The Life of Claude Monet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Life of Claude Monet - Essay Example His mother was a musician and singing was part of Monet’s upbringing. His father was a shopkeeper but later was hired by hi half-sister Marie-Jeanne Gaillard’s husband called, Jacques Lecadre. The family had to relocate to Le Havre, on the Seine estuary, where Claude Monet received his primary education in a private school (Monet 2010 p. 1). Monet was an able and renowned artist who has produced masterpieces, nature being the focus of his pieces. It was at Seine estuary that Monet developed his artistic career. His love and perception recorded in his first youthful painting of the harbors, shores and small sailing craft. He learnt to appreciate nature and became sensitive of the weather. His hatred for school started as a young boy instead choosing to spend most of his time drawing images of his teachers in his copybooks. He spent most of his time along cliff and on beaches avoiding going to school. Monet’s love for the sea was immense and he claimed that, "I sho uld like to be always near it or on it, and when I die, to be buried in a buoy" (Monet 2010 p. 3). Most of the traits that made Monet a painter were evident by 1856 at age sixteen. He lacked faith in anything drawn from experience and was not religious. Monet was stimulated by hostility, diversity and lacked need for social approval. Monet was also very persistent in anything that he wanted to pursue. He was a heavy eater, and it was said that he ate food enough for four men. While pursuing his studies at Le Harve school of Arts, Monet started selling charcoal paintings to locals in the area. While studying under Jacques-Francois Ochard for several years, Monet met Eugene Boudin who helped him master oil paints and ‘Plein air’ techniques. After the passing away of his mother in 1857, Monet moved to live with his aunt Marie-Jeanne Lecadre (Artquotes p. 3). His observation of painters copying what famous artists had already done was evident in his tour of Louvre in Paris. As for Monet who travelled with his paints everywhere he went, he sat by the window and painted what was in view. He came closer to other painters during his visit to Paris. He met and befriended Edouard Manet. He went to Algeria and joined the first Regiment of African Light Cavalry in 1861, where he stayed for two years after contracting typhoid. Due to his unfulfilled work at Algeria, Monet agreed to join a university. While studying, he met Charles Gleyre in 1862 and met Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Frederic Bazille. They shared ideas on rapid and new painting techniques. Monet met Camille Doncieux during this time and in 1867, they had a son. Claude suffered financial difficulties and attempted suicide but Camille supported him and in 1870 they got married (Artquotes p. 6). Monet and Camille decided to leave France when the Franco-Prussian War broke out in July of 1870. They took refuge in England and it was here that Monet studied famous artists like, John Consta ble and Joseph William Turner. Monet then moved to Zaandam after his works were denied exhibition at the Royal Academy. It was until in late 1871 that Monet returned to France settling in Argenteuil near Paris. It was while at Argenteuil that Monet focused on developing his impressionistic style, where he painted the famous impression, sunrise in 1872 which he later named the impressionist movement. Camille was diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1876, and never fully

Shylock Is a Jew in a Predominantly Christian Society Essay Example for Free

Shylock Is a Jew in a Predominantly Christian Society Essay Question: ‘Shylock is a Jew in a predominantly Christian society just as Othello is†¦living in a predominantly white society. But unlike Othello, Shylock rejects the Christian community as firmly as it rejects him.’ (W.H. Auden, ‘The Dyer’s Hand’, 1963. Quoted in ‘Shakespeare’s Comedies’, edited by Lerner, Penguin 1967.) In light of the above quotation, compare and contrast Shakespeare’s presentation of prejudice, considering how audiences of different periods might react to it. (2000 words) Shylock’s presentation of prejudice has been received in immeasurably different ways by audiences of different generations, and the portrayal of the attitudes of Shylock and Othello towards their intolerant societies are ones that still arguably offer a valuable view towards prejudice in our present-day societies. ‘Shylock is a Jew’. Four words from the above quotation which arguably encapsulate the main running theme throughout the whole of The Merchant of Venice. From a Venetian viewpoint, Shylock is a Jew; therefore he is different; therefore we will exclude him. Shakespeare shows this through many different examples, from the racist views expressed by ‘good Antonio’, to the expressions used by the high courts of Venice; the Christian community expressing a certain divide and prejudice towards Shylock and the Jewish minority. This ‘rejection’ of the Jews is notably explored in the views expressed by Antonio early on in the play, when the loan of ‘three thousand ducats’ is negotiated. Bassanio attempts to convince Shylock through kind words and offers of dinner- the ‘Christian’ way of kindness; possibly the only instance of kindness offered to Shylock throughout the entire play. However, as soon as Antonio enters, the tone chan ges; Shylock goes from being referred to as ‘sir’ by Bassanio to ‘The devil’ by Antonio. Antonio would ‘spit on thee again’, and this particular example highlights that, despite the fact Antonio is attempting to receive a loan from Shylock, prejudice is still inherent in his every word and action. The Christian community ‘rejects’ Shylock, no matter what he may do of benefit to them; and, as a result, is rejected in like. The harsh treatment Shylock receives (such as curfew and a barrage of cuss-words) is reflected in the way that he ‘rejects the Christian community as firmly as it rejects him’; for example, when offered dinner, Shylock launches into an expletive, hate-fuelled speech about Christianity, claiming that pork is ‘the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite conjured the devil into’, and firmly stating that he ‘will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you’. Shylock is rejecting the Christian community with every moral fibre in his body, and seems to only take the bond of Antonio to hold some kind of leverage above him, namely the term of ‘the forfeit/ Be nominated for an equal pound/ Of your fair flesh’; a foolishly agreed term that is taken full advantage of. Shylock is treated harshly, and as a result takes full advantage of the fact that legally he can kill Antonio; thus rejecting the Christian community. Othello, however, is the polar opposite of Shylock’s ‘stand-alone’ attitude; though being the outsider ‘in a predominantly white society’, he attempts to fit in, and be loved by the aristocratic Venetians. Shakespeare presents the prejudice inherent in Venetian society in a slightly different way; though Shylock and Othello both are used by the ‘majorities’, and thrown out when not needed, Shakespeare presents a play that explores the prejudice through a different angle. Othello is the war-hardy soldier needed by the whole of Venetian society to fight the Turkish aggressors, who angers Venetian society by taking a white woman; Shylock is a Jew whose possessions are needed by Antonio alone, who angers Venetian society by daring to claim what is rightfully his. In Othello the audience receives an impression that, though Iago is manoeuvring everybody towards his own aims, Othello is clearly in the wrong when murdering his wife; therefore he is rejected by the ‘society’, and this is morally ‘right’. In The Merchant of Venice the audience feels that, actually, Shylock is morally wronged by the Christians; and this rejection by society leaves a bitter taste. An audience in Elizabethan times would have been left with (in both plays) a feeling of discontentment in the treatment of the two key characters; despite the obvious inherent prejudice in society at this time towards ‘moors’ and Jews, Shakespeare’s manipulations of stereotypes in his works (e.g. the ‘kind’, Christian Antonio is an oppressive character who almost gets his comeuppance) were aimed to alter (or at least make the audience question) their views on minorities. Shakespeare’s portrayal of Shylock can easily be seen as a plea for tolerance towards the Jewish community in England at the time. For example, Shylock’s famous ‘If you prick us, do we not bleed?’ speech is designed to throw a human perspective on the matter; that the ‘Jews’- peoples that have been so discriminated against that any racism against Jews has its own nametag are human too. Shylock’s most memorable speech is a cry for humanity and equality, which has resounded down the ages. As Alexander Granach (a German actor who portrayed Shylock in the 1920s) in his autobiography ‘From the Shtetl to the Stage: The Odyssey of a Wandering Actor’ writes; Shakespeare ‘gave Shylock human greatness and spiritual strength and a great lonelinessthings that turn Antonios gay, singing, sponging, money-borrowing, girl-stealing, marriage-contriving circle into petty idlers and sneak thieves.’ This will undoubtedly have had a slight effect on the audience, showing them that the supposed ‘villain’ of the piece is simply following a twisted, u nmerciful version of the ‘Golden Rule’, an ethic of reciprocity that is cited in Christianity; ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. In this play, Shylock is indeed doing ‘unto others’ how they do unto him. Shylock’s actions, instead of being a stereotypical cruel, vengeful Jew who only cares about his ‘diamond gone (that) cost me two thousand ducats’, are transformed by Shakespeare into an often-misinterpreted statement about the hypocrisy inherent in both society and religion at this time. Shakespeare’s magic lies in the fact that he managed to change two persecuted minorities, who prior to being dramatically personified by Shakespeare had been held up in plays as mockeries of creatures, to human beings with the emotional capacity to feel love and hate. Othello is no longer a ‘black ram’ held up by Iago as crudely ‘topping (the) white ewe’, he has become a symbol of the outsider used for other’s purposes. In Othello’s doing of ‘ta’en’ of Desdemona, he turns Venetian society against him, and is only needed for the purposes of defeating the Ottomans. 300 years on, and this example is still relevant; Paul Robinson, a black actor who went on to portray Othello on Broadway in 1943, drew comparisons between Othello’s situation and the situation of a coloured man in America in the 1930s; ‘while (Othello) could be valuable as a fighter he was tolerated, just as a negro who could save New York from a disaster would become a great man overnight†¦however, as soon as Othello wanted a white woman†¦everything was changed, just as New York would be indignant if their coloured man married a white woman’. In this way, Shakespeare’s portrayal of minorities is relevant for all societies where ethnical persecution takes place, no matter what the time period. However, Shakespeare’s underlying meaning of equality has been twisted. David H. Lawrence famously quoted ‘Never trust the artist, trust the tale’; and indeed, this ha what happened with Shakespeare’s intentions for Shylock and the grim reality. For example, the character of Shylock was used in anti-semetic propaganda by Hitler in Nazi Germany to promote the scapegoating of the Jews; Shylock is held up by a local newspaper in Konigsberg, Germany in 1935 as ‘cowardly and malicious’ when ‘properly understood’, a line that undermines both the intelligence and self-esteem of local people upon reading (in that they did not read enough into the play), and the true meaning of The Merchant of Venice. Upon saying that the deeper meaning is that Shylock is cowardly and malicious, they are mistaking the shallow, surface meaning for a deeper one. As Harold Bloom commented in 1999, ‘It would have been better for the Jewish people had Shak espeare never written this play’; here, Bloom is obviously commenting on the fact that people only took away the shallow meaning, not the deeper, politically-charged (for the times) meaning that Shakespeare is attempting to convey. In a manner seemingly parallel to that of Nazi Germany, Shakespeare’s messages are being sorely misunderstood even nowadays. Shakespeare and his plays (in present-day, less inherently racist society) are being taken away from younger generations, such as in British schools whose teaching is becoming impeded by the P.C nature of today’s ‘Big Society’. Texts and plays key to British education (such as ‘Of Mice and Men’ and ‘Othello’) are being considered to blatent in their language (eg. ‘whore’, ‘moor’) to be studied at an age of 15/16; in an age when arguably the anti-racist messages of Shakespeare need to be implemented. In this way, whilst previous generations of audiences may have held up Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ and ‘Merchant of Venice’ as examples of injustice and hypocrisy, today’s audiences are holding them up as too blatent in their use of ‘inappropriate language’. Shakespeare’s messages of equality are, once again, being misunderstood; especially if people do not understand the messages that ‘the Great Bard’ is attempting to convey. For example, in 2008, nine students at the Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls School (a Jewish comprehensive school) in Hackney in East London refused to sit an exam on ‘The Tempest’ purely because they felt that Shakespeare was anti-semetic owing to his severely-misunderstood portrayal of Shylock. Othello has also often been held up and received down the centuries as purely a negative stereotype; even as recently as 2008. Robert Fisk writes in ‘The Guardian’ that ‘Othello was a Moor, a black Muslim, a mercenary (in the service of Venice) – and a wife killer’. One can assume that this is how he would have been viewed in most predominantly-white countries up until the fall of racism and the increase of diversity; thus missing the fact that Iago is both the catalyst and trouble-starter. The mannerisms and attitudes of the characters provide a key insight into the prejudices inherent in society, through both the actions and thought-processes provided by Shakespeare. For example, Othello almost unconsciously uses racist terms to describe himself, providing a derogatory edge to his words. This is shown best in the soliloquys given to Othello, especially when he doubts the good nature of Desdemona; he feels that his ‘name, that was as fresh As Dians visage, is now begrimed and black, As mine own face’, i.e. that his previously good nature is now smeared. However, Othello associates his own face as ‘begrimed and black’, in that he sees his very self as something dirty- and that white (i.e. ‘Dian’s visage’, a marble-white Greek goddess) as something good, clean, and pure. Othello appears to have internalised the racist ideologies preached by Venetians such as Brabantio, and this especially comes to heed in the murder of Desdem ona. Seeds planted by Iago act as a catalyst to the problem put in the open by Brabantio at the start of the play; that Desdemona would never ‘Run from her guardage to the sooty bosom Of such a thing as thou’. This, ultimately, is something that the entire play relies on; this comment, made in the heat of the moment by Brabantio, ultimately delivers death unto his daughter. Othello begins to doubt Desdemona’s love and honour due to the fact that he has internalised such racist opinions as ‘blacks and whites should not mix’, and is driven crazy by this. As already mentioned, Robert Fisk spoke of the ways in which Othello would have been viewed; not as somebody noble, but as somebody ‘different’, and (though many in the Elizabethan audience may have been able to sympathise with the beating of Desdemona) a ‘wife killer’; and indeed, this is a way in which some still see him today. Shakespeare, just like Othello and Shylock, lived in a predominantly white and Christian society, and recognised the prejudices inherent in English society; indeed, his plays reflected society. However, as Chung-hsuan Tung wrote, ‘Shakespeare recognizes the existence of racial differences but he is not a racist. Shakespeare is†¦an impartial, humanitarian dramatist preaching interracial liberty, equality, and fraternity.’ Bibliography Alexander Granach ‘From the Shtetl to the Stage: The Odyssey of a Wandering Actor’ Paul Robinson – ‘My Fight for Fame; How Shakespeare Paved My Way to Stardom’ The Merchant of Venice, Edited by John Russell Brown, ‘the Arden Shakespeare’, 2007 Othello, edited by E.A.J. Honigman, ‘the Arden Shakespeare’, 1997 John Gross – ‘Shylock: A legend and its Legacy’ Robert Fisk – ‘Offended by Shakespeare? Let’s ban him.’ Guardian, 8th March 2008. Harold Bloom ‘It would have been better for the Jewish people had Shakespeare never written this play’, 1999. Chung hsuan-Tung – ‘The Jew and the Moor: Shakespeare’s Racial Vision’, 2008

Essay --

Bill the Butcher, a nativist man, willing to kill and die for his own country. Dislike Irish immigrants, and African Americans, an egocentric man. Bonnie and Clyde a couple who met young, committed their crimes together, and ultimately died together. These notorious characters from history have formed a platform of violence among those around them. Bill the Butcher, and Bonnie and Clyde, their thoughts, their views, and their lives; alike and different at the same time for government/ authority, power, their crimes, their atmosphere ( events surrounding them ), and ultimately their deaths. Bill the Butcher's view on government was that the natives basically run everything. He has a big dislike for irish immigrants coming into the U.S. In the film Gangs of New York Bill the Butcher finds the Irish as a waste of space, of no use, and unwilling to die for the Nations that has opened their doors to them. He is egocentric believing that Natives are superior to any others residing the area, including African Americans. Bonnie and Clyde in ‘’ The Lives and Times of Bonnie and Clyde’’ do not present an actual hate toward government, rather as Milner shows, a sense of rebellious criminals, ‘’ They call them cold blooded killers’’ ( ). The title of the chapter impling who they are, not just thieves, and burglars, but murders. Bill the Butcher was willing in his eyes kill and die for his country, Bonnie and Clyde on the other side, were destroying the government with their crimes, leading officials to investigations, and chase s after the two. Bill the Butcher presents a sense of power in his character, he is the leader of a Nativist gang as Asbury states called the (----) (Page). In the book Bill the Butcher is known as Asbury states ... ... sense of rebellion, and standing your ground, Bill the Butcher not liking the Irish immigrants, even when the government was allowing them to come in; Bonnie and Clyde not settling to live like others in poverty, and if times were hard, well they made times hard for those who were doing well, public officials..''the law..'' (PAGE). Blibliography Asbury, Herbert. The Gangs of New York. Leicester: W.F. Howes, 2003. Print. Milner, E. R. The Lives and times of Bonnie and Clyde. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1996. Print. Gangs of New York. Dir. Martin Scorsese. Perf. Daniel Day- Lewis, Cameron Diaz, Leonardo Decaprio. Twentieth Century Fox, 2003. DVD. Bonnie and Clyde : Dead and Alive. Dir. Bruce Beresford. Perf. Emile Hirsch , Holliday Grainger. Sony Pictres Television, 2013. Televison Program Movie.

Facebook Essay

Size of this preview: 336 ? 600 pixels. Other resolution: 134 ? 240 pixels. Full resolution ? (434 ? 775 pixels, file size: 34 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. Information from its description page there is shown below. Commons is a freely licensed media file repository. You can help. DescriptionAn Essay concerning Humane Understanding in four books (1690) by John Locke (1632-1704) Date2005-12-03 (original upload date) SourceOriginally from de. wikipedia; description page is/was here.AuthorOriginal uploader was Olaf Simons at de. wikipedia Permission (Reusing this file) This image is in the public domain. Other versions [edit]Licensing This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired. This applies to Australia, the European Union and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 70 years. You must also include a United States public domain tag to indicate why this work is in the public d omain in the United States.Note that a few countries have copyright terms longer than 70 years: Mexico has 100 years, Colombia has 80 years, and Guatemala and Samoa have 75 years, Russia has 74 years for some authors. This image may not be in the public domain in these countries, which moreover do not implement the rule of the shorter term. Cote d'Ivoire has a general copyright term of 99 years and Honduras has 75 years, but they do implement the rule of the shorter term.This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights. File history Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. Date/TimeThumbnailDimensionsUserComment current22:32, 1 September 2010434 ? 775 (34 KB)JuTaigher resolution from de:Datei:Locke Essay 1690. jpg uploaded by de:user:Olaf Simons at 2005-12-03 23:22:27 local time with comment (John Locke, 1632-1704. An Essay concerning Humane Understanding in four books (Londo n: Printed for Tho.Basset, a 08:55, 15 August 2009396 ? 732 (54 KB)Jack Merridewslight rotation to fix look; fixed a few speckles, too 15:33, 25 April 2007396 ? 734 (148 KB)W. C. Minor{{Information |Description=An Essay concerning Humane Understanding in four books (1690) by John Locke (1632-1704) |Source=Originally from [http://de. wikipedia. org de. wikipedia]; descripti File usage The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): An Essay Concerning Human Understanding Essay Facebook Essay In 2004 a 20-year-old man named Mark Zukerberg created a phenomenon that involves over 500 million people in this world. In fact today, there are more people on Facebook, than there were on the planet 200 years ago. Zukerberg created this website not knowing that it would become this popular to the world. The concept of Facebook that Mark Zukerberg envisioned is viewed positively and negatively throughout the world. Facebook is always described as a place to make connections. Every person that you accept as a friend can see what you are doing on your profile.This is used to make connections with your friends that you may not have realized before. This could include adding your favorite movie; all of your friends then know what it is and can agree/disagree with your choice. Facebook is a place that makes it easy and efficient to connect with your friends, whether they live 5 miles or 5 hundred miles away. Some say you can do this by Instant Messaging, video chatting, e-mailing or writ ing letters. All of those options are true but what makes Facebook so popular is that you can do all of those things in one place to so many different people at once.For family that you do not see often, you can post pictures to show them what you have been doing. In the same place you can write them a note or video chat with them. The reason Zuckerbergs site became so popular so fast is because people want one place where they have many options of things to do. Another advantage to Facebook is the grouping it creates. You can create or join a group that states a common interest. People go into the group to talk about this interest, share ideas, and events about that interest.For example, last year my whole senior class planned a trip together. It would have been impossible to make this happen over texting or the phone so instead we used Facebook. Everyone could post ideas about what we should do and where we should go in this group. When someone posts everyone else can comment back saying what he or she thinks about that specific post. Some people join Facebook if they are famous or looking to become famous. They can post their latest projects there and all of their fans can comment, like, and share what the artist put up.This allows many different people to see it and show it to their friends so the artist can become more popular, especially if they are new. Mark Zuckerberg is the kid who created an online empire without even trying. In his 2010 interview in The New Yorker, Mark Zuckerberg is portrayed as a person who does not indulge with all of the money he has. It says that on his Facebook page his interests include â€Å"Minimalism,† â€Å"Revolutions,† and â€Å"Eliminating Desire. † He also states in a Facebook status that he does not own a TV. I think this goes to show what kind of person he is.He has had the same girlfriend, now wife, since college and they do not live in an over-luxurious home like most billionaires do. At 12 ye ars old, Zuckerberg created a simple version of what is now Instant Messenger for his fathers dental business and his own home. In his New Yorker interview, the author Jose Antonio Vargas says, â€Å"In all of our talks, the most animated Zuckerberg ever got—speaking with a big smile, almost tripping on his words, his eyes alert—was when he described his youthful adventures in coding. † I think this perfectly shows how innocently Zuckerberg views his programming and making websites.He really just enjoys it, not for the money or the fame but for the love of programming. In the world today you can find many critics of Facebook and of Mark Zuckerberg. I do not think people take enough time to look at the positives and the amazing online world that Zuckerberg created. It is interesting to see how many of the â€Å"haters† of Facebook are actually on it. Considering about 1 of every 13 people is on Facebook currently, I would suspect many people who speak nega tively couldn’t get off of it. Work Cited Vargas, Jose Antonio. The Face of Facebook. The New Yorker, 2010. Facebook Essay Size of this preview: 336 ? 600 pixels. Other resolution: 134 ? 240 pixels. Full resolution ? (434 ? 775 pixels, file size: 34 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. Information from its description page there is shown below. Commons is a freely licensed media file repository. You can help. DescriptionAn Essay concerning Humane Understanding in four books (1690) by John Locke (1632-1704) Date2005-12-03 (original upload date) SourceOriginally from de. wikipedia; description page is/was here.AuthorOriginal uploader was Olaf Simons at de. wikipedia Permission (Reusing this file) This image is in the public domain. Other versions [edit]Licensing This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired. This applies to Australia, the European Union and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 70 years. You must also include a United States public domain tag to indicate why this work is in the public d omain in the United States.Note that a few countries have copyright terms longer than 70 years: Mexico has 100 years, Colombia has 80 years, and Guatemala and Samoa have 75 years, Russia has 74 years for some authors. This image may not be in the public domain in these countries, which moreover do not implement the rule of the shorter term. Cote d'Ivoire has a general copyright term of 99 years and Honduras has 75 years, but they do implement the rule of the shorter term.This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights. File history Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. Date/TimeThumbnailDimensionsUserComment current22:32, 1 September 2010434 ? 775 (34 KB)JuTaigher resolution from de:Datei:Locke Essay 1690. jpg uploaded by de:user:Olaf Simons at 2005-12-03 23:22:27 local time with comment (John Locke, 1632-1704. An Essay concerning Humane Understanding in four books (Londo n: Printed for Tho.Basset, a 08:55, 15 August 2009396 ? 732 (54 KB)Jack Merridewslight rotation to fix look; fixed a few speckles, too 15:33, 25 April 2007396 ? 734 (148 KB)W. C. Minor{{Information |Description=An Essay concerning Humane Understanding in four books (1690) by John Locke (1632-1704) |Source=Originally from [http://de. wikipedia. org de. wikipedia]; descripti File usage The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): An Essay Concerning Human Understanding Essay

Communication Exersise Formal Report Essay

By Business Consultant Executive summary: Mirror Image needs an overhaul in communication between management and workers. After collecting information collected through the CEO and a resent staff survey, it is apparent that certain things are restricting good communication. With the help of great pre-existing research this report identifies several major issues. Distrust of management has led to limited communication, as the workers feel this protects them. I suggest this course of action: 1. Create a transparent workplace and reassure staff about future redundancies. 2. Invest in communication courses for managers that deal with open conversation. 3. Actively encourage ‘two way’ communication between managers and workers. 4. Promote team leaders (foremen) that communicate well. This report was commissioned by the CEO and will help identify the communication problems at Mirror Image, particularly between factory workers and managers. Firstly the report will bring together relevant information on the subject, secondly identify the problems with provided information and lastly it will suggest some causes of action to help improve communications at IM. 2.0 Analysis of communication: 2.1 Literature review: Communication Managers need more than technical skills, communication is a leaders main channel for inspiration and engagement, whilst helping avoid serious problems. Communication classes for management have been proven effective by large pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, large amounts of evidence suggest educating managers about communication is very beneficial (Walters & Norton 2007). Communication classes for management can be tailored to address concerns. It’s usually hard to identifying issues resulting in poor communication. Luckily there is a wealth of information on the subject. Newberry & Conrad (2010) delivered a journal dedicated to improving communication skills in the workplace. Relevance established, the authors list twenty four key communication guidelines to aim for. Relevant key ideas: * Initiate open Discussion(Organizational communication) * Create information networks â€Å" * Provide feedback â€Å" * Building trust(Interpersonal, involve positive verbal/non-verbal communication) Trust is gained by a manager, when subordinates have certainty about events. Certainty gained from open discussion, where both parties have a say. Trust leads to increased productivity (Bach, 2006). â€Å"The best disinfectant is sunshine (Allen, 2012)† Power Bases Gupta and Sharma (2008) believe Power bases play a pivotal role in worker compliance. They make a distinction between harsh power bases (HPB) and soft power bases (SPB). They conclude that SPB are more effective in conjunction with quality communication then HPB. The SPB categories are expert, referent, information and dependence legitimacy. The HPB categories are coercion, reward, position legitimacy (French & Raven 1959). Silence The theory ‘the spiral of silence’ by Noelle-Neumann (1974) talks about how in groups, individuals will not raise comments or arguments, when they feel their views aren’t shared by the other members. The idea is important when considering employee involvement in the decision making process. Silence also occurs when there are trust issues. If someone believes what they say will be used against them, they will remain silent. Comment made by UK charity ‘Public Concerns at Work’, in a UK newspaper: â€Å"The knowledge that there is a culture of silence in the workplace both encourages and shields the corrupt and dishonest (stern, 2008).† In this instance the negligence of management was extreme. However silence can still facilitate negligence in management, no matter the severity. Therefore, silence in its adolescence is bad, if left untreated it could turn into something much worse. When participants in an organization discuss issues at meetings, certain points should be taken into account. Levasseur (1995) provides ten points, the relevant ones are: 2. Agree on a shared purpose. 4. Record ideas, issues and agreements. 6. Manage tasks and teamwork simultaneously. 7. Answer 4 key questions about every agenda topic. 8. Decide on next steps as a group. This list highlights the fact that communication is a ‘two way street’. Silence occurs in Organisations when these recommendations are not met. 2.2 Staff survey: (full results can be found in the appendix) The staff survey highlighted serious problems, with MI’s factory workers. The majority of workers gave a negative response to nearly every question. The workers seem to be more aware of the issues then the managers. The survey provided an anonymous outlet for factory workers where there previously wasn’t one. The survey should therefore be regarded as an accurate representation of worker/manager views. However some questions contain results that suggest ‘attribution errors’. Attribution errors effect perceptions of positive or negative situations, and whether it’s internalised or externalised (Philip, 1985), evidence will not be taken from these afflicted questions. Figure [ 1 ]~ 60% of workers believe they are insufficiently educated on their job role. Workers don’t receive enough instruction about their specific role in the company. This leads to enormous inefficiencies, as workers are left to pick up the pieces. Figure 2 ~60% of workers do not have confidence in management. The lanes of communication needed are not there. A workplace without trust is inefficient. Figure [ 3 ] ~80% of workers are prevented from voicing their concerns. Workers are scared that what they say will be viewed favourably. They are also worried about getting fired. They are already inherently disadvantaged, because their only form of vertical communication is ‘logical persuasion’. Figure 4 A lot of managers don’t involve workers. Decisions are probably made without them knowing. The workers probable feel helpless. Figure 5 All managers consider themselves approachable. Question three was the most unanimous result from the entire survey. This suggests managers don’t openly discourage communication. They most discourage communication other ways. They are in positions of power, making them more accountable then individual workers. 2.3 Case Study: Mirror Image shows a general lack of communication between management and their respective subordinates, brought about by distrust and fear. Management is distrusted because the workers fear clear communication will ultimately leave them jobless. Fear keeps what little interpersonal communication they have focused on safe subjects, like the ‘Rugby world cup’. Fear is a powerful tool used by harsher power bases. Managers at MI resort to harsh power bases because they come with the job (legitimate and coercive bases). Softer more progressive bases require reform and effort. The need for softer bases is evident in the formation of several factory leaders. One mentioned was ‘Rick’ who became a ‘go between’ for workers. Workers like Rick display reverent power that managers and the foreman lack. This is an obvious inefficiency. Effectively doubling the time spent communicating. The ‘spiral of silence’ impacts employees, because their ideas are not considered my management. Previously efforts in communication where hampered by an uninterested CEO. Relying on memo boards is extremely impersonal and should only be used for functional information. This lack of effective communication set a low standard for workers and managers, this caused the distrust between them. Managers didn’t involve workers and don’t ask for their opinions, while workers used inefficient mediums of exchange. The loss in productivity isn’t easy to quantify, however managers being disinterested in workers activities may further decrease productivity (Mayo, 1930). 3.0 Conclusion: MI has significant issues between factory workers and management. Brought about by lacklustre communication, the issues were mostly caused by distrust. When analysing the workers survey it was obvious that they sore serious problems with the way MI was run. NOT FINISHED 4.0 Recommendation: These recommendations will help managers and workers communicate more efficiently, remembering as CEO you should lead by example. Transparency should be deployed in every facet of the organisation, to tackle the large trust issues hampering communication. Start by reassuring staff that jobs will not be going under your leadership, making shore you don’t promise something you can’t keep. Try having reviewable performance evaluation  systems. If transparency is achieved certainty will result, certainty in time will bring a trusting workforce. Use communication classes to teach the basics, from subtle nonverbal communication to lifting the level of communication entirely (extensive list provided in index). Include shifting manager’s power bases from harsh to soft. Only bother teaching the managers as it will cost less, while achieving more. Managers should be encouraged to show an interest in the workers and the work they are doing. Managers should encourage ‘two way’ communication, make them answer employee questions fully. If they are not receiving questions have them rhetorically answer some of their own. Enforce these measures by increasing the transparency down the chain of command. Ask for updates on progress regularly. Removing the memo board is a good idea, in favour of orders being communicated down the chain of command, to ensure ‘two way’ communication. Only process information should be distributed through other mediums. Goals should be produced by both the workers and managers. This should reduce some of the ‘spiral of silence’ effects. Finally the team leaders (foremen) have proven to be a bottle neck in communication. Seek to promote workers who display natural ability to communicate. For example ‘Rick’ the employee mentioned by you would be a fine candidate. These leaders will hopefully bridge the gap between workers and management. 5.0 List of references: 1. Allen, Christopher J,D.V.M., J.D. 2012, â€Å"4 Ways to Provide Transparency in the Workplace†, DVM, vol. 43, no. 10, pp. 54-55. 2. Bach, P. 2006, Workplace trust hard to gain, but consistency, transparency key, Washington, United States, Washington.(ProQuestID- 463161676) 3. Daniel A. Wren, Arthur G. Bedeian, John D. Breeze, (2002) â€Å"The foundations of Henri Fayol’s administrative theory†, Management Decision, Vol. 40 Iss: 9, pp.906 – 918 state: It was not until the Storr’s translation that Fayol’s (1949) 4. French, J. R. and B. Raven (1959). â€Å"The bases of social power.† Studies in social power 150: 167 5. Gupta, B. & Sharma, N.K. 2008, â€Å"Compliance with Bases of Power and Subordinates’ Perception of Superiors: Moderating Effect of Quality of Interaction†, Singapore Management Review, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 1-24. (ProQuestID-226850816) 6. Levasseur, R.E. 1995, â€Å"Breaking the silence†, Successful Meetings, vol. 44, no. 13, pp. 61-61.(ProQuestID-206037363) 7. Mayo, Elton (1930). Hawthorne and the Western Electric Company. The Social Problems of an Industrial Civilisation. Routledge. 8. Newberry, R. & Conrad, D. 2010, â€Å"Identification of Outcome Based Business Communication Skills†, Allied Academies International Conference.Academy of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict.Proceedings, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 28-32.(ProQuestID- 807539416) 9. Noelle-Neumann, E.(1974) â€Å"The spiral of silence†: A theory of public opinion. Journal of Communication, 24, 43-3 10. Philip E. Tetlock. Sept 1985, â€Å"Accountability: A Social Check on the Fundamental Attribution Error†, Social Psychology Quarterly, Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 227-236 11. Stern, S. Sept 9 2008, Pssst . . . get smart and wipe out whistleblowing, The Financial Times, United Kingdom 12. Walters, D. & Norton, D. 2007, â€Å"Leadership communication – the AstraZeneca way†, Strategic Communication Management, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 16-19. (ProQuestID-203573719) | | 6.0 Appendix: 6.1 Question from Survey: Factory Worker Questions 1. I have a clear idea about my job role. 2. I am satisfied with the performance evaluation system. 3. Sometime I’m given tasks without the required resources (including time and knowledge) to complete them. (possible attribution error) 4. I have confidence in the intentions of the top management team 5. I feel comfortable voicing my concerns to senior managers. 6. I have a voice in the organizational decision making process. 7. I trust the people with which I work 8. I am treated fairly at work 9. I am satisfied with my work. 10. I feel committed to this organisation Management Questions 1. I try to seek employees’ input when making decisions. 2. I tend to closely supervise my subordinates. 3. I consider myself an approachable manager(possible attribution error) 4. I tend to customize my communication with employees to fit specific situations 5. I consider my workplace as rather political 6. I am satisfied with my work. 7. I feel committed to this organisation 6.2 Results from Survey: | Workers n=100| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | q1| q2| q3| q4| q5| q6| q7| q8| q9| q10| Completely Disagree| 20| 15| 10| 35| 60| 72| 36| 23| 0| 5| Mostly Disagree| 40| 45| 15| 25| 20| 24| 25| 32| 19| 55| Neither| 20| 20| 10| 25| 10| 4| 30| 28| 52| 25| Mostly Agree| 10| 20| 40| 15| 10| 0| 9| 7| 23| 10| Completely Agree| 10| 0| 25| 0| 0| 0| 0| 10| 6| 5| | | | Managers n=20| | | | | | | | | q1| q2| q3| q4| q5| q6| q7| | Completely Disagree| 2| 0| 0| 3| 1| 0| 0| | Mostly Disagree| 7| 2| 0| 5| 2| 2| 3| | Neither| 10| 3| 0| 4| 3| 3| 3| | Mostly Agree| 1| 4| 0| 3| 5| 5| 5| | Completly Agree| 0| 11| 20| 5| 9| 10| 9| | 6.3Newberry & Conrad (2010) extensive list of valuable communication skills â€Å"Organizational Communication Skills 1. Initiating open discussion – the ability to create the act of discussion and dialogue exploring opposition by individuals who advocate their positions and convince others to adopt those positions through logic, argument, or debate 2. Resolving conflict – the ability to employ a range of processes aimed at alleviating or eliminating sources of conflict through processes including negotiation, mediation, and diplomacy 3. Creating information networks – the ability to design and institute formal or informal systems for managing the flow of information and providing person-to-person relationships through which information flows 4. Teaching important skills – the ability to provide skill remediation to employees in areas such as job performance, technical competency, interpersonal  communication, and problem solving 5. Using information technology – the ability to employ equipment (usually computers) that enables managers and staff to access ongoing and relevant company information including reports, planning data, and employee and customer feedback 6. Providing performance feedback – the ability to assess employee performance and provide performance feedback as a review of the performance of employees, which helps to set targets for future performance targets 7. Negotiating – the ability to produce an agreement upon courses of action, to bargain for individual or collective advantage, or to craft outcomes to satisfy various interests. 8. Writing business correspondence – the ability to produce written communication used in business including letters, memos, bulletins, and reports 9. Making convincing presentations – the ability to provide informal or formal talks delivered to decision making groups to convey information or make a point Leadership Communication Skills 1. Arousing enthusiasm – the ability to inspire a whole-hearted devotion to an ideal cause, study or pursuit, or merely being visibly excited about what one’s doing 2. Being a change catalyst – the ability to initiate change through provision of information to employees that will convince them of why a change is necessary and will compel them to embrace it 3. Creating group synergy – the ability to compel organizational members to interact and produce a joint effect that is greater than the sum of the members acting alone 4. Building team bonds – the ability to establish team cohesiveness, which is the extent to which members stick together and remain united in the pursuit of a common goal 5. Expressing encouragement – the ability to provide support and confidence raising or increasing one’s self-esteem and confidence to make choices and decisions 6. Providing motivation – the ability to move a person or group toward desired goals by increasing their willingness to exert effort and energy to achieve the goals 7. Being persuasive – the ability to guide people toward the adoption of an idea, attitude, or action by rational, and logical means relying on appeals rather than coercion 8. Building optimism – the ability to create a disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome despite obstacles and setbacks Interpersonal Communication Skills 1. Active listening – the ability to employ an intrapersonal and interactive process to actively focus on, interpret, and respond verbally and nonverbally to messages 2. Building rapport – the ability to create a harmonious relationship, bond, or kinship based on mutual respect, friendship, camaraderie, or emotional ties making someone feel comfortable and accepted 3. Demonstrating emotion self control – the ability to display balanced moods through retaining, mastering, and dominating one’s reactions provoked by pleasant or unpleasant emotion 4. Building trust – the ability to construct the reciprocal faith in others’ intentions and behavior through a shared belief that you can depend on each other to achieve a common purpose 5. Relating to people of diverse backgrounds – the ability to recognize and respect differences in people and communicate appropriately in verbal and nonverbal exchanges 6. Demonstrating respect – the abil ity to show esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability 7. Building relationships – the ability to establish a relatively long-term association between two or more people based on liking, trust, and respect creating regular business interactions, interdependence, or some other type of social commitment (Newberry & Conrad 2010)†

Free Essays on Women In The 1900s-1930s

Women in the 1900s-1930s Women in the 1900s-1930s went through many struggles and hardships in order to survive and stand as an equal towards the power of men. Women were looked down upon as someone who has no importance in the world except staying at home and cleaning the house. Through the 1900s-1930s women struggled in order to have political and social rights in order to show their importance in society. Women back then presented the importance and strength of their selves and helped provide many rights that women have today. Women did not have equal rights towards men in the workforce in the early 1900s. Many employers dismissed women from the most skilled and high paid jobs. Therefore, women did not have equal income as men did back in the 1900s. Between 1880 and 1900, education became an importance among men and women. Educators established private women’s colleges that were separate from the men’s. Most of the scholarships went to men and women had a harder time getting a college education. Due to discrimination of women getting a college education, it caused women to suffer economically because of their low-end jobs. Most women in the first three decades of the 20th century took on the role as a housewife who cleaned and took care of her children. The society believed the stereotype of women not having the mindset for professional training. Women struggled in order to have a larger role in society. After the Civil War, many middle-class women joined organizations for sociability and for their own self-confidence. Most of these organizations evolved around topics of common interest, issues such as temperance and girl’s education, and the ability to speak their minds. Women even debated on how they should present their selves among society. They began to â€Å"bob† their hair and wear blouses and skirts. Also, females began to get caught on the issue of having voting rights equal to men. Many women joined the suf... Free Essays on Women In The 1900s-1930s Free Essays on Women In The 1900s-1930s Women in the 1900s-1930s Women in the 1900s-1930s went through many struggles and hardships in order to survive and stand as an equal towards the power of men. Women were looked down upon as someone who has no importance in the world except staying at home and cleaning the house. Through the 1900s-1930s women struggled in order to have political and social rights in order to show their importance in society. Women back then presented the importance and strength of their selves and helped provide many rights that women have today. Women did not have equal rights towards men in the workforce in the early 1900s. Many employers dismissed women from the most skilled and high paid jobs. Therefore, women did not have equal income as men did back in the 1900s. Between 1880 and 1900, education became an importance among men and women. Educators established private women’s colleges that were separate from the men’s. Most of the scholarships went to men and women had a harder time getting a college education. Due to discrimination of women getting a college education, it caused women to suffer economically because of their low-end jobs. Most women in the first three decades of the 20th century took on the role as a housewife who cleaned and took care of her children. The society believed the stereotype of women not having the mindset for professional training. Women struggled in order to have a larger role in society. After the Civil War, many middle-class women joined organizations for sociability and for their own self-confidence. Most of these organizations evolved around topics of common interest, issues such as temperance and girl’s education, and the ability to speak their minds. Women even debated on how they should present their selves among society. They began to â€Å"bob† their hair and wear blouses and skirts. Also, females began to get caught on the issue of having voting rights equal to men. Many women joined the suf...

Future Updates

Future Updates Future Updates We created this blog so that many of you could get an on-the-ground view of how development of is going. Over the summer, we listened to your feedback and kept track of all the bugs/feature requests that were reported. Last month, we got the go ahead from our Information Systems(IS) Professors/Advisors to continue developing for Fall 2007. We were astounded by the number of users that began using , and by the sheer amount of feedback we received from the community; 117 requests to be exact! Many of you mentioned that you would like the ability to edit bibliographies. This is a feature we’ve been meaning to add since day 1, so look for that to be implemented in the next few weeks. Also, look for Harvard Citation support to be implemented within a month. Alot of you have been asking for the ability to share and tag your bibliographies. In the next month, we’ll be working on the User Interface(UI) and putting in the functionality for that. Even more of you have been asking for database support, and to expand our selection of books, magazines, films, academic journals, and our â€Å"other sources†. Rest assured we are working towards these things in the next 3 months. Some of you have wondered why we haven’t considered a lot of proprietary databases; JSTOR, IMDB, etc. We’d love to support many of these items, but they would incur ridonculous licensing fees that we are unable to absorb in our current state. As always, we depend on you to let us know if you run into any bugs, or if you think a certain feature would be a great addition to . Please feel free to contact us. Cheers! Alvin Fong

College Burnout Detect and Fight

College Burnout Detect and Fight Being in college should be one of the most exciting times of your life. For most students, it is their first chance at a life beyond the apron strings of the parents. For the first time they get to make decisions for themselves and learn what it means to be an adult. However, it is also a period of life when there is a lot of pressure. Thats why many students are at risk to experience college burnout. Not only do they have manage getting to class on time and tackling extremely difficult courses, but most will also have to juggle these things along with a job, paying rent, food shopping, and managing a family all at the same time. It’s no secret that college students lead extremely demanding lives and can easily become overwhelmed with this type of major change in lifestyle. For many, it can become so stressful that it can get to be just too much to deal with and some students consider dropping out of college. Two Options So, when struggling students finds themselves behind the gun with the deadline for an assignment coming due, they usually see only two options. Take the easy way out and hire someone to do the work for them or they can spend endless and sleepless nights trying to get done, many times neglecting other responsibilities in the process. This may work for a while but what happens after you have completed all that work and you don’t get the results you want? Your grades do not measure up to the amount of work you put in. You become exhausted, irritated, and discouraged. If this happens repeatedly, no matter how hard you try, your sense of dedication and the enthusiasm you felt at the beginning of the term will begin to wane. And if you’re like most people, you’ll begin to show signs of college burnout. What Is College Burnout? No matter how excited we get about going to college, it is literally impossible to remain upbeat 100% of the time. It is also impossible to remain on point for every task we have to face. After all, we are only humans and our brain power has to be refueled on a regular basis. If not, we can become overextended and fatigue will begin to set in. This is completely normal and nearly everyone goes through it. However, if you reach a point where occasional breaks are not enough to refuel your spirit you may be trying to cope with college burnout. So, how can you tell the difference between just regular exhaustion and college burnout? Health Problems: As your level of depression gets stronger, your immune system weakens and you’ll find yourself getting sick more often. Aside from headaches and unusual aches and pains, you may have bouts of insomnia (leading to a lack of energy), lingering colds, and other issues with your health. Cognitive Abilities Diminish: As your stress level increases, your normal brain functions will begin to diminish. You’ll notice that you become forgetful and your decisions become erratic. Your ability to concentrate on your studies is affected and you begin to make the kinds of mistakes you would never normally do. This will naturally lead to even lower grades automatically sending you into a downward spiral leading to further depression and an even stronger sense of failure. Lack of Motivation: One of the first signs of burnout is a lack of motivation. Your initial desire to do well in your studies gives way to a defeatist attitude. Your mind tells you that you’re not going to do well anyway and you have a sense that you will let people down no matter how hard you try. As a result, you are unable to muster up any desire to try. Boredom/Lack of Interest in Things: Boredom will set in and you’ll have no interest in anything, even things you once enjoyed. Your hobbies and interests will not be enough to pull you out of your negative mood. Even when you are successful in something there will be no sense of pride or satisfaction in the work you’ve done. Relationships Begin to Suffer: Burnout causes many students to pull away from relationships. You’ll find yourself avoiding people and go into a hibernation mode not wanting to communicate with anyone around you. All of these symptoms are a direct result of stress the student may experience. When you’re suffering from college burnout, you might lose control of your emotions and end up fighting over insignificant things, your attention will automatically drift to the negative side, and you can become very judgmental. Anyone experiencing these kinds of symptoms is most likely dealing with college burnout. The question at this point is ‘what can you do about it?’ How to Deal With College Burnout? One of the challenges of this unpleasant state is that you don’t have a lot of time to let the negativity run its course. You have deadlines to meet, courses to study for and the longer you linger in the depressive quagmire the worse your situation can become. You need to do something that can address your situation quickly. Tip #1:Seek Counseling Your university likely has a counselor that can help you to cope with your problems. Seek their guidance, they are there to give you support during those tougher than usual times. Make an appointment and take their suggestions seriously. They may recommend a semester of study off-major to give you a break from the pressure or they may offer other suggestions you may not have thought of to get you back on track. Tip #2: Take Care of Your Physical Needs First Most of the problems you’re dealing with in college burnout are all inter-related. But you won’t be able to recover from any of them if your body is not strong enough to fight back. It is more important to maintain your physical health before attempting to deal with your psychological and emotional issues. Start by eating healthy meals (even if you don’t want to) and making sure you get enough nutrition. When your body is well nourished, you will naturally sleep better, which will automatically help you better manage your emotions and mental state. If you do not see any improvement from managing your physical needs, it is very important that you see a doctor to make sure there are no other underlying causes that you aren’t aware of. Tip #3: Re-evaluate Your Goals Sometimes eager students are determined to push through their college years faster than usual. They may take on more classes than they need to or they have not seen the value in taking breaks. At times, to get over burnout may be as simple as setting smaller, easier to achieve goals. If youre feeling that your planning skills are not good enough, read our guide on how to improve your planning skills to perform better in college. Tip #4: Meditation Other students have discovered that practicing meditation and mindfulness has been very effective in getting you back on track. Even some thing as simple as positive self talk can help you to improve your overall outlook. Once your body and your mind are in sync, you will find that your entire attitude will begin to make the shift from negative to positive and you’ll be back on task before you know it. Everyone experiences burnout from time to time. It is a common occurrence with anyone who lives a busy life. Dealing with college burnout is not the end of the road and chances are you’ll deal with other types of it later on in life. The good news is that these feelings don’t last forever and with the right mindset and tools to fight it, you will be back to your studies and living the life of a college student in a very short period of time.

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Challening Role of Nurses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Challening Role of Nurses - Essay Example There are three different models of assessment in vogue of which Roper et al's model is adopted in the study. By also having a review of few published case studies, it is has been demonstrated that nurses are indispensable and they should conduct themselves in a responsible manner failing which the whole health care delivery system would collapse. one of the essential skills required of nurse clinicians is that of health assessment, including physical assessment. The nurses' role care of care starts from putting the patients and family members at ease on arrival and immediately beginning her health and physical assessment of the patient along with information provided by family members and past records of medical history. The Nurses should adopt a holistic approach as if they are one of the members of the community in delivering health care Nurses have a challenging role in the delivery of health care and are required to be skilled and knowledgeable clinicians; one of the essential skills required of nurse clinicians is that of health a... They undergo minimum three years of graduation like any other profession requires before they can practice as an indispensable link between doctors and patients. They are the first point of care in the absence of doctors and even in their presence. In fact nurse is a mini-doctor. Doctors look up on nurses as valuable source of information about the patients and expect them to fill the vacuum between the doctors and patients in their health care delivery to patients as the doctors can not be always be at the latter's bedside. Besides, Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), U.K. established in April 2002 has stipulated standards of proficiency for nurses which have come into force from 1 August 2004. Some of important standards of proficiency for nursing students prescribed by the NMC are that they should practice within legal and ethical limits keeping in view the patient's welfare, that they should not practice in a discriminatory manner between individuals and interest groups, that they should establish therapeutic relationships and withdraw from them appropriately, and that they should document the assessment of the patients systematically and accurately. (NMC) Health Assessment Basically an assessment of health involves collection of data and arriving at a judgement of status of a person's health, requirements, desires to serve as guide for future course of treatment.(Heath 2000) Nursing process starts with the said assessment. When the nurse meets the patient on being admitted to a hospital, visiting a clinic or at the patient's residence, she gathers information of the patient to decide on a care delivery. The assessment may be even conducted on day to day basis to monitor improvement

Child Sex Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Child Sex Tourism - Essay Example On the other hand, international laws and legislation were found to have yet to meet ends with the fight against child sex tourism. Since it has become a global dilemma, laws on commercial sexual abuse among children in each country must recognize and adhere to a unified agreement on legislation as well as its implementation to ensure success in combating child sex tourism. Child sex tourism (CST) is the commercial sexual exploitation of children by persons who travel from their own country to engage in sexual acts with children (Fraley, 2005). The United Nations has basically the same definition such that it is an organized tourism (the nature of which encompasses many activities) that facilitates the commercial sexual exploitation of anyone under18 years of age (Patterson, 2007). Travel and tourism, for which involves the associations between and among countries are significant factors that play in the prevalent success of this sex trade of minors. Consequently, even as one country becomes more rigorous in implementing its laws against the commercial sexual exploitation of children, they may not be just as successful without the cooperation of the other. Non-committal among nations who even had the most number of victims were found to be one among these factors affecting the prevention of the occurrence of such horrendous criminal acts. The United Nations and various Non-government organizations (NGOs) had synergized with the developed nations in order to strengthen the need to stop child prostitution. This collaboration had been intended to promote various provisions and campaigns towards an intensive and stringent implementation of appropriate and effective strategies against child sex tourism. The United States has been found to be one of the most frequent child sex tourists preying especially on the less developed countries. Studies have revealed that twenty-five percent of sex tourists are Americans (Andrews, 2004;

Role of the Entrepreneur in Setting Up a Business Essay Example for Free

Role of the Entrepreneur in Setting Up a Business Essay Entrepreneurs are the individuals who start new businesses in the economic marketplace. These individuals may start businesses for a variety of reasons, including working for their own self-interest, making more money, improving their local community or enhancing their quality of life. While entrepreneurs may face a number of issues when starting a business, they usually have the psychological resolve and positive outlook to overcome these issues. Other People Are Reading * Help With Setting up a New Business * How to Start an Entrepreneur Cosmetic Business 1. Facts * Entrepreneurs usually offer the vision, goals and objectives for their start-up companies. Goals and objectives oftentimes are simple during the early stages of the company; goals typically include building a strong customer base and making enough money to break even. As entrepreneurs continue to establish their businesses, the importance of goals and objectives typically increases. Once employees are hired to work in the business, an entrepreneur must be able to translate the company’s vision and objectives to new employees. Function * Start-up companies usually require a business plan to begin its operations. Entrepreneurs are usually the individuals responsible for writing the business plan and developing specific information related to the start-up company. The business plan is often used to secure external financing for starting the company and expanding its operations during the early stages of operation. Entrepreneurs may also use the business plan as a road map to direct the business as it continues to grow and expand in the business environment. * Sponsored Links * Trademark Registration Worldwide Trademark Registration Protect your brand internationally! www.MARCARIA.com Considerations * Entrepreneurs may choose to hire individuals during the early stages of business to complete specific technical business responsibilities. Accounting, production techniques, corporate finance or payroll may be positions entrepreneurs need to fill when starting the company. Individuals with these technical skills help the entrepreneur to create a solid foundation for the new business. Because entrepreneurs often are responsible for building the customer base or attracting new clients to the business, they may not have time for these internal business functions. Misconceptions * Setting up a new business is not always an easy task. Depending on the type of business or the current economic environment, entrepreneurs may need to spend copious amounts of time or money when starting businesses. Entrepreneurs also may not be successful in every business they attempt to start. However, their internal resolve and desire to succeed often leads them to new and better business opportunities. Expert Insight * The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a government agency entrepreneurs may use to research important economic and demographic information. The SBA provides start-up companies with various amounts of business, financial and economic information for starting new companies. The SBA also operates local business offices to help entrepreneurs obtain specific information relating to local markets. The SBA usually operates the local offices in conjunction with local community or state colleges and universities.

Accounting Ratio Analysis for Finances

Accounting Ratio Analysis for Finances Ratio analysis is a useful tool for analyzing financial statements. Calculating ratios will aid in understanding the companys strategy and in understanding its strengths and weaknesses relative to other companies and over time. They can sometimes be useful in identifying earnings management and in understanding the effect of accounting choices on the firms reported profitability and growth. Finally, the ratios help in obtaining a better understanding of a firms current profitability, growth, and risk which can improve forecasts of future profitability and growth and estimates of the cost of capital. In reviewing the basic financial ratios, we will examine the ratios of Best Buy for the fiscal years ended March 2, 2002 and March 3, 2001. Excerpts from Best Buys financial statements are included at the end of this document. Best Buy is a growing company. The following table reflects the growth in sales and income during the year ended March 2, 2002: Reference: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/4290867/calculating-ratios A number of accounting ratios are used to measure different aspects of performance. Many of these are derived from a single ratio known as the return on capitol employed. Any business would want high return on their capitol as this is the return on of investments made. But also they want the return to be as high as possible against their competitors. If we look at the results of Marks and Spencer over the five years the ROCE fell from 24.88% to just 14.44% thats a fall of 10.44% however. Compare that to the ROCE of next which was 65.54 in 2005 and it stayed around until 2008 when it went upto 84.73 however in 2009 that figure come down to just 40.10 in 2009 despite the big fall Next look like they are outperforming marks and spencer on the return of the capital invested All businesses want to get as high profit as possible marks and spencers gross profit margin over the period of five years it has been stable if will look at between 2006 and 2008 the gross profit margin stayed around 38% that figure saw a fall of just under 1% in 2009 however marks and spencer is doing better than Next as the gross profit margin of next is lower that ms and comparing over the five years they continue to experience a fall in gross profit margin but between 2007 (27.77) and 2008 (28.51) they experienced an increase of just under 1% in 2009 that did not improve because it started to fall again lower than 2008 The net profit margin of ms was looking was looking good up until 2009 as in 2008 it was 12.51 up from 9.38 in 2005 so it was good period however in 2009 that figure was 7.79 lower than the net profit margin of 2005. more worryingly for ms next is outperforming them over the five years not only are they getting high net profit margin but also it is stable at around 14% between 2005 and 2008 Sales per employee The asset turnover is how well the firm is putting its assets to work. The ratio indicates that the asset turnover of Next is better that MS if we compared between 2005 and 2008 however ms look like they gained ground in 2009 when their asset turnover was 3.41 up from 1.74 in 2008 compared this to next in 2008 Nexts asset turnover was 5.66 this was higher than ms 2008 asset turnover but in 2009 next that figure fell down to just 3.06 and this lower than ms if we compared the same year. The stock turnover of ms has been experiencing downward trend in the past five years the 2005 stock turnover was 23.38 but continouos fall in the next four years meant ms stock was turning over 16.91 however the decrease in stock turnover ms will be encouraged that their competitor next is doing worst than them as their stock turnover was just 10.27 Debtors turnover and debtors collection period This ratio indicates the speed with which debtors/accounts recievable are being collected, thus it is indicative of efficiency of trade management. The higher the ratio and shorter collection period the better the trade credit management and the better is the liquidity of the debtors and visa versa. we can see that the control of credit operating by MS is far better than Next. The debtors turnover being 108.53 and the debtor collection period being approximately 3 days compare to 5.77 for the debtors turnover and 63 days for the debtor collection period for Next. Businesses usually operate on a 30, 60 or 90 days policy in terms of debt of payment. Creditor collection period This ratio reflects the time it takes the company to pay its suppliers. Thus, the longer you can hold off payment the longer you have cash on disposal. We can see that the creditors collection period is low (roughly 14 days) compare to next (approximately 22 days) to pay their debts. So marks and spencer might want to look in to ways of improving relationship with suppliers so that they have enough time to pay them. Current ratio The current ratio is the ratio of total current assets to total current liabilities. The current assets of a firm represents those which can be in the ordinary business, converted in to cash within short period of time. Marks and spencer current ratio decreased in the past five years from 0.65 in 2005 to 0.60 in 2009 and the company is below the national average which is 1.8:1, next is doing better than ms even though they are also still below national average with a current ratio of 1.54:1 in 2009 but that is far from national average like ms. Acid test this ratio specifies whether your current assets that could be quickly converted into cash are sufficient to cover current liabilities. Until recently, a Current Ratio of 2:1 was considered standard. A firm that had additional sufficient quick assets available to creditors was believed to be in sound financial condition. Again just like the current ratio both companies are operating below the national average. MS acid test did not show much improvement over the past five years if we compare it to next in the same period 2005 of the both companies was 0.39:1 for MS and 0.82:1 for next however if we look the difference between the two companies ms is 0.37:1 lower than 2005 but next is improving slightly with acid test of 1.09:1 in 2009. Gearing ratio The gearing ratio reflects the amount of finance raised from the banks in relation to the total capital employed. If the gearing ratio is around 40% it is unlikely that a bank would make any further loans. We can see that both companies are far above the 40% and therefore even though they have good reputations it may cause some problems when obtaining loan. This really needs to be looked at and MS must be concerned about this. However, very large company generally operate above this rate. Reference: http://www.scribd.com/doc/19208907/Financial-Analysis-of-IDEA Part 3 UK is passing through a strong economic downturn and overall spending by the consumers is consistently decreasing. The economic growth of UK over the last three years is slowly and consistently declining[1]with forecasts for negative growth in 2009 and some recovery in 2010. These trends also indicate that almost every sector of the economy will be affected with the slow down in the consumer spending due to credit crunch. It is critical to note that there is a marked difference between the corporate social responsibility of the firm as well as improving the overall corporate image of the firm. Linking corporate social responsibility with the improvement of corporate image therefore is something which most of the companies attempt to achieve. (Moir, 2001). At the moment it looks like ms has escaped from criticism like child labour

Analyzing How Buildings Affect Physical and Mental Health Essay

According to Bokalders and Block (2009) some people spend more than 90 percent of their live indoors. This represents that those who live or work in buildings may be significantly influenced by them. Materials which are utilized in the erection of buildings, also interior design of buildings, providing clean air and intensive light are important issues to be taken into account, because their quality has considerable impact on residents. Rostron (2008) claims that adverse effect of a building can cause a considerable implication for society: many of those who suffered from ‘sick buildings’ have complained that their productivity had reduced by 20 percent. Thus, in order to construct healthy buildings without any unfavorable effect on occupants, complex issues should be taken into consideration. The aim of this paper is to identify how buildings can affect physical and mental health and to find solutions which can create better conditions for living and working in. Firstl y, this paper will unfold the causes of bad welfare of occupants and what harm buildings are able to do to people’s health in general, then implication for society will be mentioned. After that some possible solutions will be suggested and evaluated in terms of effectiveness, cost and availability. Constructing a building is challenging issue which requires many problems to be solved and much decision to be taken. Maintaining the balance between architectural design, engineering design and interior in general is not an easy task. In addition, providing healthy indoor environment to the occupants that enhances their physical and mental well-being should be prioritized. Reinhold, Afshari and Gunnarsen (2005, 29) state there are variety of factors in the indoor envir... ...the loss of sleep, which then outcomes as a poor physical and mental health (Åkerstedt and Nilsson 2003, 6-12) Interior Restorative environment It is believed that nature has a restorative effect on stress. According to Ulrich (1984) patients after surgery quickly become better if their windows viewed the landscape rather than buildings. In addition, it was found that pictures of nature may have effective restoration on patients than images of urban sites (Ulrich et al., 1991). Ulrich (1991) reported that the patients who were designated an image with the view of nature demonstrated less nervousness; also demand for anodyne in comparison with a control group has reduced. Moreover, at Conquest Hospital in East Sussex art sessions for stroke patients have been maintained and it has been noted that visual art assists in relieving the pain both mental and physical.

Satanism

Satanism may signify an organized belief system or religion such as the Church of Satan. It may be seen just as a vague and dramatized concept of extreme insurgence against Western norms and conventions such as the so-called â€Å"Satanism† exhibited by some rock musicians. It may be a mythological sign of medieval religious thinking that still lingers in contemporary times. It may also be a deviant practice used to daunt and control others through ritual abuse (Francis King, 1989b). If Satanism is linked with ritual abuse, one can also say with assurance that not all ritual abuse is Satanic. Many of these abusive occurrences have been present in societies or under conditions where Satan is not a renowned spiritual or demonic entity. In earlier times, it was not uncommon for Western scholars and travelers to sometimes attribute the influence of Satan to primitive religious practices, which to them appeared to be idolatrous or violent. Even now, one occasionally hears the concept that if something is not Christian, it is the effect of Satan's power or seductiveness. The predecessors of Satanism can be found in ancient religions in which gods were worshipped, not because of their intrinsic goodness, but as of their perceived power. For example, the ancient Greek and Roman gods were such an amoral grouping of deities. Few showed many venerable character traits. These gods were often represented with all the foibles and veniality of mere mortals. Many of the cults dedicated to such gods and goddesses allegedly involved traumatizing rituals (e. g. , the mystery cults). On the other hand, some religions particularly worshipped and supplicated obviously evil deities. In other cases, what appears to be the adoration of an â€Å"evil deity† may simply symbolize the worship of a spiritual entity that no longer enjoys privileged status? There are examples in history in which a culture's demons were in fact past divinities, no longer revered, and sometimes given new and less striking roles. Such revolutions amongst the gods sometimes resulted from conquests, whereupon the new gods of the conquerors take the place formerly held by the gods of the conquered. In other instances, evil can be revered or worshipped outright. In cultures in which Christianity is established one might presume that the worship of evil would involve some devotion to Lucifer or Satan, the primary names given to the Euro-American spiritual depiction of evil. To many traditional Christians, Satan and Lucifer are equal but different names for the same demon. However, numerous theologians make the peculiarity that Lucifer is the name of Satan before his fall. The origins of Satanism are positively as obscure as any other occult belief system. One can never be specifically certain when such practices started. Yet, some of the historical accounts of Satanism in Europe may explain some of the evolution of thinking about Satanism. The history of Satanism can be traced to a variety of possible sources: (1) European witchcraft, sorcery, and shamanism, (2) Gnostic-derived religions (e. . , the Cathari) which viewed the established Church as an tyrannical adversary, (3) the general traditions of Western occultism (which are often seen as encircling a â€Å"dark† or â€Å"left-handed path†) and (4) what Francis King calls â€Å"the bad divinity of a minority of Roman Catholic priests† (Francis King , 1989b, p. 219 ). Though, whe n Satan was invented, he was found everywhere. For instance, Satan was attached to Adam and Eve as a sibling rivalry between Satan and the younger creatures of God. This combination of human and celestial opponents of God lastly culminated in the formative stages of the Antichrist legend, which speaks of the human embodiment of Satan (McGinn 1994: 10, 22-25; Pagels 1995: 43, 49; Russell 1977: 188-89). While the orthodox text shared some ideas of the dualistic conflict, particularly in Ezra's formulations, Satan obtained a key role in the conventional worldview only gradually, as an influence of the popular apocalyptic eschatology and a means in struggles for power (political or religious) between human beings ( McGinn 1994: 26). According to Elaine Pagels, Satan never shows in the Hebrew Bible as the leader of an evil empire, as a leader of antagonistic spirits who make war on God and humankind. As he first appears, Satan is not essentially evil. In the Book of Numbers and in Job he is one of God's obedient servants, a messenger or angel. The Satan describes an adversarial role, not a particular character. The Satan was any one of the angels sent by God for the explicit purpose of blocking or obstructing human activity; the root Satan means â€Å"one who opposes, obstructs, or acts as adversary†; the Greek term diabolos means â€Å"one who throws somewhat across one's path. So if the path is bad, an obstruction is good: Satan may simply have been sent by the Lord to protect a person from worse harm (Pagels 1995: 39-40, based, e. g. , on Numbers 22: 23-25). Job's Satan takes a more adversarial role; Satan’s special role in the blissful court is that of a kind of roving intelligence agent, like those whom numerous Jews of the time would have known and disliked from the king of Persia's complex system of secret police and intelligence officers. These agents roamed the realm looking for signs of infidelity amongst the people. God boasts to Satan concerning one of his most loyal subjects; Satan then challenges the Lord to put Job to the test. Job withstands the tests, and the Lord restores the affluences of Job giving him twice as much as he had before (Pagels 1995: 41, based on Job 2: 3, 42: 10). Around the time Job was written c. 550 B. C. E. , other biblical writers invoked Satan to account for sharing out within Israel. One court historian slips Satan into an account regarding the origin of census taking, which King David introduced into Israel c. 1000 B. C. E. or the point of instituting taxation, which aroused fervent and immediate opposition. Aim on condemning David's action without condemning the king openly, the author of 1 Chronicles suggests that a supernatural adversary within the divine court had managed to penetrate the royal house and led the king himself into sin: â€Å"Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to number the people† ( Pagels 1995: 42-43, based on 1 Chron. 21:1) . Most societies have a variety of demons, spirits, or gods, which are morally ambivalent that is to say, the gods can be kind or unkind to humankind. One might argue that this amoral or dimoral polytheism fits the human experience of the universe well: we see things happening mysteriously, without reason, for good or ill, and call it fate, chance, or an â€Å"act of God. † Few religions have one figure particularly symbolizing evil, although Buddha's tempter Mara comes close. No religion has a single individual personifying evil except those of the Jewish-Christian-Muslim (and â€Å"Zoroastrian†) tradition, which have Satan or the Devil. The problem of evil faces every worldview, but none so expressively as great monotheistic religions. Theologically the problem is just stated. God is all-powerful and all-good. But an all-powerful, all-good God would not permit evil in the cosmos he creates. Therefore evil cannot exist. But we view that evil exists. We are therefore forced to refuse the existence of God (at least as great monotheistic religions define it) or meet the criteria of our definition. If we choose the latter, we can save God's pure goodness by restraining his omnipotence, or else save his power by qualifying his goodness. This is a sharp theological choice; few theologians choose to face it that overtly. To avoid this choice, a variety of strategies have been working over the millennia. One solution, however unacceptable philosophically, is to resort to the notion of a spiritual power aggressive to God, such as Satan. The Old Testament has comparatively few references to Satan as a personality. Most Hebrew thought before the second century B. C. E. established destruction and suffering as originating in God's inscrutable will. But some Old Testament passages lent themselves to an interpretation that unexplained spiritual powers, subordinate to a God, often did disparaging things. In some passages — most radically in the Book of Job — this power is portrayed as having a self-governing, malevolent existence. The idea of the Devil, very fuzzy in the Old Testament, becomes clear and pointed in the era from the second century B. C. E. to the second century C. E. One reason is the power of Iranian dualism. The ancient Iranian religion of Mazdaism (sometimes called Zoroastrianism) had its origins in the teachings of Zarathushtra, a prophet whose dates are unknown. It is a dualist religion, elucidating evil by positing a frequent cosmic warfare between the God of Light and the God of Darkness. Mazdaism had some influence in Babylonia, where Hebrew in Exile was liberated by Iranian Shah Cyrus. A propensity toward dualism seems also to have grown indigenously amongst Jews, as they developed a darker view of the world throughout the times they were invaded, enslaved, and persecuted by a diversity of conquerors — Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and finally Romans. The Jews reacted to this anguish partly by blaming it on their own sins (a stance of the great prophets), but partially by blaming exterior forces. The Devil or his deputies were the influential spirits backing evil Gentiles against the Chosen People. Some Jewish sects, such as the Essenes, conceived (like the Mazdaists) of a vast extraterrestrial warfare between the Lord of Light and the Prince of Darkness, a warfare in which each nation and each person was called to stand on one side or the other. For Jewish apocalyptic, the cosmic struggle was coming to its end; there would be one last, vast war between sons of dusk and sons of light, and then the good God would triumph everlastingly. In the context of this profoundly dualistic Jewish thought, Christianity came into being. Ideas similar to those of apocalyptic writers emerge in the Christian Gospels, notably the Gospel of John, with its images of light against darkness, in miracle stories of Jesus' capability to cast out and defeat demons and their leader the Devil, and in the Book of Revelation (The Apocalypse). However, after the obliteration of Jerusalem by Romans in 70 C. E. , and the diaspora of the Jews, Pharisees were left as the surviving leading Jewish group. Their custom downplayed Satan's power so much that he infrequently appears in works of the rabbis, though he does retain a presence in Jewish folklore. Although Judaism downplayed Satan's power, Messianic trends that faded in Judaism after 70 C. E. remained strong in Christianity. For Christianity, Jesus was the Messiah. In Christian thought, God is good. Opposed by the Devil, he sends Jesus his Messiah to obliterate the Devil's power. Unlike many Jewish sects, such as the Zealots, Christians supposed that the Messiah was not a military victory over Satan and gentile nations, but to a certain extent the Suffering Servant, who took upon himself all sins of the people and, in dying for them, broke Satan's power. Almost all early Christian writers granted Satan great power all through the cosmos and also in the life of each human. Christ and Satan vie for each soul, and each person should choose between them. Like Judaism, Christianity is a monotheistic religion. But by using the Devil to explicate the existence of evil, some early Christian groups, such as Gnostic sects of the first two centuries C. E. , pulled powerfully in the way of dualism. For them, Satan was an anti-God of enormous power. This power was to be fought, banished, and struggled against. But as it was so vast, Satan's power could also be influenced, harnessed to one's own will, even, in extreme cases, worshipped. There was no planned Satanism in early Christianity, but some Gnostic sects seem to have verged on it by working orgiastic rites. In the l5th-century, French baron and onetime marshal of France, Gilles de Rais, was found to have affianced in numerous mortal and sadistic acts, some of which were alleged to be associated with strange rituals in which he was assisted by Francesco Prelatti, a Florentine priest and occultist. Gilles de Rais was noted to be a man whose temperament and personality seemed to be extremely erratic at different times. Sometimes noted for his kindness, he was notable for his bravery in his military assistance of Joan of Arc. However, there was a great deal of dependable testimony provided by witnesses as well as material substantiation pointing to his guilt. According to Francis King, Satanism was adequately prevalent in 16th- and l7th-century France that its presence was noted by the police: It is difficult to know how widespread such Satanist activities were among the nonmonastic clergy of the middle Ages, but they seem to have become common in the 16th and17th centuries. Exactly how common, no one knows, but if the rest of Catholic Europe was anything like the ecclesiastical underworld of Paris at that time, then they were very common indeed. For in France Satanism had attained the status of big business, its practitioners forming a kind of occult Mafia, a noisome octopus with tentacles which reached into almost every segment of Parisian society and which was uncovered by Nicolas de la Reynie, the Police Commissioner of Paris. (Francis King, 1989b, pp. 219 – 220) The books of Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey (1969) were actually strongly influenced by this â€Å"occult tradition. † (LaVey also popularized the â€Å"satanic pentagram,† the five-pointed star with one point downward and the head of a goat overlaid. There is a temptation to dismiss antisatanists' claims as illusive; as sociologist Marcello Truzzi says, â€Å"Satanists are better scapegoats than Jews, because they don't exist (in Lyons, 1988:179). Though the vast conspiracy criticized by the antisatanist campaign may be exaggerated, Satanists do exist; there are members of controlled Satanist churches in our society. These Satanist groups are significant to the antisatanist movement: they provide a â€Å"kernel of truth† that antisatanists can expose. Groups such as Anton LaVey's Church of Satan â€Å"prove† that the satanic threat exists. The Church of Satan is not large; estimates range from 2000 to 5000 active members (Melton 1986:77; Lyons 1988:115). Still, the publicity showered on LaVey since he established his San Francisco church in 1966 has made him and his group a part of American popular culture. Almost everyone knows about LaVey's church, even though it is quite small. What the Church lacks in size it has made up for in attention paid to it as well as its activities. Anton LaVey, a bright character with a flair for the dramatic, gained substantial publicity by performing satanic weddings of famous people, satanic baptisms of children, and satanic last rights for a sailor member who died — all intentionally staged as media events. LaVey sought celebrities as members, and for a time claimed such stars as Sammy Davis, Jr. and Jayne Mansfield as dynamic participants, gaining national attention as a result (Lyons 1988). There is substantial debate about what the Church of Satan stands for, and what its members believe. Some analysts treat the Church as a spoof, intentionally designed to upset Christians. Others take it more critically, and look to LaVey's writings, such as his The Satanic Bible (LaVey 1969), to understand his philosophy. The church actively rejects spirituality and mysticism of any sort; it espouses an exclusive, materialist, and essentially atheistic philosophy. â€Å"Satan constitutes a worship of one's own ego†¦. In its major features, the Church of Satan takes a position of Extreme Machiavellianism and cynical-realism on the way to the nature of man†¦. Its major feature†¦ is its emphasis upon the significance of myth and magic and upon their collision in a world of people who can still be influenced through such beliefs and emotions. This Satanist then is the ultimate pragmatist†. (Truzzi 1974:220) Moody ( 1974) discusses the Church of Satan's redefinition of Christianity's seven fatal sins — greed, pride, envy, anger, greed, lust, and sloth — as virtues within satanic religion. Melton (1988:145) describes satanic churches' relationship to Christianity: Satanism is rationally subsequent to Christianity and draws on it in representing an overthrow of the Christian deity approving of his adversary. It stands in polemical relation to Christianity and†¦ Uses Christian elements, which are changed and given new meaning. Although LaVey's Church of Satan is the most observable satanic church, others exist. The Temple of Set, a small off-shoot group planned by Michael Aquino, a former disciple of LaVey, has attracted attention (Melton 1989:805; Lyons 1988:125). The small size of these organized satanic groups is less significant than the cultural meaning attached to them. As a radical rejection of Christian culture, they are representatively significant. Their very presence has put in to the concern about Satanism in America. Satan stories were connected to practical and political issues. As Russell (1977: 222) properly maintains, the figure of Satan in the New Testament is understandable only while it is seen as the counterpart or counter principle of Christ; accordingly, Russell adds, â€Å"the New Testament teaches that the Kingdom of God is at war with the Kingdom of the Devil†. Furthermore, Pagels documents, the vision of enormous struggle were developed by sectarian groups like the Essenes as they struggled against the forces they saw ranged against them. The dualistic cosmology was traited as split society, where sons of light, allied with the angels, and sons of darkness, in league with the control of evil, were in violent conflict. Pagels further retains that followers of Jesus adopted the same prototype in their campaigns. According to Pagels, Mark tells the story of Jesus as the disagreement between God's spirit and the power of Satan. Mark underlines that Jesus encountered this opposition not simply from evil spirit but from evil people as well. Mark's Satan is not an antagonistic power assailing Israel from outside the community but the source and symbol of conflict within the community (Pagels 1995: 12, 17, 34, 38; based on Mark 3: 23-27, 16: 5-7). Satan is described as the embodiment of pure evil. Such a Satanic theology would feature goodness to the Judeo-Christian God, but Satanists worship Satan as perceived to be more powerful or because the cultist might view himself or herself as being past redemption by a benign deity. In this system of thinking, goodness itself is typified as a weak, ineffective, and futile goal. Spence describes a similar dichotomy in views of Satanism and Luciferianism although he defines his terms slightly differently: Concerning the cults of Lucifer, much discrimination is required in dealing with this aspect, the bulk of the literature on the subject being manifestly imaginative and often willfully misleading. The members of the church of Lucifer are of two groups, those who regard the deity they adore as the evil principle, thus approximating to the standpoint of the Satanists, and those who look upon him as the true god in opposition to Adonai or Jehovah, whom they regard as an evil deity who has, with fiendish ingenuity, miscreated the world of man to the detriment of humanity. . (http://www. satanservice. org/propaganda/acad. 80sa. txt ) Though, in contemporary world, satanic symbols and themes are observable and popular features of music, literature, and movies. Increasing numbers of reported survivors are coming forward to assert they are victims of such cults. Are these reports just rumors or fantasies, or are people being harmed by ritual abuse? Unless we seriously consider these reports, we will never know for certain.