Poetry appreciation of Death of a naturalist Essay

Poetry appreciation of Death of a naturalist This poem ‘Death of a Naturalist’ by Seamus Heaney is about the lifecycle of frogs and a child’s interest in nature. As the child grows up he looses interest in all aspects of nature. It is as if ‘Death of a Naturalist’ was referring to the loss of innocence of the child and the love of nature he once had died inside him. Not only that, he now has respect for nature but not necessarily disliking it; nor loving it either. The atmosphere of the first stanza is quite positive. A phrase such as ‘There were dragon-flies, spotted butterflies,’ suggests a happy mood and refers to pleasant memories to Heaney as a child. Diction such as the ‘warm thick slobber’ indicates to me the†¦show more content†¦This is because they are no longer ‘jellied/specks’ but ‘angry frogs’ seeking ‘vengeance’. Perhaps he is portraying them to be evil and gruesome creatures because he has a guilty conscious; and has developed slight paranoia in thinking this. It is the guilt that attacks him after taking the frogspawn not the frogs. This is the reason he describes the frogs to be ugly and threatening. We know that this experience has caused the ‘death’ of a naturalist when he says ‘I sickened, turned, and ran.’ Throughout the poem Heaney makes excellent use of various imagery techniques such as metaphors and similes. An example of a powerful metaphor is ‘Wove a strong gauze of sound’. This is effective because ‘gauze’ is something we consider as being solid and in this case hits you hard. By referring to the sound to a ‘gauze’ it is as if we can’t get away from the sound, it surrounds you. Which I think is quite fitting for a bluebottle. Another thing is that Heaney makes use of many onomatopoeic words, which makes his style so unique. I think this poem concentrates on the sounds more than any other of the senses. For example thick ‘slobber’ and ‘ coarse croaking’ which is also an example of alliteration. Also I would like to comment on the use of oxymoron. The title ‘Death of a Naturalist’ is one example and ‘gargled delicately’ another. ‘gargled delicately’ being my favouriteShow MoreRelatedIntroduction to Rizal Course11998 Words   |  48 PagesBracken, he had a son by her but this baby boy died a few hours after birth. Rizal named hi â€Å"Franciscoâ€Å"after his father and buried him in Dapitan. 8. Concepcion Mercado Y Alonzo (Concha) born in 1862; she died of sickness at the age of 3 ; her death was Rizal’s first sorrow in life. 9. Josefa Mercado Y Alonzo (Panggoy) was an epileptic born in 1865 but with a strong personality who died as a spinster at the age of 80. 10. Trinidad Mercado Y Alonzo (Trining) was the one who inheritedRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Harold Pinter s The Room 9709 Words   |  39 Pagesgoing to subscribe to keeping it going. I said no†1(quoted in Esslin, Pinter The Playwright 3). In 1948 he was accepted at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and he received an LCC grant. Two years later, in August 1950, he published his first poems in Poetry London, No. 19. The following year, Pinter recommenced his training as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama. That very year, he joined the Anew McMaster s famous Irish staging company, well-known for its performances of Shakespeare

The Egyptian Of Ancient Egypt - 2700 Words

Ancient Egypt was a civilization that was far beyond its time. The intelligence of the Egyptian people made it possible for them to effectively utilize and make advancements in many different fields of practice. Their use of mathematics, medicine and astronomy gave them the ability make great advancements that are still seen today. The people of ancient Egypt had a great understanding of mathematics. The ancient Egyptians used their knowledge of mathematics and geometry in order to build the great pyramids that they are known for. They were also able to construct buildings in correlation to the stars because of their understanding of the mathematics involved. Secondly, Ancient Egypt’s understanding of science made it possible for them†¦show more content†¦For example, by observing when a great river would flood every year they were able to identify the summer solstice, the period when earth in most inclined to the sun. The Egyptians also constructed buildings, temple s and pyramids in correlation to the stars. Now I will go in depth into each of those different aspects of the ancient Egyptian civilization. To start with I will first go into the understanding of mathematics that the ancient Egyptians possessed. The Egyptians used a numerical system that was based on whole numbers and fractions (Rossi). The most common of the fractions that they used was one with the number one as the numerator and any other number as the denominator (Rossi). This was the case except for the fraction two thirds. According to â€Å"Architecture and mathematics in ancient Egypt†, Egyptians â€Å"preferred to have short combinations of fractions with even and small numbers†. They also understood the use of multiplication, they performed this by doubling the initial number for multiplication and halving it when it came to division. According to â€Å"Architecture and mathematics in ancient Egypt,† â€Å"they used the way in which any whole number can be expressed by means of the sum of its terms†. For example, if you were wanting to calculate what seventeen multiplied by thirteen was then first you would have doubled the multiplier until it reached the multiplicand of thirteen. In greater detail one would start with the

A Study on Consumer Perception on Nokia Free Essays

A study on consumer perception on nokia phone in Kanyakumari district Introduction:- Nokia phone is the biggest brand company industry globally. it is most chepaest which gave more Features. Nokia provide the cheapest rates according to other competitors and well known for the lowest price all over the price. We will write a custom essay sample on A Study on Consumer Perception on Nokia or any similar topic only for you Order Now People are ready to pay extra but want the good back from the usage of the mobile and want that and expact for the long time time usage from the mobile. The biggest benefit of the nokia mobile phones are that they are good in resold price ,a less loss can be expected as to others mobile phones. the nokia was awarded and continously on the first price for the best mobile from the last 5 years. The first camera on the mobile was invented by the nokia mobiles phones ever in the market and it blust all the market and taken the place ,which put the others in a big trouble for not seling there mobiles phones. The nokia was the changing its features day by the as the first camera and the tourch light music nd radio in it . Most of the time now mobiles phones are using as for the business purposes. The camera was best in the battery timings and still known well for the battery timings its battery works more then the one day and the lower class always appriciate the nokia for the best battery providing in the mobiles phones with the lowest price. Acheivements of nokia:- The achevements of nokia is that they are trying to provide the best mobiles prices and well satisfaction to there user . the nokia always focuses on the goals how to improve to get the attention of there there user who appriciate the nokia and day by day there for they bringign the changes in the mobiles phones due to the greediness of the smart phones the nokia has lost its importance in the market becouse it does not follow the same conidion as the other. Nokia market:- The nokia is now getting the weak in the market but still only the low class people use this mobile phone as they can afford and its too strong in even physically as well . the first mobile was 3310 which made the huge market of the this set and then after like 1112,1110 and so on. The blast in market was also when the nokia introduce the n71 ,n91 n8 and many others like this becouse the memory card and built in memory was introduce by the nokia mobile phones The nokia starting inventions:- The nokia mobiles phones were the biggest phones becouse there there size was too large and the customers feel ord to use this phones as of the size is the big but later when it convert and change it into the small and like the mobiles they 3310 then people appricaite it. Now the mobile charger are also available in the market in as they are called as usb charger it is easy to use even the car while travelling you can use it for the cahrging and now more comfortable is that thses chargers are also availble in the sort of bluetooth. How to cite A Study on Consumer Perception on Nokia, Essay examples

Plutarchs Pompey and Sulla free essay sample

A comparison between Pompey and Sulla, as depicted in biographies of Plutarch. The paper uses the biographies of Plutarch to draw a comparison between the lives of Caesars early ally and later enemy, Pompey, and that of the military tactician and politician, Sulla. The paper reflects on the Roman Republic: its ideology, values and its moral implications for today. `Plutarch often called the ancient father of modern biography. Through biographies of famous individuals he was able to reveal much of the character of great men and also much about of the political values of the times during which his subjects lived. His life of Caesars early ally and later enemy Pompey is instructive to compare with that of the military tactician and politician Sylla (also known as Sulla). Comparisons of different lives were one of the biographical techniques Plutarch made frequent use of. He did not do so with these particular individuals. We will write a custom essay sample on Plutarchs Pompey and Sulla or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However, a comparison of the lives of these two Romans, as rendered by Plutarch, is still instructive because of the contemporary historical existences of these two very different individuals. The Roman Republic was undergoing considerable political flux during this time, but through this analysis the continuing stress upon moral values even during these times becomes evident.`

A rough Man essays

A rough Man essays Rough, vigorous, hot-tempered and rich is what Mark Twain grew up to be. Born 1835 in Missouri, Florida he always did what he needed to in order for him to reach his goal. Even though he dropped out of school at the age of twelve, when his father died, he accomplished numerous things. Mark began writing when he took the job of a journalist. The tale 'The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County' was his first success. After a trip by boat to Palestine, he wrote The Innocents Abroad. As his writing career blossomed, he also became successful as a lecturer. In 1870 got married, and a few years later he and his wife settled in Hartford, Connecticut. Huckleberry Finn is Twain's masterpiece, for its use of the brilliant character and descriptions, showing the humor of man's cruelty to man. He also wrote The Gilded Age, 1873, Old Times on the Mississippi, 1875, The Prince and the Pauper, 1882, Life on the Mississippi, 1883, Pudd'n-head Wilson, 1894, and Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, 1896. His later works, such as The Mysterious Stranger, unpublished until 1916, are not as amusing and more discouraging. He is known as one of America's finest and most characteristic writers. 1872 is the year when Roughing It was written. This book was just a personal narrative and not a history to show-off, nor a thoughtful commentary. It's a record of several years of exciting migration, and it's intention to help the reader rather than to hurt him with truth, or fill him with science. In this book there is lots of information about episodes that happened in the Wild West. There is stories in this book that have never been told and only been seen in the writers own eyes. There is a great deal of information in this book and the writer himself says this book can not be helped, but Twain was never exactly worried about giving his books an artistic framework. The information that he wrote came out of him naturally. He felt this urge to wr...

Cheaska essays

Cheaska essays New England and Virginia were both settled by people of English decent. Both areas were settled at around the same period of time. However, the two developed into very different societies. The main explanation for this is the bases upon which each area was founded. The Puritans were a hard working, god-fearing people. After many years of religious prosecution in their homeland of England they sought out refuge in the neighboring country of Holland. After living in Amsterdam for a year, the group moved to the town of Leyden. For the next twelve years the Puritans built the reputation of being honest and hard working. However, life was very hard in Holland. Many families did not have enough money to make ends meet. The group resolved that they would lead a better life in America. The trip to America was a hard one, however, it brought the group closer together. On November 11, 1620 the Puritans anchored in Cape Cod Harbor. The Puritans worked extremely hard to set up a community in which they could worship their god and raise their families. Because many families had an extraordinary amount of children (Document B), it was important for them to set up a good foundation of togetherness in which the children could grow up. Each man did not work for the better of himself but for the better of the community as a whole. ...being by Gods providence engaged together to make a plantation (Document D). This was needed in the initial building of houses, churches, and other structures that were crucial to their survival. [Yet] we must be knit together and work as one man...We must delight in each other, make others conditions are own...always having before our eyes commission and community in the work...(Document A). However, the people who started the colonies of Virginia did not have the same outlook on life. The Virginia Company, which funded the early settlements of Virginia, emph...

Critical evaluation of abortion as a social problem in the society Research Paper

Critical evaluation of abortion as a social problem in the society - Research Paper Example In such an occurrence, it becomes extremely necessary to conduct therapeutic abortion, which is prescribed by a health professional so as to save the mother. On the other hand, abortion can be induced willingly by a healthy mother so as to relieve herself from the responsibility of bearing and rearing the child, in which case it is referred to as elective abortion (Baumgardner, 2008). This paper is a critical evaluation of abortion as a social problem in the society, providing viable solutions to the menace. Abortion Abortion as discussed herein is a social problem, which has continued to remain a contentious topic of discussion internationally. This is due to the fact that different societies around the world engage in this debate from two perspectives. There are those who support it and those who feel that it should be illegalized on the basis of ethical and moral perspectives. However, several countries around the world such as the US, UK and some parts of Australia among others, have gone to the extent of legalizing abortion by enshrining it in their constitutions, while some such as Vatican city, El Salvador, Nicaragua, brazil, Mexico among others have made it illegal to have abortion irrespective of the prevailing circumstances (Beckwith, 2006). In general, at least 54 countries around the world permit abortion although some apply restrictions to avoid carelessness and irresponsibility. However, it is ironical to note that the rate of abortion in places where it is illegal matches that of places where it has been legalized (Beckwith, 2006). This is to imply that despite the efforts by these authorities to curb the menace, willing patients can acquire the services of clinics, which operate without their knowledge. According to research, approximately 45 million abortions are conducted on yearly basis. However, 50% of these are done under illegal and unsafe conditions contributing to a significantly high number of deaths, approximately 75000, and more than 3 million disabilities per year (Rosenbaun, 2005). This is a worrying trend based on the fact that, if the mortality rate emanating from abortion remains constant for 10 years, it means that more than 750000 persons would lose their lives while more than 30 million others would become disabled. Therefore, it is important to face the facts as they are and find viable solutions to this problem. The church for example has continued to uphold its moral standing, claiming that life begins at conception and therefore, harming a fetus is equivalent to murder (Beckwith, 2006). On the other hand, it remains adamant on the need to use natural methods of birth control. This may be the reason why abortion is illegal in places such as Vatican City, where the Catholic Church is most influential. However, they fail to realize that this only puts the citizens at a higher risk of performing unsafe abortions based on the fact that cartels operating illegal clinics will always establish themselves wit hout the knowledge of the authorities. Statistics indicate that at least 40% of women around the world can have access to these services, which are acquired in at most secrecy and discretion (Heary, 2009). The result is that the authorities will not have the capacity to protect these women since there is no way they can check on the qualifications of the personnel in this business as well as supervise the conditions through which abortion in these facilities is carried out. In order to find a better solution to the problem, it is important to highlight the various reasons why a woman may opt to have an abortion. To begin with, immorality in the society has continued to grow, with cases of rape, prostitution, adultery, incest and

International Commercial Arbitration and Privity of Contract Essay

International Commercial Arbitration and Privity of Contract - Essay Example What is international commercial arbitration? International commercial arbitration is a way in which parties can use an alternative method of dispute resolution on an international level. International law however does not clearly and concisely define what it is in reality. Alternatively, the UNCITRAL contains a Model Law which governs and defines more clearly international commercial arbitration as â€Å"any arbitration whether or not administered by a permanent arbitral institution†.1 David also provides a definition which states that ICA is a tool by which parties can settle a question by decisions of third parties â€Å"who derive their powers from a private agreement, not from the authorities of a State, and who are to decide the case on the basis of such an agreement†.2 Indeed, arbitration clauses are often specifically contained in contracts, which are specified as binding on the parties outside of court: ICA is binding privately according to the agreement of the parties.3 The purpose of the UNCITRAL Model Law is to aid states in reforming and brining up to date their national laws and regulations on the process of arbitration and it was adopted and implemented globally some 26 years ago.4 The Model Law is comprehensive and applies to all signatory states in many areas of ICA, including the recognition and enforcement of orders and awards, though states are not obliged to directly apply the law in their domain. Such countries prefer to use the Model Law as a framework which they adapt to coincide with their own national laws, economic systems, and public policy norms. Privity of Contract in International Commercial Arbitration Privity of contract requires that all parties to an agreement must voluntarily commit to the agreement for it to be enforceable; this is otherwise termed as mutual consent. In an ICA context, it can thus be applied to state that the parties to a contractual arbitration clause must voluntarily agree to the content of t he clause before it can be deemed binding upon the parties. Essentially, it is stated that arbitration without privity is not enforceable; particularly if â€Å"coercion, fraud,...[and]... lack of identity of the parties† is evident.5 Privity of contract thus aims to provide an equal playing field for both parties who come from different counties, as it allows them to rely on arbitration clauses in order â€Å"to be free of national procedural and substantive law†.6 ICA thus allows disputes which may arise between parties to become subject to regulations which are on a different level to the national laws of the parties so that claims concerning international privity of contract may be avoided. By agreeing on an alternative method of arbitration, both parties are able to be defined as autonomously agreeing to settle their disputes in a value-free manner. However, this again is differently viewed in practice, as many express concern in relation to privity of contract be cause parties to a contract may not be said to be parties to the international regulations on ICA. This claim is further aggravated by the fact that the UNCITRAL in particular is often altered or adjusted to fit in with national law, and its content is thus

Strategic Issues For Information Security Managers Essay

Strategic Issues For Information Security Managers - Essay Example As on can see, there are various physical elements that go into information security. Information systems play a large role in this. Firewalls are common, as they protect PCs and laptops from viruses on the Internet. Virtual walls are important in order to streamline information and make it suitable for company use. Information systems are one of the key driving forces in information security. Without security there could be no systems. Most prevalent nowadays is the necessity of information security professionals to be on top of problems which deal with breaches of security. Perhaps heard about more recently was the hacker named HackerKroll, an individual who hacked into various corporate accounts at social networking site Twitter. This hacker found a pattern in Twitter's system, also related to Google accounts and Amazon.com accounts, that had an effect on how the system was operated. Passwords for these organizations, as well as Facebook chat, was regarded as unsafe after this uni dentified individual user HackerKroll revealed certain insecurities in not only Twitter's system but other systems as well. The TechCrunch web site displayed a letter written by HackerKroll which went into quite a bit of detail about the information security breaches at Twitter, now known as Twittergate. The reason this problem caused such a stir was because senior advisers at Twitter had had their Twitter accounts hacked, and this also led to a vulnerability in advisers' e-mail accounts as well. This undoubtedly angered many head honchos at Twitter and caused a scandal. The fact that TechCrunch allowed HackerKroll's open letter to be published on its site was widely criticized. "Why would TechCrunch openly give other potential hackers, a.k.a., the public at large, any potential opportunities to hack the system by letting HackerKroll's salient information be released" Technically, one wonders why indeed TechCrunch would have released such a document. Surely, one must think, this is a folly. Why would one hacker's comments about the very system he hacked be allowed to be publicized on the very web site that is supposed to be joined to Twitter at the hip One potential reason that TechCrunch allowed HackerKroll's letter to be displayed on its web site perhaps had something to do with the reason that perhaps releasing this information would somehow trick other hackers into following similar steps that HackerKroll did, thus revealing weaknesses in the system. Inversely, this could also affect potential hackers. If new hackers tried HackerKroll's old tricks, perhaps TechCrunch was phishing for hackers, practically inviting hackers to try what HackerKroll had done-precisely so that Twitter could find and prosecute anyone who had ideas about performing similar actions.

Application Of Activity Theory Implemented In Information Systems Psychology Essay

Application Of Activity Theory Implemented In Information Systems Psychology Essay Activity theory is a theory of understanding the unobservable mental processes of the human, and their response and perception to a stimulus. Philosophers have established many definitions and explanation of activity theory, however it can be most clearly defined as: Activity theory theorizes that when individuals engage and interact with their environment, production of tools results. These tools are exteriorized forms of mental processes, and as these mental processes are manifested in tools, they become more readily accessible and communicable to other people, thereafter becoming useful for social interaction (Kim 2010 p:1). The activity theory has been made well known especially in the field on psychology by the likes of Leontev, Vygotsky, Luria (1977) and recently Engestrom (1999). Its main use it that of an explanatory nature in multiple disciplines, to enable us to gain a clear understanding of they way systems work and how change may occur. In this study we will introduce the origin of the activity theory, its framework and constructs, and identify its use. Furthermore we will analyse the activity theory from a philosophical, ontological and epistemological perspective. To analyse the application of the activity theory, we look at three examples from which we will draw out the theoretical framework. History of the activity theory The origin of the Activity Theory lies within the work of Russian psychologist, Lev Vygotsky (1896 1934). Vygotsky spent his time discovering the relationship between words and consciousness, and studied human mental development (Vygosky, 1986). In the 1920s, Lev Vygotsky worked on a way to develop a psychological theory based on Marxist philosophy and thinking (OLeary, 2010). During the 1920s and 30s, Vygotsky worked alongside two other psychologists, Alexander Romanvich Luria (1902 1977) and Aleksei Nickolaev Leontev (1903 1979), together they formed the Troika (Radzikhovkii Khomskaya, 1981). The work of these three psychologists were developed and carried out at the Institute of Experimental Psychology and the Krupslcaya Academy of communist Education (Radzikhovkii Khomskaya, 1981). Luria was one of Vygotskys students and worked on this project with Vygotsky. After working with Vygotsky on this theory, Leontev went on to extend Vygotskys work develop a more practical structure of the Activity Theory, which only became well known in the 1990s once it was translated form Russian into English (Levy, 2008). As mentioned above, the Activity Theory was developed by the philosophers, namely; Vygotsky, Luria and Leontev (Engestrom, 1999). Three general themes are present throughout the research done on the Activity Theory by the three Philosophers: The use of genetic or developmental method. The claim that higher mental functioning in the individual emerges out of social processes. The claim that human social and psychological processes are fundamentally shaped by cultural tools or mediation means. (Vygotsky, 1978). Figure 1 below shows the basic structure of the Activity Theory developed by Vygotsky. Tool Subject Object Figure 1: The basic schematic of mediated Activity as developed by Vygotsky (1978, 1987 p:201). General overview of the activity theory Although the Activity theory originates from the three Russian psychologists, a key set of structures were developed in the late 1970s by Engestrom (1970), which was used to explain the Activity Theory in a more clear and informative manner. This frame work was developed and used over multiple disciplines. The following quote by various philosophers provide a brief explanation of the Activity Theory; According to Hasan and Crawford (2003 p:155), Activity theory is based on the idea that human activity is a dialectic relationship subject (person) and object (person). This means that the relationship is not harmonious and that human perform actions with a predetermined outcome in mind. These actions however are influence d by tools, words, or cultural signs (Hasan and Crawford, 2003). Engestrom (1989 p:30) philosophically describe Activity Theory as a system of collaborative human practices and sees it as a generator of a constantly and continuously emerging context. Morten et al (2002 p:158) specified that the individuals interaction with other humans and their surroundings leads to thoughts and perceptions. Thus, Morten derived two types of activities (Levy 2008); Goal directed activities: the action occurs due to the goal that was set. Goal derived activities: an action occurs before goals are set. Shchedrovitsky (1995) on the other hand noted two approaches in his study of the Activity Theory; Formulation of the activity: This means that the individual carries out a set task or activity. Activity as an attribute of individuals: where the subject is the cause of the activity. When comparing Morten and Shchedrovitskys approaches we can see that they are alike, Mortens goal directed activities and Shchedrovitskys formulation of activities are alike as individuals do not have control over the activity to be performed. The goal derived activity and activity as an attribute is the same as the individual makes the decision of what and how the activity will be carried out. Theoretical constructs of the activity theory After Leontev expanded on Vygotskys theory, a modern philosopher, Engestrom developed a general theoretical construct in 1987 for the Activity theory; there are various other structures that were developed to explain Activity Theory which will be discussed below. Engestroms Structure of Activity According Yrjo Engestrom (1987) the activity theory is composed of 8 elements that interact with each other to achieve a specific goal. Activity and Tasks: an activity is an action that performed on an object to achieve an outcome or a goal. This activity may contain numerous steps or task that may or may not lead to achievement of the ultimate goal (Barthelmess and Anderson, 2003). Subject: subjects refer to the person that carries out the activity. The subject may play a specific role in completing a task, but is ultimately part of a group or team doing an activity. Object: the object is that which becomes transformed in the process of the activity and is motivated by a goal (OLeary, 2010). Outcome: the outcome is what happens after a task or activity is completed, it may or not obtain the object or goal (OLeary, 2010). Community: the community is composed of all the people or subjects and objects involved in the activity being performed (OLeary, 2010). Tools: tolls refer to physical and mental tools. They determine the way people interact with reality. They may limit peoples reactions or help them by enabling them to do things they previously could not (OLeary, 2010). Rules are guidelines, conventions, codes etc. that are usually set up by the organisation for a specific activity (OLeary, 2010). Division of labour: includes the hierarchical structure in the organisation and how activities are broken down into tasks and divided among members of the organisation (OLeary, 2010). The Activity Theory framework can be diagrammatically summarised as follows: Figure 2: The structure of an activity. Source: Engestrom, 1987 p:342. Drawing conclusions form the above framework, it is evident that a pattern occurs in the analogy of the Activity Theory of most philosophers. The Activity Theory can thus be explained as an explanatory theory that enables us to understand, identify and acknowledge strengths and weaknesses in a system. With the use of Activity Theory, a subject performs an activity on an object to reach an outcome. The activity in influenced by a tool(s) and the outcome driven by a goal. However, there are rules that govern how these tasks and activities are performed, and how tasks are divided among participants. These participants for the community of the activity, it includes everyone that was directly involved in the activity. Bendy et al. Units of Analysis The activity theory is based on cognitive of perceptive actions and the analysis there of (Bendy et al 2000). In general, the activity theory is composed of 5 units of analysis: Activity Task Action Operation Function Block Activity and tasks are objects of study as they are composed of assorted units with complex internal structures that represent particular kinds of activities focused to achieve terminal goals. Actions, operations and functional blocks emerge as units of analysis. Activities have intermediate couscous goals. Theories related to the activity theory Two theories have shown to be prominent that relate to the activity theory, namely the Information Systems Development (ISD) model and the Activity Analysis and Development (ActAd) Model. The activity theory is an explanatory theory that gives us a clear indication of the current situation and its problems, whereas the ISD model and ActAd is designed to carry out solutions and bring about change in systems. According to the paper written by Korpela et.al (Information Systems as an Activity), the ISD model and the ActAd model are interlinked where the ISD model is used as a universal work activity, with influence from ActAd as a theoretical framework. ActAD describes an activity as whole unit, comprised of networks and smaller activities or tasks, which is almost identical to the framework of the activity theory, Mursu et.al (2007). Korpela et.al explains the ISD model as a method in which an activity is manipulated by tools such as analysis, design, implementation, introduction and sustained support, as well as process management. In theoretical terms, the ISD model can be easily analyzed by using the activity theory as a framework, as all elements of the activity theory are interlinked forming a network for the interaction of activities. The use of activity theory and the diciplines in which it is used Psychology was the first discipline to use the activity theory, specifically a Russian psychologist Leontev (1977). Leontevs initial concern was the nature of the human consciousness and understanding the fundamental psychological basis of human behaviour through the study of linguistics, mental disabilities and its phenomena. In Engerstrorms article, Activity theory as framework for analysing and redesigning work the activity theory is defined as a multi-disciplinary approach, as it cuts across disciplines ranging from economics, sociology, psychology, ergonomics and criminology. Engerstrom (2000) describes the theory as drawing on psychological notions of mental processes, and makes use of institutions and communities rather than individuals as their units of analysis. Activity theory is directly proportional to learning and doing, in the sense that one cannot exist without the other; they are driven or initiated by a goal (Rohrer-Murphy and Jonassen, 1999). During the 19th century, social science was defined as the study of human behaviour within societies. An authentic definition of social science given by Émile Durkheim, Karl Marx and Max Weber: A society is made up of individuals are a major unit of analysis within a society, entitles them as primary architects of modern social science. With the use of the activity theory, we can predict the outcome based on background information and existing knowledge. This will enable us to gain a clear understanding of the varying behaviours and mental processes of people within a society. In criminology, activity theory was proposed by Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson in 1979 (Miller, 2006: 81). It was a response to attempt to analyse the then increasing crime rate of the United States during 1947 to 1974 (Cohen, 1979: 588).during that period, the crime rate was increasing and economic conditions were deteriorating, the activity theory was thus popular at that time as it was the only theory that could explain the circumstances. Once the analysis was complete, Cohen and Felson created a theory that was based on the rational choice model, in which people make rational decisions in ways that increases their advantages, and decreases their disadvantages as much as possible (Akers, 2004: 26). It is thus evident as stated above that the activity theory is versatile and can be used across multiple disciplines. It is an explanatory theory that enables the development of change and can be implemented in countless situations. Philosophical perspective of Activity theory According to Kutti (1991), activity theory is the Philosophical framework for studying different forms of human praxis as developmental processes both individual and social levels interlinked at the same time In other words the activity is not classified as a methodology but as a philosophy that looks at different forms of human natures acceptable practices, as developmental processes both on a social and individual level simultaneously. This philosophy is further described by Engestrom (1987) as a structural framework focused at surpassing all known dichotomies of micro-macro mental and material, observation and intervention in analysis and redesign of work. The Philosophical views deals with problems connected with knowledge, values, reason, mind and language (Teichmann and Evans 1999).Philosophical perceptions of activity theory found its origins in 1987, the birth of the society for research that was based on Activity Theory (ISCRAT) foundation. The Activity Theory was developed to solve problems for four main areas include Psychology of play, learning, cognition and child development (Becker and Niehaves 2007). Further more there where key outcomes or focus areas; language acquisitions and experimental development, these were also linked to educational institutes and schools. The activity theory discovers deep underlying concepts; the study of these concepts takes us through a process of transcendence. Thus it is important to realise that individuals have a variety of societal circumstances, secondly it creates ways to understand change, and thirdly the concept of labour and the role it plays. Labour comprises of the use and making of tools and the conditions that affect the activity. These conditions can be broken down to the functions of the process, relationship with nature, other people and the different people in the society (Engestrom 1999). Ontological perspective of Activity theory The term ontology comes from field of physiological concerned with study of being or existence. In computer science and information science ontology designed to enable the use of knowledge in a specific area whether physical or virtual. Ontology defines concepts, relationships and other distinctions that are relevant for development in a precise area (Liu and Tamer 2009). Ontology and activity theory is useful for theoretical and methodical lengths characterising and analysing and designing for a particular unit. The transition to meditated activity, fundamentally changes all psychological operations. The use of tools limitless broadens the range of activity within which new psychological functions may operate (OLeary 2010) As shown in the above figure. Activity Theory ontological perspective branches off the core disciplines of activity theory and looks at the tools, rules, division of labour, community, subject, object and outcomes in depth. The Ontology view will result in areas of meditational tools and artefacts, norms, tasks and roles, groups, individual, goals and results. Ontology offers a deeper and descriptive understanding of collaborative learning. (Barros et.al 2002). (Barros 2011 p:2) Epistemological perspective of Activity theory Epistemology is a philosophical study of what is required in order to have rational benefits and knowledge. Both traditional methods of philosophy and modern methods of cognitive science have broadened the understanding of epistemology (Cruz, 2011). Epistemology is an attempt to make sense of the possibility, nature and limits of human intellectual achievement. A key focus is to try to understand what is really known or believe reasonable. Epistemology aims to understand general and ever-present elements of human enquiry such as perceptual knowledge or inductive inference. Epistemology aims to investigate specific areas of knowledge or rational beliefs. To understand the nature of explanation in cognitive science ultimately the use of epistemology is present (Thorne 2005). When one relates the elements of Epistemology to the Activity Theory we can deduce that possibilities relate to the outcome of the activity and the limits referred to the rules that govern these activities. If we look at Activity Theory from an Epistemological perspective, its purpose is to describe a situation and how outcomes are achieved through the use of knowledge and resources, same as tools found in at. Activity theory thus realise what we know based on our knowledge and experiences, and gives us clear understanding thereof. Part b Activity Theory as an Analytical Tool: A Case Study of IS Development for an Anti-Retroviral Treatment Clinic in South Africa Does Activity Theory assist in highlighting challenges faced by the ART clinic with their current IS and assist in representing what users require from IS? The above the question is that which the case study seeks to answer. The ActAD model was used to highlight work and communication activities for which IS was needed. It was used to investigate the quality of data and illustrate importance of linking IS development and work practises. Research methods used were observation, structured and semi-structured interviews. These were used to help with understanding on how IS are used and also to understand reasons why it is not used. Value and performance of current IS needed to be researched if a potential explanation could be found. A number of techniques were used to collect data and to develop the process flow, these included the following: Use of available info, common knowledge, published docs and literature study on health info. Physical observations of the current process to watch and record the processes in the current systems Structured, semi-structured, unstructured interviews with various stakeholders were held. Either face to face or by email. After the collaborations with stakeholders and noting of concerns and viewpoints towards the current HIS, the ActAD model was used to represent the current IS and also the desired IS. Activity Theory as an Analytical tool: Actors and subjects: ART staff clinic that produce healthcare for HIV/AIDS patients requiring ART Means of work, the instruments and the facilities: computer, excel spreadsheet, docs in patient files, statistical data and medical instruments Object: unwieldy patients Means of co-ordination and communication division of work, rules, etc.: communications via phones or verbally, the rules stipulated and applied and use of captured data. Researchers role was to observe current situation by focusing on object, the means of work, instruments and facilities and how the actors and subjects made use of data collected. There are also exterior players illustrated by governmental and non-governmental organizations. Usefulness of Activity Theory: Highlighting the challenges The need for change: computer network and connectivity is lacking and thus a computer-based IS would be needed to aid the data incarceration, analysis and reporting. Current HIS does not support management functions or work processes of the clinic. IS as part of the work activity: work processes need to be streamlined if a computerised IS can assist with improving data quality and help improve decision making. Some of the improvement would include: Segregation of duties Verification of data Standardisation of ART clinic IS. Role of different stakeholders: the greatest challenge is the need for all the stakeholders to agree on a flexible IS that meets the minimum data requirements of the parties involved. Need for on-going support: funding for IT and training, ongoing upholding and support will be required once the system has been designed and implemented. This will lead to enhanced quality of healthcare services if it is part of proper admin and resource management.

Sports Violence in Relation to Preserving Values in Society Essay

Bench clearing brawls in baseball, bloody hockey fights, soccer mobs, post-game sports riots, and increasing injuries are all images of today’s sports that are familiar to us. In recent years players and fans alike have shown increased aggression when it comes to sporting events. One of the most disturbing trends in sports is the increasing frequency and severity of violence. Injuries and deaths among participants are on the rise, as are injuries and deaths among fans and spectators. Violence in sports is an important issue because sports themselves are an important aspect in our lives and the society we live in. Their importance, however, should not be greater than our concern about preserving the values and aspects of our society. The problem of sports violence has become a worldwide phenomenon, that is an unacceptable, growing social problem. Sports violence can be defined as behavior by a player, coach, or fan that is intended to inflict pain or cause injury (Berger 8). Sports violence causes harm, breaks the rules of the game, and is unrelated to the competitive objectives of the sport. Leonard identifies two forms of aggression in sports: Instrumental aggression, which is non-emotional and task-oriented and reactive aggression, which has an underlying emotional component, with harm as its goal(165). Violence is the outcome of reactive aggression. There are three major theories of aggression in sports: The biological theory, psychological theory, and the social learning theory(Leonard 170-171). The biological theory sees aggression as a basic, innate human characteristic, in which sports is seen as a socially acceptable way to discharge built-up aggression(170). The psychological theo... ...ect for authority, but that we have lost respect for each other. Our society’s preoccupation with winning has caused sports stars to play with the intensity of emotion, which leads to violence. While most occurrences of violence come from players, others, including coaches, parents, fans, and the media, also contribute to the increasing violence in sports today. Fans seem to emulate the violence they watch in sports and spectator violence is increasing as participant injuries rise(Yeager 11). Mass media contributes to the acceptability of sports. It provides exposure to sports-related violence via television, magazines, newspapers, and radio, which provides many examples to children who may imitate such behavior. Also it often glamorizes players who are controversial and aggressive. Reading this, I couldn’t help but think of the honorable Mike Tyson.

Mis at Coca Cola

Management Information Systems at The Coca-Cola Company Lewis Bianco Professor Rampersad CMS 315 Due: 12/7/10 As a world-wide leader in the soft drink and beverage industry, Coca Cola maintains a vast corporate and industrial structure which serves to run the business as smoothly as possible, and enhance all around internal performance. To make this happen, and to grow to where Coca Cola is as a business today, they have amassed a large variety of products, and reached deeply into the global market with these products.Some useful stats which help to realize the corporate landscape of The Coca-Cola Company are as follows: as of 2009 the company employed 92,800 people, featured a line of 3,300+ beverages, boasted 48 consecutive years of increased dividends, and had its products being sold in over 200 different countries (The Coca-Cola Company, 2009). However, all of this expansion and growth as a business could not take place without significant internal structuring.The corporate struc ture of Coca-Cola utilizes a mix of high end technology and computer systems, collaboration with bottling companies and retailers which exists on a large and impressive scale, as well as a massive focus on advertisement that is constantly on the competitive edge and the horizon of social developments in order to represent their products most efficiently to customers.Customers are of course, the final and most important link in this chain, and Coca-Cola has excelled at finding new and creative ways to reach its customers, while at the same time growing and expanding as a business in order to retain its position as the global leader in its industry. An example of Coca Cola’s extremely large dominion over the beverage industry comes in the form of a statistic, one of several important statistics found on the Coca Cola corporate website which states that according to a 2009 study, people worldwide consumed an average of 1. billion servings of Coca Cola products per day (The Coca- Cola Company, 2009). In order to manage all of this capital effectively, Coca-Cola employs a highly technological, highly structured system that includes 300 bottling companies independent of Coca-Cola. The company works essentially by producing the syrups, concentrates, and base products used in Coca-Cola beverages. This is the main purpose of the Coca-Cola Company, along with advertisement and management. After the syrups and bases are manufactured, they are shipped to any of the 300 bottling companies, who finish and package the final product.In this way, Coca-Cola is able to exist on a global level, while still working with local bottling companies. This is an efficient way to manage such a huge distribution operation, and although corporate oversight obviously still exists to a certain extent, it breaks the huge process of distribution up into smaller, more manageable chunks which improve the over-all efficiency of the company. Bottling partners are for the majority not owned b y Coca-Cola, and the company prides itself on allowing bottling partners to work completely independently in most cases.An important stat which highlights this corporate relationship between Coca-Cola and bottlers can be found in the Coca Cola 2007 Investor’s Review, where in a pie graph entitled â€Å"Company’s 2007 Worldwide Unit Case Volume by Bottler Relationship† it shows that a majority 54% of its bottling operation is in non-controlling equity interest. The other portions of Coca Cola’s unit case volume are as follows: 25% – no ownership interest, 10% – controlling interest, and 11% – â€Å"other† which includes foodservice operations as well as the production of juice and sports drinks (The Coca-Cola Company, 2007).As we can see, the importance of these â€Å"bottling partners† cannot be underestimated, as it is their responsibility to manufacture the product and package it to vendors, who are the next key member in the structure of The Coca-Cola Company. The vendors are less intimately involved with the workings of the company as a whole but are equally important as it is their job to actually sell the products to customers. In this way, we see that the organizational structure that exists from within and without The Coca-Cola Company is elegantly simple, and is prosperous for bottling companies who are allowed to take part in the ompany without being owned by it. This is definitely something that most consumers don’t know about Coca-Cola, but it is a defining factor that makes the company what it is today. It is obviously important to understand how this relates to management information systems and in the sense of that term, without such systems in place the process by which information is gathered that is needed to make decisions on behalf of 300 independent bottlers as well as retailers would be a much less easily manageable task.The Coca-Cola Company also has a unique relations hip with its retailers and vendors, the people who actually sell its products. Through Coca-Cola’s superb information management, they are able to reliably track information about their products and make adjustments to their business strategy accordingly online accordingly. We see that management information systems are perfectly suited to a task like this as it allows Coca-Cola to gather bulk data on sales and details on the nature of those sales.This insight into the market is a big reason why it is possible for Coca-Cola to operate on such a large level with independent businesses working together in this way. The information gained through the use of management information systems is utilized by Coca-Cola in several different levels of the business structure which was mentioned in detail earlier.A simple and effective way of summing up this process is laid out in the publication â€Å"Management Information Systems, Controller’s Handbook† by the where it sta tes â€Å"MIS also enhances job performance throughout an institution. At the most senior levels, it provides the data and information to help the board and management make strategic decisions. At other levels, MIS provides the means through which the institution's activities are monitored and information is distributed to management, employees, and customers. (Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks). With this information, and general knowledge on the matter it is easy to see that this method of gaining large amounts of data is becoming an industry standard by necessity and those businesses who utilize management information systems will have a competitive edge in their markets. This is due to the foresight that this data offers into who is buying products, how many are being bought, and where they are being bought.Another important area where management information systems come into play with The Coca-Cola Company is that of online sales, and especially in to day’s market no major business can afford to disregard this tool. As many companies do in today’s industry, Coca-Cola chose to find another business to help organize and run their e-commerce sector. This company’s job is to essentially serve as a massive inventory center for Coca-Cola, in order to help with their distribution and shipping of products that customers may buy online.The shift towards the importance of e-commerce created a change in the marketplace that successful companies were able to adapt to early on. The most noticeable change that companies had to undergo after the rise of e-commerce was the fact that focus and control shifted from the retailer to the customer in online markets. No longer were retailers allowed to choose the hours during which customers could purchase things, and the demand could not be affected by how much any given retailer ordered for stock.With the online shopping experience, the companies themselves had to bend to the wil l of the customer in an even more in depth way than ever before. With this challenge of course came the necessity for increased data from online sales. A company like Coca-Cola has prospered very well from a combination of using all possible information to react to the changing market, as well as utilize some of the same practices that make them so successful with offline sales.Perhaps the biggest perk to having the internet at Coca-Cola’s disposal for the purposes of collecting and utilizing data is the fact that the speed of the internet can make for a much smoother over-all operation. As it is stated in the book â€Å"E-Commerce† by Ritendra Goel, â€Å"delays in inventory tracking and management can ripple from the cash register all the way back to raw material production, creating inventory shortages at any stage of the value chain.The internet promises to increase business efficiency by reducing reporting delays and increasing reporting accuracy. Speed is clearl y the business imperative for the value chain† (Goel, 2007). This is a very important concept to understand as it shows how important the collection of up to date data is for a company like Coca-Cola, especially when the nature of their corporate structure contains over 300 independent bottlers and even more numbers of vendors and retailers. Effective management of all of this data is what allows this unique structure to prosper.Being a global leader in its market, The Coca-Cola Company is in a unique position as a business. It has over 80 years of history behind it, and in that time has grown to become one of the most recognizable names in the world when it comes to beverages. Because of this, they can accelerate past much of the research and development that younger, less established companies must undergo. However, with such a huge business, the need for effective and fast data collection and storage is absolutely imperative.The unique structure of the business, with Coca-C ola primarily making syrups and concentrates, while 300 bottling companies make the finished product calls for even more careful management and analyses of this data in order to turn these numbers and figures into profit. After researching into what makes this company tick it is easy to see how Coca-Cola has become so successful in today’s market.Bibliography Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks. (n. d. ). Management Information Systems Controller's Handbook. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from Office of the Comptroller of the Currency : http://www. occ. gov/static/publications/handbook/mis. pdf Goel, R. (2007). E-Commerce. New Age International . The Coca-Cola Company. (2009). Growth, Leadership, and Sustainability. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from The Coca-Cola Company: http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/ourcompany/index. html The Coca-Cola Company. (2007). The Language of Refreshment 2007 Annual Review . Executive Communications, The Coca-Cola Company .

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka and Its Decision essays

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka and It's Decision essays There have been many attempts to look at the decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka and claim it was erroneous in some respect. One of the most often used is the social policy' argument. Some constitutional scholars believe that the Supreme Court went too far in the decision, far beyond deciding the single issue involved. That issue concerned the need for an African American little girl to go to a black school that required of her a dangerous walk through a rail yard rather than a pleasant walk to a closer school that was all white. It is easy to argue that any decision of any reasonably lofty court in the land makes social policy decisions without benefit of election. Indeed, even lowly courtscity courts in small townsmake social policy decisions by virtue of the need to interpret the law when passing judgment or imposing sentences. A judge in a small town in New York State, for example, gives everyone convicted in his court the lightest possible sentence, 60 days plus two years of parole. Why' Because he knows the career criminals will violate their parole, and then it's an automatic five years up the river, no appeal, no questions asked. (Personal knowledge via In effect, that judge is making social policy. Therefore, criticism of the unanimous ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka on the grounds that it made social policy is relatively ludicrous. If it is all right for small courts in small towns to make social policy by engineering its use of statutory punishments, then assuredly it would be even more acceptable when the arguably wisest judicial minds sitting on the bench in the United States do the same thing. If the Court did make social policyas arguably it didthere is every reason to believe that the society was ready for the policy being made. The...

Thermodynamics Overview and Basic Concepts

Thermodynamics Overview and Basic Concepts Thermodynamics is the field of physics that deals with the relationship between heat and other properties (such as pressure, density, temperature, etc.) in a substance. Specifically, thermodynamics focuses largely on how a heat transfer is related to various energy changes within a physical system undergoing a thermodynamic process. Such processes usually result in work  being done by the system and are guided by the laws of thermodynamics. Basic Concepts of Heat Transfer Broadly speaking, the heat of a material is understood as a representation of the energy contained within the particles of that material. This is known as the kinetic theory of gases, though the concept applies in varying degrees to solids and liquids as well. The heat from the motion of these particles can transfer into nearby particles, and therefore into other parts of the material or other materials, through a variety of means: Thermal Contact is when two substances can affect each others temperature.Thermal Equilibrium is when two substances in thermal contact no longer transfer heat.Thermal Expansion takes place when a substance expands in volume as it gains heat. Thermal contraction also exists.Conduction is when heat flows through a heated solid.Convection is when heated particles transfer heat to another substance, such as cooking something in boiling water.Radiation is when heat is transferred through electromagnetic waves, such as from the sun.Insulation is when a low-conducting material is used to prevent heat transfer. Thermodynamic Processes A system undergoes a thermodynamic process when there is some sort of energetic change within the system, generally associated with changes in pressure, volume, internal energy (i.e. temperature), or any sort of heat transfer. There are several specific types of thermodynamic processes that have special properties: Adiabatic process - a process with no heat transfer into or out of the system.Isochoric process - a process with no change in volume, in which case the system does no work.Isobaric process - a process with no change in pressure.Isothermal process - a process with no change in temperature. States of Matter A state of matter is a description of the type of physical structure that a material substance manifests, with properties that describe how the material holds together (or doesnt). There are five states of matter, though only the first three of them are usually included in the way we think about states of matter: gasliquidsolidplasmasuperfluid (such as a Bose-Einstein Condensate) Many substances can transition between the gas, liquid, and solid phases of matter, while only a few rare substances are known to be able to enter a superfluid state. Plasma is a distinct state of matter, such as lightning   condensation - gas to liquidfreezing - liquid to solidmelting - solid to liquidsublimation - solid to gasvaporization - liquid or solid to gas Heat Capacity The heat capacity, C, of an object is the ratio of change in heat (energy change, ΔQ, where the Greek symbol Delta, Δ, denotes a change in the quantity) to change in temperature (ΔT). C Δ Q / Δ T The heat capacity of a substance indicates the ease with which a substance heats up. A good thermal conductor would have a low heat capacity, indicating that a small amount of energy causes a large temperature change. A good thermal insulator would have a large heat capacity, indicating that much energy transfer is needed for a temperature change. Ideal Gas Equations There are various ideal gas equations which relate temperature (T1), pressure (P1), and volume (V1). These values after a thermodynamic change are indicated by (T2), (P2), and (V2). For a given amount of a substance, n (measured in moles), the following relationships hold: Boyles Law ( T is constant):P 1 V 1 P 2 V 2Charles/Gay-Lussac Law (P is constant):V1/T1 V2/T2Ideal Gas Law:P1V1/T1 P2V2/T2 nR R is the ideal gas constant, R 8.3145 J/mol*K. For a given amount of matter, therefore, nR is constant, which gives the Ideal Gas Law. Laws of Thermodynamics Zeroeth Law of Thermodynamics - Two systems each in thermal equilibrium with a third system are in thermal equilibrium to each other.First Law of Thermodynamics - The change in the energy of a system is the amount of energy added to the system minus the energy spent doing work.Second Law of Thermodynamics - It is impossible for a process to have as its sole result the transfer of heat from a cooler body to a hotter one.Third Law of Thermodynamics - It is impossible to reduce any system to absolute zero in a finite series of operations. This means that a perfectly efficient heat engine cannot be created. The Second Law Entropy The Second Law of Thermodynamics can be restated to talk about entropy, which is a quantitative measurement of the disorder in a system. The change in heat divided by the absolute temperature is the entropy change of the process. Defined this way, the Second Law can be restated as: In any closed system, the entropy of the system will either remain constant or increase. By closed system it means that every part of the process is included when calculating the entropy of the system. More About Thermodynamics In some ways, treating thermodynamics as a distinct discipline of physics is misleading. Thermodynamics touches on virtually every field of physics, from astrophysics to biophysics, because they all deal in some fashion with the change of energy in a system. Without the ability of a system to use energy within the system to do work - the heart of thermodynamics - there would be nothing for physicists to study. That having been said, there are some fields use thermodynamics in passing as they go about studying other phenomena, while there are a wide range of fields which focus heavily on the thermodynamics situations involved. Here are some of the sub-fields of thermodynamics: Cryophysics / Cryogenics / Low Temperature Physics - the study of physical properties in low temperature situations, far below temperatures experienced on even the coldest regions of the Earth. An example of this is the study of superfluids.Fluid Dynamics / Fluid Mechanics - the study of the physical properties of fluids, specifically defined in this case to be liquids and gases.High Pressure Physics - the study of physics in extremely high pressure systems, generally related to fluid dynamics.Meteorology / Weather Physics - the physics of the weather, pressure systems in the atmosphere, etc.Plasma Physics - the study of matter in the plasma state.

Individual Consumer Decision-Making Process Paper Essay

Individual Consumer Decision-Making Process Paper - Essay Example In this paper, we will discuss the ways marketers can use the consumer decision-making process to drive buyer’s actions. The paper will also include a discussion on the impact of marketing on consumer satisfaction. As Tatum (n.d.) states, â€Å"with most customer buying process models, the approach begins with the determination by the consumer that he or she has a need or a want that must be fulfilled†. At this stage of consumer buying process, consumers identify their needs and then carryout a search for the available alternatives. At this stage, marketers determine the needs of the customers to know what strategies they should use to make people buy their products. Moreover, marketers can look at various aspects of the requirements of the customers to know whether their marketing strategies will be able to drive customer focus or they need some modifications to make their products attractive for the customers. Problem recognition stage is of great importance in the overall consumer buying process because this is the stage when a customer makes out whether he/she should continue with the buying process or not. This stage is dependent somewhat on the marketing of products. i.e. people first look at the advertisements of new products and then if they like some particular product, they make up their mind to continue the buying process. At this stage of the buying process, a customer searches for some available alternatives which are similar to the product they are intending to buy. If they find some better product from the same product range, they shift their choice to that item and discard their decision to buy the already chosen product. Consumers explore promotional materials and product’s history gain information about the desired product (Stroebel, 2011). From the perspective of consumers, search for the alternatives refer to the search for companies that manufacture the desired product. Marketers can play a vital role at this stage

The History of Warfare in the Perspective of John Keegan Essay

The History of Warfare in the Perspective of John Keegan - Essay Example The samurai were roughly considered as Japanese counterparts of Western European knights during their time. The Japanese were a literate a people, and the literary culture of the samurai was highly developed (Keegan 42). The samurai also developed a strong code of ethics that revolved around loyalty, self-denial, and honor to his lord and clan, and also being in constant readiness to die in the face of duty or failure. These set in mind the samurai’s striving for perfection in the art of war, especially in swordsmanship and the martial arts: It was fostered by Zen Buddhism, which stressed the ‘two supreme ideals – fidelity and an indifference to physical hardship’. It was reinforced by the culture of the warrior class, ‘a culture that paid meticulous attention to the formal, the ceremonious, and elegantly expressed in life and art’; Japanese swordplay was as much an art as a skill, governed by rules of deportment and gesture which epitomized th e Japanese concern for style in every aspect of existence (Keegan 45). The introduction of firearms in Japanese warfare during the 16th century was initially accepted at first due to practical reasons in relation to the ever-changing landscape of war during that time. ... Also, guns were unquestionably a symbol of foreign intrusion and were associated, illogically but inescapably, with the spread of Christianity (Keegan 44). It was for this reason that during the Tokugawa Shogunate period, all firearms in Japan were banned, therefore reversing the military advantage it once enjoyed for the sake of maintaining the samurai status quo. The next question to ask is when societies and organizations are most likely to originate or adapt to new military technology. The answer simply lies in necessity. The harsh realities of war and battlefield set the precedence that societies and organizations must adapt or completely change the way they wage war. During the First World War, nations developed several new military technologies to gain battlefield dominance that would ensure victory in the war. The invention of the machine gun, the breech loading shell cartridge rifles and artillery served as the initial technology for such dominance, but this led for all comb atants to take up trench warfare with much horrific loss of life for the attacking side since all combatants were equipped with such technology on the onset of hostilities. The invention of the tank was the second solution, but the machines produced were too few in number, too slow and cumbersome to impose a decisive alteration to tactical conditions (Keegan 313). The tank was developed as a defense, and because of it, there was no need to send waves of soldiers that will be cut down by deadly volleys of bullets and artillery shells. The last inquiry deals about specific characteristics of societies, technologies, and organizations in relation to their readiness to adapt to military changes. A specific characteristic is conditioned on society possibly

What do you consider to be the importance of witches in Macbeth Coursework

What do you consider to be the importance of witches in Macbeth - Coursework Example One of the witches tells MacBeth that he is the â€Å"thane of Glamis† (I, i, 45-46). The second witch tells MacBeth that he is the â€Å"thane of Cawdor!† (I, i, 49-50). The third witch tells MacBeth that â€Å"that shalt be King hereafter!† (I, i, 51-52). Epstein (422) states that, after the final pronouncement by the final witch, MacBeth’s hair stands on end and his heart starts pounding. This shows that this is something that MacBeth has thought about himself – that he could be King, if only Duncan were out of the way. Epstein (422) further notes that the word â€Å"wyrd,† which was what the witches were called, as they were referred to as â€Å"weird sisters,† (I, i, 31), is actually misinterpreted. The modern plays interpret the word â€Å"wyrd† as being the same as â€Å"weird† in modern day language. After all, the three women were very weird. When we first meet them, one of them is killing swine, and the other on e speaks in rhymes – such as â€Å"in a sieve I’ll thither sail, and like a rat without a tail†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (I,i,8-9), and â€Å"Here I have a pilot’s thumb, wrackd as homeword he did come. A drum! A drum! MacBeth did come!† (I, i, 29-31). Perhaps in Shakespeare’s day it wasn’t weird to speak in rhymes in the plays, so the audience for Shakespeare might not have thought that this was out of place, but the rhyming definitely made that particular sister seem weird. Therefore, the fact that the sisters are referred to as weird might be a modern-day interpretation of them and their overall characters. But Epstein (422) states that the word that was actually used as â€Å"wyrd,† which means fate. This would bring a variety of translations for the witches, assuming that the word is â€Å"wyrd† and the meaning is â€Å"fate.† This would be a pun, but a very meaningful one. This would be an answer to one of the questions that is central to the play, and that is whether or not our fate is determined by our own hands or by some kind of outside force. The outside force would be the witch’s influence over MacBeth and Lady MacBeth, both of whom are responsible for the bloodbath that is to follow. The implication is that the witches are responsible for MacBeth and Lady MacBeth’s overwhelming ambition that created the situation where there was a string of murders that MacBeth, an inherently good man, commits. If it were not for the outside influence on the proceedings at hand, there is not a way that a man like MacBeth could have done what he did. After all, the word â€Å"fate† implies a lack of control – that whatever happens in this world is predestined, and that we are powerless to stop it. Therefore, one of the functions of the witches is both in their persona and in the double entendre on the word â€Å"weird,† in that their persona is what ostensibly controls the situat ion, and the word â€Å"weird,† possibly means fate in this context. There is another interpretation of the word â€Å"wyrd,† according to Epstein, and this interpretation leads one to the opposite conclusion as the interpretation above. This is that the word might suggest â€Å"wayward.† This would imply that the witches were not even real, but, rather, were figments of MacBeth’s imagination. This interpretation would suggest that fate was not in control, at all, but, rather, MacBeth’s deep seated ambition is what is in control. This would imply that what happens to him is a result of his own free will, not the result of the witches influencing the proceedings a

Understanding and Evaluating the Arts Essay Example for Free

Understanding and Evaluating the Arts Essay Art is subjective. It varies in recognition and identification, and translates differently from one individual to the next. Art can constitute the traditional slap of paint on canvass, or a drawing and sketch; to some people, it can also relate to something as arbitrary as the instance of a sunrise or sunset, and the ocean.. At most, the English journalist and art critic Jeanette Winterson considers art as a sublime element of humanity when she writes, â€Å"What art does is to coax us away from the mechanical and towards the miraculous. † (Winterson). In a general, and less incensed take on the subject matter, art is defined as the result of creative human activity composed of the ideology, opinons and particular persuasions of the artist or individual creating it. Under this definition, art is categorized into different forms such as painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, printmaking, cnceptual art, installation art, and performance art, among others (Barnes). But though art may vary in recognition and definition, the following works exist as a general example of what art constitutes, based from the aforementioned definitions of the subject. Painting While almost every painting by any renowned artist can easily qualify as art, the Russian born French painter, Marc Chagall perhaps best encapsulates, and immediately brings into attention arts capacity, as has been previously referred to by Winterson, to transfrom the mechanical into the miraculous. His paintings, which mostly consist of dream-like elements, of lovers and angels afloat, among other things, affirms arts capacity to gravitate people towards the miraculous. This is made even more evident in I and the Village (1911) in which Chagall paints a a picture of his childhood home where churches, houses, farm animals, and people from his community intertwine, in varying shapes, shades and colors. He takes the mundane and the routine instance of life in his village, or any village for that matter, and translates it into a vivid, pulsating portrait of one as he sees it in his head, evoking a sublime sentiment on the part of people viewing it. Sculpture Ssculptures have always held a prominent part in the art world. One of the most prominent of which is Michelangelos Pieta (1499) in which the Italian artist is able to translate into marble a portrait of Mary holding the mortal body of Jesus Christ in her arms. Every intricate detail such as the creases on the virgins robes and the way by which Christs limp body falls on her lap, the expression on both Mary and Christs face, and most importantly the likeness of the marble sculptures to real bodies, and the humanity which is evoked through the said piece of seemingly cold and inanimate object speaks volumes. And communicates a sentiment and ideology to people who perceive of it, which is what most great art is about. Architecture Antoni Gaudi immediately comes to mind when the subject of architecture and art is concerned. Gaudis inspired architectural designs, again affirms us of arts capacity to rescue or release us from the mechanical drag of the routine. And buildings, in their mundane and uniform dullness is probably the last thing to come to mind, when one mentions art. But Gaudi is able to do so, to transform buildings into something which could be deemed as an artform, through his architectural genius, and the less than common, aesthetic appeal which he endows every building with. Examples of these are Sagrada Familia (1926), Casa Mila (1912) and the wonderful, fantasy-castle type sublime restoration of a building that is the Casa Batllo (1907). Photography Taking effective photographs which convey meaning and evoke particular sentiments is more than just about ponting and shooting. Edward Weston transcends the mere act of documentation that is photography to an art form. His portraits of female bodies in the nude (1923-1945) in their seeming black and white mutedness, instead of being automatically dismissed as pornography, is treated as exactly the opposite. Weston is able to convey in the said series of photographs, the fragility and sacredness of the human body. Each picture overwhelms with emotion and a seeming fullness of idea in every shot. It transcends mere documentation and gravitates towards the miraculousness which only art is able to afford. Printmaking Rembrandt Van Rijns Three Crosses (1653) exemplifies the art form that is printmaking. Althugh Rembrandt is better known for his paintings than his printmaking, Three Crosses is given the same regard. The etching relates another religious episode, in which Jesus is pinned at the cross, two murderers crucified like himself joins him in welcoming death. A group of people stand huddled at their feet, and the rest of the picture exists in a play of light and shadows. The print evokes and conveys the drama of Christs crucifixion and communicates the artists vision and interpretation on the subject. Conceptual Art Art which isnt confined to aesthetic values, but in presenting and evoking an alternative ideology and consciousness, Marcel Duchamps Fountain (1917) illustrates and exemplifies exactly this. The said artform is a standard old-fashioned urinal which the author salvaged form obscurity, signed his name on, and entered in an exhibition. Despite not being well received, the controversy exacted by the piece provoked people to into considering other forms of art, which is what art is also about, it encourages us to broaden our horizons, and depart from what we are typically aware of and confined to. Installation Art Liza Lous Kitchen, in its ode to the routine and the mundane space which most every women work with, or work in at least once everyday transforms peoples view regarding it. Rendered into a marvelous number of million glass beads of different shapes and colors, the result is anything less than â€Å"miraculous,† which was what Jeanetter Winterson was ultimately referring to in the quotation in the initial part of this paper, Liza Lous work on Kitchen takes a piece of the mundane and the mechanical, and transforms it to something that can only be regarded as miraculous, or in less flamboyant words: art. Performance Art Jackson Pollocks incensed abstract-action painting can be categorized as performance art, the manner by which he lays out a canvass on the floor and proceeds to splatter copious and beautiful amount of paint over it, more than the end visual product, is an art form in itself. His incensed take on painting and the physical outpouring of artistic energy which coarses through every part of his body, makes the medium by which he creates his art, another art form altogether. References Barnes, Bernardine. â€Å"Art. † Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2008 from http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761556523/Art. html Weston, Edward. â€Å"Nudes. † Retrieved 15 February 2008 from http://www. edward-weston. com/edward_weston. htm Winterson, Jeannete. â€Å"Visual Arts: Liza Lou. † Retrieved 15 February 2008 from http://www. jeanettewinterson. com/pages/content/index. asp? PageID=383 â€Å"Gaudi Battlo House. † Retrieved 15 February 2008 from http://www. gaudiallgaudi. com/AA006. htm â€Å"Marc Chagall: I and The Village. † The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 15 February 2008 from http://www. moma. org/collection/browse_results. php? object_id=78984 â€Å"Pieta by Michelangelo. † RomaViva. Retrieved 15 February 2008 from http://www. romaviva. com/Vaticano/pieta-michelangelo_eng. htm â€Å"The Three Crosses. † Rijk Museum. Retrieved 15 February 2008 from HYPERLINK http://www. rijksmuseum. nl/aria/aria_assets/RP-P-1962-39? lang=en HYPERLINK http://www. rijksmuseum. nl/aria/aria_assets/RP-P-1962-

Death for John Walker Lindh :: essays research papers fc

Death for John Walker Lindh Death Penalty should be the only choice, no alternatives. John Walker Lindh knows the difference between right and wrong. He also knows the difference between an American Citizen and a traitor. This article describes John Walker as a person with a cold heart. It portrays Walker, as showing no remorse for the people who lost loved one’s due to the tragedy of September 11th, however thousands of others have. The article states he chose to fight alongside the Taliban regime and therefore he should be delt the penalties of being a traitor. â€Å"We may never know why he turned his back on our country and our values, but we cannot ignore that he did,† Attorney General D. Ashcroft said. Why even talk about ignoring what he did. Thousands of people are dead and more are hurt due to the actions of the al Qaeda network. Such loses and pain can not be ignored. He turned his back on the United States and people from all over the world. Terrorism is unacceptable not just to American’s but to all nations who endure the rite of freedom and security. Therefore John Walker should be tried in a court as if he were Osama bin laden him self. John Walker may have not been directly connected to the September 11th, but he did indeed learn from one of his instructors that Osama bin laden had sent people to the United States to carry out several suicide operations. I do not understand how a human being born and raised as an American can later grow up to fight against innocent people and watch as all American lives get turned upside down. He found out from an instructor that Osama bin Laden had plans in-store for the States yet did nothing to even contact his own family nor let anyone know. Maybe this could have been prevented. Or just maybe the next time I go back to my hometown, New York City, as I am driving towards my grandmother’s house instead of seeing just a lonely, empty blue sky; I would be able to see the World Trade Center as it once was months ago.

Civil War Medicine :: essays research papers

In the early years of the Civil War it became clear that disease would be the greatest killer. Twice as many Civil War soldiers died of disease then that were killed in combat. This was due to unsanitary and filthy conditions, untrained Medical personnel and poor medical examination of new soldier’s. One fact from the Civil War was 315,000 soldiers died from illnesses that included: 44,558 from diarrhea/dysentery, 10,063 from malaria, 34,833 from typhoid, 958 from typhus and 436 from yellow fever. The sanitary conditions that a cured during the civil war was shocking. Unsanitary hospitals and camps kept the wounded soldiers in large groups, which were ideal places for infection, fevers and disease to spread. Soldiers were not immune to childhood diseases like the measles and small pox. Medical science had not yet discovered the importance of antiseptics in preventing infection. Water was contaminated and soldiers sometimes ate unripened or spoiled food. There weren’t always clean rags available to clean wounds. Because of frequent shortages of water, surgeons often went days without washing their hands or instruments. So now germs were passing from patient to patient. The Civil War was fought at the end of the middle Ages; therefore the Medical Corps was unqualified in all fields of medical care. Little was known about what caused disease, how to stop it from spreading, or how to cure it. Surgical techniques ranged from the tough to easy. Underqualified, understaffed, and undersupplied medical corps, who was often referred to as quacks and butchers by the press, took cared of the men in the Civil War. During this period a physician received minimal training. Nearly all the older doctors served as apprentices in lieu of formal education. Even those who attended one of the few medical schools were poorly trained. The average medical student trained for two years, received no experience, and was given virtually no laboratory instruction. Still, another reason for disease being the greatest killer in the Civil War was the bad medical examinations of recruits. The recruiting process allowed underage, overage men and those in noticeably poor health to join the army on both sides. Two hundred thousand recruits originally accepted for services were told to be unfit and discharged, either because they had become ill or because a routine examination revealed their bad condition.

Cost-Benefit and Cost-Effective Evaluation Methods Useful for Evaluating Effective Training Essay

For over a hundred years the concept of both cost-benefit evaluation and cost-effective evaluation methods has been used for numerous fields and industries to see the positive and negative sides of undertaking a project. These methods has been used to analyze public health; transportation; and etc. Each and every company would rather see more of profits than losses. Employers see that their employees and the trainings are investments to their business. Hence, employers need to have assurances that the trainings that they give out to their employees would be both beneficial to the employers in terms of profit and as well as return of investment (ROI). In order to gain much profit, the employers need to have their employees be up to par with industry standards with avant-garde skills through effective training. Employers do take note that in order to have highly qualified employees they need to give effective and quality training. Using the above mentioned evaluation methods would let the employers know: how much it would cost them to train their employees; the duration of the training – would determine the effectiveness and implementation of the skills. Then again these methodologies are not full-proof as there are numerous factors to be taken note of, to guarantee one hundred percent success rate of these trainings such as: the capabilities of their employees, the willingness of their employees to learn these trainings; and finally applying them during operation. The use of these evaluation methods can be a rough guide to corporations and institutions, to name a few, to see the quality and assess projected costs of trainings and steps to be taken. With such projections yielded by these methods one may be on track with their project management and asset management.

Capitation Is for Specialists, Not for Primary Care Physicians Essays

Capitation Is for Specialists, Not for Primary Care Physicians Essays Capitation Is for Specialists, Not for Primary Care Physicians Paper Capitation Is for Specialists, Not for Primary Care Physicians Paper Capitation is the changing of risk and the medical management responsibility to physicians in exchange for a flat, per-member payment, usually in monthly allotments. It means the cutting of physicians compensation and using it as a medium for providing reimbursement incentives to decrease the number of inpatient bed days and unnecessary specialist procedures. Problem of the Article The problem is on what model or practice of capitation must be used and applied in order to resolve the proper allocation of budget among health authorities. This article is written to help develop an understanding by presenting the viable ideas on choosing the right model. It presents the advantages and the disadvantages of the models of capitation. The specialist at the Unified Physicians is capitated while specialists from other Independent Practice Association are not. United Physicians gets $36 per member per month to give a full range of professional and diagnostic services to commercial patients while the IPA funds are retained in risk pools or reinsurance, which serves as their only source of income. The risk pool funds are excess amounts that remain in the hospital pool, which is shared with the HMO or the hospital. Techniques Used to Address the Problem: Pro’s and Con’s There are two models for capitation. The first model is shared capitation, which is about setting a limited budget for the amount allocated for specialty care. Specialists bill into this pool, and is being paid back for adjustments based on the utilization trend. There continues to be the same number of physicians and everybody is participating thus it is easy. It projects a moderate climate of competition among the specialists over the fairness of the distribution of the funds. However, the disadvantage is on the utilization and budgeting part. In this model, everybody bills into this fund and an uncontrolled utilization results. It is not unusual for the fund to fall short at the end of the first or second quarter because shared capitation does not help the risk pools and0 it neither controls inpatient nor outpatient utilization. In addition, it does not solve the clinical variation across the broad range of physicians in the medical group or IPA. Group capitation as chosen by the Unified Physicians has the greatest political risk because there is a selection of physicians to participate and a disenfranchisement of some physician. In other words, if the physicians have been participating in the IPA for a number of years, they may be paralyzed and loses out of patients that they have previously seen for some time. In addition, some shareholders may be offended, and it is the most politically risky undertaking. Nevertheless, group capitation was chosen mainly because it puts utilization back in the hands of the providers. In this model, there is a rejection of prior authorization as physicians join to develop guidelines and best practices. They can create guidelines in each specialty and across specialties. Assessment The trends of medical care have changed a lot since 1997 to the present day. It has become very flexible and assures competency among practitioners. It is created to meet the demand of the health care services regardless of the model whether it is a capitation or a fee-for-service. References Kullman, Shelley. (1997). Capitation Is for Specialists, Not for Primary Care Physician. Pacific Communities Management Services Organization Harbor City, Calif.

The Wasp Factory and Saved Essays

The Wasp Factory and Saved Essays The Wasp Factory and Saved Essay The Wasp Factory and Saved Essay Essay Topic: Literature Saved was written by Edward Bond in the late 1960s. The Wasp Factory was written by Iain Banks in 1984. Although the two texts were written over twenty years apart, isolation is still an integral part of both texts. Through phonetic representation we can see that Saved is set in South London, and The Wasp Factory is set in a remote part of Scotland; the two are culturally polar through location. Although the two texts have their differences, all of the main characters are isolated from society and its normalities. This isolation has a profound effect on the characters. It can be seen that in both Saved and The Wasp Factory that the protagonists do not exist in societys eyes. In The Wasp Factory Frank, the main character, hides from Diggs, who is the representation of society in the book, in case of Diggs did any asking around and discovered I didnt exist officially. (page 72) Franks non-existance makes his life hopeless, because he can never have aspirations outside of the island. In Saved, all of the characters are non-existant in societys eyes; they are isolated by society. Society only associates with the characters when crimes are committed, as seen in both texts, and then we see societal punishment. That inspector wants you. (page 75) In both Saved and The Wasp Factory it can be seen that even though the protagonists are isolated from society, friendships are still formed between characters. In The Wasp Factory Frank, even though isolated through to his disability, still forges a friendship with Jamie, a dwarf. Frank is unable to form relationships with people who are seen as normal, be that able bodied, or mentally sound; so perhaps the only reason Frank is friends with Jamie is because he is disabled, just like Frank. Jamie is my only real friend (page 51) In Saved, even though Len and Fred have a group of friends, they are isolated because they cannot rely on their friends when things go wrong. We see this before Fred goes to prison, when he asks Pam to write to him whilst he is imprisoned, as he cannot rely on his friends. Yerll ave to send us letters. (page 74) In both texts the characters are isolated through lack of hope. In The Wasp Factory, Frank is afraid to leave the island because when Eric, his brother did, he went insane. the destruction of most of who he was. (page 136) In Saved, the characters are isolated because of their lack of hope to become something, they have no aspirations. Len well start lookin for a place tmorra. Pam No places round ere. (page 23) In both texts isolation and hopelessness are shown through family members, and their lack of interaction. In The Wasp Factory Franks father, Angus, hardly ever interacts with Frank. My father grew as uncommunicative as Eric (page 143) Therefore, Frank is isolated because he cannot talk to his father, he is forced to be independent and solve his own problems. In Saved, Harry does not interact with his wife, nor daughter. He isolates himself from his family. As Pam has been brought up with this, she believes this to be normal. If she sees these marital interactions to be normal, then she has no hope of forming normal sexual relationships. Supposed you turned out like that? (page 24) In The Wasp Factory Frank thinks that he is protected by the island on which he lives. On the island he can do as he pleases, as there is no-one responsible to stop him, as nobody knows he exists. This is the opposite of Saved, because when the group of men kill the baby, Fred gets caught. He does not take responsibility for the murder though, Why couldnt I bin tryin a elp the kid? I got no cause t arm it. (page 74) This statement from Fred is true, the baby hadnt harmed the group, but they killed it nonetheless. This epitomises the mentality of the characters in Saved; killing a totally innocent child, simply because the child was vulnerable. In Saved the lack of education is the predominant cause of isolation. All of the characters are poorly educated, and as a result have poorly paid jobs, few ambitions and no hope. However, in The Wasp factory Frank is relatively well educated, thanks to his fathers teaching. Even though Frank has an education, he has no hope, because of other limitations in his life that keep him isolated. My father is an educated man, and he passed a lot of what he knew on to me. (page 14) In Saved, Bond enforces isolation by not giving the baby an identity; throughout the play the audience never sees the baby, merely hears its cries. Why dont yer shut that kid up. (page 37) The characters in the play ignore the baby too, they do not name it, and do not respond to its cries. This technique from the author has two profound effects on the audience; if the baby has no identity, then the audience cannot relate to it. Secondly, the lack of response to a crying child makes a deeper impact on the audience, it is more shocking; this is because our societal normalities make us want to try and protect the crying baby, and the characters in the play are doing the complete opposite. Len I listen out for the kid. They ain bothered (page 42) In The Wasp Factory, Banks enforces isolation through the fact that Frank, the protagonist, has no identity. He is known to a few people; these few people that are aware he exists, he is either related to, or are disabled, or they are people that have been lied to, and believe Franks cover story. In both texts, the victims are utterly innocent. We can interpret this as the authors using the victims to represent hope in the texts. Therefore, when the protagonists kill the children, they are killing symbols of hope; this shows how hopeless their situations are. When Frank kills his little brother, Paul, we see Frank killing a symbol of innocence. Banks has described Paul so he is the epitome of innocence. Banks describes Paul as having, a podgy hand. This physical description shows how young, and undefined, the child is. When Paul says, B is for bell, we see a total emphasis on Pauls innocence. The way Banks builds up an image of innocence, and pity, for Paul, makes the murder that Frank commits all the more tragic. I found an opportunity to get rid of Paul. (page 67) Arguably, both texts have a deeper, political, meaning. In Saved we can argue that Bond is writing to protests against the Vietnam conflict, and the injustices that were taking place. We see this as the baby representing the innocent victims; no one cares for the baby, as no one cares for the victims of the conflict. Len witnesses the brutal murder of the baby, but doesnt intervene; as the audience wouldve seen the Vietnam War taking place, and didnt intervene. Arguably it can be seen that in The Wasp Factory Banks is making a political statement. Margaret Thatcher was in power when Banks wrote The Wasp Factory Thatcher famously said, that there is no such thing as society. Frank is the epitome of how people could turn out without societys presence; if someone is isolated from society as Frank was then it can be seen that in both texts, the writers have portrayed society to be an inactive institution. Society is shown as not interacting with the protagonist, unless it is forced to because society is endangered by the characters; this is society ignoring a responsibility it should have. In Saved, society only interacts with the characters when they kill an innocent baby, we then see societys wrath. Though the protagonists do not see society as a threat, Pam remarks that Fred has only been in trouble once or twice before. Yer never bin in trouble before. Juss one or two woundins (page 74) This comment shows that the characters in Saved live in a society that doesnt see the law, a symbol of societal punishment, as something to be concerned with. This is because the characters are outside of society, and they know it. This comment, made by Pam, reflects the type of environment in which she lives; one that doesnt see criminal convictions, nor violence, as a major incident, the totally opposite view that is taken in society. In The Wasp Factory society only interacts with Eric because Eric poses a threat. If Eric was like Frank, and did not pose a known danger to society, then society wouldnt react to his mental distress. This contrasts with Saved. In Saved Pam suffers severe post natal depression after the birth of the baby. Pams depression does not threaten society, so she is not helped. She also receives no support from her mother. Her situation is hopeless. This dump gives me the ump (page 45) In The Wasp Factory Frank narrates to the audience, it makes what we read unreliable, but we do see how Frank interprets things. Frank uses humour when talking of death. ..he drowned, his little legs waggling pathetically as he gulped and squirmed (page 29) This use of humour enforces Franks isolation, because we can see that he has never been in a society that treats death with seriousness. This first person perspective of the deaths has an affect on the audience, because it essentially filters all of the morbidity from the deaths, and leaves Franks humorous view. Whereas in Saved, when the characters talk jokingly of death, the audience simply sees this as wrong, because it emphasises the lack of feeling and emotion of the characters. Colin What a giggle, though Mike Accidents is legal. (page 28) In both texts the wife injures her husband in some way. The fighting, and subsequent injury, can be said to be due to the fact that the couple do not communicate with each other; possibly because they are isolated within their marriage. In Saved, Harry is injured by Mary when the two fight. In The Wasp Factory, Angus is injured by his wife, when she runs him over and breaks his leg. she ran him over and broke his leg quite badly (page 107) This lack of a strong female figure whilst growing up affects the protagonists quite profoundly. In The Wasp Factory, it leaves Frank with a deeply misogynistic view on all women, and in Saved, it leaves Pam with an abnormal view of how a normal family should interact with each other. In both texts the authors have written characters that can be seen to symbolise hope in their respective texts. In The Wasp Factory it can be argued that Frank actually metamorphasises into a symbol of hope. This is towards the end of the text, when Frank has a revelation, and discovers he is actually a woman, and that predestination, a part of his male life, is actually false. Now the door closes, and my journey begins. (page 184) This poignant quote from Frank relates to his past belief in predestination, when he believed that his Wasp Factory showed him things that would happen. The quote shows that Frank now knows that his journey in life is about to begin. It can be also be argued, that Len is the symbol of hope in Saved. Towards the end of the play, Len has integrated with the rest of the family, and is living with them. The coexistence is not one that is filled with happiness, but this is a major step for Lens character, as he has found acceptance. The themes of isolation and hopelessness have been highlighted in this essay, and the link between isolation as a cause of hopelessness has been developed. There is so much hopelessness amongst the characters in both of the texts, but, hope can be seen symbolically in both of the texts, in the form of Len and Frank. We can interpret these symbols of hope in a book teeming with hopelessness, as the authors trying to convey a message to the audience. Arguably, this message from the authors could be the fact that they are trying to say that things are changeable; as long as people try to change their situation and as long as society takes responsibility for the vulnerable.