Pride And Prejudice By Jane Austen Essays (755 words) - Fiction

Pride And Prejudice By Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The title of the novel Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, can be interpreted as a theme running through the novel. Pride, observed Mary, . . . is a very common failing, I believe. By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed, that human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or another, real or imaginary. Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us. Pride and/or vanity is exhibited in different forms by each character. Ms. Austen was trying to send the message that an excess of pride or vanity is indeed a failing. Those characters who can recognize their flaw emerge as the true heroes of the story. In many minor characters of the novel, pride is a common characteristic. Mrs. Bennet, for instance, is extremely proud when it comes to her daughters marriages of mercenary advantage. She is so concerned that her neighbors have a high opinion of her that her own vanity will not even allow her to think of her daughters love and happiness. This is best shown with the case of Elizabeth Bennet s proposed marriage to the esteemed Mr. Collins, a man she did not love. Mrs. Bennet was so upset when her daughter refused Mr. Collins offer that she would not speak to her for passing up such an opportunity. We can see an example of pride for imaginary qualities in Mary Bennet who was herself the speaker of this passage. To the embarrassment of her family, Mary would take every chance she could to put on a show whenever in a public situation. Although she was not talented in any of the activities she decided to undertake, her high opinion of herself and her desire to esteem herself in the eyes of others enabled her to display her supposed talents. Mr. Collins possesses a definite sense of vanity. He is in no way concerned about his own opinion of his character, for as we see his character leaves much to be desired. All he cares about is what others think of him. He always needs the approval of his present company. When he gives Elizabeth the grand tour of his nothing-spectacular home, he is looking for her approval of his position and possessions. It is not important to Mr. Collins for people to like him as a person, they just had better be impressed his status in life and his connections. Mr. Darcy, as one of the main characters, is for the better part of the novel a focus of the theme of pride. His pride is very obvious. It is a part of his nature and is seen in his mannerisms and in his speech. Darcy has such a high opinion of himself that he does not care what others think of him or his prideful actions. He believes that he is the best in every way possible and finds that his standing in society gives him the right to be critical of those not as perfect as he. Elizabeth Bennet, the other main character of the novel, is just as guilty of being proud as any of the other characters in the novel. She prides herself on being unprejudiced and rational in the judgement of others. Yet, this is an imaginary quality as she learns that her preconceived notions of both Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham turn out to be false. She is also very proud when Darcy confronts her about her family and connections. Although Darcy s accusations of the unsophistication of certain of her family members are true, Elizabeth is too proud to listen and accept the truth. Instead, she becomes so angered with Darcy that it effects her entire relationship with him. Both Darcy and Elizabeth come to recognize their pride as a flaw in their respective characters. Darcy realizes that he must check his pride in order to be seen in a good light by others. Elizabeth, the object of his affections, is so turned off by his prideful ways that a touch of vanity enables him to change himself for her. Elizabeth, while observing the transformations of

#8220;Informative Essay Sample on Sigmund Freud#8221;

#8220;Informative Essay Sample on Sigmund Freud#8221; Sigmund Freud, a physiologist, medical doctor, psychologist and father of psychoanalysis, is generally recognized as one of the most influential and authoritative thinkers of the twentieth century. Freud’s most important and frequently re-iterated claim, that with psychoanalysis he had invented a new science of the mind, however, remains the subject of much critical debate and controversy. Sigmund Freud was born on May 6, 1856 in Freiberg, Moravia. His father was a wool merchant and his mother was a lively woman, who was twenty years younger than his father and also his second wife. Sigmund was his mother first child of seven and he had two older half brothers. At the age of four, his family moved to Vienna where he lived most of his life. Sigmund was a brilliant child and eventually went to medical school which was one of the more viable choices for a Jewish boy in Vienna. He became involved in research under the direction of a physiology professor Ernst Brucke. Brucke believed in reductionism: â€Å" No other forces that the common physical – chemical ones are active within the organism†. Freud would later spend many years on trying to â€Å"reduce† personality to neurology, something he would eventually give up. Freud was very successful with his research, especially neurophysiology, and invented a special cell staining technique. While he was successful with what he had accomplished, there were limited available positions available and Brucke helped him receive a grant to enable his to study with the great psychiatrist in Charcot in Paris and then late his rival Bernheim in Nancy. Both studied the use of hypnosis with hysterics. After spending a short time as a resident in neurology in Berlin, he returned home to his fiancee, Martha Bernays, and set up a small practice in neuropsychiatry with the help of Joseph Breuer. Freud’s books and lectures brought him both fame and criticism from the mainstream of the medical community. He drew a number of very bright supporters who became the core of the psychoanalytic movement. Freud’s biggest flaw although, was the inability to be able to accept criticism and was known for rejecting people that did not agree with him and most went on to find competing schools of thought. Freud immigrated to England just before World War II, as Vienna became increasing dangerous place for Jews, especially for ones as famous as Freud. September 23,1939, Freud died of cancer of the mouth and jaw that he had suffered from the last 20 years of his life. Sigmund Freud had numerous theories over the course of his career; the ones that I will be discussing are only a few. Freud did not create the idea of the conscious versus the conscious mind, however he was responsible for making it popular. The conscious mind in what you are aware of at any particular moment, your present perceptions, memories, thoughts, fantasies and feelings. The largest part, however, being the un-conscious. The unconscious includes things that are not easily available to awareness, including out drives or instincts and things that we cannot bear to look at, such as memories and emotions associated with trauma. According to Freud’s theories, the unconscious is the source of our motivations. The id, the ego and the superego are another well-known theory that plays off of the conscious and un-conscious mind. Freudian psychology begins with a world full of objects. Among them is a very special object, the organism. An extremely important part of the organism is the nervous system. At birth, the nervous system is a little more than of other animals, an â€Å"it† or id. The id, or the nervous system, translates the needs of the organism into motivational forces, or otherwise called the primary process. The id works in conjunction with the â€Å"pleasure principle†, which is the demand to take care of the immediate need. An example, a screaming newborn does not realize that it needs food; it only understands that it needs something now. The ego derives from the id, or the â€Å"it† to the â€Å"I† that takes place during the first year of one’s life. The ego relates the organism to reality by means of its unconscious, and searches for objects to satisfy the wishes that the id creates to represent the organism’s needs. This is called the secondary process. The ego, unlike the id, functions according to the reality principle, which says, â€Å"take care of a need as soon as an appropriate object is found.† The ego then struggles to keep the id, or the organism, happy. The ego keeps record of the obstacles, aids, rewards and punishments, and from there forms the superego. This theory is usually not complete until the age of seven, if ever. There are two aspects of the superego: conscious and ego ideal. The conscious is an internalization of punishments and warnings. The ego ideal derives from rewards and positive models presented to the child. The conscious and the superego communicate their requirements to the ego with feelings like pride, shame, and guilt. The id, ego and superego lead to the fact that, as if acquired, that a new set of needs and wishes are of social, not biological, at this time. Freud once said, â€Å"Life is not easy.† Anxiety is a familiar part of each day for many; anxiety is another aspect of the mind that Freud investigated. Anxiety sits at the center of powerful forces: reality: society, as represented by the superego; biology, as represented by the id. When conflicting demands are made upon the ego, the feeling is called anxiety. It serves as a signal to the ego that its survival as a whole is in jeopardy. There are three different types of anxiety: realistic, moral and neurotic. Realistic anxiety is considered fear. Moral anxiety is a feeling that comes from the outer world, although could be considered shame, guilt and the fear of punishment. Neurotic anxiety is the fear of being overwhelmed by the impulses of the id. This is the anxiety that intrigued Freud the most. Although there are many theories surrounding Freud that could be discussed, the last one, and the most controversial one that I’d like to discuss us the Oedipal crisis. The Oedipal crisis is named after the ancient Greek story of King Oedipus, who inadvertently killed his father and married his mother. The theory works in this manner: the fist love-object for humans is out mother. We want her affection, her caresses and her in a broadly sexual way. In earlier readings, I found that Freud defined â€Å"sexual† as not just intercourse, but all pleasurable sensations of the skin. In theory, the young boy has a rival for his mother’s charms: his father. His father is bigger, stronger, and smarter and gets to sleep in his mother’s bed. Dad is the enemy. At this point in his life, the by had recognized that that he differs from girls as there is a difference in hair length and clothing style. From his perspective there is one major difference, he has a penis and girls do not. This is the beginning of â€Å"castration anxiety† or a slight fear of loosing one’s penis. To return to the original issue, the boy recognizes the father’s superiority and engages in some of his ego defenses: he displaces his sexual impulses on from his mother to girls, lat er women, and identifies with the aggressor, his father. He attempts to be more like him, or more like a man. The boy will then enter adolescences and then the world of heterosexuality. Freud also believes that women experience the same. The only thing more common that blatant admiration for Freud is the equally blind hatred that people feel towards him. Out of the theories previously discussed, the Oedipal complex and the associated ideas behind castration anxiety and penis envy is the least favorite. It has been discovered that these rules mostly apply in world in which the families are dysfunctional and are not working in the means intended. These circumstances include parents unhappy with each other that may use their children against each other, or in instances in which girls are ridiculed or forced to think that there are not an equal to men. These symptoms may also be found in circumstances in which parents may threaten to â€Å"castrate† a boy for certain behaviors. Ultimately, these circumstances apply in dysfunctional situations. If the Oedipal complex was viewed in a metaphoric and not a literal fashion the concepts could be considered useful. Children love their parents. Children learn the standard s of a relationship through the images that parents portray in their relationships. Children also imitate the behaviors on the opposite-sex parent therefore playing back into the Oedipal complex. Freud’s emphasis on sexuality is another area that is highly criticized. When exploring Freud’s theories further, I was amazed at the emphasis on just the word â€Å"sex† alone. In further researching the meaning, I found that Freud defined â€Å"sexuality† as a sensation to the skin. This definition put the theories in perspective for me. Human beings crave sensations to the skin: a hug, a kiss, and a caress. These types of affections are non-verbal forms of love that humans need to survive. I think that another extremely important factor is the time period in which Freud presented his theories. His theories were based on the intense avoidance of sexuality, especially among the middle and upper classes, and especially among women. Society today, forgets that â€Å"sexuality† was something that was looked down upon. Women who felt sexual desires were automatically considered a prostitute, and a new bride would be taken by surprise on her wedding nig ht (or could faint at the thought). I strongly think that Freud helped to open a window of understanding regarding the topic of human sexuality. Freud was strong enough to step from the norm and voice his opinions regarding this highly controversial issue and helped to navigate the way the future would view sexuality. I think that it is admirable that he had a strong enough character to discuss a subject potentially this disastrous to himself and his career. Freud made people aware of the fact that human behavior was based on biology and rationale. Freud showed the impact that human behavior had on society when it was realized that each individual is responsible for his/ her own actions. Freud proved the importance of family dynamics in a time where society believed that God determined the roles of men and women. The id and the superego will be a part of modern psychology from here on out. The ego defenses are something that I feel is anther important part of Freud’s theories. Many criticize Freud’s idea of the â€Å"unconscious†, however it seems to be clear that people in general will manipulate reality and our memories to suit our own needs. There are several situations from my past that I know have manipulated to suit what my needs were during those transitions. I also strongly believe that we all have â€Å"ghosts in the closet† from past experiences, some that we are even unaware of. These are two specific situations that play into the theory of the â€Å"unconscious†. Finally, if not the most useful, is Freud’s creation of basic therapy. Most therapists today still adopt the â€Å" talking cure† and provide a relaxed, physical and social, atmosphere in which they treat their patients. I feel that this will be another theory that will stick to psychology now and for times to come. I think that many people tend to disregard all of Freud’s ideas because they do not agree with a few. I think that many of Freud’s ideas are tied to his times, although I think that there is a few that play an important role in today’s society and will continue to play a strong role in the times to come. Freud was excellent at research and was an excellent observer of human conditions. Freud is a name that you can find regarding psychology today and will be a part of psychology in the future.

Asylum Seekers

They are fleeing a situation where the Sri Lankan government is killing 1400 a week of the 300,000 detained in concentration camps. This is a horror that drives people to flee with nothing other than the clothes on their back, is what politicians and media have taken to calling a â€Å"push factor. There is absolutely nothing illegal about seeking asylum, about arriving without authorisation or papers, or about coming by unregistered boats as long as there is a legitimate reason states the United Nations. However the Australian Government still labels them illegal immigrants and places them in Detention Centres which in most cases results in the emotional and psychological damage to a refugee. In 2002, the Medical Journal of Australia described the extreme psychological and emotional damage done to people detained in immigration detention in Australia. The pattern they describe includes â€Å"the development of a psychological state characterised by severe depression, despair, hopelessness, paranoia, chronic rage, persecutory delusions, sub-syndromal psychosis, characterological change and persistent self harming behaviour†. In their sample, â€Å"all but one of the detained asylum seekers displayed symptoms of psychological distress at some time during their period of detention†. Eighty-five per cent had â€Å"chronic depressive symptoms† and sixty-five per cent had â€Å"pronounced ongoing suicidal ideation†. Refugees should not have to stay in conditions conducive to mental disorders and suicidal tendencies. If the Australian government wishes to fix the problem they should fix detention centres, make the facilities more humane and turn off the electric fence,( The electric fences around such centres are more harmful than that of Auschwitz concentration camp). The government should also provide faster processing of refugees so these people are not subjected to what is incarceration with committing a crime. In 2002 protesters tore down the fences of Woomera Detention Centre, assisting people inside to make a courageous and inspiring breakout. They would not hesitate to do it again. Asylum seeking is an issue that cuts right to the heart of everything that’s rotten and inhumane about capitalism – its racism, its hypocrisy, its brutality and its utter contempt for humanity. We should all stand firmly for the rights of asylum seekers. Asylum Seekers They are fleeing a situation where the Sri Lankan government is killing 1400 a week of the 300,000 detained in concentration camps. This is a horror that drives people to flee with nothing other than the clothes on their back, is what politicians and media have taken to calling a â€Å"push factor. There is absolutely nothing illegal about seeking asylum, about arriving without authorisation or papers, or about coming by unregistered boats as long as there is a legitimate reason states the United Nations. However the Australian Government still labels them illegal immigrants and places them in Detention Centres which in most cases results in the emotional and psychological damage to a refugee. In 2002, the Medical Journal of Australia described the extreme psychological and emotional damage done to people detained in immigration detention in Australia. The pattern they describe includes â€Å"the development of a psychological state characterised by severe depression, despair, hopelessness, paranoia, chronic rage, persecutory delusions, sub-syndromal psychosis, characterological change and persistent self harming behaviour†. In their sample, â€Å"all but one of the detained asylum seekers displayed symptoms of psychological distress at some time during their period of detention†. Eighty-five per cent had â€Å"chronic depressive symptoms† and sixty-five per cent had â€Å"pronounced ongoing suicidal ideation†. Refugees should not have to stay in conditions conducive to mental disorders and suicidal tendencies. If the Australian government wishes to fix the problem they should fix detention centres, make the facilities more humane and turn off the electric fence,( The electric fences around such centres are more harmful than that of Auschwitz concentration camp). The government should also provide faster processing of refugees so these people are not subjected to what is incarceration with committing a crime. In 2002 protesters tore down the fences of Woomera Detention Centre, assisting people inside to make a courageous and inspiring breakout. They would not hesitate to do it again. Asylum seeking is an issue that cuts right to the heart of everything that’s rotten and inhumane about capitalism – its racism, its hypocrisy, its brutality and its utter contempt for humanity. We should all stand firmly for the rights of asylum seekers.

The impact of foreign direct investment on economic growth of less Essay

The impact of foreign direct investment on economic growth of less developed countries - Essay Example However, in open economy investment is funded both through household savings and foreign capital flows, incorporating FDI. FDI facilitates investment-receiving (host) nations to attain investment levels ahead of their capability to save (Atique, Ahmad and Azhar, 2004, p. 1). The study aims to discuss about the underlying effect of foreign direct investment on economic growth of the less developed or the developing nations. The study seeks to analyze whether the inflow of foreign direct investment is really leading to economic growth and capital formation within the less developed countries. The topic â€Å"The impact of foreign direct investment on economic growth of less developed countries† seems to be interesting and relevant. Through this topic, the study seeks to find whether these inflows of foreign capital can be sustained within the less developed economies. Whether the transnational players in the international economy could contribute to the modernization of the economies of developing countries is also the point of concern in this study. Development Economics is a topic that studies the economics of the developing nations. It has made exceptional use of economic hypothesis, econometric methods, sociology, anthropology, political science, ecology and demography and has mushroomed into one of the liveliest parts of study in all the social sciences. It is reasonable to say that the model of economic growth initiated by Robert Solow in 1956 has had an elementary impact on development economics. An addition to the capital stock will have a larger effect on per-capita income. It implies that by means of controlling parameters (for example, savings rates and population growth rates), poorer nations will tend to develop faster and hence will come up to reach the levels of comfort enjoyed by their affluent counterparts (Ray, 2007, pp.

Starbucks Canada Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Starbucks Canada - Case Study Example There are several important criteria that should be taken into account while assessing various mobile payment options. To begin with, it is the compatibility with the devices that the company and the clients have. It has been mentioned before that a significant number of clients use iPhones, but they will be useless in case Starbucks Canada engages NFC technology. On the other hand, an introduction of the Bluetooth beacons it difficult as well since the company in question does not have them and will have to order them.The second criteria are the amount of money that introduction of technology will cost. For example, should Starbucks Canada rely on the software which was developed in house, it will require the minimum cost for upgrade of the equipment and this will not result in significant expenses? On the other hand, installation of BLE beacons will require the assistance of a professional who is paid $50 per hour. If one multiplies this amount of money by the number of stores that will have to be equipped with beacons, one will realize that it will result in significant expenditures.The cost training of the personnel should also be taken into account. While some options provide an outstanding experience for the customers (they will be able to pay for their coffee without even taking their smartphone out of their pocket), the same option might cause so difficulties for the employees of Starbucks. In order to be able to avoid them, they will have to be trained and this will require both time and money.

Different strategies Essay Example for Free

Different strategies Essay Using guidelines on viewing, interpreting, and evaluating visual imagery, examine a visual image for its meaning. Develop a written analysis and evaluation of the image. The image viewed is that of a building plan of the library. The image contains lines and boxes and labels of the different sections of the building. The image is presented as a whole and viewing it as separate sections would likely destroy the meaning of the image. The image also communicates to the viewer the whole structure of the building and one viewing it can identify his/her spatial location in the building. The image is able to tell the viewer that the building is large, has several entrances and exits, it also tells one the nearest comfort room, librarian’s desk and where a specific book, journal or material is located. Generally, the image is simple and straightforward and is able to communicate to the viewer important information about the library. Explore how different texts require different reading strategies. Select a novel chapter, a textbook chapter, a magazine article and a web page, and engage each text and take appropriate notes. Then, reflect on how the different texts call for similar and different strategies. Taking notes when reading a chapter from a novel is difficult to do, it’s that we have been trained to read a novel as a complete story, and the notes I had were incomplete and did not really tell me what the story is about, it was just a set of conversations I found interesting. Reading a textbook chapter is different because it contains a lot of information and the text is arranged to focus on one topic, hence my notes were many and upon reading it, it was actually a summary of the textbook chapter. A magazine article calls for light reading, and unless one is really looking for specific information, nothing is there for me to take notes. Most of the information in magazine articles is commonsense and opinionated and one is moved to argue against the article or agree with it. Reading a web page is similar to the magazine article, however, one notices that the message is incomplete or there are more articles related to it that taking notes is impossible but one web page leads to another. Reread one of your recent essays. How does the writing show that you thoroughly understood your subject, met the needs of your audience, and achieved your writing purpose? I believe that my essay was able to communicate that I had a good understanding of my topic because the thesis statement was focused and enabled the reader to identify the direction of the essay. Moreover, the essay provided a brief but information-rich discussion of the topic and its background. Then it proceeded to present my arguments and it was backed by existing information from reliable sources. I also was able to provide an alternative argument so that the reader would be given the opportunity to agree or disagree with my arguments. I then finished it with a short summary and conclusion and an invitation to the reader to engage in the same. Review the wording of a recent writing assignment. What are the key words, restrictions, and options? What does the description tell you about the purpose, audience, form, and assessment of the writing? What strategies from this chapter would you use to get started? A recent writing assignment I completed was the personal essay about the most influential person in my life. The key words for the assignment were influential person, inspiration and learning. Since it was a personal essay the only restrictions was that names should not be used, although one could identify the relationship of the person to the writer. The option given was that in the event that one could not identify a person, then it could be a personal experience. The writing assignment implied that it was going to be a personal essay that the use of first person is allowed and that it was casual and emotional and the purpose is to share with readers a very personal part of my life. I would be able to use the brainstorming exercise, as well as the dialogue writing and how to convey emotions in what we write.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Lines 928-994) :: Sir Gawain Green Knight Essays

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Lines 928-994) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a tale that was written in the fourteenth century. It is an intriguing tale including romance, magic, action, and betrayal. The story opens with a Christmas celebration in which King Arthur refuses to eat until he hears a knightly tale or receives a challenge. The Green Knight enters the scene, and King Arthur receives his challenge. The challenge is a strike for a strike, and the prize is the Green Knight's axe. Sir Gawain is the noble knight who accepts the challenge, so at the same time the following year, he must find the Green Knight and keep his word. Throughout the tale, there are a number of mystical references that foreshadow the ending of the poem. The mystical aura of the Green Knight is the first hint of magic in the poem, but there are also other events suggesting that there is more to this tale than meets the eye. After a year, Sir Gawain begins his quest for the Green Knight. It is not an easy task, and he runs into a number of obstacles on his way. As Christmas Day nears, Sir Gawain "fear[s] for his default" (Norton 750) and prays that he can just hear mass on Christmas day. Almost instantaneously, he stumbles upon "a castle as comely as a knight could own, on grounds fair and green" (767-768), where he is welcomed kindly. The reader is given the impression that this is a magical castle because of its description and the fact that it appears out of nowhere. Furthermore, everyone in the castle appears to know that Sir Gawain is a great Knight of the Round Table, and he is welcomed heartily. Through these insignificant details, the author arouses suspicions within the reader, subtly hinting that this is not a normal castle. Sir Gawain's prayers are answered in the passage beginning at line 928. It is Christmas Eve, and the chaplains are ringing the church bells as the humble knight attends mass with the lord of the castle.

Ethical Decisions in the Ford Pinto Case Essay

In 1972 the national highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) put a price on life – $200 725 (adjusted for inflation). The Ford Motor Company used this data along with other statistical studies to determine the cost benefit of improving the safety of the Ford Pinto compared to the cost of loss of life. It was determined that the cost of the suggested improvements outweighed their benefits. This essay aims to address whether cost-benefit analysis is a legitimate tool and what role, if any, it should play in moral deliberation, especially when placing a monetary value on a human life. It also questions what responsibilities Ford had to its customers and what moral rights were in operation, as well as whether it would have made a difference if Ford customers knew about the decision. Discussion Cost-Benefit Analysis, is a systematic process for calculating and comparing benefits and costs of a project for two purposes; firstly to determine if it is a sound investment (justification/feasibility and secondly, to see how it compares with alternate projects (ranking/priority assignment). It works by first defining the project and any alternatives; then identifying, measuring, and valuing the benefits and costs of each. (Benefit-cost analysis, 2007) The variables employed in Fords cost-benefit analysis were; the cost of making the safety changes to millions of vehicles, the statistics quoting quantity of deaths, injuries and vehicle damage , and lastly and most controversially, the total per fatality quoted by the NHTSA, being $200,275. The latter value is what is being questioned. What is the cost of a life? Can one even put a cost on a life? The Ford motor company factored the cost of life into the decision that safety improvements outweighed their benefits. Based on the above definition, however, cost benefit analysis was a legitimate tool, but for financial decisions only. If Ford had taken a utilitarian approach to the cost benefit analysis a better moral decision might have been made. Utilitarianism is the moral doctrine that we should always act to produce the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone affected by our actions (Shaw, 2009). The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few† – Spock It has also been defined as; firstly, the doctrine that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority, and secondly, the doctrine that an action is right insofar as it promotes happiness, and that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the guiding principle of conduct. (dictionary. com) Fords actions could be viewed as morally correct if argued that they benefited more people by offering cheap vehicle and increasing shareholders profits, than the few people that were killed or injured. But arguing that producing the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone affected by our actions(Shaw, 2009) Fords decision was morally wrong because the benefits and resulting happiness of people benefitting by their decision to sell precariously unsafe vehicles would pale in comparison to the unhappiness caused by a death. As was the case, many shareholders benefitted to the detriment of a few people. So the central question is; what is the value of a human life and can it be measured extrinsically as used in the analysis. Ford met their obligation to shareholders by focussing only on financial variables, but failed in its responsibility to customers in two ways; they neglected to factor in to their analysis the intrinsic value of human life and the impact to the many of their decisions, they also failed to inform customers of the nature of the defect which would most certainly have impacted consumer behaviour. The consumer’s right to life as well as their right to making informed decisions were undermined. If Ford had not neglected to inform their customers of the defect and thus allowed the customers to make informed decisions with regards to their products, the risk associated with the defect would have passed from Ford to the customer. Had the consumer been correctly informed, they would become responsible for any results stemming from the decision to purchase the vehicle, regardless of whether the cost savings had been passed on to them or not. Conclusion Cost-benefit analysis is a legitimate financial tool. As a tool for morality it is useful but flawed as a measure of assigning a value to human life and suffering. Ford had a responsibility to it customers to protect their interests or share information with them to protect their own (the consumers) interests, particularly the most important interest; their right to life. It would not have made a moral difference if Ford had passed the savings onto their consumers, as they would have encroached on their customer right to life and their right to make an informed decision.

Knowledge Management Essay

The purpose of this essay is to answer the questions from the â€Å"Tata Consultancy Services (India)† case study on pages 253-255 of Jashapara (2011) The discussion includes advice regarding a strategic alliance with Cisco. Two of the key elements of this case study which are discussed are describing the current weaknesses in Tata Consultancy Services with an approach to knowledge management and the improvements that are made to eliminate these weaknesses. In the discussion, strategic alliance is explained by definition and examples are provided as well to justify. The advice to knowledge management issues has been discussed. The planning and concepts are communicated and a detailed answer is written to discuss facts with the use of external sources and these have been referenced. Towards the end after all the points been considered, improvements with the linking to knowledge management have been advised. Contents Introduction3 Background3 Objectives3 Scope4 Strategic alliances with Cisco4 Current weaknesses in TATA services5 Improvement on the weaknesses6 Conclusion8 References9 Introduction Background Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, business solutions and outsourcing organization that delivers real results to global businesses, ensuring a level of certainty no other firm can match. Tata Consultancy Services is a leading global IT services, business solutions, and outsourcing company with offices in 35 countries and growing at over 30 percent in revenue terms for the last couple of years. One key challenge arising out of the rapid growth in people intensive business such as TCS has been ever-increasing demands on the IT infrastructure. (www.tcs.com) Cisco Systems is a large corporation that produces computer networking products and services. The Linksys brand of consumer networking products is also an owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems. (http://compnetworking.about.com) Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. It was decided by TCS that to expand their allegiances, they were to make a strategic alliance with Cisco without harming the long-term and short-term goals of each company. The aim of this essay is to provide a practical approach with clear guidance for TCS and decision makers in TCS. It shows how KM can enable an organization to respond effectively to the changing business background and achieve its strategic goals. Objectives The TCS-Cisco partnership has been active since 2003. This partnership focuses on go-to-market activities for a range of Cisco technologies, including the next generation datacenters (Cisco Unified Computing Systems), advanced networking, security and collaboration. It also focuses on  developing replicable go-to-market business solutions leveraging cutting-edge Cisco technologies like UCS, and TCS strengths in IT application services, IT infrastructure services and domain expertise in key industry verticals. (http://www.tcs.com) Scope Includes discussion of advice regarding a strategic alliance with Cisco Discussion includes explanation of strategic alliance and points are raised in relation to knowledge management. Continues to talk about the current weaknesses in Tata Consultancy Services approach to knowledge management. This section is helped by many examples from external resources. Finally solutions on how these weaknesses can be improved are been mentioned. Furthermore this section is supported by many examples and the examples have been referenced. Strategic alliances with Cisco Strategic alliance is an agreement for cooperation among two or more independent firms to work together toward common objectives. (http://www.businessdictionary.com) It is a preparation between two companies that have decided to share resources to undertake a specific, mutually beneficial project. A strategic alliance is less involved and less permanent than a joint venture, in which two companies typically pool resources to create a separate business entity. In a strategic alliance, each company maintains its autonomy while gaining a new opportunity. A strategic alliance could help a company develop a more effective process, expand into a new market or develop an advantage over a competitor, among other possibilities. (http://www.investopedia.com) Investopedia explains ‘Strategic Alliance’ For example, an oil and natural gas company might form a strategic alliance with a research laboratory to develop more commercially viable recovery processes. A clothing retailer might form a strategic alliance with a single clothing manufacturer to ensure consistent quality and sizing. A major website could form a strategic alliance with an analytics company to improve  its marketing efforts. (http://www.investopedia.com) Knowledge Management can make a significant difference between ongoing or successful ventures of any organization in a world of accelerating change. Knowledge Management provides the ability to connect and cooperate complex ideas efficiently and can be beneficial even to expand when using strategic alliances. To make Knowledge Management work in an organization it must be grounded in the realities of the business needs and drivers, and aligned to the delivery of organizational objectives, which this case TCS requires for the expansion of their organization. It should not be seen as an optional or marginal activity but as part of the organizational essential need, embedded in their business process, which is highly relevant in their solutions. Current weaknesses in TATA services Strategic alliance can cause major problems if not handled properly. As part of the start of the alliance, TCS have to incorporate Cisco’s Data Centre technologies, with TCS’ industry-leading IT services, business solutions and outsourcing. The practice will focus on helping customers develop next-generation virtualized data centers and achieve greater operational and energy efficiency. The companies will also explore new networking innovations to address the needs of large and small businesses for IT services. One of the main concerns was over the alignment of short term and long term goals of both organizations and the value of strategic alliance in the current downturn in global markets. Most staff will need training to adjust to the new systems. The two companies want to cooperatively come up with and supply information technology service solutions to clients that will help their businesses build next-generation data centers by taking advantage of the network as a platform. The two companies are spread out in a wide range of countries and due to this there are a lot of communication issues. Tata Consultancy plans to build a new technology practice focused on Cisco’s industry-leading data center networking and security solutions. The companies also announced the formation of a Cisco Technology Lab at the TCS campus in Chennai, India. These all add up to additional costs but have to be done to train staff into  the new systems Cisco and TCS have to develop solutions that meet the infrastructure and network requirements of global corporations. Both companies have to invest in skills development and training labs to provide an end-to-end solution to meet customer requirements. As part of the new practice, TCS will incorporate Cisco’s Data Centre 3.0 technologies, with TCS’ industry-leading IT services, business solutions and outsourcing. The practice will focus on helping customers develop next-generation virtualized data centers and achieve greater operational and energy efficiency. The companies will also explore new networking innovations to address the needs of large and small businesses for IT services. â€Å"Customers are demanding greater dynamism from their IT infrastructure and application environment to address current challenges and to capitalize on opportunities whenever and wherever they emerge,† said Mr. N Chandrasekaran, chief operating officer and executive director of TCS. â€Å"This strategic alliance will take advantage of Cisco’s industry-leading data center networking soluti ons and TCS’ global network delivery model to help our customers increase the efficiency and agility of their IT operations.† (http://blog.topitconsultant.com) Also some concerns were about improving operational efficiency and productivity, enable business agility, and improve enterprise knowledge. Improvement on the weaknesses The two organizations came up with a lot of strategies, that is plan of action that channels the two organization’s resources so that it can effectively differentiate itself from competitors, accomplish distinctive goals, and achieve higher performance. Managers develop strategies based on the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, and evaluation of opportunities and threats. The Managers primarily make decisions about the firm’s activities, and the development and allocation of resources devoted to these. The TCS-Cisco strategic alliance enables end-to-end IT infrastructure services, united with assurance services, and IT application services enabling seamless system integration of Cisco products. Cisco and TCS plan  to develop go-to-market solutions that meet the infrastructure and network requirements of global corporations. Both companies will invest in skills development and training labs to provide an end-to-end solution to meet customer requirements. Cisco has recognized the low-cost advantage of operating in India as well as high pool technology talent and expertise. Tata consultancy services already provide IT consultancy services to a large amount of countries. The company offers some of the most complex applications and next generation IT infrastructures in the world. Tata consultancy services’ in-depth knowledge of different business domains combined with its technological skills makes it a a very competent organization. One major improvement is that they use various strategies to improve knowledge management they use three main strategies or as they call it â€Å"the three pillars of knowledge management†, which are people, process and technology. In terms of people one of the key values is learning and sharing. The company has introduced three initiatives to promote a greater learning culture. First is the proactive employee engagement program which allows senior managers to have face to face meetings with employees across various functions and grades. The other initiative has promoted a share care grow culture and and encouraged individuals to advance their own ideas and resolve ideas at local level. Finally the last initiative was professional excellence role enhancement ownership culture personal growth employee and learning. Tata consultancy services has another training hub in addition to others as well to further train new recruits in different aspects of software engineering, quality systems and different technologies which is a major improvement. The training included soft-skills development such as leadership and teamwork. The trainers were drawn from different parts of the business with significant subject expertise and experience. Tata consultancy services have also made training centers overseas in line with its global expansion. Also Tata consultancy services have developed a number of ICT interventions to increase knowledge sharing. Some of the main improvements to help with the strategic alliance are to advance knowledge, learning, and skills development. Conclusion The purpose of this essay was to answer the questions from the â€Å"Tata Consultancy Services (India)† case study. The essay started by mentioning a short description of the history of the two companies. The discussion included advice regarding a strategic alliance with Cisco. Two of the key elements of this case study which were discussed. The current weaknesses in Tata Consultancy Services with an approach to knowledge management and the improvements that are made to eliminate these weaknesses have been mentioned In the discussion, strategic alliance was explained by definition and examples provided as well to justify. The advice to knowledge management issues has been discussed. The planning and concepts are communicated and a detailed answer is written to discuss facts with the use of external sources and these have been referenced. Towards the end after all the points been considered, improvements with the linking to knowledge management have been advised. As per the objectives of this essay, the current weaknesses in Tata Consultancy Services with an approach to knowledge management and the improvements that are made to eliminate these weaknesses are discussed. References . 2013. . [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.tcs.com/resources/Pages/filterResults.aspx?topic=Services_Consulting&type=Case%20Study. [Accessed 16 April 2013]. Cisco Systems – About Cisco Systems Networking. 2013. Cisco Systems – About Cisco Systems Networking. [ONLINE] Available at:http://compnetworking.about.com/od/cisconetworking/p/cisco-systems.htm. [Accessed 16 April 2013]. IT Consultants’ Blog at TopITconsultant.com . 2013. IT Consultants’ Blog at TopITconsultant.com . [ONLINE] Available at:http://blog.topitconsultant.com/category/TATA-Consultancy-Services.aspx. [Accessed 09 May 2013]. Mohammad Masrurul, M 2012, ‘An Overview of Strategic Alliance: Competitive Advantages in Alliance Constellations’, Advances In Management, 5, 12, pp. 22-31, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 9

Understanding Communities and Ecosystems

Understanding Communities and Ecosystems Biologists have a system for not only distinguishing the animals, plants, and environments (habitats, communities) that make up the natural world but also for describing the complex interactions and relationships between them. The classification is hierarchical: Individuals belong to populations, which together form species, which exist within communities, which in turn thrive within specific ecosystems. Energy flows from one organism to another through these relationships, and the presence of one population influences the environment of another population. All in the Family A community is defined biologically as a set of interacting populations. It is often used to describe the dominant species within a certain area, say, the community of salamanders that lives along the banks of a mountain stream. A community is also the physical environment in which those salamanders thrive- commonly known as a habitat- in this case, a riparian community. Additional examples would be a desert community, a pond community, or a deciduous forest community. Just as organisms have specific properties that make them unique, such as size, weight, age, sex, and so forth, so too do communities. When conducting their studies, biologists and other scientists make note of the following characteristics: Diversity, or the number of species in the community. A community can also be described as being either densely or sparsely populated as a whole.Relative abundance, which refers to the abundance- or lack thereof- of a species within a community with respect to the abundance of all the other species living in that community.Stability, or how much a community changes or remains static over time. These changes can occur because of internal or external factors, or a combination of both. The members of the community can remain stable and thrive in spite of the changes impacting their environment, or they can be ultra-sensitive to even the slightest changes. Community Relations The relationships between populations in a community are varied and may include both positive, negative, and mutually beneficial interactions. Examples of community-level relationships include competition (for food, nesting habitat, or environmental resources), parasitism (organisms that survive by feeding off a host organism), and herbivory (species who depend upon consuming local plant life to survive). These relationships often lead to changes in the genetic makeup of the population. For example, one or another genotype may be more successful due to certain community processes. The System as a Whole An ecosystem can be defined as all the interacting components of the physical and biological world. Thus, an ecosystem can encompass multiple communities. Keep in mind that drawing a line around a community or an ecosystem is not a clear matter either. Communities blend together, and there are gradients throughout nature, from one habitat to another- for instance, the oases that exist within desert environments, or the forests that line ocean shorelines in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and Scandinavia. We can at best use the concepts of communities and ecosystems to organize our study and understanding of the natural world but are far from being able to assign exact boundaries to these concepts.

The Effects of Disasters on Turkeys Economic Development Term Paper

The Effects of Disasters on Turkeys Economic Development - Term Paper Example The country has an approximate population of 63million people, which is largely young and expanding. It is the largest in terms of landmass in the entire Western Europe region with its economy ranked as one of the largest emerging in the world at number sixteen. The World Bank recently rated the country’s economy among the ten promising ones that may join the top economies category of the world (World Bank 27). The country follows a liberal economic policy based on free market and international orientation principled and has maintained an average economic growth of more than 5% over the last two decades. The various sectors of the economy include industry, which is highly developed and the top driver of the economy with world –wide standards of production. It has several subsectors that include; iron and steel, glass and cement manufacture, sugar production, electronics and defence, agriculture machinery and inputs and textiles processing. The agriculture sector is also a leading foreign exchange earner besides making the country food reliant. It approximately accounts for up to 20% of the country’s GNP besides being one of the leading employers especially for the rural society. It was one of the hardest hit by the 1999 earthquakes leading to sharp decline in its contribution to the GDP, losing to the industrial sector.

Slavery by Another Name Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Slavery by Another Name - Essay Example He uses real letters, and photos to pass the message to viewers of the film. It is evident that the film bases its topics on scholarly heritage, long-term experiences, and contributions of African. The documentary highlights that slavery was effectively considered only after the World War 2. The documentary also depicts themes such as forced labor that can be used by tutors’ in teaching students in the class. Slavery by Another Name is better since forced labor is a common topic practiced in the contemporary society; hence, still significant as subject to teach students (DeFore, 2012). The film is better than others to be added in the course since it has a unique and exceptional topic that analyses the historical events in America. It talks about new findings in American history since an individual has to involve in a thorough research to generate the topic. It is a summary and critique of the events that occurred amid the emancipation period and the end of the World War 2; therefore, making the documentary an outstanding one. Students learn that constitutions are not perfect, and some have mistakes since they are written by a human being. For example, the 13th Amendment of the constitution did not fully eliminate slavery; it had a clause that read ‘except as a punishment for a crime’ that gave room for the whites to arrest the blacks for petty mistakes made. Africans who escaped being arrested faced the wrath of paying debts (DeFore, 2012). Learners learn that racism is a negative factor in society and should not be practiced. Students learn that racism was the core reason for slavery. This knowledge will make them avoid practicing bigotry and advocate against it in the community.