Thursday, October 31, 2019

Mind and body Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mind and body - Essay Example Freud believed that the mind is structured into two parts: the conscious and unconscious mind. The conscious mind represents the things which can be brought into awareness easily or those we are aware of while the unconscious mind represents the things outside our awareness but influence our behavior (Cherry, nap). Out of these parts, personality is formed which comprises of three components: id, ego and superego. Id is part of the unconscious mind; it is the most primitive and source of all libidinal energy (life instincts) and death instincts. It operates on pleasure principle hence seeks immediate gratification of needs. The ego mediates between the id and superego and operates on reality principle. Its work is to ensure demands are satisfied in acceptable ways hence delayed gratification is preferred (Austrian 15). The superego on the other hand, acts according to the moral standards. The ego in its mediation works encounters difficulties leading to anxiety. This prompts it to de velop defense mechanisms such as rationalization, repression and denial to protect itself from anxiety. Freud also believed children develop in stages (psychosexual stages) with energy focused on different parts of the body at each stage and failure to progress to next stage leads to fixation while success leads to healthy development. For example, getting fixated at phallic stage can lead to Oedipus for boys and Electra complex for girls. These include: oral, anal, phallic, latent and genital stages (Cherry, nap). Freud also developed a theory of dreams to explain the unconscious mind. For him, dreams are â€Å"a royal road to the unconscious† (Austrian 14). They reveal repressed memories from childhood desires unfulfilled. He emphasized on the role of instincts especially sexual instincts in driving people to dream. He interpreted dreams through free association whereby women would narrate their experiences revealing their hidden truths. He enumerated

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Essay on Eiffel Tower Essay Example for Free

Essay on Eiffel Tower Essay In 1889, Paris hosted an Exposition Universelle to mark the 100-year anniversary of the French Revolution. More than 100 artists submitted competing plans for a monument to be built on the Champ-de-Mars, located in central Paris, and serve as the exposition’s entrance. The commission was granted to Eiffel et Compagnie. Eiffel, an architect and metal expert, receives full credit for the monument that bears his name but it was one of his employees—a structural engineer named Maurice Koechlin—who came up with the concept. Several years earlier, the pair had collaborated on the Statue of Liberty’s metal armature. Originally intended as a temporary exhibit, the Eiffel Tower was almost torn down in 1909. City officials opted to save it after recognizing its value as a radiotelegraph station. Several years later, during World War I, the Eiffel Tower intercepted enemy radio communications. It escaped destruction a second time during World War II. Over the years, the Eiffel Tower has been the site of numerous high-profile stunts, ceremonial events and even scientific experiments. The Eiffel Tower has also inspired more than 30 replicas and similar structures in various cities around the world. Now one of the most recognizable structures on the planet, the Eiffel Tower underwent a major renovation in 1986 and is repainted every seven years. It welcomes more visitors than any other paid monument in the world—an estimated 7 million people per year. Fulgence Bienvenà ¼e, an engineer at Ponts et Chaussà ©es, created the project, which was adopted by the Municipal Council on 9 July 1897. Work started on 4 October 1898. Line 1, which opened on 19 July 1900, connected the Porte de Maillot to the Porte de Vincennes and provided a service to the summer Olympic Games organised in the Bois de Vincennes. Parisians immediately loved this new means of transport. In 1901, Fulgence Bienvenà ¼e planned an additional network of lines which would not leave any point in Paris more than 500 metres from a metro station. Work quickly began on lines 2 and 3 and then 4 and 5, etc. The first six lines were opened to the public in 1910. Immediately prior to the First World War, the 91km-long network included 10 lines and carried 467 million travellers. The following decade saw the network continue to grow, in particular through the extension of the lines to the suburbs (lines 1, 12, 9, 11, etc.). During the Second World War, several lines were exten ded despite the shortage of electricity.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Diversity in Human Services

Diversity in Human Services People are both similar and different; diversity is the recognising and valuing difference. Diversity relates to distinction such as gender, age, religion, race, culture, education, occupation, language, attractiveness, health, physical appearance. Cultural diversity is one aspect of diversity with a multitude of differences which come from our cultural heritage. Every aspect of life is touched by culture, culture affects how people perceive things, and it influences how people attribute meaning to communication. When cultural communication systems are unknown or ignored, messages are likely to be misinterpreted resulting in barriers to communication. To ensure effective communication Human Services workers require awareness of and sensitivity to cultural differences to enable them to successfully serve a diverse range of people. This essay examines effective cross cultural communication for the Human Services worker, as culture refers to the language, knowledge, rituals, values that connect any group of people, in the scope of this essay the context of cultures is that from different countries. Firstly, it looks at some of the differences and problems when communicating cross culturally. Then the essay proposes solutions to reduce communication barriers and, finally proposing principles human service agencies should adopt to enhance communication. Working cross culturally the human service worker faces many challenges to effective communication because of the complex nature of culture, intercultural behaviours, core values and expression provide much possibility for misunderstanding. According to Fouad Arredondo communication patterns, styles, symbols and gestures are highly culture bound and unconsciously scripted. (Fouad Arredondo 2007 p42). Several variables can be considered to assist in the understanding of cultural differences to identify why problems arise, individualism versus collectivism is one variable. Individualistic cultures are where emphasis is on individual achievement as contrasted to collective cultures where importance is on what is best for the group. Counselling itself is a culturally specific activity having evolved from a Western philosophy of individualism, asking a client from a collective culture to focus on hyperintrospection and hyperindividualism will not resonate result in a lost opportunity. Whi lst not speaking the same language is a more obvious barrier to communication, consider the communication barrier created when a client for whom English is a second language is expected to verbalise highly complex emotions. (Wheeler 2006 p150) Cultures can also be distinguished as having low context or high context communication, in low context cultures such Australia or America communication is direct, the meaning is in the message. Asian, Mediterranean and Arab cultures are high context where communication is indirect and it is equally important to look at the implicit meanings and body language. Misunderstandings arise when there is a lack of awareness in the different style of communicating. For example, Indigenous Australians would consider it rude to directly ask a question and instead hint (Mundine 1999, p. 1). This is similar to Asian concept of saving face indirect communication is used to prevent discomfort for either party. In some Asian cultures this is extended to some not disclosing physical abuse for fear of losing face or embarrassing the family (Devito 2009, p. 281), however withholding such information creates a barrier to communication for the human services worker. Non verbal communication is another factor which in which meaning differs between cultures, and if these differences are not understood leads to communication breakdown. In some cultures nodding the head means no, or the nod of a head from a Chinese person does not implicitly mean that they agree. In Western culture direct eye gaze is considered a sign of honesty, in cultures such as Japan however, direct eye gaze is a sign of disrespect. De Vito (2009, p. 133) concludes try visualising the potential for misunderstandings that eye communication alone could create. A Human Services worker lacking awareness of cultural-based norms, such as family structure and gender rules, risks violating these rules, their behaviour impeding trust and confidence. For example, married Muslim women cannot touch a man other than their husband. Lack of awareness or sensitivity to these norms creates conflict and a lost opportunity for engagement. Another barrier to communication results where the Human Service worker consider their own culture to be superior to others cultures. Gamble and Gamble conclude that ethnocentrism is key to failed intercultural communication efforts. (Gamble Gamble 2009, p.27). Finally, cultural stereotyping is a barrier to effective cross cultural communication, whilst it is necessary to group people to simplify understanding differences, it is problematic perceive that all are the same. For example, to believe that all immigrants from the Middle East are unable to assimilate into Australian society is cultural stereotyping. Stereotyping demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of diversity leading to a breakdown in communication. This paper has looked at some cross cultural communication differences and problems that arise that can be covered in the scope of this essay, the paper now proposes solutions to enhance communication and reduce communication barriers. To enhance communication and reduce barriers in cross cultural communication the Human Services worker develops knowledge and skills. Integral to this is self awareness, being aware of and challenge ones perceptions and bias. Workers must to increase intercultural communication competence by developing knowledge of different cultural differences, Gamble Gamble confirm it is vital to make the unknown known we need to conduct ourselves in a manner designed to reduce the strangeness of strangers; that is, we need to open ourselves to differences by adding to our storehouse of knowledge, by learning to cope with uncertainty and by developing an appreciation of how increasing our cultural sensitivity positively affects our communication competence (Gamble Gamble 2009, p. 30). It would however be uninformed to believe that a person can ever completely understand another culture making it necessary for Human services workers to be comfortable dealing with ambiguity. As important as it is to be familiar the difference in culture conversely it is important not to allow cultural traits to hinder understanding nor to focus excessively on differences. Clients are individuals; human services workers serve a person, not a culture (Egan 2006). Empathy listening skills are integral to effective communication and equally so when communicating interculturally. The Human services worker should put themselves in their clients shoes to imagine what is like from his or her world view point. Listening skills and careful observation of cues such as non verbal signals should be taken into account interpret full meaning, particularly when communicating with a person from a high context culture. To enhance communication the human services worker should also regularly seek confirmation of understanding. A deeper level of trust and confidence may need to be built with people from some cultures before they disclose emotional or what they consider to be shameful. To enhance communication with these people it may take patience, time and also an appropriate level of self disclosure on the workers part. To reduce communication barriers the worker may ask permission before asking sensitive a sensitive question. Workers should also be aware an d sensitive to taboo subjects, in some Indigenous Aboriginal communities it is shameful to talk about mental illness, to reduce communication barriers workers would avoid using certain words or lables (XXXXX). Working with people who speak English as a second language poses another set of challenges in communication, to reduce barriers workers should speak slowly, be patient and allow pauses, alternatively an interpreter could be offered. (Kenny 2009). To reduce communication barriers for their diverse range of stakeholders it is vital for Human services agencies should foster their own culture where diversity is embraced and celebrated. A philosophy of respect of individuality and uniqueness which commitment to self development and ongoing learning is promoted. This philosophy should be brought to life by encourage a diverse range of workers with difference backgrounds and experience. A culturally specific approach to training programmes, developing intercultural communication competencies when working and human services workers be regularly reviewed against competencies identifying areas for development. Culture influences everything about people, including the meaning attributed to communication, this poses challenges for the human services worker when working cross culturally. This essay has considered some of the communication differences and issues that Human Services workers face working interculturally, it has also looked at ways to enhance communication and also principles agencies should adopt to reduce communication barriers. The essence however is that ultimately no two people even those from the same culture are the same, innumerable differences makes each person unique. Human Services workers require cross cultural competency to effectively communicate with the diverse range of people that they meet the most fundamental of these abilities being willingness to learn and respect of all individuals. Biblography DeVito, J 2009, The interpersonal communication book, 12th edn, Pearson Education, Boston, USA. Egan, G 2006, Skilled helping around the world: addressing diversity and multiculturalism, Thomson Higher Education, Belmont. Fouad, NA Arrendondo, P 2007, Becoming culturally oriented: practical advice for psychologists educators, American Psychological Association, Washington. Gamble, TK Gamble, M 2009, Communication works, 10th edn, McGraw Hill, New York. Kenny, S 2006. Developing communities for the future, 3rd edn, Cengage Learning, South Melbourne. Mundine, J 1999 Face to face: communication protocols, viewed 12 August 2010, http://www.nipaac.edu.au/Face2Face_CommnProtocols.pdf. Wheeler, S (ed) 2006. Difference diversity in counselling: contemporary psychodynamic perspectives, Palgrave Macmillan, New York. Aboriginal Mental Health First Aid Training and research program. Cultural considerations communication techniques: Guidelines for providing mental health first Aid to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person. Melbourne: Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, University of Melbourne and beyondblue, the national depression initiative 2008 Viewed 20 August 2010 http://www.mhfa.com.au/documents/guidelines/8307_AMHFA_Cultural_guidelinesemail.pdf ;

Friday, October 25, 2019

An Overview of Euripides’ Electra :: Euripides Electra Essays

An Overview of Electra Euripides' play Electra, produced in 415 b.c.e., starts with a peasant recounting past events: Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus murdered Agamemnon and took the throne of Mycenae. Agamemnon's son Orestes escaped and has been raised in Phocis. Daughter Electra, when marriageable, was forced to wed this peasant instead of any noble, whereby Aegisthus' rule might be endangered. The marriage has not been consummated. "If any man thinks me a fool, for harbouring / A young girl in my house and never touching her, / He measures what's right by the wretched standard of / His own mind" (107). Electra doesn't mind toiling so long as she can grouse about her mother. Orestes and his friend Pylades arrive. Orestes has been sent by Apollo's oracle to avenge his father's murder. He and Electra, who doesn't recognize him, exchange stories, Electra revealing that Aegisthus "when he's drunk, so people say, / Jumps on the grave, or flings stones at my father's name / Inscribed there" (116) and acts paranoid about Orestes. With the help of an old one-time servant to Agamemnon and a convenient scar, Orestes identity is revealed to Electra. The siblings conspire. Orestes pretends to join Aegisthus in an animal sacrifice but murders the usurper and wins over the king's guards to his side. He parades the severed head to Electra, who is elated but not sated. Orestes balks at the idea of killing Clytemnestra, their mother. Electra sends word that she has given birth. Clytemnestra visits and does a rather convincing job of explaining her side to all the famous events, particularly her wrath at Agamemnon for tricking their daughter Iphigenia to her sacrificial death before the Trojan War. She was also less than pleased that Agamemnon brought back Cassandra as his new slave toy. The Chorus is characteristically idiotic: "Your words are just; yet in your 'justice' there remains / Something repellent. A wife ought in all things to accept / Her husband's judgement, if she is wise. Those who will not / Admit this, fall outside my scope of argument" (141). Electra aligns Clytemnestra with her sister Helen. She accuses her mother of primping before the mi rror long before Agamemnon's crimes, obviously for someone else. And Electra claims Clytemnestra's rationalizations do not address the persecution of Orestes and herself. Clytemnestra accepts that Electra favors her father, but as to this business of the new baby?

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Emotional Intelligence in Leadership Essay

Abstract This paper explores the concept of emotional intelligence and the effects on leadership. The articles discussed in the paper analyzed the different array of qualities in emotional intelligence towards leadership. Emotional intelligence is a way of behaving and acting towards situations and people. Leadership styles must adapt to the situations and exhibit empathy at times to support the perception of caring. Through empathy leadership will exhibit thoughtfulness and caring in the eyes of the employee. Empathy is an emotion that human’s exhibit and how they exhibit the emotion in group’s settings can and will affect a leader’s perception. Men and women make up leadership in all facets of industry, but which one is better? Does it matter when all the variables are equal? Emotional Intelligence in Leadership Emotional intelligence and the influence over effective leadership styles go hand-in-hand in successfully leading individuals. In today’s growing industry the cry for effective leaders is immense, so to become an effective leader emotional intelligence must be understood. Leadership is in everyone’s life whether personal or business and to be effective a person must be diverse in an I.Q. – Intelligence sense and E.Q. – Emotional sense. To understand emotional intelligence an understanding of the emotional intelligence theories development by Daniel Goleman will be analyzed. A person must understand what competencies make a great leader, so the relationship of a great leader versus a poor leader is analyzed. Facts are considered towards leadership styles and emotional intelligence from a male and female leadership stance. Which sex is better at emotional intelligence and will that make either more effective in leadership? What is Emotional Intelligence? Many psychologists have identified emotional intelligence or versions of emotional awareness over the years (Goleman, 2012). The research began with analyzing people and their intelligence levels based on cognitive attributes (Norwack, 2012). A Brief History. According to Goleman, the earliest research began with Robert Thorndike in 1937 (Goleman, 2012). Thorndike began exploring the emotion concept of psychology and how the affects the theory social intelligence (Goleman, 2012). From Thorndike to David Wechsler delivered additional theories on emotion and how it plays in professional progress (Goleman, 2012). Wechsler named three essential elements to his theory – affective, personal, and social factors contribute to a person’s ability to succeed in life (Goleman, 2012). The next significant progress in the theory of emotional intelligence came from Howard Gardner in 1983 (Warwick & Nettelbeck, 2004). Gardner proposed a model of â€Å"multiple intelligence† (Goleman, 2012). His â€Å"multiple intelligence† model depicts seven kinds of intelligence that incorporated two personal varieties; knowing one’s inner world and social adeptness (Warwick & Nettelbeck, 2004). Gardner developed the model and Peter Salovery and John Mayer defined emotional intelligence in terms of the ability to monitor and regulate one’s own and others feelings and to use feelings to guide thought and action (Warwick & Nettelbeck, 2004). The last piece to the history segment is Daniel Goleman’s addition to the emotional intelligence psychological realm. Goleman identifies five basic emotional and social competencies (Goleman, 2012): * Self -Awareness * Self -Regulation * Motivation * Empathy * Social Skills These five competencies are analyzed to rate successful leaders further in the paper. Goleman helped develop the application of this theory to leadership styles and principles (Warwick & Nettelbeck, 2004). Competence of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership There are two types of competence models identified in performing exceptionally as an effective leader. The two competencies must be understood to gain a more precise understanding of the contribution of emotional competence has in the leadership role (Walter, Humphrey & Cole, 2012). Threshold Competencies. The first competency is the threshold competencies; this model addresses those that people need to perform the job. These are the minimal skills needed to carry out the tasks associated with given position. Most organizational competence models fit into this category (Walter, Humphrey & Cole, 2012) Distinguishing competencies. The next competency focuses on the exceptional leader. Distinguishing competencies are those that allow the effective leader to stand out from the poor leaders (Goleman, 2012). This is usually the traits of an outstanding leader who uses vision as an example to bring a company out of a slump (Walter, Humphrey & Cole, 2012). The distinguishing competencies are qualities needed to perform superbly (Walter, Humphrey & Cole, 2012). Case Study: Effective Leadership. According to Goleman, a study of emotional competence in leadership was performed at Hay/McBer in Boston by Lyle Spencer Jr. with Wei Chen (Goleman, 2012). The analysis of more than three hundred executive level leaders from 15 global companies showed that six emotional competencies were distinguished from the average (Goleman, 2012). The competencies consist of influence, team leadership, organizational awareness, self confidence, the drive to achieve and leadership (Goleman, 2012). Why are these qualities important in leadership? From a leadership standpoint Emotional Intelligence will support or determine a leader’s success (Dainton and Zelley, 2011). The Study. Warwick & Nettelbeck discussed a study completed by David McClelland of exemplarity leaders and the competencies they possessed (2004). The strengths in a wide spectrum of emotional intelligence ranged from self-awareness and motivation to social awareness and social skill. The only emotional intelligence capability not represented was self regulation, but adaptability, from this cluster, was 57% more common in the effective leaders (Warwick & Nettelbeck, 2004). Would women make better leaders? The next portion covers the effectives of empathy in leadership. Goleman addresses empathy as one of his five points of emotional intelligence. Over the years many papers have been written about women and their ability to be natural nurtures (Anonymous, 2008). Perhaps in a person’s personal life women are more empathetic then men. Significant research performed on the concept of women possessing a natural ability to be empathetic. When empathy is observed in the workplace or by a leader who has the upper hand men or women? Sex Differences. According to Goleman, men and women are compared in many ways (2012). He also goes on to describe the similar traits men and women poses and those traits cause behavioral characteristics. The results from test data gives a bell curve pattern when graphed and allows psychologist to review the similarities and differences between the sexes (Goleman, 2012). The idea behind specific sex abilities to be better at leadership based on their individ ual design would be acceptable. The idea that a specific sex is better just because they were born with female or male ingenuity is difficult to prove (Norwack, 2012). Data around empathy. Many studies are conducted and have been conducted by psychologist around the world with mixed feelings around which sex is better at a specific subtopic (Greenberg, 2005). Leadership uses many concepts and one concept in particular is empathy. Women in western culture tend to develop this naturally due to the way western culture influences women (Greenberg, 2005). Greenberg, goes on to describe the western woman as one of empathy and describes tests and experiences women have over men (2005). Profile of nonverbal sensitivity. At Harvard two professors tackled a challenge to solve the age old question are women more empathetic than men (Goleman, 2012) Professor Rosenthal and Judith Hall performed a verity of psychological test to measure the level of feelings. Nonverbal sensitivity to emotional reaction is the name of the test (Greenberg, 2005). Dr. Rosenthal film clips are filtered so that the person watching the emotional body language is seen and the words cannot be heard (Greenberg, 2005). Rosenthal and Hall found women performed better on average than men at guessing the people in the clips emotion (Greenberg, 2005). Micro-emotions. Greenberg states people leak small emotions called micro-emotions (2005). The emotions allow people to express body language and tone of voice in small increments to the receiver of the signal (Greenberg, 2005). People who work in law enforcement or interrogation tend to illustrate this ability so that they may sense if a person is truthful or lying (Greenberg, 2005). Sex differences tend not to portray a strong advantage in this category. Practice is a definite must to hone and build the skill to better understand situations around emotional intelligence (Greenberg, 2005). Empathetic accuracy. The ability to sense and understand people’s thoughts through their feelings is defined by Goleman as empathetic accuracy (2012). Goleman experimental methods assess empathic accuracy and illustrate emotional response by asking people to depict an emotion of someone they see (Goleman, 2012). Goleman conducted a range of test involving test subjects. The test subjects watched conversation and evaluated people and attempted to figure out their feelings (Goleman, 2012). Psychologist than compared the result against the emotional person’s own narrative. Goleman went on to describe women did not perform better than men in a series experiments (2012). There was no evidence of a female intuition advantage and Goleman goes on to associate that women have a distinct willingness to be empathetic. Greenberg describes women as wanting to be empathetic and men not so much (2005). Which sex is better with Emotional Intelligence? Based on the data above the so called sex difference toward empathy would argue that men are latent in their ability for empathy, but less motivated to be empathic (Greenberg, 2005). So much that men tend to see themselves in terms of a tough guy. Men have less motivation to seem sensitive in most cultures because that seen as a sign of weakness (Goleman, 2012). Why is Emotional Intelligence Important? When reading different articles about Emotional Intelligence the question purposed by people is â€Å"why is Emotional Intelligence important?† (Norwack, 2012). Emotional Intelligence is important element to build strong leadership (Norwack, 2012). The best way to explain Emotional Intelligence in general is through three premises (Norwack, 2012): 1.Emotions are important in both work and non-work interactions (Norwack, 2012). 2.There are individual differences in the capacity to perceive, understand, use, and manage emotions (Norwack, 2012). 3.Differences in Emotional Intelligence are important in some contexts and less important in others (Norwack, 2012). Norwack described Emotional Intelligence best as â€Å"the ability to perceive and express emotions, understand and reason with emotion, and regulate emotion in self and others† (Norwack, 2012). As an effective leader knowing about employees will be the key to success towards employees respecting his or her leader. Conclusion Why is Emotional Intelligence so important? From a leadership standpoint Emotional Intelligence will support or determine a leader’s success (Dainton and Zelley, 2011). Emotional Intelligence in today’s business world demand leaders to be transformational to be successful in leading people (Norwack, 2012). Dainton and Zelley describe two types of leadership used in today’s business Transactional and Transformational (Dainton and Zelley, 2011). Transactional removes the care for people factor out of the equation and causes leaders only concern for results which, develops a lack of flexibility for employees (Dainton and Zelley, 2011). Transformational leadership allows leaders to use the tools to understand their emotions and how they affect the ability to lead effectively (Dainton and Zelley, 2011). Norwack points out three factors of emotion that must be understood and utilized with transformational leadership styles (Norwack, 2012). 1.Emotion Perception relates to awareness of others and their emotions (Norwack, 2012). 2.Emotion Understanding relates to the ability logically to label or empathize with others (Norwack, 2012). 3.Emotion Management controlling the emotional stress of a leader and others effectively (Norwack, 2012). Daniel Goleman describes all these factors in his book and teaches these concepts as a consultant. Large companies like Bowing, Raytheon, and IBM use these concepts to develop current and future leaders for their companies. Effective leadership is a must in today’s business world to thrive and succeed (Norwack, 2012). References Anonymous. (2008, February 04). Woman’s instinct is to nurture. Times – Picayune . Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/416185791?accountid=27203 Antonakis, J., Ashkanasy, N. M., & Dasborough, M. T. (2009). Does leadership need emotional intelligence?. The Leadership Quarterly, 247-261. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/science/article/pii/S1048984309000174 cognitive. (2002). In A Dictionary of Philosophy, Macmillan. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/login?url=http://www.credoreference.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/entry/macdphil/cognitive Dainton, M., & Zelley, E. D. (2011). Applying communication theory for professional life: A

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Belgium essays

Belgium essays My population is 10,174,922 the age structure is 0-14 years: 17% (male 903,954 female 860,940) for 15-64 years: 66% (male 3,387,329 female 3,318,221) for 65 years and over: (male 693,519 female 1,010,959), he population growth since 1998 is 0.09% and the birth rate is 10.21births/1,000 population and the death rate is 10.41 deaths/1,000 population and the infant mortality is 6.27 deaths/1,000 population, the life expectancy at birth is for male is 74.13 years and for women is 80.74 years and for the total population is 77.35 years. The religions are Roman Catholic 75% and Protestant or other 25%, the languages are Flemish 56%, French 32%, German 1%, and legally bilingual 11% and my literacy rate for my total population is 99%. My countrys conventional long form name is Kingdom of Belgium and its short form is Belgium. The local long form is Royaume de Belgique/ Koninkrijk Belgie and the short form is Belgique/ Belgie. My Goverment type is federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch, my national capital is Brussels, my administrative divisions are 9 provinces: Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, and West-Vlaanderen. Our Independence is October 4, 1830. National holiday is July 21 ( ascension of King LEOPOLD to the thron in 1831 ). My Executive branch is Chief of State is King ALBERT II, Hier Apparent Prince PHILIPPE, son of the King, Head of Government is Prime Minister Jcan-Luc DEHAENE, and the Cabinet is Council Of Ministers appointed by the king and approved by the Our Labor Force is for a total: 4.283 million and by occupation: services 69.7%, industry 27.7%, and agriculture 2.6% with an Unemployment rate of 12.75%. My Industries are engineering and metal products, moter vehicle assembly, processed food and bevera ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Example of Molar Mass Calculation

Example of Molar Mass Calculation You can calculate the molar mass or the mass of one mole of an element or molecule if you know the formula for the substance and have a periodic table or table of atomic masses. Here are some worked examples of the molar mass calculation. How to Calculate Molar Mass The molar mass is the mass of one mole of a sample. To find the molar mass, add the atomic masses (atomic weights) of all of the atoms in the molecule. Find the atomic mass for each element by using the mass given in the Periodic Table or table of atomic weights. Multiply the subscript (number of atoms) times the atomic mass of that element and add the masses of all of the elements in the molecule to get the molecular mass. Molar mass usually is expressed in grams (g) or kilograms (kg). Molar Mass of an Element The molar mass of sodium metal is the mass of one mole of Na. You can look up that answer from the table: 22.99 g. You may be wondering why the molar mass of sodium isnt just twice its atomic number, the sum of the protons and neutrons in the atom, which would be 22. This is because the atomic weights given in the periodic table are an average of the weights of the isotopes of an element. Basically, the number of protons and neutrons in an element may not be the same. The molar mass of oxygen is the mass of one mole of oxygen. Oxygen forms a divalent molecule, so this is the mass of one mole of O2. When you look up the atomic weight of oxygen, you find it is 16.00 g. Therefore, the molar mass of oxygen is: 2 x 16.00 g 32.00 g Molar Mass of a Molecule Apply the same principles to calculate the molar mass of a molecule. The molar mass of water is the mass of one mole of H2O. Add together the atomic masses of all of the atoms of hydrogen and water in a molecule of water: 2 x 1.008 g (hydrogen) 1 x 16.00 g (oxygen) 18.02 g For more practice, download or print these molar mass worksheets: Formula or Molar Mass Worksheet (pdf)Formula or Molas Mass Worksheet Answers (pdf)

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Free Essays on King Philip’s War

King Philip’s War was a disturbing war fought in America in 1675, almost certainly as a result of the early contact between the English Colonists and the Native Americans. The Natives were, and had always been fighting for their freedom and land, as well as their culture unharmed. Though the Natives had their own religious beliefs, the Colonists felt that they were the greater man, and that God would play a part by remaining on their side. The Natives did not trust the English with their multiple cheated promises and such, and it was only expected that the Natives would not believe in the English. There is no one established reason for this war, like many wars, but it is only probable that it be a result of the many differences between the Native way of life, and the English way. The Wampanoag Indians were a tribe that settled in the area of current day Rhode Island and Massachusetts. It is estimated that the number of tribe members was somewhere over ten thousand before the English arrived and brought along sickness and disease that the Natives were not accustomed to. By around 1675 it is imagined that the Wampanoag population plummeted to around only one thousand members. At first, the Wampanoag were accepting of the English because there appeared to be no immediate threat of endangerment of the Natives. The Natives actually became appreciative and dependent on the English in a sense, because they had been introduced to the various types of food, clothing, and most importantly, weapons. Massasoit, the Chief of the Wampanoag Indians at the time, signed a treaty of peace with the English that promised not to give up their land to anybody without the knowledge and consent of the Plymouth government first. It wasn’t until 1630 when the situation reversed with the increasing amount of settlers moving to The Massachusetts Bay Colony known as â€Å"The Great Migration†, that the Natives became angered. The new settlers, the Puritans,... Free Essays on King Philip’s War Free Essays on King Philip’s War King Philip’s War was a disturbing war fought in America in 1675, almost certainly as a result of the early contact between the English Colonists and the Native Americans. The Natives were, and had always been fighting for their freedom and land, as well as their culture unharmed. Though the Natives had their own religious beliefs, the Colonists felt that they were the greater man, and that God would play a part by remaining on their side. The Natives did not trust the English with their multiple cheated promises and such, and it was only expected that the Natives would not believe in the English. There is no one established reason for this war, like many wars, but it is only probable that it be a result of the many differences between the Native way of life, and the English way. The Wampanoag Indians were a tribe that settled in the area of current day Rhode Island and Massachusetts. It is estimated that the number of tribe members was somewhere over ten thousand before the English arrived and brought along sickness and disease that the Natives were not accustomed to. By around 1675 it is imagined that the Wampanoag population plummeted to around only one thousand members. At first, the Wampanoag were accepting of the English because there appeared to be no immediate threat of endangerment of the Natives. The Natives actually became appreciative and dependent on the English in a sense, because they had been introduced to the various types of food, clothing, and most importantly, weapons. Massasoit, the Chief of the Wampanoag Indians at the time, signed a treaty of peace with the English that promised not to give up their land to anybody without the knowledge and consent of the Plymouth government first. It wasn’t until 1630 when the situation reversed with the increasing amount of settlers moving to The Massachusetts Bay Colony known as â€Å"The Great Migration†, that the Natives became angered. The new settlers, the Puritans,...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Marketing Across Cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Marketing Across Cultures - Essay Example Thus what is seen is just as important as what is written or what is spoken. Therefore visual or non-verbal communications about brands and products must be adapted to culture to connect with people in high context cultures. In particular, people from high context cultures are more socially oriented and prefer to have face-to-face, or interpersonal dealings in communications (Usunier & Lee, 2009). The idea is to establish some sort of a connection to consumers in high context cultures. For example, when distributing goods in places like China, Japan and India, connections can be made by appealing to local cultural symbols. Japan’s high uncertainty avoidance culture makes it the most difficult market for foreigners to penetrate. High uncertainty avoidance cultures are usually not amenable to anything new or uncertain. Thus the state and social norms typically implement rules and norms to restrict the introduction of uncertainty in terms of the introduction of anything or any ph enomenon that is foreign or different. China and India are cultures that are more amenable to uncertainty than Japan is (Usunier & Lee, 2009). Many products fulfill both a functional need as well as a social need. When deciding how much to adapt an existing product for a new foreign market, which type of need should a marketer focus on? Explain your answer. When adapting an existing product for a new foreign market the marketer should focus on social needs. For example in masculine cultures where men make a majority of the purchasing decisions, the product should be adapted to appeal to men. Likewise, in â€Å"highly feminine individualist cultures† the social and financial burdens are shared by men and women (Usunier & Lee, 2009, p. 71). Thus when adapting an existing product to this culture, the product does not have to be gender-specific. However other cultural norms may require adaptation. For example, explicit images displaying some degree of nudity in packaging may be o ffensive to some cultures. A food product such as a soup brand may want to replace a soup made of forbidden meat products with a more appropriate meat in countries where the meat is not an acceptable food source. This will be particularly important in high uncertainty avoidance cultures. High feminine collectivist cultures are similar to high feminine individualist cultures in that men and women share responsibilities for economic and social decisions. However, these individuals typically lack individual authority. Thus products must be adapted so that they appeal to this group dynamic. It therefore follows that products should be more family oriented as high feminine collectivist cultures emphasize the importance of the family as a whole. As Usunier and Lee (2009), in high feminine collectivist cultures, the entire family has a significant influence on â€Å"consumption behaviour† (Usunier & Lee, 2009, p. 71). Comparing a supermarket in Tokyo, Japan with one in Dallas, Texas , which of the two is likely to have higher sales of snacks and sweets (Items usually found near the cash register at the checkout)? Explain your answer using the most relevant cultural dimension. Items are typically placed near the cash register in supermarkets and other stores generally to appeal to impulsive or unplanned consumer purchasing behaviour. Asian cultures are typically linked to the collectivist dimension of

Friday, October 18, 2019

Theories behind Pricing Strategy As Applied By Apple Company Research Paper

Theories behind Pricing Strategy As Applied By Apple Company - Research Paper Example Regardless of whether or not a company’s product is the best in the market in terms of quality, the company must set a price that convinces the ordinary consumer of the quality of the product. This implies that the price of the product must match the quality of the product sold. In setting a price for a product, a company must take into consideration the nature of the market in which it operates. This includes analyzing the prices charged by competitors in the market. This is because regardless of the quality of the product that a company intends to introduce in the market, consumers will always compare the prices of all the companies in the industry and match them with the quality in arriving at a decision on which company to buy from. In this regard, marketing experts argue that for a company to attract customers, it must ensure that the prices charged are not too high or too low compared to those of its competitors (Griffin, 2013). Secondly, an effective marketing strategy that a company adopts must take into consideration the cost. As such, in setting a price, a company must first calculate all the cost incurred in the development of the product and subtract it from the revenue sources. This helps in determining the minimum profit margin that a company needs in order to break even. The price at which a company will break even should always be the list price at which the product may be priced (Landsburg, 2011). Thirdly, a good pricing strategy must take into consideration the consumers and the demand for the product to be introduced in the market in order to calculate the maximum price that the consumers may be willing and ready to pay for the product. Once this has been determined, the next step is to use the profit margin goal and competitor information to choose the best price to sell the product (Griffin, 2013). Apple’s Application of Pricing Theory Product prices are determined in three different ways namely cost-based, competition-based, or demand-based. In cost-based pricing, the price of a product is fixed based entirely on the cost of production and the desired profit without factoring in the demand aspects. In competitive-based pricing, the prices are set based on the competitor prices for a similar product. In demand-based prices, the prices are fixed based on the price rage that consumers are willing and ready to pay (Griffin, 2013). Apple is one of the electronic companies that have succeeded in the electronic industry. The company is known for quality phones such as the iPhones and other electronic products. Many people have often wondered how Apple has managed to achieve so much successes despite the stiff competition it faces from other giant companies such as Samsung, Nokia, and LG. An analysis shows that apart from the quality of the products it sells, the company has also succeeded due to the pricing strategy that it adopts. In this regard, the analysis shows that Apple adopts a cost-based pricing strat egy, which is purely based on its cost of production and the desired profit margin. According to the company, its prices are not fixed with the demand aspects in mind. Rather, they are fixed with the profit margin that it intends to generate in mind. This explains why the prices of Apple products are relatively more expensive than those of its compactors. Apple is a company that

Motivating Retired Workers Returning to Work Term Paper

Motivating Retired Workers Returning to Work - Term Paper Example According to Salatzar (1993), the retired workers have less ambition than the young workers and therefore are comfortable in the position they work for. Therefore these workers prove to be an asset for the company. Pearsall, a retired worker who rejoined the workforce have mentioned that experience in diverse subjects have assisted him to return to the workforce easily. However Cassidy, vice president for Concurrent Computers have mentioned that the biggest advantage of recruiting retired workers is that they have prior knowledge of the situation. Therefore if the situation happens to be something out of the usual the retired worker will have a higher chance of having prior experience about such situations and will be more at ease to handle the problem. There are several companies like Concurrent Computers that have preferred retired workers in their labor force. It is also necessary for many of the countries like United States to retain the aged people to their workforce because of their demographic nature. In 2002 the number of old people working or seeking work in United States was 62.9%. This is a result of the average age of the country which is very high. Apart from the need that arises due to the shortage in the workforce there is also a need of the retired people due to their expertise and skills in their profession. Moreover the average life span of the population in the developed countries has increased substantially and many people in the retiring age are perfectly healthy to work. Under such circumstances many of the companies and policy makers are looking for ideas to attract the retired workers back to the workforce. Motivations for the Retired Person Estimation by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics show that more than one fourth of the country’s labor force would reach their age of retirement in 2010. This would lead to a huge shortfall in the labor force. Another estimate by the United States Census Bureau suggests that 73% of t he people in the population will have the age 55 or higher in 2020. It also suggests that the increase in the number of young workers in the labor force will be only 5% during the same time. Alan Price (2007, p 429) gives an estimate of 25% of the people in the workforce having an age of 50 or more in 2020. According to another statistic in 2030, 20% of the people in the country will have an age of 65 or higher. Under these circumstances it becomes imperative for the country to motivate the retired people back to their profession in order keep the economy going and sustain the targeted growth (Lockwood, 2003, p.3). Entrepreneurial efforts by the older people have doubles chances of success than the young people (Price, 2007, p.429). A survey was conducted by Metlife to comprehend the work pattern of the people after retirement. A number of people explained their motivation to return to the workforce. The survey showed that the motivation for returning to work varied according to age group. According to the people in their late sixties economic reasons were the main motivating factor for joining the workforce. It has often been seen after retirement the investments and the pensions are insufficient for the retired people to sustain their previous standard of living. Along with that perfect working capabilities

Fashion, Retail and Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Fashion, Retail and Advertising - Essay Example The paper "Fashion, Retail and Advertising" will study the intersect between these social and cultural trends, and the world of fashion retail and advertising from the year 2000 to date. Social trends matter in retail trade. As such, it is important to look into some of the trends in terms of social media, communication and culture that stood out the most in the last decade. It is worth noting that in recent times, the advertising industry is more incorporative of the trends, though this is not by choice. The modern day consumer has to be wooed into purchasing certain products by certain companies. This section examines what has been deemed trendy and fashionable in the 2000s. The 2000 has been perhaps the fastest evolving decade in terms of what was popular in this period. The years in this decade as pertains to clothing fashion, saw to the emergence of attributes such as markets flooded with numerous brand names. For example, brands such as Nike are no longer the only ones that are recognized in the retail industry, as there has been widespread infiltration of other brands into the market over the past decade. A good example of such is the emergence of names such as Forever 21. This has left consumers spoilt for choice, with the knowledge that quality is guaranteed, even though one opts to not stick to traditional brand names while acquiring different clothing. In addition to this, the fashion industry has witnessed the evolution of clothing, from conservative wear to clothing.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Problem Resolution in Corrections Research Paper

Problem Resolution in Corrections - Research Paper Example A vision of this scale requires harmonized and joint attempts on the division of correctional companies to set up a â€Å"seamless† network of relations as well as communication; the Transition/Re-entry Action plan is an organizational guide toward accomplishing this goal (Altschuler, Armstrong & MacKenzie, 2006). The job, independently and jointly, is to create and strengthen the awareness; skills, principles, beliefs, as well as other qualifications that criminal will need so as to be successful in the society. As shown above, this may be attained in a range of methods, comprising the formation of a correctional setting that holds criminals liable for satisfying real-world qualities of work, in school and in the society. Mutually, as a united and combined set of organizations with a universal goal, we may make it come to pass. DOP-Training Services: Include a more wide-ranging transition initiative in the colleges to better train adolescents for release and incorporate an ultimate benchmark for transition in the Yearly Reassessment of Instructive Services. Supply computerization of a checklist of what has been accomplished as well as what requires to be done prior to release; partake in debates with organization staff to make easy sharing of data and computerization of process. Action Steps: 1). Develop a closer functioning association with DOP before release. 2). Improve DOP to permit better right of entry across departments. 3). Carry out combined Primary education meetings for correctional leaders as well as on trial or parole detectives to comprise case administration, transition, and discharge scheduling. 4). Start local transition job groups across departments and make use of resource meetings. 5). Create films to assist debate transition problems with households, employees and prisoners. Provide computerization of a checklist of what has been accomplished and what requires to be performed

Business Strategy of Google Company Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 4

Business Strategy of Google Company - Term Paper Example Corporate vision statement largely displays the direction of a company that it seeks to intent for achieving its set of objectives. The vision statement largely defines the possible future strategies of the organization. A good vision statement not only helps shareholders and customers but also seeks to induce a motivating effect on the employees of the organization (Fitzroy & Herbert, 2009, p.157). Google’s vision statement is reflected as a ten point strategic framework named as ten things. The ten point vision framework largely includes ensuring simplicity, innovation, and ethics (Google-a, n.d.). The core competency of Google is based on the aspect of the simplistic yet innovative nature of the product offering of the organization. Google core competencies lie in its ability to produce a diverse product with large-scale innovations that delight the users by the simple yet effective performance. The core competence of Google also comes from its unique search engine algorithm that has made it the most popular search engine of the web (Sugano, Goncalves & Figueira, 2009, p.57). The mission statement is a single and short statement that describes the purpose of existence of an organization (Kaplan, Norton & Barrows, 2008, p.3-4). The mission statement of Google is stated as follows: Google is a public company which has its shares listed on the bourses of the NASDAQ stock exchange. The stakeholders of Google include suppliers, government, trade associations, employees as well as the employee unions. The company aims to ensure the continued welfare of the shareholders and ensures a good return on their investments (Morrow, 2008).   PESTEL is a tool that can be used to analyze the external environment of an organization.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Fashion, Retail and Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Fashion, Retail and Advertising - Essay Example The paper "Fashion, Retail and Advertising" will study the intersect between these social and cultural trends, and the world of fashion retail and advertising from the year 2000 to date. Social trends matter in retail trade. As such, it is important to look into some of the trends in terms of social media, communication and culture that stood out the most in the last decade. It is worth noting that in recent times, the advertising industry is more incorporative of the trends, though this is not by choice. The modern day consumer has to be wooed into purchasing certain products by certain companies. This section examines what has been deemed trendy and fashionable in the 2000s. The 2000 has been perhaps the fastest evolving decade in terms of what was popular in this period. The years in this decade as pertains to clothing fashion, saw to the emergence of attributes such as markets flooded with numerous brand names. For example, brands such as Nike are no longer the only ones that are recognized in the retail industry, as there has been widespread infiltration of other brands into the market over the past decade. A good example of such is the emergence of names such as Forever 21. This has left consumers spoilt for choice, with the knowledge that quality is guaranteed, even though one opts to not stick to traditional brand names while acquiring different clothing. In addition to this, the fashion industry has witnessed the evolution of clothing, from conservative wear to clothing.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Business Strategy of Google Company Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 4

Business Strategy of Google Company - Term Paper Example Corporate vision statement largely displays the direction of a company that it seeks to intent for achieving its set of objectives. The vision statement largely defines the possible future strategies of the organization. A good vision statement not only helps shareholders and customers but also seeks to induce a motivating effect on the employees of the organization (Fitzroy & Herbert, 2009, p.157). Google’s vision statement is reflected as a ten point strategic framework named as ten things. The ten point vision framework largely includes ensuring simplicity, innovation, and ethics (Google-a, n.d.). The core competency of Google is based on the aspect of the simplistic yet innovative nature of the product offering of the organization. Google core competencies lie in its ability to produce a diverse product with large-scale innovations that delight the users by the simple yet effective performance. The core competence of Google also comes from its unique search engine algorithm that has made it the most popular search engine of the web (Sugano, Goncalves & Figueira, 2009, p.57). The mission statement is a single and short statement that describes the purpose of existence of an organization (Kaplan, Norton & Barrows, 2008, p.3-4). The mission statement of Google is stated as follows: Google is a public company which has its shares listed on the bourses of the NASDAQ stock exchange. The stakeholders of Google include suppliers, government, trade associations, employees as well as the employee unions. The company aims to ensure the continued welfare of the shareholders and ensures a good return on their investments (Morrow, 2008).   PESTEL is a tool that can be used to analyze the external environment of an organization.

Dubai Police Department Proposals Essay Example for Free

Dubai Police Department Proposals Essay In order to attain the objectives it is essential to recognize the existing practices in Dubai police department and also in the modern police departments of countries like USA, Germany, UK, Australia etc. This will be done by individual interviews of the officials in Dubai and the through questionnaires from other corners of the world. Primary research will be persistent on personal interviews with Dubai Police department officials that will give an inner view of the present positing and future goals. This will also be a key basis of understanding the indolence for change. This will help in bringing out the indication of the present managed system in Dubai police department organization. Ultimately the clients will help in providing the true print of Dubai Police department’s working and key areas of improvement. Data presented from this research will assist to evaluate the best practices model and the actual working. This will help in indicating the difference and the reason for Dubai police department organization to implement a successful change management. Dubai Police higher officials will be randomly selected with favorable time and place for the interviews to be carried out. Finally the research will be focused on the historical data by looking at the Dubai Police department’s strategy in the past. If any failure or any glitches are to be found in companies strategy they will be pointed in this research. This will help the writer to understand the Dubai Police department’s goals in the past and their implementation process. Bibliography Articles: Garry Wilson (2004) Lessons from the trenches Principles of change. Chartered Accountants Journal, 13(1), pp. 1-5. Pierre Collerette, Robert Schneider, Paul Legris (2001), Managing organizational change -Part one Change in turbulent times, ISO Management Systems, pp. 1-8. 45 Woodward, Sally, Hendry, Chris (June -2004), Leading and coping with change. Journal of Change Management, Vol. 4 Issue 2, p155, 29p Michelman, Paul (Oct 2004), Overcoming Change Resisters Harvard Management, Vol. 9 Issue 10, p3, 1p; (AN 15175074) De Jager, Peter. Futurist (Oct 2001), Resistance to Change: A New View of an Old Problem. Vol. 35 Issue 3, p24, 4p, 1bw; (AN 4339215) Pratt, Mary K. , (Jan – 2005) Leading Change Computerworld, 1/10/2005, Vol. 39 Issue 2, p33, 2p; (AN 15636701)

Monday, October 14, 2019

Opium Trade Between British India China History Essay

Opium Trade Between British India China History Essay Opium use dates back to the seventh century. It was grown in Asia and used for its medicinal properties to cure diarrhoea and relieve dysentery and cholera pains. China was introduced to this drug by the Arabs in the ninth century. (Feige, 2008) Its medicinal properties were clearly known in the thirteenth century. Its consumption started changing from medicinal to recreational purposes during the seventeenth century. It became a threat when people started smoking it as a mix of tobacco and opium. This is when the first policy banning the smoking of opium was passed by the Chinese emperor. During the same period in India, the Mughal dynasty was extensively growing opium poppy and doing profitable trade with China and East Asia. This trade was a large source of revenue for the Mughal dynasty. As the downfall of the Mughal Empire started in 1658, the British through the East India Company took over the major cultivation and production of opium. Economics of trade The British formally started illegal trade with China in 1673. A form of triangular trade started between British, China and India where in commodities such as silver, tea and opium were bartered between the countries. This trade strategy was a smart scheme by the British to gain personal benefits. During this trade, India was merely an instrument for the British to produce the opium that they intended to sell to china in return for tea and silver which was exported to Britain. China played a major role in this trade as it was the sole producer and consumer of tea and opium involved in the trade. The East India Company occupied the Indian states of Bihar and Bengal and expanded trade through the port of Calcutta. (Zhong,2010, 86-105) Even though opium smoking was banned except use for medical reasons with licence in 1729 by the Chinese government, illegal smuggling continued. Despite these efforts opium use was increasing significantly and gradually spread from the coasts to the centre of the country. The Chinese officials had become corrupt and excepted bribes from the traders. The British took advantage of this situation and occupied the port of Canton and Macao. After this sudden increase in the use of opium, in 1796, the port of Canton was banned for trade. But this did not last for long as the British did not withdraw. The British started selling opium at the port of Calcutta to local merchants from China who illegally traded the opium into China. During 1830-1839, the entire southern coast of China was under the British monopoly. The Chinese emperor kept reiterating the policies regarding import of opium, smoking and illegal trade throughout the period from 1821 to 1838. During the later periods, death pena lties were also imposed on the illegal drug traders. (Wakeman, 1978) In Britain during this time, the parliament decided to control the trade with China directly through the Crown and not through the East India Company. Representatives from the crown went to convince the Chinese emperor to open trade at Canton and make opium trade legal. The emperor denied this and further in 1839, released a 39- article statute. This stipulated at banning opium at the ports and arresting the consumers to get to the illegal traders. It was a stricter edict that aimed at punishment of the smokers and the traders both locally or internationally. This plan failed as all the informers and officials were associated with the trade and werent ready to surrender. After many failed attempts to control the trade, the Emperor decided to send Lin Zu-xe to control the trade in the ports of canton. Lin Zu-xe took extreme steps to stop the illegal trade by burning the British opium and trying to destroy the British ships. This led to the First Opium War which lasted from 1839 to 1842. This war resulted in the defeat of Lins army and the signing of the Treaty of Nanjing. This treaty was a successful attempt by the British to take advantage of Chinas weakness and demean them further. The treaty opened various ports to the British, Chinese monopolies were removed and ultimately China was completely opened to the west. (Wakeman,1978) By 1853, the exports from china surpassed the imports by the British. The British had to look for strategies to balance out the trade in the triangular trade. They took tea, spices, silk and silver from the Chinese and in return increased the amount of opium imported. The British stressed on promoting the use of opium to increase its demand. Slowly the relations between the Chinese government and the British became extremely coarse and this led to the Second Opium War (1856-1857). The successors of the Chinese emperor also opposed this illegal trade and fought the British but in vain. The joint army of British and French fought this war and defeated the Chinese. The Chinese, humiliated again, had to sign the Treaty of Teintsin. This treaty opened some more ports to the west and also asked china to pay the victory allies silver for their victory. The Chinese protested and denied this payment. The British and French forces marched into Peking and attacked the palace. The Chinese were d efeated and signed the Treaty of Peking which finally legalized opium. (Sheng, 2007) Worst affected victim- China The Chinese government was incapable of protecting its country from this social menace and from the influence of the west which ultimately led to legalizing a dangerous drug. The fundamental forces that led to this include Chinas own weaknesses that worsened during this time and to the major influence from the British. Firstly, China as a country was devastated during the 18th century. The Chinese emperors were against foreign trade from the beginning and were true supporters of Chinese culture. They opposed any kind of trade and barter of goods with the so call western barbarians. (Sheng, 2007) But they were unsuccessful in imposing strict state policies against opium. Even though many serious edicts were issued, the illegal trade continued till it became legal in 1860. Every time the Chinese government retaliated to this kind of illegal trade, the British fought the opium wars and retained its trade monopoly by forcing the Chinese government to open its ports. Also the trade was depleting China of all its resources of silver and spices. The incapacitated Chinese government was economically and financially not able to support itself and the finances of the war that they had to legalize opium to collect taxes that would help pay for the war losses. Also, the country had to deal with floods and comm unal unrest during the same period. There was a vast difference between the rich and the poor in China during this time. The population on the coasts of china was getting richer due to the illegal trade as they sold the goods for trade at extremely high prices. On the other hand, labour class was extremely poor. They were morally and financially very weak to support themselves. They were the major proportion of population that resorted to opium use and became addicts. This addiction increased as opium was very cheap and easily available in the markets. This was when opium was used merely to forget the reality and not for any medical reasons. Even though there were various policies against opium, none of them actually worked because along with the locals, the government and military officials were also corrupt and part of this illegal trade. (Sheng,2007) Secondly, the black-market trade by the British was a driving factor for the spread of this drug. Tea had become a serious commodity for the English and they wanted to increase the imports of Chinese tea. The British captured the port of Calcutta that made it easy to exchange goods between China and India. Initially, the British took tea from china in return for opium. Later their demands were silk and spices in exchange of more opium. The British bribed and bullied china to continue and strengthen their new illicit enterprise. Whenever they sensed resistance from china they fought them to sign one sided treaties. Their major motive was to increase their revenue. The British had already occupies India and wanted complete trade monopoly with China. If they could accomplish that then they would dominate East Asia. One key ethical issue of this trade was that the British had ignored the fact that this dangerous drug was being banned in their own country even when they were illicitly trading it into China to make as much money was they could from this trade. Their visible intention was to exploit this trade in a way to gain maximum profits from it regardless of its affects on the other nation. All the opium from India was being dumped into China. Therefore, opium was a commodity for the Chinese but later it became a forced commodity which was being forced by the British. Therefore, China was facing a severe opium problem which had to be addressed internationally. It was the responsibility of the countries that had deposited tonnes of opium into China and degraded the countrys economy and culture, to amend the mistakes made over the years. The issue deserved an international response through world-wide laws on production and consumption of opiates. International conventions were finally set and laws were formulated in a global context to finally control the narcotic drugs.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Big Brothers Essay -- essays research papers

Becoming a mentor can have a tremendous impact on the life of a youngster. Children need someone to look up to that doesn’t necessarily need be a part of their immediate family. Sometimes they have no siblings, or maybe their siblings or parents are busy. Perhaps they have no grandparents to do things with. These children are the ones that spend their afternoons in crowded after school programs where they may not get the attention the crave. This may lead to isolation and oppositely over hyperactive children starved for attention. In other cases, some children who are not so fortunate as to be offered after-school programs are subject to the world outside all on their own. In too many cases, these are the children that become statistics. These are the children who turn to drugs or crime, be it out of fear, or simply to feel accepted. Accepted in the wrong crowds still may comfort a lonely child. One of the most renowned mentoring agencies is a non-profit organization called big brothers/ big sisters of America. A man who saw a young boy sifting through the trash for food created this establishment over 90 years ago. He took the boy home, fed him, and then met his poverty-stricken family. From that point on, he became a mentor to the little boy, and this inspired him to form the organization for other boys, and in following years, a group of Christian women created a program for little girls. The soon joined forces and became the big brothers and big sisters of America. I...

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Business Marketing :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Business Marketing Four basic categories define the business market: 1. The commercial market 2. Trade industries 3. Government organizations 4. Institutions Commercial markets include individuals and firms that acquire goods and services to support, directly or indirectly, production of other goods and services. Example: When Lufthansa buys aircraft built by the European consortium Airbus Industry, when Sara Lee purchases wheat to mill into flour for an ingredient in its cakes. Trade industries include retailers or whole sellers that purchase products for resale to others. Example: retail meat markets may carry out bulk purchases of sides of beef and then cut individual pieces for their customers. Institutions include a wide range of organizations, such as hospitals, churches, nursing homes, colleges and universities, museums and not-for-profit organizations. Example: state universities. Government organizations include domestic units of government- federal, state, and local as well as foreign governments. Example: national defense or pollution control. Q2. What are the characteristics of the commercial market? Show how each characteristic affects the marketing strategies of firms serving that market. The commercial market is the largest segment of the business market. It includes all individuals and firms that acquire goods and services to supports directly or indirectly, production of other goods and services. Some products aid in producing another good or service. Others are physically used up in the production of a good or service. Still others contribute to the firms day to day operations. Q3. What are the SIC codes? How do the marketers use these codes? Standard Industries Classification codes are the US government classification system that subsides the business market place into detailed market segments. Businesses use SIC code data for more then segmentation. These codes also help them to estimate the demand and forecast sales. Q4. Contrast organizational buying behavior and consumer purchasing behavior. What are the primary differences and similarities? Business buying behavior takes place with in a formal organization with its budget, costs and profit considerations. The primary differences include excessive organizational steps, considering budget, costs, prioritizing techniques for purchase decision analyses. Where as, consumer-purchasing behavior includes knowledge of business buying situations and is influenced by peers and ads. Q5. Give examples of the effect of industrial market demand of derived demand, volatile demand, joint demand, inventory adjustments, and the accelerator principal. Derived demand: Demand for a business product that results from demand for a consumer product of which it is a component. Example: The growing global demand by food service firms for packs of Heinz ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc. is all driven by consumer’s appetite for their convenience and joy of dining out.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Leadership Qualities of Martin Luther King

I. IntroductionMartin Luther King Jr. was a United States clergyman and civil rights leader. King became the nation’s most prominent spokesman for equal justice for black Americans. He was a charismatic leader and an eloquent speaker, who preached nonviolent resistance to unjust laws and practices, a tactic he adopted from Indian leader Mohandas K. Gandhi. His civil rights efforts helped to bring about passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. In 1983, the U.S. Congress voted to make his birthday, January 15, a national holiday (celebrated on the third Monday of the month).King began his involvement in the modern civil rights movement in 1955 with leadership of the Montgomery (Alabama) bus boycott, which ended segregated seating on that city’s public buses. He then urged black Americans to follow the Montgomery example and win their rights through nonviolent protest. As head of the Southern C hristian Leadership Conference, which he helped to found in 1957, King led demonstrations, marches, sit-ins, and boycotts in many cities in both the South and the North, often meeting hostility and sometimes violence (Haskins, 2000). He was jailed several times in the South for his activities. In 1967, he also became a leader of the peace movement, seeking an end to the Vietnamese War.This paper scrutinizes the leadership qualities of Martin Luther King.II. BackgroundA. EARLY LIFEMartin Luther King was born in Atlanta, the capital of the US state of Georgia, on January 15, 1929. His father, also called Martin, was a minister of the Christian religion and he passed on his faith to his son.When Martin was very young, his family was able to protect him from the injustices that black people suffered on a daily basis. Later, as he grew older, he realized the truth. His first school was for black children only, and in the streets and shops of Atlanta, all black people were treated as seco nd-class citizens (Lincoln, 2000).B. A COLLEGE EDUCATIONMartin Luther King was an excellent pupil, and at 15 years old he moved on to Morehouse College in Atlanta. There he decided that he wanted to be a preacher like his father. In 1948 he took up a place at Crozer Seminary in the state of Pennsylvania, far to the north.While at Crozer, Martin became interested in the ideas of the Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi. In particular, he began to share Gandhi’s view that people should not use violence to fight injustice. Martin also met Coretta Scott, a black woman from the Southern state of Alabama. The couple married in 1953, after Martin had left the seminary to study for a postgraduate degree at Boston University in Massachusetts (Haskins, 2000).III. DiscussionA. THE MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTTIn May 1954, Martin became preacher at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, and moved to the city with his wife. In the same year, the US Supreme Court ruled that segregated educ ation was wrong. This was a great leap forward for black civil rights, but it was only the beginning.In Martin’s new home of Montgomery, all the buses had separate seats for black and white people. If there were no free seats when a white person got on a bus, the law said that a black person had to give up his or her seat. On December 1, 1955, a black passenger called Rosa Parks refused to stand up so that a white man could sit down. She was quickly arrested (Oates, 2002).Martin and other local black leaders were angry at this injustice, so organized a bus boycott. They asked all the black people of Montgomery to stop traveling by bus and, for over a year, most did. Finally, on December 20, 1956, the US Supreme Court ruled that the bus segregation laws were against the constitution and so illegal.B. ORGANIZING THE FIGHTIn 1957, Martin Luther King and other leaders set up an organization called the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Its main aims were to end segr egation, and to make it easier for black people to vote. The Constitution of the United States gave them this right, but the governments of many individual states, especially in the South, tried to stop them from voting. Over the next few years, Martin organized many strikes, marches and other protests. At the same time, he enjoyed a happy family life and by 1963 he had four children (Oates, 2002).C. A NEW ROLE?Martin did not give up his work. Instead, he began to think more about the injustice faced by black people in the northern states of the United States, and by other groups of people across the country, particularly the poor of all races. He also began to campaign against the war the Americans were fighting in Vietnam. Martin’s last great plan was to lead a Poor People’s March to Washington, D.C. On April 4, 1968, while he was visiting the city of Memphis in Tennessee, he was shot dead by an escaped criminal called James Earl Ray. Four days later, he was buried i n Atlanta, Georgia (Lincoln, 2000).IV. ConclusionMartin Luther King Jr. has left a very notable reputation that even his own race cannot compare with his notable record as a man who brought changed in America’s society.  Ã‚   Martin Luther King, Jr. has truly contributed to the history of United States of America. His upright deeds will not be forgotten for every individual especially for those who experienced racism. He was a type of a leader that was able to lead a mass writhe for racial equality that doomed separation and brought changed to the United States of America. His assassination was not the end of the â€Å"black people society† to keep fighting for their rights but it was only the beginning that motivated their hearts to continue fighting for its principles and rights.Reference:1. Haskins, J. The Life and Death of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Lothrop, Lee & Shephard, 2000).2. Lincoln, C.E. Martin Luther King, Jr.: a Profile (Hill & Wang, 2000).3. Oates, S.B. Let the Trumpet Sound: the Life of Martin Luhter King, Jr. (Harper & Row, 2002).

Thursday, October 10, 2019

American Gothic Architecture

For only the antique style of architecture is conceived in a purely objective spirit; the Gothic style is more in the subjective spirit. American Gothic architecture was the outcome of a way of thought, the product of a special kind of imagination. Every one will easily be able to see clearly how from the fundamental thought and the peculiarities of Gothic architecture, there arises that mysterious and hyperphysical character which is attributed to it. It principally arises from the fact that here the arbitrary has taken the place of the purely rational, which makes itself known as the thorough adoption of the means to the end.The many things that are really aimless, but yet are so carefully perfected, raise the assumption of unknown, unfathomed, and secret ends, i. e. , give the appearance of mystery. On the other hand, the brilliant side of Gothic churches is the interior; because here the effect of the groined vaulting borne by slender, crystalline, aspiring pillars, raised high a loft, and, all burden having disappeared, promising eternal security, impresses the mind; while most of the faults which have been mentioned lie upon the outside.In antique buildings the external side is the most advantageous, because there we see better the support and the burden; in the interior, on the other hand, the flat roof always retains something depressing and prosaic. For the most part, also, in the temples of the ancients, while the outworks were many and great, the interior proper was small. An appearance of sublimity is gained from the hemispherical vault of a cupola, as in the Pantheon, of which, therefore, the Italians also, building in this style, have made a most extensive use.What determines this is, that the ancients, as southern peoples, lived more in the open air than the northern nations who have produced the Gothic style of architecture. Whoever, then, absolutely insists upon Gothic architecture being accepted as an essential and authorized style may, if he i s also fond of analogies, regard it as the negative pole of architecture, or, again, as its minor key.With the recent explosion of Gothic criticism, scholars have failed to juxtapose Gothic novels and dramas with archival architectural sources to explore the interrelationship between literature and architecture in the United States in the first half of the nineteenth century. The scholars who have rescued the Gothic novel from literary history's dust heap have provided cultural historians with a base from which to examine the sweeping influence of this significant literary genre.In the United States, Gothic novels and Scott's historical romances (which were inspired by Gothic pioneers Walpole and Radcliffe), had an enormous impact on architecture in the period between 1800 and 1850. The groundwork in Gothic literary scholarship allows us to move beyond literature to examine how the Gothic seeps into other forms of artistic creation. One of the earliest American architects to enjoy G othic novels was Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764-1820).Although born in Great Britain and educated in Europe, Latrobe immigrated to the United States at the age of thirty-one, arriving in March 1796. About three months after relocating to Virginia, Latrobe wrote in his journal that he found Radcliffe's descriptions of buildings so â€Å"successful† that he â€Å"once endeavored to plan the Castle of Udolpho from Radcliffe's account of it and found it impossible† . Latrobe began experimenting with Gothic architectural forms for residential design in the United States in 1799.Latrobe's Gothic work includes Sedgeley (built for William Crammond near Philadelphia in 1799 and considered the first Gothic Revival house in the United States); the Baltimore Cathedral design (unexecuted; 1805); Christ Church in Washington, DC (1806-07); the Bank of Philadelphia (1807-08); and St. Paul's in Alexandria, Virginia (1817) (see photos). But, overall, Latrobe's Gothic output pales in compa rison to his rational neoclassical efforts such as the Bank of Pennsylvania (1799-1801). His Gothic Revival designs are symmetrical with superficial Gothic detailing.For example, Sedgeley is a geometric form Gothicized by the placement of pointed arch windows in the pavilions that protrude from the corners of the house. Despite this Gothic touch, there is little mystery or surprise in store for the observer of Latrobe's Gothic creations. Although he clearly read Radcliffe's books and was quite possibly influenced by them, he did not translate the mysterious, rambling architectural spaces of her stories into his own architecture. Other American architects, too, dabbled in Gothic Revival design before the 1830s. Some notable examples include Maxmillan Godefroy's St.Mary's Seminary in Baltimore (1806); Charles Bulfinch's Federal Street Church in Boston (1809); and the unexecuted design for Columbia College (1813) by James Renwick Sr. , engineer and father of the architect James Renwick . Daniel Wadsworth, who designed for himself a Gothic Revival villa called Monte Video (c. 1805-1809) near Hartford, Connecticut, explained that, to him, the Gothic style was not inherently menacing as are the castles and convents of Gothic novels: â€Å"There is nothing in the mere forms or embellishments of the pointed style [†¦ ] in the least adapted to convey to the mind the impression of Gothic Gloom† .His house bears out this belief; Gothic details appear as an afterthought, a decorative motif rather than a programmatic agenda. It was not until the 1830s and 1840s that American Gothic Revival architecture came of age. The most prominent designer of Gothic residences in this period was Davis. Davis was born in New York City in 1803 and, during his boyhood, lived in New Jersey and New York. When he was sixteen, he moved to Alexandria, Virginia, to learn a trade with his older brother Samuel. Davis worked as a type compositor in the newspaper office.Besides work, his four years at Alexandria were filled with two of his favourite activities: reading and acting. An amateur actor who performed in several plays while he was in Virginia, Davis was a voracious reader as well. His two pocket diaries from this period, preserved at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, are filled with youthful exuberance. Often, Davis would begin an entry with an illustration from a text, which would then be excerpted in his own handwriting. Among the dramas that he read and illustrated were Maturin's Bertram: or the Castle of St.Aidobrand and Heinrich Zschokke's Abadilino. Maturin was an Irish Gothic novelist and dramatist who corresponded with an encouraging Scott. After reading Maturin's drama Bertram, Scott wrote that the character of Bertram had a â€Å"Satanic dignity which is often truly sublime† . Starring Edmund Kean, Bertram opened on 9 May 1816 at the Drury Lane Theatre in London, with the support of Lord Byron, who was impressed with the play. In one of his pocket diaries, Davis made an illustration of the play's first act, showing a ship tossed on a stormy sea in view of a Gothic convent.The setting of the play is quintessentially Gothic from the â€Å"rock-based turrets† of the convent to the moonlit â€Å"terrassed rampart† of the castle of Aldobrand. Davis copied an excerpt from the play into his diary and as the budding actor included Bertram in his list of recitations. While he was a youth in Alexandria, Davis engaged in amateur theatricals and became interested in stage design. He dreamed of becoming a professional actor. Davis's illustration filters the Shakespearean scene through contemporary Gothic, emphasizing the mysterious flicker of the nightstand candle and the inky blackness of unknowable architectural spaces.At the age of twenty, Davis moved to New York City, and his fascination with the theatre continued. In the evenings, he frequented the theatre and was on the free list at both the Park The ater and the Castle Garden Theater in 1826 and 1828. He also expressed his love of drama in his artistic work. In 1825, he completed a study for a proscenium featuring Egyptian columns and Greek bas-relief sculpture and numerous portraits of actors in character, including â€Å"Brutus in the Rostrum† and â€Å"Mr. Kemble as Roma†. That so early in his life Davis was fascinated with the theatre is significant to his later Gothic Revival architectural creations.The dramatic images he drew for his youthful diaries display his acute interest in stage design and scenography. Indeed, Gothic Revival architecture is inherently theatrical, a quality often commented upon by architecture critics. Davis often used trompe-l'oeil materials to create theatrical effects, substituting plaster for stone. Davis's houses, then, become stage sets, in which the owners' mediaeval fantasies, inspired by Gothic romances, can take flight. While still in Alexandria, Davis's sensible older brothe r bristled at what he perceived to be the younger Davis's useless pastime of reading Gothic books.Later in life, Davis wrote to William Dunlap about himself in the third person for Dunlap's History of the Rise and Progress of the Arts of Design in the United States: â€Å"Like another Franklin, strongly addicted to reading, he limited himself to the accomplishment of a fixed task, and being a quick compositor, he would soon complete it, and fly to his books, but not like Franklin, to books of science and useful learning, but to works of imagination, poetry, and the drama; whence, however, he imbibed a portion of that high imaginative spirit so necessary to constitute an artist destined to practise in the field of invention†.Davis's brother condemned such reading and turned Davis's attention to â€Å"history, biography and antiquities, to language and the first principles of the mathematics†. The architectural allure of Gothic literature fascinated Davis. As a young man , Davis was known to â€Å"pass hours in puzzling over the plan of some ancient castle of romance, arranging the trap doors, subterraneous passages, and drawbridges, as pictorial embellishment was the least of his care, invention all his aim†.Any Gothic novel of the late eighteenth century may have been the subject of his artistic dreaming, but most likely he is referring here to either Walpole's The Castle of Otranto or Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho, two of the most popular and influential of the Gothic novels. Davis's catalogue of books shows that he owned both books. The image depicts a partly ruinous labyrinthine space with a multitude of pointed arches leading to mysterious staircases (perhaps inspired by Giovanni Battista Piranesi's Carceri). Light filters in through barred windows.This drawing shows his early interest in the Gothic underworld, which is described in detail in The Castle of Otranto. The castle of Otranto (see photo) contains intricate subterranean passages that lead from the castle to the church of St. Nicholas, and through which the virtuous Isabella is chased by the lustful Manfred. Scott cannot be considered a Gothic novelist in the same way that his predecessors Walpole and Radcliffe are. Scott's genre is historical romance, but the influence of the Gothic is omnipresent in his work.From his earliest days and throughout his life, Scott read tales of terror. In 1812, after the success of his three poems and before he began writing his Waverley novel series, Scott purchased 110 acres, upon which he built his elaborate Gothic castle (1812-1815; enlarged in 1819). He named his new home Abbotsford after the monks of Meirose Abbey. The architect was William Atkinson. Abbotsford has been described as â€Å"an asymmetrical pile of towers, turrets, stepped gables, oriels, pinnacles, crenelated parapets, and clustered chimney stacks, all assembled with calculated irregularity†.Visitors flocked to Abbotsford to see the autho r and his residence first-hand, and, according to Thomas Carlyle, Abbotsford soon â€Å"became infested to a great degree with tourists, wonder-hunters, and all that fatal species of people†. Architectural historians often praise Strawberry Hill for introducing asymmetry into British domestic design and historicism into the Gothic Revival. But it is also important for another reason: the castle inspired Walpole to write his Gothic novel The Castle of Otranto in 1764.In A Description of the Villa of Mr. Horace Walpole, Walpole writes that Strawberry Hill is â€Å"a very proper habitation of, as it was the scene that inspired, the author of The Castle of Otranto†. One June morning, Walpole awoke from a dream: â€Å"I had thought myself in an ancient castle (a very natural dream for a head filled, like mine, with Gothic story) and that, on the uppermost bannister of a great staircase, I saw a gigantic hand in armor† (Early 88). That evening, Walpole sat down to wri te The Castle of Otranto.The setting of the story, as Walpole tells us in the preface, is â€Å"undoubtedly laid in some real castle†; indeed, as W. S. Lewis has shown, the rooms at Strawberry Hill and those in the pages of The Castle of Otranto correspond. Read by British and American readers alike, The Castle of Otranto enjoyed popularity long after Walpole's death in 1797. About the castle, Gilmor wrote: Tis in the most beautiful Gothic (light) style. Much cut up into small rooms, none, except the long picture gallery being large. Some of the ceilings beautifully gilded others beautifully fitted in wood or scagliola.But all things, wainscottings, – door-fireplaces – all Gothic. [†¦ ] These same rooms crammed – most literally crammed – with chef d'oeuvres of Antient and modern paintings, statuary; sarcophaguses, Bronzes and silver carvings of Benvenuto Cellini and others. [†¦ ] In this superb cabinet of curiosities for such the Gothic c astle deserves to be called, I strolled delighted. On 21 September 1832, not long after Gilmor's return in late 1830 or early 1831, Scott died. Two weeks later, on 5 October 1832, Davis makes his first notes on Glen Ellen in his day book.Perhaps Gilmor may have conceived of Glen Ellen as a tribute or romantic memorial to his genial host at Abbotsford. Indeed, as William Pierson has shown, the plans of Abbotsford and Glen Ellen both display a progression from left to right of octagonal corner turret to octagonal bay to square corner tower. But Abbotsford is not the only source for Glen Ellen. Gilmor was very impressed with the rococo Gothic he saw at Strawberry Hill, and the interior decoration of Walpole's residence becomes the inspiration for the exterior ornamentation at Glen Ellen.The battlements, pinnacles, towers, and pointed arch windows all recall Strawberry Hill, and the long rectangular parlour mirrors Walpole's mediaeval gallery. Both Abbotsford and Strawberry Hill are sit ed along rivers; it is significant, then, that Gilmor chose a site for Glen Ellen on the Gunpowder River, twelve miles north of Baltimore. While Town, Davis, and Gilmor were clearly indebted to Walpole and Atkinson, Glen Ellen is quite unlike anything that had come before it in American architecture.Most striking is its adoption of the complete Gothic program: it is asymmetrical in plan and elevation; its rooms are of disproportionate sizes; its ornamentation is both whimsical and reliant on recognizable mediaeval architectural forms. Glen Ellen is certainly not a repetition of Benjamin Henry Latrobe's and Daniel Wadsworth's earlier forays into the Gothic Revival style for domestic architecture. Unlike Sedgeley and Monte Video, where Gothic Revival ornament appears as an afterthought, Glen Ellen wears its mediaeval styling in a more assertive manner.Here Town and Davis enlisted the picturesque element of surprise; the beholder of Glen Ellen views a shifting facade with unexpected to wer protrusions and heavily ornamented bay windows. Although light and airy Glen Ellen lacks the gloom of Radcliffe's architectural spaces, the architects do create a villa in which the element of surprise is paramount. What is most significant about Glen Ellen is its conception as a place of fantasy, a literary indulgence to whet the Gothic appetite of its well-travelled owner.That Glen Ellen imitates the facade of Abbotsford or the interior ornamentation of Strawberry Hill is important; but more momentous is the idea of Glen Ellen as a retreat into the mediaeval world popularized by Gothic novels and historical romances. But Glen Ellen is Gothic fiction transformed into stone, a constant reminder of its owner's preferred reading material. With Glen Ellen, Gilmor pays homage to his favourite writers, thus participating in the cult of the Gothic author. Although he is the first, Gilmor will not be the last to yield to his literary fantasies by creating a permanent reminder of his Go thic passion.Influenced by Gothic novels and historical romance s, American writers James Fenimore Cooper and Washington Irving Gothicized their houses (Otsego Hall and Sunnyside, respectively) after visiting Gothic sites in Europe. After Glen Ellen, Davis went on to design numerous Gothic Revival cottages and villas, including his masterpiece, Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, New York (1838; 1865). Why were American architects, artists, and their clients so interested in mediaeval architecture? Their reading habits tell us a great deal.Mediaeval architecture plays a crucial role in Gothic novels and historical romances, leading some curious readers to visit mediaeval and Gothic Revival architectural sites related to their favourite novels. That American Gothic Revival architecture was closely related to the fictional works of writers such as Radcliffe and Scott is highlighted by a nineteenth-century observer's comments on a Gothic Revival building in New York City. Thomas Aldrich Bailey wro te in 1866 about the University of the City of New York (now New York University; original building demolished) on Washington Square: â€Å"There isn't a more gloomy structure outside of Mrs.Radcliff's [sic] romances, and we hold that few men could pass a week in these lugubrious chambers, without adding a morbid streak to their natures – the genial immates [sic] to the contrary notwithstanding†. Usually, though, the Gothic Revival buildings constructed in the United States in this period were anything but gloomy. Like Strawberry Hill, Davis's designs were light and airy; delicate rather than dark and massive (Davis does begin to experiment more with fortified castle designs in the 1850s).As Janice Schimmelman has argued, Scott's novels recast the Gothic architectural style, moving it away from the barbarism associated with the Middle Ages and toward a more domestic ideal. An American author who wrote at the same time as Scott sums it up nicely by saying, â€Å"A cast le without a ghost is fit for nothing but to live in†. Certain Gothic work in the Boston neighborhood, by Solomon Willard and Gridley Bryant, has a kind of brutal power because of its simple granite treatment.But these early gray and lowering edifices, despite their pointed windows and their primitive tracery, are scarcely within the true Gothic tenor. That remained almost unknown in this country until suddenly, between 1835 and 1850, it was given abundant expression in the work of three architects -Richard Upjohn, James Renwick, and Minard Lafever. Upjohn, in Trinity Church, set a tradition for American church architecture which has hardly died yet; and Renwick, in Grace Church in New York (see photo), showed the exquisite richness that Gothic could give.Minard Lafever's work is more daring, more original, and less correct, but in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Brooklyn (see photo), only slightly later than Trinity and Grace, he achieved a combination of lavish detail, ima ginative variations on Gothic themes, and a general effectiveness of proportion and composition which make it one of the most successful, as it is certainly the most American, of all these early Gothic Revival churches.Yet even in these, correct as they were in detail, beautiful in mass and line, there was always a certain sense of unreality. The old tradition of integrity in structure, on which the best Greek Revival architects had so insistently based their work, was breaking down. Romanticism, with its emphasis on the effect and its comparative lack of interest in how the effect was produced, was sapping at the whole integral basis of architecture.These attractive Gothic churches were, all of them, content with lath-and-plaster vaults. In them the last connections between building methods and building form disappeared, and in their very success they did much to establish in America the disastrous separation between engineering and architecture which was to curse American building for two generations.The best of the American Gothic work remains in its simpler, its less ostentatious, monuments: the little churches in which wood was allowed frankly to be itself, as in the small frame chapels which Upjohn designed for country villages and distant mission stations; and the frank carpenter Gothic of the picturesque high-gabled cottages which rose so bewitchingly embowered in heavy trees along many of our Eastern village streets. The polychrome Victorian Gothic of England also became a brief American fashion.A number of architects, especially in New York and later in early Chicago, fell under the spell of Ruskin's persuasive writing, and sought as he did to create a modern, freely designed, inventive, nineteenth-century Gothic. But here also the strings that bound America and England seemed too tenuous to hold for long; and in spite of the occasional appealing successes of the style – such as the old National Academy of Design with its black-and-white marbl e front, designed by Peter B.Wight, and some of Renwick's city houses – the Victorian Gothic was doomed in America to swift disintegration into the cheapest and most illogical copying of its most obvious mannerisms, and a complete negation of its essential foundations. It became in a sense a caricature, to be rapidly swallowed up in the confusion of eclecticism which the last quarter of the century brought with it. If we might sum up French Gothic as architecture of clear and structural power, and English as the architecture of personalized rural charm, American Gothic would be the architecture of experimental and dynamic zest.American Gothic architecture was much more than the solution of building problems; it was also the expression of a new America that had been gradually coming into being – a new America which was the result of the gradual decay of the feudal system under the impact of trade, prosperity, and the growth of national feeling. The Gothic Revival in Ame rica was more a matter of intellectual approach than of architectural work. The sudden new enthusiasm for medieval work made all America passionately aware of its amazing architectural wealth, and also acutely conscious of the disintegration which threatened ruin to so many of the medieval structures.Nowhere did the Gothic Revival have a greater and a more revolutionary effect than in America, which had given it its first expression, for nowhere else were the forces behind it so irresistibly strong. In Germany, nationalism had led the architects of the romantic age into the byways of Romanesque and of Renaissance. In France, the strong classic traditions of the Ecole des Beaux Arts held firm against all the attacks of the romanticists and gave, at least to the official work, the requisite classic stamp.But, in America, religious fervor, so closely allied to the desires of the court and the government, made the drive toward Gothic design irrepressible, and there was no academic and c lassic tradition powerful enough to withstand it. Furthermore, the movement was blessed with extremely brilliant and articulate writers, who had the gift not only of interesting the specialist but of moving the general population. Gothic architecture was best now because it was the most Christian, later because it was the most creative and least imitative, then again because it was the most honest – whatever that might mean.The religious facets of the movement had an even greater importance. The whole American church was exercised more and more about the fundamental problems of ritualism and historical tradition. The most important ecclesiastical thinkers were reacting against the routine secularism of the eighteenthcentury church, demanding not only greater seriousness and a more intense devotion to Christian ideals, but also expressing their conviction that the medieval church had been a vital force and medieval devotion a vivid experience that had been subsequently lost, a nd that therefore the easiest way to reform the church was by a return to medievalism.Of the religious controversies these ideas aroused it is not necessary to particularize. Also important is the fact that everywhere these religious controversies focused attention on medieval church architecture, and that there was the closest relationship between architecture and ritual. Therefore, the theory went, if it was necessary to return to the medieval conception of Christianity, it was equally essential to return to medievalism in church design. There more subtle factor behind the Gothic Revival in architecture.The word â€Å"romanticism† has accumulated so many different meanings in the course of a century of criticism that it is necessary to be more precise. Behind the new interest in medieval architecture went a search for emotional expression which was a new thing. Romanticism means many more things than mere antiquarianism, for from the point of view of a mere turn to the past the Classic Revivals might also be considered romantic; but, as we have seen, the architects of the Classic Revival were striving primarily for form which should be serene, well composed, consistent, harmonious, adequate.The true romanticist is not satisfied with this. He demands more; he demands that architecture shall be â€Å"expressive† – that is, that it shall aim definitely at expressing specific emotions such as religious awe, grandeur, gaiety, intimacy, sadness. He seeks to make architecture as expressive and as personal as a lyric poem, and oftentimes this demand for emotional expression he makes superior to any other claims.All architecture is expressive; but, whereas the classic architect allows the expression to arise naturally from forms developed in the common-sense solution of his problem, the true romantic seeks expression first, with a definite self-conscious urge. To the romantic architect of the mid-nineteenth century, Romanesque and Gothic had some how come to seem more emotional than the other styles. References Andrews, Wayne. American Gothic: Its Origins, Its Trials. Its Triumphs. New York: Random House, 1975. Donoghue, John.Alexander Jackson Davis, Romantic Architect, 1803-1892. New York: Arno Press, 1982. Dunlap, William. â€Å"History of the Rise and Progress of the Arts of Design in the United States. 1834. † Vol. 3. Ed. Alexander Wyckoff. New York: Benjamin Blom, 1965. Early, James. Romanticism and American Architecture. New York: A. S. Barnes, 1965. Latrobe, Benjamin Henry. â€Å"The Virginia Journais of Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 1795-1798. † Vol. 1. Ed. Edward C. Carter II. New Haven: Yale UP, 1977. Lougy, Robert E. Charles Robert Maturin. Lewisburg: Bucknell UP, 1975.Pierson, William H. , Jr. American Buildings and Their Architects: Technology and the Picturesque, The Corporate and the Early Gothic Styles. 1978. Garden City, NY: Anchor, 1980. Robertson, Fiona. Legitimate Histories: Scott; Gothic, and the Authorities of Fiction. Oxford: Clarendon, 1994. Schimmelman, Janice Gayle. The Spirit of the Gothic: The Gothic Revival House in Nineteenth-Century America. Diss. U of Michigan, 1980. Snadon, Patrick. A. J. Davis and the Gothic Revival Castle in America, 1832-1865. Diss. Cornell U, 1988.