Theme Of Blindness In King Lear Essays - King Lear, British Films

Theme of Blindness in King Lear In Shakespearean terms, blinds means a whole different thing. Blindness can normally be defined as the inability of the eye to see, but according to Shakespeare, blindness is not a physical quality, but a mental flaw some people possess. Shakespeare's most dominant theme in his play King Lear is that of blindness. King Lear, Gloucester, and Albany are three prime examples Shakespeare incorporates this theme into. Each of these character's blindness was the primary cause of the bad decisions they made; decisions which all of them would eventually come to regret. The blindest bat of all was undoubtedly King Lear. Because of Lear's high position in society, he was supposed to be able to distinguish the good from the bad; unfortunately, his lack of sight prevented him to do so. Lear's first act of blindness came at the beginning of the play. First, he was easily deceived by his two eldest daughters' lies, then, he was unable to see the reality of Cordelia's true love for him, and as a result, banished her from his kingdom with the following words: ?..................................for we Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see That face of her again. Therefore be gone Without our grace, our love, our benison.? (Act I, Sc I, Ln 265-267) Lear's blindness also caused him to banish one of his loyal followers, Kent. Kent was able to see Cordelia's true love for her father, and tried to protect her from her blind father's irrationality. After Kent was banished, he created a disguise for himself and was eventually hired by Lear as a servant. Lear's inability to determine his servant's true identity proved once again how blind Lear actually was. As the play progressed, Lear's eyesight reached closer to 20/20 vision. He realized how wicked his two eldest daughters really were after they locked him out of the castle during a tremendous storm. More importantly, Lear saw through Cordelia's lack of flatterings and realized that her love for him was so great that she couldn't express it into words. Unfortunately, Lear's blindness ended up costing Cordelia her life and consequently the life of himself. Gloucester was another example of a character who suffered from an awful case of blindness. Gloucester's blindness denied him of the ability to see the goodness of Edgar and the evil of Edmund. Although Edgar was the good and loving son, Gloucester all but disowned him. He wanted to kill the son that would later save his life. Gloucester's blindness began when Edmund convinced him by the means of a forged letter that Edgar was plotting to kill him. Gloucester's lack of sight caused him to believe Edmund was the good son and prevented him from pondering the idea of Edmund being after his earldom. Near the end of the play, Gloucester finally regained his sight and realized that Edgar saved his life disguised as Poor Tom and loved him all along. He realized that Edmund planned to take over the earldom and that he was the evil son of the two. Gloucester's famous line: ?I stumbled when I saw? (Act IV, Sc I, Ln 20-21) was ironic. His inability to see the realities of his sons occurred when he had his physical sight but was mentally blind; but his ability to see the true nature of his sons occurred after having his eyes plucked out by the Duke of Cornwall. Fortunately, the consequences of Gloucester's blindness throughout the play was minimal, after all, he was the only one to die as a result of his tragic flaw. Albany was another character suffering from the classic case of blindness, but luckily for him, he survived his battle. Albany's case of blindness was purely a result of the love he had for Goneril. Although he disapproved of Goneril's actions, he would only mildly argue his case. When Goneril forced Lear to reduce his army so that he could stay in their castle, Albany protested: ? I cannot be so partial, Goneril, To the great love I bear You -? (Act I, Sc IV, Ln 309-310) Albany's deep devotion to Goneril blinded him from the evil she possessed. His inability to realize how greedy and mean Goneril was after

Capabilities in the Workplace Bangles Pvt. Ltd. The WritePass Journal

Capabilities in the Workplace Bangles Pvt. Ltd.ï » ¿ Abstract: Capabilities in the Workplace Bangles Pvt. Ltd.ï » ¿ ). Bangles Pvt. Ltd has several core competencies which strengthen the firm and result in increased business. One of the core competencies of Bangles Pvt. Ltd is the diversified workforce, which consists of close friends and students of the owner who originate from different countries and are able to provide Bangles with unique and original ideas for bangle designs. Thus, the aesthetic appeal of Bangles’ products suits the modern tastes of consumers in the UK, India, Pakistan, Turkey, China, and Nigeria as the designers of Bangles originate from the countries mentioned. Another core competency of the firm is the owner’s personal involvement in the business and the fact that the owner provides customers with a personalized service and is highly interactive with the customers. Additionally, the owner also provides a customized service to customers who wish to get their own bangles designed at an affordable price. Also, the owner’s large social circle and connection s with people in Asia who can help in expanding and managing the business is also a core competence as the owner will not have to associate with unknown parties in order to achieve expansion into Asia. The organizational capabilities of the firm are the manner in which people are managed in a firm in order to gain a competitive advantage (Grafton, Lillis, Widener, 2010). The organizational capabilities of Bangles include the owner’s excellence in human resource management as she has been successful in motivating employees since the business’s inception. The owner’s charismatic leadership style and the informal organizational culture of the firm help the employees remain comfortable and united with one another. The owner also attempts to organize the employees in the organization through the use of various communication tools including a personal group on WhatsApp, an intranet which enables the employees to interact with one another, and through the use of video conferencing when applicable (Bangles Pvt Ltd, 2014).The business’s strong internal associations and the fact that all of the designers in the firm are educated, trained, and experienced in the f ield of arts and crafts enables the firm to perform faster and more efficiently in order to quickly meet customer demand. The lack of misunderstandings between employees and the close connection between employees and the owner also serves as a source of competitive advantage and enables the work to be done quicker. The organization is currently working on capacity-building as it has previously increased its capacity by purchasing three small machines, which help cut the thread and sew on the beads for intricately and delicately designed bangles. Using these machines has sufficiently increased the capacity of the firm and Bangles has been able to complete more orders than it previously had. The company has recently tried division of labour and instead of asking one designer to complete a full pair of bangles, they have tried to break down the tasks and let one worker complete a portion of an order while the others complete other portions. This has shown commendable results recently as capacity has slightly increased. In order to solve the problems arising from an expansion into the Asian market, Bangles must use its core competencies, organizational capabilities, and capacity-building tools to its advantage. The owner can use the core competency of having a diversified workforce to be able to accurately meet the aesthetic demands of customers in Asian countries. Moreover, the owner needs to use her social connections in order to appoint a reliable manager in Asia who will help in the distribution of Bangles’ products and also manage the brand image of the firm. The owner can make use of the firm’s strong communication network to set up a system in which she communicates with customers in Asia herself or responds to their messages as soon as possible if there is a difference in timings in order to provide them with a personalized and customized service where applicable. Thus, to efficiently manage business in Asia, the owner must make use of her charismatic leadership style to constantly remain in touch with employees and the manger in Asia and ensure she is updated upon changing trends. The owner must also have a rigid plan towards crisis management in order to ensure that she is able to solve such problems without increasing hassle and confusion and risk in damaging the brand’s reputation. The owner can also extend the intranet to include employees in Asia and to ensure that she communicates with them personally in order to ensure that they are familiar with the organizational culture and are absorbed into the enthusiasm of being a part of the organization. These are the strategies that the firm can use by making use of its existing core competencies and capabilities. However, the firm may also need to enhance other departments in order to efficiently compete in the Asian market. Conclusion and Recommendations: It is evident that the firm has numerous core competencies and organizational capabilities which enable the firm to efficiently compete in the market and which can be used to its advantage in expanding into the Asian market. However, the firm may consider increasing its efficiency and capacity by hiring additional designers in Asia who can produce the bangles there and ship them to customers easily and without additional cost. Moreover, the firm may also hire additional staff in the UK to ensure that there is always someone available online to cater to customer queries and demands. In order to appropriately achieve this, Bangles may also consider giving its staff training in customer service and managing across cultures. Hence, the firm’s core competencies of a diversified workforce, strong social connections, and the owner’s personal involvement in the business serve to be highly beneficial while organizational capabilities of a strong communication network and informal organizational culture are redeem high benefits. References Bangles Pvt. Ltd. (2014) Facebook Page [online] Accessed on: February 20, 2014 Available at: https://www.facebook.com/bangles Grafton, J., Lillis, A. M., Widener, S. K. (2010). â€Å"The role of performance measurement and evaluation in building organizational capabilities and performance.†Ã‚  Accounting, Organizations and Society. Vol.  35(7) pp. 689-706. Gupta, R. K. (2013). â€Å"Core Competencies for Business Excellence.†Ã‚  Advances in Management. Vol.  6 (10). pp. 712-723

IAQ & Thermal Comfort Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

IAQ & Thermal Comfort - Research Paper Example Both regional and international standards have been developed to prescribe indoor environmental conditions that are safe for buildings’ occupants. In order understand how these factors (Thermal comfort and indoor air quality) affect the quality of life people leave indoors, it is important to know the various aspects affecting them. This research paper, therefore, aims at discussing and understanding the various factors that affect the quality of indoor air (known as Indoor Air quality, IAQ), and factors that affect human thermal comfort. The paper also aims at discussing the relationship that exists between thermal comfort and Indoor Air quality. The research paper will also discuss challenge of combination and maintenance of these factors (Thermal Comfort and Indoor Air quality) in Saudi Arabia, among others. Indoor air quality Description Indoor air quality can be described as the quality of air around and within structures and buildings which people occupy (Amissah, 2005). This quality of air is related to the comfort and health of individuals who occupy these structures and/or buildings. An â€Å"accepted indoor air quality† can be defined as an air condition in which majority of the occupants are satisfied with it, and in which there is no accumulation of contaminants to levels that can affect humans negatively (harm occupants) (Amissah, 2005). The quality of indoor air depend on a number of factors, among them include: quantity, strength and type of indoor emissions and quality, quantity and type of air outdoor. In order to ensure that indoor air conditions are comfortable and at accepted levels, the spaces that exist indoors must receive sufficient amount of clean outdoor air (Al-ajmi, 2010). In addition to receiving sufficient amount of air, indoors should be ventilated. During ventilation it should be ensured that all the spaces indoors receive air that is not contaminated with harmful microbiological components or chemicals which are ha zardous in nature (Amissah, 2005). In summary, the quality of indoor is normally affected by outdoor climate, variations in operations that take place in buildings or structures, and activities of the building occupants. Before proceeding to discussing more about the factors that affect quality of indoor, it is important that certain terms and expression that relate to indoor air quality are understood. These terms include: a) Perceived air quality b) Standard person c) Olf (Amissah, 2005) Perceived air quality Perceived air quality can be defined as the fraction of percentage of people who are dissatisfied (Amissah, 2005). Meaning that, it is the fraction of people who feel that the quality of air in a space just after entering in is not acceptable. Perceived air quality is measured in decipols. One decipol is considered as the quality of perceived air in a space that is polluted with a pollution source of one olf, and is ventilated using clean air fed at a rate of 10 liters per se cond. Olf This is unit for measuring amount of pollution generated by occupants of a building or a structure (Al-ajmi, 2010). It is estimated a standard person generates pollution of one (1) olf. Standard person A standard person can be defined as an average sedentary individual (adult) who works in an office, and feels neutral in terms air and thermal quality, or an average office worker who is not

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 14

No topic - Essay Example This ultimately leads to a decrease in water tables. As much as supply of water is constant, the water levels can be controlled in some ways. That is delivery and storage, watering farms, purification of sea water and let the mechanism of price to balance supply and demand. The most important way to solve the scarcity is to increase the price of water to be in line with the increased demand (Puthenkalam 34). The overall number of patients waiting for transplants currently is at 114, 650. Additionally, the number of patients waiting for kidney transplant is the highest. This high numbers are explained by the fact that creating a legal market for these transplants may lead to an upsurge of illegal markets handling these transplants (UNOS). Legalizing a transplant market would also increase instances of stolen organs as a result of innocent civilians getting drugged and mugged and their organs removed. Lastly, an organ market will make the rich be in charge of buying organs from the poor

Allstar Brands Distribution Channel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Allstar Brands Distribution Channel - Essay Example For the company to achieve its objectives, it ensures that it conducts regular advertisements and promotions. It has advertising agencies such as Wheeler (BMW) Maxwell and Brewster, which have high-quality work. The trade promotions include coop advertising and promotional allowances. The support of the manufacturer’s sales force is vital to the success of a brand in the allergy market and the OTC cold. Wholesalers sell OTC brands to smaller, independent retailers that are not reached by the direct sales force of the manufacturer. The company needs people to be friendly and courteous. It keeps its prices a little higher than the trade-off line. Brand Formulations It offers brand formulations such as Analgesics, Antihistamines, decongestants, cough suppressants, expectorants, and alcohol. Survey Data The company ensures that it surveys the market share based on consumer brands purchase, purchase decision making criteria that consumers use, brand awareness and brand satisfaction. Sales Force The support of the manufacturer’s sales force is vital to the success of a brand in the allergy market and the OTC cold. Wholesalers sell OTC brands to smaller, independent retailers that are not reached by the direct sales force of the manufacturer. Internal Product development The OCM group has a significant product development and management decisions to make and must ensure that it works with the product research and development (R&D) area within Allstar Brands. The 4 P’s (People, Places, Prices, and Promotion) The company needs people to be friendly and courteous. It keeps its prices a little higher than the trade-off line. It sells in places where the customers want to purchase their products. It ensures that it maintains promotions and advertisement. Solid relationships with distributors The company also ensures that it offers discounts to its distributors and maintains solid relationships.

Migration Plan from UNIX to Microsoft Server

Migration Plan from UNIX to Microsoft Server Data Migration is the process of transferring data between different storage types, servers or formats. It’s not just about copying data, but also about validating the data according to constraints and since different databases uses different data types, this step also include modifying the data as per the target server. One essential requirement is that the data migrated should verify the Business logic to run applications smoothly on target server. Migrating from one server to another can be a tricky situation. There are various challenges while migration of full data from UNIX server to Microsoft Server. First of all the user should completely understand the data sources and their proper formats. Usually, too many spreadsheets or excel files, or redundant data may affect proper migration. Wherever possible, instead of manual, automated systems should be used. Microsoft offers MAP (Microsoft Assessment and Planning) tool to identify the various constraints, or issues that might occur while migrating from UNIX platform to Microsoft server. Moreover, SSMA (SQL Server Migration Assistant) can further help in performing the migration. SSMA can create mapped schemas to UNIX server, which helps in easy migration of data. It is essential that the all applications like email, finance systems, personal records, CAD/CAM engineering facilities, production systems, Sales Marketing databases, Website etc. should run smoothly after migration. There are various underlying steps that need to be taken care of for easy and error-free migration, as explained below: Recognizing the pattern-Template Creation: To begin migration, first we’ll have to understand the schema of UNIX database. We’ll create a template consisting of master data key objects. The template has following two sections: Section 1: Key Data Fields: In the first section of the template user will provide the key values, such as storage objects material, address etc. Usually, in key field columns, drop-down lists are provided for accurate and easy entry of data. Section 2: Derived and Default Fields:Based on the key field values, various fields can be derived based on the Business translational logic. For example, using the production unit key field the template will determine the employee names working in it. For different production units, different employee names will be automatically derived by the template. The default fields like, â€Å"currency used† will be automatically updated. Process of Migration: The process of migration is summarized on the figure below: Figure-1 (Source: Ranga Rao Davala, Nikhil Singh, 2011, A Case Study on Data Migration Strategy, The Data Administration Newsletter, Robert Seiner Publishers.) Select Source:Due to various applications running on UNIX server, the data will be spread across many sources like different DBs, excel files or spreadsheets. In this step, user will identify the various data sources that are to be migrated. The selection of sources will be based upon the requirements in the project, according to which what data needs to be migrated can be identified. Data Fields Mapping:This is an essential step, where the schema or key fields from source system are mapped to target system. The field names in target schemas should be kept similar to source schema for easy mapping. This step is usually done manually for error-free mapping. Usually the different database servers will have different underlying data types. For example, Integer’s maximum and minimum limit in UNIX server is different from in SQL Server. The mapped data, therefore, should be transformed according to destination server data types. Data Transformation:This is where the template we created will come in picture. User will manually enter the key field values in the template and based on that all the derived and default field values will be generated automatically. Moreover, in this step, the user will transform the data based on the difference between data types of both servers. Validations and Constraints:This step is to ensure that the data entered in the template is accurate. The template will gray out the field which are entered wrong or doesn’t qualify the constraints, such as mandatory fields, null values etc. This step will help in minimizing errors and improving the quality of data. Extract Files:Once the data is entered into the template, the master data objects are extracted or generated. Load files:The load files are in text format, and they can be generated in single click by macro-enabled extract files system. This step ensures that data present in the text file is in exactly the same format as we require in the Microsoft system. Loading data in Microsoft Server:The data is loaded in batches. Since there are multiple applications running on UNIX system that are to be migrated, this step may take several hours to complete. Web server migration (FTP or HTTP Websites) Once we have completed the initial steps of creating a template and selecting the proper migration tools, we can begin full migration from UNIX to Microsoft server i.e. IIS. We must follow following steps: Assessment of hardware requirements and acquiring new hardware if required. We can begin migrating FTP or HTTP websites by copying their content to destination server. Next step is to replicate Web application files to destination. Migration of log files. Migration of Web server configuration settings. The last step is to create security settings and user permission and roles. DHCP/DNS Migration: The process of migrating UNIX server DHCP/DNS services to Microsoft Windows Server DHCP/DNS servers requires the following steps: Install Microsoft Windows Server DHCP/DNS Services Manually Configure Microsoft Windows Server DHCP/DNS Services Create Forward and Reverse Lookup Zones: Creating lookup zones will make sure that Microsoft server is authoritative for the DHCP/DNS names for local resources and forwards other queries to an ISP or performs recursive resolutions. Add secondary zones to Microsoft Windows Server DHCP/DNS for the existing zones that are hosted on UNIX based DHCP/DNS servers. In this step we’ll initiate zone transfers at the Microsoft Windows Server-based DHCP/DNS servers to transfer the zones from the UNIX servers. After the transfers are successful we will convert secondary zones into primary zones. In the last step, we’ll point client configurations to Microsoft Windows based DHCP/DNS Servers. Avoiding downtime while migrating: We can avoid the downtime while migration by reconfiguring our sites to connect to our new database remotely. Using this way, our users or visitors will be redirected to new site and all the updates will be saved to new server. This technique is, though, very complex, but it will minimize the downtime to a great extent. We can summarise this process in following steps: Transfer the files, DBs and important settings to the new server. Then we can test our site on the new server to check if it’s working as expected. After two steps are successfully completed, we will change the various database settings on our site, to make sure that the old server accesses the DB from the new server. Then we’ll modify the name servers and DNS and point them to the new server.

joshua Essay -- essays research papers fc

Joshua Moses said to Joshua, â€Å"Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.† Exodus 17:9 This is the first passage of scripture where you find Joshua. There is a law called the law of first mention. The law of first mention is a principle that requires one to take a fraction of Scriptures where a principle, expression, or act is mentioned for the first time, in the Bible, and to study the first occurrence of this in order to get the fundamental inbuilt meaning of that principle, expression, or act. When this law is applied the simple meaning usually goes before the complex. Throughout the history of a term it may have grown in its meaning and undergone certain changes, yet the basic, original, fundamental thought is rarely lost. The fundamental concept more often than not controls the understanding of any idea expressed by a term in its present-day usage. Here Joshua is mentioned as a warrior and also a leader in battle. This view does not change throughout the Scriptures. It may add to this meaning, but it is never done away with. Joshua throughout the Bible remains a leader, and a warrior for the Most High God. How was Joshua such a great leader? He was dependant on, and faithful to God. He also took the commission given to him by Moses and God, and made it a lifestyle. What was this great commission? You can find it in Deuteronomy. Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, â€Å"Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance.† Deuteronomy 31:7 This commission given by Moses to Joshua was reaffirmed by the Lord. The LORD gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: â€Å"Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.† Deuteronomy 31:23 Now what did that mean to Joshua? Well, take the first part, â€Å"Be strong† (à §Ãƒ ¦Ãƒ ·). The Hebrew word there is châzaq. The definition is: To strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, and be resolute. 1 Now take the second part, â€Å"Courageous.† The Hebrew word here is âmats (à  Ãƒ ®Ãƒ µ). The definition is: To be strong, alert, courageous, brave, stout... ...ccomplish through the Holy Spirit. The power did not die in the New Testament, it was transferred. It is not only given to the select anymore. It is given to the ones who have chosen to choose. No more is it given by some miracle from heaven. It is given to those who choose to take the call. To those who are willing. God will give it to those who live lives of trusting faithfulness. God is going to do a work. There is a battle taking place in the heavenlies. Are you ready? Are you willing? I say to now go into the world and be strong and courageous. The Lord is with you. Bibliography Drucker, Reuven. Inheriting the Land. Grand Rapids: Erdmans, 1983. Hawk, L. Daniel. Joshua. Berit Olam. Collegeville, Minnesota Hess, Richard. Joshua. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 19--. Woudstra, Marten H. Joshua. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Erdmans, 1981. Curtis, Adrian H. W. Joshua. Old Testament Guide. Sheffield: Sheffield. 19--. Drucker, Reuven. Yehoshua/ Joshua. Brooklyn Mesorah Publications, Ltd., 1982. Stern, David H. Complete Jewish Bible. Jewish New Testament Publications Inc. Clarksville, Maryland, USA. 1998.

Is social media eroding our sense of ommunity

The claim â€Å"social media is eroding our sense of community' is as complex and ambiguous as the term community itself, in both its understanding of the notion and its fluidity as a concept. Social media has the both the potential to perpetuate the erosion of our sense of community, and equally to influence and extend a less secular sense of community. The local and traditional sense of community is diminishing through our ever-increasing interaction with social media that now shapes how we now interact and communicate with others – but has it forever changed the traditional sense of ‘help thy neighbor?Logic suggests that, in this context, to erode is not solely to diminish but rather to change. With the proliferation of positive social movements, community engagement tools and online access to education, social media also gives us scope to increase the sphere of our influence. It would be dogmatic to state that social media does not have the capacity to provide a pos itive and more global context to our sense and understanding of community. While this concept is changing; social media is simply a symptom of this, not the cause.There is the potential for it to perpetuate the short-comings of a more isolated ND globalizes society but it also has the power to enhance our connectedness and ignite a better understanding of humanity and equality. Which way it goes will be determined by how we, as a society, use it. Community is a fluid, every changing concept that has a perpetual relationship with society and its values as a whole. As society changes, so the concept of community is also changing.In an ever turning world, society evolves through changing values and views that flow through into how we interact and are influenced by norms and ideas (Turner B S (deed) 2011: 83). For the repose of this paper one finds it imperative, not only to define a traditional place centered definition of community, but also to consider how this definition has evolved to now be centered around the meaning that human beings have inter-twined with community rather than simply the functional structure of community.The debate about the balance between individual interest and the common good for all is well documented in literature about community through the ages. Before the sass's social theorists such as Mercer (1956) and others discussed the concept of a community as group of citizens residing in a region or location, for a particular era and who share a common set of social structures and cultural behaviors. Neal, (1981) went further and described the concept as those attributes combined that ‘show an awareness of their uniqueness and separate identity as a group' (Neal, S.Deed. 1981 : 27). Perhaps with changes in glance of autonomy and the collective in modern society, more importance is moving toward that of the individual. Recognition of these tensions by scholars has, in part, led to the discourse on community studies that encompasses ore than a functionalist or formalist concept of community as a physical locality. Like any other social construct, community has a symbolic dimension as well (Cohen 1985: 8). For the purposes of describing and examining social media as online communities this distinction is of paramount importance.Western culture, which is mainly seen as individualist (Vaughan G & Hog M 2010: 320), recognizes a concept of community that is the sum of more than its social function or formalist nature. The environment, the terrain, the industry of a community all define or frame the notion of a community. The human element imparts the meaning to our communities. Cohen (1985) outlines that a constructional view of community ‘is symbolically constructed as a conglomerate of normative codes and values that provide members with a sense of identity (Cohen, 1985 p 8).This definition emphasizes meaning over structure and highlights that the underpinning constant in our idea of community is the meaning both individuals and society in general perceive it to be – and not its physical state. As Cohen (1985) states it is ‘not whether it's structural limits have withstood the onslaught of social change, but whether its members are able to infuse TTS culture with validity and to construct a symbolic community which provides meaning and identity (Cohen, 1985: 9)'.Community as a concept is determined by the perspective of society and its culture at a certain point on the time and space continuum. Community like love is where you find it, and most importantly, it has many forms, one Just as vital the last or the next, erosion is inept in describing it's continuously changing and manifold nature. Traditional communities have always evolved through cycles of development as new technologies and services that have been introduced.The arrival of electricity, the railways and the telephone have all impacted on the way we perceive community and the way we as individuals interact wit hin it. It is interesting to note that studies on community and social change, particularly those articulated by Ferdinand Townies (1887) and George Simmer (1887), during the height of European modernity, outlined that while an understanding of community was still mainly bound in locale they also commented on the degree to which the forms of the 19th century social existence reflected those changing notions of the value of the collective social experience'.At the time communities become more connected and urban, peasant societies were declining and city life was seen as exemplifying the decay of oral culture, traditional morality and family ties but not necessarily as causing it Cones, S. Deed. 1999: 277). Social media as both a by-product of and an accelerator of social change must logically be seen as more than eroding our sense of community but rather changing with it and helping it to evolve.In western culture, a more individualist and autonomous drive is emerging and social med ia is perpetuating this drive. Whether this change in itself is erosion is to be left o the philosophers and ethicists of the social sciences to debate, the facts are that with change comes some sort of diminishing of some factors but not without the enhancement or even creation of others. In the modern age, the necessity for physical involvement with those geographically close to you is clearly diminished.An evolutionary process where the space and distance between those you converse with and interact with socially has decreased, especially in the 21st century where demands on an individual's time have increased with seemingly less and less time that isn't occupied by work or ‘life maintenance'. This has led to a tension between lost opportunities for face-to-face communication and the ever broadening horizons accessible through social media.Clearly one can see this has the potential to challenge society's views about the impact of social media on our traditional understandin g of community. It is likely that Sociologist will seek to measure the ways it could change our construct of community rather than examining how it has changed our notions in the hopes of minimizing the negative impacts of how we are using social media (Keen, A. 2012: 99) Furthermore it has been evidenced that it is wrought face to face interacting that we learn how to treat others, read others and interact peacefully with others, particularly as children. Vaughan G & Hog M 2010: 333-334) Any decline in face-to-face communication and interaction will mean there is a risk that a general lack of empathy and understanding will evolve in western society, but only if our culture continues to have a secular rather than a global push. (Christensen & Elevation, 2001: 477) Also maintaining some level of face to face interaction and learning, especially in young children could mitigate the risk of such an outcome.In addition pursuing an understanding and interaction with differing others, a s trong and aslant ideal within our culture, while still giving prevalence to our face to face interaction will have a balanced outcome on society. The amplification of the scope of our interaction is possibly the most amazing element of change that social media has exemplified and perpetuated. Through our ability to connect globally in real time, we now have not only a greater scope of influence and access to information and education but also increased connection with boundless numbers of individuals in similar circumstances (CГartГrescue, L. 10). Clearly these are all huge enhancements to our sense of community, not only does it enhance our connectedness with others it also enhances the potential for direct action by citizens – either for political reasons or to marshal support for local and international issues of importance – environmental, human rights and economic development. Recent movements such as the world wide action to stop the destruction of palm o il forests in Malaysia, that were organized through online channels (anon, 2010), or the use of mobile phones to stream videos of violence against citizens in the uprising of theArab Spring show the power of modern communications in a connected world. (Fuchs C. 2012: 109) These causes have achieved increased international reach and therefore greater support through social media. Moreover, traditional locale oriented communities were somewhat limited in their capacity for inclusion of every individual, because it implied uniformity of a citizen – the values and behaviors expected by the majority marginal's the lives of those who were, or felt, different. People were ostracizes and made to feel less worthy or deviant if they didn't meet the communities ‘expectations'.Christensen, K. & Elevation, D. 2001: 41 5) Communities online allow for freedom of the individual, particularly giving power for those that don't fit the standard model in their current locale to connect wit h like- minded people across the globe, in a way that encourages variety and allows creativity to flourish and people to access ideas and norms from many, varied societies. Access to so much has been amplified through our increased connectedness that has emerged through social media, from access to other individuals and their ideas to more varied social groupings and formal education.Greater access to information, education and ideas increases the opportunity for many and it is through this lens that it can be seen that social media has the ability to enhance social equality. Individuals no longer need to be so isolated – there are kindred spirits actively seeking connection through social media channels -feelings of helplessness or futility in trying to fit or change the way things are can be moderated and sometimes eliminated. Social media channels open up the possibility of free and uncensored discussion about thoughts and feelings. Social Edie can also enable new alliance s and support networks to emerge and flourish.We don't have to feel helpless about how to change things any more, now we can share our feelings and thoughts on any subject, freely and openly. Our capacity to connect to like-mind others, especially as counter to those who would suppress the truth, and provide a voice citizens to speak the truth openly and marshal support for difference – in thinking and believing is enormous (anon, 2010). The pressing questions for current researchers in the social sciences will include how to further remote the enhancement of connectedness and sharing of ideas and views while still maintaining a level of face to face communication and learning.Western society must embrace social media as a way to enhance a changed sense of community – both its values and the styles of community involvement – getting left behind is the only sure fire way to segregate, as opposed to mesh these two forms of community(Froth, M. Deed. 2011: 304). Wes tern societies sense of community has changed this is undeniable, it has not however simply eroded nor has social media been the instigator or catalyst of this. It has contributed to both the disintegration of he traditional, locale orientated and quite secular communities and the enhancement of a more global and connected community.It has in its own way extended current communities and given access to arrange of empowering tools for the individual and the group, it has the ability to broaden the horizons for all with access to it and to enforce empathy and equality. But only if we as intelligent, complex and power wielding human beings integrate and impart meaning and importance on both our locale and online communities. While embracing its empowering ability we must be aware of its complexity and effect on traditional incepts and learning.We have the power to use social media for good and not for evil.

Menschenschreck Essays - The Holocaust, Discrimination, Orientalism

Menschenschreck Essays - The Holocaust, Discrimination, Orientalism Menschenschreck "If the international financiers in and outside Europe should succeed in plunging the nations once more into a world war, then the result will not be the Bolshevizing of the earth, and thus the victory of Jewry, but the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe." - Adolf Hitler- Jan 30, 1939 When the Nazi party came to power in January of 1933, it almost immediately began to take hostile measures toward the Jewish people. The government passed special legislation that excluded Jews from the protection of German law. The property of Jews was then legally seized, and concentration camps were set up in which Jews were executed, tortured, or condemned to slave labor. The Nazis organized sporadic and local massacres which occurred in a nationwide program in 1938. After the outbreak of World War II anti-Semitic activity increased dramatically. By the end of the war, millions of Jews and others targeted by the Nazis, had been killed in the Holocaust. The Jewish dead numbered more than 5 million: about 3 million in killing centers and other camps, 1.4 million in shooting operations, and more than 600,000 in Polish ghettos. Who were the men that carried out these terrible murders? One would think them to be savage killers specially selected for their history of brutality and violence. But, in fact, these men were typically normal middle-aged business men. How could these ordinary men be influenced in such a way to allow them to commit such atrocities? The governmental policies, pressures of comrades and individual behaviors helped to transform these men into the mass murderers of European Jews that they soon became. The government and the military were very important to the transformation of these men. The men of the battalions were often told how the German race was the greatest on earth. Their commanding officers continually reminded them that as Germans they had to be strong and ruthless. They were told to project an image of superiority and not to show any mercy on the inferior Jewish race. Anti-Semitism was practiced throughout the government and military. One policy the government continually reinforced was that that the Jews were not even humans. The Jews were often referred to as wild animals and given no respect. Some commanders of the Order Police encouraged shooting blindly into the ghettos to try to shoot down Jews for sport. Company recreation rooms were commonly decorated with racist slogans and victory celebrations were often held when large numbers of Jews were killed. The military units held weekly class in which they taught ideological propaganda that would use literature such as pamphlets entitled SS Man and The Question of Blood and The Politics of Race." These classes furthered the idea that the Jews were nothing but a troublesome inferior race. They were taught how to kill their victims so that they would die quickly and suffer little. The government also issued such laws as the Barbarossa decree which gave the order police a varitable shooting license against the Russians. The Order police were told that they were in a war against the Jews and the Bolsheviks and they should proceed ruthlessly against the Jews. The Order police should be proud to be participating in the defeat of the world enemy, Bolshevism. The soldiers were continually reminded of how the women and children in Germany were being bombed and how the Jews instigated the American boycott which was destroying Germanys economy. If the soldiers were searching career advancement in the Police force. If this was the case, orders are orders, and the soldier would comply with the orders of their superiors. Through these ideas presented by the institutions of government and military the Order Police became a strong killing machine. The comrades of an individual soldier had a profound influence on the transformation from normal citizen to murderer. Although this influence may have been unintentional it was still a major factor. Peer pressures a bitch. The pressure to conform to the job at hand was great in these small tightly knit battalions. By not shooting, an individual would not be doing his part in an already unpleasant task. Stepping out would make the rest of the battalion believe that the soldier thought himself to be too good for such tasks. The mission had to be accomplished with or without him. Policemen who did not shoot were often isolated, rejected and ostracized by their comrades. The policemen had nowhere else to turn for mental support and societal contact besides his comrades. He would not want to jeopardize this over

History of Canopy Beds

History of Canopy Beds A  popular email hoax  has spread all sorts of misinformation about the Middle Ages and The Bad Old Days. Here we look at the use of canopy beds. From the Hoax There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could really mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. Thats how canopy beds came into existence. The Facts In most castles and manor houses and in some town dwellings, materials such as wood, clay tiles, and stone were used for roofing. All served even better than thatch to stop things from falling into the house. Poor peasant folk, who were the most likely to suffer the annoyances brought about by an ill-kept thatch roof, commonly slept on straw pallets on the floor or in a loft.1 They did not have canopy beds to keep out falling dead wasps and rat droppings. Wealthier people didnt need canopies to keep out things that dropped from the roof, yet wealthy people such as noble lords and ladies or prosperous burghers did have beds with canopies and curtains. Why? Because the canopy beds used in medieval England and Europe have their origins in an entirely different domestic situation. In the earliest days of the European castle, the lord and his family slept in the great hall, along with all their servants. The noble familys sleeping area was usually at one end of the hall and was separated from the rest by simple curtains.2 In time, castle builders constructed separate chambers for the nobility, but though lords and ladies had their bed(s) to themselves, attendants might share the room for convenience and security. For the sake of warmth as well as privacy, the lords bed was curtained, and his attendants slept on simple pallets on the floor, on trundle beds, or on benches. A knight or ladys bed was large and wood-framed, and its springs were interlaced ropes or leather strips upon which a feather mattress would rest. It had sheets, fur coverlets, quilts, and pillows, and it could be fairly easily dismantled and transported to other castles when the lord made a tour of his holdings.​3 Originally, curtains were hung from the ceiling, but as the bed evolved, a frame was added to support a canopy, or tester, from which the curtains hung.4 Similar beds were welcome additions to townhomes, which werent necessarily warmer than castles. And, as in matters of manners and dress, prosperous town-folk emulated the nobility in the style of furnishings used in their homes. Sources 1. Gies, Frances Gies, Joseph, Life in a Medieval Village (HarperPerennial, 1991), p. 93. 2. Gies, Frances Gies, Joseph, Life in a Medieval Castle (HarperPerennial, 1974), p. 67. 3. Ibid, p. 68. 4. bed  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica [Accessed April 16, 2002; verified June 26, 2015].

Recession and Consumer Spending Habits in the Clothing Indusrty Essay

Recession and Consumer Spending Habits in the Clothing Indusrty - Essay Example They also spend in different ways due to the recession. As borrowing becomes harder, consumers are more likely to make spending sacrifices. â€Å"People are clearly starting to get a sense that things are not as easy financially as they once were,† said Peter Ayton, Chief Statistician at Mintel. Recession not only affects how much consumers have to spend, but also how they behave. This project investigates changes in womens spending habits and examines how they will change in the future. The project considers a number of essential questions. Will womens spending behavior change when the recession ends? Or will they revert back to their old spending habits? Will consumption be back to the same level as years past? Will women spend less, delay purchases or trade down to cheaper alternatives? Economic recession can be defined as a significant decline in economic activity lasting more than a few months (NBER, 2009). The United Kingdom has been in recession since July 2008. This was prompted by many problems, including: The increased levels of unemployment and high levels of personal debt, mean consumers are feeling the squeeze. During recession it’s a normal propensity of consumers to cut down on spending and save money. The decline in consumers spending is due to decline in consumer confidence levels. The decline in confidence levels may be caused by unemployment or a financial crisis. Therefore, businesses are forced to lower their prices to attract consumers. When prices decrease, consumer spending capacity increases. In terms of profit and human capital, the recession has negatively impacted many industries. Prominent among the industries hit by the recession is the clothing industry. The UK retail clothing & footwear market was worth an estimated  £48.55bn in 2007 (Clothing HYPERLINK "http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/594454"&HYPERLINK "http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/594454"

Developing IMC plan for Tween Mobile phone Essay

Developing IMC plan for Tween Mobile phone - Essay Example For the last two years, this young company, which has the credit of designing some of the most innovative applications in the mobile industry, was experiencing a dearth in the sales of its products. Further analysis revealed that the sales of the company depreciated as a direct response to the saturation of the adult mobile users while the market for new mobile applications is increasing exponentially due to the emergence of a new category of young consumers. This led to the company feeling the need to design a new marketing communication plan which will increasingly focus on the various communication objectives, selection of advertising strategy on a creative note, and finally a highly effective media plan. Background Information The world today has become a highly digitized and connected world. The reason for this extreme level of digitization as well as consecutiveness can be attributed to the increasing advancements of technology with regards to the communication needs of human b eing and human controlled processes of automatic and automated that has emerged all over the world. Keeping pace with the rapid advancements of communication technology, the mobile phones have emerged as the most primary form of human communication all over the world, more effectively in the emerging as well as the economically established countries and markets around the world. In Australia, the consumption of mobile phones has gone up tremendously. Various market researches on consumers have identified that the young group of child consumers, who increasingly fall in the age group of 6 to 13 years are one of the most active and avid customers, who display highly attractive and strongly influential consumer behavior. Researches further show that the young consumers hold significant power in terms of influencing the consumer behavior of their parents in a direct and indirect manner (Global Trade Marketing, 2005). Talking in terms of various categories of consumers, the consumers fal ling within the age group of 6 to 13 years, which comprises around a total of 11 percent of the Australian population, have acquired the needs of owning a cell phone (Telstra, 2007). Talking in terms of statistical data, it can be said that the around ? of the total consumers falling in this category from the Australia region already have individual possession of cell phones (Downie and Glazebrook, 2007). While the sole purpose of being provided with cell phones has been cited as the logic of being able to stay connected with their parents, yet this young group of consumers have increasingly developed a significantly different category of consumer behavior which is itself unique in nature (Roy Morgan Research’s Young Australians Survey, Summary). It has been increasingly decoded that the young group of consumers increasingly sees the mobile phones as a symbolic representation of their status and a high percentage of them state that the brand of the mobile phones that are bein g used by them is increasingly important to them.