Employment Laws and HRM Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Employment Laws and HRM Strategy - Essay Example HRM strategy refers to a particular approach that is used in the management of human resources with the aim of providing a strategic framework to support short and long term strategies of an organization (Dessler, 2010). Employment law is one of the essential functional areas that provide organizations with the foundation for effective development of workforce that will support the organizational goals and objectives (Moran, 2007). In order to have a better understanding of the subject of employment laws and HRM strategy, this essay will apply the employment laws of the Virginia State to one of the HRM strategy problems. In particular, the essay will apply the employment laws of the Virginia State on the HRM strategy problem of introduction of new technology for employees who may experience physical limitations. The subject of physical limitations of employees is one of the most comprehensive in the employment laws in the United Constitution. This issue is covered under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), as well as under the U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Act (EEOA) (Walsh, 2012). The ADA is designed to protect the rights of people with physical limitations including in the employment environment. This Act provides framework within which people with physical limitations can fully access and participate in all aspects of employment. It requires that employers should provide facilities and means through which employees with disability can access and participate in activities with as little difficulty as possible. The Act requires that the employer should do enough to remove the barriers that might deny people with disability with equal opportunity in accessing and using the facilities and services within an employment set up (Dessler, 2010). The provisions of the ADA are enforced by t he U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The employment laws related to this subject prohibits employers against discrimination of any kind to

Brief discussion of Western Civilization Essay Example for Free

Brief discussion of Western Civilization Essay A civilization is usually marked by a growth that can change the ways of the people in a specific time frame and the period after that. The said growth is perfectly exemplified in the western civilization. The Western culture is greatly affected by the highlights of the history. It is influenced by some ideas from the East. The Mesopotamians and Egyptians took part in the encounter of the Greeks and the Persian Empire. Hebrews formed the belief in a single god which is known as the Hebrew monotheism. Still, during the Classical Age of Greece, the Greeks nurtured the social, political and religions aspects of the West. Philosophers like Plato, Socrates, Aristotle and Herodotus were among the few who formed the cornerstones of Greek literacy. Athens followed a democratic civilization while the state of Sparta was a disciplined one. The period was predated by the Hellenistic period in which Greeks and Macedonians built kingdoms after conquering the Persian Empire. During this era, women played roles in politics. The rise of science, culture and arts came into existence. By 8th Century B. C, Rome was brought about by Latin-speaking people. Octavian aided in transforming a government system of a republican institution. The Roman Empire grew became known as one of the largest in the world. Languages in Rome in the present time like French, Spanish, Latin and Portuguese were strongly based on Latin. The Roans concocted a rich culture in law, language and engineering as well. After 200 years, it came to a decline and paved way to the period of Early Middle Ages. The era gave birth to the widespread Religion of Christianity through the works of Paul of Tarsus. Germanic kingdoms also became apparent in the part of Western Europe. The Carolingian Empire was ruled by Charlemagne, a brood of a Germanic tribe who accepted Christianity. Traditions from the classical age, the Germanic tribes and Christianity merged to give identity to the new civilization of Europe. This was threatened by Vikings and Muslims. Fortunately, the civilization was kept intact. By the dawn of the 9th and 10th century, agricultural production was heightened. Trade was also established along with changes in the technology during the High Middle Ages. Cities and banks were also present. When the 14th Century came, the West was plagued by the Black Death. It caused the fall of trade and instigated the difference of the upper and lower classes. A war which ran for a hundred years between the English and the French rattled the political status of Europe. Papacy was also affected in Rome when conflicts between popes occurred. All these are reflected in the arts during the period. Soon after, the Renaissance period which is dubbed as the time for reconstruction created new ways for the West. It was made evident that the Catholic Church is a very important institution. The Western civilization faced rises and falls caused by wars, invaders and other factors. All the events contributed on what the West has in the present civilization today. References: A Review of Western Civilization. Retrieved August 14, 2010 from http://www. wadsworth. com/history_d/templates/student_resources/0534600085_spielvogel/VolumeIIto1550. html

Corporate Social Responsibility Practices Of China Sinopec Commerce Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility Practices Of China Sinopec Commerce Essay During last several decades, more and more pressure is received by international firms to persuade them to dedicate more and more resources in social responsibility. These pressures are always come from customers, governments, employees, suppliers, community groups. Also, there is increasing interest among managers of business especially those CEOs at multi-national or multi-divisional companies in the antecedents and consequences of CSR. These business leaders are realized the fact that nowadays the social standards for the business are not only restricted in the aspect of earning profits, the demand for CSR can vary substantially across the whole world on many issues. Nowadays, the demand for the social responsibility of large business is growing when the some important issues such as the global warming, poverty, scarce of resources which faces by those business firms. The definitions of Corporate Social Responsibility The definition of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not clear as a result of so many conflicting goals and objectives. Mcwilliams and Siegel(2011) argue that the CSR are measures taken by those business corporations for the benefits of the whole community, beyond the interests of the firm and that which is required by law and some social pressures. Meanwhile, Corporate Social Responsibility involves achieving commercial success in ways that honor ethical values and respect people, communities, and the natural environment (Clark, 2006; Porter Kramer, 2006). And Ademosu(2008) claims that CSR is what an organization does to contribute to the development of the community in areas such as economy, the education and so on. The history of CSR is as long as the company. After Industrial Revolution some large business organizations are emerged and the owners of these business organizations have become the most powerful and richest man in this world and these rich businessman began to implant a kind of ideas called Social Darwinism which means the corporations should focus more on the development of their own business instead of caring more about the consequences caused by the big business organizations on the employees, the community, even the whole society. But at the beginning of the twentyish century the power against these ideas of those big corporations began to rise. In 1970s Milton Friedman argued that the only social responsibility of an enterprise is to increase profits within the scope of the business rules, profit maximization is only the second goal of corporations and the first goal is to ensure the survival of them. In order to achieve this point, they must bear some social responsibilities and the cost caused by them, they must protect the social welfare through the advertisements of them about no pollutions, no discriminations or something else. They must blend themselves into the community and fund more for the charity organizations in order to play a more active role in the society. From 1980s the movement of CSR began to rise in the western developed countries, it includes the contents of environment protecting, labor and human rights which leads to the concerns of customers changed from about only care about the quality of products to quality, environment, occupation health and so on. Meanwhile some governments, green peaces organizations and NGOs also continually called the business corporations to connect the trade to their social responsibilities. Under the increasing pressure and their own development needs. Many multinational companies in Europe and America are formulating to make commitments of social responsibility. Why business corporations should engage in CSR According to Ralph Hamann(2010) the evolving CSR agenda is driven by a global shift in the way the role of business is perceived. Under the circumstance of globalization and the challenges of sustainable development, the business firms are increasingly seen as an important element in the process of social transformation, for the benefit of society in general, as well as business itself. Customers and society have more exceptions for the corporations where the products they buy from. This sense has increased as results of recent corporate scandals, which reduced public trust of business corporations. And under the trend of globalization, the increasing influences of media can explode all the mistakes such as pollution, decimations of female workers, or something made by the corporations to the entire world. These force the business organizations to build a harmony relationship with the outside world Corporate social responsibility comes from its social power. Enterprises should be a two-way open system that is open to accept the information of society, and help public understanding its operation. Each activity, product and service of enterprises, must consider the social costs and benefits at the same time of considering cost-effectiveness because all the social costs linked to each activity, product and service should transfer to consumers ultimately. So the enterprises as legal persons should be the same as other individuals involved in resolving some of social problems beyond their normal range. The benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility To the business corporations, business ethics and social responsibility have became important factors to improve the competitiveness of enterprises, when the business leaders try to develop the company, they should not only focus on economic indicators such as revenues, turnover, profits but also the attentions to humanities index resources index and environmental indicators. Clark (2006) reports showed these companies which pay more attention to CSR have done better financially performance than all of the other companies. The CSR policy can enhance the reputation of a business corporation and improve the relationship between the community and them. The CSR programs can not only help a companys to earn a good reputation in the society, and improve revenues of their business actions (Afiya, 2005), CSR programs can actually improve the companys ability to achieve the goal of sustainable development. For example, if a company can use modern technology to achieve the goal of waste recycl ing, the operating cost may be reduced hugely(Clark, 2006). To the whole society, firstly, the business corporations fulfill their society responsibilities is good for solving the employment problems. Except through increasing investment to create more jobs, more importantly is to advocate the enterprises arrange labor force scientifically in order to avoid increasing the pressure of employment. The ISO8000 is an international authentication standard system which aims to ensure workers working conditions and environment, protecting their human rights. Many enterprises try get fulfill their social responsibilities to get to the standard of ISO8000 which help them to attract more labor resources. Secondly, to fulfill social responsibility help to protect natural resources and environment to achieve sustainable development. The enterprises as members of the society and the big consumers of the natural resources have unenviable responsibility for the sustainable development of the environment. By using technical innovations the enterprises can reduce the pollution caused by their production and decrease the consumption of the resources then save the resources. (Mele ´, D. 2008) Last by not the least, the CSR is a good method to ease the gap between the rich and poor. On the one hand, large and medium-sized enterprise could use their capital advantages, management advantages and human resource advantage of resources to invest in the poor area. The corporations can get new growth point of their business and help the poor area to solve the problems of poverty. On the other hand, the enterprises also can through charity to help the people of backward area in education, the development of social security and health care system The CSR practice of Sinopec group of China The Sinopec group of China is one of the largest state owned companies of China, functioning as a state-authorized investment organization in which the state holds the controlling share. Sinopecs business includes Sinopecs business includes oil and gas exploration, refining, and marketing; production and sales of petrochemicals, chemical fibers, chemical fertilizers, and other chemical products; storage and pipeline transportation of crude oil and natural gas; import, export and import/export agency business of crude oil, natural gas, refined oil products, petrochemicals, and other chemicals. Sinopec Group ranked the 7th in Fortune Global 500 in 2010.The Sinopec is considered as one of pillar enterprises of the Chinese national economy and a giant in the energy industry, so in the last several years, there are continuously pressure put on this company about how it is to carry out its social responsibilities as an state-owned and the most profitable company in China. In fact, the Sino pec group does implement some CSR initiatives to enhance its global image and reputation. Low-carbon development strategy The climate change is an urgent issue which is for all mankind today, how to protect the environment from human activities and pollution is especially important for those energy and petrochemical company. About the global issues of global warming Sinopec claims that they carry out low-carbon development by finding and using more low-carbon energy resources and promoting energy saving and consumption reduction. The Sinopec is both a large energy production firm and a large consumption firm. This company is active in developing low-carbon energy and improving the structure of the energy consumption. They have built up a comprehensive low-carbon business chain which covering RD, production and marketing. Meanwhile this company has taken planting trees to increase the carbon sink as a major way to fulfill its responsibility to protect the ecological environment and improving the conditions for the ordinary residents. Saving energy resourcrs is another immediate and effective way to reduce CO2 emission today. Because of great importance to energy saving, they try to develop into a resource-saving enterprise. During the last 5 years, while the production capacities kept growing, Sinopec got a good achievement in energy saving and consumption cut with more effective management, many modern and new technologies and equipments are used and more emphasis are put on energy saving in production process. According to reports in 2010, overall energy consumption of Sinopec went down by 3.8% and 0.8% respectively and saved 14.11 million tons of coals equivalent, equaling reducing 34.66 million tons of carbon dioxide emission. They also try efforts to spread information about the damages of climate change among workers, consumers, suppliers, and other stakeholders, calling for changes in mode of production, way of life and habit of consumption, and for stronger sense of social responsibility and keener awareness to protect the environment. When it comes to the issue of pollution, the energy producers like Sinopec are always accused for their pollution for the environment. They claim they have paid great efforts to making clean products and reducing the pollutant emission in consumption. Upgrading of gasoline and diesel quality is typically one of their efforts in this direction. From 2009 to 2010, Sinopec refining subsidiaries sped up development of gasoline upgrading plans and revamping of production facilities. By 1 May 2010, all automobile gasoline produced has met GB III standards or even higher. Given Sinopecs gasoline output in 2010, SO2 emission in consumption can be cut by 25,000 metric tons. But the waste in the energy industry is inevitable, they still need to pay more attention to the treatment of waste gas, waste water and industrial residue (three wastes), try their best to meet discharge standards of the government and mitigate their impact upon the environment to the minimum. By the end of 2010, they hav e completed desulfurization revamping of all 19 in-house power stations and 107 coal boilers. And we reduced SO2 emission by 204,000 metric tons, down by 35.7%. The circular is another important aspect, increasing resource efficiency and recycling, and promoting comprehensive utilization of byproducts, with the goal of low energy consumption, low emission and high efficiency. For example, flare gas recovering technology was applied. All flares were extinguished and more than 800,000 metric tons of gas can be recovered every year. Aid Those in Need, Help Those in Difficulty As one of the biggest company in China, the Sinopec still carry put some plans to help some poor areas in China. In 2010, they continue to follow the guidance of the central government about the development the rural poverty area, supporting the infrastructure construction, education development and industrial development in these areas, for example, Sinopec has invested RMB 100 million for poverty alleviation and disaster relief work in the four designated counties. During last several years, Sinopec has been paid great attention and engaged in constructing the Hope Schools which is a famous charity plan in China. It is aimed to help those poverty children have the chance to receive education in impoverished areas. Sinopec have have built 15 Hope Primary Schools in Anqing area which is in Anhui Province in the past four years. The total investment was about RMB 7.5 million. Care for employees The employees are the most important parts of a business organizations and care for the workers is an essential part of the CSR. By the end of 2010, Sinopec has 1.06 million employees in total, including 9,185 fresh university graduates joining Sinopec in 2010. They have a considerable number of employees who have worked for Sinopec for more than decades. Closely following the state labor policies, Sinopec signs labor contract with each employee, welcomes collective bargaining and offers stable and competitive salaries. Sinopec honors its legal obligations to maintain endowment insurance, health insurance, occupational injury insurance, unemployment insurance, and maternity insurance and housing provident funds for all employees. In 2010, the Company launched corporate annuity plan, a valuable addition to the mandatory pension scheme. Through the CSR activities above, the Sinopec earn a good reputation in China and the whole world. Through the activities of saving energy, help poverty people, this company improve their global image and do become the top business giant in the world. The Chinese government even awards the Sinopec with the title of China Corporate Social Responsibility Research Base and the Sinopec also become the most popular employer among job seekers in China. The Sinopec benefits the whole society and itself by fulfill its social responsibility. But there are still many critics about the Social Responsibilities of Sinopec. For example, as a state-owned enterprise, there are many scandals about the corruption cases of the managers. Conclusion It has to admit that, although the practice of CSR is still debated among the world. Proponents argue that there is a strong business case for CSR, in that corporations benefit in multiple ways by operating with a perspective broader and longer than their own immediate, short-term profits. Critics argue that CSR distracts from the fundamental economic role of businesses; others argue that it is nothing more than superficial window-dressing; others yet argue that it is an attempt to pre-empt the role of governments as a watchdog over powerful multinational corporations. However everything has two sides. Though some people do not love the CSR policy, increasingly, corporations are motivated to become more socially responsible because their most important stakeholders expect them to understand and address the social and community issues that are relevant to them. I believe that the CSR policy will develop to everyones benefit.

Samuel Beckett and Waiting for Godot Essay -- Waiting for Godot Essays

Samuel Beckett and Waiting for Godot      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As much as any body of writing this century, the works of Samuel Beckett reflect an unflinching, even obsessive flirtation with universal void. His literary and dramatic accounts of skirmishes with nothingness portray human beings (generally beings, at least, beings more or less human and intact) situated in paradoxical, impossibly absurd circumstances.    Samuel Barclay Beckett was born in the comfortable Dublin suburb of Foxrock in 1906, on the 13th either of April, which was Good Friday that year, or else of May-he and his birth certificate always disagreed on this point. He was the second son of a fairly prosperous, middle-class, Protestant couple: his father was a contractor and his mother a former nurse. Beckett's education was conventional. When he was thirteen, his parents sent him to boarding school at the Portora Royal in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland. He studied classics, and was also quite successful at cricket, rugby, and swimming. In 1923, he entered Trinity College, Dublin, where he read Modern Languages. He was honored for high scholastic achievement upon receiving his BA degree in December 1927.    In 1928 he began a literary career as a professor and critic. He tutored French for two terms at Campbell College, Belfast, and later that year he began a two-year exchange fellowship at the École Normal Supà ©rieure in Paris. While in Paris he met his mentor-to-be, James Joyce, and he began to write and publish criticism and poetry. He returned to Dublin, where between 1930 and 1932 he took his MA degree and lectured in French at Trinity College. For the next several years, he wrote and ... ..., Deirdre. Samuel Beckett: A Biography. New York: Summit, 1990. Beckett Festival: Dublin 1-20 October. Official program book of the Beckett Festival, in conjunction with the 1991 Dublin Theatre Festival. Dublin: Beckett Festival, 1991. Beckett, Samuel. The Complete Dramatic Works. London: Faber and Faber, 1986. Beckett, Samuel. "Three Dialogues," transition 49, 5 (December 1949), pp. 97-103. In Samuel Beckett, A Collection of Critical Essays, ed. Martin Esslin (New York: Prentice Hall, 1965), 16-22; also in Ruby Cohn, Disjecta (New York, 1984), 138-45. Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays. New York: Vintage, 1955. Esslin, Martin. The Theatre of the Absurd. New York: Anchor, 1969. Kennedy, Andrew K. Samuel Beckett. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Lyons, Charles R. Samuel Beckett. New York: Grove, 1983.

Book Review: Jon Krakauer’s “Into the Wild” Essay

In writing â€Å"Into the Wild,† Krakauer’s intention was to uncover the facts (or at least get as close to the facts as possible) surrounding Christopher McCandless’ journey â€Å"into the wild. † Krakauer discusses and presents theories and explanations about McCandless’ reasons for going off into a potentially fatal journey, and also presents investigations into how McCandless came to such a state in his life. Krakauer gives us some idea of the direct cause of McCandless’ death, and his reasons for doing what he did. Krakauer aims to give readers with invaluable insight into the mind of McCandless—how McCandless came about the idea of going to the Alaskan wilderness, what his motivations were, how he planned and managed to survive the grueling trek, and most importantly, â€Å"why? † The author seeks to understand what happened to McCandless in the wild, and to explain why someone so full of promise, who seems to have such an ideal life and much of all that he could ask for, could do what McCandless did. However, Krakauer does not presume to be certain about McCandless reasons, but he presents some very good explanations and allows us to understand McCandless’ mind even more. By revealing many things about the reasons behind McCandless’ death, Krakauer shows us that McCandless was far more than a simple and reckless fool who wasted his life. McCandless, who was an intelligent young man, went off into the Alaskan woods to â€Å"find himself† and to reunite with nature. He was heavily influenced by the literature he had read, to such an extent that he became, most of all, a man in search of himself and of a purpose in life. In order to really â€Å"find† himself, he felt it necessary to cut all ties from society, from his family, and reinvent himself as Alexander Supertramp, thus cutting his ties with his old identity. Whether or not he found what he was looking for in the wild is open to speculation, however Krakauer describes McCandless’s psychological terrain by including anecdotes and quotations from people who were in a similar state of mind as McCandless, as well as drawing parallels with his own life as a mountaineer and adventurer. Each chapter presents different tales from others who have been in the same road as McCandless, people who have also sought the solitude of the wild. Krakauer also interviewed people who have come in contact with McCandless during his journey. By the end of â€Å"Into the Wild,† the readers gains significant understanding of McCandless’ personality. Whether McCandless was brave or foolish, his journey of self-discovery is something that almost everyone can relate with and understand on some level. However, while the book is accessible to anyone who could have some interest in the controversial life and death of Christopher McCandless, it is most geared towards those who have sentiments similar to those that McCandless held regarding society, nature, and how to live. â€Å"Into the Wild† helps us understand McCandless’ character, although by the end of the book, it is still up to the reader to decide if McCandless was â€Å"right† or â€Å"wrong† in having done what he did – whether he was courageoeus or merely foolish.

Free Essays on Something So Unconventional

Something so Unconventional There are many reasons why someone would start a museum. Mr. Wilson’s reason, and his museum is a bit different than most. Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder is very unusual. He prides himself in finding things that most people would think of as odd, or not worth putting in a â€Å"normal† museum. As a man, Mr. Wilson is also a mystery. He almost seems to be able to disappear and reappear when he is in his museum. He never answers any questions with a straightforward answer, which might just be why so many people love to go visit Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder. The Museum is made up of many different bizarre exhibits. Normally when someone thinks of a museum they think of paintings, and famous sculptures, but in this case Mr. Wilson’s museum has rarities not found many other places in the whole world. One of the exhibits that sticks out in my mind was the Megaloponera foetens, otherwise known as the stink ant. It is said that they can ingest spores, and when inhaled by these ants the spore goes straight to the ant’s brain. After the spore is in the ant’s head changes in behavior of the ant are present. They climb a tree and wait to die while this spore grows in its brain until it bursts through the ant’s tiny head and an inch and a half spike grows from its head. This spike is unique also because it has a bright orange tip. (3-4). This is just one of the many different exhibits that you see at Mr. Wilson’s museum, but this shows you that his ways are a bit unconventional. Mr. Wilson himself started the museum because he wanted a place for people to learn about the more bizarre things in life. He looked all over the world to find unique things to put up in his museum, so that he would attract the interest of those who were yearning to learn about things almost unknown to man. Most of the exhibits in Mr. Wilson’s museum have not been studied by a lot of people, and most hav... Free Essays on Something So Unconventional Free Essays on Something So Unconventional Something so Unconventional There are many reasons why someone would start a museum. Mr. Wilson’s reason, and his museum is a bit different than most. Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder is very unusual. He prides himself in finding things that most people would think of as odd, or not worth putting in a â€Å"normal† museum. As a man, Mr. Wilson is also a mystery. He almost seems to be able to disappear and reappear when he is in his museum. He never answers any questions with a straightforward answer, which might just be why so many people love to go visit Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder. The Museum is made up of many different bizarre exhibits. Normally when someone thinks of a museum they think of paintings, and famous sculptures, but in this case Mr. Wilson’s museum has rarities not found many other places in the whole world. One of the exhibits that sticks out in my mind was the Megaloponera foetens, otherwise known as the stink ant. It is said that they can ingest spores, and when inhaled by these ants the spore goes straight to the ant’s brain. After the spore is in the ant’s head changes in behavior of the ant are present. They climb a tree and wait to die while this spore grows in its brain until it bursts through the ant’s tiny head and an inch and a half spike grows from its head. This spike is unique also because it has a bright orange tip. (3-4). This is just one of the many different exhibits that you see at Mr. Wilson’s museum, but this shows you that his ways are a bit unconventional. Mr. Wilson himself started the museum because he wanted a place for people to learn about the more bizarre things in life. He looked all over the world to find unique things to put up in his museum, so that he would attract the interest of those who were yearning to learn about things almost unknown to man. Most of the exhibits in Mr. Wilson’s museum have not been studied by a lot of people, and most hav...

The Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Robotics

The Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Robotics Free Online Research Papers Artificial intelligence and the advancement in robotics are some of the world’s leading scientific studies, including how the advancement will affect the world, how one would handle living with an advanced robotic world, and how scientists will create these machines. Any appliance or machine made to [simulate a human task] falls under the category of artificial intelligence. From a [Blackberry] to a robot that can perform the daily tasks of a human, artificial intelligence is widespread. Artificial intelligence is a whole new way to go about technology. [(American Association of Artificial Intelligence)] Because of movies and stories, most people believe artificial intelligence is just simulating humans. But actually, most of the machines made do not represent human behavior. [Today there are machines that can observe a human for an extended period of time and solve a problem that they may be experiencing. Certain people often question] whether scientists could create a machine that is exactly like a human. [(American Association of Artificial Intelligence)] In this case, the robot would have to be just as smart, talented, and be able to accomplish the daily tasks of a human. [(Critical Concepts)] [People also question how the effects of having smart robots would change society.] People would start to rely on the robots; and therefore, if something happened to the robots, people would be at a disadvantage because they had come to rely on them. After World War II, people started researching and experimenting with artificial intelligence. The first to study this category of science was Alan Turing. [Alan Turing was born in the year 1912, in Paddington, England. He attended Cambridge University for his undergraduate degree, and then obtained his PhD at Princeton University. One of his first machines was the German Enigma cipher machine. In 1952 he was accused of being a homosexual. He was unable to complete his studies. The next year he died from cyanide poisoning.] [(The Enigma)] He proposed that the best way to go about this science was to use computers not machines. By the late 1950s[,] the study of artificial intelligence was underway. [(What is Artificial Intelligence? )] [The superior goal of artificial intelligence is to create a robot that can solve problems and process like a human.] Scientists do not know when this goal will be reached. They hope that it will be within the next twenty years. Some researchers think that to achieve this goal of thinking just like a human, the mechanism will have to be compiled with a load of information in order to reach its standard. [(What is Artificial Intelligence? )] Artificial intelligence is researched in two different perspectives. One is the biological side and the other psychological. The biological side is the study that humans are smart. The psychological side also includes the physiological side of humans. These two sides represent the robot’s common sense and ability to achieve goals. Some scientists argue whether robots should have free will. Free will means being able to make one’s own choices. [(What is Artificial Intelligence? )] Some of the earliest examples of artificial intelligence translate as far back to the Greek gods. In one of the myths, gods created a machine named Talos. He was made of bronze and would throw rocks at the intruders on the beaches of Crete. He also picked up the intruders and gave them a burning squeeze. [(The Next Fifty Years)] The study of artificial intelligence was finally taken into careful consideration at Dartmouth College in 1956. Four scientists took the study into deep research. This includes John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, Herman Simon, and Allen Newell. They built some of the first robots that could solve algebraic word problems. [These men made predictions that they could construct robots that could be smarter than humans within twenty years.] They were given over five billon dollars, but they failed to create such a machine in that period of time. Although the scientists did not make a human-smart machine, they made other advancements. Along with their mistakes they created other marvels such as industrial robots, language translators, the Google search engine, speech recognition, and data mining machines. [(What is Artificial Intelligence? )] [Artificial Intelligence is the technology used in many of todays machines, ranging from banking systems that detect attempted credit card fraud, to telephone systems that understand speech, to software systems that notice when youre having problems and offer appropriate advice.] [(Waltz)] [Despite the slow advancement of Artificial Intelligence over the years, there are still very many new machines being made today. Some of these are autonomous vehicles, Deep Blue, mathematical theorem proving, and Pegasus. These machines will help expand the study of artificial intelligence. ] [(Waltz)] [The autonomous vehicles were first tested by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). An on-board computer system from Carnegie Mellon University was able to drive the van for only 52 miles at an average speed of 63 miles per hour, rain or shine, day or night. The van was supposed to drive 2,849 miles from Washington, DC to San Diego, California. Deep Blue is an example of a machine that has been created to think like a human. In May 1997, Deep Blue, IBM’s computer, played chess against the world’s greatest chess player. The smart machine came out of the match with a victory. [(IBM)] Mathematical theorem-proving is a computer system at Argonne National Laboratories. Its accomplishment was being able to solve a long algebraic function that would be very hard for a human to solve. Pegasus is used by American Airlines. It is an online interface that sets reservations for flights all over the world. Also it allows users to check on flight information whenev er they like. Pegasus can be accessed through either internet or telephone. NASA has also recently created a machine that can classify a star from a faint galaxy by just faint signals. It is able to learn its information by reading different experts texts.] [(Waltz)] [Artificial Intelligence machines that we use today expand from one’s stock portfolio to drug researchers. When using a stock portfolio, it automatically modifies your market position and makes the smartest trades for you. There are cars that can drive for you in a sort of auto-pilot mode. Also, there are online systems that can automatically order one’s groceries based on previous purchases. There is now a system that can manage and pay bills just by memorizing pay patterns. Drug researchers can now use artificial intelligence for intensive bio-computational modeling in relation to the enormous amount of data from the human genome project to help find cures in ways never thought of by a human.] [(Moy)] Robotics made a dramatic leap from 1970 to 2007. In 1970 Shakey the robot could not even roll from one side of the room to the other in eight hours. But by 2007 the robots of the DARPA were crossing thousands of miles of desert. Although researchers have yet to create a robot that can function exactly like a human, artificial intelligence has come a very long way. In the next few years, the people of the United States could be working next to a robot. [(Critical Concepts)] Adam Wedding English IIIH/Period6 Mr. Martin 31 August, 2007 Science and Technology Research Paper History of Artificial Intelligence. American Association of Artificial Intelligence. 15 Sep 2007 . McCarthy, John. What is Artificial Intelligence? 1/9/2007. Stanford University. 15 Sep 2007 . The Next Fifty Years. Dartmouth College. 15 Sep 2007 . Chrisley, Ronald. Artificial Intelligence: Critical Concepts. United States: Routledge, 2000. Hodges, Andrew. Alan Turing. 8 May 2006. Alan Turing: the Enigma.. 10 Nov 2007 . Deep Blue. IBM. IBM. 10 Nov 2007 . Waltz , David . Realizing the Ultimate Promises of Computing. Artificial Intelligence. 1996. 11 Nov 2007 . Sloman, Artificial Intelligence: In your Life Today . 5 August 2005 . Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and the Simulation of Behavior. 11 Nov 2007 Research Papers on The Influence of Artificial Intelligence on RoboticsBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfGenetic EngineeringHip-Hop is ArtPETSTEL analysis of IndiaCapital PunishmentEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenResearch Process Part OneThe Hockey GameThree Concepts of PsychodynamicWhere Wild and West Meet

Musical Instruments Essays

Musical Instruments Essays Musical Instruments Essay Musical Instruments Essay Name Instructor Course Date Musical Instruments Native American Musical Instruments Music played an important role in the Native American culture. Particularly, musical instruments were valued as an important part of the culture. Musical instruments in the Native American culture can be classified into four groups namely idiophones, membranophones, aerophones and chordophones. The musical instruments include the Seri split-cane clapper, the Choctaw clapping sticks, the marimbas, the Mixtec and Maya turtle shells, the Pueblo basket drums and the log drum or the Teponaztli. The musical instruments played several roles in the Native American culture. One role important role is that musical instruments carried symbolic significance. The names of the instruments mainly reflected the community’s social ideologies while the decorations made on the instruments were mainly used to symbolize spirituality. These two roles played a major role in spiritual rituals and traditional ceremonies. For instance, the Anishnabe water drums had two different sizes. One called the grandfather and the other one little boy to signify the social relationship between the two. The Banaras Gharana in South Asian music The Banaras Gharana is an Asian musical instrument that was designed by the Indian musician Pandit Ram Sahai. It is classified under the Tabla style of playing made up of membraphone percussion instruments. The Banaras Gharana is played by the use of the fingers and the palm in different motions that produce a wide variety of musical sounds. The musical sounds are classified in categories of mnemonic syllables that are known as the Bol. This musical instrument is well known for its powerful sound and it is popularly associated with famous tabla soloists like Pandit Kishan Maharaj, Pundit Samta Prasad and Pandit Shadra Sahai.

Describe why high constraint research is needed to determine Essay

Describe why high constraint research is needed to determine causeandeffect relationships and why variability is critical in aiding in this determination - Essay Example This is because it indemnifies that if a supposed cause is purposely influenced and, thereby, precedes the observed effect incorporate procedures that help finding out if the cause is connected to the effect incorporate methods or not. This helps in reducing and evaluating the influence of inappropriate factors that could create the effect supposed to be attributed to the cause. High constraint research has helped in controlling extraneous variances. To control external influences the subjects are separated into an experimental and a control group. This control group helps in comparing the data and it remains ideal. It also assigns random units to situations to give variability to the situation. This variability helps in determining the causes and effect of the situation if it appears in a different way. For example while performing an experiment different control or variables are taken to ensure the perfect conclusion in different situations. By further comparing the results the tre atment effects are determined. It takes the overall view of a situation and then derives its constants. All the values or situations are put together and the research is conducted. This research helps to forecast the consequences of future cause and effect relationships. Performing experiments is one form of High constraint research. "The experiment provides the most rigorous test for

Lack of Written Constitution in U.K Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Lack of Written Constitution in U.K - Essay Example Britain is regarded as the homeland of the democracy. Further, politically, U.K has been steady and stable for long period. Unlike Germany and France, Britain has not been compelled to draw its constitution due to famous revolt like French revolution or through war. U.K has a cool political weather without any turmoil contrary to revolutionary inflammation that traversed the European continent in the nineteenth century. Rather than in one big bang, U.K constitution has been transformed incrementally over centuries. Whereas, in case of Australia and U.S.A, which are very young nations as compared to UU.K, it is easy to codify their subject’s fundamental rights and political system as a significant step immediately after attaining independence. It is to be noted that majority of world’s democratic countries have structured their written constitutions on the footprints of unwritten version of the British constitution. U.K is perusing a constitutional monarchy with a two-chambered parliament comprises of Houses of Lords and Commons. Informally, though the executive power is headed by the Crown but in actual life, it is being carried out by the ruling government in the name of Crown. The powers vested with the Crown and Sovereign is derived from the Acts of Parliament or from the common law. Virtually, in U.K, there is no separation of power between executive and legislature. The legislative authority is given authority in the sovereign in parliament, cabinet ministers are empowered to enact new acts who are also given power in the process of legislation. Likewise, Lords not only have taken part in the legislative business of the upper house but also sit as judges in the Appellate Committee.

Explain and comment on the proposition that the doctrine of the right Essay

Explain and comment on the proposition that the doctrine of the right of self-determination of peoples includes the legal entitl - Essay Example According to Franck (1990), symbolic validation and pedigree provide the cultural and anthropological dimension to legitimacy. Democratic entitlement has to shift to voluntary compliance, which depends on the strength of Reisman’s (1981) â€Å"the authority signal†. The legitimacy of a rule is based on its durability and consistency. Self-determination has a well-established pedigree, because it is the oldest aspect of the democratic entitlement. Self-determination asserts the right of a people in a particular territory â€Å"to determine its collective political destiny in a democratic fashion, and is therefore at the core of the democratic entitlement† (Franck 1992: 52). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to analyse the proposition that the doctrine of the right for self-determination of people includes the legal entitlement to democratic governance. Self determination among indigenous peoples will be examined on the basis of the United Nations Gene ral Assembly resolutions, and other relevant concepts will be investigated. The Need for Self-Determination in International Law Self determination has developed from its modest beginnings in the United Nations Charter to â€Å"a legal entitlement of decolonization and to a free-standing human right† (Higgins 1995: 115). ... ermination of Jews during the Holocaust, followed by mass killing of gypsies or Romas and other groups, mass deportation to clean out unpopular ethnic groups, the Potsdam Agreement in 1945 between Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom authorizing the expulsion of some fifteen million people of German ethnic origin who had been citizens in different parts of Europe, and other large-scale forced transfers during the same period of turmoil. A new international legal order based on pluralism and tolerance was developed. The International Bill of Human Rights emphasized the equality of all human beings â€Å"irrespective of national or ethnic origin – and also irrespective of race, religion and gender† (Tomuschat 1992: 152). States were responsible for securing human rights in their own domestic system; and their autonomy was understood as popular sovereignty. In article 21 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the authority of government would be based on the will of the people, which they will express through periodic, genuine and fair voting procedures. â€Å"Consequently, democratic governance was an essential component – both a precondition and a right in itself† (Tomuschat 1992: 152). The right of peoples to self-determination was introduced in the Covenants mainly with decolonization as an aim. At the same time, the underlying rationale for self-determination is that of popular sovereignty based on people governing themselves. The most important principle of international law is that of territorial integrity, the maintenance of the inherited State and of the population residing in that State. Changes can be introduced only when there are justified claims of self-determination; and the international community has to clarify for whom the principle

Wall Street Journal Section Review Research Paper

Wall Street Journal Section Review - Research Paper Example A subheading on Columns present news articles written by WSJ columnists such as Brett Arends, Karen Blumenthal, Kelly Greene, Laura Saunders, and Jason Zweig, to name just a few. Other relevant and captivating sections appear as subtopics ranging from Real Estate, Autos, Fitness & Health, and Careers. Finally, at the bottom portion are Offers that promote products and services at discounts and good bargains for interested customers. There is a portion for sponsored links and all the comprehensive information on WSJ in a separate highlighted portion to include data such as WSJ.com Account, About, WSJ.com, Tools & Formats, Create an Account, and Help & Information Center. The right side column gives additional details regarding WSJ Digital Network with Foreign Language Editions. Appendix A: Specific Observations Personal Finance Observation 1: Ensign, Rachel Louise. 15 May 2011. â€Å"Maybe We'll Charge an Extra Fee to Read This.† Wall Street Journal, Top Stories in Personal Fin ance: Money.

Working mothers shoudn't go back to work year aftergiving birth Research Paper

Working mothers shoudn't go back to work year aftergiving birth - Research Paper Example However, most countries limit such leave to six months after which mothers are expected to return to work. Various reasons have been cited that force the mothers to return to work. These include economic reasons as well as loss of work opportunities in case they delay the return. However, the positive impact that delayed return to employment has on the infant, on the mother, on the society, far exceeds the adverse impact of early return to labor market. Thus, working mothers should not return to work for a year after giving birth. Child-birth – the period of transition The birth of a child is a period of transition for the couple as it brings about significant changes in their relationship, responsibilities and preoccupations. Mothers are the primary caregivers of the family and their return to re-employment soon after birth of a child affects several factors – parental well-being, investment in parenting, marital relationship, attitudes towards the work and family, and the infant’s disposition and temperament (Feldman, Sussman & Zigler, 2004). It may be argued that childcare centers could be used when mothers return to work but low quality care can result in maternal insensitivity and feeling of insecurity in the child. The number of caregivers in childcare centers may not be adequate. Parents are better caregivers and feel more secure of their infants’ safety when they attend to the infants themselves. Breast-feeding leads to important and long-term health benefits for the infants and their mothers (Murtagh & Moulton, 2011). It also positively affects the cognitive development of the infants and their health as adults. The American Academy of Pediatrics highly recommends exclusive breast-feeding for the first six months of birth and continued breast-feeding till the infant is 12 months of age. If mothers work outside the home, it negatively influences the duration of breast-feeding. Unsupportive work environments reduce the breast- feeding duration. Adverse impact of early return US based studies find that maternal employment in the first year of life leads to poorer outcomes, later in childhood. In particular, poorer cognitive outcomes have been reported. The adverse effects are pronounced when mothers return to full-time work before the child is one year old (Gregg, Washbrook, Propper & Burgess, 2005). As participation of women with infants in the labor market has gone up, prevalence rate of breast-feeding has declined. In a study based in Taiwan, Chuang et al (2010) find that return to work within six months of giving birth, is a barrier to continuation of breast-feeding. This study was based in Taiwan where maternity leave does not extend beyond 8 weeks. Women were found to stop breast-feeding after this 8-week period during which they were confined at home. Role of legislation in early return Women are being forced to return to work soon after giving birth to the child for economic reasons. In addition, s elf-esteem and a sense of worth are associated with the paid worker status. However, this causes time pressure on family members and adversely impacts the welfare of the children (Smeaton, 2006). Men should be encouraged to perform more active roles in the family and child-rearing. Work-life balance and increasing nursery provision at workplace, part-time work for some months upon return to work should be given due consideration. In the UK before 1990, mothers were paid to stay at home for 18 weeks following child birth. They could return to work anytime up to 29 weeks of child birth. This study by Burgess et al (2008) found that legislation plays a vital role in the work return rates. Most women returned to work at the end of paid leave (18 months) and beginning of unpaid leave. If the partner’

The Battle of Little Big Horn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Battle of Little Big Horn - Essay Example From this study it is clear that the Battle of Little Big Horn is characterized as a massacre war because of not only the processes of the war, but also the end result of that war. A massacre war is associated with mass killing of unarmed people. In tandem with this assertion, it is evidenced by Everett that the U.S. Calvary under the leadership of Lt. General George Custer was trapped by Indian forces and spread with arrows and bullets which killed them in less than an hour despite their use of horses’ bodies as a barricade. From the description of the war, it is apparent that Custer and his men did not fight back; they were killed mercilessly.This research highlights that  in the information provided by Derudio also supports the claim the Battle of Little Big Horn was a massacre war. According to Derudio, Custer divided the armies into three groups ignored the orders to wait, and decided to attack the Indians without realizing the number of Indian warriors numbered three t imes his army. The Cheyenne, Hunkpapa Sioux and Oglala Sioux enveloped Custer and his men then poured them with gunfire and arrows. The shooting horses and using their carcasses to form a wall provided insignificant protection against the bullets and arrows. Custer and his men were killed in what was referred in this account as â€Å"the worst American military disaster ever.†Ã‚  Calvary had killed. According to her, the Indian armies surrounded the Custer and killed every army.     

Wall Street Journal Section Review Research Paper

Wall Street Journal Section Review - Research Paper Example A subheading on Columns present news articles written by WSJ columnists such as Brett Arends, Karen Blumenthal, Kelly Greene, Laura Saunders, and Jason Zweig, to name just a few. Other relevant and captivating sections appear as subtopics ranging from Real Estate, Autos, Fitness & Health, and Careers. Finally, at the bottom portion are Offers that promote products and services at discounts and good bargains for interested customers. There is a portion for sponsored links and all the comprehensive information on WSJ in a separate highlighted portion to include data such as WSJ.com Account, About, WSJ.com, Tools & Formats, Create an Account, and Help & Information Center. The right side column gives additional details regarding WSJ Digital Network with Foreign Language Editions. Appendix A: Specific Observations Personal Finance Observation 1: Ensign, Rachel Louise. 15 May 2011. â€Å"Maybe We'll Charge an Extra Fee to Read This.† Wall Street Journal, Top Stories in Personal Fin ance: Money.

The Battle of Little Big Horn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Battle of Little Big Horn - Essay Example From this study it is clear that the Battle of Little Big Horn is characterized as a massacre war because of not only the processes of the war, but also the end result of that war. A massacre war is associated with mass killing of unarmed people. In tandem with this assertion, it is evidenced by Everett that the U.S. Calvary under the leadership of Lt. General George Custer was trapped by Indian forces and spread with arrows and bullets which killed them in less than an hour despite their use of horses’ bodies as a barricade. From the description of the war, it is apparent that Custer and his men did not fight back; they were killed mercilessly.This research highlights that  in the information provided by Derudio also supports the claim the Battle of Little Big Horn was a massacre war. According to Derudio, Custer divided the armies into three groups ignored the orders to wait, and decided to attack the Indians without realizing the number of Indian warriors numbered three t imes his army. The Cheyenne, Hunkpapa Sioux and Oglala Sioux enveloped Custer and his men then poured them with gunfire and arrows. The shooting horses and using their carcasses to form a wall provided insignificant protection against the bullets and arrows. Custer and his men were killed in what was referred in this account as â€Å"the worst American military disaster ever.†Ã‚  Calvary had killed. According to her, the Indian armies surrounded the Custer and killed every army.     

Color of Water Analysis Essay Example for Free

Color of Water Analysis Essay The book is more like two intertwining books than just a single book. It switches between two points of views, Ruth McBride and her son James McBride. In Ruth’s chapters, she chronicles out her life story beginning with her migrating to the United States when she was two years old. At a young age, Ruth’s life is filled with hardship. Her father did not love her mother, her mother suffered from polio; she was verbally abused at school for being Jewish, and physically abused by her father. As soon as she could, Ruth began to put her past behind her. She moved to New York, converted to Christianity, and married a black man. The other half of the book is the biography of the author James McBride. James was one of twelve children and because of that his childhood was full of chaos. Yet his mother kept the children under control by instilling the importance of church and school into their minds. During his teenage years, James started rebelling against his mother by skipping school and taking drugs and alcohol. But before graduating high school, he decides to turn his life around. After doing that, he attended Oberlin College then Columbia University. As an adult, James worked as a journalist for many magazines and newspapers, but he also started uncovering his mother’s past because she had kept it a secret to all her children. By uncovering his mother’s past, James was able to build an even deeper relationship with her. While reading this book, it was hard to compare it to anything else because of its originality. A story about an old, white lady taking care of twelve black children; there is almost nothing like that! Although the concept of digging into someone’s past and in doing so gaining a deep respect for them comes close to the movie Hugo. Hugo is about an orphan boy who lives in the walls of a Paris railway station. As Hugo repairs clocks and builds machines, he begins uncovering the truth about a grumpy, old toymaker who works at the train station. Hugo discovers that the toymaker was actually a brilliant filmmaker, but after World War II, people lost interest in his movies and to avoid bankruptcy, the toymaker had to burn all his film into chemicals. The toymaker was haunted by his past and put the past behind him and wanted nothing to do with it, just like Ruth McBride. But just as James gets his mother to face her past, and in doing so helps her comes to terms with her past, so does Hugo with the toymaker. By showing the toymaker some of his movies that were not destroyed, and getting him to talk about his past, the toymaker comes to terms with his past and remembers the joy of imagination. James gets a similar result from his mother as he gets her to open up about her past and step into a synagogue for another time. Hugo was then able to see the toymaker in a new light and it helped Hugo build a deep respect for the toymaker. The best part about the book and what kept it so engaging, was that it was able to express some very important and universal themes. One line that stands out is when James says, â€Å"The greatest gift that anyone can give anyone else is life. The greatest sin a person can do to another is to take away that life (McBride 229). † These words emphasize the idea that our life is the most sacred thing we have. James was able to give his mother the gift of life by helping her come to terms with a part of her life that she chose to bury. This teaches us that we must treasure the good and the bad aspects of our life because when we lose our life, we lose the most important thing we have. â€Å"God is the color of water. Water doesn’t have a color (McBride 51). This quote from the book uncovers a central theme and plotline from the book. No matter your race, religion, or gender, God loves all us of and represents every single one us. This is important to know because James is the son of a white lady, but he and his siblings are all black. Because of this James grows up confused about his race and religion, but his mother would always tell him that since God is the color of water, he loves all the people in the world, no matter what color their skin is.

Effective Leadership Styles of School Principles

Effective Leadership Styles of School Principles In order to be effective, schools require skilled leaders. The role of the principal is the key to a schools ability to meet the needs of the teacher it serves. However, the impact and the influence a principal has on teacher commitment is not a simple relationship. Principals in todays schools require the person in the position to carry out a countless number of functions as well act in a variety of different roles. As DeLucca, et al. (1997) found, the literature on educational leadership clearly emphasizes that the principal is a highly complex and demanding role (p. 105). Fullan (1991) described the changing role of the principals over the past two decades as becoming dramatically more complex (p. 144). The study of transformational leadership in the context of principals school leadership is relatively new. Building upon the work of Burns (1978), Bass (1985), and Bass and Avolio (1994), Leithwood (1994) developed a transformational model of school leadership. Leithwood states that transformational leadership skills are necessary skills for principals if they are to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Recent studies completed by various scholars in the field have indicated that administrators who demonstrate a transformational leadership style have teaching staff with increased job satisfaction, a greater sense of teaching efficacy, demonstrate higher levels of organizational commitment, and have less staff turnover (Griffith, 2004; Yu, et al., 2002; Ross Gray, 2006). However, strategic leadership is the main role of the principal while pedagogical leadership is the responsibility of the teachers (Crowther et al., 2000 and, 2002; Smylie-Hart, 1999). Their relationships have been described by Crowther et al. (2000) as parallel leadership. Teacher leaders and administrator leaders work in parallel and develop new roles and relationships within the school. Strategic leadership theory suggested that strategic leaders are individuals who have the ability to think strategically by envisioning, anticipating, innovating, maintaining flexibility, and mobilizing others to adopt changes which provide the organization with a competitive advantage (Elenkov, et al, 2005; Ireland Hitt, 2005). Strategic leaders enable organizational staff to exploit diverse opportunities to adapt and respond to environmental uncertainty. According to Ireland and Hitt, strategic leadership theory advocates that, companies are a reflection of their top managers, and, in particular , of the chief executive officers (p. 65). Hence, Davies (2004) had identified nine factors associated with the strategic leadership styles of school heads. In his terms, Davies classified these nine factors into two parts: firstly, the ability of a school head to undertake organizational activity (strategic competence, strategic orientation, strategic translation, strategic alignment, and strategic interaction), and secondly, his or her individual characteristics (restless, absorptive, adaptive, wise). Teacher commitment is crucial to effective schools, teacher satisfaction and retention. There has been increasing interest among scholars in the concept of commitment and the study of the commitment of several professionals such as students (Staw, 1976; Meyer Allen, 1987). Educational researchers have focused on commitment to the organization in this case, teachers (Firestone, 1990; Tyree, 1996; Nais, 1981). They call this phenomenon teacher commitment, denoting commitment to the school (Ryes, 1989). Commitment is part of a teachers affective or emotional reaction to their experience in a school setting (Ebmeire Nicklaus, 1999). According to the related literature, in these circumstances employees can develop affective commitment: in a more decentralized organizational structure (Robbins, 1997), in an organizational structure having an open and honest communication network (Zangaro, 2001), in an organizational culture encouraging participation (Parnell Crandall, 2003), when they h ave the opportunity to participate in decision-making (Somech Bogler, 2002), especially in strategically important decisions (Lines, 2004; Celep, 2000), and when they are affected by the outcomes of these decisions (Torka, 2004), when they have the opportunity to participate in the strategic planning process (Oswald et al., 1994), when they are provided with autonomy (Firestone Pennell, 1993), when they have the opportunity to acquire knowledge and other resources in the organization (McDermott et al., 1996), when strategic objectives (Enriquez et al., 2001), expectations (OCreevy et al., 1997) and the vision (Oswald et al., 1994) of the organization are communicated to them, when they are treated fairly and justly (Martin Bennett, 1996; Naumann et al., 1998), when they have adequate payment (Abdulla Shaw, 1999), when there is a congruence of ethical values between employee and organization (and/or manager or supervisor) (Schwepker, 1999; Peterson, 2003; Janssen, 2004), when the y have a supportive, facilitative and hearty leader (Kidd Smewing, 2001; Hui et al., 2004) and when they find their leader (or supervisor) trustworthy (Perry, 2004). STATEMENT OF PROBLEM Many researchers have pointed out that in order to be effective in the current context of school improvement, principals need to conform to the role as transformational leaders who have the potential for building high levels of commitment to the complex and uncertain nature of the restructuring agenda (Caldwell, 1992;, Hallinger, 1992;, Leithwood Jantzi, 1997;, Murphy Hallinger, 1992). There are differences in what these roles might include, that is, what the dimensions of principal leadership style are. Building the dimensional measure of principal leadership style, thus, motivated the researcher to conduct this study in the hope that it will contribute to our understanding of the principals transformational leadership style which is considered a foundation of school effectiveness. Another important issue that has not been adequately examined by previous research is the underlying model of the strategic leadership styles of principals. Waldman and Javidan (2002) indicated that little research exists on strategic leadership and its influence on organizational performance. The general problem is that contextual factors influence leadership behaviors across all levels of the organization, thus constraining leaders to adopt behaviors driven by external and internal demands. (Antonakis House, 2002;, Carroll, 2002;, Waldman, et al, 2001;, Waldman Javidan, 2002). It has been widely recognized that many discouraged school behaviours are, to an important extent, due to the low commitment of teachers. Teachers who experience this deficiency would engage in a variety of work behaviours that only reinforce their task failure (Rosenholtz, 1989). In an effort to overcome this, teacher commitment becomes necessary. Leithwood et al. (1994) suggest that committed teachers are less likely to leave the organization and have a desire to improve practices in an effort to realize the schools mission. Therefore, teacher commitment should be examined because it leads to greater job effort and involvement. (Porter, et al, 1974;, Rosenholtz, 1989). Since there is no specific style that is best for all situations, developing skills in selection of appropriate transformational and strategic leadership styles need to be emphasized because if these skills are poor, the consequence can be quite negative. Ubben and Hughes (1992) postulate that effective leadership depends on understanding the condition of a problem situation and assessing correctly how much participation is required to be successful and the form that this participation should take. An incorrect response to the demand of a situation may have a negative impact on-teachers personal satisfaction and may consequently affect their enthusiasm and commitment. Many times staff or teachers are dissatisfied with principals, not because of the nature of their decision, but because of the leadership style used (Leadership Management Development Center, 1997). Moreover, the Ministry of Education in Thailand enforces school principals to obtain quality assurance certification once every five years, where the schools need to ensure the system is developed in accordance with the standards, criteria, principles and guidelines as stipulated in the educational Act. In recent years, the average points obtained in the national test shows that, Islamic private schools in three provinces of southern Thailand ranked bottom compared to other schools in national ranking as far as academic achievement is concerned. (Secretary Board of Educational Office, 2007). In addition, Sermsak and his colleagues (2004) noted, the Islamic private secondary school principals lack of skills especially in educational management. As a member of an educational organization, the researcher considers that it is important to conduct this study. In this study, the researcher focuses on the principals in Islamic private secondary schools in southern Thailand. As mentioned abo ve, principals are educational leaders and teachers are practical instruments in achieving the schools goals. Conducting a study to identify which is the most effective principal leadership style (transformational leadership or strategic leadership) and its effect on teacher commitment is believed to be a worthwhile study. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK The theory that this study has tried to build was based on the foundations of several existing theories in the literature. Firstly, the study reviewed various dimensions of leadership styles from previous studies by Barnett et al. (2001), Chui et al. (1996), Janzi and Leithwood, (1996), and Leithwood et al. (1996) considering-the present school context in southern Thailand. Five relevant dimensions of leadership styles are specifically proposed to be used in this study (Liethwood, 1996). The five dimensions of transformational leadership styles are visionary leadership, individual orientation, structural leadership, empowering leadership and role modelling Secondly, the study reviewed the strategic leadership styles (Davies, 2004; Davies Davies, 2004). There are nine categories of strategic leadership characteristics. In his terms, Davies classified these nine factors into two categories; individual characteristics (restlessness, absorption, adaptiveness/adaptibility and wisdom) and organizational capability (strategic competence, strategic orientation, strategic translation, strategic alignment and strategic interaction. Thirdly, the study reviewed a theory from perspective of the affective approach on commitment. Commitment is defined as the relative strength of a persons identification with and involvement in an organization (Mowday et al., 1982). According to Buchanan (1974), commitment is a partisan or affective attachment to the aims and values of an organization, to ones role in relation with these aims and values and to an organization for its own sake, Further, according to the cost-benefit approach, commitment is a result of the perception of benefit associated with staying in and the perception of cost associated with leaving from an organization (Kanter, 1968). From the normative approach, commitment is the aggregate internalized normative pressures to conduct in a manner which meets organizational objectives and interests (Wiener, 1982). It extensively examines the influences of transformational leadership and strategic leadership on teacher identification, involvement, and loyalty to the commitment (Abdulhakam, 2005). The three factors of teacher commitment are identification, involvement and loyalty. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Based on the statement of research problem and the theoretical model as seen in Figure 1, the objectives of the study are as follows: To examine the factors underlying the transformational leadership styles of school principals in Islamic private secondary schools in Southern Thailand. To examine the factors underlying the strategic leadership styles of school principals in Islamic private secondary schools in Southern Thailand. To examine the factors underlying the teacher commitment of school teachers in Islamic private secondary schools in Southern Thailand. To examine the effect of transformational leadership style of school principals in Islamic private secondary schools in Southern Thailand. To examine the effect of strategic leadership style of school principals in Islamic private secondary schools in Southern Thailand. To examine the effect of transformational leadership of school principals on teacher commitment through strategic leadership style in Islamic private secondary schools in Southern Thailand. To examine the effect of strategic leadership style of school principals on teacher commitment through transformational leadership style in Islamic private secondary schools in Southern Thailand. RESEARCH HYPOTHESES As stated earlier, the objectives of the study are to examine the factors underlying the transformational leadership and strategic leadership styles on teacher-commitment and to examine which leadership style which is dominant among the Islamic private secondary school principals. Thus, the hypotheses of the study are as follows: H1: Transformational leadership styles of school principals are represented by visionary, individual orientation, structural leadership, empowering leadership, and role modelling. H2: Strategic leadership styles of school principals are represented by restlessness, absorption, adaptiveness/adaptability, wisdom, strategic competence, strategic orientation, strategic translation, and strategic alignment. H3: Teacher commitment factors are represented by identification, involvement, and  loyalty. H4: The transformational leadership style of school principals directly and significantly affects teacher commitment. H5: The strategic leadership style of school principals directly and significantly affects teacher commitment. H6: The transformational leadership style of school principals positively and significantly affects teacher commitment through strategic leadership style. H7: The strategic leadership style of school principals positively and significantly affects teacher commitment through transformational leadership style. RESEARCH DESIGN This research adopted a quantitative approach as described by Creswell (2003), by emphasizing the utilization of quantitative surveys to determine if the effects existed between the variables, strategic leadership and transformational leadership styles, and teacher commitment as perceived by Islamic private secondary school teachers in three provinces in Southern Thailand. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used to determine to what extent the model of hypothesized effects is supported, and how well a hypothesized conceptual model fits the associated data. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is preferred because many previous studies supported the employment of SEM in this kind of research (see e.g. Clegg et al. 1997, Neilson 1997). SEM is also selected because of its ability to define and test a comprehensive System Contingency Approach (Hiltz, 1994) type of theoretical models. For instance Chin (1998, vii) has mentioned that, when applied correctly, SEM-based procedures have substantial advantages over first-generation techniques such as principal component analysis, factors analysis, discriminant analysis, or multiple regression because of the greater flexibility that researcher has for the interplay between theory and data. Compared to these first generation techniques often used in these types of analysis, some of the advantages of the SEM include the ability to: (1) estimate the direct, indirect, and total effects of variables; (2) define and investigate relationships among latent constructs; (3) estimate the variance accounte d for in each latent construct by other variables in the model; and (4) estimate error terms associated with each observed and latent variable (Heck and Wolcott 1997; Li, Harmer Duncan, Acock and Boles 1998). Research methods of the study consist of two steps; firstly, a hypothesized model will be developed by reviewing related literatures. The model will be assessed by educational experts. Secondly, the developed learning process reform model will be validated using the SEM to analyze the data collected from the Islamic private secondary school teachers in three provinces in Southern Thailand (Narathiwat, Yala, and Pattani,) Instrumentation In addition, at the end of the questionnaire there is an open space, where respondents have the opportunity to write about their experiences on commitment or comment on the questionnaire or the study in general. The Thai language questionnaire is filled out anonymously and it took about 20 minutes to complete. Validity and Reliability Content validity The validity of the measurement-items will be assessed in order to determine if a measure adequately reflects the real meaning of the construct under consideration. Two types of validity checks were performed in the initial stages of scale development: (1) Content Validity and (2) Construct Validity (Hair et al., 2006). Construct validity Construct validity or factorial validity, describes the logic of items which comprise measures of social concepts; this refers to the extent to which the empirical definition of the construct corresponds to the conceptual definition of the construct (Hair et al., 2006). Two types of validity were used to assess Construct Validity: (i) Convergent Validity and (ii) Discriminant Validity. Reliability The Cronbachs Alpha value is used to assess the reliability parameters. It provides a summary of the intercorrelations that exist among the set of items. Any suspect measurement-items will be removed. For this research study, the expected Cronbachs Alpha value is above than 0.7 as suggested by Hair et al. (2006), implying a statistically acceptable internal consistency reliability. Population and Sample The population in this study is Islamic private secondary school teachers in three provinces in Southern Thailand who teach in the school that are generally based on the Western Educational model. A simple random sampling is used to select the participants. The expected margin of error (accuracy) should  ± 4 % and confidence interval of 95% (Ferguson, 1981; Vockell Asher, 1995). All survey instrument will mailed to and administered by the Principal and Manager for administration for the respective schools. All completed survey instruments will return to researcher using enclosed envelopes. Data analysis method and Statistical technique This study will employed Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques to determine the extent to which the model of the hypothesized effects is supported. All the statistical procedures are performed using SPSS 11.5 and AMOS 16.0. SEM evaluates how well a hypothesized conceptual model fits the associated data. Sometimes SEM is called a latent variable causal modeling because it is used to test causal models and theories, and because it involves the measurement of latent variables. The SEM is usually viewed as a confirmatory rather than as an exploratory procedure. It can also be seen as a family of statistical techniques which incorporates and integrates path analysis and factor analysis. The model consists of two parts, the measurement model and the structural model. The measurement model specifies how latent variables or hypothetical constructs depend upon or are indicated by the observed variables. It describes the measurement properties (reliabilities and validities) of the observed variables. The structural model instead specifies the causal relationships among the latent variables. By causal what is meant is the assumption that, everything else being constant, a change in the variable at the tail of the arrow will result in a change in the variable at the head of the arrow (Loehlin,1987, p.4). SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Result of this study are pictured to provide empirical data on factors of effective leadership styles among Islamic private secondary school principals in Southern Thailand that have not been fully studied. Therefore, this study will fill this research need. Thus, the results of this study are expected to help in the understanding of teachers and principals which is in accordance with effective leadership styles. The findings are extremely important to understand or determine the effect or failure of factors affecting the implementation of principal leadership styles both in terms of on transformational leadership and strategic leadership styles as perceived by the teachers. Such information can help to improve the strategy in order to accomplish school success. Finally, this study will aid teacher educators, administrators, professional development coordinators, and government officials to adequately prepare, train, and support principals so they may become effective Islamic principals in line with the current educational reform endeavour as intended by the Ministry of Education in Thailand. These considerations make this study worthwhile. DEFINITION OF TERMS Principal Leadership Behaviour The behaviour on the part of principals that transforms change in their followers through visionary leadership, individual orientation, structural leadership, empowering leadership, and role modelling. Strategic Leadership It is defined as educational executives who adopt a new way of thinking and acting. More than ever before, strategic educational leadership depends upon a restlessness, absorption, adaption, wisdom, strategic competence, strategic orientation, strategic translation, strategic alignment, and strategic interaction Teacher commitment It is defined as the relative strength of teachers identification with, involvement with, and loyalty in a school organization. In this study, teacher commitment is measured primarily by the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) developed by Mowday and his colleagues (1979) and also by selected items from other scale developers (e.g., Allen Meyer, 1990; Buchanan, 1974; Blau, 1985; Cook Wall, 1980). Islamic Private School (IPS) The schools, which are established by private individuals, offering both religion and secular subjects are fully subsidized or partly subsidized, or not subsidized at all. Those schools that are not subsidized enjoy a certain degree of freedom in educational operation and organizing educational activities (e.g. manpower, finance, and material resources). The present study deals with the first category of schools (fully subsidized) whose educational activities are under the governments supervision.

Spending on Advancing the Arts is the Proper use of Public Resourses :: essays research papers

"As long as people in a society are hungry or out of work or lack the basic skills needed to survive, the use of public resources to support the arts is inappropriate——and, perhaps, even cruel——when one considers all the potential uses of such money." Although I understand that the mercy that the speaker shows to the people experiencing starvation and unemployment, by asserting that the government should spend more money on the jobless and hungry people rather than squandering money on arts, I have to stand out that it is unwise to exclude art from using of public resources by just considering the starvation and survival problems faced by a minority of people. Admittedly, eliminating poverty is definitely deemed to be one of the ambitious missions of our society in a long run for we are not merciless humankind to witness so many people struggling with the housing problem and starvation. However, if a country ties up all its capital in solving starvation and unemployment problems and has little incentive to invest in art industry, with considering art as unnecessary luxuries, I would rather put it under the label of a refugee camp instead of a country. Every country has its own traditional culture. The essence of traditional art is to illustrate the national culture to the people all over the world in its unique artistic way. Why do we human beings distinct from other creatures in the world? We will never be satisfied with only enough food and safe shelter but starve for art which illuminates our life in the darkness and frustration. It is we humans who have a heart opens and seeks for arts forever. We know how to appreciate art and we dese rve this. Take Van Gogh as an example, he would rather quiet his stomach with painting than go out and find something to eat. He couldn’t live without his painting while he endured hungriness. Therefore we should be determined to foster the development of art for the majority in the society is waiting to enjoy life in ideological field aside from satisfied life necessities. We feel more fulfilled when we get something to communicate with our heart. We hear the echo of our heart. In the second place, is art really a kind of luxury and money consuming? Are the antique buyers billionaires who just interested in the antique itself? Actually not, in most of cases, it is the huge profit that drives many smart investors to heed on the antiques and cautiously pour their money in the realm of antique collectibles.

George Sugarman a sculpture :: Essays Papers

George Sugarman a sculpture Best known today for his public art, George Sugarman began his career with formally eccentric painted-wood sculptures. In a revelatory New York exhibition, early pieces were shown alongside the 86-year-old artist's more recent aluminum work. In the course of 1998, there were a number of important sculpture exhibitions in New York galleries and museums, including the Museum of Modern Art's Tony Smith retrospective, Dia's presentation of Richard Serra's Torqued Ellipses, and a group of David Smith's late painted-steel works at Gagosian Gallery. For me, however, the most impressive and thought-provoking sculpture show of the year was a concise survey of George Sugarman's work presented by Hunter College at the galleries in its Fine Arts Building on Manhattan's West 41st Street. Bringing together 16 sculptures made between 1958 and 1995, the exhibition allowed viewers to trace Sugarman's career from his carved-wood works of the late 1950s to his polychrome, laminated-wood pieces of the 1960s to the painted-aluminum work that has occupied him since the early 1970s. While the show did not cover Sugarman's extensive activity in the public-art realm--over the last 30 years he has created large-scale public sculptures throughout the U.S. as well as in Europe and Asia--it was an effective presentation of his "indoor" work. (Sugarman has drawn a useful distinction between what he calls the "indoor eye," a museum- and gallery-oriented esthetic vision which perceives the work of art in isolation from its surroundings, and the "outdoor eye," which allows us to view public art as part of a wider environment.) Thanks to the presence of major, rarely seen works such as Two in One (1966) and Ten (1968), the show was a welcome reminder of Sugarman's unique and indispensable contribution to postwar sculpture. One of the earliest works on view was Six Forms in Pine (1959), a carved-wood sculpture which brought Sugarman his first major recognition when it won a prize at the 1961 Carnegie International. Among the last of his unpainted works, it's a nearly 12-foot long, smoothly flowing concatenation of horizontal abstract forms that rests on two pedestals set several feet apart. Rippling patterns of chisel marks are visible across every surface as are the strata of the laminated wood. The forms, which range from gently swelling, landscape-like shapes to more sharply defined volumes that evoke architecture or hand tools, are clearly differentiated within the continuous overall structure. While the carving technique and biomorphism relate Six Forms in Pine to established sculptural styles of the 1950s, the sculpture also possesses properties which presage Sugarman's innovative work of the next decade.

Educational Entry Level for Professional Nurses

Educational Entry Level for Professional Nursing Practice The first position paper calling for baccalaureate degree as the minimum requirement for entry into professional nursing was released in 1965 by the American Nurses Association. This stimulates an ongoing frustrating debate among nurses. The Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing is the largest healthcare profession with 2. 5 million jobs and is projected to generate 587,000 more jobs between 2006-2016. Despite strength in numbers nurses are the least educated of all the interdisciplinary healthcare team members with whom they collaborate. Teams consist of physicians’ pharmacists, speech pathologists, and physical and occupational therapists. Patients are living longer than expected and health care providers need the ability to think critically and provide health care services at levels never before imagined. Each of these disciplines recognized the importance of higher education to deliver appropriate patient care. The health care industry is changing rapidly. Because of advances in medicine, technology and lifesaving techniques. Patients have a better chance of surviving traumatic injury, life threatening disease processes, and delicate surgical procedures that ever before. Results of various studies suggest baccalaureate prepared nurses are more likely to demonstrate professional behaviors important to patient safety. RN’s educated at baccalaureate level or above have lower risk adjusted mortality rates and lower rates of failure to rescue. The failure to rescue relates to deaths in patients with serious complications. Nursing is a knowledge based profession. Researchers have found perceived differences that are particularly related to education. These differences are perceived to be related to nurses with bachelor’s degrees: †¢Greater critical thinking skills †¢Less task oriented †¢More professionalism †¢Stronger leadership skills †¢More focused on continuity of care and outcome †¢More focus on psychosocial components, communication and patient teaching. It is important to me for nursing to represent a credible profession that roduces the best independent critical thinking healthcare professionals that provide safe, quality patient care. It is important for nursing leaders and managers when evaluating patient outcomes as they relate to educational levels of nurses. Current research by Linda Aiken found that patient outcomes are related to educational levels of RN’s. The results of Aiken’s research also found that a 10% increase in nurses with BSN degrees caring for the patients decreased the risk of patient death and failure to rescue by 5%. Everyone in the healthcare system would benefit from improved patient outcomes. Educational mobility to the BSN level is important to positive outcomes, creation of a reliable professional identity and unity among nurses. I believe the salaries of nurses are directly tied to our educational status. More agencies should utilize the human resources departments to develop tuition reimbursement programs and promote higher education of their employees. Educational institutions should develop committees to perform research and look deeper in the nursing educational curriculum and provide surveys to obtain public opinion of nurse educational levels. A common finding from the articles addressed the fact that resources need to be redirected to support baccalaureate entry and end licensure at the associated degree and diploma levels. The on or begins in community colleges and end in four year degree granting institutions. The research included the need for funding to support community college and university collaborations. The development of an action plan for Professional Development is very important. Managers and leaders should include this process in performance improvement sessions and during coaching and counseling. Personal improvement of staff provides the promotion to a better position to assist others. Members of staff should consider returning to school, certification or credentialing, and participation on committees for educational advancement. A plan should be created to develop goals, review goals and action plans frequently, set timelines and commit to completion. Nurses must move further along the educational continuum and prepare a strong well educated workforce. RN’s are important to patient safety at any level of education and play a vital role in lowering mortality rates, preventing medical errors, and ensuring quality outcomes. Nurses with various levels of educational preparation will continue to practice for many years to come, but a decision about the future education of nurses needs to be made now. References Mark, B. , Salyer, J. , Wan, T. (2003) Professional nursing practice: impact on organizational and patient outcomes. JONA 33(4 ), 224-234. Goodin, H. ( 2004) The shortage in the united states of America: an integrative review of the literature Journal of Advanced Nursing 43 (4), 335-350. Nelson, M. (2002) Nursing practice: looking backward into the future. Online Journal of Nursing. 7 (2) 43-66.

Nietzche’s Master and Slave Morality Essay

In Of the Genealogy of Morality, Nietzsche sought to provide context for what he saw as the central value system of the society in which he lived: slave-morality. Nietzsche saw morality as reflective of the conditions in which its proponents were brought up. He saw the roots of slave morality in oppression and slavery, and posits that it grew as a reaction to the morality of the masters of the time. What follows is a simplified account of Nietzsche’s master-slave dichotomy, and what he saw as the dire consequences for human progress should the pervasiveness of slave morality be allowed to remain at the expense of the master. I will argue that although religion and slave morality may have had significant influence in Nietzsche’s day, his fears about the stagnation of mankind through its adherence to slave morality are exaggerated and largely unfounded. I will also briefly discuss the applicability of slave-master morality to contemporary life. Nietzsche’s account of master and slave morality springs from a time of actual master-slave relationships. Master morality is found in those who have the power to create their own values to live by, without the need for approval from others. In Nietzsche’s own words, the master â€Å"honours everything he sees in himself. † They understand themselves as having an integral function in the universe, as resembling a kind of god, and therefore see goodness in those attributes which they find in themselves, and goodness in the values they themselves create. They see no reason to refer to others or seek another’s approval. Nietzsche’s idea of the Master comes from nobility, and so the central tenet of master morality is nobility; that those attributes found in a noble person are those that can be considered good. In master morality, a person is considered good if s/he is autonomous, strong-willed, brave, powerful, proud, able and happy in themselves. They see badness as a lack of that which is good-that is, a lack of the noble characteristics. Co-dependence and conformity are bad because they are not autonomy, weakness is bad because it isn’t strength, poverty is bad because it isn’t wealth, cowardice is bad because it isn’t bravery, and so on. The master respects his or her hierarchical equals, but the wellbeing of common folk is not his/her concern. The moral badness of the master’s subordinate does not have a significant impact on the master’s happiness or security, but only reinforces what he already knows: that s/he is a vastly superior being than those under him/her. In terms of actions, master morality is consequentialist: it judges the goodness of an action by its outcome. It is a morality of instinct and individualism, whereby the fulfilment of one’s animal desire is seen as a positive outcome no matter what actions were taken to obtain this fulfilment. Any action which leads to a positive outcome is seen as being a good action. Any action which has negative consequences for the master is seen as being inherently bad, regardless of the intentions behind it. In practice, this morality glorifies self-regard, greed and ruthlessness because these attributes lead to the best outcomes for the person who displays them. Nietzsche sees the basis for his master archetype in the violent and brutal emperors, warriors and warlords in ancient imperial civilizations: â€Å"Roman, Arab, German, Japanese nobility, Homeric heroes, Scandinavian Vikings† who represent â€Å"the blond beast splendidly roaming around in its lust for loot and victory. Master moralists are rarely unhappy, as the primary goal of their actions is their own wellbeing and happiness. They are able enjoy to the fruits of their various conquests, unburdened by the weaknesses guilt or remorse. Slave morality could not exist without master morality, as it is first and foremost a reaction to it, a â€Å"revolt† against it. Slave morality stems from ressentiment or resentment the slave feels towards the master. The master feels, at most, condescension or smug pity towards the slave. By contrast, the slave is consumed by hatred and bitterness towards the master, and sees the master as responsible for his or her misfortune. This resentment and bitterness leads to the slave adopting a mentality which demonises the master, and which holds up as good those attributes which are unlike that of the oppressor. Characteristics shown by the master are â€Å"evil† and goodness is seen in the traits which oppose them, e. g. Humility, obedience, restraint, self-denial, modesty, patience and acceptance of one’s fate. Slave morality does not aim for self-ascension or self-gratification. Its aims centre on utility: the reduction of suffering for the greatest number of people. It sees evil in the self-aggrandizement and the ruthlessness and violence of the master. Where master morality is for the elite few, slave morality is a value system for the masses. The values inherent in slave morality, not coincidentally, are almost synonymous with Judeo-Christian moral ideals; Judaism and Christianity were, in the past, religions of the poor and the oppressed. Nietzsche sees, in the reactionary nature of slave morality and its dishonest demonization of its oppressors, a desire to make slaves of the masters. Violence and vengefulness are anathema to slave morality, however, if the slave moralists can universalise their value system – through religion, for example – they can convince the masters that they are evil, and in doing so lessen their power and take revenge for past evils. Nietzsche sees slave morality, especially the universalisation of it through religion, as harmful and damaging to human progress. However, he does not see it as an unreasonable reaction to oppression, and suggests that the slave is in fact cleverer than the master, even if this cleverness is often exercised through self-deception. In contrast to the consequentialism of master morality, slave morality can be seen as a deontological morality. It determines an action’s goodness by looking at the actor’s intention: to slave moralists, the ends do not, necessarily, justify the means. The nature of acts and their actors plays an important role in Nietzsche’s discussion of morality. Slaves believe in and strive for freedom and see evil in the masters’ oppression of them, as they believe they perform these acts of oppression of their own free will. They believe that, because the masters are free agents, they should be held responsible for their actions and criticized for them. Nietzsche disputes this view, and demonstrates his argument using the analogy of the eagles and the lambs: â€Å"That lambs dislike great birds of prey does not seem strange: only it gives no ground for reproaching these birds of prey for bearing off little lambs. And if the lambs say among themselves: ‘these birds of prey are evil; and whoever is least like a bird of prey, but rather its opposite, a lamb – would he not be good? ‘ there is no reason to find fault with this institution of an ideal, except perhaps that birds of prey might view it a little ironically and say ‘we don’t dislike them at all, these good little lambs; we even love them: nothing is more tasty†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Nietzsche claims that asking masters to act with humility or restraint is akin to asking a bird of prey not to hunt to feed itself. He believes that slaves separate the being from the action and in doing so are able to condemn the masters for the supposed evils they perform. Nietzsche believes the slaves are dishonest in this, because the master acts in strength not because he wants to cause harm to the others, but because he is strong and powerful and should not be expected to act as if he is otherwise. It would be against the eagle’s nature to act against his own self-interest, and the same applies to the master. He believes the slaves are practicing self-deception in claiming goodness is theirs because they choose to be humble when, in fact, slaves are only humble and restrained because these traits were forced upon them through slavery, or through their own inherent weakness. He does not blame the slave for being this way – the slave performs these acts of self-deception in order to survive and affirm his/her own existence as worthwhile – but, again, sees the increasing prevalence of the slave mindset as harmful for society as a whole. He saw, in the democratic fight for equality, a movement towards mediocrity and stagnation. Nietzsche saw the move towards democracy in the western world as a logical continuation of slave morality’s influence, calling the democratic movement â€Å"†¦the heir of the Christian movement. † (BGE 151) The principle of equality on which democracy in based was profoundly unreasonable to Nietzsche, given the obvious inequalities within the human race. He believed that in order to enforce equality, strong men are lowered to the value of weak men, to the point where ambition and ingenuity goes unrewarded and progress stagnates. He looks back on times of scarcity and warfare, when enterprise and domination were rewarded and respected because they were necessary. Now, the west has given itself over to a herd mentality, where such attributes are seen as â€Å"dangerous†¦ [and] branded as immoral. † When an individual does raise his or herself above the herd through ambition or excellence, the community’s self-confidence is diminished. The herd takes comfort in the fact that, in their eyes and/or the eyes of their god, this individual must be immoral. Judeo-Christianity was the dominant religion in the west during the 19th century, and democracy did become the dominant political system during this time. However, although most of the sentiment behind it seems to hold true, there are flaws in Nietzsche’s argument that this is evidence of the overarching adoption of slave morality, and that this adoption created a stagnation of ambition or progress. Put simply, Nietzsche must argue the following: 1. Slave morality has triumphed over master morality in the west. 2. Progress stagnates under slave morality because excellence is not rewarded but condemned, 3. Progress has stagnated and excellence is condemned in contemporary western society. But we can look to the history of the late 19th century to see that the progress made in that time was not insignificant. The invention of the motor car, the telephone, the light bulb, among other things, is a sign that creativity and ambition was certainly not altogether stifled. While democracy provided the political framework, capitalism (primarily an individualistic economic system) flourished and rewarded enterprise and ambition with money and influence. This shows one of two things to be true: slave morality’s influence over western society was not as pervasive as Nietzsche claims OR its influence was not as damaging to human progress as he believed it was. If, as Nietzsche claims, master morality is a necessary condition for the advancement of society, it must not have been defeated entirely, for society was and is advancing. Nietzsche’s account of the master-slave dichotomy is more difficult still to apply to modern western society, although I doubt Nietzsche himself would try to do so. While our individual morality may still come from external sources, these days the sources are likely to be many and varied, rather than from a single religious viewpoint. Individual morality grows and evolves from experience. And while the culture of our society may endorse elements present in Nietzsche’s slave morality (compassion, modesty and patience, for example, are certainly not seen as bad things,) we also see a culture where achievement and ambition is not stifled but rewarded. We see celebration of athletes, who embody the strength, beauty and pride present in a Nietzschean master. We want our leaders to be honest, active, strong willed and brave, but raise concern if they are seen to lack compassion, or are too boastful, or do not seek to reduce suffering. Nietzsche’s Genealogy is convincing in its methodological approach to understanding the opposing moralities it discusses. It is logical that masters, the strong and elite, should seek no comfort or endorsement from external sources when they have total faith in themselves. That slaves sought out comfort in a morality based in religion, which holds up piousness and selflessness as virtues, makes sense as a survival strategy and as a way for these slaves to carve out meaning in their difficult lives. In discussing the impact on society in his time, Nietzsche despairs that of these two moralities, the slaves are winning, through the growth of democracy throughout the west. Perhaps, instead, the growth of democracy led to an evolution of western morality. Through the evolution of our class system beyond master and slave, our culture has become more multifaceted. Our relations with those above and below us has become more nuanced, and so too has our morality.