Wednesday, October 30, 2019

NURSING RESEARCH DISCUSION Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

NURSING RESEARCH DISCUSION - Assignment Example From all the importance listed above, many government agencies as well as professional associations have come up with specific rules in relation to biomedical research. For example, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Institute of health (NIH) play crucial roles. Institutional review board (IRB) is an organization that has the role of monitoring as well as approving biomedical research on human subjects. Even though IRB has the key function of safeguarding human subjects, it has failed in fully implementing its role. As stated by bioethicists, IRB has not been strict in carrying out its roles due to conflicts of ideologies. An example of failed protection against human rights is depicted where a fake product called Adhesiabloc was approved by Coast International Review Board. In addition, IRBs have exemptions in a number of human subjects for example research on human subject that involve special as well as standard instructional

Monday, October 28, 2019

Philosophy of Mind Essay Example for Free

Philosophy of Mind Essay Since centuries, our philosophers have been trying to unravel mysteries of our memory, thought processes, different emotions, will power and imaginations culminating into what is known as different intellectual and conscious part of our personality.   Our mind, as our great literary figures have posited, is a stream of our consciousness and is a part of our brains inherent processes. Our mind is a place where our reasoning power gets the shape and takes the practical form. As also said in Indian Vedic philosophy, He who knows the receptacle (Ayatana) verily becomes the receptacle of his people. Mind is verily the receptacle (of all our knowledge). – (Chhandogya Upanishad, V-i-5.) Different studies by our philosophers have been compounded into various theories each delving into the depth of various aspects of our mind processes. Its earliest studies have been found in the works of Zarathushtra, Mahatma Budha, Plato, Aristotle, Adi Shankara and many more ancient Greek and Indian Philosophers.   Many of the pre scientific philosophers based their theories on relationship between the mind and the soul, supernatural elements of faith, having a feeling of closeness with divinity or god, but on the other hand modern theorists based their theories on their research and scientific studies of the brain. These theories rely heavily on the fact that the mind is a phenomenon of the brain and is a tantamount of consciousness. The study of the relationship between the body and mind is the most central aspect to the philosophy of mind, despite of the fact that there are number of issues related to the nature of the mind which does not take into consideration its relationship to the physical body. The most crucial and complex differences of thoughts are arising among different theorists regarding the exact and most appropriate theory of mind. Though various theorists have developed their own different versions to make us understand our own functioning of mind yet as more and more theories are coming up, more and more it is getting difficult to come out with the best theory of all. As all theories are able to capture the intensity of readers to make us understand the core of our mind and thoughts, yet it is very challenging to understand â€Å"Which is the best?† Here I am trying to unravel the mystery to understand which theory-Dualism, mind-brain identity or functionalism is a correct theory to understand all about mind. Dualism is a most important school of thought that has tried to solve the most paradoxical and most important relationship of mind and body problems. It has tried to make several attempts to sure that mind and body in some way or the other detach from each other. Roots of Dualism dates far back to Plato, Aristotle and the Sankhya and Yoga schools of Hindu philosophy but in a most precise way it was understood by Rene Descartes only in the 17th century. His philosophical disposition is based on the fact that the mind is independent in itself and constitutes two different kinds of substances like â€Å"res extensa meaning extended things, physical things† and â€Å"res cogitans means thinking things†, (Descartes, Online Edition ). The thinking things are beyond the dimensions of time and space and are thus separate in itself whereas Property dualists thinks that there are several independent properties known to us. It is quite clear from his disposition that he is trying to explain the importance and concept of soul, giving religious discourse. But in this all, he has tried to explain that there is an interaction of mind in pineal gland, from where there is a control on bodily actions and receive sensory perceptions. But this approach of Dualism is not without criticism as its properties are more of dubious in nature. Their theory is based on religion and their ardent faith but no element of scientific fact is found in this. If we visualize and understands that if there is a soul in our physical body and the soul can have drastic effect then it is quite natural that it should be able to generate new energy to bring the bodies into moment.    It is argued that if the soul exists and it can affect the body then it must be able to create new energy to move the body, but this is sheer violation of the theory of the conservation principle.   Owen Flanagan, in his The Science of the Mind says,†If the mind according to Descartes is not a physical system therefore it also could not have any energy to prove herself but in-order to increase this physical energy, the need of the hour is to get it transferred from other physical system but it is not possibl†e. (Owen Flanagan, pp. 21, Mind creators.com). To overcome the limitations of the Dualism, several philosophers and psychologists began to ignore the very concept and existence of mind itself and by doing so their expectations to touch the cord of mind began to flow towards the realistic parts of our lives. Therefore in the beginning the new generation of philosophers came up with what is known as Type Identity Theory.  Ã‚   They posters the view that though the structure of every person’s brain is similar yet in the brain of every person there are certain differences therefore it is not possible to find oneself in a position of same neurological state. Therefore this theory soon took the shape of Token Taken theory implying that if there are two people having different neuropsychological states, then what is it that brings them into the same mental state? And to this they answered that it is due to the function of those two states only that had created them same. This leads to functionalism theory, which says that, â€Å"Two different brain-state tokens would be tokens of the same type of mental state if the two brain states had the same causal relations to the input stimulus that the organism receives, to its various other mental states, and to its output behavior†. (Functionalism, online edition). In simple words, he said that there were supposed to be two thoughts, which are same, and all of the inputs, internal and external, lead to the same output. With this statement, psychologists tried to bring all the conditions of the mind set in equilibrium. This leads to the functionalism theory. Though there are several problems to this approach too yet we can very say that if this theory of functionalism is adopted, it will take us into next major breakthrough, but all is not well with Functionalism too as it failed to explain in clear terms the fact that even if there are conditions of different physical states which gives different material phenomenon, then there is no possibility of different physical structures to regain equality.  Ã‚   . While there is a great controversy to come at the concrete conclusion about which one is correct theory of mind,, but it is a matter of fact that functionalism is the most popular theory among scientists as well as philosophers of today. According to this theory, all the aspects of mental state like beliefs, pains, hopes, fears, etc. depends and are divided on the bases of their activity and are characterized by the jobs they do, or in other words according to the functions that they perform. Just like computers understands the main idea behind our thoughts process in the same way our brains captures our thought processes from our mind and induces us to act accordingly. WORKS CITED Anderson, David. â€Å"Introduction to Functionalism† Consortium on Mind/Brain Science Instruction. Internet. (2006) Available: http://www.mind.ilstu.edu/curriculum/functionalism_intro/functionalism_intro.php?modGUI=44compGUI=1403itemGUI=2447, March 5, 2008   Cofer, David. â€Å"Dualism† MindCreators.Com Internet. (2002) Available:   http://www.mindcreators.com/Dualism.htm, March 5, 2008 Cofer, David. â€Å"Functionalism† MindCreators.Com Internet. (2002) Available: http://www.mindcreators.com/Functionalism.htm, March 5, 2008 McAdoo, Oliver. â€Å"Critically discuss the idea that mental states are identical to physical states† arrod.co.uk Internet. Available: http://www.arrod.co.uk/essays/mind-brain-identity.php, March 5, 2008 Chance, Tom. â€Å"Mind-brain identity theory† Internet. Available: http://tom.acrewoods.net/research/philosophy/mind/identitytheory, March 5, 2008 Swamy   Sivananda, â€Å"Mind Its Mysteries Control†, The Divine Life Trust Society, 1994, World Wide Web Edition, 1998, A Divine Life Society Publication, Internet Available, http://www.dlshq.org/download/mind.htm Flanagan, Owen (1991). The Science of the Mind, 2nd edition. MIT Press. pp. 21.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Delegating Authority in a Large Organization Essay -- Business and Man

Delegating Authority in a Large Organization Management 330 Delegating authority in any large organization is required to keep a steady workflow within the organization. Delegation is the process of distributing the workload in a top-down flow within an organization. Managers have a responsibility to delegate for the benefit of themselves and their subordinates but should not abuse the power of delegation by using it to make others take responsibility for their mistakes. Delegation allows managers to relieve some of their workload and allows subordinates a chance to learn the management field through on the job training. There are various ways to delegate within an organization and proper and improper ways to do it. Delegation was accomplished at my previous employer through weekly assignment meetings or direct tasking. Because I stay at home now with the children, who are one and four years old, delegation consists of minor tasking such as making a bed or cleaning toys up. Rules for delegation stay the same at any home or organization, someone is passing work along to a subordinate so they can accomplish their own tasking or teach the subordinate what they need to learn. In a company, delegation generally follows a hierarchy and moves from top-level management to middle level management to lower level management to the workforce. The person delegated should be the appropriate level for the goal that will be accomplished. There is no sense in delegating a task to someone without the skill or knowledge to complete it unless the delegator is willing to teach the procedures to do so. Unfortunately some managers use delegation as a way to pawn responsibility off on subordinates and avoid circumstances involved with not achieving a goal. These are bad management practices and should not be tolerated by upper level management. Not taking responsibility for their actions can lead managers to have a dissatisfied workforce that is not willing to accept delegation of important assignments. There are multiple advantages and uses for management delegating tasks. As managers move from lower to mid to upper level management they take on more responsibility and larger workloads so saving time is a critical factor in delegating, most managers are required to focus on higher-level activities and it frees the manager to devote mor... ...n insightful knowledge, which the subordinate may very well have, this step can help everyone involved to understand the tasking that is to be done. Allotting the resources needed to complete the project can make or break the project. If proper resources are not allowed then the project can either not be done or will only be done to the limit of the resources that were allowed, which in most cases is unsatisfactory. Scheduling checkpoints for review to make sure that goals are being met and following through on those checkpoints to make sure that satisfactory progress is being made are the final steps in the delegation process. Not following the steps of proper delegation can lead to poor or inadequate goals being achieved and dissatisfaction among management and workers alike. Delegation should be used in some stages of management more than others. The planning and organizing stages of management require the most delegation for research into how to accomplish them and put plans into action. The leading stage of management requires some delegation to thin a managers workload. The controlling stage of delegation should require little to no delegation by a manager.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Nathaniel Hawthornes Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment :: Literature Authors Essays

Nathaniel Hawthorne's Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment Leon Trotsky, the Russian revolutionist, wrote in his Diary in Exile, " The depth and strength of a human character are defined by its moral reserves. People reveal themselves completely only when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their life, for only then do they have to fall back on their reserves." Nathaniel Hawthorne gives us a 19th century example of this phenomenon in "Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment". The theme of this story is that a person’s character, once developed does not change over time, and when faced with conflict and adversity, their true character becomes boldly evident. Hawthorne himself provides the narration, although he does not identify his character, nor is his character present during the experiment. The narrator appears to be telling this story based on events relayed to him by other people, and there are times throughout the story when Hawthorne admits that the events are sometimes unbelievable. He leads us to question whether this story actually takes place, or is the story merely a tool, a demonstration of a moral Puritan principle, similar to a parable found in the Bible. The effect is the same: a lesson about morality, about living life as God would want us to, and the consequences we suffer when we fail to do so. Relevant symbols are abounding in this story, from setting to names to objects. The dim room that the five occupy is a symbol of death, the death that they will soon face. Complete with dust, cobwebs and a skeleton, the description of the room is more like that of a mausoleum, instead of the good Dr.’s study. The oak bookcases are reminiscent of the wood that will create their coffins. More peculiar is the large black folio. The folio is a scrapbook that represents Dr. Heidegger’s life. We all have a folio. It is that glimpse of our own lives, that flash we see briefly but completely right before our eyes when faced with the unexpected reality of our own death. God sees this folio also, but in a manner more thoroughly than we would. In this sense Dr. Heidegger symbolizes God. But is Heidegger in fact playing God by giving these poor souls this elixir of life?

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Motivation and Organizational Culture Essay

A psychologically safe and healthy workplace is one that promotes the well-being of an individual. It is creating an environment that is enjoyable and respectful of all people, regardless of cultural or ethical differences. Japanese immigrant, Ayame Nakamura, is employed as a pharmaceutical project manager in California. The confrontational management style interferes with Ayame’s cultural background. Workplace motivation can affect areas such as productivity and influence organizational culture. Management Roles The main goal of management and workplace psychology is to create an environment that is conducive to allowing employees to perform at their highest potential. Management’s role in workplace psychology is a large component of overall satisfaction. Initially, there responsibility is to provide a workspace that is fair and diverse. This provides employees the opportunity to learn and grow within the company by giving them a chance for personal development. Psychologically, management should state clearly their expectations. Their role should be to support, promote flexibility, provide advancement opportunities, and offer praise when it’s due. Employees are more likely to put forth great effort with the knowledge that those efforts will be noticed and reviewed. The energy that management puts into their employees is paramount to creating growth both in the individual and the company. (Robbins, et al, 2011) Cultural Background and Feedback Language and actions are used to express ourselves or to get our ideas across to another. Verbal, nonverbal, and visual clues are all various methods using to establish, maintain, and modify relationships. Effective communication, regardless of culture, has the ability to help or harm any potential business relationship. Culture can be defined as the  characteristics of a particular group of people that may be defined by language, religion, social habits, or music. In the case of Ayame, a Japanese immigrant, her culture places a high emphasis on collectivism. Ayame’s culture places a high emphasis on giving the business aspect priority over placing emphasis on each individual in it. The pharmaceutical company she works for has a confrontational style that conflicts with her cultural background. Firm, consistent feedback that done in a gentler manner would encourage Ayame and keep her motivated and keep in line with her cultural beliefs. Ayame’s background encourages f ace to face communication that is a consensus of both herself and management. I would encourage the pharmaceutical company’s management team to review their communication strategies and have a meeting with Ayame to ensure that all parties are satisfied with the terms of employment. (Robbins, et al, 2011) Motivation Techniques Ayame’s motivation is lacking due to cultural issues in management’s confrontational management style. This confrontational style makes it difficult for her to receive and process feedback and is affecting her motivation. The pharmaceutical company needs to identify what motivates people and what does not. People tend to do their best work when they are in an environment in which they feel valued. Simple changes such as â€Å"thank you,† or â€Å"great job!,† can encourage an employee to go the extra mile. These simple changes could encourage Ayame and motivate her to put her best foot forward. According to Hackman and Olman (2011), â€Å"any job can be described in terms of the following five core job dimensions: skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. (pg 273). Ayame is likely motivated to do her job well, is able to complete the tasks, and can do so in an effective manner. She does, however, struggle in the final dimension. Management should support Ayame in the top three job dimensions. By guiding her through their expectations, they are giving Ayame a chance to show her skillset and they are supporting her in that position. Employees who are supported and feel valued are more productive. Areas such as job design, delegation of duties, and recognizing the manner in which Ayame processes and receives information are all methods of increasing her motivation. (Robbins, et al, 2011) The manner in which the world perceives  us and how we are perceived comes down to our actions. Motivation is the force that drives us to act, work harder, and that pushes us to succeed. There are several types of motivation with each type influencing how we respond in a different matter. Being mindful of each other cultural and ethical belief can affect the performance of all employees. Each person adds something to the melting pot that is the United States of America. In order to effectively motivate and go forward, each person needs to be mindful of the next. References Robbins, S., Decenzo, D., & Coulter, M. (2011) Fundamentals of management: Essential concepts and applications (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Prentice Hall. Sarafino, E.P. (2011). Health psychology: Biopsychosocial interactions (7th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: J John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

frederick douglass vs. david c essays

frederick douglass vs. david c essays Throughout the existence of man, peoples personalities, values, and beliefs are continuously shaped by the everyday experiences in their lives. During the nineteenth century it was men such as David Crockett and Frederick Douglass who showed everyone that daily life occurrences molded them into the men they were. Whether the experience was negative or positive, they took a lesson that would help them to accomplish their goals in ante-bellum America. Although Crockett and Douglass seem like very different men from different spectrums of society, they both shared strong values. In the year of 1786, on August 17th, a young boy named David was born to John Crockett and Rebecca Hawkins. John was a farmer who had served some time in the revolutionary war. His wife Rebecca was a woman very dedicated to her motherly obligations and housework. Living in Tennesse, David was raised along with six brothers and three sisters on a very small farmers income. His father seemed to be cursed with financial problems and was forced to hire out David to do odd jobs for the men he owed. Growing up, he quickly learned that hard work was a necessity for advancement in any aspect of life. He also saw that through sharing and generosity his family would survive. David joined the militia to fight in the Indian Wars on the frontiers. Becoming a soldier seemed to be the right thing in his mind possibly due to his grandparents death in an Indian raid. Here he learned once more about teamwork as well as bravery and leadership. During this time he was known to kill dangerous bears and feed his fellow soldiers who had no food. His generosity was well known throughout his company and he had helped feed the men many times. During his life he had a few bad business decisions that seemed to haunt him like his fathers financial woes. On one instance he built a powder mill, gristmill, and large distillery all together that happened to one-...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Learn German by Listening to German Golden Oldies

Learn German by Listening to German Golden Oldies Do you know who these people are? Roy Black, Lale Andersen, Freddy Quinn, Peter Alexander, Heintje, Peggy March, Udo Jà ¼rgens, Reinhard Mey, Nana Mouskouri, Rex Gildo, Heino, and Katja Ebstein. If those names sound familiar, you were probably in Germany during the 1960s (or early 70s). Each of those people had one or more hit songs in German during that era, and some of them are still musically active today! Its true that deutsche Schlager are not really â€Å"in† these days, especially the old, sentimental ones from the 60s and 70s sung by the people mentioned above and other German pop stars. But despite their lack of coolness and the distain of todays music generation in Germany, such German golden oldies are actually ideal for German-learners in many ways. First, they usually have simple, uncomplicated lyrics suited for beginners: â€Å"Memories of Heidelberg sind Memories of You / und von dieser schà ¶nen Zeit da trum ich immerzu. / Memories of Heidelberg sind Memories vom Glà ¼ck / doch die Zeit von Heidelberg, die kommt nie mehr zurà ¼ck† (Peggy March, an American from Pennsylvania, had several 60s hits in Germany). Even many of Reinhard Meys folk ballads are not that difficult to follow: â€Å"Komm, giess mein Glas noch einmal ein / Mit jenem billgen roten Wein, / In dem ist jene Zeit noch wach, / Heut trink ich meinen Freunden nach..† (CD album Aus meinem Tagebuch). German songs can be a very enjoyable way to learn German- both vocabulary and grammar. The title alone of another Peggy March song, â€Å"Male nicht den Teufel an die Wand!,† is also a German saying that means something like â€Å"dont tempt fate† (literally, â€Å"dont paint the devil on the wall†). â€Å"Seemann, deine Heimat ist das Meer† (â€Å"Sailor, your home is the sea†) was a big German hit by the Austrian singer Lolita in 1960. (Diese à ¶sterreichische Sngerin hiess eigentlich Ditta Zuza Einzinger.) Other top tunes in Germany that year were: â€Å"Unter fremden Sternen† (Freddy Quinn), â€Å"Ich zhle tglich meine Sorgen† (Peter Alexander), â€Å"Irgendwann gibts ein Wiedersehen† (Freddy Q.), â€Å"Ein Schiff wird kommen† (Lale Andersen), and â€Å"Wooden Heart† (Elvis Presleys version of â€Å"Muss i denn†). By 1967, American and British rock and pop was already edging German Schlager out, but besides Penny Lane (Beatles), Lets Spend the Night Together (Rolling Stones), and Good Vibrations (Beach Boys), you could still hear German hits on the radio (unlike today!). â€Å"Memories of Heidelberg† (Peggy March), â€Å"Meine Liebe zu dir† (Roy Black) and â€Å"Verbotene Trume† (Peter Alexander) are just a few oldies from 1967. But if you werent even around in the 1960s/70s or youve forgotten what those classic German oldies sound like, you can listen to them online! Several sites, including iTunes and Amazon.de, offer digital audio clips of these and other German songs. If you want the real thing, there are German â€Å"Hits of the...† and â€Å"Best of...† CD collections available from iTunes and other online sources, both in Europe and in North America. (I even found one online source in South Africa!) Popular German Singers of the '60s and '70s Roy Black Gerd Hà ¶llerich (1943-1991) DeutschlandLale Andersen Liselotte Helene Berta Bunnenberg (1913-1972)Freddy Quinn Manfred Nidl-Petz (1931- ) Ãâ€"sterreichPeter Alexander Peter Alexander Neumayer (1926- ) Ãâ€"sterreichHeintje Hein Simons (1955- ) NiederlandePeggy March Margaret Annemarie Batavio (1948- ) USAUdo Jà ¼rgens Udo Jà ¼rgen Bockelmann (1934- ) Ãâ€"sterreichRex Gildo Alexander Ludwig Hirtreiter (1936- ) DeutschlandJoy Fleming Erna Strube (1944- ) DeutschlandLolita Ditta Zuza Einzinger (1931- ) Ãâ€"sterreichHeino Heinz-Georg Kramm (1938- ) DeutschlandKatja Ebstein Karin Witkiewicz (1945- ) Polen Besides Peggy March, there were several other U.S.-born singers who either recorded exclusively in German or had several German-language hits in the 1960s or 70s. Even the Beatles recorded a few of their hits in German (Komm gib mir deine Hand and Sie liebt dich). Here are a few of the Amis, along with the names of some of their hit songs (most of them fairly forgettable): Amis in Deutschland Gus Backus  (Donald Edgar Backus) Der Mann im Mond, Da sprach der alte Huptling der Indianer, Die Prrie ist so groß, Schà ¶n ist ein Zylinderhut. Sauerkraut-PolkaConnie Francis  (Concetta Franconero) Eine Insel fà ¼r zwei, Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel, Bacarole in der Nacht, Lass mich gehen, Schà ¶ner fremder Mann, Sternenmelodie, Jedes Boot hat einen HafenPeggy March  (Margaret Annemarie Batavio) Male nicht den Teufel an die Wand, Memories of HeidelbergBill Ramsey  Zuckerpuppe Schokoladeneisverkufer, Souvenirs, Pigalle, Ohne Krimi geht die Mimi nie ins Bett. Now lets move on to those  Evergreens  and the  Grand Prix  for music! â€Å"Grand Prix Eurovision† Since 1956 there has been an annual European popular song contest, broadcast all across Europe. In all that time the Germans have only won once: Nicole sang â€Å"Ein bisschen Frieden† (A Little Peace) in 1982 to win the number one spot that year. Germany won second place three times in the 1980s. In 2002, Corinna May from Germany placed a very disappointing 21st! (ARD - Grand Prix Eurovision) Evergreens The German word  Evergreen  has nothing to do with trees and everything to do with classic popular songs by people like Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett,  Marlene Dietrich, and  Hildegard Knef  (more about her below). An example is the  Botho Lucas Chor  (which had a sort of Ray Conniff choral sound). They recorded a few LPs by Capitol Records of classic  Evergreens  in German: In meinen Trumen (Out of my Dreams) and Du kamst als zauberhafter Frà ¼hling (All the Things You Are). Hildegard Knef  (1925-2002) has been called the German answer to Kim Novak and the thinking mans Marlene Dietrich. She wrote several books and had a career that included Broadway, Hollywood (briefly) and performing as a sultry, smoky-voiced singer. One of my Knef song favorites goes: â€Å"Eins und eins, das macht zwei / Drum kà ¼ss und denk nicht dabei / Denn denken schadet der Illusion...† (words by Knef, music by Charly Niessen). She also sings a great version of Macky-Messer (Mack the Knife). On her Große Erfolge CD, she also produces a wonderful version of Cole Porters I Get a Kick Out of You (Nichts haut mich um - aber du) and Lets Do It (Sei mal verliebt). See our  Hildegard Knef  page for more lyrics and information about her. German Instrumentalists In closing, we need to at least mention a couple of famous German instrumentalists. They almost always worked without words, but  Bert Kaempfert  and the  James Last Band  (real name: Hans Last) offered a sound that crossed the Atlantic and produced a few hits outside of Germany. Frank Sinatras huge hit Strangers in the Night was originally a German song composed by Bert Kaempfert.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Battle of Monterrey in the Mexican-American War

Battle of Monterrey in the Mexican-American War The Battle of Monterrey was fought September 21-24, 1846, during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) and was the first major campaign of the conflict conducted on Mexican soil. Following the initial fighting in southern Texas, American troops led by Major General Zachary Taylor crossed the Rio Grande and pushed into northern Mexico with the goal of taking Monterrey. Nearing the city, Taylor was forced to launch assaults against its defenses as he lacked the artillery to conduct a siege. The resulting battle saw American troops capture the city after taking heavy casualties as they fought through Monterreys streets. American Preparations Following the Battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, American forces under Brigadier General Zachary Taylor relieved the siege of Fort Texas and crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico to capture Matamoros. In the wake of these engagements, the United States formally declared war on Mexico and efforts began to expand the U.S. Army to meet wartime needs. In Washington, President James K. Polk and Major General Winfield Scott commenced devising a strategy for winning the war. While Taylor received orders to push south into Mexico to capture Monterrey, Brigadier General John E. Wool was to march from  San Antonio, TX to Chihuahua. In addition to capturing territory, Wool would be in a position to support Taylors advance. A third column, led by Colonel Stephen W. Kearny, would depart Fort Leavenworth, KS and move southwest to secure Santa Fe before proceeding on to San Diego. To fill the ranks of these forces, Polk requested that Congress authorize the raising of 50,000 volunteers with recruitment quotas assigned to each state. The first of these ill-disciplined and rowdy troops reached Taylors camp shortly after the occupation of Matamoros. Additional units arrived through the summer and badly taxed Taylors logistical system. Lacking in training and overseen by officers of their choosing, the volunteers clashed with the regulars and Taylor struggled to keep the newly-arrived men in line. General Winfield Scott. Photograph Source: Public Domain Assessing the avenues of advance, Taylor, now a major general, elected to move his force of around 15,000 men up the Rio Grande to Camargo and then march 125 miles overland to Monterrey. The shift to Camargo proved difficult as the Americans battled extreme temperatures, insects, and river flooding. Though well-positioned for the campaign, Camargo lacked sufficient fresh water and it proved difficult to maintain sanitary conditions and prevent disease. The Mexicans Regroup As Taylor prepared to advance south, changes occurred in the Mexican command structure. Twice defeated in battle, General Mariano Arista was relieved from command of the Mexican Army of the North and ordered to face a court-martial. Departing, he was replaced by Lieutenant General Pedro de Ampudia. A native of Havana, Cuba, Ampudia had started his career with the Spanish but defected to the Mexican Army during the  Mexican War of Independence. Known for his cruelty and cunning in the field, he was ordered to establish a defensive line near Saltillo. Ignoring this directive, Ampudia instead elected to make a stand at Monterrey as defeats and numerous retreats had badly damaged the morale of the army. Battle of Monterrey Conflict: Mexican-American War (1846-1848)Dates: September 21-24, 1846Armies and Commanders:AmericansMajor General Zachary Taylor6,220 menMexicoLieutenant General Pedro de Ampudiaapprox. 10,000 menCasualties:Americans: 120 killed, 368 wounded, 43 missingMexicans: 367 killed and wounded Approaching the City Consolidating his army at Camargo, Taylor found that he only possessed wagons and pack animals to support around 6,600 men. As a result, the remainder of the army, many of whom were ill, was dispersed to garrisons along the Rio Grande while Taylor began his march south. Departing Camargo on August 19, the American vanguard was led by Brigadier General William J. Worth. Marching towards Cerralvo, Worths command was forced to widen and improve the roads for the men following. Moving slowly, the army reached the town on August 25 and after a pause pressed on to Monterrey. A Strongly Defended City Arriving just north of the city on September 19, Taylor moved the army into camp in an area dubbed Walnut Springs. A city of around 10,000 people, Monterrey was protected to the south by the Rio Santa Catarina and the mountains of the Sierra Madre. A lone road ran south along the river to Saltillo which served as the Mexicans primary line of supply and retreat. To defend the city, Ampudia possessed an impressive array of fortifications, the largest of which, the Citadel, was north of Monterrey and formed from an unfinished cathedral. The northeast approach to the city was covered by an earthwork dubbed La Teneria while the eastern entrance was protected by Fort Diablo. On the opposite side of Monterrey, the western approach was defended by Fort Libertad atop Independence Hill. Across the river and to the south, a redoubt and Fort Soldado sat atop Federation Hill and protected the road to Saltillo. Utilizing intelligence gathered by his chief engineer, Major Joseph K. F. Mansfield, Taylor found that while the defenses were strong, they were not mutually supporting and that Ampudias reserves would have difficulty covering the gaps between them. Attacking With this in mind, he determined that many of the strong points could be isolated and taken. While military convention called for siege tactics, Taylor had been forced to leave his heavy artillery at the Rio Grande. As a result, he planned a double envelopment of the city with his men striking at the eastern and western approaches. To carry this out, he re-organized the army into four divisions under Worth, Brigadier General David Twiggs, Major General William Butler, and Major General J. Pinckney Henderson. Short on artillery, he assigned the bulk to Worth while assigning the remainder to Twiggs. The armys only indirect fire weapons, a mortar and two howitzers, remained under Taylors personal control. Major General William J. Worth. National Archives and Records Administration For the battle, Worth was instructed to take his division, with Hendersons mounted Texas Division in support, on a wide flanking maneuver to the west and south with the goal of severing the Saltillo road and attacking the city from the west. To support this movement, Taylor planned a diversionary strike on the citys eastern defenses. Worths men began moving out around 2:00 PM on September 20. Fighting began the next morning around 6:00 AM when Worths column was attacked by Mexican cavalry. These assaults were beaten off, though his men came under increasingly heavy fire from Independence and Federation Hills. Resolving that these would need to be taken before the march could continue, he directed troops to cross the river and attack the more lightly defended Federation Hill. Storming the hill, the Americans succeeded in taking the crest and capturing Fort Soldado. Hearing firing, Taylor advanced Twiggs and Butlers divisions against the northeastern defenses. Finding that Ampudia would not come out and fight, he began an attack on this part of the city (Map). A Costly Victory As Twiggs was ill, Lieutenant Colonel John Garland led elements of his division forward. Crossing an open expanse under fire, they entered the city but began taking heavy casualties in street fighting. To the east, Butler was wounded though his men succeeded in taking La Teneria in heavy fighting. By nightfall, Taylor had secured footholds on both sides of the city. The next day, the fighting focused on the western side of Monterrey as Worth conducted a successful assault on Independence Hill which saw his men take Fort Libertad and an abandoned bishops palace known as the Obispado. U.S. Army troops attack through the streets of Monterrey, 1846. Public Domain   Around midnight, Ampudia ordered the remaining outer works, with the exception of the Citadel, to be abandoned (Map). The next morning, American forces began attacking on both fronts. Having learned from the casualties sustained two days earlier, they avoided fighting in the streets and instead advanced by knocking holes through the walls of adjoining buildings. Though a tedious process, they steadily pushed the Mexican defenders back towards the citys main square. Arriving within two blocks, Taylor ordered his men to halt and fall back slightly as he was concerned about civilian casualties in the area. Sending his lone mortar to Worth, he directed that one shell be fired at the square every twenty minutes. As this slow shelling began, the local governor requested permission for noncombatants to leave the city. Effectively surrounded, Ampudia asked for surrender terms around midnight. Aftermath In the fighting for Monterrey, Taylor lost 120 killed, 368 wounded, and 43 missing. Mexican losses totaled around 367 killed and wounded. Entering surrender negotiations, the two sides agreed to terms that called for Ampudia to surrender the city in exchange for an eight-week armistice and allowing his troops to go free. Taylor consented to the terms largely because he was deep in enemy territory with a small army that had just taken significant losses. Learning of Taylors actions, President James K. Polk was irate stating that army’s job was to â€Å"kill the enemy† and not to make deals. In the wake of Monterrey, much of Taylor’s army was stripped away to be used in an invasion of central Mexico. Left with the remnants of his command, he won a stunning victory at the Battle of Buena Vista on February 23, 1847.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

IS strategy development and implementation Essay

IS strategy development and implementation - Essay Example The IS strategy prioritizes the initiatives that are primarily designed to benefit the organization in the short run as well as investing in the long term projects. This IS strategy is like a plan or method that has been chosen in order to accomplish future goals of the organization. It helps in marshalling and planning resources for their most effective and efficient utilization. IS strategy defines competitive forces that determines the product or service ability of the organization to accomplish a strong strategic position in the market (Williams, 2007). For instance, the IS strategy in our case studies will determine competitive forces such as: entry, the ease of entry into the organizational market by other competitors, and whether they face some significant barriers. This will include barriers to market entry; threat of substitution, this will discuss whether there are particular services or products that can substitute the products and services of the organization in our case study; the bargaining power of the consumers, whether a small number of consumers are responsible for the better part of the organizational sales, and whether they can easily switch suppliers; the bargaining power of suppliers, whether the organization have various suppliers and whether there are substitutes to be used; and rivalry among the currently existing competitors, the intensity of the rivalry among the competitors and the way in which that competitors affect the ability of the organization to sustain profits. The developed IS strategy will deal with the above forces in both our case studies. According to Mr. Porter, a firm may take generic strategies in order to create much superior profits. Some of these strategies include: overall cost leadership, differentiation of products and services, and focus on the unique needs of the consumers. It is hence critical that organizations make clear strategy choices in their approach. This is what the implementation of IS strategy is l ikely to result in the organization. This paper therefore seeks to critically examine two main aspects of IS strategy development and/or implementation through the use of case studies to illustrate the arguments and conclusions. In so doing the paper will discuss how and why the IS strategy has been developed through the Venkatraman, and how and why the IS strategy has been implemented through ERP; CRM or MRP. The paper will do this through illustrating a literature review, explaining the two case studies and then giving a conclusion of the arguments in the paper. The case studies are of two different information technology firms that aim to address a serious economic organizational recession and plan the cuts in the public sector as well as the funding. The two firms are also looking up to achieving their long term goals using the IS strategy to be developed and implemented through the mechanism that will be described in this paper. Literature Review This section will illustrate ho w and why the IS strategy is developed as well as how and why the same strategy is implemented. According to the Strategic Alignment Model of Venkatraman, one determination that separates successful business from failed business is the ability to develop and analyze business strategy for success. Mastery of the steps of developing a strategy and creating a concrete business strategy approach to the business helps one to flourish with the business (Spinelli, 2005). The Strategic

Friday, October 18, 2019

300 word essay on internet source Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

300 word on internet source - Essay Example Clotilda was instrumental in the conversion of Clovis to Christianity. Clovis prior to his marriage was a pagan ruler who believed in idol worship. Soon after his marriage, Clotilda wanted to him to convert to Christianity. She tried to do so by baptizing their first child, Ingomer, who died soon after being baptized, leaving Clovis unconvinced. And yet, when Clovis’ army seemed to lose in the battle against Alamanni, Clovis prayed to Jesus hoping he would be aided by the son of God as he had already been deserted by his pagan ones. In the passage what is apparent is that Gregory presents his work from the point of view of a Christian but with a leaning towards secularism. There seem to be gaps in the narrative; for example, why did the people welcome their conversion to Christianity from paganism, so easily, when Clovis himself was uncertain of their reactions? Modern day historians approach history from not just the manuscripts and fables passed down for generations and the academic and political scenario but take into account social norms and cultural environment when researching a period in history. Gregory in his time has written this work to convince people of the virtues of Christianity and writes about some of the miracles performed by saints like Remi, the bishop of Rheims. However, he also does mention how difficult it was for Clovis to let go of his faith and convert to Christianity and the fear of his acceptance by his

ECONOMIC SOCIOLOGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

ECONOMIC SOCIOLOGY - Essay Example (2002, p. 163) argued that micro-level theories of social psychology are helpful. Another perspective that was offered was from Ridgeway and Correll (2004, p. 510) who argued that cultural beliefs about gender are the key components that maintain and change the gender system. The International Trade Union Confederation reported in 2009 (p. 16), that the gender mean pay gap in the United Kingdom is 19.8% in favour of males. In the United States, based on the National Educational Longitudinal Survey data, Bobbitt-Zeher found that college-educated men in their mid-20s earn on average about $7,000 more than college-educated women on an annual basis (2007, p. 1). Bobbitt-Zeher (2007, p. 1) pointed out that the gap is still substantial at $4,400 per annum if the men and women have the same or similar credentials, scores on tests, specialization, and degrees from similar colleges. Bobbitt-Zeher elaborated (2007, p. 1) that â€Å"gender differences in fields of study continue to disadvantage women.† Further, â€Å"gender differences in work-related factors are more important than are educational differences for understanding income inequality among young workers† (Bobbitt-Zeher 2007, p. 1). Bobbit-Zeher cited that several studies have articulated t hat education may have realized an important role in reducing gender wage gaps over the past few decades. According to Bobbitt-Zeher (2007, p. 3), the following are the sources of gender-income gap: (1) the tendency for certain college majors to be associated with gender; (2) alleged link between standardized tests and gender; (3) the link between gender and amount of education; and (4) the selectivity of the college attended. Cohen and Huffman (2007, p. 681) reported that women representation in management can be a source of gender-wage gap at the workplace. Cohen and Huffman (2007, p. 681) made the conclusion based on statistical results from three-level hierarchical models on data drawn from the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Managing&Leading Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing&Leading Change - Assignment Example The significance of the specific article can be identified in the fact that both the literature and the empirical research have been employed in order to prove the interaction between theory and practice in the case of change management. The authors have used the concepts of change management theory along with the views of postgraduate students – currently managers – who have studied change management and had to apply theory in practice. The specific study can be therefore characterized as quite effective addressing the entire key issues using appropriate theories and empirical data; its potential use by teachers in the change management field could be considered to be one of its distinctive advantages. As in any study, weak points also exist – as analyzed below. However, they cannot be considered as having a major influence on the study’s effectiveness in the change management sector. The structure of the specific study is clear; it is also aligned with its priorities – as set by the authors. The views of the literature are presented in the first section of the study which is clearly distinguished by its second part – under the title ‘study approach’. Despite the fact that material within the study is appropriately placed - the concepts highlighted are valuable, still there is a significant weakness: the analysis of the literature presented in the first section is limited – in fact in the first section the views of the authors on the issues mentioned in the literature cannot be identified. The views of theorists are just placed one after another with no analysis of the content. In this way the interpretation of the definitions and the concepts presented in the literature section is not available to the reader of the specific article; it could be assumed that the reader is offered the chance to make his own assumptions on the mater ial presented in the literature section – especially after studying the findings of the empirical research presented in the second part of the article.  Ã‚  

Case Analysis of Tata Motors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Case Analysis of Tata Motors - Essay Example It was a very conscious effort considering the situation of global car market and the company’s competitive advantages. Nano has been marketed as the â€Å"World’s Cheapest Car† and the company has adopted a very unique development and business model for this special child of it. One of the most important advantages that the company enjoys is that it has more than enough knowledge about its home market i.e. India, its competitors and its suppliers. Tata Motors and its chairman Ratan Tata want Nano to create same magic that Mini did in Britain and Beetle did in Germany. Furthermore, the company and its visionary management could foresee the future of global car market which is expected to be very much dominated by the low-cost as well as ultra-low-cost cars. This paper includes the answers of four questions that are based on a case of Tata Motors and its Nano. The paper aims to discuss the reasons behind the Tata Motors’ decision to enter the market of ultr a-low-cost cars, competitive advantages of Tata Motors as well as Nano, probable screening criteria for the Nano’s IMS process and the potential market for Nano beyond India and China. Main Reasons for Tata Motors entering the ultra-low-cost car market Global car industry and its competitive landscape have been experiencing significant alterations which are permanent and dramatic. One of the main reasons behind this is the change in nature of demand of the end users across the globe. A completely new and unique class of car buyers has been emerging in the industrializing countries like China and India. Such incident has created a huge potential for cars which can be found in the price range of $2500 - $5000. Such cars are popular among the manufacturers and buyers as ultra-low-cost cars. A report of A. T. Kearney says that till 2020, almost 16 million cars from this category will be sold every year. India and other Southeast Asian countries will be the key market for such typ e of cars (A. T. Kearney, 2008). Chinese and Russian consumers are expected to look beyond ultra-low-cost cars as they have moved ahead of their Indian counterparts in terms of income level. This new category of cars is likely to experience tremendous demand especially from India. In 2005, almost 208 million Indian had an income that theoretically allows them to buy a car that costs in between $2500 - $5000. It is expected that by the end of 2020 there will be around 439 million people who will be looking for these ULCCs. It is important to mention that most of these people will be ‘first time buyer’ of car. Research shows that if the car is priced at around $4000 then almost 270 million Indians will be in a position to buy it, whereas if the starting price is set at around $2500 then the number moves up to 530 million (A. T. Kearney, 2008). Tata Motors, being an India based car maker knows the market more than any other company. The company is very much aware of the ab ove mentioned facts and figures; hence this huge potential of ULCCs has definitely influenced Tata Motors to make an entry in ULCC market. Tata Motors did its own research before coming up with the plan of Nano. The company targeted the market that no other auto maker in the country has done it. It has targeted the two wheeler owners. India is such a country where people use two-wheelers as their

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Managing&Leading Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing&Leading Change - Assignment Example The significance of the specific article can be identified in the fact that both the literature and the empirical research have been employed in order to prove the interaction between theory and practice in the case of change management. The authors have used the concepts of change management theory along with the views of postgraduate students – currently managers – who have studied change management and had to apply theory in practice. The specific study can be therefore characterized as quite effective addressing the entire key issues using appropriate theories and empirical data; its potential use by teachers in the change management field could be considered to be one of its distinctive advantages. As in any study, weak points also exist – as analyzed below. However, they cannot be considered as having a major influence on the study’s effectiveness in the change management sector. The structure of the specific study is clear; it is also aligned with its priorities – as set by the authors. The views of the literature are presented in the first section of the study which is clearly distinguished by its second part – under the title ‘study approach’. Despite the fact that material within the study is appropriately placed - the concepts highlighted are valuable, still there is a significant weakness: the analysis of the literature presented in the first section is limited – in fact in the first section the views of the authors on the issues mentioned in the literature cannot be identified. The views of theorists are just placed one after another with no analysis of the content. In this way the interpretation of the definitions and the concepts presented in the literature section is not available to the reader of the specific article; it could be assumed that the reader is offered the chance to make his own assumptions on the mater ial presented in the literature section – especially after studying the findings of the empirical research presented in the second part of the article.  Ã‚  

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Managing across culture, international business Essay

Managing across culture, international business - Essay Example Given such a role, I would get to learn the different employees, their cultural background and their culture, for example, learn about their holy days. This is essential as societal cultures influences how employees understand the terms of the employment relationship i.e. what they expect from the employer, and what they think they owe them. Secondly, with reliance on such information, I would design effective communication and reward systems that will address the expectation from these different groups. This should help to retain key employees and increase loyalty, commitment and performance. I would develop mechanisms strategies and programs focused on cross functional team projects and mentoring programs. Such encourages interaction, build trust, and promote shared identity amongst employees, which would help employees understand each other’s culture in an informal setup. This effort should help to arrest cultural intolerance and shock in the business set up among the employees from different cultures. To add, I would lead by the example, promoting cultural tolerance, emphasizing the importance of diversity, adopting policies and procedures that support diversity, anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, holding staff and any other person accountable for any intolerance and providing training an awareness in the work

Oliver Twist Essay Example for Free

Oliver Twist Essay In Oliver Twist Bill Sykes brings terror to the novel, which adds to the suspense and makes you want to read on. Bill Sykes is brutal which you soon realise when he delights in beating his dog or girlfriend, Nancy. Many novels of this time were full of such characters and Dickens, a playwright and an actor as well as a novelist, knew then well. The orphan Oliver Twist escapes from the workhouse by running away to London. Oliver is introduced to Fagin who trains him to be a thief and he is then taken on a burglary with Sykes, Oliver recovers from being shot in the burglary and Nancy nurses Sykes back to full health. Sykes kills Nancy, which has a terrible effect on him, and he later kills himself. Bill Sykes brings the real terror to the novel but he is also extremely unpredictable. Rarely he can seem quite reasonable and occasionally shows kindness to his dog and girlfriends, but generally he keeps everyone in fear of what he is going to do next. We see evidence of this when Fagin says, You wont be too violent Bill? This statement shows that they have no trust in him. Bill Sykes also has a problem with alcohol, he drinks far too much, and this probably accounts for some of his unpredictable behaviour. We see evidence of his drinking problem when he says, to prevent my standing treat for a pint of so. This shows that he thinks that he thinks drinking is a treat and does not himself think that he has a drinking problem. Bill Sykes us the archetypal Victorian villain. To be a real villain Sykes must show no compassion for anyone and we see that on many occasions. When Nancy has nursed him back to health, staying up for nights looking after him, he turns on her the moment he wakes up. This shows he is very ungrateful for any sympathy given to him. Illness had not improved Mr Sykes temper, for as the girl raised him up and led him to a chair, he struck her . He is also quite ready to send Nancy out to work and possibly profit from what she does. From all of this we can gather further evidence that he is ungrateful for any help he received. Sykes treats his dog very badly, it receives regular kicks and is threatened constantly. At one time when he was going to escape he contemplates killing, The dog, though. If any descriptions of him were out, it would not be forgotten that the dog was missing. Sykes is a typical bully who shows no remorse for what he does to others. We see evidence of this when he takes Oliver on the burglary with him and does not care whether Oliver gets injured. Sykes has no respect for Fagin and you can tell this by the way he speaks to him. You can see Fagin is afraid of him but Fagin does like to have the last word. If Sykes does not get his own way he will turn to violence as we see with the arguments over Oliver, looking sternly at him, and ostentatiously passing a pistol into a more convenient pocket. Thats lucky for one of us. This shows again Sykes is unpredictable and a bully and brings more tension. When Bill Sykes sees Fagin, Fagin changes the tone of his voice at once. Fagin is obviously afraid of the physical strength of Sykes but Sykes is still wary of Fagin.

Monday, October 14, 2019

International Financial Reporting Standards Impact

International Financial Reporting Standards Impact 1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY The adoption rate of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) has been on the ascendency since its inception in 1973. The number of countries that have adopted IFRS as a basis for financial reporting are more than hundred with others agreeing to converge or adopt it by 2011 (Deloitte, 2008). The need for transparency and comparability of financial statement across countries has increased the desire to adopt a single set of global financial accounting reporting standards (IFRS Insight: IASplus, 2008). Trade liberalisation and globalisation of capital markets have given further impetus towards the adoption of IFRS as a single set of high quality globally accepted accounting and reporting standards as against national accounting standards. The contributions of high quality financial reporting systems in national jurisdictions that experience high economic growth, stable fiscal and monetary systems and access to international investment funds cannot be overemphasised (Wong, 200 4). The need to ensure high quality reporting has forced both developed and emerging capital markets to adopt or converge with IFRS, their national accounting standards. Emerging Capital Markets (ECMs), which constitute a significant part of the global financial market, compete with their developed counterparts for investment funds due to globalization of businesses and integration of capital markets. This exposes the financial reporting information in ECMs to international scrutiny. It has been suggested that ECMs ‘lag behind the advanced capital markets in terms of adequacy and reliability of information disclose in annual reports (Ali et al, 2004). The perceived low quality of financial reporting inhibits the growth of ECMs due to its ability to erode the confidence of investors (Enthoven, 1981) and can lower productivity in the economy. Sutton (1997) asserts that a high level of accountability and transparency in corporate dealings increases the confidence of investors in capital markets. It is imperative that high quality financial reporting must be provided to investors to reduce moral hazards as a result of the agency problems created by the separation of ownership from control. Bekaoui (1999) suggests that the adoption of IFRS is the only way to trust accounting information from developing countries. Some ECMs have adopted IFRS to portray that they are following internationally best practice of financial reporting and to take advantage of the worlds investment funds. However, IFRS which is believed to have been developed for the advanced capital markets may not be an ideal accounting standards for ECMs which are made up of small, medium and sometimes family-owned businesses. Nobes (1998) suggests that due to the nature and characteristics of firms in developing/emerging economies, â€Å"the full panoply of the rules of IASs may seem unduly complex; and the resulting financial statements unduly detailed and expensive†. Choi and Mueller (1984) and Belkaoui (2004) support the suggestion of Nobes (1998). In spite of these challenges many countries in emerging economies have allowed their companies to report on the basis of IFRS either mandatorily or volu ntarily. Mandatory adoption of IAS/IFRS have the tendency to deprive firms the opportunity to choose accounting standards that reflect their information needs and the nature of their business. It has been suggested that IFRS adoption is costly but beneficial and at the same time poses challenges to companies (e.g.El-Gazzar, 1999; Jermakowicz, 2004; Barth et al, 2005; Daske and Gebhardt, 2006; Jermakowicz and Gornik-Tomaszewski, 2006; Daske et al, 2007; Tyrall et al, 2007; Hail et al, 2009). Ball (2001) suggests that companies will experience the impact of IFRS adoption differently due to different regulatory framework and institutional factors across different countries. Research into the costs, benefits and challenges of IFRS adoption to ECMs in sub-Saharan Africa, is non-existent to the best knowledge of this researcher. The adoption of IFRS in Ghana might challenge its neighbours to also follow suit. Therefore, research into the cost and benefits and implementation challenges is needed to guide other countries on the decision whether to adopt IFRS for financial reporting. It is in this light that this study is being undertaken. 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The adoption rate of IAS/IFRS has been on the ascendency since its inception in 1973 (IASB.org, 2004). Capital Markets have been forced to adopt IAS/IFRS by the World Bank, International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and World Trade Organisation (WTO), THE European Union (EU) and the International federation of Accountants (IFAC) due to globalization of trade and liberalization of capital markets. The Institute of Chartered Accountants (Ghana) is the body responsible for the issuance of accounting standards in Ghana. Prior to the mandatory adoption of IAS/IFRS 2007, two sets of accounting standards were in use in Ghana; the Ghana Accounting Standards (GAS) issued by the Ghana National Accounting Standards Board(GNASB), and the International Accounting Standards (IAS/IFRS). The Ghana Accounting Standards were adaptation of the International Accounting Standards. Ghana, being a member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), allowed companies to issue financial report based on International Accounting Standards. The credibility and quality of financial reporting in emerging capital market have not been able to match the high standards of reporting in developed capital market and Ghana, an emerging economy, is no exception. In 2004, the World Bank commissioned a report into accounting and auditing in Ghana. The report painted a gloomy picture of financial reporting and auditing in Ghana. The World Bank (ROSC-Ghana, 2004, p1) noted that; â€Å"The accounting and auditing practices in Ghana suffer from institutional weaknesses in regulation, compliance and enforcement of standards and rules. Various weaknesses were indentified in the laws and regulation governing financial reporting†. The report observed an inadequate compliance with the Ghana Accounting Standards and also made mention of the fact that some companies claim to comply with the International Accounting Standards in their annual reports but fail to do so. Consequently, the ICA (GHANA) in January 2007 adopted IFRS as the basis for financial reporting for all listed companies beginning 31st December 2007 due to the recommendation made by the World Bank. However, first time IAS/IFRS reporting date for all companies was extended to 2008 due to companies unpreparedness to migrate from Ghana Accounting standards to international standards. In spite of the world-wide acceptance of IAS/IFRS for financial reporting, the jury is still out about the costs and benefits of IFRS implementation to listed companies that adopt IAS/IFRS either voluntary or mandatory (e.g. El-Gazzar et al, 1990; Jermakowicz, 2004; Hoogendoorn, 2006; Jermakowicz and Gomik-Tomaszewski, 2006; Daske et al, 2007; Hail et al, 2009). Generally, little empirical evidence has been provided on whether the costs of IAS/IFRS adoption outweigh the benefits. Specifically, literature on the costs and benefits of IAS/IFRS implementation to listed companies in ECMs in Africa is limited. This study seeks to investigate out the costs and benefits of IFRS adoption to listed companies in Ghana. 1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS Ghana, in a bid to develop its capital markets, established the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) in 1989. The GSE became operational in 1990. Currently, there are thirty-four listed companies in Ghana. The adoption of IFRS for financial reporting became mandatory in Ghana after its official launch in 2007 by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. However, listed companies were given additional year to fully implement IFRS. These events provide the opportunity to access the impact of IFRS adoption on listed companies in Ghana. The main purpose of the study is to access the costs and benefits of IFRS adoption to listed companies. Primarily, the issue focused on are costs, benefits, and implementation challenges to listed companies in Ghana. The specific research questions pursued in this study are follows: What are the benefits of IFRS adoption to companies in Ghana? What are the costs of implementing IFRS? What challenges do companies in emerging capital markets face as results of IFRS adoption? What are the effects of retrospective application of IFRS (IFRS1) on financial prior periods financial statements? 1.4 METHODOLOGY Two research techniques are used to collect data on the cost, benefits and IFRS implementation challenges. Interviews and content analysis of some selected annual reports are used in this study. The interviews are used to ascertain the opinions on the costs, benefits and implementation challenges of IFRS adoption from ( ) finance directors/chief finance officers/ finance managers whose firms are all listed in Ghana. Interviews were conducted with the Big 4+1 auditing firms in Ghana. These audit firms provide audit and other accountancy services to about 95 % of the listed companies in Ghana. The interviews with auditors were necessary to seek additional insight and to validate the results of the interviews conducted with FD/CFO/FM. 1.5 CONTRIBUTION OF THE STUDY This study is undertaken bearing in mind the following contributions it intends to achieve: To the best knowledge of this researcher, this study is the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa and could inform policy makers in other ECMs about the costs, benefits and implementation challenges when companies are forced to adoption IFRS as a bases of financial reporting. The study is of tremendous use to the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) to evaluate the costs and benefits of its standards to companies and the implementation challenges to take steps to reduce the costs and challenges and improves on the benefits. This will help the IASB to achieve its aim of standardisation of financial reporting around the globe. The study could also help inform companies worldwide which decide to adopt IFRS voluntarily about the costs, benefits and implementation challenges before venturing into such initiative. 1.6 ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY This study has been structured into six chapters. The content of each chapter is detailed below: CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION The background of the study, which comprises the introduction, and the statement of the problem are stated. The appropriate research objectives and specific research questions used to achieve the objectives are specified. The contributions of the study are expressed. The chapter ends with the organization of the entire study. CHAPTER TWO: EMERGING CAPITAL MARKETS AND FINANCIAL REPORTING ENVIRONMENT IN GHANA This chapter starts with the discussion of emerging capital markets. Land and people of Ghana, the economy of Ghana, forms of business ownership, the evolution and the role of the Ghana Stock Exchange, and sources of financial reporting regulation in Ghana are covered in this chapter. The chapter ends with the summary of issues covered in the chapter. CHAPTER THREE: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter discusses the role of capital markets, the importance of financial reporting in capital markets. The role of listed companies in promoting financial reporting, the history of the International Accounting Standards, recent trends towards worldwide adoption of IFRS, and the importance of IFRS adoption, prior empirical research, and gaps in the literature are covered under this chapter. All these are studied to put the topic in context. The chapter ends with a summary of the issues discussed. CHAPTER FOUR: METHODOLOGY The methods and techniques used to collect the data and their advantages and limitations are discussed. The issues studied in this chapter are: justification for the choice of Ghana, definition of the period studied, profiles of companies and research instruments. The primary data collected through questionnaire and interviews are quantified using descriptive statistics. The chapter ends with the summary of activities undertaken. CHAPTER FIVE: FINDINGS This chapter analyses and discusses the results obtained from the descriptive statistics conducted in previous chapter. CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION This chapter reminds of the research objective and questions studied including the procedure for data collection and analysis. The chapter presents the key findings of the study undertaken. The chapter also presents the limitation of the study and suggestions for future research. It ends with the coverage of the overall conclusion of the study. CHAPTER TWO COUNTRY PROFILE AND FINANCIAL REPORTING ENVIRONMENT IN GHANA 2.1 INTRODUCTION The environment within which a study is undertaken influences the methodology to be used and the weight readers should put on the conclusion drawn from the study. Therefore, understanding the social, political, cultural, and economic within which this study is undertaken is important. This chapter puts the research environment in context. The location and peoples of Ghana is provided in section 2.2. Section 2.3 presents political development in Ghana. Section 2.4 outlines the structure of the Ghanaian economy. The financial reporting system in Ghana is presented in section 2.5. Section 2.8 summaries the issues studied in the chapter. 2. THE LAND AND PEOPLE OF GHANA Ghana is sub-Saharan African country located along the Atlantic Ocean with a total land area of 238,539 square kilometres. Ghana shares borders with Togo, Cote dIvoire and Burkina Faso. There are ten regions in Ghana. These regions are broadly categorised into two: Northern and Southern sector. The major vegetation of the northern sector is savannah but the southern sector is predominantly rainforest belt. The population of the country as at the last population census in 2000 was 18.91 million with an annual growth rate since 1984 2000 of 2.7% (GSS.2007).The population density of the country is 79.3% with greater concentration in the southern part of the country. The temperature is generally between 21-32 °C (70-90 °F). The Ghana Statistical Service puts the literacy rate in the country at 34.2%. There are about 56 different languages in Ghana due to the many ethnic groups. The English language is the official language of the country. 3. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN GHANA Ghana was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence from the British in 6th March, 1957. Ghana became a republic in 1 July, 1960. Ghana is a member of many notable international organisations some of which are as follows: the Africa Union, the World Bank Group, the Commonwealth, ECOWAS, International Monetary Fund, Africa Development Bank, the African Peer Review Mechanism and the Economic community of West Africa States. Ghana after going through four successful coup dà ©tats return to democratic rule in 1992 under executive presidency. The nation has enjoyed an uninterrupted democratic regime since 1992. The last election of the country was held on the 7th of December 2008. National Democratic Congress, a party with social democratic ideology took over the reigns of government from the New Patriotic Party- a party with capitalist philosophy. Internationally, Ghana is seen as a beacon of hope on the continent of Africa because of her democratic credentials. 4. THE ECONOMY OF GHANA The economy of Ghana depends predominantly on agriculture, mining and quarrying and forestry. The economy has been designated in three major sector-agriculture, service and industrial sector. Agriculture is the main economic activity and currently accounts for about 34.3 of GDP, followed by 31.0% from the Services sector (GSS, 2007). Ghana relies mostly on Cocoa and Gold for its foreign currency earnings. The industrial sector contributes. Ghana has recently discovered oil in commercial quantities with first lifting expected in the year 2010. The GDP growth rate of the country between 2005 and 2008 are as follows: 5.9%, 6.4%, 6.3% and 7.2% percent respectively (World Bank, 2008). The currency of the country was re- denominated in July 1, 2007 by setting ten thousand Cedis to one Ghana Cedi. This was done to remove dead weight zeros of the old cedis as the volume and value of transaction keeps increasing to make recording easier (GOG, 2008). In 2007, Ghana successfully raised US $750M from the Euro Bond Market. The bond was oversubscribed by the international community. The oversubscription and the quality and internationality of the investors were attributed to the confidence of the international community in the Ghanaian economy (MoFEP, 2008). 5. FINANCIAL REPORTING ENVIRONMENT IN GHANA 2.5.1 Sources of Financial Reporting Regulation in Ghana The government and the private sector are responsible for financial reporting regulation in the country. The government exercise its responsibility through the department and the agencies under its purview namely: Registrar Generals Department, Securities and Exchange Commission, Bank of Ghana and the Insurance Commission. The Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants (Ghana) (ICAG) are the private sector institutions responsible for financial reporting regulation in the country. 2.5.2 The Registrar Generals Department (RGD) Every company in Ghana is expected to registrar with the Registrar of companies in accordance with the Companies Code 1963, Act 179. The Registrar Generals Department in Ghana is responsible for the issuance of certificate of incorporation and commence before a company can start its operating activities. Companies are expected to submit their annual account to the (RGD). The RGD has the power to exempt a company from disclosure requirements. 2.5.3 Bank of Ghana The Banking Law 1989, PNDC 225 gives the Central Bank, Bank of Ghana (BoG) an oversight responsibility over the banking and non-banking financial services institutions in Ghana. Banks and non-banking financial institutions are suppose to comply with financial reporting requirements in Ghana in addition to Manual of Accounting and Auditing specified by the BoG. The BoG regularly visits the banks and nonbanking institutions in the country. Financial and nonfinancial banking institutions are supposed to file their annual returns with the BoG. With the adoption of IFRS Ghana, banking and non-banking financial institutions are required to comply with IFRS in addition to the Accounting and Auditing Manual specified by the BoG and the requirements of the Companies Code 1963, Act 179. 2.5.4 Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service is empowered by the Government of Ghana to develop the forms and basis of taxation in Ghana. Taxes, which affect corporate financial reporting, are as follows: corporate tax, capital gains tax, stamp duty, gift tax and national reconstruction levy, value added tax and now the Economic Stabilisation Levy.The Customs Excise and Preventive Services (CEPS) levy imports and Exports duties on companies. 2.5.5 Institute of Chartered Accountants (Ghana) An Act of Parliament, Act 170, established the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICA) (Ghana) in 1963. The Act 170 empowers the ICA (Ghana) as the regulator of financial reporting in Ghana. The members of ICAG are only persons recognised under the Companies Code, Act 179, for the purpose of audit of companys account. Until the adoption of IFRS in Ghana, the Ghana Accounting Standards (GAS) that was in used was adaptation of the IASC standards after the each IASC standard was reviewed. The ICAG is a member of the International Federation of Accountants and Association of Accountancy Bodies in West Africa. 1. Ghana Companies Code 1963, Act 179 The companies code 1963, Act 179 prescribes the nature and form of information which must be provided in the annual reports and accounts of corporate entities in Ghana. The Companies Code defines annual reports and accounts as directors report, profit and loss accounts for a period, balance sheet as at the end of the period, notes to the accounts and the auditors report. Section 124 (1) enjoins directors of corporate entities to prepare and submit audited accounts to members and debenture holders every calendar year at intervals of not more than fifteen months. With the adoption of IFRS companies are required to comply with the requirements of the Companies Code in addition to the measure and disclosure requirements as specified by the IASB. In Ghana, failure to comply with the provisions of the Companies Code carries sanctions. 2.5.6 Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) The Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) was incorporated as a private company in 1989 under the Companies Code Act 179(GSE WEBSITE). Trading on the floor of the exchange commenced on November, 1990. There were thirty-five (34) companies listed on the GSE as at 31st December, 2008. Trust Bank Gambia Limited is only foreign issuer on the GSE. The total volume of shares traded on the exchange in the year 2008 were two hundred and six teen million, five hundred and eighty four thousand and six hundred (216,584,600). The year-to-date performance of the GSE as at 31st December, 2008 was 58.06%. The Stock Exchange Listing Regulation 1990, Legislative Instrument No.1509 instructs listed companies to make additional disclosure in their annual reports regarding the number shares and stated capital, information about the company secretary and registrars, transactions with directors, statement of source and application of funds, interim reports and unaudited report to the GSE prior to the submission of a udited annual reports. The role of the GSE is to win the confidence of the investing public (internal and external), protect investors and encourage companies to raise funds through the equity and debt markets. Therefore, IFRS which has been perceived by the IASB to be a high quality accounting standards will help the GSE in their quest to build confidence and protect investors. The focus of this study is the impact of this perceived high quality standards on listed companies in Ghana which to the best knowledge of this researcher has not yet been studied. 2.5.7 International Financial Reporting Standards With the adoption of IFRS in Ghana, listed companies are require to comply with the measurement, presentation and the disclosure requirements of applicable standards in addition to the requirements of the Companies Code 1963 Act 179 and the Banking Law 1989. 6. Summary Globalisation of businesses and integration of capital markets of which GSE is part, makes it imperative that financial reporting practices of listed companies should be reliable, relevant, verifiable, comparable and confirm with international financial reporting standards. Financial reporting is affected by the social, political and economic environment within which its operates. This chapter discussed the country profile of Ghana and the financial reporting environment in Ghana. The next chapter reviews the literature. CHAPTER 3 LITERATURE REVIEW 3.1 INTRODUCTION The issues studied in this chapter include conceptual issues and theoretical framework on the impact of IFRS adoption on companies. Specifically, the issues studied include, the meaning and history of international financial reporting standards, IFRS adoption around the world, the role of capital markets, the relevance of IFRS to emerging capital market and theoretical framework on the impact of IFRS on companies. 3.2 HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTING FINANCIAL STANDARDS BOARD (IASB) The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is private non-profit making organisation responsible for the development, issuance and approval of accounting standards to form the basis of financial reporting. The objective of the IASB is to, â€Å"provide the worlds capital markets with a single set of high quality accounting standards to be used as a common language for financial reporting† (IASB. org). The IASB came into effect in 2001 to replace the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC).The IASC was formed by a group of professional accountants from nine countries (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, United Kingdom/Ireland, and the United States of America) in 1973. Sir Henry Benson, who put forward a proposal for the formation of IASC at the 10th World Congress of Accountants in 1972, was elected the first chair in 1973 (IASPLUS.org). The immediate tasks of the IASC were the development of accounting standards on accounting policies, inventories, and financial statements. The IASC issued its first accounting standards in I975. The accounting standards developed and issued by the IASC were called the International Accounting Standards (IAS). These accounting standards are still in used today. The IASB and its predecessor lack the power and authority to ensure that companies that adopt their them are complying with their standards. They rel y on national standard setters to ensure that companies comply with their standards. 3.3 THE MEANING OF INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTING STANDARDS Accounting standards are a set of rules, regulation, and convention that guide the preparation of financial statements and financial reports. Accounting standards form the basis for the preparation and auditing of corporate annual report. Accounting standards are developed based on conceptual framework and in the case of the IASB the ‘due process. Conceptual framework for the preparation of account has been described as a constitution (FASB, 1976; Miller, 1985; Solomon, 1986) which forms the basis for developing accounting standards. Conceptual framework are developed to guide standard setters to ensure consistency in issuing future standards and as a guide in settling accounting issues in situations where there are no accounting standard ( IAS.PLUS.org). The conceptual framework defines the elements in the financial statements, how they are recognised, measured and presented which serve as a point of reference to management in situations where there are no accounting standards (IAS. 8). Conceptual framework is not an accounting standard in itself. In situation where there is a clash between a particular standard and conceptual framework, the interpretation of the accounting standard supersedes that of the conceptual framework. The development of accounting standard undergoes several stages before it is published. The process through which a project undergoes before it is finally issued or rejected through voting is known ‘Due Process. ‘Due Process allows interest groups (preparers, users, auditors, analyst, academia etc) to take part in the standard setting process through the submission of comments. In spite of the democratic nature of the standard setting process, prior research document intense lobbying by constituents of the standards setters (see Zeff, 2002; Georgiou, 2004; Cortese et al, 2006). Accounting standards can at best be thought of as a compromise between competing constituents. International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are developed and issued by the IASB. The standards issued by the IASC are called International Accounting Standards (IAS). IFRS has both narrow and broad meaning (IAS PL US.org). In the narrow sense, IFRS refers to the sets of new standards issued by the IASB different from the previous standards (IASs) issued by the IASC. The IASB has issued eight new standards (IFRS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8) since 2001. Broadly, IAS 1.11 defines IFRS as the entire standards (IFRSs and IASs) as issued by the IASB and IASC respectively and the interpretations issued by the International Standards Interpretation Committee (IFRIC) and the Standards Interpretation Committee (SIC). 3.4 IFRS ADOPTION AROUND THE WORLDWIDE IFRS has gained acceptance as a single set financial reporting standards in countries around the world. Deloitte (2008) suggests that globalisation of capital markets have created the need to scrap local standards in favour of international standards and benchmarks and attributed IFRS adoption as single set of global accounting standards as the best example towards this end. Deloitte asserts that more than hundred (100) countries have adopted IFRS for financial reporting but others including (Chile, Korea, Brazil, India, and Canada) have agreed to adopt or converge to IFRS by 2011. Chile and Japan have agreed to work the IASB to eliminate the difference between their local GAAP and the IFRS to ensure convergence. The European Union (EU) in 2002 mandated all listed companies within the EU to issue financial report using IFRS beginning 2005 (EC No. 1606/2002). This applies to new countries that will be admitted to the EU membership. This development made the EU the largest customer of the IASB because no continent had and have still not taking such bold initiative. Even though IFRS is mandatory for all listed companies in the EU, the EU does not issue blanket adoption of the standards issued by the IASB. The Accounting Regulatory Committee (ARC) within the European Commission must endorse the standards before they become applicable in the EU. This endorsement process confers political power on EU over the IASB (Whittington, 2005) at least for now. This power would dwindle if the largest capital market of the world, the United States, eventually adopts IASB standards, which has started with the removal of reconciliation requirements ( ) for non-US issuers who issue financial report based on IFRS . In 1993, the IOSOC tasked the IASC to develop ‘core standards to be used for cross boarder listing after the existing standards had been reviewed. The core standards were issued in 1999 and the IOSCO recommended its members to use IASC for cross boarder listing in the year 2000 (IASPLUS.com). Many countries have adopted IFRS due to their association affiliation with politically powerful bodies and their agents, which offer a great deal of assistance, which could be financial, training, trade partnership etc. Ghana perhaps allowed IFRS for financial reporting due to its affiliation with the IFAC (World Bank, 2006) and mandatorily adopted IFRS in 2007 after the recommendation by the World Bank in 2006. The United States, which would, perhaps be the last country to adopt IFRS, has taken a giant step towards converging the US GAAP with the International Accounting Standards Boards. The US SEC has removed the requirements, which ensures that foreign issuers who report based on IFRS reconcile their financial statement with that of the US (SEC, 2007 A.III.2). The US SEC has developed seven milestones, which must be achieved in order for the SEC to determine in 2011 whether IFRS should be mandatory for US issuers in their filings with the SEC in 2014 (SEC, 2008). When the US finally adopts IFRS it would become the language for reporting as other countries would be attracted to do so (Tweedie, refer to assignment). This development when actualised will lead to global convergence, which has been the long cherished vision of the IASC (now IASB) since its creation in 1973 (Benson, 73; IASB, 2003). IFRS adoption can come in many forms and shapes. Some countries (e.g. South Africa, Ghana) have adopted IFRS without modificat

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Symbols and Symbolism - Houses and Cars in The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Symbolism of Houses and Cars in The Great Gatsby      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Francis Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, is full of symbolism, which is portrayed by the houses and cars in an array of ways. One of the more important qualities of symbolism within The Great Gatsby is the way in which it is so completely incorporated into the plot and structure. Symbols, such as Gatsby's house and car, symbolize material wealth.    Gatsby's house "[is] a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy" which contains "a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy" is a symbol of Gatsby's large illegal income (Fitzgerald 9)(9). Gatsby's large income isn't enough to keep him happy. He needs "The house he feels he needs in order to win happiness" and it is also the perfect symbol of carelessness with money which is a major part of his personality (Bewley 24). Gatsby's house like his car symbolizes his vulgar and excessive trait of getting attention. Gatz's house is a mixture of different styles and periods which symbolizes an owner who does not know their true identity. The Buchanan's house is symbolic of their ideals.    East Egg is home to the more prominent established wealth families. Tom's and Daisy's home is on the East Egg. Their house, a "red and white Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay" with its "wine-colored rug[s]" is just as impressive as Gatsby's house but much more low-key (Fitzgerald 11)(13). East egg and Tom's home represents the established wealth and traditions. Their stable wealth, although lacking the vulgarity of new wealth, is symbolic of their empty future and now purposelessness lives together. The House also has a cold sense to it according to Nick. This sense symbolizes Tom's brutality, and as Perkins's says in his manuscript to Fitzgerald "I would know...Buchanan if I met him and would avoid him," because Tom is so cold and brute (Perkins 199).    Nick lives in West Egg in a rented house that "[is] a small eye-sore" and "had been overlooked"(Fitzgerald 10). Nick lives in a new-rich West Egg because he is not wealthy enough to afford a house in the more prominent East Egg. His house symbolizes himself shy and overlooked. Nick is the Narrator and also the "trust worthy reporter and, ...judge" that has ties to both the East and West Egg crowd(Bruccoli xii).

Friday, October 11, 2019

Evil, Faith, and Redemption in Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown Essay

Evil, Faith, and Redemption in Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown There are many things that go on â€Å"behind closed doors† in today’s culture. In many cases it is not closed doors that conceal what goes on, but the dark. Usually what is not seen is not considered good. During the time of early America, there was an event that came to be known as the Salem witch trials. This event has sparked many debates and many folk tales. Nathaniel Hawthorne writes in a way to show the error of modern culture. This style allows him to speak to everyone, including his own community. He does this by using the themes of the story to show the tendencies of modern culture. In Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† the themes of redemption, the source of evil, and the power of faith are developed and can be used to show the problems in today’s culture. The belief of redemption, in modern day culture, bases itself on human perspective over God’s intervention, and human perspective is how the main character in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† believed he found his salvation. This is not the actual way to find redemption. Redemption, according to the Bible, is the payment of sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The story begins as a man, Goodman Brown, leaves to go out to a meeting that turns out to be for witchcraft and finds himself torn between going to the meeting or deciding to stay at home. Brown wants to go home to his wife Faith and believes if he goes back he will not be punished for his sins. At first he comes to a decision to discontinue his trip to the meeting; he later changes his mind and chooses to move on his path to the meeting and sin. Brown decides to continue because of the shock he just recei... ...ut the faith they have. Hawthorne leaves the problem of faithless people unresolved. I believe he does this to show that faith is an idea that is so loosely thrown around that it has lost its meaning. Simply stated, redemption, the source of evil, and the power of faith are themes developed by Nathaniel Hawthorne that display problems in today’s culture. Although these issues occur frequently, many people decide to ignore them. Many of these difficult situations in today’s society present themselves behind closed doors or in the dark. These problems happen today, and they have happened in the past. It is best that we find a way to deal with these issues before they reach the future. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.†Making Literature Matter. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. 1085-95.

Common Theme in Cinderella and Barbie Doll

In the two poems, â€Å"Cinderella and Barbie Doll,† both authors use different literary devices to prove a common theme. The common theme throughout both poems is that people will mutilate themselves to obtain what they perceive as happiness. Also, the poems show how societies create a standard of living, which classifies how certain genders should act. The poem â€Å"Cinderella† by Anne Sexton is describing the original fairytale â€Å"Cinderella† in a distorted view. Anne Sexton begins her poem by giving examples of impoverished people such as a plumber, a nursemaid, a milkman, and a charwoman whom accidentally got lucky in life and morphed into lavishly living citizens. In the first four stanzas, Sexton uses antistrophe to further convey how important â€Å"that story† is to the poem (line 5, 10, and 21). Anne Sexton then shifts to recounting the story of Cinderella in stanza 5. She describes a young girl who lives with her father, mean stepmother, and two pretty, but despicable stepsisters, after her kind mother dies. The poet uses similes to describe both the two stepdaughters (Line 29) and Cinderella's slave-like tendencies (Line 32). She then talks about how a dove comes out of a tree, granting her every wish. The day of the ball, the dove helps her pick up all the lentils her stepmother had thrown on the floor as a trick to hinder her from going. And with this challenge completed, the dove also gives Cinderella the full royal clothes and treatment. For two days, at the ball, Cinderella manages to steal the prince's heart, escape her stepmother and sister's recognition, and flee back into the pigeon house before getting caught. However, the third day, her shoe gets stuck on the sticky waxed steps, thus giving the prince an opportunity to search for his princess by making every girl in the kingdom try the slipper on. In the poem, Cinderella's sisters cut off part of their feet, to get the shoe to fit; however when Cinderella slips her foot into it, it fits perfectly. Stanza 10 encourages sympathy with revenge instead of fighting back; â€Å"and the white dove pecked their eyes out. (97). The author uses a simile, â€Å"like two dolls in a museum case† (102), to describe the idea ow women lived like they had a glass ceiling over their head. This further conveys the theme of the poem being how societies create a standard of living, which classifies how genders should act. In the last stanza, Cinderella marries the prince and the wedded couple lives happily ever. Lines 103-106 portrays the author's use of asyndeton to convey how Cinderella and the prince lived with no hardships, which further conveys the theme of the poem that people will mutilate themselves to obtain what they perceive as happiness. Anne Sexton's language is dark, informal, and humorous. Darkness is achieved when she describes violent scenes of slicing feet, or pecking eyes. Informality shows through the way she addresses the reader directly every now and then. And humor is conveyed in the way Sexton elaborates on the revolting scenes and describes those using comic similes, such as â€Å"the hollow spots where the eyes once existed, resembling soup spoons. † The ending of the poem reveals what is always left out of fairytales, reality. And Sexton somehow implies that a lack of life's hardships and tiny imperfections is not the happy ever after life, but rather a predictable existence. She declares in the end that Cinderella and her prince don't deserve the prize of living the dream, â€Å"their smiles are plastered; they are neither genuine nor sincere (107). † Cinderella is just like the plumber, the charwoman, or the nursemaid. She got lucky. None of them worked their way to the top. And that's what they deserved, a seemingly happy life, with nothing to be happy about. The attitude throughout the poem is also very critical of the characters in the poem and judge mental of the Grime Brother's original fairytale. The common misconception in the poem is that many people with seemingly perfect lives have hardships just like everybody else. â€Å"Barbie Doll† by Marge Piercy is a poem written as a fairy-tale of sorts, and suggests that the enormous social pressures on women to conform to particular ways of looking and behaving are ultimately destructive. In lines 2-4, Marge Piercy uses polysyndeton to convey how important a girl's accessories are. Then in lines 5-6, the poem experiences a shift, where the speaker chooses to end the stanza in an ironic way. In stanza two, the poet's diction describes the irony of the girlchild having an â€Å"abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity† (9-10). Being good with one’s hands (manual dexterity) is a conventional male trait and similarly, while having an â€Å"abundant sexual drive† for boys might be seen as a good thing, for girl's it is been looked down on; thus supporting the theme that certain gender's should act how society wants them too. Stanza four describes how much society influenced the girl child and lines 12-14; asyndeton is used to show how much society can ask of women. The poem ends full of irony. The very person that the girlchild could never be is the person â€Å"appearing† in her casket (19-23). It is ironic that the very people who couldn't appreciate the girlchild for who she was in life, now admire the person she is made to be in death. The last line of the poem echoes the happy ending of fairy-tales. Piercy is saying that because of women’s subservient position in society, it is often difficult for their lives to have happy endings. In â€Å"Barbie Doll†, it is society that achieves consummation. â€Å"Barbie Doll† is a narrative poem written in free verse and can be read as a parable of what often happens to women in a patriarchal society. The moral of Piercy’s poem also functions as a warning: it urges readers to be aware of the ways in which society shapes our identities and urges women not to compare themselves to idealized notions of feminine beauty or behavior. Cinderella Story† shows the gullibility of women and the unrealistic dream we all have about meeting the perfect man and leading the perfect life. It opens our eyes to the fact that the fairy tale conveyed in the original â€Å"Cinderella† rarely ever happens in real life. Society influences children and women profoundly to the point where they are willing or wanting to change absolutely everything about themselves or die in the poem, â€Å"Barbie Doll. Society is also willing to tell people how they should act, specifically based on gender, and if someone falls from that certain spectrum, then they are no good for society. Anne Sexton and Marge Piercy communicate the theme of both poems through the utilization of tone and literary devices. â€Å"Cinderella† and â€Å"Barbie Doll† share the common theme that people will mutilate themselves to obtain what they perceive as happiness and that society create a standard of living, which classifies how certain genders should act.