Thursday, October 31, 2019

The Struggle for Equality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Struggle for Equality - Essay Example However, for purposes of this brief analysis, the author will consider the case of Irish immigrants. Whereas it might be assumed that Irish immigrants had a relatively easy immigrant experience, based upon the fact that they were partially similar to existing immigrants that comprise the United States, the fact of the matter is that immigrant experience of the Irish was oftentimes every bit as difficult, if not more, as compared to even more socially or culturally dissimilar groups. The equality differential that Irish immigrants faced was not based upon race per se; instead, it was based upon religion, cultural dissimilarity, bias, and a view that stereotypes concerning ability and intelligence, as well as role within society, should be enforced. In terms of citizenship and the ability for immigrants to gain it, the United States was relatively open. During the massive waves of Irish immigration that took place during the late 1800s, as a result of the Irish potato famine, the United States continued to exhibit a very open immigration policy and clear path to citizenship. However, the overall level to which this luxury was afforded to Irish immigrants did not encapsulate the entire immigration experience. Whereas it is true that it has to immigration, education, suffrage, and civil liberties existed, there were still massive disparities with respect to availability of housing, employment opportunities, and pervasive and continual societal judgments with respect to whether or not this particular group should continue to be viewed as outsiders more should be accepted into the melting pot of American society. As has been alluded to within the introduction, one of the main reasons for why this particular group was so ostracized was not based upon skin color, race, or even language; instead, it was based upon the fact that the vast majority of Irish immigrants were Roman Catholics; something that was viewed as deeply â€Å"un-American† in a

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Sports Sponsorship Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sports Sponsorship - Term Paper Example This paper is aimed at analyzing the extent of sponsorship by indicating what has been spent and by whom with the aim of arming the readers with the relevant information in planning for sponsorship. Sports sponsorship is a golden opportunity for companies to market their products on a large scale. Whenever companies align their products with the value of the sport, the result is that the customers associate the success of the brand with that of the sports team that they sponsor. The linkage of brands and the emotional connection that the target consumers have for particular sports in one of the largest market places in the world can have a profound impact on the market share of those brands. Brands and corporations can have the power to leverage upon the sponsorship of certain sports with the goal of building a long lasting relationship with the customers. The emotional bond that sports enthusiasts attach to the sports can be transferred to a brand if the sponsorship is right. Such b onds are not usually temporary and in most cases last for a lifetime (Dobson & Goddard, 2001). This presents the corporations with the perfect opportunity to capitalize on those opportunities by building customer loyalty which may be the cure for surviving economic uncertainty in the long term. Discussion TV programming now encompasses a vast diversity in terms of coverage of sports events. There are many channels that are now dedicated entirely on sports. Studies that have been done on the Spanish population reveal that 70% of them watch news where about 20% is dedicated to sport which is the same amount of time dedicated to politics (Garcia & Rodriguez, 2002). It is no wonder that sports stars now enjoy the same level, if not more, of prestige as do the politicians. Olympic Games and world football are the two major events in the world that drive people in a frenzy. These events easily bring countries where they are being held to a standstill. The previous events and most recently the Olympics in Beijing, previous world football events like the recent world cup in South Africa are some of the examples of the enthusiasm that is attached to sports. The physiognomy of a country changes rapidly due to hosting an international event. The Olympics for example changes both the physical as well as the economic standing of the country it is held in. PricewaterhouseCoopers, an audit firm conducted a study in 2004 which placed the impact of the Sydney Olympics as having been 2.78% of Australia’s GDP in that year. The 1996 Atlanta Games also accounted for 2.41% of the American GDP. Professional football also has a profound impact on the GDP of a country. In Spain, for example, the industry accounts for 1.7% of the GDP and rises to 2.5% when in relation to the service sector. With such immense numbers both in terms of revenue and the attendance by the people, corporations see it as a perfect opportunity to market their products. Real Madrid, a football club in Spa in, is one of the most reputable worldwide. The election of Florentino Perez as its president had a profound effect on the club. He is responsible for the success of what was referred to as the Galacticos era or the Galaxy players. These players were world class and they were brought in order to improve the image of the club. Perez referred to the club as being both a brand and content. The brand was built on the human resources who included the players, coaches and the management

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Introduction to natural gas

Introduction to natural gas Natural gas is one of the most important source of energy for reducing pollution and maintaining a clean and healthy environment we can call it as a future energy resource. In addition to being a domestically abundant and secure source of energy, the use of natural gas also offers a number of environmental benefits over other sources of energy, particularly other fossil fuels. This section will discuss the environmental effects of natural gas , interms of emission as well as the environmental impact of the natural gas industry itself. Natural gas is used over 60 million homes. In addition natural gas is used in 78 percent of restaurants, 73 percent of lodging facilities, 51 percent of hospitals, 598 percent of offices, and 58 percent of retail buildings. Natural gas is vital to world manufacturers, not only to power their operations, but also as an essential feedstock for many of the products we use daily- clothing, carpets, sports equipment, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, computers, and auto parts. It is also a primary feedstock for chemicals, plastics and fertilizers. Natural gas fuels our economy. It is a clean burning domestic energy source that powers our economy. It cools and warms our homes and businesses , is used to generate electricity, and helps maintain our quality of life. Natural gas is a gas consisting primarily of methane. It is found associated with fossil fuels, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is created by methogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, and landfills. It is an important fuel source and a potent greenhouse gas. Before natural gas can be used as a fuel, it must undergo extensive processing to remove almost all materials other than methane. The by products of that processing include ethane, propane, butanes, pentanes and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, elemental sulphur and sometimes helium and nitrogen. Overview of natural gas: Natural gas is a fossil fuel source of energy, which represents more than one fifth of total energy consumption in the world. It has been the fastest growing energy souce fuel since the seventies. Due to economical and ecological advantages that it presents as well as its safety quqlities, natural gas is an increasingly attractive source oof energy in many countries. At present, natural gas is the second energy source after oil. According to energy information administration, natural gas accounted for 31% of world energy production in 2006. It has excellent perspectives for future demand. Natural gas is considered the energy source of this century , as petroleum was last century and coal two centuries ago. Natural gas presents a competitive advantage over other energy sources. It is seen as economically more efficient because only about 10% of the natural gas produced is wasted before it gets to final consumption. In addition , technological advances are constantly improving efficiencies in extraction ,transportation and storage techniques as well as in equipment that uses natural gas. Natural gas is considered as an environmentally friendly clean fuel , offering important environmental benefits when compared to other fossil fuels. The superior environmental qualities over coal or oil are that emissions of sulphur dioxide are negligible or that the level of nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions is lower. This helps to reduce problems of acid rain, ozone layer depletion orgreenhouse gases. Although resources of natural are finite and natural gas is a non-renewable source of energy, these resorces are plentiful all over the world. Natural gas reserves are continuously increasing as new exploration and extraction techniques allow for wider and deeper drilling. The growing importance of natural gas as a major energy source is shown by the amount of investment devoted to the natural gas industry. The sector shows a great dynamism at the beginning of the new milleniuum. Increasing demand and prices in tje recent in the recent past have led to new expansion and exploration projects in the natural gas industry. New pipeline construction projects are developed and planned all over the world. Furthermore, most governments are progressively including natural gas in their energy policy agenda, by following liberalization policies(particularly after the energy shortages of 1970s), in order to open the markets to competition. More and more, energy final users are also showing a preference for using natural gas a clean, safe, reliable and economical source of energy. Natural gas is used for heating, cooling and several other industry uses, while it is increasingly becoming the favoured fuel for power generation. Natural gas is future of energy and fuel requirements as it is one of the most clean fuel the evidences for this is illustrated by following this data: Chemistry of natural gas: Natural gas, like all fossil fuels, is the remain of prehistoric living matter that existed million of years ago. In the marine environment, dead organisms came to rest on the ocean floor, where they were covered by layer after layer of mud or silt which over time became layers of rock. Buried beneath the sea bed, the hydroicarbons stored inside the once living matter were preserved , but their composition was altered by the heat and pressure from the rocks above. Millions of years later, deposits of these hydrocarbons can be found either in liquid form as petroleum, or as natural gas. Natural gas forms in porous layers of rock, with bubbles of gas trapped inside the rock. Gas fields occur when a layer of impervious rock, such as limestone, has formed above the layer of porous rock, preventing the gas from escaping. Deposits of natural gas are often found alongside petroleum deposits. Natural gas is colourless and odourless. It consists mostlyof methane, but mixed in with the methane are likely to be other hydrocarbon compounds and a few impurities. Natural gas is colourless odourless, tasteless, shapeless and lighter than air. It is gaseous at any temperature over -161 c. When it is at its natural state, it is not possible to see or smell natural gas. For safety reasons, a chemical odorant that smells a little like rotten eggs, mercaptan, is added to natural gas so that it can be smelled if there is a gas leak. Natural gas is a mixture of light hydrocarbons including methane, ethane , propane, butanes and pentanes. Other compound found in natural gas includes co2, helium hydrogen sulphide and nitrogen. The composition of natural gas is never constant, however, the primary component of natural gas is methane(typically, atleast 90%), which has a simple hydrocarbon structure composed of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms(ch4) . methane is highly inflammable , burns easily and almost completely, while it emits very little air pollution. Natural gas is neither corrosive nor toxic, its ignition temperature is high, and its has a narrow flammability range, making it an inherently safe fossil fuel compared to other fuel sources. In addition , because of its specific gravity of 0.60, lower than that of air(1.00), natural gas rises if escaping, thus dissipating from the site of any leak. The carbon and hydrogen occurs from the remains of plants and animals (composition in natural gas) Which were inside the lakes and seas millions of years back. The organic material then mixed up with huge layers of sediments and then turned back to natural gas and crude oil as heat from the earths inside and pressure from the layers changed it. Natural gas is found all over the globe in resorviors deep inside the earth and in oceans. It is trapped in porous rock formations. Natural gas can be found in oil deposits, as associated natural gas. Natural gas when cooled ton a temperature of approx -260 f, it converts to a liquid naming liquefied natural gas(LNG). LNG has weight one half as that of water, or you can say 45% less weight then water to be exact. It is non corrosive, non toxic, odourless and colourless. For convenience in transportation and storing natural gas is liquefied to form LNG. Natural gas is practically free from sulphur and therefore does not produces so2 so considered as clean and environment friendly source of energy it also emits lower values os nitrogen oxides when compared with coal or oil. Power generation: Natural gas is now used widely in the generation of electricity by using gas turbines and steam turbines. By combining gas turbines with steam turbines we can increase efficiency of electric generation and this mode is called combined cycle mode. Natural gas produces less greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide for an equivalent amount of heat when compared to petroleum(30% less) and coal(45 % less) therefore combined cycle generation of electricity using natural gas is the cleanest source of power available using fossil fuels. Natural gas is used in power generation wherever we can obtain it at a reasonable price further fuel cells(discussed in detail below) can be used for power generation using natural gas but it is not economically a good deal. Fuel cells using natural gas: Fuel cells using natural gas for power generation are under development. Fuel cells are devices that uses hydrogen to produce electricity their working is approximately same as of batteries. It is one of the cleanest way of generating electricity as their is no emissions what so ever and as we know that natural gases are a rich source of hydrogen so it can be used in fuel cells. Fuel cells are still under development process as the process of using natural gas in fuel cells is very expensive but if they are used widespread all over the world then we can assure a very clean environment and can reduce emissions associated with the generation of electricity. Electricity generation and industrial application uses fossil fuels for generating electricity and heat . we can use natural gas for such type of operations as it can help to reduce the emissions associated with the generation of electricity. In transportation: Natural gas can be used as a fuel for vehicles, trains and air transport also it can be a very clean fuel as in the case of CNG (compressed natural gas) used in four and three wheeler vehicles . by 2008 9.6 million vehicles uses natural gas as their source of fuel supply. Its efficiency is slightly less then diesel engine but comparable to gasoline engines but if we make it compulsory for all public transport vehicles to use natural gas as their energy source supply we can led to a very clean world as the major source of air pollution is from the transport sector. In aerospace: Development processes are running to develop aircrafts that uses natural gas the source of their fuel supply Russian company Tupololev is trying to develop an aircraft that uses LNG and HYDROGEN as the source of its power supply it will also cost lower then normal aircraft and also with reduction in nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide emission reduction. The advantage of using natural gas as a fuel for aircrafts is that its specific energyis more than normal aircraft fuel(kerosene mixes) and one advantage is that it can can be used as a cooler for cooling air replacing a intercooler in engine. Natural gas can also be use for manufacture of plastics, paints, glass steel, fabrics and other useful products. Advantages and Disadvantages of natural gas: The main advantage of using natural gas over other fossil fuel as a source of energy is that it is a clean fuel and contributes very less effect on air and environment around us as there is no emissions, no residue, no smoke and no smell. Its growth of use as domestic fuel, for power generation , in industries is increasing rapidly day by day. From a survey it has been found that use of natural gas as a source for power generation nearly accounts for around 20% of our total energy source(world energy outlook 2000). But as every coin has two phases using natural gas is also not free from this comment, it is considered that natural gas is clean source of energy but this is not a true fact, it does affect the environment to some extent. Natural gas also produces carbon dioxide while burning like all other fossil fuels although it is very less as compared to coal and petroleum and also natural gas that is used as a energy source is always not free from impurities and this lead to emissions of unwanted particulates. Therefore it may be noted that it is not a complete clean fuel as it is not carbon neutral and also produces small emissions so from an environmental point of view it is not an complete ideal source of energy. Another disadvantage is that which is common to all fossil fuels is that their extraction leads to a process called mining and drilling which may lead to an ecological inbalance and also causes pollution which can be visualised. Future: Natural gas has many advantages over other energy sources but we cant depend on natural gas as a future source of energy the facts that ensures this facts are after a period of regular extraction one day all supplies will be exhausted or will be depleted to that extent that cost of extracting will overweigh the value of the value of the fuel we obtain this is a common fact to all fossil fuels. natural gas is considered to be a clean fuel but above we have discussed that it is not an complete ideal source of energy, so research work is going on to discover that future source of energy. Solar and hydel energy can also be the future source of energy. Natural gas will have a very bright future as compared to other fossil fuels as globally all government are encouraging use of natural gas in power stations in preference to other fossil fuel.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Leading The Revolution by Gary Hamel :: Leading The Revolution by Gary Hamel

Leading The Revolution by Gary Hamel Leading the Revolution was written by Gary Hamel and published in September of 2000. Hamel writes a how to book on creating the new dynamic organization. His main theme is that old business strategies are not going to survive in what he calls the age of Revolution. In his premise to the book, he states that he will show the reader how to become a revolutionary in the business world. He completes his stated task by explaining the difference between contemporary strategy and revolutionary strategy, by explaining how a reader can begin to think revolutionary, and finally by explaining how a person can act revolutionary in their own company. Hamel introduces the topic of revolutionary strategy by explaining the differences between contemporary strategy and revolutionary strategy. Contemporary strategy in his opinion coincides with the â€Å"Age of Progress†. The Age of Progress tries to improve current processes and production techniques and attempts to squeeze every last penny from the same strategy that has always been used at a given company. In Hamel’s opinion, this will not work in his â€Å"Age of Revolution†. The revolutionary strategy will try to turn an industry upside down. He pounds home his point by illustrating the differences between companies that still try to improve and companies that revolutionize an industry, by stating the differences in the new wealth that revolutionaries create for their stockholders. At first, I felt that he would only be describing internet companies, but he pointed out examples such as Midwest Airlines , who has a higher income percent than the rest of the industry. He talked about companies such as the Body Shop, Virgin-Direct, Dell, Sony and IBM. Hamel shows how even stodgy companies (IBM and Sony) can become revolutionaries. His next step is to show individuals how they can begin to think in revolutionary ways. He uses examples from these same companies that he believes to be revolutionary and they tell their own stories of how they try to think of revolutionary ideas for companies. Some examples include reading magazines from all over the world, attending industry conventions for industries outside of your own industry, travelling to places that are unfamiliar, and meeting new people. These are simple steps, but they have a profound impact if the person is truly trying to experience the differences in each situation.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Human Resources – Knowledge Workers

Human Resources Management Coursework – Manjeet Singh – 7637434 The Question: â€Å"Examine the claim that the management of knowledge workers requires the development of human resource practises that are more suited to the particular characteristics of these workers and their jobs† Introduction The term â€Å"knowledge worker† was first used by Peter Drucker in â€Å"Landmarks of Tomorrow† in 1959.A knowledge worker is someone who specialises in a specific field as they possess certain knowledge which has been accrued through specific courses or experience in relevant activities, they usually have some sort of accreditation or documentation to certify that they have accrued this knowledge. They are typically well educated, and with the application of their knowledge it aids them to solve problems for an organisation and it is through problem solving that value is added for the organisation.As well as problem solving, knowledge workers are also invo lved in innovation, re-engineering, training etc. although there are certain tasks which would require knowledge workers with specific specialities. Knowledge workers are seen as a crucial asset as with application of their knowledge it can determine the success and reputation of the organisation. â€Å"The most valuable assets of a 20th-century company were its production equipment. The most valuable asset of a 21st-century institution, whether business or non-business, will be its knowledge workers and their productivity. (Drucker, 1999, P135) This quote highlights the fact that we are moving away from the traditional mentality that wealth was based on the amount of resources an organisation held in its possession, and more towards how we handle knowledge workers and attain this knowledge. Knowledge workers attract higher banded salaries, with enhanced levels of autonomy in comparison to the normal employee. As a result the turnover of Knowledge workers is typically high, because they are aware of the fact that the knowledge that they possess is of great need and importance to the organisation.In many cases the knowledge that these workers have allows the organisation to establish a competitive advantage over their rivals, which is why they are willing to pay the generous salary of these workers. If the workers are not kept happy, then it is easy for them to just move to a different organisation or hold back on the knowledge that they provide for the company. In addition, as the levels of autonomy are high this means that here is an element of self-government, and they have a high amount of freedom, for example they can work from home, this then decreases the amount of control that a firm has over a knowledge worker. Within this report I wish to discuss the different factors that would result in the need for different HR practices for knowledge workers. I will then also highlight which characteristics these workers possess that sets them apart from their co lleagues at the organisation where they work and how the characteristics affect the HR practices.As these workers are of such importance to the organisation, they try their best to keep these workers at the organisation and as their job description differs vastly in comparison to the typical employees, this highlights the need for adaptation in the HR practices that are implemented by the firm as typical employees can be replaced rather easily, through the normal recruitment procedures, however, with knowledge workers, they add value for the organisation, thus, changes would have to be made to keep them happy at the organisation, whilst performing at an acceptable level.What are the benefits a Knowledge Worker receives? The main technique where we can identify a knowledge worker is by highlighting the benefits that they receive in comparison to normal workers. According to Lowendahl (1997), these workers are offered high remuneration and substantial autonomy, this simply means that there is no one overlooking them constantly and they are highly paid in comparison to others. Knell (2000) & Pink (2002), also describe these workers as â€Å"free workers†, this would mean that for them there is a lot more choice as to what they can do.As they hold all the knowledge which is valuable, it usually means that these workers are a lot less reliant on the organisation that employs him. In addition to this, it is because these workers have access to knowledge and it is them that control it, this then enables them to control the flow of the knowledge, this would mean that they need to be kept happy in order to make sure that the flow of information is suffice and of value to the company. As a result of this, knowledge workers are also offered a lot more freedom in comparison to other workers. As described above, Knowledge workers are offered many benefits due to how aluable they are to the organisation, however, there are challenges that are then forced on HR with t he benefits that they offer to these workers. I will now describe these below and show examples of changes and alterations that have been made either for the attracting, motivating or retention of knowledge workers. HRM challenges as an effect of these Knowledge Workers As Knowledge workers are offered such attractive advantages due to the nature of their work, this impacts the normal practices that are in place by HRM. Therefore, managing these Knowledge workers can be challenging for HRM.These include: Firstly, we can look at the work organisation; this has a major impact on the motivation and productivity of the knowledge worker. If the environment and the organisation is structured in a way that the knowledge worker doesn’t like then this could have a high negative effect on the company, as they need environments where they are comfortable and more importantly a place that offers them new challenges. Another challenge is the constantly changing psychological contract, thi s is where there are unwritten obligations and expectations that are out of the written contract of the knowledge worker.The firm should not expect too much of the worker and likewise the worker should not expect too much from the firm, hence the need for contracts to get an understanding of the needs. Thirdly, if the knowledge workers have more than one employer, it is difficult to ensure that these knowledge workers stay loyal. The factor of opportunism can arise here as the knowledge worker would not take into consideration how them leaving or not being productive, can affect the company, instead they will just focus on the benefits that they can take advantage of.Due to the autonomy that is offered to these workers, monitoring the productivity and motivating the workers is difficult for the organisation. These workers also have varied desires as some of them go for the more short-term incentives, like money and freedom of work, or some tend to focus on building their career, and it is a must for them to work with well recognised clients. One of the biggest challenges that they face is the challenge of retaining these workers as turnover of these workers is significantly high in comparison to other workers.So it is critical that the HR department devise correct and well suited practices to make sure that these workers are content. The management of the knowledge is important because the knowledge is held by the workers and it is important to make sure that the flow of this knowledge is not restricted by any other factors that can be controlled or altered by the firm. The knowledge that they have also needs to be up to date as out-dated knowledge would not add maximum value for the organisation.Defining who owns the knowledge at question is also a challenge for the organisation as there are always boundaries which are often unclear and vague, they would need to know this so that they can clearly see how much knowledge the worker can dedicate to the firm. Als o as a result of the worker having the knowledge with them, there is also always the threat of them going away and setting up their own firms and as they typically work with clients directly, they could take the clients with them to their own firm.As all these challenges to HRM have been described and highlighted I believe it also reveals the need for the differentiated HR practices for these workers as they vary massively to normal workers. Different contexts and organisations The dependency between the knowledge workers and the organisation also varies largely to normal workers as the firm itself is a lot more dependent on the knowledge workers. (Swart and Kinnie, 2003) suggest that this is because of knowledge workers changing the typical trend of the firm owning all the knowledge.In addition, the work process also differs making the firm more dependent on the workers. An example of this is where the knowledge is at the core of the company so that would mean the knowledge worker would usually be the main source of this knowledge. The knowledge worker is at the centre of the business but this is collaborated with the reputation of the firm and working closely with the worker to main a strong relationship which is strategically vital in that particular type of industry.As a result of this type of relationship and strategic collaboration, this would mean that both parties involved would be highly dependent on each other as the firm would not have the knowledge they require to do business as the knowledge is with the workers but the worker would need the resources, brand reputation and the clients that the firm has. Pink (2002) describes this as â€Å"substantial interdependency† as they are both reliant on each other. The only way this dependency can be reduced is by using knowledge management and outlining boundaries and expectations from both parties.It is important to look after these workers, as if the workers leave then the value created will also leave with them. It is also difficult within this type of industry to determine how much the knowledge worker did or is needed to add value as it is tacit knowledge, which is hard to measure. Knowledge work also influences the network of the organisation as in traditional employment, there is usually a hierarchy which is implemented and all who are involved in this will adhere and follow this hierarchy (Williamson, 1975).However, with knowledge work hierarchies won’t work due to the power differences that will be incurred as a result of the hierarchy. With knowledge work it is all about being in the correct networks and building a portfolio of careers (Castells, 2000). This gives them the freedom to go out and expand their knowledge base and they can progress within their career at their own will. It is the responsibility of the organisation to provide the workers with clients that are well recognised to keep them happy and motivated, as it would challenge them more and allow them to utilise their knowledge to their maximum potential.This is very good for the knowledge worker, however it poses a threat to the firm as they can potentially, take the clients with them if they were to leave because they could have formed a strong bond due to the high level of autonomy that they are granted, thus meaning that the organisation won’t know how close they are. For this reason it is important to evaluate the level of autonomy that is offered to these workers, they would need enough to keep the workers motivated but not too much where the workers can get too close with clients and cause problems for the organisation.Another factor which highlighted by Horwitz (2003), was how the ownership of the firm (foreign or local) affects the practices and the attraction of these knowledge workers, this shows that the culture of the firm has a major impact on the motivation and attraction of these workers. â€Å"Foreign versus local ownership appears, therefore, to re flect differences in certain types of HR practices such as using headhunters and advertising media to recruit and select knowledge workers† (Horwitz, 2003).This shows us that the differing organisations from different cultures use approaches to which they think is best, and there is not a universal, â€Å"one fits all† approach which can be used globally. In addition to this they also found that â€Å"both wholly owned foreign and local firms found a fun and informal work environment more highly or fairly effective† (Horwitz, 2003), this shows us that the workers take a preference to an environment which is more informal and again changing from the conventional hierarchical approach.An example is when Horwitz (2003), describes how there are certain cultural requirements or standards within Singapore (where they did their study), for example they have large respect for the hierarchy and everybody seems to know their positions. This would affect the knowledge worke rs in the sense that if there is a major emphasis on hierarchies within the organisation, it may push them towards multi-national companies with different cultures.Also, if a firm is international, this attracts knowledge workers as it allows them to travel and experiment different cultures, whilst working for the same firm, this also builds on their experience and makes them a more valuable worker. Figure 1: Proposed schema for attracting, motivating and retaining knowledge workers Source: Frank M. Horwitz. (2003). Finders, Keepers? Attracting, motivating and retaining knowledge workers. Human Resource Management Journal. 13 (4), 23-44. HR practicesFigure 1 shows a schema which proposed for attracting, motivating and retaining knowledge workers, I believe that the elements that have been taken into consideration within the schema are critical and the schema is accurate, however, Horwitz (2003), says himself that it needs further hypotheses testing to make sure its accurate. In addi tion to this, it does not take into account anything about differing industries as for each industry, they found that different things motivated or attracted the knowledge workers, this is crucial as it again highlights that there cannot just simply be one standard approach or practice across all industries.According to Kinnear and Sutherland (2000), some researchers have found HR practices which they believe are vital for retention of knowledge workers and decrease the turnover of these workers. However, how could this be possible when there are so many factors that affect the different requirements of these workers and the HR practices required to accommodate these workers? The nature of work is exceedingly different, although there may be tensions between the two types of worker simply because, the knowledge workers are granted such high benefits and salaries.Again as per Figure 1, we can see that there is no consideration of normal workers, this implies further that these practi ces should be altered and suited for the knowledge workers. With altered practices it also shows that there is a possibility that it could affect the current employees’ chances of progression to get to the level of knowledge workers as the firm would invest so much into the recruitment of these knowledge workers, they would expect to find people that already have the knowledge and don’t require the training to work, simply just to settle in to the culture of the organisation.On the other hand, Frost (2002), goes on to also talk about how employers can distinguish between the two types of workers and thus, supports the claim that HR practices need to be different for the types of workers and this will allow them to both be happy and progress accordingly.In addition to this, Despres and Hiltrop (1995), state â€Å"traditional approaches to work remuneration and reward are no longer appropriate in a post-industrial knowledge economy† (Horwitz, 2003) this further re inforces the idea that new and fresh approaches are needed for knowledge workers and the industries need to move away from this old fashioned mentality as the industries are evolving more and more towards knowledge based organisations.A key thing that Horwitz (2003) found was that the most popular HR practices implemented by the organisations were not always the most effective, this can be questioned as the study was in Singapore, but I believe that it just simply reinforces that the culture of each country and organisation varies and thus would affect the wants and needs in HR practices from the knowledge workers. In addition to this, they say â€Å"There is increasing evidence that particular organisations are beginning to acknowledge that distinctive HR practices lead to better knowledge worker performance. (Horwitz, 2003) this again shows the link between altered practices for these workers has a positive impact on the work and the morale of the workers. The design of the job w as stated as being high important as part of the satisfaction of the knowledge workers, as if it designed correctly, then this can have a positive impact on the morale, productivity and behaviour of the knowledge worker (Thompson and Heron, 2002). This again shows the importance of different practices for these types of jobs and not to just let them have a monotonous job style like the normal employees. ConclusionIn conclusion, I agree with the initial claim that HR practices should be altered for knowledge workers. I have discovered the real sheer importance of these workers to organisations and how they add value to organisations, for this reason I believe the benefits that are afforded for them are fair and deserved and although they do require some changes which organisations are not accustomed to, for example, losing hierarchies, partnership style working, allowing them to work from home and other challenges the pose to HR, there are certain ways to attract, retain and motivate them.They also can be risky for a firm, with the ambiguity of their tasks and lack of control from the organisation, but if the firm can keep them happy and monitor in a suitable way, then the worker would be kept happy. Knowledge based companies especially should recognise the importance of tailoring HR practices for these workers, as they are what would give them the competitive advantage, they are also characterised as being innovative and this is key to any firm.Finally, I believe that these workers will shape the industry in the coming years, so firms should invest into finding the best HR practices which suit their own culture and organisations based also on their industry. References Castells, M. (2000). The rise of the network society: rise of the network society. Oxford, Blackwell. Despres, C. and Hiltrop, J. M. (1995), â€Å"Human resource management in the knowledge age: current practice and perspectives on the future†, Employee Relations, Vol. 17 No 1, pp. 9-23. Drucker (1999). Managing Oneself,† Management Challenges for the 21st Century. Frost, M (2002) `Managing knowledge workers’. HR Magazine, May, 47: 5, 124-126 Horwitz, F, 2003. Finders, Keepers? Attracting, Motivating and Retaining knowledge workers. Human Resource Management Journal, 13/4, 23-44. Knell, J (2000) Most Wanted: The quiet birth of the free worker. Futures reports Kinnear and Sutherland (2000) `Determinants of organisational commitment amongst knowledge workers. ’ South African Journal of Business Management, 32: 2, 106-111.Lowendahl (1997) Strategic Management of Professional Service Firms Pink, D. H. (2002). Free agent nation: the future of working for yourself. New York, Warner Books. Swart, J. & Kinnie, N. (2003) knowledge-intensive firms: the influence of the client on HR systems. HRMJ, 13 (3) 37-55 Thompson, M. and Heron, P. (2002). `The employment relationship and knowledge creation: evidence from R&D based high technology firms. ’ EURAM Conference, Stockholm (May), 1-10. Williamson, Oliver (1975), Markets and hierarchies, analysis and antitrust implications Word Count : 3,242 including references

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Genie †The Wild Child Essay

Genie was discovered at the age of thirteen living completely isolated in a room in her parent’s house, with nothing to look at, restrained to a potty chair for most of her life. At this time, Genie was still wearing a diaper, did not have the ability to communicate and could barely walk. Her father’s reason for keeping Genie isolated was that he believed that she was retarded from birth. Her mother takes no responsibility, claiming she too was abused by her controlling husband. Both of her parents were charged with child abuse; but her father killed himself shortly after and her mother was able to beat the charges. Genie was taken to The Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles where she would meet several specialist assigned to her case. Shirley, an isolation specialist, stated that Genie was the most extreme case of isolation that he had encountered. Specialist started to run test to diagnose the extent of Genie’s deficiencies. Genie had a strange bunny walk, spat and clawed. It was believed that she was beat for making noise, so she remained silent. Was she born brain dead or did she become mentally challenged? First they conducted a test to monitor the electric activity in her brain. This four night study showed that Genie had a high number of sleep spindles, which shows abnormal brain wave patterns. By that spring, Genie had learned a hundred words and was beginning to speak verbally; which allowed her to express herself. Signs of her mental and physical growth were striving. She explored things using her lips and face. Doctors showed confidence in her success. Genie moved in with her Special Education teacher, Mrs. Butler. This was Genie’s first run in a foster home. Notes were taken on Genie’s obsession with hoarding objects, especially containers of liquid. This has also been recorded in other cases of isolated children. Mrs. Butler took it upon herself to cut off all contact with the other members of Genie’s case and filed a request to gain permanent custody, which was rejected by Social Services and Genie returned to Children’s Hospital for a short period of time. Genie was then placed with Mr. Riddler, who took on many of the roles in the case. Mrs. Riddler worked with Genie and taught her how to express her rage through fits, instead of physically hitting herself. She soon learned to verbally communicate her degree of unhappiness. Mrs. Riddle also helped Genie to verbalize memories from her past. Genie was able to use words and her vocabulary continued to grow. She started going to a nursery school and learned sign language. Case members still disagreed on Genie’s prognoses. Some believed that Genie was still brain dead from birth due to abnormal brain activity; while others believed that she had mental delays due to isolation, showing that her mental age was increasing. With all of Genie’s verbal achievements, she was not able to make grammatical sentences. In 1975 the research case on Genie ended and she returned to her mother’s care. Soon her mother realized that Genie was too much for her to handle and she was moved from foster family to foster family. Genie faced abuse and harassment during this time. In one situation, Genie was punished for vomiting, resulting in Genie refusing to open her mouth; ultimately, regressing Genie’s progress. Genie’s case strongly sides with the nurture debate. Emphasis is placed on Genie’s ability to overcome her early environment by allowing her to experience the world and to gain personal relationships. Genie’s ability to learn to verbalize after puberty shows that human development can occur and does not need to be learned during infancy. By Genie gaining personal relationships, she was able to learn how to express her emotions (happy, sad, angry). This proves that her environment is an important factor in her development. This study seems to be most consistent with Skinner’s Behavior Theory. Skinner believed that a person’s development was caused by the consequences of their behavior. An example would be when Genie was encouraged to speak and socialize, she did and enjoyed it. When Genie was punished for vomiting, she felt that opening her mouth was bad and stopped. Skinner also believed that the nurture side of the debate was important, development depends on experiences and people are shaped by their environment. All of which seem to be a theme in Genie’s case.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

How to Apply for Your Perkins Loan

How to Apply for Your Perkins Loan SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you considering applying for federal financial aid? If so, you might have heard of the Perkins loan program. Perkins loans are government-backed, low-interest loans that are meant to help students pay for school. They come with a lot of great perks, including the opportunity for loan cancellation (that's exactly what it sounds like it is - imagine taking out a loan for school, and not having to pay it back). If you've already checked out our guide to Perkins loans and want to get one for yourself, you've come to the right place. Read on for easy to follow instructions on exactly how to apply for a federal Perkins loan. The Basics of Applying for Perkins Loans There's no dedicated or separate application for the Perkins loan; instead, you apply by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The good news is that even if you're not eligible for a Perkins loan, you're opening up other opportunities for financial aid by submitting a FAFSA. You'll automatically be considered for any federal aid programs; schools and private scholarships can also use information from this application to award funds. There's no fee required to submit this application, and turnaround is pretty fast; you should receive a report detailing your eligibility for certain federal aid programs in about 3 days if you submit the FAFSA online. You'll quickly learn whether you'll be awarded the Pell grant, for example, or whether you're eligible to take out Direct Subsidized loans. Because financial eligibility requirements for Perkins loans vary from school to school, you won't learn about your Perkins eligibility until your school sends you a financial aid package. In general, Perkins loans are awarded to students who demonstrate exceptional financial need. Unfortunately, demonstrating this financial need doesn't necessarily guarantee that you'll receive the loan, but I'll discuss strategies for increasing your chances later in this post. The eligibility requirements are therefore a bit strict, but the loans themselves are flexible and come with some serious perks: Borrowers are given a 9 month grace period, whereas other federal loans come with a 6 month grace period. Borrowers who take jobs in community service after graduation are often eligible for loan cancellation(check out our guide here). Competitive interest rates; Perkins loan interest rates = 5%, whereas many private student loans can come with interest rates that are twice as high. Sounds pretty good, right? If you're thinking that you have nothing to lose by applying for a Perkins loan, you're right. In the next sections, I'll detail the steps you need to take to submit your best loan application. How to Apply Step 1: Check Whether Your School Participates in the Perkins Loan Program Although Perkins Loans are government-backed, your school would technically be your Perkins Loan lender. Fewer schools participate in the Perkins Loan program than in some other federal loan programs. You can check with your school’s financial aid office to figure out whether they offer Perkins loans. You can also ask what their financial eligibility requirements are. This might give you a better idea of your chances before you submit your FAFSA. Step 2: Check Your Timeline for Submitting the FAFSA There are a few different deadlines you should be aware of: federal and state. The only deadline that matters specifically for the Perkins Loan specifically is the federal one, although if you’re submitting the FAFSA at this deadline, there may not be any Perkins funding left for you. The deadline for federal funding for the 2015-2016 school year is June 30, 2016. You may be able to get federal aid even after you’ve finished your year at school (if you’re a current college student), so it could be worth your while to apply later on even if you’re too late to get the Perkins.Different states (if you also want to be considered for state funding) have different deadlines for applying for student aid: check the deadline for your state here. Schools use information from the FAFSA to put together financial aid packages. Like I mentioned above, you won't actually learn whether you can take out a Perkins loan until you've received this financial aid package.You can submit your FAFSA as early as January 1 for the year you’re entering school.Current college students typically submit their FAFSAs early in their spring semesters for the next academic year. It’s easy to put off completing the FAFSA until the federal or state deadline - don’t do this!Perkins money tends to run out quickly because each participating school has a finite Perkins budget - it's first come, first serve. Plan on applying as early in the year as possible (January or February). You won’t have that year’s tax information yet, but that’s ok - you can submit estimates and amend those numbers later as needed. That way, schools will have your FAFSA information on hand once you're accepted. The early bird gets the Perkins loan. Step 3: Gather All the Information You Need to Complete the Application Although gathering this information isn't necessarily hard, it can be the most tedious part of the application process. Keep in mind that you'll also need to meet all basic federal aid requirements in order to submit a FAFSA (you can read more about that here). Here's all the information you'll need to fill out an application: Your Social Security Number Your Alien Registration Number (if you're not a US citizen) Your most recent federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of income Bank statements and investment records (if applicable) Records of untaxed income (if applicable) An FSA ID to sign electronically (if you're submitting your FAFSA online). You can create a FSA ID here. You'll also need all the above information from your parents, even if they won't be helping you pay for school.Your parents’ financial information is considered when determining how much aid you may be eligible for - here’s some more specific information: If your parents are married, gather info for both of them. If your parent is widowed or single, you just need the financial information for that one parent. If your widowed parent is currently remarried, you need info for your parent + his/her spouse. If your parents are divorced or separated, you need information for your custodial parent (the parent you lived with the most in the past year). If your parents have joint custody, and you’ve spent equal time with them, you need info for the parent who’s supported you the most financially. If youthink your circumstances warrant a what’s called a â€Å"dependency override,† where your parents’ financial info is not taken into account (meaning you would likely get more aid), you will also need to gather all documentation around your special circumstances (that is, any documentation that would support your claims). Common overrides include age, marriage, kids, homelessness, military service, foster care, or legal emancipation. Answer questions about these circumstances honestly on your FAFSA - the application will process as incomplete, and you’ll need to follow up with the financial aid office of the school you’re seeking an aid package from. Step 4: Choose Your Submission Method You can choose to submit either an electronic or paper version of the FAFSA. I recommend that you submit an electronic version, but here are instructions for both methods of submission so that you can make a decision that's right for you: Electronic Submission It’s generally easier to submit online than it is to send in a paper application. The form can be submitted electronically here. If you plan to submit online, apply for a FSA ID for you and your parents first! You need a FSA to sign the FAFSA electronically - it can take up to 3 days to get the ID via email, so build this into your timeline. The electronic FAFSA tends to guide you through the application process faster, and can you notify you about certain errors. Electronic submission will get you faster â€Å"results† - you’ll receive your SAR, or Student Aid Report (document which tells you about your eligibility for federal student aid), in about 3 days. Paper Submission You can get a paper copy of the FAFSA at high school guidance offices, college financial aid offices, and many libraries. You can also download and print the application yourself here. Paper FAFSAs are a bit more cumbersome than the electronic version, take the longest to file (it can take weeks to get your SAR back), and lead applicants to make more mistakes, which will delay your application process. This is not a good option for you if you're tight on time. Step 5: If Possible, Set a Time With Your Parents to Complete the FAFSA Once you've gathered all relevant information and chosen your submission method, you'll need to plan some time to sit down and actually complete the application. As I mentioned earlier, you'll need quite a bit of information from your parents or guardians - the form will be much easier to complete if you can sit down with them, going through each section together. Plan on spending 1-2 hours on filling out the application. A little extra help from the 'rents makes the application process faster and easier. Step 6: After You Submit Within 3-5 days, you will receive an email with directions to access your Student Aid Report. The colleges you listed on your FAFSA will have access to your SAR shortly after you do.You can check the status of your application by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center (1.800.433.3243), or by logging into the Department of Edwebsite with your FSA ID. If your application was complete, your school should be able to use your Student Aid Report to generate a financial aid offer,which can include grants, loans, and scholarships. If you are offered a Perkins Loan, it will be included in this financial aid offer. Your school has the ultimate say in whether you get the Perkins Loan. Financial eligibility does not guarantee that you’ll receive the loan. Schools with better funding, or with better financial aid programs, may be able to offer more Perkins loans. If You're Offered a Perkins Loan, Should You Take It? So you've gone through all this work to apply for federal financial aid, and your school offers you a Perkins loan in your financial aid package. You can choose to take the loan, or you can refuse the aid. What do you do? First, you should avoid taking on any debt if you have other ways to cover your school's cost of attendance (like grants or scholarships, for example). Perkins loans are great financial tools, but as with any loan, you'll end up paying back more money than you originally borrowed due to interest (if you don't get 100% of your loan canceled, that is). To learn more about cost of attendance and budgeting out college expenses, check out our college cost guide. If you've determined that you need to take out loans to help pay for school, the Perkins loan could be a great option for you, particularly if you're planning on working in public service after you graduate. Working in certain fields qualifies Perkins loan borrowers for loan cancellation - you could potentially get up to 100% of your loan canceled, which means you wouldn't end up paying a dime. You can read more about Perkins loan cancellation here. If you're choosing between a Perkins loan and another loan, the Perkins loan will almost always be the better financial option. Interest rates are low, as I mentioned earlier in this post, and no interest accrues while you're in school or for 9 months after you leave. As a result, you'll end up paying less in the long run. All in all, Perkins loans are great options for students who need loans to help finance their educations. They're particularly good options for students who are interested in public service. It's hard to go wrong with a Perkins loan! What's Next? If you're researching Perkins loans, you should definitely learn more about other federal financial aid programs as well. Check out our guides on the Pell Grant, Direct Subsidized loan, and Direct Unsubsidized loan. Already know all about those federal programs? You might want to check out scholarship opportunities. Learn more about the National Merit Scholarship and the Walmart Scholarship. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Monday, October 21, 2019

Mood vs. Tense

Mood vs. Tense Mood vs. Tense Mood vs. Tense By Maeve Maddox Judging by comments I’ve read on this and other language sites, many people are not quite clear as to the difference between the grammatical terms mood and tense. For example, I’ve seen such expressions as â€Å"subjunctive tense† and â€Å"progressive mood.† Because both tense and mood have to do with verbs, the confused terminology is understandable. Tense, however, refers to time, whereas mood refers to manner of expression. Tense The three possible divisions of time are past, present, and future. For each, there is a corresponding verb tense: Present: He walks now. Past: Yesterday he walked. Future: Tomorrow he will walk. Each of these tenses has a corresponding complete tense: perfect, past perfect (pluperfect), and future perfect: Perfect: He has walked every morning since Monday. Past Perfect: He had walked a mile by the time we joined him. Future Perfect: By tomorrow, he will have walked twenty miles. Each of these tenses has a continuous or progressive form: Present Continuous: I am still walking. Past Continuous: I was still walking when you phoned. Future Continuous: I shall/will be walking when you reach town. Perfect Continuous: I have been walking since early morning. Past Perfect Continuous: I had been walking for an hour when you phoned. Future Perfect Continuous: When you see me, I shall have been walking for six hours. Mood Mood is the form of the verb that shows the mode or manner in which a thought is expressed. Mood distinguishes between an assertion, a wish, or a command. The corresponding moods are: Indicative (assertion), Subjunctive (wish), and Imperative (command). Note: Unlike some languages, English does not have an â€Å"Interrogative Mood†; questions are formed by changing word order and not by altering the verb. The word indicative derives from Latin indicare, â€Å"to declare or state.† Indicative Mood expresses an assertion, denial, or question about something: Assertion: I liked him very much before he did that. Denial: He is not going to remain on my list of friends. Question: Will you continue to see him? The word imperative derives from Latin imperare, â€Å"to command.† Imperative Mood expresses command, prohibition, entreaty, or advice: Command: Go thou and do likewise. Prohibition: Stay out of Mr. MacGregor’s garden! Entreaty: Remember us in your prayers. Advice: Beware of the dog. The â€Å"true subjunctive† equivalent to the Latin Optative Mood (opare, â€Å"to wish†) is rare in modern English. Examples of the â€Å"true† subjunctive: â€Å"If I were king,† â€Å"God save the Queen!† In most contexts dealing with unreal situations, speakers used a mixed subjunctive. The use of the auxiliaries may, might, should, and would creates a mixed subjunctive in which one verb is in subjunctive and another in indicative mood: If I should see him, I will tell him. He came that they might have life. According to the Penguin Dictionary of English Grammar, The distinctive subjunctive forms are now confined to the verb be and to the third-singular forms of other verbs; they are still common in American English, while in British English they are confined to very formal styles. In American English, the subjunctive often occurs with the following verbs: suggest: I suggest that she refuse his offer. demand: They are demanding that he go to London for an interview. propose: The father proposed that his son be locked up to teach him a lesson. insist: We all insisted that he accept treatment. British usage tends to use should in such constructions: I suggest that she should refuse his offer. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar 101 category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Inquire vs EnquireList of Greek Words in the English Language8 Great Podcasts for Writers and Book Authors

Sunday, October 20, 2019

David Beatty - World War I - Royal Navy - Battle of Jutland

David Beatty - World War I - Royal Navy - Battle of Jutland David Beatty - Early Career: Born on January 17, 1871, at Howbeck Lodge in Cheshire, David Beatty joined the Royal Navy at age thirteen. Warranted as a midshipman in January 1884, he was assigned to the flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet, HMS Alexandria two years later. An average midshipman, Beatty did little to stand out and was transferred to HMS Cruiser in 1888. Following a two-year assignment at the HMS Excellent gunnery school at Portsmouth, Beatty was commissioned as a lieutenant and placed in the corvette HMS Ruby for a year. After serving aboard the battleships HMS Camperdown and Trafalgar, Beatty received his first command, the destroyer HMS Ranger in 1897. Beattys big break came the following year when he was selected as second-in-command of the river gunboats that would accompany Lord Kitcheners Khartoum Expedition against the Mahdists in Sudan. Serving under Commander Cecil Colville, Beatty commanded the gunboat Fatah and gained notice as a daring and skillful officer. When Colville was wounded, Beatty took over leadership of the expeditions naval elements. David Beatty - In Africa: During the campaign, Beattys gunboats shelled the enemy capital and provided fire support during the Battle of Omdurman on September 2, 1898. While taking part in the expedition, met and befriended Winston Churchill, then a junior officer in the 21st Lancers. For his role in the Sudan, Beatty was mentioned in dispatches, awarded a Distinguished Service Order, and promoted to commander. This promotion came at the young age of 27 after Beatty had only served half the typical term for a lieutenant. Posted to the China Station, Beatty was named executive officer of the battleship HMS Barfleur. David Beatty - Boxer Rebellion: In this role, he served as a member of the Naval Brigade that fought in China during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion. Again serving with distinction, Beatty was wounded twice in the arm and sent back to England. For his heroism, he was promoted to captain. Age 29, Beatty was fourteen years younger than the average newly-promoted captain in the Royal Navy. As he recovered, he met and married Ethel Tree in 1901. The wealthy heiress to the Marshall Fields fortune, this union provided Beatty with an independence not typical of most naval officers and offered access to the highest social circles. While his marriage to Ethel Tree provided extensive benefits, he soon learned that she was highly neurotic. This led her to cause him extreme mental discomfort on several occasions. Though a daring and skilled commander, the access that the union provided to a lifestyle of sporting leisure led him to become increasingly high-strung and he never developed into a calculated leader similar to his future commander Admiral John Jellicoe. Moving through a series of cruiser commands in the early years of the 20th century, Beattys personality manifested itself in the wearing of non-regulation uniforms. David Beatty - The Young Admiral: After a two-year stint as naval advisor to the Army Council, he was given command of the battleship HMS Queen in 1908. Ably captaining the ship, he was promoted to rear admiral on January 1, 1910, becoming the youngest (age 39) admiral (Royal Family members excluded) in the Royal Navy since Lord Horatio Nelson. Appointed as second-in-command of the Atlantic Fleet, Beatty declined stating the position had no prospects for advancement. Unimpressed the Admiralty placed him on half-pay without a command for over a year. Beattys luck changed in 1911, when Churchill became First Lord of the Admiralty and made him Naval Secretary. Utilizing his connection to the First Lord, Beatty was promoted to vice admiral in 1913, and given command of the Home Fleets prestigious 1st Battlecruiser Squadron. A dashing command, it suited Beatty who by this point was known for wearing his cap at a jaunty angle. As commander of the battlecruisers, Beatty reported to the commander of the Grand (Home) Fleet which was based at Scapa Flow in the Orkneys. David Beatty - World War I: With the outbreak of World War I in the summer of 1914, Beattys battlecruisers were called upon to support a British raid on the coast of Germany. In the resulting Battle of the Heligoland Bight, Beattys ships entered a confused fray and sank two German light cruisers before British forces withdrew west. An aggressive leader, Beatty expected similar behavior from his officers and expected them to seize the initiative whenever possible. Beatty returned to action on January 24, 1915, when his battlecruisers met their German counterparts at the Battle of Dogger Bank. Intercepting Admiral Franz von Hippers battlecruisers returning from a raid on the English coast, Beattys ships succeeded in sinking the armored cruiser SMS Blà ¼cher and inflicting damage on the other German vessels. Beatty was furious after the battle as a signaling error had allowed the majority of von Hippers ships to escape. After a year of inaction, Beatty led the Battlecruiser Fleet at the Battle of Jutland on May 31-June 1, 1916. Encountering von Hippers battlecruisers, Beatty opened the fight but was drawn towards the main body of the German High Seas Fleet by his adversary. David Beatty - Battle of Jutland: Realizing that he was entering a trap, Beatty reversed course with the goal of luring the Germans towards Jellicoes approaching Grand Fleet. In the fight, two of Beattys battlecruisers, HMS Indefatigable and HMS Queen Mary exploded and sank leading him to comment, There seems to be something wrong with our bloody ships today. Successfully bringing the Germans to Jellicoe, Beattys battered ships took a secondary role as the main battleship engagement began. Fighting until after dark, Jellicoe unsuccessfully attempted to block the Germans from returning to their base with the goal of re-opening the battle in the morning. Following the battle, Beatty was criticized for mismanaging the initial engagement with the Germans, not concentrating his forces, and failing to keep Jellicoe fully informed of German movements. Despite this, the workman-like Jellicoe received the brunt of the criticism from the government and public for failing to achieve a Trafalgar-like victory. In November of that year, Jellicoe was removed from command of the Grand Fleet and made First Sea Lord. To replace him, the showman Beatty was promoted to admiral and given command of the fleet. David Beatty - Later Career: Taking command, Beatty issued a new set of battle instructions emphasizing aggressive tactics and pursuing the enemy. He also continually worked to defend his actions at the Jutland. Though the fleet did not fight again during the war, he was able to maintain a high level of readiness and morale. On November 21, 1918, he formally received the surrender of the High Seas Fleet. For his service during the war, he was made Admiral of the Fleet on April 2, 1919. Appointed First Sea Lord that year, he served until 1927, and actively opposed postwar naval cuts. Also made the first chairman of the Chief of Staff, Beatty strenuously argued that the fleet was the first line of Imperial defense and that Japan would be the next great threat. Retiring in 1927, he was created 1st Earl Beatty, Viscount Borodale, and Baron Beatty of the North Sea and Brooksby and continued to advocate for the Royal Navy until his death on March 11, 1936. He was interred at St. Pauls Cathedral in London. Selected Sources First World War: Admiral Sir David BeattyDavid Beatty

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Take This Bread by Sara Miles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Take This Bread by Sara Miles - Essay Example The essence of all religious texts is-- help and do service to others. That is the greatest meritorious act. To cause intentional pain to others is the greatest act of sin. Sara Miles said thus, without actually saying! A true Christian is the one who has not only cross on the neck, but also Christ in the heart. Sara Miles prayed and performed. Prayer took the second place in the order of her religious priorities and service occupied the first place. â€Å"Hunger† is the word that set her thinking and energized her. When she converted to Christianity at the age of 46, she was not like a young girl/youth with impressionable mind, receptive to transplantation of new ideas. She was a tough individual, experienced in many facets of life, with strong leftist leanings, secular-intellectual, and by strict standards of Christianity and Church, not a fit candidate for conversion. But such ‘accidents’ do happen in life, and when it happened it opened for her new vistas of f orward thrust. ‘To feed people’ became, not her view of life, but the way of life. She was obsessed with the idea of feeding people. Did she create a special brand of her own type Christianity? The answer to this question is both yes and no. For no one born on this Planet Earth can interpret what the true Christian principles are. What is the exact import of the revelations of that realized soul, the son God; no one will ever be able to comprehend! Each one sees a new horizon and interprets the Christian principles from the level of one’s spiritual progression. No one knows what is the perfect truth related to Christianity. When perfect Christian discipline is not known, they carry on with the available discipline, thinking that it alone is the final truth about Christianity! Divinity and humanity are alternative beats of the same heart. If you have any doubt, study the book, not mere read the book, â€Å"Take this Bread† by Sara Miles. They (Divinity and humanity) must run together like the train that speeds on two parallel tracks. It is like the scale of justice. Both arms of the scale are important to strike the equilibrium. To give another comparison they are like the two banks of a river! Sara turned one piece of bread that she ate at communion into many tons of groceries and discovered the new mission for her life. She used the altar of the Church where she met her God, Jesus Christ for the purpose. Poorest parts of the country turned out to be her pilgrimage centers. Her struggle was not ordinary. She came into contact and had to interact with a heterogeneous section of the society, good, bad and worst. She writes, (2000, xii) â€Å"I had to struggle with my atheist family, my doubting friends, and the prejudices and traditions of my newfound church. I learned about the great American scandal of the politics of food, the economy of hunger, and the rules of money. I met thieves, child abusers, millionaires, day laborers, polit icians, schizophrenics, gangsters, and bishops—all blown into my life through the restless power of a call to feed people, widening that I thought as my â€Å"community† in ways that were exhilarating, confusing, and often scary.† It is better not to give than give with arrogance. In her search for ways and means to combat hunger she provides the above description of the types of people she encountered---all

Friday, October 18, 2019

Civil Rights Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Civil Rights Movement - Essay Example The two white men arrested in connection with the incident were not judged. At the same time, Henry Huff, a black lady in Chicago, was expected to part with $200,000 in a court in Mississippi so as to see if she can be assisted in finding her kidnapped son. All these obstacles made them to struggle to have quality education, not to be oppressed and eliminate stereotyping. Hence the Black community came together to form the Civil Rights Movement to help in stopping segregation and discrimination against creed, race, gender and color. The community that supported it benefited in realizing equality among all races and an integrated society. After the formation of the social movement, some amendments were performed in America which assisted the blacks to realize their rights later (Vincent, 1989). The black community benefited from the 13th amendment which ended the servitude in the United States of America. It was the 14th amendment that highly benefited the black community. It granted citizenship to the blacks and barred states from cutting their immunities and privileges as prescribed in the constitution. It also prohibited all states from taking an individual’s liberty, life and property and granted equal laws’ protection. ... The black community eventually could access polling booth. The movement caused the Voting Rights Act to be passed in1965. The passage removed several racial barriers. It actually led to the alteration of American cultural, social and political way of life. Transformation in prevailing citizenship rights together with a redefinition of the courts and government’s role in guarding those rights bolstered all the Americans human rights irrespective of their individual color. Civil Rights Movement made many black employees in some organizations to publicize various abuses of civil rights that plagued them. The movement led to the emergence of Black Nationalism in America. In 1960s, many activists that were black started to ask for reforms that would lead to formation of a political system to make blacks to be less politically as well as economically crippled. With the rise of nationalism wave in the movement, some organizations emerged. One of the organization started advocating fo r â€Å"black power†. This term was clear indication racism was forever gone. Question Two Modern feminism movement describes an organized activity that attempts to empower female by revealing the interests and rights of women. Most people have counterfeit assumptions about women’s cultural beliefs, sexual preference and general point of view on life. Even the present daughters do not ever dream of leading the lives their mothers go through. Feminism movement was designed to be an intellectual and social group that inquires about transforming the society and individuals. This society includes changing the world along with changing their fathers. Its aim is to produce a society that is unbiased for all men and women by

Teenage Pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teenage Pregnancy - Essay Example 1-2). a) Threat to life of the person with mortality rate four times higher for those between 15 to 19 years old than those women aged 25 to 29. While pregnancy of teens from 10 to 14 years old is more life threatening and if the fetus is born, it will have serious health conditions or may soon die. e) Seeking support from social welfare institution. With majority of them unmarried, 75 percent ask for financial support within the next five years after childbirth. Research has shown that some teenagers prefer getting pregnant in order to get support from the father, a survival approach in poverty-ridden areas. f) Children of teenage mothers suffer retardation in psychological and social developments, as well as malnutrition effect upon the mind and body. Teenage mothers do not possess parenting skills, do not know the needs of the child, and do not understand the importance of touch, smile and communication in the development of the child. g) Socially unacceptable behavior of children. The result of lack of parenting skills and unpleasant environment can cause the child to grow up with anti-social behaviors. The rate is three times higher for boys to become a criminal offender and land in prison than the common criminals. Girls, on the other hand, have the tendency to become pregnant at a tender age (Agarwal par. 2-9). h) Delay in prenatal care. Of the 1 million teenage pregnancy in the US, 7.2 percent received no prenatal care while the rest received delayed prenatal care (Sams par. 1). Prenatal care is necessary to maintain the health of the teenager and her unborn child. i) Mix emotions such as excitement, confusion, fear, anger and frustration. While a motherly instinct of protecting the unborn child is developing, it is coupled by confusion and fear of how to handle the unplanned pregnancy (Causes and Effects pars. 8-9). The primary cause of teenage pregnancy is the absence of

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Cultural Aspects of Moving to Japan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Kelly's Assignment in Japan - Case Study Example Based on the information given in the case study there could be identified several clashes in cultural customs and expectations. The first clash in cultural customs and expectations has occurred when Kelly and her family arrived in Tokyo and saw their new apartment. Despite a high rent price, their new apartment was very tiny that they could hardly move fit in their personal belongings. This was the first big disappointment for the whole family. The second clash in culture customs has occurred when Kelly exchanged the handshake greetings with Japanese colleagues. In Japan bowing and presenting business cards are absolutely appropriate and expected forms of greeting. Moreover, the formalized exchange of business cards is the whole ritual in Japan, called â€Å"the meishi† (Gesteland, 2005). A handshake is appropriate for Europeans and Americans, but not for Japanese (Reisinger, 2009). The Japanese bow is an important aspect of non-verbal communication, which represents respect, personal humility and social harmony (Nixon & West, 1995). The fact that the new boss was a foreigner, and more importantly a woman was another serious clash in cultural customs, as in such culture as in Japan with high masculinity index, woman-boss and foreigner is a foremost difference (Solomon & Schell, 2009; Yoshida, Yashiro, and Suzuki, 2013). Another clash has occurred when Kelly asked the teams to prepare presentations. The Japanese were reluctant to preparing it as they perceived that group commitment was required for it. This behavior can be explained by differences in context orientation, as Americans have individualistic orientation, while Japanese – group orientation (Reisinger, 2009).  

Marketing in Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing in Tourism - Essay Example This is combined with renowned Indian hospitality, music, dance and attractive costuming (KTDC, 2009). This combination of natural and man made attractions led to the terming of the place as â€Å"God’s Own Country† by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation [KTDC]. This was a strong selling point (KTDC, 2009). However, despite the fact that there was a great increase in the number of visitors to the region; from 5 million in 1999 to 8 million in 2008; there has been a marked decrease in foreign tourist arrivals. This decreased ranged between 19% to 22% in different parts of Kerala (Tourism in Kerala. 2009). One of the primary indicators of this reduction is the number of foreign tourists recorded to have visited the country in an assortment of years ranging from 2002 to 2009. There was a steady rise in the number of foreign tourists between 2002 to 2008. However, this saw a steep nosedive in 2009 as tabulated below (Tourism in Kerala. 2009). Another of the primary indicators of this reduction is the drop in foreign currency injection into the area. International Tourists are a major source of foreign currency for the region. The drop in international tourists also saw a sharp drop in foreign currency as seen from the tabulated results in Figure 1 below. It is obvious from the foregoing that the concerns of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation [KTDC] are well founded. Considering that this came at time when they had injected millions of dollars into tourism development activities, the drop in arrivals caught them off guard and negated most of the good work they had put in. Evidence of this promotion exercise abounds in the KTDC website (Tourism in Kerala. 2009). There is however more than meets the eye in the interplay of factors that caused this sudden reduction in visitors to the region. Though some of the factors may be quite obvious, taking into account that

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Buyer Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Buyer Behavior - Essay Example e a product is relatively expensive and possibly technologically complex, prospective purchasers often go through a complex search and evaluation process prior to making a purchase. Various models of consumer behaviour have been developed over the years. The models reflect the different buying situations in which consumers find themselves. Factors influencing consumer behaviour must be considered as well as similar factors influencing the buying decisions in business to business transactions. An understanding of these factors and how they influence the buying decision are extremely important when putting together a selling strategy. Market research also plays an important part in helping to identify relevant facts about buyer behaviour (consumer or organizational) and provides all kinds of information which forms the basis of strategy formulation. A motive to make a certain purchase is an internal state of the purchase. While consumer behavior is observable, motives are psychological constructs that can only be inferred. Buying motives for consumer products may be classified as economic, emotional, product, and retail patronage. Some of the motives may be rational while others are emotional. To illustrate, economic motives include product durability or economy in use. Emotional motives might include romance, pleasure, or prestige. Product purchase motives might involve ease for making repairs or ease of installation. Patronage motives relate to variety for selection or promptness in delivery. Motives relate to perception. Motives come from the consumers real self, self-image, ideal self, and looking-glass self. The way consumers envision the situation to themselves helps to shape their reactions or responses to marketers appeals (Sharon, Boyle, 2004: 343). Consumer goals and needs are constantly changing in response to environmental conditions, interaction with others, and physical conditions. As individuals realize their goals, new objectives may be

Marketing in Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing in Tourism - Essay Example This is combined with renowned Indian hospitality, music, dance and attractive costuming (KTDC, 2009). This combination of natural and man made attractions led to the terming of the place as â€Å"God’s Own Country† by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation [KTDC]. This was a strong selling point (KTDC, 2009). However, despite the fact that there was a great increase in the number of visitors to the region; from 5 million in 1999 to 8 million in 2008; there has been a marked decrease in foreign tourist arrivals. This decreased ranged between 19% to 22% in different parts of Kerala (Tourism in Kerala. 2009). One of the primary indicators of this reduction is the number of foreign tourists recorded to have visited the country in an assortment of years ranging from 2002 to 2009. There was a steady rise in the number of foreign tourists between 2002 to 2008. However, this saw a steep nosedive in 2009 as tabulated below (Tourism in Kerala. 2009). Another of the primary indicators of this reduction is the drop in foreign currency injection into the area. International Tourists are a major source of foreign currency for the region. The drop in international tourists also saw a sharp drop in foreign currency as seen from the tabulated results in Figure 1 below. It is obvious from the foregoing that the concerns of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation [KTDC] are well founded. Considering that this came at time when they had injected millions of dollars into tourism development activities, the drop in arrivals caught them off guard and negated most of the good work they had put in. Evidence of this promotion exercise abounds in the KTDC website (Tourism in Kerala. 2009). There is however more than meets the eye in the interplay of factors that caused this sudden reduction in visitors to the region. Though some of the factors may be quite obvious, taking into account that

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

The Evolution of a Fairy Tale Essay Example for Free

The Evolution of a Fairy Tale Essay In the universe of fairy tales, the Just often find a way to prevail, and the Wicked generally receive their comeuppance. But a closer look at the stories reveals much more than a simple formula. Behind the seemingly innocent tales of old lie undeniable truths about women—how they were treated in society, and how they wanted to break free from the mold their surroundings had built around them. To fully understand this, I will be examining â€Å"fairy tales† where women were not weak and vapid, where they became the heroes, and where a reversal of roles that was ahead of its time, arose. But first, a brief look at its history. The Origin of Fairy Tales Once Upon a Time, fairy tales werent written for children. According to Bob Huang’s essay, in spite of their name, the popular fairy tales usually have very little to do with fairies. We took the name from the French contes des fee, and the French literary fairy tales of the 17th century do feature far more fairies than the tales which are best-known today. The Grimm brothers collected the folk tales of the German people to make up their volume, but fairy tales are more than just folk tales. The German term for them is Marchen, a word for which there is no satisfactory English equivalent it is the diminutive of Mar, a story or a tale, and has come to mean a story of wonder and enchantment, as the fairy tale is. Although large numbers of literary fairy tales were written in 17th century France, most of the tales which are still told and retold now are far older in origin. Many of the stories were edited and changed as they were written down, removing the darker and more gruesome elements of the stories. The intended audience of the stories has also changed. Perraults collection of tales was written to be presented at the court of Versailles, and each tale ended with a moralistic verse. At the same time, literary fairy tales of great imagination and invention, often quite cruel and gruesome, were being created by the women surreptitiously rebelling against the constraints placed on them by their restrictive society. They were not written for children. Today, when asked to name authors of fairy tales, most people now (if they knew at all) would answer the Grimm Brothers or Charles Perrault, and perhaps Hans Christian Andersen. Yet throughout history, fairy tales have been womens stories, passed down orally by the mothers and grandmothers. When the tales began to be a literary form, the number and output of female authors vastly exceeds that of the males. The Grimm Brothers collected their tales from peasants and edited them to suit their audience; most of Perraults stories are retellings of old tales. Although the female authors included familiar elements, their now-forgotten tales were largely more inventive, original and fantastical than their male counterparts and frequently nastier, too. The Authors of the â€Å"Real† Fairy Tales In 1634, a cycle of fifty tales was published by Giambattista Basile, in which can be found some of the earliest written versions of familiar stories like Sleeping Beauty. Basiles tone is bawdy and comic; his narrators within the tale are old women, hags, crones and old gossips, the stereotypical tellers of the old wives tale. The women who brought the literary fairy tale to popularity fifty years or so later were anything but old wives. The story which marked the beginning of the form was written by the Countess dAulnoy, an aristocratic woman who tried to implicate her husband in a crime of high treason, but was discovered, and managed to flee Paris. She had been married to the husband at the age of 15; he was 30 years her senior, and a gambler and libertine. The cruelty of enforced marriages is remarked on by the heroines of many of her stories, and the tales of other women of the time. 0 years after fleeing Paris (she returned in 1685), Mme dAulnoy is thought to have assisted a friend to kill her husband, who had abused her. The friend was beheaded. The Countess de Murat was banished from Louis XIVs court in Paris for publishing a political satire about him; she then shocked the people of Loches, where she had her chateau, by holding gatherings where she and her friends would dance, talk, and tell fairy tales, as in the salons of Paris. Her tales concern marriage, the power struggles of the aristocracy, and true love. They do not always have a happy ending, either. Marie-Jeanne L Heritier led a less controversial life. She did not marry, choosing to dedicate herself to writing. Her father was a historian and writer, her sister was a poet. She was also the niece of Charles Perrault, and quite likely influenced his interested in fairy tales. Her Adventures of Finette features a heroine who wins by her wits, in spite of two lazy sisters and an evil prince. The Secret Messages In a time of political censorship, where women had few rights, fairy tales were one way that they could make their opinions known. The fairies themselves in the tales often stand for the aristocrats, having power over many but often caring little, bickering amongst themselves, concerned with their own power struggles. The heroines comment on the double-standards of the times, arranged marriages, and the false glory of war; the tales also illustrate the authors ideas on the standards of correct manners, justice and love. The tales were also written in opposition to the literary establishment at the time, which championed Classical literature as the standard for French writers to follow. Fairy tales were modeled on French folklore and the courtly love of medieval literature. When Perrault joined them in writing fairy tales, he was taking a stand for the modern style and for womens tales (although his tales did not exactly feature liberates females). The Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns was part of the society which the fairy tales rebelled against for most women there was no choice over which side to take, as they werent thought worth educating in Latin and Greek anyway. Instead of being forced out, they formed their own style. A Fresh Look at the tale Donkeyskin (Feminism at work) We begin with a dying queen, a king who is described as being the most powerful monarch in the world, and their daughter. In the queens final conversation with her spouse, she extracts a promise that should he wed again, he will marry no woman who does not fulfill a particular condition: to match her in beauty, to fit her wedding ring, to have hair of a hue as golden as her own, and so forth—conditions differing from culture to culture. The king remains single for a number of years, unable to meet the conditions of his promise to his wife. At least not until their only daughter matures. It becomes apparent that she, and she alone, fulfills the necessary conditions, and he resolves to marry her, much to the horror of kingdom and princess alike. Seeking to evade her fate, the princess follows her mothers example by attempting to set an impossible condition to prevent, or at least delay, the impending union (in some versions, through her own wiles; in others, through the advice of a substitute mother figure such as a fairy godmother; and sometimes, though more rarely than is common in other tales such as Cinderella or The Goose Girl, through the direct advice of her dead mothers spirit). Typically, she asks her father for a dress as shining as the sun, a dress as lucent as the moon, and a coat made from the skin of either a single precious animal, or from skins representative of all of the animals in the woods. In some variants, the princess asks directly for the source of her fathers wealth, such as the skin of the donkey. Regardless, the father is so driven by his incestuous urges that impossible condition after impossible condition is met. It is interesting to note that in this particular story, the action which fits the mold of unassertive femininity starts the ball rolling, indirectly causing a series of harmful effects, while the more assertive, independent actions of the daughter are both required and rewarded. When her conditions are met, instead of choosing to follow her fathers path and acquiesce to immorality, our heroine chooses to take her fate into her own hands and flees, disguised by her coat of skin, her link to the natural world, carrying the precious dresses that represent her heritage and worldly position. Once this character is away from civilization, she finds herself at something of a loss. Her only advantage in her new environment is the cloak of skins, which she has finagled away from her father. The implications of this garment are interesting. First, there is the fact that it was created, whole cloth, from the harm that her father wished to do her and the manner in which she avoided that fate. As such, it can be described as being the product of courage and cunning. It is also a resource that allows her to tap into a deeper part of nature and thus succeed in her future attempts at happiness through craft and cunning. After a time spent wandering the forest, a place symbolic of change and transformation, the princess is discovered by a hunting party, and taken to a foreign court on the strength of her value as a curiosity. After spending some time persevering by dint of hard labor in the court kitchens, the princess develops a strategy. She determines to catch the interest of this kingdoms prince through traditionally feminine gifts. She uses her physical appearance, her cooking skills, and her general ability to maintain his continued interest and fascination. This threefold plan succeeds. Aside from the aforementioned aspects of feminism that the princess displayed: the independent streak, the stubbornness, the unwillingness to conform, there are also the symbols that the story made use of in terms of the other central characters. The King, for instance, whose incestuous intent, for its time (and now), extremely amoral, symbolized the power that men of that era had. It did not matter that the relationship was a no-no, nor the fact that his daughter did not want to go through with it. He wanted her as his wife, and he intended to have her—come what may. The century in which this story was written clearly had women and men in set roles. Men were the hunters, the leaders, and the autocracy. Do you not often wonder why quite a few of the mothers in tales we know, died to start the story off (Cinderella, Snow White)? It was as if the women during that time wanted to relay to the readers how hard life was for them that the maternal figures for the protagonists were dead to begin with. And then the authors branch off. We’ve established the role of the man as the â€Å"obey-me† figure, now there’s the fairy godmother who always rushes in to help. What this character clearly meant was the supposition of a female as a powerful figure; A magical creature who could do anything with a flick of her wand. The author clearly wanted to show that despite the antagonist’s presence, something could be done, and it would be a woman to do it. If you notice, a lot of other tales incorporate the â€Å"Fairy Godmother† figure (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel). Then there’s Prince Charming. He is the culmination of all the hardships that our heroine goes through. A rich, handsome, not-too-bright fellow who can’t seem to recognize the love of his life when in costume! Research has shown that women in the olden days did want rich husbands and a comfortable life. It was as if the Prince was their way of saying, â€Å"this is what I want, and what I deserve. Now, about our Donkeyskin heroine†¦her femininity did come back (the cooking, the vanity), but one could see all through to the end of the story, that she was willing to assert her authority, and not play second fiddle anymore. She ran away from her situation in the hope of finding a better one, and in the process, found she really needed (in her time, a husband seemed to fit the bill). Modern Feminist Fairy Tale Authors In our modern arts, as in ages past, women storytellers have understood this best. Margaret Atwood, Olga Broumas, Carol Ann Duffy, Denise Duhamel, Sandra Gilbert, Theodora Goss, Liz Lochead, Lisel Mueller, Lisa Russ Spar, Gwen Strauss, Jane Yolen, and many other contemporary feminist poets have used fairy tale themes to powerful effect to portray the truth of womens lives. (Anne Sextons collection Transformations, in particular, is an extraordinary work which no lover of fairy tales or womens writing should miss. ) Prose writers, too, have used fairy tales themes in a variety of interesting ways, exploring tradition stories from fresh, shrewd, modern perspectives. Some of their fairy tale novels and stories can be found on the mainstream fiction shelves, such as Angela Carter’s ground–breaking collection The Bloody Chamber, Margaret Atwoods The Robber Bride, Kate Bernheimers The Complete Tales of Ketzia Gold, Loranne Browns The Handless Maiden, A. S. Byatts Possession, Kathryn Daviss The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf, Berlie Dohertys The Vinegar Jar, Emma Donaghues Kissing the Witch, Alice Hoffmans The Blue Diary, Susanna Moores Sleeping Beauty, and Gioia Timpanelli’s Sometimes the Soul. Similarly enchanting works can be found tucked away on the fantasy shelves: Gwyneth Joness Seven Fairy Tales and a Fable, Peg Kerrs Wild Swans, Tanith Lees Red as Blood and White as Snow, Patricia McKillips Winter Rose, Robin McKinley Beauty and Deerskin, Rachel Pollacks Godmother Death, Delia Shermans Porcelain Dove, Sheri Teppers Beauty, Patricia C. Wredes Snow White and Rose Red, Jane Yolens Briar Rose, and the stories in the Snow White, Blood Red anthology series, to name just a few. Still more can be found on the Young Adult fiction shelves, including Francesca Lia Block’s The Beast and the Rose, Shannon Hales The Goose Girl, Sophie Massons Serafin, Edith Patous East, Ursula Synges Swans Wing, and the many fairy tale novels of Donna Jo Napoli. In The Feminine in Fairy Tales, a collection of her lectures at the Jung Institute in Zurich, Von Franz discusses themes in The Girl With No Hands, equating the heroines flight into the wilderness with the inner journeys we make into the unconscious and the lands of the soul. The forest [is] the place of unconventional inner life, she says, in the deepest sense of the word. It is there, in solitude, that the heroine can look deep inside herself and find the space, time, and clarity to heal, symbolized by the restoration of her hands at the end of the tale. Gertrude Mueller–Nelson builds on these ideas in her book Here All Dwell Free: Stories to Heal the Wounded Feminine in which she uses two fairy tales — The Girl With No Hands and The Sleeping Beauty — to examine the ways the ‘Feminine’ is devalued in modern culture, and in men and womens lives. Conclusion Such tales were passed down through the generations by word of mouth, woman to woman, mother to child — using archetypes as a mirror held to daily life, particularly the lives of those without clear avenues of social power. Why do we continue to be ensnared by fairy tales, after all these centuries? Why do we continue to tell the same old tales, over and over again? Because we all have encountered wicked wolves, faced trial by fire, and found fairy godmothers. We have all set off into unknown woods at one point in life or another. Women had found their voices through the â€Å"tales† and were set free.