Thursday, December 26, 2019

President Bill Clinton and The Lewinsky Scandal Essay

Clinton and The Lewinsky Scandal On January 17th, 1998, President Clinton videotaped a deposition for the Paula Jones lawsuit against him. December 19th, eleven months later, Bill Clinton became only the second president in our nation’s history to face impeachment from congress. The 1998-1999 was a tumultuous year for the President, the media, and the American people as a whole. Yet, the most intriguing and surprising aspect of the scandal was not that Bill Clinton would ever cheat on his wife or that his administration would survive such a terrible scandal. Nor was it a revelation that the media would be zealously intrigued by a sex scandal involving the President. The one aspect of the Lewinksy Scandal that was truly†¦show more content†¦While it is too early to accurately judge the presidency of Bill Clinton, most would agree that he was successful in office. He was the first democrat to successfully be reelected since Franklin Roosevelt. Yet, when a sufficient amount of time has passed and historians attempt to categorize and analyze Bill Clinton’s presidency, his legacy will ultimately be tied to scandal. The numerous scandals that Clinton faced – and survived –were an important aspect of the Clinton presidency. On one hand, they showed the well-documented weakness of Clinton’s personal character – his infidelities, his evasiveness, and his lack of integrity. Yet, Clinton’s ability to survive these scandals are a true testament how politically cunning and brilliant the man was. In examining the political life of Bill Clinton, five major scandals stick out: his draft record; Gennifer Flowers and Infidelity; the Marijuana controversy; Whitewater; the Lewinsky Affair. Any one of these scandals could easily – and have on numerous occasions– ruin a political career. Yet, in each of these episodes Clinton was unusually adept at surviving and restoring his image. The importance of illustrating Clinton’s past encounters with scandal is not to show the moral weakness of Clinton’s character; nor is it to show cagey moves ofShow MoreRelatedBill Clinton : The Second President1057 Words   |  5 PagesSilvey English 3G 02 February 2015 William (Bill) Clinton was only the second president in history to be impeached by the House of Representatives in 1998, but he was acquitted by the Senate the following year (â€Å"Bill Clinton.†). President Clinton was impeached for perjury and for obstruction of justice; however, he was acquitted of both charges just two months later because of â€Å"lack of merit.† Even after being acquitted from his impeachment, Bill Clinton realized he’d made a mistake, as most humansRead MoreThe Lewinsky Scandal, 19981491 Words   |  6 PagesLiterature Review: The Lewinsky Scandal, 1998 For the past few centuries, political scandals have become a permanent fixture in US politics. Most recently, when we think of scandals in American politics the 1998 Clinton-Lewinsky Affair comes to mind. Though unlike its predecessors this scandal was not one of constitutional crises such as Nixon’s Watergate in the 1970s, but it instead concerned the extramarital affairs of the then incumbent president, William J. Clinton. Bill Clinton, as he is more commonlyRead MoreLife History of Bill Clinton Essay1735 Words   |  7 PagesBill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton succeeded where no other Democrat since Franklin had. He was re-elected to a second term as President. Clinton also proved most of his critics wrong, surviving the personal scandals that came about. During his presidency, Clinton broke promises and failed in certain areas, but he still had support of the American people. Even after his affair with Monica Lewinsky, the people still wanted him in office. They liked what he was doing for the country andRead MoreLets Keep Personal, Personal: Scandal ´s of Bill Clinton and John F. Kennedy1020 Words   |  5 PagesAmerica loves a scandal. After all, what do most people think of when this question is brought up: What does Bill Clinton and John F. Kennedy have in common, besides the fact that they were both Presidents of The United States of America? They are men who excelled in their job yet both had a blemish on their previously near perfect reputation that society viewed as a letdown. Both men had scanda ls that involved women; Monica Lewinsky and Marilyn Monroe. I strongly believe that society judging theRead More President Bill Clinton Essay1663 Words   |  7 PagesBill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton succeeded where no other Democrat since Franklin had. He was re-elected to a second term as President. Clinton also proved most of his critics wrong, surviving the personal scandals that came about. During his presidency, Clinton broke promises and failed in certain areas, but he still had support of the American people. Even after his affair with Monica Lewinsky, the people still wanted him in office. They liked what he was doing for the country andRead MoreThe Presidency Of William Bill Clinton926 Words   |  4 Pagesof William (Bill) Clinton began in 1993 and ended in 2001 after two terms. There is no doubt that he President Clinton was one of the most likeable of the President’s. His ‘loveable rogue† image would be needed to help him through scandals that would occur throughout his Presidency. Even before President Clinton would become president the first of his cheating scandals would hit the press in January of 1992 the tabloid magazine The Star would break the story of Gennifer Flowers and Bill Clinton’sRead MoreBill Clinton s Decline : A Tragic Hero1375 Words   |  6 PagesBill Clinton’s Decline A tragic hero is a person who is adored or praised by the public eye but then chooses an action that eventually leads to his or her’s own destruction. These kind of heroes have been around for an extreme amount of time. A tragic hero is most commonly heard of in a novel or epic, but there have been many historical tragic heroes throughout the real world. Every continent, every country, and even every state has had at least one real life tragic hero in their midst. The UnitedRead MoreThe President Of Arkansas, Bill Clinton Essay1330 Words   |  6 PagesArkansas, Bill Clinton, was the first Democratic candidate in the election of 1992, becoming the first Democratic president since 1976. He was the president number 42 and occupied two presidential period between 1993 to 2000. When he was nominated to the presidency in 1992 by the Democratic party, Clinton centered his campaign in creating jobs, focusing on the image that is close to ordinary people because he does not come fro m an elite of millionaires like his challenger George W. Bush. Clinton was favoredRead MoreThe Effects Of Media On People s Lives1842 Words   |  8 Pagesway to get the word out. But if one wanted to keep something they were doing a secret, the media would negatively affect them because it could imply the wrong messages and then ruin one’s reputation. The media has a very creative way of portraying scandals and catching people while they are in the act. The media rarely focuses on an individual being joyous and successful but more so on one’s failures and mistakes. With the current more somber and responsible approach often comes a bowdlerized  view  ofRead MoreImpeachment of Bill Clinton Essay1834 Words   |  8 PagesPresident Bill Clinton began an affair with Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern, in 1995. Later in 1998, when confronted with questions in regards to an affair with Monica Lewinsky, Clinton lied under oath in front of a grand jury. This, howeve r, was not his first lapse in judgment as viewed by the Senate and Congress. The President and his wife, Hillary, found themselves involved in the Whitewater scandal beginning in 1978. In addition, during his campaign, Clinton was accused of draft dodging

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Obesity Is A Prevalent Issue Within Modern Society Essay

Obesity is a prevalent issue in modern society; around 90 million citizens are considered to be overweight in the United States alone (Johnson, Hayes, Brown, Hoo, Ethier, 2014). According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2014), symptoms resulting from obesity, such as diabetes or high cholesterol, are in the top ten leading causes of death in America. These high numbers can be attributed to low rates of physical activity along with minimal fruit and vegetable intake (Johnson, Hayes, Brown, Hoo, Ethier, 2014). Many outside factors like food insecurity and remote environments contribute to one’s diet and exercise patterns, therefore increasing the prevalence of obesity in these populations. If these issues are not addressed, obesity rates will only increase, furthering the risk of premature death. Generally, gaining weight is a direct result of a lack of exercise and poor diet. In a recent study run by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers determined that only 27.1% of high school students are regularly physically active, exercising an hour each day of the week (Johnson, Hayes, Brown, Hoo, Ethier, 2014). If one does not create healthy exercise habits when young, the chances of him or her getting an adequate amount of activity each week is not likely when he or she enters college or the work force. Along with establishing proper exercise routines when young, one needs to also learn how to eat healthily early in life. Unfortunately,Show MoreRelatedIs Obesity A Dangerous Disease?876 Words   |  4 PagesIn modern day society, one of the largest issues that the United Stated of America is facing is obesity. The number of obese people is increasing on a yearly basis. This is an extremely problematic issue for multiple reasons. The definition of being obese is being grossly fat, and overweight. This excess of body fat on the human body has numerous amounts of health risks associated with it; the excess body fat makes it harder for your body to function properly, and can prevent you from living a healthyRead MoreSleep Deprivation And Its Effects On Society Essay1730 Words   |  7 PagesPresent day American society operates around the clock, thanks to electricity and technology, factories, transportation, and hospitals that never close all lend themselves to the need for workers that can also operate around the clock – the impact on workers that support this industrial juggernaut ultimately pay the price with misaligned sleep schedules and/or sleep loss. Johnson explains: Obtaining adequate sleep is a fundamental condition for quality of life. As society develops into a 24-hourRead MoreGood Health.1160 Words   |  5 Pagesmany important factors amongst others when striving to maintain good health. This will be demonstrated by examining the three main aspects affecting an individual s health, in the following order: diet, lifestyle and social fabric of family and society. Diet is considered as one of the most crucial factors contributing to an individual s health. However, being aware of what constitutes a good diet as opposed to a poor diet is significant in maintaining optimal health in an individual. A diet thatRead MoreEssay on The Danger of Subliminal Advertising1438 Words   |  6 PagesIn modern society, advertisements and the media bombard Americans every single day. Television advertisements, movies, radio, and even Spam mail have become a daily part of the lives of many citizens. However, most people do not realize the sinister methods advertisers and corporations employ with the media in order to obtain a profit. The use of subliminal and negative advertising has increased immensely and shows no plan of stopping anytime soon. This dangerous ploy manipulates the public and causesRead MoreThe Role Of Sedentarism And Its Effects On The Human Body1828 Words   |  8 Pageshumans to be consistently sitting during most hours of the day and in c onjunction with significantly less physical activity (Owen, Healy, Matthews, Dunstan, 2010). The framework that structures present-day society encourages daily sitting by integrating it into several of our activities within our homes, workplace, education and methods of transportation (Lynch Owen, 2015). Humans perpetually participate in this motionless culture and research might suggest that it is very important to be awareRead MoreGlobalisation2003 Words   |  9 PagesWhat is ‘globalisation’ and is it good for society? This essay explores the concept of globalisation and whether it is beneficial to society. The essay will consist of the introduction, conclusion and three sections. Section one will define the main terms. Section two will explore the advantages of globalisation and section three considers the criticisms of globalisation. The main thrust is presented, as globalisation is good for society even though it does have some significant and dire consequencesRead MoreAre Environmental Chemicals Associated with Obesity in Humans?4930 Words   |  20 Pages Are environmental chemicals associated with obesity in humans? Abstract Obesity has become a grave issue in the contemporary world of technological and scientific advancements that is rising at an unprecedented rate not only in adults, but children and teenagers are equally being affected by the epidemic of obesity. However, various factors have been identified and determined that leads to the development of obesity, amongst which the environmental chemicals (such as bisphenol A, nicotine,Read MoreLatino Culture Related to Purnell Model1750 Words   |  7 Pagesof Purnell’s Model of cultural competency. It looks at issues relating to health promotion, disease prevention and management factors affecting health which are basically the aims of community health nursing. The Purnell model is a model that was developed to provide and organize framework for nurses to use as cultural assessment tool. The model is a concept where all people have been represented at various levels. They range from global society, community, family and the individual and I will utilizeRead MoreEssay about Poverty, Obesity and Health1982 Words   |  8 PagesModern society is dealing with a health crisis that has been on the rise for years. Ongoing research by the Center of Disease control and others is beginning to prove that all over the United States obese individuals that live in poverty are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other health conditions. The relationship between obesity prevalence and socioeconomic status measured as educational level or income. People faced with poverty often feel helpless when left to deal withRead MoreThe Importance Od Ethics And Social Responsibility3247 Words   |  13 Pagesalso implemented a CSR policy with monthly audits to ensure that all parties involved are improving their working conditions. Within the code of conduct, the company reevaluated its wording. Any aspects that were too vague or ambiguous were replaced with concrete and direct instructions. Nike made audit compliance more streamlined and simple to understand for all workers within the organization. As such, the company has steadily improved working conditions around the world for 13 consecutive quarters

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Analysing a newspaper article free essay sample

Analyzing a Newspaper story How is a Newspaper Article Structured? All newspaper articles follow a particular framework or structure. Headline: All stories have a headline, which gives the reader an idea of what the article is about. Tabloid headlines often use puns or other techniques, such as alliteration, to captivate their audience. Introduction: As the first paragraph in an article, the introduction is very important. Its contents tell the reader In more detail what the article is about. Research Into how people deader newspapers shows that most people read the headline first, followed by the first paragraph of the story. If the introduction is not interesting then most people will to continue reading the article. The first paragraph is often known as a stand- first, printed In a bold font. Elaboration: The next few paragraphs tell the reader more about the story that is outlined in the Introduction. They Inform readers about the following key words: what When Where Who Why. We will write a custom essay sample on Analysing a newspaper article or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Quotes: Almost all news stories have comments from those involved or from voyeurs onlookers). Their function is to make the article more objective by keeping a balanced viewpoint. Alternatively, they can make the article more subjective by sensationalistic the reaction of the public and can Indicate bias. Projection: Many stories tell the reader what might happen next In relation to the event or people in the report. This might Include a comment from a police officer, an PM, a family member or a general prediction of consequences or outcomes. Blast Something to keep in mind when reading newspaper articles is bias. Usually, the sews of newspapers are predetermined by their political ideology I. E. Which political Conservative Party or right wing, whereas The Guardian is more socialist in outlook, or left wing. However, bias does not have to be political. Journalists can be biased towards certain types of people, places and organizations. Many Journalists have been accused of bias for not representing a balanced viewpoint in a report. Tabloid Broadsheet The most striking diffe rence between tabloid and broadsheet newspapers is their language. Below are two checklists of tabloid and broadsheet language. Please note that these are not totally comprehensive and you must add to them as you go along. Tabloid Informal Use of puns Use of alliteration Exaggeration for effect Slang Colloquial language (chatty) Informal names used Short, snappy sentences Heightened language (over the top) Brand names Adjectives often carry sexual overtones A focus upon appearance Frequent use of elision e. G. Wont, dont. This is another informal technique Broadsheet More formal Metaphors rather than puns Rhetorical questions More complex sentences (look for sentences separated by lots of commas, semi- loons etc. Puns sometimes used, although more subtle Statistics Descriptions of people tends to relate to personality or position in society Politicians comments often included , with a commentary by the Journalist Informal language: characterized by short sentences, use of slang and colloquialisms. Formal language: complex sentences, no slang, Standard English used. Colloquial language: chatty, conversational language, sometimes characterized by the use of slang. Adjective: describes a noun. Adverb: describes a verb, usually an action. Noun: person, place or thing. Verb: an action word. Pronoun: replaces a noun e. G. I, she, he, we. We is an inclusive pronoun, as it tries to include the audience with the writer or speaker. Elision: deliberately missing out letters n words e. G. Dont instead of do not. Metaphor: describing something as something else; a description that is not meant literally. Rhetorical question: a question asked for effect that does not require an answer. Pun: a double meaning or play on words. Semantic field: a recurring theme or image in a piece of writing e. G. Here is a mantic field of animals in the Beckman article in The Sun animal snarling savage roared. Evidence to support the comments that you make. Languages examples of language stand out. Use the checklist to help. Contentment is included or missed out of the story? Can you explain this? Styles the article chatty or formal? Serious or funny? How long are the sentences? Values and attitudes there any bias? What are the news values? Photo graphing shots have been chosen and why? How have they been edited? Headliners kind of headline is it? What techniques are used?

Monday, December 2, 2019

Where Is the Patis Essay Example

Where Is the Patis Paper Seanursing student studying litreature of the philipines tomorrow is my finals i need answers so please help me A Filipino may denationalize himself but not his stomach. He may travel over the seven seas, the five continents and the two hemispheres and lose the savor of home, forget his identity and believe himself a citizen of the world. But he remains- gastronomically, at least- always a Filipino. For, if in no other way, the Filipino loves his country with his stomach. It seemed to me that the big deal is the overall feeling of â€Å"no big deal†, if you get my drift.It kinda gives this impression that you could go there and leave your cares in the world. The place has a hippie vibe to it, with people wearing whatever, doing whatever, minding their own business and having a grand time. There’s food, finds, and fun. I liked it. I liked it a lot. We ended up staying at the New Merry V Guesthouse for our first night since we had a hard time looking for Tavee Guesthouse, where we initially planned to stay. The other options such as the Lamphu House, Green Guesthouse, and the Rambuttri Village Inn were fully booked.It really pays to book your accommodation in advance to save yourself from minor inconveniences. New Merry V Guesthouse has very basic amenities, pretty much getting what you paid for: a place to rest after a long day of serious walking and wandering. The good thing about us ending up here is that we found ourselves in Phra Arthit Road, where the Phra Arthit Pier is within short walking distance. Just cross the road and look for the sign post with a boat sign; better yet, aim for the Navalai Resort which will lead you directly to the pier

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Crime and Modern Technology essays

Crime and Modern Technology essays Technology offers the potential for friendship, unity, and a lasting support to law enforcement, but is this friendship truly compatible or has technology increased the need for new and tougher laws, with a revision to most of the old laws already on the books. Technology has taken an average mans job and turned into one with much needed education and even then the learning does not come fast enough for our ever changing world. This paper will examine new technologies in the help with fighting crime or in reality are the things that make our lives easier allow criminals easier access to our loved ones, the things we have worked for and even allow them to escape punishment. Crime has been around for as long as humans and will only become disappear when we are gone. Why, because crime is defined as offending and violating laws, and laws were created by man and if we are not here than they would not be needed. I dont believe anyone would deny that technology has lifted crime rates and has even created new varieties of crime, but it has also aided in solving them? Before a decision is made, this paper will assess new and different technological examples. We will look at tools that both hurt and help the law enforcement community as a whole. Lets start with some basic technology enhancements; night vision goggles see invisible infrared light and convert it to visible light (Levine such as night sights on sniper rifles, night vision lenses on still and video cameras of narcotics or organized crime surveillance teams, and night vision goggles worn by police helicopter pilots (Levine & Martin, 1992). These improvements have been very helpful, but sometimes when officers are in a hurry and possibly impatient they tend to try and skirt the letter of the law and force issues without proper paper work. This is where these ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Proverb vs. Adage

Proverb vs. Adage Proverb vs. Adage Proverb vs. Adage By Maeve Maddox English possesses dozens of nouns that mean â€Å"short sayings that encapsulate truth or wisdom passed on from previous generations.† Proverb and adage are two of them. proverb: a short, traditional, and pithy saying; a concise sentence, typically metaphorical or alliterative in form, stating a general truth or piece of advice; an adage. adage: a proverb or short statement expressing a general truth. Efforts are made to draw a distinction between proverb and adage, but in common usage, the words are interchangeable. There may be a sense that adage is a classier word than proverb. Because a saying becomes a proverb or an adage by being repeated from generation to generation, the expression â€Å"old adage† is often criticized for being redundant, but it is very common: According to the famous old adage, all roads lead to Rome. Remember the old adage, A pictures worth a thousand words? He said President Reagans old adage about trust but verify is in need of an update I confirmed with Brenda that what she is trying to convey to her students is the old writing adage â€Å"show, don’t tell.† As that last quotation is from the Grammar Girl herself, Mignon Fogarty, I wouldn’t be too quick to criticize. Numerous lists of proverbs and adages can be found on line, but their compilers don’t always distinguish between actual proverbs and quotations from song lyrics and literature. For example, All you need is love (Beatle song, 1967) ‘Tis better to have loved and lost/Than never to have loved at all. (Tennyson, In Memoriam, 1850) The female of the species is more deadly than the male. (Kipling, â€Å"The Female of the Species,† 1911.) Many proverbs are couched as advice: Dont cross the bridge till you come to it. Dont put all your eggs in one basket. Dont rock the boat. Let sleeping dogs lie. Never let the sun go down on your anger. Never tell tales out of school. Waste not want not. Judging by some of the questions that have stumped recent Jeopardy contestants, the passing on of proverbs seems to be in decline. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire YouFive Spelling Rules for "Silent Final E"Ulterior and Alterior

Thursday, November 21, 2019

CORPORATE RESEARCH PAPER about US airways Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CORPORATE about US airways - Research Paper Example The company’s maximum frequency is between New York, Boston and Washington D.C., where it provides hourly services. In order to diversify their operations internationally, the US Airlines decided to merge with American Airlines in February 2013. From the research it was found that if the merger is successful then it has the potential to create the largest airline in the world in terms of global market access. The deal is expected to close by the end of third quarter this year. The key shareholding pattern of the merger is that US Airways would hold 28% stake of merged company where as the American Airlines will hold the remaining 72%. It was also decided between the shareholders’ of both the companies that the merged entity would carry the name and brand of American Airlines and the holding company will be named American Airlines Group Inc. The airline company has reported operating income over USD 425 million for the year ending 2011, with net income over USD 71 millio n. The total asset of the company was found to be USD 8.34 billion for the year ending 2011. The subsidiaries of US Airways are Piedmont Airlines, Inc., Shuttle inc., PSA Airlines, Inc., US Airways Express, Material Service Company, Inc., Airways Assurance Limited, LLC, Mesa Air Group, and Potomac Air, Inc. The following table highlights the breakdown of sales assets and income of US Airways and their involvement in international trades: B. Foreign Exchange (FX) Risk Management Policy The company is centrally managed and the management actively participates in corporate governance. The company also has many subsidiaries that are located in the domestic market as well as the international markets. The subsidiaries of US Airways are Piedmont Airlines, Inc., Shuttle inc., PSA Airlines, Inc., US Airways Express, Material Service Company, Inc., Airways Assurance Limited, LLC, Mesa Air Group, and Potomac Air, Inc. In order to maintain accountability between various divisions, the Board of Directors is represented by the chairman of the company who is the most important individual regarding execution of strategic decisions taken by the Board. The chairman of the company is assisted by vice chairman and many professionals belong to different areas of expertise such as the Finance committee, labor committee, and so on. The parent company of US Airways is the US Airways Group which is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The company operates in Aviation sector which requires fuel consumption. The underlying of fuel is the crude oil prices that are very volatile and uncertain. This exposes the company to transactional risk. Also, the company has prominent exposure in international markets which implies that US Airways operates in different currencies. Any appreciation or depreciation of home currency with respect to foreign currency may turn out to be favorable or unfavorable, ultimately exposing the company to translational risk when the company would prepare its consolidated financial statements from collecting data from different subsidiaries (Triantis, pp.558-562). In order to manage these risks the company used currency hedge and forward contracts prior to the year 2008 and reported them in their consolidated financial reports using hedge accounting at fair value of hedged assets and liabilities. C. Use of Derivatives for Funding, Investing and Other price Risk After the third quarter of 2008, US

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Economic Report for United Arab of Emirate (UAE) Essay

Economic Report for United Arab of Emirate (UAE) - Essay Example The massive oil consumption in UAE has enabled it to reduce the usual lengthy and difficult process of accumulating capital as well as saving towards developing any economy. The enormous endowment of the natural resources, particularly exploitable oil and gas in the UAE have led to quick development of resource based industries (RBI), which has led to strategy development. The strategies that have emerged are industrial strategies that are geared at elevating the utilization of natural resources. Additionally, the UAE have deployed the use of windfall income that has enabled it to achieve magnificent economic development, particularly with the period between 1973 and 1982. This period was marked with high economic development of the UAE countries and it as well marked the period of relatively high oil and gas prices. Before the discovery and exploitation of natural oil and gas in the UAE, the UAE nations depended majorly on subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry, extraction and tr ading on pearls, seafaring, and fishing (Abed and Peter 11). Therefore, before the discovery of oil in the UAE, the UAE nations depended on limited natural resources that only made them have a subsistence economy. The first development of the UAE economy started in the early 1970s, and it was referred to the UAE’s First Development Decade. ... It is worth noting that, since 1973, UAE nations have enjoyed expedite political stability. The established formal political institution of the 1971 seems suitable for the existing tribal UAE society. Additionally, this political society has boosted the UAE economy by supporting an elaborate distribution of oil revenues in social and economic infrastructure forms, averagely high salaries, highly standardized social services including education, and social services that have since then raised the living standard of the inhabitants of UAE (El 74). Moreover, the UAE community has since then enjoyed a reduced likelihood of the occurrence of social and political unrest. In fact, since the formation of the state, the UAE government has maintained a high degree or ethical record pertaining to human rights; thereby, promoting political and social stability (International Monetary Fund 24). The UAE has actively become a member of numerous regional and international associations including the United Nations, Arab league, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Islamic Conference Organization, and the Arab Gulf Cooperation. The relationship that the UAE have built with many countries in the world, especially those within the West have been naturally warm. Usually, political and social stability goes hand in hand with the liberty in trade policies (International Monetary Fund 162). This notion has paved way for both domestic and international investment in the UAE’s industrial sector by other nations of the world; thus, improving the economy of UAE. The united states of Arab are blessed with the enormous oil reserves that are located both at onshore and off shore. In addition, UAE enjoys production of gas that is associated with the crude oil production. Furthermore, UAE

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The Efficient Market Hypothesis Essay Example for Free

The Efficient Market Hypothesis Essay In modern financial economics, one of the most essential constructions , which plays a significant role in financing strategy, is efficient market hypothesis (henceforth EMH). Despite the fact that its first theoretical formulation, which was founded by Paul Samuelson in 1960s, is almost five decades old, numerous academic studies have been conducted about it (Alajbeg, Bubas Sonje, 2012). According to Alajbeg et al. (2012), in the middle of 1960s market efficiency was defined by Samuelson as the existence of a complete competition in a market, albeit under an assumption that all participants have equally the same opportunity to access the available information. Furthermore, Fama (1965) cited in Alajbeg et al. (2012) attempts to show the EMH empirically. This essay will try to critically debate all the forms of efficiency and give sensible evidence why most of the forms seem to be illogical in the current economic situations. It will start by introducing how to recognise efficiency and what are the forms of the EMH, following by testing each form in today’s economic circumstances with presenting coherent arguments. Damodaran (2001) points out that market efficiency is distinguished by three different measurements. First is considering the amount and the distance of diverting price from real value in the market. The second measure is by looking at the pace and the quantity of adapting prices to new information which come to the market. Finally, it is measured by determining the possibility of usual gaining higher profits by some investors in the market while they may expose the same rate of risk that other investors reveal. Generally, economists have divided the EMH into three main forms based on the type of the information reflected in security prices. The first type of the EMH is weak form. In this form of efficiency, the only information depending on is the past prices information. However, any other available stock information seems to be invaluable in these markets. As Hillier, Ross, Westerfield, Jaffe Jordan (2010) state no information, apart from the historical prices, is relied on by the investors in the weak form efficiency. In the light of this, a capital market is considered to be w eakly efficient when it contains price information about the past share prices. Hillier et al. (2010) also confirm that predating strategy is unlikely to be able to produce returns in the market operations. Put another way, information for future is not predicted in this form of efficiency. This seems to be a possible reason why these markets are called weak efficiency. The second type of the market efficiency is semi-strong form. According to Ross, Westerfield Jordan (1993), the semi-strong efficiency is the most controversial form among all the three forms. From this perspective, Ross et al. (1993) mention the reason why this form in the markets is more controversial than the other forms is that it warns an expert, who analysis financial information in order to find mis-priced stock, to not waste time in analysing some possibly useless information, for instance, financial statement information because this information is already included in the current stock prices. Brealey, Myers Allen (2011) maintain that in these markets, prices rapidly incorporate whole publicly available information, such as last quarters earning declaration, a proposal of unifying other companies and an unfamiliar matter of stock. In the light of this finding, it can be said that the semi-stro ng market efficiency rely on both historical and public information at the same time (Brealey, Myers Allen, 2008). Strong form efficiency is the final form of efficiency. Ross et al. (1993) emphasise all types of information, either public or private, are more likely to be incorporated in the stock market prices when the market is efficiently strong. Additionally, in this kind of market, it is impossible to determine any incomparable investors who are able continually to vanquish the market (Brealey et al., 2011). Expressed differently, strong competition is highly considered among the investors of the strong market efficiency. Therefore, the crucial investors may not be able to keep their high position in the long-term. According to Brealey et al. (2011), since Maurice Kendall published his controversial paper in 1953 on the behavior of stock prices, a significant amount of financial research has been done to test the EMH. In the light of that background information, both supporting and disapproval evidence has extended to each of the three forms weak, semi-strong and strong. Firstly, in order to test the weak form of this hypothesis, Brealey et al. (2011) evaluate the profitability of some trading rules which is utilised by investors who seek to determine patterns in security prices. Hillier et al. (2010) claim although the share price movements are random, investors tend to notice patterns. However, the existence of patterns in the past price data, which is the main information in weak form efficiency, seems to be unreal, according to Hillier et al. (2010). As an example, Hillier et al. (2010) illustrate the participation between Shell transport and Royal Dutch Petroleum, which randomness is highly predicted instead of pattern in their stock price. Then Brealey et al. (2011:352) demonstrate ‘‘since both companies participated in the same underlying cash flows in 2005, it would be expected the stock prices to have moved in exact lockstep, while the real price of the tow shares sometimes diverged substantially’’. Therefore, Hillier et al. (2010) confirm that the security choices based on patterns of historical price changes would not be as acceptable as random choice. As a consequence of this evidence, it can be assumed that the weak form efficiency seems to be a meaningful form in the new economic environment. Secondly, in examining the semi-strong efficiency, the speed of reacting security prices towards announcements is measured (Brealey et al., 2011). According to this form of efficiency, previous price information would not have any influence on present actual return because this form implies that in an efficient market, historical information has merely reflected in the current prices (Hillier et al., 2010). Whereas, in many empirical cases past information impacts on stock prices. For example, Hillier et al. (2010) highlight the global credit crisis of 2008 which firstly started only from the British bank Northern Rock. Then it slowly continued and cover some other banks, such as, Bear Stearn, the US investment bank, HBOS and Lehmann Brothers. Hillier et al. (2010) also state that it had not stopped unless the short selling would have been temporarily avoided by the US and UK governments. From the light of this empirical circumstance, the semi-strong efficiency is probably no longer a sensible form in todays economy because the standard test requirement, which economists follow , may not be reflected in it. Finally, In terms of testing the strong form efficiency, Brealey et al. (2008) point out that the performance of the managers in the markets is depended on. Hillier et al. (2010) imply that it is more likely to profit from a personal information which the other investors do not have in the market, whilst in the strong efficient market it is unlikely to be profited from this information by their owners. Further to this, Brealey et al. (2011) claims that it is probably more common that a particular manager in a market, who is more clever than the others, could make superior profits. This seems to be an appropriate evidence against the EMH in the case of strong form. Similarly, Damondaran (2001) points out that some investors can earn more profit than the others whilst they have the same chance of risk. Brealey et al. (2011) take a large sample of the US companies in order to test the proportion of annual profits among them from 1926 to 2008. Brealey et al. (2011:349) prove ‘‘since 1926 the stock of the firms with the lowest market capitalizations have performed substantially better than those with the highest capitalizations’’. In the same way, Alajbeg et al. (2012) criticise the EMH because of the effectiveness of some anomalies in the market, for example, January effect, weekend effect and momentum effect. As a result of the aforementioned arguments, it can be argued that the strong market efficiency does not make sense in the current economic situations because of the possibility of out-performance in the market. In addition, the EMH has faced many criticisms. For example, Brealey et al. (2011) mention a stock market bubble in property prices in the US. In a way, the price has almost doubled by 2005. Nevertheless, the EMH considers that prices always equal to the values inside the efficient markets (Brealey et al., 2011). This can also be noticed as an evidence against the EMH. In conclusion, the participants mostly try to exploit each single discovered mis-pricing in the stock market. This competition results in market efficiency (Brealey et al., 2008). There are three forms of efficiency: weak, semi-strong and strong. The weak form efficiency seems to be significant in todays economy because it considers that prices are random and that is proved in the empirical situations. However, the strong form is generally considered to be meaningless because of the out-performance which can be executed by some investors. Similarly, the semi-strong form may be seen as an insensible form of the EMH in the current economy. This form is unlikely to provide the common test demands when it tests to find how rapidly prices respond to the new information. Furthermore, there are many debates about the EMH in empirical situations because of occurring some bubbles and crisis. Apparently, there are considerable arguments about market efficiency along the history of the capital market. Nonetheless, financial market efficiency is constantly under debate. In other words, it is still a challenging issue in the current financial economics (Alajbeg et al., 2012). References: * Alejbeg, D., Bubas, Z. And Sonje, V. (2012)The efficient market hypothesis: problems with interpretations of empirical tests. Financial Theory and Practice. Available at: http://core.kmi.open.ac.uk (Accessed at 17th August 2012). * Brealey, A., Myers, C. And Allen, F. (2011) Principles of Corporate Finance (global edition). New York. Mcraw Hill/Irwin. * Brealey, A., Myers, C. And Allen, F. (2008) Principles of Corporate Finance (nine edition). New York. Mcraw Hill/Irwin. * Damodaran, A. (2001) Corporate Finance: theory and practice. Second edition. United States. John Willey Sons, Inc. * Hillier, D., Ross, S., Westerfield, R., Jaffe, J. And Jordan, B. (2010) Corporate Finance. Mcraw-Hill. * Ross, S., Westerfield, R. And Jordan, B. (1993) Fundamentals of Corporate Finance (second edition). Boston. Irwin Inc.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Fairy Tales and Gender Roles Essay example -- Fairy Tales Gender Socia

Fairy Tales and Gender Roles Some things about fairy tales we know to be true. They begin with "once upon a time." They end with "happily ever after." And somewhere in between the prince rescues the damsel in distress. Of course, this is not actually the case. Many fairytales omit these essential words. But few fairytales in the Western tradition indeed fail to have a beautiful, passive maiden rescued by a vibrant man, usually her superior in either social rank or in moral standing. Indeed, it is precisely the passivity of the women in fairy tales that has led so many progressive parents to wonder whether their children should be exposed to them. Can any girl ever really believe that she can grow up to be president or CEO or an astronaut after five viewings of Disney's "Snow White"? Bacchilega (1997, chapter 2) chooses "Snow White" as a nearly pure form of gender archetype in the fairytale. She is mostly looking at Western traditions and focusing even more particularly on the two best known versions of this story in the West, the Disney animated movie and the Grimm Brothers' version of the tale. However, it is important to note (as Bacchilega herself does) that the Snow White tale has hundreds of oral versions collected from Asia Minor, Africa and the Americas as well as from across Europe. These tales of course vary in the details: The stepmother (or sometimes the mother herself) attacks Snow White in a variety of different ways, and the maiden is forced to take refuge with a number of different kinds of unlikely protectors robbers, assassins, giants, and fairies as well as those adorable Disney dwarves (Bacchilega, 1997, p. 29). Each version of "Snow White," no matter how different the surface details, shares several factors in common that are central to the way gender is described and used in so many Western fairytales: The heroine has a wondrous origin, she is innocent, she is persecuted at the hands of a jealous older woman, she is apparently killed (or dies) and she is then resurrected (Bacchilega, 1997, p. 31). The most striking of these elements is female jealousy, because while it is certainly not essential to the plot, it is a ubiquitous element of these stories. Fairytales, like other commonly performed cultural texts, must be seen in some sense as methods of instruction. We tell stories to our children to entertain and amuse them, to ... ...bmissive. When the princess gets tired of dealing with all the terribly obnoxious princes that her parents keep sending to her in an effort to get her married off, she turns Prince Swashbuckle into a gigantic warty toad. "And when the other princes heard what had happened to Prince Swashbuckle, none of them wanted to marry Smartypants... and so she lived happily ever after (Cole, 1986, p. 29). And in the recent film version of "Cinderella," ("Ever After"), the orphaned girl saves herself both through physical bravery and by preaching socialist principles to the aristocracy. When the prince finally realizes that he wants to marry her and that she may be in terrible danger, he rushes off to the castle of the villain only to meet the heroine just after she has vanquished the villain herself. "What you thought I needed to be rescued?" she asks, thereby completely rewriting her gendered role. Works Cited Bacchilega, C. (1997). Postmodern Fairytales: Gender and Narrative Strategies. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania. Cole, B. (1986). Princess Smartypants. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. Rohrich, L. (1970). Folktales and Reality. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University. Fairy Tales and Gender Roles Essay example -- Fairy Tales Gender Socia Fairy Tales and Gender Roles Some things about fairy tales we know to be true. They begin with "once upon a time." They end with "happily ever after." And somewhere in between the prince rescues the damsel in distress. Of course, this is not actually the case. Many fairytales omit these essential words. But few fairytales in the Western tradition indeed fail to have a beautiful, passive maiden rescued by a vibrant man, usually her superior in either social rank or in moral standing. Indeed, it is precisely the passivity of the women in fairy tales that has led so many progressive parents to wonder whether their children should be exposed to them. Can any girl ever really believe that she can grow up to be president or CEO or an astronaut after five viewings of Disney's "Snow White"? Bacchilega (1997, chapter 2) chooses "Snow White" as a nearly pure form of gender archetype in the fairytale. She is mostly looking at Western traditions and focusing even more particularly on the two best known versions of this story in the West, the Disney animated movie and the Grimm Brothers' version of the tale. However, it is important to note (as Bacchilega herself does) that the Snow White tale has hundreds of oral versions collected from Asia Minor, Africa and the Americas as well as from across Europe. These tales of course vary in the details: The stepmother (or sometimes the mother herself) attacks Snow White in a variety of different ways, and the maiden is forced to take refuge with a number of different kinds of unlikely protectors robbers, assassins, giants, and fairies as well as those adorable Disney dwarves (Bacchilega, 1997, p. 29). Each version of "Snow White," no matter how different the surface details, shares several factors in common that are central to the way gender is described and used in so many Western fairytales: The heroine has a wondrous origin, she is innocent, she is persecuted at the hands of a jealous older woman, she is apparently killed (or dies) and she is then resurrected (Bacchilega, 1997, p. 31). The most striking of these elements is female jealousy, because while it is certainly not essential to the plot, it is a ubiquitous element of these stories. Fairytales, like other commonly performed cultural texts, must be seen in some sense as methods of instruction. We tell stories to our children to entertain and amuse them, to ... ...bmissive. When the princess gets tired of dealing with all the terribly obnoxious princes that her parents keep sending to her in an effort to get her married off, she turns Prince Swashbuckle into a gigantic warty toad. "And when the other princes heard what had happened to Prince Swashbuckle, none of them wanted to marry Smartypants... and so she lived happily ever after (Cole, 1986, p. 29). And in the recent film version of "Cinderella," ("Ever After"), the orphaned girl saves herself both through physical bravery and by preaching socialist principles to the aristocracy. When the prince finally realizes that he wants to marry her and that she may be in terrible danger, he rushes off to the castle of the villain only to meet the heroine just after she has vanquished the villain herself. "What you thought I needed to be rescued?" she asks, thereby completely rewriting her gendered role. Works Cited Bacchilega, C. (1997). Postmodern Fairytales: Gender and Narrative Strategies. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania. Cole, B. (1986). Princess Smartypants. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. Rohrich, L. (1970). Folktales and Reality. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Native Americans vs. American Settlers Essay

There are a number of dissimilarities between the Native Americans and the American Settlers. Although the Native Americans wanted to live in peace with American Settlers, their cultural differences led to warfare. This essay will compare and contrast a couple differences of these two cultures. I will discuss both groups opinion on land and resources. Then, I will explain both groups’ views on Nature. Native Americans Conserved land and viewed its resources as scared, while the Americans felt as though the land was nothing but opportunity for their colonies. While hunting, Native Americans used every piece of the animal from the hide to the bones and everything in between. They respected the land and believed it belonged to mother-nature, so it could not be owned or sold. On the other hand, American settlers viewed the land and its resources as limitless opportunity. â€Å"It is little wonder they went land-mad, because there was so much of it† (Steinbeck 69). They invaded the lands claiming territory, killing buffalo, and plowing through the grassy plains to make room for their crops. American settlers often fought to try to obtain land that they thought was free for the taking, whereas, the Native Americans tried to live in harmony with nature and its inhabitants. In the movie, We Shall Remain, Native Americans would try and negotiate with the Americans only to be threatened with the violence of warfare. Native Americans believed the creator put everything on this earth to live together and be used respectfully. They accepted nature and did not try to change it. The American settlers, however, didn’t hold the same beliefs. â€Å"The railroads brought new hordes of land-crazy people, and the new Americans moved like locust across the continent†¦ Coal and copper drew them on; they savaged the land, gold-dredged the rivers to skeletons of pebbles and debris† (Steinbeck 69). They viewed nature as nothing more than an obstacle and commodity. American settlers engaged in warfare, defending what they thought they discovered, to claim as their own. They were land hungry and the more they got, they more they wanted. American colonist never tried to understand the Native American’s culture. Instead they tried to push their European based ways onto them. This, in turn, caused a number of wars between the two. Sometimes it’s better to agree to disagree rather than to wage war on what is believed to be right/wrong. Works cited Steinbeck, John. â€Å"Explaining Relationships: Americans and the Land. † the Composition of Everyday Life. 3rd ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2010. Pgs. 68-70. Print. We Shall Remain. Dir. Ric Burns. Perf. Benjamin Bratt, Alex Meraz, Dweir Brown. PBS Home Video, 2009. Film.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

A Leadership Profile of American Project Managers Essay

Although the needs and demands of clients have always been the highest priority for any project manager, increasing global competition, ever heightening client expectations, and the magnitude of the projects impact on a firm’s bottom line has begun to place greater emphasis on the skills necessary to successfully lead today’s project teams. Historically, strong technical skills and knowledge of the industry would have been the key selection criteria. It was, in many cases, simply assumed that men and women who possessed these qualities would lead the project to a successful completion. Today’s complex project environments require even greater skills at leadership than ever before. â€Å"Cookie-cutter† formula-based management was probably never correct, but in today’s environment it will inevitably lead to disaster. Performance expectations for quality, cost effectiveness, timely delivery, and a host of other client measures are ratcheted-up a notch each year. In the highly competitive arena in which most projects operate, be they external or internal, the requirement to produce results that exceed client expectations has become the norm. As one respondent shared, â€Å"I have not worked on a project in the past five years that was not viewed by the client as being ‘fast track;† The stakes are high, and getting higher. The days when cost overruns and delayed completion were common are history. So are the projects where technical personnel were once allowed to â€Å"experiment† until they got it right. With the managerial practices of outsourcing, downsizing, total quality management and continuous improvement becoming even more prevalent in our organizational environment, it can be expected that project managers are experiencing increased performance pressures. Internal project managers are possibly just as vulnerable to not having their contracts renewed as external consultants and contractors. Recent Literature Jeffrey Pinto and Om Kharbanda shed light on this problem in two journal articles published in Business Horizons, â€Å"Lessons for an accidental profession† (1995) and â€Å"How to fail in project management† (1996). These authors emphasize the increased need for projectmanagers. Increasingly technically complex products and processes, vastly shortened time-to-market windows, and the need for cross-functional expertise make project management an important and powerful tool in the hands of organizations that understand its use† (Pinto & Kharbanda, 1995). In their follow-up article, â€Å"How to fail in project management,† the authors write a stinging criticism of the practices that combine to produce project failures (Pinto & Kharbanda, 1996). Karen Ayas (1996) takes a broader brash to the whole issue through what she describes as a â€Å"project network structure. The design of the system should â€Å"stress the synergies between organizational strategy, structure, culture and systems to allow organizations to build and expand learning capacity. † The application of â€Å"process management view† to project management was reported recently in Harvard Business Review. The study of leading companies such as AT&T, Hewlett-Packard and Raychem over an eight-year time span led the author to report that, â€Å"managers can benefit by applying a process management approach to their product development process. Companies can create an aggregate plan that allows them to assign practices to theirprojects with an estimate of needed resources †¦ managers can eliminate congestion and long hours by evening out workloads† (Alder, Mandelbaum, Nguyen, & Schwerer, 1996). (See also Jungen & Wowalczyk, 1995. ) Bob Lewis (Info World, 1996) sets forth the five keys that he believes differentiate successful projects from the others: scope control; regular, concrete, reasonable results; weekly status meetings; team buy-in to the plan; and walking around. Project management is considered a vital tool for the implementation of business process reengineering. â€Å"Project management allows organizations to break things down into simple processes and assign these activities and modules to individuals. This approach helps organizations identify existing built-in dependencies among processes †¦ A multidimensional forum for enterprisewide visibility is essential and will lead to significant productivity and cost savings. †¦ Project management is the organizational ‘glue’ that binds together dispersed, high accountable teams throughout the organization. Teams will seek and demand a framework to ensure their success under the new rules of rapidly changing intensely competitive markets. Project management provides the framework, encourages dispersed leadership and provides visibility of effort to stakeholders throughout the organization† (King 1996). Clearly, project managers are being viewed as pivotal leaders in the introduction and implementation of both operational and behavioral managerial changes. Are project managers viewing their roles and responsibilities in the same light as the authors of leading journal articles? What do practicing project managers believe are the critical characteristics necessary to be effective? On the other hand, what factors contribute to producing ineffective project managers? On the operational side, what do they see as the primary causes of projects that fail to meet budgetary and time constraints? What do they see as the most effective project management â€Å"tools,† and the extent to which these â€Å"tools† contribute to the success of a project? Finally, how powerful is â€Å"the leadership factor† in the success of a project and what are the specific characteristics and behaviors of leaders that will have a positive influence on organizational effectiveness in the next decade? The authors found no research that specifically addressed these questions nor reported results obtained directly from project managers. Research Instrument Design The research instrument was compressed of both open-ended and forced-answer questions. In addition, the respondents were asked their agreement or valuation of several statements through the application of a traditional five-point Likert scale ranging from a high of 5 to low of 1. The completed instrument was then pretested by 12 project managers and executives in a number of firms. All suggestions were incorporated into the final research instrument. The research instrument was then mailed to a selected sample of 100 senior-level project managers who, it was assumed, would possess a wealth of experience regarding the issues being studied. The authors received 76 usable responses to the research instrument from the mailing of 100. The extremely high response rate was due in part to an aggressive premailing and postmailing telephone campaign. The respondents were all relatively senior project managers with a minimum of 10 years experience in projectmanagement. All of the project managers surveyed were employed in large architectural and engineering consulting companies. Research Results and Discussion What Are the Characteristics of Effective Project Managers? The following results (presented in Table 1) were obtained from an open-ended question that asked respondents to list, in rank order, the characteristic that they believed was essential for effectiveness. Possibly the most interesting aspect of the project manager’s responses to this question was the fact that technical competence was the third highest rated characteristic. Eight of the nine characteristics were managerial in nature, reflecting a basic understanding that effectiveness is directly related to the ability of theproject manager to lead and manage more than simply possess exceptional technical skills. This finding is consistent with the academic literature, but is more powerful when drawn from open-end responses of experienced practicing project managers. What Factors Contribute to Ineffectiveness Among Project Managers? In order to examine the question of effectiveness in a different light, the project managerswere then asked, via open-ended questions, the specific nature of personal flaws of project managers that directly contribute to ineffectiveness, as well as the organizational factors that produced the same results. The intent of these questions was to identify how both personal flaws and organizational factors contributed to producing an ineffective project manager. To a large degree the personal flaws are a reverse image of the characteristics of ffective project managers from Table 1. There seems to be a good deal of internal consistency among the respondents (see Table 2). The organizational factors that contribute to becoming an ineffectiveproject manager are equally relevant, but not surprising. Lack of upper-management commitment and support is a well-documented source of project problems. Theproject management literature has addressed each of the organizational barriers to effectiveness and it is again reinforcing to discover that the responses document that practicing project managers’ perceptions fully support the literature. The past few decades have not seen the elimination of these classic sources of organizational ineffectiveness, although their negative impact on project performance has been known for some time. Resistance to change and a reactive approach to environmental turbulence are signs of a firm struggling with adjusting to new competitive conditions. Traditional reward systems are generally not well suited toproject management. Traditional reward systems tend to have very little direct linkage between the performance criteria of a project and compensation. With competition being very intense in some sectors, some projects are priced and sold at dangerously thin multipliers with little opportunity to show a significantly positive return. When the realistic expectations for the project are not considered in the compensation plan, it can be expected that dissatisfaction with the compensation or reward systems are bound to be voiced. Project managers know that under difficult competitive conditions, jobs are taken to keep the staff utilized and the expected profit margin is possibly at breakeven. It is often just as difficult to manage a project with no expected profit than one with above average profit expectations. In addition, reward systems seldom reflect the nature and varying degrees of difficulty of the task and often focus solely on the final profit numbers. Failure to develop a reward system that reflects the specific nature of the project can create potential long-term conflicts. Consider how new market entry is normally achieved: the firm â€Å"buys† a project. The firm intentionally bids a project below what established competitors minimum bid to get the work and, hopefully, enter a new market successfully. Logic would suggest that a firm would want one of its best project managers to lead such a project to ensure success. But if the projectaffords no opportunity to earn a performance bonus based on project profitability who would volunteer to â€Å"take on† a known loser? In too many cases, organizational insensitivity to the negative realties created by poor organizational practices and policies are not understood or simply ignored. The result of these negative practices and policies is the eventual erosion of a potentially high-quality professional staff. The lack of upper management support and commitment results in a complete breakdown of trust and respect. One of the sure killers of motivation is when project managers become conditioned to being abandoned by their management at the first sign of client conflict. As one project manager described the situation: â€Å"it’s like discovering that your management is sitting on the client side of the table at every meeting, and that you are left alone to defend every decision. † It doesn’t take too many such experiences beforeproject managers modify their style of management to protect themselves. Under these conditions one is not likely to find that the project team is performing to the maximum potential. What Are the Primary Reasons That Projects Experience Budgetary and Timely Completion Problems? Table 3 reports the respondents’ reasons for why projects run into budgetary and timing problems. The most frequent responses reflect both organizational and managerial problems. As an example, â€Å"failure to utilize the toolsavailable to manage a project to completion in a timely fashion and within budget† was the most frequent response. Poor leadership on the part of the projectmanager† was the second most frequently reported cause of problems. â€Å"Lack of effective interorganizational communication† and a â€Å"lack of timely decisions and corrective action† were also reported. The only external factor mentioned by the respondents was â€Å"the client’s failure to respond in a timely fashion. † Almost everyproject manager has dealt with clients who seemed unable or unwilling to make timely decisions yet retained their expectations that the project would be completed on time and within budget. It seems that managing the client is an art that only experience can teach. This need to learn the diplomacy of client management becomes increasingly important as a client-oriented strategy is recognized as essential to survival. What Are the Project Management â€Å"Tools† Most Often Used and How Effective Are They? Managing the project requires the skillful application of projectmanagement tools that are designed to assist the project team complete the project on time, within budget, and to the satisfaction of the client. Table 4 reports the responses from experienced project managers regarding the extent to which they use eight recognized project management tools and the extent to which the tools contribute to the success of a project. As you would expect, the two highest rated tools (actually tying for first) were the project schedule and theproject budget. Irrespective of project size or complexity, these project tools were rated highest in use and first and second in terms of contribution to the success of the project. Of the eight project management tools that the respondents were asked to evaluate, none were reported to be of no value. Some of the more detailed tools were used less often and consequently may have been perceived as less valuable to project success. Despite the discussion in the projectmanagement literature regarding the need to increase the degree of accuracy in the determination of the percentage of project completion, the â€Å"earned value reporting tool, was rated the least used and correspondingly reported to have made the least contribution to the success of a project. The top five projectmanagement tools most often reported as used (project schedule, project budget, project cost system, project execution plan, and client communication log) were also rated as making the greatest contribution to the success of the project. Clearb; more effective project managers exercise managerial discipline in the consistent application of what they have found to be the most valuable project management tools for achieving success. What Are the â€Å"Other† Factors That Contribute to the Success of a Project? In addition to the direct managerial actions that project managers can take through the implementation of project management tools, project managers focus on their managerial and leadership skills as controlling sources of influence that contribute to the successful completion of projects. Table 5 reports the source of influence on successful completion of a project as reported by the project managers surveyed. As expected, â€Å"the decision made by the client† was the strongest influence, with â€Å"responding to the changing client request† second. The third source of influence on the successful completion of a project is the â€Å"desire to excel,† reflecting the strong positive personal motivation of project managers to make every project they lead a success. â€Å"The decision made by the project team† and â€Å"the pressures from inside the project† were the next highest rated sources of influence reflecting the need for the project manager to focus on the leadership of the project team. Equally interesting are the lowest rated sources of influence on the success of aproject. Respondents give little or no credence to â€Å"luck† or â€Å"external politics† as barriers to success. How Critical Is the â€Å"Leadership Factor† to Project Success? Given the many factors that can directly or indirectly influence the success of a project, do projectmanagers believe that there is one overriding factor that contributes to whether a project will be a success or a failure? In fact, the answer is yes. When asked to weigh the percentage of success or failure of a project that can be contributed directly to the pressure of either positive or negative leadership the responses were powerfully revealing (see Table 6). Positive leadership contributes almost 76% to the success of a project. Consider what this response means. Variation in projectsuccess can be contributed to the leadership displayed on the project by 76%. Equally meaningful is the second statistic: negative or poor leadership contributes 67% to the failure of projects. Clearly, firms that fail to train and reinforce the need for project managers to practice positive leadership seem to run an unacceptable risk. In a recent interview with five vice presidents of major engineering consulting firms, a question was posed regarding the number of projects in the past five years that failed due to a lack of technical competence on the part of the project manager or the project team. In what was estimated by them to be more than 1,000 projects, both large and small, the executives could recount only 10 failures due to lack of technical competence. Yet, when you ask most company executives what the most critical criteria for promotion to project manager is, technical competence generally leads the list of responses. Possibly what is absent is the recognition that technical competence must be supported by persons who are capable of managing a project and providing positive leadership to the team. All the evidence of recent research supports the idea that successful projects are led by individuals who possess a blend of technical and management knowledge, but beyond both, leadership skills. Sensitivity to the client’s needs, the composition of the project team, the strategic importance of the project to the firm, and the technical requirements of the project reflect themselves in a continuous stream of communication and personal interactions that serve to reveal the true nature of theproject manager. Project managers were asked to rate 50 characteristics or behaviors that they believed, based on their experience, would have a positive influence on organizational effectiveness in the next decade. Tables 7 and 8 highlight the highest and lowest rated characteristics and behaviors and reveal some very interesting findings. The highest rated characteristics and behaviors build a profile of an individual that most of us would wish to work for. The profile reveals a leader who recognizes that it is absolutely essential to build aproject team, reinforce positive behavior, communicate, demonstrate trust and respect, develop team members and empower them to perform and set goals while remaining flexible to respond to the inevitable changes. Important by their absence from the â€Å"golden dozen† are characteristics and behaviors such as technical expertise, individualistic, effective organizational politician, or detail oriented. The profession has moved beyond the mind-set that the best-qualified individual to promote to the project manager’s position is the best technical person or some flashy politically savvy character with the â€Å"right contacts. † Table 8 reports the characteristics and behaviors that practicing and experienced project managers rated as the 12 least important characteristics for the achievement of organizational effectiveness. Some of these responses were a surprise to the researchers while others were not. Project managers rated â€Å"strategic thinker† very low. This may be explained by the fact that many project managers are totally operations-oriented and become involved only when the job is sold. In terms of preparation for promotion into the firm’s executive ranks this shortcoming could be costly. Yet, this lack of recognition of the need for the practice of strategic thinking may explain the managerial practices of some firms who employ project managers.

Friday, November 8, 2019

30 Quotes From Hemingways For Whom the Bell Tolls

30 Quotes From Hemingways For Whom the Bell Tolls Ernest Hemingways novel For Whom the Bell Tolls was originally published in 1940 and follows a young American guerrilla fighter and dynamiter named Robert Jordan during the Spanish Civil War as he plots to blow up a bridge during an attack on the city of Segovia. Along with The Old Man and the Sea, A Farewell to Arms, and The Sun Also Rises, For Whom the Bell Tolls is regarded as one of Hemingways most popular works, and is quoted in conversation and English classrooms alike across the United States, even to this day. The following quotes most exemplify the eloquence and ease with which Hemingway addressed the turmoil and strife of living the American dream during the 1920s through 40s. Providing Context and Setting Through Quotes For Whom the Bell Tolls relies heavily on Hemingways own experience reporting on the conditions in Spain during the Spanish Civil War as a journalist for the North American Newspaper Alliance, as he saw the brutality of the war and what it did to both domestic and foreign fighters for and against the fascist rule of the time. International soldiers helping overthrow the rulership had it especially hard - at least in terms of fearing for their lives, as expressed in Chapter 1 when Hemingway writes I would always rather not know. Then, no matter what can happen, it was not me that talked and again later in the chapter when he writes I dont like that sadness, he thought. That sadness is bad. Thats the sadness they bet before they quit or betray. That is the sadness that comes before the sell-out. Religion played a large role in Spain at the time (and currently, for that matter), though the protagonist of Hemingways piece grappled with the existence of God. In Chapter 3, Hemingway wrote But with our without God, I think it is a sin to kill. To take the life of another is to me very grave. I will do it whenever necessary but I am not of the race of Pablo. In the following quote from Chapter 4, Hemingway masterfully describes the details of Spanish life at the time, especially for foreigners like the protagonist. One cup of it took the place of the evening papers, of all the old evenings in cafà ©s, of all chestnut trees that would be in bloom now in this month, of the great slow horses of the outer boulevards, of book shops, of kiosques, and of galleries, of the Parc Montsouris, of the Stade Buffalo, and of the Butte Chaumont, of the Guarangy Trust Company and the Ile de la Cità ©, of Foyots old hotel, and of being able to read and relax in the evening; of all things he had enjoyed and forgotten and that came back to him when he tasted that opaque, bitter, tongue-numbing, brain-warming, stomach-warming, idea-changing liquid alchemy. On Loss and Ugliness In Chapter 9, Hemingway says that To make war all you need is intelligence. But to win you need talent and material, but this almost lighthearted observation is overshadowed by the following grief at experiencing the ugliness of wartime in Spain. In Chapter 10, the protagonist grapples with having to behold the horrors mankind is capable of committing: Look at the ugliness. Yet one has a feeling within one that blinds a man while he loves you. You, with that feeling, blind him, and blind yourself. Then, one day, for no reason, he sees you as ugly as you really are and he is not blind anymore and then you see yourself as ugly as he sees you and you lose your man and your feeling... After a while, when you are as ugly as I am, as ugly as women can be, then, as I say after a while the feeling, the idiotic feeling that you are beautiful, grows slowly in one again. It grows like a cabbage. And then, when the feeling is grown, another man sees you and thinks you are beautiful and it is all to do over. In the next chapter, Hemingway discusses dealing with loss itself: You only heard the statement of the loss. You did not see the father fall as Pilar made him see the fascists die in that story she had told by the stream. You knew the father died in some courtyard, or against some wall, or in some field or orchard, or at night, in the lights of a truck, beside some road. You had seen the lights of the car from down the hills and heard the shooting and afterwards you had come down to the road and found the bodies. You did not see the mother shot, nor the sister, nor the brother. You heard about it; you heard the shots; and you saw the bodies. A Reprieve Mid-Novel Halfway through For Whom the Bell Tolls, Hemingway allows the protagonist Jordan a moment of reprieve from the war in an unexpected way: the quiet cold of winter. In Chapter 14, Hemmingway describes it as almost as exciting as battle: It was like the excitement of the battle except it was clean... In a snowstorm it always seemed, for a time, as though there were no enemies. In a snowstorm the wind could blow a gale; but it blew a white cleanness and the air was full of a driving whiteness and all things were changed and when the wind stopped there would be the stillness. This was a big storm and he might as well enjoy it. It was ruining everything, but he might as well enjoy it. But even these moments are tainted in wartimes. Hemingway describes the idea of going back while the war is still raging on in Chapter 18 by saying Here it is the shift from deadliness to normal family life that is the strangest. This is largely because, after a while, soldiers get used to the mentality of battle: You learned the dry-mouthed, fear-purged purging ecstasy of battle and you fought that summer and that fall for all the poor in the world against all tyranny, for all the things you believed in and for the new world you had been educated into.- Chapter 18 The End of the Novel and Other Selected Quotes In Chapter 25, Hemingway writes In war cannot say what say what one feels, and in Chapter 26 he revisits the notion of self-awareness and governance: It is right, he told himself, not reassuringly, but proudly. I believe in the people and their right to govern themselves as they wish. But you mustnt believe in killing, he told himself. You must do it as a necessity but you must not believe in it. If you believe in it the whole thing is wrong. One character in Chapter 27 was described as not at all afraid of dying but he was angry at being on this hill which was only utilizable as a place to die... Dying was nothing and he had no picture of it or fear of it in his mind. and further expanded on the thought later in the chapter in his observation of life: Living was a hawk in the sky. Living was an earthen jar of water in the dust of the threshing with the grain flailed out and the chaff blowing. Living was a horse between your legs and a carbine under one leg and a hill and a valley and a stream with trees along it and the far side of the valley and the hills beyond. On soldiers, Hemingway wrote in Chapter 30 I guess really good soldiers are really good at very little else and again in Chapter 31 There is no finer and no worse people in the world. No kinder people and no crueler. But still, Hemingway applauds those who fight because, as he says in Chapter 34, It was easier to live under a regime than fight it.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

I hate my job three signs you need to move on

I hate my job three signs you need to move on Everyone goes into a new job with a sense of optimism. New place, new coworkers, new responsibilities- what’s not to be optimistic about? After that initial buzz, however, you suddenly realize: I hate my job. It’s rarely in your interest to quit on the spot when you have that revelation, so how long should you stay? Let’s look at a couple of different scenarios. When seriously bad things are happeningIf you’ve discovered that there are illegal or harmful things going on at work, or your work is causing you serious physical issues, then you should seriously consider getting out now. It’s a safety issue.When you hate your boss, and your work is starting to sufferIf your work is making you miserable and you just can’t seem to get along with your boss, then it’s time to start thinking hard about your exit strategy. But if you can hold on for a few weeks or months while you start putting out feelers about a new job, then you should delay ha nding in that resignation letter.When you’re bored or mildly unhappyIf your job isn’t challenging you like it should or you have a general diagnosis of Over It-itis, then definitely start thinking about your next steps. Don’t quit just yet. Because this isn’t an emergency, you have some time to do some soul-searching about why you’re unhappy at work and what you can do to fix that. It may be that adjusting your workload or taking on different projects could make you happier and more fulfilled at work.Before you quit, talk with your boss (without issuing any ultimatums) and let him know you’re interested in taking on more opportunities, or changing up your role. If he’s receptive, then give these new responsibilities a try. If he’s not, or you’ve tried out this new regime and you’re still unhappy, then step up your efforts to find another job before you quit this one. Remember that fairly or not, it’s almost always easier to find a job while you already have one.Here’s what you need to consider before you quit, under any of these scenarios:What is my financial situation? Do I have enough savings to cover a potentially months-long job search?Do I have some good potential job leads lined up, or an interim plan (like freelancing or consulting)?Are there any skills I will need to build before I try to get a comparable job (or a step-up job)?Is there anything that I could do or ask of my boss that would make my job bearable again?It’s best to have a plan here; the last thing you want to do is quit your job in a huff, and then realize that you’ve made a mistake. Sometimes leaving is the right thing to do, and quitting can push you to move your career forward. But if you take that step before you’re ready, you could be opening yourself up to a period of stress and career upheaval unnecessarily.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

The paradox of choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The paradox of choice - Essay Example Little does it nurture talent, as the developers put more emphasis on meaningless areas at the expense of personal talent development? Call it formal or informal, the system is set in such a way that little is doable by any party to make education more talent focused. As Robinson argues, every person is born with deep natural capabilities, unique in every person. However, the formal education is keen on suppressing the growth and development of these. He observes that the best way of b ringing personal development to young people is by cultivating these capabilities in an urgent, manner for economic, cultural and economic reasons. Proposing on how this can be done, he notes that dominant approaches to the said talents are the best way of nurturing talents. Marginalization of education system has transformed students to education slaves. Many people languish in silence on the extreme torture that they undergo in a curriculum that does not allow them freedom of choice. A student has to follow the system, to the later, and work hard to achieve define targets and goals. Further, Robinson extrapolates that the current form of education has terribly failed in offering answers to the specific problems that we face. Instead, it creates alternatives which barely get to answer the kind of challenges that we are faced with in life. In most countries, observes Robinson, the system is set in relevance to national policies and cultural attitudes entirely set in the past. The disadvantages of these systems are that they promote standardization, creating a narrow view of intelligence in comparison to the diverse and personal human talents. They also promote compliance whilst cultural progress and achievement depend on imaginative cultivation of creativity. Education systems are linear and rigid in change, while human talents are organic and are largely unpredictable. Thus, Robinson seeks to differ with the current system of education, arguing that it does not promote talent de velopment. True to this, education does not give room for personal development. Students are locked in bitter disagreements with the system that has little flexibility on the importance of various subjects taught in class and their relevance in life. A closer look at the system reveals that little is done to help a student grow individually, and personally. All syllabuses are designed in line with national goals and development agendas for the country. Classes meant for recreational and personal development are given less value. What happens to the most talented students who are poor in curriculum? Few schools focus on talent. In fact, there are no government sponsored institutions to nurture talents. The few that are in existence are Non-Governmental Organizations sponsored, or others are private institutions, owned and operated by individuals who share a similar thinking with Robinson. How many schools focus on training footballers or athletes in the world? Focus shifted from purp osive learning that is intended at instilling skills and behavioral change to instilling knowledge that is aimed at running the wheels of a country’s economy. It is startling how various people who have had an opportunity to develop their talents have had great careers that have subsequently catapulted them to fame and immense wealth. Gillian Lynne is an example of such people. She was a poor student in school,

Friday, November 1, 2019

Why does communsim work in some developing countries and democracy in Essay

Why does communsim work in some developing countries and democracy in others - Essay Example It intrudes further into the lives of people than socialism does. For example, some communist countries do not allow their citizens to practice certain religions, change jobs, or move to the town of their choice (Margonis, 1993). According to Nowotny (1997), communism has been perennially perceived to have been but a -- certainly disastrous -- evolutionary accident on the road of progress. Once this error would have been corrected and once the communist system was removed, the countries concerned would, without any great difficulties, resume their rightful place on the ladder of economic and political progress. This would occur spontaneously. Errors could stunt or thwart the development. But, on the other hand, no special measures would be necessary to promote it. Markets and with them wealth; civic society and political institutions and with them democracy would install themselves without further ado. Some even claimed that this step back unto the ladder of political and economic evolution would be easier (Nowotny, 1997). Although communism is always seen as ‘the big bad wolf’, there are still studies that suggest that it is much better that developing communist countries to embrace communism f irst before venturing into capitalism. Numerous researches argue towards the success of shifting governments from communism to democracy. McFaul (2005) cited the Serbian, Georgian, and Ukrainian cases of democratic breakthrough resemble one another-and differ from other democratic transitions or revolutions-in four critical respects. First, in all three cases, the spark for regime change was a fraudulent national election, not a war, an economic crisis, a split between ruling elites, an external shock or international factor, or the death of a dictator. Second, the democratic challengers deployed extra-constitutional means solely to defend the existing, democratic constitution rather than to achieve a fundamental rewriting of the rules of the political

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Critical analysis of assessment strategies and practice in the Essay

Critical analysis of assessment strategies and practice in the workplace - Essay Example The ability to pass that knowledge to other is extremely beneficial if the knowledge is to cause an impact. This calls for skilful verbal skills. This is because a student must have the ability to communicate with teachers, colleagues and clients or patients, (Banta, 2007, p57). There are moments that a direct discussion with a patient helps to make some procedures much easy, (Nicklin, and Kenworthy, 2000, p142). This should also be matched with the ability to consult is a verbal way freely and confidently. It therefore, becomes extremely necessary to find out whether the students know how to express themselves. Accuracy and precision is also extremely vital factor. This is because most of the complicated procedures are time bound and of a sensitive nature, (Neary, 2000, p124). This explains why a single delay can end up costing a lot. The student has to be able to work with the required time frame and also demonstrate accuracy and precision, (Banta, 2007, p57). This reveals the extent and reliability capacity of the student. The willingness to learn is demonstrated in a wide range of factors. A meritorious student should show the ability to learn new things, (Nicklin, and Kenworthy, 2000, p130). This includes asking the necessary questions and interacting with consultants, lecturers and other professionals who are way ahead. The student should also involve colleagues and fellow students so that they can exchange ideas, (Friedlander, 2004, p112). This too enhances understanding and learning process. It also shows that the student is willing to learn. The questions should be clear and should assess the subject matter with a sense of accuracy, (Neary, 2000, p124). The research questions and data collections methods in the assessment should be relevant and detailed, (Banta, 2007, p57). This is to make sure that crucial data is obtained from the student and give a precise assessment of the level of understanding and competence of the student,

Monday, October 28, 2019

Supply Chain Use Case Analysis Essay Example for Free

Supply Chain Use Case Analysis Essay The final assignment for the course is a Final Paper on two cases. The Final Paper should demonstrate understanding of the reading as well as the implications of new knowledge. The eight- to ten-page paper should integrate readings and course discussions into work and life experiences. It may include an explanation and examples from previous experiences as well as implications for future applications. Read the case study at the end of Chapter 15 and the case study at the end of Chapter 16, and thoroughly answer all the following questions. Supplement your answers with scholarly research using the Ashford Online Library. Each case study should be addressed in four to five pages, resulting in a combined Final Paper of eight to ten pages. Chapter 15 Case Study: The Realco Breadmaster 1. Develop a master production schedule for the breadmaker. What do the projected ending inventory and available-to-promise numbers look like? Has Realco â€Å"overpromised†? In your view, should Realco update either the forecast or the production numbers? 2. Comment on Jack’s approach to order promising. What are the advantages? The disadvantages? How would formal master scheduling improve this process? What organizational changes would be required? 3. Following up on Question 2, which do you think is worse, refusing a customer’s order upfront because you don’t have the units available or accepting the order and then failing to deliver? What are the implications  for master scheduling? 4. Suppose Realco produces 20,000 breadmakers every week, rather than 40,000 every other week. According to the master schedule record, what impact would this have on average inventory levels? Chapter 16 Case Study: A Bump https://bitly.com/12C3yhI It is important to remember that college is not all about studying. College is a significant step into adulthood and should be treated as such. While you should not party the night away, do not keep your nose in your books to the point that you do not get to enjoy this time of your life. Business General Business Focus of the Final Paper The final assignment for the course is a Final Paper on two cases. The Final Paper should demonstrate understanding of the reading as well as the implications of new knowledge. The eight- to ten-page paper should integrate readings and course discussions into work and life experiences. It may include an explanation and examples from previous experiences as well as implications for future applications. Read the case study at the end of Chapter 15 and the case study at the end of Chapter 16, and thoroughly answer all the following questions. Supplement your answers with scholarly research using the Ashford Online Library. Each case study should be addressed in four to five pages, resulting in a combined Final Paper of eight to ten pages. Chapter 15 Case Study: The Realco Breadmaster 1. Develop a master production schedule for the breadmaker. What do the projected ending inventory and available-to-promise numbers look like? Has  Realco â€Å"overpromised†? In your view, should Realco update either the forecast or the production numbers? 2. Comment on Jack’s approach to order promising. What are the advantages? The disadvantages? How would formal master scheduling improve this process? What organizational changes would be required? 3. Following up on Question 2, which do you think is worse, refusing a customer’s order upfront because you don’t have the units available or accepting the order and then failing to deliver? What are the implications for master scheduling? 4. Suppose Realco produces 20,000 breadmakers every week, rather than 40,000 every other week. According to the master schedule record, what impact would this have on average inventory levels?

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Regime of Nazi Germany :: Papers

The Regime of Nazi Germany l Physical education was given 15% of school time, and some sports such as boxing became compulsory for boys. Pupils had to pass an examination, and unsatisfactory performance could lead to being expelled. l History. This concentrated on the rise of the Nazi Party, the injustices of the Treaty of Versailles and the evils of communism and the Jews. l Biology explained Nazi ideas on race and population control. Pupils were taught how to measure their skulls and to classify racial types; also that Aryans were superior and should not marry inferior races. l German. This taught pupils to be conscious of their national identity by reading about German heroes of the Hitler Youth and First World War. l Geography taught about the lands, which were once part of Germany and the need for more living space for Germans. l Religious studies became less important and by 1937 pupils could drop the subject. Girls usually had a different curriculum from boys. They also studied domestic science and eugenics (how to produce perfect offspring by selecting ideal qualities in the parents) c) The Hitler Youth was an organization formed by the Nazis, for young boys or girls to join this organization at the age of 14 and do hiking, singing folk-songs, camping and sport. The German Maidens was an organization for girls only. They had to do similar activities and tests as the boys, but in a certain extent it was slightly less military. Both boys and girls marched in exciting parades with loud bands. They were also physically fit and their leisure time was devoted to the Nazis and Hitler. They were strong cross-country runners, and confident at reading maps. After years of summer camps, they were comfortable camping out of doors, and the boys knew how to clean a rifle and keep it in good condition. d) The boys were preparing to fight in battles, they had to be fierce and grow hate for Jews, and show no any mercy to any of them.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Abuse on Reality TV Essay

An incident of child abuse occurs every ten seconds, and more than five children die every day as a result. Approximately 80% of children that die from abuse are under the age of four. Reports have kept a steady growth rate for the past ten years, with the total number of reports nationwide increasing 45% since 1987. Since 1985, the rate of child abuse fatalities has increased by nearly 40%. These statistics were taken from a National Abuse Statistics survey. ​ CAPTION: Taken from a study on child abuse by Childhelp.org, this graph represents the number of child deaths per day due to child abuse and neglect. As shown, the number has significantly increased, and is still continuing to increase. ​Many cases of child abuse have been recorded, and in many of those cases, innocent children have died. This is a growing problem and it continues to get worse. ​Most everyone is familiar with the various types of abuse such as neglect, sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological maltreatment, and medical neglect. Sadly, there is a new type of child abuse added to the list, the exploitation of young children and their privacy on reality television. ​According to AbuseWatch.net, children must be recognized as child actors if they are to be used in reality shows or any other type of TV production. This is not the case today. Basically, having these children on television without any pay is child labor, and they should legally be pro tected by child labor laws. The sad fact is TV producers are not employing these minors and are ignoring these child labor laws. ​They’re getting away with this crime because the children are considered as â€Å"participants†, like someone in a documentary. Due to this classification, it is excused from federal and state child labor laws as the children’s activities are being recorded on camera, opposed to the performance of a role. The children are not classified as hired employees, and do not earn a wage. They also do not get benefits that they would receive if they were to be called a â€Å"child actor.† Therefore, the child  labor laws are being ignored and these minors are not being employed. ​In 2007, the series, Kid Nation, abandoned 40 kids, ages 8 to 15, in a fake Old Western town. While viewers watched in agony, these kids spent their days literally left alone. A little girl burnt herself on a stove. These children were neglected for goodness sake. Complaints were made and authorities investigated. Not only is this against the law, but it is taking away children’s rights to privacy and, most importantly, their childhood. In a recently aired TLC reality show Dance Moms, children were yelled at and belittled in front of the camera, and thousands of viewers. Andy Dehnart describes his experience with the show in an article. He wrote, â€Å"During season 1 finale, Mackenzie, 7, started crying while rehearsing for a music video and ran out of the room, ponytail bouncing over her hot pink sports bra. She found her mother in a back room and ran toward her. â€Å"Please don’t make me go!† As she hugged her mother, Melissa, Mackenzie’s head was turned, and her eyes made contact with the camera, staring right at us. She pulled away, her face a mess of sadness and anger, and pointed accusatorily at the camera and its operator’s instructiveness.† It was extremely evident that this was televised child abuse. This is not the kind of abuse that consists of making a child do something that they don’t want to do in that particular second, but abuse that broadcasts moments of a little naive child’s life that should never be shown to the public. CAPTION: This picture, taken from an article written by Nichelle Strzepe, shows a young girl crying to her mom after her teacher has just finished yelling at her and giving her negative feed back. From a recently conducted interview with Kara Acosta, a young girl with experience in the dancing agency, she stated that, â€Å"The teachers on that show are way too strict. It would be difficult for a grown parent to deal with that type of teaching let alone a young child. Plus their way of teaching is not effective. The kids in my dance class learned best by positive reinforcement.† In the article by Sherry Rickmeier, Katherine Heigl states that she â€Å"watched with open-mouthed amazement as girls as young as seven were encouraged to dress provocatively and shimmy around a stage doing a dance performance that could just as easily been a burlesque routine.† Not only does she comment on the disturbing sexual aspect of the show but also  comments that, â€Å"I was also horrified by the way their instructor spoke to them when she felt they weren’t up to snuff. It was demeaning, belittling, and downright unkind. There is no reason to break anyone down in order to prepare them for inevitable disappointment or unkindness. Especially not a child’s.† There is a clearly defined line between giving helpful criticism and yelling nasty things at children telling them they are â€Å"dumb†, and â€Å"stupid†. It is highly degrading and pure verbal and emotional abuse. Society as a whole is implying to our children that this is ok. The fact is, its not. ​This brings us to the television series Toddlers and Tiaras. ​ The show Toddlers and Tiaras began three years ago, and has since drawn in more viewers. In this series, little four year old girls parade around in flashy dresses; wear fake eyelashes, fake teeth, and globs of makeup. Not only is this taking away their innocence, but it’s submitting them to child pornography. Girl’s outfits include those of sex idols such as Daisy Duke, Dolly Parton, and a prostitute from Pretty Woman. CAPTION: This picture, taken by a college student from a blog on why child beauty pageants are hazardous to children’s health, shows a seven year old who has the face of a twenty year old woman, and is showing off her body to win more points from the judges. An interview conducted with a high school teacher and role model, Mrs. Gorenstein, was recently conducted to show the view of adults on this subject. When asked what she thought the message of the show Toddlers and Tiaras was, she replied saying, â€Å"This show sends the message that kids can get what they want by being bratty, looking pretty and flaunting around their looks.† She also said, â€Å"These shows are pushing a very fine line between showing child abuse and providing entertainment. I would say these shows should be taken of the air, but I worry what they’ll replace it with.† A high school student, Delaney McGinn said, â€Å"These shows are dumb, pointless, and a waste of money. It is showing kids that it’s ok to be extremely fake; in fact it’s teaching them how to do it. These parents are selfish and aren’t letting their children be themselves. Children learn the most in their first couple of years, and all these kids are going to learn is how to be snotty and how to throw a fit when you don’t get what you  want. † ​These children run around looking like miniaturized twenty year olds. The parents of these kids would do anything to have their child win, including hair extensions, caked on makeup, fake eyelashes, spray on tans, fake teeth, and extremely revealing clothing. The want of girls to be happy with natural beauty is punted out the door when it comes to this show. There is absolutely nothing natural about these young children. They look like Barbie dolls. CAPTION: This picture is taken from an article written by Dabney B. about why this show is so messed up. This picture shows how fake these little girls are made. They are sexualized, and are freely shown off to the dangers of the world, just for a couple bucks. This little girl looks like a porcelain doll, not a cute natural little girl. ​There have also been cases of parents â€Å"doping† up their children to make them perform better. A pageant mother claims she prepares her daughter by giving her an unidentified juice drink, â€Å"pageant crack† or â€Å"go-go juice†. No one knew what was in the concoction, and some people were led to believe it had a small amount of alcohol in it along with extremely caffeinated soda drinks. According to the article â€Å"Are Toddlers and Tiaras mothers DOPING their daughters?† by Sadie Whitelocks, the mother, Mrs. Holler, told her daughter to take â€Å"two big gulps† of the drink from an unlabeled drinks bottle. In a couple of seconds the change in the young child was wildly apparent. Moments after having her â€Å"special drink† the young girl started doing stomach spins on the floor. ​Defining the exploitation of children’s privacy on TV, such as these, as child abuse is a bit complicated. But after looking at all of the evidence, it will be extremely difficult for people to say that it is adequate for this to continue. You’d think after all the child abuse cases related to rape and sexual abuse, one like the John Benet Ramsey case, people would want to end the use of reality TV shows that illustrate these young girls in a sexual way, but these shows continue to play on televisions all throughout the country. ​