Project Managment free essay sample

Question #1: What was Fay’s role in initiating ResNet? Why did she succeed when other NWA employees in the IS department, who had similar ideas years earlier, did not? Answer: Fay Beauchine became VP for Reservations at NWA while the company was using 30 years old technology at their reservation system (PARS). She knew that developing a new information system was critical for implementing a vision, that focused on sales rather than service and she wanted to sponsor this new information system. So from the project management perspective the role she took in initiating ResNet project, was the role of executive sponsor. Her success key factor in ResNet internal marketing was the fact that all previous unsuccessful efforts were made by IS people who were prejudged by the upper management as technology biased. Therefore, a strong and new executive sponsor from outside IT was actually the trigger needed to provide the vision for the project and convince senior management of its importance. We will write a custom essay sample on Project Managment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Question #2: What role did senior managers, Peeter, and Arvid have in initiating ResNet? Did they make good decisions? Explain your answer. Answer: Peeter Kivestu was teamed into ResNet by Fay Beauchine as a project director (manager) and he asked Arvid Lee to join the ResNet initiative as a project plan developing leader. The threesome of Fay, Peeter and Arvid played a significant role in project initiation, each in his own â€Å"field†. Fay in internal marketing among upper management, while Peeter and Arvid were dealing with project planning and the proof of concept. Peeter and his team estimated a net present value of $37. 7 million for the project, based on a five-year system life cycle and an 11. percent discount rate. Fay’s success was only partial due to the fact that the NWA financial committee approved the project but forced the team to divide the project into three phases, to minimize the financial and operational risks. While Fay convinced senior managers at numerous meetings that her vision of focusing on sales would turn around the poor financial performance of the reservation centers, Peeter and Arvi d have developed a detailed project plan for a Beta phase of ResNet, with modest budget and proved the feasibility of the first (beta) phase. Although planning is often the most difficult and most unappreciated process in project management, Peeter and Arvid succeeded in the complicated task of planning, by receiving the approval from NWA board. The main reason for their success (in addition to the fact that the $500,000 they were asking for were a reasonable investment, given the huge potential benefits from the project) was the feasibility proof and non ambiguous schedule of the first phase. In summary, the key decisions made by the trio were correct, especially their ability to change the plans and adopt the board directives, regarding the 3 phases of project. Question #3: What were some of Peeter’s strengths as a project manager? How do these strengths relate to concepts discussed in earlier chapters? Answer: Peter Kivestu has brought to the project his vast knowledge and experience in airline business combined with engineering education and strong financial background. Peeter strengths included high proficiency in human resource management. His formal education and background helped him to clearly communicate with various stakeholders throughout the entire organization, including both technical and financial personnel. Project risk management was implemented in a very clear and comprehensive manner by the project planning team, which was led by Arvid Lee, but under Peeter’s responsibility. An additional strength of Peeter as a project manager is his broad understanding of the organization culture of NWA. Peeter was able to use this knowledge to assist his executive sponsor (Fay) to communicate and find the key stakeholders and managers, in order to promote the ResNet project. Exercise #1: Review the actions taken by Peeter and other senior managers that helped get ResNet off to a good start. How do these actions compare to what earlier chapters presented as good project management practice? List each action and find specific statements in earlier chapters of this book, that support (or do not support) each. Answer: Peeter has made the following actions that helped him to give the ResNet project, off to a good start: 1. Quickly assembling a strong project team. Peeter had twenty people working on ResNet before there was even an official budget for the Beta ResNet. In other case studies discussed in previous chapters the initial staffing was one of the major problems, e. g. in JWD case the project manager position was assigned after key decisions in initials phase were made. 2. Getting key stakeholders involved in the project early. Peeter included stakeholders from all of the areas involved in ResNet, especially top management, marketing, the user community, and the IS Department. 3. Preparing detailed analysis of the business problem and developing project measurement techniques. Peeter knew that senior management would constantly question the value of ResNet. There for, even before the ResNet Beta project officially started, Peeter had developed a plan to prove that the system would save the company money. Peeter knew this project would be scrutinized, so he made sure they had evidence to show that the new technology was indeed, increasing productivity. 4. Preparing useful, realistic plans for the project. Arvid Lee had worked on several information technology projects for NWA and understood what was involved in all phases of ResNet.

Indonesia Essays - Provinces Of Indonesia, Maritime Southeast Asia

Indonesia Essays - Provinces Of Indonesia, Maritime Southeast Asia Indonesia Indonesia This report will be on the History in Brief of Indonesia, the Government of Indonesia, the island of Java, and the Geography of Indonesia. In early days, the region from India to Japan, including Indonesia, was known to the Europeans as the Indies. Chris Columbus was looking for a westward sea root from Europe to the Indies, when he arrived in America. During 1600s the Dutch political control began to spread Indonesia. Indonesia declared it's independence in 1945 and fought the Dutch until 1949, when they gave up their control. At first, the Dutch allowed nationalist movement to develop. In 1905, it had introduced councils to govern the towns and cities. By 1920, there were 32 such councils, with little electoral franchise. Other councils were also established. They included provincial councils in Java, and group communities councils outside Java. The current government of Indonesia is based on a constitution written in 1945. A president serves as the head of government. The presiden t appoints a sheet of advisers consisting of top military leaders and civilians. In theory, the assembly is supposed to establish a general direction of the government's policies. A house of peoples Representatives is the nation's parliament, however, in practice neither the assembly nor the house has real power. Instead, it is the president who makes all of the important decisions. The president is elected to a five-year term the Peoples Consultative assembly. The assembly has 1,000 members. It includes the 500 members of the people's representatives. It also includes 500 members of regional, occupational, and other groups. All assembly members serve five-year terms. The assembly usually is only held once every five years. The 500 members of the People's Representatives includes 400 who are elected through a system that insures that the government's political organization win most of the seats. Serviceman have no vote, so the remaining 100 are appointed by the president on the reco mmendation of the commander of the armed forces. Indonesia is divided into twenty-seven provinces. The provinces are divided into regencies and municipalities. These units are further divided into villages. Officials of all local government units except villages are appointed by central government from lists of people nominated by regional legislators. Indonesian villages elect their own village officials to provide local government. Java lies between Sumatra (to the west), and Bali (to the east). To the north is the Java Sea. To the south is the Indian Ocean, which Indonesians call the Indonesian Ocean. The greatest distance from North Java to South Java is two hundred kilometers. From East Java to West Java is over one thousand kilometers. The island of Java has five administrative units: the special territory of Jakarta Raya, Java Barat , Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, the special territory of Yogjakarta, and Jawa Timur. Chains of volcanic mountains run along the island from west to ea st. These mountains are apart of a fold in the earth's crust which extends from Southeast Asian mainland through Sumatra and Java to the lesser Sundra Islands. Java itself has 112 peaks. The volcanic soil is extremely fertile and this are supports a large population. Tangkuban Prahu in West Java is a live volcanoe that attracts many tourists. A similar mountain in the Sunda Straights, Krakatoua, is famous for its eruption in 1883. The whole northern portion of the peak was blown away. The explosion was heard over 700 kilometers away. The resulting sea waves caused over thirty six thousand Indonesian deaths in the low lying of West and South Jakarta. Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of more than 13,600 islands. The islands lie along the equator, and extend more than 5,000 kilometers. Many of the islands cover only a few square kilometers but about half of New Guinea (an area called Irian Jaya), and three fourths of Borneo (Kalimantan), also belong to Indonesia. New Guinea and Borneo are the second and third largest islands in the world after Greenland.

Power Curve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Power Curve - Essay Example It can be modeled in a similar manner to that of the pressure that develops from molecular viscosity. That means that there is eddy viscosity that acts as super viscosity and can provide turbulent stress when multiplied by the mean gradients. Eddy viscosity is valuable since it provides us with a way to estimate the new terms developed by inserting the Reynolds decomposition through closure of the turbulent flow equations. 4- Solar insolation leads to large eddies especially during the day. The convective turbulence also leads to the development of a mixed boundary layer. The energy shuts down, and the turbulence keeps spinning aloft as the sun goes down. However, the energy is also suppressed down towards the ground due to the stably stratified turbulence. Suppression of the vertical motions by the stable flow forces the stable boundary layer to be thinner. 5- The twist in typical wind turbine blades occurs due to the differences in relative velocity wind vector (May 212). There are larger components of wind that are associated with the relative motion that occurs between the blade and the air at large. 6- One of the issues discussed in class was the current bottleneck with transmission lines. The second was the dual challenges that occur when competing with local companies that are invested and maintained by the state. 7- Turbulent energy develops from the large scale motions and gradients in the governing equations. For instance, flow instabilities get transferred to the medium scale motions, which transfer to the smaller scale motions. The smaller scale gradients become large enough and force the viscosity to dissipate turbulent kinetic energy. At the inertial subrange, turbulent kinetic energy passes through this range of scales without much dissipation. 11 – The variability of wind the resource is equal to the variability of wind power. On the other hand, the variability of fuel costs is

Culture and communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Culture and communications - Essay Example People meeting these two Asian groups get confused because their outlook is also remarkably similar to differentiate them (Howe 1996, p. 222). It is necessary to have a look at elements in each of the country as it will give a clear picture of similarities and differences present. This will also help in understanding the differences and similarities between Chinese and Japanese cultural elements. The first similarity evident in the culture of the two Asian countries is on how they do their naming. The culture of the two countries dictates that a person’s first name should be that of the family and the preferred name should be the last. The family name should resemble the community and this simply indicates that these two cultures do not take their interests first but focus on communal interest first. The norm of using family names has also been extended in Chinese and Japanese businesses, and they name their companies after family names. Employees view their businesses as an extended family where people working in their companies are considered as members of the extended family. This is indicated as one reason why Japan is growing at a high rate in its corporations and can withstand the financial crisis that sweeps economies of most world powers (Howe 1996, p. 225). The other similarity is in their language. Japan’s written language is mostly borrowed from Chinese culture. The Japanese did not have a written language, and they only got it when they started interacting with the Chinese. Japan’s written language, referred to as Kanji, is created from characters that originated from the Chinese symbol language. People from the countries who cannot communicate effectively verbally rely on the symbol language for their communication. Japanese students who studied in China impacted the development of the Kanji language in Japan once they returned back. In addition, Japan is credited for coming up with new words, which refer to similar things and

Legal Aspects of Nursing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Legal Aspects of Nursing - Case Study Example In this case, the patients and the unit staff ought to relate freely in absentia of retaliation. The deprivation of the direct care and attention towards Mr Garcia violated this principle. Consequently, his wife had a retaliatory relationship with the staff in the nursing unit. The dishonor of this principle was also in the deprivation of direct attention that enhanced distance and retaliation within Mr Garcia. Evidently, the Respective Relations principle was involved in Mr Garcia’s case. Medical necessity was an additional principle involved in Mr Garcia’s case. This principle requires a prudent physician to deliver prevention, diagnosis, or treatment to the patient (American Medical Association, 2010). In this case, Medical care is a basic necessity (Youngberg, 2013). It is not an optional consideration. Evidently, the physicians deprived Mr Garcia direct medical attention. This is a violation of the Medical necessity principle. Honoring this principle would entail direct and affectionate attention towards Mr Garcia at the soft restraints. In his situation, measures of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment were not adequately established. Therefore, they deprived Mr Garcia his basic right as a patient. Apparently, it was a major violation of the Medical necessity principle. Administrative simplification is a principle that is involved in this case. This principle advocates for disintegration within the complex and confusing roles and communications. It implicates that there ought to be a congruent assignment of roles, and a clear communication strategy (American Medical Association, 2010). Shared governance would propel the visions and objectives of this principle. In this case, every staff member would feel accountable to handle a patient (Youngberg, 2013). Honoring this principle would require the nurses to uphold authority and attend to Mr Garcia maximally. The nurses in Garcia’s case violated

Consumer Preferences In The Indian Banking Industry Marketing Essay

Consumer Preferences In The Indian Banking Industry Marketing Essay The Indian banking industry has witnessed a robust growth during the last decade. There are various public, private and multi-national players operating in the industry. Though the importance of better customer service quality is understood in the sector, there exist various other factors that customers consider while evaluating banks. In this paper, the customer preferences in the Indian banking industry are studied using conjoint analysis as a statistical tool. The three product attributes that are analyzed are bank timings, ATM network and customer service reputation. The results show that customers pay a lot of attention to the customer service reputation of the bank. The facilities of the bank regarding branch timings are also looked up by the customers. Adequate recommendations towards gaining competitive advantage are presented at the end of the paper. Key words: Conjoint Analysis, Indian Banks, Consumer Service Introduction Product selection is a complex decision making process involving resolving various trade-offs. For example, a basic trade-off might involve striking balance between better product features and right price. Since an ideal product consisting of the best possible product features is not always feasible, it is important to learn the customer preference for various product attributes. This information can be used by organizations in an industry during product design and improvements in the current product offering. Conjoint analysis is an advanced marketing research tool that finds applications in developing an effective product design. It helps the researcher narrow down the product attributes that matter to the customer and quantify the importance attached to various product attributes. Hence, we can answer which attributes are the most important and which are the least important, as discussed in IBM SPSS (2012). The analysis requires the development of an appropriate questionnaire where in a respondent is required to highlight their preference towards various product attributes combinations. Recently, the technique found applications in various industries to assist product developers and established players towards effective product design. For illustration, Conjoint Analysis is used in Measuring Consumer Preferences for Sales Promotion Schemes in FMCG Sector in Vyas (2005). Hence, any study that contributes in understanding customer preference in an industry is critical towards the development of detailed customer profiles and effective product design. In this paper, we explore the application of Conjoint Analysis in understanding the customer preferences in Indian banking industry. The application of Conjoint Analysis in the banking industry can help us better understand the industry in the following ways: Understanding product attributes relevant to customer- the study helps us understand the attributes that are at top of the priority list of the customers. By analyzing the weights attached to various product attributes, organizations can design their finance products in a better way. Actionable recommendations- The recommendations of the analysis are actionable. For example, issues like interest rate and basic loan terms that are not under the control of bank are not included as a part of actionable and feasible recommendations. However, banks can work towards improving customer service location, attractive location of ATM and comfortable timings of the branches. Applications- The applications of the study could be used in benchmarking Indian customers against their global counterparts in understanding and predicting the next evolution in the Indian banking industry. The results could be used together with Multidimensional Scaling for organizations seeking entrance in the industry or for existing players in understanding brand positioning. Hence, the aim of this analysis is to study the Indian banking customers and find out the utilities of all the product attribute levels and their relative importance. This is done by applying Conjoint Analysis. Due to paucity of time, the study is limited to the bank customers based out of Delhi region. The respondent set is the FMS MBA students. The study aims to find the customer preferences that are important to the customers while evaluating banks. This study is an exploratory research that can be used for future larger studies. Section 1 of the study provides a short introduction of the subject matter along with a brief background. Section 2 delves into the existing literature in the area, which has focused on the same subject matter. Section 3 describes the methodology adopted for the study, including the data collection and analysis. Section 4 discusses the results and findings of the analysis. Literature Review There have been various studies in the past that explore customer preference attributes in various sectors, in India and abroad. We discuss those studies where Conjoint Analysis has been used. ÃÆ'Ã…â€Å"lengi (1998) explored the customer preference in the Turkish Banking industry. They concluded that among other factors, facilities like extended loyalty programs, off-site ATMs, maximum 5-minutes waiting time in the branches are most preferred by the customers. With respect to higher order decision constructs, they also concluded that delivery channels and customer relations have the strongest influence on the respondentà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s preferences. Another study in this domain by Trchrome (2008) also explored the customer preferences in the banking industry. They concluded that customers give importance to type of bank, minimum balance requirements, online banking facilities, customer service quality, and ATM network while evaluating bank options. Of these options, customers give highest importance to balance/fees requirement at the bank (34 %), online banking facilities (24 %) and the type of bank (11 %). In line with this publication, Auruskeviciene, Salciuviene and Virvilaite (2005) explored the banking industry to quantify the marketing image of financial services. There results were as following: service quality (41%), prices of services (26%), convenience and availability (17%), variety of services (13%) as well as bank exterior and interior (3%). As we observe from these studies, customers see a lot of factors while evaluating banks. Of these, branch timings, customer service quality and ATM positioning were explored in the present study. There have been other studies in the sub-segments of the banking industry. Cai and June (2001) analyzed the Internet banking industry to study the change in customer preferences in this sub-segment of the industry. They found out that customer service reputation, banking service products and online systems quality matter the most to the customers in online banking. Kubica (2011) used conjoint analysis to segment young clients in the banking industry. They concluded that profiling young customers is a complex process. Png (2003) explored the specific problem of the amount that could be charged to customers for waiting time. While it can be seen that conjoint analysis has been applied in the global banking industry, its applications in the Indian context is limited. Conjoint analysis application in Indian sectors such as tourism, private label brands (apparel), air freshener and automobile sectors is present. There have been a few studies that explore the consumer preferences in the Indian banking sector. Ananth, Ramesh and Prabaharan (2011) analyze the service quality gap analysis (structured questionnaire) for Indian private banks. They conclude that there are some dimensions in the service quality that are lacking (empathy and accessibility). Komal and Rani (2012) also explore the customer preferences in the domain. The key results are that ATM service quality, internet banking services, credit cards portfolio are important factors considered while evaluating banks. Ananth and Arulraj (2011) measure the banking service quality in Tamil Nadu. They concluded that credit facility (interest rate), Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives and deposit schemes are the most appealing to the Indian consumer. As we see, there is no significant study in the application of conjoint analysis in the Indian banking sector. Hence, the motivation behind this study to explore the consumer preferences in the Indian banking industry through Conjoint Analysis. We intend to understand the product attributes that a prospective bank customer considers while evaluating an Indian bank. Methodology This is an exploratory study. Hence, no hypothesis is formulated. After the results of the analysis are obtained, hypothesis can be developed. Convenience sampling is used for the study. The sample size for the study is 51 respondents. The respondents are from the Full Time and Part Time course of the MBA program at FMS Delhi. The respondents were provided with the questionnaire that requires them to rate the various product-attribute combinations on a scale of 0 to 10. The average age of the respondent set is 29.9 years (standard deviation: 6.98 years) and the average work experience of the respondents is 6.53 years. After carefully reviewing the contemporary literature, the following factors were found relevant to our study: Branch Hours: The time duration for which the branch is open ATM Network: The location of the ATM network with respect to positioning near the branch or at other places Customer Service Reputation: The customer perception of the quality of services offered to customers. The level of these product attributes are as following: Factor Description Levels 1 Branch Hours Weekdays 9-4 The branch timings are from 9 AM to 4 PM Weekdays 9-7 The branch timings are from 9 AM to 7 PM Weekends also The branch is open on weekdays as well as weekends 2 ATM Network At branches The ATM is available only at branches At branches others The ATM is available at branches as well as at other locations 3 Consumer Service Reputation Good The consumer perception of the consumer services is good Average The consumer perception of the consumer services is average Poor The consumer perception of the consumer services is poor Table 1: Product Attributes and Levels As we observe, there are 18 possible combinations out of these product attributes and levels. The 18 combinations or profiles are presented to the respondents in a survey. Beside the responses, other information like respondentà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s age, work experience, sex and absence/presence of a bank account is also collected. Based on the collected responses, conjoint analysis is applied to find out the part worth estimates of the various product attributes. Since the number of attributes is 3, traditional full-profile methodology of conjoint analysis is used. Based on the responses, dummy variable regression is used to find the respective part-worth functions for each respondent. These results are then aggregated to find an overall result. Findings The data from the 51 respondents is analyzed to find out individual, unique part worth functions. The utilities of the various product attributes are as follows: Attribute Level Aggregate Utility Standard Deviation Branch Hours Weekdays 9-4 -1.01 1.18 Weekdays 9-7 0.96 1.02 Weekends also 0.05 0.53 ATM Network At branches -0.38 0.44 At branches others 0.75 0.88 Consumer Service Reputation Good 1.59 0.86 Average -1.62 1.10 Poor 0.03 0.65 Table 2: Aggregate Utilities of Product Attributes and Levels As we observe, the utilities have comparable standard deviations to the aggregate value. The importance of the various product attributes are as follows: Product Attribute Part Worth (%) Branch Hours 34.2 ATM Network 17.1 Customer Service Reputation 48.7 Table 3: Part Worth of Product Attributes As we observe, the customer service reputation (48.7 %) is the most important product attribute among the three product attributes. This reinforces the pre-existing perception that customer service reputation is a key factor that is evaluated by the prospective customers. Second, branch hours (34.2 %) as a product attribute is another important attribute that is evaluated by the customers. Positioning of ATMs is the third parameter that is used during customer evaluation (17.1 %). These results highlight the importance of customer service reputation in the Indian banking industry. Indian banks must attempt to improve the customer perception to gain a competitive advantage. An improved service reputation assists the bank in improving the competitive position of the brand. For a new player that is seeking entry in the industry, investments must be directed to improving the customer experience and customer perception about the same. Next important parameter is the timings of the branches. As seen, usual timings from 9-4 PM are the least preferred. Customers look forward to some sort of facility in this regard. It can either be related to longer branch timings like 9-7 PM or branches being open on weekends. Since the respondent set had people with and without work experience, option of branch hours extending after the usual 4 PM is useful to the working professional. Finally, the positioning of ATM is another important parameter evaluated by the customers. ATM location at the branches and at other places is an attractive preposition. Since it is an exploratory study, there is a further need for a study with a bigger respondent set and product attributes that would throw deeper insights into the importance of other product attributes to the Indian consumers.

Trapped in the Middle :: Essays Papers

Trapped in the Middle The middle. When one thinks of the middle, he or she may think about the middle of a street, a class, or the middle of the country. One may also consider the middle of thought, traffic, or of an argument. After asking more than ten people what they thought of what the middle was, none of them ever mentioned the middle of two cultures or traditions. In the essay, The Homeland, written by Gloria Anzaldua, Anzaldua describes her homeland as being a little of both Mexican and American cultures. She talks about the history of Mexico and how the borders between Mexico and the United States were created. She explains how the creation of the border has dramatically changed the lives of the Mexican people. She describes the border by using many metaphorical devices; one such example is that of the ocean, â€Å"where earth touches ocean, where the two overlap; a gentle coming together, and at other times and places a violent clash† (Anzaldua, 319). Anzaldua is very rea listic and descriptive in her text. She uses many forms of writing in her personal narrative, which creates an eye-opening and touching story. She concludes her essay with giving the reader a metaphor of what her homeland is to her, a â€Å"thin edge of barbed wire† (327). Anzaldua explains how she is stuck in the middle of two cultures due to a variety of reasons. Those reasons include, the fact that she struggles knowing that the Mexicans must depend on the Americans to live; yet the Americans are too ignorant to even know what is going on. Moreover, the fact that she lives in America yet her heart and soul lie in the Mexican culture causes her to feel split between the two traditions. I, too, feel for Anzaldua, yet I am Portuguese and not Mexican. Though I do not relate completely with her, I do in many ways. After reading The Homeland, I was opened up to a new story about another culture and at the same time it opened myself up to new ideas about my own. After reading Andaldua’s The Homeland, I was shocked to see myself realize that much of the information that she presented had already been exposed to me, yet I never bothered to look at both perspectives.

Marxism in Literature: Conflict in the Classics Essay

Two short stories will be analyzed using a Marxist lens to investigate unresolved conflict among characters and situations where conflict arises to show class struggle in society. Both â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† by Hemingway and â€Å"The Man Who Was Almost a Man† by Wright show conflict in their characters lives and in larger society. Those who use Marxist literary theory to explore the characters and their settings in society use both the external and internal conflicts in a character’s life. Sometimes the inner conflict can mirror external problems in a symbolic way, so Marxist theorists must observe the same literary devices as other critics, such as symbolism, personification, metaphor and so on to comprehend how the conflict can best be described. In â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants†, there is much symbolism suggesting the war between natural versus unnatural that is both external and internal. In â€Å"The Man Who Was Almost a Man† the teenage character illustrates both conscious and subconscious acts of rebellion while living life in poverty and the shame of beatings from his parents and chastising from the white members of his community. It is very significant to look at these parts of the stories to find Marxist themes and modes for thinking in a way that supports Marxist theories. It should be noted that Marxism as an ideology transcends sociological and political realms to support the use of literature by the masses to further the aims of Marxist thought, but literary critics use the tenets of conflict and class to analyze the works without a motive for their study, but instead a simple lens of viewing social problems that are amplified in literature. Some critics, especially those of the Post-modernism school agree that ideology has no place in these works and their criticism should be noted. But the stories that will be used here will be simply analyzed in terms of class and conflict without any ideological preconceptions while ignoring the misconceptions of critics. It is the latter course I pursue here, though in conclusion I shall raise the question how far the concept of ideology can still be fruitfully applied to literature. I concentrate, furthermore, on criticism within the Marxist tradition, because it is here that the most systematic attempts have been made to think literature in relation to the concept of ideology. Of course, a non-Marxist may ask somewhat similar questions of the literary text, without using the concept of ideology, to those asked by a Marxist critic whose analysis relies on the concept. Moreover, not even all Marxist critics make use of the term (Moriarty, 2006, p 43). Though, Moriarty does make reference to the fact that not all Marxist critics use ideology in their criticisms, it may be a common misconception among other critics that ideology must always be a part of review. Instead conflict, such as the problem between the couple in â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† have nothing to do with ideology and instead conflict and progress and the themes surrounding this. In â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† a question by the editor of the anthology containing the work is posed, â€Å"What kind of resolution does the story offer† (Pickering, 2001, 681)? A Marxist critic would be concerned with this type of answer. A story without a resolution means that the central theme still exists in society and cannot be resolved by either the characters of the world at large. The story’s main conflict is a choice that the couple has to make between themselves as to if they will chose to have the woman undergo an abortion. But, the conflict of the two is not the central theme, it is the central conflict however. But underlying this is the theme of the contrast between what is manmade and what is natural. An abortion, obviously, is in the manmade category, making it significant. But, there is no resolution in this story and that would leave a Marxist critic to believe that the issue that cannot be resolved is not with the couple, but with the mechanical nature of life and the flight from the natural state of man (and woman). This analysis can be found in the scenery described by Hemingway, with beautiful natural hills outside of one window and on the other side is a train station, tracks, and so-called civilization. In keeping with the idea of the issues surrounding mechanical production and reproduction (especially in literature), it should be noted that the earliest Marxist thinkers did believe that a great deal of good could come from the dissemination of literature to forward a Marxist movement. Walter Benjamin is on Marxist theorist, not a literary critic, but his ideas may have influenced the discourse of other critics into embracing Marxist literary criticism. â€Å"He believes that no matter how revolutionary one’s thoughts, if they were expressed in a conventional, academic writing style, they would be inevitably be swallowed up in the routines of bourgeois culture† (Gardner, 2001, 249). This belief meant that the only hope for works not being swallowed up in the bourgeois culture was to make writing less academic and more creative and to use literary works to further Marxist ideals. This, however, was the root of Marxist ideals aimed to be put in place at least a century ago. So this new lens of Marxist criticism should be separated by politics and ideology of more Communistic times around the world to today and the struggles that are timeless. â€Å"The Man Who Was Almost a Man† provides a timeless look at teenage rebellion, rebellion against society, poverty, and class struggle. The teenager believes that in buying a gun, he will be free from the constraints that are heavily put on him. The essential them is rebellion and freedom, which is a highly Marxist ideal. But, interestingly enough it can be said that there is some closure in this character’s life by him choosing to flee his oppressive environment. However, it is a mystery as to where this utopian life he seeks will lead, making this an unresolved conflict. Pickering asks in his â€Å"Questions for Study† after reading the story â€Å"does Dave’s decision to climb aboard the freight train a convincing conclusion to the story† (Pickering, 2001, 1447)? It is not, as stated before, as the utopia that Dave seeks is unclear and may very well not exist. Michael Delahoyde in his class website reveals that Marxist critics will ask this questions about the stories they read. All of these questions linger in the stories chosen for analysis. What role does class play in the work; what is the author’s analysis of class relations? How do characters overcome oppression? In what ways does the work serve as propaganda for the status quo; or does it try to undermine it? What does the work say about oppression; or are social conflicts ignored or blamed elsewhere? Does the work propose some form of utopian vision as a solution to the problems encountered in the work? In conclusion, the stories chosen here briefly highlight the questions that Marxist critics ask when reading and analyzing literature. There is obvious discourse in other communities of criticism and ideology, politics, and the aims of Marxists in heated Communistic times should not be confused with Marxist criticisms of today. The works analyzed are viewed in a simple lens, asking simple questions that affect society and class struggle. These stories al pose interesting ways in which personal struggles translate to wider questions and the lack of resolutions require deeper thought as to what those resolutions might be. Works Cited: Michael Delahoyde, Class Website for Introduction to Literature, â€Å"Marxist Criticism†, Accessible online : http://www. wsu. edu/~delahoyd/marxist. crit. html. Last accessed 15, November, 2008. Roberta Gardner, â€Å"Walter Benjamin† in Social Theory: Continuity & Confrontation. (2000), Toronto, Ontario, CA: Broadview Press. 249. Michael Moriarty, â€Å"Ideology and Literature† in Journal of Political Ideologies (February 2006), 11(1), 43. James Pickering, â€Å"Questions for Study† in Fiction 100: An Anthology of Short Stories 9th Ed. (2001), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. 681 & 1447.

A Brief History of the Selfie

A Brief History of the Selfie Selfie is the slang term for self portrait, a photograph you take of yourself, usually taken using a mirror or with a camera held at arms length. The act of taking and sharing selfies has become widely popular due to digital cameras, the internet, the ubiquity of social media platforms like Facebook and, of course, because of peoples endless fascination with their own image. The word selfie was even chosen as the Word of the Year in 2013 by the Oxford English Dictionary, which has the following entry for the word: a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website. History of the Self Portrait So who took the first selfie? In discussing the invention of the first selfie, we have to first pay homage to the film camera and the early history of photography as photography self portraits were taking place long before the invention of Facebook and smartphones. One example is American photographer Robert Cornelius, who took a self portrait daguerreotype (first practical process of photography) of himself in 1839. The image is also considered one of the earliest photographs of a person. In 1914, 13-year-old Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna took a self portrait using a Kodak Brownie box camera (invented in in 1900) and sent the photograph to a friend with the following note, I took this picture of myself looking at the mirror. It was very hard as my hands were trembling. Nikolaevna appears to have been the first teenager to take a selfie. So Who Invented the Selfie?   Australia has laid claim to inventing the modern day selfie. In September 2001, a group of Australians created a website and uploaded the first digital self portraits onto the internet. On 13 September 2002, the first recorded published use of the term selfie to describe a self portrait photograph occurred on the Australian internet forum (ABC Online). The anonymous poster wrote the following along with posting a selfie of himself: Um, drunk at a mates 21st, I tripped over and landed lip first (with front teeth coming a very close second) on a set of steps. I had a hole about 1cm long right through my bottom lip. And sorry about the focus, it was a selfie. A Hollywood cameraman named Lester Wisbrod claims he is first person to take celebrity selfies, (a self-taken photo of himself and a celebrity) and has been doing so since 1981. Medical authorities have begun to associate the taking of too many selfies as a potentially unhealthy sign of mental health issues. Take the case of 19-year-old Danny Bowman, who attempted suicide after failing to take what he considered the perfect selfie. Bowman was spending most of his waking hours taking hundreds of selfies everyday, losing weight and dropping out of school in the process. Becoming obsessed with taking selfies is often a sign of body dysmorphic disorder, an anxiety disorder about personal appearance. Danny Bowman was diagnosed with this condition.

Working In High School Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

Working In High School Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers Working In High School Having a job in high school gives me an edge. As an employee, I have learned to interact with many different types of people, work together, and learn the value of a dollar. Being employed is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Participating in a job has offered me many opportunities to make friends, assume a leadership role, and take on responsibilities. Working has enabled me to become a more mature and well-rounded individual. Without a job, I would not be who I am today. When you are employed, you have to work every other day in order to make money, and it becomes apparent that you do not have all the time in the world to accomplish every day tasks like homework or athletics. With so much going on in a high- schoolers life, it is essential to prioritize. Participation in a job has helped me learn to do just that. By keeping an organized schedule of my responsibilities, and using my time well, I have been able to show my peers that it is possible to accomplish what needs to be done. At school and at work, people look up to me for advice. Just knowing that others see how hard you work to get things done in your own life makes the world of difference in how you feel about yourself. Despite the number of hours I have dedicated to my job, I have been able to maintain a B average. I have learned that if something is important to you, you can accomplish whatever you want to. My participation in the world of working has made all the difference to me. Working plays a key role in many students lives. Participation in employment has given me a sense of maturity and has made me feel good about myself. It has made a difference in my life, and I am sure in many other lives, too.

Ancient Middle East - Lesson 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Ancient Middle East - Lesson 1 - Essay Example B. repetition of words, phrases, or sentences that have the same grammatical structure or that compare or contrast ideas C. intentional repeating of a sound, word, phrase, line, or idea in order to create a particular literary effect D. a comparison of two things to show that they are alike in certain respects E. a figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an absent or dead person, a deity, an abstract quality, or something nonhuman as if it were present and capable of responding Question 2 What characteristic of an epic hero does Gilgamesh display when he tells of his plans for the river plant? weakness, since he wants it only for his own use ignorance, since he does not realize it is poisonous kindness, since he intends to give it to the elderly confusion, since he knows it cannot endure Question 3 One of the themes of the Epic of Gilgamesh is the search for immortality, which involves Gilgamesh's traveling to the underworld. Which phrase best describes the Sumerian underworld that Gilgamesh enters as part of his search? a land of dust and darkness a land of hard work and pain a land of abundance and beauty a land of winged creatures and kings Question 4 Which of the following is evidence of the influence of Mesopotamian culture in the Epic of Gilgamesh? Enkidu and Gilgamesh become friends. Gilgamesh encounters many gods in his journey. Gilgamesh is sometimes boastful. Utnapishtim is immortal. ... does not trust her beloved to return. prefers to spend time away from her beloved. worries more about her beloved's happiness than her own.   Ã‚  Question 8    In Most Beautiful Youth Who Ever Happened, the words "love of you goes round and round" reveal that the speaker wishes that her love would stop. worries that her love is hopeless. feels intense, powerful love. sees love as a silly game.   Ã‚  Question 9    The epithet, "O Sole God beside whom there is none!" from The Great Hymn to the Aten, emphasizes Aten's great beauty. supreme power. intense loneliness. extreme isolation.   Ã‚  Question 10    The epithet from The Great Hymn to the Aten, "You rouse them for your son who came from your body, / The King who lives by Maat," implies that worshipers of Aten will rise from the dead. will be like a son to Maat. should fight invaders. should obey the pharaoh.   Ã‚  Question 11    The epithet from The Great Hymn to the Aten, "Lord of all who toils for them," character izes Aten as kind and loving toward his people. caring only toward people who work for him. caring only toward people who work for others. harsh and demanding of his people.   Ã‚  Question 12    Which of these would NOT be appropriate to include in an original praise poem? an epithet: "Ocean, home to sea creatures" an apostrophe: "Little bird, carry my love to my beloved" compliments to the person or object that is the subject of the poem comments on how the subject of the poem has disappointed the speaker   Ã‚  Question 13    The story, In the Beginning, uses repetition to reinforce the important idea that God ended his work and rested on the seventh day. God thought that the things he had made were good. those who sinned against God would be punished. Adam

How can Bilingualism socially and cognitively benefit children Research Paper

How can Bilingualism socially and cognitively benefit children - Research Paper Example Bilingualism has always been a favorite subject of researchers, educators and policy makers in aspects of the social, cognitive, developmental and learning capabilities that are affected by the bilingual abilities of an individual. It had long been considered by many scholars that bilingualism serves as a barrier to the learning abilities and literacy development of children. They had believed for a long time that bilingualism served as a hindrance and children who were monolingual showed better development and learning abilities as compared to the bilinguals. However, the opinions regarding bilingualism have changed drastically as compared to the notions and myths that prevailed throughout most of the 20th century (Bhattacharjee 2012). Although the brain has to handle both the languages and it might obstruct the development of one lingual capability as compared to other, but the researchers are bringing out the positive picture of this scenario. It is popularly believed now that bil ingualism promotes the cognitive function of children and also enhances their social capabilities in various aspects. Bilingualism is a norm around the world and millions of people are familiar with more than one language and also use them in their everyday lives. However, as mentioned earlier, bilingualism has been associated with lack of learning abilities and lagging behind as compared to the monolinguals. Skills like music and mathematics are considered to strengthen the brain’s function and learning abilities, however, language is considered as something â€Å"that occupies mental space† (Ng & Wigglesworth 2007). It had been considered that the brain only has a finite amount of space for the languages and too much acquisition with various languages causes confusion, lagging behind and slow learning abilities. It was considered that bilingualism has detrimental effects on cognitive abilities of children.