European History Essay Paper †Past Question Plans Essay

This is an ‘explain’ type question – so it’s asking you to do just that, but also a little more. Merely describing the measures Ferdinand and Isabella took to cope with various problems will get some marks, but more marks will be gained if you weigh up the outcomes of these policies, and register how successful they were. For example, you may say in the essay that Ferdinand and Isabella faced economic problems, and you may go on to explain what policy(ies) they introduced to solve the problem. This would be ‘explaining’ how they ‘dealt’ with the problem, but you can go further and say how well they dealt with it compared to other issues, etc. Also, refer to historians and what they said about how they dealt with problems. Always link back to the question. So – you must: a) Show what the problems were b) What measures they took to deal with them c) How successful these measures were, evaluating against other issues, historiographical interpretations, short-term/long-term instances. The essay: PARA 1 – WHAT WERE THE PROBLEMS: i) Civil War in Aragon – decline of Barcelona, civil disorder, social unrest. ii) Lack of Grandee support for Isabella. iii) Lack of Town support for Isabella. iv) Foreign menaces. v) Religious issues – Jews, Muslims, Reconquista. PARA 2 – HOW THEY DEALT WITH THEM: i) Civil War in Aragon: well, King John of Aragon was very much in favour of a marriage alliance of Ferdinand with Isabella. John saw this as a way of engineering territorial security in area like Catalonia, keeping the French at bay. He also saw the possibility of better economic ties that would help halt the decline of Barcelona and peasant unrest. Thus, Chroniclers depicted Ferdinand – King in January 1479 – as the founder of a new Age, a ‘Messiah’. The real problems in Aragon, however, like that of town control over financial policy, were not even attempted to be sorted out until after 1479 when Ferdinand had been King for a few years. However, between 1469 and 1479, we can see the ideal behind John’s plan to marry Ferdinand and Isabella, as it was meant to give Ferdinand a better chance to reviving Aragon’s fortunes – something, in the long-term, which slowly starts to happen, for example with the emergence of town consulados, etc. ii) Lack of Grandee support for Isabella: Isabella had some Grandee support – but she needed more in order to win her succession. The succession crisis was the biggest issue, and within that, the lack of Grandee support – an important problem that needed to be addressed. So, she had to make deals to get support. She needed their support as Grandees had land, money, power and men – they could make or break a monarch. So, she bought them off: Cardinal Mendoza was promised a Chancellorship, his brother was created Duke of Infantado; Enriquez was made Admiral of Castile; Velasco made Constable of Castile. Isabella said – support me and I’ll reward you, and this is how she changed the potentially dangerous situation of only a minority of Nobles supporting her, to a majority in favour of her. iii) Lack of town support: Most towns were in revolt; many ‘bandos’ fought for their own control of the towns and cities, depriving Ferdinand and Isabella of an important power base. Isabella used a variety of techniques to overcome the problem, demonstrating her political aptitude and ability to work out different answers to varying situations. Thus, Burgos was promised Royal protection from liberty-threatening nobles after Burgos’s citizens highlighted this as a major hindrance in their supporting of Isabella. Toledo was offered extensive privileges if they submitted; Seville was threatened with financial and commercial penalties if Isabella’s right as Queen was refused there. Rodrigo declared in favour of Isabella ————————————————————————————————————————- How important was religion in influencing the policies of Ferdinand and Isabella? The only way to avoid narrative is to structure an essay properly and to focus on explaining and arguing, rather than telling the story. It takes a certain amount of courage to accept, but a shorter, focused, analytical answer is much better than a long, narrative one! If you can, use short, snappy quotations to support your analysis, rather than long factual descriptions. Clearly you understand that religion was important and since this is the factor given in the essay title, you need to deal with this in the greatest depth. A brief introduction stressing the piety of Ferdinand and (especially) Isabella (eg ref â€Å"the Catholic monarchs†, the fact that their tomb in Granada Cathedral records only their â€Å"achievements† in religion) should be an followed by an explanation of how the conquest of Granada, the establishment of religious uniformity, the reform of the Spanish Church and even the sponsorship of Columbus were motivated by religious aims. In the context of this essay, the policy of religious uniformity requires particular attention, as the implementation of this policy was politically difficult (eg opposition to the Inquisition, especially in the Aragonese kingdoms and the revolt of the Alpujarras) and economically damaging (eg the loss of the wealth and commercial skills of the Jewish community especially in Barcelona and the disruption to trade and agriculture in Granada after the expulsion of the Moors). It therefore shows the importance of religion in the formation and implementation of policy, given that Ferdinand & Isabella were willing to accept the consequent political and economic difficulties. However, to give your essay balance you will need also to explain that these â€Å"religious† policies had other aims too, given the pressing need to restore and strengthen royal authority (particularly in Castile, after the anarchy of Henry IV’s reign and the civil war). In particular, the conquest of Granada and the sponsorship of Columbus were motivated by economic aims, while the conquest and reform of the Church also had broader political aims (eg the conquest united the nobility behind the new regime and gave it a safe outlet for its aggressive instincts, while ecclesiastical reform went some way to establishing royal authority over the Spanish Church). You should conclude that this complex of motives – religious, political and economic – was inevitable, given the personality of the Catholic monarchs and the context of their reign. I hope all this helps you with your studies. Good luck! ————————————————————————————————————————- How United was Spain by 1516? The main thing with any essay is to be clear in your mind about what you are going to say. Yes, there are different interpretations but the only point of view your exam marker is really interested in is yours! So you must decide right from the beginning what you think the answer is and structure your essay accordingly. If you have time, you can include some discussion of the other views/possibilities in your conclusion! In the case of this essay, there are a number of possible answers: ie Ferdinand & Isabella united Spain more or less completely; they didn’t unite it at all; or they united it in some ways but not others. Common sense will tell you that the last approach is probably the best one! Having decided what your argument is going to be, you can say so in your introduction (ie Ferdinand & Isabella imposed religious uniformity on Spain and created a dynastic union: however measure designed to bring about closer economic ties were half-hearted at best and they never united Spain politically) and structure the rest of the essay accordingly. Start off by explaining those areas where unity was achieved, in particular the implementation of policies designed to bring about religious uniformity (conquest of Granada, expulsion of Jews and Moors, Inquisition) and the dynastic union resulting from the marriage of Ferdinand & Isabella that also enabled the Catholic Kings to pursue common military and foreign policy aims. However, you should be aware that all of this only went so far. For example, the supposedly â€Å"Spanish† conquest of Granada actually resulted in the expansion of the crown of Castile, while toleration of Moorish practices actually continued in Aragon (especially Valencia). Perhaps most telling was the fact that after Isabella’s death, Ferdinand re-married in order to prevent (unsuccessfully) Charles of Burgundy from inheriting Aragon as well as Castile. In other words, Ferdinand did not want the dynastic union created by himself and Isabella to last if it meant that their joint heir would be a Habsburg prince. Consider the economy next: â€Å"unity† is suggested by the equalisation of currencies (often referred to as the introduction of a common currency) and the introduction of a rudimentary postal service. However, internal customs barriers and regulations protecting the privileged status of â€Å"native† merchants in towns like Barcelona, Valencia and Seville remained. Finally, explain that Ferdinand & Isabella certainly didn’t unite Spain in any political sense. Indeed, they probably had no intention of ever doing so (for example they never called themselves the King and Queen of Spain!). The component kingdoms all had their own rights and privileges that made it almost impossible to rule as a single political unit . Indeed, given the potential strength of the crown in Castile (and the weakness of royal authority in Aragon) Ferdinand & Isabella wisely concentrated on restoring the authority of the crown there, leaving Aragon more or less to its own devices. Apart from the Inquisition, there were no common political, administrative, legal or military institutions and the rights of the Aragonese kingdoms, Navarre and the Basque Provinces were fully respected (apart from the imposition of the Inquisition). Conclude this section of your essay by referring to events after Isabella’s death, when Ferdinand was seen as a â€Å"foreign† ruler with no rights in Castile and was consequently excluded from the government of the country. It was only the death of Archduke Philip and the madness of Joanna that forced the Castilian administration under Cisneros to turn (very reluctantly!) to Ferdinand for assistance. As noted above, your conclusion might include discussion of other interpretations/points of view but it is better if you end up reinforcing your own argument! If you can, find a snappy quotation that supports your point of view to end with! I hope this hopes you with your studies. Good luck!

Effective Advertising Essay

Advertising is considerably one of the vital strategies needed for a product or service to be known within a certain community. The scope of advertising has been highly controversial in the aspect of marketing nevertheless a towering issue in the political aspect as sought in elections and other forms of the like. Synthesis on effective advertising has been defined in accordance to the different models and theories presented in the literary aspect, which, of course has been collaborated with the context of practice. In the field of economics, it has been stressed that advertising consistently plays a vital role in shaping a proficient and efficient society beneficial on the glory it serves. As soon as printed symbols were invented the advertising man made use of them to give publicity to his merchandise (Sokotch, 2006). In recent times, advertisements are embossed on walls and tombs, in black and white on parchment and other paper entities, and are produced in publishing houses. Though these diverse forms of advertising were engaged, diminutive are considered and regard are not as effective as expected. Posters, painted signs, street-car placards, booklets, calendars, almanacs, handbills, magazine and newspaper advertising have now become forms of advertising so well established that we look upon them as a necessity, and are overwhelmed to find out that majority are up to date novelty (Tellis, 2003). However, it runs in the stream of cognitive, affective and behavioral pitches before one may thoroughly state that one’s mean of advertising is effective. Critical analysis on advertising in the contemporary society The verity of advertising in point of fact is focused in one set of audience alone. Take for example, for advertising in the market arena, the audience are the consumers; in the political arena, politicians advertise their platforms and propagandas in the light of the voters; while for research and other educational gains, it is in the hands of their respondents that they are able to complete their study—without these ‘audience’ it would be hard to comprehend why â€Å"advertisers† are so eager to let their â€Å"advertisement† out in the open with the milieu of persuasion and of encouragement over what they wish to imply (Michelet, 2006). Textbooks and other published materials would often lead to the fundamental concept of â€Å"Ivan Pavlov’s conditioning experiment† or that which has been used by Anne Sullivan, remarkably, the notion is coherent with the idea on advertising. The consumers represent Helen Keller and the advertiser is the teacher in the person of Anne Sullivan—motivation and persuasion, per se. Marx’s theory of commodity fetishism  There have been several deliberations on how advertising shall be crucially taken into basis of analysis. Apparently, critics has often addressed that media analysis collaborated with the arena of political, economical and socio-cultural context must not serve as grounds in identifying the ability of advertising and mass communications in empowering a contemporary capitalist society. Further, Marx’s theory of commodity fetishism connotes the perception—which by hand is used by fashion advertisers—that assessment of an effective advertisement falls on the utilization of a â€Å"model or person,† a product, a setting and text; hence it has also been cited that these forms of â€Å"advertising† is magnificently effective and never fails to capture the consumer-public (Karlsson, 2007). Conceivably, the Marxian theory all boils down to the fact that capitalism is legitimate since that it endows with the public with what they â€Å"want† and gradually fulfills their present needs, use, values and other sort of the like—corresponding to the ethics on exchange value, use value, surplus value, commodity fetishism and fickle-feeding. Strong’s AIDA Model The AIDA model is a behavioral approach which contains a purpose to uplift the verity of making an advertisement awareness-able, interest stimulating, and desire action-triggering dynamic in consumers. It is also considered as one of the most persuasive and highly efficient methods in advertising hence suggesting that for a certain advertisement to be effective, it has to be something that captivates attention leading to convincing the consumers that the product or service or whatever is advertised as interesting. Further, it must also have the ability to make the consumers crave for the product in the sense that they shall â€Å"desire† on it and finally for them to get attached with it and hopefully get a feedback that the advertising is effective. In a larger view with this model, it is important that the information being sent to the consumers is believable and memorable that even in the busy schedule of the consumers, or in the million of ideas processed by the mind each day, one’s advertisement is sought (Karlsson, 2007). Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results Theory This model presented by Russell Colley is popularly known as DAGMAR, of course, for the benefit of the masses, and a technique in memory building as well. Consequently, this communication strategy is known for its ability to send information without the utilization of excessive text or message. Its focal point falls on the level of understanding stating what the consumer must believe on an organization and at the same time to measure the efficiency of an advertising campaign (Bok, 2002). Further, it expresses the fact that there are four levels of understanding in advertisement and that the methods used in all commercial communications must come across that very objective. Hunching the four levels of understanding advertising the following are presented by the proponent: awareness of the existence of the organization advertising the brand, grasp on what the product is or is capable of, a rational suspicion or sagacity of conviction in buying the product and like the aforementioned methods, persuasion to act in availing the product advertised and have it stuck on their list (Karlsson, 2007). Lavidge and Steiner’s Heirarchy–of-effects model Published in the same time-frame as that of DAGMAR, this model raises the connotation that consumers possess a non-fickle personality hence consumers are skeptical in being convinced—not interested at all stake would be the fitting definition. Unlike the other theories, which stresses that all factors be cited in equal proportion, this model follows a liner path and insists that these factors are to be taken in a step-by-step basis (Karlsson, 2007). Awareness, knowledge, fondness, preference, conviction and purchase—the mentioned steps shape up this models apprehension. Moreover, the insistent point of this model expresses that consumers are wise enough not to be easily convinced, not unless they are holistically provided with the necessary details that they need inline with the kind of social standing that they have. French postmodernist theory of Jean Baudrillard: Theory of sign value Jean Baudrillard on the other hand, believed on the prowess of signs and symbols constituted by objects for that matter. Having a consumer society, the proponent’s theory dwells on the idea of implosion of aesthetics manifesting that advertising lies on aesthetic techniques and the promotion of consumption as a way of life. Baudrillard’s â€Å"sign value† analysis assess the consumer’s grave need for seeking various products and the actual gratifications that these products derive onto as well as with the social function that it offers. Lurking deep on the â€Å"social perspective† the proponent stresses that signs of sociality are great basis in building up the right method to advertise and capture their pockets to hail such (Harms and Kellner, 1990). Commentary Critical analysis on the models presented would wrap up the idea that advertising is a broad state of field. Perceivably, there are models which are similar in concept—consumers are after products, only that they seek for the best—however, there also appears the skeptical viewpoints that insists the un-fickleness of consumers and there is nothing advertisers can do but to wait for them to visit one’s shop dependent on their innate characteristic. In the light, due to the complexity of the marketing landscape and the advent of globalization, these theories may be evaluated as up-to-date or no longer effective a way or another. But then the perception on â€Å"basics† and fundamental perspectives will always contradict with that nuance. The behavior of the consumers has already transformed through time, with this, it may be taken to assumption that the â€Å"pessimistic† side of the story may be eradicated in pleas. The more â€Å"open† the society, the easier advertising influences them—the higher the chance to be marked as â€Å"effective. † Consumer vs. business in effective advertising In relation to business and consumers as two major factors in marketing, the predicament of the matter is clearly seen in the areas of communication efficiency, product quality and audience analysis. Take for example, the target groups must be taken consideration—kids, teens, adults, couples—all these must be known before a product shall be advertised. Aside from that, culture is also a factor, what to be advertised must be taken into deliberation first considering the fact that the context of the advertisement may not be acceptable in the kind of culture where the product is introduced. In the case of technological product advertising, the following threats may be assessed: as categorized, opportunities and threats, which is basically a portrayal of external change is the scale fall on the line of â€Å"five forces of threat,† namely, (1) threat of new entrants (rising companies of the same service rendered as well as with other rising broadcasting companies which will offer ‘greater’ service than theirs), (2) competitive rivalry (competition in sales, in fame and in the service satisfaction), (3) threat of substitution (other broadcasting/media corporations such as films, 3D theater, home-video conferencing, piracy and other sorts of the like), (4) power of buyers (upon knowing the fact that the society always change their â€Å"taste† primarily in the streamline of the kinds of shows which is â€Å"famous† in the immediate time and the advent of technological advancements such as 3D and other competition in broadcasting) and (5) p ower of suppliers (the fact that such is competition, resources is most likely to halt leading to scarcity from manufacturers of entities and commodities needed for broadcasting). All which serve as the grounds for the success or the failure of the company or the industry and if fortunate, then it will be easier to get the general objective (Mooij, 2005). Advertising in the commerce landscape  Progress in the subject matter is made in the abstract; one scholar shows a compelling talent for innovation, and others amend and improve on his work, all without close reference to the economic context. In the last one hundred years the great corporate enterprise, the trade union, depression and war, increasing and increasingly dispersed affluence, the changing nature of money and the new and enhanced role of the central bank, the declining role of agriculture with the counterpart urbanization and growth of urban poverty, the rise of the welfare state, the newly assumed responsibility of the government for overall economic performance, the emergence of socialist states, have all dramatically altered, even revolutionized, economic life. As the subject matter of economics has changed, so necessarily has the subject. Advertising comes in a handy realization that the more complex the economy gets, the larger the need for business tycoons to broaden their understanding with the flow of the society in patronizing their basic needs. The competition floating in the commercial room also serves as a challenge that each advertisement of their product must be sent with critical analysis and with a pinch of â€Å"freshness† capable enough to outstand the other entities which steams up the battle. The scope of marketing must not only fall under the circumstance of financial basis itself, but rather on the deeper application premises of the activity. An illustration of such would surface in a company’s ability to perform social responsibilities and being able to consistently adjust on the intrinsic and extrinsic demands of the society, as well as with keeping track on the challenges laid on the inevitable table of change (Michelet, 2006). It must be kept in mind that advertising is the only gateway to get their products’ path to the consumers. With the competition rising, consumers are wise enough to know what they want and which is best. Assessment on the components of effective advertising in McDonalds An example of effective advertising is practiced by McDonalds; the power of commercial speech is exercised. Even when backed by the resources and visibility of a McDonalds Corporation, the power of commercial speech campaigns is limited. Neither particular advertisements nor broader advertising campaigns are always effective, even when they have been well researched and well financed: the majority of prospective new brands that are test marketed are not marketed nationally. The battle of the marketplace has many casualties. Even when advertising affects behavior, the effect may be temporary (Michelet, 2006). And when the effects are more enduring, they may amount only to switches among rival brands by established users, rather than new consumers for any of the rival brands. Some advertising—consider the various recent plans and pricing claims of the leading long distance telephone carriers—is widely disliked. As a result, many ads are simply drowned out, unnoticed or unremembered in the ongoing daily proliferation of commercial speech. This does not mean, however, that commercial speech, or commercial advertising more narrowly, does not have important long-term effects, intended or unintended, on American culture and decision making. Commercial advertising is in some sense a ‘zero sum’ game, with one product’s gain being another’s loss. The proliferation of ads, however, does not lead simply to a process of mutual conflict, let alone mutual annihilation (Harms and Kellner, 1990). Conclusions and further remarks Moreover, given the fact that the main subject and prospects for the purpose of venturing into business are the masses, it most likely true that customer satisfaction is a pious must. In simple logic, selling does not only denote giving consumers the idea that a product/service offered on the market/industry, but rather dwelling on the array of perception that consumers are after ‘fame’ of the company as well as the ‘trend’ which is seemingly floating up in the limelight and the ‘generation status’ per se’ – more like, â€Å"in-line-with-amazing-quality† (Easey, 2001). The above mentioned threats then takes place, the world of business is a vortex of intrinsic and extrinsic challenges which requires critical analysis on what consumers need and logical wit to determine the flexibility of the product and service. That is the main purpose of the survey and other forms of observation in the society are needed to achieve managerial goals and jive along with the â€Å"change of taste† and speculations of the masses (Mooij, 2005). What utterly demoralizes business tycoons and practitioners hangs back on the exactness of the cost and the revenue generated by investments which are indefinite to be defined, for the reason that the scheme and the flow of the advertising differ dependently upon the ‘season’ or under the discretion of the contemporary society. It would seem quite hard to distinguish which of the sites are assumed to be the most significant or rather the one which is offering the best service for the majority (Beckwith, 2003). Since that, those who are apt to surf actually depend on what they wish to find. In addition to that, each layer of the society hold different jobs or activity with diverse enthusiasm, it is evident that it is possible to shift sites which then give the argument abstain on conviction with regard to the matter (Seelye, 2005). The aforementioned threats must not serve as intimidating factors in the world of business, hence a challenge towards the attainment of organizational goals through the use of effective advertising. In conclusion, effective advertising depends on for demonstration of the method, traditional or modern as long as the advertiser knows the perfect mixture of the factors needed in advertising, what is sold on the market will be a sure hit. In collaboration with the political or academic concept, a politician does not get votes not unless he or she knows what words are to be uttered in specific groups and what technique of persuasion is to be utilized in that certain point of time. Effective advertising does not only require skill, timing is a vital one.

Sociology Within 1984 by Orwell

Madeline LaRossa October 24, 2012 C07789454 Potential Outcomes of Progress: Orwell’s 1984 1) Summary of the Book 1984 is an eye-opening novel written by George Orwell. Orwell wrote the novel in 1949 to outline how he projected society would be in 1984 if progress continued upon its current track. Orwell published the book as a warning that society must be careful about progress for progress’s sake, or conditions could end up similar to the way society is in his work 1984. The novel is divided into three chapters, or books, each with multiple subunits, and these sections tell the story in chronological order.The book ends with an appendix on the principles of newspeak, the new language of Oceania. The novel follows Winston Smith’s experiences in London in 1984. Smith is a low-ranking member of â€Å"the Party,† the all-controlling ruling entity of their county Oceania. The Party (represented by Big Brother) has telescreens (two-way microphones and cameras) and spies everywhere with the purpose of finding and snuffing out anyone who is not fully and unquestioningly devoted to the Party.The citizens of Oceania are not allowed to own their own property, are not allowed any privacy (even in their thoughts), are not encouraged to have sexual desires, are forced to live under strict rations in constant wartimes, and are forced to alter their memories and records as The Party sees fit. The book focuses on Smith’s secret disobedience of the Party; he thinks he joins an underground resistance movement However, he is eventually captured and tortured into honest belief of everything that the Party and Big Brother claim and represent. 2) Summary of the ChaptersThe beginning of the first chapter takes place in April of 1984 and introduces the reader to the book’s protagonist, Winston Smith. Smith is coming home to his dilapidated apartment building (ironically called â€Å"Victory Mansions†) and reflects both on his troublesom e varicose ulcer and on the large posters plastered everywhere, all advertising the same blown-up face and stating â€Å"Big Brother is Watching You. † The reader learns that although Smith is a low-ranking member of the Party, he is still under their oppressive control. Smith enters his apartment and sits in the alcove in his oom hidden from the telescreen; he proceeds to commit â€Å"thoughtcrime† by writing his true feelings against the Party in his secret diary. In the second and third parts of the chapter, Winston reflects on how there are spies everywhere searching for thoughtcrime and how a parent’s own child will turn him in. Winston thinks about his childhood and how the Party has falsified historical records as they saw fit, even though Winston is not allowed to acknowledge or even be having these thoughts. Winston also reflects on a man named O’Brien, with whom he works and whom he suspects may also secretly question the Party as he does.In the middle of the first chapter, Smith goes to his job at the Party, where he falsifies old records in order to account for the Party constantly switching war enemies and eliminating questioning citizens. While at work, Winston hears an announcement from The Party stating that they are increasing rations, when Winston really knows that they are decreasing them. Winston observes how everyone believes this unquestioningly, but then wonders if he has given himself away when he realizes that a dark-haired woman has been watching him.When he goes home, Smith writes in his diary about how he would love to have a steamy sexual affair because the Party discourages sex for any means other than reproduction. In the close of the first chapter, Smith writes in his diary about how any hope for rebellion lies in the â€Å"proles,† the lowest class in Oceania, and a rumored secretive resistance group called â€Å"The Brotherhood. † Smith considers how bad the conditions are that everyon e lives in, but then realizes that no one has any previous better conditions to compare it to, thanks to the Party altering all historical records.He writes about how he once had concrete evidence that the Party was lying about the past, and he repeats his suspicion that O’Brien shares his sentiments towards the Party. Winston eventually walks into the proles’ district and sneaks into a forbidden shop to buy a paperweight, a relic from the past. As he is leaving the store, he realizes that the same dark-haired girl is watching him and believes that she is a spy for the thought police, and that he has surely been found out and will be eliminated. The second chapter starts with the dark-haired girl slipping Smith a note at work saying that she loves him.The two eventually make secret plans to meet far out in the country, and Smith learns that her name is Julia. The two eventually do meet and have sex hidden out in the countryside, simply for the purpose of pleasure and d efying the Party. Julia and Smith then return to their respective homes, thinking themselves undiscovered. Smith then rents a room above the shop where he previously bought the paperweight. Julia and Smith meet in the room whenever possible to have sex and share in the contraband food and drink they are able to obtain.As the citizens prepare for a large political movement supporting Oceania in its ever-going war, O’Brien makes contact with Smith and arranges a secret meeting between the two, confirming Smith’s suspicions about O’Brien’s disloyalty to the Party. Winston and Julia continue to meet in the room above the shop, and eventually, the two go together to meet O’Brien at his home. O’Brien turns off his telescreen (as he can do this since he is an upper-Party member) and enlists Smith and Julia in The Brotherhood’s secret efforts to overthrow the Party.O’Brien tells them that he will arrange to have The Brotherhood’ s book of missions and truths delivered to Smith, and then bids them on their way. Smith does acquire the book, and the chapter ends with Smith and Julia reading it in their rented room. The book uncovers all of the Party’s lies and lectures on the Party’s ever-increased desire for complete control over all. The next morning, Julia and Smith realize that they have been found out by the Party’s thought police; the two are cornered in their room and restrained into custody. The last chapter opens with Smith locked up in the Ministry of Love, one of the Party’s three departments.Smith is originally still hopeful for the Brotherhood, but he then sees O’Brien there working for the Party; Smith realizes that O’Brien has actually been an undercover member of the Party’s thought police the whole time, and that the Brotherhood has never actually existed. O’Brien begins to torture Smith, trying to impress The Party’s ideals and pr inciples into Smith. Smith initially resists, but after weeks of torture, he yields on all aspects of the Party and its teachings except for one: Smith still refuses to betray his feelings for Julia.Smith is transferred to more comfortable quarters in the department and is content for a while, until he accidentally reveals his prevailing love for Julia. O’Brien brings Smith to the infamous â€Å"Room 101,† where everyone is tortured with his or her worst fear. There, Smith is threatened with rats that will slowly eat him, so he finally renounces his love for Julia. At the very end of the last chapter, the story leaps to when Smith has been released back into society. Smith now honestly believes in everything that the Party does and represents and he respects them whole-heartedly.He runs into Julia by chance, but they both are now different people and go their separate ways. Smith eventually has a fleeting memory of his childhood but quickly dismisses it as a false memo ry, congratulating himself on his victory over himself and his unquestioning love for Big Brother. An appendix follows the last chapter of the book, explaining some of the vocabulary and grammatical structures of Oceania’s official language, New-speak. 3) Relation Between the Book and Class Materials Orwell’s 1984 holds great relevance to the topics we have recently covered in class.First of all, 1984 references, on several occasions, then tendency for people to get drawn into mass sentiments, doing things without knowing why they are doing them. In class, we referred to this as â€Å"collective behavior,† and defined it as â€Å"behavior that doesn’t involve that deliberate interpretation—instead we just get swept up and act as others are acting† (Weinstein, 2012). As an example, we discussed how people get swept up at a basketball game and react favorably simply because everyone around them is doing so, without specifically thinking about or analyzing it.We talked about how this can also lead to â€Å"circular reaction,† when a person reacts off of the person next to them, and then the person next to them reacts based on the original person, and so on, leading to amplification of the original reaction. 1984 touches on this concept several times. Early in the novel, the character Smith reflects on something called â€Å"the Two Minutes Hate,† in which everyone gathers once a day and simply hates and yells out against Oceania’s wartime enemy.Smith realizes that the mass hysteria of everyone around him can even change his own sentiments momentarily, as Orwell writes, â€Å"At those moments his secret loathing of Big Brother changed into adoration, and Big Brother seemed to tower up, like a rock against the hordes of Asia. . . † (Orwell 15). Later on in the book, Smith talks about how the uneducated Proles get swept up into moments of blind patriotism without really knowing or understanding wh at they are rooting for.Smith notices that â€Å"The poles, normally apathetic about the war, were being lashed into one of their periodical frenzies of patriotism† and realizes that the upper Party encourages this behavior in many slick ways, including propaganda and mind control (Orwell 149). Orwell yet again wants us to understand the dangers of this behavior as he writes â€Å"Times beyond number, at Party rallies and spontaneous demonstrations, she [Julia] had shouted at the top of her voice for the execution of people whose names she had never heard and in whose supposed crimes she had not the faintest belief† (Orwell 152).Orwell impresses upon the reader the importance of fighting this mindless behavior since this mindlessness can be very dangerous. We discussed in lecture how historically, people have often gotten swept up into mindless bureaucracy, doing things simply because everyone else is or because it is what they are used to doing or are told to do. We t alked about how dangerous this could be— it can allow a bureaucracy to gain much more power than it ever should be able to, since its citizens do not question the things that the government does and implements, as occurs in 1984.Secondly, the attributes of progress and the ways technology influences it play a large role both in 1984 and in our class discussions. Early on in the work, 1984 overlaps some of the topics we have covered in class as Orwell references some of the various ways that â€Å"progress† is exhibited in a society; Orwell writes, â€Å"The Party claimed, for example, that today forty per cent of adult proles were literate; before the Revolution, it was said, the number had only been fifteen per cent.The Party claimed that the infant mortality rate was now only a hundred and sixty per thousand, whereas before the Revolution it had been three hundred. . . † (Orwell 74). Just as Orwell uses factors such as literacy rates and infant mortality rates to measure progress in society, we also learned in class that these can be important indicators of how a society is changing, as well as death rates and other statistics. Similar to how we learned in class that progress just for progress’s sake must be discouraged as it can lead to detrimental results, Orwell is warning against this very occurrence all through 1984.More specifically, Orwell warns against the dangers of excessive technological advancements: â€Å"Science and technology were developing at a prodigious speed, and it seemed natural to assume that they would go on developing. This failed to happen. . . partly because scientific and technical progress depend on the empirical habit of thought. . . As a whole the world is more primitive today than it was fifty years ago† (Orwell 189).Orwell later warns that technology can indeed ruin our private lives by allowing us to be constantly watched and submitted to endless propaganda. The character Smith reflects upo n this when he says â€Å"Every citizen, or at least every citizen important enough to be worth watching, could be kept for twenty-four hours a day under the eyes of the police and in the sound of official propaganda. . . The possibility of enforcing not only complete obedience to the will of the State, but complete uniformity of opinion on all subjects, now existed for the first time† (Orwell 206).We discussed this very possibility in class when we talked about how citizens of today’s society are created technology that is smarter than us, and about how dangerous this could be towards the safety of our society in the case of a technological revolt. Professor Weinstein also pointed out how excessive technology can make it even easier for government can control us and gain power excessively; he pointed out that the government could be watching us right now through the webcams on our laptops and listening to us through our phones.Additionally, both our class lectures and 1984 reference aspects of a class system and a hierarchal society. First of all, when we discussed in class the characteristics of a bureaucracy, we talked about the concept of ascribed versus achieved statuses. We learned that in the family setting, a status is ascribed—a person is born into their position. However, in a bureaucracy such as that present in 1984, a status is instead something that must be worked for and earned—it is an achieved status. 1984 touches on this in the secret Brotherhood’s book, as the book lectures â€Å"In principle, membership in these three groups is not hereditary.The child of Inner Party parents is in theory not born into the Inner Party. Admission to either branch of the Party is by examination, taken at the age of sixteen† (Orwell 208). In lecture, we learned that since statuses are achieved in a bureaucracy instead of ascribed, the power of the status is held by the position itself, not the person that holds the posit ion. In other words, we learned that in a bureaucracy, a person is simply filling a role that could be filled by anyone; if a person dies or no longer wishes to hold their position, it can quickly be filled by another person.People, or a policeman, for example, only hold power because of their uniform and job, not because of who they are on a personal, individual level. 1984 also teaches this concept; at one point, Julia is expressing how happy she is to finally escape her generic job position in the Party and instead simply be an individual woman as she exclaims, â€Å"In this room I’m going to be a woman, not a Party comrade† (Orwell 142). 4) Relation Between the Book and a Personal Experience 1984 and its teachings hold close relation to a personal experience I recently had.Last week, I had a huge assignment that I was trying to do for one of my classes. I settled in to start working on the paper, but then my phone rang. I picked up because it was my mother, and I e nded up involved in a thirty minute conversation. I eventually hung up with my mother and returned to the paper, but soon after, I heard someone start talking to me from my computer! I soon realized that I had accidentally left my video messaging on on my computer, behind the screen on which I was writing the paper, and one of my friends had seen that I was online and started video chatting me.Since she had started the conversation, I was then obligated to hold a conversation with her in order to not be rude. All the while, I was distracted from working on my assignment. Once we finished talking and I turned off my chat program, I was tempted to check my email before I got back to my paper, but I realized that if I did, I may indeed never get to my paper. This showed me that technology certainly can be dangerous towards progress, not only on a large societal scale, but also as far as the simple task of writing my paper.All of the means of technology that my friends were using to con tact me were simply invading my privacy while I was trying to concentrate and have a private evening to do an assignment. Reading 1984 only supported and increased my awareness of how distracting technology can be, and how dangerous and detrimental it can actually be in the grand scheme of progress. 5) Critique of the Novel 1984 has many positive aspects. I really enjoyed how Orwell used a fictional situation to teach readers and warn them against dangerous conditions rather than simply lecturing the readers about what they should and should not be doing.I liked this because even though a lecture-style presentation of material teaches important concepts, I feel that putting these concepts into a theoretical story helps the reader to remember the concepts and understand how they can be practically applied in real life. Although the ending is sad for the reader (as it extinguishes all hope that anyone could hold out against the Party’s mind control and excessive practices), I l iked it because I thought it was important to drive Orwell’s teachings home.I felt that this ending was necessary because through the way things ended, Orwell showed that if society continued as it was in 1949, conditions would eventually get so bad that even the smartest individuals would not be able to undermine and revolt against the political entity, and there would be no hope. I feel that this was necessary because it shows just how important it was that people altered the path down which society was headed. I am hard-pressed to find anything that I dislike about Orwell’s work.At some points during the first half of the book, I wondered if Orwell’s long and detailed description of the conditions and unspoken rules of Oceania was really necessary, but as I read farther in the book, I realized that all of the descriptions were indeed necessary so that the reader would fully understand and grasp all of the terrors that were in store if society’s current track was not derailed. All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and it helped me to further understand many concepts that we discussed in lecture.When it was published in 1949, 1984 was, and remains as such now, an eye-opening warning of the way our lives will change if we ever allow our society and government to run away with itself by striving for progress simply for progress’s sake. Citations Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Penguin Group, 1949. Weinstein, Jay. Class Lecture. The Components of Change. University of Miami, Miami, Florida. 9 October 2012. Weinstein, Jay. Class Lecture. The Engines of Change. University of Miami, Miami, Florida. 16 October 2012.

The behavior of a nonverbal student with autism Essay

The behavior of a nonverbal student with autism - Essay Example According to 2013 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), the Lamar Elementary School met 14 of 17 AYP criteria. In 2013, the school also earned API of 940, and the 2012-13 API Growth was -9. Sam is enrolled in an instructed classroom in which routine and visual structure are provided. A new program called SUCCESS is applied in the classroom, and the classroom is divided into four areas: 1:1, I.W.S., Group Area, and Small Group. In 1:1 area, an Intensive Behavior Interventionists (IBI) works with the students on their individual behavior goals. The students at the Independent Work Station (I.W.S.) are assigned tasks that they already know how to do. Moreover, the goal is for the student to come to the station, sit down, go through the tasks, and do so all independently and without needing reminders to stay on task. At Group Area, the teacher does whole group activity at the table where the purpose is mostly acquiring social skills, such as learning to sit in a group, waiting for their turn, and staying attended to the task. The teacher works with his students to cover Early Literacy Skills Building, Math curriculum, Handwriting without Tears, and the students’ IEP academic goals. Eight students are grouped for instructions based on behaviors and how the adults can best manage the students as well as their station. The overall classroom management has been more so based on behaviors of the individual students. In addition to their behavior support plans, the teacher uses token boards to reinforce desired/correct behaviors.

World War I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

World War I - Essay Example The first one was between Germany and Austria-Hungary, known as the Dual Alliance. It was followed by the Austro-Serbian Alliance of 1881. Similarly, there was the triple alliance of 1882, the triple entente and Anglo-Russian Entente of 1907, and Entente Cordiale between France and Britain (Tucker 4). Thus, it was impossible for any of these nations to stay away from war if any of their allies declared war. The next important reason was imperialism. The term imperialism means one country taking over another land or territory and imposing its own rule in the new land. The beginning of twentieth century saw the spread of British Empire into all continents. Similarly, France had considerable control over much of Africa. As industrialization set in, countries started aggressively looking for more markets to sell their products. As Germany entered the competition, there was increased rivalry and enmity. In addition, increased militarism also had its role. The term militarism means the inc reased importance given to military by governments. In fact, as a result of the European divide, nations were aggressively engaged in arms race. To illustrate, both France and Germany considerably increased their military size and rivalry rose over sea turf. In order to retain their dominance at sea, Britain introduced their battleship called ‘Dreadnought’. Germans followed suit by introducing their own battleships. In addition, Germany even prepared a plan to attack France through Belgium in case Russia attacked them. Thus, militarism played its role in starting World War I. Another important reason was the rising nationalism. Some examples of this rising feeling were the re-unification of Italy and Germany. While France was angry at the loss of territory to Germany, many areas of Serbia and Austria-Hungary were disturbed by different nationalist groups. In fact, the US was engaged in trade with most of the nations involved in the world war. However, there was higher t rade with Britain and France. Thus, at that time, the US had huge economic investment with both these nations. If they lost the war, they would not be able to pay back the debt, which meant a collapse of the US economy. Secondly, both the nations were purchasing arms from US on credit. So, it was necessary for the US to see that the nations were able to pay for it. Moreover, President wanted to make the world open to democracy. Thus, there arose the general idea that France and Britain were fighting against a threat to democracy. However, one of the most important reasons is the German use of submarine warfare and the sinking of the ship Lusitania killing more than hundred Americans. Furthermore, a telegram from the German foreign secretary to the German Ambassador to Mexico was intercepted, translated and sent to America by the British. The telegraph was meant to create an alliance between Germany and Mexico. Under Title 1, section 3 of the Espionage Act, one who makes false report s or false statements could be given even twenty years imprisonment if it was found that the same was done to interfere with the operation of the military. Secondly, under title 12, postmaster general got the legal power to declare a material as un-mailable if it urged treason, or forcible resistance of the law. That means freedom of speech was seriously hampered by this. Another very serious issue was the power given to the president to censor publication of material if found harmful for the nation or useful to the enemy. It all meant that right to speech was impaired by the act. The Seditions Act added a large number of more actions in the prohibited list. It was claimed that ‘

The Harm of Legalizing Marijuana Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The Harm of Legalizing Marijuana - Term Paper Example They did not support a full fledged campaign to take Marijuana out of the criminal code but wanted to persuade other medical doctors to illustrate empathy for those patients who would be assisted from the smoking of Marijuana (Gray, 1998). In recent times also, massive spending had been made over the fact of legalizing Marijuana as a source of medicine. Police also made several attempts for the same (Medical Marijuana Group is Big Spender, 2004). As per author Jacob & Jacob, the usefulness of Marijuana is far more than its evil effects. He weighted his argument by saying that Marijuana could be used as a harmless substance and it did not encourage any crime. He stressed that the usefulness of the drug was immense and should be promoted in good spirits in life rather than legalizing it (Jacob & Jacob, 2009, pp. 43-130). Even though many people believe and stress upon the fact that Marijuana is harmless, Marijuana should remain within the illicit category of the controlled Substances A ct because medical use is unfounded and crime would become more pervasive. Harmful effects and arguments against legalization of Marijuana Few people exert importance over the usefulness of Marijuana and hold the view of legalization of the same without any reservation in the Control Substances Act. But the larger mass opposes the view and finds it harmful on the societal grounds. As per than the use of Marijuana is fatal and can encourage more crimes. So as pre them it is better to not to legalize the consumption of Marijuana in any way. Marijuana comes with several deadly effects on personal grounds of the life of any victims. Everyone responds in a different way towards the consumption of Marijuana. Most... The research paper studies the influence of marijuana intake on human's body. The above analysis contributes towards the fact that marijuana is not directly fatal does not indicate that it does not possess any acute risk. The fact that advocate and opponents characterized themselves on the right side of the equation respectively, suggested us that what is at stake is specifically the meaning of rationality. Eminent personalities had debated over the medicinal usefulness of marijuana. The court law considered the intake of marijuana as a source of medicine to be legal. Few other doctors emphasized over the fact that the medicine should be legalized as it served as the source to combat against fatal diseases like AIDS. Since 1960’s marijuana had been classified as the schedule drug which in turn hindered the researches of the scientists to determine whether the attributes were true in nature. The legal status of marijuana had endowed along with mystical properties which was harmful on the societal pretext. The usage of marijuana has also accounted for the several crimes and the same drug continue to be available to the common mass, then the degradation of the public health and that of the society would not be very far. The entire approaches made so far regarding the legalization had been unhelpful and exerted a negative effect. The courts and state legislature should answer these troublesome issues and take necessary steps to reconcile the conflicting issues and should not go for the legalization of the peril drug.

The Evolution of Cloud Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Evolution of Cloud - Assignment Example Cloud computing allows a user to access his data or even run computer software from a remote data center via the internet. However, the data being accessed or the software being run needs to be present or stored in a cloud, rather than on a personal computer hard drive or a company’s server. This form of computer architecture has allowed many small and medium companies to grow. This has been done by enabling employees to access important corporate data while on the move. This has come as an alternative to costly network infrastructure, which demanded huge capital outlay from small and medium enterprises. It is interesting to know that this technological innovation has emerged from the existing technology landscape. A demonstration of this technological innovation is the Hotmail account which uses technology delivered by cloud computing. It provides users with data that is not stored on a personal computer. Experts believe this form of computing to unleash the next great paradigm shift of personal computing. This paradigm shift will transform the traditional model of computing and open up new opportunities for businesses, consumers, the environment and economic growth. There are numerous benefits of cloud computing, for instance, those countries which are spending exceedingly on information and communications technology; they can use this technology to reduce approximately 20-50 percent of their current cost. By means of this form of computing, users can access their data or run software from virtually anywhere. However, they do need an internet connection to make this possible. Cloud computing enables users to run their own applications while using their internet service provider’s servers, operating systems, and storage facility. Experts believe that cloud computing has the potential to create up to 240,000 jobs in the short term.

Descartes' and Kants Approaches to God Term Paper

Descartes' and Kants Approaches to God - Term Paper Example To begin with, one should state the claims which were made by Descartes since the ideas of Kant primarily reject them. Thus, the former developed the so called ontological argument for existence of God: Descartes based his proof on the concept that God is the most perfect creature and, since existence is a part of perfection, He ought to exist (Cahoone 45). One would make no mistake, pointing out that this approach is a rather short one and features fine logic at first sight. Indeed, Descartes takes one premise that both people who believe in God and those who do not believe in God would not reject, namely that He is the most perfect creature. In other words, he is able to appeal to the common ground of the people when they perceive the higher power without connection to any dogmatic principles. Indeed, it would not be an exaggeration to point out that the idea of God or any deities might have emerged as the opposition to the corrupted material world; so, the metaphysical world as we ll as its inhabitants is largely thought to be free of vices. That is why the ontological argument which was presented by Descartes makes sense to a certain extent.However, the criticism which was developed by Kant latter makes even more sense. Thus, for this German philosopher, the argument that was presented by Descartes possesses one important flaw which destroys the whole integrity of it: according to the logic of the claim, existence is inseparably connected to the object of idea. That is why the perfection or greatness of idea might be modified by the fact whether it exists or not

Business Planning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Business Planning - Assignment Example Business Plan is consist of three portion planning. They are marketing plan, Operation plan, and financial plan. Considering the mentioned areas planning has developed the Business Plan for Charm Company. The hard and soft system factors need to be addressed by the manager carefully to make a successful business plan. Carefully evaluation is very important companies. Fully costed business plans are prepared and defended in some specific ways. "Best practice" is sometimes controversial. So company authority needs to carefully think and take best practice. And it is needed to implement precisely. A business plan is a formal arrangement of a set of business goals, the causes why they are believed attainable, and the plan for achieving the desired goals. A business plan also contains background information of the organisation or team who are attempting to reach those goals. Profit-oriented Business Plans usually focus on financial goals whereas non-profit and government agency Business Plans tend to focus on service goals. A business plan that has changes in view and branding as its primary goals is known as a marketing plan. Business plans may have focus on both internally or externally. Externally focused plans are important for external and financial stakeholders, sometimes investors, customers, and donors. Internally focused Business Plans consider intermediate goals needed to reach the external one. Internally focused plans include the development of a new product, a new service, a new IT system, a redistribution of finance, the refurbishing of a factory or a redesigning of the organisation. Here we will see how a business plan not only considering either internal or external, but focusing the both have been developed. And for this, we have chosen Italian Charm Company. Overview of Italian Charm Company: Charm Company is an Italian Company, which is located in Branson, Missouri at "The Marketplace" Shopping Centre. Their normal business hours are Monday to Saturday 10am - 6pm. They emphasize on the importance of customer service. Their knowledgeable staff members are not only friendly, but also charm enthusiasts tic. If the customers feel a charm is lacking in quality or design, Charm Company doesn't sell that showing respect to the customers. Their only goal is to bring their consumers with the finest quality charms, beads, and watches at reasonable prices. They accept VISA, MasterCard, and money order etc. All of their charms, watches and beads are handcrafted (fully made by hand, not by machine) in Italy from materials including 18-karat gold, real silver, cubic zircons, semi-precious stones, premium enamel, and stainless steel. Role,

Alcohol Problems in Hospitality Industry Research Paper

Alcohol Problems in Hospitality Industry - Research Paper Example So the government always put more emphasize on this industry. â€Å"Hospitality industry is a major employer. The industry includes service sector work like tourism and food service. It suffers from more economic fluctuations compared to its peer industries† (Hospitality Industry par. 1). A Business Problem: For the sustaining and success of every establishment the most important thing is the identification of its problems and solving it. In this context, the clear identification of the problem is the bigger issue. â€Å"If I had only one hour to save the world, I would spend fifty-five minutes defining the problem, and only five minutes finding the solution." ~ Albert Einstein† (Problem Definition par. 1). Through the words of Albert Einstein, we can make sure that, the solution is always depends upon the definition of problem. How better the defining of a problem determine the quality of the out coming solution. The existing gap between the desired state and the actua l state is called problem and when it happens to a business it is called problem. Problem analysis and solving the problem all are the preceding of the defining of the problem. To get the right solution which can make the business successful, the problem defining should be very clear. Here the problem is defined as the ‘Alcohol Problems in Hospitality Industry’ â€Å"Service professionals and those that work in the hospitality industry could be at risk for developing unhealthy drinking practices, and it is important to be aware of the dangers† (Warning – Hospitality Workers May Be at Risk for Alcohol Abuse par. 1). The main damages that have been recognized in the pressure of alcohol consumption have leaded the hospitality industry to witness a numerous problems. The restaurants and bars that serve drinks to human are equally involved in disaster and are lawfully in charge for damage. It is complained frequently about the alcohol consumption of employees w orking in the hospitality industry. This problem has been identified as result of finding out the reasons behind why people hesitate to bring their family to some places. In support to this a study of students is consulted. The following report contains the data from two surveys in two different sectors of service, which we can use for understand the case. In the initial survey from three different colleges 84 students were interviewed employees working in hotel service in concerning their alcohol practice by using the testing device called Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). The second study was focused on service employees working in restaurants in a particular area. Exactly One hundred and five samples had been taken and the respondents answered the AUDIT questionnaire in the survey very properly. The comparison of the results of two studies showed that the hotel and restaurant associated persons scored considerably higher on the survey by AUDIT than the respondent s from other service sectors. The first survey which conducted by 84 students from three different colleges show that the effective survey can bring out the things and the second survey showed that restaurant workers scored considerably higher than people in other areas of the service industry. â€Å"A new analysis of government data finds that 15 percent of employees in the hospitality industry suffer from serious alcohol-related problems† (Hospitality Industry Worst for Alcohol-Related Problems par. 1). The steps to solve the business problem are as following: Take the time to

Information systems of business Essay Example for Free

Information systems of business Essay A business have to manage lots of different information. All information systems have 2 big issues, one is the organisation who receive the information and the other is that appropriate members of staff gets the information. A number of policies have to be put in place concerning security of information, backups, health and safety, organisational policies, costs and increasing sophistication. Security of information can be an operational issue. It is all about maintaining the integrity and availability of organisational information and knowledge. Managers need to have the right information available at the right time to make good decisions. The reliance on technology to store information increases which means the risk posed by system failure and malicious attack from viruses also increases. IT security policy should take into account common risks to information the business relies upon. This policy should include secure login id for IT systems and controls that limit access to information. Backups are also an operational issue these are stores on separate hardware from the live versions of the information. Health and safety can be an operational issue. There are many regulations concerning health and safety. The Health Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 this is the minimum requirements for work stations and includes the extent to which employers must ensure that workstations meet the requirements laid down in this schedules, the equipment, the environment and the interface between the computer and operator. Another is the management of health and safety at work regulations 1992 this is that every imployer shall provide his employees with comprehensible and relevant information.

Stages of Conflict Management Essay Example for Free

Stages of Conflict Management Essay In the contemporary workplace, communication plays an important role in an efficient administration since it encourages co-operation, knowledge sharing, and a feeling of a sense of a common purpose. Nonetheless, communication brings increasing interpersonal relationships, an unwanted and, in most cases, unmanaged side effects, which are referred to as conflicts. Managing conflict focuses on maintaining conflict at the right level in order to assist the organizational departments, teams or groups working together to reach their goals. Managing conflict does not imply completely eradicating conflict or conflict reduction (Miller, 2011). The fundamental process of conflict management is the selection of the aspired levels of conflicts. These aspired levels of conflicts vary widely and depend on the perceived conflict requirements by the managers of various personnel (Miller, 2011). The stages of conflict management include diagnosis of the problem, problem statement, knowing both parties perceptions or viewpoints/understanding, mediation, brainstorming of alternative solutions, and identification of (an) agreed on solution(s) (Rout Omiko, 2007). These stages of conflict management are briefly described below. Diagnosis of the Problem In this stage of conflict management, the mediator listens to both parties who are involved in conflict with the intention of understanding and determining the existence of a genuine conflict, and not just an imagined one (Rout Omiko, 2007). Problem Statement After recognizing that actually the problem really exists, the mediator now attempts to represent the problem to both parties involved in a non-defensive and direct manner. In other words, in this stage the mediator ensures that parties involved in the conflict actually understand the problem. Besides, the second stage is meant to ensure that the mediator evaluates and sees the level of understanding of both parties in regard to the presence of the conflict, and the level of motivation to engage in conflict resolution (Rout Omiko, 2007). Knowing both Parties Perceptions or Viewpoints/understanding This stage is where the mediator attempts to find what the parties involved think in regard to the problem at hand. The mediators should go through this stage carefully so as not to depict any slightest form of favoritism. This involve attempting to understand the problem from various perspectives of those parties, and the mediator should probe to find out what the parties think as the cause of the problem, noting similarities and differences of viewpoints of the problem (Pammer, 2003). Mediation Mediation requires the mediator to remain impartial by keeping the discussion revolve around facts and issue-oriented rather than discussing personalities and maintaining a balance in the discussion so that one party does not dominate the discussion (Rout Omiko, 2007). Brainstorming of Alternative Solutions This stage involves generating of alternative solutions to the problem at hand after it is obvious that there are no more alternative solutions, the mediator should now engage both parties in a discussion of these possible solutions with the aim of getting of selecting the best solution (Zartman, 2008). In this discussion, the mediators should control the session so that none of the parties forces the other on agreeing with their own suggested solution(s). Efforts should be made to ensure that both parties reach a consensus and then follow this with the implementation of the agreed solution (Rout Omiko, 2007). Identification of an agreed on solution(s) This is the final stage of conflict management, and its main purpose is to determine the agreed on solutions, a plan of action, as well as follow-up steps in order to ensure that both parties are actively involved in the implementation process (Rout Omiko, 2007).?

The Information And Communication Revolution Education Essay

The Information And Communication Revolution Education Essay Introduction One the many challenges facing developing countries today are preparing their societies and governments for globalization and the information and communication revolution. Policy makers, business executives, NGO activists, academics, and ordinary citizens are increasingly concerned with the need to make their societies competitive in the emergent information economy. Globalization and technological change is a process that has accelerated in tandem over the past fifteen years and has created a new global economy powered by technology, fuelled by information and driven by knowledge. The emergence of this new global economy has serious implications for the nature and purpose of educational institutions. As the half-life of information continues to become and access to information continues to grow more rapid, schools cannot remain mere venues for the transmission of a prescribed set of information from teacher to student over a fixed period of time. Rather, schools must promote learnin g, in an example the acquisition of knowledge and skills that make possible continuous learning over the lifetime. Concerns over educational relevance and quality coexist with the imperative of expanding educational opportunities to those made most vulnerable by globalization as an example, developing countries in general, low-income groups, girls and women, and low-skilled workers in particular. Information and communication technologies which include radio and television, as well as newer digital technologies such as computers and the Internet, have been touted as potentially powerful enabling tools for educational change and reform. When used appropriately, different ICT are said to help expand access to education, strengthen the relevance of education to the increasingly digital workplace, and raise educational quality by, among others, helping make teaching and learning into an engaging, active process connected to real life. However, the experience of introducing different ICT in the classroom and other educational settings all over the world over the past several decades suggests that the full realization of the potential educational benefits of ICT is not automatic. The effective integration of ICT into the educational system is a complex, multifaceted process that involves not just technology but indeed, given enough initial capital, getting the technology is the eas iest part but also curriculum and pedagogy, institutional readiness, teacher competencies, and long-term financing, among others. CONTENTS ICT stand for information and communication technologies and are defined, for the purposes of this primer, as a diverse set of technological tools and resources used to communicate, and to create, disseminate, store, and manage information. These technologies include computers, the Internet, broadcasting technologies, radio, television and telephony. In recent years there has been a ground swell of interest in how computers and the Internet can best be harnessed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of education at all levels and in both formal and non-formal settings. But ICT are more than just these technologies, but older technologies such as the telephone, radio and television, although now given less attention, have a longer and richer history as instructional tools. For instance, radio and television have for over forty years been used for open and distance learning, although print remains the cheapest, most accessible and therefore most dominant delivery mechanism in bot h developed and developing countries. The use of computers and the Internet is still in its infancy in developing countries, if these are used at all, due to limited infrastructure and the attendant high costs of access. Technology changes rapidly and so do the specific tools available for education. As new technologies are introduced, it is critical that their cost and impact in various educational situations is thoroughly examined. While evidence shows that it is the actual application of the ICT tool that is the most important determinant of its effectiveness for educational purposes, the choice of tools is quite large, and each tool has its own advantages and disadvantages. Policy makers and donor groups are often bombarded with information and studies from vendors on the suitability of their particular products or services. As a result, there is a great need for independent research on the appropriateness of specific ICT tools to help meet educational goals. Radio and TV have been providing educational programming in some countries for many years. Many related new technologies, including satellite broadcasting and multi-channel learning, have the potential to greatly increase access to education. Today, the Internet is not widely available in most developing countries, but new Internet technologies and mobile Internet centres hold promise for connecting teachers, learners, and communities. Moreover, education has largely contributed to an increase in developing knowledge, providing an enabling environment for innovation and in building human capital required for a potential future knowledge economy. Global reforms in education and challenging ICT demands have made a remarkable shift in the structure of the enabling ICT environment and the utilization of ICT technologies in education. Such technologies have become the key driver of the digital network in an era of technology-driven education. More schools and communities now have access to ICT resources to join the global economy with knowledge workers who have 21st century skills and are inspired by life-long learning. ICT have great potential for knowledge dissemination, effective learning and the development of more efficient education services. Much effort has been made towards the advancement of education and multi-literacies. However, it is generally believed that ICT can empower teachers and learners, making sign ificant contributions to learning and achievement. Current research on the impacts of ICT on student achievement yields few conclusive statements, pro or con, about the use of ICTs in education. Studies have shown that even in the most advanced schools in industrialized countries, ICT are generally not considered central to the teaching and learning process. Moreover, there appears to be a mismatch between methods used to measure effects and the type of learning promoted. Standardized testing, for example, tends to measure the results of traditional teaching practices, rather than new knowledge and skills related to the use of ICT. It is clear that more research needs to be conducted to understand the complex links between ICT, learning, and achievement. Many of the issues and challenges associated with ICT in education initiatives are known by policy makers, donor staff, and educators. However, data on the nature and complexity of these issues remains limited because of the lack of good monitoring and evaluation tools and processes. Where evaluation data is available much of the work is seen to suffer from important biases. Another problem in this area is the lack of a common set of indicators for ICT in education. And, where data has been collected, it is often quantitative data related to infrastructure, for example, number of computers, rather than data that can help policy makers gauge the impact of ICT interventions on student learning. If ICT are to become effective and integral tools in education, and if accountability is to be demonstrated to donors and stakeholders, monitoring and evaluation must be a priority area of focus. It is clear that there are equity issues related to the uses of ICT in education. There is a real da nger that uses of ICT can further marginalize groups already excluded or on the edge of educational practices and innovations. On the other hand, with supportive policies and careful planning and monitoring, ICTs hold out the promise of facilitating greater inclusion of such groups. While there is much research on the impact of ICTs and marginalized groups in industrialized countries, there has been limited research into these issues in developing countries. There seems to be little questioning, however, that ICTs generally give preference to schools and learners in urban areas and in areas where existing infrastructure is the best. Research related to equity and ICT to date has focused primarily on access to particular technologies. Much less attention has been given to how specific types and uses of ICTs are related to equity issues. Besides than that, about the true costs of ICT in education, there have been few rigorous costs studies, particularly in developing countries. Given current budgetary and resource constraints, a widespread investment in ICT in education is probably not possible in most developing countries. It is, therefore, critically important to better understand the costs and benefits associated with ICT types and uses in various educational situations in order to effectively target scarce resources. There is some evidence, for instance, that computers may be most cost-effective when placed in common areas such as libraries and teacher-training institutes. One of the most cost effective uses of ICT in education may be their role in improving organizational and systemic efficiencies, including combating corruption. Distance education is often cited as a cost saving investment. Indeed, economics of scale are achievable in distance education, although such programs typically require large up-front i nvestments. Some of these costs may be shifted from the public sector to the individual users, but this in itself raises significant equity and access issues. Again, a thorough examination of the true costs and benefits of distance education is required. Financing mechanisms for ICT in education initiatives are quite varied. Due to the high up-front costs and large recurrent costs, countries and communities typically employ a great variety of financing and cost recovery mechanisms. Public private partnerships and user fees are important components of financing ICTs in education in many countries, although more research is needed to determine the impact and effectiveness of these mechanisms. Even the use of ICT in the classroom or in distance education does not diminish the role of the teacher; neither does it automatically change teaching practices. Experience has shown that a variety of support and enabling mechanisms must be implemented to optimize teacher use of ICT. While traditional teacher leadership skills and practices are still important, teachers must also have access to relevant, timely, and on-going professional development. They must have the time and resources to explore this new knowledge base and develop new skills. Support of school administrators and, in some cases, the community, is critical if ICTs are to be used effectively. In addition, teachers must have adequate access to functioning computers or other technologies and sufficient technical support. Accessing information is the main use of ICTs in education. While ICT, and the Internet in particular, provide access to a world of educational resources, those resources are rarely in a format that ma kes them easily accessible and relevant to most teachers and learners in developing countries. Simply importing educational content through ICT is fraught with difficulties, as well as questions of relevance to local needs. Experience shows that unless electronic educational resources are directly related to the curriculum, and to the assessment methods used to evaluate educational outcomes, ICT interventions may not have positive educational impacts. Furthermore, ICT can be important drivers for educational reform. They can help in anti-corruption efforts, aid in decentralization, and play a key role in data collection and analysis. Still, there are many policy questions around the use of ICTs in education, not the least of which revolves around which part of the government is responsible for such policies. Some of the key policy questions revolve around access, equity, finance, and best practices in scaling-up. As a relatively new field, there is no standard repository for existing ICTs in education-related national policies. And, it is clear that successful policy formulation requires consultation with a diverse group of stakeholders, many of which may be outside of the traditional educational system. Innovations in technology and new products are introduced in the global marketplace at a much faster pace than most educational systems are able to use them effectively. This issue of timing is an important one as educators and po licymakers operate with an eye to longer term educational goals. The advantages and disadvantages of ICT in education include a range of elements such as †¢ Giving to teacher chance to plan short, timed, tightly focused activities. †¢ Planning activities across a number of sessions to allow sufficient time for all pupils to take parts. †¢ Up to date and real world technologyprepares the children for the modern world! †¢ Helps pupils research topics they are studying using a wide range of sources other than just book from their school library, †¢ Aids the pupils to get an insight into technologies that they may later rely on in future life. †¢ Using word documents it gives the pupils a chance to present their work in a style that suits them. †¢ Word and publishing documents available for display work purposes. There is also a high advantage of ICT equipment aiding pupils with learning difficulties. By clicking on the word case study the following link will take you to a case study on podcasts and the advantages of working with children that have learning difficulties and also shown on the secondary education page. The following disadvantages give a list of objectives that staff and facilitators may be required to deal with should problems occur throughout using the ICT equipment. †¢ Cost †¢ Training †¢ Distractions †¢ Reliability †¢ Damage †¢ Safety †¢ Hacking †¢ Resources (or lack of) As you can see I have already listed disadvantages of ICT in education and all seem costly. The initial equipment even though would be an investment and learning aid is expensive. After the initial cost there is the fact of training the staff/ facilitators to use the equipment correctly as bad usage can cause incorrect teaching to pupils. Also coming under cost is damage, as, if the equipment gets damages then the damage repair fees are required to get the equipment back up and running. Distractions such as the internet, computer games and email are also a big disadvantage. Then we come onto safety and hacking that is discussed on the safety page. CONCLUSIONS In conclusions, the modern generation schoolchildren are growing up in an environment where information and communication technologies are encompassing almost all area of their lives. It is the responsibility of government to prepare students with the skills and knowledge they will need to take control of their digital futures. Therefore, it is of upmost importance for teachers to integrate ICT into the curriculum. This essay will discuss the great benefits ICT have on child learning and also explore the current direction in which teachers can integrate ICTs into the classroom. Using ICTs in education develops the needed skills a child needs to use computers and other technologies. However, ICT provide a teaching strategy that engages the learner. ICT can create an exciting way to present information to students and due to the fact that ICTs engages the learner it allows the student to learn more. Another great positive of using ICTs in primary schooling is that it addresses the fact that each student has different learning abilities. ICT allows students to excel in their area of ‘intelligence, for example a child who has spatial intelligence but has difficulty in written expression can show their learning process through sound and pictures. The use of ICT is also beneficial to a childs learning because it covers the four fundamental teaching areas which are active engagement, group, interaction and connection with the real world. As i mentioned earlier ICTs engage the learner, however, they can also involve extensive group work and interaction with b oth students and ICT equipment. ICTs play a central use in society; therefore, they give children a real world connection. This also gives students purpose in learner because they are using technologies that they will need to.

An Analysis of John Updikes A&P Essay -- A&P Essays JOhn Updike Paper

An Analysis of John Updike's A&P In his short story "A & P" John Updike utilizes a 19-year-old adolescent to show us how a boy gets one step closer to adulthood. Sammy, an A & P checkout clerk, talks to the reader with blunt first person observations setting the tone of the story from the outset. The setting of the story shows us Sammy's position in life and where he really wants to be. Through the characterization of Sammy, Updike employs a simple heroic gesture to teach us that actions have consequences and we are responsible for our own actions. Sammy is a 19-year-old boy conveying a cocky but cute male attitude. He describes three girls entering the A & P, setting the tone of the story. "In walk these three girls in nothing but bathing suits. There was this chunky one, with the two piece-it was bright green and the seams on the bra were still sharp and her belly was still pretty pale...there was this one, with one of those chubby berry-faces, the lips all bunched together under her nose, this one, and a tall one, with black hair that hadn't quite frizzed righ...

Codes of Ethics are the Most Effective Method of Instilling Ethical Beh

Documentations that state significant philosophical principles and make clear the values depicted within an organisation are known as ethical codes. For these codes to be considered effective they are required to be able to define the responsibilities of an organisation to stakeholders, the conduct expected of employees (Kaptein & Wempe, 2002) and articulate the ethical parameters of the organization as to what is acceptable and what is not (Stevens, 1994). While behaviour of course, refers to the ethical behaviour of individuals in organizations. Employee behaviours are purposely designed to be affected by codes, regardless of the extent of the script. As much as codes are used to enhance social responsibility and explain the norms and values of the organisation, it would be equally important to consider how codes can influence behaviour. Numerous systems and methods in conjunction with the embedment of ethical codes will be considered to exhibit the effects of ethical behaviour; these include analysing the link between control mechanisms and correlating them to the primary components of a management system. As well as portraying how an ethical culture and successful communication stream enhances ethical behaviour amongst employees. In effect these methods are used as an overall message, created by the corporation in an attempt to instil behaviour and effect change through explicit statements of acceptable behaviour (Stevens, 1994). Codes of ethics are written to guide behaviour, and so any analysis of the impact of a code must include how well it affects behaviour. Contemporary social psychological research such as those done by Ferrell and Gresham as part of their contingency model suggest that, â€Å"Ethics related corporate ... .... C. and W. D. Richardson: 1994, 'Ethical Decision Making: A Review of the Empirical Litera ture', Jo urnal of Business Ethics 13, 203-221. 11. Bowden, P & Smythe, B. (2008). Making codes of ethics meaningful and effective. Keeping Good Companies. 1 (1), 584-588. 12. Stevens, B. (2008). Corporate Ethical Codes: Effective Instruments For Influencing Behavior? . Journal of Business Ethics. 78 (4), 601-609. 13. Trevino, L. K., G. R. Weaver, D. Gibson and B. L Toeffler: 1999, 'Managing Ethics and Legal Compli ance: What Works and What Hurts', California Management Review 41 (2), 131-151. 14. Schwartz, M.: 2004, 'Effective Corporate Codes of Ethics: Perceptions of Code Users', Journal of Business Ethics 55, 323-343. 15. IFAC. (2007). Defining and Developing an Effective Code of Conduct for Organizations . Professional Accountants in Business Committee. 1 (3), 8-21.

Interview with a High School Counselor Essay -- Counseling

School counseling has evolved over the years into a significant component of the educational system. School counselors are taking on new roles in schools as leaders, working with â€Å"school administration and staff in developing student attitudes and behavior which are necessary to maintain proper control, acceptable standards of self-discipline and a suitable learning environment within the school† (Secondary School Counselor 2012). Counselors work in â€Å"diverse community settings designed to provide a variety of counseling, rehabilitation, and support services† (Counselors, 2010). When working in a school district as a counselor, you can either be an elementary school counselor, middle school counselor or a high school counselor. This essays explores a recent interview with a high school counselor. High school counselors advise students on an assortment of topics. Counselors help from advising students about colleges and requirements to helping students deal with social, behavioral and personal problems. School counselors do not always interact with students individually; they will also work with small groups of students or even an entire class, depending on the topic. According to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), high school is a time for students to transition into adulthood and the work of work, begin separating from their parents, and exploring and defining their independence. They need guidance in making concrete and compounded decisions. This is where school counselors come in to help these students guide them with information. While interviewing the high school counselor of my choice Mr. Lee Ryland, this learner has learned that Mr. Ryland’s responsibilities as head school counselor i... ...and then peer approval, trying to be accepted in a group. Having strong counselors is a good foundation for a school; these educators are here to help promote academic success. Works Cited Counselors. (2010). United States Department of Labor. Retrieved 2015, from Bureau of Labor Statistics website: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos067.htm Ekchian, V. K. (Ed.). (2010, December). Los Angeles Unified School District Policy Bulletin. Professional Growth Manual.(2013). Renew a professional clear credential. Retrieved from California Commission on Teacher Credentialing website: http://www.svusd.k12.ca.us/resources/pg_manual_multsingsubj.pdf Secondary School Counselor. (2012). Los Angeles Unified School District. Retrieved from http://www.teachinla.com/research/class_descriptions/0533.pdf Ryland, L. (2015, February). Professional Counselor Interview.

Industry Analysis on Fast Food Essay

1. A few of the chief economic and business characteristics of the global fast-food industry are as follows: In the market growth rate the expected food sales is predicted to increase by $208 billion by 2020 with us already being at $800 billion by 2001. Under entry barriers for the fast-food industry the main concerns would be the entry costs, location, capital cost, and licensing. For a business to have success they must have the right location. Under exit barriers there are land leasing, building leases, capital cost. 2. Some of the driving forces include the quality of the food, price of the food, and the nutritional value. Some of the consumers that are playing an important role in fast food are women employed outside the home, two-earned households, higher income, and smaller size of the family. Increased food spending driven by population growth is just one way consumers will shape the future of the US food system. 3. Five forces: a. Rivalry among competitors- in the fast-food industry it’s who can get the food out the fastest. b. New entrants- the competition is increasing due to not having many entry barriers. c. Substitute products- there are many choices in the fast food industry leaving consumers with so many different choices. Therefore each individual fast-food restaurants needs to differentiate their product so people will want to come back for their product. For example what is it about Popeye’s chicken vs. KFC’s? d. Suppliers and buyers- in the fast-food industry if the buyers aren’t satisfied with the suppliers than they can easily switch their suppliers leaving the suppliers with a disadvantage. Also if suppliers cannot offer something unique that only restaurants can get form them, then they have no power to keep that restaurant’s business. 4. A few factors that are critical to success in the fast-food industry are timeliness of the food, quality of the food, quantity of the food, and the pricing of the food. 5. It’s attractive in they way that with the fast paced growth of the fast-food industry, there are so many restaurants entering because there are minimal entry barriers. Anyone who wants to open a restaurant can. Also, there are very low switching costs, which make restaurants look very appealing to big corporations. It can be unattractive because more and more consumers are willing to spend more money on better quality food rather than the quantity of food at a fast-food restaurant. Also senior citizens and immigrants are more likely to cook at home and move away from the trend.

Bleak House Commentary Essay

The following is an analysis of a passage from Charles Dickens’ novel, Bleak House, in which a bleak and dreary atmosphere is conveyed. The first thing that is mentioned by the narrator in the first paragraph of the passage is mud, and this plays a significant part in the depiction of a filthy, dirty environment. The beginning line, ‘As much mud in the streets†¦and it would not be wonderful to meet a Megalosaurus, forty feet long or so, waddling like an elephantine lizard up Holborn Hill’ uses hyperbole to suggest that the streets are so muddy that it’s almost like the beginning of the world, and it wouldn’t be strange to see a dinosaur roaming around because of that. Also, the line ‘Dogs, undistinguishable in mire. Horses, scarcely better; splashed to their very blinkers’ is an exaggeration of how the streets are so dirty that one cannot tell the different between the mud and the dogs, and even horses are up to their eyes in it. This shows us just how much mud and grime there is, and how dirty everything is. Another aspect in this passage is the dreariness and the bleak environment. This is expressed in the line ‘Foot-passengers, jostling one another’s umbrellas, in a general infection of ill temper, and losing their foot-hold at street-corners, where tens of thousands of other foot passengers have been slipping and sliding since the day broke (if this day ever broke), adding new deposits to the crust upon crust of mud†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Firstly, the line ‘jostling one another’s umbrellas’ suggests that the place is so overcrowded and uncomfortable that people are all bumping into each other, and that their ‘ill temper’ is spread like a disease every time they come into contact, and it stirs in us a sense of claustrophobia because the people are all packed together. This adds to the implication that it’s a miserable and unpleasant place to be. Also, the fact that the foot-passengers are using umbrellas suggests that it is or has been raining, strengthening the general feeling of gloominess. Furthermore, the fact that the part of the line ‘†¦slipping and sliding since the day broke (if this day ever broke)’ is written in parenthesis suggests the sarcastic voice of the narrator, that he is mocking the foot-passenger’s ill temper and derisively commenting on the cold and depressing atmosphere, and this in turn reinforces that very fact. The use of sibilance in ‘slipping and sliding’ further increases the effect of the dismal environment. The following line, ‘Smoke lowering down from chimney-pots, making a soft black drizzle with flakes of soot in it as big as full-grown snowflakes – gone into mourning, one might imagine, for the death of the sun’ is very effective in expressing how unpleasant the place is. The fact that the smoke is ‘lowering’ down, instead of drifting upwards as it normally does, implies that the atmosphere is so oppressive that even smoke can’t escape and is being pushed down. In addition, there is a personification of the soot and snow, as they have ‘gone into mourning’ for the ‘death of the sun’. This could be an implication that the place is so gloomy and polluted that you can no longer see the sun, and that is why it has ‘died’, and is also why everything is black. This effectively intensifies the feeling of despair and dreariness that is hanging over the city, and the bleakness of the environment. The second paragraph of this passage concentrates mainly on fog and how it has been personified into a shadowy demon from which there is no escape. The first line of the second paragraph begins with ‘Fog everywhere’, and this alone is a very abrupt, aggressive statement that makes us feel, once again, slightly claustrophobic, as though there is fog pressing in all around us and that there is no escape from it. Subsequently, the lines ‘Fog in the eyes and throats of ancient Greenwich pensioners, wheezing by the firesides,’ and ‘Fog cruelly pinching the toes and fingers of his shivering little ‘prentice boy on deck’ are examples of how the fog is personified, and made to seem sinister, omnipresent, like an oppressor that takes pleasure in attacking weak, vulnerable people like ‘ancient Greenwich pensioners’ and the ‘shivering little ‘prentice boy’. Another very effectual line is ‘Chance people on the bridges peeping over the parapets into a nether sky of fog, with fog all round them, as if they were up in a balloon, and hanging in the misty clouds’. The use of the verb ‘peeping’ is very interesting because it means the people are looking quickly or secretly over the bridges, and it creates a sense of nervousness and apprehension, as though the people are frightened of the fog, thus making the fog seem all the more threatening. In addition to this, the use of ‘parapets’ may not be just a reference to the sides of the bridge, as it also makes us think of castles, and so people peeping over parapets makes it seem as though they are under siege or under attack from an army of fog, which goes back to the allusion that the fog attacks weak or vulnerable people. Furthermore, the last part of the line, ‘as if they were up in a balloon, and hanging in the misty clouds’ conveys a sense of helplessness, because when you’re in a balloon you have very limited control, and this has been used as a metaphor to suggest how the people have no control over the fog and that they are trapped by it. Once again, this creates the feeling of claustrophobia and makes it seem overwhelming as there is so much fog and there’s no way out. The structure of these this passage is very interesting to note. The first paragraph is almost conversational, as though the narrator is describing to us the many events of the day, while the second paragraph suddenly switches to more somber, grave narrative of the fog, and this affects us and makes us feel uneasy of the fog. This is also partly because the passage is written in the present, and so it involves us, makes us feel as if we are there in the dreary environment. Additionally, the elongated syntax of the sentences mirrors the long, miserable day and the never-ending fog, and this intensifies the gloomy feeling we get from it. In conclusion, this passage from Bleak House uses many different techniques such as personification, hyperbole and tone of voice to effectively express the dirty and gloomy environment and the general feeling of misery and despair.