The effect of mass media on children Research Paper

The effect of mass media on children - Research Paper Example Thesis Statement; The proliferation of the elements of the mass media has positive as well as negative consequences. It is important for children to be taught how to make the most out of the more positive aspects in order to benefit their own intellectual development. Different aspects of the Mass Media One of the reasons why the mass media elements can be detrimental to the psychological development of children is because they present a reality that does not really exist. For example, television is not an agent that encourages viewers to be interactive (Strasburger, Jordan, and Donnerstein, 2010). Adults may understand this; however, children are easily deceived into imagining that they are interacting and not just consuming. This can be viewed as being a negative aspect because watching television will fill the social needs of the children without giving them the chance to acquire new social skills that will help them in real life situations with other people. According to Keating (2011) the average child in developed nations watches 4 hours of television on a daily basis. Given that the child will also have to attend school and possibly perform a few chores in the home, this means that the time for playing with other children and socializing with them is drastically reduced (Romer, Jamieson, and Aday, 2003). While reading newspapers and magazines or watching entertaining programs helps a child to develop good literary skills, it may also cause he child to acquire the values and principles that are extolled on his or her favorite programs. This is particularly likely if the child in question is isolated from other children and does not really communicate with others on a regular basis except in school. This is why there is a need for a balance to be struck between watching television, playing videos, or reading popular magazines, and playing outside with other real life people (Keating, 2011). There are different theories that seek to explain how elements of the mass media affect the way that children communicate. Some of these include: The Social action theory According to this theory, when engaged in the media, children form a part of a system of mediated communication which allows them to take new meanings from the content they are watching or reading about. The theory holds that communication includes aspects such as the receivers’ interpretation, the actor’s objective, and the inherent message (Meirick, Sims, Gilchrist, and Croucher, 2009). This means that the process of communication perceived by children when they are engaged in mass media elements is not about gaining meaning, but creating it according to an individual’s understanding. Many children today do not hone their reasoning abilities through engaging in rational discussions about platonic ideas, but model them according to what mass media elements say. Even by adults, the media is greatly trusted; and presumed to be saying the truth whenever they re port on different things. For example, during campaigns leading to national or local elections, it is quite easy for a media station or major newspaper to subtly influence the decision of prospective voters in the choice of candidate to opt for by emphasizing on one candidate’

The Difference between the Schools of United States of America and Essay

The Difference between the Schools of United States of America and Europe - Essay Example 2). Most private schools consist of 90% which offered at least elementary grades. Of the said percentage 61 % offered of elementary grades and the other 30% offer a combination of elementary and secondary grades. The remaining 9% offer only secondary level education. They emphasized a regular elementary and secondary program. For private school, a school year consists of 180 days and 6.7 hours. Most students were enrolled in the Catholic schools. There are 1000 schools located in different states and these are the California, Florida, Illnois, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. In each of these states there were 250,000 students enrolled in private schools (Broughman, 2006, p. 2). United States also offer free school. The aim of free school is to supply English education. The social condition of England and U.S. is rendered in an extreme condition of useless comparison. The countries are forced to join international competition. â€Å"Not withstanding the difference exists in the ci rcumstances of each country.† The principle has been borrowed in England and used as a foundation of Education System. The most popular school nowadays is English school even though it is exotic in England for being free. The American made a common school for free education which became popular and successful institution in the country (Adams, 1969, p.5). The education systems in Europe are rooted by traditions and features. Education is strengthened through economic, social, and cultural change which is needed by the policy makers, business leaders, and scholars to learn more about the characteristics of the education system. In European states there are several reasons for their growing interest. First, the enlargement of European Union (EU), the increasing relevance of international school and student assessment studies and finally the growing internalization of education and educational studies within the overall process of globalization (Horner, 2007, p. 1). In Europe, pu pils who are attending private primary schools seem to achieve higher level than those who attends in public school. The education system in Europe depends on the age that children start and compulsory education, the time children spent in school in these countries, the class size and the content of the countries curriculum and finally the use of examinations and testing the country (Euridice, 2001). The administration of education system in Europe that the Spanish Constitution gave a new decentralized state, they established a sharing of powers between the State administration and the Autonomous Communities. This decentralized system gives power to the State, Autonomous Communities, Local Authorities and eventually the school. The State has a power for a guaranteed standardization and unity for education. The education in Europe is compulsory for aged 6- 16 of years, which is divided into two educational levels. The first level is composed of the five stages, the first three for pr imary education and the other two for lower secondary level. In Europe to enter the Primary Education you must be 6 years old. For admission the factors to be examined include the family income to determine if they can pay enough for the finance needed. Other factors include catchment area, and siblings at the school. For the school days, there are 180 days at primary level and 175 days at secondary level, it is

Effects of Outdoor Play on Child Development

Effects of Outdoor Play on Child Development The aim of this project is to explore the effect of outdoor play on childrens social, emotional and physical development. According to Bruce (2004) play is probably one of the least understood aspects of an early-childhood practitioners work (p.135). The conceptualisation of play is shared by many other early childhood practitioners for whom play is considered essential, as an activity promoting learning (p.135). Outdoor play is a much needed activity in the early childhood. You may have come across a child playing and you are sure he/she is having a fun time. Therefore, play is the building block of a childs intellectual skills. Through play child develops social, emotional and physical skills. The outdoors according to Letter Wyver (2008) presents obvious opportunities to move and be active, and for children to discover and engage with the natural environment, as well as the chance for open ended activities such as sand water play, construction and pretend play. According to Hutt et al (1989, p.10) the emotional and social development of pre-school children depends crucially upon play while Penn (2008) asserts that to learn about child development is to learn about Piaget (p.41). As Piaget focused on how children acquire knowledge, he tried to understand how children change the way they think, how babies show intense reactions to external stimuli them (Penn, 2008). Ibid (2008) asserts that it was Piaget who provided a theoretical legitimating of learning through play. In addition, Berk (2009), Keenan (2002) Bruce (2004) are firm believers that children actively explore their environment and are influential in shaping their own knowledge. They believe that it was through social interaction with more experienced and more knowledgeable members of the society parents, relatives, teachers, peers etc. that children are able to acquire the knowledge and skills that a culture deems to be important According to Bruce (2004) there is no clear definition for play. It is still an umbrella world (Ibid, 1991), while other early childhood practitioners defined play as childs work. Play is primary way children express their social nature (Strickland et al, 2003). Ibid (2003) argued that all kids enjoy playing alone some of the time; while some prefer to play with others (social play) much of the time. Play is an integral part of learning. Piaget defined play as a kind of scientific rehearsal (Penn, 2008; p.43). While Bitton (2010) stated that play offers a meaningful context for children and that it is only when a situation has meaning and purpose that children can function at a higher level (p.49). Childrens emotions are ways in which they react to situations while social development refers to how they get alone with peers and form relationships (Ashiabi, 2007). Furthermore, emotional and social developments are linked because childrens social interactions are usually emotionally cha rged (Ibid, 2007). To clearly explore the role of outdoor play on social, emotional and physical development. Strickland et al (2003) asserts that outdoor play is critical to the social development of 3-4 year old children, and to girls in particular when it comes to building self confidence (p.2). In addition, children learn to be more empathy and less egocentric through play and they develop more skills for coping with conflict while boys tend to engage in more social dramatic outdoor play than indoors; outdoor play allows boys who are more physical to assume leadership roles (Srickland, 2002) and perhaps get more positive affirmation than they do inside. White (2007) confirmed that when given the choice, the outdoors is where most children want to be and playing outdoors is preferable to indoors. In support of this argument, Eustice Heald (1992) argued that outdoor play is an extension of classroom activities which summarises the beliefs of early year management that children learn best by explorin g, investigating and solving problems outdoors (p.7). While Alfano (2010) asserts that playing outdoors is a form of exercise that promotes well-being and wholesome physical developments; and that children are naturally drawn to active play outdoors. One of the obvious benefits of getting kids outside to play is the increased exercise they will be getting as opposed to setting in front of the T.V. or computer. Most early years scholars have also assert that when children play outdoors they are developing mentally, emotionally, socially, and physically. This view is supported by Johnson et al (2002) that children gain lots of opportunities outside to develop basic social skills and social competencies e.g. running, jumping cycling, hide and seek, sing; sensing, make noise, make mess, crawl, and explore the natural world unchallenged. While Brice (2004) viewed that through play, children develop initiative and are strengthened to face challenges in life (p.134). More so, playing outdoors reduces stress in kids. Children express and work out emotional aspects of everyday experiences through unstructured play (Levesque. 2011). Whilst Strickland (2002) argued that there are also opportunities for emotional development as children test their limit and challenge themselves to try things that may be just at the edge of their reach Moreover, most theorists found that pretend play outdoors was the most dominant form of play (Bulton, 2002). Perhaps thats why theorists such as Piaget and Vygotsky assert that pretend play provides children with opportunities to practice grown up and perspective talking (Ashiabi, 2007; p.2002). Also, in pretend play a child is always above his average age (Penn, 2008; p.44) and above their daily behaviour. In addition, Wyver Little (2008) asserts that play also facilitates language development, creative thinking and problem-solving; and helps children deal with complex and competing emotions. In view of the above statement, parents should allow their children play with other children because it helps in the emotional and social development. Although social and emotional benefits of outdoor play may not be in clear cut, one benefit from research is that it allows kids to move freely, make noise and self-express themselves in ways that many not be encouraging inside. Outside play encourages logical thinking and the ability to reason through highly interactive activities such as building sand-castles, playing games with friends, playing puzzles with friends etc. Time spent outside with peers helps to create social skills that are needed for great healthy friendship (Brouillette, 2010). While Froebal cited by Bruce (2004) stated that play is the highest level of learning.activities of the child (p.132). While Siraj-Blatchford et al (2002) cited by Bruce (2004) shows that the richest play is found especially in nursery schools. According to Little Wyver (2008) the significanc e of outdoor play as an essential part of every childs life has also been acknowledged by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 31 supports a childs right to rest and leisure, and to participate in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child. There are other reasons why playing outdoor is important for children, according to Stewart (2010) when children play outside, they are more likely to maintain a healthy weight because they get the chance to burn off extra calories by running, jumping, climbing, riding bikes, yelling etc. which can also lead to better sleep. Also, the above exercise help children to develop small and large muscles, strengthened bones, increases flexibility, fine and gross motor skills and improves their overall health (Ibid, 2010). In addition, outdoor play is important in early childhood because it helps in the physical development of the child as obesity is a common problem among children today (Pillar, 2010). Therefore, engaging in outdoor play helps in preventing childhood obesity. More so, Vitamin D is essential for the skin and can only be derived by playing outdoors as it is impossible to get an adequate amount from food and vitamins alone. Getting kids outdoor increases the exposure to sun and their natural production of Vitamin D. In contrary to the above advantages of outdoor play, White (2007) argued that today it seems that the motivation for childrens outdoor play has declined because global society is very busy in its day-to-day activities and over protected parents. Furthermore, many school age children have too much homework after school, therefore having less time for outdoor play. Whilst those without homework are too busy/lazy watching T.V, playing computer games, or pre-occupied chatting with friends on-line. Lastly, some parents are too busy with work and other activities (watching T.V, Football, cooking) to see to their childrens adequate outdoor play. Some parents are so paranoid that every man outside the street with big glasses/spectacles is a pervert or paedophile waiting to attack or abduct their children as they play outside. Furthermore, social and environmental factors have greatly impacted on childrens opportunities for outdoors play. Little Wyver (2008) asserts that where once children may have spent time playing in the street riding bicycle, playing chasing games, and hide seek etc, increased traffic has made these areas and play opportunities off-limits for children as the changes are far too great. Children are now confined to classroom, backyards or local parks for relatively safe places to play. Also, Ibid (2008) stated that increase demand for housing in many areas, particularly urban areas, is eroding childrens play ground. Lastly, according to Johnson et al (2005) providing for outdoor play needs for children is a complex and challenging task. A variety of factors must be considered, including the various play needs of young children, supervision, safety etc. while many educators, politicians, and parents believe outdoor play takes time away from academic activities; as a result, recess and physical education in many schools is limited or totally eradicated (Sutterby Frost, 2002 cited by Johnson et al, 2005).

Death of a Salesman :: essays papers

Drug For Sanity in Death of a Salesman Willy Lowman’s Drug for Sanity No one’s life can be classified as â€Å"normal†. Everyone has conflicts that they have to eventually deal with. People do in fact deal with these personal conflicts in different ways; some take it easy some take it hard. Some ignore the problem as long as possible and some deal with it right away to get it out of the way. In Death of a Salesman, Willy Lowman’s technique to his problem solving leads to severe consequences. Willy never does anything to help the situation; he just escapes into the past to happier times when there were few problems. He uses this escape as if it was a drug, and as the play goes on, this drug becomes dangerous, leading him to his death. The first time Willy is seen dazing off into the past is when he discovers Biff arriving home. The conversation between Willy and Linda reflects Willy’s disappointment in Biff and what Willy thinks he has become basically a bum. After failing to deal with his feelings, he escapes to a time when things were better for his family. It is not uncommon for one to think of better times at low points in their life in order to cheer them up so that they are able to deal with problems, but Willy Lowman takes it a step ahead. His stubbornness to accept reality is so strong that in his mind he is placed back in time to relive one of the happier days of his life. It was a time when no one argued. Willy and Linda were younger, the financial situation was less of a burden, and Biff and Happy welcomed their father back home from being on a long work trip. Willy’s need for the â€Å"drug† reassures himself that everything will turn out okay and that his family will be happy once again like it was in the past. The next flashback occurs during a discussion between Willy and Linda. Willy is depressed about his inability to make enough money to support his family, his looks, and his personality. â€Å" My God if business doesn’t pick up, I don’t know what I am going to do!†(1808) is what Willy said after Linda figures out that they are in fact in debt. Then he blurts out without letting any reply to his comment, â€Å"I’m Fat. Death of a Salesman :: essays papers Drug For Sanity in Death of a Salesman Willy Lowman’s Drug for Sanity No one’s life can be classified as â€Å"normal†. Everyone has conflicts that they have to eventually deal with. People do in fact deal with these personal conflicts in different ways; some take it easy some take it hard. Some ignore the problem as long as possible and some deal with it right away to get it out of the way. In Death of a Salesman, Willy Lowman’s technique to his problem solving leads to severe consequences. Willy never does anything to help the situation; he just escapes into the past to happier times when there were few problems. He uses this escape as if it was a drug, and as the play goes on, this drug becomes dangerous, leading him to his death. The first time Willy is seen dazing off into the past is when he discovers Biff arriving home. The conversation between Willy and Linda reflects Willy’s disappointment in Biff and what Willy thinks he has become basically a bum. After failing to deal with his feelings, he escapes to a time when things were better for his family. It is not uncommon for one to think of better times at low points in their life in order to cheer them up so that they are able to deal with problems, but Willy Lowman takes it a step ahead. His stubbornness to accept reality is so strong that in his mind he is placed back in time to relive one of the happier days of his life. It was a time when no one argued. Willy and Linda were younger, the financial situation was less of a burden, and Biff and Happy welcomed their father back home from being on a long work trip. Willy’s need for the â€Å"drug† reassures himself that everything will turn out okay and that his family will be happy once again like it was in the past. The next flashback occurs during a discussion between Willy and Linda. Willy is depressed about his inability to make enough money to support his family, his looks, and his personality. â€Å" My God if business doesn’t pick up, I don’t know what I am going to do!†(1808) is what Willy said after Linda figures out that they are in fact in debt. Then he blurts out without letting any reply to his comment, â€Å"I’m Fat.

How Macroeconomics affects business Essay

Macroeconomics is a branch of economics that explores trends in the national economy as a whole considering the study of the sum of individual economic factors. Macroeconomics considers the larger picture, and an understanding of how do business operates is crucial to understand macroeconomics. Macroeconomics is intertwined with business because business is affected by the factors that constitute macroeconomics. Circular-flow diagram: a visual model of the economy that shows how dollars flow through markets among households and firms. Using this diagram it can be clearly observed how some factors can influence business operations.. Business is affected by many economic activities. These activities are: Interest rate increase, taxes increase, unemployment rate increase, Inflation. Interest Rate. Interest rate is a rate which is charged or paid for the use of money. Increase of interest rate has a great affect on several consumption opportunities. 1. As it can be observed from the graph, if interest rate increases the consumption expenditures of households will decrease, which means that company’s profit will decrease. In future it will lead to decrease in production output. In order to be competitive companies will need to cut wages or even fire somebody from the personnel, which will again lead to decrease in consumption opportunities. 2. Affect on cost of borrowing. Many companies around the world make their business by loaning money from the bank. If interest rate increases, the interest payments on credit and loans become more expensive. Therefore this discourages companies from borrowing and widening its business. Companies who already have loans will have less disposable income because they spend more on interest payments. 3. Increase in mortgage interest payments. In majority of cases companies borrow mortgages to buy already existed place  for operations or to build a new building. And if the mortgage interest will increase even by very little percent, it will have significant impact on businesses disposable income. That’s why it will be more profitable for them to rent an apartment rather that to buy a new one. 4. Reduced Confidence. Interest rates have an effect on business confidence. A rise in interest rates discourages investment; it makes firms less willing to take out risky investments and purchases Taxes A fee charged by a government on a product, income, or activity. Here are some effects of taxes on business operations. 1. Taxes lower overall gains. There is a statement in accounting which calls income statement. In income statement all revenues and expenses are written. After subtractions of all expenses out of revenues there is a column which name is Earnings before interest and taxes. Results of â€Å"before tax† and â€Å"after tax† business cases can look quite different. Where the business case shows gains or net cash inflows, taxes operate to lower overall gains because operating income and capital gains are normally taxed. 2. Low wages Multiple governments levy so many taxes on businesses that â€Å"taxes† is the highest budget items on the ledger sheets of most businesses. These taxes take away some of the money otherwise used to pay wages. That’s why employers can’t pay good wages. 3. High prices In many countries governments put many taxes on businesses that â€Å"taxes† is the highest budget items on the ledger sheets of most businesses. Businesses have to raise prices to get money to pay these taxes. So product prices go up. This leads to inflation. Unemployment. Unemployment is an economic condition marked by the fact that individuals actively seeking jobs remain unhired. There are several reasons of unemployment in a country. They are: 1. Worldwide financial crisis Companies do not have enough money to hire new staff to the company and to increase their outcome. 2. Population increase When, for example, baby boomers reach the age of 18, they start to search for a job, but the number of work places did not increase. That’s why many of them become unemployed. 3. Low qualification The majority of companies nowadays try to employ more qualified workers, and people that are less qualified fail to find a better job 4. Replacement of workers by technologies In todays world technological progress is very visible. In many factories people force is replaced by machine. And if 10 years ago in order to produce one detail you need 10 people, today you need only one or two persons who will watch after this process of production Unemployment has a direct impact on all business. People buy products and services and if they do not have a job they will buy less products and services. That is why increasing unemployment often results in many businesses reducing inventories because they expect to sell less. Another reason is that many companies in order to develop and reach the new level of production need more qualified personnel. But if there is a shortage of qualified people, company can not develop at all and should whether stay at the same level of find other ways to improve. The third reason is that during the recessions and crisis companies should cut their expenses, that’s why in order to be competitive and do not decrease the level of production they should fire some workers Inflation Inflation is an increase in the price of a basket of goods and services that is representative of the economy as a whole. Effects of inflation on business. 1. People try to get rid of cash before it is devalued, by saving food and  other commodities creating shortages of the saved objects. That’s why in a specific period of time, for example, one week, people will consume a lot of goods, but one week later they will not consume at all. 2. Increased risk – Higher uncertainties. Uncertainties in business always exist, but with inflation risks are very high, because of the instability of prices. 3. Existing credit companies will be hurt, because the value of the money they will receive from their borrowers later will be lower than the money they gave before. 4. Fixed income recipients will be hurt, because while inflation increases, their income doesn’t increase, and therefore their income will have less value over time. 5. Companies will think they were making profits while in reality they’re losing money if they don’t take into consideration the inflation rate when calculating profits. 6. Many companies will have to go out of business because of the losses they incurred from inflation and its effects. 7. Rising prices of imports if the currency is debased, then it’s purchasing power in the international market is lower.For the same amount of money companies will be able to buy less. 8. Competition. If there is a lot of competition in a market, businesses try harder to keep prices low to keep buyers. It means that companies will have less and less profit. Sometimes they will need to cut the wages. But staff do not like when the wages are cut. And if they will not find something else in order to cover their costs, they will soon become a bankrupt. In conclusion it can be said that Macroeconomics has a very big impact on the business operations. Economics intersect with business in almost everything. And whatever changes will occur in economics it will for sure display in business.

History of Coca Cola Essay

About the Company: The first signs of the Coca-Cola Company started out in Atlanta in 1886 when a pharmacist named John Pemberton developed a caramel colored carbonated drink and sampled it to customers. Soon after, the drink was for sale at five cents a glass, selling about nine glasses a day in the local pharmacy. After Pemberton’s death in 1888, an Atlanta businessman named Asa Griggs Candler, secured the rights to Coca-Cola for a total of $2300 and it was at this time that Coca-Cola transformed from an invention into a business. Over the next several years, through coupons, advertisement, and sampling, the demand for Coca-Cola continued to grow making it necessary to open syrup plants in Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles. In 1899, two lawyers secured the rights from Candler to sell Coca-Cola in portable bottle sized serving, as opposed to only being offered in the soda fountains. Not realizing the popularity bottles would have, Candler sold the rights for just one dollar. Going into the new century, Coca-Cola continued to see rapid growth moving into other countries including Canada, Panama, Puerto Rico, France, and Cuba to name a few. From having just two bottlers in 1990, Coca-Cola had almost 1000 bottlers in 1920. Over the next twenty year, focus was on introducing the beverage around the world with much success. After 70 years of success with Coca-Cola, the company began introducing other flavored beverages including Fanta ®, Tab ®, Fresca ®, and Sprite ®. The company’s presence was growing more and more internationally in countries such as Cambodia, Turkey, and Paraguay. In1971, the company was selected to be the only company allowed to sell packaged cold drinks in The Peoples Republic of China. During the 1980’s, Diet Coke was introduced and the company made an attempt at developing a new improved formula for Coca-Cola. While this had good test panel results, when the new formula was introduced on the market, the public begged for the old formula to be reinstated. The public opinion eventually won and Coca-Cola Classic was back on the shelves. The 1990’s  brought other new beverages to the line up including Dasani ® bottled water, Powerade ® sports drink, and Barq’s ® root beer. The company continued to move into other countries including East Germany and India. By 1997, the company was up to over 1 billion servings of their product a day and continually growing. Coca-Cola started out as an experiment in a pharmacy selling just nine glasses a day and now has over 500 brands world wide selling over 1.7 billion servings per day. Even with the tough economy, Coca-Cola has continued its growth and remains to be a beverage that consumers reach for da ily, not just in the United States, but all over the world.

Kristallnacht - The Night of Broken Glass

Kristallnacht - The Night of Broken Glass On November 9, 1938, Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels announced a government-sanctioned reprisal against the Jews. Synagogues were ravaged and then burned. Jewish shop windows were broken. Jews were beaten, raped, arrested, and murdered. Throughout Germany and Austria, the pogrom known as Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) rampaged. The Damage Police and firefighters stood by as synagogues burned and Jews were beaten, only taking action to prevent the spread of fire to non-Jew owned property and to stop looters - upon SS officer Reinhard Heydrichs orders. The pogrom spanned the night of November 9 to 10. During this night 191 synagogues were set on fire. The damage to shop windows was estimated at $4 million U.S. dollars. Ninety-one Jews were murdered while 30,000 Jews were arrested and sent to camps such as Dachau, Sachsenhausen, and Buchenwald. Why Did the Nazis Sanction the Pogrom? By 1938, the Nazis had been in power for five years and were hard at work trying to rid Germany of its Jews, attempting to make Germany Judenfrei (Jew free). Approximately 50,000 of the Jews living within Germany in 1938 were Polish Jews. The Nazis wanted to force the Polish Jews to move back to Poland, but Poland did not want these Jews either. On October 28, 1938, the Gestapo rounded up the Polish Jews within Germany, put them on transports, and then dropped them off on the Polish side of the Poland-Germany border (near Posen). With little food, water, clothing, or shelter in the middle of winter, thousands of these people died. Among these Polish Jews were the parents of seventeen-year-old Hershl Grynszpan. At the time of the transports, Hershl was in France studying. On November 7, 1938, Hershl shot Ernst vom Rath, the third secretary in the German embassy in Paris. Two days later, vom Rath died. The day vom Rath died, Goebbels announced the need for retaliation. What does the word Kristallnacht mean? Kristallnacht is a German word that consists of two parts: Kristall translates to crystal and refers to the look of broken glass and Nacht means night. The accepted English translation is the Night of Broken Glass.

A Righteous Day by Mudrooroo Nyroongah

A Righteous Day by Mudrooroo Nyroongah 'A Righteous Day' written by Mudrooroo Nyroongah on 26TH January (Australia Day), in 1988, is a poem set in the first person voice that has been composed in response to the depressing day of the Bicentenary of European Settlement. As the "righteous" day is reflected by the persona, this contrasts with the 'White' Australians celebrating a "successful" colonisation in high-spirited ways, because to the Aborigines it is a day of mourning as they view it as Invasion day. The poem underlines the fact that despite the hardships Aborigines have experienced as a result of White Colonisation, it would be ideal if they shifted from prisoners of society to proactive citizens of Australia who will stand tall with pride and win their internal battles in the face of adversity.The beginning of the poem is rather ambiguous as it includes the persona's view on modern and new, yet quite useless, materialistic items.English: From frontpiece of Legendary Tales of the...The first two lines suggests that the persona has spent a "lifetime" until now, assimilating with the white man's foreign and materialistic world of insignificant and 'useful' materials in life. He questions whether these new "inventions" are a necessity in life, where he views these as just an indication of the white man's senseless 'progress' and 'success'. The third line, which uses the strong imagery "Protecting my wrists from the slashes of insecurities", is the reason for the persona's attempt in fitting into a foreign culture, as he desires to preserve his life and to survive, despite possessing nothing but insecurities. The phrase also refers to the stereotypical Aboriginal culture where many have attempted suicide especially among young males, because they have felt useless as they have been degraded to the point where they have been deprived of their dignity and self-worth.In lines 4-6, he emphasizes the...

Loan Translations

Loan Translations Loan Translations Loan Translations By Maeve Maddox Vocabulary borrowings from other languages take many forms, one of which is the loan translation or calque. The English word calque derives from French calquer â€Å"to trace.† It refers to a word or a phrase that has been translated word-for-word from its foreign origin. Because English is a Germanic language, it’s not surprising that we have numerous calques that originated as German expressions. Here are a few: superman from à ¼bermensch hang glider from Hngegleiter flamethrower from Flammenwerfer gummy bear from the product name Gummibrchen (little gummy bear) loanword from Lehnwort Intelligence Quotient (I.Q.) from Intelligenzquotient Rainforest from Regenwald Watershed from Wasserscheide World war from Weltkrieg Note: In Nietzschean thought, the à ¼bermensch is the ideal superior man of the future who transcends conventional Christian morality to create and impose his own values. The German word werfer (â€Å"thrower†) is used in sports to refer to the bowler in cricket and the pitcher in baseball. Here are some calques from the French: deaf-mute from sourd-muet free verse from vers libre rhinestone from caillou du Rhin Note: The historical term deaf-mute, â€Å"unable to hear or speak,† is now considered by some to be insensitive or derogatory; a replacement term is â€Å"hearing- and speech-impaired.† German also has Rheinkiesel which, like caillou du Rhin, means â€Å"Rhine-pebble.† Latin calques: Milky Way (the galaxy that contains Earth’s solar system) from via lactea â€Å"Rest in Peace† from requiescat in pace â€Å"in a nutshell† from in nuce Calquing goes both ways. Computing terms coined in English have been calqued into other languages. For example, French disque dur, carte mà ¨re, souris, and en ligne for English hard disk, motherboard, mouse, and online. Related post: Loanwords and Calques Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?3 Cases of Complicated HyphenationUsing "zeitgeist" Coherently

Comparison of the movie Jane Eyre and the book Jane Eyre Essay

Comparison of the movie Jane Eyre and the book Jane Eyre - Essay Example Jane Eyre is an ardent and strong personality, the carrier of the spontaneous protest against any oppression. In the childhood she openly rises against the rich and hypocritical aunt and her severe, spoilt son. In thw shelter, in conversation with mild and patient Helen Burns, she expresses an idea of necessity of resistance: When we are struck at it again. I must dislike those who, whatever I do to please them, persist in disliking me; I must resist those who punish me unjustly (Bronte 1922). In the movie we see another picture: Jane wants to help her friend and let cut her hair to share her friend's fate. Here we see only Jane's high value of friendship, but we miss the real point the author of Jane Eyre wanted us to see: this is the difference between Jane and her friend Helen: Helen is mild, Jane is in contrast irreconcilable. The spirit of the protest and independence is shown also in Jane's relations with her beloved. Rochester plays with Jane making her jealous; this is important moment showing Jane's feelings that is also missed in the movie. Jane is comparing her with beautiful rich lady and logically understands her imperfection. Here we see how strong and wise Jane is: she decides to forget her feelings, but than, after meeting Miss Ingram in the real life, she understands that not good-looking and poor she is much better than Blanch with all her perfection. Exhausted by strange, freakish game conducted by her master, Jane is actually the first who speaks about the love - and that we see in the movie also. However, reading the book we feel stronger the difference of Jane and other women of her epoch. Jane's declaration ofy itthose who punish 666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666 love has the character of the courageous declaration of equality: "Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartlessYou think wrong!--I have as much soul as you,--and full as much heart!I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh" (Bronte 1922) Even in this scene the movie does not allow us to feel all the Jane's pride and independency. Having become the bride of her beloved, at the top of happiness, Jane Eyre keeps self-control and sobriety. She is on guard of her independence; she is frightened with her possible transformation into the slave, into a toy of the husband. She continues to give lessons to his daughter, rejects luxurious gifts of the groom, persistently reminds him, that she is poor and not good-looking (yes, Jane Eyre is not beautiful, it is also was an innovation for the English Victorian novel). What do we see in the movie There is Jane's phrase that is understandable for those who read the book: "I am Jane Eyre" - the actress-Jane says to her beloved meaning that she is self-confident and independent. But the actress is too good-looking to express all the sense of this Jane's phrase. Here also there is no contrast between Jane and Blanch Ingram, because Jane seems to be not worse. To my mind, this was not right and the actress who played Jane must be not good-looking in order to show better

Intercultural Business Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Intercultural Business Communication - Essay Example Culture can be defined as the combined programming of the mind that differentiates the member of one category of people from the other. This is always a collective phenomenon; however it can be related to different collectives. A variety of individuals belong within each collective. Considering the fact that we live in a global age where technology has brought each and every person much closer to each other than they were earlier, it has been witnessed that people belonging to different cultures are working together and henceforth are having frequent communications. This fact is of obvious interest but however, it can be frustrating at times when the thought comes to one’s mind regarding how one is supposed to relate to someone who belongs to a different culture. In what way must one start a conversion and are there any cultural taboos that one needs to know about? These are the questions that comes in one’s mind when the individual things about working or living with a nother individual of a different culture. Even after such barrier oriented questions people of different cultures are working, living and communicating with each other effectively and efficiently. Such is the diversity in culture that prevails all over the world. This shows the depth in the cultural dimensions that is witnessed all around the world. Establishing network with people all around the world is just one dimension of the cultural diversity. For the purpose of doing the same, one needs to understand the cultural differences. Psychologist Dr. Geert Hofstede came up with a theory that explained different dimensions of cultural diversity and the theories have become a standard that is recognized internationally (Hofstede, 2011). The following sections will involve a thorough analysis of the cultural-dimensional approach with reference to Hofstede’s research that will include arguments in favour of the validity and reliability of his research. Thereafter, the arguments a gainst the cultural-dimensional approach will be highlighted with reference to the notion of cultural heterogeneity and finally the researcher’s own perception regarding appropriate methodology for intercultural business communication research will be provided followed by an appropriate conclusion. 2. PART A 2.1. Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension Approach A discussion on cultural dimension approach must begin with a definition of culture. The quantity of the definition of culture expounded by the scholars are simply too numerous to count and each one is having specific relevance towards understanding the various dimensions of culture. Alvesson (2000) has enlightened about 128 definitions about culture. Hofstede himself has even provided a definition of culture that reflects culture to be a crucial factor that distinguishes one group with other. He defines culture to be â€Å"the collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of peop le from others†. Much attention has been placed on role of culture in shaping a business in the last few decades and it has never been that much significant as it stands today. Study on this field begun with Hofstede’s famous work on IBM in the early 80s (Arditi and Mochtar, 2000). Culture is adjudged as essential for numerous reasons related to business life. The significance becomes more visible when a business firms starts interacting with people in either forms such as employees, customers, suppliers or any other stakeholder group. Research studies related to cross culture has had most of the values and as a result of that it has succeeded to provide substances to the modern management techniques and practices. Some of the eminent cross cultural researchers such as Geert Hofstede, have to face criticism for failing to provide the valued guiding intelligence. Eminent authors such as Avolio (2007) and Barrett (1993) argues that the

Reading reflection 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading reflection 6 - Essay Example According to the article, the police generally will associate certain crimes with a certain race. The police have a set mentality on a crime committed. The will go to brutal lengths in order to prove that certain minorities commit crimes more often. Police brutality will usually occur because of a number of reasons. The most common one is racial discrimination. Between 1990 and 1994, 89% of reported custody deaths involved Hispanics or African Americans (Elisha, Joshua & Zenobia 2010). These are examples of police brutality cases that are reported. Such examples include those involving Patrick Hall, Rodney king and Oscar Grant. I concur with the author’s views on Police brutality and racial discrimination. Police brutality especially towards the minority is not always physical. This is best illustrated by the case of a Patrick Hall. Patrick Hall, an African American who served in the US army. He then enrolled at Illinois State University from where he started his own business. Hall employed most of his friends who were also black. The police started harassing him as soon as they discovered his progress (Elisha, Joshua & Zenobia 2010). The police would humiliate Hall with random checks for illegal activities. They went as far as surveying and intimidating Hall. This forced him to shut down the business and leave the city. This is a classic case of emotional and verbal abuse among minorities. Police brutality will happen for a number of reasons. Chief among them is racial discrimination. Use of excessive force is described as police brutality. By 1999, 75% of males who were African American are pulled over because they were Black (The Struggle Against racial Profiling). Law enforcement officers will verbally, emotionally and physically offensive to citizens of race. However, the number of such incidences is decreasing constantly in the wake of human rights awareness. A criminal justice

Case Study Report LVMH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Case Study Report LVMH - Essay Example The detail analysis shows that the firm cannot be beaten despite the tough competition and hence promises a bright future. Thus the report essentially points out the strategic position of the firm and its present and future prospects. The world’s largest luxury commodity retail group, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) functions on the basis of four parameters viz. its product line, pattern of distribution, style of communicating its product offerings to large number of consumers and its price points. The luxury goods group renders greater impact on the first three activities for which the stress rendered by charging high prices gets mediated. Louis Vuitton had used its distribution and communication styles to lure huge groups of customers to its beautifully ordained stores spread along the region. Furthermore, the company spends a lot on advertising activities to create mass awareness of its products and shops. The price strategy followed by Louis Vuitton helps the company earn a huge margin of around 40 to 45 percent. A comparison drawn on the revenue margins of other luxury brand companies reflects that Louis Vuitton stands far ahead in the race. The world-renowned luxury goods brand states that the max imum number of consumers belongs to the middle level groups while the rich elites constitute only a niche segment. However, Louis Vuitton observes that owing to the event of recession the structure of consumer spending has countered a radical change. The consumers of the luxury goods retail chain who were not price sensitive previously became highly aware of the changing economic situation. This resulted in a huge drop of sales of such luxury commodities, which came to be observed as objects of lesser importance. Owing to the change in the market condition brought about by recession the company felt the need to redesign its products to focus on their basic usage parameters rather than making it gaudy. Thus, the price of the

Advanced Mathematics For Engineers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Advanced Mathematics For Engineers - Essay Example Maclaurin series is known as a special case of Taylor series expansion at x = 0. Through Maclaurin series, a combination of functions, say those which are exponential and trigonometric in nature, may be brought altogether to acquire algebraic representations. Leibnitz’ theorem – Leibnitz’s theorem is normally applied whenever numerical methods merely work for determining solutions of first order differential equations (DEs). In particular, by Leibnitz’s theorem, second order DEs may be solved through a process of successive differentiations wherein the nth differential coefficient of standard function can be obtained by performing a series of tasks with the product rule to arrive at the intended solution for Yn. Bessel’s and Legendre equations. Out of the studies made for the disturbances in planetary motion by Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel emerged what came to be acknowledged in the early 19th century as the first systematic analysis of solutions to the equation given by: Such an equation is called a Bessel’s equation which varies in order depending on the real constant ‘v’. ... Moreover, this method had been of ample significance in the quantum mechanical model of the H-atom and is typically employed in areas of physics or engineering that tackle steady-state temperature within solid spherical objects involving the use of Laplace’s equation. Euler, and Runge – Kutta numerical differential equation methods. Both of the principles of applying Euler method and Runge – Kutta method are vital in solving DEs of the first order. With Euler method, on one hand, restrictions are set given initial values x0 and y0, and the range of ‘x’ within which the desired solution for ‘y’ is achieved upon a number of successive iterations that follow a simple form: f (a + h) = f (a) + h [ f ‘(a) ] Iterative use of this equation proceeds until one arrives at the intended value for ‘y’ that is accurate to the extent of decimal places specified. Similarly, the Runge-Kutta method is used for the same purpose of approx imating the ‘y’ to converge to a certain value, only this time, a couple of evaluation steps are required towards a higher degree of accuracy for the results. It is necessary herein to evaluate k-values (k1, k2, k3, and k4) which must be substituted into The numbers identifying each ‘k’, as well as the YP1 and the YC1 are tabulated for a specific range of Xn. (2) Consider for the range x = 1 to x = 1.5 in increments of .1, given the initial conditions that when x = 1, y = 2 Apply Euler Method to solve and graph the above problem Apply Euler –Cauchy Method to solve and graph the above problem Apply Runge - Kutta Method to solve and graph the above problem By Euler Method f(a + h) = f(a) + f(h) ---? y = y0 + h(y0’),

Macroeconomics Problem Set Speech or Presentation

Macroeconomics Problem Set - Speech or Presentation Example From (b), it is evident that that velocity of money is equal to the nominal interest rate. Velocity will, therefore, grow if interest rate also grows. Hence, if interest rate is a constant velocity is also constant. Velocity will, therefore, grow if interest rate also grows. Money neutrality means that money supply does not affect real variables but only affects the nominal variables. An increase in the money supply will hence have an effect on all prices but not on the real GDP or real prices. Structural unemployment results from structural changes in the economy that makes employees obsolete. It is a lack of the required type of workers; there is a difference between the skills employers are looking for and the available employee’s skills. 3. Researchers at Purdue have collected data on the number of undergraduate Purdue students either involved in a relationship or uninvolved. Among involved students, 10% experience a breakup of their relationship each month. Among uninvolved students, 5% enter into a relationship every month. Illustrate the flow of students between the two states (involved and uninvolved) using a diagram. What is the steady-state fraction of residents who are

Advanced Mathematics For Engineers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Advanced Mathematics For Engineers - Essay Example Maclaurin series is known as a special case of Taylor series expansion at x = 0. Through Maclaurin series, a combination of functions, say those which are exponential and trigonometric in nature, may be brought altogether to acquire algebraic representations. Leibnitz’ theorem – Leibnitz’s theorem is normally applied whenever numerical methods merely work for determining solutions of first order differential equations (DEs). In particular, by Leibnitz’s theorem, second order DEs may be solved through a process of successive differentiations wherein the nth differential coefficient of standard function can be obtained by performing a series of tasks with the product rule to arrive at the intended solution for Yn. Bessel’s and Legendre equations. Out of the studies made for the disturbances in planetary motion by Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel emerged what came to be acknowledged in the early 19th century as the first systematic analysis of solutions to the equation given by: Such an equation is called a Bessel’s equation which varies in order depending on the real constant ‘v’. ... Moreover, this method had been of ample significance in the quantum mechanical model of the H-atom and is typically employed in areas of physics or engineering that tackle steady-state temperature within solid spherical objects involving the use of Laplace’s equation. Euler, and Runge – Kutta numerical differential equation methods. Both of the principles of applying Euler method and Runge – Kutta method are vital in solving DEs of the first order. With Euler method, on one hand, restrictions are set given initial values x0 and y0, and the range of ‘x’ within which the desired solution for ‘y’ is achieved upon a number of successive iterations that follow a simple form: f (a + h) = f (a) + h [ f ‘(a) ] Iterative use of this equation proceeds until one arrives at the intended value for ‘y’ that is accurate to the extent of decimal places specified. Similarly, the Runge-Kutta method is used for the same purpose of approx imating the ‘y’ to converge to a certain value, only this time, a couple of evaluation steps are required towards a higher degree of accuracy for the results. It is necessary herein to evaluate k-values (k1, k2, k3, and k4) which must be substituted into The numbers identifying each ‘k’, as well as the YP1 and the YC1 are tabulated for a specific range of Xn. (2) Consider for the range x = 1 to x = 1.5 in increments of .1, given the initial conditions that when x = 1, y = 2 Apply Euler Method to solve and graph the above problem Apply Euler –Cauchy Method to solve and graph the above problem Apply Runge - Kutta Method to solve and graph the above problem By Euler Method f(a + h) = f(a) + f(h) ---? y = y0 + h(y0’),

Speech Outline Essay Example for Free

Speech Outline Essay When responding to a medical emergency you should take three main stepssurvey the scene, contact emergency medical services, and start CPR. Method of Organization: Chronological Introduction (Begin your presentation with the statement beside Roman numeral I) IFirst Sentence: Imagine youre at home eating a holiday dinner with your family and your uncle begins to suffer a heart attack. Would you know how to handle the situation by administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation, better know as CPR? IIISpecific Purpose: As a lifeguard, I have been certified in CPR for the past four years and Ill teach you what to do when responding to a medical emergency. . IVThesis: Tonight I will explain the lifesaving process of surveying an emergency, contacting emergency medical services, and administering CPR. Body I. According to the American Red Cross, the first step in an emergency is to survey the scene. A. The most important thing in administering First Aid is to make sure you and the victim are safe B. If it is safe to proceed and the victim is not moving, gently shake the victim and ask if she or he is O. K. C. Then, call for help. II. The second step in an emergency is to contact an emergency medical service (EMS). A. There are several ways to contact an EMS. One way is to call 911 If there is no 911 service in your area, call the police or hospital directly. You can also call the operator, who will contact the police or hospital for you. B. Designate one person around you to call EMS. C. If there is no one around, you must call EMS yourself III. The third step in an emergency is to administer CPR. A. Position the victim. Move the victim into the correct position, keeping the persons body as stable as possible. Position yourself next to the victims shoulders. B. Check the ABCs Opens the airway. Check for breathing a. Look, listen, and feel for the victims breath. b. If the victim is not breathing, give him or her two quick breaths right away. Check the pulse C. If there is no pulse, begin chest compressions immediately. Position your hands on the victims chest. Straighten your arms and lock your elbows so your shoulders are directly over your hands Compress the chest of victim 1-1/2 to 2 a. Compress the chest fifteen times while counting out loud. Compress for one second each time. D. Repeat the cycles of breathing and chest compression four times. After the fourth cycle, check the victims pulse. If there is still no pulse, resume the cycles of breathing and chest compression until the victim starts to breath or until medical professionals arrive. Conclusion IThis short speech has shown you the importance of surveying the scene of an emergency, contacting an emergency medical service, and starting CPR. IIBecause of your knowledge of these three steps, you can be the vital link in an emergency such as that described in my introduction and you can help save a life.

Human Resource Management At Mars Confectionery

Human Resource Management At Mars Confectionery This assignment will investigate how human resource management (HRM) contributes to the achievement of organisational goals and objectives, particularly looking at HRM activities such as staffing, performance management and change management. A discussion of several HR planning and development models will be presented including the model of traditional manpower planning, the integrated human resources planning framework and the systematic model of learning and training. Finally, an analysis of how appraisal systems are used to monitor performance in organisations will be undertaken, making suggestions on the shortfalls of this method and potential improvements. Discussions in this assignment will be retaliated to current information about Mars incorporated Ltd (Mars). Mars is a privately-owned, global fast moving consumer goods organisation specialising in confectionery, drinks and pet care. HRM Information of Mars was largely obtained from in interview conducted with a line manager in HRM at Mars. Information in this assignment obtained from the interview has not been referenced. Other information presented about Mars which has been obtained from other sources such as their website and books has been reverenced at the end of the assignment. Task 1: Human Resources Management Human resource management activities at Mars Confectionery This section will firstly discuss the HRM activity of staffing which is conducted at Mars. Staffing is the process of acquiring, deploying, and retaining a workforce of sufficient quantity and quality to create positive impacts on the organisations effectiveness (Burkholder, Edwards and Sartain, 2004). Secondly, the HRM activity of performance management will be discussed. Performance management can be understood as the process of creating a work environment or setting in which people are enabled to perform to the best of their abilities (Bacal, 1999). Change management is the third main HRM activity conducted at Mars. Change management is a structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired future state (Cameron and Green, 2004). Staffing Human resource management at Mars is primarily concerned with ensuring that the organisation is appropriately staffed with the right people, with the right skills, at the right time. At the employee level, staffing has the objective of finding an employee who fits into the culture and value system and who is motivated and empowered to work for the organisation. Secondly, at the organisational level, staffing aims to maximise critical knowledge, skills and abilities within the organisation which contribute to its overall effectiveness and competitive advantage (Judge and Ferris, 1992). At Mars, these objectives are achieved through several means. Initially, a clear forecast on future staffing needs are established. These are determined at Mars by the organisational strategy and the predicted turnover rates based upon averages from previous years. Contracts for different groups of employees are then devised and employment packages are designed to attract the required employee skill levels. Relevant line managers who are familiar with the skills required for the certain role will be required to draw up role specifications addressing the certain skills and abilities needed. In addition to this, employees seen as no longer fitting into the organisations culture and value system are dismissed by HRM. Before dismissals occur at Mars, HRM places underperforming employees on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) to help monitor their performance and provide them with mentoring. Performance Management A second activity of human resource management at Mars is to ensure that employees are highly motivated and perform well within their roles. The main objective of enhancing motivation and performance is to maximise the effort employees put into their roles and to focus attention on performance targets. In addition to this, enhancing performance within the workforce also helps to raise levels of commitment and engage employees in developing new ideas (Torrington, Hall and Taylor, 2005 p7). Enhanced employee performance is achieved by human resource management at Mars through employee training and development programmes which aim to increase employees capacity to adopt new technologies and methods. Training and development programmes allow employees to increase their career development through the organisation and reduce employee turnover through increased motivation and commitment. In addition to this, reward systems, such as promotion and bonuses, are also used at Mars to enhance performance through providing incentives and positive reinforcement. Change Management Another activity of human resource management at Mars is to make sure that organisational change interventions are successful and run as smoothly as possible. For example, Mars has recently implemented change programmes such as TQM and six sigma. These have required substantial changes to the organisations culture and work systems. It was HRs role to help with the planning of this implementation and to make sure that the necessary training and support was available to the workforce when implementation began. These objectives are achieved by HR at Mars through recruiting and developing people with the necessary leadership skills to help drive the change process. In addition to this, agents are also recruited by HR to encourage the acceptance of change by the workforce and construct reward systems to reinforce new behaviours. HR also takes a leading role in assessing the likely impact of change on employees as well as supporting them during the change programme. This is achieved through preparing information to help them cope with the process and developing a timeline for change. HR at Mars also has a critical role in assessing whether the change programme had been successful and monitoring whether it has produced the required return on investment. They achieve this objective through conducting employee survey to obtain feedback on employee perceptions regarding the change and how it was conducted. In summary, the three HRM activities of staffing, performance management and change management at Mars are essential for the smooth running and development of the Mars organisation. Theoretical models of human resource management This section will describe two influential models within HRM. Firstly, the Harvard model by Beer et al. (1984) is an analytical model which views employees as significant stakeholders within the organisation with their own needs and concerns (Torrington, Hall and Taylor, 2005 p34). Secondly, the Michigan or Matching model will be addressed. The Michigan model states that the control of HRM is the responsibility of senior management and sees employees as resources in the same way as any other business resource (Price, 2007 p39). The Harvard Model The model acknowledges that management has the greatest power within an organisation but suggests that for effective HRM, the needs of employees must be always be considered. For example, the model shows HRM policies to be influenced by two significant considerations: situational factors (workforce characteristics, management philosophy and labour market) and stakeholder interests (employee groups, community and unions). This shows that effective HRM should not be a reactive function but continually help monitor and adjust the organisations policies to meet the forever changing needs of the workforce and environment in which it operates. In addition to this, the model also acknowledges the need for HRM mechanisms to reconcile the inevitable tension between employee expectations and management objectives. For example, the implementation of rewards and structured work systems allow for the organisation to nurture the values of commitment, competence, congruence and cost effectiveness within the workforce. To achieve long term HRM objectives of individual wellbeing, organisational effectiveness and social well being, the Harvard model suggests that it is essential that all must be responsible for human resource and consider issues such as delegation, leadership, participation and team building. The Michigan Model Unlike the Harvard model, the Michigan model (Fombrun et al, 1984 p41) takes a top-down approach suggesting that the control of HRM is the responsibility of senior management and sees employees as resources in the same way as any other business resource (Price, 2007 p39). For example, the model highlights areas such as selection, appraisal, rewards and development but ignores the influence of employee needs and situational factors upon the organisation. Instead, the model views that employees have to be managed like equipment; obtained as cheaply as possible, used sparingly, and developed and exploited as much as possible (Price, 2007 p39). The Michigan model also shows that employees must be selected and trained to fit the strategic requirements of the organisation and show behavioural consistency with their ways of thinking and operating (Price, 2007 p41). For example, if there is an organisational strategy of innovation, employees will be expected to show long term creativity and skill. This is displayed by the great emphasis upon selection, performance and appraisal within the model. In contrast to the Harvard Model, the Michigan model shows HRM to be a reactive organisational function which under-emphasises the importance of social and external factors. For example, the model places emphasis on the importance of selection, performance, appraisal, rewards and training, but make no reference to employee needs and interests, and environmental factors such as employee groups, community and unions. This means that the model would be unable to factor in current concerns such as employee work-life balance. In summary, the Harvard and Michigan models both show two contrasting perspectives of effective HRM. Although they are both highly applicable models in their own right, it could be suggested that Harvard model is the most applicable to the HRM of today, taking into consideration current concerns of work-life balanced. Task 2: HR Planning and Development Three HR planning and development models This section will describe the two HR planning models of Traditional Manpower Planning and Integrated Human Resources Planning Model; and the HR development model of Systematic Learning and Training. Human Resource Planning Human resource planning is the process of managing when people enter, move through and leave business organisations in accordance with the overall objectives of the business. HRM needs to assess the future demand for staff and the availability of suitable staff to meet their requirements (RDI, 2008 p2.3 ff). 1. Model of Traditional Manpower Planning The model of traditional manpower planning is a more traditional human resources planning model emphasising the importance of obtaining the right number of the right employees in the right place at the right time (Torrington, Hall and Taylor, 2005 p51). The model suggests that demand for employees is strongly influenced by organisational strategies and objectives, the environment, and the way in which staff are managed and utilised (Torrington, Hall and Taylor, 2005 p51). Environment Organisational objectives and strategies Analysis of internal manpower supply Analyses of external manpower supply Project manpower demand Project manpower supply Manpower plans Reconcile Figure 3: Model of traditional manpower planning. Adapted from (Torrington, Hall and Taylor, 2005 p51). When applying the model of traditional manpower planning to Mars, it could be recommended that Mars begins by analysing the changing environment in which it operates. For example, the recent takeover of Cadburys by Kraft has meant that Mars strategy has become more defensive making sure that maintains its competitive advantage within the industry. Mars must begin to project manpower demand and supply to make sure it is able to recruit the right people with the right skills to facilitate its new defensive strategy. For example, one option for Mars is to target and recruit former Cadburys and Kraft managers to obtain important competitor information. Before it can fulfil this recruitment strategy, the model suggests that Mars must assess the availability of such knowledge within job the market. 2. Integrated Human Resources Planning Model Unlike the model of traditional manpower planning, the integrated human resources planning model brings together all aspects of HR planning and considers the effects of culture, systems and environment on employee demand (Torrington, Hall and Taylor, 2005 p52). The model identifies where we want to be based upon the organisations strategy; where we are now; and what we need to do to get there. Environmental Influences Where are we now? Translate vision Where do we want to be? Design and use plans to achieve transition Strategic Vision Figure 4: Integrated Human Resources Planning Framework. Adapted from (Torrington, Hall and Taylor, 2005 p52). When applying the integrated human resources planning model to Mars, Mars would firstly need to address where we are now; analysing the environment to determine what customers want and what competitors are doing. For example, from analysing the current confectionery market, Mars will determine that there is increasing competition from Cadburys due to its recent takeover by Kraft. Also, they would be able to determine from the analysis of customer requirements that there is a need for better customer service and lower prices. Based upon the model, Mars would then have to address where we want to be; translating environmental influences into strategic objectives which can be used to determine human resource goals. For example, for Mars to compete against Cadburys they must establish human resources goals to make sure that their hire talented managers who can bring new skills and capabilities to Mars. In addition to this, Mars should address what do we need to get there; addressing the resources and time-scales needed to fulfil the strategic objectives. Mars would need to decide on what type of skills and personalities they need to recruit, how many new employees they need to recruit and how they are going to advertise the positions. Human Resources Development HR development is a strategic approach used to invest in human capital. It draws on other HR processes including resourcing and performance assessment to identify actual and potential talent (RDI, 2008 p2.22). The systematic model of learning and training was developed to help organisations move away non-evaluated training, replacing it with a more orderly sequence of development. 1. Systematic Model of Learning and Training Environment Business Strategy People Development Strategy Identify development need Design development activity Carry out development Evaluate development Figure 5. A systematic model of learning and training. Adapted from demand (Torrington, Hall and Taylor, 2005 p391). According to the model, the changing environment and business strategy help to shape the type of skills and abilities required in the workforce. These developmental needs can be identified by both the individual and organisation through a problem centred approach (where a new strategy may highlight a shortage of a particular skill within the workforce) and developing an individuals competency profile to meet the job requirements. For example, the changing business strategy at Mars to improve internal computer systems has revealed a potential gap IT technical skills. When a gap in skill has been identified, the model suggests that the development required needs to be planned and developed. The planning and design of the learning will be influenced by HR development strategy, which may determine who is involved in the training and type of methods used. For example, HR at Mars has planned and developed a learning programme with trained IT trainers to visit the business and develop employee IT skills whilst at work, but not divert too much of their time away from other more important tasks. In summary, when an organisation such as Mars adapts to changing environments through with new strategic objectives, it often requires new skills to be brought in or developed within the company. These changes in workforce requirements can either be planned and remedied through recruitment, or development can take place to enhance and build upon existing employee skills and abilities. Planning and development models that are most effective in helping an organisation to meet is objectives are these which take a more holistic approach and are able to adapt to changing organisational requirements. Effectiveness in achieving organisational objectives An organisational objective at Mars is to gain and maintain competitive advantage through a highly skilled and motivated workforce. Although the model of traditional manpower planning is effective in allowing Mars to plan for and fulfil future workforce needs, the model does not take into consideration the need for Mars to plan for issues such as employee behaviour, personality and fit within the organisations culture. In contrast to this, the integrated human resources planning model is very effective in allowing Mars to achieve this strategy. Unlike the model of traditional manpower planning, the integrated human resource planning model is able to integrate the need of the organisation to obtain highly skilled employees with the need for them to have the right fit within the organisational culture. In addition to this, the model is able to adapt to the continuous changes to Mars strategy which is central to the manpower planning framework. The systematic model of learning and training is also effective in allowing Mars to achieve its organisational objective to gain and maintain competitive advantage through a highly skilled and motivated workforce. The model provides an integrated framework to allow Mars to plan learning programmes and to develop workforce skill around organisational strategies and environmental changes. Despite this, the model has the limitation of being too systematic and potentially unable to relate to the fast pace of continuous change evident at Mars (Sloman, 2001). In summary, it could be recommended that Mars adopts a combination of the integrated human resources planning model and the systematic model of learning and training. Through using a combination of these two models, Mars would be able to adequately plan for and hire appropriate staff and then develop skills to meet their strategy needs. Task 3: Performance How HR performance is monitored at Mars This section will discuss how appraisal systems are used at Mars to monitor performance. Performance appraisal systems are a formalised process to review performance at work over a given period of time (Grote, 1996). Mars uses a method whereby role objectives or targets are established by the employee and line manager throughout the year and are later reviewed at the next appraisal. Assessments are made to measure the extent to which these objectives have been met throughout the year. Mars believes that performance expectations need to be understood and involve contribution from employees to allow for a greater degree of input and commitment. The objectives set by employees at Mars are closely monitored by the line manager to make sure that they appropriately stretch the individual and offer personal development as well as meeting the needs of the role. The objectives set by the employee and line manager are prioritised according to importance and how urgently they need to be addressed. Prioritising objectives in this manor allows the employees to manage their time more effectively through addressing the most important objectives first. In addition to this, Mars also uses the SMART system for describing individual targets and objectives. Before a target can be set by the employee, the line manager must make sure that the target is Specific, Measurable, Appropriate, Relevant and Timed. Ensuring that the target meets these criteria means that the objectives are meaningful and reliably assessed. Regular brief meetings are set between employee and manager, as objectives are met, to discuss progress and decide on whether new objectives need to be added or whether some objectives need to be removed. Problem areas are highlighted and discussed, and ongoing coaching is given by managers to help guide employees by giving constructive feedback. 360 degree appraisals are used at Mars to allow for a more fair and stringent method of performance assessment. Performance is monitored and assessed by a variety of people in contact with the individual, including, line managers, peers, clients, suppliers. Obtaining appraisals from a variety of sources allows for a fuller picture to be built up of the performance and capabilities of the individual in many different areas of their work. The outcome of appraisal systems at Mars is directly linked to the salary and promotions. For example, if employees are rated during their appraisal as exceeds expectations, they will receive a 4% pay raise the following year. Employees rated as below expectations can be placed on a Performance Improvement Programme which means that their performance is closely monitored throughout the year and they are provided with mentoring to improve problem areas. Although it appears that Mars has a very stringent approach to performance appraisals, it is important to understand how Mars uses this information after it has been obtained and whether line managers have received the correct training to make sure they are collecting information fairly. Effectiveness of the appraisal system at Mars and potential improvements. The appraisal system at Mars is very effective in obtaining reliable and useful information regarding employee performance. One way in which Mars maintains the effectiveness of its appraisal system is through making sure that line managers are properly trained to conduct appraisals. Managers are required to attend a yearly training session supported by human resources where they informed about the most effective ways of monitoring process and supporting their employees through development. Training is also provided on how to record appraisal information efficiently and how to conduct 360 degree appraisals. Despite the stringent approach to performance appraisals at Mars, appraisal have been criticised for being too subjective (Torrington, Hall and Taylor, 2005). Sometimes appraisals can be unreliable through prejudice when the appraisers judgement is distorted because they dont like the appraisee. Also appraisals can be unreliable when the appraisers have insufficient knowledge of the appraisee. This is particularly the case when appraisers carry out appraisals due to their position in the company hierarchy rather than their knowledge of the appraisee. In addition to this, appraisals can cause a lot of anxiety and stress for all involved. Research about appraising performance has found that the appraisal itself was often accompanied by long periods of sickness absence due to stress (Grint, 1993). This is a potential problem at Mars because appraisals are directly linked to employee pay and promotion which may create a lot of stress for individual employee. Effectiveness of appraisals at Mars can be improved further making sure that all involved in the 360 degree appraisal understand what the system is for and the importance of accuracy. Research suggests that questions will be answered more accurately when participants understand the true purpose of the appraisal (Grint, 1993). In addition to this, plenty of feedback should be given to those involved in appraisals as research also suggests that feedback allows for the system to be better accepted and reduces anxiety (Grint, 1993). In summary, Mars has a very stringent approach to performance appraisals. They believe that it is important to obtain a full picture of the individual, from many different sources and allow the individual to play an active role in shaping their own objective and target setting. Despite this, improvements can be made to make sure that stress is kept to a minimum and proper training is provided to make sure that appraisals are not biased in anyway. Assignment Conclusion To be successful in a fast changing global economy, organisations must invest more time and resources into the acquisition and development of high calibre employees. HRM has a vital role to play in this strategy through performance management, recruitment and change management. In the example of Mars, HRM is continually facilitating an environment where employees can improve their skills and competencies through professional development programmes and performance appraisal. Although Mars has well developed HRM policies, to remain competitive, they must continue to invest time and resources into HRM to continue to obtain the right employees, with the right skills at the right time.

Descartes and the Existence of God Essay -- essays papers

Descartes and the Existence of God Once Descartes has realized that he can know with certainty that â€Å"I exist† is true, he continues to build on his foundation of truths. The truth about the nature of God, proof of God’s existence, and the nature of corporeal objects are considered, among others, after Descartes proves his existence. Descartes’ principal task in the Meditations was to devise a system that would bring him to the truth. He wanted to build a foundation from which all further philosophical inquiry could be built. It was essential that his beliefs were sound. If any one of them were at all in doubt, then it put the credibility of the whole structure of knowledge in jeopardy. I will discuss a few of the topics Descartes analyzes after his epiphany of existence. Throughout the essay, I will raise some doubts that I have pertaining to Descartes’ conclusions as well. In his second meditation, when Descartes pushes the method of doubt to its fullest extent, several truths survive; since these cannot be doubted Descartes must know them. The first of these is that â€Å"I exist.† The second truth, when Descartes asks â€Å"what am I?† caught my attention. I found it odd that he tests potential answers by asking whether he can doubt them. The test appears strange because one’s ability to doubt something doesn’t normally show that it is false. If I can doubt that I have the hairiest legs at West Virginia University, does it follow that I do not? It is later when Descartes rephrases his answer, and so his question, in terms of â€Å"what is inseparable from my nature,† that I realized that the question was special. When he proceeds to say â€Å"I am now admitting nothing except what is necessarily true,† I finally saw that the apparent... ...a cause, and since I am imperfect, the idea has to have been originated from a perfect source or God.† In Descartes’ Cosmological Proof of God, I understand that the cause of an idea must have as much formal reality as the objective reality of the idea. I also understand that the idea has infinite objective reality. However, I am not fully convinced that it is impossible for a mortal, finite person to take the idea of a finite being and continually think â€Å"upward,† forming the idea that there is a being that is supreme to themselves. Descartes’ epiphany of â€Å"I exist, I am† was the catalyst for the exploration of the issues he discusses in Meditations. Although I find problems in some instances of his reasoning, I realize that he has provided answers through his Method of Doubt that have endured the ages and allow us to continue to ponder their truth today.

Grapes Of Wrath Biblical Allusions Essay -- John Steinbeck Bible Relig

John Steinbeck carefully molded his story The Grapes of Wrath to encompass many themes and ideas. He included several Biblical allusions to enforce his message of the migrating families coming together to form a community. Steinbeck alludes to Biblical characters through Jim Casy and Rose of Sharon, events like the family’s journey to California and the flood at the end of the novel, and teachings throughout the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Biblical allusions represented by the characters in the novel are most obvious in the characters of Jim Casy and Rose of Sharon. However, the Joad family is made up of twelve including Connie, much like the twelve disciples that followed Jesus. Connie represents the traitor, the Judas figure who had betrayed Jesus the night of his arrest when he walks out on his family for selfish reasons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jim Casy is an allusion to Jesus Christ. They have the same initials and live their lives as examples of their beliefs; Jesus to the world and Casy to Tom. Casy even compares himself to Christ when he says, â€Å"I got tired like Him, an’ I got mixed up like Him, an’ I went into the wilderness like Him, without no campin’ stuff† (105). In the first half of the book Casy is thinking and forming his ideas. He changes from a thinker to a man of action when he sacrifices himself for Tom. When in prison Casy sees the advantage of organizing people to achieve a common goal. When Casy tried to put his ideas into action he, like Christ, aroused the antago...

Johannes Vermeer: the Procuress and Woman Holding a Balance

Johannes Vermeer: The Procuress and Woman Holding a Balance Johannes Vermeer was born in 1632 in the Dutch city of Delft where he lived his whole life. His early childhood has not been documented; however, he was the son of a silk worker. It is suspected that at an early age, Vermeer took apprenticeship under a man named LeonartBramer, a local artist. Vermeer created his first painting in 1656called, The Procuress,Oil on Canvas,which appears hanging on the wall in some of his later paintings(Wheelock).In his twenties, Vermeer was wealthy enough to own a large house with an attached inn, he probably sold paintings here. When his father died in 1952, it is assumed that Vermeer inherited his father’s business (National Gallery of Art). Vermeer was married in 1653 to a woman of the Catholic religion, Catharina Bolenes. It is suggested that Vermeer might have converted to Catholicism in order to marry the young woman. Vermeer was raised as a protestant by his parents as he was bapt ized in 1632 in the Reformed Church of Delft (Konig).It might have also been a possibility that the parents of the maiden convinced Vermeer to become Catholic in order to marry their daughter to him. A particular painting called, The Allegory of Faith. Oil on Canvas, was a very religious painting made by Vermeer in approximately 1670. Having 14 children by his wife, four of them died at birth(Wheelock). Vermeer painted approximately 35 paintings his whole career. Most of his paintings were interior style paintings with people portrayed in them. His first paintings were mainly historical paintings.Later on in his life, he produced mostly interiors with just one or two people contained in them, mostly women. Most of these paintings featured either a woman alone by herself completing some sort of everyday task or a very symbolic painting such as Woman Holding a Balance. c. 1664. Oil on Canvas, which will be discussed later. Often the light enters Vermeer's paintings from a window. He w as quite a well-organized artist when it came to the way light is depicted as bouncing off of the objects contained within his paintings(National Gallery of Art). Vermeer became a member of the local guild in 1653; a guild is a sort of lub or apprenticeship program for painters in the early modern Europe region. Some of Vermeer’s first works were historical or religious in nature when he first joined the local guild (Wadum). It seems that Vermeer’s style changed a few years after joining the guild into what we now know his works as, interior paintings of figures. Vermeer was highly recognized in Delft as a well-established artist, however, he was sparsely known elsewhere while he was still alive(Scottish National Gallery). In the final stages of Vermeer’s life, he was heavily in debt.This was probably attributed to the invasion of the Dutch Republic, in which, Delft was located, by the French. This sent the economy into a downward spiral and many people did not have the money or the need to buy art. The lack of sales of his artwork made Vermeer and his wife become heavily indebted. In 1675, probably induced by the rough economic times, Vermeer died and was buried in Delft, he was 43 years old (National Gallery of Art). Vermeer’s wife auctioned off a couple of his paintings after his death in order to pay for the debts that the family owed. Mrs.Vermeer also filed for bankruptcy so that she could recover from the heavy debt burden which was left from her husband. The ending to Vermeer’s life seems like a sad story, however, centuries later his work went recognized globally(Liedtke). Many of Vermeer’s paintings were not even credited to him until 200 years after his death. A French critic in 1866 declared most of the 35 paintings we know to be created by Vermeer today as his originals. It seems that Vermeer’s paintings never left the small town of Delft until a couple hundred years after his death(Wheelock).Today, one may recognize Vermeer’s paintings all around the world and we celebrate his delicate balance of light and tones to create mostly quiet and peaceful paintings. The Procuress. c. 1656. Oil on Canvas,was one of Vermeer’s first paintings and it is also one of the most controversial because many scholars believe that Vermeer himself is pictured in this painting because of the style in which the smiling young man is inserted into the painting. The figure of a smiling young man seems to be inserted into the left hand side of a sort of provocative scene, this figure is assumed to be Vermeer.The setting seems to be in a dimly lit room with the background having a cave or tavern like appearance to it. The background is gray and sort of blurred with one dimly lit light that radiates out of the background from behind a person. One person is dressed in black with a hood wrapped around his head and appears both between the background and in the foreground adding the feel of dept h to the painting. It is hard to tell what this person’s gender is except that he seems to be gawking at a woman across the painting, therefore, one may assume the person must be male.There are four people that appear in this painting. The people, starting from the left side of the painting are: first, the supposed Vermeer himself, second, the man dressed in black in the background behind everyone else, third, a man who may have been in the military and lastly, a woman upon whom all the men, except Vermer, are gawking. The theme of the painting seems to be a drunken scene in which men are paying a woman to perform provocative things. The man dressed in red appears to be in the military because of his hat and the fact that most people in the military during this time wore red.His long brown hair is covered by a hat which appears either dirty or is colored brown. The hat seems to have a ribbon wrapped around it and a feather sticking from it; it seems to be one of the typical D utch hats of this era. The man’s long flowing red coat has a gold stripe which runs down each sleeve. As one’s eyes follow down this man’s sleeve, which seems to be the natural flow of the painting,one may reach the center or focal point of the painting. The man in the red coat is holding out a golden coin in the kind of hand gesture that indicates that he is about to flip the coin out of his hand.Then, one may follow the view down below the centered coin and see a woman, who is sitting in front of the red coated man, holding out her hand as if she is about to receive the golden coin that the red coated man is about to flip out of his hand. Looking at the woman, she is wearing a bright yellow sweater and a white bonnet. Her right breast is being handled by the man wearing the red coat. The man is either paying the woman to fondle her breast or for some kind of later services. In the woman’s right hand she is holding a glass, probably containing some kind of alcohol, due to the nature of the scene.Immediately next to the woman’s glass, sits a fancy looking vase or pitcher of some sort. In the foreground, is a fancy carpet with painted leaves of gold, flowing red lines and black symbols appear to be draped over a rail which covers all of the figure’s legs. Over this carpet, on the left side, directly in front of Vermeer is someone’s long overcoat draped over the rail and the carpet. As we come back to the supposed figure of Vermeer, appearing on the left side, we notice in his hand a glass filled with alcohol.We can come to the conclusion that the glass contains alcohol because he is holding his glass up as if giving a toast. His smile seems to be like that of happy drunken man. He must be enjoying the company of the woman pictured across the painting and also his alcoholic beverage. He seems to be the narrator of the painting as he is the only figure starring directly at the viewer (Wheelock). All lines and shape s of this colorful, yet dark back grounded painting seem to be flowing outward in all directions from the center point or core of the painting.The core of the painting is the golden coin being transacted into the woman’s hand as all objects seem to flow from it. As Vermeer’s first painting, The Procuress. c 1656. Oil on Canvas, is very flowing and action-packed. The last painting the writer will discuss is also by Johannes Vermeer. Woman Holding a Balance. c. 1664. Oil on Canvas, contained in the text book on p. 65 (Getlein). This quiet, sort of still, painting seems very simple at first glance. A woman in a dark room appearing to play with a scale and the only light coming through a small window makes for a sort of calm, peaceful painting.However, it is not as quiet and peaceful as it appears at first glance. The jeweler’s balance is the core of the painting as it is in the dead center of the painting with a small amount of light reflected off its metal edges f rom the window. The jeweler’s balance is also the object of the theme of the painting which is a question of life’s vanities balanced against the coming judgment(Getlein). After taking one’s eyes off of the jeweler’s balance,one may follow down to the table beneath and see the light reflected off of golden or pearl necklaces and other types of jewels.On the left side of the painting,one may see a mirror with light reflected from it directly, in front of the woman. If she looked up she would be able to see herself. Than we see the window’s light flow in onto the woman, and also a painting hanging on the wall behind the woman. The painting is very dark looking, but upon further examination, it is the seen to be the Last Judgment and Jesus in the painting is depicted as directly over the woman’s head. The woman is either fat or pregnant. According to Getlein, her form is that of a pregnant woman and the writer agrees. Her face and arms are oo s kinny in proportion to her body, if she were just overweight. She is wearing a black and white garment that looks similar to a winter coat with a hood over her head. She is wearing this coat over her long, flowing dress. The lines of this painting flow from the window to the jeweler’s balance, down to the jewels, up to the woman’s face and beyond to the painting of the Last Judgment. The background of this painting contains a grey wall with the painting of the last judgment contained on it and the light from the window shining across both the wall and the painting.One may barely notice the painting contained within this painting at first glance, except for, the slight glimmer of light upon the right side of the frame. The darkness of this painting may indicate to the viewer that the coming judgment encroaches upon a person quickly and that one may do well to notice the object of the painting, within the painting, which is the coming Savior. The foreground of the painti ng is the pregnant woman; a table and jewelslayingon the table and in front of it, represent the objects of vanity.The idea of the painting is supposed to be birth, death and the balancing of objects of vanity against things that matter like one’s ultimate judgment by Christ. The mirror also reveals a personal evaluation. This mirror is symbolic of one’s self-knowledge, the writer supposes that this self-knowledge is the knowledge of what a person knows is right and wrong and their choice between the two. The writer believesthe ultimate message of this painting to be that one must balance their everyday lives and not get too caught up in the everyday riches of life.Things which are eternal and unseen matter more than the objects one sees glimmering in the sunlight of the window, at any given moment. The way that the room appears totally dark, except for, the small amount of sunlight shining through the window, the way that the light reflects upon the woman and shines o ff of the jewels and the frame of the Last Judgment, the way that the light scatters throughout the painting makes this one of the most interesting and captivating works by Vermeer.The way Vermeer makes the picture appear dark at first glance, but then, gently and with flow, one is able to see all the objects contained within. A delicate balance of light and dark truly brings the theme of this painting to life out of its overall gloominess. In conclusion, the writer has chosen this artist because he was impressed with Vermeer’sWoman Holding a Balance. c. 1664. Oil on Canvas. He was impressed with the symbolism of the painting, the flow of it and the realistic nature it presents.He then chose another interesting work by Vermeer and analyzed it and became impressed with Vermeer’s The Procuress. c. 1656. Oil on Canvas. Upon further study of Vermeer, the writer is glad he has chosen such a talented artist of this era. The writer is amazed with the progression of skill that Vermeer seemed to have accomplished from his first painting, The Procuress. c. 1656. Oil on Canvas to one of his latter day paintings Woman Holding a Balance. c. 1664. Oil on Canvas. The progressions of symbolism as Vermeer’s life had matured are reflected in his paintings.The writer has noticed that in the early stages of Vermeer’s career, he tended to paint more provocative styled works, whereas, as he matured his paintings became gentler, quaint and often had religious themes. It is interesting to note that like Vermeer’s life, one often finds their own life to be progressing into maturity as the years move on. The writer is glad that Vermeer has documented his maturity, unknowingly, through his works of art. Works Cited Getlein, Mark. Living with Art, 9th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. pp. 64-65 Koning, Hans. 1977. The World of Vermeer.Time-Life Books, New York Liedtke, Walter. â€Å"The Cambridge Companion to Vermeer (Cambridge Companions to the History of Art). † 2001. Essential Vermeer. com. 11 September 2012 ;http://www. essentialvermeer. com/cat_about/christ. html;. National Gallery of Art. Vermeer- Biography. n. d. 04 September 2012 ;http://www. nga. gov/feature/vermeer/bio. shtm;. National Gallery of Scotland. Johannes Vermeer Biography. n. d. 01 September 2012 ;http://www. artbible. info/art/large/169. html;. Scottish National Gallery. â€Å"The Young Vermeer. † n. d. National Galleries. org. 05 September 2012