Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Relativism and Morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Relativism and Morality - Essay Example This is used to describe values and concepts of ethical and moral considerations (Baghramian, 2004). Goodman pointed out that relativism can be equated to compromise of value which can prevent conflicts but it prevents the achievement of a meaningful morality or values. This is a bold philosophical view since values, ethics and morality are concepts significantly affected by the social norms (Goodman, 2010, p.87). Goodman’s view regarding relativism can be considered as an important eye opener. He stated that due to the intentions to achieve a common good, the global formulations are becoming culture-bound. This means that cultural differences are being considered as one of the most important factors if not the top most priority. Such scenario leads to the generalization of moral laws which according to him is in the risk of blandness, vagueness, and compromise of principles, which is common and widespread in the present era. The ambiguity in the guiding principles of morality in the international community becomes the law and judicial tactic (Goodman, 2010, p.87). This can be observed in the manner different nations, cultures and societies deal with social, economic, and political issues. Issues that are considered charged and controversial although of great importance and vitality are faced with ambiguity, thus, lost in social compromises of different forms. There are numerous issues that can be cited as examples such as abortion, divorce, same sex marriage, etc. The relativism in morality can explain why in some nations and cultures, these issues are accepted while in other nations and cultures, such issues are prohibited and even detested. Due to the differences in the view and opinions of different nations and communities in the world and due to the stratification of societies on the basis of geographical, cultural, religious, and economic divides, social and political authorities are preventing heated discussions that can lead to violent misunderst andings. As a result, the international community can be observed to have a moral view that is bland and safely coasting between the multitudes of clashing moral views. Moral values are meant to guide and to lead the people in different forms of decision making process. But having a relative morality can be considered ineffective to guide the people their way of life. Upon expression of the dangers of compromise and relativism in morality, Goodman presented his view on the different crimes. He stated and stressed that regardless of the fact that compromise in values rule the present society, there are actions that are simply wrong and that no social and cultural consideration can correct. Goodman said that slavery, genocide, terrorism, murder, rape, polygamy, and incest are examples of crimes and actions that are plainly and absolutely wrong, regardless of the perspective (Goodman, 2010, p.89). This means that it is hard to justify any of these acts as a morally right act on the bas is of any particular culture. No logical reason can justify killing and causing hard to other people such as terrorism, genocide, and murder as the right thing to do in any given situation. Similarly, no logical reason can make slavery and limiting of other people’s rights and freedom such as slavery an acceptable act. This is the same for rape, polygamy, ad incestuous relationships wherein no reasons can make these sexual

Monday, October 28, 2019

Theories in phsychology of business Essay Example for Free

Theories in phsychology of business Essay Television advert and website are the devices of promoting that have an extensive variety of achieve and they have been overlooked to a greater degree. Individuals have an idea that TV adverts are for those rich individuals and website advert are for who have a machine or the individuals who oftentimes have sufficient energy to visit a digital or can get to machine. In no time, advancing and progressions on the World Wide Web are essentially conventional. Associations are making Web pages now and again just to show exceptional. Using the Web for publicizing requires certain supplies and authority, including getting a machine, getting an Internet organization supplier, acquiring (for the most part renting) a Website name, arranging and presenting the Website delineations and diverse limits as needed (for example, an online store for e-exchange), propelling the Website (through distinctive web hunt apparatuses, inventories, et cetera.) and keeping up the Website. Various people dont much consider TV advancements because of the inclination that the commercials are greatly extravagant. They are more extravagant than an extensive share of noteworthy sorts of publicizing. In any case, with the extending number of telecom organizations and stations, associations may find incredible game plans for setting attachments or diverse sorts of plugs. Television notices regularly are assessed with near considerations to radio advancements, that is, the amount of advancements, the length of advancements and when they are placed reporting progressively. Television types of publicizing can be utilized to reach numerous gathering of people at once and regardless of where demographic the crowd fall, there is a system airing fitting projects together with advertisements. Website ad have an extensive variety of achieve and they are not confined to topographical obstructions and regardless of where the group of onlookers is in any piece of the world and have admittance to web joined machine they can get the advert. Maslow`s theory                  Maslows pecking order of requirements is a hypothesis in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1943. It is referred as hypothesis of human inspiration. Maslow broadened his thought in including his perception of humans inherent interest Maslows chain of importance of necessities is regularly depicted fit as a fiddle of a pyramid with the biggest, most key levels of requirements at the base and the requirement for self- completion at the top. Maslows hypothesis recommends that the most fundamental level of requirements must be met before the individual will firmly want the auxiliary or more elevated amount needs. Maslows hypothesis is utilized in both TV advert and site in that when advert is continuously made the most imperative things are highlighted initially emulated by the needs that need self-completion. In site the needs that the business needs to promote are sorted from the most essential to the paramount ones and they are posted on the organiza tions site or any partner showcasing. Hertzberg’s theory                  Two- factor theory essentials otherwise called HERTZBERGS theory has mentality and their association with modern mental wellbeing are identified with Abraham Maslows hypothesis of inspiration. As per Herzberg, people are not content with the fulfillment of lower-request needs at work; for instance, those needs connected with least pay levels or sheltered and average working conditions. Rather, people search for the delight of more elevated amount mental needs needing to do with accomplishment, distinguishment, obligation, progression, and the way of the work itself. Herzberg added another measurement to this hypothesis by proposing a two-component model of inspiration, in view of the thought that the vicinity of one set of employment qualities or motivators prompts specialist fulfillment at work, while an alternate and separate set of occupation attributes prompts disappointment at work. Subsequently, fulfillment and disappointment are not on a continuum with one expanding as alternate lessens, yet are free phenomena. This hypothesis recommends that to enhance work disposition and benefit, heads must perceive and go to both sets of attributes and not accept that an increment in fulfillment prompts diminish in unpleasable disappointment. Two –factor hypothesis basics is not utilized in either the TV advert and website since this hypothesis is essentially planned for workers and not clients. Vroom expectancy theory                  It accepts that conduct results from cognizant decisions among plan B whose reason it is to expand delight and minimize torment. Together with Edward Lawler and Lyman Porter, Victor Vroom proposed that the relationship between individuals conduct at work and their objectives was not as basic as was initially envisioned by different researchers. Vroom understood that a workers execution is focused around people components, for example, identity, aptitudes, information, experience and capacities. Vroom anticipation hypothesis is based to look the certainty of the workers, feelings and view of the organization. This hypothesis is not utilized in TV commercial and the web ad. Freudian theory                  As per Freud psychoanalytic hypothesis, all psychic vitality is created by the drive. Freud additionally accepted that much of human conduct was roused by two driving senses: the life impulses and the passing impulses. The life impulses are those that identify with a fundamental requirement for survival, propagation and joy. They incorporate such things as the requirement for nourishment, haven, love and sex. He additionally proposed that all people have an oblivious wish for death, which he alluded to as the demise impulses. Self-dangerous conduct, he accepted, was one interpretation of the demise drive. In any case, he accepted that these demise senses were to a great extent tempered by the life impulses. This hypothesis is nearly utilized in the television and site advert since the adverts made are regulated to individuals with fixation at specific stages and with obsession at specific purposes of advancement. The organizations needs to comprehend thei r customers’ charisma they are planning to draws in consideration. Behavioral Theory                  Behavior argues that concepts like conflict, anxiety and fixation do not explain behavioral of an individual. Behavior of individual is guided by punishment one receive or rewards given that reinforce the behavior and increase the chances of behavior occurring. Behavioral belief that observable stimuli in the environment causes organisms to act in a particular way. This theory is related to Freudian theory and is basically employed in both form of advertisement in this paper. The anxiety of people is capitalized by most of the TV broadcasting station and when audience are longing to continue with their favorite programme there is a break for adverts to be made. For website it happens when a client visits a certain website and before it opens there are some adverts that pops there. In both cases advertisers capitalizes the behavioral theory in concepts of anxiety. Cognitive theory                  This theories emphasizes mental processes in development such as logic and memory. Piagel proposed that each of us begin life with a small repertoire of sensory and motor scheme such as looking , tasting, touching and hearing we use each scheme becomes better adapted to the world. We possess mental scheme as well and most developed in childhood and adolescence. Mental schemes allows us to use symbols and thinking logically. Cognitive theory is much employed in advertising and much in TV and website advert. Advertisers have to use the logic while advertising in abide to capture the attention of the clients or audience. In cognitive theory, the audience are not passive learners and the audience development has to be taken in to consideration before advert is made as shown by Freudian theory. Comparison                  Both covers extensive variety of group of onlookers over any demographic dissimilar to other type of showcasing like magazines They both covers all race of gathering of people particularly channels like BBC and CNN although their group of onlookers needs to comprehend the dialect utilized as a part of show. Contrast For television adverts there are those one planned for adult individuals and they are brought when certain system is broadcast. For Website anybody can get to the advert despite the fact that they were not expected for that age. My recommendation is that there the installment made to each advert in TV and site ought to be publicized possibly in a week or a month to make individuals have boldness to promote with them. The correspondence commission of each nation ought to meet up and draft the principle to be followed in making adverts that will reach anybody on the globe. References Farmer, W. (2001). 5. In Latent trait theory analysis of changes in item response anchors: Final report (2nd ed., Vol. 2, p. 95). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Aviation Medicine ;. Gardener, L. (1972). Theories in phsychology of business. In Attitude and motivational in languages learning (1st ed., Vol. 1, p. 211). Rowley: Newbury house. Kandoyan, N. (2002). Theories in phsychology of business. In A study of performance efficiency in public and private sector organizations (1st ed., Vol. 2, p. 47). Baltimore: John Hopkin University press. Laban, J. (2003). Phychology of thoughts. In Phsychology of customer in business (1st ed., Vol. 1, p. 37). Newyork: Jameson publisher. Martin, S. (1990). Business and people. In Learned optimism (1st ed., Vol. 1, p. 101). Newyork. Maslow, A., Hoffman, E. (1996). Future visions: The unpublished papers of Abraham Maslow. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Maslow, A. (1999). Maslows theory. In Toward a psychology of being (3rd ed., Vol. 2, p. 120). New York: J. Wiley Sons. Orlando, F., Orlando, F. (1978). Freudian theory. In Toward a Freudian theory of literature: With an analysis of Racines PheÌ€dre (1st ed., Vol. 1, p. 143). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Source document

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Author to her Book: An Annotation of Bradstreet Essay -- Authors A

The Author to her Book: An Annotation of Bradstreet Anne Bradstreet's poem, The Author to her Book, is a twenty-four-line metaphor comparing the relationship of an author and her writings to the relationship between a parent and a child. The meaning of this lighthearted poem can clearly be seen as she traces the growth of a piece of work to the growth of the child. The significance of the poem, however, lies in the fact that this poem is a glimpse of the emotions felt by Anne Bradstreet an American female poet, and how it conflicts with the puritan society that frowns upon her appreciation of her talents and role as a poet. To clearly see all aspects that surround the interpretation of her poetry it is necessary to look at biographical information surrounding the life of Anne Bradstreet. Background knowledge gained previous to writing this annotation can be found at http://shenessex.heartland.net/local/scs/shs/faculty/dickerson/term197class/Jill/Bradstreet.html The lines below are annotated to explain how Bradstreet develops her metaphor as well as how it relates specifically to her life. The Author to her Book Anne Bradstreet Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble brain, Who after birth didst by my side remain, Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true, Who thee abroad, exposed to public view, Made thee in rags, halting to th' press to trudge, Where errors were not lessened (all may judge). At thy return my blushing was not small, My rambling brat (in print) should mother call, I cast thee by as one unfit for light, Thy visage was so irksome in my sight; Yet being mine own, at length affection would Thy blemishes amend, if so I could: I washed thy face, but more defects I saw, And r... ...roduced a piece of work and even though she may be wealthy through her husband, she is poor, and like any poet wants to profit from what she has created. Bradstreet is often titled as the first American poet. This title is a hard one to determine, not only because it is difficult to say who is first, but because it is hard to decide what makes a poet American. Since the colonies were founded many poets were writing on American soil, so does that make them American poets? It does not seem right to allow them such an honor if they still conform to European styles. Anne Bradstreet, however, earns the title because she makes the transition from being English and living in America, to being American. The shift is described in The Author to her Book, where she disturbs her European roles as a Puritan and a woman, and comes out looking, instead, the part of an American.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Relationships In The Odyssey :: essays research papers

Relationships in the Odyssey Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the Odyssey, there are many relationships that represent love between two people. These relationships show loyalty, compassion, and the wanting to be near one another. Two of these kinds of relationships are between Odysseus and Telemakhos, and Odysseus and Penelope.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The relationship between Odysseus and Telemakhos is a blind love. That is because they never really got to know each other because Odysseus has been gone for most of Telemakhos’ life. One example of this blind love is when Odysseus hears about how the suitors are mistreating and stealing from Telemakhos. Odysseus gets so irate that he was then even more determined than ever, to return to his family. Telemakhos also exhibits the same kind of blind love towards his father. Even though people have told him that his father was dead, he never believed it. He felt that his father was alive and was willing to sacrifice his life to prove it. Telemakhos was inexperienced at directing a boat, but he was willing to try because he felt something inside of him that gave him the strength to go on. Thus, this relationship between Odysseus and Telemakhos gave both of them the courage to overcome the hardships ahead of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While the relationship between Odysseus and Telemakhos is a blind love, the relationship between Odysseus and Penelope is a love between two people who just want to be together. Odysseus shows his love towards Penelope throughout the Odyssey. In spite of the fact that Odysseus has been gone for twenty years, he never forgets his wife back in Ithaca. One example of how much he wanted to go home was when he went to the island of the Lotus-Eaters. He could have stayed on the island of the Lotus-Eaters where everything he ever wanted was there, but the thing he wanted the most was to be with his wife. Penelope likewise displays this kind of love towards Odysseus.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Toward the Modern Consciousness

Application of Darning's principle of organic evolution= social Darwinism most popular exponent of social Darwinism, Herbert Spencer, argued that societies were organisms that evolved through time from a struggle with their environment Darning's ideas applied to human society in an even more radical way by rabid nationalists and racists extreme nationalists argued that nations were in a â€Å"struggle for existence† German general Frederica von Bernhard argued: War is a biological necessity of the first importance, â€Å"War is the father of all things† Nationalist Association of Italy declared â€Å"we must teach Italy the value of international struggle. But international struggle is war? Well, then, let there be war! And nationalism will arouse the will for a strengthened More dangerous than in Germany Folk ( nation, people, or race) German foolish ideology, Houston Stewart Charmingly, became a German citizen.His book The Foundations of the Nineteenth Century, were the only pure successors of the â€Å"Aryans† who were portrayed as the true and original creators of Western culture Aryan race, under German leadership, must be prepared to fight for Western Civilization and save it from the destructive assaults of such lower races such as Jews, Negroes, and Orientals Jews singled out by German foolish nationalists as the racial enemy The Attack on Christianity and the Response of the Churches Industrialization and arbitration had an especially adverse effect on religious institutions Mass migration= change from the close- knit, traditional ties of the village in which the church had been a key force to new urban patterns of social life from which the churches were often excluded. Lattice movements also hostile to the established Christian churches predominantly Catholic countries imposed control over church courts, religious orders, and appointments of the clergy failure of evolutions, governments were eager to use the churches' aid in ree stablishing order close union of state authorities with established churches produced a backlash in the form of anticlericalism, especially in the liberal nation-states French republican government substituted civic training for religious instruction Toto undermine the Catholic church's control of education Catholic teaching orders were outlawed, church and state were completely separated Science became one of the chief threats to all the Christian churches Europeans seem to contradict the doctrine of divine reaction, seeking to suppress Darning's books & to forbid the teaching of the evolutionary hypothesis, the churches often caused even more educated people to reject established religions biblical scholars to apply critical principles to the Bible, leading to the so- called higher criticism Ernst Reran, French Catholic, Life of Jesus- questioned the historical accuracy of the Bible, Jesus not as the son of God but as a human being whose value lay in the example he provided by his life Christian churches rejection of modern ideas and forces Protestant fundamentalist sects maintain a literal interpretation of the Bible Pope Pips ‘X, also took a rigid stand against modern ideas, issued a papal encyclical called the Syllabus of Errors in which he stated that is â€Å"an error to believe that the Roman Pontiff can and ought to reconcile himself to and agree with progress, liberalism, and modern civilization† He condemned nationalism, socialism, religious toleration, and freedom of speech and press Religious movement called Modernism included an attempt by the churches the reinterpret Christianity in the light of new developments.Bible as a book of useful moral ideas, encouraged Christians to come involved in social reforms, churches must provide a greater sense of community Catholic church condemned Modernism & had driven it underground compromise Leo XIII, permitted the teaching of evolution as a hypothesis in Catholic schools encyclical De Rerun N ouveau, upheld the individual's right to private property but at the same time criticized â€Å"naked† capitalism for the poverty and degradation in which anti-religious foundations Salvation Army by William Booth, the army's first â€Å"general† Salvation Army established food centers, shelters, and â€Å"rescue homes† for women The Culture of Modernity revolution in physics and psychology was paralleled by a revolution in literature and the arts Naturalism and Symbolism in Literature literature was dominated by Naturalism material world as real and felt that literature should be realistic social problems, writers could contribute to an objective understanding of the world Naturalism was a continuation of Realism, it lacked the underlying note of liberal optimism about people and society Naturalists were pessimistic about Rupee's future and characters caught in the grip of forces beyond their control Emilee Kola provide a good example of NaturalismKola showed h ow alcoholism and different environments affected people's lives Darning's Origin of Species and had been impressed by its emphasis on the struggle for survival and the importance of environment and heredity His Oregon- McCarty, a 20- Volume series on the â€Å"natural and social history of a family† golden age for Russian literature Leo Tolstoy and Food Dostoevsky Tolstoy greatest work was War and Peace, lengthy novel played out against the historical background of Napoleon's invasion of Russia, realistic in its vivid description of military life and character portrayal, each person analyzed psychologically, face of fife's enduring values of human love and trust Dostoevsky combined narrative skill and acute psychological and moral observation, major problem of his age was a loss of spiritual belief, attempting to gain salvation through the construction of a materialistic paradise built only by human reason and will. Feared that the failure to incorporate spirit would result in total tyranny. Through suffering and faith could the human soul be purified, Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov. Symbolists reacted against Realism interested in writing poetry, believed that an objective knowledge of the world was impossible the external world was not real but only a collection of symbols that reflected the true reality of the individual human mind Art should function for its own sake, instead of serving, criticizing, or seeking to understand society W. B.Yeats and Rainier Maria Rile, poetry ceased to be part of popular culture because only through a knowledge of the poet's personal language could one hope to understand what the poem was saying Modernism in the Arts artists seeking new form of expression Impressionism, movement that originated in France when a group of artists rejected he studios and museums and went out into the countryside to paint nature directly Camille Pissarro, one of the founders, put into painting their impressions of the ch anging effects of light on objects in nature Claude Monet, enchanted with water , capture the interplay of light, water, and atmosphere, ESPECIALLY evident in Impression, Sunrise. Did not Just paint scenes from nature: streets, cabarets, rivers, and busy boulevards- wherever people congregated for work and leisure Berth Morison, practice of women beings only amateur artists and became a professional omen had special vision, â€Å"more delicate than that of of men†.Young Girl by the Window demonstrates flowing brush strokes. â€Å"l know I'm worth as much as they. † Post- Impressionism arose in France retained the Impressionist emphasis on light and color but revolutionized it even further by paying more attention to structure and form sought to use both color and line to express inner feelings and produce a personal statement of reality rather than an imitation of objects real beginnings of modern art sense of realism Paul C ©Zane, most important impressionist, Woman with Coffee Pot, sought to express visually the underlying geometric structure and form of everything he painted. â€Å"You must see in nature the cylinder, the sphere, and the cone. Tortured and tragic figure, Vincent Van Gogh, art was a spiritual experience interested in color and believed it could act as its own form of language artists should paint what they feel, evident in Starry Night task of art was to represent â€Å"reality† had lost much of its meaning psychology and the new physics made it evident that many people were not sure what constituted reality development of photography gave artists another season to reject visual realism photography became a popular and widespread after George Eastman produced the first Kodak camera for the mass market Unlike the camera, which could only mirror reality, artists could create reality As in literature, individual consciousness became the source of meaning the search for individual expression produced a wide variety of sch ools of painting Pablo Picasso, from Spain but settled in Paris, extremely flexible and painted in a remarkable variety of styles He developed Cubism that used geometric designs as visual stimuli to re- create laity in the viewer's mind Picasso work Less Demolishes d' Avignon= first Cubist painting Russian who worked in Germany, Wassail Sandbanks, one of the founders of abstract painting as is evident in Painting with White Border, sought to avoid representation altogether.Believed art should speak directly to the soul, avoid any visual reality and concentrate on color Modernism in music Romantics' attraction to exotic and primitive cultures had sparked attraction to exotic and primitive cultures folk music became increasingly important as musicians express their national identities Scandinavian composer, Advanced Grief, dedicated porter of Norwegian nationalism, expressed nationalism in lyric melodies found in folk music of his homeland, Peer Gent Suite= incidental music to a play by Henries Ibsen Impressionist music stressed elusive moods and haunting sensations and is distinct in its delicate beauty and elegance of sound linked to the Impressionist movement was Claude Debussy, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun= inspired by a poem â€Å"Afternoon of a Faun† composed by his friend/poet SST ©phone Mallard ©, recreated in sound the overall feeling of the poem Other composers adopted stylistic idioms, primitive forms in an attempt to express less refined and therefore more genuine feelings musical primitivism was Igor Stravinsky, 20th century's most important composer international fame as a ballet composer with the Ballet Reuse, under the direction of Sergei Dishevel, revolutionized the world of music with a series of ballets The Fired, Puppeteers, The Rite of Spring= all based on Russian folk tales The Rite of Spring proved to be a revolutionary piece in the development of Paris audience and caused a riot at the theater new understanding of irratio nal forces

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Essay on Line poems essays

Essay on Line poems essays A senator and his family are killed by a two engine monster Ten a.m. in a storm filled sky, freezing rain falling in sheets The airport so close seems so far away Veering off course, ground rushing upward Colliding with the pine tree sentinels of a desolate swamp Grievance is extreme, friends and foes alike Cold church in the rain, thousands stand to pay their respects To honor the patriots who fought for our freedom With the help of the French we fought the British Eight years of fighting for one united cause At last we move to the last stronghold We go to beat the British at Yorktown Superior strategy decides the victor We surrounded the 8,000 left of the British Cornwallis surrendered after watching his men die Fear is the quiet, dark man sitting in the back of the bus. He is that black shadow lurking around every corner. He waits for unsuspecting victims, and leaps into their minds. Fear is not tangible, nor will he ever be. He has to be fought from the inside. And if you are determined to fight he will leave. For he is terrified of the fire that lives deep inside of each of us. We all know that shadows are vanquished by fire. He is always around when tragedy occurs. He tries to break us down by forcing painful memories of tragedy upon us. This when he partners up with sadness, and they work together to hurt anything and everything they can. He is the one thing at the back of our mind that terrifies us. He gives you that terror when you are most vulnerable, trying to hurt even more. With that terror he leaves a part of himself, this is ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Y2K

Today, well into the third second year of the 21st century, many businesses and governments are breathing a sigh of relief that the millennium has passed without any of the predicted 'Y2K' disasters - planes falling out of the sky, ice boxes and other household gismos going wild , the whole economy coming to a screeching halt, etc. The businesses and governments worldwide had spent billions of dollars and tens of thousands of man-hours trying to ensure 'Y2K' compliance. The press and "experts" of academia took their age-old COBOL bashing to a new height and intensity and created the 'Y2K crisis'. COBOL was made out to be the mother of all evils in the computer world. Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, the first female admiral of the US Navy, was the mother of COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language). COBOL was 'invented' out of her Flow-Matic program, which was developed by her to teach computers plain English commands. The Conference on Data Systems Languages (CODASYL) was set up under the DOD sponsorship. On May 28, 1959, the University of Pennsylvania. The first meeting was convened by Admiral Hooper representing the Department of Defense (DOD). CODASYL was made of independent language experts and information technology technicians from commercial-industry, finance, manufacturing, retail, computer software vendors, government, and academia. Its main mission was to correct a deficiency of computer language standards in the field and to formulate a common business programming language. The initial specifications for COBOL were presented by CODASYL in April of 1960. It was designed to be a business language that was problem oriented and machine independent. COBOL was designed for continuous changes and development. COBOL was an effort to make a programming language that was like natural English, easy to write and easier to read so that even the user can read the source and see exactly what the computer is doing or supposed to do. An i... Free Essays on Y2K Free Essays on Y2K Today, well into the third second year of the 21st century, many businesses and governments are breathing a sigh of relief that the millennium has passed without any of the predicted 'Y2K' disasters - planes falling out of the sky, ice boxes and other household gismos going wild , the whole economy coming to a screeching halt, etc. The businesses and governments worldwide had spent billions of dollars and tens of thousands of man-hours trying to ensure 'Y2K' compliance. The press and "experts" of academia took their age-old COBOL bashing to a new height and intensity and created the 'Y2K crisis'. COBOL was made out to be the mother of all evils in the computer world. Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, the first female admiral of the US Navy, was the mother of COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language). COBOL was 'invented' out of her Flow-Matic program, which was developed by her to teach computers plain English commands. The Conference on Data Systems Languages (CODASYL) was set up under the DOD sponsorship. On May 28, 1959, the University of Pennsylvania. The first meeting was convened by Admiral Hooper representing the Department of Defense (DOD). CODASYL was made of independent language experts and information technology technicians from commercial-industry, finance, manufacturing, retail, computer software vendors, government, and academia. Its main mission was to correct a deficiency of computer language standards in the field and to formulate a common business programming language. The initial specifications for COBOL were presented by CODASYL in April of 1960. It was designed to be a business language that was problem oriented and machine independent. COBOL was designed for continuous changes and development. COBOL was an effort to make a programming language that was like natural English, easy to write and easier to read so that even the user can read the source and see exactly what the computer is doing or supposed to do. An i... Free Essays on Y2K CHAPTER 1 Introduction The year 2000 computer issue is defined by Zetlin (1998) as â€Å"the result of a universal programming standard that records dates as six digits rather than eight, using only two digits for the year. Software that uses two-digit year fields (that is, almost all of it) will understand the year 2000 as â€Å"00† if the problem is not corrected in time† (pg. 1). The medical industry as a whole will approach year 2000 with months of new system implementations and developing contingency plans to deal with problems associated with Y2K. Medical manufacturers must pay close attention to the way medical facilities plan for Y2K. The variances in facilities ordering patterns due to Y2K could affect the medical manufacturers forecasts and inventory levels leading to a shortage of supplies. Also computer system compliance issues could result in loss of medical records or critical medical equipment failure. Manufacturers typically use historical usage to forecast for the coming year. However, with potential changes in ordering patterns, some adjustments may be necessary to meet customers’ needs. In addition, computer systems must be Y2K compliant to ensure Electronic Data Interface (EDI) which is used to exchanges computer data will function properly and patients health will not be at risk. For the purpose of this study, I have created a ficticious medical supply manufacturer, Equiptek Industries, which will be located in the eastern part of the United States. Background Medical facilities across the United States are concerned with critical date sensitive medical devices and products availability as January 1, 2000 approaches. Hospital concerns include issues such as the scheduling of elective procedures and supply issues with manufactures. Elective procedures are medical procedures that are non-emergency and can, if necessary, be postponed. Laura Bruce (1999) states â€Å"Have extra staff on hand and don...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

History of the World in 6 Glasses Essays

History of the World in 6 Glasses Essays History of the World in 6 Glasses Essay History of the World in 6 Glasses Essay Chapter 2: Civilized Beer 1. The Land between 2 rivers is the Tigris and Euphrates rivers located in Mesopotamia ( in the Fertile Crescent ) . The World’s first metropoliss arose in Mesopotamia. the land between the watercourses. ’ the name given to the country between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers†¦ ( 24. Standage ) . which meant that around this country most of the people were hardworking. The job about these two rivers though is that they had unexpected implosion therapy and there was small rain. This is why at the clip. goods. alternatively of being offerings to Gods were. compulsory revenue enhancements that were consumed by the temple bureaucratism or traded for other goods and services ( 40. Standage ) . This lone arose though because of the unpredictable conditions and nature of the Mesopotamian environment. 2. Mesopotamia and Egypt had many differences. . but they were both similar in one thing. Both civilizations were made possible by an agricultural excess. in peculiar an entree of grain ( 25. Standage ) . It funded many a huge sum of public works/constructions to be possible such as canals. temples and pyramids and besides freed a little elite of decision makers and craftsmen from the demand to bring forth their ain nutrient. Grain was the chief national diet in both Mesopotamia and Egypt. refereed to as edible money because it was consumed in both liquid and solid signifier. 3. †¦ Grain was the footing of the national diet in both Egypt and Mesopotamia ( 26. Standage ) . it was consumed as non merely beer. but bread excessively. Many people supplemented themselves with staff of life. beer. day of the months and onions ( sometimes with meat and of class extra veggies ) ; Dates provided vitamin A. beer provided vitamin B and everything else added up to 3. 5000 to 4. 000 Calories. They both had different ways of seeing how beer should really be used sometimes but they both used it in the same manner most of the clip. for pleasance and to fulfill. 4. Gilgamesh was a Sumerian sort who ruled around 2700 BCE and Tells s narrative that includes a wild adult male that becomes human by being introduced to beer and nutrient by a adult female. He drank the veer-seven jugs! – and became expansive and American ginseng with joy†¦ He was elated and his face glowed†¦ he splashed his bushy organic structure with water†¦ and turned into human ( 27. Standage ) . Sumerian myths affected people by picturing the Gods as really fallible. human characters who enjoy eating and imbibing. normally imbibing excessively much ; Sumerian authorship might hold besides inspired how Egyptians get downing authorship. 5. As in Mesopotamia. beer was thought to hold antediluvian and fabulous beginnings. and it appears in supplications. myths. and legends ( 28. Standage ) . non merely in Mesopotamia did they happen beer to be sacred but in Egypt excessively. one narrative even gives credits to beer with salvaging world from devastation. Mesopotamians and Egyptians likewise saw beer as an antediluvian. god given drink that underpinned their being. formed portion of their cultural and spiritual individuality. and had great societal importance ( 29. Standage ) . In both civilizations. without beer. the repast wouldn’t be complete. Beer is one of the grounds that led to the the arising of civilisations. chiefly because it combined different societal groups from high category to low category. from grownups to kids ; it allow people have something in common. something they could portion. no affair how much money you had or even your age. 6. Originally. authorship was invented to enter the aggregation and distribution of grain. beer and other goods ; it arose as a continuance of the Neolithic usage of. using items to account for parts to a communal depot ( 30. Standage ) . Since there was s excess of nutrient. Sumerian metropoliss collected it normally as offerings to Gods. but in pattern were consumed by the temple to assist keep public constructions such as irrigation systems because of the unpredictable Mesopotamian environment. Subsequently though. items were abandoned and pictograms came to stand for Numberss and even Gods excessively. Having started out as a agency of entering revenue enhancement grosss and ration payments. composing shortly evolved into a more flexible. expressive. and abstract medium ( 34. Standage ) . 7. Our modern Latin alphabet can be traced back to the Mesopotamians and Egyptians. After items were abandoned. pictograms came to put picturing Gods and Numberss. By around 3000 BCE composing had evolved a small spot more. The terminal consequence was the first all-purpose signifier of composing. based on cuneate. or cuneiform . indentures made in clay tablets utilizing reeds ( 24. Standage ) . 8. Both civilisations barley and wheat. and their processed solid and liquid signifiers. staff of life and beer. became more than merely staple groceries ; they were convenient and widespread signifiers or payments and currency ( 25. Standage ) . people were paid for their work in loaves of staff of life and jars of beer ; even adult females and kids were paid by this. The usage of staff of life and beer as rewards or currency mean that they became associated with prosperity and wellbeing. The ancient Egyptians identified them so closely with the necessities of life that the phrase bread and beer’ meant nutriment in general ; their combined hieroglyphics formed the symbol for nutrient ( 37. Standage ) . Beer was besides used medically for both Egyptians and Mesopotamians. 9. Since beer. being boiled. was less likely to be contaminated than H2O. it had the advantage of holding ingredients dissolve easy in it. A wedge-shaped tablet from the Sumerian metropolis of Nippur. contains a list of medical formulas based on beer. In Egypt. beer’s usage as a mild depressant was recognized. and it was besides the bass for several medical mixtures of herbs and spices†¦ Half an onion mixed with bubbling beer was said to bring around irregularity. for illustration. while powdery olives assorted with beer cured dyspepsia ; a mixture of Crocus sativus and beer massaged into a woman’s venter was prescribed for labour strivings ( 38. Standage ) . 10. Egyptians believed that their wellbeing in the hereafter depended on holding a satisfying supply of strain and beer. A normal funerary offering consisted of staff of life. beer. cattle. geese. fabric. and natron. a purification agent. Scenes and theoretical accounts of brewing and baking have been found in Egyptian grave. along with jars of beer ( long since evaporated ) and beer-making equipment ( 38. Standage ) . From emperors to ordinary citizens. they were all buried with a little or big jar of beer.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Intercultural Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Intercultural Communication - Essay Example What I have learned during the course on intercultural communication is that in today’s world of growing contacts in every part has resulted in effective communication among the people of different languages and cultures. In this present scenario, communication has got to be as positive as possible without any possibilities of breakdowns and misunderstandings. I believe that research on the characteristics of languages and similarities and differences in cultures will provide a definite outcome (Nasreen, â€Å"Some Views about Intercultural Communication†). The above pictures show the eating styles of two different cultures: the Western and the Arabic. In the Arabic countries, people dine in a different style than that of the people in England. In Arab countries, a carpet is first put on the floor where the people wish to dine. Then cushions are set on the carpet for the people to sit on. Instead of cushions, at times small stools are used for the purpose of sitting. Then placing the plates, glasses, cups and dishes on the carpet, they start dining (Fairfax Country Public School, â€Å"Arabic Upper Levels > Scientific and Creative Advancement†). In England, people eat in continental style where knives are placed in the right side and fork in the left. Moreover, there are number of eating etiquettes that they follow while dining in England. These etiquettes are taken as a rule of eating in England and the people put much emphasis to the table manners during dining (Barrow, â€Å"Acceptable Behaviour in England†). During our semester, I came across students of various cultures and groups and developed friendship with them in due course of time. When we used to have dinner in any of our Arabic friends’ place, we used to dine in the floor in their traditional manner. The dining style of my English friends was not new as this was considered as the standard style in the world. By

Friday, October 18, 2019

The Impact of Immigration Law to the HR Field Research Paper

The Impact of Immigration Law to the HR Field - Research Paper Example President Obama’s immigration executive action will lead to significant changes in the wage structure of the US labor market that will demand the attention of HR planners and recruiters for a smooth transition. Various organizations and think tanks interested in the US immigration debate have given their analysis and forecasts on the potential impact of the president’s executive action on the US labor market. According to the Council of Economic Advisors estimates, the executive actions by President Obama are projected to raise the average wages of native-born American citizens by 0.3% (or $170 in today’s dollars) over the coming 10 years. The CAP estimates that wages will increase by an average of 8.5% over the next one year for individuals who will be eligible for new and deferred action (Center for American Progress). These wage gains will be driven by the potential eligibility for work permits, better job matches in the market as well as a reduced probability of being taken advantage of being employers. The FPI, on the other hand, estimates a 5 to 10 percent increase in wages over the next five years for the projected 5 million workers who will be expected to gain work authorization through the president executive's expanded deferred action (Garcia, 2013). The NAID Center approximates that the deferred action on 3.8 million undocumented immigrants could raise labor income by as much as $ 7.1 billion in the order’s first two years of implementation (â€Å"Executive Action†, 2014).

MGMT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

MGMT - Essay Example The transition from a senior Finance student to a young professional in a reputable organization is a challenging process. The preparation process for this big change involves searching for reputable companies that have programs for absorbing fresh graduates. The search led to a chance in a reputable financial institution that is willing to hire me once I finish my final year. It also entails analyzing factors like shelter and the most suitable area in terms of cost and access to essential infrastructure. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare some little funds to help in securing shelter and food before settling in the new job. The change signifies a big career development because it is the step sets a student on a path to achieving big goals in life. The greatest personal challenge in this change is the fact that I have to meet new people and adapt to a new environment. The uncertainty associated with success makes the process hard to manage. The greatest organizational challenge is fitting into new teams and forming good relationships in the company. I am not sure of many things, which makes it difficult to prepare for the first day when I get to meet everyone. It would take time to form frigid friendships. The achievement of my goal to become an established professional can be hindered by organizational issues like the lack of facilitating factors, ambiguity, and lack of teamwork. An organization that has no framework that supports young graduates makes it difficult to get a practical sense of being a Finance professional. I will propose for the organization leadership to start programs that prepare senior students on adapting to the professional world after school. The achievement of my objective to become an established professional will be an addition to the organization. The suggestion to start programs to recruit senior students provides the organization with a chance to get the best talents. I will

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Assesment paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assesment paper - Essay Example They are supposed to uphold the ethics and principles of good governance. In principle, the politicians, being public figures, are supposed to lead exemplary lives, without being influenced by any vested interests. The corporate houses too are required to operate their businesses in such a way that the no harm is done to the society, to the environment and the polity of the nation/s. With the emergence of globalisation, the concepts like 'corporate governance' have emerged for managing the businesses more effectively. Media in general and electronics media in particular, too plays a very important role in telling the people about the values, ideas, opinions and culture of any political party and organisation. Therefore, now there is an exponential increase in the reliance on the broadcast media for political campaigns. This has proved to have a powerful role in making or breaking the chances of any political party. Opinion builders are entrusted with the task of spreading good words about the candidate (often this is termed as planting stories). In addition, candidates take up extensive tours to meet as many people as possible. All such exercises require good amount of money and hence the need for arranging funds. While it is true that businesses are supposed to work within the framework of rules and guidelines formulated by the political bosses, it is now an accepted fact that politics too cannot survive without a 'big' helping hand from businesses. But companies are placed in an unenviable position of being labeled as sympathizer to one particulars party or candidate if they support one at the cost of the other. Just in case the results are different, then there's a threat of retaliation. During earlier times, politicians used to get finances from some big companies, in a hush-hush manner so that their political affiliations are not divulged. This trend continued for quite a while, but gradually started resulted in arm-twisting tactics on the part of both politicians as well as corporate houses. This led to the debate of bringing in more transparency in matters relating to political campaign finances. Such reforms are being supported by political parties as well as business houses. Some bus iness houses are not very happy with the unreasonable demands from some political quarters, while the behavior of some politicians and political parties under the influence of money-power has also brought down the image of governments. There are some differences in the manner and extent of implementation though. Such attempts to regulate campaign finances are being supported by people at large and if theirs is any opposition, it comes from within the political establishment. In USA the common term for such political efforts is campaign finance reform (Chapman, 1999). In US campaign funds are generated by the politicians and the political parties' mainly using four sources (Cantor, 2007); i. Own funds of political leaders, their family and friends ii. By soliciting contributions from individual citizens iii. Using the party funds (which too require to be replenished from time to time) iv. Different interest groups (comprised business etc) generally with the formation of political action committees (PAC) on political, social or economic issues. v. Public funds (available only for some elections like Presidential elections) A first timer to

How Online Technologies Have Changed People Experience Life In The Essay

How Online Technologies Have Changed People Experience Life In The Digital Age - Essay Example They are more likely to be distracted by new events. This can in some ways make those individuals less productive than individuals who concentrate on single tasks. Multi-tasking was a term that was created for PC units that are capable of completing multiple tasks simultaneously. Unfortunately for humans, our brains do not function in a manner that allows us to multi-task. The author provided an example of attempting to check your email and search the web at the same time. One does not surf the web while checking their email, rather they check their email, then surf the web, then check their email again, and back to surfing the web. This is the empirical proof that individuals do not multitask, but rapidly task switch. Peter Suderman explains that we have transitioned from a world where the internet would merely engage in passive marketing techniques to a world of push marketing. There is no where an individuals can hide on the internet from some form of marketing. It is inevitable t hat whatever form of advertisement will find its way directly to the desktop of an individual. Such a vast sea of data has conditioned the minds of the readers and now as humans we find it impossible to break out of the habits that the digital age has conditioned us into. Suderman explains how reading in such environment causes humans to only take in small fragments of information as their eyes jump all around the screen on computers taking in small bits of data. He further explains the implications in his life as he finds it harder to concentrate on reading a book because his eyes have been conditioned to move all around the page just as it was reading from a computer screen. Rosen furthers this analysis by indicating that humans take in small fragments of information and are most intrigued by the information that is specific to their lives and the information that they created. While this has allowed individuals to more quickly consume information it has failed to make humans more empathetic for one another. The problem then arises in our ability to sense the feelings of our fellow man. While a website can inform humans about a genocide occurring on the other side of the world, we now only process it as just that, information. We don’t empathize with the humans who are in constant danger. Cowen seemingly breaks into this analysis and indicates how the internet is in fact lengthening our attention span. This is because our life is dictated by the narratives in which we have access to through personal contact, but rather we are able to seek access to any particular narrative we find interesting via the internet. This is important because individuals are able follow singular stories for extended periods of time. This is important because all information is merely at your fingertips. While individuals are not able to multi-task due to the limitations of attention, the internet has allowed tasking for individuals to become increasingly effective. While som e may argue that the fast paced structure of the web overloads the mind with data, others indicate that this infrastructure allows humans to quickly sift through undesirable data and focus on that which is most important to them. In the digital age it is becoming information is becoming more and more rapid, while some of the community contends that individuals are becoming less and less empathetic, others conclude humans have always showed selective attention and chose

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Assesment paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assesment paper - Essay Example They are supposed to uphold the ethics and principles of good governance. In principle, the politicians, being public figures, are supposed to lead exemplary lives, without being influenced by any vested interests. The corporate houses too are required to operate their businesses in such a way that the no harm is done to the society, to the environment and the polity of the nation/s. With the emergence of globalisation, the concepts like 'corporate governance' have emerged for managing the businesses more effectively. Media in general and electronics media in particular, too plays a very important role in telling the people about the values, ideas, opinions and culture of any political party and organisation. Therefore, now there is an exponential increase in the reliance on the broadcast media for political campaigns. This has proved to have a powerful role in making or breaking the chances of any political party. Opinion builders are entrusted with the task of spreading good words about the candidate (often this is termed as planting stories). In addition, candidates take up extensive tours to meet as many people as possible. All such exercises require good amount of money and hence the need for arranging funds. While it is true that businesses are supposed to work within the framework of rules and guidelines formulated by the political bosses, it is now an accepted fact that politics too cannot survive without a 'big' helping hand from businesses. But companies are placed in an unenviable position of being labeled as sympathizer to one particulars party or candidate if they support one at the cost of the other. Just in case the results are different, then there's a threat of retaliation. During earlier times, politicians used to get finances from some big companies, in a hush-hush manner so that their political affiliations are not divulged. This trend continued for quite a while, but gradually started resulted in arm-twisting tactics on the part of both politicians as well as corporate houses. This led to the debate of bringing in more transparency in matters relating to political campaign finances. Such reforms are being supported by political parties as well as business houses. Some bus iness houses are not very happy with the unreasonable demands from some political quarters, while the behavior of some politicians and political parties under the influence of money-power has also brought down the image of governments. There are some differences in the manner and extent of implementation though. Such attempts to regulate campaign finances are being supported by people at large and if theirs is any opposition, it comes from within the political establishment. In USA the common term for such political efforts is campaign finance reform (Chapman, 1999). In US campaign funds are generated by the politicians and the political parties' mainly using four sources (Cantor, 2007); i. Own funds of political leaders, their family and friends ii. By soliciting contributions from individual citizens iii. Using the party funds (which too require to be replenished from time to time) iv. Different interest groups (comprised business etc) generally with the formation of political action committees (PAC) on political, social or economic issues. v. Public funds (available only for some elections like Presidential elections) A first timer to

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

African Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

African Politics - Essay Example Its aims were to create separate institutions, and to some extent separate homelands, for the black people who existed in white-dominated settlements in ancient America. Black separatists’ arguments were that the white people oppressed the blacks, and that it was impossible for the blacks to advance in any way when living in a white-dominated societies. The proponents of this movement pushed for segregation of black institutions such as business schools so that the blacks themselves would direct them (Selverstone 160). Concisely, the main objectives of this movement were to separate the black societies from the white to achieve means of making them independent and self-sufficient to survive in an environment that was hostile. One of the dominant black elites of this movement includes Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), and the Nation of Islam. Marcus Garvey, unlike other activists, did not advocate for segregation within white territories, rather, Garvey’s UNIA elite called on the black society to move from America and return to their â€Å"homeland† in Africa, Liberia to be specific (Lawler & Davenport 80-82). The second elite, Nation of Islam, was founded by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad, and called for the establishment of new independent states for blacks only in the white territories. In addition, it provided economic, social, mental, and spiritual support for African Americans. According to its sympathizers, the black community would only foster if it had its own states with black schools, police, politicians, and businesses. This is an umbrella movement that housed other smaller social movements that aimed at ending discrimination, segregation by race, and enforces the voting rights of blacks living in the United States. This movement employed mostly campaigns of civil resistance, implementing civil disobedience and non-violent protests as tactics to create crises that would make the

Sample Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Sample Research Paper Essay The world is moving on. Everything has changed and will still continue to change. One of the major contributors of these changes is the unending discovery of new advances such as tools and information technologies worldwide, from conventional Information System (IS) to computer-based IS, even become web-based IS. These advancements have been widely absorbed to improve efficiency of the organization’s operation and effectiveness in providing service to its employees and customers for them to survive in the realm of business world. Organizations such as universities have increasingly adopted advanced technologies to automate their information systems. It includes tools that are used to create, retrieve, store, change and transmit information. Online services have been offered by universities to provide information and applications for various stakeholders such as students, parents, benefactors and school personnel in timely manner and with greater ease (Lee Kim, 2010). The Southern Leyte State University- San Juan spent considerable resources and efforts in applying computer-based information system in some transactions in school. The university has a computer-based system for accounting, enrolment and grading. Students, parents and benefactors ask for grades, schedule, statement of 2 account and other relevant information. Though the computerization automates the abovementioned processes but some of the students claimed that sometimes the releasing of requested information took hours or even days for some operations like retrieval of data since it is still done semi-automatically or manually. Aside from that, the university also collects a processing fee for grade inquiry. Truly, indeed, there is a call for improving student’s information system such as in students academic performance monitoring and billing system to satisfy the information needs of the clients. One of the responsibilities of the university is to inform the parents and/or sponsors about the academic performance of the students and it is usually done by sending grades through the post office. The problem is some of the parents and/or sponsors will not be able to receive the grades in timely manner or will never reach their hands. For any reason and maybe to facilitate decision making purposes, some of the parents and/or sponsors will personally visit the University Registrar to follow up the student’s performance. Undeniably, it is a burden to the parents to do such. That is why it is necessary for the university to find ways to aid the personnel in the Registrar’s Office in handling the student’s permanent record and to deliver accurate data pertinent to some clients. The academic performance of the university scholars has been also monitored by the school. The scholar’s grade is evaluated manually by the Guidance Counselor every semester if it still meets the qualification standards. Also, reports are to be generated for recognized private sponsors and for institutional purposes. During evaluation, the Guidance Counselor will require the scholars to submit their grades and so the students will also collect their grades from their instructors or at the registrar’s office. The thought of accessing data directly from the centralized database will speed up the evaluation process. The plus factor for university’s financial growth is how committed the sponsor an d the parents pay the fees of the students. But in the present situation, paying bills on time can never be realized for the university fails to issue statement of account to the students every after payment is made. As a result, parents or sponsors are not updated of their dues and no assurance that the students pay the fees religiously. Though the students are required to pay before midterm and final, the parents or sponsors have no idea how much are they going to pay for each term. As part of the university, it is the earnest desire of the researcher to contribute something to address the problems encountered by the clients of the university with regard to academic performance monitoring and generating of an updated statement of account. Since the problem concerns the delivery of information such as updated report of grades and billing statements to the parents and/or sponsor of the students in the university, the researcher found it helpful to have a Web-based Student Information System. The availability of Internet Service Providers such as Smart and Globe Broadband in Southern Leyte will make the designed system more accessible to the clients especially those students who are from other towns which constitute 66 percent of the total population at SLSU-San Juan. Aside from that, it will give the university personnel-in-charge in Grading, Scholarship, and Billing the capability to organize and present student information that suit the specific needs of the clients. Theoretical Background This study is based on the theory of Shelly et al (2005) which states that webbased systems are popular because they offer ease of access, cost effectiveness and worldwide connectivity, all of which are vital to companies that must compete in a global economy. Both personal and organizational processes influence a culture of innovation. In a culture of innovation, people will have a habit of constantly looking for ways to improve things (Denning, 2004). Continuous search for innovative ways has been made to cater the need of the people to access and share information resources worldwide. As what Newell and Turner (2006) said, Innovation means change: sometimes radical change and sometimes incremental change. This incremental change refers to the movement of change from traditional IS to computer-based IS and even now to the recent trend which is the web-based IS that runs through an internet technology. The explosive growth of the Internet is making available radical new means of communication that affect such diverse areas as business, entertainment and education. Network technology supports distributed systems and until today, the most popular system that is currently being used to make such systems possible is the World Wide Web and they even claim that this web technology is â€Å"fundamentally a new medium of human communications† (cited in Carstensen Vogelsang, 2001). True enough that in areas of education, Internet offers a medium that has the potential to be more responsive to students, to encourage greater participation in their own learning, and to give greater access to different sources of information than what traditional methods can offer (Brooks, 1997). The anchor theory is also supported by Young (1999) who argue that the Internet is the most cost-efficient medium for business-to-consumer dealings (cited in Voiculescu, 2005). Beller and Or (2003) also added that the decreasing costs of internet services, coupled with availability and convenience are likely to accelerate adoption of internet-based technologies. According to Shelly et al. (2005), Internet is a worldwide network that integrates many thousands of other networks, which in turn link millions of government, business, educational and personal users around the globe. Levine (2003) also added that internet technologies can reduce the time burden and provide easy-to-use and helpful information to the end user. These features of internet technology are vital to any organization for them to be globally competitive. Chae and Poole (cited in Brown Cooke, 2005) discussed that requirements and accountability have become more stringent and require better reporting for higher education. Additionally, mechanisms for evaluation and reporting have a growing role in university management. Traditionally, information sharing among university members has relied on a range of printed materials. Computer technology created opportunities on university campuses for sharing data and information among the staff and the students, and has been deployed since the late fifties (cited in Semiawan and Middleton, 1999). These information systems range from library systems, registration systems and financial systems, to campus-housing systems and other university service systems. Student Information System incurs such application software designed for educational establishments to manage student data. It is an application that keeps track of student records such as name, address, teacher, classes, grades and other pertinent information. Once the information is inputted into the database, it will provide the ability to quickly get information related to a particular student and print out their vital records (Freewareseek, 2009). As cited in Ngoma (2009), Barrett also encapsulates the essence of a student management information system (SMIS). He defines SMIS as â€Å"an integrated software package that maintains, supports, and provides inquiry, analysis, and communication tools that organize student accountability data into information to support the educational process†. From this so called student information system (SIS), the idea of developing a student information system specifically in academic performance monitoring and generating of statement of account for SLSU- San Juan was conceived. Student Information System development moved from mainframes to a network or workstation environment and the tools has also been changed from the traditional IS platforms to tools with support such as Gopher, World Wide Web and multimedia systems. Because of these developments, methods and procedures by which users obtain information are changing rapidly. Daily, hundreds of thousands of individuals use the Internet and Web browsers to obtain a much broader range of information than has previously been possible. According to Kitchens (cited in Brown Cooke, 2005), web-based student information systems have been widely adopted by institution to facilitate a range of operations such as grading, attendance, demographic data and reporting. Advantages of such a system is that information is accessible anywhere by using a standard internet browser; instructional management such as tracking student performance and monitoring progress can be handled through the online tool; teachers can define each assessment used in their courses and; the system makes individual student data available. A centralized web based system also enables educators to collect, analyze and communicate student information through desktop computers, however good databases also require data integrity so the information is consistent and valid. Many schools have online systems for managing classes, requesting financial aid, and performing other routine tasks. In these institutions, people can access school grades online once they enter the dashboard area where they manage other schoolrelated tasks, and the dashboard is accessed with a username and password. These types of systems can be very useful for parents who may want to keep a close watch on the progress of their children, and for students who want to keep an eye on their grades. The advantage of viewing school grades online is that it is usually possible to do so as soon as grades are received and posted. By viewing grades immediately, people dont have to wait for weeks while report cards are generated and mailed, which can relieve stress and tension. There may also be other reasons for wanting to see grades online, like wanting to check midterm grades to monitor progress in a class, or needing to know grades for the purpose of reporting them to colleges as quickly as possible. (Smith, 2008). Academic performance refers to how students deal with their studies and how they cope with or accomplish different tasks given to them by their teachers. The indicator of how well the students perform in the class is the student grades. Grade availability and immediate distribution through the use of SIS, which is called by Knievel (2001) as â€Å"full disclosure†, is of importance to concerned party mostly to the students and parents. Liao et al. (2007) asserts that SIS process within such technological sophistication does create precise knowledge edge, that such SIS application can be appealing to students and to the academic faculty as well as the parents. Student data acquired is usually used for effective decision making purposes. It is also an enduring belief in the academy that knowing one’s grade will change student’s negative behaviors or sustain positive ones (Knievel, 2001). Specifically, web-based student information systems have helped improve student records management, and school improvement plans. According to The Journal (2000), â€Å"Administrators no longer need to run from classroom to classroom or search from file to file to get the information they need, as the system (PowerSchool) provides instant access to all student records with a simple point and click†. SchoolWorks (2009) student information systems enable complete tracking and management of student data. The complete student information system includes student activities, daily attendance, period or classroom attendance, discipline, health and immunizations, grades, schedules, and more! SchoolWorks student information system manages your student data with a browser-based user interface. This allows platform independent student data entry. SchoolWorks student information system includes standard reports and allows custom report creation. The data structure is easily customized to match your state board of educations requirements for electronic submission of student data. At Westside Community Schools in Nebraska, Bird (2006) argues that there were significant improvements as a direct result of the adoption of the new SIS. â€Å"Since the implementation of the SIS, attendance at Westside is better than ever, discipline reports are down, and, instead of declining test scores that are common in schools with similar demographics, test scores are consistently above the national average and among the highest in the state of Nebraska. School administrators attribute this in good part to the SIS†. Bernhardt (2005) analyzed student demographic and perceptual data of elementary, middle, and high schools of Canyon View School District (an 8,000 student district) and concluded that fact-driven decision making can provide each district, each school, each class and each student with a reliable way to facilitate breakthrough performance and continuous education improvement. Her findings revealed that effective use of school data leads to more objective education-enhancement decisions. In North Carolina, a vast number of school teachers, administrators, leaders, parents, and students are using NCWISE to access and manage student data. NCWISE is described as a web-based, integrated, and secure tool for effectively managing student information and improving instruction in North Carolina schools. It was designed to provide teachers, principals, counselors, nurses, central office staff, and others with direct and immediate access to a full spectrum of data on a students entire career in the North Carolina school system. (Ngoma, 2009) As cited in Ngoma (2009), North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCPDI) report lists some of the features of NCWISE which include â€Å"the ability to move student transcripts immediately when a student transfers from one school to another; produce progress reports and report cards; share student grades and emergency information with appropriate school employees; and more quickly and accurately report student grades, attendance, and information used to support public school business processes†. The reason given for the adoption of NCWISE is that SIMS, which was the official public schools data collection source for more than 20 years and relied on antiquated technology. Let it be noted that NCWISE replaced SIMS. De La Salle University (DLSU), Manila created a My.LaSalle (MLS) university portal to extend efficient services to its clientele. Students can enroll online, thus, no more lining up at the Registrars Office. They can enroll anywhere within their scheduled period, in their preferred course and section, provided it is still open. Students can always view the actual enrollment count per course and section. Students can also inquire through the portal, information about course schedule, account balance, grades for the term, schedules of final exams and course card distribution. However, transactions could be denied due to unsettled accountabilities such as payables in the accounting or registrar’s offices, or library dues. These records will be reflected in a student’s personal account and they are updated as frequently as needed. On the other hand, faculty members can submit final grades and request for change of grade online even in the comforts of their own homes. (DLSU, 2010) University of the East, Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Inc., Manila developed a UERM portal for their students and employees. The portal contains Faculty Portal and Student Portal. Faculty Portal is an exclusive gateway for UERM faculty members for online information, faculty evaluation, faculty load, uploading lectures, quizzes and other materials for dissemination to their classes. It also provides access to profound discussions among faculty about lesson and other topics for the creation of knowledge. The Student Portal is for online student information, lectures, discussions, resources and other services exclusive to UERM students. It aims to enhance and extend the students learning experience through information technology beyond the bound of the classroom. (UERMMMC, 2010) The University of Baguio (UB) E-Reservation System is an extended feature of the UB enrollment System wherein transactions are done via the internet. The student is allowed to reserve schedules and be evaluated by the college dean. Grades are available for viewing online using UB-Online Information Service. Final grades for a given term may be viewed in a Final Grade Report or in an Unofficial Academic Transcript (UB, 2010). All business transactions revolve around one thing- payments. Many ecommerce websites integrate all the possible payment gateway modes for customers choice so that payments never get delayed. Through technologies the organization business operations have become easier and fast. Billing is the process of sending bills for payment (Macmillan English Dictionary, 2010). The term E-billing is the electronic delivery of financial documents to the customer, that represents and replaces the conventional paper based document (Email connection, 2001). Universities adopt this so called on-line billing for its perceived advantages than traditional billing system. Southerns eBill offers both students and parents a number of advantages over traditional paper bills, including: students can authorize others (parents, spouse, etc.) to view and pay bills; easy to read online history of past statements and payments; ability to schedule future payments; ease of use and convenience (Southern Connecticut State University, 2009). The Students Accounts Office at Macalester College implemented a new billing process. This change in process has taken place for several reasons. One reason and advantage of the change in process is that students and authorized users may view information relating to billing accounts, statements, and account activity at their convenience. The change in process correlates directly with the leadership role Macalester College has taken in sustainability for higher education. This change also will not only save paper by not having to print statements but will also reduce the need for other paper products such as two forms of envelopes. For students monthly billing, the student and authorized users will receive email notification announcing that the newest electronic eBill statement is ready to view. All students and authorized users must go online to view the statements. If a paper statement is required, the student or authorized user must print it at their convenience (Macalester College, 2009) In San Diego State University, they used a billing system wherein student billing statements are sent out on a monthly basis when money is due to the University. Student statements will be delivered in electronic format. Students are sent an email directing them to a secure website to review their bill, so it is important that their email address be kept up to date in their Portal account. Another feature is that the student may set up a parent PIN so that in addition to the student receiving the email, the parent may also receive an email (San Diego State University, 2009). Another motivation for online technologies as emphasized by Kemelgor, Johnson and Srinivasan (2000) is that â€Å"to attract good students, educational institutions must continue to innovate.† Technology is a tool recognized by many institutions that can be utilized to improve levels of service while aiming to personalize and extend the relationship with students (as cited in Savarese, 2004). Therefore effective student systems need to be student oriented and designed so administrative requirements don’t negatively impact on the student. It is in the light of these theories and related literature that inspired the researcher to develop web-based student information system specifically on student performance monitoring and generating statement of account in Southern Leyte State University-San Juan to keep pace with the above-mentioned innovations and of course to be able to cater the information needs of the stakeholders. 14 THE PROBLEM Statement of the Problem This study aimed to analyze, design and develop a prototype Web-Based Student Information System for Southern Leyte State University- San Juan, Southern Leyte. Specifically, it sought to: 1. analyze the services provided by the university as they relate to 1.1 1.2 student academic performance monitoring and; generating statement of account; 2. determine the status of the present student information system in terms of 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 relevance; accessibility; reliability and; timeliness; 3. identify the problems encountered by the students, parents, benefactors and personnel-in-charge in the present student information system; 4. determine the features of a good Student Information System; and 5. design and develop a prototype of a Web-Based Student Information System. Significance of the Study The results of the study would benefit the following entities: Commission on Higher Education (CHED). This study will help CHED, as a governing body to all education institutions, to encourage colleges and universities to implement research and development for the purpose of delivering quality service to each of its clients. SLSU. This study would enable the university to improve their student information system. It will give them the opportunity to give quality service to their clients. Students. The developed system would benefit the students for they can inquire their information needs with regard to their academic performance and billing statements at their convenient time and place. Parents. The output of this study would allow the parents to monitor the academic status and billing account of their child by accessing the records through the internet. Benefactors. The student information such as grades and statement of account that is extracted from the system would facilitate the sponsors for their decision making purposes. Also, they would be guided constantly with their bills. Student Affairs Office. The output of this study would significantly give ease to the Guidance Counselor in performing his tasks especially in monitoring, record keeping and generating reports. Registrar’s Office. Through the system, the work of the personnel in the Registrar’s office in disseminating grades to the students will be lessened for the records are now available online. Accounting Office. The staff in Accounting Office will not be disrupted with students who constantly inquire their statement of account. This study would give an opportunity for the researcher to gain more knowledge in programming and enhance his/her skill in designing and solving analytical problems. Aside from that he/she will gain confidence from her experiences in the making of this research. Future Researchers. The future researchers would greatly benefit from this study for the findings of this study would encourage them to design an improved system. Other HEI’s. The output of this provides insights to other higher education on how to disseminate information to their clients in a better way. This study may also assist them in achieving successful outcomes in similar projects. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The study will utilize the descriptive research method using a researcherconstructed questionnaire to gather data from various stakeholders such as students, parents, benefactors and some personnel in charge in Scholarship, Registrar, and Accounting at SLSU- San Juan. The questionnaire simply asked the respondents to examine the current information system in the university and suggest some good features of a good student information system. The data that will be collected from identified respondents will be presented, analyzed and interpreted. The results and findings of the research study will serve as the basis for the design and development of the Web-based Information System for SLSU- San Juan.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Accutane for Acne: An Analysis

Accutane for Acne: An Analysis Before the iron curtain fell any Information about acne was rare. But with growing advances in dermatology and medicine now understanding the cause of acne and its accurate treatment is available worldwide. Acne is one of the most common skin conditions in the world. Although it’s common but accurate information about acne can be scare. This makes it difficult to get clearer skin. Therefore the information in this document can help you understand acne and how to treat/ prevent it successfully. [1]Overview of acne: Acne, or acne vulgaris, is askinproblem that starts when oil and dead skin cells clog up your pores. Some people call it blackheads, blemishes, whiteheads, pimples, or zits. When you have just a few red spots, or pimples, you have a mild form of acne. Severe acne can mean hundreds of pimples that can cover the face, neck, chest, and back. Or it can be bigger, solid, red lumps that are painful (cysts). Acne is very common amongteens. It usually gets better after the teen years. Some women who never had acne growing up will have it as an adult, often right before their menstrual periods. How you feel about your acne may not be related to how bad it is. Some people who have severe acne are not bothered by it. Others are embarrassed or upset even though they have only a few pimples. Acne starts whenoil and dead skin cells clog the skins pores. If germs get into the pores, the result can be swelling, redness, and pus. Causes of Acne Acne can be caused or exacerbated by a number of different things, including: Changes in hormone levels (such as during puberty or menstruation) Cosmetics or hair or skin products Having a family history of acne Some medications Something rubbing on the skin (like a hat or helmet) Vigorous scrubbing of the skin Stress For most people, acne starts during the teen years. This is because hormone changes make the skin oilier afterpubertystarts. Using oil-based skin products or cosmetics can make acne worse. Use skin products that dont clog your pores. They will say noncomedogenic on the label. Acne can run in families. If one of your parents had severe acne, you are more likely to have it. Symptoms of acne : Acne commonly appears on the face and shoulders. It may also occur on the trunk, arms, legs, and buttocks. Other symptoms include: Crusting of skin bumps Cysts Papules (small red bumps) Pustules Redness around the skin eruptions Scarring of the skin Whiteheads Blackheads The good news is that there are many good treatments that can help you get acne under control. What is Accutane[2] [3]Accutane’s chemical composition resembles that of retinoic acid, a compound derived from Vitamin A. The primary application for Accutane is for nodular acne in patients that do not respond to topical applications (such as benzoyl peroxide) and standard antibiotic treatments.it is administered orally in pill form. It reduces the amount of oil released by oil glands in your skin, and helps your skin renew itself more quickly. People with severe cases of nodular acne can display red, tender and swollen bumps under the skin. These bumps can have a diameter of a quarter-inch or larger. Left untreated, these bumps can lead to permanent facial scarring and disfigurement. Accutane treats these bumps by slowing the rate of chemical production that leads to skin breakouts. It was originally recommended for people with severe acne that did not respond to other treatments,but has gained in popularity in the past 25 years and is prescribed more and more frequently for less severe acne How Accutane works Exactly how Accutane works on a cellular level is unknown but we do know that it affects all four ways that acne develops. 1. It dramatically reduces the size of the skinsoil glands(35%-58%) and even more dramatically reduces the amount of oil these glands produce (around 80%). 2. Acnebacteria(P. acnes) live in skin oil. Since oil is dramatically reduced, so is the amount of acne bacteria in the skin. 3. It slows down how fast the skin producesskin cellsinside the pore, which helps pores from becoming clogged in the first place. 4. It hasanti-inflammatoryproperties. Researchers have published several studies attempting to gauge whether people with mild to moderate acne can achieve long term remission of acne with lower dosages of Accutane. Initial data is showing that people with mild to moderate acne may be able to achieve long term remission with significantly lower dosages, and thus suffer fewer side effects, including lower incidence of scarring. Relapse rates with lower dosages do not seem to increase, leading some researchers to posit that it is not cumulative dose that brings about permanent clearing as much as it is the length of time that the oil glands are suppressed. Intermittent dosing (taking Accutane only 1 week of every month) appears to work less well, producing significantly poorer outcomes for more than half of the patients studied. Why is Accutane better Only solution for severe acne Effective than antibiotics Quick results as compared to other remedies Easier to consume and continue , just an oral pill Long term results Lesser scares left after complete course Dosage:[4] Accutane should not be consumed unless prescribed by your physician, and its dosage should be as prescribed by the physician. Please refer the table below to get a glimpse of the approximate dosage of Accutane. [5]Precautions: Before starting Accutane treatment, make sure you tell your doctor about any other medications you are taking (including prescription, over-the-counter, vitamins, herbal remedies, etc.). Do not take vitamin A supplements. Vitamin A in high doses has many of the same side effects as accutane. Taking both together may increase your chance of getting side effects. Do not receive any kind of immunization or vaccination without your doctors approval while taking accutane. Inform your health care professional if you are pregnant or may be pregnant prior to starting this treatment. Pregnancy category X (accutane may cause fetal harm when given to a pregnant woman. This drug must not be given to a pregnant woman or a woman who intends to become pregnant. If a woman becomes pregnant while taking accutane, the medication must be stopped immediately and the woman given appropriate counseling). Because of the extremely high risk that a deformed infant can result if pregnancy occurs while taking accutane in any amount even for short periods of time, for both men and women: Do not conceive a child (get pregnant) while taking accutane. Two methods of effective contraception are recommended for women of childbearing potential, unless absolute abstinence is the chosen method. Discuss with your doctor when you may safely become pregnant or conceive a child after therapy. Do not breast feed while taking this medication Side effects of Accutane: [6] Doctors prescribe Accutane when other acne treatments fail. Because serious cases of acne can be such a physical and social burden, patients may be willing to tolerate some of the common side effects that come with Accutane use, including dry skin, headaches and cold-like symptoms. A less-common side effect of the drug is pseudotumor cerebri – benign intercranial hypertension. This is a condition in which the brain acts as though there is a tumor when there is not. It can lead to blindness. Early signs of pseudotumor cerebri include headache, nausea, vomiting and visual disturbances. About half of Accutane users are women of childbearing age, making birth defects associated with Accutane use a significant concern. Unfortunately,Accutaneis linked to a series of serious side effects, including bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease, liver damage, depression, and miscarriage and birth defects if taken during pregnancy. Apart from these excessive dose of Accutane can lead to hypertension, suicidal tendencies, depression , liver damage, gastrointestinal problems , hearing impairment etc, there for as a matter of fact it is higly recommended to consume Accutane under medical supervision only. [1] American Academy of Dermatology (2007). Guidelines of care for acne vulgaris management. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 56(4): 651–663. Also available online: http://www.aad.org/education-and-quality-care/clinical-guidelines/current-and-upcoming-guidelines. [2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1349820/ [3] http://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00982 [4] http://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00982 [5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotretinoin [6] http://www.drugwatch.com/accutane/side-effects.php The Fall Of Rome | Essay The Fall Of Rome | Essay The debate about the fall of Rome and the way it happened is a centuries-old one and its vitality has been undiminished over the years. The traditional theory has the Roman Empire being violently overturned by barbarian Germanic tribes who started invading en masse during the last years of the fourth century. That wasn’t the first time that the Empire had to deal with pressure on its borders, but this time it eventually collapsed because it had already declined as a civilization due to internal problems. The first scholar to support this line of thought was Gibbon in the late eighteenth century. His great, multi-volume, work goes by the title ‘The Decline and fall of the Roman Empire’, which speaks for itself as for its writer’s thoughts (?). He argued that the most important cause which brought about the end of the Roman Empire was the expansion and gradual predominance of Christianity. First, the new religion and the structures that came with it (such as the church and the monasteries) interfered with the distribution of wealth inside the Empire, by accumulating it in institutions that were inaccessible by the state. Second, its pacifist ideology reduced the army’s will to fight and its theology corrupted the classical ideals through the spread of superstition. Another scholar arguing along the same lines was Rostovtzeff. He states the Late Empire was in retrogradation?, a sad and decadent remnant of its former self, partly because of the increase in absolutism during the reigns of Diocletian and Constantine and the emperors who succeeded them. Together with Gibbon, his arguments form the core of the ‘traditional’ theory, which puts stress especially on the issue of ‘decline’ as the main reason which made the disintegration of the empire, as a political entity, eventually inevitable. Due to the work of these two scholars, the ‘Fall of Rome’ has ended up being seen as something like the platonic idea of decline. Along with the traditional theory, we should consider the work of a more recent scholar. Following the same methodological path as Rostovtzeff, Jones credited the barbarians with the destabilization and collapse of the Roman Empire. Their invasions, he argues, should be seen as a destructive agent which placed strain on the Roman administration. At the same time, in a well-known passage, he speaks of a large part of the population that was consuming without producing anything, such as senators, soldiers and the clergy. These ‘idle mouths’, as he calls them, partly a result of barbarian pressure again, at least as far as the army was concerned, was the main reason for the economic waning of the Late Empire. Jones’ contribution was twofold. To begin with, he proposed a new chronological period, extending further than 476, the date traditionally considered as signaling the moment of death of the Roman Empire. His ending date was 602, the year of the emperor Maurice’s death as he strongly believed that the Roman Empire continued its existence, albeit geographically diminished, in the East, at least until the advent of the Slavic tribes in the Balkans at the end of the sixth century. This way, he managed to provide a connection between late- and post-Roman societies, hinting that there might have been a causal relation between the two. Secondly, he breathed new life in a period that was all but put aside by his contemporaries as of not much particular interest and after him scholars gradually started to perceive the Late Roman Empire in its own right. This was countered by ‘traditionalists’ in 2005 with the publication of a book under the title ‘The fall of Rome and the end of civilization’. In this book, the author Bryan Ward-Perkins is arguing fervently that the fall of Rome was a violent experience for the people involved, which involved much bloodshed and catastrophe. It was centered more on radical change than gradual transformation and was characterized by decline and resulted in a decline in civilized values which actually that a number of Roman cultural achievements were lost. Although this view has its merits and should not be discredited without consideration, it needs to be examined carefully because it conceals the danger of oversimplification. First, it can be argued that the author has gone too far with his emphasis on violence and catastrophe. Violence, no matter how hard on a society, is not by principle an agent of radical change which rules out any chance of transformation. Human history is full of violence and it would be surprising if the fourth and fifth centuries did not involve any at all. Despite Ward-Perkins vivid depictions, much of what was considered Roman did not disappear with the Empire. Roman qualities, such as a literate culture, can be shown to have survived as late as the seventh century, proving that the devastating barbaric invasions did not actually have such a devastating effect after all. Stemming from that, we should examine if there was a specific moment in time when Rome actually ‘fell’. If we cannot point out such an instance, then we should regard it as a more gradual process. Italy, for example, shows that society was able to maintain its order in the face of much devastation. And if, as Ward-Perkins himself admits, ‘there was no single moment, not even a single century of collapse’, then we should discard catastrophist theories as inadequate and try more. We should also keep in mind that the author comes from an archaeological milieu and, as a result, most of his proof comes from the study of material evidence. Archaeologists of the period tend to be advocates of the notion of decline more often than historians, mainly because such a decline is much more evident in the material remains of the Late Roman era. In addition to that we have to be careful with the origin the evidence. In the case of Ward-Perkins, he doesn’t hesitate to support his theory on data from Britain, but Brittania (i.e. the part of Britain which was conquered by the Romans) had never been the archetypal Roman province. So Britain is far from being the typical example of what happened after the Romans had left the island, particularly given the fact that we can find other provinces of the Roman Empire, which shared a completely different fate, such as Egypt and Syria. When talking strictly about the west, one has to be extremely cautious when trying to combin e both the archaeological data with historical sources that might give the impression of continuity. One way approaches, such as the one only just discussed, will not do. Late Antiquity With good reason one might ask what the need of such a dramatic reassertion of the traditional view on the fall of the Roman Empire. The word traditional itself implies the existence of an opposite, neoteric theory. In 1971, Peter Brown published a book which defied all the assumptions of the traditionalist school. His book ‘The world of Late Antiquity: from Marcus Aurelius to Muhammad’ argues about continuity, transformation, cultural and religious renewal. The enthusiasm that the book was met with in academic circles, especially in the United States, resulted in the banishment of terms as catastrophe, change, crisis and decline. Brown was influenced by the views of an earlier scholar, Henri-Irà ©nà ©e Marrou, who argued that late antique art had not deteriorated and that it should be looked at in its own terms. Brown was influenced by the work of Henri Pirenne. In his works the Belgian scholar supported that there was continuity to be found in terms of long-distance trade in the Mediterranean which was not affected by the barbarian invasions but collapsed with the great Arabic conquests of the seventh century. Brown placed a new stress on the period resulted in a recent rethinking of Pirenne’s views through the prism of the newly proposed notion of continuity. Finally, Brown could also be considered an influence because, as we saw earlier, he was the first to propose a causal connection between the Late Roman Empire and the post-Roman era. Thus, given the entailed predominance of continuity which was easily detected in themes such as art and religious belief, a new historical period has been founded with its own characteristics, that of Late Antiquity, in which â€Å"some of the basics of classical civilization still survived†. Its boundaries stress from the third to the eighth century, but they are still unfixed, with every writer proposing different dates, according to the issues they deal with. Brown relied heavily on the methods of historical psychology and psychoanalysis. This methodological innovation is a general trend among scholars of Late Antiquity, particularly those in the United States. They have more or less identified themselves with the kind of history that falls outside the scope of socio-economic history. For example, the history of Christianity has proven very fertile for studying Late Antiquity, especially the effects it has had on different aspects of human life, such as death, sexuality and the family. Thus, this school of thought has made astonishing contributions in such fields as gender and culture history, the history of mentalities and of popular belief. Such methods, however, often tend to function with no respect to periodization and as such they lead to fragmentation. Indeed, the work of these scholars shows more emphasis towards individuals and their perspectives than to the society they live in. As a consequence, post-modernist theories concerning source analysis have relied heavily on the works of scholars after Brown, while, in the meantime, the old philological approach has been largely abandoned. Ancient texts are dealt with not so much for their narrative value, but as agents the mentality of their authors. Of course, works exclusively focused on different authors have a lot to offer to the ongoing discussion of the period, but dogged commitment to them might create a handicap for our understanding of the period as a whole. Furthermore, partly as a response to the traditional view of catastrophe, scholars of Late Antiquity have been particularly keen on seeing continuity and transformation. But this attitude can be harmful in two ways. First, the notion of continuity seems to have an overshadowing effect on the particularity of issues in a certain period. If everything is proven to carry on from the past not changed in the least, then historical periods will automatically lose their individual tone, by which it is defined. Simultaneously, by relying to heavily historical sources (as they provide ampler evidence for continuity) we may be overturned by the findings of archaeological research (in the way Ward-Perkins was). Second, emphasis on continuity and transformation is the expulsion of their opposites from contemporary history books. Terms such as â€Å"crisis† and â€Å"decline† seem to have been anathematized in modern research and this has started to raise objections, even by scholars who are not polemicists of continuity itself. Powerful words like these falling into disuse can only be detrimental for historiography. These terms are usually avoided because of their moral implications, and it is somehow assumed that if there is decline someone needs to be charged with it. But we always have to bear in mind that history is a science and historians should concentrate purely on the facts of their research. Nevertheless, Late Antiquity’s impact shouldn’t be confined within strict scientific limits. Continuity along with transformation, apart from being objects of historiographical debate, is also too powerful of terms to be overlooked by contemporary politicians. From 1993 to 1998 a large research project, funded by the European Science Foundation (ESF), brought together scholars from across Europe. Its title was â€Å"Transformation of the Roman World† and its aim was to provide a widely accepted interpretation of the fall of Rome, along the lines of a smooth passage to what was to become today’s Europe. Two thousand years after Augustus history is being repeated: the European Union is commissioning its â€Å"poets† to create its own foundation myth. Late Antiquity is a new period that has had to carve its way bravely into powerful, deep-rooted views of modern historiography, much like the barbarians who had to carve their kingdoms fighting against the mighty Roman Empire. But unlike the former, somewhere along the way it had to make sacrifices which rendered it less effective as a means of interpretation and more limited in its scope. Also, it came to associate itself with â€Å"allies† with political agendas, who might have promoted it, but in the long term damaged somewhat its credibility in terms of objectivity. After all that, it is not surprising that Avril Cameron, a great advocate of the Brown school, herself admits â€Å"‘Late Antiquity’ is in danger of having become an exotic territory†, just before suggesting that it should be tested also in the fields of economic and administrative history. Pekepersonal thekerkerethoughts-synthesis/LA+med west Thus far, we’ve witnessed in brief a powerful debate: Ward-Perkin’s book came as a vivid reaction to a whole school of thought formed around Brown’s work, which itself was another dramatic response to an older tradition. But extremism is inherent in violent reactions, because only through opposition one side can define itself and stand out in relation to its adversaries. Naturally, the existence of opposition itself should not lead us to believe that one side is absolutely right, while the other is absolutely wrong (and in most cases they are not). Rather, it should direct us towards an evaluation of the new conclusions that emerged from the conflict and setting the problem on a new base. However, it should be noted that both books have something in common: they are heavily focused on different geographical areas, where their conclusions seem to be more frequently affirmed. This way, Brown was able to find plenty of continuity in the eastern part of the Empire, while Ward-Perkins discovered a great deal of catastrophe in its former western provinces. As Jones had underlined long before those two, historians often tend to forget that only a part of the Roman Empire actually fell to the barbarians. So, nothing would be amiss if things were so well defined, but they are not. And although it seems that Late Antiquity is better suited for early Byzantine history, there are also those medieval scholars who deem it rewarding to try their hand at the concepts that this new approach brought with it. Late Antiquity and early medieval history One of these was jean claude van dam (‘the muscles from brussels’) mouahahhahahaha Late Antiquity and the barbarians The exclusion of notions of violence and catastrophe from the debates concerning the fourth and fifth centuries, which Late Antiquity scholars promoted, created a historiographical vacuum and a way had to be found for depicting the relations between the Roman Empire and the new arrivals. If violence could not be used to describe them, then the sources had to be searched for a different sort of evidence. The subsequent reexamination of the sources gave birth to the notion of accommodation. The first scholar to do that was Walter Goffart. In a well-known book, published in 1980, he described in detail the way that the barbarians were settled on Roman lands. According to Goffart a fairly straightforward arrangement between the late Roman administration and the barbarian tribes can be derived from the sources. The critical feature of this arrangement was that the Empire relinquished its rights on the taxation of the region in which a group of barbarians were settled and instead those taxes would be collected by the barbarians. However, according to this theory, there was no expropriation of land, no partition of it to smaller units to be apportioned and no need for extra money from the tax payers. The only one who had something to lose in the process would be the central administration and this definitely helps explain the fact that there is no sign of any noteworthy resistance from the local population in the regions where the barbarians were settled in this way. The aforementioned theory was further elaborated by Durliat. After analyzing the sources rigorously, he managed to take Goffart’s theory one step further. He argued that land tax in the Late Roman Empire amounted to no more than 20% of the harvest and it was collected and administered by the curiales. They split it in three and kept one third for their city’s expenses. The other two thirds were then sent to Rome to be used for the needs of the army and the central administration. With the advent of the barbarians, this system was very conveniently transformed to accommodate them: the curiales no longer sent anything to Rome but instead conferred the appropriate amount to the barbarian group that happened settle in their city’s administrative region. Furthermore, he argued that this modus operandi continued unaffected after the fall of the western Roman Empire, in the different successor-states, until the collapse of the Carolingian Empire. This theoretical synthesis was attractive to scholars, not only due to its clarifying simplicity and astonishing applicability, but also because it served to explain the lack of any negative sentiment in the sources. The importance of it becomes clearer, if we take under consideration that actually there were complaints on the part of the sources, wherever the barbarians had not settled peacefully but by force. As we saw earlier, the curiales were unconcerned if two thirds of the land tax changed recipients, as long as they were still obtaining their part undiminished. One can easily imagine the effect that this argument had on the debate on continuity, especially since it was centered on Western Europe. Of course, this theory didn’t fail to raise some eyebrows. Liebeschà ¼tz criticized Durliat’s arguments on a twofold basis. First, he doubts that late Roman cities actually collected for themselves any part of the imperial taxes and second, he argues quite convincingly that such an agreement would eventually provide little actual security to the settling barbarians, as security is usually better ensured through direct property of the land, than through any fiscal rights. Whats more, it seems perfectly reasonable to assume that it was exactly this security that the barbarians were looking for and of course, their position of power during the last centuries of the Roman Empire made sure that they were not likely to settle for anything less. Moreover, Durliat’s theory was commented on further in an article in 1998. There, Wickham analysis Durliat’s arguments and dismisses them one by one. Initially, he disagrees that the strict fiscal meaning which the latter ascribes to terms such as possessors and fundus is actually the one intended by the legislators of the fourth and the fifth century and in so doing he undermines the theory from the beginning. But he goes on to challenge other aspects such as the idea that Church constituted a part of the state administration in the post-Roman kingdoms (and thus church property consisted only of fiscal lands) and the view that servus is the term used to suggest a free landowner. By providing hard evidence following the chronological order (Late Empire, Romano-Germanic Kingdoms, Carolingian Empire), Wickham manages to discredit convincingly the arguments about fiscal continuity throughout this period. But, it should be noted that in the end of his article, where he dis cusses briefly the issue of continuity, he states that while he is not averse to it himself, it should not be considered tantamount to complete absence of change. However, the predominance of continuity does not sit well with terms like ‘barbarian invasions’ and ‘Germanic immigration’. So, historians had to find ways to circumvent this problem; they started by looking at the ethnic identities of the Germanic peoples, because it could be argued for example that there was no clear-cut sense of common identity between barbarian groups, such as the Goths, or some common characteristics that defined ‘Germanic’ then it would be possible to downplay the importance of the aforementioned terms. This way, Late Antiquity affected another heated debate (and in the meantime was affected by it); that of European national identities. The contribution of Walter Goffart has been essential at this point. Apart from fiscal continuity, in his Barbarians and Romans, he was also arguing about against the existence of definite ethnic identities among the barbarians. Another centuries-old historiographic tradition before him interpreted the movements of the Germanic tribes according to contemporary political ideas. For example, before the Second World War, Kossina had argued that there was a separate, identifiable culture to be associated with every Germanic tribe we come across in the sources and in 1961 Wenskus had maintained that there was a core of tradition carried by the elite of each barbarian group, according to which the whole mass of the tribe was defined. But, according to Goffart ‘migrations have served as the factual underpinnings of early Germanic unity’. Thus, if he could prove that no such unity actually existed, the migration and invasion theories would lose all sense. Indeed, he argues for a ‘short history’ of these peoples oblivion was a result of translocation. The common past of these peoples at any point stressed as back as the time before their last migration. He refuses to use sources of the sixth century such as Jordanes because, in his opinion, they only reflect the ideas of their own times and cannot be trusted for their evidence of the distant past. Finally, after taking under consideration also the deductions of archaeological research, he thinks that, if one wanted to look at the discontinuity provoked by the advent of the barbarians, he should definitely put the emphasis on Rome and its security. It was the appeal that the Empire had on the barbarians and not their own expansionist agendas that brought about the fall, in an ‘imaginative experiment that got a little out of hand’. It is therefore clear that Late Antiquity has given historiography of ethnic identities new areas of research to explore. This process gets even more complicated with the interference of modern international politics and historians of the Early Middle Ages recently find themselves and their research at the center of contemporary political debates. One can discern a pseudo-history in the making, which serves political and nationalistic purposes in the sense that it tries to define distinct nations that were created centuries ago once and for all. Another assumption is that by right these nations should form separate political entities, according to their defined ethnicity and territory. To sum up, the search for continuity of the Late Antique scholars might not have been successful in the field of fiscal policies and accommodation but it ascertained the fact that we cannot presume long histories and ethnic identities of the Germanic peoples. This certainly confirmed transformation instead of catastrophe and crisis for some aspects of the fourth and fifth centuries but it surely proved that there was much discontinuity and heterogeneity concerning the notion of identity. And since the Early Middle Ages are of such a great importance in the international political stage, scholars of the period should benefit from the results of research in this field in order to prevent their academic field from becoming a plaything in the hands of international politics. (†¦Projecting their own experiences on another period of time (as historians often do) Bibliography A = Heather, P., The fall of the Roman Empire: a new history of Rome and the barbarians (London and Oxford, 2005) B = Ward-Perkins, B., The fall of Rome and the end of civilization (Oxford, 2005) C = Cameron, A., The Mediterranean world in Late Antiquity 395-600 (London, 1993) D = Marcone, A., â€Å"A long Late Antiquity? Consideration on a controversial periodization† Journal of Late Antiquity, 1 (2008), 4-19. E = Jones, A.H.M., The Later Roman Empire, 284-602 a social, economic and administrative survey (Oxford, 1964). F = G = Wickham, C., The inheritance of Rome: A history of Europe from 400 to 1000 (London, 2009). H = Innes, M., An introduction to Early Medieval Western Europe, 300-900 (London, 2007). I = Brown, P., The world of Late Antiquity: from Marcus Aurelius to Muhammad (London, 1971). J = Liebeschà ¼tz, W., â€Å"Cities, taxes and the accommodation of barbarians. The theories of Durliat and Goffart† in Noble, T. F. X. (ed.), From roman provinces to medieval kingdoms (New York, 2006), 309-323. K = Wickham, C., â€Å"The fall of Rome will not take place† in Rosenwein, B. H., Little, L. K. (eds.), Debating the Middle Ages (Oxford, 1998), 45-58. L = Goffart, W. A., Barbarians and Romans A.D. 418-584: the techniques of accommodation (Princeton, 1980) M = Goffart, W. A., â€Å"The barbarians in Late Antiquity and how they were accommodated in the West† in Noble, T. F. X. (ed.), From roman provinces to medieval kingdoms (New York, 2006), 235-261. N = Wood, I., â€Å"Barbarians, historians and the construction of national identities† Journal of Late Antiquity, 1 (2008), 61-81. O = Heather, P., â€Å"Late Antiquity and the Early Medieval West† in Bentley, M. (ed.), Companion to historiography (London, 1995), 69-87. P = Noble, T. F. X., â€Å"Romans, barbarians and the transformation of the Roman Empire† in Noble, T. F. X. (ed.), From roman provinces to medieval kingdoms (New York, 2006), 1-27. B, 40. A, 14. C, 3. D, 7. E, 1027. Also in other instances, such as 1039 and 1067. E, 1045-47. E, 1026. H, 6. C, 4. B, 13-14. B, 182-3. G, 8. H, 126. B, 123. B, 3. For example, in Chapter V, he is arguing for a drop in living standards mainly by looking at the quality and distribution of ceramics, B, 87-121. B, 87, G, 9. Especially in Chapters V and VI, B, 87-137. G, 9. Brown, P., The world of Late Antiquity: from Marcus Aurelius to Muhammad (London, 1971). B, 3-4.