Second Chance? Illegal Immigrants

Illegal Immigration has been a rising controversial problem among policy makers. There are 11 million immigrants that currently reside in the United States. They immigrated to this nation to seek a new life, a job, and a brighter future, but obtaining a citizenship won’t be on the same level as immigrating here. One wrong step would lead them to deportation. I believe that illegal immigrants should be given a chance to become U. S. citizens. This is due to several reasons: (1) Families that have been previously separated by deportation can reunite. (2) Illegal Immigrants contribute to the economy. (3) Immigration is a human right. These reasons proves that illegal immigrants should be given a second chance. According to government records in 2011, approximately 200,000 parents has been deported from the United States because they did not have a citizenship. The government has teared many childrens from their parents and countless families apart. Childrens have been traumatized of this. These illegal immigrants should be given a second chance of obtaining a citizenship instead of staying deported because of traffic violations and other minor transgressions. One such case was when a Mexican immigrant named Felipe Montes was deported from North Carolina. He left behind three children and a wife. Eventually he won but he had to go to Mexico with them. This was all just because he had a bunch of traffic violations. Illegal Immigrants also contribute to the economy as well to the government. Offering to get paid low wages, the immigrants help companies compete with low priced products from other companies. By granting citizenship on the illegal immigrants, the tax revenue would also increase by 4. 5 billion dollars in a span of three years according to the Congressional Budget Office. This would be a big aid to the economy as well to the government. It would also as well increase the labor force as more people retire and this would benefit the economy preventing lack of labor force. Immigration should be a right inherited from humanity. Just as we are allowed to breath and eat, we should be allowed to immigrate. It should be a right entitled to us automatically to have freedom. The constitution says that all men should have freedom but this issue on illegal immigrants completely defies it. This law is not even based on if you have citizenship or not, it said all men. This is a reason why they should also not be deported. In conclusion, I believe that illegal immigrants should be given a chance to obtain a citizenship. It is unfair that they should be left out on the freedom that everyone should be entitled to.

Interview With A Human Resource Middle Manager Essay

Employee performance appraisals are no longer novel practices in the human resource management field. According to Arthur Sherman, George Bohlander and Scott Snell, employee performance appraisals have been around since the nineteenth century and were routinely administered to federal employees in the United States (303). The activity gained considerable commendation enough to make it increasingly popular both among small and large, and public and private organizations. It was not until after World War II, however, that performance appraisal became widespread and became accepted as a regular part of organization check-up and maintenance (Bohlander). Longenecker and Goff, on the other hand, summarized the oft-cited purposes of performance appraisals in literature. As stated by them, performance appraisals are used to motivate employees, provide a basis for salary or wage dispensation, facilitate discussion regarding employee concerns, provide data for human resource decision and serve as communication tool of managers towards their employees. Performance appraisals are response to the ever more competitive pressures in the nature of employment (Murphy and Marguiles 2). There are various other functions of performance appraisals explained in literatures, yet overall, they generally refer to the fulfilment of administrative as well as development purposes. I was able to get an interview from the Middle Manager of a firm and I was able to get her opinion regarding their policies in the company and how she treats her people. She explained furthermore that she employs performance appraisal as a logical part of running their organization, and a means of appraising, developing and maximizing the knowledge and abilities of employees—the organization’s greatest wealth. It is a basic part of managing human resource in that most practitioners consider it an indispensable part of maintaining or improving organizational effectiveness. Emily McGregor, a Human Resource Deputy Manager of the _____________ stated that the main objective of their performance appraisals is to provide logical judgments so that they can back-up salary increases, promotions, transfers, and terminations. She also mentioned that performance appraisals are tools of informing a subordinated about the quality of his work and how he can improve in the areas that need change. Lastly, she emphasized that performance appraisals are venues where coaching or counselling sessions between a boss and a subordinate can take place. Those were great words, I guess, and I was awed at the keen intellect this woman possesses. During the course of the interview I was able to record the exact words she said such that I got to listen to it again and looked at how her comments were person-centered or position-centered. When one shifts from talking about the topic to talking about the person, then she is engaging in person-centered comments. These comments are more often than not, negative ones. Also, the shift can result from a most reasonable discussion into a bitter argument. Most of these focus on the word â€Å"You. † I also got to look at how she engaged in position-centered communication which emphasized rules and norms that apply regardless of whether or how others are affected by the behavior. The manager told me that she has slowly developed specific communication strategies that help in conflict management and resolution. Her early learning experiences seem to establish the more generalizable patterns she has used in later years. She states, â€Å"As I watch and hear my parents manage their own interpersonal and intrapersonal, I have slowly learned through imitation. Moreover, my conflicts are inevitable in any management methods used in these conflicts set patterns for later development. In the course of coping with these conflicts, I have reinforced certain coping styles, often on a partial reinforcement schedule. Thus, I am reinforced for compliance while others are reinforced for defiance, some for cooperation and some for the expression of hostility, some for disengagement. † Thus, she continued by saying that she confronted one of her supervisors who was not doing well with her job even after several confrontations. I told her, ‘When we hired you for this job, I was emphatic in letting you know that we are a struggling small company. If you are not successful in bringing in cash, we night as well not be able to make payroll and our other expenses. † Thus, after some time, I found out that there was no more motivated collection person than an employee who was convinced that every non-paying debtor is keeping food out of the mouths of her babies. Certainly, hiring someone to manage receivables and make sure people got paid was a fabulous way to improve cash flow. But other tricks can be used over the past years which have also achieved substantial success. For example, Ms. McGregor can be ruthless about cash management. All expenditures must be justified and â€Å"smart. † All large purchases must include some measure of bargaining or looking for the best deal. † She tells me that she would tell her people about simply denying credit. She said that as a practice they just simply deny credit on smaller orders. They were willing to lose some customers to make sure that they were fully paid. Looking closely at this interview, one is able to pinpoint the person-centered comments which she used. She comments again when she said that â€Å"If you are not successful in bringing in cash, we night as well not be able to make payroll and our other expenses. † She was actually stating a fact, but this seemed emphatic and too direct as if the person to whom she was saying it to was to blame for the small cash collections. Her other comments though, were a little bit more position-centered as he told the employee in an objective way that, â€Å"All expenditures must be justified and â€Å"smart. † All large purchases must include some measure of bargaining or looking for the best deal. † REFERENCES Longenecker, Clinton and Nick Nykodym. â€Å"Public Sector Performance Appraisal Effectiveness:A Case Study. †Public Personnel Management. 25(1996) Longenecker, Clinton and Stephen Goff. â€Å"Performance Appraisal Effectiveness: A Matter of Perspective. †Management Journal. 57(1992) Murphy, Terrence and Joyce Margulies. â€Å"Performance Appraisals. † ABA Employment law Section. Proc. Of Equal Employment Opportunity Committee Mid-Winter Meeting. 24-27 Mar 2004.

Descriptive Essy

Descriptive Essay Draft Throughout our lives we meet many people. We impact others by our own actions every day. Sometimes we impact them without even realizing it. And people will impact our lives and our hearts forever. You may Just have a simple conversation with a stranger on a bus, and before you know it, both individuals have a changed perspective on something. Or perhaps youVe known the person your whole life and they have impacted you Just as much or even more. These influential people come into and fall out of our lives so fast, it's often hard to keep track.But it's always good o remember your past, remember who you have met, remember who you know, and remember who is continuing to impact your life even today. These people are the ones that matter. They are who have helped make you who you are now. My dear friend Alex is someone who will always impact my life in so many ways. I have only officially known him for about 3 and half months. We met June 16th of this past summer. We were both working as camp counselors at a summer camp in Harrisonburg, Virginia. There was something about him that drew me in from the start.But for some reason, I was afraid, I thought he wouldn't be the kind of person I ould normally become friends with, so I did not talk to him very much that first week of staff training. Something about him intimidated me, and I could never quite put my finger on it. We finally had our first conversation while sitting by a pool. The day was very hot, but after a quick dunk in the water, the air temperature became cool and pleasant. He came over and asked if he could sit down next to me. I was very intimidated by him and I was never sure why, but of course I couldn't say no!So he sat down and we began talking about small things, until the conversation eventually turned to his tattoos and the meanings behind them. From that day on, we only continued to grow closer and closer. Alex is a very driven individual. He knows himself and he is very c omfortable in his own skin. When a decision comes up in his life that he must make, he always makes the smart choice and always makes the right choice, because he makes it with his heart. He has so many dreams and wishes and continuously strives for more.He always asks questions. And always wonders why or why not? He is an inspiring being, filled with positivity and love for life. He spreads his Joy with his most glorious smile and infectious laugh. And he is the perfect role model who keeps a cool head in any ituation and his responses are filled with high intellect. All of his passions show through every day of his life. He is fully himself at all times. And he has been that way his whole life. Alex is constantly true to himself. And that is something I truly look up to.I aspire to be more like him because of all the qualities he holds, but that by far, being himself at all times, is something I admire the most. It is surprising to think I nave only known him tor a snort while. Bu t even at this early stage of our friendship, he knows me so well. If I am upset from any situation, he can hit the nail on the head every time. He can guess what I'm feeling, tell me why I feel that way, and he can give advice like no one's business. In my life I have always had many passions myself. I have many beliefs and opinions on things too.But I have generally been overshadowed by some of my very outspoken friends while growing up, and also overshadowed by my two older brothers. I was taught to know it was okay to have an opinion even if it is different from others. But I was also taught that if you can't form your opinion into concise words, you will not be able to contribute to the conversation, and therefore your opinion really has no value. It sounds twisted, but that was Just what I knew. I know differently now, but I have never been challenged as much than when I am with Alex.He pushes me to do my best always. He pushes me to make decisions faster and with more strengt h and heart. He pushes me to dream bigger and reach for more. And most importantly, he pushes me to have an opinion on things. He reminds me that it is always valuable, even if it takes a little while to form the words to express it properly. Alex has made me feel comfortable talking about anything. He has made me feel like it is okay to be myself and let people know about it. He challenges me to be a better person every day.And he inspires me with his thirst for the all this world has to offer. He has made a huge impact on my life and on my heart. He is someone that I want to fill my life with. Even with the short time of knowing each other, he has found ways to reach and understand me like no one else has. He has taught me to grow, and to never stop growing. I know he is capable of so many great things. And I cannot wait for the day when his dreams match up with his countless talents and he shares even more of himself with even more hearts in the world.

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

Extra assignment 2 - Essay Example While the literature reviewed in assets and skills management shed a lot of light on the different aspects of this subject, the literature on knowledge management brought out the methods of managing the organisational knowledge. The difficulties and issues in managing virtual and extended teams also brought out the importance of culture awareness in managing such teams. This paper will extensively shed light upon how the IT sector has changed lives. Management of resources can be defined as a comprehensive approach to the collection, storage, process, maintenance and electronic information and the exchange of information between different organisations (de Brisis 141-149). There are a plethora of resources that an organisation can exploit for its development, such as competencies or skills, assets, knowledge, and so on. Due to the rapid evolvement of the globalisation, the resources and their management have also become distributed over time and space in different regions across the world that have different cultures and attitudes. Management of Information Technology at the global scale is full of challenges. But there are also benefits that accrue to the organisations from the global resources that are accessible to them. Information resource management is important to the organisation for gaining advantages over the competition and maintaining the successful operations of the organisation. The advantages of good management of resources lie in improved productivity and quality of decision-making, as well as in the enhancement of the task performance and organisational learning curve (Feng 1-24). Resources that are valuable and rare can benefit the company that owns them because of their obvious competitive advantage. But this advantage is temporary and can be made to sustain if the firm is able to protect the resources from being imitated, transferred or substituted. Assets are of prime importance to a company, assets can be of two types

IBM as the heartbeat of e-business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IBM as the heartbeat of e-business - Essay Example Next, listen to responses to the ideas presented. The vision may change to include some of the thinking from the employees and other corporations. In the sequence follows reshaping the vision by including the specific details that will give a responsive day-to-day meaning to the organization. That includes elaborating the steps on how to achieve the vision. It states clearly how the changes will transpire. It will push the people to be part of the technology that would revolutionize the world. The leaders are communicating the vision need to be courageous to communicate what is unjust and wrong. That is sometimes very difficult, but the people will definitely see the truth in what you are saying. On open standards, IBM faced the challenge of using the internet as a proprietary sole technology and thus to gain an advantage over the other competitors they opted to use it to respond to needs of their clients thus giving them an advantage (Smh.com.au). IBM also sought to advocate for services that could run on a neutral platform. That faces the challenge of more investment that is more costly and may need extra labor to leverage the technology. Further, the cost of carrying out the research may be expensive especially the infrastructure. As a result, the expected cost may not be as lower as expected. Investing in the Global market has the challenge of diversity in client’s needs, approach, and mode of delivery. That requires IBM to invest in diverse human resource and delivery of content in various forms to suit diverse needs.

Interrelationship of the Post-Conflict Resolution Tools Essay

Interrelationship of the Post-Conflict Resolution Tools - Essay Example History cites such evolutional wars as the First World War, Second World War and the Cold War among many others as having erupted from such differences in territorial power, economic empowerment and also political or military endowment of the incumbent countries. Conflict resolution and post conflict reconstruction have been cited as major efforts that characterize humanity in the event of a war or a conflict. Whenever a conflict arises, it is common sense for efforts to be made towards solving the conflict and possibly assuming peaceful relations between the conflicting parties be it nations, regions or even individuals. Conflict resolution is therefore said to be the mechanisms or efforts that are employed to minimize negative effects of a conflict while at the same time increasing the possible positive effects of the same conflict. Therefore, this means that a conflict always brings about both positive effects as well as negative effects. Different tools of conflict resolution hav e been in use over decades in the process of settling disputes that result in the conflicts. These tools are; political, military and /or economic tools. These tools are used at proximity with some of the tools being the best suited over a specific conflict over the others and others being far and least efficient in solving some types of conflicts. However, there are times that interplay of the different tools of conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction is best suited. Parties involved such are countries, regions or persons employ economic, political as well as military power to get to the solution of the issues that have caused the differences. In particular, the cold war of late 1940’s to 1990’s have seen the common play of the different tools as mentioned to realize solution to the conflict and reconstruction of the affected countries and regions after solution was found. Nevertheless, common questions as to what extent the different tools of resolution have been used in regard to the post-cold war are interconnected and their success in the purpose intended remains a critical subject of discussion. Moreover, discussions still rage in fire as to whether the tools have been more effective since the cold war or not. If yes, our study wills to justify why and if not then the study will equally find the reasons. Discussion Conflict resolution has been defined as mechanisms that are put in place not to avoid conflicts but rather the mechanisms that minimize the negative effects of the conflict while maximizing the positives resultant from such a conflict. The solutions that are sought as well as the means through which they are sought are considered in terms of being against dominance, oppression, exploitation and violence. The satisfaction of public needs for security, self-determination, identity and the quality of life among other basic needs must be realized in the mechanisms adopted for conflict resolution (Samson Et al, 1-3). Ther e are basic principles that govern conflict resolution tools and approaches. These include but are not limited to: integrative solutions, cooperative endeavor, non-violent mechanisms and proper understanding of all parties involved. While trying to get to the route genesis of the cold war, it is good for

Movie - Good Night and Good Luck Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Movie - Good Night and Good Luck - Essay Example During the 1950s, totalitarianism was evident in the government rule as they exercised absolute power without justice. The authorities held absolute control over the private and public social activities (Linz 234). The authority used propaganda as a way of manipulating and instilling ideas into people’s minds. The political leaders used to act charismatic, publicly displaying emotions of; kindness, generosity, and love for the people. The authority created slogans and policies that would instill fear in the public ensuring that people do not stand against the government. Those who tried to oppose these actions were called traitors, communists or simply disloyal. The government used secret forces like storm troopers to eliminate opposing subjects through covert methods like arranged accidents (Lewis 74). Totalitarianism ruled as the governments disregarded any consideration for public accountability, thus maintaining one-party state. People struggled to counter this aspect of totalitarianism by using mass communication. Journalists portrayed the negative side of the government. The government, on the other hand, claimed that media was nothing but profit hungry machine. A segment of the population even started believing it. The government kept pressurizing TV networks to change the news and alter words to fit their criteria. This is evidence that the media is a force to be reckoned with and its fear pressurizes the government to exercise utilitarianism in order to prevent dissent (Hans Maierc 104). The governments also realize that this tool can be used in their favor. In Good Luck and Good Night, the media aims to expose government’s corruption. The iconic journalist, Murrow is one of those aiming to expose the government and perceives the acts of the government as deceitful and manipulative (Griffith 116).

Shugo Daimyo Muromachi Period. Japan in the Muromachi Age Essay

Shugo Daimyo Muromachi Period. Japan in the Muromachi Age - Essay Example The central component in this period was Heian duration that was later followed by war-oriented governments. Despite these changes, the government of the people continued but authority was vested on military Daimyo class. The medieval period is the most significant period in the history of Japan. The Kamakura period lasted between 1185 and 1333. This was the origin of the class rule system. However, civil affairs arbitration was the authority of the imperial court. After the defeat of Taira, the Yorimoto established family capital on the eastern side of Kamakura. Yoritomo was bestowed with the name Shogun. Moreover, clan disputes were rife at this period especially the Hogen and Heiji disturbance. Kamakura period was because of defeat of Taira family at the civil war. Yoritomo goals were on solid defense of the administration and for this purpose established the Shugo. Shugo administrative area was province and acted as military governors. They played oversight role though they also collected taxes. This form of administration lasted until the later days of 19th century. Shugo later transformed into Daimyo, whose significance was felt throughout the 15th century1. Some Japanese at this period possessed warrior qualities while majority engaged in farming activities. The other most important event in Japanese history was change in government structure. Government was warrior like in nature and acquired enormous amount of wealth. Shugo incorporated culture in their military rule. Art was prominent in this period while religion was Buddhism. The Buddhist teachers taught culture to all people. This lasted for a long period before the advents of Christianity. Monks were also essential in the military rule as chief advisors. Moreover, they influenced traditional values of this culture and activities of Shugo contemporaries. In medieval age, bows and horses were used for military purpose. Samurai were always ready for any battle and were highly focused and disciplined as taught by Yabusame. Initially, warrior society was based on family lineage and gifts, mostly land, was given to Samurai who served as Shugo. This meant that the vassal continued to serve lordship in their lifetime. This period was characterized with forming of alliances between warriors to guarantee source of livelihood. There was also reward for winning alliance and eminence was acquired. There was no family respect or recognition in a battle and in fact, one had to kill a family member if it was necessary to ensure sustenance of authority. Moreover, Shugo shifted allegiance and Daimyo were based on outcomes of the battle. In the last decades of 13th century, Kamakura came under crossfire. Mongol invaded them though they were unsuccessful due to heavy wind. The second invasion saw the neglect of the warrior. Ultimately, financial problems coupled Kamakura government and were faced by an invasion that they were unable to resist. Imperial authority was weakened but emperor legacy was maintained. Rivalry existed between the north represented by Samurai family and south led by emperor. This rivalry took close half a century. Finally, Ashikaga established unity between these two rival groups. The Muromachi existed from 1336 to 1573 and this period was characterized by social disorders, conflict, and uprisings. This characterized second period of Japanese history. This period is known as Muromachi or Ashikaga. Cities were continuously destroyed due to these occurrences. The dominant thing was Shoguns power based on coalition of Shugo who controlled land and powers in the province. As a result, these warriors became wealthy and feudal system, Daimyo was established. Success of establishment of

Quiz 4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Quiz 4 - Assignment Example Nixon (1974) outcome was influenced by then President Richard Nixon who authoritatively and defiantly interfered with the investigation process regarding the controversies surrounding the Democratic Party (Greenburg 58). Besides, the implementation of court policies is influenced by the Congress. As a supreme organ, Congress has a lot of say on exactly how judicial policies can be implemented in the country. However, this might at times go against the interpretation of the lower courts (Abraham 397). Lastly, the implementation of court decisions is influenced by the discretion of the lower courts. Since it is the Supreme Court that make decisions, their interpretations are always left for the lower courts. This does not effectively work because most of the decisions are vague and might not be properly interpreted by the judges of the lower courts. According to the US constitution, judiciary should be an independent institution. Meaning, it is free to discharge its duties without an unnecessary influence from any person or organ of the government (Beard 71). However, there are several occasions in which the judiciary has suffered retaliatory attacks from the Congress and president. For instance, in 1937, February, President Roosevelt Franklin retaliated the Supreme Court over its decisions regarding New Deal legislation. It was a very controversial attack that really shaped the political and judicial climate of the

Adventure of the Speckled Band Essay Example for Free

Adventure of the Speckled Band Essay Compare how James Watson and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Create Fear and Tension in Talking in Whispers and The Adventure of the Speckled Band  In the novel Talking in Whispers and the short story The Adventure of the Speckled Band both Watson and Doyle use fear and tension within their stories to get the attention of the reader. Both authors create fear and tension but they create it in different ways and they use different writing techniques to create fear and tension one reason for this could be that the stories were written at different periods of time. The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was written towards the end of the 19th century and is set in Victorian England, whereas Talking in Whispers by James Watson was written towards the end of the 20th century and is set in Chile. Both Stories however contain elements of fear and tension. In the course of my essay I shall examine the different ways that both authors use fear and tension to their advantage. James Watson creates fear and tension in the novel Talking in Whispers by using many different writing techniques. These techniques are very effective in creating fear and tension. Watson uses techniques such as juxtapositioning, identifying the reader with the characters, chapter endings, direct speech and inter-chapters. These all, when used correctly create fear and tension.  The fear and tension created by James Watson when he uses juxtapositioning is very effective as it gives you one scene and in the next paragraph you get a total contrast of it. This surprises the reader, which builds up suspense and a feel of uncertainty. An example of juxtapositioning from Watsons novel would be. The crowd thundered its joy.  From tomorrow all will be different.  Andres knew for certain his friend Horacio was dead  From this example you can see that the crowd thunders with joy is a scene of hope, promise and joy but then immediately afterwards you get a scene of violence, horror and despair Andres knew for certain his friend Horacio was dead. This all helps to build up tension and fear.  Watson makes you feel sorry and sad and angry for characters if anything happens to them. Watson does this by identifying the reader with Andres. What Watson does is he lets you into Andres mind he lets you see his feelings he lets you feel his pain he lets you know his sorrow. An example of this technique would be near to the end of page 12. Jordan Clement GCSE English Coursework 4/27/2007  I should have let myself be taken theres no honour in this, skulking in brambles with only a scratch to show for my bravery.  From this example you can see Watson lets you know what Andres is feeling and thinking. From the sentence I should have let myself be taken we know that Andres is not a coward and will not back down to the CNI (Chiles secret police) we also know from this that Andres is going to try to avenge his family and friends. This starts to build up the fear and tension within the novel. Another main way James Watson builds up a lot of tension and fear within Talking In Whispers is by using chapter endings. What James Watson does is he leaves you at a pinnacle at the end of most chapters which makes the reader want to read on and see what will happen to Andres or Isa and or Don Chailey this is a very effective way to build up tension within a novel a works very well in this particular novel. A good example of chapter endings would be the end of chapter three. All youll be needing is a cool head, lots of luck and he leaned forwards with exaggerated secrecy. And a porters uniform  This creates tension because you want to know what will happen next, you want to know what the importance of the porters uniform is, and you want to know will Andres get caught. This makes you want to read on and it makes you think what will happen to Andres. This technique builds up fear and tension throughout the novel.  In Talking in Whispers Watson uses other common techniques of writing which all helps in building up fear and tension, he uses techniques such as similes, imagery and metaphors. His mind stayed where it was, unmolested, a little black box inside something nothing could get at. Resting like a mouse in hole.  The simile like a mouse in a hole portrays Andres mind when he was being tortured. They could hurt his body but they couldnt touch his mind it was resting like a mouse in a hole. The sentence resting like a mouse in hole also uses imagery as well as using a simile the simile creates the image of his mind being a mouse resting in hole unaware of what is happening to Andres body. In the torture scene on pages 105 106 Andres calls his torturers not by their names but by names that reflect their personality he calls his torturers snake and the hog the names are metaphors, which lets you know the personality of the characters. Snake for example is a cunning and devious animal and extremely deadly. This again is another type of imagery it lets you see pictures from words. This way of writing is very effective when it comes to creating fear and tension. Jordan Clement GCSE English Coursework 4/27/2007  Another way fear and tension is created in Talking in Whispers is by telling you what is happening in Chile at the time. This does not move the story any further forward with Andres it just tells you the evilness of the Junta. This technique is called  Inter-chapters and is very effective in causing the reader to perhaps fear the Junta.

Is Psychology a Science? Theories and Research Methods

Is Psychology a Science? Theories and Research Methods Is psychology a science? Discuss with reference to scientific method and bias in psychological research. Psychology can be viewed in a variety of ways as accords to the many schools of thought that pertain to psychology. From its origins in philosophy, psychology has undergone a variety of classifications. The major scientific paradigms born from philosophical enquiry were the school of empiricism and the school of rationality. Essentially, these two approaches dictated the direction that psychology must take if it was to be regarded as scientific. One of the first schools of thought in psychology was heavily concerned with its reputation as a scientifically validity enquiry. This was to be known as the behavioural approach to psychology or the behavioural perspective. The behavioural perspective was devised by Watson who used observation to determine evidence. As a consequence of according to the governing principles of objective scientific research, Watson rejected the notion of any internal psychological mechanisms as he believed that this could not be quantifiably measured (Miell et al, 2002). All Watson was interested in was the observable external phenomena, which meant the analysis of behaviour. Consequently, Watson placed an emphasis on psychology as primarily a learning phenomenon. A fundamental distinction that occurs within behaviourism is within this role of learning. Essentially, two approaches formed called classical and operant conditioning. Research into classical conditioning was defined by physiologist Pavlov who was also concerned with scientific analysis. Pavlov observed that in relation to certain stimuli dog’s behaviour could be conditioned through association (Miell et al, 2002). Using a dogs’ biological respons e to hunger, Pavlov was ble to scientifically demonstrate that there was a basic relationship between an observable stimulus and the animals learned response. Whilst in operant conditioning, Skinner was able to ascertain that there was a pre-conceived notion in the environment that led the animal to learn through a process of trial and error, which led to observable schedules of behaviour (Skinner, 1946/1990). In both classical and operant conditioning we can see that learning is defined as a scientifically observable and so provable modification of behaviour caused by association and manipulation of the environment. However, this approach clearly lacks greater insight into the role of the mind, its cognitive processes and also suffers from being based upon animal and not human studies. The cognitive approach addresses the human capacity to categorise, generalise and conceptualise certain phenomena. Primarily concerned with the functioning of the mind itself it engaged in the scientific analysis notions such as memory, perception and categorisation (Miell et al, 2002). Unhappy at the flaws in behavioural psychology, cognitive psychologist Bruner, devised a test to see how we mentally constructed categories. Unlike the objective approach of conditioning, Bruner suggested that this was an engaging intelligent procedure that was performed by way of hypothesis testing stages of acceptance and rejection based upon trial (Bruner et al, 1956). To be valued as scientific, a test involving a variety of shapes were used in a variety of conditions. Some of these conditions shared the same number of shapes, some the same colour of shape, whilst others shared the same number of borders. No two varieties were identical. From the results of this experiment, Bruner was able to sur mise that there were tw forms of cognition that had been present. Successive scanning, which tested one hypothesis at a time and conservative scanning, which sought to eliminate classes of hypotheses (Bruner et al, 1956). Unlike the behavioural approach, we can see from the findings and classifications of these studies that an attempt is being made to understand the intelligent human mind with regards to categorisation. However, categorisation is not accepted by everyone in the field of science and its objective validity does suffer from critical enquiry. For instance, addressing the empiricism versus rationalism argument, many have argued that the categories in the study are innate rather than learned (Chomsky Fodor, 1980). This strengthens the behavioural notion that the conceptual structure of the mind is open to interpretation, and so cannot be considered an entirely scientific approach to psychology. Another school of thought within psychology is that concerned with the social aspect. This is primarily interested in the role that social influence has on our behaviour. For instance, in the findings of a test put forward by Sherif, we can see the extent to which people will use the word of others and the resource of group norms to ascertain a truth about something. This is an important concept with regards to the influence of social norms as we can observe that our psychology is influenced by our conformity to social norms (Sherif, 1936). Similarly, a test devised by Asch revealed that conformity of an individual to a norm was indicative of individual identity (Asch, 1956). Similarly, research by Baron indicated that through a lack of responsibility that an individual felt to correct and deviate from a social norm an account could be made to configure their potential to conformity (Baron et al, 1956). Essentially, these tests revealed that the role of responsibility was based upon conscriptions o social norms, attitudes, beliefs and ideologies. However, these findings suffer from being based upon social norms and cultural constructs such as identities and beliefs and so cannot be considered universal, objective principles that would accord to the main scientific schools such as physics and chemistry. Another key school of thought is psycho-analysis and developmental psychology. Stemmed from Freudian theory, psycho-analysis and developmental psychology is concerned with the development of the subject’s personality in relation to underlying motives and mainly sexually based desires and conflicts (Freud, 1917/1973). Using a notion of base primordial drives, Freud put forward various schemas of development that dictated our personality and variations in our behaviours, such as conforming to social norms. The agents at work within these drives and the accompanying stages of development were commonly referred to as defence mechanisms. Defence mechanisms were put forward as being ways in which the subject could cope with the real and disturbing psychological issues that they had to face throughout life, such as anxiety and confusion. These mechanisms consisted of such concepts as denial, projection and regression and are commonly established psychological phenomena that infor the core rationale of developmental and psycho-dynamic paradigms (Freud, 1917/1973). Although these factors are well established concepts within mainstream psychology, they still depend upon a structural paradigm to be understood. Much criticism has come in the form of humanistic approaches who have suggested that these models of development are dependent upon the objectifying of the subject and that this approach is a convenient theoretical model rather than being scientifically accurate. Another school of thought is one that actually rejects objective science at its core. The phenomenological approach to psychological study is primarily based upon perception and subjectivity. Formed as a way of countering the empirical approach to psychology that had led to the field of cognitive psychology, phenomenological psychology suggested that knowledge was learned entirely from the external environment via lessons that were encapsulated in our experience (Merleau-Ponty, 1964). Detaching from the scientific notion of tabula rasa, which had dominated the opposing stance to the rationality of science, Merleau-Ponty looked at the notion of perception and in particular how it was informed by phenomena, rather than through observation of objects taken from their natural environment. Fundamental to this approach is the notion that everything we experience accords to the phenomena in which it is presented, and so objective science cannot tell us about our psychological experience. Th is approach most ertainly rejects psychology, as well as many other enquiries, as a scientific pursuit. We can see from these schools of thought that to call psychology a pursuit of objective scientific fact is flawed. However, we can also see that there is a strong emphasis in each case placed upon validity. Even the rejection of objectively defined scientific principles shown by the phenomenological approach gives indication that validity and limitation of enquiry are paramount, which is surely the premise of scientific analysis. Bibliography Asch, S, E., (1956) Studies of independence and conformity. Psychology Monologues, 70. Baron, R, S., Vandello, J, A., Brunsman, B. (1996) The Forgotten Variable in Conformity Research. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 70. Bruner, J, S., Goodnow, J, J., and Austin, G, A., (1956) A Study of Thinking New York: John Wiley and Sons. Chomsky, N., and Fodor, J, A., (1980) Statement of the Paradox, in Piatelli Palmarini, M. (ed.). Freud, S., (1917/1973) Introductory lecture on Psychoanalysis. Harmondsworth; Penguin. Merleau-Ponty (1964) The Primacy of Perception London: Routledge Miell, D., Phoenix, A. and Thomas, K. (2002) Mapping Psychology 1. Milton Keynes, Open University. Sherif, M., (1936) The Psychology of Social Norms. New Yoprk: Harper. Skinner, B, F., (1946/1990) Walden Two London: Collier Macmillan. Cell membrane: Structure and purpose Cell membrane: Structure and purpose BIOPHYSICAL CHEMISTRY ESSAY: CELL MEMBRANE STRUCTURE AND PURPOSE Introduction Cell membrane is a biological barrier that separates the interior part of the cell (i.e. the Cytoplasm, nuclei and the other cell organelle) from the outer environment, thus permits cellular individuality and also gives shape to the cell. This membrane is a mixture of lipids, protein and carbohydrates, therefore is a complex structure. The membrane is semi-permeable and thus only allows selective ions and molecules to go through it into the cell or leave the cell. This is achieved by formation of concentration gradient across the membrane, which many biological processes depend upon. The movement of the biological molecules across the membrane is either passive, which happens without the input of cellular energy or active transport that requires the cell to use energy. The cell membrane also helps in maintaining cell potential. Proteins of the cell membrane form the essential component of the biological membrane since they function as pores, channels or transporters. Proteins thus have the capability of selective passage across the lipid bilayer. Some proteins that are embedded in the cell membrane act as molecular signals and therefore carry out communication. They act as receptors and receive signals from other cells or from the external environment and elicit a response in the cell. Some proteins function as markers which aid in identification of unknown cells. The membrane also aids in intercellular interactions. The lipid bilayer of the cell membrane is only a few nanometres thick and is not permeable to most molecules that are soluble in water, and hence acts as a barrier to regulate the transport of ions, proteins and other molecules through the membrane. Since the phospholipid bilayer is not permeable to many ions, it helps in the regulation of salt concentration and pH by regulating the pumping of ions in and out of the cell via proteins called ion channel pumps. The Fluid mosaic model is the most widely accepted biological membrane model that was proposed in the year 1972 by Singer and Nicolson. Floating in the phospholipid bilayer are molecules of protein, which is analogous to icebergs floating in a sea. The model is referred to as fluid because of the lateral motion of the bilayer macromolecules, and is referred to as mosaic because of the different molecular components [1][2][3][4]. Purpose of cell membrane Cell membrane performs the following functions: Membrane Transport of Small Molecules: Transport proteins present in the bilayer can transport polar molecules through the membrane. There are various types of membrane transport proteins: Uniport This simply moves the solute from one side to the other side of the membrane. Cotransport This system moves two solutes simultaneously across the lipid bilayer. They are two types of this transport-symport (solutes are sent in the same direction) and antiport (solutes are passed in opposite directions). These transports are come under the category of passive transport where no energy expenditure is involved. Here the solute moves from a higher concentration to a lower concentration gradient. Examples of this include channel proteins, which allow the solute to pass if they are of a specific charge or size. Carrier proteins bind to the solute and help in its movement through the bilayer.[5] There are two main categories of transport of molecules are there in cells: Active transport Passive transport Small molecules like oxygen, ethanol and carbon dioxide pass through the membrane by simple diffusion (passive transport) down a concentration gradient. Transport of macromolecules like proteins, polynucleotides and polysaccharides is done by active transport using ATP, against the concentration gradient. There are two types of active transport : 1) Exocytosis Process by which waste substances are removed from the cell by vesicle formation and expulsion [6]. 2) Endocytosis- The molecule causes the cell membrane to bulge inward, thus forming a vesicle. Phagocytosis is a type of endocytosis where the whole cell is engulfed. Pinocytosis is another type when the external fluid is engulfed. Receptor-mediated endocytosis occurs when the material to be transported binds to specific molecules in the membrane. Example: transport of insulin and cholesterol into animal cells [6]. Cell signalling across the membrane Transmembrane signalling occurs through the generation of a number of signals like cyclic nucleotides, calcium, phosphoinositides and diacylglycerol. Specific signals of neurotransmitters hormones and immunoglobulins bind to the specific receptors on the membrane, which are mostly integral membrane proteins. This is the Ca2+-phosphatidylinositol signalling pathway which plays a major role in transmembrane signalling in a large number of different cell types. This pathway leads to the activation of G-proteins. This initiates activation of phospholipase C and the subsequent formation of DAG and IP3 which triggers the generation of repetitive [Ca2+] spikes [7]. Intercellular intractions Gap junctions are structures that allow the small molecules that are up to ~ 1200 Da to be transported from one cells cytoplasm to the other. These structures contain proteins called connexins. Six connexins form a hemiconnexin and two hemiconnexins form a connexon. These connexions in the gap junction form cylindrical bridges through which substances are transported between cells [1][8]. The Fluid mosaic Model: This model is the widely accepted membrane model. The membrane has a biomolecular lipid bilayer layer. There are proteins that are inserted in it or bound to the surface. Integral membrane protein is the proteins that are embedded in the membrane they play a key role as transporters for various molecules that cannot enter through the cell membrane. The integral proteins have an extra-cellular domain and cytoplasmic domain and are separated by a non-polar region that holds it tightly in the membrane. Proteins that are loosely bound to the to the outer membrane are called the peripheral proteins. Many of the proteins that are present and almost all the glycolipids have an externally oligosaccharides chains that are exposed outside the membrane [1][9]. The membrane fluidity very much depends on the lipids concentration in the membrane. The hydrophobic chains of the fatty acids are much aligned therefore giving it a stiff structure. The transition(Tm) is the temperature at which the transition takes place from ordered to disordered state, this is the change that happens in the hydrophobic side chain. Cholesterol affects the fluidity of the membrane. It increases fluidity below Tm and decreases fluidity above Tm. Modifications to the fluid mosaic model state that the lipids and proteins in the membrane are not randomly distributed. Randomness occurs when interaction energy of these molecules are close to their thermal energies. Since interaction energies cannot be in a narrow range due to large number of interactions, there is very less chance for randomness to occur. Hence the model was found to be more mosaic than fluid [10]. The modified view of membrane model is shown in figure 7[10]. Specialised structures in the membrane: There are some special features in the membrane like lipid rafts, caveolae, tight junction, desmososmes, adherens junctions and microvilli. These are found in the recent years of research. Lipids Raft is the area in the membrane that has relatively higher concentration of cholesterol, sphingo-lipids and some proteins, than the other parts of the membrane. It plays a major role in cell signal transduction. This is under research that if we increase the amount of this and clustering them closely may increase the overall efficiency of the cell. Caveolae are special types of lipid rafts. Many of them have protein called caveolin-1 that is involved in the process. They were observed under electron microscope and were found to be flask-shaped. Proteins that are detected in this also play a role in signal transduction, example is insulin. Proteins found in this also play in role in folate receptor. This field is a growing interest for research. Tight Junctions are present on the surface of the membrane and their major function is to prevent diffusion of macromolecules between cells. They are present below the apical surface of the epithelial cells. They are made up of various proteins including occludin, various claudins and junctional adhesion molecules [1]. Desmosomes also called macula adherens are the specialised cell structures for cell to cell adhesion. Their function is to resist shearing force. They are mostly found in simple and stratified squamous epithelium [11]. Adherens junctions are the proteins that usually occur at cell- cell junction .They are made up of proteins like cadherins, ÃŽÂ ²-catenin, ÃŽÂ ±-catenin and sometimes delta catenin. Their function is to provide strong adhesion between adjacent cells. They hold the cardiac muscle cells firmly together as the heart beats and do not allow it to collapse [12]. Microvilli are very small finger like structures found on the cell membrane. They are mainly found on the epithelial cells, they increase the surface area of the cells therefore increasing the absorptive capacity of the cells. Actin filament extends from the end of these microvilli [13]. Components of cell membrane Cell membrane is a complex structure and is composed of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. Different cell membranes have different compositions. Lipids Phospholipids: There are two major class of phospholipids out of which in the cell membrane the phosphoglycerides are the most commonly found ones. Phospholglycerides are esters that are made up of two fatty acids, phosphoric acid and a trifunctional alcohol. Phosphoglycerides with sphingomyelin have Sphingosine backbone instead of glycerol. They play a role in signal transduction. They are prominent in myelin sheaths [1]. Glycosphingolipids: These are sugar containing lipids that are present in the membrane. They have a backbone made of ceramides. These are amphipathic molecules consisting of a ceramide lipid anchor linked to an oligosaccharide chain of variable length and composition [1]. They are required for proper functioning of nervous system. Determining their function will help to understand neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, immune function and diseases of metabolism [14]. STEROLS The most import sterol in the membrane is cholesterol. Proteins in cell membrane Integral membrane proteins: also called intrinsic proteins t has its some part of the protein embedded in the phospholipid bilayer. Most of these proteins have hydrophobic side chains that interact with membrane phospholipids fatty acyl groups. They are called transmembrane proteins if they one or more membrane spanning domains. The transmembrane proteins of the membrane spanning domains are made up of ÃŽÂ ± helices or multiple ÃŽÂ ² strands [8]. These proteins are made up of two hydrophilic and one hydrobhobic region. The hydrophobic region traverses through the bilayer. They are asymmetric in nature. The transmembrane region of many integral membrane proteins is made up of a bundle of hydrophobic ÃŽÂ ±-helices [7]. Their major role is as transporters, and are also structural membrane-anchoring domains. They function by transporting hydrophilic molecules through the membrane. Many Integral Proteins Contain Multiple Transmembrane ÃŽÂ ± lpha Helices [8]. Examples: Insulin receptor, Glycophorin, Rhodopsin, CD36 and GPR30. Peripheral membrane proteins: They are also called as extrinsic proteins; they do not interact with hydrophobic core of the membrane phospholipid bilayer. They are bound to the membrane by interaction with the intergral proteins or are bound to the bilayer outer lipids polar heads groups. They are only present in the cytosolic region of the cell membrane. They play an important role in signal transduction. Some peripheral proteins are localized to the surface of the plasma membrane, these are called exoplasmic proteins. Peripheral enzymes are involved in the synthesis of different membrane components like lipids , cell wall oligosaccharides , or proteins. Membrane peripheral proteins are of five types: Structural proteins, channel proteins, transport or carrier proteins, enzymes and receptor proteins. Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are attached to membrane lipids and proteins as short oligosaccharide chains. Proteins attached with sugar molecules are called glycoproteins and lipids attached with sugar molecules are called glycolipids. The carbohydrates form a protective coat called glycocalyx around the cell, which helps in cell recognition. Glycoprotein Glycoproteins are formed by glycosylation of proteins. There are two types: N-glycosylation (sugar links to nitrogen atom of asparagines residue) and O-glycosylation (sugar attaches to hydroxyl group of serine or threonine rsidues). Examples of glycoproteins found in the body are mucins, collagens, transferrins, immunogloulins, etc. Glycolipids Glycolipids are lipids linked to oligosaccharide chains. Examples include glycosphingolipids which contain a hydrophobic ceramide, N-acylsphingosine and saccharides. They are generally located on the outer membrane surface. The composition of the carbohydrate chain depends on the type of the cell and development of the organism.[9] Refrences: [1] Harper [2] http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/CellMembranes.html [3] http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookCELL2.html [4] http://www2.estrellamountain.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/biobooktransp.html [5] http://library.thinkquest.org/C004535/cell_membranes.html [6] http://library.thinkquest.org/C004535/molecule_transport.html [7] Chay, Lee, Fan, 1995 Appearance of Phase-locked Wenchbach-like Rhythms, Devils Staircase and Universality in Intracellular Calcium Spikes in Non-excitable Cell Models [9] The Fluid Mosaic Model of the Structure of Cell Membranes Cell membranes are viewed as two-dimensional solutions of oriented globular proteins and lipids. S. J. Singer and Garth L. Nicolson [10] http://www.cytochemistry.net/cell-biology/membrane3.htm [11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmosome [12] http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/J/Junctions.html [13] Krause J. William (July 2005). KrauseHYPERLINK http://books.google.com/books?id=cRayoldYrcUCpg=PA37HYPERLINK http://books.google.com/books?id=cRayoldYrcUCpg=PA37s Essential Human Histology for Medical Students. Universal-Publishers. pp. 37-. ISBN 9781581124682. Retrieved 25 November 2010. [14] ] Glycosphingolipid functions: insights from engineered mouse models, doi: 10.1098/rstb.2003.1268 Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 2003 358, 879-883 [15] [16] Endosytosis image: http://php.med.unsw.edu.au/cellbiology/index.php?title=2009_Lecture_6 excoystoisis http://cellbiology.med.unsw.edu.au/units/science/lecture0805.htm figure 1 Gap junction pic: http://www.cytochemistry.net/cell-biology/membrane3.htm cell membrane pic http://www.microscopy.fsu.edu/cells/plasmamembrane/plasmamembrane.html

Great Gatsby :: Essays Papers

Great Gatsby4 From the time he wrote his first novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald was bound to be a classic novelist, portraying his life from birth, through his youth, and through his older years in mostly all of his novels, including his most popular novel, The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald’s life from youth to death found full expression in some 160 short stories (Prigozy, 1). The elegiac note that characterizes his reminiscences of his early childhood and struggling adolescence greatly affected his work (Prigozy, 1). F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1897 in St. Paul, Minnesota. His father, Edward Fitzgerald was a distinguished lawyer, Fitzgerald’s mother, Mary McQuillan, was left with the inheritance of a million-dollar grocery business after her parents’ death (Philips, 1). Fitzgerald was an intellectual, and he was a very dramatic child, but did poorly in school and he was often known as an outcast (Philips, 1). He grew up experiencing the end of WW1 and the jazz age. He also got to experience the roaring twenties (Prigozy, 1). He moved many times with his family in his young age. His family often moved to different apartments in the same cities (Prigozy, 1). These, his teen years, had a great impact on his life. â€Å"A sense of estrangement so characteristic of his formative years marks much of his fiction, from the first short stories, written when he was thirteen, to his last efforts in Hollywood† (Prigozy, 2). In 1911, at the age of fourteen, Fitzgerald was enrolled into St. Paul academy. This would be where he published his first few short stories in the school magazine. He later re-created his school years in the Basil Duke Lee series, which showed what it was like to be an outsider and to be disliked, as Fitzgerald was (Pr igozy, 2). He was an average student, but managed to get into Princeton in 1913, from which he never graduated (Philips, 1). His years at Princeton were the most influential on his writings, mostly because of a man named John Peale Bishop. Bishop introduced Fitzgerald to poetry, that especially of John Keats and Edmund Wilson, who would become the â€Å"intellectual conscience† of Fitzgerald’s life (Prigozy, 3). Instead of graduating, he enlisted into the Army at the end of WW1, which is when he met his wife Zelda Sayre, whom he met in a boot camp during the war (Philips, 2).

HARLEY DAVIDSON Essay -- essays research papers

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harley-Davidson is the largest market share holder of motorcycles over 750cc in the United States. After the expansion of our production and distribution capacity, we will be in the position to meet the increasing demand for our motorcycles and other products.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Growth potential appears very good especially in the overseas market. Gaining a larger market share in these area may require a further increase in production and distribution capacities. We must plan for expansion now and continue to grow as a company. COMPANY DESCRIPTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Milwaukee, William Harley, 21, and Arthur Davidson, 20, began experiments on taking the work out of bicycling. They were soon joined by Arthur’s brothers, Walter and William. Many changes were made to the engine design before its builders were satisfied. After the new looped from was finalized, they were ready to begin production. In 1903 they produced three motorcycles. Harley-Davidson erected its first building the current Juneau avenue site in 1906 and incorporated in 1907. In 1907 Harley-Davidson produced 150 motorcycles. SITUATION ANALYSIS   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The motorcycle market over 750cc has been increasing over the last five years. The Harley-Davidson 1996 model year production line, sold though a world wide network of more than 1,000 dealers, includes 20 cruiser, factory custom and touring motorcycles, as well as police motorcycles. Harley-Davidson benefits form having one of the world’s most recognized and respected brand names and our motorcycle model names are among the best known in the industry: The Competition and Market share   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This chart shows the competition and market share for 1995 in the United States: Current Market Situation Overall   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Net sales for 1995 of $1.4 billion were $191.6 million, or 16.5%, higher than net sales for 1994. Net income and earnings per share from continuing operations were $111.1 million and $1.48, for 1995 as compared with $96.2 million and $1.26, for 1994. Net income and earnings per share from discontinued operations were $1.4 million and $.02, for 1995 as compared with $8.0 million and $.11, for 1994, which included a $4.6 million, or $.06 per-share, one-time tax benefit related to the legal reorganizat... ...Harley-Davidson dealerships), bringing the year-end total to approximately 150. In 1996, the Buell team will complete its study of the European sport/performance market, which is four times larger than its U.S. counterpart, to prepare for a possible future launch there. Promotion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The majority of our advertising comes from bike rallies and special events that are held that are held across the United States. Our Rallies draw between 5,000 and 200,000 people. The majority of the attendants are Harley owners. Harley Davidson as an organization does very little mainstream advertising. BUDGETS CONTROL AND ACCOUNTABILITY   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Standards should be specified in terms of sales, and production. Costs should be identified and target cost levels specified to facilitate their control. Standards should be established in terms of consumer’s attitudes. Attitude standards, in terms of perceptions, and desires should be specified. Controls should be implemented and monitored by appropriate administrators. The president, vice-president, administrators, and other individuals should be responsible for controlling the marketing mix implemented.

To Serve Others through Dentistry Essay -- Dentistry Admissions Essays

To Serve Others through Dentistry    My interest in dentistry is a result of a sincere interest in the profession as well as a strong belief that my personal qualities will allow me to contribute to the well-being of others. My observations of dentists at work, my interest in thier manual skills, and my strong desire for service work have lead me to choose dentistry. My broad but science-centered academic background is health-related, which will help me succeed in a dental program.    Dentistry depends on communication skills, patience, and tolerance of individuals' differences which I think are my strong points. I believe I can give effective and equal care to all patients. Tutoring in Clarkson's Writing Lab taught me that the success of the conference depends on the ability of the tutor not to dominate but to encourage the writer to give information. This relationship parallels the doctor-patient relationship. I think dentistry is a joint effort between the doctor and patient. This field is appropriate for me because I would enjoy using the skills I've acquired t...

Case About Retrotonics Essay

1)This case is about Retrotonics, a medium size Australian company which design and sells a small range of innovative high-tech building equipment in Sydney and its management problems that have caused by Tom Masters, the General Manager. First of all, the article shows that Masters’ autocratic management style is not applicable. Masters only concerns on cutting costs and expanding the product line but ignores the feeling of the staff members. The other problem is Master unable to delegate because he interferes too much works that should be done by line manager. For example, Masters has made decisions about process for engineering staff members to follow. Masters just do what he likes to do without considering other people feeling. For example, Masters exerts pressure on engineering staff members to do things faster to develop a new model of telescopic handler in order to complete in three months time. Moreover, Masters does not discuss with James and Imakito before making decisions about processes which they feel is unworkable and impractical. Masters should be able to communicate his organization’s aims and objectives clearly and motivate his staff members. Nevertheless, Masters yells at Lee in front of the staff members, threatens by hiring new staff, refuses to listen other people suggestion and insists on having monthly meeting. 2)It is recommended that Masters adopt democratic management style to manage his different staff members. There is lack of communication between Masters, Lee and Imakito. Through democratic leadership style, it is encouraged two-way flow of information provides managers with feedback and includes workers in the decision-making process. Staff members are allowed to share their own opinions or suggestions and Masters will seriously take into consideration the worker’s comment before making informed decisions from a number of alternatives. (Hickey et al, 2005 , pp.27-31) Furthermore, Masters should have the ability to create a friendly work environment that generates better communication between workers and management so that Masters can encouraged to work as a team by interacting and coordinating their work regularly to achieve common goal. of the staff members. 3) According to motivation theories, motivation can be a major factor that determines whether a worker achieves the required task objective. Masters should use appropriate motivators in order to influence individuals to achieve higher productivity and satisfy the need of individuals. To motivate staff members, hygiene factors and Motivators should both be considered. This article shows that the two department of staff members is at a high dissatisfaction level. According to Maslow, individuals satisfied with their jobs were associated with job content so it is encouraged that Masters should provide these factor to inspire the staff in Retrotonics. Hence, Masters should use motivators to promote satisfaction, such as achievement, responsibility and recognition. This will improve the morale of the entire department and the followers are willing to work hard for the company.

Asking for Less Homework

ASKING FOR LESS HOMEWORK There are many important things in life but one of the most important things is education. Although education is really helpful, getting extra things to do like excessive homework makes it boring. Specific studies show that excessive homework makes students and parents hate school. People say that having more homework is good for students as it helps them get higher marks and be more responsible. They also say that more homework will make students revise a lot, so you remember explanations better.They prove that by doing more homework the parents would be able to get involved more with the student's educational life and be able to help them. Elders think that by giving students extra homework they will be able to be independent thinkers and know that they can learn things outside of school. However, I found that all these above findings are untrue. More homework won't make you revise more or get good marks, it will make you tired, sleepy and exhausted and lea ve no time to revise for quizzes or tests you have on the next day.Students don't want to be responsible now, in their future life they will be responsible. Parents would make it worse if they try to help their children to understand something as they might explain it in a different way and get the child confused. Students should have less homework. They need time to be with their family. They want to have a life for themselves and want to be active e. g going to the cinema to meet friends and play sports. We would enjoy simple things like having more sleep so we can go to school fresh the next day. Read also  Homework Solutions – Chapter 3Researchers have found that students finish their homework and stay up late at night so they can have some free time. In fact some teachers have found that more homework makes the student hate the subject. The student becomes pale and bored as he has been studying his whole life. Well, teachers should ask themselves if they want us to be active and do homework together, it will never work. Ask yourself : â€Å"Do you want your child to be constantly pale, sleepy and tired? â€Å",†Do you want to see your child so fat as he eats and eats and doesn’t have time to exercise? . Think of all the questions related to this and you will find the answer to none of them. In conclusion, I would like the school to think about students rights and having less homework is one of them. All principals should remember that teens and kids want to have fun, they don’t want to be responsible now and do hard work. They will be responsi ble later and will have to do extra study to get good marks but when they want not by forcing them and punishing them if they don’t do it. Think carefully and you will eventually agree with my beliefs.

I Learned About Myself Because of You Essay

â€Å"In America, they want you to accomplish these great feats, to pull off these David Copperfield-type stunts. You want me to be great, but you don’t ever want me to say I’m great?† –Kanye West, Rolling Stone, 2006 In life, people often believe that things should come in golden wrappers and big packages. We want to reach the highest goals and our best dreams such that, we take great pains of effort to achieve those set objectives and goals. Self-centeredness is the name of the game and yet in the end, those who follow this mind-set end up frustrated and alone. Yes, almost everyone wants to be the king of the world; on top of the heap; in the time of our lives. Mediocrity and complacency have no place in our vocabulary as these are only for those without dreams. Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with setting up your own goals, but the caveat is that you do not necessarily have to do it on your own. Indeed, the â€Å"self† is important in our being, but one must also consider how others view you or how others may contribute to one’s being. Remember that we are a social being; we live in co-existence with other people. Likewise, other people live in co-existence with us. Communication is the medium and we, ourselves, are the message. The poem, â€Å"Touching Bottom† teaches exactly this lesson in a quite clever and simple way. Julia Alvarez, the author of the poem, used the ubiquitous activity of hearing in our daily lives as the central act of learning more about ourselves and building up on our personality. â€Å"Sometimes the best advice comes randomly,† she says at the opening line of her poem. This shows how we must be open and sensitive to the tiniest details around us. Case in point: We have our goals, but we must become able receivers of messages from all around us. We must have the ability to transfer those random messages and transform them into systematic interaction for our future activities and/or events in life. After the opening line has aptly introduced the poem, the author then amusingly delivers simple thoughts that any ordinary person would have excused as mere â€Å"blah†: â€Å"Please hold through the silence,† the machine voice said, the best advice I’d ever come across for weathering writer’s block†¦ Words and phrases that seem to be the usual in one instance may be the best advice for another situation in our lives. It takes an effort of sensitivity for the â€Å"others† to be aware of the multitude of unsolicited advices and life lessons we can here at random. Self-centered people may have barred this flow communication from the very first instance. Psychology formally introduced this concept to us as the Johari’s Window. It states that there are several â€Å"windows† we can look to learn about ourselves for self-acknowledgement and self-recognition. To be quite simple about it, we learn about ourselves not just from the self-image we conceive about ourselves, but also how others view us. And most of the time, the inputs really matter most in changing our lives: And yet, I love how words can sound the world, how they can take you deep inside your life: you say something simple, and suddenly, the plank in reason breaks and down you drop – into a liberating train of thought. It takes a matter of humility to accept the things said to you and to transform those words into â€Å"a liberating train of thought.† And again, the self-centered person would have by-passed that train of thought because he is sensitive only to what he thinks, what he does, and what he may do in the future. So, do not let those precious moments of random, but caring, words and thoughts fly by you. The key is to have an open mind, and realize that we still have a lot to learn from even the most obscure person. We all just have to know where to place the words they say in our lives.

Bad Parenting or Child Abuse?

Dear Editor, I am writing in the relation of your article â€Å"Bad Parenting or Child Abuse†. I think it is a good idea for Connor McCreadie to be taken away from his family because he is such an unhealthy child and he needs to change his lifestyle before it gives him harm. This article tells me that it is bad parenting because Connor’s mother has a lack of discipline and a lack of effort for her child.He should be taken away because he needs to become a much healthier child and the Child Protection Authorities can help with this issue. The Child Protection Authorities can help with this issue by teaching Connor how to eat right and making him exercise more. If he doesn’t get taken away, he could gain more weight and lose his life, or he can harm himself or commit suicide because of all the teasing and bullying he gets. If his Mother doesn’t want him to be taken away, she should change how she feeds and looks after Connor.Connor’s Mother could chan ge their lifestyle by getting much healthier food, making Connor try to eat fruits and vegetables, making him exercise more and not letting Connor eat/snack every 20 minutes. This would really help them and make Connor a much healthier child. This article would really help parents who have obese or unhealthy children. Parents who have obese or unhealthy children have the risk of losing them. Some children are so unhealthy they could lose their lives, and some even commit suicide or harm themselves because they get teased or bullied. You’re sincerely, Tay Tates

Theory to Marketing 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Theory to Marketing 2 - Assignment Example Pick a brand like Chobani for instance, which advertises yogurt. I feel that such, when strategically advertised, could attract many customers to a company, which sells yogurt (Sorenson, 2012). A company such as Alpenrose Dairy could benefit substantially from this brand. The Chobani brand is attractive, which could bring a lot of customers to the market. I would encourage Alpenrose Dairy to use this brand all over the renowned social media sites such as facebook and twitter to market their dairy products, yogurt in particular. Market researchers also advise that, in order to the get people to buy your products, companies should make sure that their brand image is put on the covering of the product before it is sold (Sorenson, 2012). Since the Chobani brand is such a strong brand, many people will want to buy the product in order to be associated with it. Finally, I would advise Alpenrose Dairy to market the Chobani brand in other places like television advertisements, in order for their products to cover a wide geographical

TQM Impact on Company Performance Research Paper

TQM Impact on Company Performance - Research Paper Example This research paper evaluates the effectiveness of tactical strategies, such as Total Quality Management (TQM) used for operations management on overall business performance. Tactical Strategies and Operations Management Overall business performance are assessed based on main corporate priorities such as service, employee performance and motivation, competitive advantage, and growth and profits (Milgate, 2004). It is at the tactical management level that various methods, plans, policies, and techniques are designed and are implemented in operations; these will help in achieving the corporate-level strategies and organizational objectives (Lowson, 2002). In fact, strategies at operations level aid in setting short-term objectives for long-term organizational objectives through tactical operations aspirations that will assist in planning resources, technologies, capabilities for routine operations. It is at this level that strategies and their practices for continuous improvement, lear ning and knowledge management, quality focus etc can be entwined with operational methods and practices meant to achieve overall organizational evolution and growth. Role of TQM in Operations Management: Tactical strategies and plans are meant for functional areas, which need to be implemented by the operations managers. Moreover, tactical plans would require modification or reformulation to suit respective functional areas (Smit, 2007). From this perspective, Kumar et al (2009) have highlighted that many researchers emphasize the role of tactical strategies like the TQM on company’s performance; however, their study actually assesses the role of TQM on various different aspects of company’s performance such as financial, operations, employee performance, customer satisfaction, etc. In actual sense, this study attempts to assess the impact of TQM practices on overall company performance and on achieving the overall corporate strategy. Many argue that modified strategie s fail to produce the desired outcome, or are not implemented as required because of incongruence with functional processes, training and understanding issues, inappropriate approaches and inefficient involvement. Advantages and Limitations of TQM: Kumar et al’s (2009) study clearly indicated that tactical strategies such as TQM actually help in improving company performance in terms of employee relations and motivation, products and service quality, customer satisfaction and growth as well as profitability. However, pieces of evidence exist that indicate inefficient outcomes of TQM procedures. For example, Brown, Hitchcock, and Willard (1994) highlighted that when TQM principles are applied for short-term gains, it cannot produce desired outcomes because TQM process is long-term and is time-consuming (Belasen, 2000). Adaptation of TQM is a dynamic process and requires the constant substitution of challenging standards and values. TQM places high expectations on people and re quires highest involvement and ownership form them. Even well-known organizations that adopted TQM have not sustained the results for the longer time.  Ã‚  

Is Present-Day English a creole Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Is Present-Day English a creole - Research Paper Example The developments in the English language that witnessed the advancement of the period had been found in the Middle English realized in the four centuries between 11th and 16th century. The argument in the advancement of the English language had been placed that the entity developed from the manipulation of pidgin. The argument had been placed that the language had witnessed manipulation and inclusion of creolisation to realize the changes in the language. The progression had been witnessed in the language as it transformed from the Old English to Middle English. These terms had been applied to suggest the advancements that had existed in the language and the definitions accorded, as various events brought transformation witnessed and inclusion of Creole effect on English. The result saw the inclusion of variable verbs and sentence structure that had resembled the influence from a foreign entity that had prompted the suggestion of Creole. To articulate the steps that had been involved in the transformation, there needs to be an analysis of the changes that were realized in the Old English system as it advanced to Middle English. The argument is placed to link Creole to English and the connection shared in the history of the English language. ... The changes that had been introduced in the English language had been more prominent during the Middle Ages. The resemblance of Old English of the AD 1000 period had resembled the ancient Germanic languages. Furthermore, the language had been noted to fail to meet the intelligent expectation of the speakers as compared to the Middle English established during AD 1400. The transformation within the language had been advanced in varied measures that had been developed in colonization by both Scandinavian group and Normans. The presentation would lead to the inclusion of the effects of the Anglo-Norman within the spoken English vocabulary as presented in the modern society. The Scandinavians, on the other hand, contributed to the witnessed simplicity of the vocabulary in the language that had been profoundly influenced by the Anglo-Norman origin. These changes had been on a limited platform and failed to spread to South West England that saw advancement of Old English into a recognized literal language. The Normans had invaded in 1066, a development that saw the enhancement of the literal English from the influence in London. The leading societal institutions adopted the trend to include the technical aspect in the language that had been influenced tremendously by the Old Norman system. The Renaissance adopted the provision to develop the language based on the desire to incorporate aspects within the development as had been with the other leading languages. The development saw advancement of the English vocabulary that had relied on other languages to achieve the noticed developments. This had been witnessed in the inclusion of Norman and French to present the platform and source to derive foreign vocabulary. Proto-English The group recognized as the

Management Buy Outs in the hospitality (hotel) industry Essay

Management Buy Outs in the hospitality (hotel) industry - Essay Example Most managers need additional financial support from leveraged buyout (LBO) (Ledger, 2015). There are current developments in the hospitality industry involving management buyouts (Wei & Hudson, 2008). This paper examines management buyouts in the hospitality industry, with particular emphasis on hotels, its financial benefits, and possible risks involved. In leveraged buyouts (LBO), large portion of purchasing funds is a debt financed. Buyout associations privately own the remaining equity. MBO get financial assistance from private equity investors who receive shares in the new company as buyout associates. Managers always have internal information about the enterprise than outside shareholders. That is the advantage they over external bidders. Owing to the prior information related to the business they possess, managers tend to purchase the company with excellent prospects for future development. For example, the buying of Menzies Hotel by its management in 2011 led to the restructuring of the Hotel under a new company called Cordial Hotels. Another significant example is the successful closure of Gulf Capital, one of the most active and investments in the Middle East in Abu Dhabi (Gulf Capital, 2015). Management buyouts have diverse financial advantages. There are three groups of parties affected by management buyouts from a financial viewpoint. Stockholder the hotel business entity, the managers and employees, all experience the financial implications of management buyouts. Buyouts may imply the sponsor (s) privately acquires the hotel enterprise or company. Shareholders, therefore, cease to own the company or hotel business. Contrary to the case of a merger, shareholders may not have control over the company’s finances. In fact, they may lose their equity in the company (Wilson & Wright, 2013). Should the sponsors fail to acquire the company,

Needs Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Needs Assessment - Essay Example In order to effectively utilize modern technologies, user manuals become an essential part of business needs because it facilitates employees with certain information related to the proper process of utilization of technological features or applications. Consequently, through the gained learning from user manual related to the operational process of a technological application, employees could support and be beneficial to the organization to achieve the organizational goals through performing effectively or systematically. Moreover, satisfying employees through providing the primary requirements by the organization also becomes an essential need for the organization in order to increase commitment of the employees. Audience Audience in this particular circumstance is the employees. Employees play an effective role for the organization by helping and leading the organization to serve in the market with its products and services. With the consideration to this aspect, an organization s hould motivate its employees to perform better with the assigned tasks. In order to motivate its employees and maintain their work-life balance, the organization should implement new technologies i.e. ... fore starting the work assigned by the organization, employees should study the operational objectives of the organization in order to perform effectively. Situation Performing in accordance with the organizational requirements and considered or implemented modern technologies, the employees could face certain difficulties, i.e. lack of proper operational knowledge regarding usage of MS Office and office e-mail system. Lack of adequate knowledge related to the identified technologies refers to the situation in which employees are unfamiliar with proper functionalities of the undertaken technologies by the organization while serving and supporting the organization to achieve the objectives effectively. Furthermore, it is also observed from the interview that certain number of employees also face various problems regarding proper utilization of the applications because the employees have got a lack of information regarding the appropriate operation usage. Moreover, the problems can be identified as lack of knowledge regarding adaptability of the applications, frequent occurrence of errors while handling the applications and inadequate knowledge regarding the features of the applications. Goals Every organization has certain goals while operating in the market. The primary goals of organization are to assist the prevailing customers of the market by meeting their requirements through providing quality products and services along with maximizing the organizational profits. Furthermore, other fundamental goals of organization can be identified as facilitating usage of modern technology and innovative ideas in accordance with changing needs of globalization. The goals of organization are to provide facilities to the employees, such as insurance, better salary, and good

What Special Educators Need to Know about Students with Learning Research Paper - 1

What Special Educators Need to Know about Students with Learning Disabilities - Research Paper Example With regards to the special education of the students with learning disabilities, some of these district policies usually find themselves in conflict with the CEC code of ethics. This creates a dilemma for both the teachers and the students under these policies. An example of such a conflict comes in with regards to the code of ethics outlining the disciplinary measures to be taken against students when they break the laws laid down by the institutions. According to the district policies, in the event of a discipline case, all the students are meant to receive the same kind of punishment without any form of biasness (Council for exceptional children, 2012). However, the code of ethics dictates that special consideration should be given to the students with learning disabilities. Their involvement in the disciplinary cases may not have been entirely their fault. This scenario presents a point of conflict between the district policies and the code of ethics. Another example is the evaluation of the students academically. This presents a conflict with the district policies, all the students are supposed to be evaluated on their merit based on the same rubric. However, the code of ethics clearly stated that these students with learning disabilities are supposed to be evaluated individually (Council for exceptional children, 2012). Their condition does not allow them to be evaluated on the same basis as other students. This presents a conflict in this issue. While looking at the characteristics of students with learning disabilities, it is very important that we do not overlook the fact that some of these students actually possess more than one of these characteristics. However, not all of the characteristics are commonly shared by the students.  

Read the case and answer the questions ( but focus more in the first Assignment

Read the case and answer the questions ( but focus more in the first question) - Assignment Example The difference in treatment of financial institutions during and in the aftermath of the 2008 crisis was but well order; for with large risks is the chance to succeed and/or fail, all of which the very institution must bear the most burden. 2. Many experts argue that when the government bails out a private financial institution it creates a problem called â€Å"moral hazard,† meaning that if the institution knows it will be saved, it actually has an incentive to take on more risk, not less. What do you think? No one individual among those in search of growth wishes to fail, and so are the institutions with humans at the helm. Equally true is the very fact that entities only reap rewards commensurate to the seeds sowed; anything else only happens in the charity world. With risk, however, comes responsibility; a case where an institution has â€Å"masked† bad assets and excessive liabilities outside the proximity of determinable levels is but incurable, and a lesson of some sort must be read across the system. It is public knowledge that by the time Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy with Federal Reserve, the financial crisis was well underway, and that bailing out the institution wasn’t a priority; the entire system was. To hit right at the tip, getting the right buttons at that particular moment was but hard to call, and that no one knew for sure that lending the Lehman Brothers a hand was that very right button on behalf of the entire system. If indeed its consequential failure had the weight alluded by a section of scholars in quashing off the crisis, then, it was a mistake on behalf of the government. The foregoing notwithstanding, the downward spiral with exorbitant losses on its books of account wasn’t anything to overlook. Both ways, the decision taken was a double-edged sword with no specified guarantees

Employee Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Employee Relations - Essay Example BCL has been operating since its origins with this structure with little or no changes made, the new managing director, however, is young and highly educated, and having worked his way through the business, wants to implement changes to the structure and make the business more modern in its approach to all the major functions mentioned above. The writer of this report has been appointed as the new HR Director, whilst a new operations manager, who also happens to be the new managing director’s colleague in university, has been appointed to replace the outgoing manager. Through a consensus, the three senior managers have come to an agreement that major structural changes need to made, by reducing the management hierarchy, and by forming a strategic partnership with a leading high street grocery retailer, Cost-Savers, in a bid to see the business streamlined and cost effective. The new partnership is expected to cut costs down in terms of premises rentals, as BCL will have their shops within Cost-Savers shops. Another key factor is that Cost-Saver and BCL will share a distribution depot while one of the smaller of BCL’s depots will be shut, and where Cost-Savers and BCL are in the same location, the BCL shop will be closed whilst core and flexible staff of that BCL shop will be offered positions at the Cost-Savers shop, and the rest made redundant. Also certain low profit stores of BCL will be shut altogether. The main changes in the management structure include: Reduction of the number of districts from 16 to 12 District managers will be given expanded responsibilities for product placement, identifying new opportunities and increasing sales within their district Each regional manager will be given the added responsibility of providing development opportunities for store and district managers Each store manager will be given autonomy to recruit staff, promote products, stock products on own discretion, and have more direct contact with head office. All managers will be coached to become leaders and not merely managers for their sectors. Staff would be given the added incentive of a profit based six monthly bonus to boost their sense of belonging to the organisation. The main task given to the writer as HR Director is to come up with a plan to make sure the above changes have a positive effect on staff, and that an employment relationship culture of teamwork is brought about through the changes. This would mean engaging the staff in matters related to key decision making, and change the existing non-directional management of individual stores to align with corporate directions. Key Literature Review: From the above introduction, it can be inferred that BCL has decided to go from a hierarchical, and centralised organisational structure to a horizontal and decentralised structure. It is therefore important to understand these terms before delving any deeper. Organisational Structure: The term ‘organisational structureâ€⠄¢ simply refers to the way in which job tasks are formally divided, grouped, and coordinated. It involves the processes of work specialisation, where tasks in the organisation are subdivided into separate jobs; departmentalisation, where the subdivided jobs are grouped together; chain of command, which

History of Plato Essay Example for Free

History of Plato Essay Plato was born around the year 428 BCE into an established Athenian household with a rich history of political connections including distant relations to both Solon and Pisistratus. Platos parents were Ariston and Perictone, his older brothers were Adeimantus and Glaucon, and his younger sister was Potone. In keeping with his family heritage, Plato was destined for the political life. But the Peloponnesian War, which began a couple of years before he was born and continued until well after he was twenty, led to the decline of the Athenian Empire. The war was followed by a rabid conservative religious movement that led to the execution of Platos mentor, Socrates. Together these events forever altered the course of Platos life. The biographical tradition is unanimous in its observation that Plato engaged in many forms of poetry as a young man, only later turning to philosophy. Aristotle tells us that sometime during Platos youth the philosopher-to-be became acquainted with the doctrines of Cratylus, a student of Heraclitus, who, along with other Presocratic thinkers such as Pythagoras and Parmenides, provided Plato with the foundations of his metaphysics and epistemology. Upon meeting Socrates, however, Plato directed his inquiries toward the question of virtue. The formation of a noble character was to be before all else. Indeed, it is a mark of Platos brilliance that he was to find in metaphysics and epistemology a host of moral and political implications. How we think and what we take to be real have an important role in how we act. Thus, Plato came to believe that a philosophical comportment toward life would lead one to being just and, ultimately, happy. It is difficult to determine the precise chain of events that led Plato to the intricate web of beliefs that unify metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and politics into a single inquiry. We can be certain, however, that the establishment of a government by Sparta (after the chaos of Athens final defeat in 404), and the events that followed, dramatically affected the direction of his thinking. Following the turmoil of the war, a short eight month oligarchical tyranny known as the Thirty Tyrants governed Athens. Two of Platos relatives, Critias (his mothers uncle) and Charmides (his mothers brother) played roles in this regime. Critias was identified as one of the more extreme members and chief advocate of the government, while Charmides played a smaller role as one of the Eleven, a customs/police force which oversaw the Piraeus. The oligarchy made a practice of confiscating the estates of wealthy Athenians and resident aliens and of putting many individuals to death. In an effort to implicate Socrates in their actions, the Thirty ordered him to arrest Leon of Salamis. Socrates, however, resisted and was spared punishment only because a civil war eventually replaced the Thirty with a new and most radical democracy. A general amnesty, the first in history, was issued absolving those who participated in the reign of terror and other crimes committed during the war. But because many of Socrates associates were involved with the Thirty, public sentiment had turned against him, and he now had the reputation of being profoundly anti-democratic. In what appears to be a matter of guilt-by-association, a general prejudice was ultimately responsible for bringing Socrates to trial in 399 on the charges of corrupting the youth, introducing new gods into the city, atheism, and engaging in unusual religious practices. During his trial, which is documented in Platos Apology, Socrates explained that he had no interest to engage in politics, because a certain divine sign told him that he was to foster a just and noble lifestyle within the young men of Athens. This he did in casual conversations with whomever he happened to meet on the streets. When Socrates told the court that if set free, he would not stop this practice, claiming that he must follow the voice of his god over the dictates of the state, the court found him guilty (though by a narrow margin), and he was executed one month later. This final sequence of events must have weighed heavily on Plato, who then turned away from politics, somewhat jaded by the unjust behavior of the Thirty, disappointed by the follies of the democracy, and forever affected by the execution of Socrates. At this point Plato left Attica with other friends of Socrates and spent the next twelve years in travel and study. During this period, he sought out the philosophers of his day. He met with the wise-men, priests, and prophets of many different lands, and he apparently studied not only philosophy but geometry, geology, astronomy, and religious matters. His exact itinerary is not known, but the earliest accounts report that Plato left Athens with Euclides and went to Megara from where he went to visit Theodorus in Cyrene. From there he went to Italy to study with the Pythagoreans (including Philolaus and Echecrates mentioned in the Phaedo), and then after Italy he went to Egypt. Whether or not Plato began to write philosophical dialogues prior to Socrates execution is a matter of debate. But most scholars agree that shortly after 399 Plato began to write extensively. Although the order in which his dialogues were written is a matter of strong debate, there is some consensus about how the Platonic corpus evolved. This consensus divides Platos writings into three broad groups. The first group, generally known as the Socratic dialogues, was probably written between the years 399 and 387. These texts are called Socratic because here Plato appears to remain relatively close to what the historical Socrates advocated and taught. One of these, the Apology, was probably written shortly after the death of Socrates. The Crito, Laches, Lysis, Charmides, Euthyphro, Hippias Minor and Major, Protagoras, Gorgias and Ion, were probably written throughout this twelve year period as well, some of them, like the Protagoras and Gorgias, most likely at its end. Plato was forty the first time he visited Italy. Shortly thereafter, he returned to Athens and founded the Academy, located nearly a mile outside the city walls and named after the Attic hero Academus. The Academy included a nice grove of trees, gardens, a gymnasium and many shrines including one dedicated to Athena herself, the goddess of the city. Plato created his own cult association, setting aside a portion of the Academy for his purposes and dedicating his cult to the Muses. Soon this school became rather well-known on account of its common meals and sympotic lifestyle, modified, of course, to suit a new agenda. Indeed, Platos Academy was famed for its moderate eating and talk as well as all the appropriate sacrifices and religious observances. Overshadowing all of that was, of course, its philosophical activity. It seems that over the next twenty six years Platos philosophical speculation became more profound and his dramatic talents more refined. During this period, what is sometimes called Platos middle or transitional period, Plato could have written the Meno, Euthydemus, Menexenus, Cratylus, Republic, Phaedrus, Symposium and Phaedo. These texts differ from the earlier in that they tend toward the grand metaphysical speculation that provides us with many hallmarks of Platonism, such as the method of hypothesis, the recollection theory and, of course, the theory of ideas, or forms, as they are sometimes called. In 367 Dionysus of Syracuse died, leaving his son as the supreme ruler of a growing empire. Dion, his uncle and guardian, persuaded young Dionysus II to send for Plato, who was to serve as his personal tutor. Upon arriving, Plato found the situation unfavorable for philosophy, though he attempted to teach the young ruler anyway. In 365, Syracuse entered into war, and Plato returned to Athens. (Around the same time, Platos most famous pupil, Aristotle, entered the Academy. ) In 361, Dion wrote Plato begging him to return. Reluctantly, Plato did so, setting out on his third and final voyage to Italy. But the situation had deteriorated beyond hope. Plato was soon spirited out of Syracuse from where he went back to Athens. We know little of the remaining thirteen years in Platos life. Probably sick of his wanderings and misfortunes in Sicily, Plato returned to the philosophical life of the Academy and, most likely, lived out his days conversing and writing. During this period, Plato could have written the so-called later dialogues, the Parmenides, Theatetus, Sophist, Statesman, Timaeus, Critias, Philebus and Laws, in which Socrates plays a relatively minor role and the metaphysical speculation of the middle dialogues is meticulously scrutinized. Plato died in 347, leaving the Academy to Speusippus, his sisters son. The Academy served as the model for institutions of higher learning until it was closed by the Emperor Justinian in 529 CE, almost one thousand years later.