Gravitational Force

Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation Apples had a significant contribution to the discovery of gravitation. The English physicist Isaac Newton (1642-1727) introduced the term â€Å"gravity† after he saw an apple falling onto the ground in his garden. â€Å"Gravity† is the force of attraction exerted by the earth on an object. The moon orbits around the earth because of gravity too. Newton later proposed that gravity was just a particular case of gravitation. Every mass in the universe attracts every other mass. This is the main idea of Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation. A portrait of Issac Newton. Courtesy of AIP Emilio Segre VisualArchives, W. F. Meggers Collection. The law was published in Newton's famous work, the Principia (â€Å"Mathematical Principles of Natural Knowledge†) in 1687. It states that every particle in the universe exerts a force on every other particle along the line joining their centers. The magnitude of the force is directly proportion al to the product of the masses of the two particles, and inversely proportional to the square of the distances between them. In mathematical terms: By team C007571, ThinkQuest2000. where and are the masses of the two particles, r is the distance between the two masses, F is the gravitational force between hem, and G is the universal gravitational constant, . The above equation only calculates the gravitational force of the simplest case between two particles. What if there are more than two? In that case, we calculate the resultant gravitational force on a particle by finding the vector sum of all the gravitational forces acting on it: By adding the unit vector to the equation, F now processes a direction! Interactively test the effects of gravitation on planets! Newton derived the relation in such a way that F is proportional to m because the force on a falling body (remember the apple? ) is directly roportional to its mass by Newton's 2nd law of motion: F = ma, so F is proportion al to m . When the earth exerts a force on the falling body, by Newton's 3rd law of Motion, the falling body exerts an equal and opposite force on the earth. Therefore, the gravitational force F is proportional to both the masses of the falling body and the earth, i. e. and . The inverse square relationship , was justified by observing the motion of the moon. View of a full moon. Courtesy of NIX NASA Image Exchange Photo ID: AS11-44-6667 Date Taken: 07/21/69 Johannas Kepler Courtesy of : AIP Emilio Segre Visual Archives. Newton's Law of UniversalGravitation has successfully explained the observation on planetary movements made by the German astronomer Kepler (1571-1630). It works perfectly well in the world of ordinary experience and has dominated for about 250 years. It, however, shows its shortcomings when explaining the unusual orbit of Mercury around the Sun. It breaks down when the gravitational forces get very strong or involving bodies moving at speeds near that of light. Ein stein's General Theory of Relativity of 1915, which has overcome this limitations of Newton's Law, was able to demonstrate a better theory of gravitation. Home Gravitational potential energy

Sexuality Demonstrate

Demonstrate an understanding of selected theories and models in relation to social work fields of practice. Task: * A group presentation by a group of up to 5 sstudents on one model or perspective, that demonstrates knowledge of its major assumptions, strengths and weaknesses. Each group is to demonstrate how they would apply this understanding in a specific field of practice. * The perspective or model will be assigned to the groups on the first day of the class. Guidelines: * You are to work in groups of up to 5 on the perspective or model given to you on the first day of class. You are to describe the major features of the perspective or model with its major assumptions, strengths and weaknesses. You are to show how this perspective or model can be used within a social work field of practice.The group should be able to demonstrate why this perspective or model is appropriate for the selected field of practice. * Your findings are to be reported back to the class in a 30 minute gr oup presentation. Your will be required to hand to the tutor after the presentation all supporting details. This will include relevant PowerPoint, OHP, handouts and a list of references/ bibliography. * You are expected to use a vvariety of adult learning methods in your presentation. The methods can include role-play, use of transparencies or PowerPoint, board, flip charts etc.Participants:| 1| Due Date:| 19th November 2013| Time Limit:| 2 hours| Nga huanga / Learning Outcome: * Explain the processes and methods of working with individuals, families, whanau, groups, and communities underpinned by a range of theories/models. Task: * A closed book in-class test based on lecture material, class discussions and readings. Guidelines: * The test will be conducted under normal test conditions. * The test will be a closed book test. * There will be 10 minutes reading time. * The test will be up to two hours long. * The questions may include multi-choice or essay type questions or a combina tion of these.

Martin Luther and His Impact on the Modern Church Essay

Western Europe was in desperate need of change during the sixteenth century. The popular cry among the Europeans was a call for â€Å"reform†. The political atmosphere was unstable as a result of violent leadership changes during the dismantling of the feudal system. This disunity of the people created a general atmosphere among the Europeans of discontent, unrest, and frustration. Economically, the inhabitants experienced increased poverty and financial troubles. The church was severely plagued by greed and corruption among the clergy, even in the upper echelons. The spiritual quality of the clergy was being degraded through the appointment of familial or political candidates. The theological minds, like Martin Luther’s, sought a reformation of church doctrine and a return to the basics of Christianity. The emphasis placed on Luther’s doctrine of justification and scriptural authority helped to reform church traditions and break the binding hold of corrupt leade rs over the church. The sixteenth century was a tumultuous time for Western Europe and the Church. Many Europeans were fraught with worry concerning the economical, religious, and social disorder. As the printing press became popular, the middle and lower classes were being flooded with information that had previously been unavailable; several competing doctrines were being given a voice through printed media. Previously, people would turn to religious institutions for hope and guidance amidst this type of chaos. However, the state of the church in the sixteenth century was fragile. This is due in part to the effects of the Great Schism in the fourteenth century. â€Å"[The Great Schism] divided the political, as well as the ecclesiastical world, and breaks up the Christian Europe into several hostile camps†. The Great Schism was a result of a gradual decline along political and theological lines. Prior to the Great Schism, the Papacy had risen to a level of prominence in the hearts and minds of Western European Christians. The Church controlled virtually every aspect of human life within Western Europe and the Pope was looked to as the authority on all matters; spiritual and secular. The Church possessed a large percentage of the region and had established one of the most efficient systems of government in history. At this time, theological justification for the supremacy of the papacy had been established under the principle of â€Å"the subordination of the state to the church† by Pope Innocent III. However, in Eastern Europe, the Pope was more of a foreign authority; available only when their own political leadership could not settle matters. The empire was recognized as the supreme power. They argued that unity for the citizens could only be realized through obedience to one authority; the empire. Since Christ had not given the authority of the state to the church, the church had no right to claim supremacy over the empire. Several religious leaders in the East sought to inhibit the power and authority of the Papacy. The climate of Europe was poised for division. The beginning of the division came in the form of the â€Å"Babylonian Captivity of the Church† that lasted from 1309 to 1377. During this period, the French King Phillip IV held Pope Boniface VIII captive, and sequestered the College Cardinals to Avignon. This would introduce a reign of corruption among the French papacy and introduce a dividing line between European Christians; one side supporting the French papacy and another side that opposed it. These factors led to a final cataclysmic event that earned the title â€Å"The Great Schism†. When Gregory IX, the final Avigonese pope, returned to Rome, the Church attempted to re-establish the papacy in its historic setting. Upon his death, the papacy faced a great challenge. Urban IV, an Italian pope, was elected at the urging of the local mob, while Clement VII, a Frenchman, claimed rights to the seat as well. This caused confusion over the authority of the church and division among political lines; England, Germany, I taly, and their allies support Urban IV, while France, Scotland, Spain, and their allies supported the â€Å"anti-pope† Clement VII. The Great Schism had a great effect on the faith and spirituality of the masses. There was a general feeling of distrust toward the Church and leadership. Even after the Great Schism had ended, â€Å"many found it difficult to reconcile their faith in the papacy with their distrust for its actual occupants†.Corruption and bribery were now commonplace among the upper level clergy; the practice of â€Å"the sale of indulgences† would even substitute for the process of salvation. Morally, the church was failing the believers. However, there were other flaws within the church during the sixteenth century. At the end of the fifteenth century, Western Europe had been flooded with literature from divergent theological schools of thought. â€Å"New philosophical outlooks were introduced†. Mysticism and humanism were now beginning to replace the previously solid scholastic theology of the church. Supporters of Reform were calling for a change of the traditional practices. It is in this context with which Martin Luther was influenced during the fifteenth and sixteenth century. Martin Luther grew up in an austere environment in Germany in the 1500’s. As a young adult, Luther entered the monastery out of concern for his own salvation. He thought, â€Å"’Oh, if I go into a monastery, and serve God in shaven crown and cowl, he will reward and welcome’†. Luther began a diligent study of theology during his time at the Augustinian Priory in Erfurt. He excelled intellectually and spiritually, though he experienced severe personal struggles. â€Å"He sought to work out his own salvation by careful observance of the monastic rule, constant confession, and self mortification†. This careful obedience to the monastic life was to no avail; Luther was plagued with despair at the thought of his sinfulness. Added to his frustrations, Luther had experienced disillusionment during his tenure at the monastery. The carnally minded clergy of Rome shocked him. â€Å"In Rome, the first sparks of doubt flew into his soul, which, perhaps, while he was unconscious of it, faintly glimmered, but which, with the first opportunity that might present itself, were destined to rise up into a flaming fire†. It is through these experiences that Luther would come to significant theological conclusions concerning the doctrine of justification by faith. These conclusions helped to spark a movement that would forever change the mindset of the Christian community. As Martin Luther continued his studies of scripture, he was tortured by the guilt of sin. â€Å"He was struck by the prayer of Psalm 31:1, ‘in thy righteousness deliver me’. But how could God’s righteousness deliver him? The righteousness of God was surely calculated rather to condemn the sinner than to save him†. His questions required him to review Paul’s’ doctrine of justification detailed in Romans. The doctrine of justification by faith is the basic message of God’s forgiveness towards the sin of man. Job pondered this question in the Old Testament; â€Å"How can a person be justified before God?† (Job 9:2, HCSB). Justification, then, is an act of grace by God, where he accepts the righteousness of Christ as our own by our faith in Christ. Paul comments that â€Å"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.† (Romans 1:16-16, HCSB) The righteousness of God now holds new meaning for Luther; the message of the gospel, or good news in Christ. The justice or righteousness of God does not mean punishment as Luther originally thought, but rather the imputation of God’s righteousness to the believer. The righteousness of God is imputed to the believer, even as the believer is a sinner, because of God’s grace and mercy. Essentially, as Christians we are both sinful and justified. God does not excuse or ignore the sin of man. However, God declares us as justified because of the sacrifice of Christ once we believe and trust in Him. Our faith is not the cause of justification, as if we are rewarded for faith. But rather, faith and justification are free gifts to sinners who accept them. Luther’s new revelation led him to a new way of thinking and preaching. His thoughts concluded that â€Å"I soon felt as if born again; as if I had found the gates of Paradise thrown wide open to me. Now I also looked upon the blessed Scriptures more reverently than in former times, and read them through rapidly† . This message of justification was received warmly by the masses. The western Europeans felt that Luther spoke to their condition, and increased their desire for reform. For Luther, the Word of God was of utmost importance and it helped him find the answers to the issues of salvation that overwhelmed him. In the mind of Martin Luther, the Word of God was more than the text of the Bible. â€Å"For the laws of the Bible become sweet unto us when we read and understand them, not only in books, but in the wounds of our precious Savior†. The word of God is essentially more than scriptural text; it is the revelation of God and the Word of God working together. In the primary sense we are told in John 1:1 that the Word of God is actually God himself. â€Å"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.† Here detailed, the Word of God is actually the personage of Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity. This means that when God speaks, He also acts. This is depicted in Genesis as the Word of God is involved in creation; God said, let there be†¦and there was. Christ, now God’s greatest action is also His greatest revelation; the victory of God through Christ. The Bible is the Word of God, not because it is infallible, but because in it we find Christ. The final authority of the Word of God is now realized in Christ. â€Å"Luther responded that it was neither the Church that had made the Bible, nor the Bible that had made the Church, but the gospel, Jesus Christ, that had made both the Bible and the Church. Final authority rest neither in the church nor in the Bible, but in the gospel, in the message of Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God incarnate†. Luther came to a transformative knowledge through his theological doctrines of justification by faith and the scriptural authority of the Word of God. His new emphasis greatly challenged the traditional views of the church. In sharing his knowledge, he penned ninety seven theses to stimulate debate about the theological traditions of the church. He expected to cause a stir, but the theses never received a wide circulation outside of the university. Luther pens another theses in response to the misrepresentation of doctrine by John Teztel, a German Dominican preacher. Tetzel, authorized by Pope Leo X, was responsible for the sale of indulgences in Germany. The sale of indulgences was the practice of granting absolution to a sinner through a monetary remuneration. Family members were also able to purchase an indulgence for the deceased. Pope Leo granted the authorization of the sale of indulgences with the conditions that half of the proceeds would be used by the papal coffers. The monies would then be used for the refurbishing of Rome; more specifically â€Å"the refurbishment of the great basilica that is now the pride of Roman Catholicism†. With righteous indignation, Luther refutes the practice of the sale of indulgences in his Ninety Five Theses. The sale of indulgences was popular at the time, though a theologically gray area. Luther believed that this practice was indicative of the loss of the foundational truths present in the gospel. Luther wrote the theses through his new mindset in the doctrine of justification by faith. Luther established that the sale of indulgences financially exploited the believer whereas salvation was intended to be a free gift from God. He also inadvertently challenged the authority of the Pope: â€Å"if it is true that the Pope is able to free souls from purgatory, he ought to use that power, not for trivial reasons such as the building of a church, but simply out of love, and freely†. With his nailing of the Ninety Five Theses on the door of the church in Wittenburg, on the Eve of All Saints, Luther is said to have sparked the Protestant Reformation Though the religious nature of the Reformation reverberated throughout Western Europe, there was a significant political aspect as well. Though Luther was nothing more than a friar, however, his text was an endangerment to the profits of the empire. The Emperor Maximillian wanted to silence the indignation of Luther. To the emperor’s chagrin, this could not be accomplished through Luther’s Augustinian Order; many of his fellow friars favored his teachings. The pope was forced to use an alternate method in commissioning Cardinal Cajetan to arrest Luther; an unfruitful undertaking. When Luther learned of Cajetan’s plans, he escaped back to Wittenburg to file an appeal with the general council. During this time he remained under the protection of Frederick the Wise, and attempted to gain support for his cause. Shortly following this, the Emperor Maximillian died. The Imperial Throne was vacant, and Pope Leo was searching for a candidate that he could control. Out of the three possibilities, he believed Frederick the Wise would help to balance the power in the region and allow Leo greater influence. Leo allowed the condemnation of Luther to be postponed. During this time, Luther gained the support of a colleague, Andrea von Karlstadt, at the University of Wittenburg who helped him to reform the schools theological curriculum. Karlstadt and Luther would enter into the academic debate with a shrewd theologian, John Eckk at the University of Leipzig in Ingerstoldt. It proved disastrous for Luther. His theological doctrine concerning the authority of scripture agreed with the findings an early theologian, John Huss, who had been declared a heretic. By agreeing with Huss, Luther, was therefore declared a heretic. This catalytic event began a series of struggles and triumphs for the Reformers. To his success, the debate with Eckk gained him support among humanists and the German nationals. Throughout Germany, and beyond, Luther’s protest began a movement in those who desired reform. Luther also ignited the ire of Charles V, the new emperor, with his seemingly heretical stance. Through a series of events, Luther was issued a papal bull that required the burning of his books and his excommunication. He burned this order in public, which prompted him to be brought before the Imperial Diet at Worms. It is here that Luther refuses the opportunity to recant and makes his boldest affirmation â€Å"My conscience is a prisoner of God’s Word. I cannot and will not recant, for to disobey one’s conscience is neither just nor safe. God help me. Amen†. The Reformation that Luther desired was a positive renewal of the church internally. However, Luther was unable to carry out the necessary steps to cement the reform movement. After the Diet of Worms, Luther retreated and Karlstadt was left to further the Reformation. Initially Luther was advocated the changes taking place, including the marriage of monks, the simplification of worship, and the abolition of mass for the dead. However, things soon began to spiral when rebellion broke out among the peasants. Luther never supported rebellious undertakings and urged a more peaceful solution, but to no avail. â€Å"Protestantism† would be blamed and it would create a division in the religious community; Protestants on one side, and Catholics on the other. The Protestant Reformation did not cause other reform movements, but would parallel them. Reform movements would spring up in various European states. In Switzerland, Ulrich Zwingli would be credited with the beginning of the reform movement. Zwingli was a pastor who would draw national attention by declaring many of the same theological doctrines as Martin Luther. He spoke out against the requirement of pilgrimages for salvation, and denounced the exploitation of the Swiss people at the hands of church leadership. Similar to Luther, Zwingli even spoke out against a seller of indulgences that had come to Zurich. The Swiss Reformation saw the New Testament as central to its program of renewal. Their main goal was the â€Å"restoration of biblical faith and practice†. This is where Zwingli held differing opinions than Luther and his followers. Zwingli believed that they should return to the ways of the New Testament and Christ. Zwingli agreed with Luther on several points, but they could not agree on predestination or the understanding of the sacrament. Concerning predestination, Zwingli saw it as a natural consequence of the all knowing nature of God. Luther though content to determine that salvation was the work of God, could not completely agree with Zwingli. This affected their understandings of the sacrament. â€Å"Zwingli dreaded a physical interpretation; Luther, on the contrary, dreaded the evaporation of the of the spiritual element of the sacrament of communion†. The religious community and the citizens of Western Europe were in a state of chaos during the sixteenth century. In desperate need of change, the Europeans called for reform against the traditions passed down from the medieval era. Through the revelations of Martin Luther concerning his doctrines of justification by faith and scriptural authority, the popular sentiment was organized into a movement that would of forever change the religious landscape of the West. Ultimately, a reformed Europe would be divided between the Catholic states of the south and the Protestant states of the north. From these efforts, several differing denominations would result that would inspire religious diversity and other reforms within the church. No longer would the believer be held to the sacrilegious traditions that had pervaded the papacy for over two centuries. Luther’s reformation was more than a â€Å"protest against the pope†; it [was] a positive and constructive renewal of the chu rch†.

Quality of Life in Women with Breast Cancer Post Mastectomy Research Paper

Quality of Life in Women with Breast Cancer Post Mastectomy - Research Paper Example Justification of the Problem Since such a large number of mastectomies are performed every year, it is an important issue with regard to women’s health. In order to achieve a full and proper recovery, and go on to live a high quality life post mastectomy, it is essential to identify the combination of factors necessary to achieve it. Statement of the Problem Since survival rates are improving, more attention must be given to the quality of life for breast cancer survivors (ASPS, 2011). A good deal more research is needed to help post mastectomy breast cancer patients achieve the highest quality of life possible. Review of the Literature Even though more research is needed, there is existing research that identifies some of the factors necessary for post mastectomy breast cancer patients to achieve a high quality of life. Some early research seems to suggest that the negative effects of having breast cancer (e.g. sexual well-being) may be lessened by the conservation or reconst ruction of the breast (ASPS, 2011; Rowland et al., 2001). Very little research has been done comparing psychosocial outcomes of patients that had a lumpectomy, a mastectomy alone, or a mastectomy with reconstruction (Rowland et al., 2001). The study included a large number of breast cancer survivors (1,957) who filled out a self-report questionnaire that measured health-related quality of life. As found in other research, those who had a mastectomy with reconstruction were more likely to be younger, college educated, affluent and white, than those in the other groups; however, no difference was found among the groups with regard to emotional, social... The current proposed study will be based on the theoretical framework developed by Rogers. According to Rogers’ theory, the goal, with regard to nursing, is to help clients/patients achieve a maximal level of wellness. All study participants will be women that have undergone a mastectomy as a part of breast cancer treatment. The mastectomy must have been performed between two and five years prior to the commencement of the study. The procedure for the study involves first obtaining a baseline. Study participants will be interviewed and all responses will be recorded. Next, the participants will then complete sa series of self-reporting. The questionnaires will be on various subjects, including psychological health, physical and emotional health, overall satisfacdtion and happiness, among others. Once all of the data is gathered, it will be analyzed and presented so that my see the/ significance of certain relationships which help to achieve a high quality of laundery The study included a large number of breast cancer survivors who filled out a self-report questionnaire that measured health-related quality of life. As found in other research, those who had a mastectomy with reconstruction were more likely to be younger, college educated, affluent and white, than those in the other groups; however, no difference was found among the groups with regard to emotional, social or role function. Body image and feelings of attractiveness are the usual psychosocial impacts found with regard to the surgery; and, nearly all post mastectomy patients report the fear of recurrence to be their greatest emotional challengea. The study also found that after a year from diagnosis, the quality of life is probably influenced most by the woman’s age or exposure to adjuvant therapy.

Advancements in IS hardware and software Research Paper

Advancements in IS hardware and software - Research Paper Example on sector has experienced a number of changes in the last five years and that forms the basis of discussion in the text with a focus on IS hardware and software (Baltzan & Phillips, 2009). Over the past five years, information system hardware has tremendously transformed in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. To begin with, the computer processors have been enhanced to the extent that they have increased speed and performance. Computer processors have the capabilities of processing large bulk of information by responding to the instructions as appropriate. Moreover, the hardware memories are able to store large data before they are processed (Baltzan & Phillips, 2009). In the past, the memory was restricted to a certain capacity to the extent that once the limited space was occupied, no data or information could be stored. The IS hardware have been transformed with enhanced capabilities, making them compatible with other components. It has become possible to integrate hardware and software components for effective communication of the various elements of an information system (Baltzan & Phillips, 2009). Information system software has had an impressive run in the business world in the last five years due to a number of changes. Most of the IS software has been developed to meet specific needs in the market. Case in point is that a number of the components are today developed for financial purposes, data evaluation and analysis. The specifications have simplified the use of the softwares. Consequently, IS software is compatible with most of the hardware components and this has made it possible to employ any information system material without any restrictions (Cockburn, 2008). The communication between the various components of a software have been simplified due to enhanced performance and effectiveness. Software designs have changed, making them more user friendly and easy to adapt (Cockburn, 2008). Moreover, the quality of the IS software has changed

Gender Identities, Stardom and the Italian Popular Music Essay

Gender Identities, Stardom and the Italian Popular Music - Essay Example This "Gender Identities, Stardom and the Italian Popular Music" essay outlines the gender stereotypes in the music industry specifically in Italian one. It is obvious that stardom is linked to the notion of spectacle which means that it is not possible to achieve stardom without doing something spectacular. The relationship between music and spectacle is a difficult one as the lyrics alone may not create powerful attraction. Te singer has to tactfully perform in order to create spectacle. The singer has to evolve as a performer to manipulate the viewers with the use of specific gestures and language. Music making is a craft and artists tend to use different criteria to gain the attention of the audience. One of their techniques is to manipulate their appearances to attract the viewers that are playing with their gender. They often do it by adopting features similar to their opposite sex. Contrary to Jackqueline Warwick, who argues that pop stars are feminine, a phenomenon that may be restricted to male pop stars but not to female artists. In the case of female pop stars, they tend to imitate masculinity in their performances to become the centre of attraction. Gender criterion has played a vital role in the construction of stardom. Male and female singers get different reception from the audience due to their gender identities because the conventional and widespread perceptions about the roles of men and women have made some specific boundaries for the performances and approached of men and women when they perform in media.

Is the US still a global hegemonic power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Is the US still a global hegemonic power - Essay Example The break-up of the Soviet regime in the late twentieth century, however, changed all that, leaving the United States in a uniquely powerful position in the world. This situation has been labelled a â€Å"global hegemony† based on the Greek word hegemon meaning leader. A hegemony demonstrates supremacy and leadership, but it also implies that there are others who more or less willingly follow this leadership and sustain the hegemony with their support. In modern times the phrase â€Å"global hegemony† the phrase has been defined with an emphasis on economics as a situation which â€Å"requires a preponderance of material resources, in terms of raw materials, sources of capital, market dominance and advantages in the production of highly valued goods.† (Kehoane, 1984, p. ) The supremacy of the United states in technology and its ability to influence international organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund , which support capitalist fr ee market economy ideals, has helped to ensure that America maintained a hegemonic position in the mid twentieth century. Other analysts view the situation of the United States in terms of a â€Å"theory of hegemonic stability† which maintains that â€Å"the presence of a single, strongly dominant actor in international politics leads to collectively desirable outcomes for all states in the international system.† (Snidal, 1985, 579) Snidal argues that the dominance can be exercised in both coercive leadership and benevolent leadership and of course the leader can determine at any point which type to apply. There are two ways in which such a hegemonic power can decline: â€Å"the absolute decline of the dominant actor (e.g. Spain beginning in the late 16th century) or from positive but differential growth rates through which secondary powers ‘catch up’ with a former leader (e.g. the ‘decline with growth of the United States after 1960).† (Snida l, 1985, 585) It seems that in the new millennium a number of other players have finally begun to â€Å"catch up† with the United States, notably the European Union which increasingly acts in a unified strategy on international issues, and China, which is emerging as a new world economic power which has the potential to dwarf even the United States. American hegemony is now being questioned both in terms of its current ability to provide benefits for other countries lower down in the hierarchy, and in terms of its ability to sustain itself in the face of emerging competition. This paper starts from the assumption that the United States was a global hegemonic power, jointly with the U.S.S.R. from 1945 and then in its own right from the late 1980s at least. It then examines arguments which support the idea that the United States is still a global hegemonic power and arguments against. Economic, political, military and cultural factors are considered in turn, and then the argume nts are discussed, explaining why the hegemonic power of the United States is currently under threat, and concluding in the end that the United States is still a hegemonic power, but that this situation is not likely to last very much longer. 2. Arguments

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Marketing - Essay Example It has posed tough competition for its competitors for each of its functions starting from procurement to the delivery of products. As of September 30, 2006, the Company had 1,123 Wal-Mart stores, 2,142 Super centers, 570 SAM’S CLUBS and 109 Neighborhood Markets in the United States. Internationally, the Company operated units in Argentina (12), Brazil (296), Canada (279), China (66), Costa Rica (133), Germany (85), Guatemala (125), Honduras (38), Japan (391), Mexico (845), Nicaragua (36), Puerto Rico (54), El Salvador (59) and the United Kingdom (326).1 Company targets volume. The target consumers are middle class and upper middle class customers. These customers do shopping for their monthly grocery requirements. The target markets are identified on the basis of volume and population in a particular area. Apart from that various other macro and micro environmental factors are considered before entering to the new market. Company ensures the availability of products in the store through proper inventory management, logistics management and distribution management. It offers range of products from eatables, clothing, grocery and other household products. Company has 1,123 Wal-Mart stores, 2,142 Super centers, 570 SAM’S CLUBS and 109 Neighborhood Markets in the United States. Customer can visit any of these stores according to their needs and location. Wal-Mart adopts various promotional strategies to communicate with its customers and stakeholders. The promotional strategies can be on local level, national or international level. The promotional channels utilized here can be print, electronic or combination of number of channels. It has an excellent virtual platform with attractive website which offers another channel of communication and marketing. Retailing industry is highly competitive industry because competition comes in various formats. The traditional setups like

A Hero Journey Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Hero Journey - Research Paper Example The underlying cause for rebellion and attempts to overthrow King Aegeus was prompted by the fact that the King was childless. After engaging in sexual relationship with Aethra, the daughter of Pittheus, and having convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that Aethra was expecting a child, Aegeus left for Athens but without giving instructions to Aethra. Aegeus instructed Aethra that if she a bore a boy child, she should sent the child to Athens. Aegeus left behind a pair of sandals and sword, which he hid under a huge rock (Bertram and Webster,21). After attaining a mature age, Aethra sent Theseus to Athens as directed by Aegeus so as to claim his birthright. Before this ordeal, Aethra disclosed to Theseus the identity of his real father and thereafter directed him to the rock where Aegeus had hidden the sword and pair of sandals. Since Theseus had developed a well built body and had marshaled great bravery, he lifted the rock with ease and took possession of the tokens (Dryden.8). It is clear that Theseus was being prepared for the adventure ahead. Although he grew under the tutelage of his grandfather (Pittheus) during his formative years, Theseus received the necessary training. Theseus had a personal tutor named Connidas. The journey to Athens proved to be dangerous and risky for Theseus but he overcame the challenges. Initially according to plan, Theseus was supposed to travel to Athens via sea since this was the safer route. It was extremely dangerous by that time for any person to travel by land. Pittheus (Theseus grandfather) and Aethra (Theseus mother) implored him to travel via sea but he refused (Bertram and Webster,pg.12). Theseus instead opted to travel to Athens by land to the astonishment of Pittheus and Aethra. Theseus was much aware of the consequences associated with land travel but he defied the instructions from the seniors. Choosing to travel to Athens by road, Theseus was prepared for any eventuality. This is the stage where

PRINCESS DIANA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PRINCESS DIANA - Essay Example Being a free soul, she loved music and dancing. Also, she was quite fond of the popular culture and even after her divorce, later in 1982, she maintained her celebrity image amongst the masses. She was also deeply indulged in charitable causes including HIV AIDS, homeless and especially children with needs. Her leadership skills developed over time eventually and after consistent mentoring by Stephen Twigg, her personality transformed from that of a suicidal woman trapped in royalty to courageous women world stage performer. Furthermore, James Hewitt and Oliver Hoare turned out to be quite positive influence on her personality and helped her move forward. However, having met Hasnat Khan, she found a renewed sense of companionship and confidence in herself which transformed her leadership skills (Morton 1994). As a human being, Lady Diana was quite generous and kind. She was often found spending time in hospitals, old folk homes and various institutions. It is also said that her soul was dissatisfied and distressed, and devoting her time to Charity helped her with the healing process. She was also quite nurturing in nature as she spent a lot of time with her sons and taught them about the life outside the palace. Also, she reflected her celebrity image not just in Britain but also globally as she actively participated in charitable events around the globe including the Red Cross. During her marriage, she was acquainted to about 100 charities as Patron or President. She was also quite creative in character, and her interest and fascination with music led toward accomplishing various titles and awards. She motivated people by spreading a positive aura and sense of affection amongst others, especially the less well off. People responded with gratefulness and an even higher sense of affection toward her. Not only did they reciprocated her contributions with immense acknowledgement but also they gave her a very high

Human Rights and World Wide Web Essay Example for Free

Human Rights and World Wide Web Essay These findings lend support to research showing a negative correlation between corporate social responsibility and profitability. Introduction We are witness to the metamorphosis of late capitalism, the interpenetration of postindustrialism with postmodern culture. Spectators (consumers and investors) are given only narrative fragments to construct worker and ecological stories from the vantage points of entry authored by corporate public relations. Corporate authorial-power becomes hegemonic as narrative plots script actions and perception in ways unseen or taken for granted. Consumers in the first world cannot see the ecological or work conditions because these locations are kept as strategic secrets. All one ever hears are stories directly authored by corporate interests acting as gatekeeper, authoring ventriloquist stories on behalf of workers and ecology. What is the relevance of this to Tamara? The play, Tamara, written by John Krizanc (1981, 1989) entraps us as spectators in a maze of story and character choices where our own complicity in civic responsibility stares back at us. Some characters have a voice and access to any spectators; others have either a weak voice or limited access. In Tamara Manifesto (Boje, 2001), there was a call to heed the interpenetration of postindustrialism and postmodern culture, the intertextuality of production, distribution, and consumption. Manguel (1988:1-2) gives us a starting definition of traditional theatrics: Theater, the representation of events as if they happened before your eyes begins with the convention of all spectacle: a division of reality. One space allotted to the audience, the passive viewer, seated to observe; another to the play, the actors, moving to perform. In one space theater, spectators and performers must follow the linear storyline of authorial authority and view the performance from the viewpoint the playwright has determined will be seen by the spectators. In Tamara, the barrier between spectator and actor spaces has been breeched; the spaces co-mingle and spectators become actors on many stages. My theory is that there are three divided spaces with narrators telling stories that connect them operating in a kind of Tamara interconnecting three theatrical spaces: 1. First, a consumptive space of spectators, the consumers and investors from the first world; 2. Second, a distributive space is reserved for performing executives, PR managers, and consultants, who mediate stories performed to the first space on behalf of those in a third space; 3. Third, a productive and ecological space, of the Third World where mostly young women toil and where environmental laws are more lax; workers and forests can not be seen or heard by those in the first space (and maybe not the second). We will look to see how in one industry (athletic apparel) spectators are given a few more choices, in what we call the Athletic Apparel Industry Tamara, to accompany whatever character and story they choose, masters or servants from country to country (or factory to showroom), knowing that there are simultaneous performances and they can not be in every place at one time. In short, consumers and investors rely upon the sharing of stories to construct their image of what is going on. Past examinations of the connection of storytelling and corporate strategy have focused on content analysis and a recent call has been to examine events or texts from a storytelling perspective (Barry Elmes, 1997). Some recent research recognizes that strategic orientations change over time (Black Farias, 2000) and/or may be simultaneously present (Ashmos, Duchan, McDaniel, 2000) and/or may be emergent (Mintzberg, 1987, 1990,1994; Mintzberg McHugh, 1985; Mintzberg Waters, 1985). Ways to determine changes in strategic orientation have included inference from actions (Grimm Smith, 1997) and the examination of archival documents, such as letters to shareholders (Landrum, 2000). We suggest that a more inclusive or Tamara approach is needed to show the complexity of forces that cause the ground to move. We assume there is something about the movement from a divided space in modern theater to the interpenetrating one of postmodern theater that makes Tamara a fit metaphor to analyze the Athletic Apparel Industry. In the past decades, the corporate forte was to sustain the modernist barrier between spaces, as in contemporary theater the spectators sat in their respective spaces and did not question the veracity of the performed narratives. In the last decade, as consumers and investors (first space) visited the stage themselves and entered the third space, or when the workers of the Third World were transported to the first one, then a more democratic theatrics of story production, distribution, and consumption became enacted on the global stage. The power of the corporate gatekeeper was dissolved. This study presumes that storytelling is useful in revealing corporate strategic orientation and in revealing when complexity forces changes and disrupts their orientations and postures. Stories are particularly useful in showing how individuals or corporations make sense of the world. Stories are sensemaking narratives of an organization (Boje, 1991, 1995; Czarniawska, 1998; Frye, 1957; Lieblich, Tuval-Mashiach, Zilber, 1998; Riessman, 1993; White, 1973). To explore storytelling and strategy intertextuality, we review an industry context that has been changing drastically over the past decade. The athletic shoe industry was chosen because it is a mature industry and has undergone many changes since the 1980s, such as the movement toward overseas production, increasing globalization, and involvement of activists over labor and environmental issues (Choe, 1999; Shetty, 1996). But it is the decade of the 1990s that has seen the most turbulent and complex changes, and its two most active players have been Nike and Reebok. For example, in 1998 Corporate Watch decided to turn their Greenwash Award into a Sweatwash Award and gave the prize to the Fair Labor Association, newly created by the White House Apparel Industry Partnership. They stated that, The Association will have the power to grant companies the right to sew no sweat labels in their clothing in return for what labor activists fear will amount to cosmetic improvements in sweatshop conditions. (Light, 1998:1) Corporations led by Nike, Reebok, Liz Claiborne and Phillips-Van Heusen (then L. L. Bean and Patagonia) joined with some unknown human rights groups on the taskforce to propose the creation of the Fair Labor Association (FLA). The more radical contingent, UNITE, (the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees), the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, and the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility-were taskforce members who resigned their White House Apparel Partnership positions to protest the weak monitoring practices, no living wage and no right to organize provisions of the FLA. Sweatwash was a reaction to watching two decades of corporate environmentalism become a full court PR press with slick advertising to present a green corporate image to the global stage while co-opting both the human and environmental rights movements. UNITE (1998) argues the FLA was created by a subgroup of the White House task force, consisting mostly of industry representatives from companies such as Nike, Reebok and Liz Claiborne and a few human rights groups. The FLA Clean Clothes/ No Sweat tag was the next industry strategy to mollify consumer and investors who were hearing more stories of exploitation; corporations feared their public image was tarnished by increased activism. In 1998, Nike announced plans to phase out PVC plastics in its shoes and other products and painted its web sites with plans to certify all of its 600 subcontract factories in IS014000 environmental standards. (This followed the 1997 release of the Ernst Young audit showing violations of Vietnamese environmental laws. Reebok, on the other hand, uses part of its advertising budget to give out Human Rights Awards (since 1992), while pretending to consumers and investors its products are `Made in the USA rather than being mostly made in China. Both firms did not just become enlightened one day to environmentalism and human rights, they are responding to public opinion and to amateur actors who are taking the global stage, entering the board room and shareh older meeting asking for independent monitoring of corporate claims (Introductory Guide To Unplugging Corporations, 2001). This study will examine the letters to shareholders of the top two firms in this industry, Nike and Reebok, to trace their environmental and social responsibility rhetoric (Landrum, 2000). To focus exclusively on the environmental and social responsibility narratives, we review Bojes (1999) model and classify the rhetoric in the letters to shareholders following his classification system. We follow with examples of Nike and Reeboks use of each type of rhetoric in their letters, showing the frequency of use of each type of rhetoric, and making some observations regarding Nike and Reeboks environmental and social responsibility rhetoric. Rhetoric in Use Boje (1999) offers a model to classify the environmental and social responsibility rhetoric of corporations. He identifies classifications ranging from a denial of responsibility for environmental and social problems to the embracing of green goals as central to the mission of the organization. These levels of response are: Denial Response One, the first response, is Denial. In Denial, the company denies accusations and ignores problems in their environmental and labor practices. Our hypothesis is that this can work when the three theatrical spaces remain bounded and divided, so that only the corporate executive or PR staff mediates what is going on to the other two spaces. In the Nike (1990-1999) and Reebok (1990-1999) letters, we looked for evidence of denial of problems or for evidence of ignoring problems related to environmental and labor practices. Nike Denial This section will provide some examples of passages coded within the Denial genre of environmental and social responsibility rhetoric. We offer our rationale for coding the passage within this genre. In the following 1994 passage, Nike chooses to criticize the media for their coverage of Nike problems. I coded this passage as denial since Nike refuses to acknowledge the problems that have been exposed by the media. 118: The blinder mentality is bad enough when judging the business world, but 119: it is characteristic of a more serious virus that is affecting the 120: coverage (or non-coverage) of significant cultural and political 121: stories. The sad truth is, as television news in general, and CNN in 122: particular, becomes ncreasingly invested in our lives, the print media 123: are pushed to greater extremes, forced to choose survival over 124: integrity, the most entertaining story over the real story, until we 125: come to this: The New York Times reduced to Vecsey on NIKE. The following passage from the 1995 Nike letter shows Nike again criticizing the media and Wall Street for failing to recognize Nike as a sound investment. Nike neglects to make any mention of the parti cular media exposes that have uncovered Nikes poor labor practices; thus, I have coded the passage as denial. 8: This brings us back to my frustration and, I am sad to say, the 89: futility of this document. It simply does not matter what we say in 90: words or put in numbers in the annual report. This poor little binder 91: is simply overwhelmed by electronic and print sound bites, or ignored 92: by the show biz-oriented media who convey a point of view in conflict 93: with sound investment. 94: 95: As Director John Jaqua says, This has reached the point of 96: ridicularity. 97: 98: So how, in that world, can you understand the who, what, when, where 99: and why of any company, especially one as controversial as NIKE? 00: 101: The sad answer: Cant really. It would be easy if we could bring 102: everybody to the NIKE Campus, or take everybody to 103: the Final Four, or the Olympic Trials, or the World Cup, or a Nebraska 104: high school football game, or a pick-up game on 125th Str eet. Thats 105: the world NIKE lives in. But, we cant do that. 106: 107: Instead, well send our managers back to do what they do: develop and 108: grow the best global company possible, and let the hurricane of media 109: hype blow on around us. The following Nike 1996 passage blames the media for blasting their overseas practices. Even though they have finally acknowledged this particular problem exposed by the media, they choose not to discuss it within the letter to shareholders or within the body of the annual report. Still, Nike did publish a 10-page supplement defending Nikes position; however, it only further exemplifies their denial of the problem. 9: Yet no sooner had the great year ended than we were hit by a series of 10: blasts from the media about our practices overseas. 11: 12: So I sat with a dilemma: Use this space to answer our critics 13: isrepresentations, which would leave little room for anything else, or 14: try to give our owners the bigger picture of their company. 15: 16: I decided to do the latter with, like Roger Maris home run record, an 17: asterisk. We answer the overseas questions in a supplement that is 18: included in the annual report mailing. The following 1997 Nike passage continues to suggest that Nike is failing to acknowledge the problems associated with their overseas lab or practices despite the fact that they have been repeatedly detailed in the media. 3: To do that, I first have to take a second to talk about the filter 34: obstacle, that haze we have to fight through to explain what goes on 35: around this company. 36: 37: NIKE (and the entire industry) tends to be a bit misunderstood. The 38: media prefer to treat us all as the entertainment portion of the 39: business world. So, they feel free to exaggerate, to interpret, to 40: extrapolate. To say they are prone to hyperbole would be an 41: understatement. To say that is how they make their living would not. Reebok Denial No Reebok letters were coded in this category. Green Gloss/Green Wash Response Two is Green Gloss or Green Wash. During this phase, the company launches public relations campaigns to counteract negative publicity or accusations of activists. Nike Green Gloss/Green Wash In the following 1998 Nike excerpt, the company finally begins to acknowledge that labor practices are affecting their bottom line; however, I view this acknowledgment as more of an effort to discontinue denial and patronize the public rather than to make a meaningful effort to change the situation. 24: So, what knocked us down in 1998? 25: 26: Asia brown shoes labor practices resignations ayoffs 27: boring ads. Also, we have been criticized for our headquarters 28: expansion. But understand this: We need a much bigger place to house 29: all our troubles. I have also coded the 1997 Nike passage, mentioned previously (lines 33-41), as another example of green gloss/green wash. The companys defense of themselves in a 10-page supplement not only represented a denial of the problem, but also a public relations effort to justify their practices. Reebok Green Gloss/Green Wash No Reebok letters were coded in this category. Strategic Awareness Response Three is Strategic Awareness. During this phase, there is minimal compliance yet awareness exists of the need for change. Nike Strategic Awareness In the following 1998 Nike passage, the company suggests that the media is slowly becoming more knowledgeable of its questionable overseas labor practices. However, this ostensible change in media attitude is due to the fact that Nike has put forth a good-faith effort to improve their labor practices, and in turn, the media has simply begun to report these changes. 93: On our labor practices: Our friends in the media are slowly becoming 94: more knowledgeable. This is good. It means that consumers are 95: actually getting informed rather than just alarmed. This, too, will 96: take time. Meanwhile, the contrasts between us and our competitors and 97: other companies in the needle trade will show more each year. The following 1998 Nike passage suggests that it realizes that Americans are aware of their overseas practices, and accordingly, that Nike should be credited for this shift in public consciousness. 99: There is an interesting relationship going on between the Asia economic 100: crisis and the labor practices issue, which would take many chairmans [sic] 101: letters to cover. Instead, let me cut straight to the moral of the 102: story: It is simply not acceptable for America to continue to be 103: moated Reebok Strategic Awareness No Reebok letters were in this category. Strategic Acquisition Response Four is Strategic Acquisition, or a voluntary move toward environmental audits and social responsibility. Although Nike makes no mention of their environmental audits, 1997 marked their first voluntary, environmental audit and was conducted by Ernst ; Young. Nike Strategic Acquisition No Nike letters were coded in this category. Reebok Strategic Acquisition Throughout their letters, Reebok makes reference to the fact that they seek to help make a better world and to make a difference. This is evidenced by the following passages from 1990 (lines 47-48) and 1991 (lines 59-60). The company has made a voluntary movement toward being socially responsible. 47: a high level of consciousness and a sense of responsibility to help 48: make a better world. 59: to make a difference for our consumers 60: and ourselves. Flagship Implementation Response Five is Flagship Implementation, in which the firm makes proactive moves to change their core mission and to include green goals. Nike Flagship Implementation No Nike letters were in this category. Reebok Flagship Implementation In the following passages, Reebok makes mention of the various programs and initiatives they started in order to become a socially responsible company. 1992 60: Our push for success, however, has not lessened our desire to make a 61: difference in the larger world. Reebok is unique in its dedication to 62: human rights. Through our Human Rights Awards Program, which just com 63: pleted its fifth year, we strive to bring attention to young people 64: around the world who advance the cause of human rights. This year, 65: through a grant from The Reebok Foundation, a new human rights program 66: began. WITNESS, a program providing video cameras, facsimile machines 67: and computers to human rights organizations, allows human rights acti 68: vists to document abuses of justice for the world to see. 1993 61: Finally, let us note that the aspirations of Reebok extend beyond the 62: bottom line. Our commitment to the pursuit of human rights continues. 3: Once again, we recognized brave young people for their stand on human 64: rights one each from Belgium, Brazil, Egypt, and the United States. 65: Our Reebok Foundation helped inner city young people in United States 66: urban areas. Our Human Rights Production Standards, in place throughout 67: the world, helped assure that workers manufacturing Reebok pr oducts 68: benefited from quality conditions and fair labor practices. 1994 117: Another dimension of Reebok that enhances our global brand image is our 118: goal to be in the forefront of the corporate movement toward social 19: responsibility. We are the acknowledged corporate leader in promoting 120: human rights. Young people around the world, we believe look to 121: companies that stand for more than their great products. We 122: established the Reebok Human Rights Awards program in 1988, and we 123: continue to support it. This commitment led us to establish the Reebok 124: Human Rights Production Standards, through which we strive to improve 125: labor practices in overseas factories that make our products. This 126: commitment also is why we are working to make products that are 127: environmentally sound. We believe that companies should stand for 128: something. We believe our brand should stand for something. Personal 129: athletic achievement is a powerful message, but it is not enough on its 130: own. Reebok does stand for something, and as a result a new generation 131: of young people are able to see that a company can be a source not only 132: of exciting products, but of social good. 1996 55: Our Company continued its long-held commitment to human rights with the 56: Ninth Annual Human Rights Awards in 1996, honoring young activists in 57: their struggle for human rights around the world. Our efforts in this 58: area extend beyond this recognition program and include our 59: establishment in 1992 of human rights production standards that we hold 60: our factories accountable to follow. Most recently, in 1996 in 61: response to the problem of child labor widely utilized in the stitching 62: of soccer balls, we entered into an agreement with our supplier to 63: build a soccer ball manufacturing facility in Pakistan that will allow 64: us to guarantee that all Reebok soccer balls will be made without the 65: rise of child labor. 148: we will continue to focus our efforts 49: on making a difference to our customers to our employees and to our 150: shareholders. 1998 42: I believe that the values that Reebok International stands for 43: as a company are precisely those values that consumers are looking for in todays marketplace. 84: One of the crucial elements of this plan is the repositioning of Reebok Unlimited based on the 85: concept of humanity. Actually, this is not so much of a repositioning as a rediscovery of the 86: values of creativity, free-spiritedness and individualism that we have always represented as a 87: company, but have deviated from recently in our advertising and marketing. Based on a return 88: to these universal human values, we believe Reebok Unlimited is in a unique position to appeal 89: to both the authentic performance and casual lifestyle markets at the same time. Table 1 Table 2: Figure One: Frequency of the use of environmental narratives by Nike and Reebok over the tenyear period, 1990 to 1999 134: WE STAND FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING. 135: 136: Over the past year, a lot has been written about our industry and the issue of human rights. 137: We have been a leader in this area for more than a decade. Running a company involves a lot 138: more than crunching numbers and whatever else gets in your way. It involves a commitment 139: of equal respect and fair treatment for all people. Simply put, this is the Reebok way. It will 140: always be the Reebok way. As concern for human rights issues grows among consumers 141: particularly younger consumers we believe our leadership and reputation will translate into 142: greater preference for our brands and products. Although Nike makes little mention of their environmental practices, labor practices, or social responsibility, those passages included in the letters primarily engage in denial, green gloss, and strategic awareness rhetorical styles. Nikes main response mode during the 1990s was denial. Reebok, on the other hand, mentioned their social responsibility efforts in many of their letters and were primarily engaged in strategic acquisition and flagship implementation rhetoric. Reeboks main response mode was flagship implementation. The companies were at opposite ends of the spectrum in their primary response mode during the 1990s. Both companies, however, were engaged in poor labor practices in their overseas operations (Baskin, 1996; Ernst Young, 1997; Fireman, 1999; Manning, 1997a-g; Nguyen, 1997; Reebok, 1999). The difference is that Nike was denying the problems while Reebok was trying to be open about the problems and address them. Interestingly, we can conclude that being socially responsible and environmentally aware did not result in increased market share or profitability for Reebok. They continued to lose sales and market share throughout the 1990s (Figures 4 and 5). Reebok expected that their social responsibility stance would differentiate them from the competition. Rather, research and development and marketing are key success factors for this industry and Nike outperforms Reebok in both areas. Conclusion Boje (1999) puts forth a model of stages of environmental and social responsibility rhetoric. He suggests that rhetoric falls somewhere in a continuum ranging from Denial to Flagship Implementation. On one end of this continuum, companies may deny any responsibility for or ownership of their negative actions. The next stage of this continuum reflects rhetoric that glosses over issues and uses public relations campaigns in response to negative publicity. The third stage of Bojes (1999) continuum is rhetoric that acknowledges a need for change and puts forth gestures of minimal compliance. The fourth stage on this continuum is rhetoric that shows voluntary movement toward social responsibility and the last stage on the continuum is flagship implementation of environmental practices and embracing social responsibility. This article has shown that rhetoric is a useful way in which to understand and interpret a companys strategy. We have shown a more penetrating, or Tamara, view of the rhetoric of the athletic apparel industry leaders. Through analysis of letters to shareholders of Nike and Reebok over a ten-year period, we have shown Nike and Reeboks use of environmental and social responsibility rhetoric. The results show that Nike has engaged in Denial as their primary rhetorical style and Reebok has engaged in Flagship Implementation as their primary rhetorical style. The companies are at opposite extremes of this continuum. In spite of Nikes denial and Reeboks engagement of social responsibility, Nike revenues have skyrocketed and Reebok sales have plummeted (Figure 4). Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4. If rhetoric indeed reveals strategy, these findings suggest that social responsibility and profits are negatively correlated for these two companies. In both Figures 2 and 3, we see the frequency of nvironmental and social responsibility rhetoric used by both companies increased. Nike engaged in rhetoric on the negative end of the continuum, suggesting denial of social responsibility; Reebok engaged in rhetoric on the positive end of the continuum, suggesting implementation of social responsibility. Also near this time, revenues and market share of both companies began to move in a dire ction negatively correlated with the level of social responsibility (Figures 4 and 5). The empirical evidence has been mixed on the relationship between corporate financial performance and social performance. Some researchers (Preston ; OBannon, 1997; Roman, Hayibor, Agle, 1999) have found a positive relationship between corporate social performance and financial performance and other researchers (Ingram and Frazier, 1983; Freedman and Jaggi, 1982) have found a negative relationship. In the case of negative correlations between financial performance and social performance, it is argued that the costs associated with social responsibility put the firm in an unfavorable financial position compared to firms that are not socially responsible (Aupperle, Carroll, Hatfield, 1985). Clearly the relationship between corporate financial performance and social performance is not fully understood. Nonetheless, rhetorical analysis is a useful postmodern tool in revealing a companys strategy and in revealing when changes or shifts in strategy occur. Figure 5 [Reference] REFERENCES Retrieved May 28, 2000, from the World Wide Web: http:// www. netadvantage. standardpoor. com/netahtml/ IndSur/apf/apf_0999. htm Czarniawska, B. (1998). A narrative approach to organization studies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. [Reference] Ernst ; Young (1997, January 6). Environmental and labor practice audit. Retrieved May 28, 2000, from the World Wide Web: http:/ www. corpwatch. org/trac/nike/ernst/audit. html Fireman, Paul (1999, October 17). Steps we must take on third-world labor. The Washington Post, p. B7. Freedman, M. ; Jaggi, B. (1982). Pollution disclosures, pollution performance and economic performance. Omega, 10, 167-176 Frye, N. (1957). Anatomy of criticism: Four essay . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. [Reference] Grimm, C. M. ; Smith, K. G. (1997). Strategy as action: Industry rivalry and coordination. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing. Ingram, R. ;Frazier, K. (1980). Environmental performance and corporate disclosure. Journal of Accounting Research, 18, 614-622. Introductory Guide to Unplugging Corporations (2001) Retrieved March 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http:// www. georgiastrait. org/Unplugging%20Corps. 3. pdf [Reference] Landrum, N. (2000). A Quantitative and Qualitative Examination of the Dynamics of Nike and Reebok Storytelling as Strategy. Doctoral dissertation: New Mexico State University. Lieblich, A. , Tuval-Mashiach, R. ; Zilber, T. (1998). Narrative research: Read analysis. and intc=tation.

Law Case Digest Essay Example for Free

Law Case Digest Essay In 1977, four loans from Allied Banking Corporation which is enclosed by four promissory notes amounting P100, 000 each was acquired by Elias Q. Tan, then President of Lapu-lapu Foundation, Inc. The bank was inhibited to file with the Regional Trial Court of Cebu City, Branch 15, a protest in looking for payment by Tan and the foundation, jointly and solely, of the sum of P493, 566. 61 representing their attorney’s fees and costs, loan obligation, penalty charges, exclusive of interests. For the reason that as of January 23, 1979, Tan and the foundation were not able to pay the whole obligation with a total of P493, 566.61 and regardless of the demands made on them by the Bank. The foundation denied of acquiring the indebtedness from the Bank as their answer to the complaint. They said that the loans were obtained by Tan in his personal capacity, for his own use and benefit and on the strength of the personal information he provided the Bank. The Foundation upheld that it never gave Tan authorization to co-sign in his place as its President any promissory note and that the Bank is fully aware that the loans contracted were made in Tan’s personal capacity and for his own personal use and benefit and that the Foundation never benefitted, directly or indirectly in any way or manner, thereof. The Foundation then interjected a cross-claim against Tan declaring that he, going beyond his authority, should be solely liable for the said loans, and a counterclaim against the Bank for damages and attorney’s fees. For Tan’s part, he admitted that he committed the loans from the Bank in his personal capacity. The parties, however, agreed that the loans were to be paid from the proceeds of Tan’s shares of common stocks in the Lapu-Lapu Industries Corporation which is a real estate firm. The loans were covered by promissory notes which were automatically rekindled every year at an amount which includes the unpaid interest, until the time that Tan would be able to pay the same amount from the proceeds of his abovementioned shares. According to Tan, the employee of the Bank required him to attach two signatures on every promissory note, giving him guarantee that the loan documents would be filled out in accordance with their agreement. Yet, after he signed and delivered the loan documents to the Bank, these were filled out not in accord with their agreement, wherein the Foundation was included as party. Further, previous to its filling of the complaint, the Bank made no claim on him. After the trial, the court handed over judgment. First, obliged Tan and the Foundation to pay jointly and solely to the Bank the principal obligation for the four promissory notes in the amount of P 493, 566.61 which includes all their charges included in the same, with 14% interest per annum, computed from January 24, 1979 until the same are fully paid, with an additional 2% service charges and 1% monthly penalty charges. Second, the court obliged Tan and the Foundation to pay jointly and solely, attorney’s fees in the equivalent amount of 25% of the total amount due from them on the promissory notes, including all charges and lastly, both Tan and the Foundation are obliged to pay jointly and solely proceedings expenses of P 1,000.00 plus costs of the suit. The CA supported with modification the judgment of the court by deleting the award of attorney’s fees in the favor of the Bank so that there will be no bias. The petition for review on certiorari was filed by Tan an d the Foundation. ISSUE: 1. Whether Tan and the foundation should be held jointly and solely liable. 2. Whether the foundation gave Tan an apparent authority to deal with the Bank. RULING: 1. As it is in the doctrine of corporate entity, the court did not make a mistake in holding Tan and the Foundation jointly and solely liable. Given these circumstances Tan representing himself as the President of Lapu-Lapu Foundation Inc., Tan opening a savings account and a current account in the name of the corporation, signing the application form as well as the necessary sample signature cards twice for himself and the Foundation, and Tan submitting a notarized Secretary’s Certificate from the corporation, attesting that he has been authorized to sign for and in behalf of the Lapu-Lapu Foundation any and all checks, drafts or other orders with respect to the Bank; to perform business with the Bank, negotiate loans, agreement, obligations, promissory notes and other commercial documents; and to initially acquire a loan of P100, 000.00 from any bank – Tan and the Foundation cannot hide under the corporate veil. Because of the transactions Tan entered on the behalf o f the Foundation, the Foundation is deemed liable. 2. According to the Secretary’s Certificate, Tan, the President, was given supposed and clear authority by the Foundation to, among other things, deal with the Bank. For that reason, the Foundation is prohibited from questioning the authority of Tan to attain the subject loans from the respondent Bank. Since it is a known doctrine that if a corporation knowingly allows one of its officers, or any other agents, to act within the scope of a noticeable authority, and holds him out to the public as someone who holds the power to do those acts, the corporation is prohibited from denying the agent’s authority.

Preventing Harm From Deterioration In Patients Nursing Essay

Preventing Harm From Deterioration In Patients Nursing Essay This study will discuss what a nurse needs to know in relation to identifying and preventing harm from deterioration in patients in a hospital ward setting. A review of current literature will be carried out in order to find the best available evidence on the subject. The key issues arising from the literature will be critically analysed to provide a balanced and objective consideration of the strengths and limitations of current practice in relation to the recognition and communication of patient deterioration. Finally the study will use the evidence to attempt to make recommendations for practice in this area and discuss the nurses role in the development of the new practices which could enhance the management of patient deterioration and ultimately ensure safer care for patients. Rationale for Subject Choice As a student nurse about to become a registered and accountable practitioner, one of my main concerns is that I have the knowledge and skills to recognise deterioration in the condition of my patients and the ability to communicate my concerns effectively to ensure they are seen promptly by a more senior clinician and any further decline is prevented. Therefore my rationale for choosing to study this topic was to try to find evidence which would support me in contributing to safer care of acutely ill patients. Background The increasing complexity of healthcare, an ageing population and shorter length of stay, means that hospital patients today need a higher level of care than ever before. Therefore, it is essential that hospital staff are equipped to recognise and manage deterioration (Department of Health 2009). Many patients who experience cardiopulmonary arrest show signs of deterioration for more than 24 hours before arrest, and it has been estimated that approximately 23,000 in-hospital cardiac arrests in the United Kingdom (UK) could be avoided each year with better care (Smith et al 2006). Furthermore, evidence has shown that delays in recognising deterioration or inappropriate management can result in late treatment, avoidable admissions to intensive care and in some cases, unnecessary deaths National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) (2005) National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) (2007) (2007a). These studies highlighted the magnitude of the problem in the UK, they s howed that hospital staff do not understand the disturbances in physiology affecting the sick patient, they frequently ignore signs of clinical deterioration and lack skills in the implementation of oxygen therapy, assessment of respiration and management of fluid balance NPSA (2007) (2007a). NCEPOD (2005) reported that approximately 50% of ward based patients receive substandard care prior to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, and 21-41% of ICU admissions are potentially avoidable. Analysis of 425 deaths that occurred in general acute hospitals in England showed that 64 deaths occurred as a result of patient deterioration not being recognised due to observations not being undertaken for a prolonged period leading to changes in vital signs not being detected, and delay in patients receiving medical attention even when deterioration was detected (NPSA 2007). Despite considerable economic investment there is continued evidence of suboptimal care and the Department of Health (DoH) (2 009) have acknowledged that the recognition and management of acutely ill patients need attention. They say there are many factors influencing a patients ability to receive appropriate and timely care including the failure to seek advice, poor communication between professional groups, and a lack of clinical supervision for staff in training (DoH 2009). The following literature review will attempt to find evidence of the factors which contribute to sub optimal treatment of deterioration. Literature Review A literature search was undertaken using the electronic databases CINAHL, ESCBO host, Internurse, Medline, Science Direct and Swetswise through the Liverpool John Moores University search engine, and also the British Nursing Index via Ovid using the Royal College of Nursing search engine. The keywords used were: deterioration, hospital deterioration, communication of deterioration and early warning systems. A total of thirteen articles were found to be of use, two of these were published outside the UK (Australia and Italy) however after reading them it was decided that the evidence was relevant and they were deemed appropriate for use. As the study developed a further search was performed using the terms deterioration tools, communication tools, SBAR and RSVP communication tool two articles from this subsequent search were used in this study. Additionally and as mentioned above useful references were also sought from the Department of Health, the National Patient Safety Agency, the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcomes and Death, and the National Institute of Clinical Excellence. The search revealed the topic had been fairly well researched, especially in recent years and the articles seemed to have stemmed from the reports by NPSA (2007) (2007a) and NICE (2007). Smith (2010) recently proposed a Chain of Prevention to assist hospitals in structuring their care processes to prevent and detect patient deterioration and cardiac arrest. The five rings of the chain represent staff education, monitoring, recognition, the call for help and the response and it was found that the themes of education, and recognition were well documented in the literature. Nurse Education Preston and Flynn (2010) say in order to avoid unrecognised patient deterioration and therefore enhance patient safety nurses must review their knowledge and skills in measuring the physiological parameters of temperature, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, oxygen saturation levels, and neurological function, and in particular identified the respiratory rate as a particularly sensitive indicator of clinical decline. In addition nurses also need to recognise the significance of physiological compensatory mechanisms that are activated in clinical deterioration, so they can report their findings accurately and with confidence to doctors and senior staff. Steen (2010) agrees that nurses require the knowledge and skills to be able to provide critical care in the general ward setting, as accurate assessment using a systematic approach can aid timely detection and intervention and can help to stabilise the individuals condition preventing organ dysfunction, multi organ failure and furthe r deterioration, thus reducing morbidity and mortality rates and admission to ICU. However, Odell, Victor and Oliver (2009) feel that recognising deterioration of a ward patient and referring to critical care teams is a highly complex process, requiring skill, experience, and confidence. Preston and Flynn (2010) suggest that nurses can be helped to develop these skills by attending the Advanced Life Threatening Events Recognition and Treatment (ALERT) course, they considered the possibility of nurses undertaking the ALERT course whilst a student, they say this will help newly qualified nurses to promote their skills, abilities and rationale for recognizing and responding to patient deterioration. They also recommend the further development of acute illness simulation programmes in both pre and post registration courses to help nurses to become more confident and expert in responding and reporting acute illness to medical and more senior staff. They say what is needed is a closer col laboration between education and health service partners to deliver these programmes and competent clinical teaching staff to facilitate these simulated exercises in a safe environment that utilises accurate patient scenarios, equipment and charts that are currently used in practice (Preston and Flynn 2009). Monitoring Accurate monitoring of patient condition featured highly in the literature. The NPSA (2007) revealed that in 14 of the 64 incident reports they studied, no observations had been made for a prolonged period before the patient died therefore vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse and respirations were not detected. But the literature revealed the crucial importance of regular observations in the recognition of deteriorating patients. Preston and Flynn (2010) said doing the observations is crucial for detecting early signs of deterioration in acute care as closely monitoring changes in physiological observations can identify abnormalities before a serious adverse event occurs. Early identification is important to reduce mortality, morbidity, length of stay in hospital and associated healthcare costs (NICE 2007). Preston and Flynn (2010) also stipulated that close supervision of unqualified nursing staff doing the observations in acute care should be a high priority and should follow both the NICE (2007) guidelines and recommendations from the NSPA (2007) (2007a). However following an observation of care by Morris (2010) an issue was identified where observations were incomplete, with recording of respiratory rate and oxygen saturations omitted and although an early warning score chart had been used, a score had not been recorded (Morris 2010). Recognition The importance of nurses utilising an early warning system was highlighted. Cei, Bartolomei and Mumoli (2009) say using the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) when recording patient observations is a simple but highly useful tool to predict a worse in-hospital outcome and aid identification of patients at risk of clinical adverse events such as cardiac arrest, sepsis and raised intracranial pressure. Nonetheless a study by Donohue and Endacott (2010) revealed that participants did not look for trends in the MEWS data and few used MEWS data in the manner it was intended i.e. it was used to confirm whether the patient met the trigger criteria, rather than as a routine component of assessment, the study found that MEWS was used infrequently, used too late and not employed to communicate patient deterioration. Mohammed, Hayton, Clements, Smith, and Prytherch (2009) felt the significant advantage of an early warning or track and trigger system like MEWS was that they use a visual scale t hat gives a score if a physiological recording enters a colour zone. But they found that there are disadvantages to using these systems in practice if nurses add up the scores incorrectly. In their study (Mohammed at al 2009) found that calculating scores could be improved by using a handheld computer and this approach was more accurate, efficient and acceptable to nurses than using the traditional pen and paper methods in acute care. The Department of Health (2009) say early warning systems play a key role in the detection of deteriorating patients; however, clinicians need to be aware that in some clinical situations these systems will not reflect clinical urgency (Department of Health 2009) and effective assessment skills must be employed. Call for Help and Response The NPSA (2007) report revealed that in 30 of the 64 incident reports they audited, despite recording vital signs, the importance of the clinical deterioration had not been recognised and/or no action had been taken other than the recording of observations (NPSA 2007). This could be due to ineffective communication of the deterioration. The literature review showed that communication of deterioration was a more recently well documented subject. Steen (2010) Tait (2010) feel that a vital component of the management of the acutely ill patient is the ability to communicate clearly and precisely with all members of the multidisciplinary team to aid timely and appropriate help and intervention for the patient. Still there is much evidence of communication breakdown between disciplines, Beaumont (2008) states communication between medical and nursing staff can be problematic, nurses may not communicate clearly enough and struggle to convey information in a manner that would convince doctor s of the urgency of the situation, sometimes there is failure by doctors to perceive, understand or accept the source of nurses clinical and professional judgement, less experienced nursing staff might not feel comfortable or confident to call more senior staff because they fear doing the wrong thing or crossing occupational and hierarchical boundaries. These problems can result in conflict between professional groups as they attempt to work towards positive outcomes and may prevent patients from receiving assistance and support when required (Beaumont 2008). Endacott, Kidd, Chaboyer and Edington (2007) agree that formal divisions of labour and professional boundaries can cause gaps or discontinuities in patient care and feel communication between clinicians must improve. Donahue and Endacott (2010) say the failure of nurses to recruit senior support to deal with acutely ill patients is a contributing factor to the sub-optimal care of critically ill patient, it may be due to a lack of experience or knowledge on the part of the doctor but may equally be due to the nurses inability to articulate the seriousness of the situation. Their data identified that nurses have an awareness of the need for a succinct story but they continue to make calls for assistance with little relevant information (Donohue and Endacott 2010). As stated above suboptimal communication between health professionals has been recognised as a significant causative factor in incidents compromising patient safety and the use of a structured method of communication has been suggested to improve the quality of information exchange (Marshall, Harrison and Flanagan 2009). A number of communication tools are available; some hospitals use the SBAR (situation, background, assessment, recommendation) tool to structure conversations between members of the multidisciplinary team, which uses standardised questions to prompt the conveyor of information to share the necessary details (Steen 2010). In a simulated clinical scenario Marshall et al (2009) described the positive effect of this method on students ability to communicate clear telephone referrals. However, Featherstone, Chalmers and Smith (2008) feel that SBAR is not a memorable acronym and they prefer the use of the RSVP (Reason, Story, Vital Signs, Plan) system used in the ALERT cou rse as framework for the communication of deterioration, the authors say SBAR does not easily slip off the tongue, and RSVP is much easier to remember in an emergency. They say the reason for the call can be explained in clear simple language, and the story gives a time line of important events, they feel nurses will be familiar with a narrative style of communication and are used to giving a brief summary as part of the handover process. The vital signs must be given in figures, and can include the early warning score, or summarized in words that convey the deterioration effectively and the plan for the patient should be outlined by the caller or expected from the receiver (Featherstone et al 2008). Smith (2010) says the use of standardised method of communication, such as the RSVP system will improve communication about patient decline. Recommendations for Practice Constant change within the National Health Service is essential to advance care quality and ensure the provision patient focused care that is evidenced based. Ensuring the latest and best available evidence is put into practice is a is a crucial way of ensuring that people get the treatments and services that are the most effective and will have the best health outcomes, it ensures that the public funding that supports the NHS is used wisely and that the treatments and services offered are cost effective, and both of these factors lead to the provision of clinically effective care. Everyone involved in healthcare provision must ensure quality is enhanced and must be willing to change current practices for the benefit of patients. Nurses have a professional responsibility to keep up to date with changes and developments within their field and to deliver care based on the best available evidence or best practice (Nursing and Midwifery Council 2008). Larrabees (2009) Model for Evidence Based Practice Change suggests that there are six steps towards implementing change in practice, firstly practitioners should assess need for change in practice, and this study has found evidence which clearly points to the need for changes in practice in order to reduce avoidable harm to patients. The next steps of Larabees Model (2009) are to locate the best evidence, and critically analyse the evidence, and from the evidence found in this study it is evident there are several recommendations for changes in practice which would help nurses in acute care to develop their skills in recognising and reporting deterioration. To keep the Chain of Prevention suggested by Smith (2010) strong he suggests that staff education, monitoring, recognition, the call for help and the response must all be robust in order to prevent harm from unrecognised and unassisted illness. Recommendations to enhance these areas would be to ensure that the recognition of life threatening illness is taught from an early stage in a nurses career by attending the ALERT course earlier in their training and by the teaching of patient scenarios in the clinical area and facilitated by staff who are trained in critical care. With regards to the call for help and the response rings of the Chain of Prevention (Smith 2010), it has been shown that the use of communication tools help nurses to get an earlier response when calling for assistance, so it seems sensible to implement the standard use of a communication tool in acute care when communicating deterioration. The next step in Larabees Model for Change (2009) is to design the practice change, and it is recommended that use of the RSVP communication tool (see appendix) should become hospital protocol when calling for assistance; this is because it is easy to remember and it is used as part of the ALERT course which many acute care nurses have attended. Nurses should receive training on the use of this tool and it should be displayed near the tele phone in every acute area. In order to implement and evaluate this change, which are the next steps in the Model (Lara bee 2009) a nurse should firstly let people know about it, this can be done by using various means of communication i.e. trust intranet, ward meetings, discussion with senior nursing staff and managers. They must then get people to take on the change by involving enthusiastic team members and organising a pilot test of the use of the RSVP tool. Crucially the rate in which more senior practitioners respond must be audited find out if the tool is working in practice and if not why not, is more information or training required is the tool not displayed clearly enough. The final step of the Model for Change (Larabee 2009) is to integrate and maintain the change in practice, to do this a nurse must ensure all new staff are trained to use the system and continuously evaluate its use to ensure it is working in practice. Conclusion This study has highlighted the evidence base and resources available to support nurses in contributing to safer care of acutely ill patients it has found that in order to facilitate accurate detection of changes in condition, nurses working in acute care must acknowledge the importance of observations and early warning systems in the identification of patients at risk of adverse events and ensure patients are assessed using a sound knowledge of physiological compensatory mechanisms, to enhance this knowledge they should attend an ALERT course, the evidence pointed to nurses attending these courses early in their career and that clinical scenarios could also help increase their knowledge of acute illness. It was found that communication tools help nurses when calling for senior assistance and the implementation of a standard tool within acute hospital settings could help to prevent harm from deterioration.

Rock Music and Creativity :: Creative Creativity Essays

Rock Music and Creativity As the reader may verify by looking at my name, I originate from Cyprus, a Greek island in the Mediterranean Sea. As I grew up in a Greek environment, Greek music predominated in my listenings with a glimpse of classical music added when my studies in the piano encouraged it. My short stay in the States has, apart from many other things, introduced me to rock music. According to Google.com, "rock 'n' roll can be defined as a genre of popular music originating in the 1950s; a blend of Black rhythm-and-blues with White country-and-western; rock is a generic term that evolved out of rock 'n' roll." The purpose of this essay is not, however, to provide an analysis on rock music. I know I have much to learn, many hours of listening to be able to be considered a `rock fan'. Nevertheless, rock provides a perfect example where Margaret Boden's three domains of creativity appear explicitly. Margaret Boden, Dean of School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences and professor of philosophy and psychology at the University of Sussex, has written many essays on creativity. In The Creative Priority she divides creativity into three main branches. The first involves `making unfamiliar combinations of familiar ideas', new ways to join already existing ideas in order to generate a completely novel creation, be it a poem, a painting or a scientific invention. The `exploration of conceptual spaces', searching for possibilities in an area that no one has thought about before and realizing the potential those may have, entails the second branch. Finally, the third includes `transforming conceptual spaces in people's minds', pushing and altering the limits previously imposed to result in the triumph of creation. This classification provides a summary of what various authors have illustrated in their works on the creative process. As the definition of rock music states, rock emerged from the combination of black rhythm-and-blues and white country-and-western. Those two kinds of music prevailed on the music scene since the beginning of the 20th century. Both were familiar to the audiences of the time. What Elvis did that shook the waves and initiated a revolution in music, was to combine those two familiar ideas in an unfamiliar way. The result was a new – for the time – music genre, which as such had a lot to offer and a lot to explore within.

Cleopatra Essay example -- essays research papers fc

Cleopatra   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many countries have had important rulers who were well-known throughout the world. One country whose leaders particularly stand out is Egypt. The leaders of ancient Egypt were extremely essential in history. Cleopatra was a key example of these significant rulers of Egypt. The Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII was an extraordinary woman who used her knowledge and ambition to fulfill Egypt’s political goals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cleopatra VII, more commonly known as Cleopatra, was born to Ptolemy XII and his sister Cleopatra Tryphaina in 69 B.C. (Nardo 9). Although she lacked beauty, Cleopatra was regarded as a fascinating woman who was known for her intelligence and charm. Egyptian coins picture her with â€Å"a countenance alive rather than beautiful, with a sensitive mouth, firm chin liquid eyes, broad forehead, and prominent nose† (â€Å"Cleopatra VII† 377). After her father’s death in 51 B.C., Cleopatra became queen. She ruled Egypt with her eldest brother and husband Ptolemy XIII. Marriage between siblings was a â€Å"common practice† in ancient Egyptian royal families (Sinnigen 662). She was the last ruler of the dynasty established by Ptolemy I. Cleopatra was of Macedonian descent but took it upon herself to learn the Egyptian language and referred to herself as the daughter of the sun god (â€Å"Cleopatra VII† 377). Her capital was Alexandria, d iscovered by Alexander the Great, and was an excellent center of Hellenistic Greek culture and c...

Effective Writing Is Important Essay -- essays research papers

Effective Writing is Important I have become to notice, through my coursework, that writing well is a tool that everyone can benefit from. Good writers will tell of many an occasion in which their talent has earned them advancement; an advancement that comes to play not only in the job market but also for personal gratification. Fortunately, writing is a skill that can be both taught and practiced to a point at which virtual perfection is reached. The many facets of writing can seem quite overwhelming to the novice. The aspect of writing that most people are unaware of is the fact that it is actually broken down into just a few basic principles. Because of the many benefits that proper voice, structure, and thesis development bring to one's writing, these facets of writing are more impo...