Philosopher Hypatia of Ancient Alexandria

Philosopher Hypatia of Ancient Alexandria Known for: Greek intellectual and teacher in Alexandria, Egypt, known for mathematics and philosophy, martyred by Christian mob Dates: born about 350 to 370, died 416 Alternate spelling: Ipazia About Hypatia Hypatia was the daughter of Theon of Alexandria who was a teacher of mathematics with the Museum of Alexandria in Egypt. A center of Greek intellectual and cultural life, the Museum included many independent schools and the great library of Alexandria. Hypatia studied with her father, and with many others including Plutarch the Younger. She herself taught at the Neoplatonist school of philosophy. She became the salaried director of this school in 400. She probably wrote on mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy, including about the motions of the planets, about number theory and about conic sections. Accomplishments Hypatia, according to sources, corresponded with and hosted scholars from other cities. Synesius, Bishop of Ptolemais, was one of her correspondents and he visited her frequently. Hypatia was a popular lecturer, drawing students from many parts of the empire. From the little historical information about Hypatia that survives, it is surmised by some that she invented the plane astrolabe, the graduated brass hydrometer, and the hydroscope, with Synesius of Greece, who was her student and later colleague.  The evidence may also point to simply being able to construct those instruments. Hypatia is said to have dressed in the clothing of a scholar or teacher, rather than in womens clothing. She moved about freely, driving her own chariot, contrary to the norm for womens public behavior. She was credited by the surviving sources as having political influence in the city, especially with Orestes, the Roman governor of Alexandria. Hypatias Death The story by Socrates Scholasticus written soon after Hypatias death and the version written by John of Nikiu of Egypt more than 200 years later disagree in considerable detail, although both were written by Christians.  Both seem to be focused on justifying the expulsion of the Jews by Cyril, the Christian bishop, and on associating Orestes with Hypatia. In both, Hypatias death was a result of a conflict between the Orestes and Cyril, later made a saint of the church. According to Scholasticus, an order of Orestes to control Jewish celebrations met with approval by Christians, then to violence between the Christians and the Jews. The Christian-told stories make it clear that they blame the Jews for the mass killing of Christians, leading to the banishment of the Jews of Alexandria by Cyril.  Cyril accused Orestes of being a pagan, and a large group of monks who came to fight with Cyril attacked Orestes. A monk who injured Orestes was arrested and tortured.  John of Nikiu accuses Orestes of inflaming the Jews against the Christians, also telling a story of the mass killing of Christians by Jews, followed by Cyril purging the Jews from Alexandria and converting the synagogues to churches.  Johns version leaves out the part about a large group of monks coming to town and joining the Christian forces against the Jews and Orestes. Hypatia enters the story as someone associated with Orestes and suspected by the angry Christians of advising Orestes not to reconcile with Cyril.  In John of Nikius account, Orestes was causing people to leave the church and follow Hypatia.  He  associated her with Satan and accused her of converting people away from Christianity. Scholasticus credits Cyrils preaching against Hypatia with inciting a mob led by fanatical Christian monks to attack Hypatia as she drove her chariot through Alexandria. They dragged her from her chariot, stripped her, killed her, stripped her flesh from her bones, scattered her body parts through the streets, and burned some remaining parts of her body in the library of Caesareum.  Johns version of her death is also that a mob for him justified because she beguiled the people of the city and the prefect through her enchantments stripped her naked and dragged her through the city until she died. Legacy of Hypatia Hypatias students fled to Athens, where the study of mathematics flourished after that. The Neoplatonic school she headed continued in Alexandria until the Arabs invaded in 642. When the library of Alexandria was burned, the works of Hypatia were destroyed.  That burning happened primarily in Roman times.  We know her writings today through the works of others who quoted her even if unfavorably and a few letters written to her by contemporaries. Books About Hypatia Dzielska, Maria.  Hypatia of Alexandria.  1995.Amore, Khan.  Hypatia.  2001. (a novel)Knorr, Wilbur Richard.  Textual Studies in Ancient and Medieval Geometry. 1989.Nietupski, Nancy. Hypatia: Mathematician, Astronomer, and Philosopher.  Alexandria  2.Kramer, Edna E. Hypatia.  The Dictionary of Scientific Biography.  Gillispie, Charles C. ed. 1970-1990.Mueller, Ian. Hypatia (370?-415).  Women of Mathematics. Louise S. Grinstein and Paul J. Campbell, ed. 1987.Alic, Margaret.  Hypatias Heritage: A History of Women in Science from Antiquity Through the Nineteenth Century.  1986. Hypatia appears as a character or theme in several works of other writers, including in  Hypatia, or New Foes with Old Faces, a historical novel by Charles Kingley.

Challenges administrative assistants face and how to deal with it

Challenges administrative assistants face and how to deal with it Administrative assistants are the office superheroes. Their job includes  making sure the office is running effectively and as smooth as possible while still juggling their other duties. Great administrative assistants are an invaluable asset to any company. But sometimes they face challenges from their coworkers  whether is it being taken for granted or even being taken as a personal assistant; administrative assistants constantly have to fight these challenges in the office. Here are 5 common challenges administrative assistants face and how to deal with it effectively.Source [Quill]

Compair the Matrix, Cathedral, and Billy Slaughterhouse 5 to the one Essay

Compair the Matrix, Cathedral, and Billy Slaughterhouse 5 to the one who ascends from in The Allegory of the Cave - Essay Example On the hand, the blind man’s view of life comes from an open perspective and he is ready to learn new things about life (Carver, 2002). The narrators view on blindness (life), changes when the blind man asks him to describe the cathedral for him. When he lacks words to do this, he is forced to show him by drawing, by catching his hand. Communication through symbolism helps him to understand the world through the blind man’s point of view. The blindness that separated them at the beginning brings them together. This is achieved through seeing the world from others perspective. Slaughter house- five basically explores the illogical nature of human beings, free will and fate. This book explores the concept that we are powerless and can do only what we can actually do. Billy Pilgrim is an anti-war character, who trains as a chaplain assistant, earning him disgust from his friends. Despite being the main character of the book, he gets on the nerves of everyone because of his dreams, weak body and fecklessness. He still manages to survive one of the main human atrocities, where others have failed. Nothing in Billy’s life happens out of his own will, but he watches as his life unfolds in front of him for example he is recruited to the war without his consent and gets married to a woman he does not love. In most of the novel, his character is not one the narrator could call a â€Å"character†, and only does so when he becomes â€Å"crazy† and breaks out of hospital to a radio talk show to tell about â€Å"Tralfamadore†. This is a place where he was abducted to by aliens, and this could either be in his head or reality. Events in this place take place simultaneously, so nothing happens before or after the other. In this situation, a person can choose only the good memories of life. Some can argue that the events in his life are due to the post traumatic disorder he has suffered in his life. We all can agree that human life invol ves suffering, and in his case, this seemed to be happening a lot. The old ways of explaining this suffering; religion and patriotism, do not seem to work. In the end, Billy awaits death without fear and is in control, something he was not able to do throughout his life. He ends up being the most unlikely war heroes. In Matrix the movie, Thomas Anderson, is one of the many billions of people connected to the Matrix unaware that they live in a virtual world. Despite being a respectable programmer for a software company, he is also a hacker with an alias†Neo†. This is when he gets to know about the Matrix. He has a choice to forget all about it and live his normal life, or gather information on the Matrix. Neo chooses to liberate humanity from the virtual fate, and there begins his journey to enlighten and being a hero. This is despite warnings from those who know the truth. He embraces his role and even learns fighting skills quite first, in the journey of being savior of the universe, where he gets his other name, â€Å"the one†. This is when we start to see his messianic like qualities and belief from other characters such as Morpheus and the Oracle, towards human liberation. There are several similarities between this character and Jesus Christ, for example Jesus was both earthly and godly, which can be compared to Neo’s ability to go through realms. The name Thomas can also be compared to doubting Thomas in the New Testament, who doubted the resurrection of Christ. Similarly, Neo doubted his abilities at

Social Entreprenurism Case Study 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Entreprenurism Case Study 2 - Coursework Example For example, laws are passed to deter cases of unfair treatment to employees while numerous organizations examine the business operations of a company in relation to environmental preservation, use of non-hazardous raw materials, and what not. It is through the marriage of these two ‘formerly contradictory’ concepts that social entrepreneurship came to existence. As such, some of the key issues that social entrepreneurship confronts are as follows: (1) how important are social values in the formation of a company’s business strategy? and (2) how do these values guide the overall operations of a company—specifically, in the way it manages its external publics? These questions will be answered through a critical examination of the case assigned—Ibrahim Abouleish’s Sekem. In the end, this paper aims to reinforce its thesis that the proper integration of social values into the business operations of a social enterprise lies in the adoption of an ‘innovation strategy’. According to Leadbeater (2007),â€Å"a social enterprise offers a new way to do business that is animated by a social purpose† (p. 2). Unlike a normal business enterprise that measures its success through the attainment of its set objectives (whether sales growth, market expansion, operational efficiency, or brand building), a social enterprise assesses its success by the positive social impacts it has contributed to the society. As further commented by Leadbeater (2007), â€Å"many social enterprises, however, internalise their social mission as they make it central to the way they operate† (p. 3). In this regard, profit-maximization is regarded as a tool to further the enterprise’s social goals. Going back to the case study, it could be claimed that Sekem’s foundation was built around the goal of sustainable human development. Its values, therefore, are rooted on the goal of being able to contribute to the comprehensive development of the

Chad-Cameroon Oil Pipeline Essay Example for Free

Chad-Cameroon Oil Pipeline Essay Although significant oil reserves have been found in the early 1970s, these could not be developed because: 1- Chad is a landlocked country with limited domestic demand; 2- civil war prevented the creation of a stable investment environment and caused the departure of several investors. Since peace was established in 1990, investors and the World Bank returned to Chad for developing its oil reserves. In order to justify the large investment, access to the world market was sought via a pipeline through Cameroon, which is also a relatively poor country that can benefit from the investment and transit revenues. The World Bank has been supporting natural resource extraction based development around the world and, in particular, in Africa as the primary driver for economic growth and poverty reduction in these countries. But, the Bank has also been heavily criticized for failing to achieve these goals as the revenues from resource development do not reach the majority of the society. With the Chad-Cameroon pipeline and oil development in Chad, the Bank and the companies are following a novel partnership and revenue management approach. How is the project financing different? How will this new approach work? Will Chad and Cameroon benefit from this approach? Background1 Upon getting its independence from France in 1960, Chad has been involved in 30 years of civil war. The peace was finally restored in 1990, and the country drifted towards multiparty democracy, until rebellion broke out again in the north of the country. In January 2002 peace treaty was signed confirming de jure reign of northern ethnicity. Chad is one of the least developed nations on earth with GNI per capita of around $200. Republic of Chad is ranked 165th of 175 countries in UN’s Survival Ranking. The agricultural sector accounts for 36% of Chad’s GDP. Cotton exports account for 50% of foreign currency earnings. Chad’s government is concerned about this dependence on cotton and wants to diversify its economy in order to mitigate vulnerability associated with volatility of the international price of cotton. Chad’s only significant natural resources are oil deposits. Being independent since 1960, Cameroon has developed a rather stable political system, based on ethnic oligopoly. Despite of vast natural resource base (including oil, natural gas and aluminum) the country is one of the poorest in the world, with GNI per capita of roughly $600 in 2002. According to World Bank classification Cameroon is an HIPC (heavily indebted poor country) with total debt of $4. 9 billion and outstanding short-term debt over $950 million. Cameroon is in Top-15 countries with highest HIV rate (around 12%) and in Top-30 infant mortality rate. Economic and social development information on this section comes from the World Bank web site, CIA Fact Book, and U. N. Human Development Report. Â © Center for Energy Economics. No reproduction, distribution or attribution without permission. Chad-Cameroon Pipeline 1 1 Case Study From Since 1990, being faced with a fall in GDP due to unfavorable prices on major exported goods; Cameroon has been engaged in several World Bank and IMF programs, aimed at poverty reduction and acceleration of economic growth. As a result annual GDP growth averaged 2. 1% through 1990-2001, compared to 3. 4% in 1980s. Oil Development Conoco became the first foreign oil company to undertake significant oil exploration in Chad with acquisition of the Chad Permit H concession in 1969. Between 1973 and 1975, oil was discovered in varying amounts in the Doba, Doseo, and Lake Chad basins, that led to the creation of a multinational consortium comprising Conoco (12. 5% and operator), Royal Dutch/Shell (37. 5%), Exxon (25%), and Chevron (25%). In 1981 all the exploration projects were stopped due to escalating civil war. In 1988 a convention was signed between the government of Chad and the consortium, granting exploration permit with term of validity until early 2004. Conoco withdrew from the project, and Exxon took over operations, discovering the Bolobo field in 1989 with estimated 135 million barrels of reserves. 3 Chevron, in its turn, sold its share (20% interest in the Block H hydrocarbon license containing the three fields) to Elf Aquitaine, in 1993.

Gender Discrimination Essay example -- Feminism

The topic of gender discrimination is certainly a controversial one. Some of our group remembers their LIBS 7013 course, an entire course dedicated to studying Race, Class and Gender. It’s interesting to look at these issues from a moral point of view, and apply different principles to the circumstances at hand. Utilitarian View When we use a utilitarian approach, it is believed that â€Å"productivity is optimized when jobs are awarded based on competency.† The clear conclusion from this statement is that skills and abilities should be the first requirement to consider when evaluating a potential new hire, or promoting them to a different position. This approach is somewhat objective because the person doing the hiring could have different views on the meaning of â€Å"competency.† Say, a man in a senior management position believes that women are somehow less intelligent or less able to succeed in top positions, he would automatically rule out women due to their â€Å"incompetency.† The responsibility to break these types of mindsets lies with the corporation. Where there is objectivity of terms, there should be detailed descriptions put in place of what they truly mean to the organization. Kantian View In Kantian terms, one can think about how people would react if their actions or beliefs were universalized. If the same manager mentioned above applied for a higher position and was denied by a woman who believed men to be incompetent, he would surely have a problem accepting that. Again, this confirms that it is morally unsound to discriminate based on gender. Ethic of Care The good old boys of Wall Street surely epitomize a prime example of an Ethic of Care gone wrong. The message the industry seems to want to get across, especially to... ... males on Wall Street still held 85% of branch management positions, 76% of the managing director positions and 79% of executive management positions. So do Wall Street firms with â€Å"entrenched male cultures† have an ethical obligation to change? Affirmative action should not be necessary for Wall Street, as there are more and more females who are qualified to work there. If affirmative action is used, there is a chance of reverse discrimination to happen where white males get discriminated against. Ethically firms have the obligation to hire the person most qualified for the job. In time, society will automatically make this change happen on Wall Street, as more barriers fall between the old ways and the new ways. More executives will be females which will help further with the change. By forcing rapid change, it is more likely that females will just mirror males.

Being A Teenager Essay

Is hard, harder than some can imagine, harder than some can even remember. It’s those years you’ll never forget, though sometimes you wish you could wipe away. They seem to last forever, but when you look back, they went by so fast. Being a teenager is falling in love too fast, and too hard, talking for hours on the phone to your best friends, being talked about and talking about others. It’s being guilty when you’re innocent, it’s standing out and fitting in, it’s when you have a million questions that will N-E-V-E-R be answered. Being a teenager isn’t something you can really describe, unless you’re living it at the same time. It’s dealing with life when it crashes down on you, and trying your hardest to live through it. Everyone has their tough times, everyone goes through something, but being a teenager, that’s when you feel everything at once. When you’re in love you’re R-E-A-L-L-Y in love, when you hate someone you â€Å"despise† them, when you’re lonely, you’re miserable. Being a teenager is something you always have to go through, and it the best and worst years of your life. Being a teenager isn’t anything- it’s everything. It isn’t a big deal- it’s a HUGE deal. And while you’re being a teenager, you ought to live it up, because this is the one chance, the one time, you’ll fall in love for real, you’ll be really and truly happy. You’ll be young, and free, and careless, as teenagers usually are†¦When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us n a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief , who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face us with reality of powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.

Manager’s Function, Skills and Role Essay

This page investigates the skills, roles and functions of Management. For any organisation to achieve the goals it has established and be successful it needs managers to correctly implement and understand the functions, skills and roles involved in the managerial process. How these are applied will vary depending on what level of management a particular manager is involved in (high, middle, low) and the organisation. Regardless of these two factors all management decisions focus on the efficient and effective use of resources for the benefit of the organisation, in the direction of its desired goals and/or objectives. The Functions of Management The four functions of management are planning, organising, leading and controlling (Davidson et al, 2009. p.13). Planning involves reviewing the current situation and generating a plan that will allow the organisation to meet its established goals and objectives (Selley, 2009). This could entail generating a plan to increase profit and detail how this will be achieved (focus on capturing a larger market share or perhaps moving into a new market). Correct planning ensures there is a degree of focus, while also providing a structured timeline that relevant stakeholders can adhere too. The second stage is organising, this is where management prepares for the task ahead by delegating resources and responsibilities, as efficiently and effectively as possible (Pakhare, 2011). During this stage management would consider the different departments and divisions within its organisation and provide authority and tasks as necessary. An organisation that wants to increase its profit might use the organising stage to outline the roles of marketing (investigate and promote new market share) and separate these from the accounting department (assess the viability by calculating projected sales and expenses) while also ensuring they all have the necessary resources to complete the work. Davidson et al. defines leading as the process of getting members to work together for a common interest (2009. p.14). Leading requires a manager to have a positive influence on people while also inspiring them to complete their jobs (making this vital in low-middle management), this in turn improves their job performance through a positive work environment (Expert Manage, 2011). It is important to establish this positive environment to ensure that deadlines set in the initial planning stage can be met and resources are not being wasted. The final stage in the function of management is controlling, this stage is important in the establishment of performance standards and ensuring these standards are adhered too while also taking corrective actions against deviation. If for example deadlines are not being met the manager should investigate, if they this was due to incorrect original estimates relating to the workload required, the manager could increase staffing for the particular project. Management has been described as a social process involving responsibility for economical and effective planning & regulation of operation of an enterprise in the fulfillment of given purposes. It is a dynamic process consisting of various elements and activities. These activities are different from operative functions like marketing, finance, purchase etc. Rather these activities are common to each and every manger irrespective of his level or status.Different experts have classified functions of management. According toGeorge & Jerry, â€Å"There are four fundamental functions of management i.e. planning, organizing, actuating and controlling†. According to Henry Fayol, â€Å"To manage is to forecast and plan, to organize, to command, & to control†. Whereas Luther Gullick has given a keyword ’POSDCORB’ where P stands for Planning, O for Organizing, S for Staffing, D for Directing, Co for Co-ordination, R for reporting & B for Budgeting. But the most widely accepted are functions of management given by KOONTZ and O’DONNEL i.e.Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing and Controlling.| For theoretical purposes, it may be convenient to separate the function of management but practically these functions are overlapping in nature i.e. they are highly inseparable. Each function blends into the other & each affects the performance of others. 1. Planning It is the basic function of management. It deals with chalking out a future course of action & deciding in advance the most appropriate course of actions for achievement of pre-determined goals. According to KOONTZ, â€Å"Planning is deciding in advance – what to do, when to do & how to do. It bridges the gap from where we are & where we want to be†. A plan is a future course of actions. It is an exercise in problem solving & decision making. Planning is determination of courses of action to achieve desired goals. Thus, planning is a systematic thinking about ways & means for accomplishment of pre-determined goals. Planning is necessary to ensure proper utilization of human & non-human resources. It is all pervasive, it is an intellectual activity and it also helps in avoiding confusion, uncertainties, risks, wastages etc. 2. Organizing It is the process of bringing together physical, financial and human resources and developing productive relationship amongst them for achievement of organizational goals. According to Henry Fayol, â€Å"To organize a business is to provide it with everything useful or its functioning i.e. raw material, tools, capital and personnel’s†. To organize a business involves determining & providing human and non-human resources to the organizational structure. Organizing as a process involves: * Identification of activities. * Classification of grouping of activities. * Assignment of duties. * Delegation of authority and creation of responsibility. * Coordinating authority and responsibility relationships. 3. Staffing It is the function of manning the organization structure and keeping it manned. Staffing has assumed greater importance in the recent years due to advancement of technology, increase in size of business, complexity of human behavior etc. The main purpose o staffing is to put right man on right job i.e. square pegs in square holes and round pegs in round holes. According to Kootz & O’Donell, â€Å"Managerial function of staffing involves manning the organization structure through proper and effective selection, appraisal & development of personnel to fill the roles designed un the structure†. Staffing involves: * Manpower Planning (estimating man power in terms of searching, choose the person and giving the right place). * Recruitment, selection & placement. * Training & development. * Remuneration. * Performance appraisal. * Promotions & transfer. 4. Directing It is that part of managerial function which actuates the organizational methods to work efficiently for achievement of organizational purposes. It is considered life-spark of the enterprise which sets it in motion the action of people because planning, organizing and staffing are the mere preparations for doing the work. Direction is that inert-personnel aspect of management which deals directly with influencing, guiding, supervising, motivating sub-ordinate for the achievement of organizational goals. Direction has following elements: * Supervision * Motivation * Leadership * Communication Supervision- implies overseeing the work of subordinates by their superiors. It is the act of watching & directing work & workers. Motivation- means inspiring, stimulating or encouraging the sub-ordinates with zeal to work. Positive, negative, monetary, non-monetary incentives may be used for this purpose. Leadership- may be defined as a process by which manager guides and influences the work of subordinates in desired direction. Communications- is the process of passing information, experience, opinion etc from one person to another. It is a bridge of understanding. 5. Controlling It implies measurement of accomplishment against the standards and correction of deviation if any to ensure achievement of organizational goals. The purpose of controlling is to ensure that everything occurs in conformities with the standards. An efficient system of control helps to predict deviations before they actually occur. According to Theo Haimann, â€Å"Controlling is the process of checking whether or not proper progress is being made towards the objectives and goals and acting if necessary, to correct any deviation†. According to Koontz & O’Donell â€Å"Controlling is the measurement & correction of performance activities of subordinates in order to make sure that the enterprise objectives and plans desired to obtain them as being accomplished†. Therefore controlling has following steps: * Establishment of standard performance. * Measurement of actual performance. * Comparison of actual performance with the standards and finding out deviation if any. * Corrective action. Management Skills While a solid grasp of management functions is important management should also have a sound skill base, a report by Hay’s Group suggests this is a weak area for most individuals in management and is one of the biggest threats to business success (Financial Advisor, 2007). These skills include but are not limited to technical, interpersonal and conceptual skills. â€Å"Technical skills are those necessary to accomplish or understand the specific work being done in an organisation,† (Davidson et al, 2009. p.19). These technical skills are used mostly at the lower levels of management and are obtained through experience and training. An example of technical skills could be introducing and teaching a new accountant the accounting system used by the firm. Interpersonal skills focus on the ability to work with, motivate and communicate with other people (Hahn, 2007). This skill is very important for managers to create a strong relationship between both individuals and groups within the organisation (Dale, 2008, p.121) this will ensure that there is trust and respect between these parties, allowing tasks to be completed effectively and efficiently. The final core skill of management is conceptual thinking, this is the ability to consider a situation both abstractly and logically in order to come to the correct decision based on internal and external environments (Griffin, 2011. p.179). Globalisation has made this skill extremely important for managers (especially those in high-level positions), as they must be able to break-down and analyse information to make immense decisions that potentially have a worldwide impact. Management Roles Through numerous managerial roles the skills discussed above are put into practice. Mitzberg’s observations and research suggest that a manger’s role can be split into ten roles and three categories; interpersonal (management through people), informational (management through information) and decisional (management through action) (Daft and Marcic, 2010. p.17). Interpersonal roles naturally form an important part of being a manager and relate to activities involving other people. Some interpersonal tasks could involve being a figurehead and speaking at important organisation ceremonies, motivating employees through leadership or serving as a liaison between different departments (Davidson et al, 2009. p.18). Informational roles are focused on the processing of information, this could include seeking out information while also analysing and monitoring for relevant changes that apply to the organisation, communicating information to your co-workers or being a spokesperson on behalf of the organisation (MindTools, 2011). Informational roles require quick and thorough processing of information and resilience to information overload. The final category is decisional which requires decisions to be made using the information provided. This could require developing innovate ideas, serving as a mediator to resolve conflict, allocating resources within the organisation and negotiating on the organisations behalf. A manager involved in a decisional role must have strong problem solving abilities, be able to prioritise and have good negotiation skills. Reference List Daft, R. Marcic, D. Woods, 2010, Understanding Management, 7nd edition, Cengage Learning. Davidson, P. Simon, A. Woods, P & Griffin, R.W. 2009, Management: Core concepts and applications, 2nd edition, Wiley, Brisbane. Expert Manage 2010, Four Functions of Management, viewed 23 August 2011,http://www.expertmanage.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=122&Itemid=166 Financial Adviser 2007, ‘Middle managers are lacking skills,’ 22 February, p.1 Griffin, R.W. 2011, Fundamentals of Management, Cengage Learning. Hahn, M. 2005, Management Skills, viewed 24 August 2011, http://en.articlesgratuits.com/management-skills-id1586.php Mind Tools 2009, Mintzberg’s Management Roles, viewed 23 August 2011,http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/management-roles.htm Pakhare, J 2010, Management Concepts – The Four Functions of Management, Buzzle, viewed 22 August 2011,http://www.buzzle.com/articles/management-concepts-the-four-functions-of -management.html Selly, N 2009, How the four functions of management leads to business success, Helium, viewed 22 August 2011,http://www.helium.com/items/1586308-why-fayols-functions-of-management-can-avoid-failure-in-business-and-lead-to-business-success

Pride and Prejudice Essays

Pride and Prejudice Essays Pride and Prejudice Essay Pride and Prejudice Essay ‘Introduction to â€Å"Pride and Prejudice†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, (1996) London: Penguin). This lead to much confusion among critics as to exactly what Austen’s views regarding marriage and feminism were, and in many cases continues to do so today. In this essay I will attempt to clear up some of this ambiguity, while closely examining the idea of marriage itself, the nature of the ‘social contract’, and the social and historical background to the idea of marriage as a social contract In ‘The Sadeian Woman’, Angela Carter states that â€Å"The marriage bed is a particularly delusive refuge from the world, because all wives of necessity fuck by contract† (Carter, Angela, ‘The Sadeian Woman’, pg. 9, (1978) ). Unfortunately for Ms. Elizabeth Bennet, it cannot be denied that she is a â€Å"wife of necessity†. Effectively disinherited through the fine print of their father’s will, the Bennet girls and their neurotic mother are to become penniless on the death of Mr. Bennet, unless they can find themselves a rich husband. Elizabeth’s initial disapproval of Mr. Darcy and his pride seems to undergo a radical upheaval on her visit to Pemberley, Darcy’s ancestral estate, as she herself admits – when discussing with her sister the progress of her feeling’s for Mr. Darcy, she states â€Å"I believe it must date from my first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley† (p301). Certain critics have therefore claimed that Elizabeth Bennet is mercenary in her reasons for marriage to Mr. Darcy. This apparently gold-digging behaviour would suggest an attempt by Elizabeth not only to retain, but also to improve, her class status, and therefore to fall in line with rural traditionalism as laid out in Edmund Burke’s ‘Reflections on the Revolution in France’. As Elizabeth Bennet is Austen’s heroine, and therefore a character of whom she writes very favourably, it could be supposed that Austen’s attitude towards marriage, and the position of women in society, in writing this book was one of traditional rural conservatism. However, before we can accept this supposition, we must recall that Elizabeth has already turned down two well-off potential husbands – one of them being Mr. Darcy himself! – in an attempt to hold out for true love and personal happiness. Her disgust at the proposal of the unbelievably boring and rude Mr. Collins was surpassed only by her shock at discovering that her best friend, Charlotte Lucas, had consented to marry him instead. Unabashedly mercenary, Ms. Lucas declares that marriage is a woman’s â€Å"pleasantest preservative from want† but that it is â€Å"uncertain of giving happiness† (p. 03) (Jones, V. , etc). Elizabeth, on the other hand, claims to believe in marriage for love, and holds her own individual happiness as a personal goal. This portrayal of the heroine as a creature of emotion and feeling, as opposed to a rational, logical and slightly more masculine figure, would assume Austen to be in favour of the theories of such feminist thinkers of the time as Mary Wollstonecraft – a staunch opposer of the writings of Edmund Burke. What, then, is Austen’s stance towards marriage as seen in ‘Pride and Prejudice’? Is she a romantic feminist or a rural traditionalist? My personal belief is that Austen is neither – I would suggest that she, in fact, manages to reach a happy compromise between the two. Austen clearly applauds Elizabeth Bennet’s Wollstonecraftian behaviour in rushing across the countryside to Netherfield to take care of her sister Jane in her illness as she describes Elizabeth’s appearance afterwards in very favourable terms, and highlights how it contributes to Darcy’s growing attraction to her, mentioning â€Å"the brilliancy which exercise had given to her complexion† (p. 0). However, it is also apparent that Austen is in support of the traditional Burkean notion of family and marriage, as the novel finishes with both Jane and Elizabeth happily and prosperously married to men who are their social betters. Both women marry above themselves and secure financial and social stability for both themselves and their families, thus falling in line wit h what would have been expected of well-brought up young rural ladies. Austen’s achievement in writing ‘Pride and Prejudice’ was, therefore, to show that Wollstonecraftian femininity could exist alongside and within the rural traditionalist ideals of Edmund Burke. Marriage in the time of Jane Austen was neither a religious sacrament (as the predominant English religion of the time, and Austen’s religion, Anglicanism, did not view marriage as a sacrament) nor a symbol of romantic love. In Enlightenment England, marriage was rather a necessity, the ultimate aim of all self-respecting young women. Women were, from birth, trained for their inevitable final position as a mother, wife, chef, and household head. Education was not about schooling in the ways and knowledge of the world, but rather the acquisition of a rich store of ‘accomplishments’ – painting, musical talent, singing, embroidery essentially the marketable skills of a desirable, and socially respectable, wife. Not only was marriage expected by men to be the desire of all women, but it was also, in fact, a means to an end. Women married to secure their status in society and often to improve their social standing, or ‘move up a rung’ in the all-pervading class hierarchy of the era. ‘Pride And Prejudice’ was no exception to this rule. Take the most obvious examples of Elizabeth and Jane Bennet. On a first glance, these women marry for love and for happiness – ‘Pride And Prejudice’ is clearly a classic romance novel. However, constantly bubbling away on the backburner is the undeniable reality of the Bennets’ impending impoverishment, should they fail to secure rich husbands. Effectively disinherited by the fine print of their father’s will, the future of their whole family is staked on their choice of suitors, now that they have reached marriageable age – as is reflected very effectively by Mrs. Bennet’s neuroticism! Aside from the personal difficulties of the Bennet family, there lies in the background of ‘Pride And Prejudice’ the grim historical reality of the time. 1790’s England was a time of â€Å"political crisis and social mobility† (Jones, V. etc), a time when the stability and power of the rural ruling class was threatened by the upwardly mobile ‘nouveau riche’ merchant class and the increasingly outspoken and demanding working class. Marriage, family – these were seen as social institutions, traditions essential for the preservation of the supremacy of the ruling gentry that the Darcys, the Bingleys, and to a lesser extent the Bennets. Marriage was, for the members of this clas s, a means of preserving their social position, protecting the integrity of the class structure, and upholding the rural traditions essential for their survival. When we say then that marriage in Jane Austen’s ‘Pride And Prejudice’ can be viewed as being a kind of social contract, we mean in so far as it enabled the women of the time to amass fortune and social respect, and allowed their men to protect the ruling culture which was threatened at this time by outside political influences. Marriage was a mutually beneficial agreement between the man and the woman – in exchange for the woman’s inheritance (if any), body, and the social respectability and support of the rural traditions that possession of an ‘accomplished’ wife offered, the man gave financial support and social status. This leads to charges of marriage being akin to â€Å"legal prostitution† (Wollstonecraft, Mary: A Vindication of The Rights of Woman) – women were seen by some as selling their bodies for societal betterment. Mr. Darcy is naturally the object of the mercenary desires of the women of Pemberley, as he is rumoured to be in receipt of a fortune of ten thousand pounds a year – it has been said by some commentators that Elizabeth Bennet merely falls prey to these mercenary desires, and engages in a marriage as a social contract, using romantic love as an excuse, not a reason, for unity with Darcy. I must disagree – I feel this argument has a critical flaw, in so far as Elizabeth not only turns down Darcy at his first proposal, while being fully aware of his riches (although perhaps not yet confronted with all the glory of Pemberley), but also refuses the advances of the well-off, yet exceedingly boring, Mr. Collins. If Elizabeth Bennet were purely mercenary in her designs, why then would she turn down two apparently suitable matches in an attempt to hold out for her goal of personal happiness? How then can we summarise the view of marriage as a social contract in ‘Pride And Prejudice’? Firstly, I think it is important to note that Austen did not set out to write a feminist text, denouncing the marital and romantic traditions of the ruling class. Her heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, does finally settle down with a man who would have been viewed in anybody’s eyes as being a most suitable and socially acceptable match for her. Darcy provides wealth, respect, security, and an elevated position in society – all of which were the most desirable attributes for a prospective husband of the era. However, the novel is not entirely traditionalist, praising as it does the actions of a heroine who defies her mother in order to please herself long-term, who engages in plenty of outdoor activity usually viewed as unbecoming to a young lady of status, and who openly speaks her mind regarding the behaviour of Mr. Darcy. As I stated earlier, Austen seems to come to a happy compromise between Wollstonecraftian feminism and the staunch traditionalism of such writers as Hannah More. Similarly, Austen appears to compromise between two marital viewpoints – that which would view marriage purely as a social contract, a means to an end, and that which would promote a more romantic version of marital unity. Marriage as a social contract is, then, rampant in ‘Pride And Prejudice’ – we can see it clearly in the marriage of Charlotte Lucas to Mr. Collins – and could be seen as being something of a necessity to young women, to preserve their social standing. However, it is clear that Austen does not neglect a romantic viewpoint, presenting as she does two beautiful young women who are both madly in love with their chosen husbands . References: Austen, Jane, ‘Pride And Prejudice’, (1813) Burke, Edmund, ‘Reflections on The Revolution in France’, (1790) Carter, Angela, ‘The Sadeian Woman’, (1978) Jones, V. , ‘Introduction to â€Å"Pride And Prejudice†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, (1996), London: Penguin Classics Wollstonecraft, Mary, ‘A Vindication of The Rights of Woman’, (1792)

Become Good at Writing a Five-Paragraph Essay

Become Good at Writing a Five-Paragraph Essay How to Write a Five-Paragraph Essay A five-paragraph essay is considered to be one of the most common writing assignments at schools and colleges. In most cases, teachers provide students with a writing prompt. It is a good formula that gives students the opportunity to develop a topic in the sufficient depth and length. But don`t panic if you are unsure whether you can meet some five-paragraph essay requirements. Just search for essay writing reviews in the Internet to find the custom writing service where you could get the professional assistance. But now let`s learn how to write a five-paragraph essay on the example of such essay topic: Today’s food travels thousands of miles before it reaches customers. Is this a positive or negative trend?   Introduction It is very important to write an effective essay introduction because in this part you reveal the main idea of your paper, provide relevant background information, guide readers and try to grab their attention. You have to open your essay in an engaging way to generate interest in your specific topic. There are many useful strategies for writing introductions that can help you do it successfully. You can ask a question, present a problem, use a startling statistics, address your readers directly or even tell an anecdote. But there are some things you should avoid in your introductory paragraph. Don`t use overworn expressions, don`t apologize and don`t be too obvious.   Example: Nowadays, we do not rely exceptionally on the locally grown food anymore because we have a wonderful opportunity to buy produce from all over the world. While this trend has some obvious advantages to consumers, I would argue that overall transporting food over long distances has some negative sides. The first body paragraph This part of your essay should be dedicated to the most powerful argument. Introduce what your paragraph will be about with a topic sentence. Then introduce your supporting details. Clarify the information you provided with your examples and explain its significance to the argument of your essay. Don`t forget to set up the transition to the next paragraph.    Example: The strongest argument against importing food is environmental. According to some studies, transport and the use of fossil fuels is one of the leading causes of global warming and climate change. This means that if we want to lead a greener lifestyle, we should do our best to minimize transportation. The second body paragraph The second paragraph usually contains the weakest point. Write a topic sentence, explain your argument and present your argument to support it. Make sure that every sentence relates directly to the main idea of the whole paragraph.    Example: Another point that needs to be considered is the impact of transporting food on local farmers and traditional ways of life. Farmers are unable to compete in price with the supermarkets that import cheap and not always high-quality products from other countries. It also has the negative impact on traditional communities that rely on those farms for employment and trade. The third body paragraph Follow the same pattern as the first and second body paragraphs. Don`t forget to include these essential elements: a topic sentence, evidence, explanation, and a concluding sentence.   Example: A further consideration is that food that has travelled across the world is not as healthy as locally grown produce. The simple point is that the further food travels, the less fresh it will be. Therefore, it would be preferable if supermarkets did not transport food from abroad.    Conclusion Your main task in the concluding paragraph is to repeat your argument in the light of everything you have analyzed. You have to make a strong final impression on your audience, stress the importance of your thesis statement and give the essay a sense of completeness.   Example: In conclusion, I believe that the trend for transporting food over long distances is undesirable because it is environmentally unfriendly, threatens local communities and results in less healthy options for consumers. A few examples of five-paragraph essay topics: Should nuclear weapons be outlawed worldwide? Are atheists less moral than theists are? Can online dating replace meeting a person in real life? Does the media create unrealistic expectations of relationships and marriage? Is it okay for parents to monitor teens` Internet use? What effect did human curiosity in relation to our place? Is there too much pressure on teenagers to go to college?

Personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Personal statement - Essay Example I want to gain invaluable experience as a physician assistant and believe that the MEDEX Northwest offers me this opportunity. I believe that my work experience in the different health care institutions makes me an excellent candidate for the program. Working as an EKG technician has exposed me to different technologies that are invaluably applicable in the medical sector. I have also had the opportunity to work at VA hospital, where I had an opportunity to interact with people of different backgrounds. This I believe will be an asset to the institution. My background and training in law brings unique value to the institution as I believe it helps in creating an understanding of human behavior, a valuable asset in healthcare training and practice. In my pursuit of high quality education, I am prepared to face any challenges that may come my way. The biggest challenge I expect to encounter will be in meeting my full financial obligations. However, I am optimistic that with immense commitment and dedication, I will overcome this challenge and complete my course within the required time. I believe that my experience in different hospitals as well as my academic background has given me valuable resources that I believe will be of benefit to my classmates. I also believe that my research skills will be a great contribution to my class. Being a second language student, I believe I will find it easier to mingle with the minority groups in the institution and act as bridge to non native speaking