Cell Transport Mechanisms and Permeability: Computer Simulation

Simple Diffusion 1. The following refer to Activity 1: Simulating Dialysis (Simple Diffusion). Which solute(s) were able to pass through the 20 MWCO membrane? According to your results, which solute had the highest molecular weight? ______________________________________ Which solute displayed the highest rate of diffusion through the 200 MWCO membrane? __________________________ Using the data from Chart 1, explain the relationship between the rate of diffusion and the size of the solute. Facilitated Diffusion 2. The following refer to Activity 2: Simulating Facilitated Diffusion. Did any of the substances travel against their concentration gradient? Explain why or why not. Using your results from Chart 2, what was the fastest rate of facilitated diffusion recorded? _______________. Describe the conditions that were used to achieve this rate. ___________________________________________________________ Name two ways to increase the rate of glucose transport. _____________________________________________________ Did NaCl affect glucose transport? ____________________________________________________________ __________ Did NaCl require a transport protein for diffusion? Why or why not? ___________________________________________ Cell Transport Mechanisms and Permeability: Computer Simulation E X E R C I S E NAME ____________________________________ LAB TIME/DATE ________________________ version 8 Osmotic Pressure 3. The following refer to Activity 3: Simulating Osmotic Pressure. For NaCl, which MWCO membrane(s) provided for the net movement of water without moveme nt of NaCl? Explain how you determined this. (Hint: Correlate your results to the data in Chart 3. ) ______________________________ For glucose, which MWCO membrane(s) provided for the net movement of glucose without net ovement of water? Explain how you determined this. ____________________________________________________________ ___________ Is osmotic pressure generated if solutes diffuse freely? _______________________________________________________ Explain how the solute concentration affects osmotic pressure. ________________________________________________ Filtration 4. The following refer to Activity 4: Simulating Filtration. Using your results in Chart 4, which MWCO membrane had the greatest filtration rate? ____________________________ Explain the relationship between pore size and filtration rate. ________________________________________________ Which solute did not appear in the filtrate using any of the membranes? _________________________________________ What is your p rediction of the molecular weight of glucose compared to the other solutes in the solution? _______________ What happened when you increased the driving pressure? ____________________________________________________ Explain why fluid flows from the capillaries of the kidneys into the kidney tubules. How do you think a decrease in blood pressure would affect filtration in the kidneys? _____________________________ PEx-18 Review Sheet 5B 5. The following refer to Activity 5: Simulating Active Transport. With 1 mMATP added to the cell interior (left beaker) and the extracellular space (right beaker), was all of the Na moved into the extracellular space? Why or why not? ____________________________________________________________ _ Describe the effect of decreasing the number of sodium-potassium pumps. _______________________________________ Describe how you were able to show that the movement of sodium was due to active transport. ______________________

Twilight 19. GOODBYES

19. GOODBYES Charlie was waiting up for me. All the house lights were on. My mind was blank as I tried to think of a way to make him let me go. This wasn't going to be pleasant. Edward pulled up slowly, staying well back from my truck. All three of them were acutely alert, ramrod straight in their seats, listening to every sound of the wood, looking through every shadow, catching every scent, searching for something out of place. The engine cut off, and I sat, motionless, as they continued to listen. â€Å"He's not here,† Edward said tensely. â€Å"Let's go.† Emmett reached over to help me get out of the harness. â€Å"Don't worry, Bella,† he said in a low but cheerful voice, â€Å"we'll take care of things here quickly.† I felt moisture filling up my eyes as I looked at Emmett. I barely knew him, and yet, somehow, not knowing when I would see him again after tonight was anguishing. I knew this was just a faint taste of the goodbyes I would have to survive in the next hour, and the thought made the tears begin to spill. â€Å"Alice, Emmett.† Edward's voice was a command. They slithered soundlessly into the darkness, instantly disappearing. Edward opened my door and took my hand, then drew me into the protecting enclosure of his arm. He walked me swiftly toward the house, eyes always roving through the night. â€Å"Fifteen minutes,† he warned under his breath. â€Å"I can do this.† I sniffled. My tears had given me an inspiration. I stopped on the porch and took hold of his face in my hands. I looked fiercely into his eyes. â€Å"I love you,† I said in a low, intense voice. â€Å"I will always love you, no matter what happens now.† â€Å"Nothing is going to happen to you, Bella,† he said just as fiercely. â€Å"Just follow the plan, okay? Keep Charlie safe for me. He's not going to like me very much after this, and I want to have the chance to apologize later.† â€Å"Get inside, Bella. We have to hurry.† His voice was urgent. â€Å"One more thing,† I whispered passionately. â€Å"Don't listen to another word I say tonight!† He was leaning in, and so all I had to do was stretch up on my toes to kiss his surprised, frozen lips with as much force as I was capable of. Then I turned and kicked the door open. â€Å"Go away, Edward!† I yelled at him, running inside and slamming the door shut in his still-shocked face. â€Å"Bella?† Charlie had been hovering in the living room, and he was already on his feet. â€Å"Leave me alone!† I screamed at him through my tears, which were flowing relentlessly now. I ran up the stairs to my room, throwing the door shut and locking it. I ran to my bed, flinging myself on the floor to retrieve my duffel bag. I reached swiftly between the mattress and box spring to grab the knotted old sock that contained my secret cash hoard. Charlie was pounding on my door. â€Å"Bella, are you okay? What's going on?† His voice was frightened. â€Å"I'm going borne,† I shouted, my voice breaking in the perfect spot. â€Å"Did he hurt you?† His tone edged toward anger. â€Å"No!† I shrieked a few octaves higher. I turned to my dresser, and Edward was already there, silently yanking out armfuls of random clothes, which he proceeded to throw to me. â€Å"Did he break up with you?† Charlie was perplexed. â€Å"No!† I yelled, slightly more breathless as I shoved everything into the bag. Edward threw another drawer's contents at me. The bag was pretty much full now. â€Å"What happened, Bella?† Charlie shouted through the door, pounding again. â€Å"I broke up with him!† I shouted back, jerking on the zipper of my bag. Edward's capable hands pushed mine away and zipped it smoothly. He put the strap carefully over my arm. â€Å"I'll be in the truck – go!† he whispered, and pushed me toward the door. He vanished out the window. I unlocked the door and pushed past Charlie roughly, struggling with my heavy bag as I ran down the stairs. â€Å"What happened?† he yelled. He was right behind me. â€Å"I thought you liked him.† He caught my elbow in the kitchen. Though he was still bewildered, his grip was firm. He spun me around to look at him, and I could see in his face that he had no intention of letting me leave. I could think of only one way to escape, and it involved hurting him so much that I hated myself for even considering it. But I had no time, and I had to keep him safe. I glared up at my father, fresh tears in my eyes for what I was about to do. â€Å"I do like him – that's the problem. I can't do this anymore! I can't put down any more roots here! I don't want to end up trapped in this stupid, boring town like Mom! I'm not going to make the same dumb mistake she did. I hate it – I can't stay here another minute!† His hand dropped from my arm like I'd electrocuted him. I turned away from his shocked, wounded face and headed for the door. â€Å"Bells, you can't leave now. It's nighttime,† he whispered behind me. I didn't turn around. â€Å"I'll sleep in the truck if I get tired.† â€Å"Just wait another week,† he pled, still shell-shocked. â€Å"Ren? ¦e will be back by then.† This completely derailed me. â€Å"What?† Charlie continued eagerly, almost babbling with relief as I hesitated. â€Å"She called while you were out. Things aren't going so well in Florida, and if Phil doesn't get signed by the end of the week, they're going back to Arizona. The assistant coach of the Sidewinders said they might have a spot for another shortstop.† I shook my head, trying to reassemble my now-confused thoughts. Every passing second put Charlie in more danger. â€Å"I have a key,† I muttered, turning the knob. He was too close, one hand extended toward me, his face dazed. I couldn't lose any more time arguing with him. I was going to have to hurt him further. â€Å"Just let me go, Charlie.† I repeated my mother's last words as she'd walked out this same door so many years ago. I said them as angrily as I could manage, and I threw the door open. â€Å"It didn't work out, okay? I really, really hate Forks!† My cruel words did their job – Charlie stayed frozen on the doorstep, stunned, while I ran into the night. I was hideously frightened of the empty yard. I ran wildly for the truck, visualizing a dark shadow behind me. I threw my bag in the bed and wrenched the door open. The key was waiting in the ignition. â€Å"I'll call you tomorrow!† I yelled, wishing more than anything that I could explain everything to him right then, knowing I would never be able to. I gunned the engine and peeled out. Edward reached for my hand. â€Å"Pull over,† he said as the house, and Charlie, disappeared behind us. â€Å"I can drive,† I said through the tears pouring down my cheeks. His long hands unexpectedly gripped my waist, and his foot pushed mine off the gas pedal. He pulled me across his lap, wrenching my hands free of the wheel, and suddenly he was in the driver's seat. The truck didn't swerve an inch. â€Å"You wouldn't be able to find the house,† he explained. Lights flared suddenly behind us. I stared out the back window, eyes wide with horror. â€Å"It's just Alice,† he reassured me. He took my hand again. My mind was filled with the image of Charlie in the doorway. â€Å"The tracker?† â€Å"He heard the end of your performance,† Edward said grimly. â€Å"Charlie?† I asked in dread. â€Å"The tracker followed us. He's running behind us now.† My body went cold. â€Å"Can we outrun him?† â€Å"No.† But he sped up as he spoke. The truck's engine whined in protest. My plan suddenly didn't feel so brilliant anymore. I was staring back at Alice's headlights when the truck shuddered and a dark shadow sprung up outside the window. My bloodcurdling scream lasted a fraction of a second before Edward's hand clamped down on my mouth. â€Å"It's Emmett!† He released my mouth, and wound his arm around my waist. â€Å"It's okay, Bella,† he promised. â€Å"You're going to be safe.† We raced through the quiet town toward the north highway. â€Å"I didn't realize you were still so bored with small-town life,† he said conversationally, and I knew he was trying to distract me. â€Å"It seemed like you were adjusting fairly well – especially recently. Maybe I was just flattering myself that I was making life more interesting for you.† â€Å"I wasn't being nice,† I confessed, ignoring his attempt at diversion, looking down at my knees. â€Å"That was the same thing my mom said when she left him. You could say I was hitting below the belt.† â€Å"Don't worry. He'll forgive you.† He smiled a little, though it didn't touch his eyes. I stared at him desperately, and he saw the naked panic in my eyes. â€Å"Bella, it's going to be all right.† â€Å"But it won't be all right when I'm not with you,† I whispered. â€Å"We'll be together again in a few days,† he said, tightening his arm around me. â€Å"Don't forget that this was your idea.† â€Å"It was the best idea – of course it was mine.† His answering smile was bleak and disappeared immediately. â€Å"Why did this happen?† I asked, my voice catching. â€Å"Why me?† He stared blackly at the road ahead. â€Å"It's my fault – I was a fool to expose you like that.† The rage in his voice was directed internally. â€Å"That's not what I meant,† I insisted. â€Å"I was there, big deal. It didn't bother the other two. Why did this James decide to kill met There're people all over the place, why me?† He hesitated, thinking before he answered. â€Å"I got a good look at his mind tonight,† he began in a low voice. â€Å"I'm not sure if there's anything I could have done to avoid this, once he saw you. It is partially your fault.† His voice was wry. â€Å"If you didn't smell so appallingly luscious, he might not have bothered. But when I defended you†¦ well, that made it a lot worse. He's not used to being thwarted, no matter how insignificant the object. He thinks of himself as a hunter and nothing else. His existence is consumed with tracking, and a challenge is all he asks of life. Suddenly we've presented him with a beautiful challenge – a large clan of strong fighters all bent on protecting the one vulnerable element. You wouldn't believe how euphoric he is now. It's his favorite game, and we've just made it his most exciting game ever.† His tone was full of disgust. He paused a moment. â€Å"But if I had stood by, he would have killed you right then,† he said with hopeless frustration. â€Å"I thought†¦ I didn't smell the same to the others†¦ as I do to you,† I said hesitantly. â€Å"You don't. But that doesn't mean that you aren't still a temptation to every one of them. If you had appealed to the tracker – or any of them – the same way you appeal to me, it would have meant a fight right there.† I shuddered. â€Å"I don't think I have any choice but to kill him now,† he muttered. â€Å"Carlisle won't like it.† I could hear the tires cross the bridge, though I couldn't see the river in the dark. I knew we were getting close. I had to ask him now. â€Å"How can you kill a vampire?† He glanced at me with unreadable eyes and his voice was suddenly harsh. â€Å"The only way to be sure is to tear him to shreds, and then burn the pieces.† â€Å"And the other two will fight with him?† â€Å"The woman will. I'm not sure about Laurent. They don't have a very strong bond – he's only with them for convenience. He was embarrassed by James in the meadow†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But James and the woman – they'll try to kill you?† I asked, my voice raw. â€Å"Bella, don't you dare waste time worrying about me. Your only concern is keeping yourself safe and – please, please – trying not to be reckless.† â€Å"Is he still following?† â€Å"Yes. He won't attack the house, though. Not tonight.† He turned off onto the invisible drive, with Alice following behind. We drove right up to the house. The lights inside were bright, but they did little to alleviate the blackness of the encroaching forest. Emmett had my door open before the truck was stopped; he pulled me out of the seat, tucked me like a football into his vast chest, and ran me through the door. We burst into the large white room, Edward and Alice at our sides. All of them were there; they were already on their feet at the sound of our approach. Laurent stood in their midst. I could hear low growls rumble deep in Emmett's throat as he set me down next to Edward. â€Å"He's tracking us,† Edward announced, glaring balefully at Laurent. Laurent's face was unhappy. â€Å"I was afraid of that.† Alice danced to Jasper's side and whispered in his ear; her lips quivered with the speed of her silent speech. They flew up the stairs together. Rosalie watched them, and then moved quickly to Emmett's side. Her beautiful eyes were intense and – when they flickered unwillingly to my face – furious. â€Å"What will he do?† Carlisle asked Laurent in chilling tones. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he answered. â€Å"I was afraid, when your boy there defended her, that it would set him off.† â€Å"Can you stop him?† Laurent shook his head. â€Å"Nothing stops James when he gets started.† â€Å"We'll stop him,† Emmett promised. There was no doubt what he meant. â€Å"You can't bring him down. I've never seen anything like him in my three hundred years. He's absolutely lethal. That's why I joined his coven.† His coven, I thought, of course. The show of leadership in the clearing was merely that, a show. Laurent was shaking his head. He glanced at me, perplexed, and back to Carlisle. â€Å"Are you sure it's worth it?† Edward's enraged roar filled the room; Laurent cringed back. Carlisle looked gravely at Laurent. â€Å"I'm afraid you're going to have to make a choice.† Laurent understood. He deliberated for a moment. His eyes took in every face, and finally swept the bright room. â€Å"I'm intrigued by the life you've created here. But I won't get in the middle of this. I bear none of you any enmity, but I won't go up against James. I think I will head north – to that clan in Denali.† He hesitated. â€Å"Don't underestimate James. He's got a brilliant mind and unparalleled senses. He's every bit as comfortable in the human world as you seem to be, and he won't come at you head on†¦ I'm sorry for what's been unleashed here. Truly sorry.† He bowed his head, but I saw him flicker another puzzled look at me. â€Å"Go in peace,† was Carlisle's formal answer. Laurent took another long look around himself, and then he hurried out the door. The silence lasted less than a second. â€Å"How close?† Carlisle looked to Edward. Esme was already moving; her hand touched an inconspicuous keypad on the wall, and with a groan, huge metal shutters began sealing up the glass wall. I gaped. â€Å"About three miles out past the river; he's circling around to meet up with the female.† â€Å"What's the plan?† â€Å"We'll lead him off, and then Jasper and Alice will run her south.† â€Å"And then?† Edward's tone was deadly. â€Å"As soon as Bella is clear, we hunt him.† â€Å"I guess there's no other choice,† Carlisle agreed, his face grim. Edward turned to Rosalie. â€Å"Get her upstairs and trade clothes,† Edward commanded. She stared back at him with livid disbelief. â€Å"Why should I?† she hissed. â€Å"What is she to me? Except a menace – a danger you've chosen to inflict on all of us.† I flinched back from the venom in her voice. â€Å"Rose†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Emmett murmured, putting one hand on her shoulder. She shook it off. But I was watching Edward carefully, knowing his temper, worried about his reaction. He surprised me. He looked away from Rosalie as if she hadn't spoken, as if she didn't exist. â€Å"Esme?† he asked calmly. â€Å"Of course,† Esme murmured. Esme was at my side in half a heartbeat, swinging me up easily into her arms, and dashing up the stairs before I could gasp in shock. â€Å"What are we doing?† I asked breathlessly as she set me down in a dark room somewhere off the second-story hall. â€Å"Trying to confuse the smell. It won't work for long, but it might help get you out.† I could hear her clothes falling to the floor. â€Å"I don't think I'll fit†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated, but her hands were abruptly pulling my shirt over my head. I quickly stripped my jeans off myself. She handed me something, it felt like a shirt. I struggled to get my arms through the right holes. As soon as I was done she handed me her slacks. I yanked them on, but I couldn't get my feet out; they were too long. She deftly rolled the hems a few times so I could stand. Somehow she was already in my clothes. She pulled me back to the stairs, where Alice stood, a small leather bag in one hand. They each grabbed one of my elbows and half-carried me as they flew down the stairs. It appeared that everything had been settled downstairs in our absence. Edward and Emmett were ready to leave, Emmett carrying a heavy-looking backpack over his shoulder. Carlisle was handing something small to Esme. He turned and handed Alice the same thing – it was a tiny silver cell phone. â€Å"Esme and Rosalie will be taking your truck, Bella,† he told me as he passed. I nodded, glancing warily at Rosalie. She was glowering at Carlisle with a resentful expression. â€Å"Alice, Jasper – take the Mercedes. You'll need the dark tint in the south.† They nodded as well. â€Å"We're taking the Jeep.† I was surprised to see that Carlisle intended to go with Edward. I realized suddenly, with a stab of fear, that they made up the hunting party. â€Å"Alice,† Carlisle asked, â€Å"will they take the bait?† Everyone watched Alice as she closed her eyes and became incredibly still. Finally her eyes opened. â€Å"He'll track you. The woman will follow the truck. We should be able to leave after that.† Her voice was certain. â€Å"Let's go.† Carlisle began to walk toward the kitchen. But Edward was at my side at once. He caught me up in his iron grip, crushing me to him. He seemed unaware of his watching family as he pulled my face to his, lifting my feet off the floor. For the shortest second, his lips were icy and hard against mine. Then it was over. He set me down, still holding my face, his glorious eyes burning into mine. His eyes went blank, curiously dead, as he turned away. And they were gone. We stood there, the others looking away from me as the tears streaked noiselessly down my face. The silent moment dragged on, and then Esme's phone vibrated in her hand. It flashed to her ear. â€Å"Now,† she said. Rosalie stalked out the front door without another glance in my direction, but Esme touched my cheek as she passed. â€Å"Be safe.† Her whisper lingered behind them as they slipped out the door. I heard my truck start thunderously, and then fade away. Jasper and Alice waited. Alice's phone seemed to be at her ear before it buzzed. â€Å"Edward says the woman is on Esme's trail. I'll get the car.† She vanished into the shadows the way Edward had gone. Jasper and I looked at each other. He stood across the length of the entryway from me†¦ being careful. â€Å"You're wrong, you know,† he said quietly. â€Å"What?† I gasped. â€Å"I can feel what you're feeling now – and you are worth it.† â€Å"I'm not,† I mumbled. â€Å"If anything happens to them, it will be for nothing.† â€Å"You're wrong,† he repeated, smiling kindly at me. I heard nothing, but then Alice stepped through the front door and came toward me with her arms held out. â€Å"May I?† she asked. â€Å"You're the first one to ask permission.† I smiled wryly. She lifted me in her slender arms as easily as Emmett had, shielding me protectively, and then we flew out the door, leaving the lights bright behind us.

A Feminist Theory on Hamlet

Her father, older brother Laertes and Polonius also expect her sexual purity to maintain their royal boss's name. When Ophelia's Polonius and Laertes taught how to keep a virgin, they remind her how important it is, to keep her virgin. In fact, her brother and her father wanted to comply with her guidelines and ethical standards, but they think she is not recognized or respected. This explanation is reminiscent of Shakespeare's plays and comedy in many women. Steve Henderson agreed that this kind of negative depiction of Elizabeth women's themes is common to Shakespeare's work Did. Apply Showalter's idea to Bramga's movie version of Hamlet Elaine Shaw Alter to start her paper to start her paper representing Representative Ophelia: Shakespeare's Hamlet analysis which actually ignores Austria The character of Feria of the past to criticize. Feminist critics believe that the Ophelia itself is not Hamlet's foil, but an important person. - Leadership Milton Lost Paradise, in the hot world of Cavendish, as well as Shakespeare's Othello and Hamlet criticism, thinkers who are the most powerful people in the world - they can not only form their own opinions I can advise their best advice, but enough for those people to listen to. When they learn sometimes stubborn, flexibly - they realize the best respected grass snake who is worthy of respect, Mr. Mikayira McAuley of William  · Shakespeare Prezi What is feminist theory? Feminist theory is an extension of feminist theory and philosophical discourse. This is trying to understand the nature of gender inequality. This will examine women's social roles in all areas, experience, interests and feminist politics. In this talk I will feminist the theory of female Ophelia and the role of Gertrude. Ophelia is depicted throughout the script, Ophelia is depicted as a victim of a man character around her. Ophelia Hamlet and Ophelia Hamlet make you believe that she was the reason for his craziness Feminist theory explores inequalit y and gender composition in men and women relations. It is best understood as intellectual property and normative project. Understanding as feminist theory is often understood as a feminist movement in the mid 1970s, despite the main texts of the 19th and 20th centuries symbolizing the early feminist ideas. Feminist theory was originally intended to explain women's oppression worldwide, but after a magnificent theoretical approach similar to Marxism, problems and priorities in this area have undergone several major changes . The two main changes are (1) specialization and backgroundization from universalization to women's experiences, and (2) focusing on the female category, questioning the contents of the category and using gender as a category Conceptualizing and looking at gender-based exploration practices A Feminist Theory on Hamlet Her father, older brother Laertes and Polonius also expect her sexual purity to maintain their royal boss's name. When Ophelia's Polonius and Laertes taught how to keep a virgin, they remind her how important it is, to keep her virgin. In fact, her brother and her father wanted to comply with her guidelines and ethical standards, but they think she is not recognized or respected. This explanation is reminiscent of Shakespeare's plays and comedy in many women. Steve Henderson agreed that this kind of negative depiction of Elizabeth women's themes is common to Shakespeare's work Did. Apply Showalter's idea to Bramga's movie version of Hamlet Elaine Shaw Alter to start her paper to start her paper representing Representative Ophelia: Shakespeare's Hamlet analysis which actually ignores Austria The character of Feria of the past to criticize. Feminist critics believe that the Ophelia itself is not Hamlet's foil, but an important person. - Leadership Milton Lost Paradise, in the hot world of Cavendish, as well as Shakespeare's Othello and Hamlet criticism, thinkers who are the most powerful people in the world - they can not only form their own opinions I can advise their best advice, but enough for those people to listen to. When they learn sometimes stubborn, flexibly - they realize the best respected grass snake who is worthy of respect, Mr. Mikayira McAuley of William  · Shakespeare Prezi What is feminist theory? Feminist theory is an extension of feminist theory and philosophical discourse. This is trying to understand the nature of gender inequality. This will examine women's social roles in all areas, experience, interests and feminist politics. In this talk I will feminist the theory of female Ophelia and the role of Gertrude. Ophelia is depicted throughout the script, Ophelia is depicted as a victim of a man character around her. Ophelia Hamlet and Ophelia Hamlet make you believe that she was the reason for his craziness Feminist theory explores inequalit y and gender composition in men and women relations. It is best understood as intellectual property and normative project. Understanding as feminist theory is often understood as a feminist movement in the mid 1970s, despite the main texts of the 19th and 20th centuries symbolizing the early feminist ideas. Feminist theory was originally intended to explain women's oppression worldwide, but after a magnificent theoretical approach similar to Marxism, problems and priorities in this area have undergone several major changes . The two main changes are (1) specialization and backgroundization from universalization to women's experiences, and (2) focusing on the female category, questioning the contents of the category and using gender as a category Conceptualizing and looking at gender-based exploration practices

How does city squares satisfy the requirements of modern urbanism Essay

How does city squares satisfy the requirements of modern urbanism Compare with squares in history using particular squares to discuss - Essay Example Readers will discover that places designed without adequate room for safe walking and biking tend to promote a sedentary way of life for the citizens, whether behind a vehicle’s steering wheel on packed highways or a computer screen. In addition to that, it will come to light that a lively city is one that negates the idea of citizens withdrawing into gated communities. Lively cities are those that have city squares that serve a democratic function where individuals encounter social diversity. Furthermore, architectural design and its impact on the psychology of city dwellers will be examined. Most notably, public spaces lacking comfortable seating and properly scaled â€Å"talkscapes† are likely to bring about a high human toll, thus greatly impacting how a city functions at eye-level. The fact that a good city draws comparison to a good party enlightens all of us. This is because, in both scenarios, the individuals involved stay because they enjoy having a good time. The aim of this paper is to consider the unique feature of urban squares that should be incorporated in today’s contemporary cities. To do that the paper will look at the broad definition of urban squares in respect of urban spaces. Urban public squares, when looked at within the context of public spaces, are key components of a city. This is because they provide room for social interactions, therefore, supporting the civilisation and humanization of people through hearing others, while at the same time one is heard, gathering, lingering and engaging in various activities. Thus, this can have a major impact, especially in the contributions made to the cultural development of communities. Jan Gehl’s thorough introduction to humanistic codes of urban planning reveals ways of improving the urban fabric of a city to benefit the human population. Through his book ‘Cities for people’i1, examines fascinating factors that determine how liveable a city is. According to him, if urban places are

Challenges of Knowledge Transfer in Organisations Literature review

Challenges of Knowledge Transfer in Organisations - Literature review Example This importance has given rise to the need of knowledge management techniques that organizations can implement, and can successfully manage the flow of knowledge in their organizations. There are various models about knowledge transfer. Two of the most famous models include Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi’s SECI model and Boisot's I-Space model (Bratianu, 2010, p. 193). These two have many things in common. According to Nonako and Takeuchi’s SECI model, knowledge transfer in any organization takes place in four levels. This model divides knowledge into tacit knowledge or implied knowledge, and explicit or expressed knowledge. This models describes the relationship between these two types of knowledge through four stages i.e. socialization, externalisation, combination and internalization. Socialization is the first step that happens when an organization member comes under exposure to the stories or experiences through other employees. Apprenticeship proves to be a good example of this stage as the form of knowledge transfer is tacit to tacit. Next stage is of externalization, which happens when organization members convert tacit knowledge learned in the above stage into explicit knowledge. An example of this can include taking part into a project where all the team members contribute from their knowledge (Bratianu, 2010, p. 193). Combination is the third stage, which signifies the transfer of explicit to explicit knowledge. This happens when the knowledge externalised is combined with earlier knowledge and applied to a broader group or entity. Similarly, the last stage is internalization which signifies the transfer of explicit to tacit knowledge. This happens when the knowledge becomes an inseparable and integral part of an organizational member or members and they can readily transfer it onwards through socialization (Wickes, 2003, p. 5). This model suggests that these four stages happen in a cyclical form where one stage follows the other and it forms a spiral of knowledge. Moreover, this model also suggests that knowledge increases as the spirals increase and as it comes under the exposure of more and more organizational members. Another theory of knowledge management that is very similar to Nonako and Takeuchi’s model is Boisot's I-Space model. Boisot classifies knowledge present in any organization into three dimensions. First dimension is codified and un-codified knowledge. This is similar to SECI model’s tacit and explicit knowledge (Strach & Everett, 2006, p. 5). Codified knowledge is one that is easily transferred including financial data or any other thing that is properly documented. On the other hand, un-codified knowledge is one that is not properly documented and it is preserved only in the memories of organizational members or is part of an organization’s culture; therefore, it is implied. Examples of un-codified knowledge would include stories and experiences that are held with indi viduals. Another dimension of knowledge as suggested by Boisot includes abstract and concrete knowledge. This dimension is self explanatory. The third dimension of knowledge according to Boisot’s theory includes diffused and undiffused knowledge. Diffused knowledge refers to that knowledge that is open to all organizational member; whereas, undiffused knowledge is the one that is available to only a selected few e.g. to top management etc

An essay about the book - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

An about the book - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Essay Example His protagonist, Oscar Wao is a rejected boy moving in the society who lacks the physical appearance as well as the exposure to do and say the right things at the right time. It is a true portrayal of what goes on in life every day, but Diaz has managed to add the spark of fiction as well as humor to make this book even more interesting to read. Junot address’s the problem of existing in this world, harsh? Yes, True? Extremely! This book highlights the problem of men being suffocated in the fantasy of fiction and women are expected to do more than they can. It’s a tale of how Oscar’s life is affected by his dysfunctional family and how much his inner dreams are crushed regularly. Oscar Wao is the worst possible nightmare of any person who has gone through groveling social experiences in high school, college or even work. Oscar Wao is an extremely oversized boy who is known for his dorky outlook and lack of judgment with girls. He is from a typical Dominican family with a frustrated mother who works hard all day long and treats her kids with anything but love. Now, Oscar is a pity young character who has no father to support and guidance to lead him into the â€Å"manly† zone of life. In Chapter one Oscar’s sister comes to his support when Beli, his mother is hurling at him for crying because of girl trouble: â€Å"It wasn’t just that he didn’t have no kind of father to show him the masculine ropes, he simply lacked all aggressive and martial tendencies.† (Page 8) His problem was not the fact that he had no male guidance in his life; his uncle La Inca lived with them but was a drug addict. Naturally, Oscar was just not the m an of aggression and violence. This initial part of the story clearly paves the path of what is to come in the book. How the lack of macho-ism caused problems for the protagonist. What can be worse than the fact that you are beaten up by

Audit and Assurance Case Study(SANCTUARY GROUP PLC) Essay

Audit and Assurance Case Study(SANCTUARY GROUP PLC) - Essay Example The Company's subsidiary, Bravado International Group Limited, operates as a merchandising company that specializes in exploiting intellectual property rights for more than 100 artists and brands. Live Agency even represents over two hundred twenty acts for live performance. Also, its business is carried out by the Company's subsidiary, Helter Skelter Agency Limited. This company operates as a booking agency. The following paragraphs will explain how audit strategy is related to the fairness of the financial statements of the. An audit(Pickett, 2006) is defined as the evaluation of an organization, process, system, project or product. In accounting, an audit is the independent assessment of the fairness where a company's financial statements are presented by its mangers or board of directors. It is done by competent, independent and objective person or persons, known as auditors or certified public accountants, who then issue a report on the results of the audit(Whittington, 1995). And, the audits are performed to determine the validity and reliability of financial information. Also, it provides an assessment of a company or a business' system of internal control. The accounting and related recording systems must adhere to generally accepted standards set by governing bodies that regulate how businesses should presented in terms of balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flows. The audit should be based on random sampling and it should not be an assurance that financial statements are error free. Auditing also provides assurance for third parties or external financial statement users that such statements present 'fairly' a company's financial condition and results of operations.Further, effective risk management(Frame, 2003) will not happen overnight. Managers who want to enable their organizations to be better at managing risk must recognize that the road to effective risk management is definitely long, twisting, and occasionally hazardous. Beginning the journey is not as difficult. It may be even be triggered by a one-page directive issued by the chief operating officer of the organization following a small disaster, exhorting the organization to implement good risk management practices. But after the uninitiated, when the confetti has settled and the cheerers have been thrown away, the journey toward effective risk management is an uphill battle. In some way, what happens at this point is typical of many high-sounding corporate decisions. When light shines on the initiative, everyone scrambles to support it. When the senior managers turn their attention to other issues, the initiative begins to lose momentum, and without active support from top management, it falters. It may even hang on for a while until it dies and is buried. The risk related approach to external audit in the audit of Santuary Group Plc is based on control risk, audit risk and inherent risk. Audit risk is used to describe what is usually applied when in case of an audit of the financial statements of an entity. The first objective of the audit of the balance sheet, in

Leisure and tourism operations management Essay

Leisure and tourism operations management - Essay Example The Service Concept Service quality is the method to manage the business processes to ensure customer satisfaction at all levels. Hospitality sector was identified by the atrium concept designs, service and the hotel industry has seen many developments in past few years. In the hotel industry, the customer chooses to buy service depending on its quality (Panda, 2006). The Service Package (The mixture of goods and services that make up the service) The service provided by hotel is based on guests / customers. The service package includes providing online room / air ticket reservations and chuffer driven car to pick up guests from airport. The hotel provides facilities such as elevators , central heating , in room radio , bar , electric elevator, centralized computer, electric cash register, free in room movies, video conferencing features, swimming pools, separate swimming pool for children, golf ground, sports activities, gym, beauty parlors and in-house restaurants and shops. Servic e Processes According to Sampson service processes are where the customer provides most of the inputs to the production process (Sampson, 2000). Service is interaction of customer and producers. The service process in the hotel includes booking airline tickets and hotel rooms through internet and on reaching the city, the guests are picked up by the vehicle of the hotel. The customers can even make direct call to the hotel to book tickets and there are other means by which you can book rooms at the hotel. The complete information related to the hotel is provided through its website and local marketing means. Service Processes (Type): Runners, Repeaters & Strangers The hotel provides free introductory scuba diving lessons for strangers and also a hotel run kid clubs for family travelers. The hotel is a leader in its business model due to the high class service. Since, Turkey is a popular tourist destination every year many visitors come to the hotel. Fitzgerald Typology (Volume/Varie ty) To design a service system the importance of variability should be determined (Kannan and Proenca, 2010) .The hotel has 200 rooms which includes standard rooms, suits and deluxe rooms and during the peak seasons from October to March the demand for rooms is very high. It provides many different type of entertaining and engaging activities to guests such as dance parties, music evenings etc) to enable convenient and enjoyable stay at the hotel. Visitors from different parts of world come to the place and the hotel staffs have to meet the variability in demands. Capability and Commodity Processes The hotel has the capability to accommodate more than 100 guests at one time but sometimes in peak season it becomes difficult to handle varieties of customers. The service is handled by the front desk employees. Schmenner Typology (1995) Schmenner typology identifies four different types of service processes which include service factory, service shops, mass service and professional serv ice. The hotel provides professional service where the staff immediately responds in professional manner to every call and provides the desired service. Though professional services it is easy to handle variability in customer call. Service Processes (Location and Mapping) Internet provides complete informat

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 8

Case Study Example The criminal justice policies in the United States of America are guided by the 1967 Presidents Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice. One of the greatest and ground breaking achievements of this group was the publication of a report named The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society (Cole Smith & DeJong, 2014). The report has over 200 recommendations pertaining to the US Criminal Justice policies. These recommendations were a part of the comprehensive approach of the commission towards preventing and fighting against the crime in the country. Few of the recommendations made by the commission could find their place in the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. It was advocated by The President’s Commission that with those recommendations the coordination between the enforcement force, courts and the correctional agencies has seen a great improvement. It is pointed by the Commission that criminal justice is the mean through which both society and the individuals in the country is protected from any crime. The crime committed was a robbery. The victim, Mr. Milton Brown, was robbed at the gunpoint by two assailants named Bertha Bloutt and William Bloutt in Broadway and First Avenue on 11 October 2011. The assailants have robbed the cash that Mr. Brown was taking from the daily deposits of his store BJ Shoes along with his wallet and the car keys1. Mr. Brown reported this crime to Winston police department. It is mandatory that all the criminal justice process follow a sequential approach to reach the justice2. In this section of the essay the sequence of the criminal justice system will be discussed based upon the chosen case study involving the robbery of cash from Milton Brown and the accused are Bertha Bloutt and William Bloutt. Mr. Brown reported the crime for which he became the victim to the Winston police department, which Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 30 Case Study Example Customers have since identified the company with high-quality products. The wide range of products ensured they capture a large market share. The company has sought to market its brand using several methods that have seen it grow profoundly. With only about two decades since its inception, the management team has tirelessly worked to see the business gain dominance in the industry. With over $200 million invested each year for the last five years, the company has entrenched itself quite well in the market. The management realized that spending considerably in sport sponsorship as well as in advertisements would make it identify itself in the target market. This has since been done through organizing and sponsoring numerous sport events. In the process, printed jerseys with the company logo have caught the targeted customers’ attention. Additionally, the company has used several media platforms to advertise and reach out to their target market. Electronic media have been mounting intensive campaigns that seek to promote the company’s brand and ‘Protect This House’ is among them. UnderAmour understands that having clear and effective distribution channels is critical to market success. It is for this reason that it has availed its products in over twenty five thousand retail outlets all over the globe. A large portion of UnderAmour’s products pass through wholesale before getting to the retailers who avail them to the consumers. Between 2011 and 2013, large sales of about seventy percent came from the intermodal sales made to large store retailers. Moreover, the company also engages in ‘direct to consumer sales’. This involves enabling consumers to directly acquire the products from the stores within the factory. An equally big percentage has been recorded through this; the highest being thirty percent. Worth noting is the e commerce trade in which customer can order or products and shop online. The company has also

How Women Changed During the Civil War Essay Example for Free

How Women Changed During the Civil War Essay The Civil War was a defining moment in American history. It was the event which determined the fate of the nation as the American community was divided into two opposing sides. It was also a time of significant social change. The realm of war previously belonged to the men; it was the male soldiers who fought in the battlefields. However, the Civil War altered the situation. The status of women dramatically changed as they became active participants in the war effort. Indeed, the Civil War opened many opportunities for women and allowed them to be active members of society. This research paper aims to discuss how women changed during the American Civil War, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the said changes. In the 19th Century America, men dominated society and women were regarded as inferior to them. Women lived under the authority of the opposite sex, either that of the father, husband or another relative (Massey, 1994). They were confined in the domestic sphere; their main concerns were their home and family. Women had no voice in the political arena because only the men had dealt with public affairs. Not only was it objectionable for women to fulfill men’s jobs, it was also disagreeable for them to wear men’s clothes (Eggleston, 2003). When the Civil War began, the social lines were blurred. Women suddenly were presented the chance to go beyond their realm and participate in the world of men. They were given roles and jobs that were not accessible to them before. Both the Union and the Confederacy allowed women to take part in the war effort. For the first time, the government allowed women to become doctors and nurses (Eggleston, 2003). Women also served as messengers and spies. Meanwhile, there are also those women whose contributions were domestic in nature; these include cooking, as well as mending and sewing uniforms for the soldiers (Eggleston, 2003; Silber, 2005). These activities may have been the same as those women were tasked to do in the past; however, there was a significant change. Before, women only did those jobs due to the necessity in the household. During the war, the women did those jobs due to the necessity of the nation. Their domestic activities were no longer performed for private purposes; they had become part of the public affairs. However, women were not merely passive participants. They were also directly involved in the war effort as soldiers. The battlefield was reserved for males, but the females eventually found themselves fighting the same war. Women became soldiers by concealing their real identities (Eggleston, 2003). There were many reasons why women opted to disguise themselves as male soldiers. There were those who fought in the war to either escape from their betrothal or to be with their loved ones. Some saw the war as an adventure and craved its excitement. There were others who saw fighting for its financial benefits and the opportunity to better provide for their families. Meanwhile, there were women who took part in the Civil War for more noble reasons; they went to war because they were compelled by duty and patriotism (Eggleston, 2003). Women had to resort to extreme measures to appear like male soldiers. There were women who were immediately discharged because the way they acted revealed their real identities (Eggleston, 2003). Meanwhile, there were women who dramatically changed their actions and behavior before enlistment to successfully disguise themselves. They modified the color of their complexion and learned how to chew tobacco. They used vests with pads to conceal their breasts; the pads also made them seem more bulky and masculine (Eggleston, 2003). Having women disguised as men in war had its share of difficulties. The problems arose from the different toilet habits as well as other personal routines (Eggleston, 2003). Nonetheless, the recruitment of young men in the army proved to be advantageous for the female soldiers. The army consisted mostly of boys, who were still shy and reserved around each other. Most of them were hesitant to relieve themselves in the company of other soldiers; to attend their toilet needs, they had to hide in the woods or others areas which offered privacy. The meek nature of young men was beneficial for the female soldiers because it allowed them to seek privacy without appearing unusual. In addition, the young men of the army have not yet started shaving, so it did not appear unusual for the females if they did not shave (Eggleston, 2003). It is remarkable that women have finally reached the public realm during the Civil War, even if they had to pretend as men to do so. However, that kind of participation had disadvantages. Women who had successfully kept their real identities hidden as part of the army suffered all the difficulties which came with war (Eggleston, 2003). Female soldiers were held captive by their opponents, brought to prison camps and killed in the battlefields. There were those who perished and buried without their real identities discovered. Because women soldiers were not supposed to be fighting in the war, their participation in the war was previously not acknowledged. There were even those who denied the direct involvement of women as soldiers (Blanton, n. d. ). The non-recognition of women fighters in the Civil War prevented the discovery of the total number of female soldiers who offered their services. The numbers available on record are merely estimates. This situation posited a real problem, as it undermined and ignored the contributions of women in the battlefield. During the American Civil War, women changed because they went beyond the roles that were initialed assigned to them. The war effort presented them to enter the public realm of men and participate in it. Women had indeed changed during that time, as they progressed from housewives to participants in war. Women even came in disguise to become soldiers. While it is a great thing that women became active members of the community, some of their contributions were not recognized or accurately recorded because of their secret identities. Nonetheless, this does not diminish that fact that women were a significant part of the American Civil War. References Blanton, D. (n. d. ). Women soldiers and nurses of the American civil war. American Civil War Website. Retrieved March 13, 2009, from http://americancivilwar. com/women/index. html Eggleston, L. G. (2003). Women in the Civil War: Extraordinary Stories of Soldiers, Spies, Nurses, Doctors, Crusaders and Others. North Carolina: McFarland. Massey, M. E. (1994). Women in the Civil War. Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. Siber, N. (2005). Daughters of the Union: Northern Women Fight the Civil War. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

Emergent Strategy Development and Resource Allocation Process

Emergent Strategy Development and Resource Allocation Process The business environment is subjected to rapid changes and in such scenarios organizations must change incrementally and adapt strategy on the basis of organizational learning rather than planning ahead (Campbell et al., 2002). Emergent strategy emerges over time. Barney Hesterley 2010 suggest that emergent strategy is very important for entrepreneurial firms due to the high uncertainty and high unpredictably of the business conditions. According to Johnson et al., 2008, emergent strategy can be developed through four ways. Logical Incrementalism: According to Quinn, Logical incrementalism is the development of strategy by experimentation and learning from partial commitments rather than through global formulation of total strategies. Dynamic changes are required to respond to the unexpected changes in the environment rather than planning the strategic direction well ahead (Johnson et al., 2005). Resource Allocation routines: Resource allocation and management has become a vital component of the firms, since effective allocation of resources eases the operations of the firm and also helps in completing their projects within the specified deadline. According to Barney Hesterley 2010, the organizational culture and ritual in a firm that would direct all the employees in the organization to define their jobs in competitive and fiscal terms leads to gain sustainable competitive advantage. As an example, Honda was able to sell their Supercub motorcycles in the American market through their effective resource allocation process. Cultural Processes: The culture within the organization plays an imperative role in the incremental strategy development if it is harmonized with the environmental changes. Incompetent organizational culture may act as a barrier for a firm to keep their strategic directions in line with the environmental changes (Johnson et al., 2005). According to Pearce Robinson 2009, the entity of todays global firms is that organizational culture should be acquainted with cultural diversity. Managing the relationship between strategy and culture in the firm is significant for the successful implementation of the strategy. Organizational politics: The Political observation of strategy development is that strategies develop as a result of processes of haggling and negotiation among the influential stakeholders of the firm. Political action is often perceived as an inevitable part of the strategy development process in an organization (Johnson et al., 2005). To conclude, although the process of emergent strategy development lags sufficient planning since it arises over time, it could be significant for organizations operating in a changing business environment. Using the website of a large organization find its organizational chart. Explain why the organization is structured in the way illustrated. Procter and Gamble (PG) is the worlds biggest maker of consumer products and is well known for their innovation. Over the years PG has considered organizational structure as an essential part of their growth. The brand portfolio is immense (Appendix 1). The decision making at the top management level is made by the board of directors. Each functional operations of the PG group are discretely controlled by their relevant management. In the early 90s, PG was structured in the forms of global matrix structure to meet the consumer demands in each region as shown in Figure 1. This structure allowed the company to create global technical units in distinct regions each with a core competency in a particular category of products. The global category Presidents, RD department and VPs developed the product category stage technologies that could be functional for global branding strategies. The creation of influential and self-governing global functions endorsed the improvement in knowledge levels, transfer of best practices and eradication of intraregional redundancies. The matrix structure proved to be a massive advantage for PG since it combined the manufacturing, purchasing, trading and distributing into a single global supply chain (Piskorski Spadini, 2007). Figure1: Procter Gamble Organizational Structure in 1990s (Source: Grant, 2010, pp.616) Although strong regional functions provided enormous competitive advantages, the matrix structure was never symmetrical in PG. Each function focused more on their own strategic program and development in the company rather than combining with other functional units to develop the companys position in the market place. With problems in their structure and plans for further diversification, PG carried out a six year restructuring plan through which they restructured from global matrix structure to global business units (GBU). The current organizational structure of PG is shown below in Figure 2. Figure 2: Current Organizational Structure of PG (Source: Procter Gamble) The purpose of each level in the current structure is given in Appendix 2. The primary focus of the global business units is on the product and market development and the focus of the Presidents in GBUs is to standardize the manufacturing process and to simplify the brand portfolio. For example GBU for Baby care division proposed a plan to reduce the several numbers of diaper-manufacturing processes into a single standard process (Grant, 2010). This structure increased dexterity and decreased costs through accelerated standards of manufacturing processes and better coordination of promotional movements across countries (Piskorski Spadini, 2007). The organization is huge and they are diversified across the globe with a massive brand portfolio. With product specialization and marketing being their main focus and being successful in the followed structure for more than a decade, global business units proves to be the suitable structure for PG. Four Tenets of Organizational Learning: Learning is an integral part of an organization and it can lead to strategic directions and decisions. Organizational learning is closely related to the logical approach of strategy and firms must persistently learn about themselves and their operating environment (Campbell et al., 2002). According to Johnson et al., 2008, structure and culture of an organization contributes widely towards organizational learning; formal structures might stifle the organizational learning. Managers would be playing a less directive and a more facilitative role. Each individual in the organization might specialize in certain skills. Organizational performance will improve only when the individual knowledge gets transferred into organizational knowledge. Managers are completely responsible for the sharing of knowledge in the organization through knowledge management skills (Campbell et al., 2002). Managers can arrange knowledge transfer sessions on a customary basis in order to improve the core competencies of employees and thereby contributing to organizational learning. They can also emphasize the importance of knowledge sharing and how it might impact on the performance of organizations among the employees. Information flows and relationships between people should happen both horizontally and vertically. Organizations should posses a culture in which the communication and sharing of knowledge between the employees among all the levels is encouraged. The management should persuade sharing of information and knowledge among the organization, so that all employees become susceptible to the changes happening around them and contribute towards organizational objectives (Johnson et al., 2008). Organizations are pluralistic, in which even distinct and divergent ideas are welcomed and surfaced. In pluralistic settings different ideas emerges from different level of people in the organization. Although being pluralistic might provide an advantage in learning for some organizations, it is very risky for an organization to be pluralistic since it might deceive knowledge. Experimentation is the norm, trying out new ideas might become an important part of the learning process. For example; Wipro Technologies, one of the leading software companies in India tried developing a corporate extensive knowledge management system called KNET through which employees can track, access, exploit and produce knowledge. Although they were not using KNET widely in the initial years, it proved to be very valuable in the recent years of their success. Following the success of KNET, Wipro has developed the same portal system for Microsoft, one of the major clients of Wipro (Wipro, 2010). Organizational learning could be a crucial factor for the companies in gaining advantage in the near future. All the four tenets could be critical in organizations where emergent strategy is considered as a primary source of strategy development. Does structure follow strategy or does strategy follow structure? Organizations seek new strategies for the reason that they offer new opportunities and potential advantages. Before implementing the strategy, a variety of factors needs to be considered because it involves change and risk. The link between structure and strategy is an important aspect to be considered before implementing the strategy. Structure of an organization is a vital factor since the change in corporate strategy might require some sort of change in the manner a firm is structured and in the type of proficiency required in specific positions of the firm (Wheelen Hunger, 2008). According to Thomson Martin 2008, although structures are designed primarily and changed later to fit the intended strategies of an organization, the daily activities and behaviors of people within the structure might lead to significant emergent strategies. A traditional study conducted by Chandler concludes that structure follows strategy after he analyzed the changes in some large U.S. corporations. For example, in the periods of First World War DuPont an explosive company diversified its product range. Research shows that their business failed since they followed the same centralized organizational structure even after diversifying their product range. When they realized the problem, they shifted to decentralized structure since it was congruent with their chosen diversification strategy (Chandler, 1962). In the case of DuPont, the problem was with the structure and if their structure was congruent with their strategy, they would not have faced the problem. Similarly General Motors (GM) also shifted from centralized to decentralized multidivisional structure in 1920s and they found it to be intensely effective in permitting the freedom for product development to each division. Strategy can also follow structure. Although there is no empirical research conducted on structure directing to strategy, many authors support this fact. Although Chandler inscribes that structure follows strategy he has also told that due to the structural changes in GM, brilliant strategies were framed in the making and selling of their products (Hall and Saias, 1980). To conclude, although it is not erroneous to say that structure follows strategy since it is true in most of the cases, proficient organizational structure may also lead to the formation of new strategies. It might depend upon the type of the industry, markets and environments the firms are operating with. Give an example of an organization where resource allocation process (RAP) form part of strategy development. Resource Allocation Process (RAP): RAP is a composite and subtle process which occurs on a daily basis in all organizations. If RAP is not prioritized and linked with the intended strategy of an organization, it might create a disparity between the intended and actual strategy of the organization. In large diversified organizations, the centre plays a vital role in allocating the resources among the diverse strategies proposed by their divisional units. Even small companies operate in the same mechanism but on an informal basis (Lynch, 2009). Both emergent and intended strategic ideas can be filtered through RAP as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: (Source: Christensen Donovan, 2000) Honda at American Markets: During the post world war era, Honda was the supplier of small Supercub motorcycles in the Japanese market. Following the success in the Japanese market, Honda thought of entering the North American market by manufacturing large over the road bikes, since it was suited for American markets. It sent three of its employees to LosAngels to launch the endeavor. But Hondas large bikes were unsuccessful in American markets. After experiencing the market conditions in America, the three employees proposed a plan to sell their small Supercub motorcycles in the American market since they received an informal order for sport bikes from the buyer for the sports equipment of Sears. But the top management filtered their ideas since their strategy in American market were to sell large over the road bikes. After further failure in selling the large bikes, the management considered the plan and the results were surprising. Honda became a successful company in selling its Supercub in the American mar ket (Henry, 2008). RAP in Honda: After this experience Honda approached things in a different manner. As manufacturing volume increased, they planned for some price reduction strategies through appropriate RAP. They became the market leader and competitors were unable to compete with Honda. In terms of the Figure 1, Honda entered American market with an intended strategy and immediately after that although it got emergent inputs such as Sears buyers request of their Supercub, companys RAP filtered out those inputs, since it was not matching with its strategy. Once they persuaded corporate management to change the filter in the RAP, the constituents of winning strategy emerged. Thus, RAP played a vital role in the formation of emergent strategies and in achieving the intended strategies for Hondas success in the US motorcycle industry.

Comparing Hap by Thomas Hardy and The Second Coming by Yeats Essay

Comparing Hap by Thomas Hardy and The Second Coming by Yeats      Ã‚   Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was one of the great writers of the Late Victorian era. One of his great works out of the many that he produced was his poem Hap, which he wrote in 1866, but did not publish until 1898 in his collection of poems called Wessex Poems. This poem seems to typify the sense of alienation that he and other writers were experiencing at the time, as they "saw their times as marked by accelerating social and technological change and by the burden of a worldwide empire" (Longman p. 2165). The poem also reveals Hardy's own "abiding sense of a universe ruled by a blind or hostile fate, a world whose landscapes are etched with traces of the fleeting stories of their inhabitants" (Longman p. 2254).    The poem's major theme seems to be this sense of the world being ruled by a hostile and blind fate, not by a benevolent God pushing all of the buttons. This is clearly stated within the poem itself as Hardy writes "If but some vengeful god would call to me / From up the sky, and laugh: 'Thou suffering thing, / Know that thy sorrow is my ecstasy, / That thy love's loss is my hate's profiting!' / Then would I bear it, clench myself, and die, / Steeled by the sense of ire unmerited; / Half-eased in that a Powerfuller than I / Had willed and meted me the tears I shed. / But not so." (Hardy, Longman p. 2255: ll. 1-9). As you can see, this poem shows that Hardy has indeed lost all faith in a benevolent God that deals out suffering and joy to his creations as he willfully deems they deserve and need. Instead of this idea of a benevolent God up above pulling all of the strings of the world and dealing out everyone's personal fate, Hardy believes fate is... ...and present as a sign that the 'Beast' is about to be born and rule the next 2000 years just like Jesus was born and resurrected to rule the last 2000 years, while Hardy just relates the evils and pain that is inflicted on man as a sign that there is no benevolent God, but not that there is an evil God staking his claim to our lives now enstead. He leaves our fate up to mere chance and the passage of time, while Yeats leaves our fate up to the beast (also known as Satan).    Works Cited Bressler, Charles E. Literary Criticism. New Jersey. Prentice Hall, 1999. Damrosch, David, et al., ed.   The Longman Anthology of British Literature: Vol. B.   Compact ed.   New York: Longman - Addison Wesley Longman, 2000. Yeats, William, Butler. "The Second Coming." The Longman Anthology British Literature. Ed. David Damrosch. Longman. New York. 2000. 2329.   

Break Stalin :: essays research papers

Break Stalin Destalinization: A Wise Political Strategy Although many of his ideas did not bring the expected results, Nikita Khrushchev policies of de-Stalinization were politically wise. He went against many of Stalin’s tyrannical policies and gave the people a much greater sense of freedom. In the process known as “de-Stalinization';, legal procedures were restored, some greater degree of meaningful public controversy was permitted, forced labor camps were closed and the secret police tactics of Stalin’s era were erased. Stalin’s method of personal rule was replaced by group rule and more orderly processes of government, the terror apparatus was largely dismantled, the economy was notably modernized and foreign policy was conducted with much greater diplomatic initiative and flexibility. There was free political discussion, a standard forty-hour work week where people were free to change jobs, better government planning on production, and eased travel re strictions over the “Iron Curtain';. In the process of de-Stalinization the cities that were once named in honor of Stalin were given new names or returned to their old names1. The statues and pictures of Stalin were destroyed and letters were sent to families of those who were killed in battle, which criticized Stalin’s weak leadership during the time of the war. Stalin’s grave was vandalized during this process, and Khrushchev gained approval from the West. These policies were used to erase the past and ease the minds of those who suffered under the dictator2. Khrushchev worked to denounce his former leaders doings and clean up the image of the nation on a worldwide scale. Khrushchev worked hard to be agreeable with the majority of people he ruled. He sought to contrast his own present policies with the extremities of Stalinism, and therefore restore public confidence in the Soviet system.3 Perhaps the most notable example of de-Stalinization was wher e Khrushchev denounced Stalin and criticized the dictator along with those who agreed with his views. These views which murdered so many Russian Citizens. At the 20th All-Union Party Congress (1956) where Khrushchev delivered a “secret'; report on “The Personality Cult and Its Consequences,'; bitterly denouncing the rule, policies, and personality of Stalin.4 The speech was supposedly kept a secret so that the Capitalist media would not receive word of it and gain an edge over the Communists if they knew of the problems occurring within the party. Khrushchev accused Stalin of being responsible for mass murders and deportations, the German invasion during World War II (1939-1945), and the USSR’s

marketing concept Essay example -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The marketing concept is a managerial philosophy that an organization should try to satisfy customers’ needs through a coordinated set of activities that also allows the organization to achieve its goals. The marketing concept strives to satisfy customers by determining what buyers want and then by using that information. Businesses also have to alter, adapt, and develop new products to continue earnings profits. By being customer oriented, objectives of a business, such as, increasing profits, market sharing, sales, or a combination can be achieved. This philosophy is aimed at helping the customers, but if the customers’ objections are not met the business may not stay open very long.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The local business that I have visited is Table D’Art, which is located in Roslyn Heights on Glen Cove Road. The store sells many unique and elaborate items that could be given as gifts or for your own home. Although they are luxury items they are a good asset to a home. There were also more types of products that may appeal to customers more. I have been here before and noticed that they have many new and unique items.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The store is located in a very nice area, and the shopper’s usually have a lot of money to spend on nice things. This is what the buyer’s...

Contributions of Ancient Greece and Rome to the Western World Essay

While both Roman and Greek cultures greatly influenced Western Civilization, Greeks contributed more to the western world than the Romans. The Greeks used their own ideas and thought of new ways to add to their culture, while the Romans mostly mixed and matched ideas from other civilizations and cultures to make their own. The Romans took up the inheritance of the Greeks adapted it to their own language and national traditions. (Grant 2)The Greeks introduced many new ideas and traditions, the most important being democracy – Athenian democracy in particular. After the Dark Age, the population in Greece grew so quickly that soon, there were way too many free peasants. These peasants realized that nobody could stop them if they tried to make some changes because there was so many of them, so they insisted on having their voices heard by the government. Their wish was granted, and democracy in its simplest form became known. Now that the peasants had more freedom, some of them started to earn higher wages, and soon were rich enough to purchase hoplite armor. (Hoplites made up the majority of the army and fought on foot.) The peasants were also placing strong demands on the elite class, also known as the oligarchy. The system of citizenship in Greece was established as a result, during the late 7th century BCE (Martin 82), and enabled the peasants to have more influence on their leaders and protection under the law. There were three kinds of citizens the rich, the hoplites, and the poor. Only males were citizens. All citizens could attend open meetings in the Assembly, elect archons (leaders) each year, and were protected under the law. The peace of Greece had been slowly deteriorating, and in 621 BCE, it only got worse. The rich, elite class had been accumulating farmland from the poor farmers, who had to pack up and leave once a rich person took their land. A poor farmer had a hard time gaining wealth because any wealth they did gain would be in the form of surplus grain. Extra grain was not permanent, and could not be converted into money since coins were not invented yet. Then in 621 BCE, Draco was appointed to establish a code of laws to help bring stability by changing the situation. But his laws were so harsh that they only destabilized the people more. Civil war threatened to break out until 594 BCE when the Athenians gave Solon power to revise Dracos  laws and deal with the crisis. His new laws steered a middle course (Martin 84) between the demands of the rich and the demands of the poor. He introduced the right of appeal to the Assembly, forbade the selling of Athenians into slavery, and sorted male cit izens into four classes based on income. Overall, Solon helped to make democracy more peaceful. After a short period of tyranny, the democratic system was reinstalled and new rules were made yet again. Cleisthenes organized villages in Athens into trittyes according to location, and each of the trittyes was divided into phylai, or tribes. He also started to keep track of which males were old enough to vote and join the Assembly, with the voting age at eighteen. The Assembly would choose fifty representatives by lot from each tribe. Each representative would get to serve for one year on a council of five hundred men. Also, ten men were selected by officials with the highest military authority to serve as strategoi, or generals, in the army. (Martin 88)Another reform was made after an earthquake near Sparta in 465 BCE created tension between Sparta and Athens, and a crisis in formal affairs took place. Athens sent military help to Sparta that was rejected in a complicated series of events. As a result, in 461 BCE, Ephialetes convinced the Assembly to limit the influence of Areopagus the highest judicial and legislative council of ancient Athens that met on a hill west of the Acropolis. (Martin 110) A new judicial system was created with juries of males over thirty years old chosen by lot to serve for one year. Ostracism was also established. If the general public submitted over six thousand ballots, the man who had his name on the most ballots was exiled for ten years. In general, democracy rested on the belief that the cumulative political wisdom of the majority of the voters would outweigh the eccentricity and irresponsibility of the few. (Martin 113)In addition to democracy, the Greeks most important contribution to Western civilization, many elements of modern culture are rooted in ancient Greece. Philosophers, especially Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates impacted the way people thought about the world around them. Greek architecture is still commonly used today, as evidenced by our use of pillars and columns. The ancient Greeks also excelled in sculpting. They figured out how to make graceful, emotional, and realistic statues which needed no additional support. Poetry,  theatre, and drama also made up an important part of Greek culture. Some Greeks studied science, math, history, and their studies form the basis of many of todays theories. Science helped others understand a little more of these subjects. In Greece, as in todays world, science was based on observation, not myth, even though myths were considered an important part of life to every Greek. The Greeks are also considered to be the first people who recorded history only after consulting witnesses, forming the base of modern history. One exceptionally significant custom of the Greeks still observed today is the Olympics. These ancient games incorporated a concept of free athletic competition without bloodshed. If the Greeks were engaged in war at the time the Olympics were to take place, they would pause for three days and compete in many different events. At first, there were only a few competitions, but as the Olympics became more popular, additional sports were included. The four main contests of the ancient Olympics were the long jump, the javelin throw, the discus throw, and wrestling. At one time, the Olympics were for male Greek citizens only, but today people of various nationalities, men and women, can take part in this unique Greek custom. The Olympics were also very different from the Roman sport games, such as gladiator fighting or the Roman form of wrestling, where humans and animals were killed. Even though Romans did use many ideas and designs from Greeks and other cultures, they also thought of their own. A considerable contribution of the Romans to the Western World is their system of government a Republic. Republic comes from the word respublica, which means a matter for the people. (Corbishley 15) Officers in the Republic included consuls, praetors, censors, quaestors, adiles, and the senate. Consuls had the same powers as a king, but unlike a king, they were elected each year by the citizens and had to serve in pairs. The praetors were the chief judges, the censors kept track of who could vote, the quaestors looked after the state finances, and the adiles were in charge of public works. The senate was a body made up of ex-officials that formed a parliament to discuss matters and advise the other officials. As in the Athenian democracy, only male citizens could vote, but the people of ancient Rome were glad they had a republic, and they  hated the word rex, or king. The Romans excelled in literature, poetry, law, engineering, state organization, military training and organization, painting, sculpture, and architecture. They also had games in the amphitheater sports like chariot races, gladiator fights, fake battles in ships, and fights with wild animals. The Romans had a complex law system that was the foundation for Italian, German, French, and Spanish law. The Roman techniques of interpreting the law and their legal system of lawyers and judges were also incorporated into many other cultures. There were three kinds of laws. Civil law was for Roman citizens only, and there were laws for those people who were not citizens, but lived in Roman provinces or on the outskirts of Roman towns. The third type of law was natural law, deciding between right and wrong. Civil law and the other laws could be created by the Assembly, praetors, senate, emperors, and jurists. They created many different laws. They made sure there was a variety of laws, to deal with every situation, and these multiple laws helped the kingdom of Rome run smoothly. The Romans were also great engineers. They paved roads wide enough for the whole army, built walls around their cities for protection, and even had apartment buildings. They also had aqueducts, built high above the ground to carry water to the cities. Arches, a very important Roman invention, helped the aqueducts to stand strong without collapsing. Arches were also used in buildings like the Coliseum, the Forum, and basilicas. Many early churches were built using the plans of the Roman basilicas. Other buildings had vast domes. Roman engineers did not want these magnificent domes to collapse, either, so they thought of coffering as a solution. Coffering is also known as placing decorative, sunken panels in a ceiling to make it lighter. Romans added other things to buildings to make them more attractive, like fountains, pillars, and sculptures. The Roman civilization made many of their buildings out of brick and mortar, and even concrete. Engineering is, indeed, the most noticeable Roman influence on Western civilization, seen in many public buildings and even houses. Beyond arches and coffers, Roman people did not focus so much on the structure of their buildings as the facades and interiors. They combined Greek columns with fancy arches to make majestic entrances, and painted splendid pictures on walls of mythical characters and nature scenes. Roman sculptors copied Greek masterpieces, adding to the collection of Greek works in existence. They learned how to sculpt faces more realistically and how to make better portraits, and as a result made some pretty remarkable portrait busts of famous people. In addition, the Romans developed a continuous sculpture relief, something like a comic strip that wound around pillars, the most famous of which is known as Trajans column. Many great rulers governed Rome, including Trajan, and over time helped develop an extremely organized empire. At one time, the Roman administration was split into four levels. Two emperors ruled over four prefectures, who in turn governed three or four vicars each. Each vicar presided over one diocese, and each diocese was split up into many provinces. Early Christians saw how organized this system of government was, that it was one of the reasons Rome was so powerful, and based their own leadership system on this Roman model. The Greeks and the Romans both contributed much to Western Civilization, but the Greeks seem to have contributed more. The Romans took many ideas from the Greeks and even copied sculptures and other artwork for their own houses and public places, so that much of what they had was Greek. Thus, without the Greeks, the Romans would not have been as impressive of a civilization. This quote best describes the influence of the Greeks and Romans on the world today: we ourselves, whether we like it or not, are the heirs of the Greeks and Romans. In a thousand different ways, they are permanently and indestructibly woven into the fabric of our own existences. The Romans intertwined Greek culture with other cultures and added their ideas to make what they called their own culture. They then showed it to the rest of Europe through conquering the people, who adopted it and blended it into their civilizations. These civilizations developed into strong European societies, and eventually the ideas and traditions became known as Western civilization. So, really, it all started with the Greeks. Bibliography Corbishley, Mike. Cultural Atlas for Young People: Ancient Rome. New York: Facts on File, 1989. De Fabianis, Valeria Manferto, ed. Ancient Rome: History of a Civilization that Ruled the World. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1996Grant, Michael. The Founders of the Western World: A History of Greece and Rome. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, Maxwell Macmillan Int., 1991Martin, Thomas R. Ancient Greece: From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times. New Haven, Eng.: Yale University Press, 1996. Pomeroy, Sarah B., Stanley M. Burnstein, Walter Donlan, and Jennifer Tolbert Roberts. Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Powell, Anton. Cultural Atlas for Young People: Ancient Greece. New York: Facts on File, 1989.

Elaborate on the Evolution of Human Resource Management

Ans: Kautilya provides a systematic treatment of management of human resources as early as 4th century B. C. in his treatise titled â€Å"Arth –Shastra†. As it has been described in the book, there prevailed logical procedures and principles in respect of labor organizations such as Shreni or guild system and co-operative sector. The wages were paid strictly in terms of quantity and quality of work turned out and punishment were imposed for unnecessarily delaying the work or spoiling it. The concept of â€Å"Varnasharam† or caste system was originally based on these principles . The individuals who used to earn their livelihood by engaging themselves in activities such as teaching, sacrifices or state management were designated as Brahmins while those specializing in fighting were termed as Kshatiyas. From the 14th century B. C. to the later half of the 10th century A. D. , the relationships between the employer and employees were marked by justice and equity. As regards Indian economy in Mediaeval India, although there was a lull because of numerous foreign aggressions for around 700 years, during the Mughal rules, the Indian trade and commerce were revived. Several â€Å"Karkhanas† were established at Agra, Delhi, Lahore, Ahmedabad and various other places. The Plantation Act of 1863 makes provisions that if the workers failed to complete their period of contract, they should be imprisoned for a period not exceeding three months. Explicitly, the working conditions in the tea plantations were extremely bad. Accordingly, the workers were entirely helpless in the face of the organized and powerful European planters. In 1905, the printers’ Union at Calcutta and in 1907, the Postal Union at Bombay was established. In 1922, the indentured labor system involving migration of India Labor to other countries on contract basis was abolished as a result of a strong National movement. In the same year, the Central Labor Board was established to federate the different unions in the Bombay city and the All India Trade Union Congress was organized. It may be noted that the reliable statistics of trade union growth are not available for the period before the formal implementation of the Indian Trade Unions Act, 1926. Betw2een 1939-40 and 1944-45 the number of registered trade unions increased from 666 to 865. During period 1947-1960 industrial employment rose by 2. 8 times, the total claimed union membership also went up by 2. 3 times. In 1960, 45 percent of the total industrial workforce was claimed to be unionized. Today, the total membership is estimated to be around 4. 3 million i. e. 28 percent of total workforce. MB0027 Human Resource Management Assignment 1 Answer the following questions: Q1:Elaborate on the evolution of Human Resource Management. Ans: Kautilya provides a systematic treatment of management of human resources as early as 4th century B. C. in his treatise titled â€Å"Arth –Shastra†. As it has been described in the book, there prevailed logical procedures and principles in respect of labor organizations such as Shreni or guild system and co-operative sector. The wages were paid strictly in terms of quantity and quality of work turned out and punishment were imposed for unnecessarily delaying the work or spoiling it. The concept of â€Å"Varnasharam† or caste system was originally based on these principles . The individuals who used to earn their livelihood by engaging themselves in activities such as teaching, sacrifices or state management were designated as Brahmins while those specializing in fighting were termed as Kshatiyas. From the 14th century B. C. to the later half of the 10th century A. D. , the relationships between the employer and employees were marked by justice and equity. As regards Indian economy in Mediaeval India, although there was a lull because of numerous foreign aggressions for around 700 years, during the Mughal rules, the Indian trade and commerce were revived. Several â€Å"Karkhanas† were established at Agra, Delhi, Lahore, Ahmedabad and various other places. The Plantation Act of 1863 makes provisions that if the workers failed to complete their period of contract, they should be imprisoned for a period not exceeding three months. Explicitly, the working conditions in the tea plantations were extremely bad. Accordingly, the workers were entirely helpless in the face of the organized and powerful European planters. In 1905, the printers’ Union at Calcutta and in 1907, the Postal Union at Bombay was established. In 1922, the indentured labor system involving migration of India Labor to other countries on contract basis was abolished as a result of a strong National movement. In the same year, the Central Labor Board was established to federate the different unions in the Bombay city and the All India Trade Union Congress was organized. It may be noted that the reliable statistics of trade union growth are not available for the period before the formal implementation of the Indian Trade Unions Act, 1926. Betw2een 1939-40 and 1944-45 the number of registered trade unions increased from 666 to 865. During period 1947-1960 industrial employment rose by 2. 8 times, the total claimed union membership also went up by 2. 3 times. In 1960, 45 percent of the total industrial workforce was claimed to be unionized. Today, the total membership is estimated to be around 4. 3 million i. e. 28 percent of total workforce.

Whether or not the civil rights movement has achieved equal rights for black people in USA and if so, to what extent

In this essay, I will aim to establish whether or not the civil rights movement has achieved equal rights for black people in USA and if so, to what extent. In order to do this, we must compare the situation for blacks in USA currently, to that of blacks many years ago. Absolutely no one would even try to argue that Black Americans had equal rights during, or even directly after the abolition of slavery. This would be ridiculous bearing in mind that many were forced to work from sunrise to sunset, an eighteen hour day in some places, with few, if any rights at all. At one point, slave owners were even given specific rights to brand, maim, whip or even burn disobedient slaves. This hardly indicates any sort of equal rights. They were unable to vote, serve on juries receive an education and work in certain trades. The fact that they were unable to serve on juries almost made certain that any black man could be tried and convicted even though totally innocent. Also, no voting meant no black politicians, and no politicians meant no say in government. There were a few lucky blacks living in the south who had managed to obtain freedom, some by purchasing their liberties and others handed their freedom after their masters had passed away. However, these blacks were constantly living in the fear that they could once again be taken into slavery. Most blacks had now been freed, yet they were not compensated for past labours, leaving them jobless and almost pennyless. Many â€Å"white supremacy† organisations such as the Ku Klux Klan were formed solely to intimidate the black population. Public lynchings and public beatings became common place and very rarely was anything done about it in the courts as it was supported by many officials. After slavery was abolished, many years of black campaigning followed and gradually, the campaigning became more and more succesful. In 1870, the fifteenth ammendment was passed declaring the right for all to be able to vote regardless of race. This was seen as a real breakthrough yet celebrations were proved to be far too premature. At first everything seemed fine. States which had black majorities soon began to have black politicians who were more understanding to their plight. Free education was introduced and the system of having to own land to be able to have the right to vote was also scrapped. All seemed well and good until 1877, when the army decided that it was time to pull out of the southern states. This immediately left the blacks vulnerable to attack from the various groups which had been formed who had a great hatred towards the blacks. These secret organisations began using violence in order to prevent blacks from voting and this led to an almost immediate change. The lack of the black vote led to all white governments once again being elected and this in turn saw the re-introduction of many laws against those African Americans. Once again, control of the blacks was firmly in the hands of their white rulers. ‘Jim Crow' laws were introduced enforcing segregation in various araes of life. Transport saw separate seating for blacks and whites. Separate schools and hospitals were also introduced. The segregation even went as far as having different cemetries for deceased whites and deceased blacks, even in church, they were sat seperately. The much lower wages that the blacks were being payed meant that they could only afford housing in more run down neighbourhoods, again leading to a seperation, with â€Å"black only† towns. This residential segregation was even made compulsory in some states. Inter-racial marriages became a massive target for groups such as The Ku Klux Klan. They felt that this would lead to a society where racial categorization would become difficult and white dominance would become hard to maintain. Again violence was used to ensure that no inter-racial marriages could take place. If any kind of recession came round, black employees were always the first to be fired regardless of experience or quality of work and no blacks were allowed to join unions. This of course meant that in the event of any strike action, the blacks would continue to work arousing yet more hatred and hostility from their fellow white compatriots. After the white governments had been firmly re-established, the power of blacks was continually undermined. Successful black businessmen were attacked and any attempts to form black protection groups were quickly quashed. The KKK also introduced lynching for those blacks accused of commiting crimes, many of whom were completely innocent. This was seen as not really a form of punishment for criminals, but more a way of intimidating the local black population into accepting the rule of the whites. Yet again, the blacks were forced to accept the inhumane ways in which they were being treated and once again there was nothing they could really do about it. One hundred years on, to what extent have civil rights been achieved for blacks? On visiting America now, and comparing life to that of a hundred years ago, the most apparent difference is desegregation. Whereas blacks and whites were forced to attend separate schools, take part in leisure activities seperately, use separate transport and forced to be segregated in the supreme court, there is now no lawful segregation in the USA. Blacks have been given equal rights as far as voting goes and it has been this way for many years now. However, this did not mean that all Blacks were suddenly voting. There was still the problem of persuading blacks to register although, this has now been rectified with very public registration campaigns. The result has been a huge increase in the proportion of blacks registered to vote. There have been monumental chnages in attitudes towards blacks which has meant the uprising of many black celebrities which would have been unthinkable until recent years. A prime example of this could be that of black boxer, Mohammed Ali. His refusal to participate in the Vietnam War because of his personal beliefs, and being prepared to go to jail rather than back down, earnt him world wide respect. This went along with the respect that he had already gained from his doubtless talent in the ring. To this day, Ali is one of the most highly respected sportsmen throughout the world. Various blakc musicians have reached stardom also. Examples include Stevie Wonder, Tupac Shakur, Billy Halliday and Bessie Smith, who had to fight adversity throughout her career. However, even here there is the possiblity of racial discrimination having taking place as it is widely claimed that, after a car crash Bessie Smith was refused treatment due to the colour of her skin and as a direct result, died from excessive blood loss. Blacks have also been very successful in Hollywood, with both Will Smith and Samuel L. Jackson being among the top ten earners. This does not even take into acount Denzel washington, Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg and many others. The major turning point as far as civil rights were concerened, was the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This finally insured equal oppurtunity for all, in terms of employment and otherwise. There were also affirmative acion programs set up to help those blacks, who through no fault of their own, were given very poor educations. Some blacks have even made a success of themselves by writing or talking about their difficulties in achieving liberation. Maya Angeou is one such person. The political influence of blacks is always rising and I have already spoken about the rise in blacks registered to vote. Recently, we have also seen the rise to prominence of some black politicians. Namely, Jesse Jackson and Colin Powell. Jackson ran for presidency in both the 1984 and 1988 elections and although he failed on both occasions, his skills as a negotiater have been proven on many separate occasions. His current title is Washington's special envoy to Africa. Colin Powell has come into the limelight much more after the very tragic events of September 2001. Much praise has been heaped on the Secretary Of State for the way in which he has handled the cris. He was often referred to as â€Å"the face of America† in the aftermath of the attacks. There have also been great strides made in the way of economic progress. Many blacks have managed to break through into the middle classes. â€Å"The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air† is a popular, black sitcom in which one such family is portrayed. The father is a well respected lawyer and the family is shown to be living in great luxery. Similarly, there have been other very successful â€Å"black† shows such as â€Å"The Cosby Show. There are now many, many black homeowners also, in complete contrast to the slavery which existed a century earlier. As yet, I have talked about the great amount of change and progress which has been achieved for blacks in USA, however, in the same period of time there have been many incidents and there are many facts which suggest that not too much has really changed. For example, many people argue that there is a continuity in attitudes of discrimination and they point to certain events to support this. Accusations of police brutality and heavy handiness towards blacks are constant and the Rodney King incident seems to justify this. Rodney King was a drunken, black driver, who after being stopped by police, was brutally assaulted by four police officers. The whole incident was video-taped by an on looker. Because of the video-tape, there was a resulting trial in which all four police officers were accused of using excessive force. However, the entirely white jury judged all four to have been not guilty of all charges and the result was the largest riots in Los Angeles' history. Many people were injured during these riots. Consequently, there was a second trial, in which two officers were again acquitted and the other two received minimum jail terms. There were fears of a second round of rioting which never materialised. Other such incidents include an African refugee being shot 24 times by police officers. To this day, there are still more blacks than whites on death row, which again leads to calls of discrimination by the police force and law courts. Earlier, I spoke about black successes in politics, pointing to Jesse Jackson and Colin Powell as examples. However, there has still been no black president, and it still does not even seem like a possibility in the foreseeable future. Even, with the prominence of Jackson and Powell, it can still be said that there is an exclusion of blacks in politics. The poverty trap of many years earlier also still exists in many parts of America, where the idea that if a black person was forced to live in a ghetto due to poor wages, there was really no way out and achieving something for their children as opportunities and resources were greatly limited. In conclusion, I think it is obviously clear that change has been achieved and progress has been made as far as civil rights are concerned and there will always be isolated incidents, which suggest otherwise. A great distance has been traveled on the road to achieving equal rights and hopefully, the last few miles will also be covered in the near future.