Architecture of the Greek Culture from the Middle Bronze Age through Research Paper

Architecture of the Greek Culture from the Middle Bronze Age through the Geometric Period - Research Paper Example The paper explores how architecture mirrors the political, trade, and military conditions within Greek culture during the Minoan civilizations, Mycenaean Civilization, and Dark Ages of Greece. The Minoan civilizations (2600-1200 BC) The Minoan civilization represented a Bronze Age civilization that emanated from the island of Crete. The Minoan cities had stone-paved roads shaped from blocks cut with bronze saws (Pedley 36). The Minoan period witnessed numerous trade activities and the construction of striking palaces. An analysis of architecture of this period manifests absence of defensive walls. Minoan architecture features several structures that played the role of commercial, religious, and administrative life. Archeologists have successfully unearthed in Crete a Minoan landscape detailing tombs, palaces, towns, villas, and the roads that linked them. The evidence indicates a thriving prehistoric culture capable of surviving and expanding. The Minoans were prominent sea traders o n the Mediterranean and fostered cultural exchanges with other places such as Egypt. At the height of the Minoan civilization, the Minoan trade increased, in which Minoans came to rule over Mediterranean trading routes. Palaces represent some of the prominent architecture during the Minoan civilization. ... 20). The palaces experienced technological advancement with extensive drainage systems, aqueducts, irrigation, as well as wells that were deep and which were the sources of fresh water that could be used by the inhabitants. The palace buildings had multiple stories, which featured staircases (both interior and exterior), massive columns; light wells, outdoor places where people gathered, storage magazines, which represented the theaters of the ancient times. The method used in the construction included ceramic bricks coupled with stones that used to be rough linked by mortar within the interior walls (Biers 62). The Mycenaean Civilization (1600-100 BC) Greeks initially settled on the Greek mainland close to 2000 BC in which geography played a central role in the formation of a society. Mycenaean were equally wealthy as Minoans on Crete but can be described as relatively warlike. The Mycenaean civilization supplanted the Minoan civilization as the dominant sphere of influence on the G reek Islands. The military activity during the Mycenaean period  yielded to the fortification of major towns  such as Athens. The isolated forts served the purpose of militarily control territory (Pomeroy et al. 30). There were also various forms of exits typified by access ramps, monumental gates, vaulted galleries, and hidden doors fashioned to facilitate escaping in the event of a siege (Pomeroy et al. 31). Fortresses, which were built to suit the prevailing military conditions, represent some of the prominent examples of architecture during the Mycenaean civilization. The fortresses detailed massive walled structure built for defensive purposes. The walls of the structures

Importance of Slavery Essay Example for Free

Importance of Slavery Essay Economic, geographic, and social factors all contributed to the rise of importance for slaves in the southern colonies as their position in American society changed from 1607 and 1775. Slaves not only influenced Jamestown in 1607, but they influenced America, all the way into the American Revolution in 1775. Slavery ultimately flourished and aided economic triumph in the southern colonies. With the hopes of making it big in the new colonies, indentured servants came through the headright system, usually people who lacked funds of any sort hoping to make money. During this time, English practiced mercantilism and since they lacked the proper agriculture to grow tobacco. John Rolfe made it a cash crop in the new colonies and they were able to sell it quite easily to their mother country, England. This lasted until about the time of Bacon’s Rebellion where indentured servants were mad due to them thinking they would get land after their 20 years of work. But with this the south turned to slavery as a viable option. Now they could tell by just the color of their skin what class they were in. The triangular trade made this even better. They got more and made slaves work on their large plantations. Since slaves were not citizens they had no rights. The South flourished with their labor. They had huge profits. America did not just depend on tobacco they also had rice and indigo that helped the economy an immense amount. Social factors in the south also encouraged growth. The American slave code is based off the barbatos slave code. Aristocrats who were at the top of the pyramid in social class had many slaves. The blacks were at the bottom and they had no rights. The slave owners often had there slaves reproduce to make them more slaves. The more slaves you had the more money, and the higher nobility you had. Racism was a huge social factor of slavery. The whites thought they were superior to the blacks and they showed it. with the social presser to hate blacks slavery would not have been so successful economically. The geography of the southern colonies was not suited to standard farming as that of the northern colonies. The soil of the land was not suited to the growing of standard crops like wheat and corn. Also, the hot weather of the south did not allow for easy farming, and its wet and temperate sub-tropical climates was best suited for the growing of tobacco, rice, and indigo. Along with this, the extensive river system which divided the southern colonies into tiny interconnected pieces provided the best transportation for mass goods and for wet soil. The many river parts of the south made it easy to transfer goods grown on plantations, and to facilitate the purchase of slaves.

Child Poverty Dynamics in Seven Nations | Paper Analysis

Child Poverty Dynamics in Seven Nations | Paper Analysis Task: to evaluate the research design, methods of data collection and analysis, and any other ethical or philosophical issues that arise in the specified research paper. Introduction This assignment will focus on the working paper entitled Child Poverty Dynamics in Seven Nations (Bradbury et al, 2000). It will identify and analyse the research design, methodology, data collection and analysis contained within the paper. There will also be an assessment of philosophical and ethical issues as well as a comparison with other documents of a similar nature. The paper is a comparative study examining how children move in and out of poverty. Research Design The authors of this paper are concerned with child poverty and how children in different countries move in and out of poverty. They maintain that state welfare provision operates more effectively to reduce child poverty when it has prior research knowledge of what causes children to move in and out of poverty The research uses standard relative poverty definitions and examines the mobility rate of the poorest fifth of children from, Britain, the USA, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Hungary and Russia. It is usual at the design stage of a project to decide what approach one is going to take to the research. This is because different epistemological and philosophical assumptions are an inherent part of any approach to research ( Bryman, 2004). At a general level the study is an inter-societal comparison of the dynamics of poverty. Inter-societal comparisons look at the similarities and differences which countries display. Numbers of such studies have been undertaken, a well known recent one o f these is Esping-Anderson’s (1990) research into the welfare regimes of different countries. Comparative studies have a long history in sociology, e.g. Weber’s work on religion (1930, 1965) and Durkheim’s work on suicide (1952). Comparative studies are a big part of research into poverty, whether this is the traditional notion of poverty as a lack of disposable income, or whether it is the more contemporary concept of social exclusion (Berghman, 1995). Bradbury et al (2000) acknowledge that they have taken a rather broad brush approach in their study and that there are some problems with this, nevertheless they maintain that charting the flow in and out of poverty cross nationally is useful for policy making that aims to reduce the number of children who are poor. The researchers believe that studying poverty from the vantage point of children needs little or no justification because children represent a country’s future. It might be argued however, that is a rather Eurocentric view and may not necessarily be held in all the countries in the study. The researchers further defend their choice of method in the following way: Comparisons across countries provide a reference point for assessing the results for any single country, for example whether a particular statistic is large or small. Cross-national analysis also raises provocative questions about whether differences in outcomes are due to, say, differences in policy regimes or differences in population characteristics. Of course the usefulness of crossnational analysis relies on having good data, and making data comparable may require compromises in the depth of analysis which would not be required in a single country study. (The trade-off depends on the number of countries considered.) Our paper illustrates the various strengths – and weaknesses – of taking a cross-national perspective (Bradbury et al, 2000, p.7-8). The authors thus express a generally held view that comparative research does have integral strengths and weaknesses, the following analysis hopes to demonstrate whether or not the strengths of this research project outweigh any weaknesses it may have.. Methods of Data Collection The primary data source for this study is panel data drawn from the seven nations involved. This data is largely household survey data and is therefore the income levels are those given by heads of households. The researchers maintain that there study is complementary to one undertaken by Duncan et al (1993). The studies differ in that Duncan et al’s work concentrates on the family as the unit of analysis whereas Bradbury et al (2000) concentrate on the child. The units of analysis are children under the age of 18. The data sets refer to the early 1990s[1] with the most recent year being 1996. The researchers want to use the data to compare poverty dynamics between one year and the next, so they looked at data from two years across the seven nations. The data sets differ, with four countries, Germany, Hungary, Britain and the US providing data spanning five years and data from Germany and the US spanning ten years. This means that some countries receive a deeper analysis than others because they collect more data. The income figures provided by households are used as the income of the child with relevant adjustments for household needs. Table 1 below gives a summary description of each of the data sets used. Bradbury et al, 2000 pps 10-11 This table gives an overview of the data that the researchers used in their comparative study. The researchers chose the following features from which to compare the data for different countries: †¦the type of longitudinal survey, the period to which incomes refer, the definition(s) of income available, and two statistics summarising sample size (Bradbury et al, 2000, p.11). The chief indicator of whether a child is living in poverty and how a child moves in and out of poverty are the income measures that are available. The researchers point out however that there are differences between countries on how this is assessed i.e. whether income recorded is before or after any deductions for tax etc. They acknowledge that such differences have clear implications for differences in poverty dynamics but they do not elucidate what this is.[2] This lessens any faith that one might have in their methods of data collection because there is no explanation of how this affects poverty dynamics. Income is recorded as net except in the case of Ireland and the US. The researchers say that net income for Britain cannot be recorded in all cases and this causes a reduction in sample size, with possible resulting implications of difference (?). Only two countries, Spain and Russia, provide evidence of household expenditure in addition to household income and arguably this is a weakness in the data set as levels of expenditure may differ widely from country to country and is a greater indication of the distinction between absolute and relative poverty (Giddens, 2001).[3] Again this might evidence greater discrepancies across nations if more of such data were available and this will raise questions as to the reliability of the findings of the study.The study only uses disposable income as a measurement of poverty, In a sense this is a step back in terms of theoretical development as Berghman (1995) has said the focus has shifted from simply financial poverty to whether a person can fully participate in the society to which they belong. This is not referred to in Bradshaw et al’s study and as such might be said to evidence a weakness in their choice of conceptual indicators. While the measure did work for the variables that the researchers were interested in it is nevertheless a narrow way of measuring child poverty. This is especially the case when one considers the researchers’ acknowledgement that they have no single comparable method of measuring income across the seven nations and this raises questions about the internal validity of their methods. Data Analysis Techniques The study uses quantitative data and the study is quite large using household panels from seven nations. The researchers argue that this not only provides them with a cross national comparison of how and why children enter and leave poverty but also allows for any serious discrepancies between nations to be identified. The number of households selected for the analysis is between 1 and 2 thousand per country (see table one above). Statistical comparisons are made between child poverty rates, their relative income levels and income inequality. The statistics are similar to those found in an earlier chapter but no details of this are given. Arguably, one wonders why they mention any similarities here as they then go on to say that: †¦they are not fully comparable because there are differences in the definition of the income measure, the year referred to ,the sample, and in most cases even the survey (this is true in Britain, Ireland ,Spain, and the US) (Bradshaw et al, 2000, p.13).[4] The researchers say that they use the median income of children to measure material well being but because their data set and methodology are rather convoluted they have to explain what this is.[5] Their usage of a median is questionable as they later say (p.15 ibid) that: median income levels provide no guide to how incomes vary among children. Their use of arithmetical averages is also questionable as this can obscure the existence of very high and very low incomes, a fact which they also acknowledge.Their methods include the use of a statistical technique known as the Gini coefficient[6] The technique is named after the person who developed it, an Italian statistician called Corrado Gini.[7] The use of the Gini coefficient does tend to show whether income inequality is increasing or decreasing and so it is often used in comparisons between countries. However, its capacity to measure inequality is also determined by how disposable income is dealt with and this information is not av ailable. It is arguable therefore whether the use of the Gini coefficient gives an accurate representation of the data. The use of the Gini coefficient tends to suggest that income inequality for children is substantially different across the seven nations. Western Europe has lower inequality levels than do Russia and America, and there may be further discrepancies here because the Russian data also provides details of household expenditure and this is missing from the American data. Bradshaw et al’s (2000) findings show that with the Gini coefficient income inequality in Germany stands at 0.3 while in America and Russia it is 0.4 a rise of 10 percentage points which the authors say is larger than the overall income inequality of Britain and the United States throughout the whole of the 1980s. However, further questions are raised as to the reliability of the data from the US because the US Census Bureau shows that the calculation of the index of the US was changed in 1992 this led to an upward shift of 0.02 in the coefficient making comparisons after that period misleading.[8] Bradshaw et al (2000) claim that their major finding is a: †¦ significant (but not total) uniformity in patterns of income mobility and poverty dynamics across the seven countries. The key exception is Russia, where the economic transition has led to a much higher degree of mobility (Bradshaw et al, 2000, p.6). Having said this, the authors later go on to demonstrate that rather than there being significant uniformity, there are considerable differences between the seven countries. Their findings indicate that the US has the highest rate of income inequality which affects the income mobility but as has already been indicated American figures after 1992 may be misleading. Another factor that makes their finding problematic is that the data for all countries is only available for two years, for some five and for two countries it is available over ten years, as the author’s admit longer time spans significantly affect the dynamics of poverty. Income mobility is greater in those countries where the most data is available it is therefore arguably the case the only significant comparison of income mobility is that between America and Germany. The ways in which the data is analysed, is, like the rest of this paper, rather complex. It is not always easy to decide when they are talking about method and when they switch to data analysis techniques as the information tends to be rather mixed together. The complexity of this paper makes it difficult to assess what the author’s may have missed in their analysis, while the authors claim a number of findings from the research there is also evidence to suggest that they could have found the contrary. Conclusion Analysing this research paper has been a problematic task. The authors continually refer back to other papers/chapters in the collection of which this paper is a part but because they do not give sufficient information on what they are referring to it might be argued that it is pointless referring back to work that is not available for comparison. The structure of this paper is confusing it does not give clear indications as to when it goes from research design, to data collection, to analysis. Discussion of the issues is ongoing and at times repetitive. There are significant weaknesses in this paper, there is little discussion of ethics as they use secondary data analysis but by their own admission there are significant differences and discrepancies in the data and this leads to the view that the both the reliability and validity of the methodology and findings are questionable. On the positive side the researchers do recognise that there are weaknesses in the data set and that this may affect the findings. There are points where the researchers (arguably at least) make claims for their data that are difficult to substantiate e.g. that there are significant similarities between patterns of income mobility across the seven countries. This claim does not really hold up in view of their further analysis of the data which lists the differences between countries. In addition to this much of the data relating to the US could, according to the US Census Bureau, be misleading. Finally the constant referring back to other papers without elucidating the issues does not help the researchers to make their case and their use of income as a major conceptual indicator does not really tell the reader how poverty affects the lives and well being of the children who are meant to be the focus of the research. Bibliography Berghman, J. 1995 â€Å"Social Exclusion in Europe: Policy, context and analytical framework† in Room, R. ed Beyond the Threshold: The Measurement and Analysis of Social Exclusion University of Bristol, Policy Press Bradbury, Bruce, Stephen P. Jenkins and John Micklewright (2000), ‘Child Poverty Dynamics in Seven Nations’. Innocenti Working Paper, No. 78 Florence: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre. Bryman, A 2nd ed. 2004 Social Research Methods Oxford, Oxford University Press Duncan, G.J., Gustafsson, B., Hauser, R., Schmauss, G., Messinger, H., Muffels, R., Nolan, B., and Ray, J.-C. (1993). ‘Poverty Dynamics in Eight Countries’. Journal of Population Economics, 6: 295–34. Durkheim, E. 1952 Suicide London, Routledge Esping-Anderson 1990 The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism Cambridge, Polity Giddens, A 4th ed 2001 Sociology Cambridge, Polity Weber, M. 1930 The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism London, George Allen and Unwin Weber, M., 1965 The Sociology of Religion London, Methuen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient accessed 28/4/06 http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/histinc/ie6.html http://hampshire.edu/~apmNS/design/RESOURCES accessed 28/4/06 1 Footnotes [1] This is the terminology used by the researchers see page 10 of the study [2] This working paper apparently forms part of a collection of such papers on child poverty. The researchers continually refer back to issues mentioned in other papers without elucidating what these issues are. [3] Again the paper refers back to issues covered in other papers without indicating what these issues are. [4] For example, the UK figures in BJM Chapter 3 (the UK is defined as Britain and Northern Ireland) are based on the Family Expenditure Survey while the results for Britain in this paper are based on the British Household Panel Survey. [5] By ‘median income for children’ we mean the median of the distribution of children, ranked by the value of equivalised income of their household (p, 15 ibid). [6] This is a measure of inequality of distribution which is often used in the measurement of income levels. It is a measure between 0 and 1 where 0 corresponds to complete equality and 1 to complete inequality [7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient accessed 28/4/06 [8] http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/histinc/ie6.html Ten Critical Traits of Group Dynamics | Article Analysis Ten Critical Traits of Group Dynamics | Article Analysis With the industrial revolution and latest globalisation effects, competitive nature of businesses has increased more than ever. In order to survive in this modern competitive world, businesses must find solution to their problems faster and also it is more important to do their work more effectively. With that companies have identified that collaboration or in other words, group or team works will find more creative solutions for the problems that they are facing as modern day businesses. Therefore more and more companies nowadays use teams as a part of their organisational strategies. On the other hand as the Article has mentioned in its introduction, the issue is, putting some people together and expecting them to work effectively as a group would rarely work. Therefore understanding the term Group Dynamics and Group Processes and effectively manage them in groups is becoming more important. The article Ten Critical Traits of Group Dynamics which was written by Helene F. Uhlfelder who is a PhD holder in educational psychology has acknowledged the importance of identifying and improving the Dynamics of groups and teams in organisations in order to improve their effectiveness and performance. Further the author has introduced 10 critical traits that can be used to categorize group dynamics. Finally the article has mentioned the importance of assessing groups regularly in order to find issues that are facing groups and how those traits can be used to improve group dynamics in order to build effective teams. Main objective of this assignment is to summarize the given article giving my opinion on the main argument of the article. For that task various sources will be researched including text books, online journal articles and some other web sites. And the complete article will be summarized in a critical manner giving my views on necessary points using the research findings and my own experiences on the subject matter. The Main Argument of the Article This article mainly discusses the importance of 10 traits that have been identified by the author, which can be used to categorize dynamics of groups. According to the author these traits can be used to identify any areas that groups need to improve and areas that they are good at. The author argues that by doing so groups or teams will be able to work together more effectively and increase their performance levels. When analysing the article it can be seen that the author has successfully explained her argument more clearly with providing examples and covering many supplementary topics which are required to further clarify and make it easy to understand the main argument for the audience. Helene Uhlfelder has covered many technological terms like Group Dynamics, Group Process, and has defined the difference between Group and Team before explaining about the 10 critical traits. Although the article has explained group dynamics and group process before explaining what is group and team, as I believe in order the article to be more logical the author could have explained terms like Group and Team first. If the author has assumed that the readers having the knowledge about those terms then she could not have covered them later. Anyhow to begin with explaining the term group and team would be appropriate. Group and Team The term group is defined in the article as situations where two or more people coming together in order to achieve a common purpose. Further it is mentioned that in a group people should interact each other, depend on each other and they should have a task to realize. According to the article the team also a group, that is in a work environment. The author has mentioned various characteristics that are possessed by teams. It is and intact social system with boundaries. Therefore who is in the team and outside the team can be clearly identifiable. There is interdependency among members. Members are collectively responsible for the tasks to be performed. Operates in an organisational context and therefore members have relationship with other members of the organisation. It is obvious that the author has comprehensively explained the terms group and team using various sources and in different contexts like systems terms. But she has overlooked the theory of group formation, which could have added great value addition to the article. As the author has mentioned various stages during some parts of the article, it would be a necessary part to be explained. Group Formation According to (Luthans, 2008) there are five stages that are generally recognized as stages of group formation. Forming this stage is characterized by uncertainty and confusion. Members are testing the appropriate behaviour for the team. Storming in this stage leadership will be determined. Intragroup conflicts are common. Norming Members settle down into conformity and cooperation. Performing The group will perform the task that they were grouped. Adjourning After the task is completed group will disband. Group Dynamics and Process According to the author either positive or negative, group dynamics exists in every group and hence teams. Although authors definition about group dynamics and processes a bit confusing at the end of that particular section she has given a simple explanation to identify those terms distinctly. According to that group processes are simply referred to as specific processes used by group members and leaders whereas group dynamic is defined as forces and dynamics of the group as a whole. It is found in literature research that the term Group Dynamic has been defined in many different ways. According to (Forsyth, 2010) it was first defined by Kurt Lewin, as the processes of the ways groups and individuals act and react to changing circumstances. According (Luthans, 2008) another view on group dynamic identifies it from the viewpoint of the internal nature of groups like how they are formed, structure and processes, how groups function and affect its members After explaining basic definitions and concepts the author moves her discussion into the main content of this article, the 10 critical traits. Ten Critical Traits According to the author, using 10 critical traits approach it is possible to characterize group dynamics and identify issues that are faced by groups. Those 10 critical traits include, safety, inclusion, free-interaction, appropriate level of interdependence, cohesiveness, trust, conflict resolution, influence, accomplishment, and growth. Helen Uhlfelder has explained them comprehensively using examples to make them easy to understand by the readers. Safety according to this trait team members need to feel safe within their teams and members of the team should be safe from any disruptive behaviour of other team members. Inclusion all members should be allowed to participate with equal opportunities. Everyone should be taken as members of the group and efforts should be taken in order to include new and quiet members. Free interaction there should not be any restrictions on which members interact with which members and every member should be allowed to interact with others. According to the author teams can become less effective when only few members are allowed to interact with the leader. Appropriate level of interdependence there should be an appropriate balance between individual needs and group needs. It is mentioned there the important of sense of belonging and affiliation that comes from being interdependence as well as maintaining individual identity. Cohesiveness members should feel as they are a part of a team. Without the attraction of cohesiveness a group can fall apart. Therefore it is very important that members having a bond or affiliation among them. Trust team members should trust each other and they should trust the leader. There should be consistency between what they say and do. Conflict resolution as any team could face conflicts at any stage there should be a way to resolve those conflicts in order to continue the team work. Influence there should be ability for team members to influence other members. They should be able to motivate each other. If there is no method to influence members through usage of reward and punishment productivity could be minimized. As the author has mentioned it is very important to make sure that influence will not be confused as control because controlling can lead to group problems. Accomplishment team should be able to complete its tasks. They should possess skills, knowledge to do their tasks. If they cannot perform their duties frustration would lead to conflict. Growth As in any situations group members should have opportunities to grow. Also as a team they should be able to learn and growth. Otherwise boredom can result in failure in the group. When looking at those traits it is obvious that those traits in nature would help teams to achieve its goals by eliminating group issues. But one weakness of this finding is that the author has not ranked the order of importance of these traits. Perhaps one could argue that these all could be equally important. But according to my point of view some traits are certainly superior or more important than others. For example cohesiveness, conflict resolution, etc. could be more important than growth or influence, because first, the group must work together and achieve their goals. Other things like growth, etc. comes next to that. However it can be clearly said that these 10 traits would (although few traits could be more important than others) help groups or teams to achieve their goals and improve performances. Benefits of 10 Critical Traits According to the author these 10 traits can help teams or groups in great ways by helping them to identify weaknesses and strength of their group dynamics. Therefore she suggests that organisations can use a form that includes those 10 critical traits in order to evaluate teams. According to the article teams can be assessed in 5 scores continuum. Also it is important to assess teams on regular basis in order to keep and improve their performance levels. As the author explains, this evaluation can be done by any person who is not in the team, given that he has required evaluation skills. Further it is noted there that this tool can be used to evaluate a team in any development stage and find out their dynamics and processes in order to improve them. There are several steps that need to be taken after evaluation is done, The assessor should meet team members and provide reason for the score that they have got for each criterion. Appropriate actions should be taken for traits that are scored below 3. Action plans can be implemented to resolve issues. Team should celebrate scores over 3 and reinforce them in order to retain and improve performance. Last step is to follow this procedure regularly again and again after agreed time period. As I understand this is the most important part of this article, because this can be really used by any team in real world to improve their performances. Instructions are clearly given using examples. Therefore nobody would find any difficulties in implementing this. Ultimately through this procedure teams will be able to improve group dynamics and group processes and will be able to build powerful teams and improve their performance level. But there are some drawbacks in this method itself as it has not addressed all issues that could affect the performance of groups or teams. Shortcomings of the 10 Traits Method When analysing the article in depth it is clear that the author has failed to identify some of the important aspects of group and team management that are identified by other researchers and authors. Those aspects could directly affect the outcome of the group in terms of performance and effectiveness. For an example phenomenon like groupthink and groupshift that could hinder the ability of the group to come into quality decisions by evaluating alternatives objectively. According to (Robbins, Millett, Waters-Marsh, 2004) groupthink is related to the group norms. It describes that with the pressure from group to conformity group may eliminate unusual, minority or unpopular views from evaluating when making decision. Groupshift is a situation where when group arriving at a decision they could go for more risky decision as members initial positions are exaggerated toward more extreme positions. Further (Robbins, Millett, Waters-Marsh, 2004) has identified many factors that could affect group performances than the group dynamics that have been identified by the author of the article through her 10 critical traits. Size of the group, availability of resources for a group to perform, effects of social loafing, etc. could affect the outcome of groups greatly. From the shortcomings mentioned earlier it is clear that the phenomenon of groupthink could clearly contradict with cohesiveness trait that she has mentioned in the article. She has mentioned that cohesiveness as an important dynamic in performance. Without cohesiveness a group can fall apart. But she has failed to mention the limit of cohesiveness because as mentioned earlier, extreme cohesiveness can cause groupthink and ultimately affect the effective decision making in the group. Conclusion Putting some people together and expecting them to work effectively as a group would rarely work. Therefore understanding the term Group Dynamics and effectively manage them in groups is important. The author of the article has mainly discussed the importance of her 10 traits method in categorizing group dynamics in order to identify and manage any areas that a group/team need to improve or they are good at. The author argues that by doing so groups or teams will be able to work together more effectively and increase their performance levels. The article has organized its arguments in a logical manner and has introduced many theories and concepts that need to understand the main argument of the article. Apart from few adjustments that I suggested in the analysis part of this assignment, it can be concluded that the author has succeeded in those aspects. Further the article has written in simple English that is a good point because readers will be able to understand the content of this article easily. In addition to that the author has provided lot of examples to make readers understand complex theories and concepts more clearly. When critically evaluating the article, it is found that those 10 critical traits are actually important and very practical in evaluating and managing group performances except for few drawbacks that were discussed in the body of this assignment. Those drawbacks include the failure to mention some of the important aspects that could affect the performance of groups, like groupthink, the size of the group, effects of social loafing, etc. Finally it can be concluded that if any organisation follows the method that the author has suggested to evaluate group/team dynamics and manage them with taking care of the additional points that I have mentioned earlier, organisations will be able to increase performance and effectiveness of their groups/teams.

The Significance of Brown v. Board of Education Essay -- Case Review

In 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States was confronted with the controversial Brown v. Board of Education case that challenged segregation in public education. Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark Supreme Court case because it called into question the morality and legality of racial segregation in public schools, a long-standing tradition in the Jim Crow South, and threatened to have monumental and everlasting implications for blacks and whites in America. In 1951, Oliver L. Brown, his wife Darlene, and eleven other African American parents filed a class-action lawsuit against the Board of Education of Topeka on behalf of their twenty children for denying colored children the right to attend segregated white schools and sought to change the policy of racial segregation in the school district. The plaintiffs had been working closely with the leadership of the local Topeka NAACP to overturn segregation in public schools. In the fall of 1951, the parents tried to enroll t heir children in the neighborhood school nearest to their home, but they were denied enrollment in the white schools and told to attend segregated black schools. The District Court acknowledged that segregation in public education had a harmful effect on black children, but denied the need to desegregate schools because â€Å"the physical facilities and other ‘tangible’ factors† in Topeka, Kansas were all equal (Brown v. Board of Ed, 366). The District Court ruled according to the precedent established in Plessy v. Ferguson by the Supreme Court in 1896 and upheld state laws permitting, or requiring, segregation in public education. African Americans were inspired to defy laws discriminating against colored people and engage in nonviolent actions by the ev... ...ricans hope that they would be free from discrimination and given equal opportunity in all aspects of their lives. The Brown v. Board of Education case is often noted for initiating racial integration and launching the civil rights movement. Works Cited Hoffman, Elizabeth Cobbs, Edward J. Blum, and Jon Gjerde, 3rd eds. Major Problems in American History: Volume II: Since 1865. Boston: Wadsworth, 2012. Print. Roosevelt, Franklin Delano. â€Å"4. Roosevelt Identifies the ‘Four Freedoms’ at Stake in the War, 1941.† Hoffman, Blum, and Gjerde 271-73. United Nations. â€Å"1. The United Nations Approves a Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948.† Hoffman, Blum, and Gjerde 363-65. United States Supreme Court. Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483-496 (1954). â€Å"2. The Supreme Court Rules on Brown v. Board of Education, 1954.† Hoffman, Blum, and Gjerde 365-66.

Poetry Criticism Essay

?Write a critical appreciation of the poem INCENDIARY by Vernon Scannell. You should comment on theme, diction, tone and structure. An incendiary is a bomb which sets things on fire, which gets across the idea that the boy was like a dangerous weapon, ready to explode at any time. This poem is about a boy who sets a farm on fire in hope that he receives the attention he has been longing for. In the first line, the poet describes the boy to have a face â€Å"like pallid cheese†. This simile is depicts the boy to look quite sick and weak. We immediately feel pity and realize that the boy is uncared for. The poet also describes the boy to have â€Å"burnt-out little eyes† implying that, with reference to fire, his eyes have died out showing that he has lost hope. The fire was huge, boiling and all-consuming, as implied in this quote: â€Å"As brazen fierce and huge, as red and gold and zany yellow. † This suggests that the fire was a multitude of colours- â€Å"red, gold and zany yellow†. It was also bold, savage and extremely big- â€Å"Brazen, fierce and huge†. The word zany also suggests it being, uncontrollable or wild. The poet shows the extent of damage caused by the fire through the quote â€Å"spoiled three thousand guineas† worth of crops. The fact that he uses â€Å"guineas† could imply that the poem was set some time ago. Scannell portrays the scene as frightening and very damaging: â€Å"Is frightening- as a fact and a metaphor†. He describes the flames as â€Å"flame-fanged tigers†. This is a metaphor in which the flames are compared to tigers; wild animals which are perceived as viscous and ferocious. These large flames are said to be â€Å"roaring hungrily†. The use of the word â€Å"hungrily† implies that the flames are consuming while the use of the word â€Å"roaring† is an onomatopoeia showing that the fire was loud. The reader no longer feels a sense of pity towards the boy because he has caused so much irreversible damage. The feeling of hostility is heightened through this quote: â€Å"And frightening too that one small boy should set the sky on fire and choke the stars†. This use of personification portrays the image of the large amount of smoke rising so high that it blocks out the stars. This could possibly be another indication of lost hope as the light of the stars is no longer visible. The poet once again tries to make us feel pity for the boy: â€Å"Such skinny limbs and such a little heart which would have been content with one small kiss had there been anyone to offer this†. This quote once again introduces the theme of neglect. His â€Å"skinny limbs† show that he is malnourished. The boy is longing for â€Å"one warm kiss† which gives the reader an idea of his motives. He is probably seeking attention, in an effort to be loved. The poem doesn’t have a particular rhyme scheme however rhyming couplets appear three times throughout the poem, one of them appearing at the end. Like this, the poet emphasises specific lines in which he may want to be particularly powerful. When a poem ends in this way after not having much rhyme throughout, it can make it more emotionally moving. Due to the lack of punctuation and the effect of the rhyming couplets that appear, the tone is quite fast which possibly indicates the short amount of time in which the farm caught fire. It may also create a lively atmosphere to bring the energy of the fire to life. In this poem, Scannell uses an exaggerated but possible example of what a child may do when he or she is uncared for. Through this he tries to show us the consequences and dangers of neglecting children and the desperate measures they may turn to.

Outsourcing of Facilities Management

Outsourcing of Facilities Management Introduction Within the hospitality industry there are a number of departments that do not offer direct guest services but instead offer services in maintenance of the hotel property. Among these departments is the engineering department which many times plays the crucial role of operating the hotel heating and/or air conditioning, maintenance of refrigeration facilities, lighting and elevators and other transportation systems (Barrows and Powers 2009).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Outsourcing of Facilities Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In most establishments significant repair and maintenance work is carried out by external organizations but the hotel relies heavily on its internal staff to ensure smooth and efficient operation of its facilities. Given that utility costs have always been significant it would appear that efficient management of these facilities can play a major role in the overa ll performance of the establishment as a whole. This is evident based on reports by O’Fallon and Rutherford that indicate that energy costs could range between 4 to 6% of the property’s operation budget (2009). It has also been established that savings in these costs can be achieved by simply modification of staff behavior. In addition to behavior change it has been observed that recent technological advancements can make major improvements in the control of energy usage within the facility (Barrows and Powers 2009). This position leads to the conclusion that future managers need to be aware of changes in this area as they may offer a crucial competitive advantage. Background The position regarding the proper management of energy resources and outsourcing these services is crucial for a number of reasons. According to Sturman, Corgel and Verma it has been observed that in preparation for a career in the hospitality industry an individual is required to posses the corre ct human capital (2011). This is because despite of the effects of the recession, hospitality organizations are constantly in search of outstanding talent. This human capital is an intangible resource that plays a very vital role in whether or not the company will gain a competitive advantage within the industry (Sturman, Corgel and Verma 2011). Such individuals make the company profitable by applying their knowledge directly in concert with company assets. The company assets include buildings, equipment, furnishing and all are used to help the organization deliver value to its customers. By gaining knowledge on the most appropriate approaches to manage the company facilities an individual can gain insight that will save the company money and gain a competitive advantage.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition to the issue of careers in hospitality it has been noted that in recent years growth within the hospitality industry has become more apparent in chain operations or within the industry’s corporate segment (Reid and Bojanic 2010). Due to this major players such as Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott International to name a few continue to increase their market share at the expense of smaller chains and independent operators. While independent operators have continued to survive, the market has become much more competitive and suggests a much greater emphasis on marketing (Reid and Bojanic 2010). Whereas the large corporate chains can manage to control their pricing due to economies of scale, the same approach is not possible in the case of independent operators (Pizam 2010). An alternative approach to this challenge may require that independent operators increase their expenditure on marketing activities. This is a difficult task given that additional debt may weigh down heavily on the company. On the contrary these companies could resort to improving the management of their current expenditure to create funds to support activities such as marketing. It is for these reasons that deeper insight into the operation and management of facilities is considered important. Content It has already been established that energy costs normally run in the range of four to six percent of a hotel’s operation budget (Chen 2009). Unfortunately owing to the increased demand for energy in most urban areas the price of energy has risen and it is likely to continue rising in the near future. However, there have been a series of technological advancements in the field that can assure an establishment makes some savings in the expenditure on energy. Current statistics indicated that the cost of energy for the US hospitality industry is in the range of $ 3.7 billion. Based on this data it has been reported that energy costs is among the highest non staff items in any hotel’s profit and loss account (Chen 2009). Based on this conclusion it is easy to see why any reductions that can be made in this area are important for the hospitality industry. It has been observed that energy saving initiatives can be categorized in three chronological clusters namely, short term, midterm and long term (Chen 2009).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Outsourcing of Facilities Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Short term savings can be achieved without vast capital investment and result in payback in a short duration. These initiatives include actions such as switching off lights and heaters when floors are not in use. With the current advances in technology such short term benefits can be achieved fairly easily through the use of motion sensors and other similar devices (Chen 2009). In addition to the short term saving the organization can also utilize technological advances and know how to attain the mid and long term savings which may require more significant expenditure. Among some of the activities that can bring both mid and long term savings include changing all light fittings, installation of thermostats, ongoing staff training, installation of energy efficient refrigeration and vehicles, etc (Chen 2009). This simple information based on changes in technology can bring about significant reduction in organizational expenditure. Another essential aspect to consider in relation to the hospitality industry and management of resources is the current global trend in relation to eco friendly initiatives. This trend which is currently very popular involves the fusion of ecology with cool architecture to bring about buildings that are energy efficient. This is possible through approaches that allow such buildings to make use of naturally available sources to supplement its energy requirements (Conrady and Buck 2011). As a result of this ingenuity the cost of operating the building is significantly reduced thus allow ing the establishment to focus its expenditure on areas such as marketing that need additional funds. One of the first establishments that applied the green hospitality approach in an urban setting is the Boutiquehotel Stadhalle in Austria (Conrady ad Buck 2011). This establishment is the first in the world with a zero energy balance. The establishment relies on electric power that is produced by solar panels and wind turbines. In addition to that the building uses water that was drilled and uses this water for cooling, heating and general use within the establishment. The water used to flush toilets and water plants is purely rain water collected from the roofs within the establishment (Conrady and Buck 2011). The green lifestyle is currently considered a niche concept that may have considerable growth in the near future. If this proves true eco-leadership will be a major competitive factor for destinations in the future (Conrady and Buck 2011).Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For this reason any establishment interested in creating a Green lifestyle brand will require a holistic and sustainable concept, green chic (interior decor), and an understanding of lighting products and branding. This is one of the reasons that facility management is a major concern. The aspect of giving adequate consideration to facilities management is very crucial for the long term survival of a company based current economic trends. There are several large players within the hospitality industry across the globe are paying attention to the communities that they serve. It has been noted that large industry players such as McDonald’s spend a significant amount of resources on community oriented efforts (Enz 2009). This company achieves this by carrying out a number of animal welfare audits annually and publishes the report of each audit. In addition to this it has established a charity dedicated to improving the welfare and health status of children (Enz 2009). As mention ed earlier in this report the growth within the hospitality industry in recent times has mainly been within the corporate circles (Reid and Bojanic 2010). Given that these players are able to take advantage of economies of scale to competitively price their products, smaller players need to make serious moves to ensure they can remain competitive within the market. This is further complicated by the fact the large industry players have a lot more money to spend on securing their place in the market. Fortunately it has been noted that it has become more apparent to people in society that issues such as climate change need to be addressed. Because of this concepts that support protection of the environment and reduction of pollution have become relatively popular (Zhou 2011). Several governments have also come on board and shown their support for such initiatives. This is seen in the case of countries such as China where government is making plans to adjust hotel rating to indicate th e environmental policy held by the establishment (Zhou 2011). This trend has seen more and more people around the world become concerned with their consumption behavior. In response to this, it has become apparent that organizations that are able to provide mechanisms that minimize the impact of their activity on environment are becoming increasingly popular (Zhou 2011). This has seen it become a widely acceptable practice to reside in a green hotel and provide green service. Taking an economic stand point it is possible to assume therefore that offering green service provides a vital avenue to expand market share (Zhou 2011). This comes about due to the ability to attract more clients, especially those with ec0-concerns. This assumption may prove to be true in the near future given that reports indicate that in China the brand economy has 8% of the market share while in Europe and America this figure stands a 70% (Zhou 2011). This indicates that the economy hotel has a huge potenti al in many parts of the world. In addition to this is the fact that energy costs have been increasing in recent years due to limited energy serving growing demands (Zhou 2011). Since a hotel requires plenty of energy to cover heating, lighting and storage costs adoption of advanced technology can bring about some drastic reduction in these costs. It is important to keep in mind the point earlier mentioned that indicated energy costs for a significant portion of the operating budget (O’Fallon and Rutherford 2009). This approach provides an effective way to reduce costs while bringing the benefit of assisting in handling a growing global concern. Given the position with regards to the growing global concern of climate change and environmental degradation one can assume that a green approach helps build the organizational image (Zhou 2011). Just as in the case of McDonald’s corporate social responsibility undertaking this approach allows guests build trust in the organiza tion (Enz 2009). Building a reputation of profits and responsible behavior appears crucial for survival in any industry in the future. Eco friendly business allows smaller or independent operators a fighting chance where the larger corporate players are involved. This is especially so given that even without the resources to market at the same level, independent operators can use ingenuity to produce an equally if not more attractive package. Conclusion In this report the discussion revolved around outsourcing facilities management within the hospitality industry. It was noted that the proper management of facilities is a complex task and can be used to create opportunities to save money within a hotel. It was realized that this approach is crucial given that expenditure on energy constitutes a significant portion of operating expenditure. In addition to that it was also established that there has been significant growth within the industry suggesting a need to improve competitive p osition of any hotel. For this reason it became apparent that anyone interested in a career in hotel management need to provide a unique set of skills to allow the organization to advance. For this reason a thorough knowledge of facility maintenance approaches is useful as this can help in saving money and even be used to provide much needed competitive advantage. In relation to cost reduction such knowledge will allow managers make the correct decisions with regard to running the organization. It was also established that recent concerns with the environment have even driven the need for such knowledge further owing to the potential of eco friendly establishments. This point is reiterated in the statement of Chon and Maier indicating the future of hospitality will reflect the changing face of the population (2009). As such those involved in the industry will require keeping an eye on the population and reacting to changes within the population. References Barrows, CW, and Powers, T . Introduction to the Hospitality Industry. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Inc.; 2009. Chen, J. Advances in Hospitality and Leisure, Volume 5. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited; 2009. Chon, KS and Maier, TA. Welcome to Hospitality: An Introduction. New York: Delmar Cengage Learning; 2009. Conrady, R, and Buck, M. Trends and Issues in Global Tourism 2011.Berlin: Springer; 2011. Enz, C. Hospitality Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Inc.; 2009. Sturman, MC, Corgel, JB and Verma, R. Cornell School of Hotel Administration on Hospitality. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Inc; 2011. O’Fallon, MJ, and Rutherford, DG. Hotel Management and Operations. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Inc.; 2011. Pizam, A. International Encyclopedia of Hospitality Management. 2nd Edition. Kidlington: Butterworth-Heinemann; 2010. Reid, RD, and Bojanic, DC. Hospitality Marketing Management. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Inc.; 2010. Zhou, Q. Applied economics, Busines s and International Development Symposium, Part 1. New York: Springer; 2011.

Sexism essays

Sexism essays The battle of the sexes is obvious everywhere and is applies to anything. From athletics to the military, men and women struggle to beat the other, but I find it to be Particularly found in the workplace. Men and women are extremely competitive with occupations, and most men, I mean all men Us Men know the statistics, they show that we are more favourable and most of us want to keep it that way. If this is true, then how do women and men share the world together without war between each "I think it is because we need each other to survive " I am not been sexist myself here but you can clearly see the way life is. It dates back to the stone ages, men where the hunters, woman were to take care of the family. A lot of women choose not to see the statistics or they do not care and accept that men are For the women who don't accept this, there is a long struggle ahead. Many do not make it to the end, or they tire of the pressures put upon them. Most men do not enjoy shearing a job with a woman especially in government. Its this fact that a she is a she and they do not like that a woman would be on the same level as them. Bill Clinton wife "Hilary Clinton" is yet another example of a woman put down for being in control. The newspapers tore Hilary apart for trying to "take over" the President's job. Why would it bother them that she may have been helping out the economy? Once again, the president is a man, and there is no need for a woman to help. Even in my personal everyday experiences sexism is everywhere. And sadly enough, it is accepted Everywhere. In some book women play passive roles, in movies and even TV sitcoms. For example in the sitcom Dharma and Greg, which is about a young married couple, the man is a successful lawyer from a wealthy family, while Dharma is a cute little blonde that cracks ...