Norse Mythology in Modern Culture Essay

Amon Amarth is one of the most blatantly Norse Mythological metal bands in existence. In fact, they are probably the only band in the world that is this closely tied to Norse Mythology. Everything from their album names, to their song titles, to the lyrics embedded in the gut wrenching brutality of their fast-paced melodic guitar riffs, screams Odin, Thor, Loki and all the other gods and characters spoken of in the sagas and stories passed from generation to generation through both written and vocal methods. In true saga style, with the oral tradition of the most ancient establishments and peoples in the Nordic region, they sing the stories of the Eddas and send praise to the gods long after the time of their magnificence. The introductory album from Amon Amarth, entitled Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds, has many different references to the gods Odin, Loki and Baldr throughout the album. One of the more obvious references is from the song â€Å"Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds†, which refers to the universal weeping from the story Baldr’s Dreams in the Poetic Edda by Snorri Sturluson. In Baldr’s Dreams, Baldr, the second of Odin’s sons, dreams of dying and the Aesir are so disturbed by this that they send Odin down to Hel to figure out the meaning of the dreams. Subsequently, he is in fact murdered by the hand of his blind brother Hod, facilitated by Loki and the spear he fashioned out of mistletoe. Following the death, Hermod goes on a quest to return Baldr to the realm of the living. He meets with Hel, daughter of Loki and ruler of Niflheim, and, after much pleading, she makes a deal with him stating that only if â€Å"all things, living and dead, will weep for himâ₠¬ (Lindow), shall he be able to return to the land of the Aesir. The first song on the album shares the album title and lays out Baldr’s Dreams in a modern poetic way that is also exceedingly heavy metal. The lyrics play out the dream and then the revealing of the culprit, Loki, as follows: â€Å"Nightmares, demons haunt my taunted mind, I’m scared, my death’s foreseen ungloryful. Please Father make my demons disappear, please Mother, death is everywhere.† †¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"The evil force around us still wants to destroy me. Who is the evil slayer, I cannot see? Loki, the deceitful God, discover the arrow of death. Pointed for the Hod the blind by the jealous Loki the arrow cut through the skin and into the heart of the bright one. Silence spread throughout the hall Aesir as the God of Light fell to his knees dying! Sorrow throughout the nine worlds the bright God is gone, sent to Niflheim by the deceitful†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Dark Lyrics) When looking at the orig inal story and the lyrics, the connection is painfully obvious. The subsequent albums are entitled, Once Sent from the Golden Hall, The Avenger, The Crusher, Versus the World, Fate of Norns, With Odin On Our Side, Twilight of the Thunder God and Surtur Rising. Once Sent from the Golden Hall is a hint to Valhall and the great halls of the many Aesir. The Avenger, The Crusher and Twilight of the Thunder God are referring to Thor who is commonly known throughout Norse Mythology and Nordic histories as the god of thunder. Versus the World is about Ragnarok, the epic impending battle between the world of the Aesir and the world of giants colliding to determine the future of the universe. Fate of the Norns is self-explanatory. The Norns in Norse Mythology are the determiners of the fate of everything in existence. With Odin on Our Side is another Ragnarok reference of sorts in that a couple songs on the album speak of fighting on Odin’s side during the great battle to end all time. Lastly, Surtur Rising is about the rise of the giants right befo re the start of Ragnarok. Surtur, or Sutr as it is spelled in the Eddas, is the final opponent of Freyr during the battle of Ragnarok. He weilds his giant sword that has a glow so bright that none can look upon it without a squint as described in both the Poetic Edda (Voluspa) and the Prose Edda (Gylfaginning). Not only does Amon Amarth do a great job of relaying the stories from the Eddas and the Sagas as the pertain to the gods, but they also describe all of the characters that act as help to, and also those made to antagonize, the gods. Odin’s Ravens, Hugin and Munin, are mentioned in the song called â€Å"As Long As The Raven Flies† which says that the â€Å"sky belongs to Asagods as long as the raven flies†. (Dark Lyrics) â€Å"Risen From the Sea 2000† is about the Midgard Serpent stating that when â€Å"He’s risen from the sea. The beasts of hell are here. Come to rule the world. And you will be in fire.† (Dark Lyrics) Skoll, the wolf eternally chasing after the sun until Ragnarok, when he is finally able to catch and devour it, is mentioned in the song, â€Å"†¦And Soon the World Will Cease to Be†, when it is said, â€Å"Across the western sky he runs, a wolf so grim and mean, devours the eternal sun, and soon the world will ceas e to be.†(Dark Lyrics) One last example of the inclusion of all the elements of the mythology is the power of Thor’s hammer, Mjollnir, which is hinted at and blatantly mentioned various times throughout all of the albums they have put out up to this day. Coincidentally, the number of albums they have out so far happens to be nine. The number nine is a sacred number in Norse Mythology and other mythologies around the world. In Norse Mythology there are nine worlds; Asgard, Alfheim, Vanaheim, Midgard, Jotenheim, Svartalfheim , Nidavellir, Muspelheim and Niflheim. Skadi, the â€Å"snow-shoe-god† and her husband Njord, ruler of â€Å"the motion of the wind†(Lindow), would spend nine days in the mountains at her home and then spend nine days at his home by the sea, continuing with the nine trend. In Ragnarok, Thor is fighting the Midgard Serpent and as he is engaged in battle with the serpent, he is struck by it. While he is dying, he takes nine final steps bef ore falling to his demise. A final example of this fixation with nine, and perhaps the most important example, is the nine days that Odin spent hanging from Yggdrasil to gain knowledge and power. Amon Amarth’s lyrical rampage in â€Å"Thousand Years of Oppression† tells the story of Odin’s sacrifice to himself as follows: â€Å"He hung on the windswept world tree whose roots no one knows, for nine whole days he hung there pierced, by Gugnir, his spear. Swimming in pain, he peered into the depths and cried out in agony. Reaching out he grasped the runes before falling back from the abyss. He gave himself unto himself in a world of shearing pain. Go that we all may live our lives by the wisdom that he gained.† â€Å"The Fate of Norns† is a shining example of how the band also integrates their personal lives into the myths that they constantly, and consistently, reference in all of their music. This song portrays a mourning of the loss of a son of only six years old that was the only chance of continuing the legacy of the father’s name. In the middle of the song the lyrics state that â€Å"the fate of Norns await us all there is no way to escape the day to answer Odin’s call or walk through Hel’s gate.† The Norns â€Å"established laws, they chose lives for the children of the people, fates of men†, meaning they were involved in the fortune of every man’s life, or death as it may be. (Lindow) Ragnarok, the final hoorah for the world of the Aesir and the gods themselves, is a huge influence on the musical flavorings of one of the most amazingly brutal, and yet melodically pleasing, metal bands in existence. Would you expect anything less? Hailing from Sweden, one of the metal capitals of the world, Amon Amarth is one of the most Norse mythologically inclined bands in the world. They use Norse mythology in every aspect of their music and truly epitomize the image of a modern day Viking. They pillage every stage that they bless with their presence and ravage the eardrums that their melodies touch. A live show from these guys brings you back to a more primal time of humanity where the gods were made from and of nature and there was still a mysticism in the hearts and souls of the people. To conclude, Amon Amarth is blatantly Norse and they deserve to be recognized as one of the major contributors to the continuing interest in Norse mythology and love of the past heritage of a great region of the world. â€Å"The wait is soon at end, always charge, never bend. Morning is here, make your stand. Live for honor, glory, death in fire!† Works Cited Dark Lyrics.â€Å"Amon Amarth Lyrics†. Metal Lyrics. http://www.darklyrics.com/a/amonamarth.html Larrington, Carolyne. The Poetic Edda. New York, New York: Oxford University Press 2008. Lindow, John. Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. New York, New York: Oxford University Press 2001. Sturluson, Snorri. Edda. North Clarendon, VT: Tuttle Publishing 1995.

Dreams and Escapism within Death of a Salesman and Road Essay

Death of a Salesman was written in 1949 in New York, right on the brink of a consumerist explosion. The American Dream that people had spent his life in pursuit of was suddenly altered and became highly materialistic. This left people, such as the character of Willy Loman, questioning their life and feeling secluded from this new wave of materialistic dream and the abandonment of self sufficiency. Along with this, other plays such as Cartwright’s Road was written and set in eighties Britain, in a northern Lancashire town. This was a time of high unemployment, particularly in the North, under Thatcher’s conservative power. The working class were hit hard and many declined into poverty, any dreams at this point would appear hopeless faced with recession and a government that showed no remorse to the characters depicted in Road. Both were faced with times of dramatic change that both sets of characters could not adjust to cope with, which is where escapism is used. In the introduction of the play, Miller proves to his audience that dreaming is evident in Death of a Salesman. â€Å"An air of the dream clings to the place, a dream rising out of reality†. By using the phrase â€Å"rising out† this indicates that this dream is a way of escaping, this sets the scene and tone of the whole play and how Willy is in a constant dream, unable to acknowledge the reality of his existence. The structure of the play is constructed like a stream of consciousness throughout, adding to the overall theme. Parallel to this, the structure within road is fragmented to emphasise the state of life within Road and also to represent the broken relationships. The characters within Road make no effort to disguise the misery and reality apparent in their lives and portray it at face value through various monologues, which although are not structurally reality orientated the messages within them are. They are full of hopelessness and failed dreams and so for many; escapism is taking refuge in sex and alcohol to numb the despair and even starvation in an extreme case, as being a way out. However, some characters experience escapism through hallucination and Skin-Lad turned to religion to resolve his despair. Another form of escapism used is taking refuge in the past. Willy constantly encloses himself in past situation, re-living them and even having conversations with characters that are only apparent in his own mentality. The positioning of scenes such as these let the imagined characters break all boundaries by entering or leaving rooms through â€Å"walls†. This further represents the fragile psychological state of Willy and how his mind has no restrictions and is unable to differentiate reality from creations of his own mind. Willy constantly refers to the past as more desirable, the first time Willy is seen lapsing off into the past is when he encounters Biff after arriving home. The conversation between Willy and Linda reflects Willy’s disappointment in Biff and what he has become. After failing to deal adequately with his feelings, he escapes into a time when things were better for his family. The fact he is more engrossed with memories than the present day, shows his willingness to escape to the past; where his life was once idyllic, and his lack of compassion to stay in reality. This type of escapism can also be identified within Road, particularly in Jerry’s monologue where the opening line states â€Å"I can’t get over it. I can’t get over the past, how it was. I just can’t†. He goes on to further reveal to the audience about the time he spent in the RAF on national service. Similar to Willy, as he is reminiscing, his dream enters into reality. As he describes certain objects he reaches out to touch them as if they are still there. This device is used to create a link between past and present and dream and reality. It is obvious both characters use the past to cover the present reality. The language within Road, particularly within the monologues, does not provide a realistic representation of the characters typical vernacular which is usually gutter language. This is used to create a contrast against themselves and their lives, another way to separate themselves from their reality. The text adapts a poetic resonance which seems unfitting for the topics being covered. â€Å"I’ve been done by them, it, the crushing sky of ignorance† it has a strange beauty, just like road itself. Humour is also present throughout to divert away from what would be considered tragic occurrences however this is occasionally interrupted by graphic realism, such as Claire and Joey’s untimely death through starvation. But true to the structure of the play, it is quickly overlooked by the narrator, Scullery who simply states â€Å"Hey, we’s gonna miss last orders† which would not be considered a realistic reaction. However, within Death of a Salesman the language which is used is typical of the characters. It is the context in which it is presented that provides the difference, particularly Willy’s conversations with characters which are not present. The end of Road depicts a group of characters chanting together â€Å"Somehow a somehow a somehow – Might escape†. This is an unrealistic technique used to restore the hope and dreams that had been diminished throughout the entirety of the play. It also re-assures the audience that there might be someway out of this squalid existence that has been portrayed, and that even after everything, there is underlying hope. However, in complete contrast to this Death of a Salesman’s closing scenes portrays Willy’s funeral. His constant dream-like existence is finally exposed to show Willy for who he really was. The reality is enforced and everything dream-related has died with Willy, leaving the harsh truth. In both plays, dreams and escapism are used thoroughly to uplift the tragic reality of the era in which the plays are set. Although, different strategies in both are used to cope with harsh realities they both provide a form of escapism for the characters and audience alike. Whether this is the humour, drink, sex and drugs present in Road or the constant reliance on the past and denial of present reality featured in Death of a Salesman.

Safe Guarding Babies and Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Safe Guarding Babies and Children - Essay Example ld abuse. The object is to establish the moral responsibility of every individual in the child-care system and create awareness. The article focuses on factors on the agency and individual level that are deemed key to avert tragedies such as this from happening in the future. 1. Responsibilities of local authorities. 2. Multi Agency policies. 3. Valued judgement and effective communication. 4. Targeted and Specialized support. 5. Individual social worker’s responsibilities The article evaluates and explores the methods that can be employed to avoid the mistakes as ascertained by the Laming report. Responsibilities of local authorities: â€Å"Those who sit in judgement often do so with the great benefit of hindsight† (Lord Laming Report, 2003 Page 1. ... In this event the Local authorities outline all disciplinary and inter-agency policies to be implemented by the agencies. Research has shown that multiagency working is more pronounced during the early stages of the case while making enquiries and â€Å"less pronounced and apparent in implementing action plans† (Chahal and Coleman 2003, p.39). Agencies that handle the cases from the Local authorities work on the brief give to them. Therefore it is imperative that professionals from both Local and Agency levels communicate effectively. In Victoria Climbie’s case there was evidence that the front line staff that received her case were not kept up to date on the guidelines as outlined by the Children Act of 1989. The procedure books made available to them were not up to date on the guidelines to monitor and provide care for children who were undergoing abuse. This affects the judgement of the staff and the ability to recognize an emergency or sounding the alarm. A sense of lax amongst caseworkers and front line staff is also prevalent as social work and especially working with children is not seen as an attractive career option. This has been attributed to the callous treatment of social workers by the top executives. Most of the work that social workers put into their work goes unnoticed or unappreciated. London shows a 11 per cent vacancy rate nationally in these sectors while some boroughs show as much as 40 to 50 per cent (Dfes 2003, Every Child matters, The Challenge, p.22). Because of this most front line staff are not adequately qualified to handle such sensitive issues. It is important for agency heads to be qualified in the regulations of social work to be able to empathize with the staff handling the cases and appreciate the work and

The Canadian Economy & the Global Economic Crisis Essay

The Canadian Economy & the Global Economic Crisis - Essay Example The researcher states that the global economy is presently in crisis reminiscent of the Great Depression of 1929. The global economic crisis began with a US credit crunch and mortgage crisis and has had ramifications throughout the modern, capitalist developed world. The researcher of this essay aims to analyze how has the Canadian economy handled the global economic storm during this period of near universal economic contraction and what can the world learn from the Canadian economic model and how has it been successful. Seeking to explain these question and others which deal with the first global economic crisis of the twenty-first century, this research paper explains and evaluates Canada’s policies in light of global economic meltdown. Calling Canada a â€Å"role model† for other countries around the world, the World Economic Forum called Canada's banks the worlds’ â€Å"soundest†. Presently, the Canadian dollar is around $.97 USD, which is historicall y high and is thought of by many as an indication that the Canadian economy is doing well. Strong macroeconomic policies have ensured that the Canadian economy remains vibrant today. Asking whether or not this is the case, the following will explore Canada's response to the global economic financial crisis. The researcher also demonstrates an intervention, that Canadian government has played in stimulating the Canadian economy when it needed it most. Accordingly, Canada today represents a model to be emulated during the most profound global economic crisis since the Great Depression

How music is evolving through the generations Essay

How music is evolving through the generations - Essay Example Undeniably, the contemporary technological and environmental changes have positively impacted on evolution of music to fit the 21st century. No wonder children are finding it difficult to cope up with pop music, which definitely belong to a different generations. Such children try to look for music that can satisfy their interest, tastes, preferences, and fashions but in no avail (Benzon). Evidently, contemporary children are looking for catchy songs in addition to flashy images. Unfortunately, watching artistes perform today on stage is far much different from how they would perform many years back. The idea behind such changes is changing times that call for newer and more exhilarating shows that will meet the interests, tastes, and preferences of the contemporary audiences (Benzon). Anyway there is cause of alarm since the moment the contemporary children will get over their current tastes, the coming generation will be rocking in the world of music. Evidently, with the changing needs, wants, and preferences of different and prevailing generations, music like any other global sector has had to significantly change in a bid to rising into the occasion in order to meet specific needs, wants, and preferences. Therefore, technological and developmental dynamisms and turbulences have been the epicenter of evolution of

Geological hazards in the area Aci Castello in sicily in Italy Essay

Geological hazards in the area Aci Castello in sicily in Italy - Essay Example The first of this was a field research, which required the researcher to report at the location, interact with residents and experts, gather field evidence and analyse findings from the site. There was another form of data collection, which was secondary data collection. The secondary data collection actually took the larger part of the data collection process. This is because the researcher was interested in comparing the findings made by different researchers and geologists about volcanoes at Mount Etna. At the end of the data collection process, it was found that Mount Etna is an active volcano located at Aci Castello, which is the focus and centre of the current research. Mount Etna was selected as part of efforts to focus specifically on volcanoes as part of the geological hazards of Aci Castello. Aci Castello is also famous for its agricultural successes, which serve as the major economic output of the area (Azzaro, 2011). Out of the rocks stands the famous ancient Norman Castle, which was constructed in 1081. Upon the outward beauty of the place, there lie some critical geological concerns, which form the problem for the current research. The problem has to do with the geographic hazards in the area of Aci Castello, particularly the volcanology of the place. This research problem is interesting for a number of reasons. In the first place, it serves an academic significance for students of geography who would need to come up with real life activities of active and dormant volcanoes. There study is also significant in having practical interventions and approaches to dealing with what has become infamous recent volcano eruption activity at Mount Etna. The report therefore aims to critically analyse volcanoes at Aci Castello, particularly the infamous Mount Etna with the purpos e of identifying the trend of activities of these volcanoes so that necessary geological precautions could be taken at these. This will be achieved by undertaking both

STARTING A BUSINESS ONLINE PART 2 Research Paper

STARTING A BUSINESS ONLINE PART 2 - Research Paper Example Domain name In web marketing domain name is an asset. Usually the domain name should be relevant, catchy, stylish, fashionable and easy to remember. According to Ethics Newsline (2013) â€Å"The introduction of new top-level domain names — the ending letters in web addresses, such as .com and .org — is raising some unanticipated ethical issues, according to various press reports†¦Addresses such as .car, .toronto, or .apple will become available, reports the  Toronto Star, but at a price.† Web spoofing and cyber-squatting are unethical activities in e-commerce. Spoofing refers to creating domains similar to well-known brands or established corporate companies like valmart.com for wallmart.com. Cyber-squatting is registering domain name of a well-known company or brand with the purpose of misusing it or selling it to the concerned company at an exorbitant price. Firms may be forced to buy these domains simply to avoid e-commerce frauds. Though $1,000 for dom ain re-sale is attractive, the name was not registered with the intention of re-sale. The name was selected after carefully considering various factors to ensure its suitability to the business and it is expected to be beneficial for the growth and development of the business in the long run. Also, it is felt that resale of domain name amounts to selling the name to our competitor who finds it worth to buy at this price. Also, if the buyer is not likely to become our competitor, it is bought with some ulterior motive and the domain name could be misused that is unethical. So, there is no question of resale of domain. E-Commerce software The Internet has emerged as a global medium for communication that is used gainfully used for commerce by creating web-based applications. In e-commerce, catalog designing is important like physical display of products in a showroom. It should be imaginative to include online marketing tools like gift certificates and discounts apart from display of prices and special features. The possibilities of expanding the market potential are unlimited with a good blend of content, photography, association with popular themes with a proper mix of graphics, flash and background images in a website. Online shopping cart software should incorporate features for selection of product, price comparison, placement of order and change the products selected if necessary. In the case of shopping cart software, synchronizing price and quantity with accounting and stores is very important and lack of this facility in software impedes real time inventory control. Establishing a good system for incorporating returns and exchanges in software is also essential for ensuring smooth flow of business. Order processing includes single-order processing, batch processing or mail order processing. Providing reputed online payment gateway in shopping cart for secure, fast and reliable transactions on real time basis is essential. Achieving optimum processing ca pacity of the system is very important for enhancing user experience. Null and Lobur (2012, p. 40) stated â€Å"No matter how many processors are placed in a system, or how many resources are assigned to them, somehow, somewhere, a bottleneck is bound to develop. The best we can do to remedy this is to make sure that the slowest parts of the system are the ones that are used the least.† Web presence and increasing Website usability The important factors need to be focused in

Management account-R12 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Management account-R12 - Coursework Example The theory aims at reflecting management accounting system as dependent on factors that crop up from time to time. This theory brings details of the factors which rise up and affect a management accounting system. According to this contingency theory, the contingent factors affecting a management accounting system are unique to each organisation. Organisations vary from one another in terms of operations thus the difference in the form of adoption, functioning and sophistication of a system. This means that each company will have a management accounting system which is specific to its form. This explains why we do not have a globally adopted accounting system. Contingency theory has made bold steps in helping us understand how accounting and budgets  can and should be used to deal with the issue of management control. The theory basically supports the handling of accounting and budgets in a way which recognizes related changes which might occur in the company (Sharma, 2009). The co ntingency theory is usually very important in ensuring that the management accounting system in a company is in sync with the prevailing factors at a given time. The efforts by this theory have been successful through the manipulation of the factors that affect a management accounting system among other factors. ... With this, the organisation does not need to have management control based on a sophisticated management accounting system. Under such a situation, the  management will control the organisation on the basis of the set out budgets. The contingency theory also shows how accounting and budgets can be used to handle matters of management control through the consideration of strategies and mission as situational factors. Basically, the type of  strategies and mission applied by a company determines the kind of system for management accounting to be put in use. For example a firm may decide to apply a strategy of low cost and defense. Under such a strategy, a company will work towards standard products, few lines of products, low cost operations as well as policies promoting economies of scale. with   this, there will be need to have plans capable of making employees uphold low cost mentalities, incentives to workers depending on the results of evaluation of financial performance and adherence to budgets among others. This means that there is need for a management accounting system which is a bit sophisticated. Contingency theory shows that accounting can be utilized to handle the issue of management control through the determination of the accounting information need and use (Emmanuel et al,1990). According to this theory, the kind of accounting information needed by an organisation is very key in determining the management accounting system required. In a situation where the accounting information required is  complex, then a highly sophisticated management accounting system is required. If a firm requires just simple information, then a less sophisticated management accounting system is required by an organisation. There is also the intended use of the

Unemployment and Labor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Unemployment and Labor - Essay Example Unemployment and labor Decrease in labor demand and low cost of labor may also result into labor market movement. This is because the mentioned determinants will depress the incomes of labor. Other determinants of labor market movement include culture and demographics. This also includes cyclical elements like government benefits, demand for workers, and unemployment generosity. According to recent studies, labor market can also be determined by indicators such as: distribution of labor force by gender, age, and participation rates; level of education; employment distribution by sex and age; class of workers; status of job; employment rate by sex; unemployment rate by sex and age; and number of people not employed and distribution by age and sex. The labor market movement is determined by many other factors depending on the distribution of labor characteristics in that market. Educational level and qualification has a central role in job transition in the labor market. Work experience and structural factor s also influence the possibility of labor movement and the direction in all market segments. Labor market competition and attitude towards immigration are also determinant factors to be considered. Based on education, investment on human capital and specialization in various occupations may also determine movement within labor market. In order to forecast the rate of unemployment and nonfarm payroll change for November, I will make use of the past rates of employment in history. The prevailing market demands for labor, labor cost, required education level, rate of economic growth, unemployment policies, and interest rates. In the process of ascertaining the forecasted rate of unemployment, I will use the flexicurity debate concept that combines the flexibility of labor market with the security of employees. This concept has been formulated and initiated globally in attending to unemployment. As a concept it shows the necessity of balancing the need for protecting the security of labor market with the need for sufficient flexible labor market. The flexicurity policy is a reliable and flexible contractual agreement via modern labor law and agreement collectively with the employee’s organization. This determines the continual opportunity for training employees for employability and adaptability. This will help me in forecasting the rate of unemployment. Active and effective policies of labor market assist employees to cope the drastic changes. This helps in minimizing the duration of unemployment and even facilitates the movement to new jobs. These policies also encourage employment, provide for sufficient support in terms of income, facilitate the coverage of the provision of social protection, and facilitate the mobility of labor market. Hence, the details of the policies will help me forecast the rates of unemployment. The history of protection of labor is primarily about the working class and the labor movement development. The policies of labor protection have been used before in determining social welfare and economic development. The need to protect the rights of workers has since made the government to get involved in the regulation of policies. These policies are often used to determine compensation and benefits accorded to workers. Therefore, the labor protection policies can a lso be used to forecast the nonfarm payroll change as

Diabetes and Obesity (Biology) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Diabetes and Obesity (Biology) - Assignment Example It occurs as a result of absolute insulin deficiency insulin, due to rampant destruction of cells producing insulin, the beta cells of pancreas. There is a strong genetic predisposition to this type of diabetes. On the other hand type-2 diabetes mainly occurs in late adulthood and the main predisposing factors are lifestyle factors and obesity. Lifestyle factors in this regard include sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eatimg habits like irregular meals, binge eating and fast foods. Even in this type of diabetes genetic factors play a role. The main cause for diabetes type-2 are a combination of decreased secretion of insulin from the beta cells and also increased resistance of the receptors of the insulin in the peripheral tissue (Votey, 2005), which means that whatever insulin is secreted is not effective. The most common form of diabetes is type-2 diabetes and it has significant relevance to obesity. Thus, diet and exercise play a major role in prevention and also treatment of the disease. In this article, the role of obesity in the development of diabetes will be discussed. The main defect in diabetes type-2 is the inability of the tissues to respond to insulin. There is also decreased production of insulin by pancreas. Both these amount to increased glucose levels in the blood, known as hyperglycemia. An important causative factor is obesity. This is more so when obesity is more around the waist, known as central obesity (Votey, 2005). Obesity leads to decreased resistance of tissues to insulin. The fatty acid and triglyceride levels are high and these further interfere with insulin signaling. Another important aspect in obesity which influences the development of diabetes is dysregulation of the secretion of adipokine which is a hormone that causes peripheral resistance to insulin and contributes to the development of diabetes. Thus, obesity has a major role to play in the development of the most common form of diabetes, type-2 diabetes. Figure.1: Causes o f diabetes type-2 (Source: www.diabeticretinopathy.org.uk) Diabetes is a silent killer and can lead to both acute and chronic problems that are potentially fatal or debilitating. Acute problems include, unconsciousness and coma either due to high or low blood glucose levels, confusion, anxiety and tremors. Chronic problems include development of retinal problems, grouped under retinopathy, kidney problems, known as nephropathy and problems related to nerves, known as neuropathy. Other than these long term problems, diabetes also leads to cardiac problems (Votey, 2008). Infact, any organ in the body can be damaged by diabetes. That is why it is very important to prevent diabetes and also keep it in control when contracted by this disease. The main aim of treatment of the disease are prevention of complications (DOH, 2008). This can be done by receiving appropriate medical care a physician-coordinated team which includes physicians, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, and mental health professionals with expertise and a special interest in diabetes. The most important aspect of prevention and also management of diabetes is lifestyle modification. This includes active physical life through exercise and physical activity, cutting down on excessive eating, following health eating habits like balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables and regular meals, cutting down on excessive alcohol indulgence and avoiding stress (DOH, 2008). Regular exercise is essential

Make Green Delicious Essay Example for Free

Make Green Delicious Essay With global accolades, rave reviews and local food critics, its customer bases has grown substantially. Kennedy wants to expose the thought of slow food philosophy to as many people as possible, from his customers, workers, to the community. In order to set up a foundation, build public relation and reach more people in the community, Kennedy has to spend more time and extra money which a lot of his chefs found it unnecessary. To balance between grown and sustainability, Kennedy should cut costs in other areas. C. Alternatives: 1. Set up foundation * Cut costs * Pair up with a local non-governmental organization as it may be hard to run a foundation without proper skills training 2. Do not set up foundation D. - Recommendation: Set up the foundation. If the foundation succeeds, it can achieve Kennedy`s goal of educating the public about the slow food philosophy. It will help the corporation overall as it furthers differentiate the brand. If the foundation fails, it will hurt the corporation a bit but with its 33 years of experience and brand building, it should be able to recover. E. - Implementation Plan: It may be a good idea to pair up with a local non-governmental organization so that it reduces the risk of failing to manage the foundation. It is important to look for a local non-governmental organization that agrees and aligns with the firm`s own philosophy and goals. In terms of cutting costs, as mentioned in the case, it can move the production kitchen to a lower cost location and supply Jamie Kennedy Kitchens with his own rural farm. In this way, efficiency is improved. One issue that should be taken into consideration is that by supplying the corporation with its own farm, it may be competing with the local suppliers and damage the established relationship between suppliers.

Examining The Importance Of System Investigation Information Technology Essay

Examining The Importance Of System Investigation Information Technology Essay Fact-finding is an important activity in system investigation. In this stage, the functioning of the system is to be understood by the system analyst to design the proposed system. Various methods are used for this and these are known as fact-finding techniques. The analyst needs to fully understand the current system. The analyst needs data about the requirements and demands of the project undertaken and the techniques employed to gather this data are known as fact-finding techniques. Tools, such as data and process models, document facts, and conclusions are drawn from facts. If facts are not collected, tools can ¿Ã‚ ½t be used effectively and efficiently. After gathering needed information of the system the analyst should record them in a proper way which is known as fact-recoding methods. What are the facts to be collected Any information System can be examined in terms of four building blocks:  ¿Ã‚ ½ Data: The raw material used to create useful info.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Processes: The activities that carry out the mission.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Interfaces: How the system interacts with people.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Geography: Where data is stored, processes interfaces happen. Fact-finding skills must be learned and practiced. Systems analysts need an organized method of collecting facts. They especially need to develop a detective mentality to be able to discern relevant facts. When do perform fact-finding  ¿Ã‚ ½ System Analysis Phase. ? Study Phase. ? Definition Phase. ? Selection Phase.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Design.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Post Implementation Review. Fact-finding techniques Various kinds of techniques are used and the most popular among them are, 1. Interviews. 2. On-Site Observation. 3. Investigation. 4. Questionnaire. 1. Interviews Interview is a very important data gathering technique. Analysts can use interviews to collect information about the current system form the potential users. Here the analysts discover the areas of misunderstanding, unrealistic exception and descriptions of activities and problems along with resistance to the new proposed system. Goal of interview  ¿Ã‚ ½ Find facts, verify facts, and clarify facts.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Generate enthusiasm.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Get end user involved.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Identify requirements. Steps involved  ¿Ã‚ ½ Set the stage for the interview.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Establish rapport; put the interviewee at ease.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Phrase questions clearly and succinctly.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Be a good listener; avoid arguments.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Evaluate the outcome of the interview. The interviews are of two types namely, Structured Interview Structured interviews are those where the interviewee is asked a standard set of questions in a particular order. All interviewees are asked the same set of questions. The questions are further divided in two kinds of formats for conducting this type of interview.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Open-response format e.g. Why are you dissatisfied with the current scheduling method?  ¿Ã‚ ½ Closed-response format e.g.. Are you satisfied with the current scheduling methods? Do you think that the manual scheduling procedure be changed with some automated procedure? Unstructured Interview The unstructured interviews are undertaken in a question-and-answer format. This is of a much more flexible nature than the structured interview and can be very rightly used to gather general information about the system. Here the respondents are free to answer in their own words. In this way their views are not restricted. So the interviewer gets a bigger area to further explore the issues pertaining to a problem. Advantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Can motivate the interviewee to respond freely.  ¿Ã‚ ½ More feedback can be probed.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Can adapt or reword questions for each individual.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Extra information from body movement and facial expressions. Disadvantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Time consuming.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Requires good communication skills.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Requires good interviewing skills.  ¿Ã‚ ½ May be impractical due to location constraints.  ¿Ã‚ ½ The interviewee may not answer/give appointment. 2. On-Site Observation On-site observations are one of the most effective tools with the analyst where the analyst personally goes to the site and discovers the functioning of the system. As an observer, the analyst can gain first hand knowledge of the activities, operations, processes of the system on-site, hence here the role of an analyst is of an information seeker. This information is very meaningful as it is unbiased and has been directly taken by the analyst. This exposure also sheds some light on the actual happenings of the system as compared to what has already been documented, thus the analyst gets closer to the system. This technique is also time-consuming and the analyst should not jump to conclusions or draw inferences from small samples of observation rather the analyst should be more patient in gathering the information. This method is however less effective for learning about peoples perceptions, feelings and motivations. Mainly observation categorized into two, Formal observation  ¿Ã‚ ½ Observation a person by him being noticed. Informal observation  ¿Ã‚ ½ Observing a person without him being noticed. Do ¿Ã‚ ½s  ¿Ã‚ ½ Obtain permission from appropriate supervisors or managers.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Prepare special forms to record data.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Determine who, what, where, why, when and how of the observation.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Takes notes immediately or after the observation.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Review the observation notes with appropriate individuals.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Also observe during low, normal, and peak periods of operations. Don ¿Ã‚ ½ts  ¿Ã‚ ½ Don ¿Ã‚ ½t interrupt the individuals work.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Don ¿Ã‚ ½t focus on trivial activities.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Don ¿Ã‚ ½t make assumptions. Advantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Observation of people at work provides first hand experience of the way that the current system operates.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Data are collected in real time and can have a high level of validity if care is taken in how the technique is used.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Observation can be used to verify information from other sources or to look for exceptions to the standard procedure.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Baseline data about the performance of the existing system and of users can be collected. Disadvantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ The act of observation alters the behavior.  ¿Ã‚ ½ The act of made may not involve the difficulty and volume normally experienced during that time period.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Some task may not always be performed in the manner in which they are observed.  ¿Ã‚ ½ People may not let u see what you want to see. 3. Investigation Third fact finding technique is to thoroughly investigate the application and problems. The analyst has to read computer journals, reference books, internet white papers and case-studies for investigation. The Analyst can visit other companies or departments which have addressed similar problems. Advantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Can save time if solution already exists.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Investigator can see how others have solved similar problems or met similar requirements.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Keeps investigator up to date with current developments. Disadvantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Requires access to appropriate sources of information.  ¿Ã‚ ½ May ultimately not help in solving problem because problem is not documented elsewhere. 4. Questionnaire Questionnaires are another way of information gathering where the potential users of the system are given questionnaires to be filled up and returned to the analyst. Questionnaires are useful when the analyst need to gather information from a large number of people. It is not possible to interview each individual. Also if the time is very short, in that case also questionnaires are useful. If the anonymity of the respondent is guaranteed by the analyst then the respondent answers the questionnaires very honestly and critically. Just like the interviews and on the same lines questionnaires are of two types. Open-Response Based Questionnaires The objective of open-response questionnaire is to gather information and data about the essential and critical design features of the system. The open-ended question requires no response direction or specific response. This form is also used to learn about the feelings, opinions, and experiences of the respondents. This information helps in the making the system effective because the analyst can offer subsequent modifications as per the knowledge gained. e.g. What additional reports would you require from the System? Closed-Response Based Questionnaires The objective of closed-response questionnaire is to collect the factual information of the system. It gives an insight in how the people dealing with the system behave and how comfortable are they with it. In this case the respondents have to choose from a set of given responses. Thus the respondent can express their liking for the most favorable one from the possible alternatives. The closed questions can be of various types and the most common ones are listed below. e.g. 1. Yes/No Question Do you print reports from the existing System? (please circle the appropriate answer) Yes No 2. Multiple Choice Questions How many new surgery appointments do you obtain in a year? (please tick one box only) 3. Scaled Questions How satisfied are you with the response time of the patients ¿Ã‚ ½ records update? (please circle one options) Advantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Can be answered quickly.  ¿Ã‚ ½ An economical way of gathering data from a large number of people.  ¿Ã‚ ½ If the questionnaire is well designed, then the results can be analysed easily, possibly by computer. Disadvantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Good questionnaires are difficult to construct.  ¿Ã‚ ½ There is no automatic mechanism for follow up or probing more deeply, although it is possible to follow up with an interview by telephone or in person if necessary.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Postal questionnaires suffer from low response rates. Conclusion Interview is the most suitable fact-finding technique of gathering information for Victoria Hospital System. Because there are small numbers of people are working, hence result can be produced in a short period of time, easy to evaluate the result, more feedback can be a probed and new ides may arise. Fact-recording methods and standards The fact recording is a reverence for facts and knowing how to look for them. You do not go into data collection with a predetermined opinion of the design of the final procedure. You let the facts tell you what shape the procedure should take. But, you must be able to find facts and know how to record them. This is done by breaking down the procedure into steps and listing them in proper sequence, without leaving things out. The analyst keeps his or her attention on the subject being charted, follows its flow, step by step, and is not distracted by other subjects that could easily lead off onto tangents. The analyst becomes immersed in the data collection, one flow at a time. Record what is actually happening, not what should happen or could happen. When later you have them neatly organized and present them for study the facts will assert their authority as they tell their story. Software Standard A Software Standard is a standard, common format of a document, file, or data transfer accepted and used by one or more software developers while working on one or more than one software programs. Software standards enable interoperability between different programs created by different developers. Software standards consist of certain terms, concepts, data formats, document styles and techniques agreed upon by software creators so that their software can understand the files and data created by a different software program. To be considered a standard, a certain protocol needs to accepted and incorporated by a group of developers who contribute to the definition and maintenance of the standard. Developers prefer using standards for software development because of the efficiencies it provides for code development and wider user acceptance and use of the resulting application. The followings are computer and paper based fact-recording methods and standard documentation techniques, which are being used in software development.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Data flow diagrams  ¿Ã‚ ½ Context diagrams  ¿Ã‚ ½ Flow charts  ¿Ã‚ ½ Decision tables  ¿Ã‚ ½ Grid charts Data flow diagrams  ¿Ã‚ ½ Graphically describe the flow of data within an organisation  ¿Ã‚ ½ Composed of four basic elements represented by standard symbols: Basic data flow diagram Context diagrams  ¿Ã‚ ½ Show major data flows into and out of a system  ¿Ã‚ ½ Describe each subsystem as a process showing interrelationship of those subsystems and their relationship to main system  ¿Ã‚ ½ Depict logical flow of data in summary form  ¿Ã‚ ½ The starting point for studying any system  ¿Ã‚ ½ Depict the system at its highest level  ¿Ã‚ ½ Referred to as level zero data flow diagrams Flow charts  ¿Ã‚ ½ Document physical flows determined after logical data flows have been documented using data flow diagrams Flow chart symbols Advantages and disadvantages of flow charts Advantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Enable any system to be represented in easily understandable manner  ¿Ã‚ ½ Overall picture of system easily seen  ¿Ã‚ ½ Highlight relationship among different parts of the system Disadvantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Creation can be time-consuming  ¿Ã‚ ½ Numerous symbols can be confusing  ¿Ã‚ ½ Process may not be completely representable using symbols There are three types of flow chart, namely 1. System flow charts  ¿Ã‚ ½ Show the relationship between input, processing and output including data, documents and storage  ¿Ã‚ ½ Represent the relationship between various processes 2. Document flow charts  ¿Ã‚ ½ Emphasise the flow of documents between various people, groups and departments of an organisation. 3. Program flow charts  ¿Ã‚ ½ Show the detailed steps of a computer program  ¿Ã‚ ½ Show the logic and processing steps used to develop a computer program Decision tables  ¿Ã‚ ½ List the decision logic of a program flow chart in tabular form  ¿Ã‚ ½ Constructed with two main columns and two rows: ? First row is further divided into a number of rows of conditions ? Second row is further divided into a number of rows of actions The decision table tells us the following  ¿Ã‚ ½ if stock is not available and floor stock is not being sold, collect 10% advance  ¿Ã‚ ½ if stock is available but delivery is not within three days, collect 10% advance  ¿Ã‚ ½ if stock is available and delivery within three days, collect full value of sale  ¿Ã‚ ½ if stock is not available but floor stock is being sold within three days, collect full value of sale  ¿Ã‚ ½ if stock is not available but floor stock is being sold after three days, collect 10% advance Grid charts A grid chart is a type of chart that shows the interaction of two data points at the grid intersection of their respective axes.

Different Perspectives Of Organisation Structure Commerce Essay

Different Perspectives Of Organisation Structure Commerce Essay There are many different perspectives on how an organisation should be structure but there is no particular way of structuring an organization. According to Contingency Theory so many factors such as size, Technology, Market etc, determine the structure of an organisation. Anon (2008). There is need for a design of an effective structure to reflect the objectives of the organisation and the context in which it operates (Fincham and Rhodes 1999: 355). This paper work considers the organisational structure of United Bank for Africa Plc and addresses the way in which the organisation is structure. Identify the organisational goals of United Bank for Africa Plc as expressed in the organisation mission and vision statement of the bank. Identify and examine the organizational contingencies of United Bank for Africa Plc. Assess the fit between the organisational structure of United Bank for Africa plc and its organisational goals. Suggest possible recommendation for improvement. OVERVIEW OF UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC. United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) is a full service financial institution operating in the banking industry. It is a product of the merger of Nigerias third (3rd) and fifth (5th) largest banks, namely the old UBA and the erstwhile Standard Trust Bank Plc (STB) respectively, and a subsequent acquisition of the erstwhile Continental Trust Bank Limited (CTB). (Anon 2010)) United Bank for Africa Plc is the biggest of all the 24 Banks operating in Nigeria. It has the highest number of branches of over 600 branches across the country and over 7 million customers. The Head office of the Bank is located at 57, Marina, Lagos Nigeria. UBAs history dates back to 1948 when the British and French Bank Limited (BFB) commenced business in Nigeria and the erstwhile STB and CTB both in 1990. Following Nigerias independence from Britain, UBA was incorporated in 1961 to take over the business of BFB.   Todays UBA emerged at a time of industry consolidation induced by regulation in year 2005. (Anon 2010) ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC Organizational structure according to Mintzberg (cited in Cole G: 184) is the sum total of the way in which it divides its labour into distinct task and then achieves coordination between them United Bank for Africa Plc operates a tall hierarchical flexible structure with some elements of Bureaucracy. United Bank for Africa Plc operating structure consists of six strategic business units: North Bank, South Bank, International Bank, Retail Financial Services, UBA Capital, Products and Segment Market and four strategic support unit: Finance, Risk Management, Operations and Internal Audit. At the very top of the firm is the Board of directors, reporting to them is the GMD/CEO. Reporting to him are the Heads of the strategic business and supporting units, who are Deputy Managing Director UBA Nigeria North, Deputy Managing Director UBA Nigeria South, CEO UBA Intl, CEO UBA Capital, Executive Director Product segment, Group Chief Finance Officer, Group Risk Officer, Group Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, Group Internal Audit. The largest of these business strategic units, is UBA Nigeria South bank which is broken down into Regional Banks and further broken down into branches. The branches are located in different areas of the country. The Regional banks are being managed by Regional Bank Heads, reporting to them are the Regional Directors, and next are the Business Manager, followed by Profit Centre Manager and beneath are the Relationship Managers and operatives. Due to the size of the Bank, Head office is the strategic centre and has overall control of strategic planning, major policy decision, special project, product development, capital Budgeting and financial control. While the Regional Bank Heads, through the Regional Directors and Business Managers run the day to day operations of the branches. Each branch is given a yearly financial target and the performance of the branch is judged based on profitability. It will be noted that this is a divisionalized structured based on location (Cole 2004:) There are two major departments in the branch these are; the marketing department and the operation department. Various units operate under each of the department; these are customer service unit, cash and teller unit, funder transfer unit, admin unit(operation department) Local business unit, small business unit and mass market unit (Marketing department). While other departments like, Treasury, Corporate services, Credit, Trade operations etc, are centralised in head office. Tasks are assigned to unit and individuals. This can be likened to the principle of There is division of labour ( Linstead, Fulop and Lilley 2004:129) Job specialisation is deemphasised. Although there is written Job descriptions, stating the task attached to jobs and the person to whom the job holder is accountable for performance but a staff can be move from one unit to the other if a need arise. For example if there are many customers to be service at the cash and teller unit, some staff in fund transfer unit or customer service unit can be move to urgently assist in cash and teller unit. There is also departmental control function checklist, to monitor task done. Span of control, there are many authority level and close supervision of task, although there is no specify number of positions that can be coordinated by one supervisor, but the minimum number of staff that report to a supervisor is three. The diagram below shows the level of supervision in a Regional Bank. GMD/CEO Deputy Managing Director Regional Bank Head Regional Director Business manager Profit centre Manger Relationship Managers Operatives There are four levels of staff in the bank, they are, Top Management staff, Middle Management staff, Senior staff and the Junior staff. Staffs receive order directly from their immediate supervisors. Directives flow down from senior management (GMD/CEO, DMD), through middle management (Regional Bank Head, Regional Director), to senior staff who are the first line managers (Business manager, Profit centre manager) and subordinates (junior staff), and reporting relationship flow upward through same channel. This can be likened to Henry Fayols principle of scalar chain or chain of command. Anon (2008) The marketing staff .performs task functions that are directed towards specific and definable end results while the Operation staff performs functions that are designed to drive the system to achieve the set goals (Robin and Rodes 1999:357) Authority is widely diffused throughout every managerial level to senior staff level of the Bank. Cole G. (2004). Authority is decentralised but strictly Control. For example a Head Teller as the authority to recommend a Teller that is not performing to be move to another unit. The major policy decisions are centralized while operational responsibility is delegated (decentralized). For example, Senior management make Strategic decisions such as; technology or software to be employed by the organization; a major market or product change, mergers and acquisitions, capital budget and investments. Such decisions do have very great and latent effect on the future of the Bank. Regional Bank Heads are empowered to make tactical decisions which are product and market related decisions and are usually being made to outweigh competition and win more market share for the bank. Business managers are empowered to make operational decisions that affect the day to day running of the branch. The decisions at this level are usually on short and intermediate basis and they are usually being influenced by the unfolding realities in the market place. Business managers as the responsibility to manage their branches, but within an approved budget outside which their powers are strictly limited (Robin and Rhodes: 368). For instance, the business manager handle the capital expenditure and operating expenditure of the branch but there is a maximum amount a business manager can approve for a single expense and total amount that can be spent on operating and capital expenditure in a period. Any amount of expenditure that is above the business manger limit must be approved by the next line supervisor. There are specified laid down operational procedures, policies and manuals that specify standard of performance. These are: operation policy and control manual, staff hand book, expense empowerment policy, operational risk management policy, code of professional conduct and ethics, email policy, whistle blower protection policy, etc. These policies are to guide and bring uniformity in processing. For instance the expense empowerment policy is the rule guiding expenditure. It specify amount of money that can the approve by specified authorised person. There is a performance monitoring system named INFO POOL, which is driven by the principles of the Balanced Scorecard. The Balanced Scorecard Approach is a strategic planning and management system that uses financial and non financial metrics as a business planning and performance measurement mechanism. Performance measurement is viewed from four perspectives: Financial, Internal process, Customer Service, and Learning and Growth. In order to assess employees performances, financial and non-financial key performance indicators (KPIs) was developed along the Balanced Scorecard dimensions. To drive this new performance management system, management introduced performance incentive pay to boost employee morale and increase productivity. High performers are objectively identified and rewarded appropriately in line with predetermined percentages of their pay. ORGANIZATIONAL GOAL: The goals of United Bank for Arica plc are highlighted below: To be the reference point for service, quality and innovation in the financial services industry and to achieve significant difference between UBA and other banks on all key parameters. Anon(2010) It desires to occupy the foremost position amongst its peers in the industry along key metrics: market share, profitability, balance sheet size etc. Anon(2010) It desires to achieve a clear and significant lead over peers along all key measures and significantly influence financial services industry policy and direction. Anon(2010) It desires to provide a broad range of financial services products and services offerings to meet the needs of its chosen market segments. Anon(2010) It primary focus shall be on the African region where it intends to deploy its array of financial services products and service offerings. To also maintain a selective presence in key locations worldwide on an opportunistic basis. Anon(2010) Business decisions shall be driven by the desire to achieve significant value-added for all stakeholders. Anon(2010) Putting in place governance and strategic management practices that ensure that this organization will successfully anticipate and respond to environmental discontinuities and effectively manage leadership transitions at all levels. Anon(2010) ORGANIZATIONAL CONTINGENCIES United Bank for Africa Plc is faced with various numbers of organisational contingencies and these contingencies have equally affected the manner in which the organisation is structure. The organisational contingencies are; Size Technology Environment Government Regulator Risk and control environment Size United Bank for Africa Plc is a big bank broken down into Regional Banks with over 600 branches in Nigeria and over 13,000 employees. The branches are classified into four different categorises according to their location, operational size and environment. These are large branches, medium branches, basic branches and macro branches. The size of the bank has led to Standardisation of procedures, processing methods and employment practices, specialisation of function and role, and formalisation of documentation(Cole 2004:186) to enhance process uniformity across the Bank. This can be likened to Lawrence and Lorsch concepts of differentiation and integration Anon (2008:28). Differentiation approach because the bank is broken into Regional Banks and Branches and each of these branches operates in different locations and environments. This is also similar to Integration approach because there is standardize roles and regulation, operational policy manual guiding the operation of the branc hes and enhancing uniformity in processing and service method. It can also be argued that the structure has the six primary variable of structure as identified by the Aston Studies Anon (2008) Technology: Technology plays a vital role in the financial sector. In response to the demand for quick efficient and reliable services, The Bank as deployed technology- driven products and services as means of influencing and redefining customers behavioural pattern and life style. Well developed outsourcing support functions are increasingly used to provide services and manage cost. For example; ATM networks, cards processing, bill presentment and payment, software development, call centre operations and network management. According to Wood wards studies UBA PLC can be refer to as process industry authority and power are decentralized and responsibilities are delegated by line supervisors, employee receive order from one superior only Cole(2004: 86.) The span of control is high at the senior management level, for example ten strategic unit heads report directly to the group managing director and this decreases at the middle management. For example at the branch level the business manager is the managing director of the branch and reporting to whom is the branch operation manager and the three profit centre manger. Employees are knowledgeable of the banks products and processing methods. Employees are committed to organisation task as defined in their job descriptions. Environment: UBA Plc Operate in competitive and an uncertain environment where market keeps changing for example Customers are now becoming more knowledgeable and financially savvy. Their benchmark for service quality has also risen aided by the intense competition among financial services providers to attract new customers. Customers now set the agenda and influence decisions. Be slow or inflexible the business moves over to the competition. In order to achieve the banks aspiration or goals, it resolves to remain customer centric and bring decision making closer to the frontline. With this, the business units respond flexibly and promptly to the different requirements of the bank targeted customers. It this can be likened to organic structure which emphasize decentralization to achieve flexibility and adaptability Government Regulator The central Bank of Nigeria is the main regulator in the financial sector in Nigeria, they play a vital role in the structure of a bank and they also control and monitor the operation of the bank through various policies, rules and regulations, for example there must be a CBN approval and license for a bank to operate, CBN must approve the appointment of board of directors of the bank and the managing director of a bank. In year 2009 CBN came out with a policy that state an individual person can only spend maximum of ten years as the managing director of the bank and also do give approval for the opening and closing of banks branches. The bank has a both Compliance and Statutory Audit Committee Units. The Compliance unit is headed by the Chief Compliance Officer who then reports to the Group Chief Risk Officer. A major role of the unit is to ensure that the bank does not infract any regulatory rules and /or regulations. Similarly, the Statutory Audit committee whose primary function is to monitor the process design to ensure compliance by the group in all respect with regulatory requirements, including disclosure, controls and procedures (Anon: 2010). Risk and control environment Risk management is integral to the Banks strategy setting process, it is an essential tool for achieving the Banks objectives. This is achieved by keeping risk management at the centre of all executive agenda and building a culture in which risk management is embedded and integrated in all banking activities (Anon 2010). Towards this end, UBA Plc has in place robust risk management policies and mechanism to ensure identification of risk and effective control. The bank (UBA PLC) has defined and established appropriate governance arrangements with clear roles and reporting lines for risk management in the Bank. The Board of directors is the highest risk management policy approval body and has the ultimate responsibility for the Banks credit, market, operational, and other risk. The Bank has Risk management group these include Credit Risk management Group, Market Risk Management Group, Operational and IT Risk Management Group. Each Risk Management Group has direct responsibility for the development of its risk management frame work and they report directly to the Group chief Risk officer who in turn report to the General managing director, who also report to the Board of directors. FIT BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND GOALS: There is little fit between United Bank For Africa plc structure and its organisational goals. The structure supports some of the organisational goals. Delegation of decision making to the frontline where the work is performed is targeted towards the goal to occupy the foremost position amongst its peers in the industry along key metrics: market share, profitability, balance sheet size. Delegation of decision making has enable business unit to respond flexibly and promptly to different requirement of customer and has resulted in the achievement of some of its goals for example The Bank gross earnings increase by 45.6 % to N246.7 billion in the last financial year ended December 2009 as against N169 billion in year 2008. This was achieved as a result of the bank expansion to other African country, its lending activities and other activities in the African country. UBA current operation in 19 African countries, New York London and Paris this an evidence that the bank has set its foot p rints across Africa and other continent. The bank has a strict regulatory and compliance framework by ensuring that there a zero tolerance to fraud and other policy infractions. This culture is greatly supported by its compliance and audit check committee and strict internal control system which are entrenched across every strata and operational levels in the bank and targeted towards the goal of abiding by the utmost and ethical standard and It desires to achieve a clear and significant lead over peers along all key measures and significantly influence financial services industry policy and direction. The usage of outsourcing support functions to provide services such as; ATM networks, card processing, bill presentment and payment, software development, call centre operation and net work management etc, is targeted towards It desires to provide a broad range of financial services products and services offerings to meet the needs of its chosen market segments. The bank is currently providing various ranges of products and services to its customers. The bank has introduced a lot of technological driven product such as, mobile banking, automated teller machine (ATM), Udirect or internet banking, etc. With these product customers do not need to get to the bank to consummate their financial transaction. With internet banking and mobile banking customer can transfer fund from one account to the other, customer receive notification of consummated transaction on their account on their mobile phone, and customer can make cash withdrawal from the ATM. There are also different types of loan product a customer can access in the bank depending on the customer type of business, income level, place of work etc. For example the bank has loan facility structured strictly for customers that are under pay employment such loans are NO wahala loan, executive loan, assets finance loan etc. While customers that are not under pay employment can access Temporary overdraft and commercial loan. The structure at the same time is not supporting some goals of the organisation because of some element of bureaucracy in its structure. There are so many operational and procedural bottlenecks, unnecessary paper work that slow down transaction, time consuming procedure, and internal control of maker/checker/verifier. This defeats the organisational goal of being the reference point for service, quality and innovation, the bank is more control focused than being customer centric. For example, the newly introduced account reactivation procedures which is encumbered with a lot of rework and not cost and time effective in the sense that an address verification and Know Your Customer procedure would need to be carried out again before an existing customer of the bank can re- activate his/her account and this negates the banks service quality drive. There is also a mismatch in between the organisational structure and the organisational goal in the area of branch management. The branches are profit centres. The branch managers are expected to generate income and pay all operating bills including salaries. The business managers focus more on cost optimization in other to generate profit as against being customer centric. The business managers compromise a lot of things like availability of working resources and maintenance of office equipments. All these equipments frequently break down because they are not service as at when due and has also resulted in service failure and customer dissatisfaction. Customers spend more time in the banking hall because of the limited number of staff available to attend to their requests. Another major mismatch is the limitation and control of the empowerment policy. For instance, Business Managers cannot approve certain level of expenditure which are very vital to their daily operations. Such include the purchase of fuel, stationeries, amongst others. Conclusion: Having examined the various theoretical approaches to organisational structure design, it can be concluded that there is no best way of structuring an organisation; so many factors such as size, environment and technology contribute to the way in which an organisation is structured. The goal of an organization is also a factor to consider when structuring an organisation. Considering the structure of United Bank for Africa plc some elements of Bureaucracy in its structure is creating operational and procedural bottlenecks and will be required to be check. Although, the structure is flexible and respond quickly to environmental changes. Anon 2008). The following is recommended for improvement. Job holder should be empowered and be held fully accountable for job done. According to Cole G. (2004:200) Authority should be commensurate with responsibility That is job holder should have the authority to take decision on their job. The bank should adopt a lean structure which will help to reduce the number of levels and unnecessary administrative over head. Fincham and Rhodes(2003) Purchasing of office equipment, materials and maintenance of equipment should be centralized in order to take advantage of bulk purchase and manage cost effectively. The bank can also adopt a Radical Decentralization Anon (2008) structure by decentralizing corporate functions to operational division. This will strengthen the branches, improve communication, human cooperation, encourage team work and eradicate staff/line conflict. Linstead, Fulop and Lilley (2004)

The Indian Mind and Heart :: essays papers

The Indian Mind and Heart The mind and heart are common terms personifying intellectual and spiritual characteristics. The mind illustrates the current state of what it describes and the heart describes the undying features of which is portrayed. The mind may change depending on influence but the heart is fixed. These regards, the Indian mind and heart may take on many forms. Starting at the core of India, its heart can be correlated with Hinduism. Hinduism started in Indian approximately the third millennium BC and is still practiced in the present day. Also, as it is of Indian origin, its rightful place can be considered the heart of India. It can be said that Hinduism is substantially â€Å"outdated† by today’s standards as formidable religion of Indian majority. During the period of the caste social structure within India it was en excellent fit. But this ensures its position of the heart of India by being fundamental to the development of ancient India and forming modern India. The Bhagavad Gita is a timeless example of how Hinduism can be applied and seen in Indian life. It also enforces the example of how Hinduism is the heart of India by demonstrating the qualities of ancient Indian culture. These beliefs although outdated, are also seen manifesting in many important values, such as Buddhism, which will be discussed later. It is in this document that both sets of beliefs which provide the foundation of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs are combined. In The Bhagavad Gita Arjuna and Krishna converse and discuss spirituality. This literature is excellent in explaining the Indian theory that true spiritual conduct is beyond what we consider logical. Before Sri Krishna instructs Arjuna to fight in the battle he says â€Å"The impermanent has no reality; reality lies in the eternal. Those who have seen the boundary between these two have attached the end of all knowledge. Realize that which pervades the universe and is indestructible; no power can affect this unchanging, imperishable reality.† (qtd. Easwaran 43) In this document Sri Krishna describes â€Å"the intellectual explanation of Sankhya.† (qtd. Easwaran 44) This is vital in describing Buddhism, which was derived from the Sankhya school of thought. â€Å"Death means the attainment of heaven; victory means the enjoyment of the earth. Therefore rise up, Arjuna, resolved to fight! Having made yourself alike in pain and pleasure, profit and loss, victory and defeat, engage in this great battle and you will be free from sin.

Evolution vs.Creationism Essay -- essays research papers

Evolution Vs Creationism People have always wondered how life originated and how so many different kinds of plants and animals arose. Stories of a supernatural creation of life developed among many peoples. The Bible, for example, tells of God's creation of humans and other higher animals over several days. Many people also believed that insects, worms, and other lower creatures spontaneously generated from mud and decay. Long after these stories became rooted in tradition, scientists began to question them. Albert Einstein said, "The scientist's religious feeling takes the form of a rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural law, which reveals an intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection." (Creation 9). The first serious attack on the idea of spontaneous generation of life was made in 1668 by Francesco Redi, an Italian physician, who proved that maggots did not arise spontaneously in decaying matter, as commonly believed, but from eggs deposited there by flies. Proof that microorganisms are not generated spontaneously came in the 1860s, when Louis Pasteur, a French scientist, showed that they, too, develop from preexisting life. Evolution can be defined in many ways. One of the most respected evolutionary biologists has defined biological evolution as follows: "In the broadest sense, evolution is merely change, and so is all-pervasive; galaxies, languages, and political systems all evolve. Biological evolution ... is change in the properties of populations of organisms that transcend the lifetime of a single individual. The ontogeny of an individual is not considered evolution; individual organisms do not evolve. The changes in populations that are considered evolutionary are those that are inheritable via the genetic material from one generation to the next. Biological evolution may be slight or substantial; it embraces everything from slight changes in the proportion of different alleles within a population (such as those determining blood types) to the successive alterations that led from the earliest protoorganism to snails, bees, giraffes, and dandelions." (Futuyma, 11) Exactly how evolution occurs is still debated but it is a scientific fact that it does occur. Most biologists believe that... ...nism vs. Evolution rages in the American popular culture. The tension between how people interpret the Bible and what people believe that they have learned through science has been with us for a long time. The fact is science and the Bible is both needed to find the truth. This complex topic presents many issues such as faith, scientific reasoning, and personal beliefs. This generation would probably be more inclined to believe in evolution rather than creationism, merely because today's educational system does not teach creationism as much as evolution. We are taught that science answers everything. Personally after researching the theory of evolution it is more real and not so fictional and fairy-tale like as creationism. Work Cited (Britannica) McHenry, Robert ed. The New Encyclopedia Britannica. Delusion-Frenssen. 15th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1992. (Creation 9.) No Answers In Genesis. http://www.onthenet.com.au/~stear/. Darwin, Charles The Origin Of Species (Darwin) McHenry, Robert ed. The New Encyclopedia Britannica. Ceara-Deluc. 15th Edition. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1992. (Douglas J. Futuyma.) The World As I See It. New York: Watts & Co, 1975

Internet in Schools :: essays research papers

Internet in Schools Everything revolves around the internet these days. Every business, big or small has a internet website for you to visit. Let’s face it, the internet is not going away, we as a people must learn to use this tool and not think of it as a negative thing. The internet must be used positively to benefit us. We can find anything we want through the internet. The internet can be abused but we must educate our children so they can use it effectively to their advantage. We definitely need to make most schools have the internet in classrooms, there is no doubt about it. Internet needs to be in the classrooms of schools in the new millennium. If you can’t get on and surf the internet by yourself then you are looked down upon. The internet is the new big thing, it’s technology at it’s best. That’s why we must keep our students in schools educated and updated with it, the internet has endless possibilities. Students would never run out of information for their reports in school, they can either go to the library and look for the information they need and hope that the book they need is not checked out, which could take up to a couple of hours. While on the internet you can find the information in the matter of minutes. Many books are outdated and you would be lucky to check one out if everybody in the class is doing the same report! The internet keeps up with current information coming in every day of the week. I don’t think students abusing their time on the internet is a problem, I think we need teachers or someone to monitor where they are going on the internet. There are programs advisors can download that can block out any material not suitable for students at schools. The world is at your fingertips with the internet, you can do anything imaginable. It is the schools duty to have the internet, forget the library, I’m sure students would agree with me that using the internet would be much easier to find the information you are looking for than the library. If you don’t know how to use the internet then you are missing out, anything you want is on there. The internet alone could be a career, there are online businesses that make just as much money as jobs outside your home.

Academic Cause-Effect Paragraph Writing

CAUSE – EFFECT PARAGRAPH VERBS *LEAD TO Lack of vitamin B leads to Beriberi. Carelessness leads to forest fire. *CAUSE Traffic congestion causes stress Family problems cause alcoholism Factories cause air pollution *IS CAUSED BY Stress is caused by traffic congestion. Alcoholism is caused by family problems. Air pollution is caused by factories. *GIVE RISE TO Headphones give rise to deafness. Lack of communication gives rise to divorce. *BRING ABOUT Global warming brings about climate change. Lack of affection brings about injecting heroine among teenagers. *IS DUE TODrought is due to lack of rain. Obesity is due to consuming fast food. *RESULT FROM/STEM FROM/ ARISE FROM Air pollution results from hydrocarbon emission into the air. Sleeplessness stems from stress and addiction to the internet. Erosion arises from heavy rain. *RESULT IN Lack of love results in juvenile crime. Unemployement results in suicides. *CAUSE SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING The internet has caused people to acc ess information easily. *LEAD SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING His actions led him to lose his job. *ENABLE SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING Computerization enables us to cut production costs by half. HELP SOMEONE DO/TO DO SOMETHING Using a computer helps you save/to save your precious time. CONJUNCTIONS Let’s put these ideas into a sentence, using different conjunctions SINCE/ AS/BECAUSE/INASMUCH AS/ON THE GROUNDS THAT (†¦icin) Since he was in a hurry, he took a taxi. FOR (icin) She didn’t go to work yesterday, for she was ill. EFFECT OF Stress is the effect of noise pollution. Brain tumor is the effect of using mobile phones. RESULT OF Environmental pollution is the result of burning plastic bottles. High blood pressure is the result of the excessive use of salt.THEREFORE/SO/THUS/HENCE (bu yuzden) Payment was received two weeks after it was due. Therefore, you will be charged a late fee. CONSEQUENTLY/ AS A CONSEQUENCE / AS A RESULT/ /ACCORDINGLY (sonuc olarak) Our economy was p oor. Consequently, many people were forced to move elsewhere in order to find jobs. DESPITE/IN SPITE OF/REGARDLESS OF/NONWITHSTANDING /FOR ALL (ragmen) Regardless of / Nonwithstanding/ For all/ Despite/ In spite of our request, he didn’t alter his plans.ALTHOUGH/THOUGH/EVEN THOUGH/IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT/DESPITE THE FACT THAT (ragmen) Although it was dangerous, he decided to do it. Because of stress and addiction to the internet, Due to the heavy fog,Owing to On account of ( Noun/ Noun Phr/ Ving) ,As a result of | people may suffer from imsomnia. the tragic accident occured. sentence| OWING TO ON ACCOUNT OF THE FACT THAT ————- , —————- (-den dolay? DUE TO BECAUSE OF Owing to the fact that communication was so poor, we couldn’t contact you. MOREOVER/FURTHERMORE/ALSO/BESIDES/IN ADDDITION†¦(bunun yan? s? ra) The cameras will deter potential criminals. Moreover, they will help police a great deal when a crime actually is committed. IN ADDITION TO/ BESIDES/AS WELL AS/ APART FROM (ayr? ca, bunun yan? s? a) Apart from his work, his only real interest is baseball. TOPIC SENTENCES The basic/main causes of sleeplessness reasons for| are | stress and internet addiction. | The cause of global warming are greenhouse gases and pollution. The reasons for global warming are the increased volumes of carbon dioxide and other human activities. The reasons why + SENTENCE| are| (Noun/ Noun Phr/ Ving)| The reasons why + SENTENCE| are that | SENTENCE| The reasons why people start smoking are social acceptance and stress.The reasons why people start smoking are that young people are attracted to the ‘image' they associate with smoking and they are under a lot of stress. *BENEFICIAL FOR Watching foreign channels on TV is beneficial for improving your second language. â€Å" *Sleeplessness primarily/basically/mainly stems from stress and internet addiction. *Sleeplessness is primarily/basically/ mainly caused by/ due to stress and internet addiction. Use some of the following structures / connnectors while introducing your supporting ideas and examples Introducing supporting ideas:The first/basic reason is †¦.. The second reason is that †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Another reason for sleeplessness is / is that†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. The reason why people start smoking is social acceptance. The reasons why people start smoking is that young people are attracted to the ‘image' they associate with smoking. GIVING EXAMPLES For example, †¦ To illustrate, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. For instance, †¦.. In other words,†¦.. †¦ (n) †¦. such as/like †¦. (n)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ That is, †¦. That is to say, †¦.. Namely,†¦. TO SUMMARIZE we use All in all,†¦.. In brief,†¦. In short,†¦. In a nutshell,†¦.. To sum up,†¦.. To summarize,†¦.In conclusion,†¦. To conclude,†¦ Briefly,†¦.. Shortly,†¦.. What are the cau ses of road accidents / watching TV? ROAD ACCIDENTS Having road accidents every day has three main reasons. The major cause of road accidents is careless drivers who are responsible for the death of other people. By ignoring the rules and drinking on roads, they bring about car crashes and lead innocent people to die deliberately. According to a survey conducted in 2003, 4 out of 10 people in the U. S. A. passed away due to road accidents. Furthermore, weather conditions sometimes give rise to road accidents.That is to say, when roads are wet or icy, it is hard to control cars. Hence, it is required to check the weather conditions before driving and take some necessary precautions for our safety. Another cause of road accidents is that there are too many cars on roads. In our modern world, every family member has a car; therefore, it is inevitable to have heavy traffic in metropolitans. In other words, the fact that families have more than one car causes trafic jam . This chaos lead s people to have both physical and mental problems.That is, it is so easy to have car accidents if there are millions of cars on roads. All in all, lack of consciousness, unsuitable weather conditions and excessive number of cars are responsible for road accidents. TV Watching television is a good way of improving one’s English for several reasons . First of all, one can learn new words by watching broadcasts on TV. News is a good source of picking up new words about current events and world issues. In this way, foreign channel viewers can hear authentic English full of useful words. Secondly, by following episodes such as Lost†, â€Å"Prison Break†, and â€Å"The Simpsons†, one can learn daily expressions which are commonly used in daily English. Finally, while watching TV, it is possible to improve one’ s listening skills. Although one may not understand everything on TV, one can get familiar with the sounds of English and the pronunciation of wor ds. Besides, the more one listens to English, the more one understands. Therefore, it will be good practice to listen to songs on MTV or Number 1 TV where hundreds of songs appear a day. In short, TV enables learners of English to better their English in an enjoyable way.

Ways to better your presentation

Technology has changed people's life in many different ways but not always for the best or even to improve their life but to do badly in the world. Like they say that a person can change behind closed doors so can peoples ethics. As for example the No Electronic Theft (NET) Act in 1997, how many of us sometimes are will wait for a CD or movie to come out and when we think about going to buy it or even see it the movie n theater, especially if we have a normal size family of people.There easy could be a hundred dollars for a trip to the movie but when there might be a place where you know they sell black market or even a website online. That where the No Electronic Theft (NET) Act in 1997 comes in place for people make or even reproduce or share copies of copyrighted work. Before this law people would sell and copied software programs, movies, games and even songs for profit gain. It carries a maximum anally of three years and a huge fine of 250,000.But if it shows that person was doi ng it for nonprofit gain they could face no chargers or minimum penalties but still if we sit down and realize where the ethics are. The other law that caught my eye during the homework assignment was Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCP), 1991 since right after working in a call center for two years after my high school day with all honestly I didn't seem to know what was important that our personal honestly ND ethics is more important than the companies and if that company doesn't have the honest ethics maybe isn't the right place for someone.I know that sometimes be get call by telemarketer all day and sometimes we tell them we want to be on the Do Not Call Registry. Because of the problem with telemarketing that they call to early or two late they have rules and it's where the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCP), 1991 comes in two place where if you telemarketer you want on the Do Not Call List and from there on it take 31 days from the date you asked to be on the list for it in order to be removed and it have a 5 year register .

The Invisible White Privilege

White people, from birth, automatically benefit from their light skin color, enjoying the privileges relating to child care, education, hygiene, careers, politics, etc. Compared to white people, people of color are at a distinct disadvantage. They are treated differently than white people, and they are the ones that suffer, not having this same privilege. In Peggy McIntosh’s article White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, McIntosh describes how whites carry the invisible privilege.In society, white people are treated better than non-white people since segregation, beauty trends, political power, social connections, and street crime seem to be better for them. According to McIntosh, White Privilege is an invisible package of unearned assets granted to white people (McIntosh 1). They can enjoy special advantages that are beyond common advantages of people of color. White privilege is a social constructed phenomenon. Besides physical appearance, there is no biological difference between white people and the non-white people.It is society that distinguishes whites from people of color, and it tends to recognize all races besides those who are white. Living in a society of white dominance, whites are carefully taught to ignore the fact that white privilege puts them at an advantage. This is because, according to McIntosh, deconstruction of white privilege threatens the myths and ideas about this nation, and it challenges the notion of equal opportunity and meritocracy (McIntosh 2). There are many ways that white privilege still exists today.Here are five examples of white privilege I find out in my life. 1. White parents do not have to be worried about their kids being scared at school. I learned from the news that at Delavan-Darien High School, the American Diversity class divides students into whites and non-whites, and tell non-whites students, â€Å"you have been oppressed and you are still being oppressed†. 2. White women represent beau ty and lead the trends. Speaking of this, why don’t we take a look at the proportion of white models in the 2013 New York Fashion Week?An official statistic shows that out of the 5,000 styles in last New York Fashion Week, around 80 percent were modeled by white women. Fewer than 1,000 styles were given to women of color (Dries 1). 3. White people occupy Congress. In Congress the total is 87 percent whites, which is divided into 85 percent in the House and 96 percent in the Senate (Portero 3). The voices of politicians of color are often drowned out in the politic sea of white dominance. 4. White people are able to achieve success more easily by using their connections.Because of belonging to the dominant group, white people have more connection than people of color do. Based on this, they are more likely to succeed. 5. Whites do not have to be worried about being shot one day on the street. A well-known example can be the Shooting of Trayvon Martin. Making a run to the store to get some refreshments for his brother and himself, Martin was shot and killed by the neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman because, according to Zimmerman, â€Å"he was very suspicious.†I think if Martin were a white guy, Zimmerman would not have seen him as a â€Å"real suspicious looking guy†. In society, people regard whites’ lives as morally neutral, normative, and ideal. Whites are elevated above people of color. Although I believe all racial groups are harmed in the long run by racism, white privilege still exists as a daily reality throughout every part of the structure in the United States.

Leni Riefenstahl Essay

Some people are swept along by events. Some individuals use events to advantage. How accurate is this statement in relation to the personality you have studied? â€Å"Leni Riefenstahl exploits events and other people to serve her own egotistical, obsessive and selfish ambition. † Leni Riefenstahl was born on the 22nd of August 1902 in Berlin. Her full name was Helene Amalie Bertha Riefenstahl. She accomplished a lot during her 101 years of living. She had successful careers as a dancer, actress, director, producer, editor, photographer, author, and mountain climber, as well as one of the world’s oldest active scuba divers. Furthermore, she has been induced as one of The 100 Most Influential Women of All Time. However her accomplishments will always be frowned upon given her association with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Riefenstahl had been known to edit scenes from her life, alter details and omit events to suit her purposes. She did this so others would see her as flawless. This has been proven by her quote â€Å"reality doesn’t interest me†. When considering the above thesis statement, 2 differing perspectives arise. The first supports the thesis and is that Riefenstahl was so driven to be worldly famous and recognised that she didn’t care what the cost. The second objects the thesis and is that Riefenstahl could not have possibly predicted the purpose and effects of her films, or Hitler’s intentions for world domination. An historian who supports the first perspective is Steven Bach. In ‘The life and work of Leni Riefenstahl’ he argues that Riefenstahl was obsessed with her career and moulding her image, and that these things are the keys to understanding her behaviour throughout her life. He believes she knew more about Nazism than she would have liked people to believe. An historian who supports the second view is Audrey Salkeld. In ‘A portrait of Leni Riefenstahl’ she argues that much of the condemnation of Riefenstahl came from hindsight. According to Salkeld, Riefenstahl could not have known of the horrors that occurred under Nazism. Three influential events during Riefenstahl’s lifetime that create debate in relation to the thesis are; the direction of â€Å"Tiefland†, The Nuremburg rallies movies (Victory of faith, and Triumph of the will), and her documentary of the Berlin Olympics (Olympia). Tiefland Tiefland is a 1954 film that Leni Riefenstahl scripted, directed, starred in, and edited. She began developing the script in 1934, and shot the movie between 1940 and 1944. The film, however, was not completed by the end of World War II and eventually was finalized and released on February 11, 1954. The film was set in Spain, and so Riefenstahl needed people who looked of Spanish decent to play extras in the film. She cast a group of gypsies that were being held in a camp. These Gypsies were destined for Auschwitz, and many that appeared in the film were later murdered in concentration camps. Riefenstahl’s decision to use these extras formulates a debate. It again links back to the thesis and the points of views which arise from it. One perspective is in support of the thesis and is that Riefenstahl used the Gypsies inhumanly or immorally as she knew of their destiny, but used them anyway to create some sort of realism or authenticity to her film. Steven Bach is in support of this perspective and points out in his feature document ‘The puzzle of Leni Riefenstahl’, that Riefenstahl had publicly claimed to have seen ‘all the Gypsies who worked on Tiefland after the war. Nothing happened to a single one of them’. However, this is not true. In reality, of 48 Gypsies who can be documented, 20 died in Nazi concentration camps, most of them in Auschwitz to which they were transported almost directly from the film set. The other perspective objects to the thesis and is that Riefenstahl had no choice in using the Gypsies as extras and the decision to use them was that of the SS and was out of her control. It also says that Riefenstahl did not know of their destiny. This perspective is supported by the fact that after the war, in 1949, the tribunal that investigated Riefenstahl’s activities during the war declared she was innocent. The court stated that although there were rumours that Leni Riefenstahl used Gypsies from concentration camps for her film Tiefland,  ¬and that most of them had been killed in gas chambers, the judges found no reason to believe this and Riefenstahl was acquitted for this point once and forever. However, no gypsy who had served as an extra was present at that time in the court and with time some started to talk. Indeed, there were few survivors; many stated that family members who had played in the film had been gassed in Auschwitz shortly after having worked with Riefenstahl. The Nuremburg Rallies Films Victory of Faith was the first documentary film Leni Riefenstahl directed. She was hired despite opposition from Nazi officials who resented employing a woman and a non-Party member for that matter. Her film recounts the Fifth Party Rally of the Nazi Party, which occurred in Nuremberg from 30 August to 3 September 1933. Triumph of the Will was the other Nuremburg rally propaganda film made by Leni Riefenstahl. It chronicles the 1934 Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg. The film contains excerpts from speeches given by various Nazi leaders at the Congress, most notably, portions of speeches by Adolf Hitler. The central theme of the film is the return of Germany as a great power, with Hitler as the True German Leader who will bring glory to the nation. Triumph of the Will was released in 1935 and rapidly became one of the best-known examples of propaganda in film history. After many years of people viewing the two Nuremburg rally movies ‘Victory of Faith and Triumph of the will’, two perspectives arise in relation to Riefenstahl’s contribution and purpose. The first perspective, which supports the thesis, is that Riefenstahl created the films knowing of their propaganda intent and potential. She took advantage of the success and popularity of the Nazis at the time, and willingly and purposely created the propaganda films to further her credentials as a film maker and to make her name well known. Author Ken Webb is in support of this perspective and in his book ‘Leni Riefenstahl 1902-2003’ (part of the ‘everything you wanted to know about†¦ but were to afraid to ask’ series. ) makes the argument that, â€Å"Riefenstahl’s film was a clear promotion of the Fuhrer Cult. A major piece of Nazi propaganda was the presentation of Hitler as a special kind of leader, capable of ending the depression, restoring German pride and leading the country into a great future. The film’s only star is Hitler. His adoring fans are there to merely worship and stare in reverential awe. The other perspective that emerges, objects to the thesis, and is that the films were not made under the intentions for Nazi propaganda, but rather just brilliant documentaries with skilful camera and film techniques that inspired people. Audrey Salkeld is in support of this view and argues that it is unfair to judge Riefenstahl through the benefit of hindsight. In 1934, no-one knew that Hitler’s regime would kill 6 million people. Riefenstahl’s films say next to nothing about racist dogma and political persecution, and Salkeld argues that it is because the rally did not do this. Salkeld also refers to Riefenstahl’s statement in Ray Muller’s 1993 film that ‘Triumph of the will’ could not be propaganda because there was no commentary telling people what to think. However, this only means that the pictures speak for themselves, and what do they say? Well according to Salkeld â€Å"She may not have set out to glorify Hitler†¦ but her feelings for him at the time were so worshipful that she could portray him only through the shining eyes of admiration†¦ the Fuhrer represented†¦ this is what she filmed. † Olympia  The International Olympic Committee granted Berlin the 1936 Olympic Games in 1931. When Hitler became chancellor in January 1933, his initial reaction was to condemn the Olympic Games as an evil invention by Jews. The minister of propaganda and enlightenment, Josef Goebbels, however convinced and informed Hitler of the media potential, and the chance to advertise to the world the successes of the new Nazi regime. This lead to the birth and was the basis of Riefenstahl’s sports documentary/propaganda film ‘Olympia,’ which premiered in Berlin on the 20th of April 1938. Like Riefenstahl’s other documentaries under the Nazi regime, this one strikes debate whether it was propaganda for Nazi ideology, or just another innocent documentary which others interpreted it as propaganda. The perspective that ‘Olympia’ was no doubt a piece of Nazi propaganda is in support of the thesis as it debates that Riefenstahl compromised her moral integrity for her own benefits and successes. Author Ken Webb is in support of this view and in his book ‘Leni Riefenstahl 1902-2003’ (part of the ‘everything you wanted to know about†¦ ut were to afraid to ask’ series. ) makes the argument that, ‘ despite its technical brilliance, it was really nothing more than a piece of Nazi propaganda. The aim of the film was to present the essence of the Nazi message, which was the primacy of race. ’ The point of view that it was just another documentary, maintains that it was just a film trying to capture the essence of Aryan superiority and the beauty of the human race. This view is in contrast to the thesis. Rainer Rother is one who believes that the film is not of Nazi propaganda. He argues that the â€Å"fascist aspects of Riefenstahl’s films do not necessarily conform to the definition of fascist art as, above all, ‘a utopian aesthetics’ – that of physical perfection. † Rother challenges the view that the film is fascist art. He claims that although Riefenstahl definitely celebrates beauty and athleticism, he then asks, that don’t the images appear too smooth? He then argues that the images as a result of being ‘too smooth’ suppress any actual effort. He questions â€Å"Can Riefenstahl’s films really contribute much to the ideologization of events which are already empathically ideological in their own right†? In rebut to the above argument, indeed the idea of the filming was to capture the beauty of the human race, and this was the prime force behind the Nazi regime. Further evidence to rebut the argument in the previous paragraph, is that the financing of her film came under the control of Goebbels’ propaganda ministry. Therefore, it makes no sense that the Nazis would give Riefenstahl 1. 5 million marks to finance a film, unless the film was for Nazi purposes, which was to create a propaganda film for them.