and secondary characteristics difference, while the other measures the motivation of the low class to move higher. A marketer can infer that customers are better evaluated with the high power distance index in relation of selling status-emphasizing products (like luxury brands), while Trompenaarss index is better used when selling low cost practical business tools (like cheap PDAs). We would advise to use the two indices together as they complement each other. Long-term vs. short-term orientation index of Hofstede has got something in common with the past/present/future orientation of Trompenaars. That is in the way, how i.e. short-term oriented cultures will show the same tendency to be populist, tradition-oriented as the past- and present-oriented cultures. After taking a look into evaluations of different cultures one can find that the results, obtained by the two theories are often counter logical. German corporate culture is hierarchical, as is claimed by Trompenaars in his studies. Whereas Hofstede identifies Germany as relatively low in terms of Power Distance. These differences in the approach attracted some serious criticism over the years. One of the most prominent points often criticized is Hofstede perception of culture as a static characteristic of societies and their representatives. This approach does not take into the account the cultural drift that can easily be observed as the time passes by. As a vivid example, one can take the comparison between, say, the UK of the Victorian age and the Post Second World War UK and just try to assess the Power Distance Indices. Apparently, over this period of time peoples behavior has altered enough to allow a society with a lot lower power distance, the expressions of which found their way in the art of the time as well as in the politics (Rise of the Labor Party in 1945-1951) people of lower class were have become conscious to demand equality in these dimensions with the former unapproachable higher class, the expression of wealth and power and respect to it have decreased, as well as PDI. S imilar drift patterns can now be observed today in some of the underdeveloped countries, like Mexico, where former strong collectivist communities are dissolving, as their member become more individualistic, pushed by their desire to be successful in the new highly commercialized society. The same can be said about political influence on the culture (transition from Communist to Capitalist values). In other words it is easily observable that through time cultures evolve. Therefore the estimations for indices are slowly becoming outdated. Hofstede was later pushed by this evidence to regularly update his Index database, still retorting that cultural evolution is a very slow process. However the problem that may be hard to identify is actually not the quantitative, but rather the qualitative obsolescence of the framework itself, that will sooner or later present itself. I.e. what was reasonable and precise description in the 1970s can be an incomplete, flawed and vague characterizatio n for 2010, and even more so for future. That is however just one of the many debatable things. Among the others are: Question interpretation of the surveyed, i.e. will the question really be a precise way to determine the culture, as the culture and personality may directly affect the way the question is translated and thus produce errors in the resulting evaluation. Researchers background diminishes the completeness of cultural description and offers one-sided look at the problem. This way it would be preferable for marketers to have a marketer, not a manager, to make the proper evaluations framework, which would be more suited for marketing decision making. Ignoring the ethnic group and communities presence, national culture fragmentation. Just saying that Germany has low UAC index may totally confuse the policymaker, as this does not differ between East, West and especially Turkish communities. Moreover, a study carried out only in only one company (Hofstede) cannot give an outlook on the entire cultural system of a country. The cultural dimensions in international marketing Why marketing uses the cultural dimensions? The Hofstede and Trompenaars cultural dimensions can be a useful tool for several themes, such as within the organization and the structure of a company or when trading with other countries. In fact, for those who works in an international business is essential to know the differences between countries and cultures. And moreover, cultural dimensions are also a helpful instrument for marketing purposes due to the fact that they facilitate the design of an optimum strategy. Each society has developed through the history a different culture where it is extremely important to take into account the different ways of communication and the usage and the meaning of the language. Actually, the markets can be segmented by cultural dimensions; consequently we can develop a marketing plan to exploit the common elements of these segments. Thus, we can affirm that in the international marketing, the success or failure of a campaign depends on the prior analysis of the environment. The cultural analysis can also provide various guides to develop the marketing strategy, in fact, when a company is entering in a new market, in a foreign market, it is necessary to study the population and the society, the history and the culture. There is some data that we can obtain by public sources of information, and other data that has to be collected by the company itself. Concerning the culture and the habits of the society in a certain country, we can use the cultural dimensions theory developed by the two professors as a guideline, but it is also necessary to make a specific study, for the reason that every product is different and it is important to analyze which is the greatest manner to promote a new product in a foreign country regarding the different cultural dimensions. How to apply the cultural dimensions in a marketing context? For instance, we know, thanks to the theory elaborated by Geert Hofstede, that United States has low power distance, in marketing terms that should be translated in commercials and promotions where the communication must be informal and friendly. In countries where the situation is totally different, the message for a new product must communicate that the product is well accepted in the society. These assumptions are the starting point, a part from them, the company will have to analyze the culture of the specific country itself taking into account the new product to be launched and thus create a commercial and a campaign with great results in that market. However, a company has two options: to adapt the marketing strategy to each culture by using the cultural dimensions or to try to change the culture. For example: in Japan, people is used to subtle publicity campaigns, nevertheless , when Procter Gamble started to sell its products there, the company launched a very aggressive campaign that first shake all the Japanese society, but later it was copied by other Japanese companies. Procter Gamble changed part of the culture. Contribution of culture in international marketing In our fast moving world, local markets are not big enough for companies willing to have more profits. The future of each company that wants to be more important than its competitors is to go internationally. Selling a product wont be the more complicated things that companies will have to face while going internationally but the cultural adaptation will be the hardest thing. There are different kinds of adaptation, the product adaptation, the administrative and law adaptation and the cultural adaptation that means the situations where you meet a client or you create a subsidiary elsewhere. The five dimensions, which are (cf 1, 4 in bibliography) PDI, IDV, MAS, UAI and LTO come from an analysis done by Geert Hofstede while working at IBM and trying to understand the employees attitudes at IBM worldwide. Actually, it is important to know that the 5 cultural dimensions of GH help individuals and companies to understand, analyse and compare the culture of different countries. With the GH analysis, we are trying to define the culture. One of the goals of GH is to help to take into consideration the differences in the way of thinking, to react and act between the different people in the world. According to GH each country generates its own management system. Example with Accenture Bands: For Luxembourg, United-Kingdom, France. * With the Fons Trompenaars analysis (cf. 3 in biblio.), we are seeing that even if each culture owns its main features, it remains a cultural identity toward each individual, as for each company, which allows to adapt into every context. By completing itselves, these different cultural orientations (for instance in the relationship with the group, with the individual, with the environment or even with the time), are no more impediments for the common work (within different groups) but become on the other hand the best key factors to carry out successfully. FT helps more the companies to develop and create their own intercultural management. Each company has indeed its own management style or cultural organizational structure. The use of both theories The Use of Fons Trompenaars theory In Fons Trompenaars theory, there are two kinds of people, which is universalism and particularism. Americans, Canadians, Australian all belong to the first group, and Chinese, Korean and other Asian all belong to the second group. Take ERP as an example, the first group will accept the ERP system as the best way to conduct the project, and members of the second group will think that they are different from each other, so when ERP works in China, it is most important for the managers to deal with average workers, if not so, the whole system may fail at last. And the theory is also applicable in the field of education, for example, English education in Chinese schools and other western countries is different since the different culture and language system. It is the same with other fields, like business, communication, the cultural differences are more and more important. The use of Geert Hofstede theory According to Geert Hofstede theory, there are different ways of management because of different cultures, for example, American cooperation always pay more attention to the individuals, and the third world countries is the opposite, so if an American firms operating abroad, it must consider the this kind of cultural differences, taking the employees into consideration and emphasize the loyalty, which can help to get success. The structure of organization is also influenced by the cultural differences, for example, Germans always avoid the risk, so rules and regulations seems to be more important, however, in America, people prefer to taking risk, so people enjoy more freedom. According to the theory, Hofstede also shows that if the manager ignore the cultural differences, there will be something wrong with the communication, morale and have a negative effect on the final result in the end. Conclusion As described in this paper, there are several approaches to the classification of the cultures of different nations. The ones that were observed closely here are Geert Hofstedes and Fons Trompenaarss classifications, so-called cultural dimensions. These, as shown have a number of things in common and many differences as well. Thus, a marketer has to make a decision, which part of which study is to be used to develop a successful strategy. However there is little doubt that some way of adapting the strategy to the local culture is to be used. We may live in a globalized enviroment, however, so far there is no mundial culture and different clusters of people, whether they are separated geographically, historically or socially; some may choose one product instead of the other because of their culture and values. All of that is to be taken into consideration. And there are so far not many standartised approaches to the culture evaluations, other than Hofstedes and Trompenaarss, which eco nomise time and enable the creation of a consolidated strategy in approach to culture. It is not surprising that some of the companies nowadays are already fully involved in applying these methods in their decision making, and the amount of them will inevitably grow as the studies of the theories are being held in many Universities and Business Schools, from wich the future excecutives will come. However one has to rememember, that both these method are quite controversial and obviously imperfect, therefore we should learn learn to use the questionnaires and the databases responsibly. Only in this way can they provide precise, trustworhy and calculated assistance to people learning to work effectively in other countries. Bibliography/Information Sources/Webography Books and articles Hofstede, Geert. Cultures Consequences, Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations across Nations; Thousand Oaks CA: Sage Publications 2001. Geert Hofstede, Cultures and Organizations, Software of the mind, 1992. The multicultural company, Fons Trompenaars, 1993, Paris, Maxima. Global marketing and advertising. Understanding cultural paradoxes; Marieke Mooij; edition of 2009 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½The Use and Misuse of Questionnaires in Intercultural Trainingà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ article by John W. Bing à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Hofstede Culturally questionable?à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ article by M. L. Jones, 2007 Oxford Business Economics Conference à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Intercultural/Cross-Cultural Training: Rejecting Hofstede and Trompenaarsà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½- arti