Mark Twain And Carol Sandburg Essays - Lecturers, Mark Twain

Mark Twain And Carol Sandburg There have been a number of influences that have shaped American literature. From the time that Western Europeans founded the country to the inclusion of Native American lore to the contributions of such literary giants as Mark Twain and Carol Sandburg, the composition of American Literature has been both constant and ever changing. In deed as much as America, itself, is a melting pot of diversity within a cultural concern, so too is this considerable diversity a significant aspect of its emerging literature. Grantland S. Rice, author of The Transformation of Authorship in America, contends that the ultimate composition of American literature is fundamentally based upon a combination of efforts involving gender, class, period and application. What is particualy, interesting about Rice's observations is the manner in which he applies his theories to literary considerations. According to Rice, there were a great many influences that constructed American literature up through modern times; as much as writers were ?increasingly forced by social, political and economic changes? (Rice 159), it was because of these modifications that the literary experience gained in substance. In their attempts to uphold civic virtue, early writers ?no doubt turned to the audience through whom they felt they could still effect significant cultural changes? (Rice 159). It is this very determination and knowledge of craft that eventually aided in the efforts of countless writers -- both men and women -- to establish American literature as it has come to be known: The story I till here is thus far from the usual one of the ?progress' or ?rise' of American literature, an account which has come from an almost exclusive on the continuity of literary forms and the influence of the aesthetic heritage of Romanticism. (Rice 12) Inasmuch as Rice attributes life's influences as an integral component of American literature, so too does one of America's greatest authors: Mark Twain. His Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, thought to be too racy for its own period, has always been received with mixed acceptance even in contemporary times. Capturing the American soul at its utmost depths, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn touches upon a number of unprecedented issues because of the shock value such a book portrays, it has been both embraced and banned for its content. However, it is this very content that has made it one of the most essential aspects of American Literature, as Twain was not afraid to depict America without rose-colored glasses. It has been called offensive, unpatriotic, racist and a whole host of other uncomplimentary terms; however, it has been ? and continues to be ? instrumental in describing the sometimes unsavory truth, As the author so eloquently stated to America: ?This is how you are, like it or not? (Smith). As difficult as it has been for Americans to accept the fact that Twain's account mirrors a harsh reality, the implications of such social atrocities as racism are painfully clear both in written representation as will as in real life. In fact, it can be argued that Adventures of Huckleberry Finn not only symbolizes what it means to be part of the American literary framework, but it also exemplifies the manner in which art truly imitates life. As essential as Twain was in establishing the very basis of American literature, he was also instrumental in addressing issues which were ? and are still ? considered to be beyond the realm of acceptance. Although Adventures of Huckleberry Finn makes free use of the word nigger, it is not utilized in the same context it is today; by comparison, the author meant it only as a description, as opposed to contemporary usage that focuses solely upon the words disgracing aspect. Inasmuch as Mark Twain weaved his literary magic in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to depict American truisms, Carl Sandburg was just as much a fundamental part of the same patchwork. Sandburg's writing addresses many of the same concepts as does Twain's with regard to the human condition, even encouraging people to recognize themselves within his prose. Characteristic of Sandburg's style is his approach to everyday existence as though it were a matter of life and death. In a way it was just that, as the astute author wrote of

Powder essays

Powder essays In the short story Powder by Tobias Wolff there is an irrefutable relationship that is quite dissimilar. In these two characters of father and son we see a reflection of many modern day broken home situations. The standard role of father and son has been reversed in this story. Reversed in a way that real life and many modern day family situations have been replicated. The development of the father character begins with his sons flashback of being brought to a nightclub against the will of his mother. He wanted to bring his son to see jazz great Thelonious Monk. With this passage it was possibly Wolffs intent to portray the father as a reckless parent with no regard for the welfare of his child. In the fathers defense we are left with a disclaimer that the father is only trying to institute a foundation of culture upon his son. The boy was not thrust into this environment with the intent of exposing him to the tribulations of a nightclub atmosphere. It becomes easy for the father to not hold back in the presence of his son. He does not have custody of the boy so he isnt burdened with the role of disciplinarian. So when receiving time to spend with his son he is able to have fun and not worry about the effects of his teachings. The boy who is our narrator throughout the story becomes Wolffs opposition to the father character. Right through the story the boy demonstrates qualities of restraint and level headedness. Almost everything that the father lacks in values the son has made up for with nervous anticipation. The development of the boys cautious personality is initiated early in the story when him and his father are making their last run. He is depicted as sticking to his father like white on rice. This was an establishment of his tense but well aware personality. He seems to always be thinking ahead and calculating the dangers of his actions and the un...

Changing trends in employment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Changing trends in employment - Essay Example The increased flexibilization process and deregulation of the labour market from both high and low income countries have, over the years, presented new challenges, especially with the intensification of the market competition in search for decreased production costs. The liberalization of the trade schemes plays a key role in reinforcing the competitive pressures of the global markets. As a result, such developments result in profound changes in technological, production, innovation, employment conditions, and the structures of firms (Alvesson 2001, p. 863). By 1980s, the economic restructuring was enhanced through the decentralization of the production. The institutional changes at the micro level ranged from outsourcing and downsizing to changes in the skill requirement, transformations and work organizations towards the workforce composition. The liberalization of trade has also played a key role in changing the requirements in skills and employment due to the dynamics and the relative wages (Scarborough 1999, p. 8). This shifts the labour intensive production processes to the low-wage countries. These transformations impact differently to both men and women, and the variation is dependent on several factors. The feminization of the labour force continues at both domestic and international levels. This has led to increased participation of women labour force as well as deterioration of the working conditions in jobs previously dominated by males (Balakrishnan & Huang 2000, p. 43-7). Changes in employment have profoundly affected the productive processes and have transformed modes and functions for most firms. This has, in turn, affected the labour relations and employment conditions. The structures in labour markets have been reorganized and destabilized. The changing production landscape at micro-level has increased job opportunities as well as generation of new employment positions. The changes in the micro level of

Hardware and Software Specifications Table Assignment

Hardware and Software Specifications Table - Assignment Example But, the need and want of executives to have latest technology on their desk on a consistent basis makes middle and technological management of the company to search for the best alternative and they do not have the option and luxury to misfire because top dollars of the company are usually at the stake in these kinds of matters. Therefore, they always search the local and international market for suitable and reasonable piece of technology that has the power and ability to serve multiple needs and wants of the senior-child of the company. The world of technology is changing rapidly and due to this reason, the companies attempt to acquire latest technology in order to minimize their obsolesce costs in the long run prospective. Nevertheless, it is a common but wrongly enforced belief that the machine that has all the state of the art components is the best. The abovementioned statement is illogical because in most number of cases, we do not require a heuristic machine in all dimension s and we ought to focus on the essentials. The plan that we are going to develop is going to value the essentials and invest in them as well. But, when it comes to nonessentials and luxuries then, we should opt for least expensive items in order to sponsor both efficiency and effectiveness. The technological solution that we are going to propose will sport state of the art video conferencing infrastructure and video cards with a wide screen laptops so that our President and his team should never face a problem in screen viewing while tele communicating. The company’s administration has decided to buy an array of products that can be resold at a reasonable price so that the company can recover some percentage of the cost of items’ depreciation. Moreover, the basic and fundamental purpose of the newly acquired technological intervention is to provide the executive with swift and reliable internet connectivity and experience. The paramount importance will be given to mana ge the cost and benefit of the product so that the notion of efficiency and effectiveness will be well served. Additionally, the focal point of the buying and installing new equipment in the President’s office is a challenge to say the least because it has to conform to the requirements of President’s job while it should also be according to his liking in majority of its features. The man in question is a practicality oriented one and therefore, he always values productivity over showoffs and unproductive investments. Nonetheless, the company’s technical management will look to get a powerful device whose ability to conduct and support video conferencing must be excellent and the price dimension must also be reasonable. The idea is to strike a balance cost and benefit of the product reasonably. Table 1 Hardware Components Input Devices Attributes Associated Org. need Keyboard The standardized laptops featured soft keyed keyboards Create and edit documents in MS office Mouse The company will use external mouse because they are user friendly Create and edit documents in MS office Scanner The state of the art Laser scanners will be acquired Sending documents via emails and saving documents in pdf Digital Camera The 5.0 megapixel cameras will be purchased To take

Crime Rates Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Crime Rates - Research Paper Example An in-depth analysis of counties in Texas that focus on these issues indicate that Texas’s crimes’ drop rate was due to an increase in the jail and prison populace. A rise in wealth and improved income led to the decrease of property crimes (Nachmias & Nachmias, 2004). Increased prison construction would not be cost-effective in Texas. This is due to the declining marginal returns of investing in prison construction, but direct interventions in improving the economy sectors and enhancing police operations would be more proactive. Ideally, most of the discussions in the article are based on assumptions rather than facts. The researcher gives possible reasons as to why crime rate is dropping but he does not answer how these attributes are connected to the crimes. He mentions variables such as demography, unemployment, prison expansion and the economy. It is hard to establish a relationship between the variables and the crimes due to lack of concrete proof to his suggestions. Hypothetically, unemployment is a particular clear case, but the principle can be expected to apply to several other explanations. A blend in heterogeneity of most local areas in social class, household structure, race and income among others can be causational to each other (Nachmias & Nachmias, 2004). The assurance of civil rights is grounded on inclusion; yet the massive difference imprisonment rates between Latinos, blacks and whites still stands as the ugliest reminder of nation’s history of segregation based on race. In the article, the researcher argues that the best way of understanding law and race in this twenty-first century is by understanding and appreciating the American federal system. Some of the things that need appreciation include, the system structures, political mobilization, legal authority and solutions to policy loop holes. In addition, the federal system serves as a vital and disregarded obstacle to more persistent and

Change is a necessary evil

Change is a necessary evil Discuss the above statement critically, supporting relevant concepts with examples within UK-based organisations, challenging the norms, and conclude with a detailed opinion from your research or observations. 1. INTRODUCTION Change is resistance. Change is melancholy. Change is imperfection and adaption too. Change is the beginning, and yet the end .Change is submission. Change is fear And yet the hope .Change is the essence of pessimism and Optimism of grief of retrospection and Growth. Coz all said and done, Change is the only thing constant in life. CHANGE., after- qw w qn;q;odddq is is IS IS A NECESSARY EVIL. When we talk about change the very first question that comes to our mind is Why do we need change? People start thinking that they will have to come out of their comfort zone and you start to get the following outcomes from your employees. its not my job I havent got time the boss doesnt care anyway Im keeping my head down this time if its such a good idea, why didnt we do this the last time management changed its mind? it will all change again next month when the MD makes his mind up, I might do something nobody told me about ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. And then you come to know that the change is not being managed in the way that it should have been. People are used to what we called the culture of the company and not ready to come out of it. It is true that strong culture makes strong organisation but a successful culture is one which the culture adapts itself to the fast moving and unpredictable environment. As we move forward towards the twenty first century our entire global society is continuously changing. All major institution has to adapt to this change and undergo successful change management in order to stay alive in the global market and successfully continue to mee the need of their customers They have to start thinking of ways to restructure their objectives and policies so that they increase their effectiveness and flexibility with the changing global market. For every successful organization, the meaning of change management differs but eventually means the same which is defining and implementing procedures, policies restructuring their goals and/or technologies to deal with changes in the business environment at global level and to profit from changing opportunities. it is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones who are most responsive to change Charles Darwin 2. CHANGE MANAGEMENT Different major organisational bodies have accepted different approaches to manage change at their workplace. Change management does not have a distinct discipline with well defined boundaries rather it depends on a no. of different social science disciplines and well known traditions. In order achieve a distinctive balance the central plank on which the change management stands will be limited to the following three schools of thought. The Individual Perspective School The Group Dynamics School The Open Systems School. 2.1The Individual Perspective school: The supporters of the above type of school are divided into two groups: The Behaviourists and the Gestalt-Field psychologists. According to the behaviourists an individuals behaviour is the outcome of ones interaction with the environment. On the other hand Gestalt-Field psychologists think that it is the product of ones interaction with the environment and reason. In an experiment by Pavlov (1927) he proved that any individuals actions are conditioned by their expected consequences by discovering that a dog can be taught that when the bell rings it is time for food,coz every time the dog came to eat he rang the bell and associated the bell with the food. 2.2 The Group dynamics School This is a school with the longest history and originating with the work of Kurt Lewin. It mostly emphasis on bringing organisational change through teams and group works rather than work being done by individuals. 2.3 The Open Systems School In contrast to the above two types of change management where the focus is on individual and groups, this type of school mostly emphasises on the organisation in its entirety. It sees organisations composed of a number of interconnected sub-systems and any change made to any of the sub-systems will have an impact on the other part of the system. 2.4John P Kotters eight steps to successful change In one of his best books of his Dr John Paul Kotter pens down the eight steps to successful change. He also emphasises on the fact that if any one of the following step is ignored the entire change management might fail. According to him leadership skills are different to that of management skills and for a successful implementation of change management we need 70 to 80% leadership and 20 to 30% management skills. Following are the eight steps for a successful implementation of change management. Act with urgency Develop a guiding coalition Develop a vision for change Communicate the vision Empower broad-based action Generate short-term wins Dont let up Make it stick in the organizational culture The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change everything or nothing Lady Nancy Astor BARRIERS TO CHANGE While Implementing change it must always be taken into consideration that change always will not have a positive effect it might go the other way round and turn things around. So while change is being managed managers need to keep in mind the mindset of their employees. There may be several reasons for failing to successfully implement change in an organisation, but if we carefully look into it , it comes down to the following four factors. Lack of good and consistent leadership Staff not aware of the fact that there is change taking place and WHY? Shortage of Finance and overstressed staff. Lack of risk taking that is to do something different. The pace at which change is increasing with the advent of internet ,particularly with the social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter people are so advanced with new technologies ,new ways of doing business and also different new ways of conducting ones life that it has almost become compulsory to keep up to the sentiments of people. It is important to know your target population and understand their sentiments in order for successful implementation of change at workplace. UK BASED ORGANISATION. Following are few examples and case studies based on organisations in UK highlighting their approach to the changing environment and how the adjusted by making necessary changes to their policies, goals, and culture which they practised. CORUS: A Steel giant formed previously by merging of British Steel plc and a Dutch company Hoogovens, now a subsidiary of TATA group and Indian based organisation. The following case study is a wonderful example based on how a company tries to implement certain changes in the organisation and how it overcomes the barriers faced on the course of action. Corus has three operating divisions and over 40,000 people worldwide making the family of Corus CORUS FAMILY Corus Strip products UK (CSP UK) is based on South Wales and is one of the leading manufacturers of steel in strip. In 2005 CSP UK introduced a culture plan called The Journey. It mainly focussed on the value and belief of its people and was not only limited to its employees but also to its contractors, suppliers and other partners. By early 2007 the decided to communicate the plan to its employees by handing over a booklet to them which outlined values of The Journey and what was expected out of them. Now why did the management suddenly planned to make? What were the reason for change? INTERNAL FACTORS The growing strength of external competitors. Health and safety issues within the organisation. Delay in delivery resulting in loss of business Competitiveness: Steel produced in UK could be more expensive compared to other country. High wastage due to failure in manufacturing the right product in the right time. Lack of motivation amongst the staff. EXTERNAL FACTORS New competitors Changing customers requirements New technology meant better expectation. TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM) was previously introduced to improve the productivity and competitiveness. BARRIERS TO CHANGE As mentioned above every organisation trying to implement change will have to face its barriers. Change may challenge the ability, experience and practice of employees and this can create a barrier successful implementation of change. For example if job roles are changed in the organisation the the employee might feel that they are losing their status or if there is job cut then the existing employees might feel insecure. Corus has a traditional culture which the followed which made it more difficult for the change to take place.

Values Education Essay -- Education

A multitude of complex and contentious legal issues face individuals and groups alike in Australia on a day-to-day basis. By notion, Legal Studies is then intended as an opportunity for students in their senior years of schooling to develop knowledge and tangible skills, as well as shape the values, attitudes and beliefs necessary to enhance their awareness and ability to actively participate as informed, proactive and critical members of society (Queensland Studies Authority, 2007). To effectively navigate the legal and moral mindfield that beckons, it is vital for students to be informed about their rights and responsibilities within legislation (Eekelaark, 1992). Essential to the progression of students through the syllabus is the concept of Values Education, which when taught in conjunction with Productive Pedagogies models in the classroom describes explicit or implicit school-based activities which promotes a student’s knowledge and understanding of values, which develop s the skills and dispositions of students so they can enact particular values in their everyday lives as individuals and members of the community (Queensland Government Department of Education and Training, 2004). In Queensland, Legal Studies consists of six prescribed sections of study throughout Year 11 and 12: â€Å"The legal system†; â€Å"Crime and society†; â€Å"Civil obligations†; â€Å"You, the law and society† (renting and buying; family; jobs; sport; environment; consumers; technology; rights and responsibilities – at least two units to be chosen); â€Å"Independent study† and â€Å"Law in a changing society† whereby students collect, organise, analyse and synthesise relevant information and evaluate its quality and validity across a variety of sources (Queensland Studies Aut... ...ueensland Government Department of Education and Training (2004). Productive Pedagogies. Retrieved from Queensland Government Department of Education and Training website http://education.qld.gov.au/public_media/reports/curriculum-framework/productive-pedagogies/pdfs/prodped.pdf Schultz, J. (2004). The Place of Values in SOSE Inquiry: An example related to the topic of Reconciliation. The Social Educator, December 2004, 15-23. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (1998). Learning To Live Together In Peace and Harmony: Values Education for Peace, Human Rights, Democracy and Sustainable Development for the Asia-Pacific Region. Bangkok, TH: UNESCO Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Woodgate, R., Black, A., Owens, B., Biggs, J. (2011). Legal Studies for Queensland Volume 1 (6th Ed.). Brisbane, AU: Legal Eagle Publications.

Principles of Communication in Adult Social Care Settings Essay

1.1 The diffrent reasons people communicate are to tell others what there needs are for example there are hungry they need the toilet they would like something they need help to carry out a action and many more. They may like to exress or share ideas about themself or others. To obtaine or recive infomation maby about there children family or friends residence in a care home often worry about there family and when they are going to come to see them ect. People communiate to form relationships with others and share life experiences and to get to know each other. people comminicate to do most things it is very important. 1.2 Communication affects relationships in an adult socal care settings for encouraging participation in activities that go on in the home eg bingo outings film days music sessions theres all require communication but are very good to keep are brain active. To create equality so everyone has the same choices and chances in the home. To share understadings to make a better understanding for yourself. Read more: Identify different reasons why we communicate  essay 2.1 Ways to establish the communication and language needs are meet and the wishes and preferences of an individual are just simply asking the person if they are able to communicate verbally in some cases the individual may have had a stroke so may not be able to do this so body language plays a big part if you work with a individual a lot you can read what there needs are just from the way they act.You should always read a care plan before carrying out care so you should have some knowldge on the client but if you are unsure of anything you should go back and read it again. If you do not know the individual well you could ask other staff members who may no alot more about that client and may no the answer to you questions. 2.2 Factors to consider when promting affective communication would be as simple as the way you approach the client and your tone of voice as this makes a big diffrence its not always what you say its the way that you say it. Your body language can also play a big part we as humans can read body language very well. The enviroment is a big factor to consider as if its very loud around the client may not be able to hear you and what you are asking them to do or you may not hear what they are asking you or telling you what they need. If there is poor lighting they may not be able to see the things around them so well so this would effect communication also. Us as care providers must respect values, beliefs and diffrent culture.You must also check if they use communication aids as this is very important if a client can you hear very well they will have a hearing aid this must be in when communication is needed or they will not be able to hear and understand everything you are trying to help them with. 2.3 There are a range of communication methods and styles to meet individuals needs there are non-verbal communication are this things like written words,facial expressions,touch,behaviour,gestures,eye contact,behaviour and flash cards or pictures. The other type of cummunication is verbal these include verbal,pitch and vocabulary. communcation styles mat include positive,assertive,warm and supportive. 2.4 It is important to respond to an individuals reaction when communicating to respond in a appropiate way and to share a understanding when in a care home setting staff and residence become close and genrally get a good understanding of one another. If the individuals reaction is missed they may become distressed, fustrated or maby even frightened as they may be trying to tell you that something is wrong or they are in a need for help this would be more common with individuals who cant communicate verbally. 3.1 Individuals from diffrent backgrounds may use communication mathods in a diffrent ways. Examples of this may be someone who has been in a very close loving family may use touch much more than a individual who has been brought up and lived alone may be very uncomfortable with touch and may like as minimal as possible. Clients from diffrent countrys may use diffent languages and if they are unable to speak english or staff are unable to speak there known language then other forms of communiacation must be used. Peoples tone of voice may be used diffrent depending on there background this must always be respected and understood. 3.2 Barriers that effect communication are not making sure communication aids are avaliable like hearing aids and not checking they are working. If you do not allow sufficient time to listen then the client cant tell you if they need anything else or that they have any problems. If you are a care worker are dismissive they may not feel they can talk to you and this may cause them great stress. You must always give the client privacy if this is not done the client mat become very distressed. A lot of noice when you are trying to communicate is not good things may not be understood or heard from both sides. 3.3 Ways to overcome barriers to communicate may be adapting communication methods so all clients have a way to communivate with staff in a possitive effective way. To make information avalible in a variety of formats so all clients have the chance to udersand the information in the best possible way for them. We as care providers must ensure all the support needed is avalible at all times this will help make the client feel safe and secure. We must always establish an individuals needs and wishes and there culture and abide by there needs. 3.4 Statergies that can be used to clarify misunderstandings may include asking the individual to repeate what they said again and confirming understanding so they understand you didnt hear then correct the first time but when they repeated you understood. You may also ckeck with other that the undertanding you got from the client is correct. 3.5 To access extra support or services to enable individuals to communicate effectively may be there GP,individuals family or friends,socal workers.support groups or a specialised nurse.This would be if there was a problem with communiacation and the client needed extra things to be put in place so there was more effective communication for the client this would make sure all there care needs are meet and it prevented the client possibly becoming very distressed. A service may incude a speech and language service who can help people who can not communicate verbally in a effective way. 4.1 The meaning of confidentiality is to keep information private and only people who have a need to see it are to be able to access information. It also means keeping information safe in the correct locked place. You must only pass private information on with the indivduals permission to others who have a right to it. 4.2 Ways to maintain confidentiality in day to day communication are to keep all written records safe so not leaving records in places where other may see. You must ensure confidentual information is passed on only to other who have the need to know it. There must be paswords protecting electronic files and only people who need to know the passwords to know. We must always ckeck the identity of a person before passing personal information on to them. And we must provide a private environment. 4.3 The potential tension between maintaining an individuals confidentaility and disclosing concerns to agreed others may include breaching a confidence with an individual, It may also raise a safeguarding issue. It also may put the rights of others before those of an individual there are many other health profesionals who may be the agreed other like colleagues,GP,nurse,physiotherapist,family,advocate,dementia care advisior or socal worker. 4.4 When unsure of how to seek advice we should speak with are manager and if still unsure how we should speak with CQC who are the care quality commision. But we should always follow the organisations confidentiality policy.When to seek advice may be when claification is needed or when confidential information needs to be shared with agreed others.

Free Essays on Tropic Of Cancer

Tropic Of Cancer Henry Miller was born in New York on December 26, 1891. He moved to Paris on March 4, 1930 to become a successful writer. His work, †Tropic Of Cancer†, is probably one of the most unique, bizarre, and hilarious novels ever written in the history, and it is considered his premier work. In this autobiographical story, he portrayed his life in Paris, talked about whores he slept with, and spoke ill of his friends. He used a tremendous number of sexual, racial, and obscene expressions in the story. His writing style was distinct from that of other well-educated authors in that it was just like street talk. Because of theses explicit sexual expressions, this book was banned in all English-speaking countries until 1961. What was he trying to tell us through the two hundred eighty six pages of *censored*? As the readers flip the pages, they will find the following deep meanings behind the story: 1) he railed against the old conformity and tried to start the sexual revolution, 2) he condemned materialism and taught us the meaning of happiness, and 3) he portrayed the importance of time and its transience. By explicitly portraying his sex life, Henry Miller rebelled against the old conformity and attempted to make a change in people’s phobic attitude towards sex. Although ancient Romans or Greeks had considered human sexuality as an art, the majority of the world had become allergic to these kinds of expressions after the fall of the civilizations. At the beginning of the 20th century, some artists and authors began expressing human sexuality in their works. Henry Miller was one of them. In spite of artistic beauty, their works were labeled as obscene because the society was against the expression of human sexuality. Miller railed against America’s sexual schizophrenia and he was rewarded by being banned, burned, pirated, deprived both of his livelihood and his power to reach his potential ... Free Essays on Tropic Of Cancer Free Essays on Tropic Of Cancer Tropic Of Cancer Henry Miller was born in New York on December 26, 1891. He moved to Paris on March 4, 1930 to become a successful writer. His work, †Tropic Of Cancer†, is probably one of the most unique, bizarre, and hilarious novels ever written in the history, and it is considered his premier work. In this autobiographical story, he portrayed his life in Paris, talked about whores he slept with, and spoke ill of his friends. He used a tremendous number of sexual, racial, and obscene expressions in the story. His writing style was distinct from that of other well-educated authors in that it was just like street talk. Because of theses explicit sexual expressions, this book was banned in all English-speaking countries until 1961. What was he trying to tell us through the two hundred eighty six pages of *censored*? As the readers flip the pages, they will find the following deep meanings behind the story: 1) he railed against the old conformity and tried to start the sexual revolution, 2) he condemned materialism and taught us the meaning of happiness, and 3) he portrayed the importance of time and its transience. By explicitly portraying his sex life, Henry Miller rebelled against the old conformity and attempted to make a change in people’s phobic attitude towards sex. Although ancient Romans or Greeks had considered human sexuality as an art, the majority of the world had become allergic to these kinds of expressions after the fall of the civilizations. At the beginning of the 20th century, some artists and authors began expressing human sexuality in their works. Henry Miller was one of them. In spite of artistic beauty, their works were labeled as obscene because the society was against the expression of human sexuality. Miller railed against America’s sexual schizophrenia and he was rewarded by being banned, burned, pirated, deprived both of his livelihood and his power to reach his potential ...

Current Issue in Financial Accounting Essay Example

Current Issue in Financial Accounting Essay Example Current Issue in Financial Accounting Essay Current Issue in Financial Accounting Essay People have curiosity over the world, including information such as how it operates. The Information derived from the world can affect peoples behavior. This also holds true In the financial world. However, there has been debate about the approaches that can be taken to increase the understanding of the world. In accounting, the traditional scientific approach, which has enjoyed its monopoly for a long time, is attracting extensive criticism, especially from those who propose an alternative approach (the critical approach). This essay will compare and contrast these two approaches and discuss how they are utilized for accounting research. The eclectic approach (also known as the postvocalic approach) differs from the critical approach significantly in the ontological aspect. Positivists hold the idea that truth is out there to be discovered. For the critical approach, accounting should not be perceived as something objective or indicative of what the real world is (Hooper, Dave, Lancashire ; Prescott, 2008). The information collected by positivists from studies can disclose what Is found to be right In the sampled population but the Information should not be extended to cover a wider range of conclusions. Besides, the world is multifaceted. What appears to be right on one dimension might not be the same in another dimension. Positivists present the idea that information collected is adequate for reaching conclusions, but the critical approach does not consider this adequacy as the strength of the conclusions but as the cause of conclusions fallibility (Humphrey Escapes, 2007). The Impact of social domination provides a strong argument against the notion that accounting is not a natural or precise science. The critical approach has also attacked activism on the drawbacks of the statistical methodology it has developed and relied on. However sophisticated the methodology or the research instrument is, positivism is to varying degrees yielding to researchers subjective analysis, management of interpretation of data (Fleischman, Radcliff ; Shoemaker, 2003). Researchers understanding and deflation of subjects and terminology might also be different (Tinker, 2005). In other words, findings released by the scientific approach are informative to some extent but not entirely reliable. Needless to say, statistic tools are valuable when subjects can be quantified. Economic activities cannot be quantified all the time (Fleischman et al. 2003). For example, it is unlikely to quantify the Impact of the agency cost on accounting figures. The quantification of some elements which are not easily measurable makes the research methodology controversial and unconvincing. In addition to theoretical and subjective matters, the critical approach also suggests that the scientific research undervalues or omits the effect of cultural factors, economic factors, political factors and other external forces that mould accounting practices (Humphrey Lee, 2007). There are two implications for the critical approaches emphasis on the contextual factors that have a bearing on accounting- related research. I nee TLS Implication Is Tanat ten contextual Doctors, wanly are complex and ever-changing, account for why accounting is malleable rather than definite. For instance, the creative accounting theory argues that organizations take various approaches to affect accounting statement users opinions (Siskin ; Schneider, 2008). There can be a complex of factors contributing to this, managers incentives, the fear of investors pessimism, tax obligations, and so forth. Even more important is the fact that in many cases, some factors are overlooked but still of importance to a specific phenomenon. In these circumstances, the scientific approach is fallacious at its root, because the use of statistical tools is not reasonably applicable in accounting, at least not as applicable as it is in physical sciences (Hooper et al, 2008). Due to all these barriers (researchers biases, imperfections of research methods and the ever-changing external environment), an increasing number of scholars have put forward the argument that the scientific approach can never attain its objective of exploring the rules of the world reliably; alternatively, it is a pragmatic tool developed by capitalists to achieve social domination and a tool to relieve the potential intention among different actors in society (Dullard, 1991). This argument is reasonable, either in the past or in contemporary society. Accounting in the early 20th century was used to attract investors attention and investment in new ventures. Today, for instance, the shareholders and the managers do have some interests in conflict, but accounting can serve as a bridge between them and reduce the distrust caused by information asymmetry (Macintosh ; Baker, 2002). Critics of positivism also argue that both accounting and research on accounting are social phenomena, which are ephemeral in nature and cannot be perpetuated (Hogue, 2006). Accounting does not measure and disclose the actual accumulation of wealth in society but merely provides an explanation of resource distribution (Tinker, Merino ; Marker, 1982). Accounting standards change in responses to the changes in the dominating ideology of the society, as suggested by the critical approach. For instance, the importance attached to an organizations intangible sets in recent years leads to the emergence of the balanced scorecard, a brand new performance measurement tool that includes more than an organizations financial performance. These accounting practices were not useful a century ago, where the labor-intensive economy predominated. This kind of examples can pose a challenge on positivism, which is captured by the idea of finding the genuine and perpetual truth of the world. The critical approach also suspects other rationales behind drawing a causal relationship between events in the economic world. There are two possible arguments against this attempt. The first argument is that the causal relationship validated by the scientific approach is in fact fallible (Hogue, 2006). It is satisfactory only because the incidents that prove otherwise have not yet been discerned. Another argument is that even though a causal relationship does exist and accounts for a majority of incidents, the scientific approach does not foresee all elements that can come Into play, nor does It measure ten elements In ten order AT Importance conclusively (Humphrey ; Lee, 2007). For these reasons, attempts to launch scientific research are fruitless and meaningless (Humphrey ; Lee, 2007). The scientific approach is also based on an assumption that everything occurs logically (Hooper et al, 2008). It is too simplistic to lay out this assumption. Humans are always possibly driven by their will rather than rules (Tinker, 2005). For instance, even though accounting practices have been developed to measure an organizations ability to pay off debt, the collapse of banks in the supreme crisis indicates that organizations would overstate their assets rather than be mindful of their liquidity. Therefore, if the irrationality always exists, researchers should not anticipate their search findings to contribute to the effectiveness of the world and identify the best practices. Paradoxically, after the crisis deepened, some countries enacted laws to allow banks to put doubtful debt (which was in fact bad debt) in current assets constantly in order to prevent public panic. This contingency policy is in conflict with some basic accounting standards (treating bad debt as expenses). The scientific research is also theory-laden, which means that it starts from the analysis of existing theories (Hooper et al, 2008). Its attention is concentrated on verifying the relationships presupposed by existing theories. For this reason, it is passive and not friendly to changes. It does not take initiative to introduce new solutions that might become meaningful to meet unprecedented needs and challenges. Despite all these problems of positivism, it is important to note that the critical approach in itself is not a method of research but a method of examining research (Hooper et al, 2008). There is the preposition to associate the critical approach with the qualitative research, a methodology which is also concerned about contextual factors and characteristics of the subject (Tinker, 2005). However, more often than not, qualitative research leads to the establishment of some hypotheses and assumptions which are speculative in nature. Case-based research, another research methodology commonly used in the critical approach, cites exceptions to attack the generalized findings of positivism (Humphrey Escapes, 2007). However, this is also the weakness of the critical approach. The critical approach draws attention to what is wrong or what can be wrong but performs no function in finding what is right (due to the belief that it is unlikely to do so) (Humphrey Lee, 2007). Another problem found in the critical approach is that even though it tries to evade a conclusive answer but attacks a perceived reality, the evidence it brings together is controversial, because of the lack of the use of well-recognized research methods (Morgan Wolcott, 1993). The irony is that the critical research offers some novel perspectives to view some subjects, but these perspectives do not receive more attention unless they are tested by statistic tools (Hogue, 2006). Thats why despite the growing influence of the critical research, positivism still predominates in accounting literature (Hogue, 2006). I nee Ideal AT ten critical approach Is Tanat researchers can evaluate ten accounting system as an outsider. The main rationale behind this is that researchers can detect the problems of the system more easily (Hooper et al, 2008). However, beyond any doubt, researchers have to rely on their knowledge in evaluation. Such knowledge is basically derived from what was found in the scientific approach. It therefore brings attention to the impracticability of the critical approach, as the objective and legitimate critique of the system in which accounting standards develop is impossible (Dullard, 1991). The accounting scandals that have been disclosed in recent years illustrate this point, despite the continued development of standards during the same period. Instead of debating about whether positivism is superior to the critical approach or vice versa, accounting research should recognize their pros and cons and use them with caution. The scientific approach can be adopted to test the validity of some hypotheses or at least to what extent the hypotheses hold, but it should be compensated by the critical approach, which leads people to examine hypotheses from a variety of perspectives (Humphrey ; Escapes, 2007). While positivism gives management or other users of accounting statements convenience in interpreting financial data with a number of shared and generalized understandings of such data, the convenience can be misleading if it does not consider the complexity of variables such as contexts. As Tweeted (2010) states in the article, accounting students should be aware of the circumstances prevailing when analyzing issues and Judgment. Positivists should evaluate their knowledge, assumptions and hypotheses according to the most powerful external forces that are present where the discussion and analysis are carried out. People should also be aware of their own assumptions and beliefs (Hooper et al, 2008). For example, if people assume that current assets of an organization should be more of liquidity than non-current assets, they might need to evaluate what constitutes an organizations current asset. This can be different in different countries and periods of time in a fiscal year. One important lesson that has been learned from the scientific approach is that there should be more than one explanation of an event. There is no point in arguing that one explanation is better than another and then the less satisfactory explanation would be discarded (Hooper et al, 2008). Each explanation has its drawbacks and also its rationality. It can find its Justifications in different contexts. This can help people gain a better and more comprehensive understanding of an event.

Pumping Up The ECONOMIC GROWTH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pumping Up The ECONOMIC GROWTH - Essay Example This means that enhancing human capital will increase the quality of labor, which will in turn increase economic growth. The third factor that has to be considered is capital, an increase of which will increase economic growth. Capital is best increased by focusing on investment that improves the technology used. This will ensure that capital used in production produces more output with less usage of resources. However, the factors mentioned above have some detrimental effects, for example, using more resources to enhance economic growth results in the depletion of available resources. This means that future generations will have fewer resources with which to benefit themselves. The second detrimental factor is pollution, which usually occurs as resources are used to produce. The third factor is job displacement, which occurs because of an increase in technology that replaces human capital. The last detrimental factor in economic growth is cultural change, where existing cultures are continually replaced as economic growth is

Globalization and International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Globalization and International Relations - Essay Example As a result of globalization, nations could improve their political as well technological relations globally. This paper will analyze globalization and its impacts on international relations. The concept of global economy came into existence with the emergence of globalization. This process notably assisted different segments of the international market. Globalization has significantly contributed to the creation of a global market and a global system of production. Capital marketers also enjoy the benefits of globalization as it has contributed to the integration of financial systems. This concept aided financial organizations like International Monetary Fund to disseminate â€Å"a particular view of the state’s role within the international economy† (Robinson, 2006). In addition, globalization enhanced the development of telecommunications media which in turn fastened the spread of global mass culture. And the key production factors such as capital and labor became globally mobile. Globalization eliminated international trade barriers and thus promoted international relations once this concept weakened the ability of nations to control transnational operations and economic activities. Companies transplanted their production facilities to other countries where costs are comparatively lower. Before the emergence of globalization, developing and underdeveloped countries had little access to developed markets and improved technology. However, since globalization, the global economic environment has undergone tremendous changes. According to Devetak and Hughes (2008, p. 34), globalization connects nations through a global network, and it assists a nation to get access to foreign markets and customers. Since the nations got ranges of benefits from globalization, governments adopted a liberal approach towards international trade.