Paikea and Garnder’s Intelligences

In the movie Whale Rider, Paikea, the main character, overcomes her struggles with Paka, her grandfather, and becomes the new leader of the tribe. Paka repeatedly rejects her throughout the movie for her gender. He is angry because she had lived after birth, while her twin brother did not. He scolds her everytime she attempts to try one of the excercises the boys are doing to see who will be the chosen one. Evaluating three of Gardner’s Eight Intelligences, readers can see how Paikea has naturalistic, intrapersonal, and also kinesthetic intelligences, and how she uses them to be a leader.Paikea has naturalistic intelligence, which is the ability to recognize patterns and relationships to nature. In the movie, Paikea gives speeches over her ancestry and history. She shows her knowledge over her Maori culture and the whales. A very good example of her relationship to nature is when she calls out to the whales. Paikea is one of the only ones who can call out to whales and be hear d. Towards the end of the movie she proves once again her intelligence, when she rides a whale into the water.Another intelligence Paikea has is intrapersonal, which is the ability to introspect and self-reflect. Paikea knows about her twin brother’s death after birth. She is aware that that is the reason Paka rejects her and although it hurts her, she does not resent him for it. Paikea also has poetic skills. Proof of this is her winning the poem and speech contest at her school. In the movie, Paikea is leaving New Zealand with her father and as they are driving by the water, she sees a whale.She realizes what she must do and asks her father to take her back home. Lastly, Paikea showed kinesthetic intelligence, which involves strength in physical movement and fine motor control. Paikea is surprisingly good in using the Taiaha, which is the traditional weapon used by males while fighting. She knocked down another boys taiaha during a scene in the movie. Paikea also shows her bodily motions while she is dancing with the rest of the girls at her school.Paikea also proves her kinesthetic intelligence when she is able to turn on the boat motor when her grandfather could not. She also swims to the bottom of the water to get her grandfathers whale tooth necklace back. In conclusion, these three intelliegences were shown well in Paikea throughout the movie. She overcomes the struggles with her grandfather and understands him for rejecting her. Paikea does not give up once in trying to show her grandfather that she is the one.

In the United States, many states Essay

The rescue game, a joint social responsibility, must be approached with a lot of tact and undying resilience. With mortality rates on the high and visible evidences of the cause stirring us in the face, we are left with but one question, just one: who is the real killer? The very undeniable frequent recurrence of death through heart disease has been on the high for long stretches of time, which earlier was solely traceable to tobacco. The earlier discovery though incomplete has led the Government of the United States to impose heavy taxes on the tobacco manufacturing companies. Much of the funds realized from such taxes have helped to project billboards and campaigns against tobacco use. However, of late a more devastating killer of mankind was sighted. This, which had stayed so closely to the bosom of humans and even lured many until it became a delight, suddenly brings out its silent pistol carting the lives of many away. Who may have realized how potentially harmful a seeming sumptuous high-fat diet would have turned out? The facts are however showing by the day in alarming numbers of the heart disease even in non-smokers. I hereby use this medium to vigorously alert the Government to the incumbent dangers and threat to life these die hard life stealer have been and therewith request urgently that a bill be passed to levy high-fat fast food producers with heavy tax duties as was with the tobacco, seeing now this high fat foods even kills more and faster than other possible causes of heart failure. Such funds can then be re-channeled to educate the still ignorant many through the use of advance multimedia projections on lighted digital boards, billboard, newspaper and television.

How to Write the UT Austin Supplemental Essays 2017-2018

Founded by the Congress of the Republic of Texas in 1883, the University of Texas at Austin is home to 51,000 students and 3,100 faculty members. As the â€Å"Public Ivy† of the South, UT Austin annually ranks among the Top 20 public universities. As UT Austin’s reputation grows, its applicant pool becomes increasingly competitive as well, leaving its current acceptance rate in the low 40% range, one of the lowest among public schools. Noted departments at UT include petroleum engineering, history, and linguistics. Additionally, UT permits students to apply directly to programs that are occupation-specific, an aspect that differentiates UT from other institutions. UT Austin provides multiple essay prompt options for students to choose between. There is one mandatory essay prompt that all students must respond to, as well as secondary questions that you may answer depending on your intended major. Note: UT recommends that you keep your essays between 350 and 500 words, with no more than 650 words. 650 is also the word limit for the Common Application, so it’s easy for you to get an idea for how much room you have to get your point across. For more tips on how to write the Common Application Essay, feel free to check out ’s Common App 2017-2018 Guide . As the only essay prompt required by every applicant, this topic allows you to expand and describe your personal background or story. Where are you from? How did you get here? How has your community influenced you to become the person you are today? Because every applicant will write this prompt, the goal is to be as original as possible. Prompt A is the only mandatory question out of the topics in UT’s Essay requirement. For your second essay, you should choose just one from the following prompts. Answer this topic by explaining the origin and goals of your decision to pursue nursing; UT seeks to understand how your specific experiences will aid you along this path. Additionally, explain the future opportunities you want to participate in, and how these will help you reach your long-term goal in nursing. Submit your essay and we’ll get back to you with helpful edits. Along with your main essay, you must submit at least three additional short essays. According to the UT Austin application requirements , your answers should be limited to no more than 40 lines, or about 250–300 words. While not quite as elaborate as a traditional common app essay, you still have sufficient space to develop a compelling response. The following sections will discuss strategies to approach the UT Austin short answer prompts. If you could have any career, what would it be? Why? Describe any activities you are involved in, life experiences you’ve had, or even classes you’ve taken that have helped you identify this professional path. Some Tips to Consider: Even if you aren’t sure what you want to do for your career, you can still write an excellent response. First, notice that this prompt is hypothetical in that it asks, â€Å" if you could have any career, what would it be?† With that being said, you can feel free to explore and select between countless options for your topic, and they don’t necessarily need to be exactly what you want to do. The career path does not necessarily need to match every aspect of your skill set and personality; rather, it should incorporate your experiences and interests, and potentially complement other information you’ve provided. One strategy to write this essay is to match an aspect of your personality to a career. For example, if you are very meticulous and attentive to aesthetic details and love to travel, you may want to consider writing about being a photographer for National Geographic . You could discuss how viewing awe-inspiring photographs on Instagram has motivated you to travel and see different cultures. At the same time, you could take the response a step further by explaining how you would love to incorporate aspects of your cultural anthropology class to better document the lives of the people or communities you photograph. Instead of focusing too much on the career path itself, you can make the task of writing easier by expounding upon your relevant activities or experiences. For example, if you want to be a product manager for a high-tech company, you could discuss how your leadership role in the robotics club has taught you valuable lessons in failure. Now, whenever you design, you take a skeptical approach and assume things will never work the way you intend, which causes you to iterate quickly as a manager. Do you believe your academic record (transcript information and test scores) provide an accurate representation of you as a student? Why or why not? Here is a tip directly from the UT Austin Admissions Office: â€Å"Feel free to address anything you want the Office of Admissions to know about your academic record so that we can consider this information when we review your application. You can discuss your academic work, class rank, GPA, individual course grades, test scores, and/or the classes that you took or the classes that were available to you. You can also describe how special circumstances and/or your school, community, and family environments impacted your high school performance.† Essentially, you can discuss anything you want with respect to your high school academics. Some potential topics could include: You may feel compelled to â€Å"explain† a bad grade in a class or convince admissions that your GPA could have been higher, but that’s not really the point of the prompt or what admissions wants to hear. Instead of focusing on making excuses, focus on the lessons you’ve learned from mistakes . For example, if you struggled in calculus, explain why you may have found the subject challenging and how you worked hard to change your study habits by setting up weekly meetings with your professor to work on the concepts. A response like that could shed light on a lower grade on the transcript while revealing positive aspects about your character. Whatever you choose to write about, try to incorporate the positives of what you took from the experience and show why you are now a better applicant due to the experience. Keep in mind that admissions officers consider your potential as well as your past accomplishments. How do you show leadership in your life? How do you see yourself being a leader at UT Austin? Here is a tip directly from UT Austin: â€Å"Leadership can be demonstrated by positions you hold as an officer in a club or organization, but other types of leadership are important too. Leaders can emerge in various situations at any given time, including outside of the school experience. Please share a brief description of the type of leadership qualities you possess, from school and non-school related experiences, including demonstrations of leadership in your job, your community, or within your family responsibilities, and then share how you hope to demonstrate leadership as a member of our campus community.† The most effective way to respond to this prompt is to split it into two parts. Part 1 should concern your experience with leadership or cultivating a leadership skill. Part 2 should directly respond to Part 1 by analyzing how the identified skill will apply directly to a campus group or community at UT Austin. For example, you could begin by describing your experience volunteering or tutoring at a local elementary school. Instead of simply saying you were â€Å"a leader† to the younger kids, focus on describing the types of qualities you learned and how. If the kids often struggled with paying attention or staying on task, you could explain how you learned to temper expectations, be patient, and interact with a cool head. When the kids recognized how patient and composed you were, they adopted the same demeanor when solving problems and improved drastically. You could even go in-depth about particular moments or instances in which you learned a certain skill or developed a leadership quality. Further, you can also discuss what leadership means to you, potentially touching on the types of qualities you value in a leader. Following your anecdote, you can specifically show how your leadership qualities will be used at UT Austin. For example, if you are interested in leading outreach projects in local Austin communities or even other countries, you can explain how the quality of â€Å"patience† will come in handy when convincing organizations to let you work with them. If you do a mission trip in another country, patience is often crucial for forming relationships and overcoming social or linguistic barriers, as well. The point of this example is to show how clearly you must organize the response and how the specific quality you discuss in your personal anecdote must also motivate your application to UT Austin. Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area? This topic confirms that UT Austin is searching for two things in applicants applying to a degree in architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education: 1) relevant past experiences and 2) how and why those experiences motivate you to pursue one of the above-mentioned fields. Discuss the reasons you chose social work as your first-choice major and how a social work degree from UT Austin will prepare you for the future. This topic essentially asks the same thing as Prompt N, for social work. Describe how your decision to pursue social work came about. Relate previous experiences in social work to how they will guide you in your pursuit down this career path. UT’s requirement of Prompt A and short answer essays is a chance for you to show off yet another aspect that readers have not been exposed to. Remember that an unforgettable essay can go a long way in convincing readers to grant you admission to the home of the Longhorns! Looking for additional guidance in essays or college apps in general? Check out our Essay Editing Program and College Apps Program . Want us to quickly edit your college essay? Submit it to our Rapid Review Program , and we’ll get it back to you quickly with comments from our expert team.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Gastroesophageal reflux disease - Research Paper Example If the stomach motility is disturbed then it is possible that the contents would last their much longer and this would increase the bulk of the gastric contents which would reflux into the esophagus (Kumar et al 2005; Dore et al 2008). The reflux from the stomach can lead to esophagitis which means inflammation of the esophagus. The gastric juices entering the stomach can lead to an injury of the gastric mucosa of the esophagus and this leads to irritation in the esophagus. Most of the cases of GERD are primarily seen in children and the clinical features show heartburn, hematemesis or melena. The damage to the esophageal mucosa does not depend upon the symptoms of GERD but rather depend upon the time for which these symptoms have been occurring. If a reflux is not stopped for a long time then it is possible that much of the esophageal mucosa would be damaged. If the condition of GERD gets severe a person would face the problem of bleeding, ulcers, strictures and may possibly develop Barrett Esophagus (Kumar et al 2005; Hall & Guyton 2006). References KUMAR, V., ABBAS, A. K., FAUSTO, N., ROBBINS, S. L., & COTRAN, R. S. (2005).  Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease. Philadelphia, Elsevier Saunders. Hall, J. E., & Guyton, A. C. (2006).  Guyton & Hall physiology review. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders. Top of Form Dore, M.

King County Comprehensive Plan (KCCP) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

King County Comprehensive Plan (KCCP) - Essay Example The county has done activities to preserve these forests through ensuring clean water, appropriate flood control, protecting wildlife and fish habitat, fostering recreation and appreciation of scenic beauty. The county also contributes to the reduction of global warming through carbon sequestration. Sustaining the forests is the primordial strategy of the King County Forestry Program. A string of economic incentives, technical advice, and information are provided by the county and its officials to forest landowners to safeguard the local forests. King County is one of the busy counties in Seattle. King County, with a population of 1,788,300, is the most populous county in Washington. Seattle is a middle class city which is highly unionized, and is home to manufacturing giants--Boeing, Kenworth trucks, Todd shipyards, Weyerhauser and US Plywood. It has the University of Washington, an eminent research university in the field of computer sciences and biomedical research. Seattle is one of America's hi-tech, digital, wired and computer-oriented cities. According to Atkinson's "Metropolitan New Economy Index", Seattle had ranked third as the most advanced in the digital economy. (Atkinson 2003) Seattle is a city which is very attractive to young people whose ages range from 17 to 45 years old. Its demographic profile reveals a high segment of working population. The city boasts of tolerance of alternative lifestyles, excellent educational institutions, superb environmental sites, and a tremendous degree of innovativeness that contributed to the start-up, growth and development of high tech and related sectors. Seattle provides a healthy balance of wealth and opportunity to its local residents. It is a pleasant home to highly educated professionals. II King County Business Services King County promotes the growth of businesses combined with a concern for environmental sustainability and urban quality of life. The County's business development goals are to retain, expand, create and recruit businesses within industry clusters which are essential to the region's economic base and provide the impetus for growth. King County's economic development policies has these goals: Long-term commitment to sustainable economic development; Retention and increase of local firms in various industries which generate income and increase the quality of life its residents; Substantial public funding in large projects to spread benefits for firms and employees; and Environmental preservation and protection as a an important economic value. The Office manages specific Business Development initiatives and partnerships inspired by the County Executive and County Council. It

Industrial Economics, Industrial Organization How can game theory help Essay

Industrial Economics, Industrial Organization How can game theory help us to understand firm's interactions Discuss the differe - Essay Example A game theory is composed of a series of elements including: players or partners, rules which imply the possible decisions that one is capable of making given another party’s decisions, and the facts that a player could have knowledge of before moving or making a decision. Other elements include the consequences or outcomes of certain moves and the payoffs of each possible outcome. Payoffs imply the money got from a given decision (Durlauf, 2010). Game theories In arriving at the solutions given the game theories, it is important that industries understand certain tools. These tools include dominated and dominant strategies and the Nash equilibrium. A dominant strategy is a tactic that gives higher payoffs no matter what the opponent does, while a dominated strategy is an approach that is lower than another strategy; this implies that for a dominated strategy, there is a dominant strategy that is in existence over it. On the other hand, in Nash equilibrium, no industry or indi vidual is in preference of a different choice. This means that each player chooses the best strategy given the approaches taken by the other players in the market (Durlauf, 2010). In an effort to understanding how firms and industries react, it is vital that the different types of game theories are understood. Firms’ interactions are mainly guided by certain game theories. There is a myriad of game theories. Simultaneous game is one of the game theories. As the name suggests, the players in the market make decisions independent of the other player’s decisions. This means that no party is aware of the other party’s choices or decisions. This kind of scenario forms what is known as a Cournot model. In such a case, each firm or industry tries to make a forecast of what the other player in the market will be so as to arrive at a reasonable decision itself (Durlauf, 2010). In Cournot models, firms predicts the other industry’s output choice and then based on t he forecasts, each firm goes ahead to choosing a profit maximizing output for itself. In cournot, prices as at Nash equilibrium are above the perfect competitive prices. In this case it is clear that the Cournot game model influence the market price as firms try to control their levels of production. Thus, through Cournot model, it is possible for firms to come up with best reaction functions in their production in cases where the industries have completely no clue on what the other players in the market are up to achieving (Mukherjee, 2004). Sequential game is another game theory whereby an industry or firm makes a decision on price or quantity, when it already has knowledge on what another player or partner has decided on. The kind of strategic interaction depicted in such a scenario gives rise to a Stackleberg’s model. In this model, one industry makes a choice before another. It is frequently used to depict industries in which there is a dominant firm. In the Stacklebergà ¢â‚¬â„¢s model, an industry that is a leader chooses output to maximize profits depending on how a follower will react to its choice. Given the choices by a leader, a follower will try as much as possible to make profits given the quantity the leader produces. A leader makes decisions on its own production considering the

Managing Diversity and Equality Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Managing Diversity and Equality - Assignment Example While conflicts and tensions may occur that managers must deal with, cultural differences may also be a strength if dealt with correctly. Diversity may be seen as an active policy rather than the passive acceptance inculcated by equality. A PESTLE Analysis, which considers the external factors working on an organization, will be useful in examining how managers can overcome cultural problems and promote diversity. . PESTLE stands for the following: While superficially it might seem the first three elements of the analysis, (Political, Economic and Sociological), might seem to be the most applicable to a discussion of culture within the workplace, the others are as well. PESTLE has been used by many companies to examine both the internal and external factors that will influence both present and future business. It is a way of viewing complex situations through the prism of a strong model that can both provide a rational framework for the examination of complex issues and also provide a foundation for possible alleviation of the problems discovered. Thus the problem of "culture" is one that is posed for nearly all managers in all businesses, but especially within increasingly diverse environments such as are found in Europe. First of all, what does "culture" mean The dictionary defines it in the following manner: What does such an esoteric subject have to do with the or... Culture. 1. The behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions and all other products of human work and thought, especially as expressed in a particular time or community. (American, 2004) What does such an esoteric subject have to do with the ordinary business environment one might ask Basically, culture is all the beliefs, biases, likes, dislikes and general attitude towards life that an employee brings into the workplace. If all these were homogenous within each company then culture could be ignored as it would be shared and unified. Problems arise when a culture is not shared, specifically when a particular manner, way of speaking or belief conflicts with another. On a most basic level one might deal with the problem with hand gestures. In England the gesture of putting the second and third fingers up to someone is regarded as an insult, whereas in the United States this is just a way of simply stating "two". An American who is not aware of the meaning of this sign in Britain will be surely at a disadvantage if she starts negotiating by saying that she will pay 2,000,000 for something with what she regarded as a harmless gesture. Similarly, an English businessman visiting America who does not know that this gesture is quite harmless in that country will be at a disadvantage. This is an extreme, but actually quite common example of how cultural problems can stem from communication problems. The manager dealing with this situation needs to communicate the differences in culture between the two parties involved, and hopefully resolve it in an amicable manner. Best of all would be to communicate the various cultural differences that might arise before they occur. Pre-warned is

Software Engineering mid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Software Engineering mid - Essay Example Application software - may be written in obsolete programming languages. Application data - often incomplete and inconsistent. Business processes - may be constrained by software structure and functionality. Business policies and rules - may be implicit and embedded in the system software. Answer to section 7: The fundamental activities that are common to all software processes are: Specification: It relates to the initial specifications on how to build the software. The process of establishing what services are required and the constraints on the system's operation and development. Design: It relates to the process of converting the system specification into an executable system. Validation: It is intended to show that a system conforms to its specification and meets the requirements of a system customer. Evolution: Software is inherently flexible and can change. The properties like scalability and flexibility is addressed here. Answer to section 8: The advantages of incremental development and delivery are: Customer value can be delivered with each increment so system functionality is available earlier. Early increments act as a prototype to help elicit requirements for later increments. Lower risk of overall project failure. The highest priority system services tend to receive the most testing. Answer to section 9: The six fundamental best practices of RUP are: Develop software iteratively Manage requirements Use component-based architectures Visually model software Verify software quality Control changes to software Answer to section 10: The five common project management activities are: Proposal writing: Usually done before getting the project. Project planning and scheduling: Done as a part of the planning process. Project costing: Project feasibility...A project milestone is a predictable state where a formal report of progress is presented to management. Application domain experience: For a project to develop a successful system, the developers must understand the application domain. It is essential that some members of a development team have some domain experience. Programming language experience: This is normally only significant for short duration projects where there is not enough time to learn a new language. While learning a language itself is not difficult, it takes several months to become proficient in using the associated libraries and components. Problem solving ability: This is very important for software engineers who constantly have to solve technical problems. However, it is almost impossible to judge without knowing the work of the potential team member. Educational background: This may provide an indicator of the basic fundamentals that the candidate should know and of their ability to learn. This factor becomes increasingly irrelevant as engineers gain experience across a range of projects. Personality: This is an important attribute but difficult to assess. Candidates must be reasonably compatible with other team members. No particular type of personality is more or less suited to software engineering. 3.

Spirituality Occupational Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Spirituality Occupational Model - Essay Example It includes creation of new friendly relations, learning other opinions, acknowledging different beliefs and values, and grabbing each chance one has to go to new places. Occupational therapy has conventionally focused on psychodynamics, behaviorism, humanism, and multiculturalism however now a days spirituality is developing the most influential force. Spirituality is a person's assessment arrangement and it is obvious that consumers' values in general and immigrant consumers' values in particular enter into occupational therapy. Occupational therapy clear the significance of dealing with a consumer's ideals, values and attitudes, consequently investigating how occupational therapy incorporates spirituality as a fundamental argument is imperative. On the other hand, integrating spirituality into occupational therapists training programs might produce quarrel for therapist educators and counselors for the reason of differing analysis of the significance of spirituality. Spirituality is defined as an internal constituent of a person's discernment of veracity. So Spirituality is an association with an Inspirational Creature that promotes logic of connot ation, reason, and assignment in life.

Piracy of Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Piracy of Music - Essay Example The music industry is currently confronting a formidable threat, identified as the practice of music file sharing through peer-to-peer networks or, in more blunt terms, as music piracy and the unauthorized recording and distribution of copyrighted intellectual material. The enormity of the threat is evidenced in the fact that from 2000 to 2003 and, as a direct consequence of music piracy, the industry lost two billion dollars in sale (Desmond et al., 2004). Apart from the significance of the quoted figure, those who earn their livelihood from the music industry are extremely worried about their future and their capacity to continue to support themselves and their families. This concern is clearly articulated by Pimm Fox (2004) who warns that if unauthorized music sharing via peer-to-peer protocols continues unabated, there is no doubt that the greater majority of music stores will be forced out of business. In other words, the piracy of music is not a â€Å"victimless† crime, as many have argued but, is a blatant violation of copyright law which claims victims, as in people whose livelihood is directly and strongly harmed by the practice (Thall, 2003). Therefore, even though some have defended the practice of peer-to-peer music file sharing, the fact is that it is a direct violation of copyright laws and has real victims and, as such must be confronted through an identification of its root causes, commonly argued as overpriced CDs and limited options for legally customized music selections, and the reformation of the music business in a way which would address these causes. Music piracy is an inarguable violation of established copyright laws and of the fundamental legal principle of property. Music, as explained by Frank Thorsberg and Elsa Wenzel (2003) is defined as a form of property and, more specifically, as intellectual property. This means that rights are owned and controlled by an individual, a group of individuals or corporation and that only its legal owners possess the right to exploit and distribute it, or arrange for its exploitation and distribution (Thorsberg and Wenzel, 2003). According to the law, therefore, music is property and each piece of musical creation has an owner whose rights to it, as noted by Thall (2003) are protected and upheld by both national and international law. From the legal perspective, therefore, music is property and each piece of music has a legally identified and registered owner. The fact that music is property over which individuals enjoy ownership rights that are protected by the law, means that the rights to use that music, or property, are controlled by the owner. Peer-to-peer music file sharing, insofar as it violates the owner's right to determine the distribution of his/her property and denies him/her the right to economically exploit his music as a financial asset, is a violation of the rights of property owners as established by the law(Thall, 2003). Accordingly, music copyright owners have denounced, as stated by Thorsberg and Wenzel, (2003) music file sharing as music piracy and the theft of property. When one considers that "civilized society is predicated upon the sanctity of private property" (Thall, 2003), the full enormity of the practice is exposed. Quite simply stated, and from within the legal perspective, the unauthorized downloading of music through peer-to-peer programs such as Kazaa, iMesh or LimeWire, constitutes the theft of private p roperty. In defense of the practice and in response to the legal claim that music piracy is a crime, some have argued that it is a victimless crime which harms no one. This argument is not only baseless but it is in direct contradiction with facts which irrevocably prove that the music industry is suffering near-incalculable loss as a result. Financial estimates calculate annual loss at 350 million dollars per annum with an analysis of the growing popularity of peer-to-peer music file sharing leading to the prediction that this figure is likely to multiply in the near future (Desmond et al.,

Decision-Making Model Essay Example for Free

Decision-Making Model Essay The human decision-making process has been described by the development of several frameworks. The alternative for the maximize utility of the decision is selected by a fully informed, as well as, knowledgeable decision maker in the Rational Model. A satisfactory decision alternative is sought by the decision maker due to the causes of time, information, and space constraints according to the Bounder Rationality Model. It is hypothesized by the Organizational Model that available procedures are used by the decision maker for the solution of problems of decisions in a continuously updated organizational memory. Conflicting values and interests are confronted by the decision makers in the Muddling through Model, and an incremental improvement in the outcome is achieved by the selection of alternative with minimal organizational changes. An intermeshing of problems, solutions, and decision maker interest are represented by decisions that are forced by social and political factors in an anarchistic environment according to the Garbage Can Model. The criteria are met best by the identification of alternative with the use of relationship that is made between the criteria, events, and alternative by the decision maker in the Classical Decision Theory Model. During the selection process, conflicting constraints can be confronted by the decision maker, as intangible or tangible criteria would have to be dealt in uncertain events. The situation is assessed, a single alternative is generated and evaluated, and alternative for a satisfactory solution of the problem is selected by the decision makers according to the Naturalistic Decision-Making Model. Outcomes of the decision-making process are focused by some of the proposed models like Classical and Rational Decision Theory formulations. A limited set of decision activities is highlighted by other models like Bounded Rationality Models and Naturalistic Decision-Making Models. A comprehensive and integrated view of decision-making has been offered by none of the proposals. In addition, not all the situations of the decision-making can be applied with any formulations of these proposals. For instance, operational and tactical decisions can be applied with the Organizational Model. However, strategic decisions cannot be applied with this model due to incomplete understanding of the problem, as well as, limited availability of the knowledge of the problem. In this regard, the most popular model of the human decision-making process has been the three-phase paradigm of design, intelligence, and choice by the Simon. Virtually, all other proposed frameworks have been implied by this most general paradigm. However, an implementation phase of the Simon’s formulation has been concluded with the expansion of such scrutiny. Reality is observed by the decision maker during the intelligence phase. A fundamental understanding regarding the existing problems, as well as, new opportunities is gained by the maker. In addition, the general quantitative and qualitative information is acquired by the decision maker for the addressing of different opportunities, as well as, the problems. In the design phase, a specific and precise model is developed by the decision-maker, by which, the discovered problems and opportunities are examined systematically. Decision alternatives, uncontrollable events, criteria, and numerical, as well as, symbolic relationships will be consist in this model. The ensuing choice phase constitutes of the generation of recommended actions from the evaluation of the specified alternatives by the usage of explicit models logically. The analyses and recommendations are pondered by the decision maker during the subsequent implementation phase. In this regard, the consequences are weighed, and sufficient confidence is gained in the decision-making process. In addition, an implementation plan is developed, financial, human, and material resources are secured, the plan is put into the action. After the implementation of the final choice, the new reality should be observed by the decision maker. In addition, intelligence, design, choice, and implementation should be regarded and followed by the decision maker. Moreover, the need for revisions at preceding phases might be suggested by the phase’s analyses. For instance, adjustments of the previous design might be necessitated by the analyses during the choice. Conceptually, individual or group decision-making is applied with the decision-making process in the same manner. In practice, the communication-intensive aspects of cooperative problem solving must be accommodated by the group decision-making. In addition, voting, ranking, rating, and other consensus-developing methodologies should be supported by the usage of structured techniques. Group and organizational collaboration support should be provided by the development of this consensus. Decision-making model can be operated by the use of a variety of measures. Outcomes are dealt by some measures, and process outcomes are involved by the others. Positive decision outcomes can include: Increases in returns, costs reduction, and increment in the flow of information are some of the examples of the gains in the performance of the organization. When the understanding of a person regarding a current problem, as well as, its solution is developed, the decision-maker’s maturity develops. In addition, the improvement of the general problem-solving skills also results in the maturation of the decision-maker. Objectively, recording can be done regarding the number of opportunities, problems, as well as, alternatives. Experts, as well as, person’s evaluations can assess such efforts and subjective assessments. In expert’s evaluations, practice would be observed by the experienced decision makers and the examinee’s efforts will be rated. In this regard, a structured rating form will be used for its support. The examinees are used by the directed self-examinations, and a facilitator is used for the purpose of guidance. In some decision-making situations, the improvement of the organizational performance becomes impossible due to the competition, internal restrictions, external constraints, and several other factors. Under these circumstances, the main decision outcome will be the learning, training, and various other beneficial side effects during the maturation of the decision maker. Process Enhancements in the ability of a person or group are involved in the process improvements for the implementation of the phases and steps in the decision-making process. Experts, as well as, person’s evaluations can assess such efforts and with the help of subjective assessments. In expert’s evaluations, practice would be observed by the experienced decision makers and the proficiency of the examinee during each phase and step of the decision-making process will be rated. In this regard, a structured rating form will be used for its support. The examinees are used by the directed self-examinations, and a facilitator is used for the purpose of guidance. The use of accounting tools is involved in the process tracing, in which, the decision aid is embedded for the recording, as well as, reporting of the actions of the examinee during the decision-making process. In addition, the process enhancements may be manifested through: The time that is needed during the structuring of the problem by the user is reduced in a hike in personal efficiency. In addition, in a given time period, the number of alternatives is increased during the evaluation of the user, which is also an example of the hike in personal efficiency. The time of the decision-making is reduced, and the amount of pertinent information is increased from the decision-making is an improvement in the personal productivity. Objectively, recording can be done regarding the time and number of evaluated alternatives. Expert, as well as, direct self-evaluations by the activity of an individual or group can assess the amount of pertinent information, wisdom, and knowledge, that is, subjective assessments. In any particular management situation, more importance might be given to the support for some phases, as compared with the support for others. The process should be improved for at least the relevant phases by a given aid in the decision-making process. The decision outcome and process measures have been summarized in the Table 1. In addition, the measurements have been obtained by the available approaches, which have also been summarized in the table. As such, a series of guidelines has been offered by the table for the operation of the decision-making process. For instance, the implementation phase of the decision-making process consists of confidence and commitment of the decision maker. The performance of the decision maker during these steps is measured by the process tracing, expert ratings, and directed self-evaluations, as indicated by the Table 1.

Human motivation Essay Example for Free

Human motivation Essay In studying human motivation, one of the key concepts includes the notion of needs and drives which may be the spring boards of actions or behavior. In line with these, efforts were exerted to look into the possible link of control of one’s impulsivity and certain critical behaviors that may affect any individual undertaking, his normal development through life’s stages, and possibilities of disorders or problems with the person’s overall functioning (Baumeister et al. ; Mischel et al, 1989). There is an offshoot of these studies (Hom and Knight, 1996) which highlights delayed gratification and the advantages of individuals who understand either by training or by serendipitous circumstances the rationality of their choices. Delaying the gratification of certain desires at the present entails certain calculations of the possible effects of these options at a certain point in the future. It involves the understanding of â€Å"profiting† from what the self is deprived of at the present to secure a better output or outcome in the near future. According to studies, a person who has been reared to control many of the urges to satisfy immediate needs or wants, may reap immense benefits in terms of significant life choices; choices that spell longevity (living physically healthy), prospect of better income, and healthier relationships. There are various reasons offered why this is so, but more often, the results of these choices to delay gratification oftentimes reveal the benefits; otherwise, when immediate satisfaction is allowed in most cases, the awareness of detrimental effects becomes a stark reality. The issue pertains to persistence, control, character development, cementing of values that enables a person to become an asset rather than become a liability to one’s community. Implications of a person’s ability to delay his or her immediate gratification (because of the prospect of more favorable results later) include responsibility over his/her actions and decisions and thereby increasing awareness of consequences including those which not only impact his/her own survival but also the effects of his/her decisions and actions to the people around (Mischel et al, 1989). References: 1. Baumeister, Roy, Brandon Schmeichel,Kathleen Vohs. Self-regulation and the Executive function: The Self as controlling agent. Accessed October 13, 2008 http://72. 14. 235. 104/search? q=cache:qpSCcMZijV0J:www. csom. umn. edu/assets/71708. pdf+Explain+the+value+and+importance+of+delayed+gratification+in+human+motivationhl=tlct=clnkcd=46gl=ph 2. Hom, Harry, Jr. Heather Knight, 1996. Delay of Gratification: Mothers Predictions about Four Attentional Techniques; Journal of Genetic Psychology, Vol. 157. 3. Mischel, W. , Shoda, Y. Rodriguez, M. L. 1989. Delay of gratification in children. Science, 244, 933-938.

The Nature Of Corruption In India

The Nature Of Corruption In India Corruption cannot be defined easily but in a deeper sense it is mostly concerned with bribery and has various forms. Being a global phenomenon, it has progressed and is now strong in the Indian society. In India, it is a result of the mash between bureaucrats, politicians and criminals. India has now become a consideration state where everything can be had for a consideration. The number of officials with an honest profile is easily countable on fingers. There was a time, bribe was paid for getting wrong things done but now bribe is paid for getting right things done at right time. In an interview with Jitendra Singh and Ravi Ramamurti, professor of international business at Northeastern University, Singh said that In the bad old days, particularly pre-1991, when the License Raj held sway, and by design, all kinds of free market mechanisms were hobbled or stymied, and corruption emerged almost as an illegitimate price mechanism, a shadowy quasi-market, such that scarce resources could still be allocated within the economy, and decisions could get made. Of course, this does not in any way condone the occurrence of such corruption. The shameful part of all this was that while value was captured by some people at the expense of others, it did not go to those who created the value, as it should in a fair and equitable system. He mentions that there was a distortion of incentives within the economy, as people found unproductive behaviors to be of short-term gains. Thus, utilizing positions of power that could bestow favors became more important than bringing out new ideas and innovations. Even if tried, the process of eradicating corruption will be too low paced and it cannot change overnight. The costs of corruption are rooted in various parts of the economy. Improper infrastructure, of course, is widely recognized as a serious impediment to Indias advancement. Producing valuable goods is of limited utility if they cannot be transported in a timely fashion, for example. Transparency International estimates that Indian truckers pay something in the neighborhood of $5 billion annually in bribes to keep freight flowing. Corruption is a large tax on Indian growth, Ramamurti said in an interview after the conference. It delays execution, raises costs and destroys the moral fiber. Corruption also cripples the effort to ameliorate poverty in India and to improve the countrys stock of human capital. The rate at which this happens varies tremendously from region to region. Edward Luce, for example, author of In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India, notes that Rates of theft vary widely from state to state in India, with the better states, such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, getting more than 80% of subsidized government food to their poor. Meanwhile, in the northern state of Bihar, Indias second poorest with a population of 75 million, more than 80% of the food is stolen. A few Indian companies, Ramamurti said, such as the Tata group or Wipro, have taken the high road, but most firms find it impossible to get anything done without greasing palms. Wipro, headed by Azim Premji, is Indias third-biggest global tech services provider (behind Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys). In Bangalore Tiger: How Indian Tech Upstart Wipro Is Rewriting the Rules of Global Competition, business journalist Steve Hamm writes that Wipro is not just a company, its a quest. That quest, according to some observers, is as much about moral rectitude as it is about business success. For example, according to Hamm, the company pays no bribes and has a zero tolerance policy for corruption. The paradox, Ramamurti said, is that even though Indias faster growth in recent years is the result of fewer government controls, most Indian managers would tell you that corruption has increased, not decreased, in tandem. How could this be? The explanation is that faster growth has created new choke points at which politicians and bureaucrats can extract payments, such as land regulation, spectrum allocation or college admissions all of which have become much more valuable in [this century]. Faster growth has also raised the economic cost to firms of delays in public approvals, giving officials that much more hold-up leverage over private investors. Corruption in India leads to promotion not prison. It is very difficult to catch Ëœbig sharks. Corruption in India has wings not wheels. As nation grows, the corrupt also grow to invent new methods of cheating the government and public. A survey conducted by Transparency International cites India as far worse than China and refers to her as a country where bribery and corruption are among the worst in the world. In a developing country, resources are always scarce and demand greater than supply. The recipients of public services are mostly the poor, illiterate, ignorant and weak. Thus it is the ordinary man who suffers most from misgovernment and corruption. Yet in India, even the highly educated lack the power to protest. There is no accountability or transparency among public servants and outdated systems like the license-permit-quota-inspector system continue to prosper even in the face of liberalization and globalization. The overabundance of laws and statutes and discretionary powers only provides further breeding ground for bribery and corruption. Recent Incidents A spate of high-profile corruption scandals has rocked the Indian government in the last few months and is threatening foreign investor confidence. The scams include allegations of graft against officials responsible for last years Commonwealth games hosted by New Delhi, a telecom case involving the government underselling mobile-phone licenses for kickbacks that may have cost the exchequer nearly $40 billion, and a housing scam in which politicians, bureaucrats, and military officials are accused of taking over a plush Mumbai apartment block intended for war widows. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, whose government has come under fire from opposition parties and the media, has vowed to crack down on corruption. But as the BBCs Soutik Biswas notes, India has a poor record of prosecuting corruption and an even grimmer record on actual convictions. India ranks 87 out of 178 countries on Transparency Internationals 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index. A 2010 report from Washington-based think tank Global Financial Integrity blames Indias poor governance for the tax evasion and corruption, which result in illicit financial flows from the country of at least $462 billion. It is an issue which needs to be tackled, because corruption not only reduces the social acceptability of whatever growth we achieve, but actually reduces growth, Indias Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia told the World Economic Forum. Some investment analysts say corruption is already a factor in declining foreign investment which has been a key to Indias growth over the last two decades and is worrying domestic investors, too. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) became net sellers for the first time in January since May 2010, shedding some $1.4 billion in holdings, according to industry data. Were not claiming FII flows are driven simply by corruption concerns, said analysts from Espirito Santo Securities in Mumbai, but corruption and ensuing political risk has without question become a major concern. Indias surging growth rate of nearly 8.5 percent is also under threat from high inflation, which may further scare off foreign investors. A report from international organizations, including the UN Global Compact, estimates that corruption adds as much as 10 percent (PDF) to the total cost of doing business globally, and as much as 25 percent to the cost of procuring contracts in developing countries. When it comes to ease of doing business, the World Bank ranks India 134 out of 183 countries in 2011. Corruption also harms poverty-alleviation efforts in India. The World Bank has found corruption the single greatest obstacle to economic and social development. India has a right-to-information law that promises to make government accountable, but whistleblowers have often had a fight on their hands, in several instances paying with their lives. The government has a draft anti-corruption bill scorned by many activists who have coalesced under the banner India Against Corruption. Indian businessmen, too, are calling for effective legislation to counter corruption. The most promising drive for change, say some commentators, comes from Indias civil society, with initiatives such as I Paid a Bribe, an online tool where citizens report instances where they have paid or resisted the demand for a bribe. A survey conducted by World Development Report some year ago, business man in surveyed countries said that the main problem with corruption was that it increases risk and uncertainty .The risk declined dramatically if corruption produced reliable outcome .If all player have to play 10% and could treat of getting their license entrepreneurs could treat this as just one more tax, factor it into their calculations of profit and so could invest with confidence of sure gain. The quality of institution seems to be the most important factor for the growth of a countries .If the institution work moderately well, progress is possible even if money is skimmed off at the top .But if the institution are incapable of enforcing any right, corruption will hasten economic collapse. So far Indian economic is concerned the slow progress is the result of lack of decision making at higher level .Many politician who take money but could not enforce their will because of powerful lobby of bureaucrats at many place and a democracy like India ,voice of media ,voice of opposition could suppress the wish of the leader . Causes of corruption The causes of corruption are many and complex. Following are some of the causes of corruption. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Emergence of political elite who believe in interest-oriented rather than nation-oriented programs and policies. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Artificial scarcity created by the people with malevolent intentions wrecks the fabric of the economy. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Corruption is caused as well as increased because of the change in the value system and ethical qualities of men who administer. The old ideals of morality, service and honesty are regarded as anachronistic. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tolerance of people towards corruption, complete lack of intense public outcry against corruption and the absence of strong public forum to oppose corruption allows corruption to reign over people. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Vast size of population coupled with widespread illiteracy and the poor economic infrastructure lead to endemic corruption in public life. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In a highly inflationary economy, low salaries of government officials compel them to resort to the road of corruption. Graduates from IIMs with no experience draw a far handsome salary than what government secretaries draw. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Complex laws and procedures alienate common people to ask for any help from government. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Election time is a time when corruption is at its peak level. Big industrialists fund politicians to meet high cost of election and ultimately seek personal favor. Bribery to politicians buys influence, and bribery by politicians buys votes. In order to get elected, politicians bribe poor illiterate people, who are slogging for two times meal. Corruption is one of the most serious consequences of poor governance. A country with widespread corruption invariably has low investment rates, poor economic growth and limited human development. The public will find their access to the most basic social services severely restricted and the government will find the cost of delivering these services inordinately high. Corruption has no positive effects. It hits the poor hardest, it makes a mockery of financial systems and it actively works against the legitimacy of the state. Poverty, development, growth and investment all suffer at the hands of corruption. Source of corruption In a country with some 19.5 million public servants, a plethora of outdated and outmoded laws and a conspicuous lack of accountability, it is not difficult for these public servants to use their powers to control the remaining 1,000 million citizens. Within the public service system, a rigid, old fashioned hierarchy means that in actual fact, 90% of these employees are only Class 3 and 4. Thus less than 2 million officers control the fate of 1,000 million. As officers, they earn high salaries enriched by numerous perks and privileges but nevertheless, their greatest desire is for further riches. It makes no difference how educated they are; they have no respect for democratic values and no grasp of public morality. They will do anything for money. The 17.5 million minor public servants who work under them are exploited as middlemen or left to indulge in petty corruption them. Lack of Punishment: A contributory factor to the growth of corruption in India is that the cases relating to corruption are often handled in a casual and a clumsy manner. Those in hierarchy vested with disciplinary powers shirk duty and slow unwillingness to use their powers against corrupt practices. This may be due to different reasons like political or trade union pressure, vested interests, or sheer ineptitude in handling criminal investigation. The result is that corrupt are rarely caught and even if caught are let off with minor or no penalties. The government officials entrusted with the responsibility of dealing with corruption do it in a most inefficient and lethargic manner and this suits the political leadership which patronizes corruption. The judiciary system is so expensive, dilatory, and inefficient that it takes years and years of corruption cases to be decided. The infamous Harshad Mehta case of organized corruption in the stock exchanges of India, in which small investors lost hundreds of billions of Rupees, has been in courts for almost a decade now and yet there is no indication of its nearing any decision. The result of such inordinate delay is those accuseds often escape punishment because long time span has an adverse effect on the evidence in a case. The conviction rate in Indian courts is only 6%. There are 300 million cases pending in the Indian courts and average time taken for disposal of cases is from 10-20 years. Justice delayed is justice denied in most cases of corruption. The Benefits of an Open Society One of the inevitable comparisons in any story on rapidly developing economies is that between India and China. China has endured a spate of bad news in recent months regarding the impact of corruption and shoddy oversight on the quality of exported products from cold medication that killed dozens of people in Latin America to toxic toothpaste to childrens toys coated in lead-based paint. If Chinas initial response was to attempt to characterize much of this as a Western conspiracy against Chinese products and businesses, officials were rather quickly goaded into taking serious action. In July, the government executed Zheng Xiaoyu, who headed Chinas State Food and Drug Administration from 1997 to 2006. The good news in India, compared to China, said Ramamurti, may be that at least the most egregious forms of corruption are exposed by social activists or the media. A more open society, by definition, provides more avenues for oversight, more empowered constituencies to ferret out and disseminate the truth when things go wrong. One big difference, Singh added, comes in the form of the legal system. In India, a firm can sue the government and win, which may not be as easy in China. Also, the public at large is much more vocal and active in India. Any group can file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against a firm, which will frequently get heard in court. Also, it is the case that corporate governance is stronger in India, on average, due to better disclosure and Securities and Exchange Board of India regulatory guidelines. This [is true] even though there are some fine Chinese firms, and some quite poorly governed Indian firms. Singh ticked off a quick list of additional cultural factors that are to Indias advantage: A fierce arguably sometimes to the point of being irresponsible media, both the press and TV; a legal system descended from British Common Law like the U.S. which, while hardly perfect, does work reasonably well; [the existence of] certain rights such as freedom of speech; strong links with the global economy through, though not solely due to, the non-resident Indian (NRI) community which provides global exposure; and a facility with English which makes for easier integration into the global economy. As in other countries, however, there is the nagging problem of money corrupting the electoral process and thereby short circuiting, or at least slowing, reform. The business community and the public at large would welcome a reduction in corruption, Ramamurti said, but neither believes this will come to pass. Corruption is endemic in daily life, from things minor to major, and it has become the primary means of funding election campaigns. The really serious problem here, Singh stated, is that the prevalence of corruption in the Indian economy may well have distorted cultural norms within the society. Yet I am also aware of countervailing forces, so I do not want to overstate the case. But to the extent that change in cultural norms will be needed to root out corruption, it will take a persistent, long, drawn-out effort. While economic change is easier to achieve, cultural change is much slower and more difficult. This is compounded by the rearguard actions of those who are beneficiaries of the status quo. Measures to combat corruption Is it possible to contain corruption in our society? Corruption is a cancer, which every Indian must strive to cure. Many new leaders when come into power declare their determination to eradicate corruption but soon they themselves become corrupt and start amassing huge wealth. There are many myths about corruption, which have to be exploded if we really want to combat it. Some of these myths are: Corruption is a way of life and nothing can be done about it. Only people from underdeveloped or developing countries are prone to corruption. We will have to guard against all these crude fallacies while planning measures to fight corruption. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Foolproof laws should be made so that there is no room for discretion for politicians and bureaucrats. The role of the politician should be minimized. Application of the evolved policies should be left in the hands of independent commission or authority in each area of public interest. Decision of the commission or authority should be challengeable only in the courts. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cooperation of the people has to be obtained for successfully containing corruption. People should have a right to recall the elected representatives if they see them becoming indifferent to the electorate. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Funding of elections is at the core of political corruption. Electoral reforms are crucial in this regard. Several reforms like: State funding of election expenses for candidates; strict enforcement of statutory requirements like holding in-party elections, making political parties get their accounts audited regularly and filing income-tax returns; denying persons with criminal records a chance to contest elections, should be brought in. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Responsiveness, accountability and transparency are a must for a clean system. Bureaucracy, the backbone of good governance, should be made more citizen friendly, accountable, ethical and transparent. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ More and more courts should be opened for speedy inexpensive justice so that cases dont linger in courts for years and justice is delivered on time. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Local bodies, Independent of the government, like Lokpals, Lokadalats, CVCs and Vigilance Commissions should be formed to provide speedy justice with low expenses. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A new Fundamental Right viz. Right to Information should be introduced, which will empower the citizens to ask for the information they want. Barring some confidential information, which concerns national and international security, other information should be made available to general public as and when required. Stringent actions against corrupt officials will certainly have a deterrent impact. Corruption cannot be ignored or swept under the carpet. Its effects are extremely damaging, far-reaching and all pervasive. For third world countries, struggling to emerge from crippling debt and bitter poverty, the struggle is doomed unless and until the ugly issue of corruption is confronted and effectively addressed. Corruption is not something that a government on its own can eradicate. In any case, political leaders simply use it as a quick, easy way to win votes, making catchy slogans and shallow promises when it suits their political interests. Prime ministers from the late Gulzari Lal Nanda to Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared a war on corruption but achieved absolutely nothing. Is there anyone, then, who can take on this huge task? If the population at large and civil society institutions in particular continue to be indifferent, helpless and resigned in the face of corruption, then the answer is no. The first prerequisite is for the public and its institutions to be motivated to fight. The second is to scrap or rationalize all obsolete and outdated laws, something the government alone cannot do since such laws currently serve to keep the status quo. A genuinely committed judiciary working with civil society institutions can take on this task. India is a land of tremendous contrasts, not least in the way she cherishes such values as sacrifice and spirituality, points proudly to their prominent place in her past and boasts of her rich cultural heritage and the honesty and purity that were an essential part of it. But in the 21st century, such values remain very much in the past and India has become an embarrassing by word for dishonesty, hypocrisy and money grabbing. What has happened to those old values? Is there some covert destruction of these values going on undetected? We need a true diagnosis of the root causes of the erosion of these values and this is something our academics must do. Only then is there any hope of an eventual lasting solution. At present the public perception is that corruption is a way of life, unavoidable, something you have to endure; that you cannot survive in India without indulging in corruption in one form or the other. People are so used to this life of corruption that they have lost all interest in doing anything about it. We cannot look to businesses, industrial houses or management education for help for their entire raison detre is profit. Nor can money solve the problem. Only exceptional individuals can make a difference. In Sweden and Norway, it was sociologists who cleaned up corruption in their countries. In the USA, individual police officers and bureaucrats made sacrifices to streamline and rationalize the system. In China, a cultural revolution changed the people and transformed the entire country. But India is a law unto herself. Perhaps a little parable can illustrate this. Some Improvement; Some Distance Yet to Go Transparency International monitors corruption globally and puts out an annual report which it refers to as the Global Corruption Barometer. The most recent figures from 2006 provide an interesting perspective on how Indians see progress in the area of corruption. Indians report a substantial reduction in the perceived level of corruption in a number of sectors, according to the most recent report. Improvements encompass education, the legal system/judiciary, media, parliament/legislature and utilities. It should be noted, however, that Indian respondents still indicate that the majority of sectors highlighted are significantly affected by corruption. These improvements should therefore be understood as a positive sign of progress, but not an indication that the problem of corruption has been solved. How much is left to be done? Some three out of four Indian respondents, on the question of the degree to which their government is fighting corruption, answered that the government was either not effective, does not fight at all or actually encourages corruption. Where does business fit into this? Asked to rate the impact of corruption on various spheres of their lives on a scale of one to four, from not at all to to a large extent Indians identified political life as the sphere most significantly impacted (2.9), and personal and family life as the least impacted (2.3).They put the business environment squarely in the middle (2.6). What institutions are respected? Rating the impact of corruption on different sectors and institutions (on a scale of one to five, from not at all corrupt to extremely corrupt), Indians identified political parties (4.2) and police (4.3) as the most corrupt institutions, with business again near the middle (3.2). The least corrupt institution? The military, at 1.9. Corruption is an intractable problem. It is like diabetes, can only be controlled, but not totally eliminated. It may not be possible to root out corruption completely at all levels but it is possible to contain it within tolerable limits. Honest and dedicated persons in public life, control over electoral expenses could be the most important prescriptions to combat corruption. Corruption has a corrosive impact on our economy. It worsens our image in international market and leads to loss of overseas opportunities. Corruption is a global problem that all countries of the world have to confront, solutions, however, can only be home grown. We have tolerated corruption for so long. The time has now come to root it out from its roots.

Scarlet letter :: essays research papers

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a novel about three individuals whose lives are forever changed. The story takes place in a Puritan village in Boston, in the 1600's. A woman named Hester Prynne has committed adultery and is subject to wear a letter "A" on her dress, representing adulteress. Her secret lover, Dimmesdale, does not come forth, and she does not reveal his identity. Hester's husband, Chillingworth, becomes a sick man, living off other people's sufferings. The act of adultery has weakened each character, and isolated them from the community. The three characters find it harder and harder to live each day. Hester Prynne is a strong character, but she also gives in to weakness. She moves to the outskirts of town because she does not want her life to be observed by every town's person. Although she carries herself proudly, inside she feels sorrow for herself and her child, Pearl. Hester wears the scarlet letter even though she can take it off and refuse to wear it. Hester feels every isolated from the world, because she is an outcast in the village. Villagers look at her as a bad example and a bad person. As time goes on, Hester feels like she has to give back to the world. She feels like she has done damage to the community, and therefore Hester helps the sick and makes clothing for the less fortunate. Hester tries to deal with her situation the best she possibly can. Dimmesdale is the weakest character in the novel. Dimmesdale keeps his guilt and sin inside of his self, and by doing so it tears him apart. He does not want the village to know of his sin, because as a minister, he feels he must be looked up to. Dimmesdale keeps to himself and little by little his health fades. He fasts and fasts until he faints and he whips himself on the back as punishment. He has so much guilt built up inside of him after years and years that he decides he must confess to the village upon the scaffold. "For thee and Pearl, be it as God shall order, and God is merciful! Let me now do the will which he hath made plain before my sight. For, Hester I am a dying man. So let me make haste to take my shame upon me!" Dimmesdale is saying that he deserves the punishment that God will give him, and he is ashamed of his sin.

All For Animals :: essays research papers

All for Animals   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  WORDS:592   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is it right to take the life of an innocent animal? Animals have been burnt, crushed, sliced, electrocuted, tortured with drugs, poisoned with toxic chemicals, and tormented in psychological testing. They do all these test just to make money or find if a chemical is safe for humans. Is this right?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Animal testing or vivisection ( as commonly called) promises to cure ills though animal experimentation. If this is stopped, that will be the end of human cures. Dr. Werner Hartinger, MD, surgeon in west Germany, claims that medical science’s great advances could not have been discovered without experimenting on animals. The uninformed public usually agrees to this statement, simply because they rather see a animal die than a person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The public usually don’t see what goes on behind close doors. That is because product testers do not want them to see the animals suffer and die, including dogs, cats, rabbits, monkeys, birds, rats, mice, pigs, birds, fish, reptiles, etc. Each of these animals has the capacity to experience pain, and they can also escape it. However, inside the laboratory there is no escape. To intentionally inflict suffering and eventual death on an animal is a crude practice, one that could result in a criminal convection if done in public under the state’s law. Yet because animal testing is done behind closed doors at the hands of scientists who promises cures in the future, the suffering continues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As science became more advanced, the cruelty became more creative. How could scientist watch those animals be put through torture. A scientists, studying for head trauma strapped an animal in machinery to receive high impact blows to the head that left it with severe head damage. Another time, to examine severe burns to live tissue, pigs were restrained to prevent their escape and then burned alive with a flame thrower until the charred flesh could be removed from the live animals in large pieces. Yet another example, to demonstrate that the eye’s protein levels are not different in sight deprived monkeys compared to normal ones, animal experimenters sewed the monkeys’ eyelids shut.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The point of these horrible animals experiences are cruel. There are thousands of discoveries made without product testing. Some are: discovery of penicillin, development of x-rays, discovery of the relationship between cholesterol and heart disease, which is the number one cause of death in America. Advancements in the human medicine which are based on the human model are the only true reliable and responsible research methods.

Gender and Development Essay -- Gender Roles, Same Sex

Gender-role development is one of the most important areas of human development. The moment a women finds out she is pregnant she is often anxious to find out the sex of her child. The definitions of the terms "sex" and "gender" need to be understood. The term "sex" denotes the actual physical makeup of individuals that define them as male or female. Sex is determined by genetic makeup, internal reproductive organs, the organization of the brain, and external genitalia. The behavior of individuals as males or females, the types of roles they assume, and their personality characteristics, may be just as important as a person's biological framework. In order to differentiate between biological features one may take into consideration behaviors and social roles to establish "gender." Sex and gender are often intertwined, and certain social expectations can be attributed to ones biological sex. The sex of a newborn sets the agenda for a whole array of developmental experiences that will influence the person throughout his or her life. Overall, the sex differences between boys and girls in the first year of life are minimal. Boys may be a bit more active or fussier and girls more physically mature and less prone to physical problems, but that may be the extent of the significant differences. Mothers have a tendency to ignore more of their son's emotional outbursts in comparison to their daughters' outbursts. Boys may be rough-housed or played with in a more aggressive manor as well. This goes in line with stereotyping males as more hardy or tough and girls as gentle and soft. A parent can influence their child into these gender roles by the way they discipline. They may be harder on a boy than a girl for the exact same behavior. ... ...in the acquisition of gender difference in behavior and attitudes play a role in gender socialization (Lau, 1996). Gender role socialization according to a study done cross-culturally found that it could be narrowly defined by the type of sex-typed behaviors such as play activities and toys. In summary, gender identity is a learned behavior that starts at a very young age and can hinder or enhance a child's development. Gender plays a role in how a person defines themselves and grows as a person depending on their safety and security in being male or female and what that means to them and what they are taught at a young age. Bottom line is that men and women are different, and as a society and as parents being a boy or girl does not meet we have to fit into a certain box, as people are unique in of themselves, and that is what we can enhance and nurture to develop. Gender and Development Essay -- Gender Roles, Same Sex Gender-role development is one of the most important areas of human development. The moment a women finds out she is pregnant she is often anxious to find out the sex of her child. The definitions of the terms "sex" and "gender" need to be understood. The term "sex" denotes the actual physical makeup of individuals that define them as male or female. Sex is determined by genetic makeup, internal reproductive organs, the organization of the brain, and external genitalia. The behavior of individuals as males or females, the types of roles they assume, and their personality characteristics, may be just as important as a person's biological framework. In order to differentiate between biological features one may take into consideration behaviors and social roles to establish "gender." Sex and gender are often intertwined, and certain social expectations can be attributed to ones biological sex. The sex of a newborn sets the agenda for a whole array of developmental experiences that will influence the person throughout his or her life. Overall, the sex differences between boys and girls in the first year of life are minimal. Boys may be a bit more active or fussier and girls more physically mature and less prone to physical problems, but that may be the extent of the significant differences. Mothers have a tendency to ignore more of their son's emotional outbursts in comparison to their daughters' outbursts. Boys may be rough-housed or played with in a more aggressive manor as well. This goes in line with stereotyping males as more hardy or tough and girls as gentle and soft. A parent can influence their child into these gender roles by the way they discipline. They may be harder on a boy than a girl for the exact same behavior. ... ...in the acquisition of gender difference in behavior and attitudes play a role in gender socialization (Lau, 1996). Gender role socialization according to a study done cross-culturally found that it could be narrowly defined by the type of sex-typed behaviors such as play activities and toys. In summary, gender identity is a learned behavior that starts at a very young age and can hinder or enhance a child's development. Gender plays a role in how a person defines themselves and grows as a person depending on their safety and security in being male or female and what that means to them and what they are taught at a young age. Bottom line is that men and women are different, and as a society and as parents being a boy or girl does not meet we have to fit into a certain box, as people are unique in of themselves, and that is what we can enhance and nurture to develop.

Gadgets: Social Networking Sites Essay

Nowadays, it seems like most of us students like to use gadgets for fun. It is true that those are very useful. It helps us connect to each other, to learn new things and also discover new things. We don’t think that it could have a bad influence or bad effects to us. Gadgets make our life better in many ways. It enables us to do things faster and easier. For example the cellphone, many of us are lost without it and for students this device is more than just cellphone. It is also a chat opportunity, a camera and more. A negative effect of this is that students can become obsessive and can neglect everything else like their social life and family. Computer is another one. It helps students a lot especially in assignments but social networking sites start to catch their attention like Facebook. This site has a lot of games that are so addictive like Tetris. It’s not bad to play, but the bad thing is to spend all your life in front of computer, pretending that everything else doesn’t exist. Listening to music from MP3 players can help us when doing boring or repetitive tasks. However, listening to music for long periods of time in a high volume may cause hearing problem which is extremely dangerous. Playing video games have probably influenced teenage students the most. There is a tendency that we will forget everything else and there are also chances that it might confuse us between the virtual world and real word.

Cheating in a Bottom Line Economy

SUMMARY & CRITIQUE OF: â€Å"Cheating in a Bottom Line Economy† (by David Callahan) In â€Å"Cheating in a Bottom Line Economy,† author David Callahan explains the fundamental reasons for the decay of simple business ethics in today’s economy in order to meet bottom line standards. Callahan draws conclusions from everyday businesses such as auto mechanic services, law offices, and even professional medical firms to prove that people will almost always choose financial stability over integrity. The economic life in America has transformed itself into a vast land of professionals focused on achieving â€Å"lean and mean† businesses in efforts to achieve the â€Å"American Dream,† but in essence lose sense of their morals. What happens when an employee is living a standard life with a job just barely getting them by? Executives at corporate headquarters decide to send down a new set of marching orders that drill employees with twice as much work for a sharply decreased base pay. Those marching orders have coined the term bottom line standards. American businesses have become highly competitive today in a market that is constantly changing to keep up with a new generation of ideas. These fluctuations in the economy have caused businesses to take different methods of actions to be competitive in the market. In the 1970’s Sears reigned as one of America’s well known retailers and shaped popular culture. As the market of demand became more competitive, Sears’ earnings began falling off the market. In order to get on the stock market, Sears had to cut 48,000 jobs and institutionalized a new compensation system (Callahan 31). As Sears set their new bottom-line standards to increase efficiency, it caused uproar from the employees. The demands of the company ultimately undermined the integrity of their workers. The pressure to make unpleasant ethical choices at work had employees â€Å"torn between moral integrity, losing [their] job, and trying to figure out how to work all this out† (Callahan 31). Employees of companies with bottom line standards were faced with a new decision at margin which made doing the right thing harder: suffer a pay cut and risk losing their job or cheat the customer. Not to our surprise, the employee would almost always choose their economic stability over their integrity. It is still not easy to say that the employee’s conscious didn’t warn them of the risks, the first time. It begins with just a simple upgrade tune up and then trickles to $1,000 in new auto parts. If we look back at the Sear’s auto mechanic example, a mechanic could easily convince the customer that their car needed a whole new system because of the customer’s lack of knowledge of the subject. The customer automatically assumes there is a guaranteed trust commitment to their service, but in turn gets fooled. The evidence unearthed by investigators found nearly identical reports of cheating at one Sears auto repair shop after another. The art of deception played a key role in fooling customers. The â€Å"ordinary people† at the New York City law firms were bound by an oath to abide a rigorous code of ethics (Callahan 33). Though these lawyers dealt with legal affairs of America’s largest companies, they were faced with not meeting year end billing requirements. In the most desperate cases of being downsized, lawyers turned to padding their hours by simply making up the numbers. They rounded up their hours and added in miscellaneous hours which was described as the â€Å"new math† (Callahan 39). â€Å"Let me tell you how you will start acting unethically†¦One day, not too long after you start practicing law, you will sit down at the end of a long, tiring day, and you just won’t have much to show for your efforts in terms of billable hours†¦so what you’ll do is pad your time sheet just a bit†¦However you will promise yourself that you will repay the client at the first opportunity by doing thirty minutes for the client for ‘free. In this way, you will be ‘borrowin,’ not stealing,† (Schlitz qtd. in Callahan 39). Commitments to meeting bottom line standards and greed have become directions of undermining integrity of even the most trusted profession: medical doctors. Medical professionals begin engaging in multilevel marketing companies such as the Wellness International Network (WIN), which dictate distributors to sell their company’s product at any extent. By earning money off of new distributors, this multilevel marketing became a pyramid scheme for destruction. Report peg the sale of health supplements by doctors at nearly $200 million in 2001, a tenfold increase from 1997. An estimated 20,000 doctors are now selling supplements from their offices, more than double the number of five years ago† (Callahan 49). These sorts of insider trading within their offices go against the American Medical Association guidelines that â€Å"doctors must ensure that the claims supporting any products they sell to patients are ‘scientifically valid and backed up by peer reviewed literature and other unbiased scientific sources’† (Callahan 49). They clearly prohibit the exchange of medical equipment, but the profit is too grand for the doctors to pass up. Those in the medical profession argue that they resort to such options to pay for their debt payments and management. Comments such as â€Å"I was used to following doctors advice†¦Doctors have the training, so you’ve got to respect their expertise† (Cumminskey qtd. in Callahan 48) prove that doctors hold a high level of respect for their profession, but it diminishes as scandals of deception are released to the public. In Steven Messner’s and Richard Rosenfeld’s article A Society Organized for Crime, they explain that people’s behavior towards meeting bottom line standards is to fulfill the American Dream. They state that the American Dream is an ideology that â€Å"people are socialized to accept the desirability of pursing the goal of material success, and they are encouraged to believe that the changes of the Dream are sufficiently high to justify a continued commitment to this cultural goal† (Messner 6). Generally, success in today’s society is defined by monetary and material gains. Therefore people are willing to go at any measure to achieve that success. Both articles explain how crime and delinquency arise from economic disputes that are settled with unethical behavior. The issue at hand is the fact that these issues cannot be solved in conventional ways, but only by working around the system to deceive their customers. Callahan’s article reinforces these popular notions that crime is not always intentional, but a means of getting through small obstacles in life in an unethical matter. These illegal activities begin as small meaningless preconceived activities and then sprout to everyday routines that are accepted within their business community. Callahan also makes us reconsider the power of higher authority figures that knowingly condone and usually promote this unethical behavior. This takes us back to the old saying, would you jump off a cliff if everyone did? The answer is yes. In all three of the cases, personal issues about cheating were put aside because â€Å"everyone was doing it. † I found these readings really interesting and relevant to the topic of crime and delinquency. Callahan does an excellent job of explaining the effects of bottom lines standards on people and the economy. I completely agree with his perspective that choosing economical stability over integrity will get a person closer to the American Dream then losing their job. It poses a moral issue, but in this century you can’t live on just integrity. The sad truth is people gain integrity from their monetary and material wealth. I believe Callahan could really expand on this topic by looking further into the psychological standpoint of meeting bottom line standards in order to get a better understanding of what goes through a person’s mind when deciding to go against their morals. KEY POINTS, ISSUES, AND QUESTIONS:Doing the right thing gets harder as the pressure between financial stability and integrity is put on the line.The game of hustling becomes everyday knowledge that moral ethics are completely put aside.  The American Dream causes people to act irrationally, but if you really think about it their unethical act stimulate the economy.Question: What are the implications of Callahan’s work for discovering cheating in a bottom line economy? Question: What are the psychological aspects of going against morals to deceive people ?

Htc Introduction Essay

HTC quickly emerged on the smartphone scene with the remarkable success of The Sense, one of its first models, and broke many industry sales records. People were asking, â€Å"Who is HTC? † Our research indicates that HTC’s rapid rise to success was because of innovation and technological capabilities. Even though the HTC brand was not widely recognized, its smartphones were generating interest. In our primary research, we discovered that some people owned an HTC phone but did not know that HTC was the manufacturer. Obviously, brand awareness was relatively low. For HTC to stay relevant in the hypercompetitive smartphone industry, it needs serious revamping of its marketing plan. With smartphone market penetration increasing to more than 20 percent in the past five years and reaching 46. 8 percent in Q3 2011, HTC has tremendous opportunities to establish a solid market position. After examining the market conditions and current HTC performance in the U. S. , our team proposes that HTC position itself as a technological leader by targeting consumers ages 18 to 34. This promising segment has potential sales of $2. 5 million. We analyzed the industry and examined external factors that could impact HTC’s bottom line. This analysis gave us crucial insight into the smartphone market. We also analyzed the competitive environment that includes Apple, Motorola, and RIM (Blackberry). HTC, which has a positive reputation on the merits of its technology, needs to boldly differentiate itself in the marketplace. Through market analysis, we discovered that HTC has a strong market size, market potential, and distinct target markets. We recommend that HTC take specific steps through segmenting, targeting, and positioning to execute its marketing plan. We are confident that our plan can increase HTC’s market share by 2 percent each year. By the end of 2012, our marketing objective is to reach a 24 percent market share of the smartphone industry, which equals 18. 7 million HTC customers. The plan includes recommendations and precautions at distribution channels so that HTC differentiates itself from the other brands. We developed a budget for the marketing plan and devised procedures to monitor each effort in order to reach our projected market share increase. We are confident that our marketing plan can take HTC from an emerging brand to a dominant market leader.

“Death of Socrates” by Jacques-Louis David Essay

Behind every great piece of artwork lies a story. Each story told by art is defined by the era in which it was created. For one to truly comprehend what message an artwork conveys, one must be familiar with the historical context from which it was taken. One great example would be â€Å"Death of Socrates† by Jacques-Louis David. The meaning of the painting can only be derived from an understanding of the 18th century, an era where the Enlightenment occurred and Neoclassicism flourished. The painting â€Å"Death of Socrates† was created during the 18th century. Despite this, the artwork depicted personalities from ancient philosophy. One would be prompted to ask, â€Å"Why did the artist choose to paint figures from antiquity in an 18th century art piece? The answer lies in the historical period in which the artist was included. In 18th century, Europe was immersed in an era known as the Age of Reason or Enlightenment. During this time, reason prevailed in all aspects of human life. The dominance of reason altered the political and social landscape, as people began to challenge traditional institutions and beliefs. The Enlightenment was very influential in France, which is why it is no surprise that Jacques-Louis David had applied Enlightenment ideals in his paintings. It must be noted that the late 18th century was also known for the â€Å"renewed interest in classical antiquity† (Gardner, Kleiner and Mamiya 646). The revival of Greek and Roman culture was most apparent in Neoclassicism, a movement which borrowed the basic elements of classical art. Neoclassicism became evident in architecture, painting and sculpture; all these disciplines integrated the styles and themes of the ancient world. David was part of the Neoclassicist movement and became one of its most prominent painters. This was the reason he chose Socrates as his subject. Hence, David’s style and technique as an artist was shaped by the Enlightenment and Neoclassicism. The painting describes the last moments of Socrates (â€Å"Jacques-Louis David†). The philosopher is seated upright on a bed in the middle of the painting, surrounded by his companions. His left hand points in an upward direction, which is an indication of the ancient Greek belief in the transmigration of souls. According to this belief, the soul lives forever. This is the reason why Socrates is seemingly unconcerned with his impending demise and had freely accepted his fate. Meanwhile, his right hand reaches for the hemlock. The hemlock was placed in the middle because death is the central theme of the painting. One would wonder why David chose to depict Socrates with the physique of a young man when the philosopher was in his 70s. It must be noted that â€Å"Death of Socrates† is a Neoclassical piece, which means that David followed the style of ancient Greek art. Ancient Greek art is known for its ideal, perfect depiction of human beings. Compared to Socrates, the people who surrounded Socrates display a completely different attitude. The companions of Socrates are depicted as figures overwhelmed with anguish due to the philosopher’s impending death. The people on the right side of the painting are obviously distressed by death. They are depicted as excessively emotional, which rendered them remarkably distinct from Socrates. Only three figures in the painting seemed more in control of their emotions. The wife of Socrates, who is found in the left side of the painting, is leaving the prison with an indifferent facial expression. Crito is seated on a stool on the foot of Socrates’ bed, with his head down. Meanwhile, Plato has a firm grip on the leg of Socrates. Such action implies that Plato did not want his master to surrender to death. In this painting, the philosopher’s attitude and way of thinking becomes apparent due to the different reactions towards death as shown by the figures. While others mourn his last living moments, Socrates’ remain indifferent and unaffected. He accepts his death while keeping his beliefs intact. The philosopher has a more accepting perspective of death; instead of fearing death, he embraces it. David meant for the painting to be a reaction towards the political situation of France during that time. As a part of the French Enlightenment, he and his friends demanded change in the leadership of the monarchy. The painting was made prior to the French Revolution and the painter wanted his work to serve as an inspiration to those who would be involved. He sought to tell the French people about their duty to the nation. He wanted to convey the message that they must sacrifice for the good of the people and fight against unfair leadership. This was the reason why he chose Socrates as his subject. The Enlightenment called for freedom of thought. The era was about the transformation of society towards the truth. Socrates was a man who defended freedom of thought. However, he was killed by the Athenian government who wanted to diminish the doubt that his beliefs aroused. The death of Socrates was the death of truth. Through the painting, David criticized the French monarchy for suppressing the truth. Like Socrates who chose to defy the government and stay true to his beliefs, David wanted the French people to fight against unjust leadership and defend freedom of thought. The play of light and darkness in â€Å"Death of Socrates† helped showcase the message David wanted to express. For instance, the brightest part of the painting is in the middle, where Socrates was situated. Meanwhile, the darkest areas of the painting are on the sides. In the left side, there is the dark hallway as well as the staircase through which the wife of Socrates leaves the scene. The upper right hand side of the painting, the area which is found above the mourning people, is also rather dark. There is a reason behind such distribution in the painting. David envisioned Socrates to be a role model; the latter proved to be formidable figure that was not swayed by the coming of death. He was a man who willingly gave up his life and refuses to deny his ideals. This was the reason why the light was fixed upon him. Those who are situated the dark areas are the people David wanted to change. The darkness touches upon the weeping companions of Socrates, those people who surrender to grief when confronted with death. The wife of Socrates is depicted as fleeing from the scene, as if she cannot bear to deal with the philosopher’s demise. David wanted virtue and sacrifice from the people who are confronted with a revolution and those in the dark areas in the painting represent those who lack these notions. The movement of the figures is also instrumental in demonstrating the meaning of the painting. The viewer can clearly see the contrast between the stance of the philosopher and the stance of the people around him. On one hand, Socrates is in a straight sitting position; the painting makes him appear full of life and energy. It is also evident that he possesses self-control at that moment. On the other hand, the figures who surround him reveal lifeless body language. The philosopher’s companions are shown to be stooping, with their heads dropped. The posture of the figures alone highlights the difference between Socrates and his companions. The difference in posture contributes to the meaning of the painting because it asserts the position of Socrates as the one to emulate in the time of the French Revolution. David wanted the French people to be like Socrates, a man who stood by what he believed in and was not afraid of the consequences. All artworks have a story to share. The story behind an artwork can be best understood when one is familiar with the historical era from which it was made. In the case of â€Å"Death of Socrates† by Jacques-Louis David, one must know about the Enlightenment and Neoclassicism in the 18th century to know what the artist wanted to convey. David was an artist who was strongly influenced by the Enlightenment and Neoclassicism, so the only way to truly understand his work is to look through history. Works Cited Gardner, Helen, Fred S. Kleiner and Christin J. Mamiya. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective. Florence, Kentucky: Cengage Learning, 2005. â€Å"Jacques-Louis David: The Death of Socrates. † Boston College Web Site. 27 Nov. 2006. 31 March 2009 .