Superstition

This paper aims to explore the theme superstition as a form of uncanny mysterious happening that have been witnessed and continue to be witnessed in everyday of our lives. The expression ‘superstition' is sometimes taken to be a simply mean an insult, which is, therefore, not vulnerable to objective meaning and it undoubtedly can be used in this manner. However, when for instance we think through some occurrences that everyone would undoubtedly agree to call superstitious, making doves appear from nowhere, changing clothes to money, waving introvert magpies, saying ‘break a leg', blowing on cards or dice before playing and rolling them, putting on a lucky t-shirt to a baseball match, we shall realize that in fact, they epitomize rather a close and easily clear group. In the above case, the superstition explicitly or implicitly affirms a particular causative connection without comprehending any explanation of it workings. A candidate at an examination, who fails to express confidence because ‘it would bring a misfortune' does not know of the ways by which, the curse would take effect. Someone strolling at night and make a wish on a shooting star cannot tell who or what might hear his or her wish and make it come true. An entrepreneur who once made a bad fortune when there were thorn flowers in the room and who now rejects to have the same in his or her house has no philosophy as to why he or she thinks the thorn flowers are unfortunate, these are just but a few examples to go by. Many people fear the word when they hear someone affiliate with it because they think that it's a source of evil work. Indeed, if by any explanation there were evidences, the word ‘superstition' would no longer seem particularly applicable.Introduction Superstition has had a significant influence in the lives of people probably since the beginning of the world. For centuries, human being have clung to the practices as well as, believes encompassing the uncanny phenomena. The superstitious traditions have continued ever since time immemorial even after pieces of evidence being produced by the work of science to explain what was in the past considered supernatural. Superstitious rituals dating back in the middle ages are still witnessed in practice today. However, the kind of things in superstition like hitting on wood or having a horse shoe hanged at the door did not emanate just like that. They were taken with great significance and were presupposed to have various consequences. Superstition, ad is denoted by the dictionary, thesaurus and oxford, is â€Å"excessively, credulous belief and reverence for the supernatural.† The belief was in no other time greater and excessive as in the middle age period's where a simple blow on your face could send you to unknown destination, a simple sneeze could take someone's life, and witches used broomsticks to fly around at night as well as conjuring spells were done by Jewish sorcerers. The mysterious circumstances in those ancient periods, were put forth by the imaginations of our descendants. In these times, before science had its roots, simple happening were described as mysterious and supernatural. For instance, a simple shadow cast, probably at midnight during moonlight would be considered as a person's reflection of their soul. Sounds at night were considered to be from ghosts and genies and this instilled lots of fear to the generation of the time. There was the personification of natural phenomena in those days. The purpose of this paper is to discover the roots of the uncanny superstition, the beneficial use of it if any to people, the consequences and instances, why was it used and who were using it, the power of the this preternatural phenomenal, the various beliefs among others. The roots of superstitionSuperstition as far as we are concerned is said to have been there from the beginning of mankind. Theories have been put forward to explain this unnatural phenomenon. Firstly, it is thought that superstition comes when a person's desire is beyond their ability in what is called the implorative desire or mind. For instance, if a person is in dire need of a car or money and he or she has no means of obtaining it but then hears of an available psychic or witch somewhere who could make it possible for them to get what they wanted without any struggles. This will eventually drive him or her to the psychic or the witch due to the strong desire and need. Secondly, a fearful mind is also said to be a root of superstition. For instance, a family that has experience consecutive death of their relatives would have some form of fear that would drive them to seek some wizard's intervention for why has it been that there has been the same cause of death for all the relative of theirs. More stories such as this of repetitious and mysterious causes often results into some form of superstition. As human beings, each and every one of us has their own fears as well as wishes. If the two happen to exist then it eventually and likely to lead to superstition unless there is some form of holy intervention in a person. No matter how a person may appear educated, if the mind is filled with a fear and wishes that are beyond their abilities then definitely they would become superstitious. It is natural that part of humans is filled with fear and greed, therefore, on their search for satisfaction and peace people tend to be reliant on their dark side, the superstitious power. The law of Cause and EffectThis is consider to be the law of truth as well as natural concept that people do rarely think about. It is human nature that human beings always want to have the consequence that are disproportionate with the source like craving for something big outside their reach. Absence of self-confidence, uncontrollable wishes, as well as, worries are all what will make people become superstitious. People ought to understand that it's their deeds that cause all effect whether successful or not, rich or poor, either bad or good. Also they should understand no effect is coincidental, from nowhere, it takes diligence and clear mind to achieve. If we make good deeds then the end result is good if we make our deeds bad then there would be no good at the end of it all and such leads to superstitious being. The superstition explicitly or implicitly affirms a particular causative connection without comprehending any explanation of it workings. A candidate at an examination, who fails to express confidence because ‘it would bring a misfortune' does not know of the ways by which, the curse would take effect. It is worth noting that all things in life whether nice or wicked are not merely existent but comes from a cause that we made before (Kim 641-658). Therefore, there is need for good causes in all our endeavors. The law of â€Å"cause and effect† varies from the current to the future life hence is not just an ordinary discipline of study. The big emphasis is that we should proudly as well as, courageously, accept the consequences of our deeds whether they are good or bad without any form of grief, fear or worries because they are what we have sown from the beginning. If we make the cause then even the effect is our end result as well and we should learnt to be responsible of our own self. There is the aim to remain bright and thoughtful while making decision which is the cause so as we prepare for the best effects later that would be easy to accept. By understanding and making believe in the law of cause as well as, effect, we take control of our cause for the upcoming effect. We also make sure that we remain so thoughtful and smart while making our decisions. We are also encourage to keep our greed and fear thought in control as well, for us to be responsible for our deeds.Our superstitious MindA lot of people can attest to have always had their lives threatened at some by the scare warning they were used to hear people say. Things like try as much to avoid encounters with black cats at night, don't go under those sheds of trees or cabins at during late hours, every 13th day coinciding with Friday is a bad lack and so forth. Well, the fact is many believed this to be true and had really avoided such encounters and locked themselves in their houses just to make sure s uch myth are not part of their happenstances. It is said that, these beliefs could happen too those who really and truly believe them to be true and the same is not the case for those who takes them as a mere scare (Vyse 467). However, some of these myth posed a positive effect to the people because they help to shape their behaviors, this is to say, and not all of these superstitious were negative. It was a way to make the mind believe on the wrongs to be avoided and the rights to be done. Nevertheless, there are so many cultures around the world that have hold on to these beliefs to date. Are there certain things that make people to hold on to these beliefs? If yes, how do they perceive them? Are they really things they should hold on? And so forth. There are so many questions that would need answers that would be difficult to find, if we tried get into this and dig deeply. There are several and various extents of superstitions in the world we live in, that we keep hearing of. In this extent, superstitions themselves can be from the smallest actions like people in a casino using simple trick to win money, and other actions that people certainly do to make them avoid back lack and increase their chances of getting what they want, to some big forms like disappearing from sight of audiences. So whether, trying to win, or wearing a lucky scarf and getting out of sight, all these can be considered to be superstitious things because they can never be performed by a normal human being. Being mindful of what we do is a good way to avoiding unwanted consequences in future. A good human being, is one who learns from their past mistakes to make their future a better one than where they are from. The cause and effect is very helpful subject to understand and make good out of it.Three Doors to Freedom from Superstitious MindsHow can we teach ourselves to be free from thought that might be superstitious? Here are better ways to make our intentions right. First we need to understand the doors to our freedom. The emptiness is the first, having no desires is the second and the last is formlessness. Anyone who grasps these situations will have the intelligence see the real truth about every aspect in human existences. These contain no arrangements because they are comprised of combination of various casual features. Based on cause all beings are called â€Å"hollowness† because of their illusory nature. If they have physical systems, then there is no blending. People ought to try and discover the actual form in the make-up. The professional have specified that it compromises of four components, air, the earth, and fire, as well as, water. Therefore, missing either of them, would degenerate the body. And when either of them is the controlling or in other words, the dominant portion, our bodies become functionless. Another issue would be how they can be in line when there is a considerable amount of conflict between them? We therefore got the obligation balance them by having the right foods. Which of the considerations is the overriding in our heads? (Patil 411). It is the beliefs that we hold that give rise to either desirable or the undesirable natures that affect how we involve ourselves in the ways that are not permissive. The three doors emphasized by the theory is the one good way that when observed would allow us to avoid all the thing that pre-occupy of heads with dirty stuffs which shifts our rightful thinking. The way we carry our burdens in our mind, by this is to mean the things that distract us in our everyday life determines how we release them back out to other people. A mind that keeps on wishing without coordinating the body to work hard will always have superstitious thoughts to fulfill the wishes. All said and done, the next thing that can influence our thought to be evil are the people we keep around us. If we have friends who keep suggesting negative motives like stealing, fighting, causing chaos then we would always be driven to the dark side of thoughts. We therefore have to be very mindful of the close people we have because we never know there intentions towards us.Just as earlier mentioned, the big emphasis is that we should proudly as well as, courageously, accept the consequences of our deeds whether they are good or bad without any form of grief, fear or worries because they are what we have sown from the beginning. If we make the cause then even the effect is our end result as well and we should learnt to be responsible of our own selfThe Power of SuperstitionThe phenomenon has been seen to cause more harm than good. Magician who have taken the upfront to using superstition are very capable of doing dangerous stuffs that are very destructive. For instance, we see them in our television performing scary of event that leave us holding our mouths. Imagine if such a person decides to go bad, what harm they would be capable of. aSuperstition in Julius CaesarIn some ancient days, superstition was a significant perception in the Roman times, as it was the fueling force in uncountable actions of the people at the time. To them it was considered a historical believe. The phenomenon was seen as a strengthening factor with their gods. This is well brought up by a play by Shakespeare called Julius Caesar, named after the great ruler of the Romans at the time. Superstition is used in the play repeatedly to foreshadow the death of the ruler by his friend Brutus who eventually as well, kills himself due to conscious guilt. Shakespeare expresses the awareness that many people tried to get the better of what the future held, such as ill-fated events, by being superstitious. This is exceptionally prominent in Julius Caesar, as it effects the day to day regular daily life of the Roman citizens. From ghosts to half-naked and thonged men, nearly every individual had to deal with the uncanny, a mission that many seemed to take as life changing. In Julius Caesar, superstitious motives within the characters change their choices concerning life, revenge, and death (Beckett 17).This was a time in Roman when sex was a glorification and unfertile women would sought help to be able to procreate while, the fertile ones sought more children by use of superstition. We see from the story that Caesar is approached by an old man by the name of Soothsayer who warns him of his coming death by â€Å"the ides of March,† through foretelling but Caesar ignores that by saying he is a dreamer and just as foretold, he is stubbed to death with among them being Brutus, close friend to him. Being a good friend to Caesar, Brutus was blindly lured by Cassius to plot to kill him which they did. Later on, a ghost of Caesar appears to Brutus assuring him that they would meet. Due to this form of superstition, Brutus thought he was meant to die and he took his own life as a result. All This are all instances of superstitions at the time. It also shows how significantly superstition changed the actions of the characters together with how it affected their lives (Chibnall & McFarlane 252).Superstition as a Survival MechanismAs long as superstition is regarded to be involving dark magic and mysterious power it has been of benefit to others mostly in the ancient days where it was used for protection and security to guard against possible enemies. As depicted in various movies and films today, the same was the case though not as exaggerated as such. A lot of people use some ritual emulate to help them do better in what they are working on. They feel that it gives them a boost to motivate them and increase their confidences. Personal superstitious way of thinking is another mechanisms people use to think in some manner that prepares someone to get defense from displeasure, heartbreaks and disappointment. In this regard, the old traditions and cultures use superstitious powers to guard their communities from attack. Possible attackers may never locate their allies in their attempt for an attack also, the same was use by witches to escape when they become hunted down. They would either disappear or make their enemies lose track of them by somehow using their black magic on them and as a result they would be safe. However, due to human nature, some of this was used in the wrong way like making people suffer for no good reason. Also some would use their so called â€Å"super powers† to steal from other without having being notice thereby causing loss of property. Those who have been said to use the phenomenon as a means to survive have also been using it to influence factors to their benefit. If for instance, a bank is demanding payment from such people and they don't have any cash to settle out the loans, they would use paper and make these look like real money then give it to the former who might not even notice. This is just to emphasize that magic and superstition go hand in hand and whatever reason it is used for then there can never be the right form of it because it has had more bad than goodConclusionIn conclusion, this phenomenon called superstition is an influence that is destructive in our society, which, has twisted many people who are worried and nervous, lack of self-confidence, and have a dull thoughts as well as, evil mind. To wish for a healthy society, we can't accept superstition. We have a duty to spread and share the good teachings about self-confidence, of self-emancipation as well as, clarification. So how can we be superstitious? Though, there are many people who will suggest their groups to seek God's interventions when they have problems of any nature. It doesn't matter how many problems there are, there will always be a better way to solve them all.

Counseling Techniques

The choice of the counseling technique to be used in a counseling session differs from the preference of a counselor to counselor but there are certain factors that influence the choice of counseling technique, a counselor is likely to apply in a given counseling situation.However the following factors influence the choice of the technique; suitability for the counseling technique to the prevailing needs of the client, the effectiveness of the counseling technique which is determined by the recorded success rate of the past use of the counseling resource as well as the situation of the counseling which is an important factor that needs to be considered before moving to the counseling. Creative counseling technique involves the use of dialogue, behaviour change as well as communication, movement and the sense of touch.Under the creative approach, the counselors’ use writings, the sense of touch artwork and speech to cause improvement to a patient’s mental health and inca ses or organizations or groups of people, the creative approach is aimed at improving relationships between individuals such as members of a family (Jacobs, 1992). Creative technique in counseling is easy to understand and apply as it depends on the use of resources locally available which both the patient and the counsellor can relate with.Creative counseling technique allows further use of visual aids, sense of movement that leads people to connect with each other easily. Conclusion A creative counseling technique is an effective method in that it allows for the utilization of many approaches which combine to yield lots of benefits to those who receive the counseling. Creative counseling is also important in that it can be widely applied in different contexts such as family, individual and teams. Reference Jacobs, E. (1992): Creative Counselling Techniques:An illustrated guide. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

Humanity Essay

People not only have a responsibility to others in the world, but an obligation to follow through,a s much as is possible, to shape a future world where conditions provide the best opportunities for all people to secure safety and happiness. Such a belief has often been regarded as â€Å"utopian† or highly idealistic, but it may be the case that actual conditions on the planet earth will reveal that utopianism is actually a form of pragmatism and that idealism, at least to some degree is a necessary component of social and political thinking. I regard this belief as a form of social responsibility. Social responsibility can be defined as â€Å"†balancing the pursuit of one’s individual goals with the needs of others in establishing a safe and just world and ensuring the continuation of a democratic society. † (Robinson, and Hayes, 2002, p. 6). The challenges of the twenty-first century, whether economic or environmental, cultural or biological will require new methods of thinking and behaving at both the individual and social levels. There must be an emphasis on changing the perceptions, particularly in twenty-first century America, which many people have about the nature of personal responsibility and personal empowerment. While it seems obvious enough to say, as President Barack Obama asserted in his book The Audacity of Hope, that new generations of Americans are â€Å"waiting for a politics with the maturity to balance idealism and realism, to distinguish between what can and cannot be compromised† (Obama, 2004. . 42) the ramifications of such a politics of maturity and realism extend to many important areas of American society including economics, technology, and philosophy and religion. What is necessary for America to meet the challenges of the future is a social cultural acceptance of the fact that responsibility, and not merely the pursuit of self-interests, is a path to personal empowerment. This last statement may seem contradictory to many Americans. A great number of people view themselves in purely materialistic terms and want what they can get out of society without taking any personal responsibility for the consequences. For some people, life holds no meaning outside of its material dimension and this loss of meaning in American culture has consequences beyond the immediately personal: â€Å"We have no choice, we are constantly told, because of economic forces, our unconscious, or our genes. Yet, at the same time, we live in a world that presents us with endless choices† (Sardar, 2006, p. ). As strange as it sounds, the only way to break the cycle of endless anxiety over our limitless freedom is by accepting responsibility for the choices we make. This is a kind of paradox in American society, â€Å"We want to have it both ways, and so we end up confused and cynical. Our obsession with individuality and self-interest further erodes personal and collective responsibility† (Sardar, 2006, p. 3) which means, the les s one begins to value their own existence the less responsibility they will feel for their actions. To accept responsibility is, in itself, to accept that life is meaningful and to accept that life in meaningful is an act of self-empowerment. we must learn to understand that â€Å"Freedom is both a gift and a challenge. It has value only when we respect it and enhance it individually and collectively. And when we exercise it with responsibility. † (Sardar, 2006, p. 3 ). In this way, a change in the basic philosophical vision present in American culture may help us to begin to make inroads against the challenges which face us in the new world. Wendell Berry’s persuasive argument that many modern conceptions of progress and happiness are rooted in ignorance and self-deception finds substantial validation in even a cursory glance of modern media and political discourse. Looked at more closely, the misconceptions ably identified by Wendell Berry in the Western (and particularly American) vision of life and life responsibilities, cast an illuminating light on contemporary government, American foreign policy, and many urgent social crises. Most obvious is the relationship between Berry’s observation that â€Å"The higher aims of â€Å"technological progress† are money and ease† and the recent almost epidemic instances of corporate corruption (and corruption in government) whereby CEO’s have garnered massive bonuses and pay-increases whilst robbing their shareholders and workers of profits and pensions. The corresponding downfall of powerful political figures in the United States Congress, as well as their lobbyist counterparts for racketeering, bribery, and other financial crimes indicates how widespread is the oligarchical strain of political morals in contemporary society. Wasteful projects such as the â€Å"†Big Dig† in Massachusetts (estimated at $2. 5 billion in 1985, over $14. 6 billion had spent in federal and state tax dollars by 2006), as well as the highly-publicized Tyco and Enron financial scandals affirm Berry’s contention that far from securing a worthy future, the immediate greed and gratification of â€Å"big money† has motivated corporate and political leaders to sacrifice the future and well-being of myriad other individuals and the nation as a whole in favor of selfish, personal gain. This type of greed, based on the fallacious assumption of preserving one’s future extends throughout the social hierarchy of America, with most, if not all industries and pursuits subordinated to it; as Berry remarks â€Å"Surely the aim cannot be the integrity or happiness of our families, which we have made subordinate to the education system, the television industry, and the consumer economy† (Berry,1990. p206). The reality is that most families are useful to the controlling interests of the American economy as charted demographics which allow individual economic resources to be targeted at â€Å"tapped† by the said controlling interests. Corporate America, the media, and the governments themselves function as subsidiaries of the overall obsession with wealth and the increase of personal fortunes. The quest for personal enrichment, the acquiescence to greed, predicated on the unknowable future is self-rationalizing behavior. Ironically, it is also self-destructive behavior and also portends the possible destruction of the global environment. Were humanity truly concerned for the future, Berry argues, we would embrace the good things we know about the present such as water, oxygen, trees, oceans, mountains, and wildlife, and see to it that these good things endure â€Å"If we take care of the world of the present, the future will have received full justice from us. A good future is implicit in the soils, forests, grasslands, marshes, deserts, mountains, rivers, lakes, and oceans that we have now† (Berry,1990. 16) One implied irony in Berry’s observations is that technology, the science which is supposed to bring our society to a great modern crest, has actually pushed us further into primitive superstition and savagery. Our modern totems are money and power; and we rape the environment rather than protecting it. We use our knowledge to destroy rather than preserve, and, at its pinnacle, technology, so Berry insinuates, has as one of its outcomes, the utter destruction of human thought. If one’ motives are money, ease, and haste to arrive in a technologically determined future, then the answer is foregone, and there is, the fact, no question, and no thought† (Berry,1990. p17). The most philosophically dense and relatively unsupported point which Berry attempts to make is the connection between a rejection of dehumizing technology and religious faith. â€Å"If one’s motive is the love of family, community, country, and God, then one will have to think, and one may have to decide that thee proposed innovation is undesirable† (Berry,1990. p17). With this conclusion, Berry seems to depart from the more linear and persuasive argument he previously offered. After all, if, as he insists, â€Å"We cannot think about the future, of course, for the future does no exist: the existence of the future is an article of faith† (Berry,1990. p17) then surely the substantiation of God or any moral or political belief predicated on the existence of God is similarly â€Å"an article of faith. † Taking Berry’s comments another way: that religious â€Å"faith† comprises a panacea to an abiding though sorely misplaced faith in technology, the argument seems more tenable if no less anecdotal and emotionally based. However, it is the emotion of Berry’s remarks which lends them a convincing and urgent air, which is suitable for the topics at hand. Unfortunately, outside of a faith in God, a dedication to one’s family, and a respect and love for the earth and its environment, Berry offers very few insights into how the prevailing destructive beliefs and practices he describes may be combated or changed. His arguments about selfishness and the hollow pursuit of material wealth as opposed to communal or national prosperity seem well reasons and are substantiate by contemporary facts. His arguments against technology seem a bit less well-reasoned and incomplete, based on emotional rather than evidential criteria. Though Berry’s imploring tone seems to fall short of providing even the slightest recommendation of pragmatic applications to reverse or undo the environmental and cultural damage that has come from America’s mortgaged future, his overall diagnoses of the problems facing our â€Å"Plutocracy† are persuasive and articulated with aplomb. As Barack Obama points out, economics in the twenty-first century no longer function along the same models they had embodied for years. He writes that â€Å"In this more competitive global environment, the old corporate formula of steady profits and stodgy management no longer worked† (Obama, 2004, p. 156). What Obama is driving at with this statement can be considered an aspect of â€Å"humanizing† economics, a must-needed step for America in the twenty-first century. By accepting responsibility for our actions we will understand the connections between the injustices and disparities in society and the damages which have been inflicted upon the environment. Though some of our challenges may be economic and some may be based in moral and ethical issues, the unifying factor is always: human responsibility. We begin to understand ourselves much more clearly and understand our challenges more clearly when we admit that we live in a world which â€Å"desperately needs fixing and in which denial is seductively easy and cheap, at least for a time. We must acknowledge and seek to understand the connection between poverty, social injustice, and environmental degradation. † (Orr, 2002, p. 89) Barack Obama’s insistence that the new economics has paved a way clear of the old economics which stressed only self-interests and profits is a key to understanding the kind of view of business and corporate responsibility which will have to be embraced in American society as we move forward to accept our responsibilities and meet the challenges of the future. Instead of viewing purely money and material growth as the only forms of â€Å"profit† in business, corporations of the future will begin to realize that â€Å"business behavior and government policy toward business requires, more than ever, an appreciation of the firm’s human dimensions, the dimensions left out of the neoclassical theory† (Tomer, 1999, p. 1). The future corporation will accept responsibility for its actions and view itself as shaped by not only â€Å"market forces but by societal ones† (Tomer, 1999, p. 9) and in so recognizing other forms of â€Å"success† and â€Å"profit† namely, the maintaining of ethical and environmental standards which contribute to the overall growth and well-being of humanity may over-ride present-day obsession with self-interest and materialistic profit. If Barack Obama’s writings in â€Å"The Audacity of Hope† are any real indication of the politician of the future — or the President of the future — it si clear that America still has the capacity to grown and recognize leaders who can summon a bold-enough vision as well as present workable solutions to meet the challenges we have at least partially created for ourselves. Obviously, I disagree with the suggestion that all the worlds problems and injustices can be eliminated, but I do believe that positive change can be made and that better conditions can be achieved. Here is why. My generation faces so many different challenges, ranging from war to global poverty, from the impact of technology to the scarcity of natural resources, that it is difficult to assign a single challenge as most crucial or important. However, because the challenges of the twenty-first century, whether economic or environmental, cultural or biological will require new methods of thinking and behaving at both the individual and social levels, the biggest challenge that faces my generation is one of changing the perceptions which many people have about the nature of personal responsibility and personal empowerment. I see changing this essentially self-perceptive issue as a key for facing the specific, concrete challenges that we will face in the future. In my opinion, it is not only possible, but morally imperative, that the social inequalities and injustices of the world be addressed with an eye toward influencing productive change in the world. It is, in fact, possible to make the world a better place. The most important factor, in my opinion, regarding the formation of an ideal society, would be the individual liberties of each of the citizens in that society. To me, a society which contained too may laws or rules, whether intended to ensure liberty or simply to oppress people, would be contrary to a utopia. Any ideal society must ensure the freedom of its citizens while simultaneously preserving their safety and the productivity of the society as a whole. Therefore, although it may sound somewhat far-fetched, the most important reform in my ideal society would be concerned with educational reform. In my vision of utopia, knowledge would be considered the most important â€Å"possession† or accomplishment. Instead of testing people for aptitude in a hierarchical fashion, I belive IQ and other tests should be sued early on in someone’s life to determine where their particular strengths and talents are centered and then that person would be encouraged to pursue these talents and aptitudes without regard of race, sexual orientation, religion, political or cultural biases. Due to the fact that individual liberty is the keystone of my utopian beliefs, no-one in an idealized society should be forced to pursue any endeavor whether they have aptitude for it or not, but all should be encouraged to find their inner-talent and special interests as the highest achievable goal in life. That and respecting the rights of all others to pursue their individual talent and skills and interests. Because I realize that the first and foremost plank of my utopian platform necessitates changing deeply rooted racial, gender-based, and cultural prejudices, it is worth pointing out that â€Å"utopias† are defined, not in terms of practicality and pragmatism, but on imaginative depth and vision, so that â€Å"the influence of utopian writings has generally been inspirational rather than practical. † (â€Å"Utopia, 2004†) This allows for utopian thinkers to â€Å"dream away,† as it were, and this liberty allows me to offer my second most critical element in an ideal society. This second point falls squarely under the category â€Å"economic utopia. † In my vision of an idealized society, money would be completely eliminated. The reason that money would be eliminated is because economic interests traditionally have displaced moral ideals in capitalist societies. Corporation work to obfuscate moral responsibility: â€Å"levels of complexity are added by confusion between descriptions and prescriptions of social responsibility, between what is and what ought to be, and between moral obligation and legal obligation† (Besser, 2002, p. 4). In my ideal society, religion would be primarily left to the individual and there would be no government sanctioning or endorsement of any single religion. Again, this is an impossible social requirement, but the vision of utopia I have would not contain the existence of exclusionary religions, religious ideas taught in public schools or religious ideas being used as a basis for common morality. Instead, a civi l ethic would replace what has in the past been seen as a religious ethic. Because my ideal society would contain neither organized religion or money, I believe that the two most important barriers to personal liberty and happiness would be removed from most people’s lives. Because self-determination would be the highest priority in my utopia, family conflicts and other interpersonal relationships would also play a less-permanent role in people’s lives,encouraging them to view all people as equal rather than those of their family or race or region being more â€Å"familiar† and subsequently more preferred or sympathized with. Most of the social changes in my utopia are probably unachievable and yet I believe by making only a few, albeit radical, changes in social vision and structure, a better world could be realized and a wider spread of happiness and contentment might be embraced; it is the idea that these changes could happen, even if they are unlikely, that defines a utopia.

The Impact Of EU Membership on Estonia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

The Impact Of EU Membership on Estonia - Essay Example loose monetary policy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...21 Currency board†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..21 Fiscal policy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...26 Tight and loose fiscal policy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..26 Debt†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...â⠂¬ ¦27 Deficit†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦28 Maastricht criteria†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.31 Agricultural and regional conditions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.32 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.34 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.35 Appendix†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...38 1. Introduction In 1997, EU decided to give 5 central and Eastern Europe countries a chance to join EU, one of the countries was Estonia. This is where the journey of Estonia into joining the EU started. In 1998, Europe agreement came into force and this was the legal basis between Estonia and EU until 2004 when a full accession treaty was signed in 2004. The Europe agreement contained cooperation’s in political affairs, economy, trade, crime prevention and culture (Angelopoulos, Economides, and Kammas 2007, p.890). The agreement promoted bilateral relations between Estonia and European Union. The agreement also helps Estonia ambitions to grow its economy and carry out comprehensive reforms in leadership and trade. Further more, it created conditions for expansion of free trade relations. Some of the reasons why Estonia wanted to join the EU was t o have free trading conditions for agricultural products, fish products and processed agricultural products (Angelopoulos, Economides, and Kammas 2007, p.890). They also wanted the subsidies for EU agricultural products eliminated on agricultural exports and bringing to an end the unfair practice of anti dumping. Another reason was the problem of customs and duty free services that Estonia encountered

Unit IV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Unit IV - Essay Example Three years’ statements are provided for the company. In addition, statements can also be viewed on quarterly basis. This is an interesting link and shows prices for IBM stocks since December 31, 1965 to date. The information that is provided include open and close prices for the day, highest and lowest prices and total volume of transactions for the day. One can search the range of dates for which the historical stock prices are to be viewed and the system provides these readily. This link shows the industry in which the company operates. For IBM, the industry is â€Å"Diversified Computer Systems† in the â€Å"Technology† sector. It also gives a brief comparison of the company with the industry changes in stock prices. This page provides comprehensive information about IBM. This includes the full business address of the company, its website, the stock exchanges where the company is listed, number of employees (366,486 for IBM) and a brief summary of IBM together with a description of key executives and their pay package. The research reports provide various analysis of the company by different research agencies like Standard and Poor’s, Plunkett, Reuters etc. The reports are provided for existing and potential shareholders to gain an insight into company’s strategies, operations and market standings. The P/E ratio for IBM is 16.92 (as on June 28, 2007). The stock price depends upon factors like last dividend paid, dividend growth ratio and the interest rate in the market. The actual figure, though, might differ from the calculated one because other non-financial factors like market conditions, speculation, and company’s image are also critical in the actual stock price. 2. Yes. Government needs to intervene into the operations of companies from the viewpoint of a regulator. This is because these listed companies use common people’s money to develop their systems and procedures and hence, have

Utilisation - Elecrical engineering Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Utilisation - Elecrical engineering - Assignment Example In this type of lamp, there is glass tube which is filled with a mixture of mercury vapour at low pressure and argon. The inner side of the tube has a phosphorous coating which is used to illuminate the light. As current flows through the electrodes in the tube, it goes through the gas which is contained between. Consequently, there is emission of ultraviolet light from the mercury arc which is converted to visible light by the fluorescent coating found on the inside of the tube. To facilitate proper lighting in this scenario, a high mercury pressure lamp is necessary to facilitate this lighting system. This is due to the fact that this type of lamp produces less heat and uses less energy and thus it conserves energy while at the same time producing enough lighting. In the design of this type of lamp, an outer glass envelop is filled with nitrogen gas which acts as a coolant that keeps the arc tube at correct temperatures. This type of lamp contains a quartz discharge tube which is filled with argon gas and small amount of mercury which is in liquid form. Two electrodes are located at the ends of the tube which begins the discharge. A 10 – 30 â„ ¦ resistor is connected in series with the secondary electrode. On switching on the light, at first there is no current flow. Then the power supply voltage appears across the main electrode and between one of the mains electrodes and the secondary electrode through the series resistor (B & B training Associates Limited). Consequently, there is production of an arc between the secondary and the main electrode resulting in occurrence of ionisation. The pressure and the heat build-up resulting in the formation of more high pressure and vaporised and high pressure arc between the electrodes. It is made of a sintered aluminium oxide tube that is being supported by two rods. The inside of the glass is coated with white material that facilitates spreading of the light. There is a combination of sodium and

Business Analysis using PESTEL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business Analysis using PESTEL - Essay Example The main part of the report has used PESTLE framework to identify the factors that are important to be considered by the electric car manufacturers. The listed factors are then classified as highly relevant and less relevant. An impact analysis is then performed on the highly relevant factors to arrive at the most important trend to be considered. The trends as identified by the impact analysis are Government spending, Government deficit, Economic Growth, Research spending, Innovations, Safety regulations and Environmental awareness. Based on the analysis of the above factors, it is identified that the main opportunity for the electric car companies in the next 5 years is the increased environmental awareness among the people. Similarly, the main threat for electric car markets is the uncertainty about government policies. Sl. No. Topic Page No. 1 Introduction 4 - 5 2 Main body 2.1 PESTLE Analysis 2.2 Analysis of four trends 6 – 10 10 – 15 3 Conclusion 15 – 16 1. Introduction Developing a powerful battery for electric cars is a challenging task for all electric car manufacturers due to the various challenges associated with it. Those main challenges will be discussed here in this report. The topic is â€Å"A new type of battery that can extend the range of electric cars between charges from about 100 miles to about 500 miles.† This study will deal specifically about the electric car market in UK. The various aspects that are relating to the UK car market are dealt in detail in this report. The objective of the study is to identify and analyse the four key factors that are important for the electric car market in UK. A very comprehensive PESTLE analysis is done in order to identify the key factors affecting the UK electric car segment. Before getting into the core area, it is important to have an idea about the UK electric car market. British automobile industry is one of the most established and fastest growing automobile industries in the world. UK shows good growth figures for all car segments. The trend until some years back has been the small car segment. But now, the trend is getting shifted to the electric cars irrespective of whether it is big or small. The main motivating factors for such a shift in trend is the continued awareness regarding the ill effects caused by vehicle emissions and the low cost of operations. Due to this high potential that exists in the region, companies from across the world are targeting to introduce electric cars for the UK market. This is evident from the fact that the even the super luxury car maker Rolls Royce will unveil the electric version of their Phantom in the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. As of 2008 electric cars represented around 0.004 percent of cars on the UK roads. The committee on climate change then expected this figure to reach around 40 percent by 2020. (Webster, 2008) (Ref. 1). The following chart gives the electric car growth estimate by region. (Reed, 2010) (R ef 22) To make things easier for the car manufacturers as well as the potential buyers, the UK Government is very keen on supporting the segment through their subsidy programme and other policies. The government has planned to provide subsidy of up to ?5000 to those who acquire an electric car in future. (House of Commons, Page 40) (Ref. 2) But when it comes to the sales of electric cars, government support is not the only factor that works out. The practicality of the car is the most important success

Work Experiences in School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Work Experiences in School - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that working while still in school is beneficial because it gives us a good â€Å"feel† to know and realize what kind of careers we really like. In my case, I love media and film and this linking to media and film is an informed decision because I already have several work experiences as a model, promoter of boutiques and staff crew of many comedy shows. These experiences made me realized what I really wanted to pursue in the future and helped me shape as a would-be professional. These experiences helped shape my values and expectations because it made me take my studies seriously especially those that I know will be needed in the real world setting. Doing this kind of preparation during my formative years is already shaping my values.  In general, my work experiences were pleasant but of course, I also had a share of not so good work experiences like having a stubborn boss. But these experiences, both the good and the bad, made me a better person and student. My work experiences did not only give me a realistic perspective about work and career but it also helped me shape as a person. I can only wish that every student will have the same work experiences that I have so that they will have the right perspective about work while still in school.  I have benefited so much from it and I believe that the biggest benefit I gained from working was the realization of what kind of career that I really wanted to pursue - a career that I would be like doing not just merely having a job but doing what makes me happy. I am fortunate because I have this realization while still in school where I can still shape my future to become a better professional in the future and a happier individual doing a career that I love best.

Texas Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Texas Government - Essay Example For instance, the power of the governor, presiding officers and lobbyists is substantially increased because of inadequate duration for detailed scrutiny of bills. Shorter sessions also do not provide with a favorable environment for raising issues and encourage delaying tactics until an adverse situation develops. Despite several changes in particularities of legislative sessions over the years, the proposed amendments providing for annual sessions have been repeatedly rejected by the voters to prevent increased government power and spending estimated at over $40 million. However, a careful consideration of aforementioned prospects and consequences suggests that the sessions should be allowed annually to remove the obstacles to effective governance practices. A deviation from such conservative political culture has its economic costs but would probably improve the ability of state to provide for public services, settling the spending in the longer run (Newell et al., 50, 170). Along with six other states, the salaries of Texas legislators are set through constitutional amendments. However, the $7,200 annual salary for Texas legislators has remained constant since 1975. Texas is the second largest state after California in terms of population, but this figure is 13 times lower as compared to California. It is even lower than half of the federal minimum estimated for a family of four to stay above poverty level. Legislators also receive a per day allowance during the regular or special sessions for covering expenses. They are also entitled to mileage allowance, state apartments and allowance for up-to 12 days per month while serving on state board/council or carrying out legislative work between sessions. The Ethics Commission, under a 1991 state constitution amendment, is empowered to increase daily allowances and constitute a citizen advisory board for proposing changes in legislative salaries to voters.

Final Project Report Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Final Project Report - Dissertation Example The rFinder is a mapping application, which after judicious analysis has been designed and developed to solve the same problem in the most stimulating fashion and customized for Reading and its environs. Given that the designed solution was built using one of the most powerful API that is Matthias Tretters (MTDirectionsKit) and powerful programming language, Objective C, the system offers a potential to scale appropriately with the increasing number of users the system’s performance. The application was developed for Apple iOS, which means that the software application will run on any Apple operating system such as on iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and all other apple products. The software was integrated with other technologies to enhance usability and facilitate access to other APIs. These technologies were; MapQuest Maps, Google Maps and Bing Maps which provided more efficient navigation APIs for the application. This application offers a variety of direction solutions to the us ers. They assist the users find alternative directions to their intended destinations, find intermediate locations and find popular destinations. Other features includes the tracking feature and the interactive feature or module. In general the system provides solutions to the issues regarding navigation specifically in Reading, and also has unique features that were designed with the interest of the users. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to acknowledge my sincere thanks and gratitude to the almighty God for taking care of me and granting me good health in the course of undertaking this project. I sincerely thank my supervisors, Professor Shirley Williams and Matthias Tretter, without whose help and support, this project would not have been a success. I am also grateful to [xxx, xxx, xxx] and all those who have directly or indirectly helped me in completion of the project. I would also like to acknowledge my sincere thanks towards our department, and its faculty for their valuable guid ance and suggestions that have resulted in the successful completion of the project. Their inspiration during the difficult times during the development of this project is invaluable and inestimable to me. DECLARATION I hereby declare that the project work entitled â€Å"rFinder: FINDING MY WAY ROUND READING† submitted to University of Reading, is a record of an original work done by me under the guidance and mentorship of my project supervisors, Professor Shirley Williams and Matthias Tretter, and submitted in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. The results embodied in this report have not been submitted to any other University or Institute for the award of any degree or diploma. STUDENT: [name] Signature †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Date †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ SUPERVISOR: Prof. Shirley Williams Signature †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Date †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION 1 ABSTRACT 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 3 DECLARATION 4 LIST OF TABLES 8 LIST OF

Use of scapegoating in Harry Potter Research Paper

Use of scapegoating in Harry Potter - Research Paper Example When someone talks about a character being human and fallible, one is talking about the type of character that the audience is going to be most likely to relate to, rather than a hero who is perfect and doesn’t make any mistakes they can learn from. And being used by others as a scapegoat is often a part of life, and growing up. This essay looks at how two characters from the Harry Potter series, Harry himself and the female foil Hermione, work as examples of this type of scapegoating, which makes the characters have more relation to the audience because they are not perfect, or because they have flaws that make people blame them, and turn them into martyrs. â€Å"The archetype of the scapegoat has, like all the others, has  different aspects. One can be a martyr in giving oneself to a cause, or one can be a martyr in that one forever feels one is being abused or used by others. There may be a sense of being asked too much by those around you or by the events of life† (Archetype, 2010). The two books that this report will concentrate on are Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, both of which contain the recurring characters, Harry and Hermione, who are both studying at Hogworts. It is the basic assumption of this essay that these characters demon strate the above assertions regarding scapegoating, but that in such, it is not totally negative. There are positive lessons that can be learned from their actions, and their tendency to be used and made martyrs by others (and in Harry’s case, by himself). The characters learn life lessons in their process of scapegoating, which mainly takes place externally to them, in the form of Hogwarts politics and factionalism. hero of the books and the series, he still has problems of being a scapegoat for various factions at Hogwarts, and these are problems that children

Race and Racism Essay Example for Free

Race and Racism Essay In comparison to the almighty universe in which people all live in, human beings are merely a speck of dust at the size of it all. Then here are these beings on planet earth, with all 7 billion people under the same moon, divided. No longer are human equals as beings, but separate because of the system of ignorance, exploitation, and power used to oppress people on the basis of ethnicity, culture, mannerisms, and culture (Marable 1). Racism is the issue Americans have swept under the rug; the problem is being ignored, leaving cultures in the dark of their own history causing blame to be shifted on to all sorts of hosts, and it’s time to pick up the rug to dust. Society as a whole seems to have broken down what makes a person unique, dehumanizing them and leaving them susceptible to oppression (Marable 2). One must not be so quick to forget that every single human being is made up of the same genetic material, to forget something so broad is to undermine the gift of thinking itself. Manning Marable writes in Racism and Sexism that stereotypes are at the heart of every form of racism today. Racism is not a topic that sits around at the front of everybody’s brain. Racism does not twist on the tip of your tongue begging to be talked about. Racism is something that is ignored and denied. Shocking statistics from Tim Wise’s On White Privilege were discussed, stating that in 1962, 80% of white folk believed that racism was not even a problem. In the same year, 90% of white folk believed that colored children had equal education opportunities as white children. To believe that racism was not even a problem would be to say that over the 750 race riots 228 people were not actually killed, 12,741 people were not critically injured, and that the 15,000 acts of arson did not leave black urban neighborhoods in ruins, in the same year of 1962 (Postrel). White people are completely unburdened by race; where as colored people constantly feel their capabilities are always being second guessed. However, Charles M. Blow, author of Escaping Slavery, explains to the reader that apparently white people think their actions are justified! And Blow goes as far as to say that â€Å"the idea that progress toward radical harmony would or should be steady and continuous is fraying† (Blow 1). In On White Privilege, the speaker Tim Wise pointed out that white people were asked in 2009 if they believed that racial discrimination is still a problem and only 6% said ‘yes. ’ To put that into perspective: more people would believe that Elvis is still alive than to believe that racial discrimination is still a problem (Wise). Perhaps the density of the universe compromised the carrying capacity of the human brain causing a malfunction making it so the only thing people can think about is them self. Definitely not progress (Blow 2). The white system of ignorance and exploitations is causing the cultures of color to completely lose track of their own histories (Marable). People who are oppressed themselves begin to lose touch with their own traditions of history, community, love, celebrations, struggle, and change (Marable). Tim Wise reminds viewers whose history we are truly learning in school- text books are filled only with white history; people of color are forced to regurgitate white history, white literature, white art, white theater, etc. , while if a white person does not know an ounce of black history, it can go virtually unnoticed in this country (Wise). Actions speak louder than words and people seem to continue to prove their ignorance. As part of the Civil Rights Movement and an effort to create a solution to unlawful discrimination in housing based on race, color, sex, nation origin, or religion, the Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968 (Russell). Fast forward 38 years later where 2006 showed the highest level of discriminating housing complaints based on race (Wise). 38 whole years later and the only thing society can show on terms of progress is the lack of acceptance being distributed around the country. There is not enough change taking place as a country in order to move forward into truly being the United States of America; home of the Brave but we still fear what we do not know. It is always easier to accuse other forces for a problem than to admit that you are actually making the mess yourself. It has been said that if one is not a part of the solution then one is a part of the problem; however, some people are purely unburdened by race, they don’t know racism because they have never had to experience it- people are completely surrounded by and completely oblivious of the problem. Failure to talk about racism feeds the denial (Wise). The finger can be pointed in any direction, and instead of calling it â€Å"blame† the word â€Å"cause† is used instead because that is more constructive, and let’s face it, we need as much progress as we can get. However, progress seems to be unbearably intangible when Blow points out that the pillars of the institution- the fundamental devaluation of dark skin and stained justifications are for the unconscionable- have proved surprisingly resilient (Blow). The ignorance and lack of education only feeds the pillars’ strength. Completely blinded by utter fear, America seems to be in a standstill of progress towards the issue on racism. Starting with Charles Blow’s work in Escaping Slavery, down to Manning Marable’s Racism and Sexism, and what Tim Wise said in On White Privilege, it can be assumed that progress will always need to be made to bring this country closer to unity. Breaking down racial barriers and stereotypes have proven to be an especially lengthy process, however that does not justify the slothfulness of it all. Open minds and hearts is what it is going to take to shatter the structure that leaves this country divided. Word Count: 1,100 Works Cited Blow, Charles. â€Å"Escaping Slavery. † New York Times 4 January 2013. Marable, Manning. â€Å"Racism and Sexism. † Race, Class, and Gender in the United States, 5th ed. Ed. Paul Rothenberg. New York: Worth Publishers, 2001. 124-129. Pring. Wise, Tim. On White Privilege: Racism, White Denial, and the Costs of Inequality. The Media Education Foundation, 2008. DVD. Postrel, Virginia. The Consequences of the 1960s Race Riots Come Into View. The New York Times. N. p. , 30 Dec. 2004. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.

The Impact Of Social Media Business Essay

The Impact Of Social Media Business Essay This paper presents the significance of the new and innovative economy to organizational development, adopting to the business environmental changes and managing. Design/methodology/approach -The paper analysis the factors that increase the role of social media (SM) and their influence to changes in the value added in the organization. Findings The paper contributes to the discussion about the importance of social media by enabling the access to the knowledge and the Research limitations/implications The concept is based on a theoretical view of the innovative new economy, knowledge management and the impact of social media on value creation. Practical implications out that the Originality/value SM leads to the fact that we are not talking about knowledge management, but about enabling access to knowledge. SM influence on the formation of chain supply and consequently to the value added in the enterprises in innovative economy. Keywords innovative economy, knowledge management, networking, organizational changes, social media, value added chain Paper type Research paper Introduction Sustainable development and increased uncertainty in the business environment are forcing companies to inflict as a strategic goal a constant reconstruction of a comprehensive infrastructure. This renewal based on a more flexible organizational structure (internal environment) including the introduction of modern technologies for the implementation of relationship marketing and renovation of the technological innovations. Technology has with the phenomenon of the Internet and the development of mobile networks transformed the way in which our society communicates and socializes. Technology is no longer the domain of developers and users, but is becoming a central democratic element, which allows for the continuing presence of society.  [1]   Conservative organizations demonstrate the requirements of change management policy and organizational structures based on the Taylor paradigm of the hierarchy. At the same time, it has to be aware of the ability to develop and achieve at least basic levels of literacy in the field of modern information and communication technologies (ICT), which plays an important role in the success of both economic and social development. By achieving their strategic objectives, companies will be affected by the increase in productivity, efficiency, added value and consequently, the development of economy and society [11], [20]. The business environment has been necessary to realize the negative consequences of ICT developments with the emergence of high-tech crime. Such abuses are increasing in frequency on both IT and radio-diffuse technologies. The crimes are divided into those where computers are used as a means of enforcement (computer related crime) or as an object of enforcement (computer crime) and criminal actions in the field of illegal use of the Internet [41]. In such an environment it is difficult to define and determine the appropriate boundaries of business. Competitors do not compete only with similar (or identical) business models. New ones are emerging with different approaches, techniques and thoughts that undermine the traditional rates set market share [8] (figure 1). Influence of technology development to the organizational changes Phenomenon of the Internet in the new economy has influenced in the early nineties of the twentieth century (including the Internet or the digital economy  [2]  ), the rise of the third wave of capitalism. During the last economic crisis and recession, which ended 2009 and the consequences of which the world felt in the form of low economic growth, the emergence of Internet technology, joined the digital technology  [3]  , which further affects the changes in global markets, which point out in the behaviors of the consumers and in developing new business models [37]. SOCIAL MEDIA ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES AND ADOPTION LEGAL AND ETHICAL NORMS TECHNOLOGY GLOBALIZATION PROCESS ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCY COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE VALUE ADDED ACESS TO KNOWLEDGE The new economy has in the early 21st century led to changes in strategies, structures and management styles. For managers it is expected to dominate the release, management and use of resources, in contrast to the strategies of the old economy, which stress that the management strategy to manage the acquisition and ownership need to defend their own resources [28]. An increasing role in the technological field of ICT in the past few years has been seen in mobility, cloud computing, business intelligence systems, and SM [16].All these factors assume a leading role in ICT in developed and underdeveloped economies. Technology and economic growth during the period of transition from the new innovative economy have become inseparable [27], [37]. Innovative economy in the process of organizational evolution introduces new approaches for the development of business models. Even in the early twentieth century in the so-called old economy there was a predominant position that for a successful (profitable) business to occur significant active ownership (hierarchy) must be implemented and that those organizations need to introduce a vertical organizational structure. In the eighties in the so-called the new economy, knowledge and the flexibility of organizational structures started to significantly affect the performance of companies. In the innovative economy innovation and intuition are becoming the key success factors [9], [21], [39]. Organizational changes include internal and external factors, technology, markets, the legislation (emphasis on the protection of intellectual property), which is in line with new processes, restructuring and mergers and takeovers. Seventy percent of organizational change efforts fail. The causes for failure can be found in the fact that managers skip critical elements in the processes of change [34]. Innovative economic theory (in contrast to neoclassical) follows from the thesis that capital accumulation is the main vehicle for economic growth in todays knowledge-based economy. To change so there is also the global financial theory that during the innovation, economy favors Asset Management prior to ownership. This new business logic derives from the thesis that economic growth in the innovative economy arises due to the final product or services that are incurred as a result of knowledge [3]. The innovative entrepreneurship that has been developed based on R D and the down-regulation of activities, highlights the risk upon capital and intellectual property (patents and licenses) and fosters a networking organization that enables collaboration between companies (e.g., clustering). In the innovative economy, partnerships among organizations are based almost exclusively on human capital. Economic capital has lost the importance it still has in the new economy [7]. Network economics considers integration as a strategic instrument that affects the growth of knowledge, and increases the role of information and human knowledge in a knowledge society. The concept of network management is important as a management style that builds or appropriates synergies, particularly between information management, knowledge and human resources. Knowledge and behavior have become a power not only to the new economy but also to the innovative economy [10], [33]. Networking promotes the importance of Supply-Chain Management for the success of which it is necessary to provide unknown knowledge and prepare for the changes brought about by the development of social media  [4]  and their introduction into business operations [13], [22]. The advantage of the network structure is two-way communication. Processes operating is not run in isolation because, with two-way communication typically every person can communicate with any other person, and information can move freely within an organization f [8], [42]. Knowledge and information are part of the supporting information system which enables their transfer and processing (from the data to the end of wisdom), it is determined by knowledge management. In the given concept network knowledge management can be defined as a shift from a transaction perspective in the distribution of inter-organizational knowledge management process. Specifically, this means that the members of each exchange acquire specific skills needed to support decision-making [40]. Individual companies use outsourcing management activities in order to minimize the operating costs. Companies are therefore compensated for: the purchase of thier own information system (introduction of cloud computing), own implementation of marketing activities (setting up their own social platforms on the existing activity), finance, shared services and the production specific parts of a product, of which the production is not a core activity. The company has to be aware that decisions on the implementation of external operations are risk and that such decisions significantly affect company performance [20]. Management of supply chains is an important part of the value chain by Porter [30], who developed a model to determine the development of rival advantages. Porter stresses the need to identify competitive advantages seen in the company as a whole. Cost-effectiveness and successful differentiation are important factors in the chain of activities for the success of companies that bring value to customers. In the Internet age, the value chain has become a basic tool for understanding the impact of information technology on business. The company starts to integrate the value chain and entire value system, which includes suppliers, distribution channels and consumers. Importance of Supply-Chain Management SCM and customer relationship management CRM is to bring together applications, which include consumers, distribution channels, supply links for ordering example, production orders and deliveries. Development of new technologies to further product development or integration services an d exchange of complex models among partners and consumers, which build on the exchange of information through social media. The show began after the onset of the need for identifying the impact of social software solutions upon knowledge management and determining the value of knowledge in enterprises [6], [31], [38]. Von Krogh [38], points out that the SM leads to the fact that we are not talking about knowledge management, but about enabling access to knowledge. Social tools are in fact opening channels of communication with businesses, universities, research institutes, suppliers, customers, users, competitors, etc. This theoretical overview ended with description of the quite new concept of the creative economy. It connects creativity, knowledge and innovation economy. The concept is to encourage investment in innovative technologies and to encourage a period of recession, a new economic cycle and stimulate economic growth [14]. The importance of new technologies for the business development Software applications based on the Internet are entering into all aspects of industrial and service sectors. Web technology provides better opportunities for companies to create strategic priority positions, than they could before any other information technology [31]. An issue that Porter [31], exposed is how to use the Internet in a way that will influence an increase in economic value? The author exposed two factors that determine profitability: industry structure and sustainable competitive advantage; a universal factor which exceeds any form of technology or business. Their effectiveness varies from company to company and from industry to industry. The Internet has an important impact on business development and in connecting relations in business to consumer (B2C) and business to business (B2B). Thus it has gained an important role in company performance and thus results in profit, which depends on the specifics of individual companies or industries. The expansion of online por tals and blogs is increasing the communication among Internet users (potential customers). This leads to an exchange of opinions on the quality of products or services. The Internet has influenced the development of relations between consumers (C2C), which has a significant relationship to the creation of consumer perception of the quality of brand or company reputation. Progress and development of Web technology have an enormous impact on the evolutionary changes in social, economic and cultural fields [32]. A capacity to adapt is conditional with changes in organizational behavior such as with the initiation and adaptation of technological innovations [36]. CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE eeffeeeeeeeeccddddd+++++*****INFRASTRUCUTRE interactivity applications Growth of do commerce on demand connect communicate collaborate real time on demand (from) distance *Critical infrastructure: IT developments and breakthroughs Organizations have to adapt to changes in environment if they wish to survive. In the 21 century we are witnesses to global warming and climate change. Society and organizations are looking for solutions within the concept of sustainable development, which will affect all levels of contemporary culture organizations, whose task will be a close relationship with global challenges. Private organizations will need to consider how environmental responsibility starts in their basic concept of development and this will also affect the organizational culture [35]. In cultural fields organizations are exposed to cases of managing the culture and limiting behavior of group members through sharing the same norms. In todays increasingly networked and virtual world one must be aware that each group consists of members coming from different social background, ethnic group, country, etc All this affects in to the culture of the organizations [35]. Launch of new ICTs in the knowledge-based industry The knowledge-based industry achieves its performance with the ability to develop new knowledge and the use thereof in the development of new products and services. Within organizations, the emphasis on knowledge management, and the processes within an organization geared to the development and dissemination of knowledge throughout the organization. An essential role in these processes is played by the workforce at all levels of he organization; whose ideas and insights serve to create knowledge, and the organizations competitive advantage (A Dictionary of Human Resource Management 2008). Between knowledge based industry classified automotive industry, information industry, pharmaceutical and healthcare industries and media and entertainment industry Phenomenon online platforms that represent social media (SM) (Table 1) have acquired a large force in 2004, when Facebook announced: We give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected [23]. During this period a new form of social media has formed, Twitter, which currently has a billion registered users who generate 175 million messages (tweets) daily. Use of online media is growing people and organizations use them for self-promotion, dissemination and the exchange of information users express their opinions, criticisms and compliments and straight communication [2]. TABLE I: examples of social media for business 1. Social-Media/Social-Bookmarking Sites: for share favorite sites on the Web with potential customers and business partners by commenting on, uploading and ranking different news, articles and company blogs. Reddit, Digg, Del.icio.us, Technorati, Ning, Furl, WikiHow, Youtube, Ma.gnolia. 2. Professional-Networking Sites: online networking communities for companies or individuals for promotion, recruiting, business opportunities. Linkdeln, Xing, Focus, Facebook. Ecademy, Research gate, Plaxo 3. Niche Social-Media Sites: sites convenient for linking up for attainability business target audience. Pixel Groovy, Mixx, Tweako, Small Business Brief, Sphinn 4. General Social-Media Sites: opportunities for advertise, promotion etc. Wikipedia, Newsvine, Wetpaint, Twitter 5. Job sites: suitable for searching for high qualified candidates. CareerBuilder.com, The Wall Street Journals CareerJournal, Sologig Todays knowledge society, in addition to knowledge-intensive processes, is including the benefits of creating and finding new information with communication technologies. Following the implementation of new web-based solutions (Web 2.0) the term Enterprise 2.0 has been established for companies using new technological solutions that include digital media and social software solutions for business purposes [23], [24]. Social media tools enable the creation of new forms of connections and contribute to the maintenance of social connections (networks). It has never been possible to share mutual information and knowledge so quickly on a global scale. Social media allow instant transfers of video and picture material, as well as maintaining blogs. This gives rise to the joint efforts of the public resulting in a new, often freely accessible database of information and knowledge. The design and structure of social media links the development of digital media technologies (e.g. digital signage) and the decline in prices increasingly influence in facilitating the transfer of information events in ways not previously possible (e.g., corporate television, video portals, etc.). Social networks are growing in different environments and strongly influence the changes in society, technology and business practice [15], [12]. e commerce New IT capabilities competitive strategies efficiency of operations social networks rule of management Companies should be aware that the customers (internet tools users) are becoming the new marketers (viral marketing: mouth to mouth communication + SM), with extensive opinion-leading talks about the brand (table 3) [12]. All these factors come together through social media to create an external image of the company, which will depend on its reputation and consequently, the value of the firm (e.g., informing the interested public through the website if a corporation, showing the relationship to both owners and the media and consequently, affect the value shares) [18]. Organizations have no influence upon customer publications through social media. They can only publish a retaliatory explanation later and try through to decrease potential damage to their image. Viral marketing has had an influence on reducing the role of PR and marketing agencies. Technology today allows companies to create personal communication blogs, or use other similar social platforms. Companies can even invest in their own social programs and store and transfer them via digital media. Social media Customer Viral marketing Customer Viral marketing Customer Organization Fig. 1. Social media communication The development of the management skills based on the influence of technological change which lead to existence of the concept of KM 2.0. Von Krogh [38], notes that in the context of the impact of social software solutions onto the generation of KM and upgrades to increase the added value of organizational knowledge, there is a need to focus on: â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­ Identification of indications of how people adapt their communication with the external environment in terms of quality, distinctiveness and ownership of data, information and knowledge, â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­ How people account for the risk of sharing their content with strangers. Are people receptive to the issues of ownership and transfer of data between strangers (the problem of transmission of information from researchers and developers on outside experts to help create the so-called open innovation? â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­ How it affects the takeover or merger of the development company that owns the new technologies developed by its members to communicate with experts in acquiring. The impact of social media to value added in knowledge-based industries Knowledge is already seen as the key factor of a sustainable competitive advantage in the new economy. An organizations need to develop an organizational culture to raise the level of awareness of employees to create and share knowledge is the basic concept of business, allowing further growth of the organization. An organizational culture based on sharing knowledge, providing opportunities for the development of KM processes, which are closely associated with the creation of added value is essential [19], [29]. The organization has to take its objectives into account, their knowledge and know-how from the environment, to establish a policy to customer relationship management (CRM) and suppliers, develop a marketing strategy that provides market positioning and design of brand loyalty. These resources constitute social capital, which occurs in two forms: as an internal adhesive to create the organizational culture or as an external agent relationship. Keeping these two forms of social capital requires different approaches to individual forms [26]. Social media has become an important source of knowledge and enables the creation of the content value chain. This is achieved by linking complementary organizations and respective organizations with their distributors and customers [26], [38]. The purpose of networking between organizations is the tendency to develop and implement technology solutions and processes that will enhance the organizational added value and bring added value to the customer in the form of utility value. Linked organizations that constitute the value chain have to reach decisions on strategies to increase the added value (e.g., acquisition, accumulation and divestment) with a consensus with partners. In order for successful participation to occur in the value chain, organizations have to identify common goals, be complementary and trust each other [25]. Knowledge that is transmitted through social media will impact favorably on added value provided that the information delivered to the customer at any moment will be of sound quality, accuracy and up-to-date.. The increase in the effective implementation of the dissemination of information via the SM (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, proprietary platforms, etc), Increase the dissemination of information on the advertised product, service, etc Organizations must ensure that the flow of information through social media is properly secured, and that they will not lose their knowledge [38]. With such policy the use of SM in the field of marketing communication in knowledge based industry will increase the reliability of the information and the general perception of loyalty to the brand and the organizations good name. This will increase the ROI of social media compared to classic media [18]. Consequently this will lead to higher added value in knowledge based industry. Management changes Processes of creation Results the value added with SM HRM Technological development enabling the aces to knowledge financial performance Enterprise infrastructure Relations in supply change feedback Marketing trading non financial B2B, B2C and C2C performance Service unconscious marketing BSC, human capital Unwanted marketing (spam) Conclusions The emergence of the Web in the new economy has highly influenced the development of new forms of communication and socializing. With the expansion of social media during the innovative economy there have been qualitative leaps in the communication and transmission of information. Social media has changed the focus on KM from managing the knowledge to the providing of the access to knowledge. Social media allows access to data and video information to a broad range of potential consumers. The proper marketing communication strategy using SM allows both a permanent presence in the IT ecosystem and quick response to any negative responses to the public. The inexpensive media campaign over the SM reaches a relatively large volume of potential consumers, indeed in any time of day and affects the higher ROI than by the use of traditional media. Consequently, it affects the higher value added to the organizations. Literature review A Dictionary of Human Resource Management. 2008. E. Heery and M. Noon, Ed. Oxford University Press. [Online]. Available: http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Mainentry=t162.e679 P. Andre, M. Bernstein and K. Luther, What Makes a Great Tweet? Harvard Business Review, vol.90, no.5, May 2012, pp. 36-37. C. Antonelli. 2003. The Economics of Innovation, New Technologies, and Structural Change. London, GB: Routledge, 2003, ch. 2, pp. 82 Http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Mainentry=t162.e679 M. Assen, B. 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Seidl, Organizations as Networks of Comminication Episodes: turning the Network Perspectives Inside out, Organizations Studie, vol 33, no. 7, pp. 879-906, July 2012. P. Bisson, E. Stephenson and P. S.Vigurie (October 2010). The global grid. McKinsey Quaterly. [Online]. Available: Https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com E. Brown. Working the crowd: Social Media Marketing for Business. Swindon, GB: British Informatics Society Limited, 2010, pp. 7-13. J. Coyle, J. Langlet, B.Gibson, R. Novack and E. Bardi. Supply Chain Management: A Logistics Perspective, 8th ed. Florence, KY. South-Western Cengage Learning, 2008, pp. 189. I. N. Dubina, E. G. Carayannis and J. F. David, Creativity economy and a crisis of the economy? coevolution of knowledge, innovation, and creativity, and of the knowledge economy and knowledge society, Campbell Journal of the Knowledge Economy , vol. 3, pp.1-24, 2012. D. Evans, Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day. Indianapolis, US: Wiley, cop., 2008, pp. 42. S. 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Email and Letter Writing

Email and Letter Writing â€Å"Dear Sir or Madam, in reference to your letter of February 1st† this was the way hand written letters used to start. I was sixteen years old and my dad was asking me to send a letter to the company where I would have my internship. My dad taught me how to write a letter in the correct format and how to position the outgoing address. He said: â€Å"You should put the date in the top right-hand corner of the page. The signature should be also formal and the closing line should read ‘Yours Faithfully†. The Human Resources department at the company where I interned paid a fortune for the privilege of having an intern who could string a sentence together in legible, neat and hand written German. This company would go as far as canceling an internship or sending the intern to additional classes. There are many critics that say old fashioned mail is not fast enough and is more expensive. The old fashioned mail requires buying letters and paying for stamps. Email, on the other hand, is free. Most people forget about internet and computer costs. German companies dont have these problems, because every company in Germany has a contract with the post office. They pay a certain amount of money every month and can send as many letters as they wish. Email will be received at the location to which it is sent much faster than regular mail; however, both email and mail use addresses to which someone can send a letter or a message. Every other day I receive an email from my step mom in Germany. It keeps us in touch and in more constant communication than a letter could, because the I can receive her message almost immediately. In emails and letters a person writes thoughts down and sends it to another person. Both are used to communicate with another person; however, email in these days is a modern mode of communication. In fact, email makes the modern business world more efficient. I mostly receive only emails these days (and lots of them!). When I am on vacation for a couple days and come back to work, I am guaranteed to find more than a hundred emails. All these emails, excluding spam emails, need my response and attention. Subjects who were not on the agenda before can overnight take on the highest priority and the communication about it can go half way across the world. (Kleiner) These days, when I open my mail box, I am lucky to find anything other than bills and junk mail. Unfortunately these are the only regularly visitors inside my letter box. People do not consider old fashioned letter writing an effective form of communication. When a person takes the time to write a letter, they have mostly thought their comments through which makes it to my mind a more sincere mode of communication. If the same thought process and formal way of writing would be associated with traditional letter writing when one writes an email, it would not be as impersonal. People just lose the formal style writing an email. I received the following email from a co-worker the other day: â€Å"If we already have door made the old way / we dont have any in stock, make old door, if you can. Replace it with the new one and may add a note. The note in the attachment to make it clear.† This was the complete email and I was confused. This email, as are many others, is just not enough. It requires additional personal communication. Although most of the emails I receive are in a better writing style, almost none of them are formal. Emails suffice for most business purposes and mostly daily exchanges. They can also be very fast and practical. (Wilson) So, which is better: emails or old fashioned letter writing? I believe that that letter writing itself is an art form. A persons mood and personality can be sensed, just by examining how the tails of individual letters are swept or how hard the writer pressed upon the paper. In an email, this is not possible. It is obvious that old fashioned letter writing is very time consuming and therefore one can understand the need for faster communication in this busy world. Email is a more effective form of communication. Perhaps I am old fashioned; however, I do enjoy receiving hand written letters, even though the amount of old fashioned mail is almost zero, barring birthday letters and Christmas cards. A letter is handwritten; a person touched the paper and thought about another person. It is much more personal than an email could ever be and the old fashion letter has a value that cannot be replaced. (Wilson) Sources Kleiner, Kurt. Email and Letter Writing Share Fundamental Pattern. NewScientist. N.p., 26 Oct. 2005. Web. 15 Feb. 2010. . Wilson, Carole. The Difference Between an Ordinary Letter and an E-mail. Helium. N.p., 2002-2010. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. .