What Is Truth - Comparison of Plato and Peirces...

What is Truth? For thousands of years, mankind has persistently pursued truth, knowledge, and understanding. For most, this pursuit is a driving force which usually doesnt end until one finds a truth that is satisfying to him or her. Even then, however, one may choose to look for an alternate truth that may be even more satisfying to them. This pursuit does not always follow the same path for everyone as there are different ideas as to how truth is actually obtained and which is the best way to obtain it. Two individuals and great philosophers of their time, Plato and Charles Peirce, each had their own ideas on how truth and knowledge could be obtained. One of the main differences between Platos and Peirces philosophies†¦show more content†¦Although Peirce thought the scientific method was the best approach to search for truth, he believed that it could only be used to disprove a hypothesis, and that nothing could be proven for certain. It is through this idea that his belief that knowled ge can never be obtained is founded. The hypothesis is open to error through induction as was demonstrated in class through the use of the black swan example. No matter how many white swans are observed, there still is the possibility of a black swan existing that has not been discovered yet, so there is no absolutely certain way to say that all swans are white. Peirce believes in triadic interpretation, in which an interpretive process is used to discover truth, as opposed to mere intuition. It is through this belief that he founded his pragmatic philosophy, in which truth lies within observable practical consequences. By observing somethings practical effects and habits it produces, Pierce believed the meaning of that thing could be found. If two beliefs have the same practical effect, Peirce argues that in essence they are the same belief and no further practical argument can exist. He offers an example in his article How to Make Ideas Clear of Catholics and Protestants who disag ree on methods of worship but agree on the sensible effects of the worship (i.e. those who believe Jesus is the Son of God will go to Heaven).

Social Psychology Free Essays

string(62) " capitalists who are self-seekers, egocentric and unyielding\." Social Psychology is a branch of Psychology that seeks to understand how certain social factors affect or influence human behavior and attitudes towards issues of life. It analyses social factors or social forces based on social cognition or human cognitive processes which either work out peace or conflicts in human relations. It seeks to understand the social processes and how they influence social situations. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Psychology or any similar topic only for you Order Now It also seeks to analyze social environments like a culture, work place, a school environment, a family set up, a sports club, a church environment and how they influence individual behavior and attitudes. It also endeavors to analyses conflicts, dwelling on its causes and how to resolve it. It is a subject of great importance since as human being we are affected by all the issues addressed in this field of knowledge in our day-to-day activities and life. The issues addressed avail a lot in terms of behaviour and attitude formation and also change. My discussion seeks to analyze family conflicts centering on children rebellion against parents. It is based on psychosocial foundations and the discussion attempts to analyze a family set up or environment, children upbringing and how it affects the behaviour of the children towards one another and towards the parents and how religious beliefs, culture, workplace among other social forces influence behaviour in a family set up. It will analyze issues to do with family conflicts, causes and different methods that families employ in conflict resolution all based on psychological foundations of social behaviour. What are family conflicts? What is child rebellion? What social factors or faces contribute or fuel the family conflicts? The discussion will attempt to analyze the social factors that influence such behaviour, touch on cultural impact on family, behaviour and seek to analyze the causes of family conflicts suggesting ways of resolving it. The discussion addresses aggression and altruism and their effects on family behavior (Ethier, Kathleen , Deaux. , 1994). Family conflicts present themselves as the differences of whatever magnitude existing between family members. These range from minor disagreements to family feuds. It is work noting that, unless resolved even smaller of minor differences may later cause major may later cause major rifts between family members with extreme devastating effects. Brewing animosity can cause a major split along social lines. Children rebellion is generally caused by differences between parents and children which may be fuelled by differences in ideologies or by a way of upbringing since childhood that leads to a child adopting certain defense mechanisms aimed at liberating the child from the perceived mistreatment or imprisonment by the parents and especially at adolescence when a child embarks on self expression(Goffman, 1956). Children aggression comes about as the children seek to achieve certain goals but encounter barriers that seem to prevent them from achieving the same. Certain social factors influence this kind of behaviour in families. Different social environments affect children in different ways. Its possible to find a family composed of individual with different ideological orientations and experiences. For instance, some families consist of members who go to different churches or affiliates of different religions. Different religions backgrounds may cause major differences in the way individuals in a family approach life. For example, some religions embrace communism and simple life while others embrace material prosperity. Such differences can cause problems because some children may be possessed by the idea of accumulating wealth when the parents expect support. These children perceive a person who is right with God as a person who has prospered materially and any barrier to this end would be approached with a lot of aggression. Therefore, parents encouraging a simple life and who offers no support to ensure children prosperity would be perceived as barriers to success and to religious achievements and such children would definitely express serious animosity towards the parents. There will be a tassel and a tag of war from the two parties. Idea and experiences at schools can also greatly affect children’s behaviour. For instance, pupils share different family experiences. If a child realizes that his/her parents do not offer certain opportunities and privilege offered by another, a problem starts and the child will start expressing opposition towards parents decline to offer the same, out of aggression the child turns rebellious not unless something else is done to revert that. Just to revisit the issue of church influence on family behaviour, the Christian church encourages a new couple to lead an independent life. It discourages influence from without. Infact it talks about both leaving their parents and writing to form one independent union. This means that any interference from outside whether from parents, siblings or other outsiders would be viewed negatively. Parents who attempts to control the marriages of such couples face great opposition and in most cases rebellion. Some children after marriage disappear to places where such influence would be absent. The culture of a certain community greatly affects family behaviour. A capitalistic community will lead to development smaller set-ups (families), which will be different from a communist society Capitalistic society encourages individual prosperity opposed to a communistic society, which encourages a unified society where no socio-economic classes are expected to form. The level of aggression in both set-ups will be different. For instance, individuals in a capitalistic community seek individual well being and the expense of communal well being. Individuals seek to acquire wealth through all possible means and exploitation of other people for material gain becomes a common occurrence. Even in a family set up individuals will struggle to acquire wealth of the expense of the family welfare. This causes splits and at times parents are left without people to take care of them especially at old age. A communistic society inculcates a culture of unity and togetherness. Individuals seek the welfare of the entire community or society. Such individuals easily co-operate with other, are loving, caring and concerned as opposed to capitalists who are self-seekers, egocentric and unyielding. You read "Social Psychology" in category "Papers" Children in a capitalistic society sometimes fail to co-operate with other family members and especially parents not unless the parents support their pursuits. This is because they perceive them as barriers to their success. Such individuals will not care in case they hurt others and so long as there are material gains, the motive will always surpass any norms or values. Such a person is disproved of good judgment and all decisions are aimed at achieving materially. All social environments aim at helping the affiliate to conform fully to its systems. It persuades an individual to accept what it offers and ignore anything that interferes with its structures. However, it is worth noting that societies are currently experiencing a lot of dynamism and different cultures are accommodating changes in the modern world more than in the past. This means that most cultures embrace conformity, but still giving an allowance for individual choice except for a few conservative cultures of the world. Cultures provide certain attractions to ensure conformity. Other communities put their members through a long process of initiation whereby certain values and norms are passed to the individual. This is done in their attempts to ensure continuity. Families are experiencing a lot of changes in modern generations are dropping and forfeiting smaller community affiliations and are embracing the dynamism and changes upheld on a global scale. What does this mean? Children cease to uphold the values and norms of the smaller communities and they are seeking a uniform global culture. Some children quit the conservative mainstream churches and join the charismatic religions movements. Children are aspiring to study abroad or in areas that make them experience the cultural diversity offered by the numerous and varied cultures or societies of the world. Current generations are no longer drawn towards their minor cultures and to some their cultures are stale and they would with to have a fresh experience. This has caused a lot of struggle on the parent’s side in their attempts to persuade their children to embrace their cultural values (Heise, David, 1987. Currently, intermarriages are the order of the day. Someone can marry from any race, any community regardless of the existing differences. One would wonder whether the stereotypes formed in the past went. In the past the society was characterized by a lot of prejudice and stereotype formation. A community would not mingle with another because they differed in certain ways or simply because of a certain perceived way of life that a community does not embrace. A member from a certain community would be viewed and perceived based on the culture of his/her community and not as a different entity from the whole. Racism has been a nagging problem and up to date some individuals from certain races cannot interact or associate with others from certain other races because of the perceived inherent differences. However, societal changes are erasing such prejudice and the stereotypes earlier formed. But, are parents in some societies or communities welcoming this? If not how do individuals in such communities who embrace such changes approach it? Definitely with shear aggression some individuals who decide to marry from a community that their parents hate or would not wish them to marry from ends up running way from their homes. A lot of differences arise between parents and children and especially in this area. Social interactions between people from different cultures bring about an influence that are cross-cultural and that is how the world is developing life a unified society ( Icek, 1988). Human behavior and attitudes towards life is majorly characterized by reciprocity and not altruism. People react positively to positive stimulants and negatively to negative and undesirable experiences. Children at times need parent’s resistance to change with a lot of animosity and instead of feeling for the parents and seeking to resolve the differences and arising conflicts objectively; they develop deviance which exacerbates the general situation. Therefore we would say that the modern generation is getting more and more aggressive than altruistic and individuals are poised to reciprocate in every situation. Changes in the social-economic structures have cause myriad of challenges and these challenges make people to more and more aggressive (Bandura, 1977). Aggression starts right from individual and it extends all the way to a national and even global scale. For instance, countries fail to sign a truce, the reason being that each individual country does not want to drop their aims, ambitions and aspirations. From my own experience, since childhood, I grew up in a mainstream protestant movement. But at University level, I was introduced to a modern religious movement, which embraces the basic tenets of Christianity which after going through a series of deep religious lessons impacted my heart. I joined the movement but upon realization of my changed religious affiliation my parents went ahead to castigate me. My mum one time could not help but rent her anger and frustration. My understanding and maturity helped me compose myself and I never reacted harshly but kept calm all along. These studies on social psychology has really given me a new perspective and has transformed my way of approaching conflict and especially at family level. I would say that I understand why people resist change and how social set-ups influence attitude and behaviour and how to go about resolving conflicts. It has also helped me understand the power of a group and the influence of groups on individual behaviour. To wrap up, it is worth noting that the social environment will always inevitably influence people’s behaviour and attitudes. People’s social-cultural affiliations have a great influence on their approach towards life and generally how they perceive themselves and others. They determine what directions they take in terms of ambitions and aspirations and the efforts they make to achieve them. They also influence their conflict resolution systems and processes. How to cite Social Psychology, Papers Social Psychology Free Essays string(136) " is not necessarily attempting to change the other’s beliefs, but simply needs or wants the task to be performed \(Moscovici, 1994\)\." The desire to be accepted and belong to a group is an undeniable human need. We change because we realize that sometimes we are socially different and want to be accepted in society or it is something that we aim to achieve in becoming (Allen amp; Levine, 1969). The changes that occur have mostly been from the experiences that we see, hear, or feel to make the changes that we do on ourselves (Friedkin, 1998). We will write a custom essay sample on Social Psychology or any similar topic only for you Order Now Social psychologists have conducted numerous experiments and concluded that, through various forms of social influence, groups can change their members’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviour, intentionally or unintentionally, as a result of the way the changed person perceives themselves in relationship to the influencer, other people and society in general (Hogg ;amp; Vaughan, 2008). Hogg and Vaughan (2008) stated that the three areas of social influence are obedience, compliance and conformity.Raven (1992) asserted that it is human nature to obey to rules and regulations set by higher authority, to conform to group norms and to comply with requests. Moghaddam (1998) defines obedience, as an actions carried out by commands, showing that it is requested by authority, or from someone whom is perceived to be of authority (i. e. , Parents, teachers, authority by appointment, spiritual leaders etc. ). In the most penetrating and incisive social psychological explorations of obedience, a major dilemma revolves around the issue of how far people are willing to obey authority figure (French ;amp; Raven, 1959).It seems that some people are often much more willing to obey orders to harm others than is generally assumed (Cialdini ;amp; Goldstein, 2004). This tendency to underestimate the extent to which people will obey instructions from authority figures to harm others was demonstrated in a well known experiment that shed light to the concept of obedience is Milgram’s (1963) experiment (Vaughan ;amp; Hogg, 2008).The study revealed that obedience to authority is a powerful tool that makes people follow orders blindly without rational thinking or questioning of ambiguous orders to a certain extent that they can even cause harm to others (Moscovici, 1994). Although the participants involved were capable of th inking rationally, that is to cause no harm to others; they subconsciously entered into an â€Å"Agentic Mode† (Vaughan ;amp; Hogg, 2008), where the participants transfer their â€Å"personal responsibilities to the person giving orders†. Meaning, the participants blamed the person giving orders for making them harm the other participants in the experiment.According to Milgram (1974), â€Å"The essence of obedience consists in the fact that a person comes to view himself as the instrument for carrying out another person’s wishes, and he therefore no longer sees himself as responsible for his actions. Once this critical shift of viewpoint has occurred in the person, all of the essential features of obedience follow. Thus, the major problem for the subject is to recapture control of his own regnant processes once he has committed them to the purposes of the experimenter (Nissani, 1990). Another important factor in obedience is immediacy-social proximity of the victim to the participant.Milgram (1974) altered the visibility and the audibility of the â€Å"learner. † The more immediate or direct the victim, the less the obedience (Bales, 1950). When the victim is â€Å"in your face† it is hard to deny him (Milgram, 1974). The victim’s physical immediacy increased, the participant’s compliance decreased; when the authority’s physical immediacy decreased, the participant’s compliance decreased. For example, where participants received telephonic instructions from the experimenter, compliance decreased; interestingly, some participants deceived the experimenter by pretending to continue the experiment.Milgram, (1974), further stated that close physical proximity to an authority figure enhanced participants’ obedience to that authority. This principle is employed in the military and other government agencies in the world where no one is ever far away from the authority of a higher-ranking person (MIlgram, 1974). The other important study was the one known as the prisoner experiment, performed by Philip Zimbardo (1973) and involved taking at random college students to pretend to be eith er guards or prisoners in a fake jail. Both sets of students started out equally. The surprising outcome of this simulation was that it had to be abandoned after only 6 days, well short of the planned 2 weeks, because the treatment of the prisoners by the guards was far more aggressive and dehumanizing than had been expected (Moghaddam, 1998). In our present day contacts, an infamous example to illustrate the concept of obedience will be the â€Å"26/11 attack† in 2008 in Mumbai, India, where 166 people were killed. This inhumane act can be due to the fact that the terrorists were definitely following orders blindly, doing what they were told and not considering about the harm they will be causing o the innocent people when they were committing the said act. Cialdini (1993) stated that given an appropriate context, most individuals have the potential to blindly obey commands, even if such obedience leads to harm to others. The study of obedience is of fundamental importance because one must understand the ‘crimes of obedience’ that have persist ed in modern times (Moghaddam, 1998). The Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia, the My Lai massacre in Vietnam, the terror attack in Mumbai, India, â€Å"ethnic cleansing† in Bosnia, these are some of the terrifying events made possible by obedience to authority.Studies in tradition of Milgram (1963) and Zimbardo (1973) highlight the power of the situation to shape behaviour in all cultures. In comparison, compliance is very much similar to obedience. It is complying or yielding to another person’s direct wish, demands, requests, or instructions, but on a completely new different level. The level where there are no authoritative demands, but only the requestor’s agreement and confidence. Compliance happens in everyone’s lives. Simply asking someone to perform a task is a request for compliance.They may choose to comply or not to comply, although the thoughts of social rewards and punishment may lead them to compliance when they really do not want to comply (Freedman amp; Fraser, 1966). Although asking someone to perform a task, he or she is not asking the person to agree or disagree with the task in question. The person requesting the performance of the task is not necessarily attempting to change the other’s beliefs, but simply needs or wants the task to be performed (Moscovici, 1994). You read "Social Psychology" in category "Papers"The request may be explicit, such as a direct request for donations, or implicit, such as an advertisement promoting its products without directly asking for purchase. In all cases, the target recognizes that he or she is being urged to respond in a desired way (Vaughan amp; Hogg, 2008). Vaughan amp; Hogg (2008) further expressed that compliance does not reflect internal change. It persists only while behaviour is under surveillance. For example, children may obey parental directives to keep their room tidy, but only if they know that their parents are watching.The source of social influence is perceived by the target of influence to have power; power is the basis of compliance (Michael, 2004). In contrast to compliance, other form of social influence produces internalization, which is the process of acceptance of a set of norms established by people or groups which are influential to the individual (Meissner, 1981). Wallis and Poulton (2001) stated that the process starts with learning what the norms are, and then the individual goes through a process of understanding why they are of value or why they make sense, until finally they accept the norm as their own viewpoint.Cialdini (1993) stated that there are â€Å"six basic weapons that people use to gain compliance. They include â€Å"reciprocation, commitment, consistency, social proof, liking, authority and scarcity†. When people reciprocate, they are actually returning favours. As part of compliance tactics, people may do favours’ for their counterparts in return to gain some favours back from their counterparts. There are three types of techniques mentioned by Vaughan amp; Hogg (2008) that uses multiple request approach to gain compliance. They include â€Å"foot in the door†, â€Å"door in the face†, and â€Å"low-ball† techniques to gain compliance. The state of being consistent is also a form of aspect that helps people gain compliance. For instance, we tend to observe our parent’s mood before we tend to request for cash or watch midnight movies with friends. Should in any case our parent is in â€Å"bad† mood, we tend not to proceed with our request, as we fear that our parent may reject our request. This is an example of consistency – when someone is in good mood they naturally tend to comply to request more readily (Vaughan amp; Hogg, 2008).In social proof, people tend to take up responsibilities when they are left alone than when they are placed in a group, whereby they wait for one another to response first. As for liking, when someone whom we like makes request, we tend to comply more readily than to request made by someone we dislike. The terms scarcity is best explained using the â€Å"clearance sale† example. Retailers often use words like â€Å"while stocks lasts† and â€Å"last day for discount†. Lastly, authority, where people tend to comply with orders when requests are made by higher authority. This is so because authority is frequently linked to power (Kelman, 1953).Kelman (1953) further explains of the six bases of social power that make people comply. The six bases of social power include reward power, coercive power, informational power, expert power, legitimate and referent power. In the case of reward power, people tend to promise something (e. g. , rewards) in return to gain compliance. For instance, in government sectors and private sectors, bosses use to treat the workers with free lunch or dinner to gain compliance from the workers to maintain their job well. On the other side of reward power is coercive power.A form of punishment used to gain compliance from people to refrain themselves in miscellaneous acts. A common example is the use of fines to curb littering and smoking in public. Both informational power and expert power are rather similar in content. In informational power, the person providing information is deemed to be more knowledgeable than the receiver (Nissani, 1990). For instance, a person buying a guitar depends a lot on the guitar salesperson to provide information regarding a specific guitar. Hence, if the guitar salesperson has additional knowledge of it, he may indeed be able to influence the buyer.On the other hand, expert power involves the person influencing the counterparts to be more knowledgeable in academic point of view. For instances, a senior officer from the government sector, educates new officers, holds more information related to the job. Legitimate power may involve higher authority. The rules and regulation imposed by company on workers. This is where compliance can be gained mostly on the surface only that is when there is less surveillance, workers tend not to follow the rules and regulations set by the company (Nissani, 1990).Lastly, compliance through means of power is referent power. It involves using a particular subject’s attraction as the target to gain compliance from the person. For instance, if the public is attracted to or admires a particular movie star, the advertising company can use this as a tool to gain compliance from the public to use products given testimonial by the particular movie star. Therefore, to gain compliance, some degree of power is used in the form of social power, which was mentioned earlier as the six bases of social power (Dennis, 2006).Conformity, when compared with obedience and compliance, there is a change in belief; be it if the initial belief or a cognitive process is in line with the conformed belief or otherwise (Festinger, 1957). It is through socialization that pe ople learn to conform to certain norms and to obey certain authority figures, and there is continuous change in what people conform to and whom they obey (Moghaddam, 1998) The Asch’s conformity experiment (Vaughan amp; Hogg, 2008) showed that people tend to change their opinions, decisions to avoid being the odd one out, as they also fear that they will be laughed at should heir opinion be different from the majority. Deutsch and Gerard (1955) explained that there are two processes of social influence responsible for conformity: informational influence and normative influence. In other words, informational influence takes place when people are not sure if they are doing the right thing. Hence, they rely on other people’s information and coincide or match their own opinion to be the same with the other people’s opinion. As for normative influence, it takes place when people follow what their own group members are doing in order to feel accepted or to avoid being left out.We can now go about comparing and contrasting the concepts of obedience, compliance and conformity. The concept of obedience is that people yield to orders given to them directly, that they have the tendency to follow the orders given to them â€Å"without much reasoning†. The example of Milgrim’s (1963) study of obedience shows people ability to follow orders to an extent that they can cause harm to in nocent individuals (Vaughan amp; Hogg, 2008). The concept of compliance is more on influencing people to comply to the requests made using various form of tactics like â€Å"door in the face†,† foot in the door† and â€Å"lowball† (Cialdini, 2001).Other form of influence that increases compliance but does not cause harm to others as in the instance of obedience to authority include the six basic weapon of Cialdini(1993) which are reciprocation, commitment, social proofing, authority, liking and scarcity. (Cialdini, 1993). In the concept of obedience using Milgrim’s experiment (1963) as the example, people tend to push the blame to the person giving them the orders when they follow orders that were not ethical. The concept of compliance does not involve in people pushing blame to others for action that they do.Both the concept of obedience and compliance are similar in the instance where people yield to the influence of power. However, they also tend to vary when the context of power appears (Cia ldini, 2001). In the concept of obedience, power is related to the obeying of orders from the higher authority (Moghaddam, 1998). However, this is not the case with the concept of compliance. In the concept of compliance, power is related to the influences from the six bases of social power Kelman (1953) which are reward power, coercive power, informational power, expert power, legitimate power and referent power.Compliance can be superficial however, obedience is not. Compliance may be increased if there is surveillance but in the concept of obedience and conformity, the need for surveillance is not necessary (Vaughan amp; Hogg, 2008). In conclusion, people tend to obey commands readily when the orders are from an authoritative figure (Moghaddam, 1998). Due to the fact that there are needs for people to fulfil the orders given to them, they go to the extent of following orders ‘blindly’ that can even cause harm to other people (Meissner, 1981). How readily the people follow the order given to them depends on the power the authoritative figure holds over the people involved (Cialdini, 1993). Social psychologist studies have demonstrated how even ordinary people can follow orders from an authority figure to do harm to others. Studies of Stanley Milgram, Philip Zimbardo and Solomon E. Asch have helped to demonstrate certain conditions in which obedience, compliance and conformity occur. However, we must keep in mind that not everyone obeys orders to do harm to others and that most people in all culture blame those who do harm How to cite Social Psychology, Papers Social Psychology Free Essays

Title of the Paper (1567 words) Essay Example For Students

Title of the Paper (1567 words) Essay Title of the Paper (Critical Thinking Essay: Final Essay) Submitted By (Kadeejah Johnson, ) Number and Name of Course (Introduction to Political Science HistGov 130) Class Meeting Time/Day (T/T: 11:00 A.M. 12:20 P.M.) Professor (Dr. Carmen Walker) Semester (Spring 2017) Todays Date (Thursday May 2, 2017) Bowie State University Department of History and Government Bowie, MarylandThe most important social issue affecting the United States children and students in the year 2017 is education. The issues that are affecting Education are class sizes in urban area schools, the No Child Left Behind Act, student health and government funding. These issues have been major characteristics of failure in both students and teachers, because the students are not getting the attention they need due to classes being too big. The teachers are not able to teach the students the fundamental values, and important subjects that they need because of the no child left behind act, limiting teachers to teac hing for standardized test. Both students and teachers are affected by the limited funding, and the students health due to ineffective lunch programs. Most importantly these factors need a solution, these teachers and students need funding, they need the fundamental education that was once given to my generation prior to 2002. Education is the basis for all citizens to achieve in life, and to invest in their American Dream. To be educated is to be given the necessary values and materials needed to be modeled citizens. The classroom sizes are a major issue facing students in public schools. For example, public schools in Georgia faced a huge budget cut and caused schools to be closed (Background on Education.2016). The class sizes at a local elementary school had gone from 16 to 27. The most difficult task was teachers being able to compensate for all the new students that had entered the classroom. A more local and recent incident was in Fairfax County Virginia where faculty, are lo oking to propose increasing classroom sizes during significant budget cuts. The funding issue has caused schools along the East Coast to create an initiative to ensure that class sizes matter. There has been studys indicating that minorities appear to benefit from smaller classroom sizes the most. In cases, such as these, the government has two options in dealing with the full class sizes. Liberals and other party leaders should advocate for smaller class sizes, and or building more schools. Generally, this does imply opposition to funding private schools. The building of more schools is a huge budget situation, that most federal government can assist in is building more classrooms in schools that have unused space. The second issue facing Education is the No Child Behind Act which was set in place by President W Bush in 2002, to help assist students with national test. There are many reasons why this is a problem with education because it only allows teachers to educate their stude nts based on the next State and or National test. Many teachers and parents see this as a detriment to public education environment (Koenig, Larry.2016). The Obama Administration worked on reform NCLB policies, however the focus of education on both National and State level continues to be on the testing process. The government has taken the fundamental importance of education away from both teachers and students, and have created competition among them. If the students do not perform well on the test, they are placed into this pool and are judge based on how they perform. For teachers, there is this quota that they must meet to receive funding for projects and programs (Jones, Maurice,2016). Student test scores are now being used by several states to evaluate teacher performance, which ultimately puts pressure on faculty to remediate those who do as well. The government can simply assistance by implementing a new bill in terms of riding the system of standardized test, and more so replacing it with what teachers across the country feel is appropriate. There also should be more involvement from the National Education Association in regards to assisting teachers with training and the tools they need to make and produce great students. Student health is a leading factor in why they are not performing as the State or District expects. The problem that is so prominent is, obesity which has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. The same poor eating habits that led to the obesity problem may have led to the obesity problem, which also may be contributing to lower student achievement. It has increased a students risk for other conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure (Central Advisory Council for Education 2014). Such conditions result in higher absenteeism and more academic issues. This is where the national school lunch movement Lets Move had been created to bring healthier options into school lunchrooms across the country. The Department o f Agriculture released guidelines in 2012 to increase the nutritional quality of the meals. There have been exercise programs set in place to promote more physical activity among students of all ages. There is still work that needs to be done to get students to be more active and given healthier options during lunch periods. Then there is what the government must do or should do to help this situation; which is simply to increase the amount of funding, and initiate another program where the food is not only healthy but taste and looks appetizing as well. The next step is to discover new ways that teachers can incorporate their individual snack time for those in K-3. These are important factors that should encourage schools and administration as well as the government to move with urgency, as well as effectiveness so that students are given what they will hopefully continue- their education. The final issue that is the reason Education has become an issue is the lack of funding. The most detrimental thing that any government can do is make budget cuts, and making one or more of those cuts to education. Budget cuts have created a massive problem for most public schools in recent years (Bruner, J. S. (2010). Less funding results in smaller staff, fewer resources, and a lower number of services for students. There is a laundry list of challenges that are continuously occurring in schools, for example when cuts were made to field trips and other small programs such as after school programs, teachers and staff began to question what was more important to the government that they cut after school programs? That is a question that both future educators and educators today are questioning. The government can assist in these areas by identifying the worth in education, and why there must be more money set in place for such reasons. For example, making the national budget for education at $12 million dollars per school district. If there are two schools or four in one co mmunity cluster; split the money four ways and have administration indicate how and when the money is issued to the schools. To restate, there are ways that the government can assist the issues of classroom sizes, the no child left behind act, student health and funding. Although the ways that have been mentioned in the government acting more intuitive to the educational system, these are just proposals. There are a lot of ways that the education system can be altered or funded, but it is simply the choice of the government to act upon those issues. Teachers as well as students are always changing, their needs are evolving, and the level of education is increasing in demands of Universities. Education is a very broad topic to discuss in terms of the issues that it will face soon. The best thing that those who are becoming educators must do, is to invest money into their students, because there are so many that have the protentional to become great modeled citizens, it is just as the proverb states, It takes a village to raise a child, it also takes the right resources and people to teach one. .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679 , .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679 .postImageUrl , .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679 , .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679:hover , .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679:visited , .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679:active { border:0!important; } .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679:active , .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679 .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .udcb0dfec4f20d8dd95808d0671281679:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Autism Essay BibliographyReynolds, Glenn Harlan Northwestern University School of Law Chicago. Shapiro, T. Rees. Fairfax schools chief class for $96 million in budget cuts; proposal increases class sizes. The Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2014. Jones, Maurice. Education. Local Initiatives Support Corporation, May 2016. Web. 15 Mar. 2017. Block, J. and Robins, R. W. (2013), A Longitudinal Study of Consistency and Change in Self-Esteem from Early Adolescence to Early Adulthood. Child Development, 64: 909-923. Bruner, J. S. (2010). Toward a theory of instruction. Cambridge, Mass.: Belkapp Press. Central Advisory Council for Education (2014). Children and their Primary Schools the Plowden Report), London: HMSO. Dasen, P. (2014). Culture and cognitive development from a Piagetian perspective. In W.J. Lonner R.S. Malpass (Eds.), Psychology and culture. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Piaget, J. (2015). The growth of logical thinking from childhood to adolescence. AMC, 10, 12. Koenig, Larry. Smart Discipline: Fast, Lasting Solutions for Your Peace of Mind and Your Childs Self-Esteem. New York: Harper Resource, 2002. Background on Education. Background on Education. On the Issues, 9 Nov. 2016. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.

Ramadan in Islamic Traditions

Today there are lots of different religions so that people can easily find the one to follow. The new ones are not very popular, and some of them are even unknown to the majority of the general public, which cannot be said about those that are accepted by millions of individuals. Islam1 is one of them, as it is said to have more than a billion of followers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ramadan in Islamic Traditions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A monotheistic worldview that is created by this religion proves it to be similar to others including Christianity; still they should not be discussed as familiar ones. Islam became known as a religion with numerous followers at the beginning of the 7th century, and its occurrence cannot be described without the connection to Muhammad2. According to Islamic tradition, this man is a non-direct descendant of Adam. He lived an ordinary life till he turned 40 years of ag e. At this period, Muhammad saw a vision from the angel Gabriel, and this event changes his life greatly, as with the course of time he turned into a prophet. The first vision was received during the month of Ramadan, which is exceptional for Muslims3 (Anderson 10). Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic year, which is based on the changing moons, so the time when it occurs and its duration (29-30 days) differ. It is a sacred period of time for Muslims, and for many years already they devote it to fasting and praying (Murray 6). This month is given to people to show their devotion to Allah. However, currently Muslims tend to observe only the third pillar4 of their religion (fasting) and forget about prayers and charity. Today they are changed for parties and shopping, which resembles a holiday more than the act that should prove people’s belief in Allah (Blackwell 2). During this month, Muslims take suhur5 before the sunrise and end the day with iftar6 (â€Å"Ramadan, the M onth of Fasting† par. 6). Ramadan reaches its decline with the holiday that is called Eid al-Fitr, during which Muslims are not permitted to fast. Nowadays many people are allowed to change their religion to the one they find the most appropriate and lots of individuals are immigrants who changed their location, Ramadan is celebrated not only in the Muhammad’s native country but also in the US, New Zealand and other places. Ramadan unites all followers of Islam giving them the time they can use to focus on their faith and families. Thousands of people gather in one place to pray in Arabic even if it is not their native language, as the Quran7 is written in it. The reason Ramadan is still celebrated by all Muslims lies in the fact that the followers of Islam believe that during this month the gates to heaven are open while those that lead to hell are closed. It means that Allah looks at people and rewards their good deeds that can be easily conducted as the devil cannot influence them.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As a consequence, many believers try to give up their bad habits and pray more. This is the time when the least disagreements occur and when people develop their positive qualities that are likely to make them closer to God. Among the customs that are considered to enhance spirituality is charity. Muslims tend to help poor people. They gather food, clothes and money to give it those who are in need. They also read the Quran and try to look through it till the end before Ramadan ends (Sievert 8). According to the Quran, people who are not able to conduct some of the expected actions during Ramadan can substitute them by different ones: â€Å"If one volunteers (more righteous works), it is better; but fasting is the best for you, if you only knew† (Tucson par. 3). In this way, more Muslims can keep to their religion and its rules, which allows Islam remain extremely popular among the population of the world. The followers also believe that the things they are to do are all beneficial for them, as Allah would never ask them to do something bad. They have proved this theory by proving the positive effects of fasting, which also reduces the number of non-believers. In some countries, the individuals who fail to follow the rules of Ramadan are treated as criminals and can be even put in prison for several years. There are also some other ways of punishment that include fines and physical punishment. In this way, the crime rates decrease greatly. Thus, Ramadan is extremely important for all followers of Islam regardless their location and nationality. This is the month when people become highly religious and act according to the accepted norms. Ramadan is not only the way to show the devotion to God but also a thing that make people less aggressive and more generous. Works Cited Anderson, Kerby. A Biblical Point of View on Islam, Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2007. Print. Blackwell, Amy. Ramadan, New York: Infobase Publishing, 2009. Print.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ramadan in Islamic Traditions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Murray, Julie. Ramadan. Edina: ABDO, 2011. Print. Ramadan, the Month of Fasting n.d. Web. https://www.colostate.edu/. Sievert, Terri. Ramadan: Islamic Holy Month, Mankato: Capstone, 2006. Print. Tucson, Masjid. Blessings of Ramadan 2006. Web. http://www.masjidtucson.org/publications/books/sp/2006/sep/page1.html. References 1 The Abrahamic religion according to which the aim of the human’s existence is worshipping to Allah (God); the second largest religion. 2 Muá ¸ ¥ammad ibn Ê ¿AbdullÄ h is the messenger sent by Allah to direct people. 3 People who follow Islam.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More 4 The acts that Muslims are to conduct being believers. There are 5 pillars in total. 5 The pre-dawn meal during Ramadan. 6 The evening meal during Ramadan. 7 The main text of Islamic religion, which reveals the Allah’s messages. This essay on Ramadan in Islamic Traditions was written and submitted by user Zaniyah Campbell to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Troubles with Academic Papers Essay Writing App List is at Your Service!

Troubles with Academic Papers Essay Writing App List is at Your Service! Troubles with Academic Papers? Essay Writing App List is at Your Service! If you are having trouble with your academic papers, there is help available. You can get an essay writing app to lend you a hand. There are many suitable writing apps for essay crafting which help students to avoid succumbing to distractions. They are also designed to help them better manage their time so that academic papers do not seem impossible. Below are 7 essay writing apps which are best suited for students: iA writer It is an app with a clear interface which is very easy to use. It helps students to write articles, essays, or poems in no time without difficult settings or complicated interfaces. Pages Students who use Apple technologies can turn to Pages. This app lets them create documents, edit them, and view them no matter where they are. This is particular beneficial for students because it affords them the opportunity to write down an epiphany, a change, or an edit to something whenever creativity sparks. When sitting on a bus, or reflecting before bed, students might have a great idea perfect for their next paper which they can write down instantly. There are also templates already available for download, so that students can make reports or essays easily. After this, students can share the files they have made with teachers or other students. Articles This app lets students research easily for their upcoming project, putting together chapters, maps, and a table of contents for the writing they have. This makes it easy to trace notes and keep track of research. Plain Text It works as a text editor and has a simple interface which looks strikingly similar to that of a piece of paper. The best feature associated with this app is the ability to create documents and organize them in a folder, then sync that folder with Dropbox. When taking notes, downloading journal articles, and typing multiple drafts, this feature works incredibly well for students. Notebooks This is an app which lets students create content and organize digital notes. Students can divide their research into sub projects and then cross reference the items they have filed. Additionally students can keep track of PDF pages, word documents, and Excel documents too. Papers It is a wonderful app for research, as it allows students the opportunity to browse hundreds of articles online and in a personalized library, and then search for the articles based on name or title. Students can then rate the articles for quality and utilize a built-in citation and reference feature to create their bibliography easily. Clean Writer It keeps writing to a minimum with automatic saving, integration for Dropbox and even email sending, so students can automatically send their email content to themselves or to other people. Overall, there are many great essay writing services and applications available which make it easier for students to get their academic work done on time. No longer do students need to suffer alone. Now there are apps to help get through even the most difficult writing assignments.

Comma After Introductory Phrases

Comma After Introductory Phrases Comma After Introductory Phrases Comma After Introductory Phrases By Maeve Maddox A reader asks why there is no comma after the introductory phrase in the following sentence from one of my recent posts: At a recent writers’ conference I heard a successful self-published author say, â€Å"Readers are not looking for great writing; they’re looking for a great story.† I formerly put a comma after every introductory word or adverb phrase of any length, but I’ve begun leaving it out unless I think its absence will create reader double take, as in the following: Before eating the members held the business portion of the meeting. Below the cars covered the lawn. Until the morning fishing is out of the question. These introductory phrases demand to be set off: Before eating, the members held the business portion of the meeting. Below, the cars covered the lawn. Until the morning, fishing is out of the question. Authoritative recommendations vary. An online grammar site sponsored by Capital Community College in Hartford, Connecticut states: It is permissible, even commonplace, to omit a comma after most brief introductory elements - a prepositional phrase, an adverb, or a noun phrase. The Chicago Manual of Style also indicates that the comma after an introductory adverb phrase may be left out: An introductory adverbial phrase is often set off by a comma but need not be unless misreading is likely. Shorter adverbial phrases are less likely to merit a comma than longer ones. The Purdue Owl also advises that the comma after some introductory elements, such as â€Å"a brief prepositional phrase,† may be left out. Unlike some of the other sources, the OWL gives us a clue as to what we may consider â€Å"brief†: â€Å"a single phrase of fewer than five words.† But while some authorities condone leaving out the comma if no confusion can result, others caution discretion as the better part of valor: The Longman Handbook: Sometimes the comma after an introductory word or word group is required; sometimes it is optional. When you are uncertain, stay on the safe side: use a comma. Penguin Writer’s Manual: Even where there is no real danger of confusion or absurdity, it is usually better to insert a comma than not. And our own Precise Edit: Use commas even after short introductory descriptions for consistency. As with whether to use the serial comma in a list of adjectives, writers have a choice regarding the use of a comma to set off an introductory phrase. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help†Deck the HallsThe Difference Between "Un-" and "Dis-"

Assignment 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment 9 - Essay Example Therefore, human relations based on the school scenario are important, as it provides a strong foundation that enables the staff to be able to focus on their self-development thereby enhancing a better and effective working environment. It is through great relationships that most organizations are able to prosper. One major development is the increasing importance of the interpersonal skills in every work setting in all organizations. It is well noted that technical ability in this age of information is not enough in achieving organizational success. Interpersonal skills as well as communication skills are major rating factors when it comes to hiring employees. For example, the school board hired most of their staff based on their interpersonal skills. The board rated their staff’s interpersonal skills because they wanted to know how well the staff will relate to their co-workers and students in terms of their speaking and listening skills (Wiles & Bondi, 2004). Based on the organizational settings of the studies within our textbook, organizational culture simply refers to a collection of shared beliefs, rituals, values, myths and stories that tend to give a feeling of unity among the organizational members(Wiles & Bondi, 2004). It is quite clear that the culture depicted by most organizations is simply a reflection of the beliefs, behaviours and the values that are brought up by a group of individuals. Therefore, the success of any organization is also built on its abilities to portray a good image and outcome of the organization’s objectives. Communication is referred to as the means through which we are able to create a common understanding between others and ourselves. In order to bring out the aspect of self-development, people should be able to learn on how to communicate effectively. It is through the development of communications skills that employees are able to boost the working relationships that exist among them. For

Ethical and Moral Issues regarding Intellectual Property Research Paper

Ethical and Moral Issues regarding Intellectual Property - Research Paper Example Though most countries and worldwide authorities have developed IP protection laws to help these companies protect their properties, there remain significant legal and ethical issues in relation to the IP protection between companies and between countries. This piece of research paper addresses the ethical and moral issues regarding the intellectual ownership and copyright. Ethical and moral issues regarding intellectual ownership Ethics, corporate social responsibility and morality have got significant importance in business in recent years. Businesses are expected to be ethical, moral and socially responsible and thus they are expected not to counterfeit, copy and steal intellectual properties of other businesses. Intellectual property, as Credo Reference noted, is equivalent to the physical form of private property that people are allowed to own aspects of their mental creativity and innovation, images, inventions, literary and artistic works and therefore these can be traded as co mmodities and thus an individual or company can apply for an idea to be registered as their own property. There has been significant debate about the ownership of the intellectual property, but as per the definition is given below, intellectual property is the right of an individual or company that invented or discovered it. ... Â  the intellectual property, who is entitled to granting the right and who has right to transfer it contractually are some of the concerns regarding the ownership of the intellectual properties. However, when an intellectual property like patent, royalty etc have been registered with an authority, it becomes the right of a person or firm to whom it has been registered. As Freeman and Peace (2005) noted, once the ownership has been acquired, it doesn’t end except by the destruction of the material thing or incorporation to another. The ownership of intellectual property is always temporal because it is restricted in time and some point coming to an end and therefore legally, ethically and morally the ownership falls within the public domain. Maughan (2004) emphasized that the ownership of the intellectual property, though technically the highest estate, is not absolute ownership, and therefore ethically the rights of the owner are socially circumscribed in many different ways for many reasons and this may be curtailed at any time. Ethical and moral issues regarding Copyright ownership A copyright is legal to form of protection that is afforded to an original work of art or authorship that has been developed into a physical and tangible form (Ward, 2007, 1). A copyright is initially owned by a creative author or authors from his or their works. But according to the law, a person doesn’t necessarily need to create the work to be its author for the copyright purposes (Irving, 2011). A very common example is the creation of employees who work for an employer.

Joint Venture in China Essay Example for Free

Joint Venture in China Essay IN CHINA INTRODUCTION XYZ Limited deals in the manufacture and sale of various food products as well as other home products. Owing to sound management practices the company has made a breakthrough, manufacturing and selling a wide range of high quality products. Because it wants to capture a wide market, it has decided to enter into a joint venture in China. This has associated opportunities and threats. ANALYTICAL EXAMINATION OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE WITH THE VENTURE 1) SYNERGESTIC EFFECTS Obviously the joint venture option would result in synergy. The end result would be enhanced output since the two companies shall have pooled their resources together. These are machines and man power (expertise). The resultant production would surpass the individual production capacities of the two joint ventures. 2) WIDENED INTERNATIONAL MARKET The joint venture would enable XYZ to acquire additional markets for its products across the Asian countries. While operating alone, XYZ could only sell its products within Europe. But with the joint venture in China, and with a well co-ordinated marketing for their products, they are likely to capture a wider international market. 3) HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS Chinese enterprises are well known for their high quality products. This is owed to the possession of and continual innovation of new technologies and new ways of doing things. They also have enviable workforces who are renowned of their expertise in the manufacturing sector. The Chinese enterprises are companies which practice total quality management as their key strategies. This is a management technique that dwells in improving the needs of the customers. It also aims at ensuring that every member of the organization fully participates in the affairs of the organization. The joint venture enables all and sundry to recognize the fact that quality is inevitable as an ingredient to success. Total Quality Management leads to the generation of policies that are of high quality and also the effective dissemination of such policies to every member of the organization. 4) BUSINESS LOCATION The location of the joint venturer i. e. at the central of the globe would also be a very good opportunity for XYZ Company Limited. This would make the two companies operate from a central point with the advantage being that one of enhancing the marketability of their products. 5) PUBLIC EXPECTATION The public associates a joint venture as a step geared towards satisfying their needs more effectively. This is due to pooled resources including manpower. 6) DIVERSIFICATION The other opportunity inherent in the small enterprise’s joint venture in China is that of diversification. They would be able to produce a wide range of products owing to vast resources. 7) FINANCIAL BACKGROUND OF THE CHINA VENTURER The small enterprise (European) has the opportunity with entering into a joint venture with a financially sound Chinese enterprise. The effect of the financial soundness of the Chinese enterprise on the small European enterprise is that the joint venture as a whole will not suffer from financial constraints. With a strong financial background, they will be able to even open up new branches and initiate new viable projects. In the year ended 31st December 2006, the Chinese company made a profit $ 700 million after taxes. The venture is also likely to benefit the shareholders as the dividend per share is likely to increase. THREATS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VENTURE. 1) LOCAL LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE A problem will arise when formulating policies, implementing the policies and evaluation as a result of differential in languages. Whereas the staff and management of the small European Enterprise recognize the English language as the official spoken language, the Chinese company does not. The staff and management of the venture in China can only effectively communicate in Chinese. This would greatly hinder effective communication that is essential in decision – making and policy formulation. 2) DILUTION OF CONTROL. Shareholders of XYZ Limited would be faced with this threat of dilution of their control. After the joint venture exercise they may not continue enjoying some if not all of their powers and rights. This is as a result of the joining of the other shareholders of the Chinese venturer in the entity. 3) COMBATING COMPETITORS Competitors of both the European small enterprise and of the Chinese enterprise would definitely react to the intended joint venture of the two companies. And they would do everything to ensure that they have countered the stiff competition that is likely to come out of the venture. The rival companies would improve the quality of their products as well as improving on creativity and innovation. This will pose a great challenge / threat on the European country because they will have to work on improving on their products in addition to being more innovative to avert such competition from rival companies. GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION /LEGISLATIONS Government intervention can be a real threat to the joint venture. These can be in the form of ultimatums from either the European Union or from China itself. The legislations can also be in the form of changes in tax laws which may not favour the intended joint venture. 4) INADEQUATE EVALUATION OF THE CHINESE COMPANY The small European country has not evaluated the Chinese company to see if it is worth entering into a joint venture with it. Evaluation can be in the form of trend and industrial analysis, taking note on profitability trends, changes in turnover over the years, dividend payments, the company’s earning per share. They have not also evaluated the Chinese company on its level of activities using such activity ratios as stock turnover ratio to determine how the company changes finished goods to sales. Other relevant ratios would be creditor’s turnover, fixed assets turnover. The other very important evaluation that they have not carried out on the Chinese company is to establish how geared the company is. If the company is highly geared i. e. it has more of borrowed capital than owner’s capital in it capital structure it runs the risk of being insolvent any time which would ultimately affect the European Enterprise. The European enterprise has also not established the real reputation of the Chinese company in the capital market. They need to do this through an evaluation of its price earnings ration vis–a-vis that of other companies in the capital market who intend to invest in the company. ACCOUNTING PROBLEMS A serious problem is going to be encountered in the preparation of the final accounts as a result of the joint venture. The accounting staff of the European enterprise must change /adjust to the new approach of preparing their accounts. The accounts must be prepared in accordance with the international Accounting standards on the treatment of a joint venture. In a joint venture, every transaction is recorded on a 50- 50 basis. Even the minority interest on each of the company’s operation will be based n the stake of every venturer in the joint venture i. e. 50%. b) The International Environment of Business enables one to know the culture in the environment that the business is operating in. the idea of IEB here is to bring to the awareness of the companies, the cultural environment and how this will affect their business. Cultural factors like religion will greatly influence demand of products. As some products may be liked by other religious groups, they may be an abomination across other religious groupings. A wider international market can be an opportunity to XYZ Ltd but owing to IEM models which stipulate in changes in the political and social – economical changes of the Business Environment, the widened international market may not be a reality. Economically, the joint venture may be operating in a relatively high inflation economies which might stagnate profitability. There is also likely to be a change in the tax laws of the foreign country and XYZ Ltd will have to experience such changes. Other economic changes that the two companies would be influenced by IEB are economic growth and employment. Economic growth has an influence on the demand for products whereas employment influences the supply of labour. The International Environment of Business also focuses on the Technological environment. Technology is a question of inventions and new techniques in processes, tools and machines. According to the IEB models, technology is an important area that need not be overlooked as it enhances efficiency through a reduction of the production costs, selling and marketing costs as well as administration costs. The joint venture must also emphasize on technology if they have to conquer the opportunity of high quality production that will satisfy customer demands. Technology would also provide better services to their customers. The International Environment of Business again focuses on the need of businesses to practice business ethics within the environments they are operating. Ethics commands that the business entities employ fair advertising and marketing practices, adherence to the laws are regulations governing a certain foreign nation and the observance and maintenance of high standards of conduct and integrity. Much as the joint venture will be enjoying the centrality of their business location and a sound marketing network, they have to put into contemplation the essence of practicing ethics in their place of operation. In conclusion therefore, the management of both companies would have to review their opportunities as well as threats and establish how the International Environment of Business models /ideas would affect their business operations. References Brandenburger, A. M. and Nalebuff, B. J. (1995): The Right Game: Use Game Theory to Shape Strategy, Harvard Business Review, July-August, pp.57-71 Coyne, K. P. and Subramaniam, S. (1996): Bringing discipline to strategy, the McKinsey Quarterly, No. 4 Gordon, I. (1989): Beat the Competition: How to Use Competitive Intelligence to Develop Winning Business Strategies: Oxford, Basil Blackwell Publishers Hunger, J. David Wheelen, Thomas L. (2003): Essentials of Strategic Management. New Jersey, Pearson Education Inc Kotter, J. P. (1996): Leading Change: – London: Harvard Business School Press McGahan, A. (2004): How Industries Evolve: Principles for Achieving and Sustaining. Superior Performance, Boston, Harvard Business School Press Menon, A. and Menon, A. (1997): Enviropreneurial marketing strategy: the emergence of corporate environmentalism as marketing strategy: Journal of Marketing. Vol. 61, pg. 51 – 67 Porter, M. (1980): Competitive Strategy: New York, The Free Press. Porter, M. (1998): Competitive Advantage (with a new introduction): New York, The Free Press. Peteraf, A. (1993): The Cornerstones of Competitive Advantage:-A Resource-Based View: in Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 14, pp. 179-191.

Comparing Merchant of Venice, Taming of the Shrew, and Much Ado About Nothing :: comparison compare contrast essays

Trickery and Disguise in Merchant of Venice, Taming of the Shrew, and Much Ado About Nothing      Ã‚   Shakespeare uses similar comic elements to effect similar outcomes in his works.   Many of his plays utilize trickery and disguise to accomplish similar endings.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Trickery plays a major role in The Merchant of Venice and drives most of the action, while mistaken identity, specifically Portia's disguise as the "learned attorney's" representative, plays a major role in the resolution of the play.   The first instance of trickery in the play is Bassanio's plan to present himself as a financially sound suitor, when in truth, he is not.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bassanio believes that he would stand a very good chance of being the successful suitor if he had the proper money backing him.   Bassanio then goes to his friend Antonio to try to secure a loan to provide for his wooing.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   O my Antonio, had I but the means/To hold a rival   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   place with one of them [other suitors]/I have a   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   mind presages me such thrift/That I should   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   questionless be fortunate!" (Shakespeare,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Merchant 1.1 173-176)      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, Antonio has, "neither the money, nor commodity/to raise a present sum" but urges Bassanio to go through Venice to try to secure a loan using Antonio's bond as credit (Shakespeare, Merchant 1.1 178-179).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the resident money-lenders of Venice is an individual called Shylock, a person of Jewish descent. The practice of usury was traditionally banned by the Christian church.   This allowed many Jews, because their belief system contained no objection to profitable money-lending, to become the de facto loan officers.   Bassanio approaches Shylock to ask for a loan, and Shylock seems as if he is going to agree, however, he first asks to speak with Antonio.   It is revealed in an aside that Shylock harbors a secret hatred of Antonio because of his religion and Shylock's belief that Antonio's practices drive down the interest rates that Shylock can charge in Venice. Here we see the second instance of trickery and deception within The Merchant of Venice. Shylock seems to have great knowledge of the positions of Antonio's fleet and ominously notes that, "ships are but boards, sailors but men" (Shakespeare,

Knowledge and Power

Knowledge is power – or is it?   The assertion that knowledge is power has been variously attributed to Sir Francis Bacon and Albert Einstein, as well as many other notable and obscure figures.   But perhaps Eudora Welty, Flannery O’Connor, and Richard Wright all know otherwise, as demonstrated in their respective stories:   â€Å"The Worn Path,† â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find,† and â€Å"The Man Who Was Almost A Man.† These stories each show that knowledge is not an absolute bestower of power; that power does not logically and necessarily follow once one possesses knowledge.   Neither are the terms knowledge and power mutually exclusive, but, as can be seen in the following analysis of the short stories mentioned above, the power resulting from knowledge only comes if the person possessing the knowledge knows how to use it, and if the person then also feels powerful.   The power gained from knowledge is not an absolute power, but is, to a certain extent, subjective. Let us first look at Phoenix Jackson, the central character in Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path† and perhaps the most powerful character in any of the three stories.     Phoenix has gained knowledge, and therefore power, from years of quietly studying human behavior, from paying close attention to her surroundings, and from her own self-awareness of how she affects others in the world.   Phoenix Jackson might appear at first glance to be lacking any power: she is an elderly, frail-looking woman whose eyesight is failing. Phoenix is also a very poor woman with few valuable possessions; poor people in her position are virtually always seen as lacking power.   However, upon closer observation the reader can see that Phoenix is a very powerful woman indeed.   Phoenix uses her knowledge of her physical surroundings to enable her to move about in a rather dangerous world, full of obstacles both animate and inanimate.   On her journey into town Phoenix encounters many potential dangers, but because she is knowledgeable about their existence, she avoids harm.   This capacity to keep herself safe is one trait which makes her a powerful woman. Phoenix even appears to use visualization to help her get across the creek; her ability to visualize the log and her safe passage is another form of knowledge which makes her powerful.   Phoenix has â€Å"body knowledge† – she has developed the capacity to remember where her body should go, even as her eyesight fails her.   The reason this body knowledge makes Phoenix powerful is that she is conscious of the knowledge and of how to use it; for example, when Phoenix reaches the city and â€Å"depended on her feet to know where to take her.† (Welty, p. 5).   Later in the story we see Phoenix walking up the steps of her destination, â€Å"until her feet knew to stop.† (Welty, p. 6) Phoenix Jackson has also gained power during her long life with her knowledge about human behavior.   Phoenix knows how to use both her own self as well as others’ reactions for her own purposes.   Phoenix is seen manipulating the white hunter so that she can put his fallen money into her own pocket.   Phoenix knows, after only a very brief encounter, that the hunter’s ego can be easily manipulated for her own purposes.   The hunter wishes to appear strong and in control, which Phoenix knows as she reminds the hunter that she needs to be â€Å"rescued† from the cur which ahs knocked her over.   Phoenix is able to pocket the money while the hunter is occupied with ridding her of the dog. One cannot manipulate others without possessing some sort of power, and powerful Phoenix is seen manipulating others at least twice more as the story proceeds.  Ã‚   Phoenix knows, almost instinctively it seems, who she can stop on the street to ask for assistance with her shoes.   But this small gesture is full of knowledge; Phoenix could have stopped any number of people on the busy street, but consciously chose to stop a certain woman.   Perhaps Phoenix knew that this particular woman would be more inclined to help her, as she appears to be a â€Å"nice lady† (Welty, p. 6) full of Christmas spirit, heavy as her arms are with presents. Phoenix again uses her knowledge about human behavior in order to manipulate the attendant at the clinic, who feels compelled to give a pitiful old woman some money.   It is not clear whether Phoenix is manipulating the nurse in order to get medication for herself or whether she does indeed have a grandson waiting at home, but the nurse is manipulated by Phoenix nevertheless, as she uses her age as an excuse for memory loss. The grandmother in Flannery O’ Connor’s short story, â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find,† is not so self-aware as Phoenix and it is her failure to use her knowledge powerfully which gets her killed in the end.   The grandmother does indeed have knowledge but somehow is unable to use it to her advantage. It is an interesting side-note that the grandmother, the mother, and Red Sam’s wife are the only characters in O’Connor’s story who are not given names; even the cat has a name.   Perhaps O’Connor used this as a subtle indicator of who did and did not have power.   Indeed, neither the grandmother nor the mother appear to be very powerful characters in this story; and Red Sam’s wife, though not a central character, is portrayed as simply chattel for her husband, who orders her around and treats her dismissively. John Wesley’s and June Star’s grandmother knows from her years on earth that a good man is indeed hard to find; she knows that truly trustworthy people are rare treasures among the human race.   The grandmother’s discussion with Red Sam shows us that she is aware of just how devious people can be.   The grandmother knows that people are inherently untrustworthy. However, the grandmother’s knowledge does not then result in her having power, for she does not use the knowledge correctly.   The grandmother gave up the potential power of her knowledge when she revealed what she knew during the encounter with the Misfit.  Ã‚   When the grandmother recognized the Misfit, she could have used this knowledge to protect her family. Perhaps Eudora Welty’s Phoenix Jackson would have used the grandmother’s knowledge in some cunning way to manipulate the Misfit.   But O’Connor’s grandmother is not as powerful as Welty’s character, simply because she fails to cultivate her knowledge into a powerful tool.   The grandmother was knowledgeable but still powerless to save her own and her family’s lives. The third character who shows us that knowledge is not necessarily power is Dave, in Richard Wright’s â€Å"The Man Who Was Almost a Man.†Ã‚   Dave shows us that the power from knowledge is partially subjective and not an indisputable fact.   The reader sees very quickly that Dave feels â€Å"small,† not only in his physical stature but in his standing among his peers in the community.   This feeling of smallness is what makes Dave feel virtually powerless. Dave appears to have very limited knowledge of human behavior and of himself as a developing man.  Ã‚   Fear is a large factor in Dave’s twisted perception of what will give him power.   Dave is scared of other boys who are all bigger than him; he has also been raised to be scared of the adults in his life.   This fear has given Dave the â€Å"knowledge† that, if one is feared, one has power.   Of course this knowledge is flawed. But Dave’s knowledge is not a mature, conscious knowledge; it is a knowledge born of his own very limited backwoods experience in the world.   Dave sees that, if he can scare others as others have scared him, he will become a powerful man.   Once Dave has knowledge of how a gun makes him feel, he thinks he has discovered an important part of becoming a man.   Perhaps the most important discovery made by Dave is that his actions have consequences; once Dave kills the mule, he sees that something he has done has made a difference, albeit a negative difference, but a difference in the world all the same. Although Dave’s knowledge has the potential to give him power, it is not well developed and is based in fear.   Therefore his knowledge may make him an even less powerful person.   Dave does not know how to use his new-found knowledge.   Instead of making him a powerful person, his knowledge may be turning him into a dangerous person as the flawed knowledge becomes more entrenched into his personality. Knowledge is power†¦.the central characters in the stories analyzed above each show us, in their own way, that this statement is very over-simplified and not necessarily true.   Power can indeed come from having knowledge.   But that knowledge must be carefully cultivated and used appropriately in order to then provide power.   And there are occasions when we can have knowledge but lack the awareness to use that knowledge to our advantage, or power. Last, if we have knowledge but lack the conviction that we have power to use our knowledge in useful ways, we are still left as powerless as if we did not have the knowledge at all.   So power resulting from knowledge must also include self-awareness, awareness of others, and the ability to adapt our knowledge to particular situations.   Only then can we say that knowledge is power. Knowledge and Power â€Å"Scientia Potentia Est†, a famous aphorism that is otherwise translated as â€Å"For also Knowledge itself is Power†, was conceptualized during the late 16th century by the world-renowned Philosopher and Statesman of that time, Sir Francis Bacon. Indeed, Sir Bacon developed an understanding of the idea that by accumulating knowledge, one is able to exert, impose or influence power (as can be inferred) towards another.For instance, a person who has accumulated knowledge can withhold himself or herself from sharing this knowledge to others. Thus, a sort of personal advantage develops between those who have knowledge and those who want knowledge. The former, if desired, can ultimately influence the actions of the latter if the existing desire for knowledge is used against them. Otherwise, the same result could also be inferred from the opposite: once knowledge is shared by the person who has accumulated them, power is reflected in the sense that the person who has sha red it had the privilege of sharing it.Such an example only perpetuates the idea of ambiguity of the concept of power. Indeed, power, in all its forms and contexts, is a concept that has been contested my many scholars and philosophers alike for decades, even centuries. Some relate power in the form of having the ability of exercising coercion. Others relate the concept with the possession of material wealth. Still further, others profess that power is somehow related to social class. Unfortunately, these credible attempts at establishing links to the concept of power only express supplementary ambiguity to the term.For example, even though power can be somehow related to the ability of using force (coercion), the term can also be associated with the ability of persuasion – a rather mild version of quasi-coercion that does not involve the usage of force.   The same thing goes with the idea of power as equaled to the possession of material wealth and as represented by social class. Contrary to the latter statement, intangible or incorporeal wealth can also be associated with power as a substitute for material wealth. Also, behind social class lie the idea of power as related to personal or group charisma and expertise. In other words, a person belonging to the highest social class in society cannot be more powerful over those that are below his social class if those individuals under his class are more charismatic and more adequate and excellent in terms of abilities and skills.Having identified the cumbersome and volatile nature of power, is it still plausible to conclude that knowledge is indeed power? Is there a relevant connection between the two concepts? If none, can a relevant connection be established; no matter how arguable or refutable? Basically, does the possession of knowledge represent the possession of power?To answer this question, let us first understand how scholars and philosophers of the past have identified and/or defined power dur ing their time.The great 19th century philosopher, Sir Friedrich Nietzsche, often described the concept of power as something that expresses one’s domination over other human beings. If so, then knowledge could indeed be a source of power since the ignorance of knowledge denotes inferiority in logical thinking and skillful know-how; thus, disavowing the ability or opportunity of the individual to dominate others who do possess knowledge. However, another dilemma may arise from the latter statement. If knowledge is truly a source of power, how come individuals who do possess knowledge are not powerful?The answer, of course, is that knowledge in itself is not power. In order for knowledge to become a source of power, the individual must be able to aptly apply or exercise his or her knowledge in the form of actions for the purposes of achieving or producing results. As some scholars have put it, â€Å"knowledge is power only if one knows how to use it†.   Truly, if one individual possesses a myriad amount of knowledge but does not know how to translate it into action, then power is not represented. This concept, however, does not stray away from the concept of knowledge as a source of power nor does it emanate from the idea of action as a source of power rather than the mere possession of knowledge.It must be understood that actions are determined by the individual’s mind. If a certain amount of knowledge is absent within the individual’s cognitive processes then the action executed may not produce tremendous results that are reflective of the representation of power. However, if knowledge is indeed present, chances are that actions executed may produce excellent results that would be quite superior to actions that are conducted without knowledge. Simply said, actions augmented by knowledge reflect power on the part of the individual (superiority).In order to make the preceding points more plausible, let us try establishing the conce pt in a certain field or study. In this instance, let us put the concept of power as knowledge into the workplace – in this case a corporation.Most corporations possess similar theories of organization ranging from the classical theory of organization to the more systematic (systems) theory of organization. And with these models comes a set of different levels, styles or concepts of hierarchy and/or bureaucracy (formal and informal, orthodox or unorthodox). In other words, corporations always try to establish a â€Å"division of power† among its leaders and workers. Now, let us try to apply the concept of knowledge as power in a leader-worker relationship. Leaders of corporations, in all intents and purposes, are the decision-makers of the entire system.Workers, on the other hand, have more of a hands-on approach compared to their respective leaders. As far as the relationship goes, it is the leader who will decide how the workers will act. Now, the question is, is thi s a simple form of exercising power? Is the authority of the leader over the workers a concrete example of power in the form of knowledge? The answer, of course, is no; it is not a simple form of power illuminated by knowledge – at least not completely. One possible reason why this is so is because the relationship between the two actors reflect two issues as can be inferred from the general concept of power.First, the source of power as reflected from the leader can mostly likely be originating from his or her given authority. In other words, it is the granted authority of the corporation that is providing the leader his or her own personal power and not his or her own possession of knowledge. Second, the worker cannot be subject to inferiority since the worker is aware that his or her job is to simply follow orders. For power to be present, one must be able to persuade or force an individual to do what he or she wishes. Otherwise, if the worker decides not to follow the ord ers of the leader, then it can be inferred that the worker is expressing power over the leader (charisma or personal ability). But that is another issue.If so, how is knowledge as a source of power reflected in a leader-worker relationship? One possible explanation could be found from the personal histories of both actors.Respective or high positions in most corporations require excellent abilities or practical know-how. As such, no normal individual can just apply or be promoted to such a position if the individual does not possess the necessary skills or abilities that the position requires. Simply said, leaders are on their respective positions simply because they possess the required skills and as a result, are thoroughly capable of fulfilling its functions.Workers, on the other hand, may not possess these prerequisites or capabilities. However, this does not imply that workers are not knowledgeable. This merely implies that workers are yet on the verge of acquiring or developin g the necessary knowledge for fulfilling the functions that are required by the position. And where can a worker acquire this necessary knowledge? The answer, definitely, is quite reflective of the answer to the whole problem of where can the idea of knowledge as power be inferred from a leader-worker relationship – from the leader.Indeed, if a worker wishes to achieve the same position as that of his or her own leader, then that worker must first develop knowledge based from his or her work and eventually acquire knowledge from his or her own leader. If recognized (or desired), the leader who possesses the knowledge that is required by the worker can now express or exercise power over the worker in the sense that the leader now has the choice of whether or not to impart his or her own knowledge to the worker.Going back to the previous points, if an individual withholds his or her own knowledge from sharing it to others, then power is gained in the form of an advantage; thus, producing a sense of superiority. As one head of a corporation has put it, â€Å"Knowledge is power and you do not share power.† The worker, however, can try to acquire knowledge of the same context from others and that action might change the idea of power in a leader-worker relationship. However, it is very unlikely that this is to happen for if the worker decides to gather power outside of his or her own corporation that knowledge may well be different from what the corporation may require or need.As mentioned earlier, power is a concept that has been contested my many scholars and philosophers alike for centuries. To suddenly come up with a personal explanation of power in the form of the possession of knowledge is something not new in the world of power.  As demonstrated, power is a really ambiguous term, let alone be defined in terms of knowledge. However, one cannot deny the fact that knowledge is indeed a source of power; for if knowledge is absent, one will not be able to exercise the myriad forms of power over others.In conclusion, if knowledge (in any form) is present within an individual and that that individual’s counterpart possesses a certain amount of ignorance of over the same type of knowledge, then the former is most likely to be more powerful over the latter. Simply put, the possession of knowledge is superiority over those who do not possess knowledge.Works Cited:Caruso, Denise. â€Å"Knowledge is Power only if you know how to use it.† March 2007 The New York Times 21 November 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/11/business/yourmoney/11frame.html?_r=1&oref=sloginWimmer, Sandra. â€Å"For Illinois Agency, Knowledge is Power – and Promise.† August 2005 Government Procurement 21 November 2007,http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-procurement/1162860-1.htmlLloyd, Bruce. â€Å"The Paradox of Power.† May 1996 The Futurist 21 November 2007,http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/employee -development-leadership/553463-1.htmlGrant, Beau. â€Å"Knowledge is POWER.† October 2005 Government Procurement 21 November 2007, http://www.allbusiness.com/management/928236-1.html

Efas Analysis How-to

Synthesis of External Factors—EFAS After strategic managers have scanned the societal and task environments and identified a number of likely external factors for their particular corporation, they may want to refine their analysis of these factors using a form such as that given in Table 3. 4. The EFAS Table (External Factors Analysis Summary) is one way to organize the external factors into the generally accepted categories of opportunities and threats as well as to analyze how well a particular company’s management (rating) is responding to these specific factors in light of the perceived importance (weight) of these factors to the company. To generate an EFAS Table for the company being analyzed, complete the following steps: In Column 1 (External Factors), list the eight to ten most important opportunities and threats facing the company. In Column 2 (Weight), assign a weight to each factor from 1. 0 (Most Important) to 0. 0 (Not Important) based on that factor’s probable impact on a particular company’s current strategic position. The higher the weight, the more important is this factor to the current and future success of the company. (All weights must sum to 1. 0 regardless of the number of strategic factors. ) In Column 3 (Rating), assign a rating to each factor from 5 (Outstanding) to 1 (Poor) based on that particular company’s current response to that particular factor. Each rating is a judgment regarding how well the company is currently dealing with each external factor. 5 43 2 1 Â ¦_________________Â ¦_____________Â ¦_______________Â ¦_______________Â ¦ Out- Above Average BelowPoor standing Average Average In Column 4Â  (Weighted Score), multiply the weight in Column 2 for each factor times its rating in Column 3 to obtain that factor’s weighted score. This results in a weighted score for each factor ranging from 5. 0 (Outstanding) to 1. (Poor) with 3. 0 as average. In Column 5Â  (Comments), note why a particular factor was selected and how its weight and rating were estimated. Finally, add the weighted scores for all the external factors in Column 4 to determine the total weighted score for that particular company. The total weighted score indicates how well a particular company is responding to current and expected factors in its external environment. The score can be used to compare that firm to other firms in its industry. The total weighted score for an average firm in an industry is always 3. 0. As an example of this procedure, Table 3. 4 includes a number of external factors for Maytag Corporation with corresponding weights, ratings, and weighted scores provided. This table is appropriate for 1995 before Maytag sold its European and Australian operations. Note that Maytag’s total weight is 3. 15, meaning that the corporation is slightly above average in the major home appliance industry.

The Story of Suicide Sal by Bonnie Parker

The Story of Suicide Sal by Bonnie Parker The infamous couple of  Bonnie Parker  and Clyde Barrow were American criminals during the Great Depression who attracted a cult following during their days alive which has lasted to today. They died a gruesome yet sensational death together after a round of allegedly 50 bullets were fired at them during an ambush. Bonnie Parker was only 24 years old. While Bonnie Parkers name is more attached to the image of her as a gang member, arsenal  thief, and murderer, she was also a poet. The Story of Suicide Sal Bonnie showed an interest in writing at a young age. In school, she won prizes for spelling and writing. She continued to write after she dropped out of school. In fact, she wrote poems while she and Clyde were on the run from the law. She even submitted some of her poems to newspapers. Bonnie wrote The Story of Suicide Sal on pieces of scrap paper while she was held in the Kaufman jail in spring 1932. The poem was published in newspapers after it was found during the raid on  Bonnie and Clydes  hideout in Joplin, Missouri, on April 13, 1933. Dangerous Life Decisions The poem tells the story of a pair of doomed lovers, Sal and Jack, who are desperadoes driven to criminality by circumstances outside of their control. It can be assumed that Sal is Bonnie while Jack is Clyde. The poem is told from the perspective of an unnamed narrator, who then retells a story that Sal once told in the first person. From this piece, readers can glean some details about Bonnies life and thoughts. Beginning with the title, The Story of Suicide Sal makes it clear that Bonnie recognized her highly dangerous lifestyle and had premonitions of early death. A Harsh Environment In the poem, Sal says, I left my old home for the cityTo play in its mad dizzy whirl,Not knowing how little of pityIt holds for a country girl. Perhaps this stanza conveys how a harsh, unforgiving and fast-paced environment made Bonnie feel disoriented. Maybe these emotions set the scene for Bonnies turn to crime. Love for Clyde Then Sal says, There I fell for the line of a henchman,A professional killer from Chi;I couldnt help loving him madly;For him even now I would die....I was taught the ways of the underworld;Jack was just like a god to me. Again, Jack in this poem most likely represents Clyde. Bonnie felt passionate about Clyde, regarding him as a god and willing to die for him. This love probably prompted her to follow him in his line of work.   Lost Faith in Government Sal continues on to describe how she gets arrested and is eventually imprisoned. While her friends are able to rally some lawyers to defend her in court, Sal says, But it takes more than lawyers and moneyWhen  Uncle Sam  starts shaking you down. In American culture, Uncle Sam is a symbol that represents the U.S. government and is supposed to inspire patriotism and a sense of duty- a noble figure, so to speak. However, Bonnie paints Uncle Sam in a negative light by describing violent actions, like shaking you down. Perhaps this phrase speaks to Bonnie and Clydes belief that the government system had failed them. Bonnie/Sal continues to paint the government in a negative light by saying, I took the rap like good people,And never one squawk did I make. In describing herself as a good and compliant person, Bonnie implies that the government and/or the police are unfairly vilifying citizens trying to hustle and make ends meet during the Great Depression.