Monday, September 30, 2019

Book Smart vs Street Smart Essay

In the article, â€Å"Hidden Intellectualism,† Gerald Graff discusses the topic of book smart versus street smart. Being street smart means having interest in other activities more than in school work, while being book smart is the complete opposite of that. Graff believes that having the personality of a street smart person can benefit society if one knows how to channel their potential correctly. He persuades his views to the readers by using his personal experiences and displaying the positives of being street smart. During his childhood years, Graff lived in a middle class neighborhood, while being a block away from what would be classified to some people as the â€Å"hood. † He would encounter people from that part of the hood daily. He would have to hide his intelligence in the fear that he would get beat up or robbed. He loved sports more than school, so he thought he was in the street smart crowd. â€Å"It was in these discussions with friends about toughness and sports, I think, and in my reading of sports books and magazines, that I began to learn the rudiments of the intellectual life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Graff 10). In this quote, Graff explains how being street smart was actually helpful for him. He was learning elements of argumentation without even meaning to do so. He later explains the different kinds of components he learned in his arguments, â€Å"†¦how to make an argument, weigh different kinds of evidence, move between particulars and generalizations, summarize the views of others, and enter a conversation about ideas† (Graff 10). He did not think it would have been this easy to do all of these things without reading something to do with Shakespeare. When he realized that loving sports and being able to argue over this subject was actually helping him, he started doing some research on how schools should use relatable subjects to help the street smart students connect like the other students do. This way they would be able to learn in a way that is most understandable to them. He explains that if a student would rather choose a sports magazine over a novel to write about, then it is only smart enough to assign them to write from the magazine. This way they are interested in what they are writing about, and also they are bettering their writing skills. â€Å"Give me the student anytime who writes a sharply argued, sociologically acute analysis of an issue in Source over the student who writes a lifeless explication of Hamlet or Socrates’ Apology† (Graff 18). In this ending statement, Graff is confident about his views and is openly challenging anybody to contradict whatever he has previously stated. Graff’s personal experiences assist in conveying why he felt so strong about this topic. Also, he gives ideas to schools and universities on what teaching material they should use for the street smart students. Not only does he provide help, but he is also confident of its success. There is a way to use the street smart in a book smart type of way.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Classroom Observation Report

INTRODUCTION The school that we have chosen for our classroom observation is SMK Mutiara Rini which is situated at Jalan Persiaran Utama, Taman Mutiara Rini, Skudai Johor Bahru. This school consists of 2250 students from various level of proficiency. We have decided to observe Miss Niwashini Nambiar d/o Aravindan whom are one of our group mates for this classroom observation assignment. Miss Niwashini Nambiar has been teaching English language for both lower and upper secondary for three years. We observed the lower secondary group students whom are in form 2 UKM. There are 32 students in 2 UKM and their English language proficiency level is intermediate. TEACHING METHODOLOGY Before we went to observe Miss Niwashini, we already prepared an observation checklist to make sure that by the end of the observation, we will be able to discuss on the methodology used by the teacher during teaching and learning session. Throughout the lesson, we observed that the teacher minimized the use of mother tongue. She only used it when it was the last resort to make the students understand a particular term or word used during the lesson. The teaching techniques were organized for learners to learn communicative function. During the set induction for example, the teacher came out with something that triggered students' prior knowledge, thus we can see that the students were mostly eager to speak and participate in the conversation. This is parallel with the principle underpinning Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) where according to Brown (2001), CLT involves the use of language productively and receptively where the teacher facilitates and guides the learners to practice language skills in the classroom. For the activities chosen by the teacher during the lesson, we observed that it involved real life communication and also rich mix of classroom activities were implemented, where group work, pair work were all integrated during the lesson. For the group work activity, it allows the students to interact with one another, even some of them still communicate using their mother tongue but, we observed that some of them did tried to use English as much as they can. The lesson was not focused mainly on the form of language but its function as well, where the teacher tried to make the students able to use the target language using the activities done during the lesson. We found that the set induction as well as the activities conducted by the teacher bounded to what has been suggested by Larsen-Freeman (2000) that true communicative activities have three main features: information gap, choice and feedback, using authentic material in a small group activities. By taking the first activity conducted for example, where the students get into a group of five, it applied task-based learning which the students need to complete the task at the same time used the target language and the language acquisition will eventually happen. Another thing that we observed during the class lesson was that the teacher's goal of teaching was to develop students' communicative competence. The opportunities for the students to develop fluency and accuracy were provided by the teacher especially when the students were given a chance to present their work to the class and they got to receive feedback from peers as well as from the teacher. Parrish (2004) advocates that in CLT class, teacher's role is mainly as facilitator to guide the students in the interaction that takes place during teaching and learning session. This can be seen throughout the lesson, where Miss Niwashini did not dominated the lesson and the students' speaking time is maximized by being the main communicator in classroom. From what we have observed, we can conclude Miss Niwashini had integrated Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in her teaching and learning session where she had emphasized on the communication in real-life situation to deliver the lesson. In this report, we also included her lesson plan for that particular lesson to give a clearer view on her teaching and learning session that day. As what is believed by Mustapha ; Yahaya (2013) that the successful implementation of CLT in English language teaching depends largely on the teacher's understanding. We can say that Miss Niwashini's lesson truly has almost all the beliefs under CLT which it was reflected through the way she conducted her lesson in the classroom. This can be seen from her methods and techniques applied during the lesson, the way she designed the activities for her students and the materials used for the activities. LESSON PLANCLASS TIME DURATION ATTENDANCE SUBJECT DAY DATE2UKM 2.20 pm- 3.20 pm 60 M32/32 ENGLISH THURSDAY 5/4/2018LESSON [LESSON 23] LANGUAGE AWARENESS NON-TEXTBOOK BASED LESSONMAIN SKILL(S) FOCUS SPEAKING , READING ; WRITINGTHEME PEOPLE AND CULTURE TOPIC LIVE WELL(HEBAT)LANGUAGE FOCUS Vocabulary related to the topic the health.CONTENT STANDARD Main Skill Writing 4.1Communicate intelligibly through print and digital media on familiar topics.Complementary Skill READING 3.1Understand a variety of texts by using a range of appropriate reading strategies to construct meaning.LEARNING STANDARD Main Skill Writing 4.1.5Connect sentences into two coherent paragraphs or more using basic coordinating conjunctions and pronounsComplementary Skill READING 3.1.1Use with some support familiar print and digital resources to check meaning.LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of the lesson, students should be able to :Create a balanced meal.Identify healthy and unhealthy foods in each of the food groups.SUCCESS CRITERIA At the end of the lesson, students will be able to :Create a balanced meal and explain about the meal with accurate pronunciation based on the given reading text.REFERENCES Access to bilingual dictionaries. CROSS CURRICULAR ELEMENT Technology EducationHOTS Analyzing and Applying MORAL VALUES GratitudeI-THINK Double Bubble Map PAK-21 Round table activity.ACTIVITIESPRE- LESSON LESSON DEVELOPMENT POST- LESSONGreet the students and introduce the topic â€Å"Balanced Meal† for the students.Teacher asks the students at random what do they really understand with the phrase â€Å"Balanced diet† Students will provide the examples of healthy and Unhealthy food. Students will get into group of 5.Students are assigned to create their own balanced meal.They should create a menu card based on the balanced meal that they are going to create. In groups, students are required to explain about the meal that they have created with accurate pronunciation.ASSESSMENT Worksheets REFLECTIONSCLASS : 2UKM 32/32 students able to answer random questions given by their respective teacher. The students able to provide a list of healthy and unhealthy food based on the alphabet shown by their teacher on the whiteboard. Apart from that, students able to identify and classify the healthy and unhealthy food shown by the teacher through random pictures. Students able to create a menu card based on the balanced meal for obesity patients via group work. Students able to present their work within the given time frame and only used English fully throughout the entire lesson.REFERENCESBrown, H. D. (2001). Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy (2nd Ed.). New York: Longman.Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000). Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching (2nd Ed.).Oxford: Oxford University Press. Parrish, B. (2004). Teaching Adult ESL: A Practical Introduction. 3L Journal of Language Teaching 3(103-109). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Mustapha, S. T. ; Y ahaya, R. A. (2013).Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in Malaysian Context: It's Implementation in Selected Community Colleges. Social and Behavioral Sciences 90(788-794). Malaysia: Universiti Teknologi MARA.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The Introduction of Starbucks

Background of Starbucks In 1970s, Starbucks opens first store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. The name comes from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, a classic American novel about the 19th century whaling industry. The seafaring name seems appropriate for a store that imports the world’s finest coffees to the cold, thirsty people of Seattle. In 1980s, Howard Schultz joins Starbucks as director of retail operations and marketing. Starbucks begins providing coffee to fine restaurants and espresso bars.At the next year, he travels to Italy, where he’s impressed with popularity of espresso bars in Milan. He sees the potential to develop a similar coffeehouse culture in Seattle. He convinces the Starbucks’ founders to test the coffeehouse concept in downtown Seattle by serving the first Caffe Latte. Howard found Il Giornale, which offering brewed coffee and espresso beverages. Its name changed to Starbucks Corporation and opened in Canada. In 1990s, Starbucks expands headquarters in Seattle. It became the first privately owned U.S. company to offer a stock option program that includes part-time employees. It opened the first licensed airport store at Seattle’s Sea-Tac International Airport and completed initial public offering (IPO) at the next year. It opened roasting plant in Kent, Wash. In 1994,  Starbucks opens the first drive-thru location and introduces Starbucks ® super-premium ice cream in 1995. They  begin establish the Starbucks Foundation. In 1998, they extend the Starbucks brand into grocery channels across the U. S. and  launch Starbucks. om. In 2000s, to our excellent coffees and espresso drinks, people now enjoy for Tazo ® tea and Frappuccino ® blended beverages. Howard transitions to chairman and chief global strategist, Orin Smith promoted to president and chief executive officer. They established licensing agreement with TransFair USA to sell Fairtrade certified coffee. In  2003,  they acquire Sea ttle Coffee Company and open the first Farmer Support Center in San Jose, Costa Rica. In 2006, Starbucks launches the first paper beverage cup containing ost-consumer recycled fiber. Chairman Howard returns as chief executive officer and then acquires Coffee Equipment Company. He launches Starbucks first online community. In 2010s,  Starbucks expanded digital offerings for customers with free unlimited Wi-Fi, Starbucks Digital Network. Until 2012, Starbucks has out of 17,000 stores throughout the world. It also  introduces Starbucks ® Blonde Roast and announces Verismo ® system by Starbucks premium single-cup espresso machine.Starbucks also acquires La Boulange ® bakery brand to elevate core food offerings. Nature of Business Starbucks is one of the famous coffee brands and shop it also is the best coffee making. It purchases and roasts high-quality bean coffees and sells them along with fresh, rich-brewed, Italian style espresso beverages, a variety of pastries and confec tions, and coffee-related accessories and equipment-primarily through its company-operated retail stores.In addition to sales through our company-operated retail stores, Starbucks sells whole bean coffees through a specialty sales group and supermarkets. Additionally, Starbucks produces and sells bottled Frappuccino ® coffee drink and premium ice creams through its joint venture partnerships and offers a line of innovative premium teas produced by its wholly owned subsidiary, Tazo Tea Company. Starbucks are also launches Starbucks Card iPhone apps and Starbucks Card Mobile payment.The Company's objective is to establish the Starbucks as the most recognized and respected brand in the world. To achieve this goal, the Company plans to continue to rapidly expand its retail operations, grow its specialty sales and other operations, and selectively pursue opportunities to leverage Starbucks brand through the introduction of new products and the development of new distribution channels.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Discuss the extent to which social work can be considered a profession Essay

Discuss the extent to which social work can be considered a profession - Essay Example Social work also entices creation of favorable societal conditions to their goals (Zastrow, 2009:27). Social work subsists in the society, to supply gentle and effective group, individual, family, community, and societal-social services, to enhance and improve both social functioning and the quality of life. Social work can be, classified as both academic and professional exercise, involving life and health, and environmental development (Segal, Gerdes, and Steiner, 2010:62) Social work as a profession consists of two aspects: the macro practice and the micro practice. The micro practice involves assisting individuals suit better in own environment. On the other hand, macro practices involve changing of the environment to suit individual who live in it (Segal, Gerdes, and Steiner, 2010:71). Social work is explained as, both professional and academic exercise that hunts to develop and recover the value of life and health of individuals, a group, or community. The social workers target to improve lives of individuals and as well the society as a whole. Social work can be termed a career, though exciting and challenging. There exist two kinds of social workers. First is direct-service social workers and second type is clinical social workers. The direct-service social workers are those who assist people resolve and survive with problems in their lives while clinical-service social workers diagnose and cure behavioral, mental or psychological and emotional matters. Social work is somewhat of recent origin with first welfare agencies formed by early 1800s mostly in urban areas (Zastrow, 2010:110). Originally, these agencies were founded from religious groups, and were more of private focusing on providing physical basic needs like shelter and food. These ancient private agencies also made attempts of treating private and sensitive complexities with religious rebukes. The examples of these agencies

Thursday, September 26, 2019

What does the customer expect from motor vehicle carrier Essay - 1

What does the customer expect from motor vehicle carrier - Essay Example Then the results will be used in reviewing and producing improvements of the service. As much as possible, the monitoring and the survey should be done on a regular basis to make sure that all the needs and expectations are answered on time. The most important aspect is to make customers feel that they are valuable and their interests are important to the carrier. Motor vehicle carrier is extremely important in every place for this is the most accessible in all modes of transportation. This is the most dominant means of transportation in the U.S. because it has potential access in transporting goods at any point of destination over short and longer places without restrictions (â€Å"Transportation,† n.d.). Currently, the U.S. has 765 motor vehicles that include line haul vehicles for longer destinations and city straight trucks for short distances. The carrier had accounted for an increase in carrier sales of about 5% and a revenue growth of 30% (O’Reilly, 2008). The most dominant among all these vehicles are the passenger vehicles that reported a 97 sales percentage in the U.S. market particularly in local areas. The industry had encountered several changes carried by deregulation and liberalization in the economy with few exceptions that motor carriers under the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 (STAA) will have th eir freedom to do business at their own perspectives as long as the rates are also rightful to the passengers (U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, 1988, p. 55). This freedom is governed by STTA and the carriers are still obliged to follow the terms and conditions specified as to the truck routes and vehicle specifications. Customer’s expectation is one of the important features of motor vehicle carriers because this is a prerequisite of being superior (Coyle, Novack, Gibson, & Bardi, 2010, p. 169). â€Å"The customer’s service expectation acts

Kone's Strategic Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Kone's Strategic Plan - Research Paper Example It will also show how KONE might use digital marketing as a competitive advantage. KONE is a very well reputed organization in the elevator and escalator industry. It is being noticed that in modern day business, digital marketing is playing a significant role. It is the need of the hour. Each and every global organization is understanding importance of digital marketing in their organizations. Digital marketing is such a promotional technique that, it can attract lots of customers within very short period of time. It reduces lots time and money for organizations. As an organization KONE faces the issue related with digital marketing. It is very important for the company to introduce digital marketing to maintain its competitive advantages. Long term vision, mission and corporate objectives are very important for every organization to excel in the future. KONE has very clear vision to provide best people flow experience. Here in this section mission statement and corporate objectives of the organization will be discussed. The organization measures their progress toward their vision. In course of that, they set some strategic targets. The organization has clear mission to acquire as many as loyal customers as possible. The company is very much committed to provide good working environment to their work forces. Sustainability and market leadership is a big priority for the organization. KONE has very significant corporate objectives. It wants to be a global market leader on the basis of technological innovation and creativity. Profitability and customer centricity is a very important characteristic of their corporate objective. The organization aims at long term higher financial growth than the normal industry standard. It wants to increase its global presence and want to satisfy different segments of their customers. The organization has decisive corporate objectives to match with different mega trends of the industry. Situation analysis has great

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Luxury Branding and The Online Shopping Environment Essay

Luxury Branding and The Online Shopping Environment - Essay Example The researcher states that luxury branding utilizes the experience and loyalty to sell fantasy to target customers. Companies offer exclusivity and distinction in order to create a lasting perception of the brands. The emotional relationship between the customer and the luxury product will determine the level of willingness to purchase a product or service. Miller and Mills argue that the functional benefits of the brands may not play a significant role in the management of the luxury brands. A framework of luxury brands in the 21st Century involves a number of products that consists primarily of beauty, beverages, jewelry, automobiles, property and fashion products. The brands depend mainly on the opinion of the public and its relevance to the luxury consumers. Consumers are engaging in symbolic consumption due to the similarity between the personality of the luxury brand and end users. There has been increased interest in the brand personality concept because of the perceived symbo lic benefits in luxury brands. The consumption of luxury brands occurs through a transition similar to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. Acquisition of luxury automobiles entails a transition from the basic car, through utility, quality, and premium to the luxury. A consumer with a luxurious personality would prefer a Rolls Royce as opposed to a basic Dodge model. An emphasis on taking advantage of the customer is vital to creating strong symbolic brand identities. Luxury brands defy the conventional marketing models. The marketing process is a paradox for many companies due to a great emphasis on high prices, quality, and publicity. Creation of brands that are highly visible in the marketplace is a top priority for firms producing luxury products. A model for brand concept entails high brand awareness with a high perception of quality.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Persecution in the Early Church Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Persecution in the Early Church - Research Paper Example The essay discusses that religion today is a matter of personal choice in many parts of the world, and this is in sharp contrast to the difficult times of persecution Christianity as one of the world’s religions underwent in its initial stages to become one of the greatest as documented in history. Persecution began in the period after Christ and continued for a period of about 300 years. It was witnessed at the time of the Roman rule during the period 64 A.D to 311 A.D and was facilitated by different Emperors and Jewish religious leaders. Professing to be a Christian during that period was like declaring the death sentence upon oneself because people were martyred in some of the cruelest ways witnessed which included beheading and being thrown alive to man eating beasts, being boiled in oil and crucifixion among others. Emperors like Nero are documented in history to have cruelly ordered that Christians be thrown to hungry lions in amphitheaters as spectators enjoyed. The me aning of the word martyr to the followers of the Christian religion meant just a witness, but it acquired a deeper meaning and implication when the followers were ready to die for what they believed and through this many people were converted probably due to the deep conviction shown by the martyrs. Christians endured persecutions in the early church, not only from Jews, but from Romans as well and they all advocated for removing Christianity in their systems. There were many reasons why the persecution occurred and continued for the long period that it did. Rome had embraced paganism and thus all citizens were expected to adhere to it as the state religion. Failure to do so was considered to be rebellious and was punishable by death. The followers of Christianity were also influenced by ancient Jewish stories as narrated in Christian literature, for example, the story of Daniel who was thrown into a lions den when he refused to stop praying.   Shadrack, Meshak and Abednego were a lso thrown into a furnace when they refused to bow to an idol. The revolt of the Maccabees who believed that it was better to die than deny the nation of Israel was also one of the sources of inspiration for Christians.2 Persecution was not only caused and done by Roman authorities. The Jews who were followers of Judaism, one of the oldest religions in the world and which is based on Abrahamic beliefs strove against the immerging group of Christianity whose beliefs were based on Jesus Christ. Christians believed they were the new dispensation. One of the first Christian martyrs, Stephen as narrated in the book of Acts 7 was not killed by the Romans, but by the Jews when he tried to explain to them about the new faith based on Jesus Christ while they believed in Judaism.3 The Jews in protecting what they believed was the truth teamed up many times with the Roman authorities to persecution. The fire of Rome in which a very great part of the city was burnt was also used as an excuse to further persecute the Christians in the year A.D 64. Emperor Nero, the reigning monarch was thought to have been responsible, probably in his quest to destroy old buildings to give way for new ones, but he was able to lay blame elsewhere. The Jews were accused, but lastly it was the Christians who suffered the consequences.4 Many of them were arrested, tortured and martyred for the Arson. This act made them become classified as trouble makers instead of an accepted religion. This was a reason enough to do all things possible to prevent their rise to become a recognized religion. Roman emperors did not entertain anything that appeared to be superstitious and to them, failure to pray to Roman gods was against state policy. Atheism was construed to mean the worship of other gods other than those accepted by the Roman authorities. The Christians were supposed to deny their faith and accept to adhere to the faith of the Roman gods.5 Many publicly disagreed and were ready to die for Chri stianity and thus were martyred because they were considered

Monday, September 23, 2019

The Importance of Management and Marketing within Business Essay

The Importance of Management and Marketing within Business Organization and the Impact of Technology - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that it is difficult to define management in few words because of the complex parameters involved in the management process. In simple terms, management is the process of dealing or controlling things or people. One of the most common function of management is getting things done through others. â€Å"According to Henri Fayol, "To manage is to forecast and to plan, to organise, to command, to coordinate and to control† whereas Peter Drucker, defined Management as a multi-purpose organ that manages business and manages managers and manages workers and work". From the above definitions, it is evident that management is highly complex term which has got multi-dimensions. On the other hand, marketing is a process of informing the customers about the value or utility of a product or service, and to encourage the customers to purchase it. â€Å"It is defined as the process of determining the needs and wants of consumers and being able to deliver products that satisfy those needs and wants. Marketing includes all of the activities necessary to move a product from the producer to the consumer†. Management is a process which helps to achieve; group goals, Optimum Utilization of Resources, reduction of costs. It is a process which establishes sound organization and equilibrium. Moreover, it helps the society to achieve prosperity. Man, material, machine, and money are the four most important resources of an organization. Management is the process, which helps the coordination of all these organizational resources. For example, finance department is responsible for the management of money in an organization. Same way, human resource department look after the manpower resources whereas engineering or production department look after the machineries and materials. Even though different departments are controlling the organizational resources, it is the process of management, which helps them to utilize these resource s judiciously so that the organization benefits from these resources. Many people have the illusion that management is a function restricted only to the executives of an organization. In fact, Management is a function usually undertaken by people of all calibre. For example, a housekeeper is responsible for managing the resources of a house properly whereas a construction worker is responsible for managing the works assigned to him. A housewife manages the education of her children while her husband manages other family matters. In short, management is a function which can be seen everywhere. It is impossible for this world to move a step forward without management of different kinds. All organizations depend upon group efforts. Group action and joint efforts have become necessary in every walk of life. Management is required wherever two or more people work together to achieve com ­mon objectives. The success in group efforts depends upon mutual cooperation among the members of t he group. Management creates teamwork and coordination among specialized efforts. Management is indispensable in all organizations whether a business firm, a govern ­ment, a hospital, a college, a club, etc. Management is a creative force which helps in the optimum utilization of resources. No two individuals are alike. This is true in the organizational world also. It should be noted that current organizations are heavily globalized so that they forced to employ people from different parts of the world. Diversity helps organizations in many ways. At the same time diversity creates lot of problems also. Coordination of diverse workforce is extremely difficult. Management is the process, which helps human resource managers to coordinate diverse workforce effectively.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Blanches and Stellas Essay Example for Free

Blanches and Stellas Essay From the very first scene, we as the audience find ourselves sympathising with Blanche. Her first introduction into the play causes this sympathy. Williams describes Blanches appearance as daintily dressed in a white suit with white gloves and earrings of pearl. From the first stage direction at the start of the play, a description has been created in our minds by Williams of New Orleans. It is a poor section with a raffish charm. It is evident then that Blanche is not a character that will fit in here. Due to this fact, I feel sympathy for her as she has entered a world that is new and unknown to her. Williams describes Blanche as having delicate beauty that must avoid a strong light. The word delicate suggests a great vulnerability and coupled with the fact that she is in a territory unknown to her means that she must feel afraid and foreign to the area and so again I sympathise with her character. I find it interesting that Williams chose to describe Blanche in a way that she must avoid a strong light. He also refers to her as a moth. This word is also associated with light and suggests to me that Blanche fears the light, as it will show her age. Williams makes constant reference to light throughout the first five scenes, for example, in scene three she lies about her age when speaking to Mitch and asks him to cover up a light which metaphorically refers to her age. This emphasises Blanches fear of growing old. She is fully aware of her age and death comes to us all. It is something we will all experience in our lives and this builds up sympathy for Blanche as many of the audience can relate to her fears. I would also associate a moth as a very delicate creature that is attracted to light, though it must not touch it. This reflects upon Blanches character. Williams is very descriptive of Blanche in the opening scene, emphasising the fact that she is nervous and vulnerable. Her opening conversation with Eunice makes evident the class divide between herself and the locals. She is alone and feels nervous and afraid. Williams directs this through her body language; slightly hunched, legs pressed close and hands tightly clutching. The quote A cat screeches. She catches her breath with a startled gesture again emphasizes how nervous and afraid she is. She feels these nerves again during her first meeting with Stanley towards the end of scene one. This establishment of her feelings in the opening scene builds up sympathy within the audience as they start to feel for her situation. It in the opening scene, Williams also establishes Blanches drinking problem, and removes a whiskey bottle. Again this is something much of the audience can relate to and so feel sympathy for. During her first conversation with her sister, Stella, Williams has written it so that Blanche appears frantic and panicked, which comes across to the audience as quite pathetic. It is because she seems so pathetic that we find ourselves once again feeling sympathy for her. Williams establishes Blanche as highly insecure. She seeks attention regarding her appearance in a hope that she will be reassured on it. For example, You havent said a word about my appearance. Everybody has insecurity about them and Blanches is about her appearance. It is a shame she feels so insecure and again reinforces the fact the she is fully aware of her fading beauty. Everybody has insecurities and so can relate to Blanche and in doing so feel sympathy for her. Williams is clever in the way he has established Blanches character in the opening scene. He has made her faults known to the audience but they are not faults she will be condemned for because they are faults the audience can relate to and so feel sympathy for her. In the opening scene we learn of Blanches and Stellas relationship. They are sisters and Blanche is the elder of the two. Williams does, therefore, make Blanche out to be quite domineering over Stella to a point where she appears rather rude and patronizing. For example, Blanche asks Stella to stand up, when Stella does not do this, Blanches becomes cross and responds by asking You hear me? I said stand up! . Due to this dictatorship, I feel sympathy for Stella. In scene one we are given a slight hint of Blanches past, a clue as to why she has ended up in New Orleans in the state she is in; The Summer dad died and you left us . Due to this loss, I feel sympathy for Blanche. At the end of act one, we learn of another great loss she has suffered; The boy the boy died.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Company Culture Of Enron Management Essay

The Company Culture Of Enron Management Essay Just as the destiny of individuals is determined by personal character, the destiny of an organization is determined by the character of its leadership. And when individuals are derailed because of a lack of character, the organization will also be harmed (Josephson, 1999). The merger of two Houston-based pipeline companies in 1985 led to the creation of Enron. It started as an energy delivery company, but the deregulation a few years later helped it change its focus and become an energy matchmaker or energy broker. The company started matching the buyers and sellers of energy and utilised creative trading methods to generate profits. So in a short span of time, Enron corporations fortunes changed from just a surviving company and it become a thriving company- a symbol of successful American corporation. 1.2 The Company Culture The deregulation in 1988 led to a dramatic change in the corporation. Enron had become the symbol of dynamism and aggression. The culture at Enron was to encourage creativity amongst the employees. It embraced a culture that rewarded cleverness. The employees were motivated to explore innovative approach to their work. The limits were pushed for performance on the individual employee level to sustain the astonishing growth levels that the corporation was experiencing. It was slowly moving towards a culture that admired unchecked ambition. In the pursuit, Enron led a culture which believed in stretching the performance until the limits of ethical conduct were overlooked. We will also see ahead how the leadership at Enron affected a change in the culture of the corporation. If corporate leaders encourage rule-breaking and foster an intimidating, aggressive environment, it is not surprising that the ethical boundaries at Enron eroded away to nothing. Schein (1985) has focused on leaders hip as the critical component of the organizations culture because leaders can create, reinforce, or change the organizations culture. This applies not the least to an organizations ethical climate (Sims, 2000; Trevinoet al., 2000; Sims and Brinkmann, 2002).According to Schein (1985) there are five primary mechanisms that a leader can use to influence an organizations culture: attention, reaction to crises, role modelling, allocation of rewards, and criteria for selection and dismissal. Scheins assumption is that these five criteria reinforce and encourage behavioural and cultural norms within an organization. So to summarise the culture at the company as depicted in the movie which was influenced by the following factors. Leadership Behaviour (reference?) Espoused values and visions Communicating the vision for the organisation through stated strategic long-term objectives in the vision statement/annual general meeting statement. Role modelling and attention There were multiple instances of Management-Employee seminars. There were also Enron Gas services solution days, where the management would use motivational speech to inspire employees. Reaction to crisis Initially in the nascent stages of the accounting misdemeanours the management devised way to avert crisis with efficient use of Public relation to make the event look insignificant. Programs , structures Criteria for rewards and personnel decision Enrons remuneration system rewarded individuals who adopted Enrons aggressive, individualistic culture and were based on short-term profits and financial measures. Symbols , rituals and stories The enron management way of celebrating success- organising weekend adventure trips. Jeff Skilling mantra- Do it right, do it now , and do it better 1.3 The External Environment Enron had become an energy trading giant in the US market and it was expanding in more sectors and international markets. The surprise with the companys growth was not its ingenuity of doing business but the speed at which it was expanding. But with a careful balance of public relation and good CSR skill, Enron had succeeded in developing a niche amongst the American corporate houses, the American media and the masses. It was a symbol of corporate excellence teamed with an ambitious zeal to succeed at all cost. Enrons spectacular success was receiving positive reviews from the press and the financial analyst community which was incremental in adding fuel to the companys competitive culture. So the movie very succinctly describes the leadership at Enron which encouraged a culture that was morally flexible leading to ethical degeneration in the name of ambition. Leadership at Enron The pillars of Enron were the top management team which always believed in exuberant performance. They were driven in their pursuit of delivering on the bottom-line numbers at all cost. This attitude was percolated to the complete organisational structure at Enron by dividing the company in either the high performing employees or the so- called low-performers. The employees who were a part of the upper-crust were handsomely remunerated. This led to a negatively infected passion amongst the employees to break the performance bench-mark in the organisation to happily afloat. The reflection of the leadership style in the movie is Indirect leadership It is evident from the movie that there was a heavy influence of the top management on the culture of the organisation which cascaded down to all the employees of the company, but indirectly. A form of indirect leadership involves leader influence over the organization culture, which is defined as the shared beliefs and values of members (Scheinn, 1992- trice Beyer, 1991). Leaders may attempt either to strengthen existing cultural beliefs and values or to change them. There are many ways to influence culture, and they may involve direct influences (communication, a compelling vision or leading by example) or other forms of indirect influence, such as changing the organization structure or reward system. Transactional leadership It refers to the leadership style wherein the leader exchanges rewards of economic or financial value with the follower. These rewards are based on the premise that the leader recognises the parameters and the levels of performance which justify reasonably the task and also clarifies the conditions under which the rewards are available for justification. The goal is to enter a mutually beneficial exchange, but not necessarily to develop a enduring relationship. Although a leadership act transpires, it is not one that binds the leader and follower together in a mutual and continuing pursuit of a higher purpose. But in the movie it is also seen that leaders were in a constant pursuit to convince their followers about their genuine interest of promoting the welfare of the stakeholders, which was not the case in reality. Yet they were successful in blinding the stakeholders (employees) with their leadership position and skills. So here we see an overlap of transactional as well as transformational leadership traits as the leaders at Enron were successful in their motive. Effective transformational leaders may exhibit transactional behaviors, but their leadership style also includes one or more of the following characteristics: idealized vision, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (Bass, 1985; Bass Avolio, 1994). These characteristics are assumed to transform followers and motivate them to do more than initially expected. This transformation presumably occurs through raising the followers awareness of the signi ¬Ã‚ cance of designated outcomes, getting followers to transcend their self-interests for the good of the organization, or augmenting followers needs on Maslows (1954) hierarchy of needs (Bass, 1985). Although leaders and followers purposes may begin as separate but related, they eventually become fused into a linkage of power bases that provide support for both members of the relationship. Leadership is about making choices (Kouzes and Posner, 2003). Choice is a binary action that divides options into two sets, the desired and the undesired ones, according to a higher principle or value (Rawls, 1999). Mostovicz (2008) posits that the way people choose is a reflection of their worldview. This discovery can be approached in 2 ways (1) By the need for achievement (the Lambda worldview); or (2) By the need for affiliation (the Theta worldview). Both the world views have a unique set of characteristics. The Lambda are self- motivated and highly driven to attain individaulistic goals whereas the Theta are more society welfare oriented. The Lamba have a narrow prespective towards the society as such whereas the Theta have a much broader view. The unique characteristics of both the worldviews along with leadership approach is as mentioned below. Theta Lambda Motivation/reason Socially oriented Personally oriented Goal Seeking unity and certainty Seeking challenge and creation Behaviour Communion Agency Benefit Building respect Looking for personal freedom Leadership principle Authenticity = truthfulness Authenticity =genuineness Inclination Toward choice Toward contrast Perception of truth As an objective As a set of rules Transformation of a leader A leader is born. Qualities are subconscious A leader is developed consciously So the reflection in the movie about the leadership at Enron is more on the Lambda worldview. The attitude induced by the top management through the company made the organisation develop a Lambda view which led to the massive breakdown of the ethical machinery. The Leader Jeff Skilling- the man with the ideas. He was the kind of a person who had big vision of things. One of his favourite books was the Selfish Gene, which was a description about the human nature being steered only by greed and competition in the service of passing on the genes. He wanted to alter the way in which Energy was being traded. He succeeded in initiating a market for natural gas wherein it started being traded as stocks. He converted energy into a financial instrument and this led to Enron becoming the largest energy trader in North America. Kenneth Lay was a visionary and he liked people who shared this attribute. Jeff Skilling fit in the picture perfectly. He was aggressive, intelligent and possessed exemplary leadership qualities which was incremental in creating a culture of aggression and incentivised competition in the organisation. Under his leadership the organisation transformed from a small energy market player to the biggest energy trading company in North America with a rapidly expanding global operations network. The company was being driven by the aggressive and individualistic attitude which was strongly ingrained in the system by Jeff Skilling and the policies of the management team for attaining short term profit. These were successful in achieving the results in hindsight but were seriously damaging the ethical balance in the system. According to the Big Five model (Hogan, Curphy Hogan, 1994, Page 61), Jeff Skilling exhibited the Surgency personality type which had specific traits of Extroversion, High Energy/activity level and a Need for power. Charisma was the most important aspect of his personality. He believed in gaining power and self glorification, caring very little for his followers, the ideals or values. This is usually seen in the case of negative charismatics. He used his charisma, to influence people in a way which made them awe-stricken, wanted his acceptance and hence they could not criticise him or his actions. This not just has an influence on the followers, but has an effect on the leader as well. The leader in such cases become not only over-confident but also delusional of their infallibility. To describe further we utilise the following table to understand the charismatic leadership and its effect on the organisation. The leader has total and absolute authority. Leaders build their eminence and maintain their grip on their followers throught a well-articulated ,emotive communication of their vision. The leader cultivates a compelling and captivating self image Immense faith invested in the leader Heavy emphasis on the charismatic attributes of leadership. The CEO had immense and unchallenged authority. Events such as the annual management conference, where leaders promoted themselves in a thearitical manner. Intense faith exhibited by emploess in Lay and Skilling and a declining confidence in the quality of their perceptions Charismatic Leadership A totalistic vision, leading to a higher sense of purpose and achievement. Employees assured they were transforming how business was conducted in the world. An intense transcendent ideology. A high degree of personal commitment by followers, to the goals of their leaders. The replacement of the followers existing belief system with a sense of being involved in a meaningful or revolutionary change. A compelling vision and intellectual stimulation Intense recruitement rituals, designed to engage employees in a process of affliation. The transformation of attitudes, behaviour. Constant messages that those hired were part of a special elite and were the brightest and the best in the world Indoctrination rituals that alternate between stressful and exhilarating. A process of conversion enacted Continuous indoctrination ,to reinforce initials sense of affiliation Individual consideration Perceived dissenters marginalised Financial data falsified Cultivation of obscure jargon, familiar only to people within the organisation Punitive internal regime. Promotion of a Common Culture Punitive internal environment: dissent demonised Unidirectional communication Negative information suppressed and positive information maximised. Total conformity from followers Power and Influence- Amongst the different types of powers Skilling had both at his disposal. He made use of his position power due to his position in Enron and also the personal power. In terms of position power it appears that applied the reward power which meant that his followers complied in order to obtain rewards and also legitimate powers where in the followers complied as they believed that he had the right to make the request due to his position. Also, we could see the use of his personal powers to a great extent where in his vast knowledge about the subject enabled his followers to comply. The followers also admired him and aspired to be like him due to his charismatic personality which also gave him the referent power which helped him gain loyalty and commitment. In order to influence his followers in supporting him he did use rational persuasion to show them the logical side of his argument based on factual evidence. The followers at some time did realise that Skilling was being unethical in his practices and in spite of this realisation still continued to support him. To explain the influence Skilling had on his followers we can make use of the 3 well known experiments-Milgrams experiment, Solomon Aschs conformity and Zimbardo prison experiment. Milgrams experiment tells us how people conform to an authority figure. The agentic state theory explains this further by stating that the person comes to view himself as an instrument in carrying out another persons wishes and therefore no longer sees himself responsible for his actions. Similarly the other 2 experiments highlight the human behaviour in terms of role conformity and social conformity where in people have a tendency to come under the pressure of social acceptability and conforming to everything they feel they need to in order to be a part of the group. Leader-Member Exchange Enron was a company of believers. In a survey in 1997, employees who were surveyed for a feedback faced tremendous faith in the leadership of Kenneth Lay and Jeff Skilling. It has been discussed in this analysis that the company had an indirect leadership style, whereby influence of the top management percolated to all the employees in the company through the use of multiple communication strategies (Enron Gas services day) when the top management discussed the future strategy of the company, the importance of employee contribution, commending excellent employee performance etc. So the employees became blind believers in the methodology adopted by the leadership at the organisation and started working with the win at all cost attitude which led to the slow erosion of the ethical fabric. Also the reward system that was created in the organisation, reflected the expectation of the management. The companies reward system only appraised employees who performed consistently with little re gard to ethical conduct. Overall, Enrons reward system rewarded individuals who embraced Enrons aggressive, individualistic culture and were based on short-term profits and financial measures. Leadership development at Enron Leadership calls for total commitment to the perpetual process of purpose seeking. While leaders are usually concerned with their legacies, their commitment to purpose has to go far deeper. This total commitment implies that, in reality, leaders seek either my way or nothing. However, this commitment is intrinsic; it calls for the leader to mobilise himself, body and soul, but in no way does it imply extrinsically that what is not my way is wrong. Ideal leaders do not exist in practice. Thus, we can relate to leadership as a progressive development only. Since humans cannot be fully conscious of our emotions, a posteriori, we cannot fully mobilise them in order to understand and attain our life goals and purpose. Because our purpose remains opaque at best, it follows that leaders will act unethically even when they do so unwillingly or unconsciously. The only way for leaders to improve their ethical position is to interact with others in society to help them reveal their hidden agenda over time. The particular worldview, in turn, shapes these agendas, either Theta or Lambda, that a person embodies in his search for greater self-awareness and contextualisation with his external environment. Appendix

Friday, September 20, 2019

Entry Modes In Hospitality Industry Tourism Essay

Entry Modes In Hospitality Industry Tourism Essay Research carried by the author has pointed out the differences in the choice of entry mode of Accor in Thailand and China. According to interviews carried before the analysis, managers in Thailand assumed the foreign direct investment as the major choice for local market, which can intensify the network of hotel chains and avoiding financial constrains. According to Sass (2003), FDI is an entry mode which bounds the international business with the domestic ones. Thus, this choice is appreciated by the local government in Thailand, which may be too busy in political reconstruction to get into the rebooting of tourism and hospitality industry. Meanwhile, acquisition is applied by Accor Thailand in order to get acceleration in network expansion. This is mostly realized by management contract, which according to Esperanca (1992), can separating the ownership from the management. However, the long-term contract is related to the motivation systems for the owners, which also admitted by Thailand managers that credibility, trust mechanism are still needed to be constructed for the local owners. Different from this, the strategy in China, especially in the brand Ibis owns the unique characteristic. Although franchising is assumed to be the ideal choice for franchisor and franchisee by the assistance in operation system and the quicker mode to establish network (Pine . Zhang, 2000). It is the fact that many countries are lack of the stable environment which facilitates the process of franchising. As a consequence of this, the overall and diversify market in China is become the ideal choice for this attempt. After all, franchising is putting the reputation of the brand into danger. Once the operation in one point is facing crisis, the whole brand reputation will be called into question. 2.0 Reasons contributed to the different strategy 2.1 Relationship with local strength in host countries This element is viewed as an influential factor in the extension strategy for international hotel chains. While in consideration of the circumstances in those two countries, it is easy to find out the differences into this factor. The first fact is the leading position of Accor in Thailand, which make it more convenient to expand within that country without real competition. Meanwhile, Accor in Thailand is trying to develop better relationship with travel agencies, which can help the process of promotion in current downturns. Even though this efforts is turning unsatisfying results, which can be reflected by the merely 3% guests who claimed to be introduced into the hotel by travel agencies, this efforts in this area are still worthy. Since from long-term perspective, the markets in host countries, especially in new booming ones like Thailand, are more essential for the development of international hotel chains (Gammeltoft Pradhan, 2010). Cooperation with local strength may change the disappointing situation on the overall brand promotion for Accor in Thailand. However, in Chinese marketing, the most worthy way to cultivate is not the one of travel agency. Since many travel agencies in China are limited in moderate scales and not be trusted by travelers, especially native people. Due to the situation in China, that reflects as the relatively close relationship shared by Chinese among friends and family. The results of 23% interviewees who claimed their recognization of the brand is from friends and relatives have provided evidence to this aspect. As a consequence of this, it is understandable why Accor promotes Ibis, which is a economy hotel, widely in Chinese market. Since more local tourists will be attracted by the recommendation from friends. Besides the target group, the local brands and government can also be viewed as important strengths in China for Accor Group. Most MNCs, especially those indulged in service industry like Accor are attracted by China for the low cost of labor, since most of these industries are known as labor-consuming. However, the Chinese government is claiming the efforts they will put in the transformation in this area. Policies will be put more highlights on high-tech area. Thus, for Accor Group in China, it is not advisable to perceive the low cost of labor as an advantage. This is just be self-evident by the efforts Accor have put into the promotion of brands belongs to high class like Novotel as a sign of quality-provided chain. 2.2 Culture aspects Lake of cross-cultural awareness is the major reason which contributes to the frustration of MNCs in host countries. For Accor Group, which pursuit for the position in service industry, this awareness seems to be more essential. The analysis of visiting purpose of the guests can give the most obvious distance from Chinese and Thailand culture. Compared with 27% of guests who claimed to visit hotels on the purpose of relaxing in Thailand, the correspondence rate in China is revealed as merely 9 in 93 persons. This difference, if finding explanation from the culture side, can be understood as Chinese always value family concept more important than other cultures. That is, they will be less likely to choose relaxing places besides home. Thats can also be viewed as reason that contribute to the over 50% satisfaction with the facilities of the hotel in China, since most of them are travel on purpose of business or sightseeing, there needs in additional facilities are relatively lower than others. Thats the reason why Accor promotes brands like Novotel in China. As the business image of the Group, Novotel is just attractive for those international business people who pursue excellent quality service. And the expansion of lower brand Ibis is just suitable for the economical pursuit for sightseeing guests Different from this, Accor is trying to establish more brands in Thailand market. This strategy is also related with the recovery of the political situation. However, it is designed to satisfy the needs of multiple cultures in Thailand. 2.3 Geographical difference This element influence the control relationship between headquarter and subsidiaries abroad. Rodrigues (1995) has lighted the two choices for the headquarters-foreign subsidiary control relationship, included centralization or decentralization. However, the geographical circumstances in China have put a challenge on the centralization process. Thats also the major reason that Accor apply franchising mode in this country. Due to the large area and diversity in many elements, the centralization process will cause too much efforts of the headquarter company. Different from this, Accor Thailand is trying to introduce more brands designed for different groups of people. The higher class hotel like Novotel can not be promoted in methods expect from direct investment, thats partly due to the danger of quality maintain in mode like franchising. Meanwhile, in area like Thailand, whose economical centers are concentrated in the certain region of the country, decentralization will more easy to be realized 3.0 Recommendations in strategy improvement in Thailand and China A. Focusing on the promotion of overall brand. Even though the overall satisfying situation in the subject hotels of research carried by the author is highly evaluated over 50% countries, the recognization of the Accor Group is disappointing. As Punjaisri and Wilson (2007) defined the recognization of the brand for existing guests can give influence to other costumers. As a consequence of this, the disappointing current results will cause barriers when Accor introduce new brands into these two markets. B. Trying to attract different guest groups Business guests and sightseeing ones are two unique highlight in Thailand and China, which covered the largest part of the interviewees in those two markets separately. However, as a hot destination, Thailand owns the distinctive potential in tourism. Even though the Accor Thailand is witnessing 25% guests who claim to settle for sightseeing. It still has a great distance when compared with the booming of tourism industry in this country. Thus, it is advisable for Accor in Thailand to promote image as tourists choice. Different from Thailand, China has been long recognized as sightseeing attraction. As a consequence of this, most international hotel chains would be more likely to position themselves as types for tourists in this market, which also in turn make competition in this area. The 43% sightseeing group also verify this strategy of Accor in China. However, as a developing country who is in the acceleration development, the business guests in China will be increasing gradually in near future. Meanwhile, the location of China also makes it taking the role of economical hinterland for countries in Asia or the world. Thus, the business potential will worthy the efforts to promoting business hotels in Chinese market. C. Combination of entry modes Franchising owns the fastest expansion speed while direct invest witnesses highly control relationship. However, both of these methods own their cons and pros. Current situation is the separation of both modes in China and Thailand as major strategy for those markets. However, franchising can also be applied in Thailand, while franchising may facilitate the development of certain brands in China, Taking the All Seasons in Thailand as example, they are operated by the method of FDI, and only establish a network from Bangkok to Pattaya. The relatively slower speed just testifies the disadvantages of direct investment. Thus, in order to operate economy hotel more successfully in Thailand and set up the wildly net which can attract more tourism. Franchising, which is unique in Chinese market can also be used in All Seasons in Thailand. Higher class brand like Novotel can maintain in the way of direct investment which can ensure the quality of service. While in China, Accor is trying to expend as fast as possible in order to get more share of this booming market. Franchising as the most effective way in this aim is widely applied to expand the economy brand. However, when Accor moving forward in China, there must be attention paid on the choice of the city. The subjects which are chose in the research of author reflect the subtle difference Accor in brand operation among different cities in China. Dalian, as a city bordering on the sea, is always perceived as sightseeing destination in China, thus, Ibis here will position itself as economical choice for tourists. Different from this, Beijing, the capital of China, which is also the centre of economy, is the ideal choice for Novotel to settle. However, due to the larger area in China, the serves radius of a city here is limited. When putting into strategy consideration, it will be necessary to value how many cities exactly Novotel Beijing can provide service to. As a consequence of this, one city in China may shoulder two responsibilities, which can serve as tourism destination and economy centre in center region. Thats where the combination of entry modes should be applied. Meanwhile, the direct investment may be not suitable due to these characteristics, management service contracts can be applied as a replacement, since its a method which can be more decentralize than direct investment, meanwhile, owns more control than franchising. D. More emphasis on the Internet and media promotion This suggestion is merely based on the disappointing situation of Internet channel in both countries. According to the research, this is only 9% and 13% in Thailand and China of the guests who claim acknowledges of information of the hotels is from the Internet. Since Accor is trying to establish the network in both of these two markets, no channel can be more effective than Internet promotion. While at the same time, according to the development situation in both countries, the Internet has already become the major source of information for people It is advisable for Accor to fulfill the existing blanket area in this category. Besides the Internet, the media approach is also neglected in both countries. Even though the media can not be an effective way to promote service of the hotel or provide information details. It can be an efficient approach to the overall brand promotion, which is thought to be a failure for Accor in both markets. As a consequence of this, media can be used to promote the image of Accor and improve the recognization situation of this company among local people, while the Internet can convey the detail information to the target groups. Conclusion To sum up, despite the fact of expansion strategy in both markets, differences are also witnessed according to the various elements like culture, economy and relationship with strength in host countries. Meanwhile, in order to get more share in these two new booming markets, Accor has also to adjust details in its strategy in order to make it more appropriate to those two countries.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Binge Drinking Among College Students :: Alcohol Abuse Essays

Binge Drinking Among College Students   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We all know what it is like to wake up in the morning, with our head aching, and our body feeling like it was just hit by a train. College students world wide know this feeling. These are the results of binge drinking. The question of why college students continue to submit themselves to alcohol is unknown. While many reasons are given, the cause generally falls into one of three categories, peer pressure, insecurity, or to help solve there problems. But the one thing students don’t realize are the consequences and effects that binge drinking can have, health and social problems are just a few.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the main reasons students feel the need to binge drink is peer pressure. They do this because their peers are doing it and they want to fit in better. College dorm rooms offer many different places for students to drink. Dorm rooms give a great place for a few people to get together, and before you know it â€Å"everybody’s doing it†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Insecurity is another incentive to why students binge drink. Drinking alcohol has been a large part of society for many years. People find that it is easier to meet people when they have been drinking. Drinking has also been used as a way to get close to some one. There are also many social events drinking has created. There are cozy bars â€Å"where every body knows your name,† cocktail parties, and the high school favorite, house party.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Students also binge drink to help them solve there problems. They turn to alcohol to aid themselves with hiding their feelings and numbing there pain for a while â€Å"We’ll talk over a beer,† is something that people will say when they need to talk about something. In english terms this means lets have a beer and forget all our problems. Problems that range from, stress from school work, stress from a significant other, or even stress of home life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The effects of binge drinking go far beyond short term memory loss and â€Å"hangovers†. Binge drinkers miss class, get behind on school work, engage in unplanned sexual activity, have run-ins with police, and get injured or hurt.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Brave New World Essay -- essays research papers fc

Alduos Huxley, in his science fiction novel Brave New World written in 1932, presents a horrifying view of a possible future in which comfort and happiness replace hard work and incentive as society's priorities. Mustapha Mond and John the Savage are the symbolic characters in the book with clashing views. Taking place in a London of the future, the people of Utopia mindlessly enjoy having no individuality. In Brave New World, Huxley's distortion of religion, human relationships and psychological training are very effective and contrast sharply with the literary realism found in the Savage Reservation. Huxley uses Brave New World to send out a message to the general public warning our society not to be so bent on the happiness and comfort that comes with scientific advancements. Huxley effectively uses distortion in Brave New World in his depiction of Soma as a replacement for religion. Soma is a rationed narcotic that is emphasized by the government to help the people escape from their problems. The people of Utopia have become dependent on the drug to keep them in a constant state of pleasure. In their "perfect" society there is no escape from happiness. The primary example of the degrading effects of Soma is Linda. Brought back from the Savage Reservation after being left behind pregnant, Linda faced many moral and ethical dilemmas she chose to avoid. Her addiction to Soma, which is looked upon as a good thing by everyone except John, brings about the terrible end to her life in which she was in a state of constant delusion. Soma, as Mustapha Mond puts it, is "Christianity without tears" (244). Soma, in effect, is the key to social stability in Utopia. Soma prevents uprisings, saves revolutions and suppresses emotions. Although Hu xley's distortion of religion is powerful, there are other strong arguments in the book. Huxley also uses distortion as a way to make people "see" in his depiction of human relationships. In the book, sex is looked upon as a tool for sharing with multiple partners. The frequency with which people sleep with each other is a disturbing aspect Huxley chooses to portray. Lenina Crowne symbolizes Huxley's portrayal of the complete lack of sexual morals and self-respect. Along with Soma, sexual promiscuity is another form in which the governm... ...George Orwell. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. 52-56. Gardner, Averil. George Orwell. Boston: Twayne, 1987. Harris, Roy. "The Misunderstanding of Newspeak." George Orwell. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. 31-34. Howe, Tom. "George Orwell." British Writers Volume VII. Ed. Ian Scott-Kilvert. New York: Scribner, 1984. 273-287. Kalechofsky, Roberta. George Orwell. Boston: Twayne, 1987. Rahv, Philip. "The Unfuture of Utopia." George Orwell. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. 102-105. Read, Herbert. "1984." George Orwell. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. 86-89. Reilly, Patrick. Nineteen Eighty Four - A Student's Companion to the Novel. Boston: Twayne, 1989. Reiff, Phillip. The Complete Guide to George Orwell. New York: Chelsea House, 1983. 39-49. Roazen, Antonio. Twentieth Century Literary Criticism Vol II: George Orwell. Detroit: Gale, 1979. Williams, T.J. Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature in English: George Orwell. Chicago: FD, 1996. Woodcock, George. "Nineteen Eighty-Four." Reference Guide to English Literature Vol III. Chicago: St. James, 1991. 61-63.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Effects of One-Child Policy on Chinese Kinship

Burt Jiang Anthropology 331 4/22/2013 Term Paper The origins of Chinese civilization derive its roots from the Huang-he and Yangtze Rivers. Like other ancient river valley civilizations, these two rivers provided early Chinese settlers with the raw materials necessary to sustain culture and society. Burgeoning from small, scattered clans, autonomous groups of Chinese villages situated around the rivers would in turn become the building blocks of the ancient Chinese dynasties to the modern day, People’s Republic of China.The system of clans became an effective method of identifying one’s own lineage through the maintenance of a single surname throughout the clan. As the social structure of the clan grew, the complex interactions among clan and non-clan members eventually synergized to create China’s own form of kinship. Anthropologists have since come to classify Chinese kinship under the broader term of Sudanese kinship. The Sudanese, and by extension Chinese, ki nship is considered the most complex system with a separate designation for almost every one of ego’s kin based on generation, lineage, relative age, and gender.As observed, the Chinese kinship system already has a strictly defined scheme of kin identification, but the monikers only serve as an outline of China’s kinship system. The true backbone of Chinese kinship draws its source from Confucian ideals, ideals that have been deeply ingrained in Chinese dogma since the late fifth century B. C. Among his teachings of filial piety and ancestor worship, Confucius outlines for the Chinese people the five most basic interactions: interactions between ruler and subject; father and son; elder and younger brother; husband and wife; and between friends.Of the five interactions, the interactions between father-son, and husband-wife, have seen the greatest amount of development and change throughout to course of China’s history. As China exited the feudal age and entered t he modern world as The People’s Republic of China, the two interactions identified experienced considerable changes while maintaining their signature Chinese accent. Feudal China’s departure, and the advent of communist China, has brought forth rapid family reform and ultimately, the initiation of the One-Child Policy. Even in the face of rapid modernization and reform, the trong influences of Confucian ideals and an intrinsic patrilineal descent pattern still characterize Chinese kinship; however, the introduction of the One-Child Policy, and its ramifications, has put stress on the traditional Chinese family structures as well as possibly creating many more problems future generations must solve. Of all the pseudo-religious institutions that took hold in China, Daoism and Zen Buddhism, most notably, the concept of ancestor worship put forth by Confucius is by far the most ubiquitous in Chinese culture and kinship relationships.Defined by the nine agnates, Confucius t ook great efforts to outline the nuclear family as clearly as possible, three generations prior to the ego, the ego, and three generations after the ego. Within the nine agnates, ancestral worship and filial piety became the driving forces that perpetuated kinship interactions in China for generations. Thus forms the cyclical cycle of Chinese kinship, the younger generations are kept in line by the rules of filial piety while the older generation is kept in memory and reverence via ancestral worship.The importance of ancestor worship can be conceptualized and materialized through the complex mourning attire and rituals exhibited by the Chinese people. Much like the suru’ai of Kwaio, individuals in mourning must display no worldly attachment, must not be seen in public, must have abstain from sexual activity, and generally must live a life of detachment throughout the mourning period (Akin March 11). The mourning period is defined by the relationship of the mourner to the indi vidual that has passed away; consequently, the duration of this period can range from three months to three years based on the strength of the bond shared.During a time of mourning, individuals must also wear complementing attire to signify which stage of mourning he/she is in; hence the attire has evolved into the five degrees of mourning attire. Chinese mourning rituals were taken very seriously within the clans and the act of proposing to an individual exhibiting any stage of the five degrees of mourning attire was considered highly immoral and taboo. Rituals of ancestor worship, like mourning ceremonies and attire, serve to underscore the importance of the ancestors to the Chinese people.The sterility, and structure, of the mourning period is an excellent example of the reverence Chinese individuals hold for their deceased kin; to interrupt the transition from individual to ancestor is still considered highly disrespectful and taboo even in modern China. Ancestor worship provide s a broad blanket of allegiance for the Chinese kinship system. The importance of ancestor worship is to keep entire clans together, but the smaller familial units require a force more tenable and exact.Within the nuclear family, Confucius saw the wisdom to conceive of another ideal that complements the notion of ancestor worship, that idea being filial piety. Filial piety, in turn, provides the construct in which the five relationships, outlined earlier, can be practically maintained and perpetuated. Confucius’ relationship of father and son is kept constant by the power of filial piety. Younger generations are taught to respect and heed the advice of their forefathers. Consequently, this interaction creates an incredibly structured kinship system in which obedience is preferential to individuality.The rules defined by filial piety culminated in the written document known as The Great Qing Legal Code, introduced during the Qing Dynasty, 1644 to 1912. This document not only p rovided, in great detail, the laws and codes regarding kinship bonds on all five levels of relationship, but it also included the punishments if those bonds were broken or tested by crime (Jones 29). Criminal activity was therefore punished more severely if the crime committed was within the clan, and further intensified if the offence was committed against a higher ranking individual.The importance of upholding the kinship relations set forth by Confucius can be seen in the Code’s punishment for breaking the first and foremost relationship of ruler and subject. Punishment for breaking China’s most important bond resulted in what is known as: â€Å"The extermination of nine kindreds†. Any individual who commits treason against his/her emperor would be subject to the complete annihilation of his/her nine agnates, effectively erasing that individual’s bloodline (Jones 16).This incredibly overt punishment trickled down, with lesser severity, to the other fou r relationships, and ultimately underlined the importance of loyalty to kin and emperor. Filial piety’s significance is further stressed in the father-son relationship because of China’s early affinity to the patrilineal descent system, echoes from the country’s roots in the clan structure. Since only males can bear and preserve the family surname, loyalty of the son to the father became critical in a patrilineal descent system.In order to ensure the lineage’s continuation, carefully arranged marriages between families would rise as the forefront solution. Chinese kinship, like many other systems, relies on the institution of marriage as bridge between two bodies of people. Recognized in Confucian teachings, a married couple is considered the most basic social unit from which other relationships stem. In Chinese culture, marriages were generally arranged by a matchmaker who would bless the union. After the marriage, the wife would be incorporated into the husband’s family; thus resulting in the importance of the production of sons to keep the family surname.Throughout history, Chinese marriages and kinship revolved around the production of viable sons to carry the family name. Like Kwaio societies, fertility of the mother proved to be of paramount importance when evaluating a marriage relationship (Akin February 20). It is important to take note, however, that while monogamy was the accepted practice, polygamy gained prominence in imperial families that could not produce a healthy male heir, a problem solved also by nurture kinship (Akin January 23).Once married, divorce was possible only if the wife was proved to have engaged in one of these seven offences: failure to observe filial piety to the parent-in-laws, failure to bear a son, consistently vulgar or lewd, harbors jealousy, has a vile disease, gossips too much, or commits a theft. Although unusual to western societies, gossip is viewed as a poison to families and clans because of its inherent proclivity to hyperbole and fabrication. Patrilineal descent’s importance can be clearly observed in marriage rituals as divorce is only possible if the female fails to produce a son or commits other errs.There are, however, three distinct situations in which a wife is guaranteed immunity from a divorce, those three situations being: the wife has no family to return to, the wife has observed a full three year mourning period for her parent-in-law, or if her husband was poor during marriage and is currently wealth. In conjunction with ancestor worship, filial piety, and the structured marriage system, Chinese kinship has developed these three hallmark pillars to safeguard strong kinship bonds of father-son and husband-wife from one generation to the next.Although only briefly mentioned earlier, the wedding ceremonies themselves are a testament to the extravagance and importance of a decision such as marriage to the Chinese people. Categorized by the si x etiquettes, Chinese wedding ceremonies consisted of: the proposal, birthdates, bride price, wedding gifts, arranging the wedding, and the ceremony itself. Each of the six etiquettes involves a highly organized succession of events that would lead to marriage of husband and wife. The first two steps, proposal and birthdates, involve a matchmaker evaluating a potential daughter-in-law for marriage.If the divination rituals, Suan Ming, are positive and both sides of the marriage accept the terms, the next step would be submitting a bride price (Wolf 102). Bride price, or betrothal gifts, is then presented by the matchmaker to the bridegroom’s family completing the pre-wedding rituals. The actual wedding ceremony is somewhat austere in comparison to its preparation. It simply involves, in western society terms, the exchanging of vows and good blessings followed by paying respects to the Jade Emperor, other deities, and each family’s ancestors.Finally, the wedding banquet is the closing event in the marriage process and is often more lively and festive. Traditionally, the groom is responsible for the cost of the wedding invitation, pastries, the banquet invitations, and the wedding itself. Wedding banquets are elaborate and consist usually of five to ten courses, with ingredients such as  shark's fin,  abalone,  lobster,  squab,  sea cucumber,  swift nests,  fish roe  in soup or as decoration on top of a dish to symbolize fertility, and local delicacies (Wolf 88).Customarily, the father of the bride is responsible for the wedding banquet hosted on the bride's side and the alcohol consumed during both banquets. The wedding banquets are two separate banquets: the primary banquet is hosted once at the bride's side, the second banquet, smaller banquet, at the groom's side. While the wedding itself is often based on the couple's choices, the wedding banquets are a gesture of appreciation, to those that have raised the bride and groom, suc h as grandparents and uncles.Additionally, this gesture incorporates the ideas of nurture kinship, in which kinship persists and even thrives beyond the nuclear family. Grandparents, aunts, and uncles, of both sides of the family would often offer help in raising a family’s child in an attempt to establish nurture kinship bonds. These bonds would then be materialized through gift exchange during the wedding banquet and other important family occasions. The two banquets serve also to ensure the relatives on each side meet the relatives on the other side (Wolf 49).Thus out of respect for the elders, wedding banquets are usually done formally and traditionally, which the older generation is thought to be more comfortable with. As one can see, the six etiquettes of the marriage and its accompanying practices come together to create a single cohesive event meant to bring two families of different clan origins together as one. The traditions and conventions of Chinese kinship that have been examined have been kept constant for much of the nation’s history until the late 19th century and early 20th century.As political turmoil and growing dissatisfaction with the incumbent Qing Dynasty rose, the Chinese population made a push towards reform. After two decades of consolidation, dynastic China emerged from the feudal era as The Republic of China in 1912 headed by Sun Yat-sen. During the Nationalist era, Chinese kinship saw a slow movement towards modernity, a topic discussed in other sources but not focused on in this paper (See Hinton and Zarrow). The one exception to the evolution of kinship in China during this period was the residual influence of The Great Qing Legal Code.Although never referred to by name since the fall of the Qing, the collection of codes put forth by China’s forefathers manifested itself as a strict penal code during the Republic era, and would be re-adapted based on socialist law during the People’s Republic era (Jon es 229). Even when the governments representing China adjust to better fit its changing political landscape, the influences of Confucian teachings still resonate deeply in Chinese kinship and culture. Ultimately, the capitalistic ways of Nationalist China began to brew dissatisfaction among the classes as predicted by the rising popularity of Marxist theory at the time.The issues described by Marx, such as class conflict, were only exacerbated by China’s already enormous proletariat population. Eventually, and inevitably, The Republic of China was usurped by the communist oriented People’s Republic of China, headed by Mao Zedong in 1949. Mao’s rise to ascendancy and the subsequent initiation family reform policies such as the One-Child Policy has had tremendous consequences on traditional Chinese kinship structure and maintenance. The communist party’s policies regarding family and kin have persisted into the 21st century with some repercussions already a pparent, and others that have yet to be evaluated.The newly formed People’s Republic of China introduced itself to the modern world as a backward, unsophisticated nation of peasants led by a few intellectuals. Needless to say, the communist party saw prudence in creating a new image for itself. Family size and structure rose to the top of the communist party’s agenda as a target for transformation. In 1979, the Chinese government embarked on an ambitious campaign of market reform following the economic stagnation of the Cultural Revolution. The government saw strict population containment as essential to economic reform and to improvement of living standards.So championed by The State Family Planning Bureau, the One-Child Policy was introduced. In its execution, the Policy did everything the Chinese government hoped for by preventing roughly 100 million child births as of 2009 (Hesketh 1173). Although effective in containing China’s population growth, the One-Ch ild Policy proved to have meaningful impacts in other aspects of Chinese culture, particularly Chinese kinship. The Policy’s repercussions are in direct conflict with China’s oldest tradition of ancestor worship.A ritual that had been a driving force of Chinese kinship since the very beginning of feudal China is now at odds with the policies of modern China. Specifically, the One-Child Policy has created a conundrum known as the four-two-one (referred to as 4:2:1) phenomenon. The phenomenon is the estimated ratio of grandparents to parents to children currently existing in China (Hesketh 1171). Immediately, the most apparent issue is the imbalance of the ratio between grandparents to grandchildren, essentially for every one child there exist four grandparents.This many not seem like an issue to western societies, but China’s enormous population, a result of post-WWII baby boom trends, exacerbates the ratio to a breaking point. Traditional kinship bonds dictate t hat the younger generations must care and nurture for their elders. However with such an unbalanced ratio of individuals between the generations, China’s sons are failing to support their fathers while jeopardizing their own livelihood. Confucius’ signature relationship of father-son is now threatened greatly by the incurred financial burden of China’s youth.Changes in kinship structure and, to a lesser degree, family structure are driven by changes in fertility and mortality. The drastic reduction in fertility has substantially reduced the number of children born to each family, so that the extensive horizontal kinship ties of China’s past have essentially been curtailed (Jiang 128). However, improvements in mortality have brought unprecedented longevity to China’s elderly, and an overlap of generations that has made vertical kinship ties increasingly common (Jiang 129).Ancestor worship is at odds with China’s new agenda of population refor m and containment. The sudden reduction of horizontal kinship bonds and gross amplification of vertical kinship bonds forces China’s newest generation to pick between financially stability, through neglecting their elders, or supporting their elders, through draining their own personal capital. Similar to ancestor worship, the Confucian concepts of filial piety and marriage are also tested by the One-Child Policy.Starting with filial piety, the stipulation that families can only bear one child has put tremendous emphasis on patrilineal descent and the birth of sons. In feudal China, citizens were given the opportunity to produce as many offspring as needed and yet some families still failed to produce sons, and lineages were lost. Now, with only one opportunity, modern Chinese families have put an unprecedented level of importance to a mother’s ability to bear a male child. This in turn critically affects the father-son dynamic established by Confucius.Instead of overt ly obeying one’s parents, male children in China now understand the importance of their position, and exploit it. China’s newest generation of males have exhibited an unrecorded level of sexual, social, and media experimentation, generations of sexual and individual repression are just now starting to be shattered (Fong 1103). Additionally, the One-Child Policy has had mixed impact on the status of females and by extension marriage. With very limited contraception available for women, the One-Child Policy has forced families to prioritize the birth of males over females.This inevitably leads to the marginalization of the female gender in modern China and an incredibly imbalanced gender ratio. However, the results of the Policy on woman’s social status in China are not completely skewed to one, negative aspect. Those women who are kept by their families have just recently seen an unparalleled lift in their social positions and powers. Daughters empowered by the s upport of their parents, with no sons to favor, are able to defy detrimental norms while strategically using ones that give them advantages in the educational system and the job and marriage markets (Fong 1105).Furthermore, divorce rates have never been higher in modern China as a result of the empowered female gender. Women are more freely seeking new relationships and marriages, a notion inconceivable during the height of Confucian marriage practices. Modernity is an atypical force. Traditional kinship relationships and marriage practices of China are not necessarily broken by modern policies, like the One-Child, but they are certainly altered from their ancestral conceptualizations in feudal China. Chinese kinship is one of the most unique and complicated kinship systems ever examined.The kinship bonds established by the Chinese people may appear outwardly strict or even ascetic, but underneath the guise of structure, is an incredibly resilient dogma that still influences kinship in China today. Confucius’ ideas of ancestor worship, filial piety, and marriage all amalgamate to create a system of kinship that has withstood dynasties, regimes, and political parties. The recent challenges presented by the One-Child Policy have certainly put strain on traditional kinship relationships like that of father to son.Yet, the elevation of the female gender and increased fluidity in marriage rituals signify that Chinese kinship is not as stagnant as some anthropologists believe. No matter how much change is imposed on China’s kinship, the voice of Confucius will always permeate families, marriages, siblings, and children. Works Cited Directly used in paper: Akin, David. â€Å"Doubts, Critiques, and Revisions of Kinship Studies. † Anthropology 331. University of Michigan. Ann Arbor, 23 January 2013. Akin, David. â€Å"Totem, Taboo, and Identity (part 1). † Anthropology 331. University of Michigan.Ann Arbor, 11 March 2013. Akin, David.  "Marriage as Exchange. † Anthropology 331. University of Michigan. Ann Arbor, 20 February 2013. Fong, Vanessa L. â€Å"China's One-Child Policy and the Empowerment of Urban Daughters. †Ã‚  American Anthropologist  104. 4 (2002): 1098-109. Print. Jiang, Lin. â€Å"Changing Kinship Structure and Its Implications for Old-Age Support in Urban and Rural China. †Ã‚  Population Studies  49. 1 (1995): 127-45. Print. Jones, William C. The Great Qing Code. Oxford: Clarendon Press; New York: Oxford University Press, 1994 Hesketh, Therese, Li Lu, and Zhu Wei Xing. The Effect of China's One-Child Family Policy after 25 Years. †Ã‚  New England Journal of Medicine  353. 11 (2005): 1171-176. Print. Wolf, Arthur P. , and Chieh-shan Huang. Marriage and Adoption in China: 1845-1945. Stanford: Stanford UP, 1980. Print. Additional Research Hinton, William. Fanshen; a Documentary of Revolution in a Chinese Village. New York: Monthly Review, 1967. Print. Zarrow, Peter Gue. After Empire: The Conceptual Transformation of the Chinese State, 1885-1924. Stanford, CA: Stanford UP, 2012. Print.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Role of Urbanization in the Aegean

The Aegean civilizations, the Assyrians, and the Israelites, though in the same hemisphere, were three distinct kingdoms. Each developed into its own kingdom with its own set of rules, beliefs, religion, and political concepts. Ultimately, each had its own culture. Yet, there was something that underlied these three cultures that connected them in a subtle manner. All three of these civilizations underwent urbanization. Though the specific cultures of each civilization developed differently, the role of urbanization affected each in roughly the same way.During this period of the Late Bronze Age, commerce and communication boomed exponentially. No longer would kingdoms maintain their isolationist beliefs. They had to trade and interact with other cultures in order to maximize opportunity cost and obtain as many foreign goods as possible. This inevitably resulted in shared cultures and assimilated beliefs. Along the Aegean Sea, the Minoans had widespread connections to Egypt, Syria, an d Mesopotamia. Similarly, Mycenaean Greece traded with many civilizations, including its neighbor the Minoans.The early Greeks were most likely influenced by Minoan architecture and pottery. Its sudden wealth also came from trade with Minoan. In the Assyrian kingdom, they also developed trade centers. They imported goods like metals, fine textiles, dyes, gems, ivory, and silver. Because of trade centers, specialization arose, creating jobs like artisans and merchants. In the Israel kingdom, King Solomon created alliances with the Phoenicians and thus developed a trading partner. Together, the Phoenicians and the Israelites explored the Red Sea to find any hidden treasures.The creation of urban centers helped facilitate this trade, and thus, expanded the perspectives of these cultures. Through interaction with other civilizations, cultures were shared and ideas, along with goods, were traded. Because of an influx of commerce and communication, a powerful military must also be kept. U rban centers helped control the military in order to facilitate trade. The Minoans and Mycenaeans developed strong seafaring skills and created wooden vessels to help them trade around the Mediterranean.They exported wine, olive oil, and textiles, and in return imported amber, ivory, and most importantly, metals. In the Assyrian kingdom, there was a superior military organization with professional soldiers. The Assyrians developed iron weapons, dug tunnels, and built mobile towers for archers. Not only did they develop military tactics for conquest, but they also used terror tactics to discourage resistance and rebellion and ultimately maintain control. As for the Israelites, David became the first king and he united the tribes into a monarchy.These urban centers established stronger royal authority and led to an army in order to expand borders in search of natural resources. Stronger militaries meant stronger civilizations, so urbanization helped strengthen the power of nobility an d expand borders. Last but not least, urbanization helped develop societal structures, religious ideals, and art and technology. Unlike other civilizations, Minoans did not have strong, aristocratic leaders. In Mycenaean Greece, an elite class did develop.Shaft graves, burial sites for the elite, were filled with gold, weapons, and utensils, revealing that the ancient Greeks believed in some form of afterlife. The cities also had fortification walls and palaces filled with paintings from war and daily life. In contrast, the Assyrians used terror to maintain order in society. The king was the center of the Assyrian universe. Everything he did was mandated by the god Ashur. Through government propaganda, royal inscriptions, and ruthless punishments, the king maintained power in the kingdom.The Library of Ashurbanipal gives insight into official documents and literary texts to help portray the daily life of the elite members of Assyrian society. As for the Israelites, monotheism became the crux of Israelite society. They built temples as sanctuaries in order to link religious and political power. Priests became a wealthy class, thus creating a gap between the urban and the rural, the rich and the poor. In families, there were also gender gaps. Male heirs were critical. While women were respected, they could not own property. As society urbanized, their roles became more and more limited and specialized.While these little bits and pieces of everyday life in these ancient civilizations may seem insignificant, they are like pieces of an infinitely large puzzle. If we can uncover as many pieces as we can and put them together, we can approximate a picture of what life was like in these ancient civilizations. We can figure out how urbanization was important to the development of these kingdoms, and use these cultural artifacts to uncover what daily life was like. After all, artifacts are the key to our past. Without them, our past would be an elusive enigma.