The Death Of Infectious Diseases - 1895 Words

â€Å"A century ago, the top three causes of death were infectious diseases. More than half of all people dying in the United States died because of germs. Today, they account for a few percent of deaths at most. We owe much of that, of course, to antibiotics,† states Aaron Carroll a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine (Carroll). Now, once easily treated bacterial infections are increasingly difficult to treat and rid from a patient’s system because antibiotics can no longer effectively treat some common diseases. Antibiotics are overused and overprescribed; medical professionals use antibiotics to treat viral infections when they are intended for bacterial infections only. With consistent overuse, antibiotic†¦show more content†¦Antibiotics, also known as antimicrobials, are drugs, which fight infections caused by bacteria in both humans and animals. Their primary use is to combat bacterial infection by either killing the bacteria or making it difficult for it to grow and multiply with the use of growth inhibitors. Also, antibiotics do not have any effect on viruses (â€Å"Antibiotic Resistance†). The intended use of antibiotics is to treat infections or disease caused by bacteria such as Salmonella, Gonorrhea, and Influenza. Sir Alexander Fleming discovered antibiotics in 1928 after returning to his lab to find Petri dishes contaminated with Staphylococcus Aureus and later realized the mold had the ability to inhibit the growth of bacteria (Markel). The bacteria growth-inhibiting mold Dr. Fleming discovered later became the drug penicillin. This new medication’s first use was fourteen years after his discovery, in March 1942, to successfully treat a patient who had developed a bacterial infection after miscarrying, which later led to blood poisoning (Markel). More often than not doctors prescribe antibiotics to treat viral infections when their primary purpose is to fight bacterial infections. The inappropriate use of antibiotics in the medical field is the leading cause in the ever-growing trend of antibiotic resistance. Another ramification to this cause is inadequate diagnostics. Regularly, healthcare providers must use incomplete or imperfect

Americans love freedom we love money we love capitalism....

Americans love freedom; we love money; we love capitalism. Capitalism is most definitely an element of dominant culture amongst the citizens of the United States. In American culture it is easy to see that many of our institutions, including public schools, indoctrinate the children whom they serve with a common American idealism: capitalism is good, communism is bad. Being a citizen of the United States and not being a capitalist is verging upon the fringe of an unwritten taboo. If there is one thing that is true: capitalism does work, and the dominant thought of the United States is that it works the best. But is this true? Does capitalism really work the best? In this essay, I will begin by explicitly defining and analyzing†¦show more content†¦What I have described as capitalism is not just an economic system; it is a social system that has engrained itself into the core of American rationalism, to the point at which it is onerous to dissociate our values from our economic system. Which leads me to my ensuing point: where did capitalism come from and by what means was it engrained into our culture? Instances of capitalism can be traced all the way back to mercantilism in the fourteenth century in Western Europe. The ownership of land was becoming a more basic concept; however the ownership was concentrated in the upper class. The proletarian began to take their place as the laborers due to the fact that they either had no means of production or, even if they did, their rate and efficiency of production was shadowed by that of the big land owners and their workforce of other laborers. This is enough information to get the point across that this method of economic organization was what developed the economical situation, coupled with the desire for religious freedom, which caused many peasants to immigrate to North America in the first place. So, moving on, why did the people once again adopt capitalism? Personally, I agree with Weberâ €™s theory. Weber believes that Protestant religious belief systems, including Calvinist, Pietistic, Baptist, and Methodist sects, played a role in theShow MoreRelatedCapitalism And Capitalism1896 Words   |  8 PagesIn the first chapter of his book Capitalism and Freedom, Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman discusses several ideas such as the intimate and â€Å"by no means unilateral† correlation between politics and economics, the inefficiency of collectivism and central planning, and the essential role of economic freedom and capitalism in achieving political freedom (8). What all these ideas have in common, though, is that economic freedom precedes political freedom and, as a result, the latter dependsRead MoreCapitalism : Is Capitalism Good?946 Words   |  4 PagesCapitalism is a subject that can be considered deeply controversial. There are many who tout the benefits that capitalism provides to the economy and the progress of human society. 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From Modernism to Post-Modernism Free Essays

The Modernists wanted to free art from the constraints of classicism and to promote critical, free thought but whether or not they succeeded is still a matter of debate.   It began with Manet’s Impressionism on to the outrageousness of Dali’s Surrealist Manifesto. It was an intellectual attack on classical thought. We will write a custom essay sample on From Modernism to Post-Modernism or any similar topic only for you Order Now Modernism and its successor, Post-Modernism indulged the artistic world in the subject of intellectual critical thinking and individualism and could be seen as the bravest contradiction to what art was previously believed to be. Modernism infiltrated every form of thought including philosophy, law, music, literature and architecture. It wanted the world to have their own thoughts and not believe what they were told to believe. Yet how different was Post-Modernism from Modernism? Did it succeed in changing the way people think and is it really ‘art for art’s sake? In this essay we examine these questions with reference to artist who were prominent Modernists. By definition ‘modernism’ is â€Å"period dating from roughly the 1860’s through the 1970’s and is used to describe the style and ideology of art produced during that era.†(Witcombe, 1997). Therefore this era of art included styles such as Impressionism, Surrealism and Realism. It is a broad spectrum from which to work. Arguably, Monet was the father of Impressionism, who saw the value of art no longer in reproducing the subject in detail and to perfection, but rather to capture the moment in time that could never be captured again. Professor Witcombe of Sweet Briar College says that it is generally agreed that Edouard Manet was the first of the ‘modernist’ painters (Witcombe, 1997). Classical artists had been preoccupied with classical subjects, particularly in the ‘Romantic’ period such as Delacroix and David (Witcombe, 1997). Modernism appeared to have failed in the early 20th Century, with the collapse of the Communist movement. It seems that at that stage looking at Surrealism for example, free thought and freedom of expression was about to be tested again with the onset of the World Wars. Yet where Modernism itself began and where it ended is still largely a mystery to most people. For instance, looking at the work of Cezanne in the early stages of the Modernist period, the essential ‘breaking down’ of subjects to their smallest most geometric states gave rise to a form of minimalism that contradicted the complexity of the Modernist age. Sigmund Freud ushered in the ‘new age’ of mental evaluation with world-shaking consequences and his ideas stretched from philosophical thought through to the film industry. Acceptably known to have influenced the work of painter Salvador Dali and film-maker Alfred Hitchcock, Freud’s ‘modern’ thought was seeking to ‘free’ the mind of the constraints of classically accepted reality. Essentially (as with the Cezanne’s art), this meant breaking humanity down to its smallest and simplest parts. As Witcombe describes it, â€Å"it should be clear that modernist culture is Western in its orientation, capitalist in its determining economic tendency, bourgeois in its class character, white in its racial complexion, and masculine in its dominant gender.†(Witcombe, 1997). As art became freed of the bonds of classical feudal law, so society attempted to pursue ‘liberalism’ with Karl Marx’s Utopia rising and falling abruptly with the failure of Communist Russia. There was at this stage too a profound interest in understanding the human interaction. The old idea of science as a purely empirical discipline gave rise to the human element in the work of sociologist Max Weber (Ludington, 2000). Artists no longer wished to conform to a particular style of art but preferred to create their own signature style. Even in the Impressionist school, a distinguishing factor could be found in each of the artists making them individual: Monet, Renoir, Manet, Degas and Van Gogh. Picasso’s solid external outline and geometric shape can be seen distinctly in the work of Paul Cezanne, meaning that his idea was not entirely original but influenced by previous artists. The idea of being unique and ‘inventing’ a new art was and always will be contested by the reality that and ‘influence’ ‘recreates’ the already created. Modernism was meant to free the artist of this exact emotion as well as being representative of the present social climate. This could be seen effectively in the work of Gustav Klimt and Antoni Gaudi in the early 1900’s. The Art Nouveau period specifically identified the new-found freedom of money and if there was none, to at least pretend there was. Casa Battlo (1906-1908), Antoni Gaudi architectural piece, resembled the carefree nature of the Art Nouveau period. Being completely fantasy and out of this world it appears it could have been made from an assortment of candy rather than brick and mortar. The dream-like realm for which Surrealism became known is subtly different to this in its pure indulgence and decadence. Previously the Church had been the patron of the arts, meaning that most of the art that was endorsed was done so with the understanding that it would be classical in nature, therefore ranking Gaudi as particularly rebellious in this aspect. The Renaissance architect Brunelleschi, who’s Dome of the Cathedral in Florence can be seen as poles apart from Gaudi’s offering, was controlled by the needs of the Church rather than pure self-indulgent imagination like Gaudi’s. Another aspect of Modernism that came into dramatic play was the advent of photography. With this reproduction of images it was no longer necessary to reproduce subjects as they were in reality or to record events. It did not take long for philosophical writers such as Roland Barthes to recognise that even with these remarkable prints of the past, they could never truly represent the subject they captured. With a photograph of his mother he was convinced that yes, this was his mother but, no it was also not his mother. It was in effect a picture of his mother. Rene Magritte in this era also painted his famous pipe entitled Ce n’est pas une pipe, which said that while it was a pipe, it also wasn’t. The reasoning behind this was that if you cannot actually smoke it, it cannot be a pipe. The question was to what extent does Modernist ‘unpacking’’ become ‘over unpacking’? The ‘unpacking’ process of Modernism in terms of art is perhaps best seen in the work of Salvador Dali. â€Å"[Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams was] one of the capital discoveries of my life†¦I was seized with a real vice of self-interpretation, not only of my dreams but of everything that happened to me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (The Great Artists. Vol 73: 2311). The Persistence Of Memory 1931, by Salvador Dali is oil on canvas and is 9  ½ inches by 13 inches in size. It shows a series of stopwatches melted over the motifs and there is ‘double imagery’. It includes a side profile of Dali himself. Completely Surrealist, Dali worked alongside Breton on the Surrealist Manifesto which attempted to free mankind of the constraints of the mind. â€Å"Surrealism will usher you into death, which is a secret society. It will glove your hand, burying therein the profound M with which the word Memory begins.†(Breton 1924). This was the core of Modernist thinking, that man should by all intents and purposes link beyond the real (or imagined reality) to what he really is (unpack himself). Like Freudian psychology the belief in Surrealism is that repressed memory locates itself in the subconscious constantly. This was called the superego, the responsibility of man to appease this memory leads to unexplained and unresolved dreams that often recur (Freud.1949:77). Compare this to the era we now live in, (the Post-modern era into which we have slipped) and the difference is that we are now trying to free ourselves from the constraints that Modernism has put on us. Post-Modern artists still toy with the idea that what is chiefly within us is expressed through creativity. But now the addition of technology to the equation makes us the ‘controller’ of the said creativity. Computer technology replaces the need for composed qualities in artwork (specifically graphic) meaning that there has to be a marriage of technological advancement and artistry in order for the artist to survive. Going back in time to the first expressions of rebellion in art such as Grunewald and Bosch, who represented dreams in their art and compare this to Dali who interprets the dreams. It becomes clear that what is believed to be an entirely new movement in art is really only a manifestation of experiments used in the past. With World War I II the former quest for world domination attempted once again to put the world of art under the scrutiny of the powers that be but did not succeed. This means that the completed change was here to stay, that the movement from Impressionism to Surrealism and through to Pop Art and Op Art was free to mobilize itself into the future. â€Å"Earth to earth ashes to ashes dust to dust†, 1970, Lawrence Weiner, Guggenheim Museum, was what Post-modernism has offered us. In comparison to the fine art of the past few centuries, this piece does not seem to amount to much, but then it is an example of what humanity has become and therefore holds specific importance. A plain grey, white and black plaque with the words ‘earth to earth ashes to ashes dust to dust’ written across it reveals to us an human race that is really and honestly empty. It is not entirely correct to say Modernism has succeeded in its purpose, but to say that it has failed is also untrue and perhaps a little unfair. Times have changed and continue to do so. The greatest archives we have in memory of the evolution of man are in our art. Modernism as an ideal failed, communism failed and to a degree Freud failed, but the gift they gave us was a solid movement into a time that has been littered with the ‘new’. Modernism failed in that it became the cult-like movement of constraint that it tried so hard to break. It succeeded in producing an art that was truly indicative of the individual. Modernism is, regardless of its successes and failures, a distinct mark in history in the same way that the Renaissance was to the 1400’s-1500’s. We no longer paint young ladies on swings with farthingales and voluminous skirts, because they do not exist in our world. We hardly go to war in kilts and with battleaxes either because so much of our time has changed. The continuum of thought and critical thinking still plagues us with the knowledge that there are some things we will never explain or understand. However the world changes, our creativity is always there. Sources: Breton, Andre. 1924. The Surrealist Manifesto. (http://www.screensite.org/courses/Jbutler/T340/SurManifesto/ManifestoOfSurrealism.htm) Freud, S. 1949.The Ego and the Id. (The Hogarth Press Ltd: London) Ludington, Townsend. 2000. A Modern Mosaic: Art and Modernism in the United States. The University of North Carolina Press. http://uncpress.unc.edu/chapters/ludington_modern.html The Great Artists.1986. Vol 73: Dali.(Marshall Cavendish Ltd: London) Witcombe, Christopher Professor. 1997. â€Å" Art Artists: The Roots of Modernism.† Part One: What is Art? Sweet Briar College. http://www.arthistory.sbc.edu/artartists/modernism.html Witcombe, Christopher Professor. 1997. â€Å"Art Artists: Modernism and Post Modernism.† Part 4: What is Art? Sweet Briar College. http://www.arthistory.sbc.edu/artartists/modpostmod.html                                     How to cite From Modernism to Post-Modernism, Essay examples

Debate Research in Art History Essay Example For Students

Debate Research in Art History Essay Debate That as Annunciation scenes (of the angel Gabriel telling the Virgin Mary she will bear the son of god) deal with the same subject, they will be very similar i.e. â€Å"Seen one Annunciation scene, seen them all.† Negative Team Hi, I am Camilla, the leader of the negative team summing up our case that if you have seen one annunciation scene you’ve certainly not seen them all. First I would like to recap in some detail the 2 sides to this debate. Affirmative Team The affirmative team claim that as Annunciation scenes shows the archangel Gabriel entering the house of the Virgin Mary to communicate to her that she will soon bear the child Jesus, whose name means the Savior. The scenes must be similar, repetitive, lacking in originality, static, they are all mere bland replicas of the same story, they have taken a narrow point of view dealing with works only up to the 16th century. They have failed to consider the general or original Annunciation style e.g. some well known iconography, amount of gold used and medium. Negative Team We however disagree, if you look at Annunciation scenes from the 19th century onwards, by artists of different gender, ethnicity and beliefs it is possible to see that different effects have been created through settings, color, gesture and figures. Even though the subject is the same, there are features which are innovative, different which bring out the artists own distinctive style in which they believe is their own personal painting on what the Annunciation really is. Even though these modern artists have been given influence from early renaissance artists it doesn’t mean that they cannot incorporate their own style within their paintings. Leading to conclude you that if you have seen one Annunciation scene you most definitely haven’t seen them all. Affirmative Team We would like to rebut the argument thank you. Negative Team Yes Affirmative Team Well in Martinis Annunciation for instance there is the marble floor, the archangel, the pot of lilies, the half closed book of Mary and her throne, and the gold background. This is very much the same as every other Annunciation scene I have seen..don’t you agree? There is no way these â€Å"modern† artists have taken a completely different look on the Annunciation and made it unique to the original painters like Martini. Negative Team Please go more in depth with what your trying to say. I would certainly like to hear more. Affirmative Team He has brought some realistic details into the painting by doing so. Martini has chosen a distinct and singular moment of the Annunciation to depict. His work is considered an absolute masterpiece and one of the greatest examples of Sienese Gothic painting, characterized by the wonderful elegance of both line and color. The Archangel has just touched ground in front of the Virgin as shown by his unfold wings and his swirling mantle. The scene seems a theatrical performance, as stressed by the comic strip like sentence in the middle of the composition with the greeting of the angel. Negative Team Can I just interrupt you there!! From what I am seeing right now, all of the figures to me are giving the same message as every other painting ive seen. I am starting to get very bored right now. Affirmative Team Well the Virgin Mary is portrayed almost surprised and frightened by the sudden appearance. Her movement, so prim and elegant, adds a certain effect of sophistication to the work. The altarpiece has a gold background, so bound to tradition, and still very much in demand for the depictions of sacred stories. These types of artists adhered therefore to what customers required. Well for this purpose Martini included some delightful details in the main scene as the marble floor, the mantle of the archangel, the pot of lilies, the half-closed book of Mary and her throne, all of which suggest a real space, otherwise penalized by the gold background. The painting is then fully Sienese for the beauty and the gentleness of lines and colors, just in opposition to Florentine style, more related to the volume and the shape. Martini has chosen a distinct and singular moment of the Annunciation to depict. The immediacy of the still-flowing cloak of Gabriel, the presence of the greeting that became a prayer and the holy distress of the Virgin are key aspects to the religious and artistic power and foresight that Simone Martini employed when executing this master altarpiece. His style elaborated Giotto, pushing the level of detail and attention to move even further. Affirmative Team Maybe you could convince me that all Annunciation scenes are not the same with your next paintings but I highly doubt it. My opinion is very strong towards this and I wont be changing my mind any time soon. Negative Team Well now to recap our argument based on research. Affirmative Team Go ahead. Negative Team First let us go back to John Colliers work who is an American artist born on June 26, 1948. His painting of the Annunciation (2000), is painting that is a beautiful example of inculturation–the Gospel penetrating to the deepest core of a culture. Affirmative Team What an earth are you talking about? Negative Team Well let me explain then. In the constant interplay between culture and faith, it is refreshing to come across an artist who is so aware that he has a dual duty; first to capture the figures of salvation history, and second to do so in a way that is familiar and challenging to his audience. Collier does an amazing job doing what artists have done for hundreds of years. Affirmative Team Doing what? Negative Team He contemporizes the moment of the angel’s greeting which is making it more modern. Affirmative Team That is pretty much what I have seen in every other painting. The same angel portraying the same message with the lilies right near him? Hutus' and Tutsis' EssayAffirmative Team The similarities from this painting are exact to most paintings I have seen so far. The overall look and message from this painting gives me no confirmation that its different. Its a bland replica of the same story, he’s failed to consider the general or original Annunciation style e.g. some well known iconography, amount of gold used and medium. I have nothing more to say about this painting. It disgusts me! Negative Team I would like to rebut thank you! He started getting inspired in religious art when he saw a painting of Madonna holding baby Jesus in her hands. What he got from this was a the peaceful message. He says his art is very open minded. His work is very Chinese influenced which reaches out to the people of China and the rest of the world. He Qi hopes to express the Gospel message through traditional Chinese art styles while introducing western colors to this tradition. He thinks he has to much suffering in his life that he doesn’t want to share it with the people in his artwork. He wants to always give a peaceful message. One can better understand the art of He Qi when it is seen as a reinterpretation of sacred art within an ancient Chinese art idiom. Chinese religious art, being an expression of Buddhism, was historically typified as a tranquil and utopian portrayal of nature, often painted with black ink and water. He Qi is especially influenced by the simple and beautiful artwork of the people in rural China. Within that framework, he seeks to redefine the relationship between people and spirituality with bold colors, embellished shapes and thick strokes. His work is a blend of Chinese folk art and traditional painting technique with the iconography of the Western Middle Ages and Modern Art. Affirmative Team I have nothing more else to say about this painting. It disgusts me Im very sorry! Negative Team Alrightthank you for your opinion. Another artist we dealt with was Henry Tanner. He was an African-American artist born in 1859–1937. He is a realist painter, focusing on accurate depictions of subjects. Tanners body of work is not limited to one specific approach to painting. His works vary from meticulous attention to detail in some paintings to loose, expressive brush strokes in others. He was also interested in the effects that colour could have in a painting. Many of his paintings accentuate a specific area of the color spectrum. The Annunciation expresses the intensity and fire of religious moments, and the elation of transcendence between the divine and humanity. Tanner often experimented with light in a composition. The source and intensity of light and shadow in his paintings create a physical, almost tangible space and atmosphere while adding emotion and mood to the environment. Affirmative Team Excuse me may I say that even though he has brought some sense of mood and emotion into the painting, I can still only think of how much this gives the same message as every other Annunciation scene ive seen. Mary is still the same young girl in every painting. Maybe you could persuade me to think otherwise but right now its just another replica after replica. Negative Team I’ve been trying to persuade you this whole time affirmative team. This is the last time I can prove a point to you. Maybe this time you will understand? In his Annunciation, we find a very young Mary visited by the indiscernible angel Gabriel, her face aglow in his glorious light as he announces the coming of her Son, the Messiah and Savior of the world. Her youth, innocence, and prayerful submission are dramatically portrayed by Tanner in a very humble, human setting. She is not â€Å"saintly† or other-worldly as are many presentations of the annunciation. She is a real girl found on a real day in a real setting. Notice her face. It is both a vision of uncertainty and obedience. It perfectly presents the question of her heart to the angel, â€Å"But how can I be with child when I have not known a man?† Her gown and the covers of her bed are amazingly presented to us by Tanner’s skill. And imagine the playfulness he must have had in presenting her few toes to us from under the blanket. Swaddled in a striped, luxuriantly wrinkly robe, Mary sits on her rumpled bed with folded hands and looks sideways at the apparition with a slightly suspicious expression. Turning the angel into such an abstraction makes the mystical event almost plausible for an age of science. He modernized to the extent of embracing Gauguin-like style. But that led to bland, flattened illustrations like those you might find in a mass-market Bible. In his last two decades he experimented with mixing different kinds of paint that he built up into layers usually keyed to a ghastly candy-blue colour. Affirmative Team I am sorry to say this negative team, Im still not convinced after all of these paintings that they are different? To me all I see is the same story repeated one after the other. Negative Team Sorry I wasn’t able to convince you today but thank you for your opinions affirmative team. Negative Team In conclusion we will reiterate our argument we concede that the Annunciation paintings deal with the same basic subject throughout any artist. But we have proven to you that artists not constrained patronage by patronage, of different ethnicity, following different art movements. They are inspired by their own distinctive agenda or style. Each individual â€Å"modern† artist have chosen to slightly incorporate their own beliefs into the each painting of the Annunciation scene. They have all produced very unique versions of the Annunciation so you cannot say â€Å"Seen one Annunciation scene, seen them all.

How Teachers Make Children Hate Reading Essay Example

How Teachers Make Children Hate Reading Paper How Teachers Make Children Hate Reading, proposes the notion that teachers are inevitably demoralizing the minds of children, thus forcing them to generate a fervent aversion towards reading. To start, Holt touches base on how teachers frequently test their students on the specifics of the assigned reading and whether or not they are able to comprehend certain components from it. For several reasons, Holt disagrees with this commonly used method, mostly due to the act that teachers are focusing so hard on minor details, they themselves are even forgetting what makes reading really important. It almost seems as though putting a book under a microscope and picking out the smallest details is more crucial than just simply enjoying the reading. In addition, Holt describes how the idea of looking up and memorizing definitions of vocabulary not yet recognized to the students is ineffective. He discovered all the vocabulary quizzes and worksheets asking for definitions were quite a vain method of teaching. We will write a custom essay sample on How Teachers Make Children Hate Reading specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on How Teachers Make Children Hate Reading specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on How Teachers Make Children Hate Reading specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Every students mortifying straighter was being forced to read aloud to the class; It was a constant source of possible failure and public humiliation. Eventually this nightmare created a mental wall made of fear of mistakes, humiliation and pain. The primary message in this piece can be seen as children are being cheated from the simple Joys of reading. In his many years of teaching experience, Holt was influenced in many ways. The immediate occasion found in this passage of writing is none other than Halts sister. He portrays a time when his sister offered the idea that it is not necessary to be ware of every single part of a novel and that memorizing definitions was frankly a waste of time. She was absolutely convinced that school had ruined her sons passion for reading. At first, Holt was reluctant and disagreed with her, but after about two years elapsed since this discussion, he came to the consensus that she was right. This realization impacted his life entirely as he became fully aware of the fact that students were not benefiting from these exercises at all whatsoever. Once he understood that fear had now became an immense part of reading, he knew he had o take action. This occasion of sudden insight was pure motivation to get his message across using what he knows best: literature. The audience being directed at in numerous pieces of Halts writings are all identical. One example of the directed audience would be other mind-poisoning teachers that might come to their senses after reading Halts piece. At first, he himself disagreed with the ideas mentioned, but after a brief insightful Journey he recognized that he was wrong after all. Holt attempts to get his audience to imagine he epiphany he received and help other English teachers to realize that memorization for vocabulary tests and worksheets may not necessarily be the best way to learn. Another audience member that was targeted would be the parents of students everywhere. He tries to explain and urge that parents to try to abandon and avoid this ongoing process to their best ability. Seen in one of his final paragraphs, Holt makes a call to action to these parents. This call to action demands that parents have the full capability to make a difference and that they should do as such. One of he can to enlighten these adolescents by explaining how they should not give up on reading thanks to the doings of a teacher. Students should read in order to obtain new knowledge, but also to venture into a new world where you can go to feel free. Overall, the main audience generally revolves around the school system and people affected by it. Holt is positively convinced that the school system is corrupt due to the severe lack of freedom in the way teachers instruct their classes. After he grasped the idea about eating whatever book they choose in their free time, he attained a great deal of previously unknown knowledge about his students. The purpose of him writing these opinionated essays is to show society that reading can be pleasurable when it is not being constantly forced upon students. Seeing students improve their reading and learning abilities without persistent vocabulary and reading analysis tests is one of Halts main objectives as well. There is a distinct difference between wanting to read and be able to read and he believed he could make it so that they are both in onions. The author of this passage was John Holt, who an elementary school English educator for most of his life. His experience as a teacher have opened his eyes to what he truly believes in and will continue to be an advocate for. From the information given, it is quite evident that Holt is well educated. This observation could be inferred by his use of word choice and also his grammatically correct and elegant sentence structure. Another inference that can be made about Holt is that he is rather headstrong and stands up for what he believes in. For example, it took him woo years to realize and accept the fact that his sister was correct, and ever since he has never ceased to proclaim his beliefs. Throughout the piece, Holt changes in the aspect of his tone. Towards the beginning, Holt was a firm, strict teacher who, as he claimed, was not exactly lenient. Throughout the entire essay, Holt remains to keep his tone insightful and knowledgeable on everything. Eventually however, his tone begins to adjust and he becomes a radical thinker who wants to see a change, rather than the ordinary school teacher who prefers to stick to what has always been.

Pointing Fingers

Pointing Fingers Recently I was on a chat consisting of published writers. They were bitching. They had been with publishers for years, going back before self-publishing was a serious thing. The books they had with their publishers were no longer selling well, and they wanted their rights back. The conversation turned churlish, and I just hushed. To speak up wouldve meant being turned upon, and while I can handle debate, I sensed a high level of emotional angst. So instead, I just watched and listened. Once upon a time, these authors were thrilled to be published with a traditional press. They collected royalties. They held book signings. They made money. But along came self-publishing with a roar. Many of these authors jumped on board with new books, hungry for the higher returns, no longer wanting the traditional publisher. Now, even self-publishers are hurting. So many people got on board that train that authors on both sides, traditional and indie, struggle for the income they once collected. Its called supply and demand; too many books for the same number of readers, and the new authors settle for less, never having known the higher incomes of those who preceded them. These upset authors bashed the traditional publishers, but of course, the publishers werent in the room. The  complaints were these: 1) The old books are not selling. The royalty checks are small. Therefore, the publisher is doing nothing. 2) The authors asked for their rights back to these books, with the publishers pointing out the books were still under contract, and the publisher wanted to continue selling those books. How selfish of the publisher. 3) The authors werent being heavily promoted 4) They then said, without proof, that the publisher did nothing for authors, at all. Yet I and several others remained quiet. . . those of us who were being promoted. . . but who also fought hard to self-promote. Theyd totally forgotten the joy of landing their contracts, the royalty checks they received when their work was fresh, and the promotion done on their behalf once upon a time. Theyd forgotten being chosen. Instead, the industry changed on them, and they chose to blame it on the publisher. Publishers have been victims in this industry, too. Authors now make less, but those who promote more make more. Those who write more, make more. Publishers took leaps of faith with those authors, and at the time the authors were thrilled. What they never expected was this: being indie means taking full responsibility for your creative and entrepreneurial sides. Not blaming others. Its all on the author now, and a lot of them dont see that yet.

Assignment-Provide written responses to the following reading Essay

Assignment-Provide written responses to the following reading assignments. Responses should include Direct quotes (2-3 +) with commentary about the quotes and a reasonable amount of focused content - Essay Example The grocer tells him that the smaller priest disturbed the apple cart ran. When Valentin goes on to look for Father Brown, he goes to another restaurant and finds a window smashed and learns that it was broken by the little priest. 2. The story starts with â€Å"A little girl was driving home her cow, a plodding, dilatory, provoking creature in her behavior, but valued her companion for all that† (Jewett 48). I think the writer used a cow as a metaphor for Sylvia’s fingers. The writer was trying to show that Sylvia used to masturbate. Another event was when she climbs the tree and reaches at the top of the vine and sees the ocean she apprehends this â€Å"vast and awesome world† (Jewett 55). Here, I think the narrator explains that she reached her orgasm and the world was signified by her body that can be overcome by her. The last event was when she refused to tell the hunter where to find the white heron meaning she refused to surrender her virginity to him. 3. The first and the second line of the poem The World Is Too Much with Us explains the core matter that man is misusing the world and wiping it out. On the second line when the author says â€Å"Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers† (Wordsworth 3). He is trying to show that man has the capability and power to take care of nature but instead we are wasting it and thus not using â€Å"our powers† (Wordsworth 3) to conserve it. 4. â€Å"By woman wailing for her Demon Lover† (Coleridge & Tuley 23). In this line, the writer compares this to grains that are falling from the stem as they are threshed. The second line that is more appealing is â€Å"The shadow of the Dome of Pleasure† (Coleridge & Tuley 23) whereby the writer explains the pleasure in the dome and thus sounding as music. 5. What is interesting is the fact that both have a brilliant start. Another interesting thing in the story is how the two had their

Task4 accounting manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Task4 accounting manager - Essay Example This report may help the management to look into the real reasons for such variances and control them. These are all the accounting functions which every organization has to undertake for future accountability. In addition to these, continuous improvement of service has to be embarked upon. The firm has never given any thought towards such performance improvement. Of these functions, only some direction has been derived towards strategic decisions that too because of the expected economic downturn. That means the firm is falling short of decision making in financial management terms. The company has thought upon implementing the strategy of cost leadership. However, on checking through the cost incurrence, there is a variance of 10%. The budgeted costs amounted to 70% of revenue whereas the actual expenses expanded up to 80%. This means that the strategy was not taken up seriously. Once the service terms get standardized, there will be less possibility of variances in the costs. At the same time, the cost leadership strategy can be achieved on a long term basis without any compromise on the service standards. A look into the financial report and the cash flow statement clearly states that the firm has surplus cash in hand. That means it is not making ultimate use of its available funds. If it goes for some financial management planning by acquiring new machinery, the funds would be well utilized for future low cost benefits. To implement any plan in any organization, it needs to be well communicated to all its stakeholders. They need to be explained about the shortfalls in the current management. Slowly, along with accounting management, even financial management processes have to be taken up. Once effective communication has been taken up, quick actions to implement those plans are to be initiated. The stakeholders should not find a fault that the

Should the U.S. lower the drinking age to 18 Research Paper

Should the U.S. lower the drinking age to 18 - Research Paper Example In the 1970s , the drinking age was reduced to 18 , as this was followed by many of the states so that the individuals be given the right under the Twenty Sixth Amendment passage. There are some states which give the permission to the 18 year olds to be present in the places where alcohol beverages are consumed , even if they are not consuming the beverages themselves and sometimes even give them the permission to work as bar tenders , serving the beverages. Whereas there are some states which give the permission to the 21 year olds to consume the alcohol beverages on the private property with the permission or the supervision of a family member. (Williams, Elizabeth M, and Stephanie J. Carter. The A-Z Encyclopedia of Food Controversies and the Law. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood/ABC-CLIO, 2011.) Despite the specific changes made by the federal law there are about thirty states within the United States which give the permission to the individuals of the 21 years age or over to consu me the alcohol under the supervision of a family member or with the consent of their parents. ... lif: Greenwood/ABC-CLIO, 2011.) There have been many arguments and the debates that the minimum age of drinking should be reduced so that so that the individuals have the responsibility and staring at an early age will broaden their horizon to the responsible drinking. Amethyst Initiative , which are one of the groups of college educators, have agreed and given the advocacy of the underage drinking. National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism College Drinking Task Force, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving , on the other hand have urged and they advocate rigorously against the reduction of the underage drinking so that the fatal consequences such as the alcohol related traffic incidents , alcohol related traffic deaths and alcohol related sexual assaults can be reduced and it can only be done with the help of the minimum drinking age laws enforcements on the campuses and the schools. For the policy makers in the United States, the underage drinking has been a well debated issue in the country and there have been various laws introduced and changed over the past many years as well. Due to the increase in the drunk driving fatalities , the United States government increased the drinking age from 18 years to 21 years so that the fatality rate could be decreased. There have been arguments put forth which question that what reasons have resulted in the underage drinking to be reduced to 18. There are some critics who criticize the current drinking age which differentiates and arbitrarily discriminates between the individuals who are 21 years old and the individuals who are 18 years old. In the country like United States, the individual who is 18 years old is regarded as the legally adult, and hence has the freedom to join military , have the capability and ability to

Critical Management Studies (CMS) Debate on Power

Critical Management Studies (CMS) Debate on Power The rate of change within contemporary business environment has intensified over the last few decades, which in turn have resulted in significant strategic implications for organisations of all types. According to Ford et al (2010), critical management studies (CMS) has been an important radically different development to mainstream management theory that offers alternative thinking to the management of contemporary organisations. Drawing upon Wickert Schaefer (2015), it is noted that CMS is based on critically appraising and sceptically analysing the contemporary management practices that are based on profit maximisation rather than social and ecological sustainability. The proponents of CMS have argued that although there has been improvement within management literature away from the explicit organisational characteristics towards implicit factors, however the underlying factor that dictates allocation of resources within organisation remains creation of value for the firm (King Learmonth, 2014). It is argued that due to this underlying managerial power in shaping the organisational behaviour therefore the contemporary management studies should be critically appraised for their links with social injustice and environmental degradation (Bergstrom et al, 2009). The review of CMS as an alternative to the mainstream management theories and practices has pointed out the importance of power and its distribution across the different actors related with the organisations (Alvesson, 2010). According to Ford et al (2010), CMS highlights the prevailing power structures that dominate contemporary organisations and their management, which in turn results in systemic decline in moral obligations concerning people and ecology that should be justified from the lens of profitability. The aim of this report is to critically explore the critical management studies (CMS) debate concerning power. In order to achieve this aim, the report has used multiple schools of thoughts from proponents and critics of CMS to provide a balanced review of literature. The report has used inverted funnel approach in critically appraising the literature concerning role of power within CMS. Power has been defined in a number of ways within the management literature due to the degree of influence from its origins in a number of other disciplines. According to Ailon (2006), due to the diversity of definitions, it can be suggested that power suffers from tautological issue within management literature. However, the review of the popular definitions have noted that there is a high degree of overlap within them and therefore understanding the underlying basics can result in better development of the topic (Bachrach Baratz, 1962). The very basic definition of power has been developed by Dahl in 1957, which encapsulates that A has power on B to the extent that he can get B to do something that B would not otherwise do. Although it is a very basic definition that focuses on the negativity of power, however it provides the basis understanding of the concept. This is the reason that Brown et al (2010) has pointed out that this definition has become the basis of more elaborated c onceptualisation of the topic of power within the context of management studies. The review of the literature has pointed out that traditionally power was seen to be arising from explicit organisational factors within managerial theories, however proponents of CMS have pointed out that there are implicit organisational factors that can be the source of such power. According to Ailon (2006), power is seen as the influence of any set of individuals inside or outside of the organisation that can have implications on the people within the organisation. Therefore, it is argued that individuals within organisations have a number of actionable options when faced with any particular decision, however due to the explicit and implicit power structures within the organisation, they tend to conform to undertaking certain actions in comparison with others. Drawing upon Brown Lewis (2011), power is the concept that would influence the actions of individuals that they would not have undertaken in the absence of such power. Power has remained explicitly or implicitly at the heart of a number of management theories and practices that have been developed and reported within the popular management literature. According to Ford et al (2010), management literature has evolved over the decades in the light of the changing macro and micro business environment, where the focus has remained on the development and sustainability of the competitive advantage of the businesses. It is suggested that as management has emerged as a value within contemporary businesses, there has been significant private and public power attached to it that has attracted attention from CMS (Ahonen et al, 2014). It is suggested that as management has been elevated to a powerful position, the overall criticism and scepticism with the current system has become concentrated on the topic. The research has pointed out that traditional management literature has focused on the creation of value for the shareholders of the businesses. According to King Learmonth (2014), this highlights the fact that shareholders have the explicit power to shape the overall long term organisational strategy and organisational behaviour within any given situation. However, it is suggested that such a view of the business has received sharp criticism from a number of areas, where conserving human rights and ecological destruction took centre stage. Drawing upon Erkama (2010), in order to overcome these criticisms, the management literature evolved into arguing that organisations should focus on the value creation for the stakeholders of the firm. Although, stakeholder focus apparently highlights that the demands for a variety of actors that have interest or are influenced by the business are included within managerial decision making (Tadajewski et al, 2011). However, it is noted that there is a high degree of diversity and multiplicity of demands from the stakeholders of the business and therefore their prioritisation is undertaken. The prioritisation of the stakeholders and their demands are undertaken within the context of their ability to achieve profitability for the business. The proponents of CMS have argued that even with the evolution within management literature, the overall managerial decisions are the function of power of shareholders and profitability of the firms. CMS have pointed out that although there is an emergence within management literature regarding importance of human resources, environmental management and corporate citizenship; however all of these aspects are driven out of their links with the profitability and shareholder wealth creation (Mccabe, 2000). It is argued that although there is the perception of increased independence of decision making of the individual human resources, however the power of shareholders dictate the overall acceptable set of decisions while eliminating decisions that would be undertaken by managers in the absence of such an influencing power. Similarly, it is suggested that corporate social responsibility has gained importance in contemporary management literature, however only the areas that can be linked with profitability and creation of positive perception of the business are focused (King Learmonth, 2014). According to Contu Willmott (2003), the companies would self-report the positive community and environmental behaviour to gain a positive perception from the customers and other influencing stakeholders. Despite the fact that large multinational corporations have developed detailed corporate social responsibility plans, there remains disjointed implementation of these plans across the national boundaries based on their impact on the profitability of the businesses (Wickert Schaefer, 2015). Therefore, the countries with stricter legislation and higher understanding of the issues by the customers have a better implementation of CSR policies by the firm in comparison with developed economies. This is the reason, it can be argued that both explicit and implicit power within contemporary organisations dictate the organisational behaviour. There is a great deal of management literature that has focused on the use of organisational structure to achieve the strategic goals of the organisation. According to Alvesson Willmott (2012), traditional management literature has pointed out the use of hierarchal structures, where the power of strategic decision making is concentrated at the top, which is then distributed and diffused through the rest of the organisational structure. The proponents of CMS have argued that such use of structure essentially focuses on the use of autocratic leadership to keep the employees aligned towards achieving the long term goals of the firm. It is suggested that the overall long term goal is divided into isolated goals for different value adding functions of the business, which are then further divided for each individual. As the individual employees are allocated their particular tasks within the hierarchal structure, therefore they are unable to exercise power that can influence the overall o utcome of the organisation. The managerial literature has however evolved over the decades towards the recommendation of flatter and team based organisational structures. According to Ford et al (2010), with the increased competition and industries moving into the mature stages of their lifecycles, it is important for businesses to rely on the human resources for the differentiation of their products and services. The use of team based structures is expected to bring higher level of innovation and creativity within the products and services of the business. The proponents of CMS have argued that even though there is a degree of freedom allowed to the employees in a team based organisational structure, however there is implicit power influencing their decisions so that the outcome can maximise the value creation for the organisation (King Learmonth, 2014). It is suggested that business use this type of power to control the outcome from the organisational teams. The process and culture or monitoring and motivati ng the employees is geared towards limiting overall options available to the employees of the organisation. The concept of personal identity and organisational culture in influencing the behaviour of individuals, groups and organisations has been discussed within CMS. According to Erkama (2010), identity is a set of reflexive narratives that are derived from participation in competing discourses and related experiences. The concept of work identity has been highlighted as the individual or group representation towards being productive for the organisation. According to Tadajewski et al (2011), it can be argued that the overall identity of individuals at work can be determined from their ability and motivation to achieve the organisational objectives. The contemporary management literature has played a pivotal role in developing the work identity as achieving the overall long term goals of the business, which are in turn dictated by profitability. This has been exemplified by the analysis of identity of lawyers. According to Mccabe (2000), lawyers have self-identification of guardians of societal ethics and as trustees of the ethical profession, where they would defend the rights of individuals and other legal institutions. However, at the same time, their work dictates them to develop the identity to be distinctive in offering solutions to their customers that would minimise their liability and minimising the rights of others to achieve competitive positioning for their businesses. Drawing upon Contu Willmott (2003), at individual level lawyers have the identity crisis to offer competitive solutions that would solely benefit their customers while ignoring the implications of their advises on other economic actors. At firm level, lawyers are operating as competitive businesses that are intrinsically motivated through profitability and growth in business. Therefore, these aspects suggest that the contemporary management litera ture promotes the development of identities within professionals that would inhibit their natural decision making towards profitability and creation of value for shareholders. Similarly, it is noted that organisational culture has been promoted as an important managerial tool available for effective and efficient management outcomes. Organisational culture is defined as shared values, beliefs and assumptions that are shared across the organisation that have implications on the combined behaviour of the individuals (King Learmonth, 2014). The proponents of CMS have argued that management literature uses organisational culture to ensure that all the employees of the business would behave in a very similar manner. The organisations with a strong organisational culture would ensure that the employees would undertake their decisions that would result in the short and long term profitability of the business. The focus on organisational culture would also suggest that human resources become dispensable as the new recruits are likely to continue making decisions required to achieve corporate success. The review of CMS literature has noted that the contemporary organisations use routine activities to use disciplinary power to achieve high degree of conformance from their employees. According to Wickert Schaefer (2015), disciplinary power uses processes of comparison and standardisation of individual performance, which determines their compensation and other motivational factors. The individuals that create higher value for the shareholders of the businesses are likely to receive a higher overall cooperative compensation and other motivational factors than their peers. On the other hand, the actions and behaviours of individuals that are not focused on creation of wealth for the shareholders receive lower overall compensation and motivation. This critical gap developed through the processes used within an organisation is therefore used to induce disciplinary power among the individuals. It is suggested that management literature apparently allows for the individuals to have high degree of independence in undertaking decisions that they seem fit for the situation, however due to the disciplinary power they are likely to make similar types of decisions. According to Ailon (2006), the use of organisational processes to shift the burden to decision making from the top management towards individual employees of the business are likely to be the source of disciplinary power. The discipline is enforced through the consistent use of monitoring and surveillance of the individual actions, behaviour and attitude, which are judged as their performance. The research within management literature has pointed out that power within contemporary organisations is embedded in the overall authoritative structure, culture and process of the organisation. According to the proponents of CMS, traditionally organisations had a hierarchal structure where the power was explicitly concentrated at the top (Brown et al, 2010). It is however noted that contemporary management literature has led to the development of team based matrix style structure, where different levels of management are jointly present in strategic and tactical decisions. However, drawing upon Ailon (2006), despite the apparent devaluation of power, there remains a strict guideline within tasks allocated to these teams regarding the overall long and short term objectives of the organisation. Therefore, although there is increased overall degree of decision making among the individuals within organisations, there remains overall pressure to conform among the managers to develop ide as that can become the source of sustainable competitive advantage. This is the reason that CMS literature has pointed out that organisations are structured based on processes and systems that are likely to use the power of shareholders to direct the decision making of the managers and the employees of the organisation. The use of explicit and implicit power within contemporary management literature has been accepted as the source of achieving the long term goals of the organisations. According to Brown et al (2010), the long term organisational goals can be perceived as adding value to the shareholders of the organisation, which can be seen as profitability for commercial organisation. It is suggested that the power in extrinsic or intrinsic forms should be present within the organisation so that it can direct the energies, motivations, skills and competencies of the employees and other resources of the firm to achieve the long term aim and objectives of the organisations. CMS has argued that mainstream management literature present a number of reasons for the use of power within the context of the organisations. There is a group of managerial theories that argue that in the absence of the power, the individuals of the organisation will do negative things. According to Ailon (2006), CMS has pointed out that mainstream literature has suggested that negative employee and individual behaviour can be seen from its normative or moral meanings. In the normative meaning, the individual would conduct actions that would negatively impact profitability of the business. On the other hand, moral meanings suggest that the individual would conduct actions that would be deemed immoral within the society, which in turn would also deteriorate organisational perception. Therefore, both of these cases justify the development of structures, processes and systems that would minimise such individual actions. There are two types of theories within contemporary management that have used this perspective, which include: (a) economically based management theories; and (b) psychological and social based management theo ries. The economically based management theories have argued that individuals are inherently focused on maximising their personal outcomes from any action. This is the reason, according to Theory X and Y, there is a group of individuals that are lazy and lack the motivation to work till their full potential (Bachrach Baratz, 1962). Taylorism has therefore suggested that businesses should develop profit maximisation routines and systems. It is further noted that Agency Theory and Transaction Cost Economics are important theories that have resulted in the use of power to direct employees of the organisations to achieve their desired outcomes (Alvesson, 2010). The psychological and social management theories have pointed out individuals are easily misguided and therefore can lead to immoral behaviour and actions if not directed by the management and organisation. According to Ford et al (2010), the theories that fall within this domain highlight that the organisational way is the only moral way for the individuals to conform. The review of the theories that fall within this domain, it is suggested that individuals can have diverse set of moral understanding of the issues and therefore if they are allowed to make judgements based on their understanding then the overall response of the organisation is likely to be very weak. This is the reason that it is argued that development of systematic organisational mechanism to inhibit personal judgement of morality has been undertaken within mainstream management literature. The organisational cultural theories were developed to develop and strengthen a group wide system of values, beliefs and assum ptions that can lead to conforming attitude from the individual employees (King Learmonth, 2014). There is another school of thought within the management literature that has suggested that if the power is absent to make employees conform to organisational values and goals, then it is likely that employees would make the business work for them. According to Bergstrom et al (2009), individuals are focused at maximising outcomes for themselves, therefore in the absence of any power, it is likely that the employees would misuse the organisational resources to maximise their personal outcomes. This has been exhibited through the examples of managerial greed that has resulted in the demise of large corporations like Enron. Therefore, it is argued that power in some form is likely to exist within organisations due to the resources that they have acquired or developed over time. Either the power can be from organisation acting on the employee or vice versa. CMS has pointed out that organisational power should not be perceived as something that would result in negative or selfish outcomes by the employees. According to Bergstrom et al (2009), power is everywhere within the organisation, however some actors have pervasive power and rest have subtle power. This is the reason that it is argued that power within organisations should be viewed from a critical standpoint, where all diverse areas of power and its origination should be analysed. It is suggested that the diverse stakeholders, actors and institutions surrounding the organisations have different types and levels of power, which should be balanced to achieve effective and efficient results for social and environmental sustainability along with profitability of the businesses. Drawing upon Tadajewski et al (2011), it is suggested that processes should be in place for the counter balance of power among the different groups of actors surrounding the contemporary organisation. In the light of above discussion of the debate regarding power within the context of critical management studies (CMS), it can be concluded that contemporary mainstream management literature is based on the use of explicit and implicit power structures to achieve long term strategic objectives of the organisations. The report has pointed out that traditionally management literature has shown a high degree of power concentration within shareholders of the business, however despite its apparent diffusion, there remain high degree of influence on individual behaviour due to implicit organisational power structures and cultures. The discussion has highlighted that power has been used within mainstream management literature through explicit and implicit means through organisational structure, identity, culture, discipline and conformance. It is suggested that the contemporary management literature fosters behaviour of the individuals that is shaped by the power of shareholders and profita bility. The review of the mainstream management literature has pointed out that the main reason that is highlighted for using organisational power is that without its presence, the individual employee would resort to negative actions both economically and morally.   It is noted within the report that CMS have argued the presence of power across the organisation and its diverse stakeholders, however has suggested that power should be balanced through the deployment of effective and efficient processes and systems. References   Alvesson, M. (Ed.). (2010). Classics in critical management studies. Edward Elgar. Alvesson, M., Willmott, H. (2012). Making sense of management: A critical introduction. Sage. AHONEN, P., TIENARI, J., MERILÄINEN, S. and PULLEN, A., (2014). Hidden contexts and invisible power relations: A Foucauldian reading of diversity research. Human Relations, 67(3), pp.263-286. AILON, G., (2006). What B Would Otherwise Do: A Critique of Conceptualizations of Power in Organizational Theory. Organization, 13(6), pp. 771-800. BROWN, A.D., KORNBERGER, M., CLEGG, S.R. and CARTER, C., (2010). Invisible walls and silent hierarchies: A case study of power relations in an architecture firm. Human Relations,63(4), pp. 525-549. BROWN, A.D. and LEWIS, M.A., 2011. Identities, Discipline and Routines. Organization Studies,32(7), pp. 871-895. BACHRACH, P. and BARATZ, M.S., (1962). The Two Faces of Power. American Political Science Review, 56, pp. 947-952. BERGSTRÃÆ'-M, O., HASSELBLADH, H. and KÄRREMAN, D., (2009). Organizing disciplinary power in a knowledge organization. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 25(2), pp. 178-190. CONTU, A. and WILLMOTT, H., (2003). Re-Embedding Situatedness: The Importance of Power Relations in Learning Theory. Organization Science, 14(3), pp. 283-296. ERKAMA, N., (2010). Power and resistance in a multinational organization: Discursive struggles over organizational restructuring. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 26(2), pp. 151-165. Ford, J., Harding, N., Learmonth, M. (2010). Who is it that would make business schools more critical? Critical reflections on critical management studies. British Journal of Management, 21(s1), s71-s81. King, D., Learmonth, M. (2014). Can critical management studies ever be practical? A case study in engaged scholarship. Human Relations MCCABE, D., (2000). Factory Innovations and Management Machinations: The Productive and Repressive Relations of Power. Journal of Management Studies, 37(7), pp. 931-953. Tadajewski, M., Maclaran, P., Parsons, E. (Eds.). (2011). Key concepts in critical management studies. Sage.# Wickert, C., Schaefer, S. M. (2015). Towards a progressive understanding of performativity in critical management studies. Human Relations, 68(1), 107-130.

The Meaning Of Life Through The Eyes Of Ivan Denisovich Essay example -

What is the meaning of life? This is one of the most frequently asked questions by all of humanity since the beginning of time. It is a question naturally asked by people because they have the ability to make choices about life. The question would appear to be difficult to answer and different for every individual depending on their circumstances. It is the ultimate search for truth and purpose in life, although the meaning of life is believed to be an idea that expresses their true purpose within life. These expressions can be defined within a given proximity in accordance with their current lifestyles. Ivan Denisovich ¡Ã‚ ¯s lifestyle differs from all aspects of a normal life, for his was depicted within a Siberian work camp in the Soviet Union. Within this camp all that mattered was the amount of food rations attained and the will to live the best he could. Although he was well aware of how things function in the camp, he learned when to work hard and when to take it easy, defi ning his acute character. The meaning in life through the eyes of Ivan Denisovich was to live a life of integrity and honesty, utilizing an optimistic attitude in all situations, while maintaining his upholding status. Ivan Denisovich is an old-timer in the prison camp and although he does odd jobs here and there to earn food or favors, he maintains a level of personal integrity. Integrity and honesty can be defined as the quality or state of being unimpaired or of being honest, refraining from lying, cheating, or stealing; being truthful, trustworthy, and upright. Ivan ¡Ã‚ ¯s honesty and integrity have been illustrated in many events that assure his own personal morals to live a life worthy of his own actions. He exemplifies these honorable morals in his actions throughout the entire day, which consisted of pitiful meals and harsh working conditions. He demonstrated his strict morality while eating dinner in the mess hall.  ¡Ã‚ °Yet, this old man is unlike all the other zeks. He sits upright and brings his spoon up to his lips. He does not put his bread on the dirty table, but on his clean rag. Somehow, even through countless years of prison life, he has maintained a sense of dignity. ¡Ã‚ ± He manifests his acute morals in all situations regardless of the status in which he is situated. He stands out, even though he is no different from any other, for many were wrongfully imprisoned for actions ... ...e been illustrated in many events that assure his own personal morals to live a life worthy of his own actions.  ¡Ã‚ °Somehow, even through countless years of prison life, he has maintained a sense of dignity. ¡Ã‚ ± Shukov demonstrated his integrity by attaining trust among the prisoners, a trust gained only from his previous engagements of sincere and honest deeds. Ivan ¡Ã‚ ¯s optimistic attitude motivated the others around him to perform the given tasks with a can do attitude. To a man, ones aspect of life can aspire a man to perform a great deed with a positive attitude, which Ivan had accomplished within the power plant. Ivan Denisovich ¡Ã‚ ¯s heart found sympathy for those who had suffered without a just cause for survival allowing him to remain sane throughout his sentence. His sanity was part of his meaning in life as his main goal was to live a life the best he could, and to maintain that life it was necessary for him to remain sane. Therefore the meaning in life through he eyes of Ivan Denisovich was to live a life of honesty and integrity with an optimistic attitude, allowing himself to sustain his own stature within his society while serving out his sentence as a prisoner of Communism.

Marriott Case Hbs

Issue In this assignment, we are asked to compute the WACC of Marriott Corporation and each of the company’s three divisions. Our approach is outlined in the next section. We made a series of assumptions regarding either the available data or the missing information. This has been explained below, in a separate section. Approach We applied the following formulae to calculate the WACC: Our assumptions are explained in the next section. The table below presents the approach for calculations at corporation level and division level according to each of the variables. Marriott’s capital structure comprises debt (fixed and floating) and equity. Marriott CorporationBusiness Lines 1Beta of Debt (?  ¬Ã‚ ¬d)Computed using correlation between S&P500 returns and HG Corp Bonds (recent history is implicitly more weighted), s. d. of the S&P500 and s. d. of the HG Corp Bonds (Exhibit 4)Same 2Risk-Free RateEstimated to be equal to 10y US Gov Interest Rate as of April 1988 (Table B)Same 3Current LeverageUsing financial statements (Exhibit 1), we estimated the market value of debt and divided by market value of assets. Market value of debt is estimated to be equal to its book value. Market value of assets is equal to market value of debt + market value of equity (number of outstanding shares * price per share)N/A 4Market Risk PremiumFrom table of returns (Exhibit 5), taken as the average of spread between rates of return for S&P500 and LT US Gov Bonds, 1926-87Same 5Tax RateEstimated from data in exhibit 1, from ratio between income before tax and net income for year 1987Same 6Beta of Equity (? E), Unlevered ? E Levered can be found in Exhibit 3 for the current debt load. Using the current leverage ratio (Step 3), we calculate the unlevered ? E. Having found unlevered equity betas of comparables from their leverage ratio and levered ? E (Exhibit 3), we averaged the unlevered ? E to get the unlevered ? E for each Marriott division. Restaurants division was mapped on Restaurants comparables, Lodging on Hotels whilst Contract Services was implied from Marriott’s and other two divisions unlevered ? E and their respective share in total assets book value. 7Cost of Equity (RL)We recalculated the new Levered ? E based on target leverage of Marriott (Table A) then, combine the Levered ? E, risk free rate, and MRP to calculated the cost of equity using CAPM relationship. Same, except unlevered beta from previous step was used to calculate levered beta. 8Cost of Debt (RD)See step 7, using Beta DebtSame 9WACCWACC formula accounting for ITS correctionSame, respective target leverage ratios and a ? D equal to Marriott’s ? D were used to estimate WACC. Assumptions †¢Overall Assumptions: Although we assume an ITS, we do not have the data to calculate individual ITS for each division and Marriott. As a result, we assume E*=E (rather than E*=E+ITS) and that the ITS is as risky as debt. We assume debt is perpetual and no growth. Beta of Debt: Although Marriott is one firm, we assume it is fairly comparable to a generic HG Corp, with single A rating. Therefore we performed a linear regression on the rate of returns of HG Corporate Bonds against S&P 500 rate of returns, as a proxy of the market portfolio rate of returns. †¢Risk-free rate: The 10Yr UST is assumed to be the best estimate at company and division level. Ideally, each cash flow shou ld be discounted using a government bond with the same maturity. For this case, the selection of the maturity should one that matches best the entire cash flow stream being valued. Also, 1Yr rate is very volatile and 30Y illiquid and thus there is premium built therein. We have assumed that the rates provided in Table B are for zero-coupon bonds, and USD. †¢Current leverage: Market value of debt is estimated to be equal to its book value. The firm is HG, risk premium for HG bonds is relatively low, and we have no information on coupon level of fixed rate debt. The floating rate debt is likely to trade close to par. For subsequent calculations, we also assumed the average maturity at five years. There is only long-term debt for us to consider. Market risk premium: In the same fashion that we estimate the risk free rate benchmark is 10y UST Bond Interest Rate, so we used the difference of average returns between LT UST Bonds and S&P 500 for the period 1926-87, the longest history available we have. We are aware of the imperfection of using historical rates of return. †¢Average corporate tax rate: We assume that the rate calculated as the average rate ap plied to 1987 is a reasonable proxy for future tax rate. Tax rate is applicable across divisions. †¢Cost of Debt: S&P 500 is also considered to be best proxy available for market portfolio. We also assumed no financial distress, which is reasonable because firm has real assets and overhead cost is 3% of revenue. Competitors and divisions have the same debt beta as Marriott: †¢Beta equity of each division: it has been assumed that the unlevered beta equity of each division is comparable to the average of unlevered beta equity of the comparables identified in the case for each relevant business segment. †¢Weighted average of book value of assets was used to determine the unlevered beta of Contract Division, we assumed this to be a reasonable proxy instead of market value of assets.

The eNotes Blog Well, Good Luck With That As I Lay Dying Film Coming, Someday, Briefly, to a Theater NearYou

Well, Good Luck With That As I Lay Dying Film Coming, Someday, Briefly, to a Theater NearYou So the other day I was looking up something on IMDB and saw a listing for  As I Lay Dying.   Now, that is shocking enough, if you have ever read the novel. To me, at least, its stream-of-consciousness format is going to make things  mighty  difficult to put on screen. Then add to that the fact that the very-beautiful-to-look at James Franco   is starring as Darl Bundren  and I really scratch my head (Franco is also directing).   I suppose Franco has been trying to branch out beyond his  Pineapple Express  and rom-com roles. In 2010, he took on the rather daunting challenge of portraying Allen Ginsberg in  Howl.   The reviews were mixed.   IMDB offers this description of theplot of  As I Lay Dying:   it is the story of the death of Addie Bundren and her familys quest to honor her wish to be buried in the nearby town of Jefferson.   That sounds simple enough! A quest, a burial, a familyBut for those unfamiliar,   heres a sample of some of Faulkners text, which is, if I recall properly, pretty representative of the entire novel: â€Å"In a strange room you must empty yourself for sleep. And before you are emptied for sleep, what are you. And when you are emptied for sleep, what are you. And when you are emptied for sleep you are not. And when you are filled with sleep, you never were. I dont know what I am. I dont know if I am or not. Jewel knows he is, because he does not know that he does not know where he is or not. He cannot empty himself for sleep because he is not what he is and he is what he is not. Beyond the unlamped wall I can hear the rain shaping the wagon that is ours, the load that is no longer theirs that felled and sawed it nor yet theirs that bought it and which is not ours either, lie on our wagon though it does, since only the wind and the rain shape it only to Jewel and me, that are not asleep. And Jewel is, so Addie Bundren must be. And then I must be, or I could not empty myself for sleep in a strange room. And so if I am not emptied yet, I am is.† I really enjoyed the novel but I did not find it an especially accessible or easy read.  Nor was it meant to be, and thats fine. But I truly wonder how it can make the jump to film. So what audience is Franco hoping for? Us? The English Majors of the World? Well, thats cool, I guess.   I hope its   target is not the general movie-going public. And I hope the work doesnt get mangled trying to make the  transition  to film. Just for grins, here are a couple of 1-Star Review comments on the novel from Amazon: First off I am baffled at how many people like this book. You know a book is written poorly when you have to go on [online]   just to figure out who the characters are and what the hell is going on. Clear is something this book is not. What is with the round about ways of saying things? The book was absolutely awful. Not one person had any sensible thoughts. If someone came close to making sense, their thoughts were hard to follow with a different speaker each chapter. All i got out of this book was: dont cross a river with a coffin, and bananas must be really tasty (the characters probably ate over 10 tons of them) How a group of self-absorbed, uncaring nimrods comes to feel such a sense of duty to a dead woman that they would risk crossing a river, that has swelled its banks and swept away the only bridge, in a donkey lead cart is simply beyond me. This book and all of Faulkners works are horrible and would not find a publisher if written in 2008. There is not an editor alive that would read past the first chapter of As I lay dying. It is a dud. There is no reason to read it. None. The story is not interesting. Faulkners stream of consciousness writing style is not interesting. Nothing about this book is worthwhile, except to say that youve read Faulkner. I can say that rereading this book again I did actually feel pain. I felt like crying, it was horrible. The film is still in production. No release date has yet been set.

Guns essays

Guns essays To own a gun or, not to own a gun? That is the question. In America today, many people face the question of how to protect their families. Is owning a handgun, or any type of gun the answer? We face many gun control such as; accidental shootings, children playing around with an armed gun and shooting themselves, and all types of violent crimes. Whos to blame? The NRA (National Rifles Association), the people who purchase these deadly weapons or better yet, the distributors who sell these deadly weapons on the streets to gangs, anarchist militia and so forth. While guns proved handy in shooting games or defending the home against highwaymen, the Founding Fathers framed the Second Amendment in terms of the potential tyranny of government and the need for individuals to posses arms for a militia to use against an overbearing government.(Foster 4-5) But it has been taken one step over the line. Innocent people are dying each day as America arms itself instead of taking the precaut ions to make sure innocent people dont die for a stupid gang shooting, or a police chase. It is estimated that 44% of Americans own some sort of firearm -thats not including the army or the gangs. Some individuals have valid reasons for being armed, while others purchase weapons for criminal intent. None the less if all the guns presently owned in America were collectively gathered, it is likely that at least one weapon would be available for every adult and child in the United States-thats something to think about. (landau 17) The United States of America had to do something about this, and they did. The passed a bill, The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, more commonly known as the Brady Bill. The bill was named for James Brady, former White House press secretary, and his wife Sarah. James Brady alongside former President Reagan and two law enforcement officers, was shot by a man named John Hin...

MGT 501 MoD 4 Case Leaders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MGT 501 MoD 4 Case Leaders - Essay Example The following entails a discussion of the problem along with suggestions for dealing with micromanagement leadership style. Discussion Stern demonstrated strong creativity skills in her job pertaining to marketing of products. At the same time, she lacked the skills required for management of production and formulation and negotiation of strategies. To this end it is important to note that the creativity in marketing (including public relations and design) that she possesses were difficult to harness and manage from a leader’s point of view. The nature of the job makes it hard to structure the work as various ideas can arise spontaneously which are beyond the supervisor’s control; in other words, micromanagement stifles creativity (Lavinsky, 2012). George could certainly not ask Stern to generate ideas as and when required simply because these ideas would flow in irrespective of time and need. Hence, this job required a greater level of diplomacy on George’s part to supervise Stern. It was crucial to give Stern the authority and autonomy with which she could feel a sense of belonging with the company and have the chance of contributing to the same through her creative ideas. However, George was doing much the opposite. Rather than empowering Stern, he was constraining her which was not conducive to her creativity. In situations where such difficult situations arise, it is the management’s job not to throttle creativity by destructive criticism but by reiterating and reinforcing the vision which provides a direction to work. It is then the task of the creative staff to come up with novel ways of and fulfilling that vision. The case depicts instances where George did not trust Shelly’s decisions and tried to influence them by bringing in ‘his’ version of things (Fryer, 2004). It seems that George wasn’t willing to let go of things; in other words, he was not delegating at all which was hindering Stern’ s creative abilities. Instances where George would abuse press releases or alleging Stern to make sales calls despite her position as the Marketing â€Å"Director† all point to George’s inefficiency as CEO (Fryer, 2004). It is surprising how (with such a mindset) was George able to rise up to this level in the organizational hierarchy. Perhaps, it was his technical skills or software skills that led him to this level. He was certainly not capable of managing the creative side of software project management. Another major issue with George is his preoccupation with and interference in employees’ activities that are insignificant. There are various examples of such trivial issues. Firstly, he was adamant at having managers incorporate his idea during the allocation of advertisements to the company’s products (Fryer, 2004). Secondly, he went as far as suggesting his subordinates to correct their sentences (Fryer, 2004). This is certainly not expected from so meone at the CEO level. George’s focus it seems was not on strategic issues but on operational and tactical issues which kept his mind preoccupied and prevented him from focusing on the bigger picture. This is one of the biggest issues of micromanagement- it does not allow managers time to focus on critical issues that desire the supervisor’s attention (Nadine Mockler, 2002). Recommendations Although Stern is easily offended by criticism, George ought to find a solution in order to control the funds that the company has

Theory of Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Theory of Knowledge - Essay Example An inference to the proven theory is necessary, as it can be used for rectifying the problems in future. Existing knowledge pertains to the unique characteristics of the logic. Knowledge has various instances using which they can be developed. Mathematics and Science are two fields which require proper explanation. Still there exists a doubt whether mathematics is invented or discovered. This needs clear description of mathematical concepts. Discovery is the introduction of a concept which already exists. Invention is finding a theory that does not exist. Bringing a particular concept into existence is known as invention. Mathematical concepts do not depend on a person's belief. It is composed of pure logic and its definition. Each statement needs a proof to make others believe.(Parker 1996). As mathematics is mostly based on theorems, each of them requires a separate logic to prove that the theorem is true. There are specific ideas behind every invention. The process of implying these ideas in the real world concepts play a vital role. Some people believe that mathematics is a discovery. They rely on this by means of Plato. It is a theory that says structures are used to build mathematics. Mathematicians find out the sol ution by using the internal logic. Mathematics comprises statements which are either true or false. Hence this value helps in the further development. The state of mathematics depends on people's perception. Some people think it as an abstraction of the people who derive the formula and its usage. Mathematics is composed of formula using which each concept is described. Each of these concepts has its own theorems and methods to solve a given problem. The aspect defines logic and its evolution. The concepts have some connection with physics. As physics is composed of equations, mathematics helps in solving them. (Piscopo 2009). Mathematics was already in existence. Mathematicians discovered it and its components. There are different qualities which make up mathematics. The person working on it should possess the ability to make use of the existing qualities to find a solution. In the beginning, mathematics was not represented properly. After some decades, numbers were used to represent them. With the use of special symbols the process was made easier, as people found it suitable to be implemented. This seemed to be efficient than the methods that was followed earlier. Humans invented the way to use mathematics and his abilities to improve it took it to a great extent. Mathematics is considered to be tool, using which the calculations are described. It depends on the mathematicians, people believed whatever a mathematician discovered. It is seen as a model, in some case, where this model is used as a base for other concepts to be created. (Faitonah 2008). The debate of whether mathematics was invented or discovered is still going on. Mathematicians have been trying to find an answer for this. There are certain ways to know whether it was invented or discovered. Perception is an important way which differs from person to person. Based on one's perception, the impact of mathematics differs. One person may think mathematics might have been invented, another may think it is discovered. They come to this conclusion, based on their own views and ideas. The way they look at mathematics is different. Here perception acts as a foundation that helps in deciding.

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Reflection paper - Essay Example Proponents have argued that legalization will lead to reduce misuse of the drug among teenagers through proper regulation of its market which will reduce such exposures. The legalization will spur America’s economic growth by ensuring that the flow of money to other countries through criminal gangs is reduced rapidly. It has further been established that reasons upon which prohibition of the drug is based are not true and further efforts to have the drug prohibited will lead into increased illegal use in the country. Those in support of the ban have argued on grounds of health matters as well as increased abuse of the drug. The cartels who operate the black market in which the drug is currently sold are not easy to deal with and legalization will not put them off. From the above reasons against and in support of legalization, there is clear evidence that the drug should be made legal in the United

History of Christianity Essay Example for Free

History of Christianity Essay Both Christianity and Judaism came from the same God. Both Judaism and Christianity share the same Old Testament as our holy scriptures. The foundations of faith in God are rooted in the Old Testament, so also that of the Jews, for their history and their laws are all in the Old Testament. Moreover, the entire Old Testament was written by Jews. The New Testament was also written by Jews with the exception of Luke. Judaism is the name that men have attached to the formative stages of biblical faith (Old Testament) and Christianity is the name that men have attached to the completing stage of biblical faith (New Testament). Mojzes Swidler, 2002) Christianity as a religion was an offshoot of Judaism. It has been said that Judaism does not need Christianity to explain its existence, but Christianity needs Judaism both to explain its existence and what it believes. Hence, Christianity has also been termed historically as the Judeo-Christian faith. In the early years of the Christian faith, Christianity was regarded as just another sect of Judaism known as the sect of the Nazarenes. The early disciples and the 12 Apostles were all Jewish. Apostle Paul even took a Nazarite vow to prove to his critics that he was a Torah-observant Jew. The term Christians surfaced only in AD 42 when the disciples were first called that in Antioch. The term gradually was adopted to differentiate believing Jews from unbelieving Jews and over time, it became a separate identity altogether. †¦dont boast as if you were better than the branches! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root (Israels forefathers), the root is supporting you (Church). (Neuhaus, 2001) The exact origins of the Jewish faith are hard to pinpoint, and most of what is known comes from the Torah, the five books that make up the Jewish holy text and are also part of the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. According to the Book of Genesis, the father of Judaism was a man called Abraham, who lived between about 2000 and 1500 BCE (Christianity and Islam also claim Abraham as an important religious figure). Abraham was born in Mesopotamia and later living in Egypt, was the first man according to Jewish religious texts, to promise to worship one god, Yahweh. Abraham spread this faith among his followers, and led them to settle in the land of Canaan. Abrahams grandson, Jacob, was renamed Israel by Yahweh, and he fathered twelve sons, who led what would come to be known as the twelve tribes of Israel. These Israelites, according to Judaisms religious teachings, were taken as slaves into Egypt, and led out of slavery by Moses. Moses was a Jewish Egyptian, who according to Jewish texts spoke directly to Yahweh. The freed Jewish slaves were recorded to have wandered for forty years in the desert of the Arabian Peninsula before settling back in the land of Canaan some time around 1200 BCE. One of the groups displaced by the establishment of Jewish kingdoms was a group called the Philistines. The Philistines called their lands by the name Palestine, a name for the lands once claimed by the Jews. The term Palestine came from the Roman Empire, which renamed the area as a punishment for a Jewish revolt against Roman rule around 135 CE. The term Palestine had long been favored by those who did not recognize the Jewish claim to the area. Perhaps as early as the fall of Judah in 586 BCE, Palestine became a term to deny the political claims Jews made in the region. From the fall of the early Jewish kingdoms, Jews lived as a minority population in Palestine and the Middle East at large. Depending on who exerted control over the region, and how stern they were about expressing that control, Jews experienced varying levels of freedom and persecution. Under the Persians, Jews were allowed to return to the region and to practice their religion freely, and were accorded a great deal of respect. During this time, Jews built a Second Temple on the site of the First, which had been destroyed by Babylonians. Under the Romans, however, they fared poorly. They were allowed to practice their religion, but were asked to declare their political allegiance to the Roman Empire. When Jews revolted against Roman rule in 66 CE, Roman troops ransacked the city of Jerusalem and destroyed the Jewish Second Temple. Conditions for Jews became even worse after the Jewish revolt of 135 CE, when Roman troops killed or enslaved thousands of Jews and destroyed numerous Jewish villages. Jews were forbidden to enter the holy city of Jerusalem, and thereafter the Jewish population was centered in the region called Galilee. The conditions experienced by these early Jews had a deep impact on their worldview. Jews expressed the feeling that only under Jewish rule would their rights, including access to their religious sites, be protected. This brought them into much conflict with other people living in the region. The Jews worship of a single god made theirs a minority religious viewpoint in the region during much of the rule of the Roman Empire, but the spread of Christianity, the religion created by the followers of Jesus Christ (c. 4 BCE–c. 29 CE), soon changed the religious balance. Jesus was a man of the Jewish faith who offered new interpretations of the role of God and the need for individuals to devote themselves to God. His teachings challenged some of the Jewish beliefs and often caused civil unrest that challenged Roman rule. Around 29 CE, Jesus was arrested by Jewish religious leaders who suggested that his teachings were disrespectful to God and were causing civil disobedience among his followers. Jesus was brought before a Roman governor in Palestine named Pontius Pilate who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus, a form of execution in which a person is nailed on a cross and left to die. According to Christian religious teaching, Jesus later rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, taking his place as the son of God. Most of the accounts of Jesus life and teachings are found in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Their exact historical accuracy has long been a source of disagreement. Whether or not the man Jesus actually existed in the way the Bible states, his followers believed that he was the son of God, sent to give a message to all mankind. They created a religion based on his teachings. Though it was based on the Jewish faith and claimed one god, Christianity stressed the role of personal salvation acquired through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as the son of God. It was, like Judaism, a monotheistic religion. Unlike Judaism, however, Christianity was an evangelical faith, which meant that its followers dedicated themselves to converting others to their faith. Over time, Christianity gained many followers who embraced the religions single god. Sometime around 312 CE the emperor Constantine, who ruled over what was then known as the Eastern Roman Empire (which controlled over half of the Middle East), embraced Christianity. Constantine proclaimed Christianity as the official religion of the empire, which later became known as the Byzantine Empire. The rise of Christianity dramatically changed the role of Palestine. Like Jews, Christians revered the holy places in Palestine, and especially in the city of Jerusalem. Christians also made holy places out of sites associated with the life and death of Jesus. But sharing holy sites did not necessarily mean that Jews and Christians got along. According to Charles Smith, editor of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, Christians considered Jews to be rivals in Palestine, as well as a people who rejected Jesus as the savior sent by God. As a result, the Byzantines applied existing Roman laws limiting Jewish activities more rigorously and created new ordinances aimed at isolating the Jews. Though a monotheistic religion was now the dominant view, religion continued to be a source of conflict in the region. Christianity has one of the largest and most rapidly growing religious followings in Asia. The end of the Cold War and the Asian economic liberalization has encouraged both the flourishing of Christian evangelism and the rising prominence of Christianity in the public sector. There is a substantial shift in the balance of Christian populations from the North to the South. A few decades ago 70 percent of all evangelicals were in the â€Å"North,† primarily in the United States, today 70 percent are in the churches of the global South. The Catholic Church, which is projected to lose 20 million members in Europe in the first quarter of this century, will gain 100 million members in Africa, 50 million in Asia, and 140 million in Latin America. At the beginning of the 20th century, 81 percent of Christians were white. By the century’s end, that number was 45 percent.