Monday, September 30, 2019
Alexander Hamilton: Memoirs and Contributions
If one must remember Alexander Hamilton, it must be for his ideals on manââ¬â¢s natural rights and parity. It is not however a question of nationalism but that of universalism. One could misinterpret his unique ideas on democracy yet what truly is the essence of his views could be known from his early writings. His conviction as a youth against colonialism and advocacy on democratic principles were known to him in his speeches. His first political writing was entitled the Vindication which he wrote when he was below eighteen years of age, was full of assertions against the parliament for instance he said:No reason can be advanced why one man should exercise any power or pre-eminence over his fellow creatures more than another, unless they have voluntarily vested him with it. (Cited in Morse, 1890) Also, in his arguments against the Tory opponents he uttered in reference to his human rights advocacies: The fundamental source of your errors, sophisms and false reasoning is a total i gnorance of the natural rights of mankind. (Ibid) Hamilton argued that blacks' natural faculties were as good as those of free whites.In lieu of his support for equality and argument against slavery, Hamilton attacked his political opponents as demanding freedom for themselves and refusing to allow it to blacks. He was also a member of the committee of the society banning the export of slaves from New York in the form of a bill through the New York Legislature. Who really is this man whose face graces the ten US dollar bill and a lot of monuments and historical museums? Alexander Hamilton was born on January 11, 1755 in Charlestown, Nevis and died on July 12, 1804.His contributions to the society are mainly political yet far-ranging. Indeed every aspect of our political life could have traces of or are related with Hamiltonââ¬â¢s lessons. For example, his Federalist papers have been significant for the interpretations of United States Constitution. The first policies and policy d irections during the formative years of the government were also highly influenced by Hamilton being the Secretary of Treasury under George Washingtonââ¬â¢s administration. His ideal government is one where there is a strong central government.In line with his support to Federalism he said: A government ought to contain in itself every power requisite to the full accomplishment of the objects committed to its careâ⬠¦free from every other control but a regard to the public good and to the sense of the people. (Cited in Magstadt, 2006) In his view, an expeditious democracy is necessary to guard against any excess of checks and balances that might impede or impair the governmentââ¬â¢s ability to act energetically when circumstances dictate.Hence, the US Constitution created a strong executive capable of conducting the nationââ¬â¢s foreign affairs, vetoing legislations and appointments of judges. He admired the British system in terms of financial and trade networks and opp osed what he viewed as the excesses of French revolution. His contribution to the political party formation is also evident in the founding of his Federalist Party. This is the first American political party which was opposed by James Madison and Thomas Jeffersonââ¬â¢s Democratic-Republican Party.His service as assemblyman of New York County in the New York State Legislature started in 1787. His participation in the Constitutional Convention was limited because of another faction opposing his strong government concept. He made an interesting speech during that time which said that the ideal form of government had represented all the interest groups, but maintained a hereditary monarch to decide policy. To him, the country should imitate this form of government and proposed to have a President and elected Senators for life, with possibility of removal for corruption or abuse.He also discussed abolition of autonomous state governments. He has remained loyal to the constitution desp ite some of his reservations against it and worked very hard for its national ratification. Hamiltonââ¬â¢s concern for the country extends up to his economic agenda. His active role in the development of US economy is revealed through his efforts as Secretary of the Treasury. His five reports which boosted Financial Revolution in the US economy are as follows: (1. ) First Report on the Public Credit: Communicated to the House of Representatives, January 14, 1790 (2.) Operations of the Act Laying Duties on Imports: Communicated to the House of Representatives, April 23, 1790 (3. ) Second Report on Public Credit: Report on a National Bank Communicated to the House of Representatives, December 14, 1790 (4. ) Report on the Establishment of a Mint: Communicated to the House of Representatives, January 28, 1791 and (5. ) Report on Manufactures: Communicated to the House of Representatives, December 5, 1791. Hamilton helped create the first National Bank, the United States Mint, also wh at is known now as the United States Coast Guard and the sophisticated system of tariffs and import duties.The Hamiltonian program turned the chaotic financial system of the confederation era into a modern mechanism providing financial stability to the new government giving the investors confidence. Alexander Hamilton is considered the ââ¬Å"patron-saintâ⬠of the American School of economic philosophy as he dominated economic policy after 1861. Hamilton opposed the British ideas of free trade which he believed skewed benefits to colonial/imperial powers, in favor of U. S. protectionism which he believed would help develop the fledgling nation's emerging economy. In 1801, Hamilton founded the New-York Evening Post.We now know him therefore as a man with many careers; a writer, politician, economist, was formerly an Army officer, lawyer, Founding Father, leading statesman, financier and political theorist. How did all these professions and colorful life ended? Before that, it mu st be noted that Alexander Hamilton had on December 14, 1780, married Elizabeth Schuyler, daughter of General Philip Schuyler. Although his married life was marred with a lot of controversies of infidelity, Elizabeth remained loyal to him and in the preservation of his dignified political career.His death was nearing soon after the gubernatorial election in New Yorkââ¬âin which Morgan Lewis, greatly assisted by Hamilton, and defeated Aaron Burr. His confrontations with Burr and attacks on his defeat had caused an arrangement for a duel on July 11, 1804, along the west bank of the Hudson River. Vice President Aaron Burr shot Hamilton, the latter died. Such was the end of a beautiful life for Alexander Hamilton. This paper briefly shared the life and career of Alexander Hamilton. It is not without doubt that the environment in which he had chosen to exist has equally given him fame and struggles.As a description of his reputation, he is indeed worthy of admiration along with his l imitations and weaknesses. No one could object to his influence over our past and current political system. Alexander Hamilton is one personality, who has given us exemplary conceptualizations on democracy, government institutions, economic trade and finance, and equality and human rights. The memoirs of Alexander Hamilton ergo are dominated by reflections on his socio-political and economic contributions.Works Cited Magstadt, Thomas. Understanding Politics, Ideas, Institutions and Issues, 7th Edition. Wadsworth: California, 2006 Morse, Anderson. ââ¬Å"Alexander Hamilton. â⬠Political Science Quarterly Vol. 5 No. 1. (March, 1890): 1-23. Robert E. Wright. One Nation Under Debt: Hamilton, Jefferson, and the History of What We Owe. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Samuel Eliot Morison and Henry Steele Commager. Growth of the American Republic. New York:Oxford University Press, 1969. www. wikipedia. com .
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Chapter 3 Quiz
1 of 30 Which of the following is a flow variable? A. the value of the house in which you live B. the balance in your savings account C. your monthly consumption of hamburgers D. the number of hamburgers in your refrigerator at the beginning of the month 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is C. As explained in Section 2-1, a flow is a quantity measured per unit time and a stock is a quantity measured at a given point in time. 2 of 30 Which of the following is not a stock variable? A. government debt B. the labor force C. the amount of money held by the public D. inventory investment 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is D.Inventory investment is a quantity measured per unit time, so it is a flow variable. See Section 2-1. 3 of 30 Gross domestic product (GDP) is A. a stock. B. a flow. C. both a stock and a flow. D. neither a stock nor a flow. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is B. GDP is a quantity measured per unit time, so it is a flow. See Section 2-1. 4 of 30 GDP measure s A. expenditure on all final goods and services. B. total income of everyone in the economy. C. total value added by all firms in the economy. D. all of the above. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is D. See Section 2-1 for a discussion of what GDP measures. of 30 Suppose that a farmer grows wheat and sells it to a baker for $1, the baker makes bread and sells it to a store for $2, and the store sells it to the customer for $3. This transaction increases GDP byà à A. $1. B. $2. C. $3. D. $6. 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is C. As explained in Section 2-1, GDP includes only the value of the final goods and services. Therefore, this transaction increases GDP by $3. 6 of 30 Which of the following is not included in GDP? A. the salary paid to a federal judge B. the value of housing services enjoyed by homeowners C. the value of automobile services enjoyed by car owners D. he value added by a shipping company that transports goods from the factory to retail stores 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is C. In principle, GDP should include the imputed rent on automobiles, but in practice it does not. See Section 2-1. 7 of 30 In which case is total expenditure in an economy not equal to total income? A. If total saving is larger than total investment. B. If net exports are not zero. C. If inventory investment is negative. D. None of the aboveââ¬âthey are always equal. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is D. As explained in Section 2-1, total expenditure in an economy always equals total income. of 30 All other things equal, GDP will rise if A. imports rise. B. exports fall. C. durable goods consumption rises. D. military spending falls. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is C. A rise in imports, a fall in exports, or a fall in military spending will decrease GDP. A rise in durable goods consumption will increase GDP. See Section 2-1. 9 of 30 Which of the following statements describes the difference between real and nominal GDP? A. Real GDP i ncludes only goods; nominal GDP includes goods and services. B. Real GDP is measured using constant base-year prices; nominal GDP is measured using current prices.C. Real GDP is equal to nominal GDP less the depreciation of the capital stock. D. Real GDP is equal to nominal GDP multiplied by the CPI. 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is B. For a discussion of the differences between real and nominal GDP, see Section 2-1. 10 of 30 If production remains the same and all prices double, then real GDPà à A. and nominal GDP are both constant. B. is constant and nominal GDP is reduced by half. C. is constant and nominal GDP doubles. D. doubles and nominal GDP is constant. 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is C. Real GDP is measured in constant prices, so it is unaffected by a price increase.Nominal GDP is measured in current prices. If prices double, so will nominal GDP. See Section 2-1. 11 of 30 Real GDP equals A. nominal GDP minus net exports. B. nominal GDP divided by the GDP deflator. C . nominal GDP multiplied by the GDP deflator. D. GDP minus depreciation. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is B. As explained in Section 2-1, real GDP equals nominal GDP divided by the GDP deflator. 12 of 30 If production remains the same and all prices double relative to the base year, then the GDP deflator isà à A. 1/4. B. 1/2. C. 1. D. 2. 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is D.As explained in Section 2-1, the GDP deflator equals nominal GDP divided by real GDP. If prices double, nominal GDP will double and real GDP will be unchanged. Therefore, the GDP deflator will equal 2. 13 of 30 Consider the following table: APPLES ORANGES Year Production/Price Production/Price 1995 20/ $0. 50 10/$1. 00 2000 10/ $1. 00 10/$0. 50 If 1995 is the base year, what is the GDP deflator for 2000? A. 0 B. between 0 and 1 C. 1 D. greater than 1 Question not answered 14 of 30 To obtain the net national product (NNP), start with the gross national product (GNP) and subtractà à A. depreciat ion. B. epreciation and indirect business taxes. C. depreciation, indirect business taxes, and corporate profits. D. depreciation, indirect business taxes, corporate profits, and social insurance contributions. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is A. For an explanation of NNP, see Section 2-1. 15 of 30 To obtain national income, start with GNP and subtract A. depreciation. B. depreciation and the statistical discrepancy. C. depreciation, indirect business taxes, and corporate profits. D. depreciation, indirect business taxes, corporate profits, and social insurance contributions. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is B.National income equals GNP minus depreciation and the statistical discrepancy. See Section 2-1. 16 of 30 Approximately what percentage of national income consists of compensation of employees? A. 10 percent B. 25 percent C. 70 percent D. 95 percent 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is C. The components of national income are discussed in section 2-1. 17 of 3 0 Which of the following is not considered investment? A. A family builds a house in which it plans to live. B. A car dealer stores some of this year's models for next year. C. An individual purchases several pieces of antique furniture. D. A firm buys a computer for word processing. out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is C. As discussed in Section 2-1, the reallocation of existing assets among different individuals is not investment for economy. 18 of 30 Suppose that Jones builds a new house, then she sells it to Smith, and then Smith sells it to Williams. The total net investment from these transactions isà à A. zero. B. 1 house. C. 2 houses. D. 3 houses. 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is B. As explained in Section 2-1, building a new house counts as investment; selling an existing house does not. 19 of 30 The consumer price index (CPI) A. measures the price of a fixed basket of goods and services.B. measures the price of a basket of goods and services that constantly chan ges as the composition of consumer spending changes. C. measures the amount of money that it takes to produce a fixed level of utility. D. is one of the many statistics in the National Income Accounts. 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is A. The CPI measures the price of a fixed basket of goods and services. See Section 2-2. 20 of 30 Suppose that the typical consumer buys one apple and one orange every month. In the base year 1986, the price for each was $1. In 1996, the price of apples rises to $2, and the price of oranges remains at $1.Assuming that the CPI for 1986 is equal to 1, the CPI for 1996 would be equal toà à A. 1/2. B. 1. C. 3/2. D. 2. 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is C. The CPI measures the change in the price of the typical consumerââ¬â¢s basket of goods. Since the price of the basket was $2 in 1986, and it is $3 in 1996, the CPI for 1996 is equal to 3/2. See Section 2-2. 21 of 30 Consider the following table: | Consumption Goods| Nonconsumption Goods| Year| Prod uction Price| Production Price| 1995| 20/$0. 50| 10/$1. 00| 2000| 10/$1. 00| 10/$0. 50| If 1995 is the base year, the CPI in 2000 is A. 0. B. 1/2. C. 1. D. 2. 0 out of 1Incorrect. The correct answer is D. The CPI is a measure of the price of a fixed basket of consumption goods. Since the price of consumption goods doubled between 1995 and 2000, the 2000 CPI will equal 2. See Section 2-2. 22 of 30 Which of the following statements about the CPI and the GDP deflator is true? A. The CPI measures the price level; the GDP deflator measures the production of an economy. B. The CPI refers to a base year; the GDP deflator always refers to the current year. C. The weights given to prices are not the same. D. The GDP deflator takes the price of imported goods into account; the CPI does not. out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is C. For a discussion of the CPI and the GDP deflator, see Section 2-2. 23 of 30 All other things equal, if the price of foreign-made cars rises, then the GDP deflat orà à A. and the CPI will rise by equal amounts. B. will rise and the CPI will remain the same. C. will remain the same and the CPI will rise. D. and the CPI will rise by different amounts. 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is C. Goods and services produced abroad do not enter the GDP deflator, but are included in the CPI if the foreign goods are in the consumersââ¬â¢ basket. See Section 2-2. 24 of 30General Motors increases the price of a model car produced exclusively for export to Europe. Which U. S. price index is affected? A. the CPI B. the GDP deflator C. both the CPI and the GDP deflator D. neither the CPI nor the GDP deflator 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is B. The GDP deflator is affected because the cars are produced domestically. The CPI does not change because the cars are not consumed domestically. See Section 2-2. 25 of 30 Which of the following events will cause the unemployment rate to increase? A. an increase in population, with no change in the size of the labor force à B. proportionally equal increase in the labor force and the number of unemployed workers à C. an increase in the labor force with no change in the number of employed workers à D. an increase in the number of employed workers with no change in the number of unemployed workers 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is C. The unemployment rate is defined as the number of unemployed workers divided by the labor force. If the labor force increases and employment does not change, the unemployment rate will increase. See Section 2-3. 26 of 30 An example of a person who is counted as unemployed is a A. retired worker below the mandatory retirement age.B. part-time worker who would like to work full-time. C. senator who resigns her job to run for president. D. student going to school full-time. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is C. For a discussion of who is considered unemployed, see Section 2-3. 27 of 30 Suppose that a factory worker turns 62 years old and reti res from her job. Which statistic is not affected? A. number of unemployed B. unemployment rate C. labor force D. labor-force participation rate 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is A. The factory worker willingly leaves her job so she is not considered to be unemployed.See Section 2-3. 28 of 30 Suppose that the size of the labor force is 100 million and that the unemployment rate is 5 percent. Which of the following actions would reduce the unemployment rate the most? A. 1 million unemployed people get jobs B. 2 million unemployed people leave the labor force C. 3 million people join the labor force and they all get jobs à D. 10 million people join the labor force and half of them get jobs 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is B. The unemployment rate is equal to the number of unemployed workers divided by the size of the labor force.If you calculate it for each of the above situations, you will see that it is most reduced when 2 million unemployed people leave the labor force . See Section 2-3. 29 of 30 Suppose that a Canadian citizen crosses the border each day to work in the United States. Her income from this job would be counted inà à A. U. S. GNP and Canadian GNP. B. U. S. GNP and Canadian GDP. C. U. S. GDP and Canadian GNP. D. U. S. GDP and Canadian GDP. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is C. Her income is counted as U. S. GDP and Canadian GNP. See Section 2-1 for the definitions of gross domestic product (GDP) and gross national product (GNP). 0 of 30 Suppose that an Italian working in the United States renounces his Italian citizenship and is granted U. S. citizenship. Which of the following will happen? A. Italian GDP will fall; U. S. GNP will rise. B. Italian GNP will fall; U. S. GNP will rise. C. Italian GDP will fall; U. S. GDP will rise. D. Italian GNP will fall; U. S. GDP will rise. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is B. The workerââ¬â¢s income was counted as Italian GNP and U. S. GDP. After the worker becomes a U. S . citizen, his income is counted as U. S. GNP and GDP. Therefore, Italian GNP falls and U. S. GNP rises. See Section 2-1.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
DepressionPTSD in the Military Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
DepressionPTSD in the Military - Research Paper Example Practically, from 10-18% of veterans upon their return home are diagnosed with PTSD. Studies found that Iraq/Afghanistan veterans are more likely to be incarcerated, being diagnosed with substance abuse disorders, and more likely to be married. In Afghanistan/Iraq veteran population PTSD can develop due to sustained injuries, wounds, traumas, and traumatic brain injury. There are several effective treatment approaches available for military patients diagnosed with PTSD, which include cognitive behavioral therapies, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocess, imagery rescripting, imagery rehearsal therapy, and virtual reality. According to CBT approach, interpretation of the traumatic events causes the symptoms, thus the treatment concentrates on elimination of irrational thoughts occurring in patients. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocess demonstrated an impressive empirical support for their effectiveness as treatment approaches for PTSD among military population groups. Virtu al Reality based therapy incorporates modern technology such as computer graphic surroundings and visual displays to create a feeling of immersion in reality-like environments, such as battlefields. The prevalence and severity of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among military population is well documented. ... Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994), the diagnosis of PTSD requires exposure to a traumatic event and three resulting symptom clusters: reexperiencing the event, avoidance of traumatic reminders and numbing of responsiveness, and hyperarousal. In their study of Vietnam veterans, Schlenger et al. (1992) found 27.9% of Hispanics, 20.6% of Blacks, and 13.7% of White/other male veterans suffered current PTSD symptoms 15 years after military service. Similar results of PTSD prevalence were found among veterans of other recent military missions. Kang et al (2003) surveyed 30,000 veterans and found approximately 12% of veterans from the first Gulf War developed PTSD. The research performed by Hoge et al. (2004) noted 15.6 to 17.1% of returned Iraq War veterans in their study (n = 1709) developed PTSD. Additionally, Hoge et al. (2004) observed a PTSD baseline rate of 5% in the soldier sample prior to deployment. This baseline rate closely mirrored the 3 to 4% rates of PTSD in the United States general adult population (Narrow et al, 2002). In addition, many veterans suffer symptoms of trauma such as flashbacks or hyper-arousal without meeting the full diagnostic criteria of PTSD according to the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). B. PTSD, COMORBIDITY AND SYMPTOMATOLOGY Past studies reported high rates of comorbidity between PTSD and other adjustment difficulties and mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety and/or phobias, violence, unemployment, substance dependence and abuse, marital, and family discord (Jakupcak et al., 2008). Kulka et al. (1990) reported male Vietnam veterans with PTSD had an 80% lifetime prevalence of alcohol abuse and 30% suffered depression. PTSD symptomatology was
Friday, September 27, 2019
Capital asset pricing model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Capital asset pricing model - Essay Example The market indices of the securities market may not always diversify well. The capital-pricing model will not explain investorsââ¬â¢ behavior and the beta might fail in capturing the risk of investment in real life practice due to these factors. Therefore, the model fails to act as a uniform and efficient valuation model in a real practical situation. The model only works in a generalized situation that is when dealing with a portfolio but fail if the investment is broken down into single forms of securities. The capital asset pricing model assumes that the higher the risks the higher the return and that all the investors are risk averse. The model assumes that securities are highly divisible into small parts. The model further, assumes that all investors access information at the same time and that investors make decisions based on a single period horizon. The capital asset pricing model is practically difficult to validate. Empirical validation of the capital asset pricing model has to establish that beta has ability to measure the risk of a security (Szyszka, 2009). It also has to show that there is a significant correlation between beta and the expected rate of return. The empirical results have however, being of mixed outcomes. The results have shown that the relationship is not as strong as the capital asset pricing model indicates. The results also have also shown that the expected returns are also related to other measures of risk, which includes firmââ¬â¢s specific risk. Other factors such as market value and book value ratios relationship with returns were found to be significant. In order to test capital asset pricing model empirically researchers need to use data on expected prices. However, the data available is historical information only. This therefore, will result to biased empirical results. The capital asset pricing model assumes that the market portfolio consists of all the assets in all the markets. The market portfolio according to t he capital asset pricing theory must include every marketable asset (Khalaf, 2010). The assumption behind the market portfolio is that market index performance is impacted by every factor in the economy. The use of proxy portfolio is very controversial and this leads to the questioning of the validity of the Capital asset pricing model. Capital asset pricing model measure of a security future risk (Beta) is constant. In a real security market, investors do not have future information about the market to estimate beta. Investors only have past information about the market portfolio, performance of different organizations and prices of shares. Therefore, investors can only estimate the measure of a security future risk using historical data. The use of a historical beta is only applicable in case the beta is stable over time. Research has shown that betas for different securities are not constant over time. Therefore, historical betas are poor indicators to determine future risk of se curities. B) Describe Rollââ¬â¢s critique of the early empirical tests of the Capital as
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana, Cocaine and Heroin Research Paper
Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana, Cocaine and Heroin - Research Paper Example Currently the largest problem facing Florida is cocaine followed by marijuana. The use of heroin remains low except for Boca Raton and Miami-Dade. The greatest numbers of people turning to drug rehabilitation centers do so due to marijuana addiction. In 2007 alone more than 13,000 people entered treatment facilities in Florida to deal with marijuana addiction. Around 47% of these people were aged between 12 and 17 years of age. Similarly the number of cocaine addicts seeking help was some 10,000 in 2007. It has also been estimated that some 380,000 people in Florida are addicted to illicit drugs but did not seek any help (Narconon, 2011). When the Florida drug scene is considered, it is noticeable that the abuse of legal drugs is much higher in Florida than the abuse of illegal drugs. In 2006 alone some 1,400 people in Florida died from overdoses of benzodiazepines such as Xanax or from overdoses of a narcotic such as OxyContin. On the other hand some 633 people died in Florida in 2006 from cocaine overdose. Moreover most of the marijuana that is found in Florida is grown locally rather than imported. Between 2006 and 2008 the number of indoor marijuana plants eradicated shot up from 36,000 to 78,000. (Narconon, 2011) All in all the Florida legal and illegal drugs scenario presents a grim picture that needs further support from the government in order to deal with this menace at large. Drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and heroin have been legalized in certain parts of the world such as the Netherlands but the impact of these policies is often underplayed or overplayed in order to make an argument. In order to realize the true impacts of such policies, it is pertinent to consider the peculiar socio-economic circumstances that surround the legalization of drugs in these nations. Portugal decriminalized the possession of drugs for personal use in 2001. By law anyone caught with such drugs was subject to therapy and
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Stanley McChrystals listen, learn.then lead Movie Review
Stanley McChrystals listen, learn.then lead - Movie Review Example Through such acts, subordinates will be more than willing to help their leader when they realize he or she is down because they expect them to be on their feet serving and defending juniors A good leader is that who is willing to listen and learn from juniors. From McChrystalââ¬â¢s explanation, it is clear that an effective leader in most cases can let subordinates fail but does not let them be failures. For this reason, it is believed that leaders are not particularly nice just because they are right but it is because they show the will to learn, accept mistakes and trust their juniors. Leaders must be transparent in their actions and be ready to undergo reverse mentorship The management team at my place of work is always willing to listen since they know that it is all about learning. By listening, they get to understand how people feel, what their expectations are about some decisions and what motivates subordinates. Leadership skills evident in the talk are confidence and goal oriented. Leaders must be confident in order to build trust in subordinates. Since people follow leaders, it is easy for them to do so if they have trust in a leader through the ability to communicate with each other effectively. In additions, leaders must be goal oriented because it depicts the purpose. This is effective through living up to their promises and obligations in a transparent manner. Listening and learning before leading are the most critical elements that leaders must be ready for when it comes to managing subordinates. It is always good to listen to them because it is through such communications that people build trust, get new ideas and improve work quality. From the talk, it is clear that leaders are not always right but because they are willing to learn, people treat them as true
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
See uploaded question paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
See uploaded question paper - Essay Example These provisions are fundamentally categorized as Consumer Protection Acts which further constitute of Sale of Goods Act 1979 and Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 in the European Union (EU) legislation1. With reference to the case situation witnessed by Greg when dealing with his supplier Sprewfit, this study will aim at recommending the consumer (i.e. Greg) with certain remedial measures to suffice his losses with the application of Sale of Goods Act 1979 and Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977. As observed in the case scenario, Greg was working on a new project of renovating a home and estate of ââ¬Å"Downly Abbeyâ⬠, in the village named Downly. The required materials for the renovation project were supplied to him by Sprewfit. The company also took the contract that to serve with the required amount of plaster which would be used in the interiors of the home and estate of ââ¬Å"Downly Abbeyâ⬠. After certain period of time, Greg noticed that the materials that were provided to him were of low quality, and certainly incompetent to suffice his requirements for a Grade II home and estate renovation project. ... There are certain specific contracts to which this particular act has been applicable. One of the most crucial norms of this law is that it is applicable only to the contract of the sales of goods that took place on or after the 1st of January 1884. It has been learnt that a sales contract is a contract where the seller agrees to transfer the possession of the goods or any other property in exchange of money which can also be referred as the price of the property or goods delivered. The goods sold may be of existing goods, owned or possessed by the seller or it may also be goods or property which would have to be manufactured after the contract is made. These types of goods are referred as called ââ¬Ëfuture goodsââ¬â¢. As per the provisions mentioned in the act, the goods are sold under a certain terms and conditions that must be agreed by the seller as well as the buyer prior to the validation of the agreement. Notably, if the conditions are not satisfied by the seller which r esults to the losses suffered by the buyers, the entire issue would be termed as a breach of contract. Consequently, the buyer could claim for compensation or damage if such situations indicating breach of contract arises2. Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 The Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 set to enforce additional limits on the level to which civil accountability for breach of contract on the basis of the inattention towards the liabilities, obligations and of duties of the sellers can be shunned by means of contract terms and otherwise. It has often been witnessed that companies focus on applying terms and conditions explicitly in their agreement offered to the customers mentioning certain aspects which might hinder the interests of the
Monday, September 23, 2019
Project appraisal through discounted and non-discounted cash flow Essay
Project appraisal through discounted and non-discounted cash flow techniques - Essay Example Positive and negative values makes it easy to understand generation of profits and losses as well as assists decision makers to focus only on the highly positive items, the precious time of management can be saved by focusing on the relevant project (Fortes, 2010; Horngren, 2005). Calculations are comparatively easy and data of any finite period can be easily converted into present value of it. Net present value analysis is derived from some basic realistic and practical assumption it is based on a fact that value of à £100 today will be more than the worth of à £100 after a year. Keeping this assumption in mind a net present value of future cash inflows is calculated using a discounted rate, usually the rate of cost of capital of a company or industry this rate represents the percentage minimum requirement of return by an organization per annum. Annuity factors can also be used if cash flows are constant every year. The Net Present Value (NPV) is a useful technique to determine profitability of any item being assessed, but has few limitations as well, it only focuses on factual data that can directly hit the profit generation capabilities of an item and financial aspects only while appraising projects and does not account for the non financial aspects, areas and issue associated to that project; whereas, there is a high probability of any decision/ project to get affected by numerous external or internal non-financial events.
Sunday, September 22, 2019
John K.Kennedy`s commitment to peace and disarmament before and during Essay
John K.Kennedy`s commitment to peace and disarmament before and during his presidency - Essay Example He was a committed person as then he was a senator and was addressing an audience where President Johnson was one of them. His dream of peaceful world was a forfeited one. In the address J.F Kennedy said people thought peace was impossible to achievable, it was unreal, but he said was dangerous and defeatist belief which leads to a conclusion that war is inevitable that mankind is doomed and that they are gripped by forces which we cannot control. He said this kind of view needed not to accept. J.F.Kennedy encouraged focus on more practical and attainable peace based on a sudden revolution in human nature but on a gradual evolution in human institutions on series of concrete actions and effective agreements which are in the interests of all concerned. He said that United States and its allies, and the Soviet and its allies had a mutually deep interest in a just and genuine peace and in halting the arms race. Agreements that the end was in the interest of the Soviet Union was well as the United States and even the most hostile nations could be relied upon to accept and keep those treaty obligation, which were in their interest. He encouraged perseverance in the search for peace in the hope that constructive changes within the communist bloc might bring within reach solutions which seemed beyond. He said United States to conduct its affairs in such a way that it became in the communist interest to agree on a genuine peace. Above all, while defending its own vital interests, nuclear power should avert the confrontations which could bring an adversary to a choice of either a humiliating retreat or nuclear war. To adopt the kind of course in... It is clear from the above that John F.Kennedy `s fight for a world free of arms and peaceful is well evident. He had put his life on the line just because of his desire to have A world free of arms. His fight for America out of Vietnam can be sighted as one of the reasons that his enemies had no option other than to have him assassinated. His speeches had always indicated clearly his desire and purpose for his political ambitions.He died having partially fulfilled his dream but it lives with and it needs attention. He was the youngest American president ever and a born twentieth century but his legacy lives on. His outstanding charisma and resolve of what he thought made the most coveted president in the United States ever ruled. He was a challenge and his enemies had no option left than having him assassinated.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Automobile Industry, India Automobile Industry Essay Example for Free
Automobile Industry, India Automobile Industry Essay Following Indias growing openness, the arrival of new and existing models, easy availability of finance at relatively low rate of interest and price discounts offered by the dealers and manufacturers all have stirred the demand for vehicles and a strong growth of the Indian automobile industry. The data obtained from ministry of commerce and industry, shows high growth obtained since 2001- 02 in automobile production continuing in the first three quarters of the 2004-05. Annual growth was 16. 0 per cent in April-December, 2004; the growth rate in 2003-04 was 15. 1 per cent The automobile industry grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22 per cent between 1992 and 1997. With investment exceeding Rs. 50,000 crore, the turnover of the automobile industry exceeded Rs. 59,518 crore in 2002-03. Including turnover of the auto-component sector, the automotive industrys turnover, which was above Rs. 84,000 crore in 2002-03, is estimated to have exceeded Rs. 1,00,000 crore ( USD 22. 74 billion) in 2003-04. Automobile Dealers Network in India In terms of Car dealer networks and authorized service stations, Maruti leads the pack with Dealer networks and workshops across the country. The other leading automobile manufactures are also trying to cope up and are opening their service stations and dealer workshops in all the metros and major cities of the country. Dealers offer varying kind of discount of finances who in tern pass it on to the customers in the form of reduced interest rates. Major Manufacturers in Automobile Industry Maruti Udyog Ltd. General Motors India Ford India Ltd. Eicher Motors Bajaj Auto Daewoo Motors India Hero Motors Hindustan Motors Hyundai Motor India Ltd. Royal Enfield Motors Telco TVS Motors DC Designs Swaraj Mazda Ltd Government has liberalized the norms for foreign investment and import of technology and that appears to have benefited the automobile sector. The production of total vehicles increased from 4. 2 million in 1998- 99 to 7. 3 million in 2003-04. It is likely that the production of such vehicles will exceed 10 million in the next couple of years. The industry has adopted the global standards and this was manifested in the increasing exports of the sector. After a temporary slump during 1998- 99 and 1999-00, such exports registered robust growth rates of well over 50 per cent in 2002-03 and 2003-04 each to exceed two and- a-half times the export figure for 2001-02. Automobile Export Numbers Category1998-991998-99Passenger Car25468121478Multi Utility Vehicles26543892Commercial Vehicles1010819931Two Wheelers100002256765Three Wheelers2113851535Percentage Growth-16. 632. 8 THE KEY FACTORS BEHIND THIS UPSWING Sales incentives, introduction of new models as well as variants coupled with easy availability of low cost finance with comfortable repayment options continued to drive demand and sales of automobiles during the first two quarters of the current year. The risk of an increase in the interest rates, the impact of delayed monsoons on rural demand, and increase in the costs of inputs such as steel are the key concerns for the players in the industry. As the players continue to introduce new models and variants, the competition may intensify further. The ability of the players to contain costs and focus on exports will be critical for the performance of their respective companies. The auto component sector has also posted significant growth of 20 per cent in 2003-04, to achieve a sales turnover of Rs. 30,640 crore (US$ 6. 7 billion). Further, there is a potential for higher growth due to outsourcing activities by global automobiles giants. Today, this sector has emerged as another sunrise sector. EVEN GROWTH Opposing the belief that the growth in automobile industry has catered only to the top income-stratum of society, Growth of exports of 32. 8 % in the first three quarters of 2004-05, the fastest growth in volumes has come from commercial vehicles as against passenger cars. Between 1998-99 and 2003-04, output of commercial vehicles has grown 2. 8 times compared to the 2. 2 times increase in passenger cars. Furthermore, two-wheeler output continues to dominate the volume statistics of the sector. In 2003-04, for every passenger car turned out by the sector, there were 7 two-wheelers produced. In the two wheeler segment, there is a greater preference for motorcycles followed by scooters, with both production and domestic sales of motorcycles increasing at faster rates than for scooters in the current and previous years. However, mopeds have registered low or negative growth. Export growth rates have been high both for motorcycles and scooters.
Friday, September 20, 2019
ICT Developments In The Construction Industry
ICT Developments In The Construction Industry The use of ICT has over the years in different ways influenced and to a certain degree also changed roles and processes within the building project. A better understanding and overview of how ICT affect on the complex mechanisms in construction industry within the early stages of the planning process can be seen as central to achieve project success in this chapter. This chapter will touch on the general ICT development and application in construction industry whether in Malaysia or foreign countries such as United Kingdom, Australia, etc. but more focus on QS, architectural and engineering firms. Current software developments in construction industry which separate into three main types: design software, QS software and management software will be briefly described and discussed in this chapter too. Besides, this chapter will present a framework for exploring the positive or negative impacts of ICT developments in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (hereinafter referred to as AEC) sector of construction industry. Few survey analyses will be provided to briefly explain the impacts of ICT developments in practice. The strategies related to ICT implementation such as self-motivation, training, etc. will be discussed in the following section. After that, the final section presents a summary to this chapter of this research. 2.2 ICT Developments in Construction Industry The developments of ICT such as internet, email, e-tendering, software etc. in the AEC sector have evolved over several years. Emerging ICT introduces opportunities for improving communication to enhance effectiveness of many construction processes at each project phase as well as creating new business opportunities (Peansupap and Walker, 2005). The average annual growth rate of ICT investment in the construction industry is increasing every year and constitutes now a significant part of the total project cost. According to Woksepp and Olofsson (2007), some studies indicate that the ICT utilization ratio is still relatively low in the construction industry. In Malaysia, Public Works Department director which is Datuk Seri Prof Judin Abdul Karim hastened the construction companies to adopt ICT to enhance their capability during the two-day Infrastructure Construction Asias Building Information Modelling Sustainable Architecture 2009 conference in August 2009. He said that the awareness of using ICT was there but the cost of investment prohibited companies from adopting the technology and upgrading the system especially for the small companies. He also emphasized on the importance to have an integrated software system as a lot of professionals such as architects and engineers within the same companies were using different kinds of software. Standardisation is important in obtaining effective workflow for the project development and implementation (The Star, 20 August 2009). In parallel with the developments in academia and the software industry, organisations in the AEC industry have adopted new technologies in support of their business and the implementation of ICT is becoming significantly important now. Most industrially developed countries such as United Kingdom believe the need for implementing and using new technologies for gaining competitive advantage but are reluctant to invest in these technologies. The financial return appears to form the basis for IT investment related decisions. Besides, the results of previous research on measuring the ICT use and trends in Turkey (Sarshar and Isikdag, 2004) suggested that the Turkish AEC industry has been facing difficulties related to inefficient communication and loss of information due to fragmentation in the industry. However, developments of ICT in construction industry are still lacking. 2.2.1 QS Firms According to Smith (2004), the QS profession in Australia has experienced significant change over the past decade in terms of the scope of services provided both within and outside of the construction industry. These changes have occurred primarily in response to changing industry or client demands, ICT developments and increased levels of competition for services. As information flows increasingly become electronic QS computing facilities, software and databases will need to develop in a compatible manner. Compatibility with and the utilization of ICT developments is just the beginning and it is inevitable that documentation and date will be increasingly automated to the point where measurement and other technical processes will require minimal human intervention. It advancement provides the QS profession with enormous opportunity to strengthen its position in the industry. Thus, quantity surveyors are well placed to become the major information handlers on construction projects as the majority of information flow revolves around quantities and cost. Actually, no profession can legitimately lay claim to being best suited to take control of information management. It is likely that current opportunities will be taken up by others if the profession adopts a wait and see approach. In Malaysia, QS practice plays an important role in any construction development projects. The environments for QS practice have changed along with the countrys rapid economic development. Future development prospects and changes will have implications on the development of the profession. On the other hand, there have been concerns in the past few years on the role and future of the QS profession. The QS Think Tank Report of RICS has noted that many clients are critical of traditional QS services and are demanding a different and more comprehensive range of services (Page, Pearson and Pryke, 2004). Although there is a general lack of published data on the development and current scenario of the QS practice in Malaysia, anecdotal evidence suggests that the scenario in Malaysia parallels the findings by RICS. Hence, a reliable understanding of the present situation as well as the future perceptions of the QS practice is required in order to aspire to future challenges and needs (Abdul lah and Haron, 2006). 2.2.2 Architectural and Engineering Firms In accordance with the survey of Rivard (2000), ICT are an integral part of the day to day business within the most of the AEC industry nowadays. Almost every single employee in architectural and engineering firms do works on a desktop computer. Many business processes such as bookkeeping, invoicing and specification writing are now almost completely computerised and the tendency is toward a greater computerisation of the remaining processes. The firms have adopted the internet and are using emails and the World-Wide Web on a daily basis. However, even though ICT has been adopted by most firms because it provides quick and efficient means of exchanging information digitally, the majority of AEC professionals still exchange design information by means of paper drawings and specifications ad they used to do prior to the advent of computers. The AEC industry was a little slower in adopting ICT than other service industries that are more information intensive such as the communications industry and business services., but this is understandable since the AEC industry tends to be risk avert and prefers to adopt a technology that has been proven. 2.3 Current Software Developments in Construction Industry Software development is a highly dynamic field that heavily relies on the experience of experts when it comes to learning, applying, evaluating, disseminating and improving its methods, tools and techniques (Acuna and Sanshez-Segura, eds, 2006). The use of IT to transform and upgrade the construction industry is an objective requirement for the development of construction industry. At present, software quality and practical application level lags far behind developed countries. Thus, there is some great practical significance like summing up the status quo, looking for gaps, to explore a path of development, to promote in-depth practical application for improving the project standards, and achieve industry information, industrial advancement. There are three main types of software developments which are design software, QS software and management software in construction industry to enhance effectiveness of many construction processes at each project phase as well as creating new bus iness opportunities. 2.3.1 Design Software The use of CAD-technique in building design has increased rapidly during the last ten years and it is the standard technique for producing building documentation nowadays. International Organization for Standardization (hereinafter referred to as ISO) has defined a draft international standard, ISO/DIS 13567 recently, in order to increase interoperability between different CAD applications for building design (Bo-Christer, Kurt and Arto, 1997). CAD has several related technologies, two of which are geographic information systems and rendering packages. A geographic information system is an integrated software application devised to capture, store, edit, analyse and display geographic information and is typically used in land use planning, infrastructure management, environmental engineering, natural resources planning and management. A rendering package is a software application used to create, edit and render a realistic 3-D image of an architectural or engineered effort and typical ly includes lighting effects, camera setup and the application of materials on surfaces (Rivard, 2000). With the advent of ISO 9000, the quality management and quality assurance standard, more and more firms are adopting quality assurance in their processes to ensure that their firms can time and time again deliver the product or services that satisfy given requirements for quality. 2.3.2 QS Software Throughout history there have been numerous medians used to quantify construction materials. From the ruler, scale, and measuring tape to the planimeter and the digitizer, QS tools have changed with the technology of the time. There is no exception presently with the invention of fast-paced computer generated design applications and fast-track more efficient construction practices. In the market today, there are a plethora of computer-based QS software programs such as On-screen Take-off by on Center Software Inc, Computer-Aided Design (hereinafter referred to as CAD) Based Measurement Software (hereinafter referred to as CBMS), etc. On-screen Take-off On-screen Take-off software has been around since 1995. It is a valuable tool in the cost estimating process. McElreath (2010) implementing this software whenever digital copies of drawings are available in the market. He also mentioned that the speed and accuracy of this software has increased nearly 50 percent because of the functions and features of this product. One of the basic advantages of On-screen Take-off is the ability to zoom in and out of the drawings. This takes the place of a magnifying glass needed for full size drawings and save the estimators eyes. It also has an integrated magnification tool that can zoom in certain sections of the drawings without zooming in on the whole document. This is especially helpful when reading key notes, but it still allows the user to see the whole floor plan. However, one of the biggest advantages to using this product is that the software allows the user to verify and defend quantity takeoffs quickly and easily when performing an esti mate. CBMS The usage of CBMS would basically perform directs measurement of quantities from the object models produced by the designers for building elements to support tendering and contract administrative activities. Quantity surveyor can use CBMS to obtain certain quantities or calculations. For example, components such as windows, doors and sanitary fittings are easily designed or taken from the library of the software and it also can be counted easily using scheduling (Ong, Lim and Aziz, 2005). Thus, quantity surveyors are able to produce work description details and quantities for such items easily. Based on the preliminary experiment which conducted by Ong, Lim and Aziz (2005), the CAD software is able to generate the quantities easily for certain elements in a building while problems are encountered in taking-off quantities for other elements. Hence, there is a need for cooperation between the designers and quantity surveyors to ensure that there is a seamless flow of information from t he designers to the quantity surveyors especially with respect to the information contains in CAD drawings. 2.3.3 Project Management Software According to Walker (ed, 2007), construction project management is defined as the planning, coordination and control of a project from conception to completion including commissioning on behalf of a client requiring the identification of the clients objectives in terms of utility, function, quality, time and cost, and the establishment of relationships between resources, integrating, monitoring and controlling the contributors to the project and their output, and evaluating and selecting alternatives in pursuit of the clients satisfaction with the project outcome. The industry needs to be concerned with identifying and studying the process of managing construction projects and with structuring its organisations and implementing techniques and procedures that make the project management process more effective. Project management software consists of five main functional modules which are progress program management capabilities, resource management, cost management capabilities, report generation and output functions, and auxiliary functions which mainly refer to the interface with other software, secondary development, data confidentiality and the like. This concept stems from the analysis of similar products abroad such as Primavera Software, Microsoft Project, etc. Primavera Software Primavera offers best-in-class solutions focused on the mission critical Project Portfolio Management requirements of key vertical industries including engineering and construction, IT and services and the like. Primavera P6 Professional Project Management which is one of the products gives todays project managers and schedulers the one thing they value most: control. It is the recognised standard for high-performance project management software and designed to handle large-scale, highly sophisticated and multifaceted projects. It can be used to organise projects up to 100,000 activities and provides unlimited resources and an unlimited number of target plans. On the other hand, Primavera P6 Professional Project Management can balance resource capacity, plan, schedule, and control complex projects, allocate best resources and track progress, monitor and visualise project performance versus, conduct what-if-analysis and analyse alternative project plans (Oracle, 2010). Microsoft Project 2010 Project 2010 offers easier and more intuitive experiences to help the client simply be more productive and realise amazing results from meeting crucial deadlines to selecting the right resources and empowering your teams (Microsoft Project 2010). Microsoft Project 2010 builds on the Microsoft Office project 2007 foundation with flexible work management solutions and the right collaboration tools for occasional and professional project managers and includes a pathway to more advanced project and portfolio management capabilities as business needs evolve. Through a dramatically enhanced user experience, it also drives team productivity with integration across familiar Microsoft technologies including Microsoft SharePoint Server and Microsoft Exchange Server. This integration allows a powerful business collaboration platform, proven project and portfolio management to result in a familiar, connected environment for customers to manage the simplest or the most complex projects (Phoenix, 2009). 2.4 Impacts of ICT Developments on Construction Industry The advent of ICT development has been both beneficial and detrimental. According to the respondents of the survey (Rivard, 2000), ICT developments have raised productivity in most business processes and particularly in general administration, design and project management. The main benefits achieved by the use of ICT is an increase in the speed of work, a better financial control, better communications, simpler and faster access to common data as well as a decrease in the number of mistakes in documentation. However, the benefits of ICT developments come at a cost since the complexity of work, the administrative needs, the proportion of new operations and the costs of doing business have all increased. Figure 1 attempt to show the changes caused by the introduction of ICT in construction industry. Figure 1: Changes caused by the introduction of ICT (Rivard, 2000) Furthermore, to explore the impacts of ICT developments on the architectural design process, Moum (2006) developed a framework to support the exploration and analysis of the multiple and complex amounts of information collected from both theory and practice. Based on the four selected design process aspects: generation of design solution, communication, evaluation of design solution, and decision making within the design process, and the three hierarchical levels: macro, meso and micro, an ICT impact matrix is conducted as a tool to summarizing and giving overview the key points explored by Moum (2006). Table 1 summarize some of the explored and discussed ICT related benefits and challenges within generation of the four selected design process aspects. The ICT systems used within the design process, support drafting and modelling rather than special design attributes and analytical capabilities, and have not changed the task of drafting or modelling. ICT also would develop from being a tool to becoming a design partner with having a design agent to make a designer aware of inconsistency regarding building legislation such as the minimum height of a staircase handrail (Kalay, 2004). Other than that, network technologies such as email and the internet have contributed to the most radical changes within the average working day for the building process participants as they support information exchange independent of geographical and organisational borders in communication stage within design process. ICT also offer a most powerful support of evaluation. Unrecognised problems can be identified, uncertainty reduced and errors avoided already at an early stage of the building project. It is easier to make a decision if every uncertainty i s eliminated within the architectural design process (Moum, 2006). Obviously, ICT developments have these far definitely brought benefits. Table 1: The ICT impact matrix summarizing the key points of the literature review (Moum, 2006) In the same time, CIRIA (1996) reviewed the procedures used by seven major construction organisations for their internal assessment of potential investments in IT in a study of United Kingdom construction organisations. These organizations included building and civil engineering contractors, civil engineering consultants and one large joint venture construction project. CIRIA concluded that, in the construction industry, formal cost-benefit analysis is not widely used to assess possible investments in IT. Even the simplest form of analysis of costs and benefits of smaller items can cost more staff time than the item itself and advancement of IT within organisations appears to be almost cyclical, alternatively evolutionary and revolutionary with periods of consolidation and evolution following radical assessments of IT strategy. This is a classic IT problem. For instance when Project Management software is introduced the software and hardware is a small part of the total cost-benefit equation. Staff training often costs more than the system, but the benefits of the training generally outweigh the costs (cited by Andresen, Baldwin, Betts, Carter, Hamilton, Stokes, and Thorpe, 2000). As a result of this industry-based debate of this issue, a framework of construction of construction IT benefits was colligated by academic perspectives reflecting perspectives reflecting the literature review conducted (Andresen et al. 2000). Table 2 shows a summary of the typical, process-based benefits that arise from IT investments that was colligated. Three categories: typical efficiency benefits, typical effectiveness benefits and typical performance benefits. Table 2: Typical IT benefits (Andresen et al. 2000) 2.5 Strategies Related to ICT Implementation There are three aspects which are self-motivation, training and environment for workplace support to understand how to encourage and manage the process of actual implementation of ICT diffusion within construction organisations. 2.5.1 Self-motivation ICT use remains dependent upon the individuals decisions whether to accept or reject the application. This is in turn affected by the degree of motivation. One motivation behind an individuals ICT application use is their characteristics such as self-confidence, enjoyment of learning and their previous foundation ICT skills. Peansupap and Walker (2005) indicated that users with high self-confidence levels are more likely to use and adopt ICT applications than users with low self-confidence. Igbaria, Iivari and Maragahh (1995) found that previous experience has a direct influence on the use and adoption of ICT. Individuals are able to use their existing ICT skills to perform the task. They found that computer experience is likely to improve a persons perceptions and belief of the usefulness of the ICT by enhancing their beliefs in their ability to master the challenges and to reduce any fears (cited by Peansupap and Walker, 2005). 2.5.2 Training Training is a primary organisational ICT diffusion factor because it helps users understand how to use and adopt ICT applications effectively. Likewise, Peansupap and Walker (2005) noted that many construction case studies found that lack of training is a key barrier to adopting and using ICT applications. So it is important to assess users training requirements to reduce the knowledge gap between what they already know and what they need to know to best perform their job through undertaking a personalised user needs analysis. Due to the threat of free-market and globalise competition has been view with serious concern by the various professional bodies, they believe their members will be able to better perceive the professions activity in a wider context and addressing this threat through Continuing Professional Development (hereinafter referred as CPD) programme. CPD is important for people and organisations need to continually learn and re-learn to sustain in this rapid changing business environment. Houle (1980) defines CPD as the ways in which professionals try, through their own knowledge and ability and build a sense of collective responsibility to society. Madden and Mitchell (1993) identifies CPS as the maintenance and enhancement of the knowledge, expertise and competence of professionals throughout their careers according to a plan formulated with regard to the needs of professional, the employer, the profession and society. (Adnan, Hashim, Janipha Hassan, and Ismail, 2009, p. 21) CPD is a requirement for members of most professional associations and the construction industry is no exception. Rather than relying solely on their employees, practitioners need to also take responsibility for their own professional development. ICT is a classic area for CPD due to regularity and speed of change and such personal development can significantly enhance an individuals value to a firm (Smith, 2004). 2.5.3 A Supportive Environment Workplace It can be argued that workplace environment characteristics such as commitment, open discussion, personal anxiety, and frustration also affect ICT implementation. The ICT diffusion process can be seen as a process of change within an organisation, so we need commitment from both users and their organisation. Individual commitment focuses on end-users who devote themselves to using ICT whereas organisational commitment focuses on top manager who support end-user to use ICT. Basic requirements of ICT adoption is the need to directly or indirectly persuade users to commit to support and allocate adequate resources for ICT technology investment (Peansupap and Walker, 2005). Open discussion helps to improve work productivity via the reporting of system difficulties. In addition, Senge et al. (1999) open discussion helps managers better understand problems or difficulties experienced by those operating ICT applications so that strategies can be devised to address deficiencies. Frustration or anxiety might develop from a negative users response when using computers. Igbaria and Parasuraman (1989) found that computer anxiety has a negative impact on users attitude toward microcomputers, especially when it is difficult to use ICT systems o r they can only be partially used (cited by Peansupap and Walker, 2005). Therefore, adequate ICT systems might be chosen for the companies to prevent users feel frustrated when faced the problems of insufficient or restricted their use of ICT systems. 2.6 Summary This chapter provides the general ICT developments information which focuses on QS firms and architectural engineering firms. Datuk Seri Prof Judin emphasized that the importance of ICT investment in construction industry and noted that standardisation is essential in obtaining workflow of the project development and implementation effectively. The development of design software, QS software and project management software can facilitate the exchange and management of information and has lot potentials for the information process component of the construction industry. This research found that CAD software is widely utilized in the current construction industry through all these surveys. These recent ICT developments undoubtedly have a profound impact whether is positive or negative on how organisations operate on a daily basis. Normally, benefits will be discovered much more than problems or barriers of ICT developments in AEC sector. The ICT developments in construction industry will improve the productivity and quality of output with the lesser time such as the increased speed in architectural design process. But, this research shows that the organisation and functions of each construction company will influence the impacts from ICT software developments. Lack of understanding of how to implement ICT into a construction organisation will be a significant problem too. Therefore, many construction organisations have found that the ICT investment has failed to meet their expectations. Continuing industry change and ICT developments will present the profession with many challenges, threats and opportunities. Hence, strategies of self-motivation, training provides and workplace environment may lead to efficient ICT implementation in a construction organisation.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
A Brave New World is Pending :: Brave New World Essays
A Brave New World is Pending In the March 6 issue of Science News, J. Raloff wrote "If pregnancies early in adulthood reduce a woman's lifelong risk of developing breast cancer, could short-term hormonal treatments that simulate aspects of pregnancy do the same thing? A new study suggest that the answer is yes." Reading that fast-forwarded my imagination to a horrible future, one described in Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World," where women of the future undergo surrogate pregnancies. In the book it was for mental reasons, but now, there's a physical reason to do such a hormonal treatment. How many other predictions will come true in the next, say, 20 years? Already we have television, airplanes, submarines, cyberspace and virtual reality. Is the next step a measurable move toward Utopia? Will we all live with perfect health? Will we stave off death so effectively that we are killed for population control reasons at the old, old age of 60? Will we lose sight of the goal of a long, productive life, abandon it for a long, forever young life (making aging a disease, because drugs to enhance the here and now build up to a painful later)? I'm all for advancement in medicine. My own father, an oncologist and hematologist, deals with ground-breaking new procedures and medicines on a daily basis. But to air out my cautious side: if the government ever starts worshiping Henry Ford, outlawing Shakespeare, instituting mandatory sterilization of certain groups of people, encouraging and perpetuating class divisions and distributing drugs to solve potential conflict, help me out by saying "STOP!" really, really loudly. Then again, this government does revere Henry Ford in a way. If a big car company wanted something done that was contrary to the desires of a community, my bets are on the car company. This thorough encouragement of big business and the tradition of such can almost be seen as worship. While Shakespeare hasn't been outlawed anywhere (as far as I know), teaching Darwin's theory of Natural Selection is banned in some school districts. J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye" is banned in some school districts. Ruth Sherman, a white teacher in a black and Hispanic neighborhood in New York, left her job in fear for her life over a book called "Nappy Hair": some parents (who of course, hadn't read the award-winning novel and for the most part weren't her student's parents) thought it was racist and divisive.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
W.E.B. Dubois: His Vision For Freedom Essay -- Racial Relations, Afric
African Americans during the 1900s lived lives full of uncertainty. They were no longer slaves, but still looked upon by many as inferior to the white race. However in this period of tension, there were men who sought to bring their race to new heights. One of these men was W.E.B Du Bois. Few have influenced the lives of African Americans in such a way as W.E.B Du Bois. The vision he had for African Americans was one that many found great hope in. He sought for the day that his race for finally have civil equality in every aspect of life. In the time of Du Bois, African Americans may have been considered free but still lacked many civil liberties, that the whites were easily granted. One of the biggest civil liberties they lacked was voting rights. To Du Bois voting for African Americans was one of his greatest hopes, he believed that ââ¬Å"with the right to vote goes everythingâ⬠(NMS 1). If African Americans could gain this right, the doors to other civil equalities would then open. However this was not such an easy tasks, there were so many ââ¬Å"flagrant...political scandals that reputable men began to leave politics aloneâ⬠(Son of Masters 5). The African American men and women had been so put down by the whites, that voting to them became too much of a hassle. Even though views toward voting seemed hopeless and a great hassle, Du Bois spoke out the with the biggest question of them all ââ¬Å"It is possible, and probable, the nine million of men can make effective progress in economic lines if the y are deprived of political rightsâ⬠(Du Bois 5)? How could African Americans build their lives, if they had no say in any of it? It was clear to Du Bois that voting was essential, without it his people would not be able to live equally among th... ...he separation and how these ugly vision that the races had of each other, made Du Bois realize that if African Americans could again regain the direct contact they once had with whites they may also begin to see the good in each other, and with this would come the general civil right they so desperately needed. They would be able, to choose who ââ¬Å"to walk, to talk and be with (.NMS 2), where they wanted to watch a show, even how they got to that show. The general freedoms of everyday life is what Du Bois wished to see. African Americans in the 1900s may have not reached complete freedom just yet, but thanks to the men like Du Bois who took a stand, all hope was not lost. Du Bois brought a vision that with small victories in voting, education, and overall daily freedoms, the African American people would finally be seen as equal to their white brothers and sisters.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
The Anglo-saxon Literature Essay -- essays research papers
In the Anglo-Saxon literature, the scop has a privilege of retaining history, culture and social values of that society. In many cases the scop exercises the power to create stories which reflect the values of that society. The Rood in the à ¡Ã °The Dream of the Roodà ¡Ã ± also tells a story of which affects its society and people. The existence of this witness that reports the suffering and the glorification of Christ proves necessary for the people to believe. The Rood becomes a hero that preserves an event that proves crucial to the society. As the Rood observes the suffering of Christ, it also shares with him the pains of crucifixion. In other words, the Rood takes part in Christà ¡Ã ¯s crucifixion which pertains to the salvation of the souls. Although the Rood declares its god-like qualities along with Christ, thereà ¡Ã ¯s a distinction between Christ and the Rood. Therefore, the Rood appears as a metonymic figure which represents the Christà ¡Ã ¯s suffering but it doe s not represent Christ. In fact, the Rood assumes the role of Christ as it demands people to worship it. In this poem, the Rood appears as an Anglo-Saxon hero. However, the Rood fails to share the Christian beliefs when it declares the entity of God along with Christ. Although Christ and the Rood shared the à ¡Ã °innocentà ¡Ã ±Ã ¡Ã ¯ suffering together, this does not provide an adequate explanation for the Rood to become a replacement of Christ. Indeed, the Rood appears as a hero in the Anglo-Saxon society for it reflects the values of many figures that suffer with their Lord. The Rood shares the suffering endured by Christ. It does not regret its pains but sympathizes with Christ as it brings unto itself the hostilities directed at Christ. Thus, it states, à ¡Ã °[how] they mocked at us bothà ¡Ã ±(à ¡Ã °The Roodà ¡Ã ±, 51). Suffering with the members of the community proves important to a hero in the Anglo-Saxon literature. In à ¡Ã °The Battle of Maldon,à ¡Ã ± a band of warriors fight to save their community, more specifically, fight to à ¡Ã °serve the Earlà ¡Ã ±(The Battle of Maldon, 11). Bryhtnoth is the Earl of these brave warriors who fight unto death in order to carry out their duty. This duty indicates that one does not desert a battleground and retreat in order to save oneà ¡Ã ¯s life. Therefore, the heroes share the battlefield alongside their lord and fight until they win or die. Like these heroes of the Maldon, the Rood remains steadfast in sh... ...st did not have in mind for the people to worship a tree. à ¡Ã °The Roodà ¡Ã ± states its separate entity from Christ. à ¡Ã °The Tree of Victoryà ¡Ã ± becomes itself a figure that must be worshipped by its people. In fact, the Anglo-Saxon society views its heroes as gods through the scops of the society. In Anglo-Saxon literature, scops acquire the power to influence and preserve their tradition, history and culture. The scops glorify the heroes of their times according to their deeds which uphold the values of that society. In addition, the scops give the heroes of their society power to be immortal. They honor their heroes as gods and inevitably honor the values that these heroes uphold. The Rood is one of the Anglo-Saxon heroes that represents the importance of sacrifice of enduring crucial suffering in order to benefit its society. Regardless of its former status, the Roodà ¡Ã ¯s deeds reinforce the values of the Anglo-Saxon sense of loyalty that makes them fearless in the face of wierd. In the face of the approaching death, these heroes are portrayed as honoring their community more than their lives. Thus, by remembering and worshipping these heroes, the Anglo-Saxons tend to honor their society.
Monday, September 16, 2019
The Effect of Different Isotopes on Atomic Mass (Chemistry Lab)
The Effect of Different Isotopes on Atomic Mass Introduction: An isotope is a variation of an atom that already exists. An isotope is different from an atom because of the number of neutrons in its nucleus. Finding the amount of neutrons in an atom can be calculated by subtracting the atomic number of a specific atom from its atomic mass. When looking at the periodic table, the atomic mass in the top left corner of every box is a decimal. The mass is in decimal format because the number listed is an average of that atom, plus all of its isotopes.Isotopes have different masses because neutrons weigh 1 amu where as an electrons weight would be negligible. The experiment described below shows how including all isotopes of one element effect the average atomic mass of the element. Materials: 1. Calculator 2. Whitium sample 3. Brownium sample 4. Blackium sample 5. 3 plastic cups 6. Electronic balance 7. Data table Procedure: 1. Separate the whitium, brownium, and blackium samples from eac h other. 2. Find the mass of 1 cup with the electronic balance. 3.Put the different samples in separate cups and count the number of beans in each cup; write those numbers in the data table. 4. Find the total number of beans. 5. Find the mass of each cup of beans (using the electronic balance) and subtract the mass of the cup. Write these numbers in the data table. 6. Divide the mass of each sample by its respective amount of beans to find the average mass of one bean. Write these numbers in the data table. 7. Divide the number of beans from 1 sample by the total number of beans to find the percent of the total that that particular isotope takes up.Do this for each of the samples. Record these numbers in the data table. 8. To find the average atomic mass of beanium, use the following formula: percent of balckium atomsâ⬠¢average mass of blackium percent of brownium atoms â⬠¢average mass of brownium +percent of whitium atoms â⬠¢average mass of whitium atomic mass of beaniu m Record this number in the data table. Results: Isotope| Number of beans (atoms)| Mass of beans (g)| Average mass of one bean (g)| Percent of beans| Average atomic mass of beanium| Blackium| 293| 65. 8| . 224| 62. 7%| . 43 g|Brownium | 104| 62. 5| . 60| 22. 3%| | Whitium | 70| 69. 2| . 99| 15%| | | Total: 467| | | | | To calculate the percentage of beans: Number of Beans of 1 IsotopeTotal Number of Beans To calculate the atomic mass of beanium: percent of balckium atomsâ⬠¢average mass of blackium percent of brownium atoms â⬠¢average mass of brownium +percent of whitium atoms â⬠¢average mass of whitium atomic mass of beanium Conclusion: In conclusion, an isotope is a variation of an element that already exists. It is different because it has more or less neutrons in its nucleus.Depending on how many isotopes one element has, the average atomic mass will change. When calculating the average atomic mass, you must include all of the isotopes which have more or less neutrons than the original element. Since neutrons have a mass of 1amu, the isotopes masses will vary, thus affecting the average atomic mass of an element. When performing this experiment, the mass of the beans were measured while the number of beans, average mass and percent of beans had to be calculated. The average mass of he beans, or isotopes, was a decimal because the weight of the beans in one sample divided by the number of beans of the same sample was not an even number. This lab simulates the various isotopes of an element because all of the beans were in the same ââ¬Ëfamilyââ¬â¢; however, they all looked different and had different masses. This is an example of how real elements have isotopes that may not look alike or have the same mass, but theyââ¬â¢re still a part of that one element. As this experiment may have gotten the results shown above, when performing this experiment a second time, the results may vary.This is because not every bean is identical. If larger sa mples are used then the difference may be smaller because the larger the sample you have to work with, the closer your average will be to the actual mass. 1 source of error in this experiment may have been miscounting the number of beans. This may change the results of the 2, 4, and 5 columns of the data table. Another source of error may have been miscalculating the average mass of one bean. This would affect the answer for the atomic mass of beanium.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Arthur Miller uses Alfieri for Dramatic Essay
In the second part of his speech, Alfieri brings about a notion of tragedy, ââ¬ËAnother lawyer, quite differently dressed, heard the same complaint and sat there as powerless as I, and watched it run its bloody course. ââ¬Ë This gives the audience a hint as to what is going to come ahead. The fact that Alfieri speaks in the third person indicates that the calamity has already happened and he was powerless to stop it. The idea of fate and destiny and destiny is also brought about. When Eddie, the protagonist of the play is introduced the scenario of a typical Greek tragedy is set up. Eddie is a good person but he has a flaw; his obsessive love for his niece, Catherine. If he is then put in an appropriate circumstance where his weakness is tested, he is likely to encounter tragic circumstances. The next time Alfieri addresses the audience the story has already been put into context. The audience are unaware of Eddieââ¬â¢s love for his niece and he could be easily mistaken as an over protective father. Eddie pays for her typing lessons and has ambitions for her to rise to a different class. ââ¬ËYou ainââ¬â¢t all the girls. ââ¬Ë He is proud of her looks, yet concerned she will attract the wrong sort of men. ââ¬ËThe heads are turning like windmills. ââ¬Ë In addition Eddie finds it difficult to admit that Catherine has become an independent woman. ââ¬ËI guess I just never figuredâ⬠¦ that you would grow up. ââ¬Ë This Alfieri soliloquy helps the plot to progress. Again he uses the past tense, reminding us that he is recalling something which has taken place. Eddie is described as good and hardworking man, the audience can therefore sympathise and even like him. However Eddie has a fate and destiny which he cannot control. Towards the end of this short appearance, Alfieri notifies us on the arrival of the cousins and the play again unfolds. Subsequently we meet Alfieri who again mentions Eddieââ¬â¢s destiny. ââ¬ËEddie Carbone had never expected to have a destiny. ââ¬Ë Yet again we are given the impression that Eddie is a good person and is someone you would expect to have a fairly normal life. ââ¬ËA man works, raises his family, goes bowling, eats, gets old, and then he dies. ââ¬Ë However we are reminded as Alfieri closes his speech that Eddie does have a flaw and as a result there will be devastating consequences. As a result of which, the audience are left in suspense and uncertainty as to what is to come ahead. ââ¬ËThere was a trouble that would not go away. ââ¬Ë His next appearance is one of the most important in the play. Alfieri begins by saying how he is acquainted with Eddie and his family, which helps to put his relationship with the husky, middle-aged longshoreman into context. He then reveals that Eddie came to visit him in the first instance. ââ¬ËI remember him now as he walked through my doorway ââ¬â his eyes were like tunnels. ââ¬Ë Which indicates that Eddie was out of control and looked fierce. Alternatively this could make the audience feel concerned towards his actions and what is to come next. It is the first time in the play that Alfieri transforms from being a narrator to actually a part of the action. As an actor taking part in the action, both his language and behaviour are more formal. In terms of language, Alfieri is more articulate and elevated; his sentences consist of professionalism and throughout this scene he is the voice of reason and sanity as opposed to the prejudiced and hurt Eddie. However Eddie is aggravated by Alfieriââ¬â¢s clear and focused attitude towards the law, as Eddie cannot differentiate between the law and the justice of the vendetta. ââ¬ËBut the law is very specificâ⬠¦ The law does not. ââ¬Ë
Huck finn essay
Houck Finn was designed to portray the realist aspect of life. Twain intended to make The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to satirized life in the South and the change from slavery to equality. Houck Finn is a perfect example of our abhorrent past, and for that reason, it should be a book that is not ignored in the classroom. Houck Finn should definitely be used for an educational purpose because Twat n used it to show us that a black and white person could work together in order to ache eve a common goal during the time.In his novel, Twain uses the ââ¬Å"unwornâ⬠in casual dialogue â⬠s a way to underscore the chilling truth about the old South, that it was a society where perfectly ââ¬Å"niceâ⬠people didn't consider the death of a black person worth their notice. â⬠(Sale n) Houck Finn starts out believing that slavery is a part of the natural order, but as the story goes on, Houck wrestles with his conscience, deciding that he would rather be ââ¬Å"damned to the e flames of hell rather than betray his black friend. (Salient) The book is nothing less than free doomed and a quest in finding freedom. Students should be able to read Houck Finn in a class room environment because education ââ¬Å"should not always be painless. â⬠(Chadwick shush) Issues of sexuality, race, politics, and religion frequently come up in literature. When these subjects are brought up, many people feel under ââ¬Å"attackâ⬠by the topic. ââ¬Å"All the same, w e cannot let ourselves shy away from the uncomfortable purely because it hurts.Ignoring the problem of racism won't make it go away; it needs to be confronted and dealt with in a re spoonbills and informed manner. Without the historical and literary background, it is practical Ill impossible to find a solution. (Shepherd) We shouldn't close our eyes and pretend that race SMS never existed. We should face the fact instead of fighting it because it is a part of oh r history. Houck Finn allows us to see the views of black people from a white, southern boy.Of r example, when Jim gets mad at Houck for lying about his dream, Houck feels bad. He stats sees that ââ¬Å"it was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a in egger. â⬠Houck wasn't happy about having to apologize to a black man, but he did it anyways. This shows that he is beginning to understand that the person he once saw as property, as feelings to. Throughout the rest of the novel, we can see how Houck starts to see that Jim s as equal off human being as Houck is.It is impossible to read Houck Finn without understand ding that the novel is based on historical and literary context of racism. In today's society, many high schools are racially mixed, so when classes dive I onto The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , if teachers don't confront the issue of the novel's use of the ââ¬Å"unwornâ⬠, its bound to be taken offensively. ââ¬Å"Despite the fact that is it the most taught t novel and most taught work of American literature in American schools from j noir high to graduate school, Huckleberry Finn remains a hard book to read and a hard boo k to teach. (Fishing) Houck Finn uses the ââ¬Å"unwornâ⬠over 200 times and a teacher would find it ââ¬Å"extremely difficult, if not, impossibleâ⬠¦ â⬠(Foley) to teach the novel in a predominantly black k classroom; and the offensive language in the book certainly makes it a difficult book to re ad. Some might argue that by reading this book and its racial slurs, ââ¬Å"impressions can be made that such racist actions are all right or allowed. â⬠(Massed) Many people say that Twain's use of the ââ¬Å"unwornâ⬠an influence our students today to think that it is okay to use.If this is the ca SE, ââ¬Å"all students should have the right to an education free of any form of discrimination, racial I hostility, degradations all should have the right to feel like human beings in the class groom. â⬠(Monitor) Overall, students should not be forced to read Houck Finn because t he ââ¬Å"unwornâ⬠brings up vulgar images of the past and can promote a negative image on blab KC people, making them ââ¬Å"cheap slavery stereotypes. â⬠(Salient) After reading Houck Finn, I believe it all comes down to how the teacher paper aches he novel.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Gothic a Revival of Culture
The Gothic, through the motif of the double explores the struggle between the good and evil within manâ⬠To what extent are Poe's short stories, Coleridge's Christabel and R. L Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde explorations of the duality of man. The gothic, as a fictional genre, came about as a result ot cultural changes in the eighteenth century; these cultural changes began to form through the renaissance. This transitional period between the Medieval Era and the modern world changed the way of thinking. The word itself means ââ¬Å"revivalâ⬠or ââ¬Å"rebirthâ⬠.Moving further away rom religious devotion it allowed new ideas to form, thus the development of the gothic. ââ¬Å"Hlstorlcally, the Goths were one of several Germanic tribes Instrumental In the fall of the Roman Empireâ⬠¦ [they] left no literature or art of their own, [and were] remembered only as the invaders and destroyers of the great Roman civilization. â⬠1 This historical aspect allowed the development of the new boundary pushing form of literature, Introducing elements of horror and romance Into newly formed gothic texts.The first gothic novel published was The Castle of Otranto, subtitled as ââ¬Å"A Gothic Storyâ⬠written by the English author Horace Walpole. This new style of writing was imitated both through prose fiction and theatrical drama through the texts; Coleridge's poem Christabel, many of Edgar Allan Poes short stories and R. L Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Through time the interpretations of a gothic text changes, allowing the readers to challenge what they read. All three texts were published in the 19th century, except the first edition of Christabel (published 1797).This time period was primarily based around religion and Biblical Interpretations. And so, these new strange ideas may have angered the audiences due to the lack of religious devotion from the authors onto the characters, The ââ¬Ëdouble', otherwise known as the ââ¬ËDoppelga nger,' was defined by Federick S. Frank as ââ¬Å"a second self or alternate Identity, sometimes, but not always, a physical twin. The Doppelganger in demonic form can be a reciprocal or lower bestial selfâ⬠2 The double motif suggests that we are burdened with a dual, for example, Dr.Jekyll and his evil double Mr. Hyde are contrasted to represent the battle between the rational, intellectual self (Jekyll) and the irrational, foul selt (Hyde). The double characters featured In texts are often paired within common relationships, such as family relations, hero/villain, creator/creature, etc. R. L. Stevenson's novel. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde expresses the idea of the duality of human nature; however this motif did not arise fully until the last few chapters, when the relationship between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Is revealed.We have already witnessed Hyde's overriding violence and have seen the contrasting gentle and honorable Dr. Jekyll, One of the main themes of the double is physic al appearance as Hyde is portrayed in animalistic erms: ââ¬Å"shortâ⬠, ââ¬Å"hairy, and like a ââ¬Å"troglodyteâ⬠with ââ¬Å"gnarled handsâ⬠and a ââ¬Å"horrific faceâ⬠. But, In contrast, Jekyll Is described In the most elegant manner ââ¬â ââ¬Å"tallâ⬠, ââ¬Å"refinedâ⬠, ââ¬Å"polite,â⬠with ââ¬Å"long elegant fingersâ⬠and a ââ¬Å"handsome appearanceâ⬠. This suggests Jekyll's experiment reduces his being to its most basic form, allowing evil to run freely, ignoring the unwritten rules of society.Stevenson explains the motif of duality toys uslng tne cnaracter 0T Jekyll as ne claims, ââ¬Å"Man Is not truly one, out truly two,â⬠as every soul contains traits of both good and evil, but one is always empowering. This novel is perhaps one of the most renowned examples of literature using the doppelganger idea; another theme stemming from the duplication of man is the psychoanalytical interpretation and the presentation of F reud's theory of the id and superego. Dr. Jekyll represents the superego and Mr. Hyde the id. It is in fact his mind that is the ego, bringing him back and forth between the two characters but Dr.Jekyll acknowledges and does what is morally best. The ego, hidden in his unconscious, is constantly debating between the superego and the ââ¬Ëd, it's the good vs. evil and conscious vs. unconscious. The term ââ¬Ëunconscious' is similar to that of the unknown, leading to a scary factor of a ââ¬Ëdouble' as the living being is simply unaware of their instincts and desires, making them equally unaware of their capabilities. Sigmund Freud developed the theory of mental life called psychoanalysis, emphasising the psychodynamics of the mind.His most important assumption was the force driving a person's mental life, affecting their behaviour operating at an unconscious level; in one part of the personality call the id. The id works primarily on the pleasure principle bound up in self-grat ification and uncaring to others- again perating entirely at an unconscious level. Two other types of personality were assumed: ego and superego. The ego functions the reality principle, while the superego represents the person's ideal self, presenting the moral standards of society.The Juxtaposed types of personality; id and the ego are initially the two results we are left with when a character has a ââ¬Ëdouble'. Similarly, In Coleridge's Christabel, the character of Geraldine becomes Christabel's evil double- arguably her id. The cause of ââ¬Å"a shudder in [his] bloodâ⬠from Dr. Jekyll in the presence of Mr. Hyde is not simply one characteristic of his nature. It is the combination of evil and disability. ââ¬Å"Mr. Hyde was pale and dwarfish; he gave an impression of deformityâ⬠¦ a sort of murderous mixtureâ⬠the realisation of obtaining ââ¬Å"murderous mixtureâ⬠expands Freudian theories of evil, the id, taking over the person.This uneven ratio of perso nalities causes such malevolence ideas of murder to form. Likewise, the perception of the divided self is also presented in Coleridge's Christabel. In this poem, the character of Geraldine becomes Christabel's evil double. Arguably, the poem explores the, ââ¬Å"struggle of evil and innocence, [and] the manner in hich evil works upon and transforms innocence,â⬠3 as in the extended poem we see Geraldine attempts to use Christabel's innocent image as an advantage: clearly demonstrating the divide between good and evil within the two female characters.The same sex double is equally shown within the two male characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The idea of a same sex double, accentuates the concept of similarities between the actual self and the duplication. The same psychoanalytical approach, as used to interpret Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde's doubling, can also be used to argue many concepts, from Coleridge's poetry. The poem, the Kubla Khan, according to Coleridge, he claimed the v isions highlighted in the poem, occurred to him in a dream demonstrating -Freud's hypothesis of the unconscious, as the development of dreams is prominent in the unconscious region of the mind..Setting is also, a very important aspect of Gothic literature. The Garden of Eden is often used as a symbol in western literature; to show life before sin and corruption, the serpent and its temptatlons towards Eve, explore tne corruptlon 0T tne Innocent, temptatlons ana evil. This religious interpretation of the setting featured in Christabel differs to that of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. As Stevenson describes Dr. Jekyll's laboratory as, ââ¬Å"a certain sinister block of buildingâ⬠¦ [This] bore in every feature the marks of profound and sordid negligence. With its decaying disguise and air of neglect, the laboratory quite neatly symbolizes the corrupt and perverse Hyde. The idea of the ââ¬Å"laboratory' indicates the influence of the renaissance and the new science interpretations being made, unlike the religious, Garden of Eden imagery. The city of London itself is also represented in contrasting terms, as ââ¬Å"both a foggy', ââ¬Å"dreary', as a ââ¬Å"nightmarish placeâ⬠, and a ââ¬Å"well-keptâ⬠, ââ¬Å"bustling centre of commerce. Just as the characters Jekyll and Hyde and Christabel and Geraldine, have both positive and negative qualities, so does society.Doubling is yet again present in the second part of the poem of Christabel, whereby the dove being strangled by ââ¬Å"the bright green snakeâ⬠presents the spell casted from Geraldine onto Christabel, to mute Christabel's true speech and emotions. The image of the white dove shows Christabel's innocence, which had lost the battle between the envious serpent (Geraldine). The imagery of the serpent emphasises how religion was a prominent influential factor towards this poem, ymbolizing the Biblical translation of the serpent in the story of Adam and Eve.
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