Sunday, December 29, 2019

The Decline of the Holy Roman Empire Essay - 3137 Words

The Holy Roman Empire was an empire in central Europe consisting of many territories and ethnicities. Once very powerful, the empire’s authority slowly decreased over centuries and by the Middle Ages the emperor was little more than a figurehead, allowing princes to govern smaller sections of the empire. Though the various ruling princes owed loyalty to the emperor, they were also granted a degree of independence and privileges. The emperor, an elected monarch, needed the allegiance of the princes and other aristocracy to support him, in turn giving them power or money. This tenuous allegiance between powers was greatly strained in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries as religious reform dominated Europe and religious tensions†¦show more content†¦On October 31, 1517, when monk Martin Luther nailed The 95 Theses to the door of a cathedral in Wittenberg, Germany, he had no idea that he was sparking the Protestant Reformation (Greengrass 44-45). These 95 theses consi sted of Luther’s complaints and disagreements with and regarding the Catholic Church, particularly on the use of indulgences – a â€Å"remission of temporal penalties for sin† sold to individuals seeking salvation (Greengrass 6, 44). The indulgences were claimed to lessen the time an individual’s soul spent in purgatory, commissioned by the Pope of the time, Leo X, and in collaboration with various bishops and archbishops (Linder 22). When Luther nailed his theses to the door, they quickly spread, spurning uproar. First, the theses were sent to Archbishop Albrecht, the superior of an indulgence-selling monk that parishioners of Luther had come into contact with. Then, the document (originally published in Latin) was translated to German and spread throughout the Holy Roman Empire. Luther verbalized many common complaints in his theses and became a sort of hero. The ability of the printing press enabled Luther’s theses to widely circulate as he was thrust into public eye and began the path of Reformation (Linder 23-24). A large part of Luther’s success came from the Reformation propaganda that spread through the printing press. Mostly woodcuts,Show MoreRelatedThe Fall Of The Roman Empire1495 Words   |  6 PagesThe mighty Roman Empire thought by many to be the ultimate stronghold had its days numbered. Many factors led to the fall of the Roman Empire, from inflation to its poor leaders and generals, but it wasn’t just one thing that caused the entire empire to fall it was a series of events that caused this juggernaut of an empire to meet its sad demise. The fall all began in 235 when the Roman throne was able to be taken by any general who had the military power to seize it. This caused many militaryRead MoreSummary of People and Empires844 Words   |  3 PagesSummary of People and Empires. This book is a Short History, of western empires which explain how European civilization and includes chronology of key events are influenced by the empires that was formed in it, like the Roman empire. It starts with Alexander and his Greek army and ends with the EU. Major events between these two events are empires like the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, the Catholic Church as an Empire, the Spanish Empire, British Empire, and the European Colonial influenceRead MoreNo Title Now1233 Words   |  5 Pages2.3   Study   Questions    Early   (Dark)   Middle   Ages          Chapter   Fifteen,   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Europe   to   the   Early   1500s:   Revival,   Decline,   and   Renaissance†          The   High   and   Late   Middle   Ages—Chapter   Fifteen    As compared to its experience in the early Middle Ages, Europe in the High Middle Ages was a. more decentralized. c. less militaristic. b. less isolated. d. more religiously diverse. Which is the best summaryRead MoreEssay about The Historical Impacts of the Protestant Reformation946 Words   |  4 Pagesand European expansion have both left political, social and economic impacts throughout history. The Protestant Reformation which was started in the 1500’s, by a Catholic man named Martin Luther caused political instability and fragmented the Holy Roman Empire. It economically caused the church to go bankrupt and socially allowed for the rise of individualism among the people; Luther gave the people of Europe the long needed reason to break free of the church. The Protestant Reformation and the needRead MoreHistory And Advances Of The Christian Church Essay1003 Words   |  5 Pagesto â€Å"who,† â€Å"what,† and â€Å"why† there is a transcendent God. T his composition will focus the historical-social context, ecclesial context, and modifications to the Church that occurred from three critical events; Fall of the Roman Empire, World War II, and the Celebration of the Holy Year by Pope John Paul II. The selected episodes are key in the history of the development of the church and provide insights of the church- politically, socially, and more importantly, religiously. The founding of RomeRead MoreEssay on The Crusades908 Words   |  4 PagesCrusades A major turning point in Medieval history were the Crusades. The Crusades were a series of wars fought between the Christian Europeans and the Muslim Turks, which occurred between the years of 1096 to 1272. In this Holy War the Christians goal was to obtain the Holy Land from the Turks, in which they did not succeed. Although the Christians did not meet their goal, many positives did come out of their attempt. Due to the reason that they did not meet their goal, yet numerous positives cameRead MoreRoman Empire1559 Words   |  7 PagesGreek and Roman financiers: from the 4th century BC Banking activities in Greece are more varied and sophisticated than in any previous society. Private entrepreneurs, as well as temples and public bodies, now undertake financial transactions. They take deposits, make loans, change money from one currency to another and test coins for weight and purity. They even engage in book transactions. Moneylenders can be found who will accept payment in one Greek city and arrange for credit in anotherRead MoreThe Importance of the Renaissance to the Reformation in Germany1263 Words   |  6 PagesThe Importance of the Renaissance to the Reformation in Germany The reformation was a movement that fundamentally challenged the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. The role of the clergy was undermined and the relationships between national countries and the Roman Catholic Church were threatened. The renaissance began in Italy during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries through patronage and the flourishing society, and Rome achieved cultural prominence. It laterRead MoreThe Balkan Of World History1518 Words   |  7 Pagesinfrastructure, language roots, and religion of the Balkan area. The Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires were the ones that for diverse reasons left a more lasting impression in this area. To be more specific, by means of architecture, the province of Plovdiv, Bulgaria is the perfect example on how these three empires left their cultural mark. Considering this, the cultural layering observed in East Central Europe is the result of these three empires’ religious architectural and language legacy left due toRead MoreEurope During The Medieval Period986 Words   |  4 Pagesrepresent the medieval demography show a population decline during the Late Antiquity, slow population growth during the Early Middle Ages, large population expansion during the High Middle Ages, and a variation of population decline and growth during the Late Middle Ages. The Late Antiquity reflects the decline of the Roman Empire. From 150 AD to 400 AD the population of the Roman Empire went from 70 million people to 50 million people. The empire’s decline began with the Antonine Plague, lasting from

Saturday, December 21, 2019

My Target Student Is Aiden - 1711 Words

PLAAFP Background: My target student is Aiden*. He is six years old and has a diagnosis of autism, ADHD and OCD. Aiden is currently taking medication daily at home for related behaviors (sometimes aggression). He has attended Livingston Education Service Agency since he was 3 years old. In order to access the general education curriculum he attends a self-contained classroom for 30-35 hours per week. He receives academic support, social worker services, occupational therapy services and speech and language services. Parent concerns for enhancing the education of the student: At this time parents have expressed concerns with Aiden’s aggression. Parents are changing medication to help Aiden. Also, parents would like him to increase his word utterances to express his wants and needs which will overall improve his ability to express his frustrations. Academic/Pre-Academic Achievement Reading- Aiden is able to independently identify four of the first set of ten survival words (walk, don’t walk, exit, stop) and is progressing on identifying the second set of ten survival words. Aiden has made more progress in identifying the key details in a story with the use of visuals. Quite often Aiden will just pick up the last item read to him, or pick from the left. When a new book or story is introduced at circle time Aiden enjoys looking at the pictures. Aiden is not yet turning one page at a time in books but he does right a book when handed to him upside down and backwards 3 timesShow MoreRelatedDescriptive Essay On Silver Moon Crash1867 Words   |  8 Pageshorribly and it got ten times worse ever since the crash that happened two months. A crash that killed my parents- Nora Sparks the pack nurse and The Beta of Silver Moon, Arlo Sparks and my sister Mackenzie. I was the only survivor in the crash. Me, Rosalina Sparks and my older brother Aidren Sparks are the only two living descendants in the spark s family line, We were the last of the Spark s. Me and my siblings were only one year apart from each other, Aidren is seventeen making me sixteen while MackenzieRead MoreTop 1 Cause for Project Failure65023 Words   |  261 Pagesanishmathaimathew.blogspot.com Karl Kerr Project Planner at Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems UK Limited Anish, Wow a great question and one that should generate plenty of feedback! I have worked on many projects in my time in the following sectors: Nuclear, Public Sector, Rail Telecommunications. They all have one thing in common: they have in place Project Management systems and processes and plan to succeed! However with all best intentions they usually

Friday, December 13, 2019

The Soviet War in Afghanistan free essay sample

This view is shared in a number of accounts (Cold War Warriors, 2010; Le Nouvel Observateur, 1998; The American Peace Award, 2009). At the other end of the ideological spectrum, Leonid Brezhnev became the leader of communist Soviet Union after seizing power from his mentor, Nikita Khrushchev, following Soviet defeat in the Cuban Missile Crisis (Kris, 2004). Brezhnev’s and Carter’s ideologies were to clash at the end of the detente period. The detente period refers to the easing of tensions and competition between powers (The Free Dictionary, 2008). The fall of the detente is generally attributed to Zbigniew Brzezinski; National Security Advisor under the Carter administration (Le Nouvel Observateur, 1998; Washington University, 1997; Coll, 2005). In his 1997 interview with George Washington University, Brzezinski defended the reintensification of the Cold War by claiming â€Å"[it was] either detente across the board, or competition across the board, but not detente in some areas and competition in those areas in which we were vulnerable† (George Washington University, 1997). We will write a custom essay sample on The Soviet War in Afghanistan or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The philosopher, Aesop, claimed, â€Å"No one can be a friend if you know not whether to trust or distrust them† (Pangyre, No Date). The tenacious personalities of the US and Russian leaders during the Soviet-Afghan conflict dominated the world stage in a masquerade of manipulation and shrewdness, hidden by the age old ideals of ideology. The implementation of realpolitick, puppet presidents and sheer determination to win conflicts during the Cold War still resonates within modern society. The poor ideological excuses used during the Soviet-Afghan war are continuously being recycled, whilst true ideology has retreated to become the stories of a bygone era. Though the role of individuals in history is generally the product of complex processes and patterns, the instigators of most, if not all of humanity’s greatest blunders are people; however, cuique fortunam in manu ducitur:(each is led by the hand of fate). Appendix Appendix 1. [Brezhnev adorned with his many self awarded medals and honours.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Argument About The Exist of God Essay Example For Students

Argument About The Exist of God Essay Argument About The Exist of GodThe following paper will provide a sound argument in favor of theexistence of God. By demonstrating that an Atheist world cannot account for thepreconditions of the laws of logic an Atheist cannot even account for a rationaldebate concerning the existence of God. The impossibility of the contrary, the best and only proof that thenesesary truth of the existence of God is his revelation of himself to us thatmakes it possible for us to use logic. This could be translated, using onlynessesary truths, into the form of:L: (laws of logic)G: (God exists) if L entails GL================GLogic is the laws of reasoning that God has established. IfGod has established these laws of reasoning that we call logic then how couldthe Atheist system account for the laws of logic. First they are immaterial anduniversal, and how could anything immaterial and universal be accounted for in anaturalistic (matter only) universe. Second if God has established these laws ofreasoning then there would be no atheism. An Atheist wants to believe in laws oflogic which are universal in application, but in order to escape the ultimateimplications of this idea ( there is a God who imposes universal standards ofreason.), the Atheist will try to maintain that the laws of logic ar e merely conventions of general agreement amongst them. This is philosophically non-acceptable, if logic were simply a matter of convention, it would be impossibleto have any kind of rational debate because either side could win by simplystipulating different laws of logic by convention. Therefore since universallaws cannot be changed by convention since they hold constant in all possibleworlds is it not fair to say then that there is a God who imposes universalstandards of reason.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Is Traditional Publishing Still Worth It

IS TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING STILL WORTH IT? â€Å"Writing a novel is like driving at night in the fog,† E.L. Doctorow once said. â€Å"You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.† But when you finish a book, those headlights may fade out. You face a question the muse can’t answer: Should I seek a traditional publisher or independently publish this myself? It’s a complex issue, full of facets and trade-offs. The choice depends on who you are, what you’ve written, and what you want your book to achieve. No answer is right for every author or even for every book from the same author. So which way do you go? This blog examines some of the factors you might want to consider. The Basic Question First ask yourself: Is there an issue at all? Do your readership and goals make the choice clear? You likely want to self-publish if: You expect a narrow audience. If you are writing for your family or a niche readership, you may have no choice. Traditional publishers won’t risk funding for tiny audiences. One exception: books for academics or professionals like lawyers and financial analysts. In these cases, publishers anticipate few sales but real demand, so they raise prices, often to the hundreds of dollars. You have a brief piece, such as a novella. Traditional publishers rarely publish such works. Your readership already knows and follows you. If you have a built-in audience, most potential buyers will know of your book, and you can sell directly to them. Self-publishing is the norm in your field. Indie publishing predominates in some areas, like romance and erotica. In 2016, for instance, 55 percent of romances were self-published. Indie is also common in science fiction and fantasy. Readers in these genres are so familiar with this approach that the traditional route may be pointless. You need to publish quickly. Meg Xuemei X self-publishes paranormal romances like The Empress of Mysth, and she notes that romance authors may write a book every two months, or even every month. Readers await these works and consume them quickly. Print publishers are pachyderms in this world of hummingbirds. You want a traditional publisher if: You need an advance. If you’re writing nonfiction, traditional publishers may give you money upfront, based usually upon just a proposal with a book outline. You typically get a third of the advance at the outset, and it can make your book possible. You want a guaranteed fee. You get to keep the advance even if you don’t sell one copy. The publisher retains your percentage of sales until that running total exceeds the advance, and then you start getting royalties. You don’t want financial risk. You pay nothing for editing, cover, and book design, much less printing and distribution. In self-publishing, you run the risk of losing money. You want broad publicity, especially if you dislike marketing. Traditional publishers have the power to get radio and TV interviews for you, as well as book reviews in major papers. blogs, and periodicals. They certainly expect you to do marketing, but they take on key burdens themselves. With self-publishing, it’s different. â€Å"Marketing is a beast, but a necessary one,† says Alexes Razevich, author of such indie novels as Khe and Shadowline Drift. â€Å"Unless someone stumbles onto your book, loves it, and tells their millions of friends, the independent author is going to be doing it all on their own.† You want acceptance by a famous name. Traditional publishing can confer automatic prestige. If, say, Random House publishes your work, everyone knows you have passed through strict quality filters. If you self-publish, your book can be anything; you have to cultivate prestige yourself. You seek literary awards. For these, you almost have to issue the book with a traditional publisher. Traditional publishing is the norm. It remains de rigueur in areas such as literary, children’s, and academic books. Beyond these questions lies a realm of greater subjectivity. It falls into two categories: The Search and Control. The Search Your search can fall into two categories. If you want a traditional publisher, you usually have to get an agent, who then has to get a publisher. You’re selling your work, and you’re competing with lots of other sellers, at both stages. If you’re self-publishing, you may need to find people who can create covers, and illustrate book design, and perhaps do marketing. But they want to sell their work to you. You may want to self-publish if: You hate rejection. If you’re new, and sometimes if you aren’t, you can expect serial rejection from agents and publishers. J.K. Rowling is not the only best-selling author who has run this gauntlet. That’s one reason Harper Lee advised aspiring writers to grow a thick hide. But understand that rejection letters aren’t the same as verdicts. Send out a query, and it doesn’t go to an all-wise judge. It goes to a human being. Agents and editors live in a river of submissions and must make snap judgments. They know that you’ve put sweat and soul into the book and that they may be passing on a best seller. So â€Å"rejection† can mean many things: The person reviewing your work is already too busy†¦didn’t connect subjectively†¦had a bad day†¦or spotted a typo in the query letter. If you understand the context, you may feel less like Kafka’s K. waiting outside the castle. But hearing â€Å"Sorry, not for us† repeatedly may still be painful. If so, you may prefer self-publishing. Your book is a genre mashup. Indie publishing is the great experiment garden of books, and crossovers have flourished. â€Å"Where traditional publishers might have a problem assigning an imprint for a vampires in space meets steampunk told from the point of view of a teenage boy and his talking dog,† Razevich says, â€Å"independent publishers simply put it out there, and if the story was well told and the book professionally presented, readers will find it and buy it.† You want to be sure of publication. With self-publishing, you have a publisher who adores your book. So you can write with the confidence that others will see it. It won’t lie unread in the hard drive, perhaps to vanish in a crash. You may want a traditional publisher if: You don’t like DIY. Though it’s easy to find independent contractors, you do have to search for them. You may prefer simply to write. Control â€Å"The joy and whole point of being an independent publisher is doing it the way you want,â€Å" says Razevich. But there are also drawbacks to this power, and if that power matters less to you, you may prefer a traditional publisher. You may want to self-publish if: You want to fully own your book. You can determine everything: cover, book design, font, price, marketing copy, time to publication, release date. No editor will pressure you to change the title, say, or the plot. And since you dictate price, you can use deft marketing strategies (such as offering the book free for a day) to boost overall sales. A thriving infrastructure now supports self-publishers. For instance, a print-on-demand site like Amazon’s CreateSpace offers tools for you to create covers and design the book. You can let it handle every aspect of the process or just the parts you select. For instance, you might want to farm out the cover to a graphic designer you know. Regardless, you’re at the helm. In contrast, a traditional publisher may exert serious pressure over, for instance, the title. You are in a partnership with the company, and it has an interest in the sales. But the pressure can go too far. Best-selling author Daniel McNeill says the major houses he has dealt with have been very reasonable. But he knows of one small press that imposed petty rules like banning â€Å"since† to mean â€Å"because.† Why? â€Å"Since† might also be referring to back in time. You don’t mind the upfront costs. Self-publishers pay for all the stages of the book process themselves. â€Å"The costs of several rounds of editing—I do three rounds—can be daunting, but it’s worth every penny,† Razevich says. You fear the contract might be a minefield. A traditional publisher requires a contract, for obvious reasons. But unless you have a reliable track record, you have less bargaining power. It’s a harsh reality, but you want them more than they want you. So the contract terms typically slant against you. In addition, you probably lack experience with contracts themselves, as well as knowledge of which provisions are standard. One author, whose name we are withholding, signed a deal with the e-publishing arm of a respected house and wound up ceding all rights to his characters forever. He didn’t have an agent, and a good agent can usually prevent these problems by keeping the deal to common standards. But even with a savvy agent, contracts are relatively inflexible—and they favor the publisher. They can also hide surprises. McNeill says, â€Å"I’ve seen clauses that say, ‘The author will provide advice and counsel on the cover.’ Then they’ve sent me the cover and said, ‘We love it. What do you think? Our deadline is in two hours.’† To be fair, publishers don’t want endless input from authors they deem ignorant about selling books. And McNeill notes that he has offered cover advice that editors have followed gratefully. Your relationship with the publisher is a living thing. Yet with indie publishing, the cover is exactly what you want. You want to publish in installments. Traditional publishers issue books as, well, books. They don’t come out in portions, since readers haven’t wanted to go to the bookstore regularly to get installments. But the Internet makes it easy. Moreover, our world has gotten much faster: attention spans are shorter, and people are used to briefer pieces of information. You may also earn more—overall—by issuing a book in parts. You may want a traditional publisher if: You’re comfortable handing off the tasks. Publisher pressure may not bother you. You want the benefit of experience. If you’re just venturing into the world of publishing, you may make amateur errors. And the more you control, the more errors you may make. But traditional publishers are in the business full-time, and some have been for decades. With the traditional route, you can benefit from their wisdom. Traditional publishers not only take care of most publication needs, but they also have tested professionals on staff. For instance, they may know better than you which covers will sell. McNeill wrote a work called Fuzzy Logic, and Simon Schuster issued it with a cover that said â€Å"FUZZY LOGIC† in big red block letters. It wasn’t pretty, but you could see the title halfway across the bookstore, and McNeill noticed browsers coming over to check it out. It worked. On the other hand, mistakes are inevitable when learning any process. You learn by committing them. So you shouldn’t avoid self-publishing just because you may make mistakes. They’re just little halts on your journey. The biggest mistake is not to try for fear of mistakes.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Future Plan and Scholarship Interests Essays

Future Plan and Scholarship Interests Essays Future Plan and Scholarship Interests Essay Future Plan and Scholarship Interests Essay Essay Topic: Scholarship Name: Instructor: Course: Date: : Future Plan and Scholarship Interests I am fascinated by the chaos that exists in a construction site. This particular chaos inspires me to come up with measures that are aimed at creating order in the site. I have possessed this unique trait from childhood. I tend to be a problem solver and an individual who enjoys multitasking. For these particular reasons, I aspire to be a Construction Manager. The entire process of handling a construction project creates a vivid picture of success in my mind. This is because I know that I have what it takes to effectively plan, coordinate and budget for a project that entirely deals with construction. This has directed my education path to focus on the field of Construction Management. I am aware of the cost implications that arise with pursuing a degree course in Construction Management. Unfortunately, I am not able to fund my education pursuit in this particular field. This will however not be a hindrance to realizing my dream of becoming a Construction Manager. For this reason, I am also interested in the scholarship offered by Construction Management Association of America. I believe that this financial aid will act as a bridge to the achievements of my dreams. The scholarship will allow me to gain the adequate knowledge needed for me to become a competent Construction Manager. I believe that I am the best person to receive this scholarship. I understand that CMMA introduced the scholarships to enable deserving students to pursue their dream careers in the field of Construction Management. Apart from this, one of the company’s qualifying criteria is that the scholarship recipient must show the potential of becoming a successful practitioner in the field. I believe that I have the qualities that successful Construction Managers should have. The first of these qualities is that I am a multitasker. A construction Manager has a wide job description. The roles of a Construction Manager includes acquiring the land for construction, hiring the required labor, obtaining the necessary permits and keeping a report of the construction’s process. The multiplicity of these duties requires an individual who can multitask. I am able to work on different activities while apportioning time and attention appropriately in accordance to the needs of the activitie s. I am also a problem solver. Problems always provide opportunities for me to be innovative and creative. They challenge me to come up with solutions for the problems. When faced with a challenge, most of the times I usually try to be calm. This allows me to analyze the particular problem carefully. The effect of this careful analysis is that I am able to come up with apt solutions. The construction site is usually faced with a diversity of challenges and this trait will help me to manage them effectively. My passion in the field of Construction Management is what drives my pursuit for the scholarship that the Construction Management Association of America is offering. This scholarship will act as a stepping-stone towards becoming a Construction Manager. The success of my plans of becoming an exceptional Construction Manager is dependent on the kind of education and skill that I acquire. This implies that my energy should be focused on ensuring that I receive efficient education in the field. The scholarship will be a way of ensuring that I acquire this education.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Fire Department Safety Officer Week 3 - Smoke Essay - 1

Fire Department Safety Officer Week 3 - Smoke - Essay Example Heat exhaustion on the other hand, is the bodys reaction to an extreme loss of salt and water, generally through extreme sweating (Corbett, 2009). These two types of stress affect firefighters in the following ways. Firefighters find themselves in a situation where they have to assess the conditions to determine how to deal with the incident. When dealing with highly hazardous energy, they need to have knowledge on the source of the energy, its transmission and related risks. Although firefighters are highly trained professionals, there are certain conditions they face which cannot be controlled. Firefighting is a risk-taking job, and when firefighters are in an incident, they are exposed to excess heat and smoke. They are usually very active to ensure that, they contain the fire by following all the laid down procedures. Their body temperatures rise as a result of their work and as well as the high temperatures in their work environment. This leads to heat stroke and heat exhaustion stresses to some or to all the firefighters dealing with the fire incident. Treat heat stroke patients by moving them to a cool, shaded area, and cool them using various methods such as wetting their clothes. Treat heat exhaustion patients by having them rest in a cool, shaded area, and having them drink plenty of water (Corbett,

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Dessertation proposal (Impact of Strategic HR Management on Business Essay

Dessertation proposal (Impact of Strategic HR Management on Business Performance) - Essay Example This is in recognition of the fact that different countries have different national cultures and physical and socio-cultural environments. Much research has been conducted on the effectiveness of strategic human resource management in the United States, Britain and other European countries while very little has been done to establish its effectiveness in companies that are based in the Middle East. This research study seeks to fill this gap and will use xxxx Company that is based in Saudi Arabia as a case study. Since the Middle East is so wide, this research will use one company (xxxx Company) as a case study. This is also done in consideration of the huge resources that may be needed to conduct the research in several organizations. Strategic human resource management (SHRM) is concerned with the establishment and development of collection of policies and programs that are consistent with an aim of facilitating the achievement of a company’s strategic objectives according to Armstrong and Baron (2002). SHRM is designed to help organizations meet best the needs of their workers or employees while at the same time promoting the company’s strategic goals. According to Boxall and Purcell (2003), human resource management practices are those actions and decisions that are concerned with the management of employees and that are related to the strategic implementation of measures that are aimed at sustaining the business’ competitive advantage. These practices cut across all levels and play a great role in the development of a working culture. SHRM practices include staff appraisal systems, recruitment and firing practices, work flexibility arrangements, training, and remuneration systems. Other experts have defined SHRM as the practice of proactively managing people. This therefore means that it involves thinking ahead and making plans that will enable the company to meet in a better

Monday, November 18, 2019

Capital Punishment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Capital Punishment - Research Paper Example Political campaigns, religious leaders, and foreign press make quite a spectacle of how the United States legal system regularly sentences people to die for the crimes they have committed. As such, the United States is a bit of a novelty in the developed world as one of the last few 1st world countries in which the death penalty is not only still legal but employed in great numbers (Debrevnik, 2004). This short analysis is far too brief to provide the level of critique that a topic such as the death penalty deserves; however, this analysis will discuss a few of the strengths and weaknesses of the death penalty in its current form and weigh them against some of its greatest weaknesses to provide the reader with a clearer understanding and sense of moral responsibility with relation to whether or not the death penalty is a net good or a net evil in the criminal justice system and in our society as a whole. It is necessary to note that although this author is in favor of the death penal ty, there are many serious drawbacks to its application, the high economic costs it entails, and the oftentimes arbitrary nature with which it has been historically employed. Although these concerns are valid, the author maintains that notwithstanding many of the current drawbacks associated with the death penalty, the morality and ethics behind it are still poignant enough to merit its support. From a purely economic standpoint, capital punishment is an extraordinarily expensive form of punishment. As compared with life in prison, the average cost of execution is approximately the same cost to keep a prisoner housed and fed for over 100 years. Currently, the average cost of execution in California exceeds 4 million dollars per criminal executed. Comparatively, the average cost to keep a prisoner housed and fed as well as ensuring proper health care and medicine usually does not exceed $35,000 per year (Semeshenko et al, 2012). At such an exorbitantly high expense, it is clear that choosing capital punishment on the grounds that killing the criminal will somehow save the state money over time is entirely illogical. As such, the argument for execution does not hinge on economic savings; instead, it hinges upon the Judeo-Christian belief of â€Å"an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth†. In this way, the major supporters of the death penalty believe that certain crimes are so heinous that rehabilitation is not possible. As such, one’s life is forfeit for certain crimes if convicted. This further raises the tangential issue of the purpose of prison; whether it is it to rehabilitate or to punish. According to death penalty activists, prison’s primary objective is to punish with rehabilitation being a very distant second. A secondary issue with the death penalty in its current form is that they death penalty has been proven not to be a significant deterrent against the crimes it punishes. With the United States being a prime example, it is ob vious that murder rates in the United States are comparably higher than almost any other nation that currently does not have the death penalty as a legal option for a convicted criminal. Accordingly, the death penalty cannot be seen as adequate deterrent to dissuade would-be criminals from committing crime; however, it can be seen as a barometer of a society’s overall tolerance for violent crime and the clear and

Friday, November 15, 2019

Definition Of Business Economics Commerce Essay

Definition Of Business Economics Commerce Essay Business economics, also called Managerial Economics as a field in applied economics uses economic theory and quantitative methods to analyze business enterprises and the factors contributing to the diversity of organizational structures and the relationships of organizations with labour, Capital ,land ,taxes international trade and product markets. Managerial Economics consists of that part of economic theory which helps the business manager to take decisions. Business involves decision-making. Decision making means the process of selecting one out of two or more alternative courses of action. Economic theories help to analyze the practical problems faced by business organizations. Business economics integrates economic theory with business practice. It is a special branch of economics that bridges the gap between economic theory and business management. It deals with the use of economic concepts and principles for decision making in a business unit. It is called Business Economics or Economics of the organizations. Every business is operated by some resources and these are limited . Business economics tells the techniques about how to utilize resources for maximum satisfaction . Both micro and macro economics tools are used in business economics . But micro economics are so related to business economics because for effective operating of business , micro economics helps to optimize demand , production and price and factor price theories. DEFINITION OF BUSINESS ECONOMICS In simple words, business economics is the discipline which helps a business manager in decision making for achieving the desired results. In other words, it deals with the application of economic theory to business management. According to Spencer and Siegelman, Business economics is the integration of economic theory with business practice for the purpose of facilitating decision-making and forward planning by management. According to Mc Nair and Meriam, Business economics deals with the use of economic modes of thought to analyses business situation. From the above said definitions, we conclude the following objectives of business economics: 1) Explanation of nature and form of economic analysis 2) To apply economic concepts: and principles to solve business problems 3) Spell out the relationship between Managerial Economics and other disciplines outline the methodology of managerial economics. 4) To make overall development of a firm. 5) To minimize risk and uncertainty 6) To help in demand and sales forecasting. 7) To help in operation of firm by helping in planning, organizing, controlling etc. 8) To help in formulating business policies. 9) To help in profit maximization. NATURE OF BUSINESS ECONOMICS Managerial Economics and Business economics are the two terms, which, at times have been used interchangeably. However, the term Managerial Economics has become more popular and seems to displace progressively the term Business Economics. Business economic seeks to establish rules which help business organizations attain their goals, which indeed is also the essence of the word normative. However, if the firms are to establish valid decision rules, they must thoroughly understand their environment. This requires the study of positive or descriptive theory. SCOPE OF BUSINESS ECONOMICS : As regards the scope of business economics, no uniformity of views exists among various authors. However, the following aspects are said to generally fall under business economics. 1. Demand Analysis and Forecasting 2. Cost and production Analysis. 3. Pricing Decisions, policies and practices. 4. Profit Management. 5. Capital Management. 6. Inventory management 7. Linear programming and theory of games 8. Environmental issues 9. Business cycles These various aspects are also considered to be comprising the subject matter of business economic. Thus, managerial economics comprises both micro and macro-economic theories. The subject matter of managerial economics consists of all those economic concepts, theories and tools of analysis which can be used to analyze the business environment and to find out solution to practical business problems. CHARACTERISTICS OF BUSINESS ECONOMICS The following characteristics of business economics are: 1. Micro economics: Managerial economics is micro economic in character. This is so because it deals with the problems of an individual business unit. It does not study the problems of the entire economy. 2. Normative science: Managerial economics is a normative science. It is concerned with what management should do under particular circumstances. It determines the goals of the enterprise. Then it develops the ways to achieve these goals. 3. Pragmatic: Managerial economics is pragmatic. It concentrates on making economic theory more application oriented. It tries to solve the managerial problems in their day-today functioning. 4. Prescriptive: Managerial economics is prescriptive rather than descriptive. It describes solutions to various business problems. 5. Uses macro economics: Marco economics is also useful to business economics. Macro-economics provides an intelligent understanding of the environment in which the business operates. Managerial economics takes the help of macro-economics to understand the external conditions such as business cycle, national income, economic policies of Government etc. 6. Uses theory of firm: Managerial economics largely uses the body of economic concepts and principles towards solving the business problems. Managerial economics is a special branch of economics to bridge the gap between economic theory and managerial practice. 7. Management oriented: The main aim of managerial economics is to help the management in taking correct decisions and preparing plans and policies for future. Managerial economics analyses the problems and give solutions just as doctor tries to give relief to the patient. 8. Multi disciplinary: Managerial economics makes use of most modern tools of mathematics, statistics and operation research. In decision making and planning principles such accounting, finance, marketing, production and personnel etc. 9. Art and science.-Managerial economics is both a science and an art. As a science, it establishes relationship between cause and effect by collecting, classifying and analyzing the facts on the basis of certain principles. It points out to the objectives and also shows the way to attain the said objectives. SIGNIFICANCE OF BUSINESS ECONOMICS 1. Business economic is concerned with those aspects of traditional economics which are helpful for business decision making in real life. These are adapted or modified with a view to enable the manager take better decisions. 2. It also incorporates useful ideas from other disciplines such as Psychology, Sociology, Accounting. Statistics and Mathematics can be used to solve or at least throw some light upon the problems of business management. Business economics takes the help of other disciplines having a bearing on the business decisions in relation various explicit and implicit constraints subject to which resource allocation is to be optimized. 3. Business economics helps in reaching a variety of business decisions in a complicated environment. 4. Business economics makes a manager a more competent model builder. It helps him appreciate the essential relationship Characterizing a given situation. 5. At the level of the firm. Where its operations are conducted though known focus functional areas, such as finance, marketing, personnel and production, business economics serves as an integrating agent by coordinating the activities in these different areas. 6. Business economics takes cognizance of the interaction between the firm and society, and accomplishes the key role of an agent in achieving the its social and economic welfare goals. It has come to be realized that a business, apart from its obligations to shareholders, has certain social obligations. Business economics focuses attention on these social obligations as constraints subject to which business decisions are taken. It serves as an instrument in furthering the economic welfare of the society through socially oriented business decisions. USES OF BUSINESS ECONOMICS Business economics is useful because: 1) It provides tools and techniques for managerial decisions 2) It gives answers to the basic problems of business management. 3) It supplies data for analysis and forecasting. 4) It provides tools for demand forecasting and profit planning. 5) It guides the managerial economist. 6) It provides optimal Solution to Business Problems. 7) Business economics study is very helpful for effective utilization of business resources. It determines every factors price on supply and demand of such factor so, that the price becomes optimize by this supply and demand analysis. 8) Keynesian s general theory of employment tells us that full employment depends on investment and effective demand if both will increase after this employment can increase . Govt. takes steps for increasing investment in self employment schemes and try to help to sell the products after this full employment generated. Thus, Business economics offers a number of benefits to business managers. It is also useful to individuals, society and government. APPLICATIONS OF BUSINESS ECONOMICS IN MANAGEMENT The basic function of a management executive in a business organization is decision making and forward planning. Decision Making means the process of selecting one action from two or more alternative courses of action whereas forward planning means making plans for the future. The question of choice arises because resources such as capital, land, labor and management are limited and can be employed in alternative uses. The application of economics to business management or the integration of economic theory with business practice, as Spencer and Siegelman presents, the following aspects :- Reconciling traditional theoretical concepts of economics in relation to the actual business behavior and conditions. In economic theory, the technique of analysis is one of model building whereby certain assumptions are made and on that basis, conclusions as to the behavior of the firms are drowned. The assumptions, however, make the theory of the firm unrealistic since it fails to provide a satisfactory explanation of that what the firms actually do. Hence the need to reconcile the theoretical principles based on simplified assumptions with actual business practice and develops appropriate extensions and reformulation of economic theory, if necessary. Estimating economic relationships, viz., measurement of various types of elasticities of demand such as price elasticity, income elasticity, cross-elasticity, promotional elasticity, cost-output relationships, etc. The estimates of these economic relationships are to be used for purposes of forecasting. Predicting relevant economic quantities, eg., profit, demand, production, costs, pricing, capital, etc., in numerical terms together with their probabilities. As the business manager has to work in an environment of uncertainty, future is to be predicted so that in the light of the predicted estimates, decision making and forward planning may be possible. Using economic quantities in decision making and forward planning, that is, formulating business policies and, on that basis, establishing business plans for the future pertaining to profit, prices, costs, capital, etc. The nature of economic forecasting is such that it indicates the degree of probability of various possible outcomes, i.e. losses or gains as a result of following each one of the strategies available. Hence, before a business manager there exists a quantified picture indicating the number of courses open, their possible outcomes and the quantified probability of each outcome. Keeping this picture in view, he decides about the strategy to be chosen. Understanding significant external forces constituting the environment in which the business is operating and to which it must adjust, e.g., business cycles, fluctuations in national income and government policies pertaining to public finance, fiscal policy and taxation, international economics and foreign trade, monetary economics, labor relations, anti-monopoly measures, industrial licensing, price controls, etc. The business manager has to appraise the relevance and impact of these external forces in relation to the particular business unit and its business policies. CONCLUSION In business organizations and firms business economics plays a very important role .The usefulness of business economics lies in adopting the tools from economic theory, incorporating relevant ideas from other fields to take better business decisions. business economics serve as a catalytic agent in the process of decision making by different functional departments at the firmà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s level. For the organizations appropriate direction one should follow the rules of business economics. which will be helpful in organizations success.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

State Cross Country Meet Essays -- Descriptive Essay, Personal Narrativ

I can still remember the day I ran at the state Cross Country Meet. It was one of the most exciting days of my life. It took place in Round Rock, Texas during my sophomore year in high school. I never forget that day; it is a great experience for anyone to get to go through. It was 11:45 a.m. as I was standing outside getting ready for the big race. It was cold, wet, and gloomy outside and sleeting out really hard. Getting closer to the race, I decided that it was time for me to begin warming up. I began to take my sweats off , and realized how cold it really was. I started running while doing my exercises and they blew the whistle that signalized it was time to start the race. I set up in my position and waited for instructions. The official told us that when he sho...

Sunday, November 10, 2019

How Future Changes in Economic, Political, Legal and Social Factors Essay

Data protection act 1998 There are many advantages to Enterprise rent a car and there customers on of them being that if they abide by the data protection act its easier for them to do so as they don’t need to necessarily protect someone’s data for a long time and they can actually dispose of it when its not needed any more. This gives them more space to store new data that they may need to. Another advantage for customers is that when enterprise rent a car store their data they do not need to worry as they are not allowing being in possession of it for a very long period of time as they need to dispose of it when they don’t need it anymore. The disadvantages are that enterprise rent a car could be taken to court if they do not dispose of their client’s information when they don’t need it anymore. A disadvantage for a customer is that if their data is not disposed of properly someone could access their personal details which are highly dangerous as they could do anything th ey wish with your information. Computer misuse act of 1990 There are many advantages Enterprise rent a car one of these being that the business would know about people who hack into company data and have software’s which protect their files from any hackers meaning that people personal private data would be safe. The disadvantages of Enterprise rent a car and their customers are that if they do get hacked their details could be made public which would be very dangerous as they could loose important data which could not be accessed again. A disadvantage for customers is that their private details to do with money or money transfers could be made public and money could be taken out of their accounts if their bank details are made public Whistle blowing Enterprise rent a car has many advantages when it comes to whistle blowing an advantage which benefits the business is that the business being told certain information gives them an advantage over other businesses as whistle blowers get legal protection through the public disclosure act. A disadvantage is that Enterprise rent a car could get fined or shutdown if it is found too be involved in any breaking of the law. Freedom of information act 2000 Advantages of enterprise rent a car and their customers is that the freedom of information act involves their customers paying to be able to provide them with the information which is held in regards to them in the public sector. The advantage for customers is that it would be that they are able to look at the information which is held about them by the police which is their criminal records or anything like that. The disadvantages being that this act does not mean that people can access the information which is held about them. Another disadvantage being that the act would be that customers may have to pay for the information although the price is sometimes too high to access this.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Running the Gamut and Running the Gauntlet

Running the Gamut and Running the Gauntlet Running the Gamut and Running the Gauntlet Running the Gamut and Running the Gauntlet By Maeve Maddox Two frequently confused expressions are â€Å"to run the gamut† and â€Å"to run the gauntlet.† Gamut originated as a medieval musical term. The word is still used to mean â€Å"the full range of notes that a voice or instrument can produce.† Figuratively, gamut means â€Å"the full range or scope of something.† For example, a person might â€Å"run the gamut of emotions from rage to despair.† Gauntlet derives from the French word for glove: gant. In the Middle Ages, a gauntlet was a reinforced glove, usually made of leather, covered with plates of steel. A medieval custom gave rise to figurative expressions still used in modern English: one knight would challenge another by throwing down one of his gauntlets. His opponent, if willing to fight, would pick up the gauntlet. From this custom derive the expressions â€Å"to cast the gauntlet,† â€Å"to fling down the gauntlet,† and â€Å"to throw down the gauntlet,† meaning, â€Å"to issue a challenge.† Likewise, modern speakers use the expression â€Å"to take up the gauntlet,† meaning â€Å"to accept a challenge.† The word gauntlet in the expression â€Å"to run the gauntlet† has nothing to do with the word for glove. It’s a corrupted form of the Swedish word gatlopp, which was borrowed into English with the meaning â€Å"military punishment in which the offender runs between rows of men who beat him in passing.† Early spellings of gatlopp in English were gantelope and gantlope. At the same time, gauntlet had the variant spellings gantelet and gantlet. Not surprisingly, the words came to be confused with one another: â€Å"to run the gantlope† became â€Å"to run the gantlet.† and eventually, â€Å"to run the gauntlet.† Purists object to the spelling gauntlet in the expression â€Å"to run the gauntlet.† Some stylebooks, notably Chicago and AP, support gantlet, but Paul Brians (Common Errors in English Usage), disposes of the gantlet version as a variant. On the Ngram Viewer chart beginning with 1800, â€Å"to run the gauntlet† is by far the more common form. The earliest citation of â€Å"to run the gauntlet† in the OED is dated 1676. Bottom line: â€Å"To run the gauntlet† is the more common version of the expression that means, â€Å"to run past a row of people who are trying to hurt you.† It can be used either literally or figuratively: Political prisoners in Tehran’s Evin prison have allegedly been forced to run a gauntlet of armed guards armed with batons. Kasich, if he is to run a successful race for president, will have to run the gauntlet of the Republican primaries first. What is not acceptable is mixing up â€Å"running the gauntlet† with â€Å"running the gamut.† The following examples are from printed books. The first two are from self-published novels, but the third- O tempora, O mores- is from a serious nonfiction book published by Penguin: INCORRECT: His emotions ran the gauntlet from  calm to sobbing quietly.  Mike Holst, The Last Trip Down the Mountain, iUniverse, 2011. CORRECT : His emotions ran the gamut from  calm to sobbing quietly.   INCORRECT: Their  experiences  ran the gauntlet from  Ã¢â‚¬Å"sadistic preferential† pedophiles, to serial killers who were depressive or enraged Bill Riveron, The Trojan Killer, AuthorHouse, 2011. CORRECT : Their  experiences  ran the gamut from  Ã¢â‚¬Å"sadistic preferential† pedophiles, to serial killers who were depressive or enraged INCORRECT: Treatment ran the gauntlet from kindness to torture. Deborah J. Swift, The Tin Ticket, Penguin, 2010 CORRECT : Treatment ran the gamut from kindness to torture. If an adverbial phrase follows â€Å"to run the gauntlet,† the most usual choices for the preposition to introduce it are past or through: Farragut  ran the gauntlet past  Vicksburgs guns 28 June. Men fell back on either side so that he  ran the gauntlet through  their ranks.    Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Grammar Mistakes You Should AvoidAbstract Nouns from Adjectives1,462 Basic Plot Types

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Project Management Theories Essays

Project Management Theories Essays Project Management Theories Essay Project Management Theories Essay Assessment 2: Pre-Course Assignment (20%) Carry out a comprehensive literature review on the software development methodologies (for eg: Rapid Application Development, Object-Oriented Software Development etc) adopted by organizations emphasizing on the following for each method addressed: * What are the main characteristics of the method? * What are the main constraints of the method? * What are the advantages and drawbacks of the method? * When is this method more suitable to use? This is an individual assignment. All reference materials used must be properly acknowledged. Use Harvard referencing method. Assessment 3: Main Assignment (20%) Select an organization of your choice. * Describe the nature of the organization and the nature of the industry to which it belongs to. * Identify the major competitors and the competitive forces affecting the organization. Describe any environmental opportunities or threats to the chosen company that can be considered as significant or likely to be significant over the next few years. * Identify key business, functional or standalone strategies formulated by the chosen company to face the changing environmental conditions. How are these strategies matched with the strengths and weaknesses of the company? * Critically examine the Information systems/strategic IS used, development alternatives used, the purpose of use and analyze the benefits achieved and drawbacks of these information systems. Explain how each of these systems supports the overall business goals of the organization. * Describe the nature of the relationship between the IT division and the other divisions of the organization. Explain problem, change and recovery management processes adopted by the IT division. If the organization does not posses such processes, you may make suitable suggestions as part of your recommendations) * Explain the types of controls used by the IT division in order to protect the IT assets of the organization. * Explain briefly how IT costs are recovered and charge back mechanisms used by the IT division. * Based on you findings make suitable recommendations to improve the Information Systems and the IT division that would enable the organization to emerge as a market leader.

Monday, November 4, 2019

The legend of Zelda Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The legend of Zelda - Research Paper Example The Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda and its main character, a boy named Link, are so well-known and recognized in the video game community as to be nearly iconic. The original title spawned a series of sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and derivative works. The main series alone, without counting the remakes on various systems, consists of over fourteen games. For many, the instrumental background music, character sprites, and especially the unique gold game cartridge for the original Legend of Zelda can still conjure up happy images from their childhoods. The game Legend of Zelda is so important to both the company of Nintendo and to video game development as a whole because it was such a revolution in video game design. The game allowed players to move around on the main map between screens in a non-linear fashion, forcing the player to determine where they should go next instead of clearly showing them. In addition, the game was filled with puzzles and traps that made the game â€Å"more puzzle than plaything†. The game also ended up establishing the now-popular game genre of â€Å"action-adventure†, a combination of the speed and reaction time skill sets required in action games with the longer story lines and plot development of adventure games. (Nintendo, 2010). Despite its success now, the development of Zelda was never a sure thing, and in fact was following a long and sometimes rocky history for the company Nintendo (Paumgarten, n.d.). Having established the importance of the game itself, the need for further un derstanding of the game's history becomes clear. This history is in three parts: the history of the gaming company Nintendo, the careers of game developer Shigeru Miyamoto and his team, and finally the specific game development for The Legend of Zelda. Through this analysis, we will see that it took this series of events to produce the revolutionary Zelda game. History of Nintendo The original Nintendo company was founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi. Obviously, at that point they were not producing video games of any kind. Instead, the company was known for its intricate, hand-painted playing cards and other table game accessories. Well into the twentieth century, Nintendo also produced Japanese hanafuda, a word which literally translates to â€Å"flower cards†. These colorfully painted hanafuda were used as gambling chips, replacing an older tradition of using painted seashells to keep score in playing card games. Around the year 1949, when Fusajiro Yamauchi's grandson Hiro shi Yamauchi took over the company, Nintendo began producing electronic games and gadgets, in an attempt to diversify their product line. One of the more famous products they produced during this period is the infamous â€Å"Love Tester†, which supposedly shows if there is an attraction between two individuals squeezing the machines levers. Another product in this line from Nintendo was the Beam Gun, which was used in converted bowling alleys to shoot simulations of clay pigeons and was quite popular in Japan (Paumgarten, n.d.). It was not until the 1970s that Nintendo actually entered the video game market. Contrary to what some fans seem to believe, Nintendo did not produce the earliest video games. Those were designed by California-based Atari, the company behind the memorable games Pong and Space Invaders. These arcade games, and later the home console versions, quickly became a worldwide craze. Seeing an opportunity despite having no personal interest in video gaming, Hi roshi Yamauchi decided that his company would enter this potentially lucrative new market (Paumgarten, n.d.). The result was a stream of arcade cabinets for the commercial market. At current count, Nintendo has produced over ninety arcade titles. These included such classics as Duck Hunt and Mario Bros., but had other failed games that are significantly less well-known, such as Battle Shark and the arcade version of Radar

Friday, November 1, 2019

A qualitative proposal Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

A qualitative - Research Proposal Example Consequently, the organizations face different problems labour turnover cost, decreasing employees morale and productivity. Under this situation, it is highly significant that those causes must be highlighted and evaluated that are directly or indirectly responsible for creating difficulties for assimilation process. Additionally, as the assimilation has always been preferred by organizations because it provides productive contribution to overall organizational performance and productivity besides maintaining and stabilizing the workplace culture and environment, organizations and individuals are always looking for ways to improve their chances of compatibility and adjustment with the workplace culture through the process of assimilation. And this can only be done through evaluating hindrances and supporting factors that facilitate the process of assimilation. Jablin’s organizational assimilation theory is composed of four stages: vocational anticipatory socialization, anticipatory socialization, encounter and metamorphosis (Dainton and Zelley, 2011). In the first stage, newcomers develop certain beliefs and expectations relating to nature and type of work; in the second stage, the newcomers start to learn organizational matters and endeavour to obtain knowledge, skills required to meet job description; in the third stage, which is more related to the organizational culture, the newcomers try to ascertain type of organizational cultures and how communications and understanding among and between employees take place; in the fourth stage, the newcomers experience transition from outsider to insider (Dainton and Zelley, 2011). In other words, each stage has its own boundaries and requirements and they are sequenced as well. For example, in order to undergo this process, every newcomer is required to experience this process from first stage to the fourth stage. This study is

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Is the character Crake a hero or a villain in Margaret Atwood's Oryx Essay

Is the character Crake a hero or a villain in Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake - Essay Example of annihilation also involved the establishment of a new world inhabited by a peaceful, herbivorous, environment-friendly variety of human-like beings. He created them and kept them safe in a dome and then set out to annihilate the entire race of mankind. His friend Jimmy, the narrator-protagonist of the novel is spared to take care of Crake’s new creations called ‘Crakers’. My contention is that with all his super-human brain powers and wisdom Crake is ultimately a villain, not a hero. Crake, unlike Jimmy, is not open-hearted. He is treacherous though in his own way affectionate towards Jimmy, even appreciative of his essential goodness. But he has no qualms in using Jimmy for his own ends. He betrays the trust Jimmy puts in him. Jimmy loses his mother under curious circumstances at a very young age. His father, an outstanding genographer who works happily for an organ-producing multinational firm, exerts only a mild impact on him. He is more attached to his mother, an embittered microbiologist who in disillusionment throws away her job and becomes an activist, demanding a going back to nature. Crake is Jimmy’s one and only best friend in the whole world, even after the holocaust and his killing of Crake, Jimmy regards him so (Oryx and Crake, 391). Jimmy shoots him in panic, shock and confusion. But he never lets go the responsibility Crake thrusts on him and never blames him. In contrast Crake keeps him under constant surveillance from the very beginning a nd entraps him quite cleverly into his own schemes, using him and his innate peculiarities to benefit his own schemes (376). He is a failure as a friend, though Jimmy-turned-Snowman is still clinging to his memories. Crake is a betrayer. His treatment of Oryx, just like that of Jimmy is a pathetic testimony of his deep-rooted harshness of mind. He has advanced methods of surveilling the activities of others. Oryx is not aware of it. He tells her that his Blyss Pluss Pill would pave the way to the

Monday, October 28, 2019

Understanding of Life after Death Essay Example for Free

Understanding of Life after Death Essay With reference to the topics you have investigated, examine and comment on the claim that the teachings of the new testament do not add anything of value to our value of our understanding of Life after Death. (50 marks) The claim that the teachings of the New Testament do not add anything of value to our value of our understanding of life after death is a very big claim to make. With reference to the topics I have investigated, 1Cor 15, St. Paul, Soma, The Soul, Dualism, Monism and the Empty Tomb, I will examine and comment on that claim. This claim is controversial because it has many objections from other scholars and many Christians. In 1 Corinthians 15 there are six key sections. The first of which is Christ’s Resurrection. Here Paul is keen to tell the Corinthians that he isn’t the teacher on life after death and that he is simply passing on Jesus’ message, because as we know, Jesus was the teacher and his apostles, which later included Paul after Damascus, were his messengers. The second section is the denial of the resurrection. Paul says that some people argue that â€Å"there will be no resurrection of the dead† and some scholars argue that this is not a theological argument, but Paul argues that the soul is immortal and not the body. Paul illustrates the theological implications of the objections from Corinth are that if dead men don’t rise, then Christ did not rise and Christian faith is empty. Paul continues to say that if Christ was not raised, then our preaching is useless. Clearly Jesus’ resurrection must have happened as the tradition has survived. The third section is all about the consequences of Christ’s resurrection. Barrett writes that â€Å"the resurrection of Christ is a pledge and proof of the resurrection of his people†. St Paul makes a direct link between Adam and Christ, Adam’s actions had far reaching consequences such as original sin and Christ’s Resurrection has too such consequence such as universal salvation. Paul goes on about two different orders, Christ and his believers. Morris argues that the Greek word for destroyed does not imply fighting, just that all rule, other than Christ, we will be rendered null and void. Section four is all about the Arguments from Christian Experience. V29 brings about an abrupt change in focus, and St Paul moves from Christ to Christian. Section five goes on about a bodily resurrection. St Pauls uses the miracle of the harvest and says that are bodies are â€Å"sown up† in corruption, dishonour and weakness, but it will be raised in incorruption, glory and power. Paul’s teaching of a glorified body is a marked difference from Jewish thought, as they expected an identical body. Section six and the last section is about the victory over death. This is where Paul made clear that those who rise will be different and not flesh and blood. Paul stresses the continuity present and future state with fourfold use of the word â€Å"this†. He emphasises that ‘this’ perishable and ‘this’ mortal will be clothed with imperishablity and immortality. In my opinion, 1Cor 15 doesn’t help the claim that the teachings of the New Testament do not add anything to our understanding of Life after Death because it tells us about how we can overturn death and destroy it. John Drane argues that Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, together with Jesus’ Passion, Death and Resurrection, led him to believe that he was truly living in the presence of God. From a close study of the New Testament, it can be argued that St Paul changed his belief about resurrection as time progressed. St Paul spoke about Parousia to the Christians. The Parousia is the final victory over evil, when Jesus rises again. Initially, St Paul held a strong apocalyptic view which was that all Christians will live until the Parousia, yet this was challenged by the Thessalonian Christians, as many of them began to die. St Paul then said that those who have died will be raised to new life at the Parousia. He then added that those who were still living at the end of time of the Parousia would be transformed at the same instant. St Paul then declared that this transformation would not be sudden, but a gradual change, beginning with conversion and ending with death, which would lead directly into a new existence in a spiritual body without the need for the Parousia to arrive first. Drane argues that the change in St Paul’s thinking represents a change from unrefined Jewish view to a more sophisticated position that owed a lot to the influence of Greek philosophy. The Greek Tradition is that the Hellenistic thinking originated from Plato who said that the soul is immaterial and does not occupy space. It therefore does not disintegrate. It is immortal. Whereas the Jewish view is that they believed that, in some way, the soul begins to perish at death, and the psycho-physical unity that was the person is re-created elsewhere. The question has been asked as to whether Paul ever believed in spiritual resurrection? Whether Paul did believe in a spiritual resurrection, then that would prove to help our understanding on Life after Death. Most scholars disagree with the notion that St Paul believed in a purely spiritual resurrection, as this is a very primitive Christian belief that has since been replaced with belief in a physical resurrection. However Carrier and Friedman maintain that there are a number of arguments to support this view. First, that St Paul experienced a vision on the road to Damascus, during which he was converted. Therefore, it is reasonable to suggest that the appearances were understood by Paul to also be visions, and not literally physical occurrences, as portrayed in the Gospel of Luke and John. For Paul used the same Greek word to describe the ‘appearance’ in both instances. Secondly, that in 1Cor 15, Paul writes of ‘perishable’ and ‘imperishable’ bodies; he also makes a distinction between things of earth and things of heaven. Because he doesn’t disclaim the popular belief that things of heaven are ethereal, it can be argued that the people at Corinth already accepted it. Therefore, it is ‘prima facie’ that it is reasonable to suggest that St Paul was implying that the ‘imperishable body’ was ethereal, and not physical. Furthermore, St Paul literally makes this distinction calling the perishable body ‘psychikos’ which means a natural body and the imperishable body ‘pneumatikos’ which is a spiritual body, and says that they both co-exist in one body. He says that the body we know, the body of flesh, is own only this other, second body, the body of the spirit, rises to new life. Finally, St Paul says, that â€Å"flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God† because they are part of the perishable body, whereas it is an imperishable body that rises to new life. Yet these arguments have been outright rejected by the majority of scholars, who favour the idea that St Paul did actually believe in a bodily resurrection. So why does it seem so convincing that St Paul believed in a bodily resurrection? Scholarly debate has identified that firstly, Paul’s self-identified Jewish heritage precludes such a conclusion. Secondly, that the language Paul uses to describe the resurrection, most notably â€Å"soma†, emphasises the physical nature of the resurrected person. And thirdly and finally, Paul’s belief that Christians immediately went to be with Jesus upon their death, but still awaited a â€Å"resurrectio n† demonstrates that the resurrection being discussed was a physical one. I believe that there is no doubt that there is a strong Jewish background to Christianity. Carrier and Friedman ignore this background, arguing that because Christianity changed some Jewish beliefs, there is no part of Judaism that is informative to Christianity. The little regard that Carrier and Friedman exhibit for Paul’s Jewish background is in direct contravention of the importance Paul clearly places on it. Carrier again attempts to confuse the issue by arguing that, even if Paul was a Jew, only the Pharisees believed in a bodily resurrection. The Sadducees and Essenes did not. Moreover, Young argues that Pharisees stressed a literal resurrection of the physical body, which would be reunited with the spirit of an individual. By aligning himself with a Pharisaic background, Paul provides us with an important insight into the meaning he attaches the term ‘resurrection’; he believed in a physical resurrection of the body. â€Å"Soma† emphasises the physical. In his writing, St Paul uses the Greek word ‘soma’ to refer to the body. Importantly, he does not use it solely for referring to resurrection; strengthening the argument that when it is used to refer to resurrection, it will die; but it will also be resurrected. â€Å"Soma† is also mentioned in the NT but not referring to resurrection. In 1Cor 15:3, Paul says that his ‘soma’ is not present with the Corinthians, but his ‘spirit’ is; emphasising the physical nature of the ‘soma’. Barrett argues that Paul’s use of the word ‘spirit’ here colloquial rather than theological. In Rom 4:19, ‘soma’ is used to describe how the bodies of Abraham and Sarah were too old to be fertile; its physical nature, again, stressed. Accordingly, the very fact that Paul uses the term ‘soma’ to explain the resurrection demonstrates that he is referring to a physic al event that involves the body of the believer. Additionally, Paul uses the analogy of the seed, stressing the continuity of the earthly body with the resurrected ‘glorious’ body. In 1Cor 15:50-54 Sanders comments that immortality is ‘put on’ and replaces mortality. Paul was not thinking of an interior soul which escapes its mortal shell and floats free, nor the new life being breathed into the same body, but again of transformation, achieved by covering mortality with immortality, which it ‘ swallows’; emphasising the physical. Wright and Barrett argue similar points. My own personal opinion is that Paul believed more in a spiritual resurrection but he didn’t rule out a physical resurrection. In light of the statement I think that this is an influential part of our understanding of Life after death because it helps us understand which resurrection was more likely. The term ‘soul’ refers to ourselves, who earn rewards and consequences by coming to know, or failing to come to know, God by faith. We will come to earn blissful life in heaven, or eternal loss of heaven. Jesus’ parables clearly teach us that it is the same self judgement which faces judgement after death as the self who lived on earth in the body. There are three different theories about the soul. The first theory being the Theory of Origen. The soul existed in the heavenly realms before descending into this world, and that its present imprisonment in a material body is the result of a primeval fall from grace. This was never widely accepted, and rejected by the Church at the Council of Constantinople in 540 AD. The second argument is that of Traducianism. The theory that the soul-substance which God breathed into Adam has been passed down through generation after generation of his descendants by continual division. To some extent, this draws parallel with modern genetic science: everything comes from a gene pool. This was gradually abandoned by the Church. The third and final argument is that of Creationism. Each new soul is a new divine creation which God attaches to the growing foetus at some point between conception and birth. This was enshrined by the First Vatican Council, who declared that â€Å"God creates a new soul and infuses it to ach man†. However, Creationist thought is incompatible with the findings of modern science as it suggests that there are characteristics of the self that are derived neither from genetic inheritance nor from interaction with the environment; Dawkins would ridicule this theory, saying it was none-sense. Personally i believe that the soul is resurrected and moves on in life and that our bodies will rise up at the Parousia. Therefore it is an important aspect to our understanding of life after death. Monism is the theological view that all is one and this will help us understand Life after Death; human beings are made up of one substance and that what it is to be human can be defined in material terms because the soul cannot be separated from the body. Monism comes in a number of different forms: some argue that the soul and body are one, whilst others reject the concept of soul altogether and that the body is one substance on its own. People were beginning to speak of the soul as â€Å"the ghost within the machine [the body]†. Ryle argued that this was â€Å"a category mistake† as the language was being used incorrectly. By describing the soul in this way, the soul is being proposed as something ‘extra’ inside the body, which can physically identified within a person. Ryle argues that to talk of the soul is to talk about the way a person acts and integrates with others in society: it, therefore, is not separate and distinct. Dawkins perspective of Monism is that the view that we can only know what we are able to empirically verify. The soul does not exist separately from the body as it cannot be verified. This is known as Materialism. Linked to Dawkins is that he believed that humans are bytes of digital information; there is no soul as we are simply the sum of our genes. The soul cannot survive death, there is only the survival of DNA. Dawkins can be described as a ‘Harsh Materialist’ because he does not believe in life after death. He believes it is nonsense to talk of a life after death as one body is dead, it ceases to function. Dawkins claims that human consciousness has now fully evolved because we are now at a stage where we are able to predict the result of our actions, enabling us to choose how to behave. Therefore, humans continue to evolve because of the need to develop our memes (the way in which we mimic behaviour from other humans), not because of the genetic need to display our consciousness as a human race. I fell that this is important to our understanding of Life after Death because it allows us to see and understand the different attitudes to life after death. Soft Materialists still support monism but, unlike Harsh Materialists, they do believe in a life after death. The main supporter of soft materialism is John Hick, who proposes a replica theory. The strengths to this theory are, one, if you accept God’s omnipotent existence, then Replica Theory is perfectly plausible. Second, Replica Theory does not posit a soul, and so does not have to justify its existence. Thirdly, the Replica Theory answers the ‘conflicting claims’ argument because, according to Hick, everyone goes to heaven, regardless of their religion/beliefs. Fourth, the theory does not depend upon dualism and so is ‘acceptable’ to more people. Finally, in terms of logic, Replica Theory is possible. The criticisms of the Replica Theory are, one, Vardy challenges Hick by questioning whether the replicated being would be the same person. Is a ‘replica’ the ‘same’ as the original? Secondly, Vardy further argues that there is a break in continuity; for a person to stop existing in one place and be replicated in another there has to be a break in continuity of existence. So much so that the replicated person cannot be the same person. Thirdly, Williams simply argues that an endless life of replications would be increasingly boring and result in a meaningless life (an argument against Christian beliefs). Finally, logical possibility does not equate to factual possibility. Dualism however, is the idea that the mind and body are two separate substances. It is possible to survive death, as the soul disembodies. Human beings consist of both physical minds and that the mind is the essence of a person. This belief supports the immortality of the soul. Plato was a dualist who believed that the soul and body are two separate substances that interact with each other. Plato argued that the real identity of the person lies with the soul. He argued that the body and the mind are often in opposition; he saw the body as a nuisance and a bind. It is not the real person. Plato wrote â€Å"We may say ‘I have a body’ but not ‘I am a body’†. Plato believed that the real person is separate and distinct from the body it inhabits. The soul existed prior to being in the present body and, on death, will leave the body. The soul is on a higher level of reality than the body, being immortal with understanding of the realm of ideas. The body is concerned with the senses, the soul with reason. The soul is not always perfect because the body corrupts it and drags it down. Humans have the task of taking care of the soul, but this is easily corrupted. This helps our understanding of life after death because it gives us two sides of the argument for a spiritual or bodily resurrection and why they are both accepted. There is a wealth of scholarly debate on the historicity and significance of the empty tomb. The empty tomb will tell us if Jesus’ resurrection was bodily or spiritual, because he rose in body but then the robes were left perfect, as if to say that he floated up out of them, making it a spiritual resurrection. Arguments against the empty tomb detail are the fact that, St Paul gives the ‘official Christian list’ of resurrection appearances, without making a single reference to the empty tomb. Also, sceptics claim that the body of Jesus was simply stolen (i.e. not resurrected) or hidden by the disciples, making any post-resurrection appearances documented in NT nothing more than spiritual visions. The Swoon Hypothesis proposes that Jesus never actually died on the cross, but entered into a coma, from which he awoke whilst in the tomb, and so therefore never resurrected. Some go as far as saying that Joseph of Arimathea offering a tomb for the body of Jesus is an invention of early Christians who were desperate to make a bodily resurrection seem possible. Dawkins would concur this. If these arguments were to be accepted, then it would suggest that there was no spiritual resurrection, it was purely bodily, if there even was a resurrection. Arguments for the historicity of the empty tomb, i can be said, of the ‘stolen body theory’ Hick says that it would have been impossible for the disciples to do at Pentecost, less than 2 months after Jesus’ crucifixion; to have publicly proclaimed the resurrection in Jerusalem (within a mile or so of the tomb), if his body was still there and able to be produced. Brown argues that there was an understandable hostility in the early church toward the Jewish leaders. In Christian eyes, they had engineered a judicial murder of Jesus. Therefore, because Joseph of Arimathea was a part of the Sanhedrin that condemned Jesus, it is highly unlikely that he was a Christian invention (there is no reason why Christians would make up a story about a Jewish Sanhedrinist who does what is right by Jesus!). The empty tomb is reported by many independent early sources (incl. Mt, Mk, Lk, Jn, and Paul). Jewish historian Josephus reports that Jewish women were not even allowed to serve as witnesses in court; making it even more remarkable that it was women who discovered the empty tomb (surely this detail would have been omitted or changed if it were not true?!). My own personal opinion is that there was a resurrection, but going on the arguments given to us, I think that it was a bodily resurrection and that I would fall under the bracket of a monist. I believe that the New Testament teachings help us in our understanding of Life after Death because it teaches us about the body and soul, but I believe that it was a bodily resurrection because i believe the that the body and soul must have been working together as one to raise Jesus from the dead, because if it was one or the other then Jesus would have come back as a different person. Others would disagree with me because they feel that the bible is made up and that the historicity aspect is just coincidence and that it was a recent write-up of events of landmarks still existing today. This view fails because Johanine eschatology proves otherwise. The pool with five porticos still exists today, and that wouldn’t have been included in John’s gospel if it didn’t exist in John’s time. The eschatological aspect of it is that Jesus’ second coming will be at the Parousia when, we rise, bodily and spiritually to overcome death and evil.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Politics Behind a Magazine :: Media

The Politics Behind a Magazine The Progressive is a magazine that was started in 1909. Mathew Rothschild, who was the editor of the Multinational Monitor a Ralph Nader founded magazine, is the current editor of the magazine. The evidence of this magazine being liberal is found by taking into account the overall visual design, the stance on arguments of the articles, and the political stances of the authors that are published. In glancing through The Progressive and observing it visually a reader can gather a political viewpoint from its advertisements and pictures. The picture, which is seen on the cover of the magazines, is a depiction of an article out of the magazine. For instance, in the 2001 Jan. issue the cover story is â€Å"Aristide, Again† and the picture shows a Haitian man with a marked thumb signifying that he has voted with the slums crowded with people as the background. Along with the world the U.S. does not approve of putting him back in power but for most Haitians, which are poor, he is the only one who is for the poor. Some of the advertisements in the magazine were books that appealed to people wanting to read about making a change such as the one trying to sale The Magnificent Activist that claimed the author was â€Å"A Radical in His Era A Visionary in Ours† (The Progressive 40). There is a section in the magazine called â€Å"On the Line† which houses a collection of small articles that have pictures which stand for the story they are telling and of them was an article called â€Å"Striptease for the Trees.† In this article’s picture a women is radically protesting the clear cutting of California’s old Redwood Trees by standing in the middle of the road bare-chested in front of the logging trucks stopping their passage. From the advertisements and the covers’ eye catching artistic originality to the many pictures for the articles in the magazine a stance for the left side is portrayed. The articles that are published in The Progressive illustrate the views of liberal authors through the topics they pick and the argument they use. When the background of the authors are checked and what they stand for is assessed then a political slant can be assumed on the magazine for choosing them.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

My Semester in France Essay -- Personal Narrative, essay about myself

There was a warm breeze that Friday in September when I packed my two large bags, kissed my family and friends good-bye, and left my home. Thus the greatest adventure of my life was begun. On my first day of studying in France, I woke up early and took a quasi-shower, which consisted of sprinkling myself with water for hours until all the soap finally drained out of my hair. My dressing procedures were followed by a silent breakfast that consisted of some bitter-tasting, dark liquid and a hard, bread-like substance. The bread I ate dry, for fear of the dark scary-looking pot of jam. I packed my books and headed off for class. As soon as I left my street, a man on a bike stared at me as he passed. "Stupid American," he thought and went about his business. Walking on, I passed a bakery with numerous strange people inside getting their baguettes. They stared at me as I passed, then they all turned to one another and made various snide remarks about me. They chuckled, thinking I didn't understand anything that they were saying. When I got to the first stoplight, I waited for the little man to turn green. The drivers who had a red light chuckled and thought to themselves, "That girl has no idea what she's doing. Don't they have street signs in America?" Walking along the street, there was a man walking his dog. I smiled at him, and he scowled and thought, "Silly Americans. Always smiling at everything." Next I passed a school, where a number of mothers were chatting outside, having just dropped their children off They looked at me, then back at each other. One said, "Oh my, I wouldn't wear that unless I was an American." Eventually, I passed a car repair garage. The men inside looked up a... ...hing to do with me. I spent a semester building a life in France. I spent it letting go of what I thought and embracing what I never imagined could be true. I learned a great deal about who I am and what I can accomplish. But I think the most important thing I learned is the magnitude of perception. I think I brought home with me the understanding that the world is more a sequence of varying perspectives, than one, defined order. Like the man on the bike and the people on the street and the church bells-and myself-life is shaped far less by reality than by our perception of it. I scurried home at the sound of the church bells, back through the streets of my little town. The air was crisp and cold on that Friday in December when I packed my bags, a little bulkier than before, kissed my family and friends good-bye, And left my home. My Semester in France Essay -- Personal Narrative, essay about myself There was a warm breeze that Friday in September when I packed my two large bags, kissed my family and friends good-bye, and left my home. Thus the greatest adventure of my life was begun. On my first day of studying in France, I woke up early and took a quasi-shower, which consisted of sprinkling myself with water for hours until all the soap finally drained out of my hair. My dressing procedures were followed by a silent breakfast that consisted of some bitter-tasting, dark liquid and a hard, bread-like substance. The bread I ate dry, for fear of the dark scary-looking pot of jam. I packed my books and headed off for class. As soon as I left my street, a man on a bike stared at me as he passed. "Stupid American," he thought and went about his business. Walking on, I passed a bakery with numerous strange people inside getting their baguettes. They stared at me as I passed, then they all turned to one another and made various snide remarks about me. They chuckled, thinking I didn't understand anything that they were saying. When I got to the first stoplight, I waited for the little man to turn green. The drivers who had a red light chuckled and thought to themselves, "That girl has no idea what she's doing. Don't they have street signs in America?" Walking along the street, there was a man walking his dog. I smiled at him, and he scowled and thought, "Silly Americans. Always smiling at everything." Next I passed a school, where a number of mothers were chatting outside, having just dropped their children off They looked at me, then back at each other. One said, "Oh my, I wouldn't wear that unless I was an American." Eventually, I passed a car repair garage. The men inside looked up a... ...hing to do with me. I spent a semester building a life in France. I spent it letting go of what I thought and embracing what I never imagined could be true. I learned a great deal about who I am and what I can accomplish. But I think the most important thing I learned is the magnitude of perception. I think I brought home with me the understanding that the world is more a sequence of varying perspectives, than one, defined order. Like the man on the bike and the people on the street and the church bells-and myself-life is shaped far less by reality than by our perception of it. I scurried home at the sound of the church bells, back through the streets of my little town. The air was crisp and cold on that Friday in December when I packed my bags, a little bulkier than before, kissed my family and friends good-bye, And left my home.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Friction Lab Essay

Discussion and Review Whenever a body slides along another body a resisting force is called into play that is known as friction. This is a very important force and serves many useful purposes. A person could not walk without friction, nor could a car propel itself along a highway without the friction between the tires and the road surface. On the other hand, friction is very wasteful. It reduces the efficiency of machines because work must be done to overcome it and this energy is wasted as heat. The purpose of this experiment is to study the laws of friction and to determine the coefficient of friction between two surfaces. THEORY Friction is the resisting force encountered when one surface slides over another. This force acts along the tangent to the surfaces in contact. The force necessary to overcome friction depends on the nature of the materials in contact, on their roughness or smoothness, and on the normal force but not on the area of contact or on the speed of the motion. We find experimentally that the force of friction is directly proportional to the â€Å"normal force.† When an object is sitting on a horizontal surface the normal force is just the weight of the object. However, if the object is on an incline then it is not equal to the weight but is calculated by N= mg cos ÃŽ ¸. The constant of proportionality is called the coefficient of friction,  µ. When the contacting surfaces are actually sliding one over the other the force of friction is given by Equation 1: Ffr =  µk FN where Ffr is the force of friction and is directed parallel to the surfaces and opposite to the direction of motion. FN is the normal force and  µk is the coefficient of kinetic friction. The subscript k stands for kinetic, meaning that  µk is the coefficient that applies when the surfaces are moving  one with respect to the other.  µk is therefore more precisely called the coefficient of kinetic or sliding friction. Note carefully that Ffris always directed opposite to the direction of motion. This means that if you reverse the direction of sliding, the frictional force reverses too. In short, friction is always against you. Friction is called a â€Å"non-conservative† force because energy must be used to overcome it no matter which way you go. This is in contrast to what is called a â€Å"conservative† force such as gravity, which is against you on the way up but with you on the way down. Thus, the energy expended in lifting an object may be regained when the object descends. Yet, the energy used to overcome friction is dissipated, which means it is lost or made unavailable as heat. As you will see in your later study of  physics the distinction between conservative and non-conservative forces is a very important one that is fundamental to our concepts of heat and energy.  A method of checking the proportionality of Ffr, and FNand of determining the proportionality constant  µk is to have one of the surfaces in the form of a plane placed horizontally with a pulley fastened at one end. The other surface is the bottom face of a block that rests on the plane and to which is attached a weighted cord that passes over the pulley. The weights are varied until the block moves at constant speed after having been started with a slight push. Since there is no acceleration, the net force on the block is zero, which means that the frictional force is equal to the tension in the cord. This tension, in turn, is equal to the total weight attached to the cord’s end. The normal force between the two surfaces is equal to the weight of the block and can be increased by placing weights on top of the block. Thus, corresponding values of Ffr,and FN can be found, and plotting them will show whether Ffrand FN are indeed proportional. The slope of this graph gives  µk. When a body lies at rest on a surface and an attempt is made to push it, the pushing force is opposed by a frictional force. As long as the pushing force is not strong enough to start the body moving, the body remains in equilibrium. This means that the frictional force automatically adjusts itself to be equal to the pushing force and thus to just be enough to balance it. However, there is a threshold value of the pushing force beyond which larger values will cause the body to break away and slide. We  conclude that in the static case where a body is at rest the frictional force automatically adjusts itself to keep the body at rest up to a certain maximum. But if static equilibrium demands a frictional force larger than this maximum, static equilibrium conditions will cease to exist because this force is not available and the body will start to move. This situation may be expressed in equation form as: Equation 2: Ffr ≠¤  µsFN or Ffr max =  µsFN Where Ffris the frictional force in the static case, Ffr max is the maximum value this force can assume and  µsis the coefficient of static friction. We find that  µsis slightly larger than  µk. This means that a somewhat larger force is needed to break a body away and start it sliding than is needed to keep it sliding at constant speed once it is in motion. This is why a slight push is necessary to get the block started for the measurement of  µk. One way of investigating the case of static friction is to observe the so-called â€Å"limiting angle of repose.† This is defined as the maximum angle to which an inclined plane may be tipped before a block placed on the plane just starts to slide. The arrangement is illustrated in Figure 1 above. The block has weight W whose component WcosÃŽ ¸ (where ÃŽ ¸ is the plane angle) is perpendicular to the plane and is thus equal to the normal force, FN. The component Wsin ÃŽ ¸is parallel to the plane and constitutes the force urging the block to slide down the plane. It is opposed by the frictional force Ffr, As long as the block remains at rest, Ffr must be equal to W sin ÃŽ ¸. If the plane is tipped up until at some value ÃŽ ¸max the block just starts to slide, we have: Equation 3: But: Hence: Or: Thus, if the plane is gradually tipped up until the block just breaks away and the plane angle is then measured, the coefficient of static friction is equal to the tangent of this angle, which is called the limiting angle of repose. It is interesting to note that W cancelled out in the derivation of Equation 3 so that the weight of the block doesn’t matter. PROCEDURE This experiment requires you to record measurements in Newtons. Remember that in SI units the unit of force is called the Newton (N). One Newton is the force required to impart an acceleration of 1m/s2 to a mass of 1 kg. Thus 1 N = 1 kg.m/s2. You can convert any kg-mass to Newtons by multiplying the kg-weight by 9.8 m/s2, i.e., 100 g = 0.1 kg = 0.1 x 9.8 = .98 N. 1. Determining force of kinetic or sliding friction and static friction a. The wooden blocks provided in the LabPaq are too light to give good readings so you need to put some weight on  them, such as a full soft drink can. Weigh the plain wood block and the object used on top of the block. Record the combined weight in grams and Newtons. b. Place the ramp board you provided horizontally on a table. If necessary tape it down at the ends with masking tape to keep if from sliding. c. Begin the experiment by setting the block and its weight on the board with its largest surface in contact with the surface of the board. Connect the block’s hook to the 500-g spring scale. d. Using the spring scale, slowly pull the block lengthwise along the horizontal board. When the block is moving with constant speed, note the force indicated on the scale and record. This is the approximate kinetic or sliding frictional force. Repeat two more times. e. While carefully watching the spring scale, start the block from rest. When the block just starts to move, note the force indicated on the scale and record. You should notice that this requires more force. This force is  approximately equal to the static frictional force. Repeat two more times. Determining coefficient of static friction using an inclined surface a. Place the plain block with its largest surface in contact on the board while the board is lying flat. b. Slowly raise one end of the board until the block just breaks away and starts to slide down. Be very careful to move the plane slowly and smoothly so as to get a precise value of the angle with the horizontal at which the block just breaks away. This is the limiting angle of repose ÃŽ ¸ max. Measure it with a protractor (see photo that follows for an alternate way of measuring the angle) and record the result. You may also want to measure the base and the height of the triangle formed by the board, the support, and the floor or table. The height divided by the length of the base equals the coefficient of static friction. Remember: c. Perform two more trials. These trials should be independent. This means that in each case the plane should be returned to the horizontal, the block placed on it, and the plane carefully moved up until the limiting angle of repose is reached. DATA TABLE 6 Height Base Length ÃŽ ¸ max  µs Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average Calculations 1. Using the mass of the block and the average force of kinetic friction from Data Table 1, calculate the coefficient of kinetic friction from Equation 1: 2. Using the mass of the block and the average force of kinetic friction from Data Table 2, calculate the coefficient of kinetic friction for the wood block sliding on its side. Record your result and see how it compares with the value of  µkobtained from Data Table 1. 3. From the data in Data Table 3, 4 & 5 compute the coefficient of static friction,  µsfor, the glass surface on wood, the sandpapered surface on wood, and wood on carpet, etc from each of your three trials. Calculate an average value of  µs.Record your results in your own data sheets. 4.  From the data obtained in Data Table 6 calculate  µsfor wood on wood from each of your three trials. 5.  Calculate an average value of  µs. Record your result on the data sheet. Questions A. How does the coefficient of static friction compare with the coefficient of kinetic friction for the same surfaces and areas? B. Why is it important to reduce friction during the operation of machinery? C. How does grease or oil affect the coefficient of friction?