On Being Sane in Insane Places Essay

Have you ever been in a confrontation with someone where they ended with calling you a lunatic, crazy, or insane? It does not feel too great. But at least you know you are sane, and to everyone else around you, you seem â€Å"normal.† Can you walk down the street and visibly see a difference between a sane and insane person? There are some people however that are permanently labelled as â€Å"abnormal† or â€Å"insane.† These people are diagnosed as â€Å"mentally ill† and are forever stigmatized and in some cases, dehumanized because of such labeling. Is it easy to distinguish the sane from the insane, or is it in fact the environment and contexts in which observers find these people? David L. Rosenhan formulated an experiment to investigate if psychiatrists could identify the difference between people who are mentally ill and those who are not. According to Rosenhan, â€Å"there are a great deal of conflicting data on the reliability, utility, and meani ng of such terms as â€Å"sanity,† â€Å"insanity†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ normality and abnormality are not universal† (Rosenhan, 1973, pg.310). Rosenhan formed a group of 8 people who attempt to gain admission to 12 different hospitals across the United States. The psuedopatients each claimed of having textbook symptoms of schizophrenia. Once admitted, the psuedopatients each described their histories truthfully, and â€Å"they strongly biased the subsequent results favor of detecting sanity† (pg.313). Each psuedopatient â€Å"ceased simulating any symptoms of abnormality† (pg.313). Nursing reports obtained that each pseudopatient â€Å"exhibited no abnormal indications† (pg.313). The average length of hospitalization was 19 days, and upon discharge, each psuedopatient had a case summary written. All of the summaries were â€Å"unintentionally distorted by the staff to achieve consistency with a popular theory of the dynamics of schizophrenic reaction† (pg.316). Each psuedopatient upon discharge was reported as in remission, not cured, which perpetuates the negative label. These ascribed labels are permanent, and puts the diagnosed person at a disadvantage forever. People diagnosed as mentally ill are treated dif ferently, in most cases they are treated as if  their thoughts and opinions cannot be trusted or taken seriously. This is not fair, nor is it accurate. There is an â€Å"enormous overlap in the behaviors of the sane and the insane†(pg.318). The sane are not always sane, similarly, â€Å"the insane are not always insane†(pg.318). While reading this article, I was reminded about the homeless, and that many people assume that just because they are homeless, they are likely to have a mental illness. Now I see why many people assume this; the reason is the environment and contexts that civilians see these homeless people in. It is possible that some of these people are mentally ill, but it is more likely that they are in their position because of other reasons. From a sociological perspective, this experiment highlights the conflict perspective. In class, we have discussed how power is the core of all social relationships, all social systems feature a superordinate group and a subordinate group. In mental institutions, as well as in the public, conflict perspective is conveyed via sane people discriminating the allegedly insane people. Psychiatrists, nurses, and even civilians are above the mentally ill, because they are â€Å"sane† while the â€Å"insane† are incapable of having valid opinions. Pow er is scarce, and everyone wants some of it, and unfortunately this permanent label is debilitating for the person who is marked with it, leaving them with little hope of upward mobility in our society. References Rosenhan, David L, (1973). On Being Sane in Insane Places. 310-321

Pest on Unilever Essay

Political factors influence organisations in many ways. Political factors can create advantages and opportunities for organisations. Conversely they can place obligations and duties on organisations. Political factors include the following types of instrument: – Legislation such as the minimum wage or anti discrimination laws. – Voluntary codes and practices – Market regulations – Trade agreements, tariffs or restrictions – Tax levies and tax breaks – Type of government regime eg communist, democratic, dictatorship Non conformance with legislative obligations can lead to sanctions such as fines, adverse publicity and imprisonment. Ineffective voluntary codes and practices will often lead to governments introducing legislation to regulate the activities covered by the codes and practices. ECONOMICAL The second element of a PEST analysis involves a study of economic factors. All businesses are affected by national and global economic factors. National and global interest rate and fiscal policy will be set around economic conditions. The climate of the economy dictates how consumers, suppliers and other organizational stakeholders such as suppliers and creditors behave within society. An economy undergoing recession will have high unemployment, low spending power and low stakeholder confidence. Conversely a â€Å"booming† or growing economy will have low unemployment, high spending power and high stakeholder confidence. A successful organization will respond to economic conditions and stakeholder behavior. Furthermore organisations will need to review the impact economic conditions are having on their competitors and respond accordingly. In this global business world organisations are affected by economies throughout the world and not just the countries in which they are based or operate from. For example: a global credit crunch originating in the USA contributed towards the credit crunch in the UK in 2007/08. Cheaper labour in developing countries affects the competitiveness of products from developed countries. An increase in interest rates in the USA will affect the share price of UK stocks or adverse weather conditions in India may affect the price of tea bought in an English cafe. A truly global player has to be aware of economic conditions across all borders and needs to ensure that it employs strategies that protect and promote its business through economic conditions throughout the world.

Blood Diamond Movie Summary

It is 1999 and the troubled West African nation of Sierra Leone is ravaged by major political unrest. Rebel factions such as the Revolutionary United Front frequently terrorize the open countryside, intimidating Mende locals and enslaving many to harvest diamonds, which fund their increasingly successful war effort. One such unfortunate is fisherman Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), from Shenge, who has been assigned to a workforce overseen by a ruthless warlord, Captain Poison (David Harewood).On a particularly tense morning, Vandy discovers an enormous pink diamond in the riverbank and buries it in the soft earth. Captain Poison learns of the stone, but before he can act on this knowledge the area is raided by government security forces. Both men are subsequently incarcerated in Freetown along with Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), a white Rhodesian gunrunner jailed while attempting to smuggle diamonds into Liberia for corrupt South African mining executive Rudolph van de Kaap (Mariu s Weyers). Having managed to learn of the pink diamond's existence, Archer arranges to have Vandy freed from detention.He then travels to Cape Town, meeting with his former military contacts, including Colonel Coetzee (Arnold Vosloo) – an Afrikaner late of the apartheid-era South African Defence Force now freelancing with a private military firm. Archer remarks that he hopes to abscond with Vandy's stone and leave the Dark Continent forever, but Coetzee indicates that his lost stake in Archer's botched Liberian operation entitles him to the diamond as compensation. The former returns to Sierra Leone, locates Vandy, and offers to help him find his family if he will recover his prize.Meanwhile, RUF insurgents initiate an escalation of hostilities. Freetown falls to their advance while Vandy's son Dia (Kagiso Kuypers) is among those rounded up to serve as a child soldier under a liberated Captain Poison. Archer and Vandy narrowly escape to Guinea, where they plan to infiltrate K ono with an American journalist, Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), in exchange for giving her inside information on the illicit diamond trade. Coetzee and his private army also turn up in the region, having been contracted by local authorities to repulse the renewed rebel offensive.While Bowen is evacuated with her story, the two men set out for Captain Poison's former encampment on their own. Dia, now stationed with the RUF garrison there, is confronted – although he refuses to acknowledge his father. Archer radios the site's coordinates to Coetzee, who directs an air strike via an Mi-24 helicopter gunship. Vandy locates Captain Poison and beats him to death with a shovel while attacking mercenaries rout the warlord's surviving men. Coeztee then forces a reluctant Vandy to produce the diamond, but is shot by Archer, who has deduced that he will have them both eliminated once their usefulness has expired.Dia holds them both at gunpoint, although Vandy convinces him of his own retained innocence and the two consummate their previous bond. Archer discloses he has been mortally wounded and cannot proceed as anticipated. He entrusts the stone to Vandy, ordering him to take it for his family. Vandy and his son rendezvous with a charter pilot, Nabil (Jimi Mistry), who flies them to safety while Archer makes a final phone call to Maddy Bowen, charging her to assist Vandy, as well as giving her consent to publish his revelations of the diamond trade, telling her â€Å"It's a real story now†.Gazing across the landscape, he grasps a handful of bloodstained earth and dies peacefully, fulfilling Coetzee's prediction that the smuggler would never leave his African home. Shortly afterwards, Vandy, who is now living in England, meets with representatives of van de Kaap, who wishes to acquire his jewel. Bowen photographs the deal for publication in her article detailing the trade in conflict gems and exposes van de Kaap's criminal actions. Meanwhile, Vandy's gues t appearance at a conference on â€Å"blood diamonds† in Kimberley is met with a standing ovation. Blood Diamond Movie Summary It is 1999 and the troubled West African nation of Sierra Leone is ravaged by major political unrest. Rebel factions such as the Revolutionary United Front frequently terrorize the open countryside, intimidating Mende locals and enslaving many to harvest diamonds, which fund their increasingly successful war effort. One such unfortunate is fisherman Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), from Shenge, who has been assigned to a workforce overseen by a ruthless warlord, Captain Poison (David Harewood).On a particularly tense morning, Vandy discovers an enormous pink diamond in the riverbank and buries it in the soft earth. Captain Poison learns of the stone, but before he can act on this knowledge the area is raided by government security forces. Both men are subsequently incarcerated in Freetown along with Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), a white Rhodesian gunrunner jailed while attempting to smuggle diamonds into Liberia for corrupt South African mining executive Rudolph van de Kaap (Mariu s Weyers). Having managed to learn of the pink diamond's existence, Archer arranges to have Vandy freed from detention.He then travels to Cape Town, meeting with his former military contacts, including Colonel Coetzee (Arnold Vosloo) – an Afrikaner late of the apartheid-era South African Defence Force now freelancing with a private military firm. Archer remarks that he hopes to abscond with Vandy's stone and leave the Dark Continent forever, but Coetzee indicates that his lost stake in Archer's botched Liberian operation entitles him to the diamond as compensation. The former returns to Sierra Leone, locates Vandy, and offers to help him find his family if he will recover his prize.Meanwhile, RUF insurgents initiate an escalation of hostilities. Freetown falls to their advance while Vandy's son Dia (Kagiso Kuypers) is among those rounded up to serve as a child soldier under a liberated Captain Poison. Archer and Vandy narrowly escape to Guinea, where they plan to infiltrate K ono with an American journalist, Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), in exchange for giving her inside information on the illicit diamond trade. Coetzee and his private army also turn up in the region, having been contracted by local authorities to repulse the renewed rebel offensive.While Bowen is evacuated with her story, the two men set out for Captain Poison's former encampment on their own. Dia, now stationed with the RUF garrison there, is confronted – although he refuses to acknowledge his father. Archer radios the site's coordinates to Coetzee, who directs an air strike via an Mi-24 helicopter gunship. Vandy locates Captain Poison and beats him to death with a shovel while attacking mercenaries rout the warlord's surviving men. Coeztee then forces a reluctant Vandy to produce the diamond, but is shot by Archer, who has deduced that he will have them both eliminated once their usefulness has expired.Dia holds them both at gunpoint, although Vandy convinces him of his own retained innocence and the two consummate their previous bond. Archer discloses he has been mortally wounded and cannot proceed as anticipated. He entrusts the stone to Vandy, ordering him to take it for his family. Vandy and his son rendezvous with a charter pilot, Nabil (Jimi Mistry), who flies them to safety while Archer makes a final phone call to Maddy Bowen, charging her to assist Vandy, as well as giving her consent to publish his revelations of the diamond trade, telling her â€Å"It's a real story now†.Gazing across the landscape, he grasps a handful of bloodstained earth and dies peacefully, fulfilling Coetzee's prediction that the smuggler would never leave his African home. Shortly afterwards, Vandy, who is now living in England, meets with representatives of van de Kaap, who wishes to acquire his jewel. Bowen photographs the deal for publication in her article detailing the trade in conflict gems and exposes van de Kaap's criminal actions. Meanwhile, Vandy's gues t appearance at a conference on â€Å"blood diamonds† in Kimberley is met with a standing ovation.

The connection between incisive poverty and environmental degradation Essay

The connection between incisive poverty and environmental degradation - Essay Example In this case, reports such as World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) and another one commissioned by UNEP titled Global Environment Outlook 2000 (Clarke 1999), identify poverty as a major cause of environmental degradation. However, there is little evidence to connect poverty to environmental degradation since the poor suffer from environmental degradation with human activities and behaviours harming and ruining the natural environment. In this case, it is important to dispel this myth and identify the real causes of environmental degradation. According to World Bank’s 2008 estimates, about 1.29 billion people lived on less than USD $ 1.25 a day with more than 75% of this population living in the rural areas (World Bank 2012). On the other hand, the United Nation (1997) estimated 1.9 billion hectares of land as degraded worldwide as a result of human factors related to unsustainable land management practices and other various land management practices. In the c urrent society, about 25% of the world’s population is directly dependent on degraded land, which highlights a worrying trend that requires being adequately addressed (Bai et al. 2008). More worrying is the fact that the world loses about 5-8 hectares of land each year to degradation (Scherr 1999). Significantly, most of this land that is lost to degradation is in developing nations, which have a high number of poor citizens. However, is there evidence that poverty is linked to environmental degradation? Vosti and Reardon (1997) provide a model to study the link between poverty and environmental degradation as shown in Figure 1. From this model, poverty is an asset that is viewed as a combination of various components that include natural resources, human resources, on-farm resources, and community resources, which have a relationship with the sustainability efforts that communities use to manage the environment. The closest this theoretical model goes to  connect environme ntal degradation to poverty is related to the lack of sufficient resources that can help enhance sustainability efforts by investing in conservation efforts. In this case, the model does not associate poverty with high utilisation of non-renewable resources that are scarce, damage of important renewable resources such as forests, and a high generation of non-recyclable waste that cannot be assimilated easily or broken down properly. In effect, the model fails to link poverty with these three factors that contribute to environmental degradation. Consequently, it is important to identify the link, if any, between poverty and these factors that contribute to environmental degradation. (Vosti and Reardon, 1997). With regard to the use of non-renewable resources, it is common knowledge that people living in conditions characterised by incisive poverty live in dwellings that use reclaimed materials from waste and use little, if any, cement to construct their houses considering that cement requires high input of energy input. In addition, people living in incisive poverty rely on public means of transport, or even walk or use bicycles, which do not contribute to environmental degradation. On the other hand, using public transport ensures that the average amount of oil consumed per person is maintained at a low, which is an effective way of conserving non-renewable resources and consequently avoiding environmental degradation. On average, electricity consumption levels of these individuals is low, which consequently makes their consumption of fossil fuel from oil, gas, natural resources, and coal less than the consumption by rich people. With regard to t

UAE stock market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

UAE stock market - Essay Example The stock prices were fluctuating widely. Lack of sustainability produced the need of making a proper system with outlined regulations and laws. Government and other officials realized that the appropriate existence of market will be able to attract the investors in UAE in market. Hence, the Government decided to develop such a system where investors can rely and invest their money. After a great effort, the development of a proper stock exchange market took place in the year of 2000 in the presence of law number 4, and then in the year of 2000, Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and Abu Dhabi Securities Market (ADSM) were established. From 2000 the proper mechanism of stock exchange was started in UAE (GulfBase). STOCK AND COMMODITY EXCHANGE BOARD The development of stock and commodity exchange board presumes overall controlling responsibility in the stock and commodity exchange market in UAE. It practices the essential control and executive functions to discharge its allocates responsibi lities, and amenities investment of savings and other funds in the stock exchange market in the way that would give out the countrywide economy and make sure communication between the forces of supply and demand to decide fair-haired prices and guard investors, in addition to to promote investment knowledge in a way that would comprehend financial and economic consistency. Dubai Financial Market (DFM) The establishment of Dubai financial market took place on 26th March, 2000. It was registered as a public organization having self-governing authorized individuality. At the initial stage, the joint-stock companies use this market as secondary market for the buying and selling of stocks, In addition to the exchange of bonds that are issued by the UAE government, any of the local government bodies, institutions and public organizations within the government or investment units allocated from the local investment funds of a country or any other local or foreign financial instrument that are acceptable to the market of UAE (DFM). ABU DHABI SECURITIES MARKET (ADSM) The establishment of Abu Dhabi financial Market took place in the year of 2000. The establishment of market gives the stock exchange market as self-governing legal identity, managerial and financial independence, in addition to the essential control and decision-making authorities required by the market to release its functions. The official inauguration of the market took place on 15th November, 2000. It works for the security and protection of financial and economic constancy and the establishment and explanation of exchange procedures in such a way as to make sure the liquidity and stability of the market. After the development of stock exchange market the economy of UAE has been continuously growing and there are lots of investments from foreign companies are coming in the economy. The political stability and cultural diversity of UAE attracting the multinationals to make investments in UAE stock marke t. UAE is planning to serve as a financial hub in the Middle East region. The government is starting new projects to attract the investors. The most recent investment in the real state sector is an example. Now there are several companies listed on the stock exchanges of UAE that belongs to different regions of the world. The stock market of UAE is very prominent in Middle East region because it has a high growth rate. The government of UAE is continuously making plans for future projects and revealing it to

Critical appraisal of article in operation management Essay

Critical appraisal of article in operation management - Essay Example It is due to this reason that the researchers and economist have carried out studies the study due to the significance and contribution of this industry in the country's annual GDP. Different theorist has described services in different ways which helps the management to understand the positioning and formulation of strategies to organize the resources. There conclusions can be used to get the wider view and all the dimensions of the various theorist, based on that the management can draw their own conclusions from their own understanding. These researchers covered different areas of the service industry but this paper specially discusses the implication of operation management in the Australian service industry. In order to understand the challenges faced by the management it is very important to understand the characteristics of the services. Operation management is a technique which can help to resolve the problems faced by the company. Before that there is an overview of the different researchers. Their work has helped to form the basis of understanding. Nie and Kellogg distinguished the services into some unique characteristics which makes services different from manufacturing. A service oriented business has more customer interaction due to which the entire process of delivering the service also becomes important. Services are intangible, there can be variations in the output, they are perishable, there production delivery and consumption all takes place at one time and they are more labor intensive. Schmenner has come up with one of the most useful topology of service industry which can be applied in all kinds of service oriented professions. He has defined these degrees in a simple matrix form which is indicating a high and low level of labor intensity and customer interaction. Such distinction can help the management in classifying each profession into a certain area like service factory professions have low labor intensity as well as customer interaction. Similarly professional services like doctors have high customer interaction as well as high labor intensity. Based on this the management can increase their focus and see which area needs more attention. Schmenner's theory can be connected to Wright and Mechling conclusion which explains that how these topologies can be used in the planning and controlling process. The key performance indicators are the managerial tools which help an organization in achieving its long term goals. Once the goals are set and strategies are implemented there has to be a way to measure the progress or success and KPI is one of the ways. These are measurable indicators. It can be one or many depending on the organization. For the service oriented businesses the key indicator can be the number of clients per month in an auditing firm. KPI is a useful management tool because when you know the strengths and weakness of your business and your goals are specific and clear to all then one can define a certain indicator to measure its evaluation and performance over the period of time. These can be applied in different service processes such as the framework of Armistead which had categories like delivery system and the volume of output. Such measures can be taken as as an indicator and can be used to upgrade the entire process. Service industries face many problems which can be resolved through the implication of the operational management tools. Operations

Strain Theory Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Strain Theory - Thesis Example It is therefore critical that criminology as a social issue is given multidimensional approach that will consider various observed behaviors. The social environment is significant in influencing the behavior and conduct of individuals and this explain crime rate differences across gender. While studying the crime theory, it would be important to highlight such social parameters that influence behavior outcomes in people. In this case strain theory would serve as an important theory to unveil the causes of crime in the society. In various disciplines there are theories that explain a given phenomenon and criminology is not exceptional. Many scholars and researchers have diverse definition of theory but the common denominator is the aggregate application in explain any observed phenomenon in the society. Theory is generally a set of principles that are devised to explain a group of facts. It emphasizes proof of ideas behind principles that have repeatedly been tested and widely accepted as responsible for a given phenomenon. In regard to strain theory, it explains the factors that push an individual to develop criminal behavior in the society (Agnew, 2006). Although each man is born free, the emerging character is shaped by many external environment factors and this serves even crime mind development. Criminological theory plays a central role as far as understanding of crime is concerned. Past research indicates that criminology theory explains the forces behind emotional and psychological transformation t hat shapes a criminal mind. There are incidences across the world where people commit outrageous crimes that one can never imagine of. The mitigation measures towards reoccurrence of such criminal acts require understanding of theory of criminology. Development of theory constitutes critical analysis of a given phenomenon by establishing the variables and their relationship. Such relationship among variables must be taken through a

In description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

In description - Essay Example A far more important role of the theatre is to advocate for society and represent the valid cause or interest of social groups or sectors without really going overboard or violating the rights of other people. We must understand that creativity in theatrical performances, in film and other forms of mass media can have tremendous impact on it audience. At the very least, these modes of communication can open the minds of the people to the different issues that beset society. In the more profound way, the theatre, cinemas and creative literature can shape the shape the minds and hearts of their audiences (Moores, Shaun (1993). Although there may a lot of people who do not subscribe to such proposition, thinking that the theatre should only be used to entertain and not to encourage people to be passionate about a cause, the fact that the theatre can have some profound influence upon the people is a good enough reason why using the theatre as an advocate for society is beneficial to the people. In our modern era, the persuasive mediums like the television, the cinemas, print media and the likes have been large responsible for shaping the opinions and sentiments of the people on various issues in society (Chomsky, Noam & Herman, Edward (1988, 2002). If we could harness the power of theatre and channel it to better use, then we can have a powerhouse for educating the people and effecting positive changes in society. The interesting thing about using the power of the theatre is that we enjoy ourselves and unleash our creativity in delivering our message to society. In other words, instead of using the rigid an d often static traditional system of advocating for society, we put more life into our message through the use of art. A message that is delivered in a more enjoyable manner often sticks longer in the minds of the audience than a hard-sell message. Why should theatre be an advocate of society instead of just merely a mirror

Decisions in Paradise Part III Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Decisions in Paradise Part III - Essay Example Capital One plans to open in Kava four banking branches with full ATM infrastructure across the island and a customer service call center to serve Capital One’s global customers. Factors affecting implementation Several factors affect the implementation plans of Capital One at Kava. The firm needs to identify four possible locations for its banks. The company can either rent several buildings or built its own locations. A problem with constructing the buildings is that it takes time and the bad weather in Kava could cause further delays in the project completion time. The firm can rent the four buildings and perform internal layouts redesigns to prepare the banks following similar layouts used by Capital One in the United States. The company will need to recruit employees for its financial services operation and for the call center. The island may have a shortage of talent in technical fields such as finance and accounting. The firm can import talent from its global operations into Kava. The best option would be to transfer employees from its US operations to Kava. An advantage of this strategy is getting trained employees that know the corporate culture of the firm. A third factor that affect the implementation plan is cultural and language barriers. ... The right locations are necessary to achieve maximum customer traffic. The company has to set up the ATM network across Kava. It should take the company one month to complete installation of the ATM’s. The firm has to recruit the employees for both operations. The company needs approximately 50 workers for the banks and 200 employees to work at the call center. There is a shortage of talent in accounting and finance in Kava. The banks needs employees with a financial background to work in the branches. To solve that problem the firm will transfer employees from its United States branches. To motivate the US workers to apply for a transfer the firm will offer a $25,000 relocation incentive package. Financial incentives are a way to motivate employees (Tutor2u, 2011). The call center requires 200 employees. All the employees will be recruited from the internal talent pool of Kava residents. The recruiting process of employees has a timetable of two months. After hiring the emplo yees these workers need training. The training period for the bank workers is one month and the call centers employees will receive two weeks of training. Due to the unstable weather conditions and the possibility of shutdown due to natural disasters the firm needs to have good Internet infrastructure. The small size of the island makes this island a perfect candidate for the implementation of a Wi-Max network. A Wi-Max network is an IP based wireless broadband technology that can provide wireless access up to 30 miles for fixed station (Wimax, 2011). The Wi-Max network serves several purposes. The network will provide the company with reliable Internet connectivity at all times. The system will serve as an emergency channel for employees to use to connect the

Importance of Literature Essay Example for Free

Importance of Literature Essay 1 Introduction In this article we will talk about the importance of literature reviews as a way of summarsing the state of the art of a field. We will examine ways of constructing literature reviews and we will see in the links provided examples of literature reviews. 2 Definition of literature review A critical summary and an assessment of the current state of knowledge or current state of the art in a particular field. The ability to carry out a literature review is an important skill for any student. It will provide you with a context in which to place your assignments regardless of the module you are studying. Practically any assignment in any module you take will involve reading what other people have written on the subject of your assignment, gathering information to refute or support specific arguments, and writing about yourfindings. For small scale projects, (like module assignments), you will not be expected to provide a definitive account of the state of research in your selected topic. You will be required to provide evidence that you have read a certain amount of relevant literature in the topic, that you have understood that literature, and that you can summarize the material you have read in a coherent way. The literature review is precisely that summary. In order to do a literature review you will need to spend time reading the literature relevant to the topic you are researching. Understanding the literature in your research topic will prevent you from repeating previous errors, or redoing work which has already been done. It will also give you insights into aspects of your topic which might be worthy of exploration and future research. 3 Purpose of a Literature Review There are several purposes to writing a literature review. To provide the reader with an up to date account and discussion of the research findings in a particular topic. This might sound pretty esoteric but you will find that in writing a literature review you will learn about the ways other people have constructed their own research projects. Seeing what others have done might help you understand your own assignment. You might be able to see the methods that other more experienced researchers have used and you might decide to follow on their footsteps and copy their methodological approach. You might also be able to detect conflicting points of view expressed by different authors. These conflicting points of view might be the indicators of diverging theories within the same topic. You need to be aware of these conflicting theories as well as of the arguments supporting these theories in order for you to assess their value and make up your own mind on the topic. Being aware of the theories will help you later in your life as a student when you will have to design a larger research project like your dissertation. You might also be able to discuss relevant research carried out in the same topic. It is important to be able to discuss relevant research because very often it is very difficult (as students and as researchers) to keep abreast of everything that is published every year in a topic. The job of the writer of the literature review is to summarize and discuss the major documents published in that topic over a stated period of time. The discussion will take into account the methods and the results or findings of the most relevant research. The reviewer will assess whether the methodology is appropriate and whether the results seem valid. The reviewer therefore evaluates the quality of the research as opposed to merely listing documents. The reviewer may also discuss material published in other fields which are related to the main topic. This process is very important since very often research in the social sciences is multidisciplinary, i. e. knowledge gets generated from many disciplines and needs to be integrated. For example in order to be able to research and write a literature review on a question like ‘Why do teenagers smoke? ‘ The reviewer might need to read material from journals in psychology, medicine, and sociology. 4 Mechanics of Writing a Literature Review You need to read. You need to read because it will give you ideas, and because it might improve your writing style. You need to develop some basic reading strategies. You need to decide: †¢ where to read †¢ what to read †¢ whom to read †¢ how to find what you need to read. Your University or College library might be your first port of call in deciding where to read, but as you progress in your course you might need to read in other libraries. You might also chose to photocopy material from these libraries and read it at home. The advantage of using photocopies is that you can underline the material and make notes. The question of what to read is more tricky. Books, journals, reports, popular media, computer-based material, internal reports, letters, conference proceedings etc. You will probably need to read all these when you are constructing a literature review. When you try to determine whom to read you need to be aware that anyone can be mistaken in their interpretations or their opinions. It is therefore important that you can be able to ascertain how authoritative is the person that you are reading. You should also be able to ascertain their motivation in writing. This might help you determine if the person has a biased perspective on an issue. You should be guided on what to read (at least as a starting point ) by your module coordinator(s) and seminar tutors however, that is only initial guidance, after that you should be capable of finding your own material. Once you have set-up your basic reading strategies, you will need to be able to understand what you read. This is slightly more complicated than it seems because you will need to be able to develop tricks to scan a lot of documents very fast, and decide if a particular document is good enough to merit careful reading. It takes practice to be able to look at a document in the library and determine if it is good enough for you to spend serious time reading it. Have a look at the table of contents and index of the book. Look at the introduction and concluding chapter . Scan some of the topics from the index and determine if the material is adequate. These hints will give you a superficial knowledge about the content of a document, however you will not be able to write a literature review based on superficial knowledge. You will have to read enough to know enough about what has been written and summarize it in an intelligent fashion. In other words, you need to know enough to be able to be critical about it. Once you select a document for serious reading, you will need to summarize and criticize it.

The theoretical perspectives in sociology

The theoretical perspectives in sociology Sociology is the scientific study of society and human behavior. Websters Dictionary defines a perspective as a view of things in their true relationship or importance. Therefore, the sociological perspective provides viewpoints used to look at human behaviors and interactions as they relate to individuals and groups within a society. The sociological perspective stresses that to understand humans, not what is inside of them, but instead the external factors influencing them, should be observed. There are several theoretical perspectives in sociology that are used to understand social relationships and behaviors. The three theoretical perspectives discussed here are symbolic interactionism, functional analysis, and conflict theory. Symbolic interactionism is a microsociological theoretical approach that examines small-scale patterns of social interaction. Interactionists focus on how humans use symbols (signs, gestures, language) to develop views of the world, others, and themselves, as well as the importance of these symbols in social interaction and communication. Interactionists also believe that humans use these symbols to define the self, by comparing themselves to others and by constantly adjusting their view of themselves. Interactionists see reality as being negotiated based on shared agreements and perceptions about events and therefore reality is not stagnant but instead fluid, ever changing. Also, symbolic interactionists try to understand how an individual feels in order to understand why they act the way they do. For example, many female babies are killed in India. To understand why they are killed, Interactionists look at what makes people kill them. Raising a girl is very expensive in India. The meaning that Indians attach to the birth of a baby girl is that of a burden to the family. However, western cultures tend to think of every child as a gift and a blessing, no matter what gender. A doctor interviewed for a TV documentary said that she does not report families that kill their infant girls, because it is a generally accepted societal practice. A lot of people are poor and few can afford the cost associated with raising a girl. When getting married, the grooms family is paid a dowry for taking over the obligation of the bride. Getting back to the doctor, comparing her own conduct to that of others, she does not find anything wrong with not reporting those murders since others do not report them either. By her own admission, however, if others were to begin reporting the murders of infan t girls, she would then adjust her own conduct accordingly and also start to report the killings. The response to the killings depends on the meaning and significance that is attached to that death, and right now the doctor sees it as insignificant and not worth reporting. Functional analysts (or functionalists) view society as a whole, a complex system of integrated, interrelated parts that work together to keep society balanced. Each part of society has a certain function that it has to fulfill in order to meet the needs of the society in which it exists, thus functionalists stress order and stability. If a part of society is in dysfunction meaning it does not fulfill its role, the harmony is interrupted and the system is weakened. Through natural and gradual change, equilibrium has to be restored. To understand how society works functionalists examine how society operates, what needs must be met and how they are satisfied. They also examine what functions the various parts of society fulfill, and what the relationships between those parts are. Take, for example, the female fighter pilot Lt. Col. Martha McSally, who fought for women stationed in Arabic countries to not have to wear the traditional head covering (abaya) and the changing roles of women in the military. Female and male service members had certain functions. Women often worked as nurses or as clerks whereas men filled combat positions. Each gender had roles assigned and the system worked together in harmony until women were allowed to serve in positions that once were meant for male service members only. Through a gradual and natural process the roles of men and women in the military will have to be redefined until previous balance is restored. Another example would be Lt. Gov. Jane Swift of Massachusetts, who was pregnant when she entered office, and the functions of a mother and a politician. As a mother society expects her to care for her children and be there when her children need her. However, in her function as politician, she is expected to fully immerse herself in State politics. The functions of mothers and politicians are clearly defined, but, she is blurring the boundaries between the two functions and society (the system) has not yet adjusted to the changes associated with mothers of young children in politics. As more and more mothers with dependant children are entering politics, the system will have to adjust to their special needs, roles will have to be redefined for balance to be restored. Like functional analysis, conflict theory focuses on large-scale patterns of society. However, whereas functionalists believe that society is composed of groups that work together, conflict theorists believe those groups are in constant disagreement with each other over limited resources. Conflict theorists also believe that societies are constantly changing and that some groups have more power then others and that norms and values of a society are made by those with power in order to keep those without power down. Conflict theorists believe that the way to change society is to change its structure and not the individuals within that society. Going back to Lt. Gov. Jane Swift, power is seen as a result of her social position and not as a result of her character. As a politician she holds certain powers that conflict with those of non-politicians. For example, she excused her use of the state helicopter with her position as an important political figure. Non-politicians disagree with her right to use the helicopter, as they could not do that. In India men and women are in a constant battle for scarce resources. In the case of the infanticides the resources are power as well as money. The only solution to that conflict would be for society to change its structure by, for example, removing dowries as a condition of marriage or removing the need for expensive ceremonies for daughters. Since those with power and money see no need to change the current structure, the only way the change would ever happens is if poor Indians stood up and protested current practices. The same is true for the military. The problems that arose for Lt. Col. McSally while stationed in the Middle East came from inequality in the treatment of male and female service members. As a woman she was required to wear an abaya when leaving the base. This caused a problem since the abaya covered her from head to toe and therefore her social location, her rank as Lieutenant Colonel, was no longer visible to others. Her powers were diminished while male service members, even those of lower rank, did not have to remove or hide the signs of their social location within the military society, resulting in a struggle for power. To summarize the three major theoretical perspectives described above it can, in most general terms, be said that structural functionalists would focus on what is common practice in a certain society and would also analyze the function of symbols used to interact and communicate in that society; whereas symbolic interactionists would try to determine how the individuals of a certain society interpret their environment or what effect others have on the development of an individuals self image; and conflict theorists would look at power differences between various groups of a society, where they come from and what effect they have on that society.

How Virgil Integrates Myth and History in The Aeneid

How Virgil Integrates Myth and History in The Aeneid How does Virgil integrate myth and history in The Aeneid? Discuss with reference to specific passages. Written as Rome faced a new era, and as its politics and society rapidly evolved, The Aeneid is essentially Virgil’s own reflection on these transformations. The narrative, interwoven with numerous historical and mythological elements, highlights his political and moral concerns regarding the new empire, his blurring of boundaries, between past and present, and myth and reality, bookmarking this exploration. As these worlds collide and blend throughout the narrative, our reading of Aeneas’ journey is expanded; this epic foundation myth can be read as Virgil questioning the new empire, how it would affect the Roman identity and its traditional values, whether Rome was truly free from the violence and corruption of the Civil Wars, and his hope for peace under Augustus’ rule. By analysing the text we may infer the extent to which he integrates myth and history in his political commentary. This interweaving of reality and fiction for such effect is seen instantly in Jupiter’s prophecy in Book 1 where the very real figure of Augustus is linked to the mythological figure of Aeneas. This link, as mapped out by Jupiter, passes from Aeneas, the first founder of Rome, through the legendary twins Romulus and Remus, central characters in Rome’s foundation legend, and onto ‘a Trojan Caesar’(1.287), Augustus’ own uncle and adopted father, Julius Caesar. Commonly seen in Julian propaganda of the 1st century BC, this association highlights the link between the ‘gens Iulia’ and the ‘eponymous figure of Iulus-Ascanius’[1], Aeneas’ son, and explicitly places Augustus in the line of ‘noble stock’ ‘the rulers of the world’ (1.282-286) originated from. Decreed to be a direct descendent of these two legendary characters by the father of the gods, Augustus is instantly cemented as the rightful rul er and depicted as the next piece in Rome’s foundation myth; that he too is a legendary figure. Furthermore, these characters themselves embody the blurring between myth and reality. For example each is of both divine and mortal descent: Aeneas is the son of Venus and Anchises, Romulus the son of Mars and Ilia the priestess queen and Augustus too, according to Jupiter’s prophecy, can trace his lineage to both these legendary figures, and a ‘Caesar’, Rome’s first imperial figure. This not only gives Augustus further gravitas and legitimacy as a ruler, but also suggests that he is re-establishing the Rome as it was prophesised, and the Roman identity as it should be. Also it suggests that Rome’s foundations are equally legendary, born from the combination of myth and reality, and equally endorsed by the gods. While Aeneas’ overall journey in The Aeneid also sees this close relationship between myth and reality, we may also see it as mirroring Rome’s own growth as a nation.[2] For example, Aeneas’ time in Carthage, between Books 1 and 4, represents the Punic Wars, a series of wars fought between Rome and Carthage between 264 BC and 146 BC which saw more than a century of conflict, thousands of deaths, and Rome succeeding Carthage as the most powerful state in the Western Mediterranean. This section is steeped in historical allegory: Dido’s suicide and Carthage seemingly burning with ‘the flames of poor Dido’s pyre’ (5.3-4) represents Carthage’s own defeat at the hands of Rome, and its decline as Rome’s power grew. Following this Aeneas’ progress encapsulates the narrative and in Books 5 to 8 we see him get gradually closer to Italy. This part of his journey however also sees many allusions to the Odysseus myth and is litt ered with Homeric motifs as Aeneas encounters a number of supernatural creatures, such as journeying to the Underworld, contact with the Harpies and Cyclops, close encounters with the sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis and with the lands of the Sirens and Circe. By translating a Homeric and mythological world onto the well-charted, and well-traversed, Mediterranean, Virgil continues to interweave reality and fiction, and, in doing so, blurs what is true and what is false. This also creates tension between the two as contemporary readers, recognising the places Aeneas visits and passes, sees these familiar lands as the homes of legendary creatures. While on one hand this section can be seen as portraying Aeneas as an equal hero to Odysseus, it can also be seen as reflecting Rome’s journey and growth, from Trojan foundations to an identity of its own. Virgil continues this tension in Books 9 to 12 as Aeneas’ battles with the Latins closely reflect the recent Civil Wars, a nd Aeneas and Turnus’ one-to-one combat represents the Battle of Actium where Augustus defeated his last rival, Mark Antony. While gradually reflecting Rome’s past with Aeneas’ journey, Virgil strives to remind Rome of the destruction it has faced, externally such as in Carthage, and internally such as during the civil wars, and in doing so he attempts to show Romans that they must learn from their past. Like many other historical epics, both Greek and Roman, The Aeneid is used to define a national identity in opposition to an ‘other’, as evidenced by the vast historical skeleton the narrative is built upon.As J. D. Reed suggests, it aims to present Rome as distinct to all other nations: from ‘the Trojans with whom it originated, the Greeks whom the Trojans had fought and [who] the Romans were to conquer’ by distancing Aeneas from the Homeric and Greek world; ‘the Carthaginians who threaten Roman ascendancy’ with the death of Dido; and ‘the Italian peoples among whom Rome arose’ with Aeneas’ war with the Latins.[3] Virgil continues to merge the past and present in Book 8 and, in Aeneas’ visit to Pallanteum, images of Virgil’s contemporary Rome bleed into the descriptions of Evander’s archaic settlement. For example, as Evander guides Aeneas, we see ‘cattle†¦ lowing in the Roman forum’, and the ‘Capitol, now all gold’ now ‘bristling with rough scrub’ (8.349-362). Also, throughout the description, many landmarks recognisable to Virgil’s contemporary readers, such the ‘Alter of Carmentis and the Carmental Gate’ (8.338) are seen. These images appear to transcend time itself, and by warping the familiar with the historical, Virgil’s narrative continues to run on underlying tension. However these images are also accompanied by those of a bucolic paradise: the site is described as the ‘haunt of native fauns and nymphs ’and Saturn’s first ‘Golden Age’ (8.315-325). Hence, with thi s blurring of past and present, and by translating images of contemporary Rome onto those of pastoral peace, Virgil is linking Aeneas’ coming, and therefore Augustus’, with Saturn’s; he hopes that Augustus is bringing the second Golden Age of ‘peace and serenity’ (8.326). However, Evander’s account is also greatly pessimistic, detailing a ‘worser age of base material’ as the time of peace disintegrated and the ‘madness of war’ and ‘the lust for possessions’ (8.327-328) consumed all. While this is clearly representing the recent civil wars that tore apart Rome, it also reveals Virgil’s own hopelessness for the future of Rome; like Evander he views the Golden Age, and the empire, as ‘only an intermission from continuous fighting and invasions’.[4] This hopelessness for the future appears to stem from Virgil’s own cynical view of human nature, as can be seen in the myth of Hercule s and Cacus. In essence a tale of a hero and a monster, and of archetypal good and bad, Virgil’s description casts an unnerving similarity between the two as both are described as incredibly violent and rabid with furor. This, therefore, causes us to question whether Virgil truly endorses Aeneas, who is also seen as incredibly violent in battle, and the new emperor he represents. Supporting this is the description of Aeneas and Mezentius’ battle in Book 10 where the tale of Hercules and Cacus is literally mirrored as ‘Mezentius rode around [Aeneas] three times’ (10.886), recalling Hercules’ three trips around Mount Aventine in anger (8.231-232). This similarity disturbingly places Aeneas, our supposed hero, in the place of the monster Cacus and contradicts the many positive descriptions of Aeneas, causing us to believe that Virgil had mixed opinions about Augustus and the new empire: this use of myth shows he had hopes for the peace one ruler could bring, yet was cynical of the destruction human nature could cause. Book 8 also sees the pinnacle of Virgil’s use of myth and history in the description of Aeneas’ resplendent shield. Crafted by the fire god Vulcan it is a clear echo of Achilles’ own shield from The Iliad and another allusion to Homer. However, on one hand, while Homer chooses to depict the entire world, including the earth, oceans, heavens, stars, and human life; Hephaestus engraves Achilles’ shield with the pleasures of peace as Homer strives to remind his hero of what he is fighting for. Virgil, on the other hand, chooses to engrave Aeneas’ shield with a memorialization of Rome’s military victory, and her success in conflict as well as peace, as he prophesises Rome’s history.[5] This is due to the context of The Aeneid. Written soon after the Battle of Actium where Augustus put an end to the strife of civil war in Rome, becoming the first emperor, The Aeneid reflects this recent shift in power; the description of Aeneas’ shie ld in particular. Primarily, Virgil’s language choice, namely in characterisation, is important in establishing this Homeric relation and political undercurrent. For example, his description of Augustus sees the new emperor’s association with the divine increasingly emphasised; the gods themselves are listed in the description of his followers, indicating that he has the divine right to rule, and his recent success at Actium as determined by the gods. Also, Augustus is physically elevated in this image, and is therefore physically closer to Olympus. Similarly he is described as wearing a ‘double flame’ and ‘his father’s star’ (8.682). On one hand this associates him with Ascanius who, in Book 2, is blessed by the gods with a halo of holy fire, this portent followed by a second: a star sent by the gods. This similarity, while supporting Jupiter’s prophecy in Book 1 that Ascanius will establish the seeds of a power that, eventually , will become Rome, further emphasises Augustus’ right to rule. Also, the inclusion of ‘his father’s star’ alludes to his adoption of Julius Caesar’s name, and emphasises his legitimacy. Essentially, the description of Augustus is steeped in social and political context with the intention of establishing his sovereignty, suggesting that there was possible unrest in his early years of power. This description, notably Augustus’ relationship to the gods, sees Virgil’s focussing on highlighting Augustus’ power, and the legitimacy of that power. Similarly, Virgil’s description of Antony informs us of the social and political background of The Aeneid. Introduced as ‘in triumph from the shores of the Red Sea’ (8.688-689), Antony is portrayed positively, which, as Augustus’ rival, is peculiar. Also, he describes their conflict as ‘mountains were colliding with mountains’ (8.694), associating both with the seemingly-immortal strength of Homeric heroes, and indicating that they are equals in power. Also, contextually, there was no honour in fighting a fellow Roman, and Virgil avoids this in his glorification of Augustus by undermining Antony’s involvement. Virgil achieves this by using active verbs to describe Cleopatra, and while she is described as ‘summon[ing] her warships’ and ‘calling for winds’ (8.698-708), her role in the battle eclipses Antony’s. This has the effect of giving Rome a common enemy: the woman and the foreigner. This in itself ass ociates Cleopatra with Dido, also a foreign queen, who, throughout her relationship with Aeneas, is portrayed as deterring his progress, and therefore, deterring the progress of Rome. Furthermore, Cleopatra’s description echoes that of Dido. Called ‘his Egyptian wife’ or the ‘queen’ (8.689-698), she is denied a name, and the autonomy of self, just as Dido, who is defined by her relationship with Aeneas so much so as to take her own life when he leaves. By giving the Romans a common enemy, the civil war is instead turned into that with a foreign power, and creates a sense of Roman unity, unity that perhaps was not as assured in reality, and notably, unity brought by Augustus’ success. The gods too are purposely characterised for effect. While on one hand, the Roman gods are named and recognisable, the Egyptian gods are described as ‘monstrous’, Virgil even highlights the dog form of Anubis who ‘barked†¦ at Neptune and Ve nus’ (8.699-700). This emphasis on the animalistic qualities of the Egyptian gods serves the purpose of establishing a divine hierarchy; the Roman gods, as human in shape, naturally come before the ‘dog god’, an animal typically obedient to man. This hierarchy serves to assert Roman superiority, culturally and spiritually, as well as militarily. Virgil’s description of the shield in itself is important too; throughout the passage, there is fluidity between narrative and object. This is achieved by the subtle blurring of the mythical world, as depicted on the shield, and the ‘real’: Aeneas’ story. For example, as the passage flows through the narrative, certain words and phrases alluding to the material of the shield, how it’s made and the maker, such as ‘the God of Fire’ who had ‘fashioned the Nile†¦ with every fold of drapery beckoning’ (8.709-714), disrupt the flow and pull the reader sharply to reality. Also, there is a prevalent dichotomy of senses; we are told that Anubis ‘barked’ while the Roman gods ‘swooped’ and ‘strode’ (8.699-703). This sense of motion and sound brings a still image and object alive, and reflects the power of well-crafted art; just as Aeneas’ shield seems to come to life in his hands, the poem does in the reader’s mind. Ultimately, through his integration of myth and history, Virgil is able to blur truth and fiction, transforming The Aeneid into accepted fact. This not only establishes his account into the foundation myth of the Roman identity, but also establishes Augustus into the pantheon of Rome’s mythological founders. On a deeper level though it also allows him to explore complex issues such as the effect the civil wars had on the Roman identity, his hopes for Augustus’ rule, and his fears that human nature, greed and violence will plague the new empire. Essentially, through the merging of the two worlds, whether this be between the mythological and realistic, classical allusion and historical context, or narrative and material object, he achieves the ultimate contrast; between a piece of literature, and a political message. Bibliography Bell, K. K. 2008. ‘â€Å"Translatio† and the Constructs of a Roman Nation in Virgils â€Å"Aeneid†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, Rocky Mountain Review 62: 11-24. J. D. Reed, ‘Vergil’s Roman’, in J. Farrell and M. C. J. Putnam (ed.), A Companion to Vergil’s Aeneid and its Tradition. Oxford 2010: 66-79. J. E. G. Zetzel, ‘Rome and its Traditions’, in C. Martindale (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Virgil. Cambridge 1997: 188-203. Johnson, W. R. 2005. ‘Introduction’, in S. Lombardo (Trans.), Aeneid, Indianapolis. lxi-lxxi. R. D. Williams, ‘The Purpose of The Aeneid’, in S. J. Harrison (ed.), Oxford Readings in Vergil’s Aeneid. Oxford 1990: 21-36. S. Casali, ‘The Development of the Aeneas Legend’, in J. Farrell and M. C. J. Putnam (ed.), A Companion to Vergil’s Aeneid and its Tradition. Oxford 2010: 37-51. Virgil, The Aeneid, trans. D. West [Penguin Classics] (London: Penguin Books, 2003) Williams, R. D. 1965. ‘The Mythology of the â€Å"Aeneid†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, Vergilius 11, 11-15. ID number: 1335307Words: 2,426 [1]Casali 2010: 49. [2]Zetzel 1997: 189. [3]Reed 2010: 66 -76. [4]Zetzel 1997: 191. [5]Johnson, W. R. 2005. ‘Introduction’, in S. Lombardo (Trans.), Aeneid, Indianapolis. lxi-lxxi.

The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt Essay

The beginning of the book starts off with Alex Rogo's plant having major problems and his boss gets on his case about it. His boss, Peach, tells him he has three months to fix these problems or they would be shut down. Rogo has to find a way to improve efficiency in his plant and he is at a loss of how to do that. He thinks that because the plant has new robots that this automatically improves efficiency, right? Peach calls a special meeting at the headquarters for all the plant managers. Rogo does not know what the meeting is about ahead of time, but assumes it will be bad news about how the division's performance is horrible this first quarter. Rogo see Nathan Selwin in the parking garage; he informs Rogo that if performance isn't improved by the end of the year, then the whole division goes up for sale. Rogo ends up leaving the meeting early because he realizes that this meeting is pointless and not helping his plant be more productive. A couple weeks before this meeting, Alex had run into an old friend, Jonah, in an airport lounge. He begins telling Jonah about his plant and the new robots, etc. Jonah does not seem impressed, but asks Alex some important questions such as: „h Have they really increased productivity at your plant? „h Was your plant able to ship even one more product per day as a result of what happened in the department where you installed the robots? „h Did you fire anyone? „h Did your inventories go down? Jonah's point was that if inventories have not gone down, employee expense was mot reduce, the plant is not selling more products, etc. then the robots have not increased the plant's productivity. Jonah tells him that there is only one goal, no matter what the company. Jonah asks Alex what the goal is and Alex does not know. After Alex leaves the meeting, he remembers this conversation with Jonah and it makes him think a lot more about the situation his plant is in. The following enable a company to make money: „h cost-effective purchasing „h employing good people „h high technology „h producing products „h producing quality goods „h selling quality products „h capturing market share Alex finally figures out what The Goal is (I don't know how it took him so long!!) to make money (which is caused by being productive). To accomplish the goal of making money, there are three things that need to be increased simultaneou... ...nning while people are on break; the employees should go on break when it is running. „h The union is causing problems (the reason why it is not possible at the time). „h The machine is available for 585 hours a month, but the demand is greater than that - it will not be resourceful if you loose any of those hours. „h Throughput for entire plant is lower if that time is lost. „h Bottleneck #2 is the heat-treat „h The engineering department is unwilling to change; currently, the plant does not outsource to other vendors „h The plant thinks that it would increase the cost-per-part. For example: Each product shipped is about $1,000. 1,000 units * $1,000 = $1 million if parts get shipped as finished products. They need to use external heat-treat (outsource). Also, quality inspection is currently done prior to final assembly. Defective items are lost time on bottleneck because it went through the machine and now is worthless. They need to do QC before bottleneck - that way, they will not loose time on bottlenecks on any defective parts - won't loose throughput. Also, they need to make sure the process controls on bottleneck parts are very good. The Goal By Eliyahu M. Goldratt

The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio Essay -- Literary Analysis

â€Å"You are to look upon this grim opening as travelers on foot confront a steep, rugged mountain: beyond it lies a most enchanting plain which they appreciate all the more for having toiled up and down the mountain first,† (Boccaccio, pg. 7). The Decameron, by Giovanni Boccaccio embodies this verse. Until this time period, religion guided society like an invisible hand pushing everyone along. Throughout many generation religion evolved. From polytheism to monotheism, form idols to churches, people leaned on the virtues that religion presented, and led their lives accordingly. Everyone learned to submit themselves to the Church as they were too scared to pave their own virtuous way. Instead of using the Church as a guide they surrendered themselves completely becoming monkeys in the face of emperors. The Pope was no longer a messenger of God rather he was God-like himself for he too held scores of lives in his hands. The power that the sacred rulers grasped deceived them of their true abilities; they now acted as if they were gods despite their limiting human capabilities. The Popes now used â€Å"virtues† to elicit supremacy, opposed to using authority as an instrument to spread morality. Giovanni Boccaccio wishes to lift the veil and expose the church for what they have become. Using Satire he exposes the true actions of those in command. Though the road in revealing the corruption of the Church is jagged and rocky it allows for a new beginning. It allows everyone to discover â€Å"a most enchanting plain.† While many praise Boccaccio for his disclosure of the Church there still are menacing effects of such an action. He boots the Church off of its pedestal leaving an open seat for the next ruler. While the church may have been crooked Bo... ...ety to a better world was convoluted and crooked. Boccaccio laid out many examples and effects that the church had on civilization in hopes to overcome the fraudulent society that everyone depended on. Life is about living. Human competence has the ability to meld the physical world and the spiritual world into one boulevard. Life is about experiencing freedom. Freedom to control one’s actions, freedom to choose one’s leader and freedom to grow past difficulties. In The Decameron, Boccaccio tried to give everyone their freedom back. Bibliography Alchin, Linda. "Middle Ages." Middle Ages. Online. September 20 2006 16 December 2010. "Avatar ." Avatar; The Journey Continues. Online. 2010 16 December 2010. Boccaccio, Giovanni. The Decameron. New York: Oxford, 1998.