Curley’s Wife Om Thesis Paper

What does it mean to be a victim of loneliness? Merriam-Webster defines it as â€Å"being without company; cut off from others†. In the novel Of Mice and Men we see one character experiencing true loneliness, Curley’s wife. Set in the 1930’s, during the Great Depression, on a ranch in California, Of Mice and Men follows the journey of two men. When these two men, George and Lennie, come to work on the ranch, it sends the whole ranch in a new direction. Curley’s wife just hopes that she can find a companion, and who better than new people. But one thing always stands in her way, her loneliness.Curley’s wife is a major victim of loneliness because of her failed dreams, her struggle to be someone’s friend, and her lack of love. Curley’s wife had a big dream all set up in her mind. The only problem is that it never happened. She came so close to coming to her dreams, but then it was all taken away. From a young age, Curley’s wife wa nted to be a famous movie-star. She dreamed of being around all the big directors, and completely changing her life. She had met with a few directors and all said she had that â€Å"twinkle† in her eyes that would win a crowd.She almost had the opportunity to go to Hollywood, she just had to wait for a letter. Unfortunately, that is all she did, wait, and wait, and wait. It never arrived. She went so far as to blame her mother saying she took the letter because she didn’t want her to fulfill her dreams. With all of this said and done, she left her hometown and found the Ranch. This failed dream of being a movie-star made Curley’s wife very depressed and lonely. She married Curley just because she wanted another person to fill the void of her lost dreams. The only problem is that she is very distant from her husband.It sent her deeper into loneliness. Curley’s wife comes off as a tramp and flirtatious to all the men on the ranch. They all tell George and L ennie to stay away from her, that she only causes trouble. But in reality, all she wants is a companion. When talking to Lennie, alone, in the barn on the ranch, Lennie repeats one sentence over and over to Curley’s wife. â€Å"‘George says I ain’t to have nothing to do with you–talk to you or nothing’† (Steinbeck 86). Everyone just seems to be shoving Curley’s wife away. All of these men keep portraying her as a troubled girl, and it makes her relationship with everyone difficult.She just wants someone to be her friend, and without one, she is lonely. Ever since she left Salinas, Curley’s wife has always lacked love. She loved the director that came to visit her and told her he would write to her. But when she never got the letter, it was almost as if she gave up on love. She married Curley, but it wasn’t real love. She married him because she wanted another person in her life. She wanted to be part of something. But she is never with him, and she is never with anyone for that matter. Neither of them try to show love to each other. But Curley’s wife lacked the love she thought she deserved.Katharine Gammon explains the psychology of loneliness and how a lack of love affects us,â€Å"The reasons trace back to humanity's evolutionary history, when people needed each other to stay alive. Loneliness doesn't just make people feel unhappy, it actually makes them feel unsafe — mentally and physically. † Curley’s wife feels not only unhappy, but unsafe. People are portraying her as something she isn’t and she isn’t getting credit for the things she does have/do. They are just making her feel more lonely. Some may believe that Curley’s wife’s actions set her up for her troubles and even her death.They may believe that she was just a tramp and troubled girl who had it coming to her. But while some may believe that, Curley’s wife was indeed a vict im of loneliness because she believed in her dreams, and they were crushed. She wanted to be a person’s â€Å"someone† but she lacked all the love. She is in fact a true victim of loneliness. Steinbeck never gave Curley’s wife a name, and that shows her loneliness. She was in extreme loneliness because of her failed dreams, her struggle to be someone’s friend, and her lack of love. Loneliness is a real feeling, action, and emotion. Curley’s wife had it all.I think Mother Teresa scored it right in the bag when she talked about loneliness. â€Å"Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty. † Mother Teresa knew what poverty was, and according to this quote, Curley’s wife was in the most terrible poverty. Work Cited Gammon, Katharine. Why Loneliness Can Be Deadly. N. p. , 2 Mar. 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2013. Merriam-Webster. online ed. 2013. Merriam-Webster. Web. 27 Mar. 2013 Steinbeck, John. Of Mice And Men. New York, New York: Penguin Group, 1937. 86. Print. Quotes, Brainy. BrainyQuotes. N. p. , n. d. Web. 27 Mar. 2013.

Masculinity versus femininity

If the main idea of the story is seen it is a tragedy but the original idea of this story is masculinity vs. femininity. There is a conflict between Ibo and the British. The Ibo are an agrarian people who are patriarchal and the Okonkwo who is the protagonist has solid thoughts. Ibo emphasizes on traditional values and respect. The two cultures do not have any common background. The lack of common language between Okonkwo and Ibo interrupts in religious, cultural and legal appreciation. The beating incident of Okonkwo’s wife creates the disparity and that was not acceptable by the British. It also separates the two cultures. Okonkwo wanted to be different from his father. He wanted to be distant from him as according to him his father was a coward warrior and he knew that his father was not able to handle the situation boldly. So Okonkwo himself wanted to be a brave warrior with many titles. When his son joined the church, Okonkwo felt very sad as he thought that his son was weak in mind and he thought that his son would become soft because of the influence of white culture. By this example we can find out the issue of masculinity vs. femininity. Okonkwo made his whole life on the basis of masculinity and so he gave to his tribe. He always believed that this is the masculinity that can survive a tribe. Â   Â  

Business Assignment 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Assignment 6 - Essay Example Teams are formed with organizations to address specific issues, challenges, or problems. Members of a team should therefore be individuals who are aware of the problems or the needs of the group and are as well willing to contribute in finding the solution as well as making the situation better than it already is. If an organization has a financial crisis, for instance, accountants, economists, financial analysts and others who understand the organization’s financial trends should form the core of the team. Knowledgeable people enhance understanding of the team and hence smooth meetings (Dyer & Dyer, 2013). The most important aspect of a team meeting should be what the members are supposed to discuss in those meetings, the agenda. Agenda setting is the second step for team meeting management. With an agenda well set, team meetings are half on course of delivering their mandates. Team meetings should have agendas that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound to deliver instantly (Dyer & Dyer, 2013). A team should comprise of individuals who are ready to work both for themselves and for the other members of the team. Team members, therefore should bear tasks and responsibilities that aid in the accomplishment of the objectives of the team (Kayser, 2011). Not all the activities of the team can be left to specific individuals, but each team member should at least contribute to those activities. Either, communications and contributions in meetings should allow for the participation of at least the interest of every member. In the formulation of the agenda for any committee meeting, time should be a factor worth a critical consideration. Too long meetings or too short meetings barely deliver amicable solutions to organizations. In addition, the best times for meetings are when the members are fresh in mind and ready to contribute. Time management contributes to the quality of the meeting

Art of The Huichol - Yarn Paintings Research Paper

Art of The Huichol - Yarn Paintings - Research Paper Example To the rest of the world they are known as huicol but in reality they are called huicol (pronounced wee-chol) or more appropriately wixaritari (pronounced wiraritari). This tribe lives in the Sierra Madre Occidental and specifically Jalisco, Nayarit, zacateas and durango. The huicol are approximately 20,000 people and have lived in the Mexican mountains for around fifteen thousand years when approximated by the ashes they used in their daily sacrifices in their worship. The huicol speak a language called uto-aztecan and have been known to have been once hunters and gatherers but now are turned to trading. This is because they live near tourist towns and do not rely on tobacco farming as before. Since the huicol are very religious and conserved they have a ritual that is called the deer-maize-peyote ritual. These rituals are intense and emotional as they consist of loud shouting’s and wailings even weeping and singing. The peyote is a plant called biologically as lophophora wil liamsi that is numerous in Mexico . This plant when ingested makes one intoxicated and sees visions in colors. These are the components that make the peyote a must ingredient in the huicol rituals and prayers. The symbolic meaning of the deer-maize –peyote ritual is unification of the huicol and the bringing back of the original huicol way of life. That is, the ritual brings together the contradictions in life like societal, historical and ideological since the deer is seen as a god and maize is spiritual.

Human sexuality Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human sexuality - Term Paper Example The results showed that higher self-reported stress in life were associated with low levels of sexual activity and satisfaction and also a decrease in relationship satisfaction (Wright, 2000). According to the study, hypoactive sexual desire in many couples has been seen as only a problem in old couples but also it has been seen in young and middle-aged couples. Sexual difficulties especially low libido has been a susceptible indicator for low relationship satisfaction and other marital problems. Tension created by relationships can be evident earlier than negative ratings of the relationship(Bodenmann, 2013). Theorists and sexual therapists has assumed that stressors may be important factors that involves in decreasing sexual activity in couples and therefore lowering sexual satisfaction. Other studies show that substantial and persistent sexual disorders especially those associated with low sexual desires are linked to major stressors. The study showed that less knowledge is available on the impact of daily hassles that usually originates from outside close relationships on sexual behavior and satisfaction. Human disorders related to sex was also found to be a greater c hallenge on sexual behavior. Sexual desire disorders such as sexual arousal disorder e.g. erectile disorders in men and orgasmic disorder in females were noted to be a significant incremental effect of self-reported stress on sexual problems. Low sexual desires among the many people were also as a result of exhaustion and tiredness. Arguments among the married were also recorded as other causes of low desires in sex (Bodenmann, 2013). The following valuables (stress, sexual activity, sexual satisfaction, and sexual fulfillment as well as individual dyadic coping behaviors) were also assessed and evaluated on weekly basis on diaries and the participant asked to complete diaries on their self- related stress on basis of sexual satisfaction. And it was found that stress

The 'Other' and Race in Film and in Discussing Film Theory Essay

The 'Other' and Race in Film and in Discussing Film Theory - Essay Example The concept of 'otherness' is often seen as a representation of racial differences, the physical manifestations of different ethnic orientations becoming central to the concept of that outside of the accepted experience of human existence of a xenophobic culture. Representations of 'otherness' can be seen in literature and art, including that Colonization was predicated on the idea of 'otherness', the existence of cultures that were defined through means that were not relative to Euro-Caucasian understandings of the world were deemed not valid and could therefore be subverted to the wants and desires of an oppressive force that gleaned profit from that which could be mined for its resources. In assigning the idea of 'other', cultures were dehumanized and used without regard to the affects of that use on the cultural existence. In examining the nature of 'otherness' and the development of the character presence as it is defined by what is alien to the culture of origin, the nature of the perceptions about the exotic can be revealed. As art reflects stereotypes that define how one culture or race perceives the experience of being human in relationship to other cultures, it can be seen that in many cases differences are translated through a process of dehumanization. 'Otherness' is a state of existence through which the development of the exotic creates a sense of mystery that is part of the concept of supernatural, suggesting that otherworldliness of human existence is on a plane that is outside of what is known, and therefore unfathomable. The development of the notion of 'otherness' is a way of coping with what is not easily understood about differences between cultures, exploring sexuality and fear through the development of concepts rather than individuated characterisation. 2. Stereotypes Stereotypes are ways of categorizing people into groupings that are designated for cultural differences that can be superficially recognized to create a profile of a people . Gilman (1985, p. 15) begins the discussion of stereotypes by stating that "We all create images of things we fear or glorify". In creating these images, it sets them apart and supports a perception about 'otherness' as it is defined by what is percieved to be true in relationship to differences that are not readily understood. Stereotyping categories of groupings is a coping mechanism. Gilman (1985, p. 16) writes that "they buffer us against our most urgent fears by extending them, making it possible for us to act as though their source were beyond our control". Gillman (1985) goes on to say that stereotypes are a way of coping with the external world as the internalized concept of the self is threatened. It is a way to define perceptions of the world, but also a way to make sense of those things that seem out of the control of the individual. When using stereotypes to express something about the human condition, it is a way of organizing perceptions about 'otherness' so that it f its into how the world is understood. Bhabha (1994) discusses how this is a way of stabilizing what seems to threaten what is understood about the world. Stereotypes are often insulting, their categorisation of human experiences manifesting into the dehumanization of cultures through grouping them in what are often negative interpretations of their traditions and beliefs. Bhabha (1994) discusses how these interpretations represent the derisive element and desires, the

AFRICAN HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

AFRICAN HISTORY - Essay Example This is because very little or no impact could be witnessed in their lives due to colonialism. Colonialism however continued to grow and intensify prompting the reaction of Africans in the regions mentioned and a few other regions. The period during which there was stiff resistance to colonial rule by Africans was known as the Scramble for Africa (Mentan 303). Despite the struggle, colonialist however managed to intensify their administration. In 1914, when the First World War broke out, most parts of Africa apart from Ethiopia and Liberia had been colonized (Mentan 303). The colonial administration had been able to deal with the resistance of Indigenous Africans. The war played a major role in institutionalizing colonial administration. This can be seen from the fact that by the end of the war, the entire African continent had been successfully colonized. By this time, all efforts by Africa to resist colonial administration had been defeated by the European colonialists. In addition, there were substantial changes in the pattern of colonial administration. In 1914 for example, Northern and Southern Nigeria British Protectorates were amalgamated (â€Å"First World War,† devhub.com). Italian Libya got an addition of a large region of western Egypt, Italy took part of Sudan, and parts of Ivory Coast, Sudan and Niger came to be under French rule (â€Å"First World War,† devhub.com). After the First World War, the people of Africa remained quiet over the issue. Although they decided not to oppose colonialism they were overall not happy with the colonial administration. In conclusion, the First World War played a major role in institutionalizing colonial administration in Africa. This is because although most Indigenous Africans opposed it, they were all defeated by the European colonialists during the war. The Second World War had profound effects upon Africans struggle for Independence and the European leadership in

Does Globalization have a future Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Does Globalization have a future - Term Paper Example Globalization has the positive and negative influences and consequences. Its influences and consequences are spread across the globe. There is both optimism and concern in the future of globalization. The negative influences spread to other parts of the world and may continue to influence the society in future. In the light of this, it is important to assess the nature in which globalization processes will take course in the future. This paper highlights the future of globalization. Discussion Positive Impacts of Globalization in the Society in the Future Globalization may have facilitated market and trade integration in the recent past but there are speculations about its future. Globalization has brought implications for future mobility and migration, worldwide social inequality and technological expansion. Globalization is likely to play a huge role in determining competitive advantage in the near future. Given that previous advocates of globalization in the political and the busi ness world of advanced countries are now in deep worry, it is apparent that globalization has brought positive and negative impacts. This worry stems from the fact that globalization has been responsible for the loss of jobs and pay reductions. Moreover, globalization has created a situation in which business executives continue to enjoy high salaries at the expense of other employees (Gangopadhyay & Chatterji, 2005). Given its numerous benefits, globalization will continue to play a vital role in converging market values and creating a free trading system. In the recent past, former socialist states have made transitions to economies that are based on the market. Countries like China have developed a capitalist economy with a hybrid system that possesses socialist characteristics. Such a development has had positive impacts on the economy with China witnessing an increase in productivity in some of its main industrial sectors (Waters, 2001). Globalization has influenced cultural pr eferences and taste in a scale that will be witnessed even in the future. Most countries are making a distinct move to homogenized arts, media and popular culture with the English language becoming the main lingua franca of communication in the global front. Moreover, the use of English as the main language has been promoted by the internet and the e-mail. Globalization has had negative and positive aspects. The positive aspects are many with globalization presenting numerous opportunities. Globalization continues to change the world system in an irrevocable manner and current trends indicate that the pace of globalization is bound to continue and accelerate in the near future. The most significant trends in the recent past and presently are greater inflow and outflow of goods and services, capital, people, money, technology, ideas and information (Rivoli, 2009). Globalization continues to lead to an increase in competition on the global front. This scenario will be witnessed in the future due to numerous beneficial aspects, which increase efficiency and production. Each country is likely to rely on globalization as a means of achieving higher production levels. Recently, increase in market space and competition has led to specialization and improvement in the division of labor. Countries that have thoroughly embraced globalization have achieved economies of scale and scope,

THE GRAPHIC ART Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

THE GRAPHIC ART - Essay Example Riggle (2012: 255) describes street art as â€Å"artworks whose use of the street is essential to their meanings.† In this, Riggle implies that street art is necessary and applicable only in streets where they display their significance to several passers-by. There are several street arts that are available in various holographs in today’s museums and other photo and pictures sources such as archives. This essay will succinctly verify or back up Riggle’s description of street art using two popular and early drawing artists; England based graffiti artist, Banksy and South African artist, Robin Rhode. The two are renowned street artists whose artworks have been posted on various websites. The essay will mainly handle the role or the necessity of street artworks, as well as their impacts to the immediate society. To begin with, Banksy did several artworks which are mainly considered street art with hidden meanings that are necessary to teach certain lessons to the s ociety. Since he was also a painter, political activist and film director, he came up with attractive street art graffiti and inherent dark humor that was excellently done in distinctive and special inherent stenciling technique. Most of his artistic works have been featured in public areas such as walls, streets and bridges. Historically, his work was born out of artist-musician collaboration popularly referred to as Bristol underground scene. One of his street artworks was a stenciled graffiti that appeared on Thames Water tower. It was located in Holland park roundabout. The image consisted of a child clutching and doing painting work on the tag titled â€Å"Take this society†. Councilor Greg Smith (London and Fulham spokesman) considered the photo vandalistic and made an order for its instant removal from the location. The removal was carried out by the then H&F Council workmen within three consecutive days. The graffiti had a lot of significance to the then European soci ety, in terms of its political situations. Analytically, the artwork was meant to show that Europe was under control by a particular group of its leaders who controlled every life sector in the continent beginning from economy, social lives, as well as the politics. The idea of the boy painting the tag is sarcastic in the making as he advises or informs some people in the society to take control and own the society personally. The child symbolizes the common man in Europe who is unhappy with some of totalitarian practices exhibited by the leaders in the way they govern their subjects. This is typically in line with Banksy’s political activist nature or characteristic. The second street artwork of Banksy is LDN6 which appeared in May 2006. Iit appeared at the back of something that looked like a permanent street stall for selling bags and T-shirts on the Tottenham Court road, next to its junction with the Store Street. The art photo did not stay long at the stall. It was remov ed by the end of June with the permission from the stall owner, Sam Khan, a sixty year old man who had no idea about Banksy and his artwork (Bull, 2011: 311). In fact, the stall owner did not have any idea about the meaning or rather the interpretation of the artwork. The photo was then sold to someone at a reported price of 1000 Euros in cash. The stall owner got annoyed when he saw the same photo being sold at a minimum price of 230,000 Euros and much better prices in New York. From the picture, it can be seen that the painter had written, â€Å"What?† in purple color on a grey wall with other non formulated black drawings and writings. Interpreted, Branky’s main reason for the work is to show what the unclear dark drawings had not clearly revealed

Teenager Appeal of Rock Music in the 1950 Essay Example for Free

Teenager Appeal of Rock Music in the 1950 Essay The appeal of rock music in the 1950’s is largely due to the ending of World War 2. The ending of World War 2 sparked more interests in what is the social norm. Abundant about of people coming back from the war wanted to start families. The baby boom increased the about of kids in America drastically. These kids of the baby boom started a new age class in America, the â€Å"teenager†. Prior to World War 2 most of the youth in America was ether working or joining the military to fight the war in Europe. There was never an actually teenager stereo type. Due to the baby boom after the war, there were more teenagers than ever before with little or nothing to do. Nothing was marketed to the teenager. During the war many toy companies directed there attention towards the war’s needs. The age of the teenager was new to American culture. There was generational gap for the social norm of boys and girls. Children were starting to become more independent. Mothers of children stated to join the working class leaving older children to start developing their own social class. Conformity and the desire to reject change were very common in the 1950s. When the teenager came about many of them had their own style and seemed to be rebellious. After the war there were many new technologies that were available to the teenager. The invention of the television and mass transportation made the biggest impact. The ability to hear outside influences and the ability to travel gave the teenager a broader spectrum of life. There was draw to blues and jazz music of the African American people because of its upbeat style. However it wasn’t until Elvis Presley came out that the draw of rock music took off. A white singer that sounded like a black singer was solid gold. With Elvis Presley style of music it appealed to the growing social class of the teenager. With the age of segregation at its peak it came as no surprise that the older generation saw rock music as corrupting the youth. Many people claimed that rock music was the sole reason there was a growing existences of juvenile delinquency. It seemed the more people spoke out against rock music the more popular rock music became. The teenager social class was growing every day and had become bigger than ever seen in the United States. The movie â€Å"Rebel Without a Cause† had come out depicting how rebel looks and acts, and many teenagers mimicked how that character acted and dressed. This became the norm of how teenagers acted. In conclusion the reason that rock and roll music was so appealing was its inherent draw to rebel against the older generation. The slow tempo music of old was not suiting for the teenager. The upbeat music and its African American roots was the perfect storm for teenagers to rebel. The amount of teenagers in America was higher than ever and with the core audience of rock and roll music being teenagers it’s no wonder that rock and roll music took off.

Banking Industry Analysis: Zimbabwe And India

Banking Industry Analysis: Zimbabwe And India Banking industry is the major player in every countrys economy, and it influences the growth and prosperity of a nation. The following environmental analysis seeks to look at the banking Industry in Zimbabwe and India especially with regard to the PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental) factors and how they have a bearing on the industry. It will further look at Porters five forces namely: New entrants, Threat of Substitutes, Power of Suppliers, Power of buyers and Competitive rivalry. In doing so, a brief history is important as it gives a mile view of the origins and development of the industry. . Based on these factors a comparative analysis is done between the two countries 1: Zimbabwe Banking Industry Analysis. Background When Zimbabwe attained its independence in 1980, the majority of banks were foreign owned. It was not until 1981 when the government acquired stakes in two banks namely Nedbank and Bank of Credit and Commerce of 62% and 49% respectively. Apart from stakes in these two individual banks, the government wholly owned and directed the operations of the central bank, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ). The Reserve Bank is the policing authority for the industry formulating policy direction through periodic monetary policy statements. Indigenous ownership and new entrants into the industry was not until mid to late 90s when a number of banks were registered (Makoni, 2010). Until mid to late 90s, Zimbabwe was regarded as a model developing African country with a small but strong banking industry. Agriculture was the backbone of economic growth with mining, manufacturing and tourism complementing it. The industry therefore benefited from a strong economy until things changed in the late 90s as a result of negative economic and political policies adopted by the government. Political Factors Since independence from Britain in 1980, Zimbabwe has been under the leadership of President Robert Mugabe through his political party ZANU PF. The country was virtually under a one party state system with no credible opposition until 1999 when a new political party entered the political field. The political environment was however stable with the international community having confidence in the way the country was governed. As a result Zimbabwe was experiencing strong economic growth due to the international support and such growth was reflected positively upon the banking sector, as it was working effectively. International lines of credit from international financiers such as the World Bank and IMF were made available benefiting the banking industry immensely. There was however a sudden change of fortune in the industry when Zimbabwe embarked upon a controversial land reform program around year 2000. The process was chaotic and often violent with the international community condem ning it. That resulted in Zimbabwes isolation from the international community. Some countries such as the U.S.A and the E.U introduced sanctions against President Mugabes government as a way of protesting against his policies (U.S Department of Treasury, 2010). Zimbabwes banking industry reeled under sanctions. Some banks especially foreign owned such as Barclays Bank had to downscale their operations as the conditions were no longer conducive to support a complete banking portfolio (The Independent, 2010). The country is still under sanctions, arguably targeted to President Mugabes inner circle members. Because of that, banks do not have access to foreign sources of capital and cannot enter into strategic alliances with most western banks who fear the political situation in Zimbabwe. A new government of national unity was recently formed to dilute President Mugabe era. The change has not had a significant positive impact on the industry as it is still new with vague views about ec onomic development. Moreover the government recently launched a short term recovery program in 2009, in order to stabilize the economy with a focus on multi currency due to the inflated exchange rate of the US dollar against the local currency. That left the industry without a long term view of economic direction (The World Bank, 2010). Economic Factors Zimbabwes economy is characterised by negative economic growth, high unemployment, high interest rates and absence of foreign investment. The economic situation started to deteriorate in the early 90s when Zimbabwe embarked on an Economic Structural Adjustment Program, ESAP supported by IMF and the World Bank. Although the intended benefits were to grow the economy and create jobs, the opposite actually happened (The World Bank, 2010). The economy started to shrink. It was further exacerbated by the sanctions imposed after a chaotic land reform program earlier mentioned together with mismanagement by the government. Banks were not and still do not have access to cheap sources of capital as a result. The population is poor and characterised by high unemployment levels. According to an AFP report (2009), such negative economic factors have been haunting the banking industry particularly in the last 10 years. Poor people are likely not to save, a situation that is negative for the banking industry. On the other hand, the rise in inflation coupled with the devaluation of the Zimbabwe dollar meant banks could not cope with depositors need for daily cash withdrawals. Around 2003 and 2004, some banks collapsed while others were put under curatorship (Africa Monitor: Southern Africa, 2008). Those which survived had to limit their exposure to risks (Marawanyika, 2010). Although the situation has improved as a result of a power sharing government, banks still do not enjoy the benefits of a wide product portfolio as some products are still non-implementable. Good examples are lack of long term mortgages and credit cards. Banks remain uncertain as to the economic future and therefore are concentrating on products which are short term. Another factor which badly affected the banking system was the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe forcing private banks to acquire quantity of its related papers, and also to lend it free the compulsory statutory reserve of 40%, which is considered the highest in the world. Moreover, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe also forced financial institutions to use the excess surplus cash to invest in securities. Such influence significantly affected the performance of the banking sector (Africa Monitor: Southern Africa, 2008) Social Factors Zimbabwe has a population of around 13 million. There has been a steady outflow of people to other countries as a result of economic difficulties. Estimates put the number of Zimbabweans living outside the country to 4.5 million (Sunday Mail, 2010). That is a very significant percentage of the population. The end result is a population that is too small to sustain a vibrant banking industry. People who migrated to other countries are the middle age group, the very core of middle class society. In addition, emigration has starved the industry of essential expertise needed to run the banking industry efficiently as the educated and qualified left for greener pastures. Before the recession, Zimbabwes banking industry was already under stress and some of it is attributed to lack of proper management and lack of innovativeness. To compound the emigration problem, the country has been beset by HIV/AIDS epidemic which seem to affect the productive ages. It is estimated that 14.3 % of the po pulation was infected with the virus as of 2007, (UN report, 2009). Although the problem is not uniquely a banking industry problem, it has affected the way the industry operates by taking away both potential customers and the expertise needed to run the industry. Technological Factors Although Zimbabwe is a third world country, it is generally doing well in terms of technology. The country has seen an early introduction of ATMs in almost all cities and tourist destinations. ATM technology was first adopted around 1990 when two of the industry players Standard Chartered Bank and CABS introduced ATMs. Since then, telephone banking and online banking have been introduced as well. The industry is also linked to international big brands such as Visa and Mastercard. Travellers to Zimbabwe will have access to their cash on all ATMs so long they have Visa cards (Barclays Bank Zimbabwe, 2010). ATMs have greatly enhanced the capacity of the industry to reach a wider population and cover geographic areas which would have been costly Although most banks have adopted internet banking, the usage numbers are still very low (Thulani et al. 2009) Legal Factors Although the Zimbabwean government had little interference in the banking industry prior to 2003, the situation has since changed significantly. Government enacted various legislations meant to police the operations of the industry. This was necessitated by the collapse of some banks resulting in loss of depositors funds. As a way of protecting the public from such incidences, the government raised the minimum capital requirements needed to open and operate banks, both commercial and discount houses. The minimum is currently set at $12.5 million. This new capital requirement has not been easy due to the industrys inability to access cheap sources of capital. Further affecting the industrys ability to raise more capital and funds is the new government legislation requiring all companies to have a minimum local majority shareholding of 51%. Foreign investors with an interest in the industry can only take up the remaining 49%. (Zimbabwe Mail, 2010) This has not gone down well with foreign investors who feel the legislation strips them of their ability to manage and have an influence on their investments. As a way of trying to fight the AIDS epidemic, the government introduced a levy on banking profits towards an AIDS fund administered by the National Social Security Authority, NSSA. The rate is 3% across all income levels with banks however levied at a much higher rate of 5 % compared to other industries and individuals. This has the effect of reducing the amount available to shareholders. Environmental Factors. Zimbabwe does not have legislation compelling companies and businesses to direct their resources towards the environment and corporate social responsibility activities outside of the Aids levy earlier mentioned. It is truly lagging behind in this area. The banking industry, like any other industry has instead concentrated on its own survival with little regard to environmental issues. Industry Analysis by Porters forces. Porter explains and argues that there are five forces which determine the industrys profitability and attractiveness. These are threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers and the degree of rivalry between existing competitors. Some of the forces mentioned above have limited applicability to banking because of the nature of the industry. An example is the substitute factor. The banking industry in general has limited room for substitutes. Looking at the banking history in Zimbabwe, there was a time soon after independence when suppliers had the power in the market because competition was very low. There were few players in the industry and customers were even lucky to be accepted to open a bank account. As the government liberalised the industry, more indigenous players came in making competition very stiff. Currently, there is little differentiation which banks can apply to have an urge over others. Rivalry is very high and the areas of differentiation come from good customer service and degree of risk expected. The collapse of some banks around 2003 and 2004 has left the market and customers jittery about which banks to be entrusted with their deposits. Banks with adequate capital such as Standard Bank and Barclays Bank have a competitive advantage over others due to their history of stability. They can use their foreign component of their shareholding structure to mobilise resources. 2.0 India Banking Industry Analysis 2.1 Introduction: The Banking Sector in India is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF). The banking sector comprises of Nationalised, Private and Public Sector, Cooperative and Foreign banks. A brief history tells us that the nationalisation of 14 largest commercial banks in 1969, and further nationalisation of 6 major private banks in 1980 has completely reformed the banking sector in India (Das and Ghosh, 2006). According to 2010 survey more than 80% of banks in India are nationalised, 15% are private and cooperative sector banks and the remaining 5% are foreign banks, serving a population of more than 1.1 billion. Political factors: The ruling government and the Ministry of Finance play a decisive role in contributing to the rules and regulations of the industry. A huge turning point came in 1991, when the Finance minister Dr. Manmohan Singh under the Narsimha Committee opened the doors for the Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in the country thus boosting the economy and uplifting the banking industry (Das and Ghosh, 2006). This served as a platform for the future decision making of the rules and regulations and law enforcement for RBI and other financial regulatory bodies. The relaxation of some regulations allowed the major foreign banking corporations to enter the developing Indian economy through mergers or independent setup. Economic factors Nationalisation of the banking sector helped farmers and small industries in India to directly access credit facilities, efficient short and long term loan sanctions and has helped reduce the unemployment rate and further increase the profitability of the money lenders. Interest rates for certain loans are lower than the market rates. For example food and agriculture related business and services. This has led to many nationalised banks giving more importance to social priorities than profit maximisation. Reduction in Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) and Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) has helped the banking sector to increase efficiency. Liberalisation has encouraged competition in the interest rate and services provided by many banks and financial regulatory bodies (J. Sengupta; C. Neogi) Social factors In spite of the recent downturn in the global economy India was able to attain a growth rate of 8.8 % in the first quarter 2010 (RBI Bulletin, 2010). That means the industry and the agriculture sectors that form the majority of the working population are supplying huge amount of their disposable incomes to banking and investment corporations to further increase their profits. This change is much obvious in the Cooperative banks and domestic banks regulated by RBI where deposits, repayment of loans, sanction of new loans improved significantly, enhancing industry profitability. Since 1991, due to the outburst of multiple opportunities in national and international industrial and service sectors, the urban and the semi-urban cities have witnessed an increase in educated, high earning individuals who are well associated with their income and investments. Since 2001 the changes in banking norms, stable and long term understanding between the commercial and cooperative banks have helped t he banking sector achieve 51% of compounded annual rate based on growth, asset quality and profitability (McKinsey and Company, 2010). Technological factors Technology is always seen as a building block for any industry or economy. With the arrival of the foreign banks and financial corporations, the public, private and cooperative sectors have witnessed a revolutionary support and competition in its technology. As a result of this many banks such as Housing and Finance Corporation (HDFC), ICICI, State Bank of India, Central bank, Union Bank, JK bank, and all major cooperative banks have revolutionized their various banking products and services. Services like internet and telephone banking, online investment and loan proposals, personalized and premium banking services are available 24 hours a day. Large numbers of ATM outlets have all helped increase the profitability and efficiency of their service providers. As a result the year 2001-02 saw 20.83% private sector banks achieving efficiency of more than 100%, and year 2003-04 saw 26.92% private sector banks having productivity of more than 100% (Bodla and Verma Bajaj, 2010). The growth in industrial and outsourcing sectors have boosted foreign exchanges and remittances. This has produced a fluent and rich source of income for the banking industry. Legal factors Banking Regulations Act in 1949 and the Reserve Bank of India Act in 1934 are the major regulations in Indian banking industry. All Indian banks trade and work in accordance to the guidelines of RBI. Due to liberalisation and influence of World Trade Organisation, Indian banking industry adapted to the global banking standards. Indian banks and finance corporations follow the regulations of the Basel Committee, International Monitory Fund (IMF) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). (2008) 2.7 Environmental factors The finance and banking sector is one of the most advanced and rapidly growing sectors in Indian economy. The concentration in banking industry is due to certain core principles, standardization, regulating and supervising of the sector. This has created a frantic race to stay at the top. To overcome their competitors almost all banks and finance corporations have adopted social responsibility measures or environmental concerns (Zuberbà ¼hler, 2000). Banks like SBI, HDFC, ICICI etc have undertaken various public and corporate issues seriously and have allocated a sizeable amount of their income on public and environment issues. Recently, the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs in India have set out core elements of CSR for companies and corporations to address. The president speaking at India Corporate Week has urged finance and industrial corporations to assist the government in various programmes designed for rural economic development (SRI, 2010). Analysis by Porters Five Forces 2.8 Bargaining power of buyers: Bargaining power of buyers is high in Indian banking system because of many reasons. There are lots of alternatives for each customer. Due to the technological advances, buyers know about the market status and position of each bank. Switching cost to shift the bank is very low, so the customer changes the bank frequently. Almost all banks give the same service and products, so they cannot charge for extra service and differentiation. Banks try to be customer friendly to attract as many clients as possible. 2.9 Bargaining power of suppliers: Bargaining power of suppliers is less in India due to the strict rules and regulation of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Interest rate and degree of differentiation are determined by the RBI, so supplier power is very low. But at the time of tight liquidity the negotiation capacity of suppliers increase. 2.10 New entrants: New entrants with added services and benefits always pose a threat to the well established older and somewhat government owned banks. In India since majority of the banks are nationalized or state owned as seen above, a new foreign bank, always has to come up with some better ideas to attract a specific group of population which is ready to deviate or change its banking environment. In addition, few of them have tried to blend with the Indian market either by partnering or merging with some Indian nationalized banks, or by exchanging services like use of ATM networks. As a result, foreign and new private banks have realised growth rates of up to 50% while the public sector banks have grown at steady 15% (India Banking, 2010). After the post liberalisation period the banking sector has increased average deposit efficiency especially for State Bank of India and Associates. As for nationalised banks its almost stable and for foreign banks it has declined sharply. The reason for the fall in the foreign banks is due to their attention to cater to only some of the multinational corporations which lured them for starting their services in India (Services Research, 2009). 2.11 Threat of substitutes: Substitutes do not pose a greater threat to the banks. However the fact that they still have influence in some of the major rural areas in the form of non-governmental and unregulated co-operative societies always leaves banks watching their backs. (Das and Ghosh, 2006). 2.12 Competitive rivalry: The concentration of nationalised banks and their efforts to be the policy maker have given rise to three major concerns: Competition, Systemic Stability and difficulty in regulating them (Zuberbà ¼hler, 2000). It is believed that competition always fuels growth. The commitment shown by banks in terms of employee training programs and technological upgrades have resulted in improved skills and services (Arora and Khanna, 2009). For effective regulation many banks have applied customer centric approach rather than profit oriented approach. This has significantly improved the internal service quality of the banking sector. 3.0 Comparison and conclusion: Banking industry in India is more diverse as it includes many nationalised public sector banks, foreign banks, private sector banks, co-operative banks and many approved small and medium money lending institutions well serving a population of 1.1 billion. In Zimbabwe the banking industry comprises of government banks, private banks and a few foreign banks serving a comparatively small population of 13 million. The banking industry market is therefore huge in India when considering the population and all related demographics. Considering the fact that agriculture is the backbone in both countries, most of the government policies and initiatives are in favour of agriculture and its related sectors. A best example is Indian governments approval of $12.5 billion Farmers debt relief fund in 2008, which allows banks and other approved money lending institutions to waive a farmers loan after signing an agreement of debt relief. (banknetindia. nd). Indian government is politically more stable than the Zimbabwean government. This has created certainty in the Indian industry compared to its Zimbabwean counterpart. In India all the financial regulatory bodies have formed a supportive environment for the banking and economic industry, and have setup stringent rules and regulations in accordance with the international banking guidelines. Foreign exchange and remittance is an important factor which acts as a bridge between a countrys banking sector and its ability to attract investments from other countries, which provides rich nourishment for the banks. Foreign remittances from industrial activities are practically not present in Zimbabwe whereas in India outsourcing and flourishing economy is maintaining a steady supply of foreign exchange. Though banks in Zimbabwe are earning huge individual foreign remittances from the migrant population, the entire banking sector cannot completely sustain itself on that. Global economic instability and recent financial downturns were more felt in Zimbabwe, as compared to India which is relatively more insulated to the effects. Since 2007 Zimbabwe was facing huge hyper-inflationary problems until recently when the country achieved some measure of stability through dollarization of its economy. The inflation at some point reached monstrous levels affecting the Zimbabwean dollar exchange rate and banks found it extremely difficult to maintain a supply of the dollar. That led to government introducing foreign multi-currency since 2009, especially the US dollar, (Hanke, 2010). Inflation in India has been steady compared to its growth rate and is handled carefully by the Reserve Bank and the finance ministry. This has helped maintain currency supply and is conducive for the banking environment. Technology is one of the major drivers for banking industry not just in India and Zimbabwe but across globe. Technology has helped many foreign banks gain an advantage over government banks in India and also in Zimbabwe. Some of the banking areas revolutionised by technology are ATMs, online banking, phone banking, customer service, foreign exchange etc. Indian banks are highly competitive and have strengthened themselves due to information and technology. They are providing many services and provide value addition which has enabled them to successfully compete with many global, well established and technically sound banking corporations. Zimbabwean banks are comparatively at a preliminary stage and are incorporating value addition and services at a slower rate. Unemployment is a negative driver for banking environment in Zimbabwe. Population migration and AIDS are further deal breakers. Corruption in the government and finance sector is further affecting the banking industry in both countries. Social responsibility is not well adopted in Zimbabwean, whereas almost all major nationalised, private and foreign banks are making huge efforts to be socially responsible in India.

In Defense of Direct Perception Essay -- Philosophy Philosophical Essa

In Defense of Direct Perception ABSTRACT: My goal in this paper is to defend the claim that one can directly perceive an object without possessing any descriptive beliefs about this object. My strategy in defending this claim is to rebut three arguments that attack my view of direct perception. According to these arguments, the notion of direct perception as I construe it is objectionable since: (1) it is epistemically worthless since it leaves perceived objects uninterpreted; (2) it cannot explain how perceived objects are identified; and (3) it is ill-prepared to assign objective content to perceptual states. What is involved in the claim that one directly perceives an object? The notion of direct perception that I propose to defend in this paper is this: that one 'directly' perceives an object if one's perception of this object is not mediated by beliefs. Put another way, a 'direct' perceiver does not believe anything about an object in (directly) perceiving it. On this construal of the notion of direct perception, it follows that if one directly perceives an object, one does not describe this object; for any description of an object is expressed as a belief, and direct perceptions do not involve beliefs. The direct perceiver, I claim, does not (and indeed may be completely unable to) give a description of the perceived object, without this lack (or inability) detracting from the fact that the object is directly perceived. In defending this view of direct perception, we need to become clearer on how it is possible for a belief to mediate one's perception of an object. There are (at least) two ways in which this can occur. Here's the first. A belief can be said to mediate one's perception of an object if a belief se... ...ld, itself, be an interpretation—but then we've simply displaced the problem one step, for the question will arise again with this interpretation, to wit, what is its object. Nor could the object of an interpretation simply be what satisfies the interpretation (or, put another way, whatever satisfies the descriptive beliefs associated with a perception) for an object could satisfy this interpretation, without being the de facto object of perception. Indeed, an object of indirect perception might not, in actuality, even satisfy one's associated descriptive beliefs—and still it will be indirectly perceived. Thus, the object of an indirect perception must be what is provided by a direct perception—what other object could be a candidate? That is, the notion of an indirect perception relies on a prior notion of a direct perception, and is indeed inconceivable without it.

Of Castles And Kings (chess) :: essays research papers

Of Castles and Kings Chess, which is believed to have originated in India, has come a long way since it’s earliest record and perhaps violent history. Since it’s origin, chess has undergone a few changes. One of the biggest changes in chess is the switch from classical openings to a new style referred to as hypermodern openings. Before you can understand this change, you must know about the history, rules, and strategy of chess.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many theories about the origination of chess. The most popular idea is that it originated from the game Chaturanga, once thought to be Chinese Checkers, but now is believed to be of Indian Origin (from India, the country). According to Eastern Legend, Chaturanga was invented by a man named Sissa. Sissa was a Brahman at the Court of King Balhait of India. King Balhait was tired of dice games that depended primarily on luck and chance, so he ordered his wise men to come up with a game that depended on a player’s judgement and skill. Sissa took an eight by eight grid of sixty-four squares, which back then in India was called an Ashtapada Board, and checkered it with with colors. The pieces he used were based on the four categories of the Indian army: The elephants, the cavalry, the chariots and the infantry. He also used the King and his chief counselor. Sissa made the rules so that you have to use strategy and skill in order to win. The King was ver y pleased with this new game. It reduced luck and chance to a small role. He ordered that it be played in every temple as training in the art of war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chaturanga spread Eastward to China, and on the way over there, it was transformed into Siang K’I, which is Chinese Chess. Chinese Chess is played on the points, rather than the squares. Chinese Chess traveled through Korea to Japan, where it transformed into Shogi, also known as The General’s Game. Chess also traveled Westward to Persia; there it was known as Shatranj. The Moors brought the game into Spain in the eighth century, from their traders took it to Russia. It wasn’t until the 15th century that Chess began to resemble the game we have now, with a Queen instead of the King’s counselor and Rooks, Knights, Bishops, and Pawns instead of elephants, cavalry, chariots and infantry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is it possible that chess is a violent or evil game?

Homeschooling Pros and Cons Essay -- Home School Education Essays

Homeschooling Pros and Cons Homeschooling is a rising alternative in children’s education. As with any other major movement there have been doubts and debates as well as support and promotion for this educational approach. Homeschooling was once the norm in society before there was a public school system. But the parents involved in homeschooling feel very strongly about the positive outcomes that it has brought about in the lives and success of their children. It has once again surfaced and become popular but there are several people who question the possible negative effects this option creates. Criticism of homeschooling is vast and there are several different aspects as to why it could be detrimental to the development of a child. One such argument is that experiences of diversity are lost when students are taught in the home. They have lost the opportunity to work with peers of varying culture and social statuses in an academic environment. Such experiences are essential preparation for social and professional life outside the home. Without this training at an early age they may be at a disadvantage when forced to go out into the work force. Another reason why some people disapprove of homeschooling is that since the parents can design what is taught their children only are exposed to the parents’ views. This results in the children having limits on their ability to form their own views and ultimately forming their own unique personality and values. Also to be considered is lack of work ethic built through a structured school setting. The discipline that is learned will be used later on to maintain a steady job and allows them to become accustomed to the rigidity of professional industry. Also in the classroom children ... ...November 23, 2003, from EBSCOhost on the World Wide Web: http://search.epnet.com Ray, B. (2002). Customization through homeschooling. Educational Leadership 59(7), 50-55. Retrieved November 23, 2003, from EBSCOhost on the World Wide Web: http://search.epnet.com Reich, R. (2002). The civic perils of homeschooling. Educational Leadership 59(7), 56-60. Retrieved November 23, 2003, from EBSCOhost on the World Wide Web: http://search.epnet.com Staehle, D (2000). Taking a different path: A mother’s reflection on homeschooling. Roeper Review 22(4), 270-272. Retrieved November 23, 2003, from EBSCOhost on the World Wide Web: http://search.epnet.com Wichers, M. (2001). Homeschooling: Adventitious or detrimental for proficiency in higher education. Education 122(1), 145-151. Retrieved November 23, 2003, from EBSCOhost on the World Wide Web: http://search.epnet.com

Cognitive Processes Paper Essay

Subliminal perception is believed to be effected by its based finding of mind control, weather it’s one person or group of people. Mind control can be used on a group of people without their awareness. The perception of this idea is to get people to do things that would not normally do. For instance, during the 1950s there was a message that says Drink Coca-Cola which attack many people into trying this product or making them thirsty for a cold Coca Cola. This ad was used enter a person mind while making them thirsty for the item, because the company wants to sell their product (Pratkanis, 1992). This ad was used in order to send a subliminal message to the unconscious mind so they would try the product without knowing they were being control in to doing something they did not want to do. The company strategically is to mind persuade or manipulated each individual into doing what the company what the individual to without them knowing they are being brainwash into doing someth ing new. Once an individual feeds into an ad, the subliminal message has persuaded several individual into trying or buying a new product. Subliminal Perception is a manipulation of thoughts, attitudes, and a behavior which is observes by their awareness of stimulus. Since there is some controversy, there is adequate evidence on how observer’s response can be affected by the stimuli in which they claim how they have not seen. The cognitive psychologist is not predominantly devastating, but the media and the public has responded several times to the notion of subliminal perception. Most people do not think of being subliminal manipulation but we need to determine whether the conditions are reflected within the product. So now each individual is control into purchasing these items without knowing how they were manipulated into making a purchase. Throughout the years subliminal perception has been used on many advertisements in order to influence each person to purchase their product weather they need it or not (Moore 1982, 1988). Visual perception is what we our eyes and brain does on daily basics. When looking at images we see them as a whole instead of in sections. Although, images can be broken into their visual elements, such as shapes, lines texture and color. These images that we see allow our eyes to focus helps our brain to get acquainted with the image, in order for us to transmit the information into our brain. Psychologist explains the process of the physical energy which is received by the sense organs. These sensory are converted into perceptions of sight, sound smell taste, and touch (McLeod, 2007). Since there are two different approaches of visual perception, the first approach is to perceive the constructive while approaching the pondering. The direct approach is to emphases the richness of the visual environment from moment to moment. Whereas the constructive approach is what could be considered the subsequent steps of the visual experience which include the roles of memory, imagination while problem solving the world as we see it. Although, the constructive approach attend to focus more on the cognitive factors rather than specify the aspects of visual stimulus (Rochat 1999) When processing the visual perception their main focus emphasize on the top down interpretation which inherent the expectation of our knowledge while surrounding the information of the cognitive factors. Wagner and Sparrow (2004) talk about the direct bodily feedback from the visual perception and how their action is significant and appreciate to the three dimensional worlds. Vision is the majority prevailing sense; in which we use for all information throughout the world. Once we open our eyes there is some form of light that enters our eye while processing this information to our brain. Once this information has enter our brain we see object and how they operate and they way they move. Visual perception has taken a different approach of perception, beginning with its function of vision which serves as an active observer within the environment. The general induction of our current knowledge is to study the vision and its function (Wade & Swanston, 2001). Auditory perception has the capability to recognize and understand sound with explicit organs, such as a person ear. Each sound can exists in the form of vibrations which can travel through the air or other substances. Our ears can identify the sound of vibrations, while converting it into a nerve impulse which is immediately sent to the brain where it can be distinguish. If an individual is deaf he or she has no auditory perception because they cannot interpret any sound. Although, when it comes to animals they can make out different sound, especially dogs they are skilled in perceiving sounds of a very high pitch where as humans cannot hear a sound of that capacity. There are several factors that can affect the auditory perception further than hearing any type of sounds. Our brain is mostly responsible for it many processes it can turn a large group of incoming noise into something useful and clear. Auditory perception discrimination is a process of being able to know the differences between sounds; however it is tremendously important to know the language of sound as if it was speaking different sounds. Among the affect of discrimination the foreground and the background is a significant part of auditory discrimination. It’s important to be focus on the important noises so the not so important notice will not be so overwhelming to the human ear. ( Broadbent, 1958, and Cherry 1953). Reference Michael T. Swanston; Nicholas J. Wade Authors Visual Perception An Introduction 2nd Edition. McLeod, S, A. (2007). Visual Perception Retrieved from www.simplypschology.org

Organizational Behavior-Communication Essay

1. Present which channels of communications should be emphasized and how these channels will be used to ensure that the traditional departments (e.g., IT, human resources, customer service, and sales) at SWC headquarters have necessary accurate and timely information. Communication in an organization or company is very important in achieving goals and objectives. It is oftentimes used in relaying information, messages and issues that concern the success of a company or organization. It is the medium used by most of the high ranking officials and members to have an organized and timely delivery of information in every office or department for instance. Various types of communication or channels had been used. These communication channels are used by the companies to convey and interact well with the employees in order to improve and attain growth of the organization. There are two types of channels—indirect and direct communication. Indirect communication is used when the interaction is not face-to-face. It uses medium such as different types of technologies like computers, monitors and among others. The most common type of indirect communication is the teleconferencing.   On the other hand, direct communication is a face-to-face type of communication. This is common when all of the members of the team are present in just one area. 2. Which channels will be key to those work teams with all members located within headquarters? In the case of SWC, all of the members of the team are within the headquarters, it is best to use direct communication. In relaying this message , a memo can be sent to the members of the team to inform them of the activity that will be done within the headquarters. It is a common knowledge that doing a meeting or gathering within a certain place when all of the people are present, it is best to employ the direct communication. If the head of the department do not have the time to write a memo the most common thing done is to send an email to the members stating the information and issues that should be discussed and later on meet face-to-face with the members. It is not advisable that the leader will just send an email to all the members even if all are present within one area. On the other hand, an email might be good to relay the information fast and easy but still it connotes something to the members. The members might think that the leader of the team is not interested in talking with them. So, there are also strengths and weaknesses of these channels. But in this case, a good leader nurtures a relationship with the members through constant socialization, constant talking with them and assuring that the company is still wants them and will be like a friend that whenever the company decides to change leadership and people the members will be the first to know. It is showing of sincerity with the members of the team. In a study done by the Harvard business school, they projected what a good manager is. They found out that the effective manager spends more than 80 percent of their time in interacting with their personnel and staff. Furthermore, their study said that interaction and conversations within the working area is important in leading a company or organization. It is human capital and social capital that is working in order to achieve and create what the company wants such as increasing productivity while enhancing innovation. In another research done by Ron Burt from the University of Chicago, a leading researcher on the social capital of managers has found, through numerous studies, that certain patterns of connections that individuals build with others brings them higher pay, earlier promotions, greater influence, better ideas and overall greater career success. Burt believes that good social capital provides a much higher return on investment in human capital – the two work toge ther. (Krebs, 2005) In another research done at the Norwegian school of economics, a manager or team leader with a better social networking were more productive since they are sincere with their work, they can easily coordinate with the members without hesitation and coordinate tasks in order to finish a certain project and accomplish the goals and objectives of the project (Krebs, 2005). 3. We may have virtual self-managed teams with members located in different parts of the world. The members have yet to meet each other. These teams are each focusing on designing and delivering specific products to certain customers by designated dates. On the other hand, while face-to-face interaction is important in achieving productivity the introduction of various technologies cannot be ignored. Some of the teams of SWC are located in various areas where there is difficulty of meeting face-to-face. In this kind of interaction, teleconferencing has been used by many organizations and companies in order to hold a meeting or to discuss an issue that concerns the company. Also, one of the successful interactions is through networking. This technology helps individuals communicate with each other even if it is across the world. It is a laborious and costly though but once it is set up many of the staff outside the headquarters will benefit from it. From this networking there will be better information flow and exchange of communication among the team members(Lussier, 2005) If SWC were to consider the virtual self-managed teams, below are some key areas that would be evaluated. A virtual self-managed team has been around the globe today. It is used by the outsourcing companies such as call centers, medical transcriptionist, and even tutorials online. Through the introduction of the technology people have embraced this and been nurturing and disseminating it to the others. But before going into a deeper context of the virtual self-managed team, a creation of this team is very important such as choosing the right person to manage and disseminate information. There are a lot of criteria in choosing the person. One of this is the knowledge and skills on the technology that will be used in the entire implementation of the project or program. Individuals who are adept with various types of technologies and willing to be trained again and again just to ensure that there will be no problems later on in the implementation.   Individuals who have lots of connections and networks that can assist them with their problems in terms of technology. Individuals who are willing to share later on their knowledge and not be tacit about the new information and studies so that there will be transfer of skills., and someone that cannot only design programs but can facilitate information flow and sharing of knowledge. a. What communication channel(s) would you recommend for the initial meeting? For the initial meeting of the team, it would be best that is done face-to-face. This is the first meeting so it should build rapport with each other. Even if there are the use of technologies later on, at least during the initial meeting and introduction of each other there already a communication among them. b. What communication channel(s) would you recommend as key interactions (you are not limited to those channels listed in the exhibit)? Later on, after the initial meeting the team can discuss issues through teleconferencing, phone calls, chat messengers and among others that might not require the presence of each other and spend costly fares just to be in one place. Organization of the issues beforehand is also important because this will identify how urgent the meeting should be or is it just one of the meetings and phone calls would be enough. c. Explain how these teams will meet the challenges of each of the stages of group/team development. Engaging in this kind of set-up, virtual self-managed team, is difficult to maintain though. It will require energy because this does not only entail communication but it also needs feedback and learning (source) among the team members. In order to meet these challenges there should be a constant communication even it is called â€Å"virtual† because through this monitoring can be done as well as learning along the way. d. What challenges does diversity present? What must be done to meet these challenges? Diversity in people is very challenging. Every person has its own personality, culture and attitude. Constant learning through trainings can be a good answer to it. e. From a communications point of view, what are the advantages and what are the disadvantages of virtual self-managed-teams? Virtual self-managed team is cost-effective. The only costs that will be incurred are the gadgets that will be used during the networking and conferencing. It can also be done anywhere and anytime of the day. Just put the set up and voila there will be a meeting in the middle of beach. On the other hand, it has also disadvantages. Since it will not require the presence of the person it does not nurture a relationship and does not build rapport among the team. Oftentimes than not, the reaction and the feelings will be not be felt if it is only in the monitor or phone calls. Conversations can be faked and might build walls.

Racial bias in the criminal justice system Essay

Numerous study have found widespread racial bias in US criminal justice system. A new report issued by a coalition of civil rights organizations calls the â€Å"massively and pervasively biased† treatment on blacks and Hispanics by the US police and courts the major civil rights problem of the twenty-first century entitled â€Å"Justice on Trial : Racial Disparities in the American Criminal Justice System.† The study finds that minorities in the US face discriminatory treatment at every stage of the judicial process, from arrest to incarceration. The 95 page report was issued by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights based in Washington DC. It’s findings show that blacks, Hispanics and other minorities face unfair targeting by police and other law enforcement officials, racially biased charging and plea bargaining decisions by prosecutors and discriminatory  sentencing by judges.In a report released from Washington DC- Amnesty International criticized Us Federal and state justice systems as riddled with racial discrimination. The report, Racism and the Administration of Justice, cites  as evidence the disproportionate rate of minorities incarcerated, sentenced to death, and executed in the US. In its report, Amnesty International cited cases of racial profiling, unlawful use of force, unlawful shootings, and  deaths in custody affecting minorities from at least 10 states in the US. African Americans and other minorities suffer disproportionate rates of incarceration, accounting for 60 percent of the 1.7 million people currently in jail or prison in the US. African American men are imprisoned at more than eight times the rate of white men, and one third of all young African American men are in jail or prison, on parole, or on probation. African American women are imprisoned at eight times, and Hispanic women at four times, the rate of white women.The overwhelming majority of victims of police brutality, unlawful shootings and deaths in custody are members of racial minorities. A study of 2,000 murder cases in Georgia found that the odds of a death sentence in cases in which blacks murdered whites were s much as 11 times higher than when whites murdered blacks. A study found that in Philadelphia a black defendant is four times more likely to receive a  death sentence than a white defendant. Racism that perverts the course of justice is a daily fact of life for many in the US, yet this plague of bias is over looked, ignored or openly tolerated by police chiefs , prison wardens, judges and our political leaders.Today a full two-thirds of America’s two million prisoners are people of color. One million are African American and 400,000 are Hispanic/  Latino. People of color represent one third of those arrested for drug crimes, but two-thirds of those sent to prison. Whites and racial minorities live in  completely different worlds when it comes to the American criminal justice system.. Since as far back as the 1920’s minorities have been ov er-represented in federal and state prisons. Minorities were then 25% of all prisoners while only about ten percent of the total population.The Kerner Commission warned in its report: â€Å"Our nation is moving towards two societies, one black, one white-separate and unequal.Coramae Richey Mann, Unequal Justice, suggests that white Americans view the classic rapist as a â€Å"black man,† the typical opium user as a â€Å"yellow man,† the archetypal knife wielder as a â€Å"brown man,† the â€Å"red man† as a drunken Indian, and each of these people of color as collectively constituting the â€Å"crime problem†. The race or ethnicity of the stereotyped perpetrator varies between African American, Hispanic, or Native American depending on the nature of the crime or the section of the country.These prejudicial images provide a social-psychological under girding upon which many of the discriminatory aspects of the criminal justice system are  constructed.Racial Discrimination is defined as including any distinction or impairing the exercise of a person’s human rights. The discriminatory treatment of people of color in the criminal justice system fits squarely under  this standard.

Characteristic of Good Co-Worker Essay

When you work at a company, your colleagues obviously constitute an important factor that conduce to an interesting or horrible job. As far as I’m concerned, a great colleague is an enthusiastic, responsible, and friendly person. To begin with, I believe that an enthusiastic worker will not only accomplish his or her tasks quickly but also be able to foster other people who collaborate with him or her . This is because when I was previously working in a software development team, one of my teammates always showed zeal for our projects. He agreed to do every tasks that team leader gave to. In addition, he normally finished the tasks earlier than other co-workers. This resulted in that other people in the team including me were encouraged by his great enthusiasm. We tried our best to work and complete our tasks as soon as possible. Our projects, therefore, were usually accomplished before deadline. Secondly, how do you work with irresponsible co-workers? My brother, who work in a bank, usually complains about his colleagues. Since they usually leave their position during working hours for personal activities, they don’t fulfill their tasks, hence my brother have to help them to carry out their ones. Consequently, for me, being responsible is always considered to be a vital trait that every co-workers needs to possess. Last but not least, friendly co-workers will create a friendly and comfortable working atmosphere that can increase the interest of employees in their job. For example, I was pressurized greatly into doing my projects one year ago. However, by communicating with friendly colleagues, I felt more relaxed and was able to perform the project completely. Furthermore, since we are friendly people, our team are capable of collaborating more efficiently. Thus, our projects are usually finished quickly. In conclusion, although I have not had many chances to work with various people yet, there may be more other characteristics to define a great colleague. However, I believe that a person who possesses enthusiastic, responsible and friendly qualities is definitely a great colleague.

Capacity Building as an International Response to Cybercrime Assignment

Capacity Building as an International Response to Cybercrime - Assignment Example From the srudy findings it is clear that technologies used by people globally are required to be organised for better usage in terms of social consideration. It is apparent that Information and communication technology (ICT) has been rapidly transformed over the past two decades especially in the northern and southern regions of the world owing to which numerous development has been observed in various domains. Notably, the development of ICT has enlarged the choices of people, which further helped them towards personal and professional growth. This discussion stresses that cybercrimes are offences against computer systems, which are conducted within or via computer networks. It affects the security along with the rights of the people living in a society and on the hand, it further strengthening the presence of crime within a society. It has been analysed that cybercrime raised considerable risk for infrastructure to which the people in a society are dependent that further impact the aspect of security and trust in a negative manner. Cybercrime is a particular crime that is conducted with the use or within computers and internet networks. It is regarded by legal authority as a punishable crime and is one of the major issues to be resolved in the contemporary scenario. Cybercrime is also often regarded as computer crime, which involve the use of computer, as a particular instrument to conduct illegal activities such as fraud, child pornography and unauthorized access or damage of other’s property among others.

Marketing Strategy TOTAL INTEGRATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Strategy TOTAL INTEGRATION - Essay Example Piercy places great emphasis on the brand identity of the company in integrating marketing and communication campaigns. Total integration involves; Today Primark has established itself as one of the competitive retail store chain in UK, Ireland and Spain with a total of 173 retail outlets at strategic locations. Employing more than 25000 people the company has been in value clothing for well over 35 years and has also been voted as 'Best Value High Street Fashion' by GMTV and ITV viewers1. This study is an effort to look into the practical implementation of the theoretical aspects relating to marketing strategies, HR support, marketing communication, brand equity proposition, strategic alliance etc. which have been instrumental in the success of Primark. To evaluate the strategies adopted by Primark, while using various tools like Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT, PEST, Ansoff Matrix etc. an effort would also be made to compare the performance of Primark with some other retail companies like Topshop, Prada, Asda, Tesco etc. and how Primark has been able to beat the competition. One of the key weapons in the armoury of Primar k has been its ability to come out with items at rates cheaper than the rivals. It will be quite interesting to learn how the company has been able to come out with such lower prices. ... and how Primark has been able to beat the competition. One of the key weapons in the armoury of Primark has been its ability to come out with items at rates cheaper than the rivals. It will be quite interesting to learn how the company has been able to come out with such lower prices. Retail business is at the base of running a retail store, trying to earn the loyalty of customers, while at the same time trying to grab attention of newer customers. Piercy (2001) has also pointed out the desires of many company executives some of the issues as prerequisite towards being more customer friendly. The issues pointed out are like; Value of the product or service in achieving a successful strategy in taking on the competition. This is also concerned with customer relationship management. Mele and Colurci (2006) provide distinctive paradigms for value as such. It is stated that the term 'value' can be defined in different ways according to the adopted perspective of analysis; it is possible to determine a 'customer value', a 'firm value' and a 'stakeholder value'. Online presence of the companies to cater to customers spread across a larger area and keeping in mind the convenience of the customer Total integration of company's resources and capabilities to deliver a product which is able to fulfil the needs of customer. Consideration of effective planning, strategizing and creativity as the key to come out with effective performance. From the strategic planning point of view, competitor analysis is very important for any company's long-term survival (Kotler, 1972). The first step towards such an analysis begins by identifying the strengths and

Marketing Mix Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Mix - Research Paper Example According to the research findings there are four significant elements of the marketing mix in as far as marketing a business organization’s products and services are concerned. These elements, also known as the four Ps of marketing include product, price, place and promotion. The marketing mix is therefore a combination of promotion, product place and pricing strategies intended to generate equally satisfying exchanges within a target market. According to Ehmke et.al business organizations have to design a successful mix of the product, price, place and promotion. Product refers to the goods or services offered by the business organization or firm to its customers. Other than the physical product itself, there exist also a number of elements associated with the product, which attracts customers. Other attributes of a product include features, brand name, warranties, options, services and quality. A business organization’s products appearance, support and function sum u p what an organization’s customer is essentially buying. Successful business organization managers pay keen attention to the needs their product package addresses for their prospective customers as it is the right products that satisfy the needs of their prospective customers. On the other hand, price refers to how much a business organization charges its products or services. Out of all the elements of the marketing mix, price is the only one that gives rise to sales revenue since all the other elements are costs. The price of a product or service is thus a significant determinant of the sales value made. According to Ehmke et.al (2005), determining the price of a product or service is often a tricky as well as a frightening exercise for a number of business organizations. Pricing has to take into account a number of internal as well external factors such as actual costs, prices of competing products or services, expected profit margins, as well as the likely legal restricti ons. However, in theory, prices are determined by discovering what the customers perceive is the value of the product or service on sale. Researching customers’ (consumers) opinions regarding pricing is therefore important as this points out how they value, what they are looking for in a product or service as well as what they intend to pay (Ehmke et.al, 2005).Product price ought therefore to be right, as consumers need to purchase in large amounts to produce healthy profits. Place refers to the channels of distribution that a business organization employs in order to get its products or services to its customers. Ensuring the product or service is at the right place and at the right time involves the channels or system of distribution. The choice of the channel of distribution by an organization depends on various circumstances. For instance, a number of organizations sell their products or services to wholesalers who thereafter sell it to retailers. Other organizations, on the other hand, prefer selling directly to retailers or consumers (Ehmke et.al, 2005). Promotion refers to how a business organization informs prospective customers about the availability of products, its prices and its place. The purpose of promotion is to ensure prospective custo

Economic Growth and Unemployment Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Economic Growth and Unemployment - Dissertation Example 2.1 Theories of Economic Growth in UK For several years, economists have debated on the drivers of economic growth of a country. In this section of the research proposal, certain ideas of economists will be reviewed to present a concrete idea about the driving factors. According to articles released by Tutor2u (2010), the best definition for economic growth would be to determine it as a â€Å"long term expansion of the productive potential of the economy†. The theory suggests that for measuring the economic growth trend, at least data of past 20 years is required. This is essential for calculating the average rate of growth and identifying different cycles of economic growth. This trend calculation also allows for estimating the future rate of growth sustainability without creating any increase in the pressure of inflation (Tutor2u, 2010). The chart above demonstrates the potential level of national income for the UK economy over the last 30 years. The trend shows that the UK’s national income is expected to rise every year except certain uncertainties. Another essential factor of the chart is the long run average potential for growth. 2.2 Theories Related to the Economic Growth and Employment in UK The focus of the literature review is to measure the relationship between the rate of growth and level of employment in the UK economy. Data released by Department for Business Innovation and Skills (2010) shows the co-movement of UK’s GDP and employment since the last 30 years.

Has or Can the West be a Chance for Islam Essay

Has or Can the West be a Chance for Islam - Essay Example They were naturally inspired by what they had known and experienced in their countries of origin" The democratic society that reigns in America makes major concessions and overtures to all forms of religious practices including education. However, one must address the obvious differences in the social doctrines of Islam and America. Whereas, America has the continuity of a successful democracy, Islam is subject to changes made by approved ulama (scholars). These scholars are often from the Middle East therefore, making changes that suit and reflect foreign sentiments towards American society. These factors have been a major contributor to the rise in terrorist affiliations amongst Western Muslims, as foreign Sheikhs and Mullahs have used aggression to permeate the social fabric of those who form the modern doctrine of Islamic jurisprudence and education in the Middle East. From there, this contaminated doctrine guides the societal pursuits of American Muslim groups. This catalysis effect has caused groups like Al Qaeda who represent the Wahabi sect of Islam which is made up of a minority of 10% of Muslims worldwide to have a dominant influence on what is taught in western madrassahs because of their significant influence in the Middle East that has been projected across over 60 nations abroad. These problems are greatly increased by the strategic alliance that seen Al Qaeda and their fellow Wahabi scholars join forces with Shia and Sunni scholars in the Middle East which represent the leadership of over 80% of Muslims worldwide. This reality brings serious questions to mind as to how to prevent terror from emanating from the Islamic curriculum of western Muslims who either brought this type of doctrine to America from overseas or seek guidance from those who are influenced by the same. Terror based Fatwahs have always benefited from these types of parameters that continue to control the 'Islamic education' in the west.Jones 3 Integration The problems noted in the education section clearly present very serious concerns in regard to integration. What type of integration will take place (terrorist intent or democratic reciprocity) It would be extremely nave for one to suggest that a 'Islamic education' that is contaminated by those with terrorist intent will not make allowances for societal catalysis effects that are negative and potentially lethal in every sense of the word. It is imperative that western Muslims make significant strides in the way of achieving scholastic autonomy in order to protect their educational system, as this will prove to be a critical step in terror prevention in addition to setting a new precedent in regards to those who think that western Muslims are puppets of scholars in the Middle East. This type of initiative will potentially save thousands of lives through the

Employee Annual self-Evaluation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Employee Annual self-Evaluation - Assignment Example Having the positive attitude and self-confidence to succeed, while motivating the work team to remain focused on the job details, is my progress agenda. This involves meeting the delivery deadlines and work challenges in a responsible manner. Treating fellow workers with respect, following the transparent practices in communication with clients and co-workers, while personally admitting the mistakes remains the important aspect of my ethics policy. I resolve that I must set an example, where others will follow me. Meeting the clients and my co-workers on regular basis, for efficient and timely execution of jobs undertaken, remains high on my work agenda. This is with a view to uphold the confidence shown by clients in capability of the company executing the orders efficiently. Efficient communication, with a problem-solving attitude, while dealing with my coworkers remains the top priority. Respecting the ethical and cultural ethos as well as differences, I try to hold others accountable. Meeting commitments, while promoting cohesive work culture and recognition through rewards is the benchmark for me. Contributing to success of the company through proper follow up of client feedback is my target. This includes the will to listen to others, for understanding my strengths and weaknesses in a constructive manner. Accepting changes in the system with an open mind, while identifying new business opportunities for the company is my strategic goal for performance. This includes working towards getting the support of all relevant people in the organization. I constantly work towards acquiring more knowledge in my professional field, by employing work-experience and academic principals in an efficient manner to remain successful at my job, while aspiring for going higher on the corporate

Credit & Identity Theft Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Credit & Identity Theft - Research Paper Example You should know all of your payment due dates. Make a list of all your regular due dates and if a bill doesn’t show up, look into it right away. You should always review your medical insurance claims and statements. Medical costs are so high that it would only take one or two fraudulent claims to leave you owing thousands of dollars for treatments someone else received. Another way to protect yourself is to invest in a paper shredder. There is just so much information on so many different bills and statements that can easily fall into the wrong hands. Before you throw away anything with any personal information on it, shred it! Another good idea to take advantage of the three free credit reports that you can access every year. You can space them apart so that you can review a credit report every 4 months. Not only is it important to keep someone from accessing your identity or your credit but it’s just as important that you become aware of it right away. The longer it goes undetected, the longer it will take you to repair your name, your identity and your credit. It’s important to keep in mind that this is a global problem. Last year I got a phone call from my credit card company asking if I had made two charges totally about $1000 in France. They told me that the two charges were actually â€Å"swipes† at two stores in Paris, France which means that someone had actually made up a fake credit card with my credit card number on it and passed it through a credit card machine. Even though they didn’t allow the two charges I felt violated that somehow somebody had gotten my credit card information. Mine was a small case. Some people have been financially ruined with their bank accounts emptied; credit cards â€Å"maxed† out, home and car loans initiated without the victim’s knowledge until it was too late. As I stated earlier, if your identity is stolen it is important that you find out as quickly as

Plato on Justice Essay Example for Free

Plato on Justice Essay Platos interpretation of justice as seen in ? The Republic is a vastly different one when compared to what we and even the philosophers of his own time are accustomed to. Plato would say justice is the act of carrying out ones duties as he is fitted with. Moreover, if ones duties require one to lie or commit something else that is not traditionally viewed along with justice; that too is considered just by Platos accounts in ? The Republic. I believe Platos account of justice, and his likely defense against objections are both clear and logical, thus I will endeavor to argue his views as best as I can. Platos view of justice ties in with his view of a perfect world. In Platos ideal world, the society would be a wise one, wise in understanding that their own position in society is just. This society in turn, must carry out their duties fitted to them by their position. Unfortunately the real world does not function in that manner, Plato understanding that ? fault with society tells us that if the society is lacking wisdom, the most wise ones would be philosophers, (473d) and society should consider them to be the authority. Plato believes that being just is so innately important that everyone is better off being just than unjust, no matter the situation. Plato in 360e-362d uses Glaucon to make this point, Glaucon asks who is better off? The just or the unjust, given the premises that the unjust man is rich, famous, respected, and powerful and that the just man is poor, defamed, and lives a life of suffering. Platos only real way to answer this is to prove that justice is innately good and that injustice is innately evil; simply prove the poor, defamed man happy and the rich, respected unjust man unhappy. Plato goes about this by explaining what justice is; justice has to do with doing what is right, and there exists some specific virtue in everything, which enables it to work well. If it is deprived of that nature, in contrast it would suffer. It is much the same with the soul, the soul must also perform its specific virtue. The more virtuous, or ? just a soul is, the happier the soul is. The happier the soul is, the happier the person is. Therefore a just man lives happily and well, whereas an unjust man would not. This argument follows the a=b b=c therefore a=c argument form. Another objection, brought about by a radical and different theory of Justice is brought up by Plato in a conversation between Socrates and Thrasymachus. In this argument Thrasymachus defines justice as in the interest of the stronger. This basically means that justice belongs in the hands of the rulers, and that the rulers are whoever is stronger, therefore getting to a ruling position. Laws are then made, based on the ruling partys interest, and only theirs. Those who violate such created laws, will get punished for breaking the law and so on and so forth. Socrates completely disagrees with this theory of justice and gives the analogy of a physician who is studying and exercising his power is in fact doing so in the interest of his patients, not himself. In the same manner, the government will do what is in the interest of the people, and not of itself. Some unanswered objections that may come up against Platos idea of justice may target the part where he believes that philosophers are the only qualified individuals to run his ideal society. Plato believes that philosophers have knowledge, I pose a scenario where there are no more philosophers, perhaps because of a philosopher massacre, or one where there is simply nobody wise enough. One can easily make the argument that since philosophy is dealing with the same questions for the past 2500 years, that we are actually not wise, and in fact quite the opposite. I believe that for the most part, Plato has a successful account of justice. Platos criticism of then present theories of justice and his defense against the xxxxxx theories make sense logically. Furthermore, Plato was ages ahead of his time by arguing for equal rights among men and woman when concerning the guardians, unlike Aristotle who got almost everything wrong and most likely set philosophy and other sciences back centuries, I believe Plato was ages ahead of his time in understand that men and women are equal in at least the ? capacity to understand reality and make reasonable judgments about it. (454d) However; just that fact does not lead to a proper defense against arguments. One thing a reader may have a problem is that Plato seems to be showing a little Heidegger by alluding to a dictatorship which are ruled by the wise, namely, philosophers. Even if such a Nazi and Communist-esque dictatorship were to be implemented, I fear it would hit the same brick wall that other dictatorships face, the people will not sit idly by while they are told what to do. I believe that leads to a larger problem. Plato seemingly wants to hint more and more at an innate knowledge which includes justice, or if the person does not have this innate knowledge he can be taught in society: knowledge and the just thing to do. I believe this poses a problem for Plato, if society innately knows the correct thing to do, but does not do it, then this is contradictory with the definition of justice Plato wants for us. And if there is one thing philosophers have insisted upon over time is that there are no contradictions. In its defense; I do not know of any philosophical questions that have a complete answer, otherwise there would be no more philosophy. Even with the possible shortcomings, Plato argues his justice logically, and uses Glaucon and Adeimentus well, to show the strengths of his arguments.