Monday, September 30, 2019

Factors behind the development and Internationalization of Capital Markets Essay

Financial markets especially the stock market has considerably developed in the past few decades. Several factors have been seen to have aided in their growth and development globally. It has also increased cross-border capital movement, tight links amongst the financial market. The most important element of global market has been increased stock exchange. This paper is therefore aimed at finding the factors which have led to the development and Internationalization of stock exchange facility. Questions to be investigated Objectively, the paper is to disclose the possible factors affecting the Development and internationalization of the capital markets. It is therefore worth notice that these questions has to be addressed: What are the factors that favor the development of international markets?, What are the hindrances in the achievement of fast development of international capital markets? And how do these factors that affect the development of international capital markets affect the domestic markets? Factors influencing the Stock market development and internationalization A least two possible views exists on how economic fundamentals may influence domestic stock market and internationalization.   One of the views is that better institutional and macroeconomic environments spur more developed domestic stock markets hence reduces the need to of the use of international markets. The second part of it is behind a number of recent papers on internationalization, this has no longer been an international finance research topic. With regard to this view, it has been found that poor domestic environments prompt firms and investors to use international markets more intensively. In this, the poor domestic environment has been is considered as one of the main reasons for capital flight and greater use by domestic residents of all types of financial services offered internationally (Collier et al, 1999). This also applies to the services offered by the stock markets, where firms may want to escape a poor domestic system with weak institutions. The recent papers done on where international marketers are considered to be more attractive to the firms from poor institutional environments, this is because they offer better protection to investors. As a result, according to this view poor domestic markets lead to worse domestic development. What comes out clearly in this view is the assumption that even firms from poor domestic environments can choose to go international and will wan to internationalize even more especially if they are located in a country with poor institutional environment and weak capital markets. A second view is based on the fact that a better domestic environment in creases the attractiveness of assets to investors. The markets offer larger amounts of external financing, higher liquidity and lower cost of capital when the firm’s host country improves. Under this view, macroeconomics and institutional factors determine the relative willingness of domestic and international investors to supply financing to firms. Investors in international markets may however reward a better environment more than investors in domestic markets do. If thee be an access to the international markets, then better fundamentals will also be available hence it leas to more use of capital markets. Moreover, with liquidity agglomerating in one market, a process of improved fundamentals and increased internalization may have negative effects on the domestic markets, providing international markets with greater advantage. For this reason, there are arguments for both the positive and negative impact on internationalization in those fundamentals that help to develop the local markets. References Collier, Hoeffler, and Pattilo, (1999); Determinants of Capital flight

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Practice IA IB History

This investigation evaluates whether or not the dropping of the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was necessary to make Japan surrender unconditionally. To assess the extent to which the deployment of nuclear weapons affected the Japanese decision to surrender unconditionally and if Japan was already prepared to do this prior to the use of the atomic bombs. The details and motivations of the United States to drop the bombs are explored as well as Japan’s peace negotiations with the United States and their progress prior to the U. S. choosing to use the bombs. Actions of the United States and Japan not related to the end of World War 2 are not assessed in this investigation. The two sources selected for evaluation, Code-Name Downfall: The Secret Plan to Invade Japan-And Why Truman Dropped the Bomb by Thomas B. Allen and Norman Polmar and Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire by Richard B. Frank are evaluated for their origins, purposes, limitations, and values. B. Summary of Evidence On the 15th of June 1944 535 ships landed 128,000 U. S. Army personal on the island of Saipan. From Saipan B-29 bombers were in range of Tokyo. Imperative that they not allow this to happen the Japanese Vice Admiral attacked the U. S. Navy with about nine-tenths of Japan’s fighting fleet in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Once the battle concluded the U. S. had lost 130 planes and 76 aircrew. Japan lost 450 planes, three carriers’, and 445 aircrew. The Japanese Navy’s carrier force was effectively destroyed. The U. S. took control of the island a short time later. More than 29,000 Japanese soldiers died defending the island. (Hoyt 297-312) On the 23rd of October 1944 the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in world history began. With the goal of cutting Japan off from South East Asia and its oil supplies the U. S. Navy fought against the last remains of the Imperial Navy. By the battle’s end on October 26th Japan had lost 10,500 seamen, a fleet carrier, 3 light carriers, 3 battleships, 10 cruisers, 11 destroyers, and 500 planes. Japan’s once mighty Navy was no more. After this the Japanese were not able to carry out another significant Naval action for the remainder of the war. (Pape 123-168) Shortly afterwards the allies launched their invasion of the Philippines. On the 17th of April 1945 Mindanao, the last major island of the Philippines, was taken by the allies. In total 336,000 Japanese soldiers died defending The Philippines. (Hoyt 421-427) Within a few months of the fall of The Philippines Japan lost control of Burma and Borneo to the Allies. In total the Japanese military lost more than 41,000 soldiers defending the islands. After this the Japanese were effectively cut off from all of their major oil supplies. (Hoyt 437-449) With Japan’s foreign empire nearly decimated by the U. S. and its allies the U. S. turned to the Japanese Home Islands themselves. The Battle for the island of Iwo Jima ended on March 26th with total Japanese defeat. Of the approximately 21,000 Japanese defenders only 216 survived. On June 21st the Allies defeated Japan in the Battle of Okinawa (Feifer 145-163). 75,545 Japanese people lost their lives defending the island. This was to be the last major battle of World War Two. (Hoyt 478-487) While in Europe the USAAF had only used precision bombing to limit civilian casualties the Air Force abandoned this policy while bombing Japan. The first raid using low-flying B-29 bombers carrying incendiary bombs to drop on Tokyo was on the night of February 24-25 1945 when 174 B-29s destroyed around 1 square mile of the city. Changing their tactics, on the night of March 9-10, 1945, a wave of 300 American bombers struck Tokyo. In the ensuing firestorm more than 100,000 Japanese civilians were killed and roughly a million were injured. Dropping nearly 1,700 tons of bombs more than 16 square miles were completely burned and more than a quarter of million structures were destroyed. Before the dropping of the Atomic bombs more than 50% of Tokyo was completely destroyed. (Hoyt, 560-598) Nihei, a young Japanese school girl at the time, recalled that, â€Å"†Those images in my mind†¦ an never be erased†¦ I can see myself there, the flames all around me. And I'm running for my life. Hell could be no hotter. † By July about a quarter of all the houses in Japan had been destroyed, leaving more than 15 million Japanese civilians homeless. Its transportation system was near collapse with almost all the strategic railways destroyed. American forces had sowed aquatic mines in the shipping lanes f rom the air effectively stopping all Japanese naval movement. Food had become so scarce that most Japanese were subsisting on a sub-starvation diet. On Monday, August 6th, 1945 by executive order of President Harry S. Truman the U. S. dropped the nuclear weapon â€Å"Little Boy† on the city of Hiroshima. Truman said that, â€Å"The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a military base. That was because we wished in this first attack to avoid, insofar as possible, the killing of civilians. † 90,000 to 166,000 civilians were killed by the blast. Only 3 days later on August 9th the â€Å"Fat Man† nuclear weapon was detonated over Nagasaki. 60,000 to 80,000 civilians were killed. Gosling, Fehner 28) Yoshitaka Kawamoto, just thirteen years old at the time, was in a classroom less than a kilometer away from the hypocenter, â€Å"One of my classmates, I think his name is Fujimoto, he muttered something and pointed outside the window, saying, â€Å"A B-29 is coming. † He pointed outside with his finger. So I began to get up from my chair and asked him, â€Å"Where is it? † Looking in the direction that he was pointing towards, I got up on my feet, but I was not yet in an upright position when it happened. All I can remember was a pale lightening flash for two or three seconds. Then, I collapsed. I don’t know much time passed before I came to. It was awful, awful. The smoke was coming in from somewhere above the debris. Sandy dust was flying around. I was trapped under the debris and I was in terrible pain and that’s probably why I came to. I couldn’t move, not even an inch. Then, I heard about ten of my surviving classmates singing our school song. I remember that. I could hear sobs. Someone was calling his mother. But those who were still alive were singing the school song for as long as they could. I think I joined the chorus. We thought that someone would come and help us out. That’s why we were singing a school song so loud. But nobody came to help, and we stopped singing one by one. In the end, I was singing alone. † On August 9th the USSR entered the war invading Manchuria. With a force of nearly 1,700,000 soldiers the Soviets quickly claimed total victory driving the Japanese out and killing 20,000 to 80,000 Japanese soldiers and capturing about 650,000. (Glantz 54-72) On August 15th in a radio address to the nation Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender of Japan. (Pape 87) The largest war in the history of mankind was over. C. Evaluation of Sources Code-Name Downfall: The Secret Plan to Invade Japan-And Why Truman Dropped the Bomb by Thomas B. Allen and Norman Polmar was published by Simon & Schuster in 1995. Allen is an American writer who went to college in Bridgeport, Conn. He worked for The New York Daily and then became part of the National Geographic Book Division. Most of his work deals with military history. His book is an excellent source of information because it is based upon hundr eds of sources, was written well after the events described so that more evidence is available, and is written by a fairly objective military historian who has less bias because he was not attached to the war. Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire by Richard B. Frank was published by Penguin in 2001. Frank is an expert on World War 2 history. He specializes on the Pacific part of WWII. He fought in the 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam. This could possibly make him more bias towards U. S. military actions but his book uses hundreds of reputable sources so that his opinion is less biased. His book is a very definitive and exhaustive account of Japanese defeat. It’s an excellent and useful source. D. Analysis â€Å"The fact is that as far as the Japanese militarists were concerned, the atomic bomb was just another weapon. The two atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki were icing on the cake, and did not do as much damage as the fire bombings of Japanese cities. The B-29 firebombing campaign had brought the destruction of 3,100,000 homes, leaving 15 million people homeless, and killing about a million of them. It was the ruthless firebombing, and Hirohito's realiz ation that if necessary the Allies would completely destroy Japan and kill every Japanese to achieve â€Å"unconditional surrender† that persuaded him to the decision to end the war. The atomic bomb is indeed a fearsome weapon, but it was not the cause of Japan's surrender, even though the myth persists even to this day. † Said by Edwin P. Hoyt in 1986. According to the UK embassy in Washington the Americans regarded the Japanese as â€Å"a nameless mass of vermin†. A 1944 opinion poll that asked what should be done with Japan found that 13% of the U. S. public was in favor of the extermination of all Japanese people: men, women, and children. Hixson 239) The dropping of the two bombs had little to do with defeating the defeated Japan. Even before World War 2 had ended the cold war began. Stalin and the Soviets had taken control of nearly all of Eastern Europe and made it clear that they weren’t going to leave. (Glantz 152-167) The Soviet Union had emerged World War 2 as a superpower and as the only legitimate challenger to American hegemony. Militaristic and organized with massive amounts of natural resources the Soviets under Stalin had proven that they were willing to expend unimaginable amounts of human life to win. Glantz 172-184) With this massive looming on the horizon the terrified United States had to demonstrate its military supremacy. Japan presented a unique opportunity for the U. S. to demonstrate its new destructive power to the Soviets and the Japanese people paid the price. The Japanese were already defeated and seeking peace. (Butow 111-121) â€Å"It is my opinion that the use of the barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender†¦. My own feeling is that in being the first to use it, we had adopted an ethical standard common to barbarians of the Dark Ages. I was not taught to make war in that fashion, and wars cannot be won by destroying women and children. † Chairman of the wartime Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral William D. Leahy. Shortly after the conclusion of the war General Douglas MacArthur confirmed what many Military analysts and historians theorized by saying, â€Å"My staff was unanimous in believing that Japan was on the point of collapse and surrender. In 1963 President Eisenhower said, â€Å"The Japanese were ready to surrender and it wasn't necessary to hit them with that awful thing †¦ I hated to see our country be the first to use such a weapon. † E. Conclusion While the dropping of the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki certainly contributed to the Japanese becoming even more desperately willing to unconditionally surrender the atomic bombs, despite their unimaginable destructive power, were just another weapon the Japanese had to endure. More than a million Japanese people had been killed by bombing raids. In reality the entrance of the Soviet Union into the war and their invasion of Japanese controlled Manchuria more likely contributed to Japan being more willing to unconditionally surrender. Japan had controlled Manchuria far longer than any pacific island the U. S. fought on and had more than 1,200,000 men there. Their total defeat in a very short amount of time made Japan realize that they no longer were able to defend themselves. In conclusion to use the words of General Curtis LeMay, â€Å"The atomic bomb had nothing to do with the end of the war. † â€Å"We are the inheritors to the mantle of Genghis Khan,† wrote New York Times editorial writer Hanson Baldwin, â€Å"and of all those in history who have justified the use of utter ruthlessness in war. † The dropping of the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was in no way militarily justified. The use of the atomic bombs was an act of brutality the likes of which this world has never seen and for the continued survival of the human race I hope never has to see again.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Classical vs Romantic Essay

The classical period in music spans from 1750 to 1820, a period of musical change after the Baroque and Rococo periods and its eventual transition to the Romantic period. This era in music produced most of the well known composers, prominent of which were Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Joseph Haydn, among others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The shift from the Baroque and Rococo musical styles also coincided with the formation of classicism, an artistic movement that also involved painting, literature, and architecture. The Baroque era of music mainly utilized polyphonic harmony in composition – a style which involves two main themes or melodies, which creates an elaborate hearing experience because of many different instruments playing unique themes. An example of which is Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier which is a collection of piano pieces specifically arranged for the piano, utilizing every major and minor chords. The contrapuntal polyphony of these pieces have two different melodies for the left and right hands, creating harmony at the same time. On one hand, the classical movement utilizes a homophonic – a style that is above chord accompaniment and emphasizes on melody, tone, form, and balance. Melodies are more refined, elegant, and expressive, utilizing dynamics (pianissimo, mezzo forte, etc.) along with a balanced formal structure. The classical period also developed the sonata, symphony, concertos, serenades, among other instrumental music during that time. The Romantic period on the other hand, is a movement that expands the form of classical composition that enhances expressiveness and appeals to the emotive aspect of the listener. Although identified as a Romantic period, the era does not emphasize on romantic love per se, but it is used as a prevalent theme in composition. There is little difference between the classical and romantic periods because both utilize the same structure in composition, but only vary with the use of themes. In terms of expression, the romantic period is much more expressive compared to classical pieces.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert, prominent classical masters, produced music for both eras, with their works employing a smooth transition of change regarding themes and melodies into the Romantic period. Schubert’s violin compositions are generally associated with the Romantic era while Beethoven mastered the use of chromatic and homophonic harmonies to stress fiery and elegant themes in most of his works.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Some Moral Minima, ethics and relativism Article

Some Moral Minima, ethics and relativism - Article Example ime in the history and the future of man is killing for the sake of killing, taking a person’s rights away for the sake of acquiring wealth, being untruthful and genocide which is mass killing is unacceptable. There are many more moral issues like terrorism, polygamy, murder, rape, incent and slavery discussed by Mosser.K (2010) in detail with regards to the cultural aspects. The specific principles related to each case he has dealt with was majorly based on Hindu and Buddhist scriptures, and many of the norms are withdrawn from the rich and cultural heritage of Indian society which has norms that are suitable on a universal level. Genocide deals with mass killing of people belonging to a certain culture and closely runs in parallel with terrorism. As Goodman (2010) states, â€Å"genocide is the ultimate essentializing of the exotic†¦reflected in this invented mask, it sees the image of the new man it hopes to create by the expulsion and destruction of the other† (p. 89). From the beginning of our human history genocidebeen practiced. It is sad to see that there are thousands of wars fought for no valid reason at all and there have been numerous killings in our past history based on extinction on a particular set of people. According to me genocide is a systematic way of getting rid of a particular section of the human society as their cultures differ from the rest and this act is cruel and immoral. It will never uplift the society and this practice is very degrading to the human nature. Goodman (2010) states that genocide the most violent outcome of cultural disputes (p. 89).Genocide according to me is the overall outcome of terrorists and this mass scale man slaughter is very ugly. All individuals are equivalent no matter their sex, nationality or creed and they all have to right to live their life time. Every human should treat others as he will expect the other to treat him, human kindness and equal rights makes the world a better place to live in a

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Role of Nurses in Recovery Efforts after Wildfire Disaster Assignment

The Role of Nurses in Recovery Efforts after Wildfire Disaster - Assignment Example Since Wayne is a member of the community, it will prove easier for him to interact with the people and carry out a positive assessment. The recovery priorities should depend on the needs of the community members, without any bias regarding friends and family members. Victims that Require a Crisis Intervention According to previous research, it is evident that children and adolescents define the most the vulnerable groups that require crisis intervention. Children who face wildfires are likely to exhibit behavioral aspects such as anxiety, fear, nightmares, depression, acting out and guilt. Therefore, they require immediate intervention so that the trauma does not affect their development. Since children do not understand the factors that trigger disasters, they are less likely to cope easily. Whereas adults are able to cope with the disaster in a short while, children and adolescents need expertise intervention and guidance (Maurer & Smith, 2013). Major Health Concerns after the Wild fire A wildfire results in smoker from trees exposing people to particulate matter and different toxins. These contaminants in smoke are likely to cause respiratory diseases. Wayne should identify this as a major health concern. In addition, the contaminants from wildfires may also cause cardiovascular, psychiatric, and ophthalmic complications. Different levels of burns may also pose the risk of organ failure. Victims may face direct or indirect burns, which may affect various organs, compelling them to seek treatment.

Self-Managed Teams Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Self-Managed Teams - Research Paper Example For example, in a company, there can be two or more functioning self-managed teams with each having a team leader (Cork 146). Members of the self-managed teams, like any other team should have characteristics that bring them together, these are such as; members should have a common goal, should have self esteem, and should also be open when it comes to communication. The members should also respect each other, be involved in conflict resolutions, and lastly, there should be a lot of tolerance and trust within the team (Belasen 149). 2. Types of self-Managed Teams There are two common types of self-managed teams. These are production or service teams and problem solving self- managed teams. Problem-solving self-managed teams. These are intended to identify problems and derive solutions that are initiated by employees and supported by management. These teams typically rely on mapping methods such as flow charts, to target processes for improvement (Belasen 150).They are able to achieve improvement using the following processes: a. Identifying the customers and their requirements. b. Defining the current process to meet the customer’s needs. c. ... 3. Characteristics of Self-Managed Teams A self-managed being one of the many types of teams, has some characteristics that it shares with other types, but there are those that are peculiar to it only. The following are the characteristics of a self-managed team: In self-managed teams, decision making and formal power are transferred to the team. This means that the team is designed in a way that leadership roles and responsibilities are shared (Belasen 150). There is no external supervision; that is, the objectives are adopted internally. In this case, work is designed to give the team ownership (Belasen 150). Being like any other type of team, there is a high level of interdependence. The members of a self-managed team must work together so achieve the common goal they have (Belasen 150). Norms and coercive control replace rules and formal bureaucratic control. Accountability in self-managed teams is collective. So, if one member fails, he or she fails the whole team (Belasen 150). Members of the self-managed team are multiskilled. This enables them to handle all requirements and cover for absent members, without interfering with the performance of the team (Belasen 150). 4. The Advantages (Pros) of Self-Managed Teams in Business Effective communication among the employees in the business. Self-managed teams usually foster communication, because the members of the team share common goals and objectives, and thus networking among the members is very easy, consequently boosting the performance of a business (Pride, Hughes, and Kapoor 297). High production in the business. This is because the members are multi-skilled, thus enabling them to handle all requirements and also cover an absent member. With this, the business is

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Developing Leadership Skills Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Developing Leadership Skills - Assignment Example In 1970s Robert Greenleaf coined this term while describing a leader who wants to serve people. The leader of this mold would be noble and help people around him without any desire for returns. He is highly democratic, selfless and achieves power on the basis of ethical values and right approach; but would never demand it. These leaders would not resent if leadership and power are above their reach. They are just, honest and sincere in their work and do not expect returns. They do not compete for leadership; mostly leadership comes to them unsolicited. They are neither power-grabbers nor power-snatchers. Servant leader would serve first and may or may not be a formal leader. It is about collaboration, trust, listening, foresight, honesty, sincerity, and ethical use of power and empowerment. Greenleaf said "It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. He or she is sharply different from the person who is the leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions" http://www.greenleaf.org/leadership/servant-leadership/What-is-Servant-Leadership.html He thought that in the late 20th century, traditionally autocratic and hierarchical leaderships are vanishing and Servant leadership with ethically caring involvement is emerging. It is succeeding through trust, bravery, and forgiveness. Greenleaf Centre for Servant leadership lays down the mission statement with 10 principles: "Listening, empathy, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people and building community". "Servant-leaders are aware that the shift from local communities to large institutions as the primary shaper of human lives has changed our perceptions and caused a send of loss. Servant-leaders seek to identify a means for building community among those who work within a given institution" http://www.butler.edu/studentlife/hampton/principles.htm I am of the opinion that all these principles suit my temperament and the ultimate goals I have and they would shape my career in life. In this context, I am impressed by Peter Shelden, whom I met in Pakistan during my last visit thereafter earthquakes. Peter Shelden is an American, in charge of a non-government organization that is working in the earthquake hit areas of Kashmir. It is difficult to see a worse example of a disaster compared to what happened 'when the mountains moved'. In October 2005, an earthquake left three million people homeless and 200,000 people injured in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and North-West Frontier Province. Peter's team was providing health services, psycho-social service, and training and rehabilitation. Understandably, it was not an easy job. They were braving the Himalayan winter in temporary sheds and tents and the country was not theirs and the suffering people were not their countrymen. They owed nothing to this suffering lot. Still, throughou t my stay there, trying to help the people in distress, I had seen an amazing commitment in him, with a focussed desire to serve humanity, irrespective of race, region, and color. Â  

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Needs & Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Needs & Motivation - Essay Example say will discuss the Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs theory and how it is applied in Southwest according to the â€Å"People† section of 2011 Southwest One Report. Maslow was and industrial psychologist who studied human behavior. He said that human needs can be arranged in a hierarchy as individuals progress from the lower level to the higher level needs. Individuals would be motivated to fulfill whichever needs were important to them at a given time. These needs include self-actualization needs, Ego/esteem needs, socio-affiliation needs, safety/security needs, and physiological needs (Lauby 1). The Southwest satisfies the physiological needs of their employees by putting them first and offering them an opportunity to pursue good health. The need for safety and security is catered for by creating financial security for the employees. The socio-affiliation needs are taken care of by allowing employees to travel and socialize, have fun and stay connected. Making a positive difference caters for the ego and self-esteem needs of the employees. Self-actualization needs are met by allowing employees to learn and grow, create and innovate, and work hard to achieve their goals. The Southwest’s way, of motivating employees, is a good one and if I were one of its employees I would be positively motivated to work harder. I would work to achieve both personal and organizational goals. Putting employees first is a good way of

Monday, September 23, 2019

In African American women who have delivered live infants, what is the Essay

In African American women who have delivered live infants, what is the effect of prenatal care, in comparison to no prenatal care, on infant mortality rates within the first year of life - Essay Example innovative service initiatives, and implementation of MCH programs, policy analysis topics, advocacy issues and professional development of medical and healthcare practitioners in the MCH area. As such, the Maternal and Child Health Journal is important because it can be used as a tool for practitioners, academicians and researchers in the areas of public health, gynecology, prenatal medicine, neonatology and obstetrics. The Maternal and Child Health Journal is sponsored by different organizations that include the Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health (ATMCH), Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) and CityMatCH. The above description makes the Maternal and Child Health Journal an essential tool to which the group plans to submit the final manuscript. First, the journal is appropriate for the group because it covers the area of demography specifically in maternal and child health area. This makes it a specific journal that will be easier for the reader to find information on maternal and child health demographic issues. The group intends to carry out research on the effect of prenatal care, in comparison to no prenatal care, on infant mortality rates within the first year of life in African American women. Therefore, the topic of the research shows that it qualified to be published under the Maternal and Child Health Journal. Prior research into the group’s topic shows that African-Americans have 2.3 times the infant mortality rate compared to non-Hispanic whites. They are also four times likely to die as infants because of complications related to low birth weight compared to non-Hispanic white infants. It has also been shown that African Americans are 2.3 times more likely to begin prenatal care in their third trimester or not go for prenatal care at all compared to non-Hispanic white mothers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). Compared to women from other racial/ ethnic groups in America, infants born to

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Oliver Cromwell and Opinions of Him Essay Example for Free

Oliver Cromwell and Opinions of Him Essay Interpretations of Oliver Cromwell have changed over time, from a mass murderer to a hero. These interpretations have changed over time as a result of; -Certain events that affected people; laws etc: e.g. the execution of Charles I and the massacres of Drogheda and Welford etc. -The country they were in and how the people who had most of the power thought of him: e.g. Charles II etc. -What type of person you were classed as: e.g. lord, servant etc. -What religion you were and what experiences that religion have had: e.g. Catholic, Puritan etc. These are the main things that affected what people thought and how they acted towards him. So what did people think of him over times? In most of his earlier years Oliver Cromwell was a middle class citizen, however this changed when he received an inheritance from his uncle. This not only changed him financially but from then on he was recognised as a wealthy man who owned land and money. To add to this he also joined parliament which soon lead to him being in the civil war, making him recognised as a hero and a great cavalry leader by most of the public. This soon meant that he was one of many to sign the letter for the execution of Charles I for high treason and were recognised as heroes. Soon after he helped England become a common wealth county with the rest of the parliamentarians. Meaning he was recognised as a saviour of England! When Oliver Cromwell was in the army he was a cavalry leader and became known as a great one because of his knowledge and it was this that lead him to win many battles against rebels and many other armies, making him known as a hero but by some a murderous tyrant. He was also known for treating his army men well as well as respecting them for example when some of his own men rebelled he did not kill them but only the four ringleaders to set an example. This made people think that he was a powerful and proud military leader. However he was accused for ordering the massacre of 3000 men, women and children in Drogheda and 2000 in Welford both in Ireland because they were Catholic. This changed the thoughts of people to become twisted about Oliver Cromwell and made him seem more like a murderous tyrant than a hero. When Oliver Cromwell grew in power he created laws which some people liked and others disliked. These laws obeyed the daily laws in which a puritan lives their lives. Although the puritans liked it, many people felt offended because they had to obey the rules of a religion in which they did not worship and felt as if they were ordered to do it. To add to this some of the laws were outstandingly strict, for example you were not allowed to walk for leisure. This made people think of him as a saviour to some but a tyrant to others. When Oliver Cromwell was awarded the role of Lord Protector many people like the Puritans liked it although the Catholics disliked it. In this role he had the task of ‘healing and controlling’ the land. Also although people did not like this they could not argue as he was the ‘Lord Protector’. When Oliver Cromwell died many people mourned including his family and many Puritans, however other people celebrated such as the Catholics. Although the funeral was the most important part of it because it would show how important he was and because his funeral costed nearly  £70,000 he was mourned upon by many people as this costed more than some kings’ funerals. And so to some then he was remembered as a murderous tyrant however to others he was remembered as a hero. When Charles II came to power he mocked Oliver Cromwell in every way he could because he was one of many MPs to sign the treaty to accuse his father of high treason. To add to this the Dutch were on his side, as he fled there for his life when his father was executed and spread rumours of Cromwell bringing corruption in England, Scotland and Ireland. This made people think that Oliver Cromwell was evil and had changed some of their interpretation by rumouring. In the Victorian era Oliver Cromwell was hated and despised upon by many people because many people who worked in most of England’s more liberating jobs were Irish. And so on one occasion when Queen Victoria was planning to visit Manchester she did not because there was a statue of Oliver Cromwell situated there, this was a bad thing because if she went she might be despised by the Irish for liking him as a person making Oliver Cromwell seem a tyrant. This also occurred in the 1900 when Oliver Cromwell was compared to Hitler and mocked upon. In the twenty first century we have mixed thoughts about him because although comments have been made about him we cannot justify most things such as the massacre in Ireland as there was no proof that he ordered the soldiers to kill the people or that he was even involved in any of this. And so we can sometimes only have opinions that have no justifications. In my opinion Oliver Cromwell was a stern puritan although he did revolutionize most things and even become Lord Protector. So I think he was a noble man who was wrongly mocked and despised of!!!

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Origins Of Alternative Education In India Education Essay

Origins Of Alternative Education In India Education Essay According to one of the view, education has been derived from the Latin word educare which means to bring up or to raise. According to this view, education is process of imparting to an individual certain information and knowledge which was considered by the society. Education implies the modification of the behaviour of the individual by imposing standards of society upon him. Thus, this derivation gives the concept of teacher-centred rather than child-centred education. There is another group of thinkers who believes that the term education has been derived from the Latin word educere which means to lead out or to draw out. Education therefore, means to lead out or draw out the best in man. It is the process of drawing out from within rather than imposing from without. In the Indian Context the Education means The Indian Synonyms of Education are the words Shiksha and vidya. Shiksha is derived from the Sanskrit verbal root Shas which means to discipline to control to instruct or to teach. Similarly Vidya is also derived from Sanskrit verbal root vid which means to know. Hence the disciplining the mind and acquisition of knowledge have always been the dominant theme in Indian approaches to understanding the education. Experimental learning The experimental education is an organic and constantly evolving approach to learning .According to them they believe that anyone can do it. The ideas advocated can be replicated almost anywhere, and can be used, as some are doing, in mainstream (government and private) schools. This type of pedagogy helps in Enhancement in Education. It explores the ways in which children can discover their own talents and interest, at their own talents and interest, at their own places, in their own ways, assisted by teachers, parents, and friends and others-learning in and from their neighbours, their village, their community and the environment in which they live. It tells that how education can be successful in terms of childs own need for knowledge. This kind of education therefore relies heavily on experiential learning which compiles of innovative approaches, method, and idea of learning, aim to be child centred). The relevant and liberating education should include:- Being child-focussed- the child is the centre. The child dictates the pace and interests. Allowing learning in multiple ways. Enhancing the senses through learning. Not being exclusive, there is a (government-prescribed) examination for school completion, nor it should exclusive in the terms of class, gender, caste or religion. Meeting a childs life -enriching needs in compliance with child rights, imparting spiritual values, knowledge of moral, social norms and duties and finally, it should try out to meet life-development needs of functional training of innate talents, and vocational education. The importance of education being child-centred, starting from what the child knows and is interested in, and at the pace preferred by the child. Now Approach to primary education has been formally accepted not only by the one country but also by the whole world including the developed and under developing countries as a human right for almost half a century. Yet, today even we enter into the era of 21st Century; there is only about three-quarters of children of school-going children are able to attend a primary school. In a developing countries large number drop-out of children took place before reaching Class V and there are many others who are never able to reach schools. Although the country like India in which the government had placed a high priority on education in policy statements, every time fails because of proper implementation is lacking in the policy. Thus an India stand with 30 per cent of the worlds illiterates has female literacy rates much lower than in sub-Saharan Africa [PROBE 1999]. The worlds largest number of children who are out-of-school is reached the mark which is close to 59 million are in India, ou t of which 60 percent are girls (Human Development Report 2000, UN).37 percent of the children from India are unable to reach Class V [Haq and Haq 1998]. And this despite the Directive Principles in Article 45 of the Indian Constitution which prescribes that the state shall try to provide, within a tenure of ten years from the commencement of the Constitution, for free and compulsory education for all children until they reach the age of 14. Although after this decision the number of primary schools has increased 2.82 times since 1951 and enrolments have improved, the responsibility of the government for creating a satisfactory infrastructure has in practice not been matched by corresponding out-lays which continue to remain woefully inadequate at around 3 per cent of the GDP. The vast number of maze of literature on primary education in India has identified various reasons for its abysmal state; why children drop out and why they remain un enrolled or not going in the school. In th is space several studies have been done which indicated that the poor quality of schooling is responsible for low retention [Colclough 1993; Bhatty Kiran 1998; PROBE 1999; Banerji 2000; Dreze and Gazdar 1996]. However, most of these studies look at the problem of education within the confines of the classroom. They tend to ignore or underplay the fact that besides poor quality, demotivated or un interested teachers and inadequate infrastructure, there are larger other structural constraints which impede access of children to schools. There are several literature written on primary education in India also reveals that access and retention remain problem areas in this sphere. Origins of Alternative Education in India History Overview The present mainstream educational system was inaugurated in India in the mid-nineteenth century. Over the next century; it almost completely supplanted earlier educational institutions. There had, earlier, been a wide network of small village schools- pathsahlas, gurukuls and madarasas. There was a concept of One Village-One School and was become the norm in various parts of the country, up to the earlier nineteenth century. A large number of such learning schools-reportedly100, 000 was just in Bihar and Bengal. They played important social role and were, in fact watering holes of culture of traditional communities. (Dharampal, 2000).Students from various castes studied in these schools, although there was no such discrimination on the basis of castes, creed and colour. It was open for all but there must have been disproportionately representation in the school, the boys outnumbered girls. Most of the girls learnt a range of skills within their homes; from parents, relatives, and pr ivate tutors- including Arts, crafts, practical skills, agriculture, health and languages. Harking back to the tradition of monasteries and ashrams, schools interspersed training in practical life skills with academic education. As the time goes on within the overall context of decline of local economies, these went into decline and decay under colonial rule. Intentionally the policy was employed by the government to wipe out this community based schooling, and replace it with an alien model. In 1931, Gandhi alleged that today India is more illiterate than it was 50 or a 100 years ago (M.K.Gandhi 1931, Dharampal 2000). He also added that British administrators had à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.scratched the soil and begun to look at the root, and left the root like that and beautiful tree perished. Indigenous education was replaced by an alien and rootless, deliberately set up, as it was explained by Lord Macaulay (1835), to form a class who interprets between us and the millions we govern. Despite the transfer of power in 1947, Indian schools continued in the same mould. Some changes were introduced: the government expanded its reach and network of schools in both rural and urban areas and local vernacular languages were accepted as medium of instruction in these schools. Today we have vast network and number of government in our country and growing number of private run institutions. Yet, the basic format remained the unchanged, a large number of school today based on derivative and mechanistic model. They are designed to produce individuals who fit into modern society and its (Consumerist and competitive) Values, and are easy to govern since they learn to be highly disciplined within hierarchical, centrally administered institutions. Schooling thus, tends to reinforce social inequalities-Class, caste and gender. Affluent Children go to privately run schools, while poor attend schools run by the state because for poor access to private school has become the dream. Despite of Vital differences in facilities and funding, all these schools share a similar ethos. The ascent is on absorbing information rather on original thinking and imagination. The set up is centralised and bureaucratic, teachers distanced from students mostly merely doing a job, while school act as a delivery points for a set curriculum and content. Schools generate failures in large scale-contributing to crises of confidence at national level. Early Pioneers Alternative or the experimental learning to the educational system began to emerge as early as the late nineteenth and the early twentieth centurys. Some of these efforts really mark a significant change and their efforts are still visible. Social reformers began exploring alternative education by the late of nineteenth century. Swami Vivekananda, Dayanand Saraswati, Syed Ahmed Khan, Jyotiba Phule, Savitribai Phule and others promoted the idea of education as a force for social regeneration, and set up schools/institutions toward this end. Vivekananda and Dayanand Saraswati combined religious revitalisation with social service/ political work, through the Rama krishna Mission and Arya Samaj Schools respectively. Syed Ahmed Khan set up the Aligarh Muslim University (originally, Mohammadan Anglo Oriental College), with the goals of imparting modern education without compromising on Islamic Values. Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule were actively concerned with overcoming the social inequalit ies. They mainly work with the dalit children and girl schooling in Maharashtra. There were some Significant educationists emerges in half of the twentieth century included Rabindra Nath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Jiddu Krishnamurthy, Gijubhai Badheka And Sri Aurobindo. By the mid of the 1920s and 1930s, these stalwarts had created the number of viable models of alternative learning, as a considered response to the ills of mainstream education. Some of the ideas were in alliance with the struggles for national Independence and the revitalisation of Indian society. The alternatives emphasised commitments, and reciprocal links between school and the society. Rabindranath Tagore pointed out several limitations of school set up by colonial authorities, in his writings Shikhar Her Fer (1893) and Shikhar Bahan (1915). As a child, Tagore had refused to attend School; he later wrote, What tortured me in my school days was the fact that the school has not the completeness of the world. It was a special arrangement for giving lessonsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦But children are in love wit h life, and it is their first love. All its colour and movement attract their eager attention. And are quite sure of our wisdom in stifling this love? We rob the child of his earth to teach him geography, of language to teach him grammarà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Child-Nature protest against such calamity with all its power of suffering, subdued at last into silence by punishment. (Tagore, in Chakravarty1961,pg 218; in Prasad2005, pg81). Tagore set up his own alternative to the prevailing educational system: Vishwa Bharati in Shantiniketan, Bengal. Classes here, were- and still are held in the lap of nature. Vishwa Bharati becomes a centre for excellence in art and aesthetics, creative activities and awareness of local as well as world cultures. Gandhis view resembles Tagores in the emphasis on contextually relevant education, mother tongue as the medium of instruction, and opposition to examination-oriented bookish reaching. He translated his vision into practice through a series of school, starting in Phoenix Farm and Tolstoy Farm in South Africa and continuing into schools set up in Champaran, Sabarmati, Wardha and many other parts of India. Gandhi developed Nai Taleem or Basic Education in which students devoting few hours daily to academic pursuits, and the rest of the day to the performance of Bread Labour that includes craft work, agriculture, cooking, cleaning and related tasks. His approach to education aimed at strengthening village life and communities. As early as 1917, When Gandhi began five small schools for peasants children in Champaran, then he said, The idea is to get hold of as many children as possible and give them an all round education, a good knowledge of hindi or urdu and through that medium, knowled ge of arithmetic, rudiments of history and geography, simple scientific principles and some industrial training. No cut and dried syllabus has yet been prepared because according to him I am going on a unbeaten track. I look upon you present system with horror and distrust. Instead of developing the moral and mental faculties of the little children it dwarfs them. Stage crafts, arts, sports and celebration of festivals from all religion were important parts of Nai taleem. In Nai Taleem there were no textbooks as such, but students were constantly encouraged to use library and can get the knowledge of diverse field. In the library education is not only the motive but exposure to different field or subjects are also required. Educationist Gijubhai Badheka emphasised on childrens need for an atmosphere nurturing independence and self-reliance. He gave this idea an institutional basis by establishing Bal Mandir in Gujarat in 1920, and in his writings, he identified the different facets of idea. Gijubhais Divaswapna (1990) is the fictitious story of a teacher who rejects the orthodox culture of education. This classic piece of writing by him yields rich insights into effective teaching, as it describes experiments in education undertaken by an inspires teacher in a ordinary village school. Gijubhai explains and clearly showed that how to teach history, geography, language and other subjects through stories and rhymes, in a way that appealed to children. He believed in arousing the childs curiosity in a thousand and one things ranging from insects to stars, rather than routine textbook teaching. Gijubhau wrote a number of books and booklets for parents, teachers, general readers and captivating stories and ve rses for children. J. Krishnamurti too thought of education in connection with the whole of life. It is not something isolated, leading to alienation. He looks closely at the process of learning in relation to human life. In the biography of Krishnamurti, pupul jayakar quotes him speaking of that period in his life some 75 years later.The boy had always said, I will do whatever you want. There was an element of subservience, obedience. The boy was vague, uncertain, and unclear; he didnt seem to care what was happening. He was like a vessel, with a large hole in it, whatever was put in, went through, nothing remained.( J. Krishnamurti: a biography. Arkana,1996). He noted that the teachers have a responsibility to ensure thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦when child leaves the school, he is well established in goodness both outwardly and inwardly. Krishnamurti set up two schools in the 1930s, Rajghat Besant School in Varanasi, UP and the Rishi Valley School in Andhra Pradesh, over the decades, the KFI (Krishnamurti Foun dation of India) has kept alive its commitment to meaningful education, expanding its network of schools to Chennai, Uttarkashi, Bangalore and Pune. Like Gijubhais and Gandhis schools, KFI has shown that alternative education can be made accessible to those from underprivileged backgrounds as well. Learning goals are individualised for each child, and teaching aids are carefully designed using cards, books, puppets, stories and local material. A visit to any of this school of Krishnamurti bring to his thought: Education is not just to pass examination, take a degree and a job, get married and settle down, but also to be able to listen to the birds, to see the sky, to see the extraordinary beauty of a tree, and the shape of hills, and to feel with them, to be really, directly in touch with them. Mainstreaming Alternatives Innovation of Alternatives Schools can spread to mainstream Education? Though it might seem fragmented and confusing, the landscape of alternative schooling is certainly fertile! From the range of schools discussed earlier, it is clear that there are people scattered across the different parts of the country, dreaming of a different kind of education, and many who are actually living out their dreams. Most of the experiments are small but fundamentally replicable. They reached out their target population in a meaningful ways to diverse children, from the different economic backgrounds and from diverse social settings. Several Experiments are clustered in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra with the sprinkling in other places including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bengal, Gujarat, Delhi, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and others. It is instructive to remember that sometimes, there is no hard and fast line dividing the mainstream from the alternative. Even hardcore mainstream schools gradually adopt some elements of alternative learning in their pedagogy to teach the children. Lots of primary and nursery schools across the country have for instance have adopted the some elements of Montessori and play way methods, through which children enjoy the learning and grab the technique more quickly and efficiently. Widespread questioning has propelled even the government to usher in some improvements. Thus, non formal education campaigns links education to social awareness. The Bihar Education Project ( in partnership with UNICEF) has opened Charwaha Vidyalayas (for children grazing animals) and Angana paathshalas (courtyard schools for girls in remote areas). The Central governments Education Guarantee Scheme, and Alternative and Innovative Education Scheme employ flexible strategies for out of school children, incl uding bridge courses, back to school camps and residential camps for accelerated learning. In some of these, learning outcomes have proved to be of quite a high standard (Education for All 2005). Premier teacher training institutions such as the District Institutes for education and training (DIET) have incorporated a few creative, child centred pedagogies. The NCERT has devised a new, state of art curricular framework for school education. Yes all this is still a far cry from the realisation from the full blown alternatives. It is really sad to know that mainstream education still dominates the lives of the vast majority of Indian children. It mainly depends upon its philosophical foundation which rest on large scale, centralised, examination oriented teaching, with flexible daily schedules and rigid syllabi. In India they are many such examples which can be illustrated to a number of groups who were engaged in putting in their best efforts to bring about significant change in the field of education. They believe in their own work it does not matter to them that their effort was not in the large scale or that it was not visible to all people in the country. They think that if they or their work even influence the few young minds, they set us thinking about the enormous possibilities that would open up if the if local or national government support this changes. The government policy to set up a National Institute of Op en Schooling (NIOS) was found to be the most popular and significant step toward improvement in the field of education. Such a step opens the door to informal and individualised pace of learning, which was welcomed by most of the alternative schools. Indeed it was the first time when alternative learning was coming on their path of main stream professional education. With this government initiative to open NIOS has made possible the following: The opening of school for slow learners Inclusive education for the differently able along with normal children. Delinking of the methodology of a learning programme from the stringent requirements of the Board Examination. Addressing the different pace of learning. Giving a point of entry to the mainstream from an alternative paradigm. In Pedagogy of Hope, Freire writes, I do not understand human existence, and the struggle needed to improve it, apart from hope and dream'(Freire 1996). Keeping the hope alive is not easy. To even identify and explore existing alternatives-however they may be possibility of being imperfect and incomplete but still it is an exercise in hope. So today it is very necessary need to reach and stay close to mainsprings of alternative educational thinking-which nestles within the visions of wider transformative socio-political changes. These alternatives will continue to develop, expand and widen. We are required to shed the notion that There is No Alternative and instead, work toward bringing and actively increasingly cohesive, meaningful alternatives to the society. Why such Education is needed? According to Martha C. Nussbaum, she explains in one of her article that Public education is crucial ingredients for the health of democracy. Recently there are many initiatives has been taken around the world in the field of education, however they are mainly narrow down their focus on science and technology, neglecting the important subject such as arts and humanities. They also focus on the internalization of information, rather than on the formation of the students critical and imaginative capacities. The author demonstrated the live example which she has experienced in Bihar with the one of the Patna centred Non government organisation named Adithi. When they reached a place near to Nepalese border, they found very meagre facilities. Teaching is done mostly outside the classroom on the ground, or under the shade of barn. Students were suffering from basic facilities such as paper and only few slates were available that has to be passed hand to hand. However it was creative educa tion. Next she visited the girl literacy program, house in a shed next door. The daily schedule of girls were little busy as in the morning they went for herding of the goat, So there classes began around 4p.m. about 15 girls in total comes to this single classrooms age 6-15 years for three hours of after work learning. There are no desks, no chairs, no blackboard are available, and there is only few slates and bit of chalks but these problem does not stop girls from coming to the class and the passion of the teacher is also one of the major factor of this binding. The teacher is themselves among the poor rural women assisted by the Adithi program. . Proudly the girls brought in the goats that they had been able to buy from the savings account they have jointly established in their group. Mathematics is taught in part by focusing on such practical issues. Author thinks that there are many things to learn from given examples but few of them can be: first, the close linkage between education and critical thinking about ones social environment; second, the emphasis on the arts as central aspects of the educational experience; third, the intense passion and investment of the teachers, their delight in the progress and also the individuality of their students. Now the author elaborates model of education for democratic citizenship. According to her there are three types of capacities are essential to the cultivation of democratic citizenship in the todays world (Nussbaum, 1997). The First is a Capacity stressed by both Tagore and Jawaharlal Nehru. They emphasise on the capacity for critical examination of oneself and ones traditions, for living what we may follow Socrates; we may call the examined life. This capacity can only be obtain if we train one self, Training this capacity requires developing the capacity to reason logically, to test what one what he or she reads or says for consistency of reasoning, correctness of fact, and accuracy of judgment. Testing of this sort frequently creates new challenges to tradition, as Socrates knew well when he defended himself against the charge of corrupting the young But he defended his activity on the grounds that democracy needs citizens. Critical thinking is particularly crucial for good citize nship in a society that needs and required to come to grips with the presence of people who differ by ethnicity, caste, and religion. Then after she describes the second part of the her proposal Citizens who cultivate their capacity for effective democratic citizenship need, further, an ability to see themselves as not simply citizens of some local region or group, but also, and above all, as human beings bound to all other human beings by ties of recognition and concern. It is very essential that they have to understand both the differences that make understanding difficult between groups and nations and the shared human needs and interests that make understanding essential, if common problems are to be solved. This means learning quite a lot both about nations other than ones own and about the different groups that are part of ones own nation.This task includes showing students how and why different groups interpret evidence differently and construct different narratives. Even the best textbook will not succeed at this complex task unless it is presented together with a pedagogy that fosters critical thinking, the critical scrutiny of conflicting source materials, and active learning (learning by doing) about the difficulties of constructing a historical narrative. This brings me to the third part of my proposal. As the story of the dowry play in Bihar indicates, citizens cannot think well on the basis of factual knowledge alone. The third ability of the citizen, closely related to the first two, can be called the narrative imagination. This means the ability to think what it might be like to be in the shoes of a person different from oneself, to be an intelligent reader of that persons story, and to understand the emotions and wishes and desires that someone so placed might have. As Tagore wrote, we may become powerful by knowledge, but we attain fullness by sympathy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ But we find that this education of sympathy is not only systematically igno red in schools, but it is severely repressed (Tagore, 1961, p. 219). Finally, the arts are great sources of joy and this joy carries over into the rest of a childs education. Amita Sens book about Tagore as choreographer, aptly entitled Joy in All Work, shows how all the regular education in Santiniketan, which enabled these students to perform very well in standard examinations, was infused with delight because of the way in which it was combined with dance and song. Children do not like to sit still all day; but they also do not know automatically how to express emotion with their bodies in dance. Tagores expressive, but also disciplined, dance regime was an essential source of creativity, thought, and freedom for all pupils, but particularly for women, whose bodies had been taught to be shame-ridden and inexpressive (Amita Sen, 1999). Story of a Bird A very beautiful story has been demonstrated by the author about the education that if there is no proper guidance is given to teacher towards the children, then it led to the severe damage to childs mind. According to her there is no more wonderful depiction of what is wrong with an education based on mere technical mastery and rote learning than Tagores sad story The Parrots Training. A certain Raja had a bird that he loved. He wanted to educate it, because he thought ignorance was a bad thing. His pundits convinced him that the bird must go to school. The first thing that had to be done was to give the bird a suitable edifice for his schooling: so they build a magnificent golden cage. The next thing was to get good textbooks. The pundits said, Textbooks can never be too many for our purpose. Scribes worked day and night to produce the requisite manuscripts. Then, teachers were employed. Somehow or other they got quite a lot of money for themselves and built themselves good houses. When the Raja visited the school, the teachers showed him the methods used to instruct the parrot. The method was so stupendous that the bird looked ridiculously unimportant in comparison. The Raja was satisfied that there was no flaw in the arrangements. As for any complaint from the bird itself, that simply could not be expected. Its throat was so completely choked with the leaves fro m the books that it could neither whistle nor whisper. The lessons continued. One day, the bird died. Nobody had the least idea how long ago this had happened. The Rajas nephews, who had been in charge of the education ministry, reported to the Raja: Sire, the birds education has been completed. Does it hop? he Raja enquired. Never! said the nephews. Does it fly? No. Bring me the bird, said the Raja. The bird was brought to him, guarded by the kotwal and the sepoys and the sowars. The Raja poked its body with his finger. Only its inner stuffing of book-leaves rustled. Outside the window, the murmur of the spring breeze amongst the newly budded Asoka leaves made the April morning wistful. (Tagore, 1994) This wonderful story hardly needs commentary. Its crucial point is that educationists tend to enjoy talking about themselves and their own activity, and to focus too little on the small tender children whose eagerness and curiosity should be the core of the educational endeavour. Tago re thought that children were usually more alive than adults, because they were less weighted down by habit. The task of education was to avoid killing off that curiosity, and then to build outward from it, in a spirit of respect for the childs freedom and individuality rather than one of hierarchical imposition of information. I do not agree with absolutely everything in Tagores educational ideal. For example, I am less anti-memorization than Tagore was. Memorization of fact can play a valuable and even a necessary role in giving pupils command over their own relationship to history and political argument. That is one reason why good textbooks are important, something that Tagore would have disputed. But about the large point I am utterly in agreement: education must begin with the mind of the child, and it must have the goal of increasing that minds freedom in its social environment, rather than killing it off.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Music Analysis of Hakuna Matata Essays -- essays research papers

The end of a semester is the most stressful time for students because of those dreaded finals. Anyone who lived through the 1990s should know the song a young lion and his pals sang after meeting for the first time. However, as the years pass by, society forgets the simple pleasures of youth and the two words that can make all troubles go away. â€Å"Hakuna Matata† was a song written by Tim Rice with music by Elton John. This song is also a story about a warthog before he discovered this amazing expression. However, the biggest part of the song is about being carefree and forgetting any troubles that may arise. As finals approach, a student needs to revisit their childhood past and recall the â€Å"wonderful phrase:† â€Å"Timon - Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase Pumbaa - Hakuna Matata! Ain’t no passin’ craze Timon - It means no worries for the rest of your days Both - It’s our problem-free philosophy Timon - Hakuna Matata!† (The Lion King). A simple phrase, and it means so much. It is all explained in five lines. Hakuna Matata is the Swahili expression for â€Å"There are...

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Graduation Speech: Its Our Turn :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

After 18 long years of waiting, it is finally our turn. After 13 years of schooling, some difficult, some not, it is finally our turn. After this last, excruciatingly long year of waiting, hoping, dreaming, it is finally our turn. This day has been in the back of our minds since our first day of kindergarten, all those years ago. This year, amidst bouts of senioritis, today was all we could think about, that final day when it would finally be our turn to graduate. However, it is not only our turn to graduate, but also our turn to assume full responsibility for the direction our lives will take. From this day forward, our lives are our own. We will now make decisions about our futures. For some of us, that decision will take us to college, possibly a two or four year degree. Some of us may even go further. For others, it will be work, setting out to make a living for themselves, perhaps attending college later on, perhaps not. Some will join the military, shipping out to a far off and exotic location, or maybe even defense on the homefront. Some will even take a year or two off for travel, or to stay at home and relax. No matter what choice you make, it is important to remember that it is our time to make these decisions. For these things, it's our turn. Our turn to play in the sandbox is over. No more playing tag in the park or with GI Joes. No more showing off the latest outfit on your Barbie or your newfound skill at riding a two-wheeled bike for the first time. We have learned our ABCs and 123s, said goodbye to Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street. Most of us no longer watch Saturday morning cartoons and we haven't had recess in seven years. Our turn for these things is at an end. Now it is our turn to complete our education and begin our careers, wherever they may take us. It is our turn to become our own person in society, to make a difference in this world, to begin our new lives, and to succeed. Ladies and gentlemen, it is finally our turn.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Effects of Japanese Civil Society on Policy-Making :: Government Political Science Japan Papers

The Effects of Japanese Civil Society on Policy-Making I. Introduction My interest in this project began after studying Japan for four years as an undergraduate and realizing I knew relatively little of the country’s political atmosphere. I assumed after reading Western political scholars’ views on the subject, that it was a relatively homogonous nation and only after the Occupational Authority entered Japan had the country emerged with democratic ideals and a true notion of liberal rights. It is true that citizens’ movements are a comparatively recent modern phenomenon in a country filled with millennia of rich cultural and political history. Still today, however numbers of Westerners, including some scholars, see Japan through Orientalism’s foreign and exotic eyes and continue the assumption that hierarchy rules politics and the working class disengages themselves from day-to-day politics. This paper not only attempts to present a broad understanding of Japan’s political history, but also show how civil society has transformed from early Meiji society to post World War II restructuring. While outsiders believe democracy and liberal rights are an inherently novel part of Japanese culture, this paper illustrates the historical basis for a rich electorate, thriving with individual and interpersonal interest in freedom, rights, and the political environment around them. The cleavages that divide civil society and the government policy-making in Japan have been written about at length. The groups examined in this paper, including the Meiji Popular Rights Movement and the post World War II environmental movement, formed organizations to address the conflict that constantly attacked their personal values. In each case, the government refused to proactively respond, from the lack of representation during the late 19th century to the pollution that destroyed lands and lives in the 1960s and 1970s. Both of these groups asked for policy changes from local governments in order to promote their efforts through political participation, and some of these measures progressed to national levels. From the beginning of the Meiji Restoration to today, Japan exhibits dramatic progressive political awareness and engagement, therefore I deny any allegation that Japan was undemocratic until General MacArthur’s restructuring in 1945. Throughout the scholarly debate and the execution of factual evidence, three problems arise in the comparative analysis of the two examples. The first consists of the argument that Japan’s civil society, specific to the two time periods analyzed in this paper, was formulated directly within and of the state.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Vero Moda Marketing mix

VERO MODA was one of the first brands to launch within the Bestseller family. Today VERO MODA is one of the largest brands in the company. The vision of the brand was to fulfill a need for good quality, on-trend clothing at affordable prices. VERO MODA is the brand of choice for the fashion-conscious, independent young woman who wants to dress well and pay less. Today, VERO MODA has more than 1,000 stores in Europe, 1,600 stores in China, and experience rapid growth in both India and Canada. VERO MODA is represented in almost 45 countries. Vero moda has two in-house labels that specialize in a certain type of apparel that is-Y.A.S- The core collection is founded in our eternal passion for luxurious fabrics, contemporary shapes, modern lines, and refined silhouettes. Y.A.S stays true to its ethos, which is a design approach centered on well-crafted, feminine collections with a touch of edge and understated coolness. Noisy May is a team of passionate individuals bound together by their love for fashion and true denim.SEGMENT- Young adults, young independent women, fashion conscious women. Between the age group of 18-35TARGET- It targets the upper middle class and high class; with annual income of 5 lakhs and above.THE FOUR P’sPRODUCT Vero Moda has apparel, accessories and shoes.Women’s wearVero moda caters to the fashion loving populace.Vero Moda clothes follow the current fashion trends and patterns. The silhouettes are very feminine, stylish and semi-formal. It doesn’t give a casual look rather a very prim and proper feminine look and feel. Premium quality fabrics are used giving the products a very luxurious feel. The colours used by the brands are sober and sophisticated and then again they have a section with bright feminine colours. The colour pattern is also tweaked from time to time according to the season’s trends. It offers a wide range of sizes catering to all- from an XS to a XL.Accessories & shoes The accessories include w allets, scarfs, earrings, neck pieces and rings. The accessories are again quite feminine and complement their apparel range. Scarfs use a lot of trendy prints. The wallets and shoes use a lot of leather and sequins- Keeping the target audience in mind this is very apt as a young fashionable working women need both to go with their professional and social life.PRICEVero moda has placed itself has a affordable fashion brand for young independent women.The price ranges from Rs 400 to Rs 6000. Since the brand is providing good quality and follows current fashion trends , their customers don’t mind paying that extra bit. Vero Moda has a very niche and sophisticated feel to it which is also reflected through it clothes. But it’s pricing strategy is such that it should target the young independent women who are willing to look good but at affordable prices. Women today are smart and aware and look for the best deals. Thus Vero moda is giving them high quality fashion at an a ffordable price and service. The strategy is that the price should come as a pleasant surprise to its customers.The competitor brands are Zara, Mango, Chemistry. Zara and Chemistry are similarly priced whereas Mango is priced at a higher level.PLACEThe brand targets the fashion conscious independent women and the upper middle class and high class.By Place it means the distribution channel a company follows. Maximum distribution of its products is direct. The brand owns independent stores. Off late they have set up sections in other departmental store that share a similar design philosophy. The brand is placed in a mall or high street which is frequently visited by the target audience. Vero Moda has not restricted itself only to high street or exclusive malls as it talks about affordability and reaching the masses.PROMOTIONAbove the line- Vero Moda doesn’t have much of above the line promotion. It doesn’t have tv or radio commercials. Though it does promote itself quite a bit through print media; especially in fashion magazines. For new collection Vero Moda prints out catalogues which are circulated to frequent customers and given to any visitor who comes to the store..Below the Line-Vero Moda has its own active website which is regularly updated. It also conducts online competitions and other promotional activity. The brand sends out regular mails to its valued customers always keeping them in the loop. Thus maintaining a good customer base and trying to create a brand loyalty for itself.One of the most striking promotional activities is the window displays done by the brand. Its out of the box, trendy and very attractive. It speaks smartness, class, chic, sophistication.During sales they have special window displays and holdings. This makes more and more people aware about their ongoing sale.SWOT ANALYSIS:STRENGTH- Fashionable and trendy Affordable pricing Good quality Spacious stores Strong brand image Brand awareness WEEKNESS Not enough promot ion ( tv commercials, endorsements, ) Repetition and can get monotonous Narrow target audience ( only young women)OPPORTUNITIES To broaden target audience ( menswear, children) More commoditiesTHREATS Competitor brands Global brands Brands with better promotional strategies Better offers and pricing strategies.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Is Internet Dating Safe?

Is internet dating safe? The internet is just another way for people to meet, and is being used by more and more singles every year. Compared to traditional dating you have to be ready for the added risk of meeting someone who wants to hurt you. Internet dating is used by 1 out of every 10 sex offenders. This does not mean that you should not take the risk. Of course you can just keep your eyes as open as your heart. There are many benefits to internet dating, firstly your safety is very important so no one sees your full name, address, email address or phone number.So there is no identifying information given out, and you remain completely safe. Meeting someone online is a lot faster than traditional dating, meaning it is quicker to find a potential match. Rejection is easier online, it never feels good, but it’s easier to just not get a response back than to have someone walk away from you at the bar. It’s easy to get flustered when meeting someone in person, when you meet someone online you have more time to think and you can take time in responding if you need to. The internet is up all day and night and never sleeps.So you have the luxury of searching for a soul mate anytime, day or night. The best online dating sites allow you to sign up and create a profile completely free of charge, this allows you to log in to the website and look for potential matches without paying anything. Every person you meet online is available and looking for a relationship. Going out to a bar or a club to meet singles for dating can be successful, but most likely less than half the people at these places are there to meet someone to create a relationship.So you are more likely to find a potential match online. Internet dating links you with people all over the world, so you can pursue relationships from afar if you find that you are willing to move for someone but are not sure yet where you’d like to go. Using internet dating, you could find your soul mate and bring love and happiness to your life. If your ex-partner has cheated on you, you may find internet dating helpful. It may help you forget the horrible experience and find someone you deserve. However there are also a lot of dangers associated with internet dating.While both men and women are at risk it is generally the woman who will be exposed to the more severe dangers. Here are a few dangers of this form of dating that you should be mindful of. The very first danger of online dating is when you become a scam  victim. Many scam artists and paedophiles can simply mask their real identity in order to cheat someone not only of their money but emotions as well. There are cases when men sexually assault the women they have met through internet dating when they first meet up for a date. It is easier to lie using internet dating, men admit to lying mostly about their income, height and age.Women admit to lying mostly about their age, weight and body type. You must remember that a ny person you meet online is a stranger, so you must be cautious. Be careful about sharing your personal information; don’t share your full name, never give out the details of exactly where you work, don’t ever give out your address, and be very careful about giving out your telephone number, especially your mobile number. You also need to be careful about sharing your email, most online dating sites allow you to use an anonymous internal communication system.You should use this, until you feel completely comfortable with someone before sharing an email address with them. You should not move off the internet dating site too soon. However when you do decide to do this you shouldn’t share your regular email address, instead you should create a free email address that you use strictly for your internet dating activities. You can easily obtain one through yahoo, hotmail, gmail, etc. When you meet for the first time, select the meeting place carefully, you should mee t in a public place during ‘normal’ hours (between 10am and 8pm).Do not deviate from the plan and go anywhere with the person unless you’re completely comfortable with them. Do not let your guard down until you meet a friend, family, or co-worker. This ensures that you can cross-check some of the things you know to be true about the person. If you never meet anyone that the person knows and the person can’t offer anyone up for a double-date, after work drink, or other social encounter, you have a right to be suspicious. With all the benefits and dangers associated with internet dating, you may decide that it is unsafe and not for you. That is completely understandable, ut all you have to do to make yourself feel comfortable and safe is make sure you get pictures from the person and see them on webcam. That way they are less likely to be someone who wants to hurt you. You should always tell at least one friend you are using a dating site, just in case anyth ing happens to you unexpectedly. You could also take a friend along when meeting someone for the first time, to make you feel more comfortable. Try not to be scared and good luck with searching for your perfect partner. Do not give up too easily, 33% of single meet-ups become relationships, there is someone out there for you.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

An Importance of Education

â€Å"Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare it today.† These words said by Malcolm X indicate how significant is the impact, which schools have on young minds. Good schooling is essential for every society and individual, as it is supposed to prepare students for the world of work later in life as well as to teach them the values and morals required in the society. In other words, it is school where teenagers are equipped with necessary skills so that they can participate effectively as member of community, hence they have a chance to contribute towards the development of common identity. For that reason, there have been many attempts to create a school environment that will allow young people to grow emotionally, physically and mentally. Consequently, there are two main choices to make. This is having a single-gender education, or a school where students are in classrooms with a mixture of genders. However, as it has been previously stated, the school should be regarded as a reflection of the real world. The real world is coeducational though, so mixed schools are rightly considered to be more proper setting for the young learners. The main concern about single-sex classrooms is that its members will not be capable of maintaining successful relationships throughout their lives since they will be accustomed to interaction only with either boys or girls. Nevertheless, being able to communicate with the other sex is crucial to prepare students for the professional world. Coeducational schools perfectly serve this function, because collaboration in classrooms is both purposeful and supervised. What is more, children there have the opportunity to be taught a broader range of essential life skills e.g. understanding more diverse points of views, mutual respect or simply how to cooperate efficiently and create successful interpersonal bonds. On the contrary, single-sex schools not only limit these possibilities for forming friendships with the opposite sex but also hinder them, as such restrictions lead to perceiving the other sex in an entirely unrealistic, ideological way, simply because children lack the time spent together. Additionally, deficiency in mutual contact deprives young people from gender segregated classrooms of an enriching experience that is learning about and from each other. That fact can be further confirmed by many researches, in relation to which children need a mix of traditionally masculine and feminine characteristics, like playing competitive sports and discussing emotions, in order to be mentally healthy. Therefore, boys who spend their time mostly with other boys are thought to be possessive and to display aggression. Girls also benefit from the boys' presence by being more courageous while performing in the society. Moreover, classroom assignment based on gender teaches young people that males and females have completely different types of intellects, which firmly supports stereotyping along with discrimination. Correspondingly, the common beliefs, that only boys can play football or videogames and only girls are allowed to play with dolls, reinforce sexism in schools and in the culture at large, as children tend to favor members of their own group, and be prejudiced against those in contrasting groups. By contrast, the children in the coed classroom are less probable to limit their interests according to gender – the girls can play football and the boys are allowed to play with dolls.Still, it has been argued that both sexes adopt different approaches towards learning, and taking it into account, they should be taught dissimilarly. Indeed, most same-sex classrooms allow teachers to tailor their lessons toward the specific needs of their students. For example, a class discussion of â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† in a boys' school can involve a study of a boy's first love analyzed from his perspective. Likewise, using books featuring lead female characters may be more appealing to young women or debating the impact of religion on young girls has the potential to really reach the target group, while such discussions in co-ed schools are usually less open and extended than those in a single-sex school. However, very few teachers are effectively trained to manage a single-gender learning environment, yet very few colleges offer specific programs or courses. Considering the fact that learning is best accomplished when the delivery method matches the subject itself, it is the quality of teachers' training— not gender of their students — that determines how successful the outcome is.Because of that, although students can also learn from home, school environments are irreplaceable during development of young minds. Rather than separate boys and girls, schools should move in the entirely opposite direction which is training boys and girls how to work together, respect and support each other. It is not long before the youth of today will be the parents, co-workers, and leaders of tomorrow. Due to that fact it is especially important to take better advantage of coeducation to frame the truly egalitarian society, that we expect to encounter in the future.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Case Study: Lakes Automotive Essay

1. How do companies combine methodologies?  Answer: Companies combine methodologies by conducting research to determine the fastest and most cost effective method to move product and satisfy the customer; criticizing both advantages and disadvantages; asking for the opinions of the employees and managers, and/or deciding which phase the company is willing to keep. 2. How do you get employees to change work habits that have proven to be successful? Answer: In order to get employees to change work habits that have been proven to be successful, management must ensure that the new, implemented work habits are just as good and will benefit the overall longevity of the company as well as the employees of the company. 3. What influence should a customer have in redesigning a methodology that has proven to be successful? Answer: The customer should have a lot of influence in redesigning a methodology that has proven to be successful because the overall goal of any company should be to satisfy the customer. The customer is essential in generating the company’s revenue. 4. What if the customers want the existing methodologies left intact? Answer: If the customers of both companies, Lakes Automotive and Pelex Automotive Products, desire to implement the existing methodologies than the board will have to agree on a standard methodology to satisfy both parties. Therefore, combining methodologies becomes a vital option. 5. What if the customers are unhappy with the new combined methodology? Answer: If the customers are unhappy with the new combined methodology than management should revisit the most effective way to satisfy the majority of the customer base. 1. Why was it so difficult to develop a methodology?  Answer: It was difficult because the employees were not trained and was not knowledgeable on the one particular methodology. 2. Why were all three initial methodology based on policies and procedure? Answer: The three initial methodologies were based on policies and procedure, because that was the only standard that information systems, new products, and new corporate clients have in common. It was used because everyone is aware of policies and procedures and have access to references. 3. Why do you believe the organization later was willing to accept a singular methodology? Answer: It is not possible for there to be any organization or success in doing business with using three different methodologies. It had to be chaotic. Moreover, the company â€Å"had a problem deciding how to assign the right project manager to the right project.† (Kerzner, pg. 5) 4. Why was he singular methodology based on guidelines rather than policies and procedures? Answer: In the beginning the company used policies and procedures as a map for the three initial methodologies it was using, because they probably thought that was a way to have some sort of organization amongst the three methodologies. Later when the company realized the strategy was not working, they decided to use one methodology. Furthermore, since everyone is trained in the only methodology the company is now using it made sense for everyone to follow the guidelines of the methodology instead of the policy and procedure. 5. Did it make sense to have the fourth day of the training program devoted to the methodology and immediately attached to the end of the three-day program? Answer: Yes, it certainly made sense to have the fourth day devoted to training the employee on the new methodology. It is important for the employee to learn the new methodology specially since the previous strategy of using three different methodologies did not work for the company. In order for a company to be successfully all the employees should be trained, practice, and be comfortable with the company’s culture and methodology. According to the PMBOK Guide, a methodology is defined as, â€Å"A system of practices, techniques, procedures, and rules used by those who  work in a discipline,† therefore a company will have a difficult time being successful if everyone doesn’t know the methodology the company practices. 6. Why was the consultant not allowed to teach the methodology? Answer: The consultant was brought in only to train employees on project management skills, therefore, as the text implies, the consultant’s expertise is only in that subject. Moreover, the new methodology was developed internally. Since it was created internally only an internal employee could have the knowledge to train employees on the new methodology. 1. What is the critical issue?  Answer: The critical issue is that the Clark Faucet Company has a non-cooperative culture; therefore, the engineering and marketing department is not encouraged to communicate. This causes friction between the two departments and many failed project management implementations. 2. What can be done about it?  Answer: The executive council should enforce better company structure. For example, good project management practices and mandate communication between the engineering and marketing departments in order to complete task effectively and efficiently. 3. Can excellence in project management still be achieved and, if so, how? What step can you recommend? Answer: Excellence in project management may still be achieved if the project manager follows the tasks identified under the planning, execution, and closing. I would recommend the project manager keep constant communication with the stakeholder to identify risk (issues) internally and externally that will prevent the project form progressing. 4. Given the current non-cooperative culture, how long will it take to achieve a good cooperative project management culture, and even excellence? Answer: The length in changing the project management culture depends on the executive decisions and implementation process. If all employees are made  aware of change and consequences of not adapting to change than the culture should transition quickly. However, if its not encouraged or practiced than a culture transition may take a while to achieve. 7. Should a singular methodology for project management have a process for the prioritization of projects or should some committee external to the methodology accomplish this? Answer: There should be a singular methodology for project management to have a process for the prioritization of projects because as a project manager, you are responsible for the planning, execution, and closing of the project. Therefore, the prioritization falls under the planning phase, which falls under the project manager.

Friday, September 13, 2019

The Iliad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Iliad - Essay Example In many scenes, the warriors or the narrator declare that this is what they are fighting for, not victory but personal honor (VII, 290; XVI, 731). There is often an oddly subtle tone in Homer’s words, implying that while the war is terrible and ugly, it is the only way for this honor to be won, and therefore it is regrettably necessary. Perhaps the clearest single example of this is Priam’s famous declaration to his son Hector that the spear-mangled corpse of a young man, certainly an unpleasant image, is nonetheless by their lights â€Å"seemly† (XXII, 71). A closely-related concept is the honor of obligation, what it is right and proper to do in a given situation. One of the most obvious examples of this is the central falling-out between Achilles and Agamemnon that leads Achilles to go on strike in the first place. Achilles feels that he is entitled to claim Briseis as spoils of war, but Agamemnon says that if he is to be deprived of Chryseis, as king he has t he right to claim another woman lest he not have any spoils at all (I, 120). To modern eyes, questions of protocol over who gets to rape whom don’t seem honorable at all, but at the time, it was a vital enough question that Achilles is ready to kill Agamemnon on the spot over it (I, 191) until Athena intervenes. Fifteen books later, Achilles is still maintaining that Agamemnon’s crime was failure to respect Achilles’ proper rights, and thus he is justified in continuing to sit out the war (XVI, 59). Similarly, there are very strict protocols for the handling of death, the punctilious observance of which is vital at many points in the story. Hector prefigures his eventual fate when he makes his challenge to the Achaeans, making them swear that whoever slays him can keep his armor, but must convey his body back to his family (VII, 80). He repeats this principle as his dying words to Achilles (XXII, 338). Book XXIII is given over entirely to the funerary rites and games for Patroclus, who at that point has been dead since the end of book XVI. It might seem odd, from a standpoint of dramatic structure, to devote nine hundred lines to what amounts to sports commentary when one is nearly at the end of the story. What the inclusion of book XXIII shows us, though, is the pious and correct observance of full funerary rites. Those nine hundred lines of racing and archery and so on are meant as a demonstration of the Achaeans doing the right and proper thing. The two moral wrongs of Achilles, as presented by Homer, are his abandonment of the pursuit of glory (Books I-XVII) and his failure to do the right and honorable thing, particularly in regard to Hector’s body. When Hector begged with his dying breath for decent and honorable treatment of his corpse, Achilles instead spends quite a long time mangling the corpse. This is directly contrary to the will of the gods, as demonstrated by Apollo’s keeping the corpse intact and inviolate (XI V, 20). This makes it both dishonorable and impious, two sins that ensure that Achilles is on the downhill slope to his long-prophesied death. At the juncture of time and the death observances we encounter the concept of kleos, or the glory after death. This is what is promised to Achilles if he chooses a short but glorious life, it is what Hector offers the man who will face him in battle (VII, 90), it is what every Greek hero hopes to win. To be esteemed not only by