Dating and the Single Parent Essay

Summary In the book Dating and the Single Parent Ron Deal walks the single parent through the process of dating again. This book is broken into three sections. Section one has five chapters and is titled â€Å"Getting Past the Butterflies and Warm Fuzzes.† In the beginning Deal starts with â€Å"Dating in a Crowd: Dating with Purpose.† (29) With this in mind the reader begins to understand you will be dating the entire family. Deal describes different types of daters, and warns the reader against the â€Å"Consumer daters who want guarantees† (44) about the dates. These consumer daters want the dates to be their all in all and meet their every need. Deal also describes the thought of â€Å"Mirror, Mirror on the Wall; Am I Ready to Date? (47) This section describes â€Å"the impact loss has on you, and your willingness to surrender to God’s direction regarding divorce and remarriage.† (58) While determining if you are ready to date; Deal lists the readiness factors: can you handle being alone, trusting in God, looking at past issues, and asking the questions like, â€Å"What in my past can I not shake?† This is getting yourself and kids ready for dating. While thinking of fear as the main hurdle in beginning to date, Deal suggests you not â€Å"sidestep† (83) your fear but â€Å"acknowledge it.† (83) Not only your fear but how to handle the kids’ fears and concerns in the dating world. Deal explains â€Å"When a parent dates, kids feel the shift in direction away from them and the family; this ignites their fear of more loss.† (98) The second section of the book is called â€Å"Going Fishing† (115) and talks about finding love. â€Å"Finding love in all the right places †¦and in all the wrong ways† (117) talks about defining the  relationship or the DTR; there are three ways to look at relationships; we need to learn when to yield, stop or run with yellow, red and green lights. â€Å"Going deeper† (163) reminds us to think of where we are in life. Deal states â€Å"Single people need that perspective so that won’t overvalue getting married, and married people need that perspective so they won’t lose sight of their purpose in being together.† (165) â€Å"Marital Commitment and Stepfamily Preparation† (181) is the topic of the third section of the book. It is about getting re-engaged and making decisions about getting married. Guidelines are given about what things to look for such as commitment and trust issues, how to be open with the children (young and adult). Some key steps in how to become a blended family are listed. Deal suggests exercises on how to be introduced, recognize loss in your child, planning the wedding and including the children, and telling the ex. This book takes you through the processes of wanting to date again, dating, and choosing the right type of person to date. The next steps are about the engagement, telling families and children you’re getting married and creating a happily blended family. Potential Use for Christian Couples The chapter on â€Å"Yellow Light. Red Light. Green Light.† (141) is a chapter that most pastors need to share with their clients in the premarital counseling. This chapter and the concepts to be taught and learned can save couples from a lot of pain down the road and give additional skills for making a marriage more compatible. â€Å"Yellow lights saying slow down† (143) warm that things are great for now, however when you get married and the honeymoon is over rough times are coming. When you are trying to carefully blend families you need to make sure no one has on â€Å"rose-colored glasses† (145) or is ignoring the bumps in the road that will turn in to mountains later on if not dealt with before the couple gets married. A counselor needs to advise a couple to slow down if â€Å"loneliness or desperation† (146) are detected in the counseling sessions. This could indicate an underlying problem that will come out later in the marriage. The person with one of these disorders may demand that the other person in the relationship try to be their all in all, and no one can be everything to someone. Counselors should consider a postponement of a marriage if one of the clients comes in with any character traits like: â€Å"quick temper, intimidating, anger  reactions, chemical or physical abuse, can’t say no, constantly blaming others, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, problems staying calm, financial problems, disengagement with family, hiding previous relationships, or diagnosed personality disorder.† (147-148) If a person has experienced or is experiencing one of these challenges, this counselor will strongly suggest that it is dealt with before the marriage takes place. One of these problems will cause too much stress for most marriages to overcome. Deal suggests there are red stoplights. If you â€Å"have extreme differences in parenting styles† (151) you need to stop dating. This counselor would agree. Raising children is a very hard job when you agree; however, when you disagree children tend to play one parent off the other causing conflict between the parents. You need to remember you are not only marrying the person, but also the children. Another red light could be the ex-spouse. If he/she causes constant trouble, you will be in constant turmoil in the new marriage and will need to consider canceling your plans to marry. Deal suggests other red flags such as cohabitation. This counselor would agree with Deal that cohabitation leans toward persons â€Å"who have negative attitudes toward marriage, increase their divorce risk by 50%, are less sexually trustworthy, have lower religious commitment, and are tempted to slide into marriage.† (154) Cohabitation is not biblical, in Genesis 2:24 gives us the standard for all marriages and in Matthew 19:5 Jesus tells us marriage is a legal and binding relationship. The â€Å"green light† (159) means everything is good and you can proceed with the dating or marriage plans. In the â€Å"green light† stage you can define your relationship. At this point Deal suggests you can share your relationship with your children. This also is the stage during which it is suggested you take the â€Å"Couple Checkup† (169). There are two advantages to doing it in this stage: first â€Å"it provides you and your partner an objective X ray of your relationship health.† (169) Second â€Å"learning about your weaknesses helps you as a couple target specific ways to improve.† (169) This counselor will encourage couples in the red light zone to take a break and consider not dating any longer. If they are in the yellow light zone this counselor will encourage them to consider looking deeply at what the problems are and working through them before proceeding with the relationship. In the green light zone this counselor will encourage them to be willing to talk about issues when they arise, to be willing to  talk about them, and to work on a compromise. Deal states: â€Å"Confidence calms the heart and reduces anxiety†. (194) This counselor could not agree more, and knowing where you stand in a relationship is the most important element. Solidifying the relationship so both persons know how each other feels and what to expect keeps the green light going. Telling the children if you have children will be important. A plan needs to be made about how to tell them and expect the unexpected. One needs to expect them to be happy and for them to be angry about the decision. Letting the children know what will happen will help them through the fear and anger. Deal does not go into depth about what to do if the families do not want this marriage. What if the families do not like the person you want to marry? This counselor agrees the spouse that was married to the ex ought to tell him/her before the wedding day. Once the wedding day has taken place often times the children are going to be stressed out by this and misbehave. Deal suggests often times when things settle down from the wedding the child parent relationship will work itself out. This is a relationship neither party has had to handle before and it will be new challenges to both the parent and the child. Deal encourages parents to have a united front with the children. (206) If they do not have a â€Å"unified team everything will begin to crumble.† (207) Critique Deal speaks about â€Å"commitment and trust† (187) issues with couples. He explains that marriage is complicated and requires a couple to not be selfish. â€Å"God in his infinite wisdom ask each person to make a covenant that binds them together throughout life,† (187) or â€Å"until death do us part.† (187) Elwell states in the time of Christ a man could â€Å"divorce his wife for the most trivial of reasons† (347) from the â€Å"Hillelite Pharisees.† (347) This would suggest that if you take the side of the Hillelite Pharisees, our no fault divorce laws have been around for centuries. It is a delicate dance to get someone to commit to marriage to you when you are ready to commit to marriage and they will not. Deal gives several ideas: â€Å"Patiently continue dating, wrestle with your impatience, identify any specific concerns, give time for the hesitant person to find resolution, and at some point, the higher desire person will grow weary of waiting.† (188) Deal does later in the book suggest a time line of five years is a reasonable time to wait on  someone. If you have waited for five years and they still have not made a decision but you love them and cannot imagine life without that person do you walk away? Would it not be like a divorce? This counselor would not suggest anyone stay with someone for more than the five years unless they can make a decision to marry or not to marry. Deal speaks about crockpots and blenders in the chapter about â€Å"Preparing for a Good Blend.† The crockpots are those couples who move slowly with low heat,† (208) while the blender couples are those who â€Å"move quickly with high velocity.† (208) Deal states: â€Å"It is far wiser to adopt the crockpot cooking style.† (208) Otherwise slow and study is a much better way to blend a family than trying to quickly trying to force them to be a blended family. In this chapter he gives ideas about how to create stepfamilies. He says: â€Å"Younger children under the age of five may require far less time to soften toward stepparents than those between the ages of ten and fifteen years. Also, on occasion, a stubborn ingredient may resist softening and retain a sour taste. In either case, keep cooking.† This counselor would whole heartedly agree with his wisdom. The younger children are when stepparents arrive into their life, the easier it is to accept t hem. Deal also gives ideas about how to handle situations like: â€Å"getting married, calling a stepfather Daddy, combining holidays and other special-day traditions, and taking pictures as a family.† (209-210) With statistics saying that â€Å"fifty percent of first marriages fail and sixty percent of second marriages fail† (smartmarriages.com) this counselor believes Deal has made great recommendations in his book about how to blend families. Blended families will take work and Deal says that many times in this book. This book is an easy read with thought provoking topics. Some of the topics have a different way of looking at them than traditional thoughts. This book is a must read if you are thinking of remarrying or marrying someone who has been married before. References Deal, R. (2012). Dating and the single parent. Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishing. Eller, W. (2001). Evangelical dictionary of theology. 2n ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House. Marano, H. E., Divorced? Don’t even think of remarrying until you read this. www.smartmarriages.com. Accessed November 8, 2014.

Othello as a Tragic Hero Essay

One of the most obvious focal point of disagreement about Othello is whether Othello was a tragic hero or not according to the classic conception of a tragic hero; whether his characterization, personal attributes make him fall into the domain of Aristotelian concept of tragic hero; Whether or not he possessed a tragic flaw. To Swinburne, Othello was â€Å"the noblest man of man’s making†. (Swinburne)But T. S. Eliot, on the other hand spoke unfavorably of his â€Å"cheering himself up†, (153) and came out with a celebrated critical term â€Å"Bovarysme†. Robert H.  Heilman (1956) comes very close to restating the Eliot position when he says; â€Å"Othello is the least heroic of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes. † (p. 166) The identification of Othello’s hamartia differs from reader to reader and from critic to critic. Some critics are of the view that excessive Egotism and self-confidence of Othello remain the main cause of his tragedy. He harbors unjustified suspicions against Desdemona. He had a trustful nature and he is thorough in his trust of Iago. (Bradley, 1965. p. 213. Jealousy overpowers him and he lacks self-control. It is hardly likely that even a combination of all these would be equal to what Aristotle considered to be a serious hamartia, and he exhibited any of the failing mentioned above. It would hardly be logical to say that the Othello was punished for crime in the yes of the divine. Another view is that the present failings of Othello may be taken to means that he was he was always like that, and his tragedy comes due some inherent or innate unsoundness in his character. However we get no indication of this in the play. The conception of the tragic hero that we gather from Aristotle’s Poetics is that he is a highly esteemed and prosperous man who falls into misfortune because of some serious hamartia i. e. tragic flaw. Aristotle gives the example of Oedipus and Thyestes, which means that according to him, it was Oedipus’ hamartia that was directly responsible for his fall. Although the meaning of hamartia is far from certain, its most frequent applications is in the sense of false moral judgment, or even purely intellectual errors. Among Greeks no sharp distinction between the two existed. It is generally believed that according to Aristotle the hamartia off Oedipus consists in some moral faults and it has been tried to identify various moral faults in Oedipus. Othello also possessed these moral flaw and his tragedy only comes due to these moral flaws, So according to Aristotelian conception, Othello is a tragic hero as he is a larger than life character and has tragic flaws that bring his destruction. Distinguished Professor Butcher has identified four possible range of meaning of Aristotle‘s Hamartia i. . tragic flaw. The foremost of these connotations is an error due to unavoidable ignorance of circumstances whereas an error caused by unawareness of conditions that might have been identified and for that reason to some extent morally blameworthy is another manifestation of the sense in which the term hamartia was used by Aristotle. The third sense is â€Å"A fault or error where the act is conscious and intentional, but not deliberate. Such acts are committed in anger or passion. Where as fourth one is â€Å"A fault of character distinct, on the one hand, from an isolated error, and, on the other, from the vice which has its seat in the depraved will†¦a flaw of character that is not tainted with a vicious purpose. † This essay will try to analyze all these manifestation of tragic flaws present in the character of Othello to manifest that he was a tragic hero. The character of Othello possesses an aura of personality that makes him distinguished as well naive and unrefined as compared with other characters in the play and other Shakespearean protagonists. That is the sole reason that why he fell a prey to Iago’s plot. Iago told Roderigo, â€Å"O, sir, content you. I follow him [Othello] to serve my turn upon him â€Å"(I, i lines 38-9). Iago explains that only follow Othello to certain extent. A rudimentary supposition is that as the murder of Othello’s wife Desdemona is the result of deceitfulness of Iago, so himself remained a victim to the evil genius of Iago. Othello’s wrath was a product of his impulsiveness, the inherent flaw in his character, but that was utilized and triggered by the machination of Iago. The offense of Iago – to conspire the demise of the Moor – is worse since it is embedded in a shrewd mind with organized attempt whereas the wrongdoing of Othello was the result of his naivete. He was blindfolded by a thorn in the heart and mind. But his sin can not be justified only on this ground as there were various methods to check the blameworthiness. However, it can be illustrated that Othello permitted himself to be influenced by Iago’s proposition of the unfaithfulness of Desdemona. Iago only provides a justification that was needed by Othello. Some critics are of the view that Desdemona’s murder is an outcome of Othello’s excessive arrogance and his impulsiveness to decision-making. A. C. Bradley ponders over the dispositions and nature of Othello and says in this regard; â€Å"The sources of danger in this character are revealed but too clearly by the story. In the first place, Othello’s mind, for all its poetry, is very simple. He is not observant. His nature tends outward. He is quite free from introspection, and is not given to reflection. Emotion excites his imagination, but it confuses and dulls his intellect. On this side he is the very opposite of Hamlet, with whom, however, he shares a great openness and trustfulness of nature. In addition, he has little experience of the corrupt products of civilised life, and is ignorant of European women. † (p. 217) Despite this major flaw, he possessed some distinct personality traits. His has the capacity to build positive and reciprocal relationships and to take a number of steps to persuade. He possesses the capability to tailor an approach to appeal to the needs of a particular audience and an example of this relationship building is his genuine companionship with Iago. But again this trait of Othello is used against him as Iago takes advantage of his trust and design more evil plots against him. Although Othello possesses some evil propensities but he is capable of preventing these base and evil instincts to dominate him. In order to locate the degree and gravity of his sins, his motives fro his evil actions must be taken into consideration. It can be argued that his sins are product of weak mental faculties and some inherent flaws in his character. It was further enhanced by the manipulation of Iago instead of his pride. His action of murdering Desdemona was also not due to deficiency of confidence as he was a strong leader as manifested by his ability to command military and various other states affairs. But his leadership does not mean that he was forfeited against personal fantasies and whims of imagination. Othello’s basic dilemma was that he was in a totally new socio-cultural milieu. He was in a new city with a new bride who was graceful and young. Furthermore, Othello was in deep love with her does not know her well. He was uncertain about Desdemona decision to select him as her husband, and can only comprehend one clarification, â€Å"She lov’d me for the dangers I had pass’d. † (I,iii,167) He is aware of the prevailing environment of prejudice and bias in Venice and without doubt must inquire why Desdemona would against her own norms and values and associate white Venetians by marrying an outsider. All these added suspicion in his minds before Iago begins his conniving plot. Although Desdemona was an epitome of love and care for her, but his preconceived notions cannot enable him to believe in her love unreservedly. His response to his skeptic mind is to put Desdemona on a pedestal, making her an â€Å"emblem of purity and trustworthiness† ‘Tis not to make me jealous/ To say my wife Is fair, feeds well, loves company, Is free of speech, sings, plays, and dances well. / Where virtue Is, these are more virtuous. Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw/ The smallest fear or doubt of her revolt, For she had eyes, and chose me. (3. 3. 180) Othello arrived at the conclusion that Desdemona’s consideration and virtue only capacitated her to feel affection for the unlovable — an unstable culmination originating from his low self-worth. When Iago cast away this fictitious idealism with his evil designs, he is merely strengthening what Othello considers profoundly to be thoroughly possible i. e. that Desdemona could love another man. Iago is on hand to verify Othello’s primary doubts: Ay, there’s the point! as (to be bold with you)/ Not to affect many proposed matches/ Of her own clime, complexion, and degree, / Whereto we see in all things nature tends †¦ Her will, recoiling to her better judgement,/ May fall to match you with her country forms, / And happily repent. (3. 3. 228) So all these facts, arguments and supported evidence clearly manifest that Othello was a lager than life character and his tragic flaw contributes toward his tragedy. It is both an amalgam of self-infliction and circumstances beyond his control. He is a noble character but when things go wrong and pressures builds up, Othello’s inadequacies are revealed like the cracks in the dam. This makes him a tragic hero according to very conception of Aristotle. A. C. Bradley refutes the point of view that Othello was not noble and has no characteristics of a tragic hero. He is of the view; This character is so noble, Othello’s feelings and actions follow so inevitably from it and from the forces brought to bear on it, and his sufferings are so heart-rending, that he stirs, I believe, in most readers a passion of mingled love and pity which they feel for no other hero in Shakespeare, and to which not even Mr Swinburne can do more than justice. Yet there are some critics and not a few readers who cherish a grudge against him. They do not merely think that in the later stages of his temptation he showed a certain obtuseness, and that, to speak pedantically, he acted with unjustifiable precipitance and violence; no one, I suppose, denies that. (p. 221)

Tolerance and World Peace

Tolerance and World Peace What is the meaning of tolerance or world peace? Tolerance is the ability to the fundamental of other cultures without using individuals or own culture to compare others. World peace is the freedom, peace, and happiness between all nations and people. The two articles, â€Å"Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism† by Martha Nussbaum and â€Å"Don’t Forget the Little Plattons† by Michael McConnel, explains the tolerance and cultures. In my own understanding from the 2 articles, I think patriotism is opposite from the tolerance.However, the more patriotic the citizen is towards their own country, they will become less tolerant of other cultures. Nussbaum argues that all citizens should act cosmopolitanism to be sure there are truth, peace and justice in the world. Everyone should be able to â€Å"come together as a single body†1 (Nussbaum 1996, 10) to unite with other fellow human beings and not categorize each other into groups. This will lead to an increase of world peace. There is a quote when Nussbaum agree with this, â€Å"It is this community that is, fundamentally, the source of our moral obligations.With respect to the most basic moral values, such as justice, ‘We should regard all human beings as our fellow citizens and neighbors’. We should regard our deliberations as, first and foremost, deliberations about human problems of people in particular concrete situations, not problems growing out of a national identity that is altogether unlike that of others. â€Å" 2 (Nussbaum 1996, 7) This quote is referring to when the human that are living in the world today should observe being as a citizen for their country and neighbours within their community.When the citizen is devoting himself to the nation, it is most likely for the person to be more ignorant of the values and rights to be followed around the world. This is why there is no world peace because citizen would rather to focus on his or her own values and rights. There are other options for students as an advantage to be learning about other cultures and beliefs. â€Å"As students here grow up, is it sufficient for them to learn that they are above all citizens of the United States but that they ought to respect the basic human rights of citizens of India, Bolivia, Nigeria and Norway†¦Ã¢â‚¬  3 (Nussbaum 1996, 6)To bring changes to the tolerance level of nationalities is the students to be taught that they are the citizens of the world, not the citizen of their country. If the teachers in school taught the students more about other cultures from different countries this will build more tolerance education in the students. They would have better understanding of their beliefs and cultures and also others too. This will benefit a difference within the nationalities about tolerance.There are three arguments for the second concept of education from the Stoics that Nussbaum explain about tolerance and a bit of world p eace. Firstly, â€Å"they hold that they study of humanity as it is realized in the whole world is valuable for self-knowledge: we see ourselves more clearly when we see our ways in relation to those of other reasonable people. †4 (Nussbaum 1996, 8) I agree with him because we are here in this world for a reason, we are here to learn about the world as one society, world peace.World peace will make it easier for people to relate to others to expand more self-knowledge like self-actualization. Secondly, â€Å"†¦that we will be better table to solve our problems if we face them in this way. †5 (Nussbaum 1996, 8) This is true because looking in the past of the history from different politics has been cause from assassinations and wars. The best example is Hilter and his Nazi army when they try to take over Europe by killing people that are different such as being black, disable, Jews and more. We try to avoid these dangers by decreasing large groups in the world comm unity.Finally, they talk about that â€Å"†¦stance of the kosmou polites is intrinsically valuable, for it recognizes in people what is especially fundamental about them, most worthy of respect and acknowledgement†¦Ã¢â‚¬  6 (Nussbaum 1996, 8) If the world is seen as one society or entity, citizen will be tolerance about their cultural difference. They will focus more on what they would have in common. â€Å"These qualities may be less colourful than local or national traditions and identities†¦Ã¢â‚¬  7 (Nussbaum 1996, 8) We as individual still keep our culture, traditions, religion, and ethnicity even though the world is going to unite as one society.Even though the world comes together as world peace, it does not represent that we will not be able to undefined ourselves of whom we are. The point of this is to not separate each citizen from our community we are part of. But, we should hold the humanity that is part of it. This is how we should visualize ourselves as, â€Å"Our task as citizens of the world will be to draw the circles somehow toward the center. Making all human beings more like our fellow city-dwellers, and so on. We need to give up our special affections and identifications, whether ethnic or gender-based or religious.We need not think of them as superficial, and we may think for our identity as constituted partly by them. † 8 (Nussbaum 1996, 9) When I read Nussbaum’s article, I thought ‘ Isn’t Nussbaum being to self-centered? ’ But when I over read it again I understood her arguments and points she was pointing out relating to tolerance. On the other hand, McConnell’s article had also suitable points he wanted to argue about. With McConnell’s point, I agree to what he is explaining about tolerance that it does not come from the educational wise but it comes from home whereas family and older generation explain their own culture.Most of my point of view of different culture or belief did come from teaching in school when I took a World Religion course in grade 10. I learn a lot more about other beliefs and cultures more than usual. It was interesting because most culture have their own traditions that are practically the same traditions than other cultures. I also learn the ideas from my family and realtives. I do believe that the students should learn and understand the cultural teachings in school, so that they have a strong influence that could possibly change their perceptions. They key to moral education is to fuse the sentiments (especially love) to teaching of the good. We begin to do good because we love our preceptors (especially our parents); we want to please them and we want to be like them. We continue to do good because that is the kind of person we have grown up to be. † 9 (McConnel1996, 79) McConnell is trying to say in this quote is that tolerance start at home and than become more involving with the community. He also said that one could be part of the local community even though cosmopolitanism states that.But, it cannot be forgotten that the main purpose is to look at the world as a one society, world peace. Things will have to be accepted in some days where as it is possible that the communities maybe forgotten. To the conclusion, the 2 articles â€Å"Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism† by Martha Nussbaum and â€Å"Don’t Forget the Little Plattons† by Michael McConnel, had made excellent point of view of their own opinion about tolerance and cultures. I agree more of Nussbaum side because he stated that the world would be a better place if we all became more tolerant of other beliefs.This will help the world to have peace and as one culture. A way to change this is to change the teaching in school, whereas students can learn more about other cultures. However, the students’ opinions will change with the influence when the parent or relative tell the stories about their own culture. Another argument is the Stoics when the world was to get ride of smaller political groups that the war of dangers would be reduced. Both sides of these two arguments had made perfect sense points about the author’s opinion about tolerance and world peace.It is hard to select which to select as the best points, but in my opinion I liked Nassbaum points because she explained the benefits. On the other hand, McConnell explained the potentials. Nassbaum leaves me with better agreement on his article. Notes 1. Martha Nussbaum et al. , â€Å"Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism,† in For Love of Country: Debating the limits of patriotism, ed. Joshua Cohen (Boston: Beacon Press, 1996), 10. 2. Nussbaum, 7. 3. Nussbaum, 6. 4. Nussbaum, 8. 5. Nussbaum, 8. 6. Nussbaum, 8. 7. Nussbaum, 8. 8. Nussbaum, 9. 9.Micheal McConnell et al. , â€Å"Don’t Forget the Little Platoons,† in For Love of Country: Debating the limits of patriotism, ed. Joshua Cohen (Boston: Beacon Press, 199 6), 79. Works Cited McConnell, Michael. et al. â€Å"Don’t Forget the Little Platoons. † In For Love of Country: Debating the limits of patriotism, edited by Joshua Cohen, 78-84. Boston: Beacon Press, 1996. Nussbaum, Martha, et al. â€Å"Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism. † In For Love of Country: Debating the limits of patriotism, edited by Joshua Cohen, 2-17. Boston: Beacon Press, 1996.

The Black Death Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Black Death - Essay Example 3 Not so the pneumonic plague, which attacked the respiratory system and killed virtually 100 percent of its victims within 2 or 3 days.4 A more rare form, the septicemic, also killed virtually 100 percent of its victims, killing them within hours.5 A large number of people died during these two years, and that death rate cut across population and socioeconomic boundaries. It spread by human contact with remarkable speed - "whenever those suffering from it mixed with people who were still unaffected, it would rush upon these with the speed of a fire racing through dry or oily substances that happened to be placed within its reach....it also seemed to transfer the sickness to anyone touching the clothes or other objects which had been handled or used by victims."6 With the speed and ease of transmission that was shown by this pestilence, the disease was an equal opportunity killer. One of the striking aspects of the plague was its effect as a kind of leveler between the peasant and ruling classes. Because the plague swept across socioeconomic boundaries, taking both consumers and producers, peasants commanded more of a wage while manorial incomes went down. This is in evidenced in the fact that labor laws were put into place to try to halt the trend of paying serfs more, stating that Lords who payed higher wages and the serfs who accepted them would be punished, as sign that "the new market forces created by the Black Death were so irresistible that only more draconian measures could halt them.†7 The economic necessities that the Black Death imposed include such progressive ideas as "emancipation higher wages and living standards, greater land-holdings, and the labor-saving devices that became available."8 Giovanni Boccaccio, a literary figure, described the servants who remained as greedy, stating that they were "in short supply

Analyzing the American Revolution and the French Revolution Essay

Analyzing the American Revolution and the French Revolution - Essay Example At face value, it might not appear as if the American Revolution in the French Revolution shares much in common. However, as a function of analyzing the commonalities and dissimilarities that these two historical occurrences share, the focus of this brief analysis will be to highlight the core commonalities that prompted both the American and French populations to actively resist the level of control that it been placed upon them by the authorities at that time; the British Empire and the French monarchy respectively. Through such an understanding and interpretation,  it is the hope of this author that the reader will gain a more informed level of appreciation for the causal factors that ultimately precipitated the rise of modern democracy within the Western world. Firstly, it must be understood that both the American Revolution and the French Revolution were partially predicated upon the economic hardships that both of these stakeholders were experiencing. In the case of the American colonies, the seven years war/French Indian war had created an economic hardship that the British Empire sought to escape from (Sherman, 2001). The most logical means through which the British Empire could pay off the massive amount of debt that it had accrued during this conflict was to raise taxes upon the colonies that it administered (Brunkhorst, nd). Naturally, unaccustomed to additional duties, tariffs, and taxes, the American population became frustrated with the hardship that living a frontier life, in addition to being expected to pay for the King’s most recent war, was too much; lending these individuals to rise up against the British overlords in the hopes that the economic situation and the overall quality/liberty that an individual could have w ithin the 13 colonies could be maximized.

Economics - Public Utilities Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Economics - Public Utilities - Term Paper Example Then a critical evaluation of empirical studies in this regard is done and country experiences are also discussed. The main countries included in the analysis are USA, UK, South Africa, Lebanon, Latin American nations, MENA nations, India, China, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The last section concludes the essay on the basis of the discussion given. The essay shows that initial conditions existing at the time of privatization process, the nature of privatization, the regulatory practices existing in a nation all determine the impact of privatization process in a nation. In the countries however, most evidence support our thesis statement in this regard. Telecommunications has been one of the rapidly growing sectors in countries all over the world. This sector provides significant contribution to the Gross Domestic Product of many nations (Li and Xu, 2002).Moreover, the sector contributes to other businesses by reducing their transaction costs and thus creating positive externalities. Thus telecommunication sector is considered to be of much economic and technological importance (Li and Xu, 2004). There had been significant changes in this sector transforming from a state owned, state operated an monopolistically behaved sector to a private owned and liberalized one since the 1980s with the privatization of British Telecom and the introduction of competition in the US long distance services (Wallsten, 2001).Based on the theoretical perspective son privatization, it has been argued that the privatization of telecommunication sector will result in increasing the sector’s efficiency and overall performance. The empirical studies show the results varying in different countries. Given this background, this essay critically evaluates the privatization process of telecommunications all over the world and its impact. This essay is

IKEAs Resources and Competences in Developing Competitive Advantage Essay

IKEAs Resources and Competences in Developing Competitive Advantage - Essay Example With specific references to its competencies, it is apparent that since its inception, IKEA has always shown a great concern for people and the environment. This is based on its vision which is to create a better everyday life for many people. Indeed, its concern for people and the environment enhances its proper use of resources. Thus, it endeavors to keep its cost as minimum as possible. The IKEA entrepreneurial culture is enduring. For instance, its founder Ingvar Kamprad exhibited elements of entrepreneurship early in his childhood. As a fact, entrepreneurs are usually born and/or made. This way, the environment in which IKEA’s founder was raised up in nurtured his entrepreneurial skills. The Smalanders for instance, are famed for their informality and entrepreneurial spirit. For instance, His aunt would send him large quantities of matches which he would sell in small quantities at a lucrative price. Thus, he was exposed to an entrepreneurial culture early in his life. The leadership and organizational structure of IKEA are also ideal. Peter Hogsted, the CEO is subscribed to the idea of cost-cutting and promotes informal structure within the organization. Through the Hawthorne experiments, Elton Mayo, a renowned behavioral theorist was able to affirm that work satisfaction and performance among workers is basically not economic. It is rather more contingent on working conditions and attitudes. This includes proper communication, positive management response and encouraging employees to work hard by motivating them.

ConocoPhillips Internal Business Analysis Essay

ConocoPhillips Internal Business Analysis - Essay Example ConocoPhillips Corporation was founded in 1875 as Continental Oil and Transportation Co. which at that time was one of the first Petroleum makers (ConocoPhillips, 2007). The company has grown a lot in 132 years and in 2006 it had annual sales of over $188 billion, operates in over 40 countries and employees nearly 38,000 people. It is a publicly traded fortune 500 company that has achieved tremendous growth during the 21st century. Its main line of business includes petroleum production and refining, natural gas, chemicals and plastics. The company is recognized worldwide for its technological expertise, deepwater exploration and production, reservoir management and exploitation, 3D seismic technology, high-grade petroleum coke upgrading and sulfur removal (ConocoPhillips, 2007). The company has a very strong crude oil, natural gases and liquid gases operation. It is its strongest line of business. In 2006 the company produced 976,000 barrel of crude oil per day (DB), 4.97 billion cubic feet of gas per day (BCFC), and 136,000 DB of gas liquids daily (Annual Report, 2007). The company has a competitive advantage in this market because they control all sides of the supply chain. They explore, produce, refine, distribute and market the product. They have great logistics which is helped by its physical presence in 40 nations. They own 69.5 million net developed and underdeveloped acres of land in 23 countries for production and exploration purposes (Annual Report, 2007). ConocoPhillips Corporation extended its market share in the natural gases market by acquiring Burlington Resources. The move was also extremely beneficial because it allowed the company to gain access to life-long reserve of natural gases in the North American market. The company has some weakness and faces certain threats related to industry conditions. As a publicly traded company ConocoPhillips Corporation has lost access to direct foreign investments funds

Heinrich's theories Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Heinrich's theories - Article Example Freud A. Manuele, the writer of this article reports that Heinrich’s law about the industrial accidents and its causes does not apply to the current situations and thinking. In his article He quotes work of different people who has worked on the same area. He is of the view that knowledge derived from those works seem to have been evolved in the aspects of how accidents take place and their contributing factors.Heinrich by calling him the ‘pioneer’ in the field of accident prevention and considering him to be the promoter of occupational safety and health. Though the article is about dislodging Heinrich’s law it also seems to appreciate his work to be the literature and background to the study which is the positive aspect to Heinrich’s work.This article continues with Heinrich, focusing on the negative aspects of his work by stating his work to be unsound and not valid because of the un- authentication of the kind of methodology and survey documents used by him for the analysis.The Article considers Heinrich’s work to be a non- researched work and makes a call that such work should not be used as a source, but the focus should be driven towards the current knowledge. He supports his view by quoting approved researches and work done on industrial accidents. For example he quotes Walton who is of the view that 85% of the problems in any operation are within the system and are dependably of management, while only 15% lie with the worker which is opposite to what Heinrich’s point of view.

Western Governors University Essay Example for Free

Western Governors University Essay According to The Levine Institute (2013), the term globalization can be defined as â€Å"a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations.† Globalization and modernization have been occurring for thousands of years around the world. This can be further explained as the influence that modern nations have on non-developed nations and cultures. The influences that modern nations have can either be related to direct or indirect contact. Both globalization and modernization can have positive and negative impacts on cultural practices. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of globalization on native non-Western cultural practices. Some examples of globalization on native non-Western cultural practices include the influence of cable television in India, the booming commerce in China, and the factor that globalization has played in South Korea’s growth and economic success. While some have had success and felt positive economic effects of globalization, the influence of television in India may have negatively impacted the previously religious and spiritual cultural that existed before the globalization period. This cultural shift in India was influenced partially by the World Trade Organization. The World Trade Organization assisted in lowering import taxes which allowed India to economically benefit by being able to produce products at a much reduced price for the American consumers. The cultural in India significantly changed during this period and while it was previously uncommon to see unrelated women and men living together before the economic shift, it is currently common practice. The economic shift that was directed related to globalization may have also been responsible for unintentionally influencing an increase in violence over the past decade. Another example of globalization takes place in Japan. When McDonald’s restaurant first came to Japan in May 1971, a phenomenon was created by introducing the concept of Western â€Å"fast food† to a foreign country (Chang, 2011). Before the introduction of McDonald’s, Japan cultural had centered on family food preparation and rituals, such as obento. Obento is prepared by Japanese mothers and â€Å"The tradition becomes part of the social education of both parent and child and creates a connection between home and school for a youngster’s earliest forays away from family† (Gordon, 2005). Japanese mothers would spend nearly an hour crafting the elaborate obento for their child to take to school every day. Teachers would judge the obento and ensure that specific rules were followed during the crafting of the meal, such as the food being as handmade as possible, appetizing, and aesthetically appealing (Gordon, 2005). In Japan, obento symbolized the mother’s responsibility to food preparation and a child’s responsibility to education. The introduction of McDonald’s took some time to spread in Japan but cleaver marketing strategies aided in changing the face of fast food. According to Chang (2011), â€Å"McDonald’s marketed as a stylish place to go to with family and friends. They have also included special menus for Japanese customers such as American regional burgers and teriyaki burgers.† McDonald’s also added a variety of unique toys that were specific to the Japanese culture in kid’s happy meals. Since the introduction of fast food, Japan’s obesity rates have risen tremendously. The director of the Drug Discovery Research Center at Kyoto University, Gozoh Tsujimoto, blames Westernized fast food for Japanese obesity rates rising threefold from 1962 to 2002 (Hooper, 2012). Tsujimoto attributes the 20% Japanese obesity rating related to â€Å"Lifestyle factors have become Westernized. Especially, food has become Westernized – and mainly high-calorie and high fat† (Hooper, 2012). McDonald’s now has over 3,300 restaurants in Japan, which is the largest number of stores outside of the United States (Chang, 2011). In addition to obesity and food preparation practices, the introduction of fast food in Japan has also caused a large increase in the consumption of red meat. The older and younger generations in Japan responded differently to the influence of fast food. The older generations continue to eat at home more often, however, the younger generations continue to eat out more and they have shown an increase in health issues, such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome (Hooper, 2012). While some professionals continue to blame the direct influence of Westernization for these unintentional health concerns, globalization is unavoidable and can impact a culture both positively and negatively. Japan has positively benefitted from globalization in ways of technological advances and automobiles but perhaps was negatively affected by the phenomenon of fast food. Globalization is controversial. According to The Levine Institute (2013), â€Å"Proponents of globalization argue that it allows poor countries and their citizens to develop economically and raise their standards of living.† Globalization in India greatly helped the economy but perhaps hurt the values of the cultural. However, opponents of globalization argue â€Å"that the creation of an unfettered international free market has benefited multinational corporations in the Western world at the expense of local enterprises, local cultures, and common people† (The Levine Institute, 2013). Globalization is affected by many variables such as age, family, religion, and technology. Whether it is intentional or unintentional, direct or indirect, planned or not planned, finding the right balance to provide positive effects is difficult. References Chang, S. (2011). McDonald’s in Japan. Retrieved from http://apanews.si.edu/2011/09/20/mcdonalds-in-japan/ Gordon, M. (2005). Obento. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/opb/meaningoffood/food_and_family/obento/ Hooper, R. (2012). Obesity on the rise as Japanese eat more Western-style food. Retrieved from http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/03/11/national/obesity-on-the-rise-as-japanese-eat-more-western-style-food/#.UmFqEvlJN1I The Levin Institute. (2013). What is globalization? Retrieved from http://www.globalization101.org/what-is-globalization

Corporate Governance Failures And Scandals In Recent History Accounting Essay

Corporate Governance Failures And Scandals In Recent History Accounting Essay In this essay, we are going to contemplate law, which is one of the most fundamental jurisdictional areas at present. Value will be given to the unraveling of the significant area of company law. One should acknowledge that in the past two centuries, several corporate collapses have overturn the facts in the business world and brought many changes in the corporate field in UK and abroad. In approaching this issue, the government seeks to prevent the repetition of accounting scandals and fraud. It introduces governmental regimes, that will set the framework in the UK corporate system. We are going to examine and analyze the basic legal issues arising with the application of the Combined Code and the UK legislation and whether their usefulness to the objectives of a company, is a fact or whether is a virtual reality. In assessing this question, it is important to state that a good corporate governance is an indispensable demand for a large organization. A corporate governance, is considered to be the framework of rules, relationships, systems and processes within and by which authority is exercised and controlled in corporations, while it encompasses the mechanisms by which companies and those in control, are held to account  [1]  . The main purpose of corporate governance is the facilitation of effective, entrepreneurial and prudent management that will be able to deliver the long-term success of the company  [2]  . The objectives of a company, are achieved through the completion of the procedures of corporate governance principles, that are set out in the Combined Code. Corporate Scandals Corporate governance failures and scandals in recent history, must be taken into account, in order to comprehend the reasons that have led to the creation of the Combined Code. The scandals came into the light involving well-known firms such as Maxwell, that was brought to the attention of the general public for problems associated with the management of pension funds and their security  [3]  . Another major scandal was the Enron scandal, who concerned several parties who gained personal benefits from illegal accounting procedures. In addition, WorldCom corporate scandal was the one where accounting irregularities led the firm to bankruptcy. In Polly peck the owner was accused of fraud because he owed a vast amount of money to investors. BCCI was found guilty of accusations of deception and the laundering of money. An important example which showed the need for an effective system was Parmalat which was similar to Enrons. The former events have highlighted serious shortcoming in worldwide pension legislation, and were behind policy-making throughout the decade  [4]  . Committees These unforeseen corporate scandals gave impetus to governments and regulatory bodies to draft a Code that will guard the future of companies from situations such as these. Several committees were formed, concerning the development of corporate governance which is considered the internal means by which corporations are operated and controlled  [5]  . Initially, the Cadbury  [6]  Committee drafted The Report of the Committee on the Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance which encouraged the firms to alter the structure and responsibilities of the board of directors, to increase the value and effectiveness of the audit and the relationship between the board and shareholders and concerned the responsibilities of institutional shareholders  [7]  . The Cadbury committee was followed by the Greenbury  [8]  committee, where it was acknowledged that the examination of directors remuneration was a necessary demand. The Hampel  [9]  committee that took place in 1998, rev iewed and updated the earlier recommendations by the two previous committees. This Final report emphasized on principles of good governance rather than explicit rule in order to reduce the regulatory burden on companies and avoid box-ticking so as to be flexible enough to be applicable to all companies  [10]  . Furthermore, the Higgs  [11]  and Smith  [12]  Reviews formulated the Combined Code 2002. According to the Higgs Review the effectiveness and independence of non-executive directors are of importance, while with the Smith Review the role of the audit committee is established. Corporate Governance Code 2010 The recommendations and principles of the committees on good corporate governance, have developed the Combined code. The Combined Code was first issued in 1998 and had received many updates since then. The Code that is in effect now is the Corporate Governance Code 2010. The Revised Code sets out standards of good practice in relation to board leadership and effectiveness, remuneration, accountability and relations with shareholders  [13]  . It sets out principles designed to encourage shareholders, non-executive directors and auditors to accept their legal responsibilities and scrutinize the stewardship of companies  [14]  . The Code is considered to be a voluntary code, which applies to an extent in any company that chooses to adhere to it  [15]  . The committees made several recommendations. At first, they recommended that every company should be headed by an effective board, which will be collectively responsible for the success of the company and will provide entrepreneurial leadership, in setting the companys strategic aims  [16]  . In the Code it is mentioned that the board must have a sufficient size where the balance of skills and experience is the appropriate for the requirements of the business  [17]  . Accordingly, it suggested that the responsibilities at the head of the company should be divided between the running of the board and the executive responsibility for the running of the companys business  [18]  . In addition the roles of chairman and chief executive should be divided  [19]  . An illustration that supports this, is the scandals that were created by the Polly Peck, were Asil Nadir the owner abused the power that was in his hands. This is considered to be a distinguished provision and if it is followed then balance of power will take place and similar situation will not be repeated. In the Corporate Governance Code the issue of remuneration is being highlighted. The code provides that the role of the remuneration committee is an integral component for the corporate governance process and companies must go through a formal process in considering the developing policy on executive remuneration  [20]  . It provides that the board should establish a remuneration committee of independent non-executive directors, which should make available its terms of reference, explaining its role and the authority delegated to it by the board  [21]  . The remuneration committee should consult the chairman or the chief executive about their proposals relating to the remuneration of other executive directors  [22]  . In Tyco scandal the chairman along with the chief executive were involved in fraudulent practices that were estimated at the loss of million dollars and were used for personal benefit. Apo4ii The Cadbury Report referred to the important duties and responsibilities of an independent audit committee over the processes of corporate governance. The board should establish an audit committee of at least 3 non-executive directors, each of whom is independent and financially literate  [23]  . The audit committee assists the board in fulfilling its statutory and fiduciary oversight responsibilities relating to the companys financial accounting, reporting and controls  [24]  . The report of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Improving the Effectiveness of Corporate Audit in 1999 pointed out that the audit committee should encourage procedures that promote accountability among the internal auditor, and the outside auditors , ensuring that management properly develops and adheres to a sound system of internal control. An audit committee is designed to provide a level of assurance within the scope of corporate governance. In light of Enron and similar situations, scrutiny of audit c ommittee performance is likely to increase, therefore it is more important than ever to ensure that audit committees are satisfying at least the basic standards of conduct  [25]  . Evaluation of the Corporate Governance Code In the Corporate Governance Code importance needs to be given to the non-executive directors (NEDs). They were introduced by the Combined Code in order to prevent any future corporate governance problems. Each board should have non-executive directors  [26]  . NEDs have a crucial role in the operation of the board as members of a unitary board. In spite their knowledge and skills, they should constructively challenge and help develop proposals on strategy, they should examine the performance of management in meeting agreed goals and objectives and finally satisfy themselves on the integrity of financial information  [27]  . A fundamental quality that a NED needs to posses is independence  [28]  . This had become essential after the Enron and WorldCom scandals, because of the sensitiveness around remuneration, accuracy of financial disclosure and consequence of flawed strategic decisions  [29]  . Being independent means being capable of exercising objective judgment to task where there is a potential conflict of interest  [30]  . The crucial issue is whether NEDs are independent. They are appointed by executives and shareholders and it is accepted that most of them are considered to be from the same background as the executives and therefore to have a more friendly relationship between them. This might affect their performance because if a problem occurs they might overlook it because of the more friendly association. NEDs need to be objective and not to be affected by additional factors. At the beginning, it seemed to be distinctly effective, since they would ensure the directors actions and the company in general, in order not to give impetus to imminent scandals. However, we can state that they are not considered as a great solution since the work is not so effective. Furthermore, the shareholders effective communication needs to be evaluated. According to the principle there should be a dialogue with shareholders based on the mutual understanding of objectives  [31]  . It is considered very essential that the board is given the opportunity to communicate with shareholders. This will achieve a better governance because the aims and scopes of shareholders will be heard and hence comprehended by the board. Shareholders and the board, can have the potential to be each others greatest source of development. Thus, by reinforcing each others opinion will result to great solutions of numerous concerns and this will accomplish better governance strategies. Additionally, a comply or explain basis is used when applying the Code on Corporate Governance. This approach was forwarded by the Cadbury Committee. According to this approach companies were obliged to either indicate whether they achieved to comply with the code in their annual reports or otherwise explain any areas of non-compliance  [32]  . This approach is not considered to be legally binding instead it is voluntary. Companies have the right to choice, yet when they choose not to implement the Code, a rational reason must be given to the shareholders since they are going to be judged by it. The area of non-compliance is not very clear instead it is critical, but there is not an obligation to comply because the Code is not legally enforced. However the Code provides flexibility for those who choose to apply it  [33]  . Therefore this needs to be examined for a more effective work of the Code, nonetheless the comply or explain mechanism can achieve a good governance struct ure . The Code has raised the standards in the field of corporate governance. Through its implementation, it has  become effective for several companies. From the first time it was introduced since now it has received many updates, in order to reach perfection. Nevertheless, the various principles provided by the Code need to be critically observed and improved. It is very important to signify that corporate scandals have been reduced, yet they are not vanished. Regulators need to focus on existing problems and provide major developments of unclear areas of the Code. Conclusion As has been shown, several issues arising from the application of the Combined Code and the legislative framework have been analyzed and embodied in the essay. Their extensive investigation, helped us root out whether the government actions in achieving satisfactory corporate governance procedures, can be established. Consequently, the Combined Code has improved the corporate governance standards, yet there are several inadequate areas that need to be developed. Concurrently, it is essential to justify that in order to promote a good governance, all aspects of the Code need to be effectively welcomed and applied, with both knowledge and awareness of their usefulness, by the corporate system. A combination of the right people at the right place along with the current governance regime, can constitute the vital ingredients that over time, will ensure a successful company.

The Break Up Of Austria Hungary History Essay

The Break Up Of Austria Hungary History Essay In 1867 a dualist structure of Austro-Hungary came into existence in substitution with the former sole Austrian Empire (1804-67). This was the time when Austria came weak in strength and lost power, as it had gone through wars against Italian Peninsula (1859) and the states of German Confederation (1866). Besides these wars some other factors were also the cause such as constitutional changes which was causing continuous Hungarian frustration with rule from Vienna on growing national awareness in the other nationalities of the Austrian Empire. This frustration with Austrian rule had increased with time within Hungary which also caused Hungarian liberal revolution (1848-49). In the late 1850s, a huge quantity of Hungarians who joined their hands in the revolution agreed to accept the Habsburg monarchy. This took it as it will deliver the full right of internal independence to Hungary with common rights of defence and foreign affairs to both Austria and Hungary. At the time the Emperor Franz Joseph commenced comprising efforts with the Hungarian upper class and gained their support. Further the Hungarian leaders claimed Emperors coronation as King of Hungary and a separate parliament at Budapest with authorities to endorse rules and regulations. (H. Kohn, 1961) The creation of semi-independent Hungary caused the ascending a forceful ethnic Hungarian Magyar identity within the Kingdom of Hungary. At that stage the other minorities the Romanian and Slav began to dislike the government support to the Magyars. The same situation happened in the Empire of Austria as well as a stress was widely spread amongst the ethnic German and Czech citizens. Furthermore, ethnic issues got increased in new independent Romania and Serbia due to awareness of national identity. By the beginning of the 20th century the problem of disaffected ethnic groups had dominated the political situation in central and Eastern Europe for some 50 years. Upon the outbreak of the World War I in 1914, many of the smaller ethnic groups began to press for self-determination. These groups sought to capitalize on and dislocation of the war in order to attain independence. As a result the question of self-determination became an important issue during the war and in the subsequent peace conference. In this regard various promises of the allies and the central power to disaffected ethnic groups are considered. (Musgrave, T.D. 1997) Ethnic groups frequently claim to have a right to self-determination on the basis that they are peoples, and are therefore entitled to determine their own political status. This notion of self-determination originated in central and Eastern Europe and grew out of the phenomenon of nationalities. The unification Germany and Italy in the 19th century and the creation of nation-states such as Poland and Czechoslovakia after the World War I constituted acts of self-determination consistent with this understanding of the principle. (Musgrave, T.D. 1997) The allies also felt that a settlement of racial problem of South Eastern Europe on the basis of that the various nationalities therein contained should be as far as possible grouped in autonomous units with securities for religious and language rights of minorities to be an essential of lasting peace. As to the relations who exist between these national entities they have no fixed ideas, provided they are not brought under the political and military domination of Berlin. (Calder, K. J.1976) Apart from the ethnic groups, another major problem was regarding the setting up of a language which could be considered as customary. The Germans urged to consider their language as to be considered as a traditional language in the entire Empire. As the Italian language was also treated equally by the Germans they also claim their language to be used for this purpose. On the other hand the Slavic were demanding theirs. However, in upcoming times in multiple laws beginning from 1867, many languages were used as official language in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Initially the Croatian language was given equal rights against Italian in Dalmatia. Due to increasing Slovene majority in Carniola and the capital their language was replaced by German in 1882. In 1869 in Galicia Polish was set as a government language. The Ukrainian language was not granted with this status as they always remained in minority. The language argument was aggressively fought by the Czechs in Bohemia, Prague and Pilsen against the German in 1880. Selection of official language became the most difficult task in the Austro-Hungarian politics. All the governments faced huge conflicts in considering any language for official use and educational purpose. Minorities always urged up to maximum extent to regard their language for education against the dominating Hungarian and German languages. The Austria-Hungarian Empire contained different people with different languages including 24% German, 20% Hungarian, 13% Czech, 10% Polish, 08% Ruthenian, 06% Romanian, 05% Croat, 04% Slovak, 04% Serb, 03% Slovene and 03% Italian. There were many parts of Europe which had been part of the Habsburg monarchy at some stage and left it even before its dissolution in 1918. These parts comprised Lombardy, Veneto (Italy), Silesia (Poland), a large portion of Belgium and Serbia, and some parts of northern Switzerland and south-western Germany. Following in the footsteps of Germany, the Empire of Austro-Hungary implemented economical policies and practices. Industries starting growing in the early stage, people were leading a good living with exceptional facilities and large homes. Further foreign investment was sought for further development. Besides of these betterments the ethnic German groups felt that their position was weakening and they started opposing the leadership. In this regard they made an alliance with the ethnic groups related to Slavic and Taafee to oppose and weaken the liberals. Further they imposed Czech language to be as the official and educational language to decline the German speakers hold on offices. As the Czechs got the benefit other ethnic groups also started claimed for their rights. The government tried its best to play a prominent role in holding together the competing interest groups in an era of rapid change. Still there was a huge influence of the powerful Slavic. On the other hand the Bal kan nationalists also claimed independence from the Ottoman Empire which was also facing declination. After that in 1876 the Slavs of Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina came against Turkish rule and killed Ottoman officials. Further two other small Balkan states, Serbia and Montenegro, also revolted against the Sultan. All these rebels were greatly supported by Russians and ultimately in 1877 Russia declared war against Turkey and defeated the Ottomans with the help of Romania and Greece. At this occasion a treaty was formed and a large Pro-Russian Bulgaria was formed. This enlarged Bulgaria became a threat to the Austro-Hungary and Britain as it may become a Russian satellite and dominate the Balkans. Due to this fear British warships were move towards the Russian border to restrict Russia not to advance in the eastern Mediterranean as the Suez Canal let to Britain. The Britain started propaganda and tried to spread this issue worldwide. However, the other big powers were absolutely against the happening of war in Europe and played their part to stop or slow down the increasing tension in these areas. In 1878 The Congress of Berlin rolled back the Russian victory as the large Bulgarian state which Russia conquered from Ottoman territory was dissolved into partitions. Austria conquered Bosnia and Herzegovina as a way of obtaining influence in the Balkans. Montenegro and Serbia claimed and won full independency. Nevertheless the Balkans lingered as a site of political turbulence, teeming objective for independence and great power rivalry. Viewing the success of the Congress of Berlin the European powers started focusing to guarantee stability vide a multifaceted series of alliances and treaties. In 1879 keeping in mind the apparent Balkan instability and the aggressiveness of Russia Austro-Hungary made an alliance with the Germans. The main target was to create protection against Russia who had great potential to incite Slav rebellions. Italy also joined hands with them in 1882 against its imperial rivalries with France. Stress continued increasing between Russia and Austro-Hungary so a replacement was made as the Three Emperors League was substituted with Reinsurance Treaty with Russia. This was done to safe from war against Russia. There were three main elements of the ruling Empire of Austro-Hungary, the Hungarian government, the Austrian government and Common foreign and military policy. Separate parliaments were maintained in the Empire and ruled by its own prime minister. The coordinated monarch was theoretically strong but lacked strength in practice. The Empire had to cover all regions such as army, navy, foreign policy etc. Within Austria and Hungary some territories, like Galicia and Croatia gained special status with their own exclusive governmental structures. The common government was ruled by a common Ministerial Council which comprised three ministers to handle the joint responsibilities of finance, military, and foreign policy. There were two prime ministers, one from each side. There were two delegations containing 120 members, 60 from each side the Austrian and Hungarian parliaments. All the decisions were made through voting system to Common Ministerial Council. However, the ministers ultimately answered only to the monarch, and he had the final decision on matters of foreign and military policy. With the passage of time overlapping of responsibilities started amongst ministers and the ministries of both sides which led to huge conflicts and army became the major target of these conflicts. Both sides increased the use of their powers to gain dominancy and prominence in military and non-military affairs. Each half of the Dual Monarchy proved quite prepared to disrupt common operations to advance its own interests. Beginning from 1867 both halves maintained their relations for about fifty years now started facing enormous and repeated disputes to the share of each half in financial contribution and usage of resources. As the Austrian side contained approx 57% of the monarchy had more population and consumed greater resources. To conclude these problems Austro-Hungarian Empire renegotiated an agreement every ten years. On June 28, 1914 the heir of the Austro-Hungarian throne, Francis Ferdinand, during his visit to Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, was assassinated by Serbian militant group Black Hand. Gavrilo Principe was the person who killed him. (Shepard B. 1984) The Austro-Hungary getting favoured by the Germans got determined to stop the Serbian military as there was a chance of revolution in the empire. In this regard they gave the Serbians an Ultimatum which was based on ten demands and considered that they will never accept these demands, yet again the Serbians accepted nine of them and a partial disagreement was on the tenth one, the Austro-Hungarian empire declared war. All these events occurred during the course of July and August 1914, which was the beginning of the Great War. (Horne C.F. 1923) Russia heavily supported Serbia in this war with the continuous mobilization of its army. Italy who had an alliance with Austro-Hungary remained neutral in the beginning but in the year 1915 it showed its participation against the Austro-Hungary just to gain more territory from its ally but the Austro-Hungarians fought well at this side and held back the huge Italian army. This fight lasted for three and half years. (Horne C.F. 1923) The Austro-Hungary army fought in parts with Serbia and Russia, the lesser part was sent to the Serbian border while the wider strength was fighting against the Russian army. This step taken by the Austria-Hungary ended up in a disasters way as it lost 227,000 men from its army which comprised of 450,000 in the beginning and also was unable to gain any territory. In the summer of 1915 a combined attack by Austro-Hungarian, German and Bulgarian armies Serbia was conquered. Again in the year 1916, the Russians continued attack on Brusilov which contained very less strength of Austro-Hungarian soldiers and made them suffer to lose 1 million men. Due to the war, loss of men, shortages in supply, declined morale and uncountable casualties the Austro-Hungarian Empire became weak and sought support from the Germans. Further as it comprised of multiple ethnicity, with different peoples, languages, and customs caused further differences in the army and political leaders. At this stage the Austro-Hungarian Empire was completely dependent on the German support and caused a further increase in the ethnic groups of Austro-Hungary. At this stage the Germans were facing problems as they had expended their reservoir of manpower that would supply fresh recruits from the Homeland to the front. They lost reserves to replenish any losses they had to face during the war. They also faced problems from the Americans as they strengthened the Allies with an additional four million troops. (New York Times, September, 1918; John, K. 1999) In 1914 the British government was not interested in national self determination in Eastern Europe. By Nov-1918 it was deeply involved with various eastern European subject nationalities and was omitted by implication to their independence. The government was not formally committed to national self determination, but it could not have abandoned the subject nationalities without being subjected to accusation of bad faith against which it would have had the greatest difficulty defending itself. This paper attempts to explain that evolution in policy by analyzing the British reaction to national problems in Eastern Europe and to the desire of the subject nationalities for self determination. It concentrates on policy during the war, not on the origins of any future policy. It is based primarily on the official records of the British government which have been supplemented with correspondence from private collections. It concentrates on the evolution of the governments relations with the Poles, Czechoslovaks and Yugoslavs because they were the only eastern European nationalities to conduct, throughout the war, an extensive campaign in Britain for national self determination. Amongst the à ©migrà ©s they alone had meaningful relations with the government. (Calder, K. J.1976) When war first broke out between the allies and the central power, the allies had not thought of destroying Austro-Hungary. Even as the war progressed and centrifugal nationalities pressure on Austro-Hungary increased in intensity the allies were not prepared to seek its dismemberment. As late as January-1918 Lloyd George was insisting that the destruction of Austro-Hungary was not one of the war aims of the UK. This was in line with statements made by Wilson at the time. France also favoured the continued existence of Austro-Hungary that its German speaking areas could otherwise seek to unite with Germany. (Louis Leger, A. B. Hill. 1889). When the Central powers collapsed, events moved so quickly that the government did not have time to alter its relations with the subject nationalities to suit those aims it wished to pursue at the peace conference. In fact, on the subject of national self-determination, the government had not decided exactly what aims it wished to pursue. (Calder, K. J.1976) The collapse of the enemy cut short the war-time relations between the government and the à ©migrà ©s before they could be developed to their logical conclusion. Throughout the war, even while it sought a separate peace, the government gradually least limited support for their aspirations, in this situation the government might have been forced to make a formal decision on the fate of Austria-Hungary by giving a general endorsement to the idea of national self-determination. Such developments would have carried the pattern of British relations with the subject nationalities during the war to is ultimate, logical and extreme conclusion but the collapse of the Central powers, premature in terms of British military, cut short this development and left the government in a position which was, to say the lease, confused. By 11 November-1918, it had not formally endorsed the general application of the idea of national self-determination and had not decided, or accepted a commitment, to de stroy Austria-Hungary. Austro-Hungarian Empire can be blamed itself, for its defeat in World War I as all the suffering was caused just to confront the Serbians. The whole idea was turned down due to participation of Russians and further by the discreet act of Italians. After the war Austria-Hungary could not continue much as the Hungarian part became less supportive. Beginning from the later stage of 1916 till early 1917 food supply became very irregular for the Hungarian side and the government had to seek settlement against its enemies, but all the attempts were failed. This was the time when it became clear that the war winners will be the Allied powers of the British Empire, France, Italy and the United States. At this stage nationalist movements which had previously been calling for a greater degree of autonomy for various areas started pressing for full independence. Further the liberal movements and the politicians amongst the Austrians and Hungarians majority also supported the separatism of ethnic minorities in their areas. This began in October of 1918 when Austria was distributed into four portions German, Czech, South Slav and Ukrainian. The Polish State came into existence with rights of full independence. Czechoslovak joined their hands with the South Slave which were already united with Serbia. These happenings came in series as Czecho-Slovakia declared independence on October 28, the Slovaks in Martin on October 30, and on October 29, the southern Slav areas declared the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. Finally on October 31, 1918 the government of Hungary terminated its union with Austria and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was officially dissolved. Then in November separate republics were declared in Austria and Hungary and new border of territories were brought to the world map. The war ended when the peace agreement took effect on November 11, 1918. In the result of the war the political, cultural, and social order of the world was radically changed, even in those areas which were not directly involved in the war. Many new countries were formed, while many were abolished. After a thorough study of all the events, incidents and scenarios it may be concluded that the coalition of Austria and Hungary and development of Austro-Hungry Empire was a negative decision. The residents, besides being different in communities with different cultural and linguistic values, all of them tried to be together and support the government at one stage but later they were confront to go for the independence due to the conquering approach of both parts of the government, the Austria and Hungary, which finally ended in the dissolution after a huge loss in the shape of territory as well as manpower in the World War I.

Role of Women in Jane Eyre Essay -- Charlotte Bronte Woman Female Jane

Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre represents the role of women in the Victorian era by giving the reader an insight into the lives of women from all social classes. Jane Eyre therefore represents figures of the Victorian time yet the character of Jane Eyre, herself, can be seen as very unconventional for the Victorian society. England, in the eighteenth century, was driven by class distinction and wealth. In the lower class there was always a desperate struggle to survive which contrasted to the life led by the upper class, socializing with people like themselves. The servant trade, made up by the lower class, allowed the upper class to live their desired life whilst constantly maintaining superiority based on their position in society. Women, in all classes, were still living in a world which was misogynistic and male-dominated. Their purpose in life was to produce male heirs and maintain the home by hiring and overseeing servants. It was also taboo for one to marry significantly below one’s social class. This is one reason that Jane is not a conventional heroine for the society of her time. Although, as a governess, she is not considered to be as low as a housemaid, she is still part of the hired help in the house. This is why it is unconventional for her and Mr Rochester to be in a relationship. Yet this is not as peculiar as how Jane Eyre ends their relationship due to her sense of betrayal. It would have been considered extremely foolish for a working-woman’s sense of betrayal to end and turn down a man of great wealth. Many women in this period would engage in â€Å"arranged† marriages which were widely accepted and indeed, one of the most practiced forms of marrying at this time. Usually a marriage of convenience rather... ...rotagonist, Jane is presented in the role of a lower class woman. This is evident in the way that she must work to support herself. Mrs. Fairfax, the tenant at Thornfield Hall is presented in the role of a middle to upper class woman. Although she does not have a family of her own, which is uncharacteristic of middle class women in Victorian times, she has a well paid job and a wonderful house to live in. Charlotte Bronte has given the reader an insight into the role of upper class women through the character of Miss Ingram. She has no job, as her principle in life is to bear a child. Her days consist of social outings and reading or playing the piano. It is therefore evident that there was a great division between the social classes with women. The roles of women altered largely between classes, and Charlotte Bronte has focused on this significantly in her novel. Role of Women in Jane Eyre Essay -- Charlotte Bronte Woman Female Jane Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre represents the role of women in the Victorian era by giving the reader an insight into the lives of women from all social classes. Jane Eyre therefore represents figures of the Victorian time yet the character of Jane Eyre, herself, can be seen as very unconventional for the Victorian society. England, in the eighteenth century, was driven by class distinction and wealth. In the lower class there was always a desperate struggle to survive which contrasted to the life led by the upper class, socializing with people like themselves. The servant trade, made up by the lower class, allowed the upper class to live their desired life whilst constantly maintaining superiority based on their position in society. Women, in all classes, were still living in a world which was misogynistic and male-dominated. Their purpose in life was to produce male heirs and maintain the home by hiring and overseeing servants. It was also taboo for one to marry significantly below one’s social class. This is one reason that Jane is not a conventional heroine for the society of her time. Although, as a governess, she is not considered to be as low as a housemaid, she is still part of the hired help in the house. This is why it is unconventional for her and Mr Rochester to be in a relationship. Yet this is not as peculiar as how Jane Eyre ends their relationship due to her sense of betrayal. It would have been considered extremely foolish for a working-woman’s sense of betrayal to end and turn down a man of great wealth. Many women in this period would engage in â€Å"arranged† marriages which were widely accepted and indeed, one of the most practiced forms of marrying at this time. Usually a marriage of convenience rather... ...rotagonist, Jane is presented in the role of a lower class woman. This is evident in the way that she must work to support herself. Mrs. Fairfax, the tenant at Thornfield Hall is presented in the role of a middle to upper class woman. Although she does not have a family of her own, which is uncharacteristic of middle class women in Victorian times, she has a well paid job and a wonderful house to live in. Charlotte Bronte has given the reader an insight into the role of upper class women through the character of Miss Ingram. She has no job, as her principle in life is to bear a child. Her days consist of social outings and reading or playing the piano. It is therefore evident that there was a great division between the social classes with women. The roles of women altered largely between classes, and Charlotte Bronte has focused on this significantly in her novel.

Patriarchal Society and the Feminine Self in Kate Chopins Story of an

Patriarchal Society and the Erasure of the Feminine Self in The Story of an Hour  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚     Ã‚   Critical readings of Chopin’s works often note the tension between female characters and the society that surrounds them.   Margaret Bauer suggests that Chopin is concerned with exploring the â€Å"dynamic interrelation between women and men, women and patriarchy, even women and women† (146).   Often, critics focus on the importance of conflict in these works and the way in which Chopin uses gender constraints on two levels, to open an avenue for the discussion of feminine identity and, at the same time, to critique the patriarchal society that denies that identity.   Kay Butler suggests that â€Å"entrapment, not freedom, is the source of Chopin’s inspiration, for she is primarily concerned with exploring the way in which gender roles deny identity†;   she continues:   â€Å"yet without the entrapment, the question of identity, even the inspiration to write about identity, wouldn’t exist† (18).   Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† most poignantly balances the dual focus of her work, describing the incipient awakening of Mrs. Mallard, and thus exploring the possibility of feminine identity, even while, ultimately, denying the fruition of such an experience.   Like all of her works, this short story reacts to a specific historical framework, the Cult of True Womanhood, in its indictment of patriarchal culture.   As Barbara Welter notes, in the nineteenth century, â€Å"a women judged herself and was judged by her husband, her neighbors, and society† by the attributes of a True Woman which included, especially, â€Å"purity† and â€Å"domesticity† (372).   The concept of purity, because it suggested that women must maintain their virtue, also, paradoxically, denied the... ... Story of an Hour.’†Ã‚   CLA Journal 16 (November 1994):   59-64.   Bauer, Margaret.   Chopin in Her Times:   Critical Essays on Patriarchy and Feminine Identity.   Durham:   Duke UP, 1997.   Butler, Kay.   â€Å"Freedom and Desire:   The Theme of Awakening in the Works of Kate Chopin.†Ã‚   Critical Interpretations:   Kate Chopin.   Ed. Harold Blooming.   New York:   Chelsea House, 1989.   14-32.   Chopin, Kate.   â€Å"The Story of an Hour.†Ã‚   The Heath Anthology of American Literature.   Ed. Paul Lauter, et al. 2nd ed. Vol. 2.   Lexington:   Heath, 1994.   644-46.   Papke, Mary E.   Verging on the Abyss:   The Social Fiction of Kate Chopin and Edith Wharton.   New York:   Greenwood P, 1990.   Welter, Barbara.   â€Å"The Cult of True Womanhood:   1820-1860.†Ã‚   The American Family in the Social Historical Perspective.   Ed. Michael Gordon.   New York:   St. Martin’s P, 1978.   372-92.        

Research Methods Matrix

Associate Level Material Appendix B Research Methods Matrix A psychologist is planning to conduct a study that would examine pathological liars and the quality of their romantic relationships. You have been asked to provide the psychologist with a recommendation for which research method should be used to gather data on the pathological liars and their spouses. Using the table below list each research method and its advantages and disadvantages for use in this study. Research Method |Advantages |Disadvantages | |Naturalistic Observation |This method gives good information that is |The person observing could change the | | |more so accurate than reports done |behavior of the participant, and observer | | |afterwards.The behaviors of the |could also have a biased view depending | | |participants are more natural because they |upon what the expectations were coming in | | |are in their natural environment. |to research. | |Case Studies |Good for forming hypotheses, and gives a |This was can be expensive as well as time | | |large amount of useful, descriptive |consuming.Again, the biased observed is | | |information. |an issue. | |Surveys |A cheap way to quickly gather a large |If a question is worded poorly on the | | |quantity of data. |survey, it can yield the type of answers | | | |that the observers do not want. They can | | |also be untruthful answers. | |Correlational Research |This method can allow researchers to be able |Cannot come to conclusions in regards to | | |to predict behaviors. Relationships can be |cause-and-effect relationships. | | |clear to researchers like they are not in | | | |other methods. | |Experimental Research |Gives the researchers the opportunities to |Being in the lab may make the participants| | |draw conclusions to the cause-and-effect |act in a certain manner. Unexpected or | | |relationships. |uncontrolled variables may produce results| | | |that cannot be controlled or manipulated. | | | | Make your recommendation to the ps ychologist and explain the rationale behind your choice. Your response should be 100-200 words. After going over the information that I had over the five different types of research methods, I have come to the conclusion that correlational research should be the method used for your study of pathological liars.This is the one method that can look very well at the connection between two or more variables. This could be a very useful advantage to have in this study. Of course, you could use any of the five methods, but I would definitely stay away from the survey option, because of the obvious reasons of the question of the ability to answer questions honestly.The experimental research may not be the best choice, because the laboratory setting has had a history of affecting the behavior of the subject. Case studies are effective, but are very time consuming and use a large portion of funding on your part. Naturalistic observation would not be a bad choice either, because of the abilit y to observe the subjects in their natural environment. However, the presence of the observer could alter the behaviors, yet again.

540 Week 5 Questions Essay

How does labeling cause deviance? What is the difference between primary and secondary deviance?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the labeling theory that was developed and popularized by Howard S. Becker in conjunction with Frank Tannenbaum, the behavior of society to categorize persons into specific groups based on society’s perceptions about such people leads to deviance. As per this theory, society invents, selects, and manipulates the convictions that negatively view certain behaviors before placing the supposedly deviant people into such categories. The deviant person is thus regarded as being ethically inferior. Afterwards, deviants internalize such society-ascribed identities before ultimately beginning to act as per a certain label (Stark, 2007). Deviants then assume unexpected behaviors in a bid to obey the rules of the assigned label.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Primary deviance is evident when deviance demonstrates itself before society categorizes such behavior as constituting deviance. In addition, it is the deviance that is placed onto an individual via the acts of reporting or confession. Conversely, secondary deviance exhibits itself after one has committed a societal wrong, has attracted societal reaction by being categorized as a deviant, and has internalized the deviance. The deviant then adopts the behavior that made them to be classified as deviants. What are some examples of master status not in the text? What are traits associated with them? How do those assumed traits affect our perceptions of people with that status?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some illustrations of master statuses include being unemployed, ethnicity, religion, and education. These master statuses have certain traits that are usually associated with them (Macionis, 2005). For instance, the unemployed master status has the common traits of always being in need of money, demonstrating anxiety, and being unhappy. Conversely, the ethnicity orientation master status is characterized by a shared heritage, common language, shared culture, as well as a shared ancestry. On the other hand, the education master status has the characteristics of being knowledgeable, having critical and analytical skills, and being free of common biases found among uneducated persons. In contrast, the religion master status has the traits of common beliefs, common deities, as well as shared religious practices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The aforementioned traits lead society into having specific views about people depicting such statuses. For example, the characteristic of being knowledgeable among people with the education master status makes society to have respect for such people. Conversely, the needy trait among those exhibiting the master status of being unemployed makes society to view such people as being more likely to trouble society while begging for alms. What are decision-making types used by rational choice theory? How do these decisions apply to crime?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Two of the major decision-making types in rational choice theory include indifference and strict preference. These preference types have relationships with crime, whereby criminals apply them with regard to whether or not to engage in criminal behavior (Fernandez-Huerga, 2008). For example, in relation to strict preference, whereby a person demonstrates a preference for B to A, a criminal has the absolute choice of either committing a crime or not. The offender thus makes a clear choice to either commit an offense or desist from doing so. On the other hand, regarding the indifference type of preference, a criminal engages in unacceptable behavior not out of their own free and unbridled will, but rather as a result of prevailing circumstances. Since the offender does not demonstrate a clear inclination towards a certain action (of either enraging in lawbreaking acts or refraining from such an action), they do not prefer like one option or t he other. References Fernandez-Huerga (2008.) The economic behavior of human beings: The institutionalist post-Keynesian model. Journal of Economic Issues, 42, 3: 23-8. Macionis, J. J. (2005). Sociology, 10th Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Stark, R. (2007).  Sociology: Biological theories of deviance (Tenth edition). Belmont, CA. Thomson Wadsworth.

Fear of My First Speech in Class

Fear of My First Speech in Class When I thought of my first speech class, I was a bit frantic. After reading about professional public speakers stories on fear of public speaking and how they essentially overcame it, I told myself you can do it. The day of presenting my speech finally arrived and I volunteered to be the one to go first in class. I was more apprehensive about my accent than anything else. Would the audience understand me clearly? Would they be bored with what I have to say about my chosen topic? Would I captive them and would I make a good impression?Well, I gave the speech without a hitch. It was helpful to have my outline I created for the perusal of the class. My speech flowed particularly well thanks to the step-by-step key points of the outline. Meanwhile, I dared to glance from time to time at the audience to see if I could pick up cues. Sometime I found myself elevating my pitch, smiling just to capture my audience, and to gain confidence that my topic was an i mportant and resourceful topic. To conclude, after I was done with my speech the class in a jovial expression clapped and smiled.My heart was palpitating so hard I thought I would faint. I had more fear as I was closing my speech. This fear was primarily due to what the critique of my audience would be. The response from the â€Å"the love notes† includes positive sayings and great feedback from each classmate, including the professor. As for my second speech in class, I could say I did not do as well as the first one. You would think that I would get it now and do better. Yet, I didn’t think I delivered as well as I did with the first one.Although the audience was listening to me, it seemed to be redundant and very similar to the first speech, but with fewer interesting details. After listen to some of the students’ speech I realized many of the pointers that I left out on my own speech. By listen and examine others mistakes it can be beneficial for one own mis take. I have learned a great deal from Communication 111. I would apply all the concepts to my future endeavors. References Lucas, Stephen E. (2009). The art of public speaking (10th ed. ). New York: McGraw Hill. http:www. social anxiety. com