Passages for Comment

B. 1) It definitely gives me a clear indication of the weather conditions. In london it was very misty/foggy, but as she slowly left london behind it started to thin out and patches of blue Rosamond Lehman uses many of the ‘fabric' metaphors so we get to see how the mist looks, which is in turn, describes the mist/fog much better. â€Å"Lentil, saffron and fawn left behind.† The words Lentil, saffron and fawn are all brown, orangy earthy colours describing London as she leaves it behind. London is all very built up and the the buildings are all very brown and dreary (linking back to lentil) â€Å"†¦but then the woollen day clarified†¦Ã¢â‚¬  , the word ‘woollen' describes the mist/fog as wool which is a fabric that you cannot see through. The phrase, â€Å"†¦ drenched indigo muslin.† ‘Muslin' is a very transparent type of fabric, so the mist looks very see-through . This fabric indicates a lighter colour change and lifting mist outside. â€Å"The skies amorphous material began to quilt†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The skies amorphous material are the clouds, which are beginning to thin out. The patches of blue in the sky which contrast to the white clouds are indeed like a quilt, with many patches here and there. 2) It could also be describing the condition she is in and the way in which she is feeling. She has just woken up and heard the bad news, which has thrown her mind into overwind. The heavy mist/fog outside could mean that she is seriously worried as she is weighed down with worry and concern. She is still half asleep and as she sees the billowing mist, this gives us a sort of foggy appearance of what she is feeling like (like someone who has just woken up and cant distinguish anything properly). The ‘Muslin' fabric is telling us that her brain is not alert or sharp as she is looking, but not taking anything in. She is still in shock about the bad news and is still trying to wake up which further implies how she is feeling. C. 1) The sound and pace of the passage is very quick and fast flowing. Ernest Hemingway uses mainly two syllable words throughout, which adds to the already fast-flowing passage. This is vital in that the story needs to be quick, so that the character in the story can finish his book and so that we don't get bored with the story line. 2) â€Å"All you have to do is write one true sentence†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I think what Hemingway is saying is that all you need to do is to write a proper, structured sentence in order to get your story flowing again. A ‘true' sentence shows instead of tells, uses the five senses, uses strong active verbs, does not repeat oneself, doesn't use unnecessary words and uses metaphors and word pictures. That is a ‘true' sentence in which Hemingway describes. 3) I think that everyone has there own outlook on life, so we therefore all have different opinions on what something means. When Hemingway says that metaphorical language is ‘ornamental', i have to agree with him, because it is a way of flowering up something and it makes people use their own imagination. Thus, all the metaphors will be will be completely different and mean other things to other people. I do associate transparent language to truthfulness because you don't have to use your own imagination as all the facts are there. It doesn't use any many metaphors as there is literally only one layer of depth to something. I don't think that metaphorical language gets between reality and the reader. All people have different thoughts on the metaphors etc. So the outcome of one extract will be different to that off others.

Mental Models/Mindsets Essay

This paper will describe the four steps to change the mental models of Beadworks. The first step is to recognize the power and limits of the models. The second step is to test the relevance of the mental models against changing environment and to generate new models. The third step is to overcome inhibitors such as lack of information, lack of trust, desire to hold on to old patterns, and the expectations of the others. The final step is to implement the model, assess the model and continuously strengthen the model (Crook, Wind, Gunther, 2005, p. xxiv). Beadworks has taken strategic planning internally and implemented a big change recently. Beadworks purchased Austin Hamilton (a beads and jewelry making supplier) to maximize customer profiling. In addition, before and after purchasing Austin Hamilton (AH), Beadworks had to recognize the power and limits of a mental model for maximizing profits. â€Å"Mental models are representations in the mind of real or imaginary situations. Scientists sometimes use the term â€Å"mental model† as a synonym for â€Å"mental representation†, but it has a narrower referent in the case of the theory of thinking and reasoning† (Kenneth Craik, 1945). Taking the theory of thinking, the owner of Beadworks had a mental model of having access to more clientele through the Austin Hamilton purchase earlier in 2008. A mental model represents a possibility. Mental models can also be constructed by imagination, perception and knowledge of discovery. Beadworks recognized opportunity with AH and succeeded to make the most mental models and apply them to grasp the potential of the new products Beadworks can use. â€Å"Usability is strongly tied to the extent to which a user’s mental model matches and predicts the action of a system.† (Nielsen, 1993). Thus, a way to explain Beadworks’ idea to purchase AH prior to actually purchasing it, was determine the outcome. A true statement that would show Beadworks more benefits in the final outcomes of obtaining another business would be; more customers were accessible to see the products Beadworks offered. Moreover, new products were introduced with innovational designs. Not to mention, long-term goals were made short-term due to higher level of supply and demand. After becoming familiar with mental models, it is important to understand the  need of change and relevance. A mental model or mindset can be similar to a decision making process where it is crucial to formulate solutions and identify alternatives. In this case, it can be compared to the process where the relevance of mental models is compared to the changing environment. From this, the next step is to create new models and develop an integrated portfolio of mental models or mindsets. Such decisions can help Beadworks greatly by realizing that there can be countless solutions or approaches to the same situation. â€Å"All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous, unpremeditated act without benefit of experience† (Miller, 1960). The desire for change of mental models or mindsets can help generate greater success in a customer-centric mindset. Testing new approaches will reduce anti-growth correcting the common mistake of being outdated and obsolete. Only recently has Beadworks felt the ongoing pressure to test new approaches of mental models. The realization for need of innovation and competitive advantage has given the initiative for Beadworks to try new things. Once the relevance of the mental models is tested against the external factors which obstruct change then the internal factors are required to be tested. There a various internal factors such as lack of information, lack of trust, the desire to hold on to old patterns and the expectations of the others (Crook, Wind, Gunther, 2005, p. xxiv). One of the biggest challenges for Beadworks is to gather information and stay current on fashion and trends. The lack of information about the continuous updating fashion can result in loss in sales and loss in market share for the organization. One of the best ways to stay in business is to promote fashion with available products in hand and being innovative. However, this is not possible if an organization carries the desire to hold on to the old patterns. The designs or patterns require continuous change to stay with market trends. Beadworks have built trust amongst its customers in last few years by offering new products year after year. The only challenge now is to keep up the trust for its customers and its employees. Beadwork was able to take the challenge by acquiring the Austin Hamilton and offering better service to its customers with an option of direct purchase. When Beadworks purchased Austin Hamilton, we soon realized that the business model was based on weekly specials only. Austin Hamilton would only generate sales if a weekly flyer was sent out promoting a certain product or a certain discount if a specific amount of goods are purchased. This model had to be changed from revenue generated by weekly sales and promotions to a more stable business model where revenue is generated on a regular basis. The previous model worked fairly well for previous owner but with the transition to new ownership, sales were not stable and Beadworks was not accustomed to weekly promotions. Austin Hamilton products were over priced and that is why there would be weekly promotions, so customers would feel that they are saving money each week. To slowly transition to a new model, Beadworks had to modify the model for Austin Hamilton and involved a lot of trial and error. This paper described the four steps to change the mental models in Beadworks. The four steps were recognize, test, overcome, and implement the mindset models. Beadworks followed the four steps as discussed above in the paper successfully. At the end, the developed model was implemented and tested for errors and trials. References Johnson-Laird, P., & Byrne, R. (May 2000). Mental models website: A gentle introduction. Retrieved December 3, 2008, from http://www.tcd.ie/Psychology/Ruth_Byrne/mental_models/index.htmlNielsen, J. (1993). Mental models and usability. Retrieved December 5, 2008, from http://www.lauradove.info/reports/mental%20models.htmMiller, Henry. The Wisdom of the Heart,  ©1960 by Henry Miller. Reprintedby permission of New Directions Publishing Corp. Yoram (Jerry ) Wind and Colin Crook, with Robert Gunther. The Power of Impossible Thinking: Transform the Business of Your Life and the Life of Your Business, Prentice-Hall, 2005

Religiosity of Hwadu (Koan) Meditation

Hwadu means a Korean word for koan. A koan can be pronounced as ko.an, which is a dialog, a question, a story or a statement in the history and lore of Zen Buddhism. Generally containing aspects that are inaccessible to rational understanding, yet that may be accessible to intuition. Human beings are made perfectly. It has the body, soul and spirit which other creatures here on land do not possess. It has the capacity to rationalize things happen around. The human beings are created as the most intelligent and superior creature here on earth but the argument is how can a human being considered as superior when he/she does not aware of his/her own mind? Perhaps, if a human being ponders and seeks what’s really in his/her mind, he/she will be able to comprehend his true nature.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   . A human being who comes to that deep realization and awakening is regarded as a Buddha (Enlightened or Awakened One), a master of all things and a noble man indeed. He or she is one who transcended the commonplace and was awaked from the shared â€Å"bad dream† that we call as normal waking reality. All human beings are perceived as Buddhas in spirit as they are born. But if the mind of a Buddha is obscured by â€Å"normal† upbringing or trauma, he or she will lose awareness of Buddhahood and function as a sentient being. As long as one is only concerned with the body and enslaved by the idea of separation, desire and dependence on satisfaction from the environment, this world will remain as a â€Å"defiled† realm, full of uncertainty, fear and suffering. But upon awakening to one's inherent Buddhahood, this very same world becomes a †Pure   Land†. The purpose of practicing Zen meditation is to awaken the mind. This practice doesn’t involve just sitting quietly and trying to calm and pacify the mind. It doesn’t also entail contemplating the breath. Instead it involves direct inquiry into a hwadu. An example of a hwadu would be a question such as asking of things (what is this? or what is this mind?). What you are searching for can be called by many different names -mind, spirit, soul, true nature, and so forth -but such designations are merely labels. You should put aside all of these names and reflect on the fact that the true master of the body is more than just the label mind. The master of the body is not the Buddha (awakened), for it is not yet awakened nor is it anything material, because it cannot be physically given away or received, nor is it simply empty space, for empty space cannot pose questions or have knowledge of good and evil. There are many ways how hwadu meditation being practiced. Korean Buddhism was able to formulate and developed unique characteristics that will only be found in them. The foremost part of its characteristics is that Korean Buddhism is Seon (Zen: Japanese pronunciation of Chinese character Buddhism. Seon Buddhism follows the tradition of Juaseon or sitting meditation with Hwadu (Koan) practice. The foremost part of its characteristics is that Korean Buddhism is Seon (Zen: Japanese pronunciation of Chinese character Buddhism. Seon Buddhism follows the tradition of Juaseon or sitting meditation with Hwadu (Koan) practice. It aims to bring the human being into his or her own Buddha nature without to study complicated teachings of Buddhism. 1 (Korean Buddhism Basis of Japanese Buddhism, The Soul Times, May29, 2004). The other way is the yogic exercise. Yogic exercise involves not only the mind per se but also it involves body movements like in the form of exercise. There are lots of yogic exercises such as hatha yogic exercise which is known as yoga; physical exercises like jogging, walking, swimming and doing household chores; and yogic breathing. In yogic breathing just combine the three body positions –sitting, standing and lying on the back. To complete it, combine all the three parts- abdominal, middle and upper parts of the chest in a wave-like movement. After exhaling completely, begin to inhale, letting the abdomen come out a little, and filling the lower part of the lungs, then expanding the ribs, while slightly drawing in the stomach until finally the top part of the lungs is filled. Yogic exercise has lots of benefits not only it provides good relaxation but most of all you enjoyed it. The view points of dependent origination especially the religiosity of hwadu meditation is believing and doing the things as they are. Dependent origination is a doctrine that believing the entire teaching of Buddha. They believe in meditation practice especially in tranquility and insight. Buddha taught also breathe, visualization practice and among other as conducive to mental cultivation†¦ Peaceful reflection then gives rise to happiness or bliss, which in turn leads to a state of â€Å"Samadhi† or deep unshakeable concentration. In dependent origination, human being is believed to be anxious and struggle to fulfill their desire which is impossible for anyone to do. The more they search, the more anxious they become. Suffering follows all the way. There is no balance and fulfillment because people's minds are dominated by Ignorance. Therefore, imperfection will always be present. Zen Buddhists are generally known as the â€Å"meditation Buddhists†. Zazen is a particular kind of meditation which is unique to Zen that functions centrally as the very heart of the practice. Basically, zazen is the study of the self. References: Korean Buddhism Basis of Japanese Buddhism. The Seoul Times, May 29, 2004. The Seoul   Times, May 29, 2004 http://www.buddhistnews.tv/current/kr-buddhism-290504.php On Dependent Origination† by Ryuei Michael McCormick   2002. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koan http://www.indiangyan.com/books/yogabooks/yoga_harmony/complete  Ã‚   yogic_breathing.shtml      

To what extent was the Enlightenment socially inclusive Essay

To what extent was the Enlightenment socially inclusive - Essay Example Scholars such as Robert Darnton associated enlightenment with the conventional enlightenment philosophy. As observed by modern scholars, to understand the extent in which enlightenment was socially inclusive, systematic evaluation on intellectual progress that took place to both intellectuals and other people from different social status is vital (Hof 1994, p. 91). Initially, enlightenment involved both low and high enlightenment process in Europe at different levels. The essay will therefore focus on the extent in which enlightenment was socially inclusive. The extent to which enlightenment was socially inclusive in the European continent in the 18th century can best be evaluated by systematically analysing two enlightenments, the low enlightenment and the high enlightenment. The high enlightenment is the intellectual progress among the intelligent people of the 18th century who included professional elites and nobles. These elites and other intellectuals in the society were also in a position of accessing, reading, and writing publications such as encyclopaedia (Israel 2001, p. 127). In addition, high enlightenment received impetus from natural philosophical writings and publications. The works and publications of natural philosophers as well as the role of academic institutions increased the popularity and intellectual curiosity of the high enlightenment. Moreover, the elites and professionals in the 18th century came up with â€Å"Republic of Letters† that were read by people from different states in Europe (Chukwudi Eze 1996, P. 256). Professionals and social elites who did not take part in writing publications participated in reading and debating the enlightenment ideas and teaching either in their social gathering or in salon centres. Social and political leaders and advisors also showed endless interests in opinions, teachings, and ideas that were contained in the â€Å"Republic Of Letters†. Religious leaders including Frederick the great also confirmed that, the ideas and contents that were contained in the â€Å"Republic of Letters† demonstrated religious tolerance in the treatment of Huguenots, Jesuits and Jews (Muthu, 2003, p. 137). Despite being apparent, the definition and the explanation of the ideas that are contained in high enlightenment has proved to be complicated. Example of the existing contradictions in the understanding and definition of the contents contained in enlightenment is found in â€Å"Essay on Miracle† composed by David Hume’s in 1748. The essay questions the existence of miracle as stated in the publications that talk about enlightenment. Thomas Sherlock’s â€Å"Trial of the Witness of the Resurrection of Jesus† (1729) confirms the existence of miracle in the society. Currently, there is no specific party charter that can be used by scholars to understand the enlightenment principles (Rousseau and Porter 1990, P. 147). Despite insufficient information rega rding enlightenment principles, scholars have made several generalisations on the principles of enlightenment. Enlightenment talked about the significance and relevance of intellectual curiosity. Enlightenment also emphasised the importance of pursuing practical ideas that could improve human life. In addition, scholars also taught the significance of independent mind and debate as well as the need for revaluation of the entire bodies of knowledge (Black 1990, p. 91). Low

Corporate Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Corporate Strategy - Essay Example supplies from over 1071 factories in 56 countries Furthermore PVH has its headquarters in Manhattan, but has administrative offices in Milan, Trento and Hong Kong as well as operating distribution facilities at locations across the U.S. (PVH Annual Reports, 2008). In regards to the sourcing operations of the firm, according to the Corporate Social Responsibility report, PVH has implemented a ‘Global Human Rights and Social Responsibility Program’ which indicates that the standards for price, quality and logistics are kept on par with the human rights consideration (PVH CSR, 2008). What this means is that the firm self-identifies a global operator and all stakeholders are equally responsible to the firm’s code of conduct. Why PVH is a global firm is important because of the implications is has for the firms strategy. According to the 2008 financial reports more than 30% of the income derived before interest and tax comes from international sales which are up from 25% in 2007. It is the case that the retail sales of PVH is are diverse across the company’s product line, including Calvin Klein brand which has approximately 56% of its sales in international markets to Bass where about 1% of sales are in international markets (PVH,2008). Implicit in this is that different product lines have varying success and strategy in different markets. The question of which value chain activities the company performs in house and which are outsourced is evident from the firm’s financial reports. One specific example is the Calvin Klein brand; wherein the firm maintains a dedicated in-house marketing, advertising and design division. These divisions are responsible for maintaining and controlling the global marketing strategy of the brand and controlling the product development for most of their product licensees. The reasoning behind this strategy is owing to the fact that the firm wants to exert a certain level of control over the entire brand to ensure product and

See document Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

See document - Essay Example Company senior managers heading public companies prepared deceptive statements to blow up the prices of the company stock, apparently undermining the trust of the public in the integrity of financial market and regulators. The corporate scandals are usually perpetrated by several people who understand the organization’s every single detail, with most collaborating parties being people with high standing in the society. Most executives in failed corporations admit receiving enormous bonuses and backdated stock options to warrant that they will make wealth from investing in their company; not considering whether their performance made the share price increase or go down. Other unethical behaviors have resulted in the downfall of corporations, poor performance and negative publicity. As a result, the aspect of ethics in organizations has increasingly gained prominence due to distrust on organizational leaders (Loe, Ferrell & Mansfield, 2000) This study seeks to examine some of th e corporate failures, reasons behind their fall, as well as a close examination as to where blame may be assigned. Of specific importance, Enron downfall and Satyam scandals will be useful in examining ethics behind corporations’ failure. The paper will also look at the theories that expound on the subject of ethical governance in organizations. Ethics is a significant pillar in the modern corporate arena and corporate governance. Organizations have learnt useful lessons from the above cases on the danger that unethical decisions can bring in any organizations. As David Thoreau once said, â€Å"it is truthfully sufficiently said that a firm has no conscience; but a company of conscientious men is a corporation with ethics†. This statement carries a lot of meaning with it as to the significance of upholding ethics in organizations. The subject of what constitutes ethical behavior in organizations remains a debatable subject due to the wide ranging opinions of what const itutes ethics, and what ethics is not. Nevertheless, many organizations have embraced ethical codes stating their leading philosophical guidelines and organizational values. Ethical codes that are successful highlight the obligations of organizations to shareholders, the behavior anticipated of employees, and ethical parameters of the organization. Ethical codes are intended to impact on employee behavior, and are also referred to as corporate ethics statements. Business ethics field deals with questions as to whether a particular business practices are acceptable. Controversial business ethics issues arise on a daily basis in every organization, and this calls for organizational members to exercise their conscience as Thoreau said. For illustration, an accountant may face an ethical dilemma in his/her course of duty that may compromise her decision. For instance, if an accountant discovers inaccuracies in a client’s auditing report, he/she may opt to report the inaccuracy. O n the other hand, reporting such an inadequacy may result in the auditing company fired by the client for disclosing the inadequacies. This confusion leaves the accountant at crossroads as to what practice is acceptable. Business ethics require that organizational members to conform to sound moral principles. Special consideration has to be put into perspective when applying the concept of ethics in business. One is that businesses are formed with the aim of making a profit, and therefore, businesses

Gossip in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Gossip in the Workplace - Essay Example To start with, workplace gossip can have lasting effects and impressions. The workers and employees are best advised to abstain from it so that these gossip conversations do not have lasting effects in the long term. Workplace gossips can turn pretty ugly at times since the informal ‘grapevine’ network present within an organization spreads very quickly and no one can actually stop rumors as well as true stories from being shared openly. Continuing further, the causes of workplace gossips are that the small conversations which are held between two employees are spread to other workers working within the organization if the conversation is overheard by another individual who also works in that organization. (Heller, 1998) It is also possible that one of these two people might tell others who would further tell the remaining staff that is working within the organization and hence the gossip can turn really nasty at the end. With more and more informal gossips in the workplace, it is suggested that the employees are not concentrating properly on their assigned tasks and the bosses take particular note of this fact. They mention these points to the employees who like to gossip a lot and also warn them from time to time so that the gossip within the workplace is reduced drastically. The effects of this workplace gossip are that the employees have a bad image within the organization and they are not taken in high esteem. They are also told of concentrating on their own duties rather than wasting their times on having useless gossips all the time. (Drumheller, 2006) Workplace gossips also mean that the employees have lost a lot of interest in their work and they do not find their job challenging enough. The employers should provide comfort to these types of employees by changing their job nature or making their job focus a bit more different. They can also be delegated work in a

Group Dynamics and the impact upon the function of management Essay

Group Dynamics and the impact upon the function of management - Essay Example Basically this is the core premise and assumption supported in this paper: that it is favourable, more civil, and more ingenious to engage the entire individual in question and interaction and makes a lot of sense to engage the group in its own learning, development, and resolution (Benson 2001). For the purposes of this paper, group work practice denotes the well-organised, conscious, and methodical application of understanding about the mechanisms of collective human interaction, so as to get involved in a knowledgeable manner, or advance some wanted goal in a group context (Luthans 2005). Group work is a creative, healthy, and productive experience, performed based on open agreements, explicitly practised and clearly attained, about the task and goal of the group, responsibilities, rights of members (Greenberg 2000). Therefore, in order to address the premises of this paper various literature on managing organisational behaviour and group dynamics are used. It is evident that group situations evolve as an outcome of the energy produced by devotion and motivation divergences in the group. Exploring and understanding the adjustment in situations is an essential capability of group work practice (Mullins 2005). By observing the fluctuation in situation and determining the patterns and premises of behaviour, interaction, and relationship, it is possible to discern what needs or demands exist in the group at any specified time, and allow intervention to arise out of the given group condition (Robbins 2004). Tuckman, Garland, and his associates along with several scholars assume a sequential or linear progression in group development. This academic and systematic demarcation of group dynamics can be unknown to the experience of several novice group members as they analyse the evident disorder and uncertainty of their own

HCCH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HCCH - Essay Example ne an opportunity to fulfill the mandatory responsibilities of classroom obligations regarding the learning process, but also helps one grow in their depth of character as a person. As a student pharmacist, I am required to complete a five-hour program of voluntary public service. For this portion of my education, I chose the Hancock Christian Clearing House (HCCH) in Findlay, Ohio. This organization’s purpose is to help those individuals and families, who for one reason or another, fall through the cracks of the usual government assistance programs. For example, some are homeless and cannot get aid without an address. The First Presbyterian Church took the initiative to establish HCCH in 1981 as an independent religious enterprise, which makes it a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization. Today HCCH is a cooperative effort that involves forty-two churches in Hancock County. Their combined mission is to help those, who under ordinary circumstances, may not qualify for the assistance from regular charitable and other social organizations. For the most part, HCCH is an association run solely by volunteers, like myself, who interact directly with the clients in order to determine their needs and to assist them in finding a proper solution for their current situation. HCCH also provides training to the volunteers who need it, like myself, who may not have had any social services experience or training. The main source of funding for HCCH is donations and contributions made by the members of the many churches that are involved, as well as other individuals and companies. HCCH states that approximately $13,000 is disbursed monthly to those in need of it. HCCH provides financial emergency assistance, such as food, rent, utilities and medical prescriptions, to the residents of Hancock County (Local Mission Opportunities, 2009). HCCH recently received a grant of $25,000 to support classes, supplies, training, and wages for the â€Å"Partners in Progress† program awarded

Qasr Al Hosn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Qasr Al Hosn - Essay Example In attempt to preserve it, the building has undergone a number of structural changes, although it remains to show the original and indigenous architecture of the Emiratis, depicting how the past can live through the present.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite its long-standing history and rich past, research has been limited on the preservation trance of Qasr Al Hosn. Generally, Qars Al Hosn has not been accorded the level of research that it deserves, resulting in limited attention for the iconic building. It is however clear that historic buildings are vulnerable, and Qasr Al Hosn as well deserves extra care and preservation if it is to last longer than it has. Consequently, this study explores and suggests a blueprint for the preservation Qasr Al Hosn as cultural monument in UAE. The study probes and discusses how the future identity of Qasr Al Hosn should be preserved, and how it will feed into the next generations (Hellyer and Ziolkowski 4). The Abu Dhabi’s story begins from the Qasr Al Hosn, a name that signifies its twin role: â€Å"Hosn† meaning fort, and â€Å"Qasra’ meaning castle. It is imperative to note Abu Dhabi was a region that was ruled by a tribe known as Bani Yas, who inhabited the oasis of Liwa. The Bani Yas tribe visited the island â€Å"Abu Dhabi’ for the purposes of collecting salt and fishing. The tribe did not inhabit the island because it lacked water. However, a wide area of drinking water was discovered in the island in 1760. Sheikh Dhiyab Al Nahyan later built a watchtower in the area to conserve the precious resource, when he discovered the significance of fresh water. This prompted influx of small settlement into the region. Later, the tower was expanded as the settlement in the region increased. It is significant to note the Sheikh Dhiyab Al Nahyan fortified the castle in the 18th century to protect from any form of invasion. This

Introducing of the New Temporary Coke Assignment

Introducing of the New Temporary Coke - Assignment Example This paper tells that the danger of extinction of polar bears has grabbed the attention of the public worldwide and people resonate with the idea of contributing to saving the species. With its new design with the polar bear on the can the company not only tried spread awareness and raise funds WWF’s polar bear initiative but also tried to use this an emotional strategy to drive sales and increase customer involvement. By this initiative, Coca Cola tried to appeal to the hedonic needs of the consumers. The company expected the consumers to identify themselves with the cause and buy more of these cans. The consequences were not on the expected lines. Consumers confused the new white Coca Cola can with diet coke and this lead to a backlash from the consumers. Consumers were not happy with the move and even protested the change in color by calling it blasphemy. The sales of the product also declined and forced the company to bring back the red cans.   The truly great brands are those which develop a loyal customer base and are able to develop a relationship with the consumer. Consumers identify with brands and products. Loyal customers are satisfied with a brand and buy it continuously over time. Satisfying the customers and establishing a loyal customer base is at the heart of all marketing strategies. Coca Cola is one such brand whose consumers have developed a relationship with its products and it has established a loyal customer base. To consumers a red can means a Coca Cola and a silver can (not red) means a diet coke. Over the years, this has been the distinction that consumers have adopted to identify the 2 different products of the company. Consumers have mainly identified the brand with its traditional Red color. By changing the color of the can the company had completely messed with the brand. This did not go down well with many loyal consumers. Such was the brand identity of Coca Cola that the change of the color was even termed as blasphemy by some consumers. The consumer’s perception of a product depends on the sensation. The immediate response we have to basic stimuli through our sensory receptors are known as sensation. The selecting, organizing and interpreting of these sensations lead to perception about a product. The first sensation of any product that we have is through our eyes. Light and color are the most basic stimuli. By changing the color of the can Coca Cola had changed the first perception that the consumer would have about the product. As soon as a consumer saw a Coca Cola can that was not red, their immediate perception was that it is diet coke. Another factor that leads to this perception is the basic stimuli i.e. color. By changing the color to white, Coca Cola had chosen a color that was very similar to the silver color of their diet coke cans. As the new white can was very similar to the old diet coke can, the change or stimuli was not enough to make the consumers differentiate the two. The c hange or the difference between the two is â€Å"just noticeable difference† wherein it had to be â€Å"just meaningful difference†. Just noticeable difference is the minimum difference between two stimuli and just meaningful difference is the minimum difference needed to influence consumer behavior.

The quintessence of discontinuous innovation Essay Example for Free

The quintessence of discontinuous innovation Essay Birkinshaw et al. , (2006) discovered the quintessence of discontinuous innovation. It emphasized that businesses need to think strategically and must impede the existing course of action. They must analyze the competitive environment and the diverse threats and opportunities and must adapt to change management. Corporations must recognize true cronies, build brawny rapport and opt for set of connections and associations. A paradigm shift: Discontinuous innovation takes places in many ways like technological breakthroughs, exploring new markets or due to change in economic and political situation. Nevertheless such revolutionary changes have a vibrant impact on the overall external environment. It has been instigated that new product development is done by small players and major players adapt to those practices and outperform small players. Several corporations go through transitions and renovation and further improve their business models like IBM. Some of the major reasons due to which firms have to make lots of efforts to systematically perform with discontinuous innovation include: †¢ There exist uncertainty †¢ It is complicated †¢ Firms are reactive rather than proactive Many firms find it impromptu and bring to a close the entire business plan and try to allocate investment in a more certain project. More importantly corporations and firms find it difficult to challenge the conventional wisdom and continue to follow the existing systems, process, and procedures and resist change. It is said that long-term relationships assists in achieving success. Unfortunately such binding forces become one of the major predicaments to change. Apple Corporation faced lots of issues when it refused to engage in relationship with diverse business partners. A process for building networks: It comprises of three stages: †¢ Finding: In order to undergo some sort of partnership or relationship with an individual organization, one must first identify the right organization and gather as much information about that firm. One must keep in mind the vision and scope of business operations and challenging traditional ways of doing business. There should be no geographical, political or institutional barriers for creating a long-term sustainable network. †¢ Forming: It requires analyzing the willingness of business partner for creating the network. It also depends on reputation, worth and financial position of the firm in the industry. The research presents four generic approaches in order to undergo relationship: ? Business must opt for partner with whom it is easier to undergo relationship. The agreement must carefully solve different geographical and institutional barriers. It must be a win-win otherwise no deal. ? Firms must look for the best among thousands. It should take assistance of boundary spanners and scouts for long-term successful relationships. Businesses must take help from specialized firms to perform as an intermediary between two companies. It must be considered as a learning opportunity rather than a contract and internal customers must be empowered to opt for the applications of the knowledge gained. ? Business look for utterly unlike partners where prominence is given to shared goals and benefits. Both the firms try to bridge the gaps and look for the most appropriate and sustainable options. Both firms agree on mutual consent and look for major issues. Sometimes cross-individuals can assist as an intermediary. ? Sometimes partners neither belong to the similar industry nor do they want to engage in any sort of relationship with the firm. In such case firm must try to overcome institutional and geographical gaps between the two. It requires specialist who are network builders which can provide effective solutions. †¢ Performing: In performing their exist different set of barriers like difference of attitude regarding intellectual property, building commitment and trust and surfacing ethnic, institutional and ideological dissimilarities between network partners. A number of relationship networks reach the maturity level and understand difficult situations. Four challenges have been identified as follows: ? More often networks are formulated for future concerns and as a result they overlook most recent problems hence upshot into failure. Therefore network must be realistic and it must be updated on regular bases. ? It is all about trust, reciprocity and shared values which create healthy relationships among partners. ? The dominated firm must not perform as an authoritative and should look for dynamic opportunities. It is not a single player game and it requires cooperation and collaboration between both. ? Businesses establish and learn from relationships. Introduction: In this contemporary era, emerging players demonstrate dissimilar set of skills, unlike partners and proficiencies which are difficult to conjure up. The practice has remained as a paradigm for FMCGs and technological businesses. Companies look for long-term and profitable business models and try to create collaborations and alliances with suppliers and business partners. Big businesses strategically look for both direct and indirect competitors. Critical examination of the piece: Q. 1 Do you agree or disagree with the author’s basic premise? Why or why not? Answer. The Canvassers have elaborated successful business model for future growth, sustainability and prosperity. The concept of discontinuous innovation occupies a broader scope and one must engross the key concepts in order to gain competitive advantage. It results into incremental innovation, creative destruction and assists in gaining dynamic knowledge to understand the issue. Q. 2 Have the ideas held up over time, or do they now seem to be insufficient or incorrect? Answer. It seems creative and a contemporary philosophy. Firms will be facilitated with the notion and it has diverse implications. The realm remains that as the human race progress, it will further improve. It has introduced the concept of radical innovation. It helped British Petroleum a lot through different stages. Q. 3 Are the conclusions generalizable, or do they appear to be limited to specific types of industries, firms, activities, sectors, etc.? Answer. It is a generalize concept which has a broader scope. More importantly it requires strategic thinking. The research paper presents its implications in FMCGs, Technological industry, Pharmaceutical business, Advertising agencies and many more. More importantly it is not a one side approach and productive solutions are achieved through cross-functional approach, team work, decentralization and empowerment. Q. 4 Explain. In what way can this article be extended, i. e. , what ideas might the author address in a follow-on article? Answer. It is an interesting research paper with intellectual findings. The follow-on dissertation might include key characteristics of different network relationships. The research should highlight key reason why major companies collapsed and what actions they can take to improve. It must also involve the role of those companies which are at the growth level of the business and it should highlight the implications for new product development businesses. Q. 5 finally as a concluding comment, what idea(s) did you find to be most enlightening? Why? Answer. Most important is the true fact that businesses must discontinue and look for new business models, processes, procedures and ethical code of conducts. The highlighted barriers like geographical and institutional and they have remained major constraints among collaborations and alliances and most of the businesses are still performing transactional bases. Conclusion: There prevail major challenges for both MNCs and global corporation. It requires both systematic approach and consistency. Firms must be proactive and such follow all three states of finding, forming and performing diligently. References: Birkinshaw, J. , Bessant, J. Delbridge, R. (2006). Finding, Forming, and Performing: Creating Networks for Discontinuous Innovation

Gender Inequality In Educational Sector Of Pakistan Sociology Essay

Gender Inequality In Educational Sector Of Pakistan Sociology Essay Education is considered to be the most valuable possession for every human being today. Gender inequality is more pronounced in Pakistan. Women are disadvantaged with respect to the outcomes of schooling. My literature review incorporates all the questions regarding sex differences and I have mainly focus on the issues that are central to the questions of gender inequality in educational sector. Research remains focused on secondary information. Literature review consists of 10 articles as follow. The introduction to this article( the status of women in Pakistan,1988) written by HAQ, attempts to state that women constitute the majority about 52% of the worlds population, yet many societies discriminate them and Pakistan is one of those. The article mainly discuses that women in the rural areas are made to work as long as 14 to 16 hours without payments. Their status is mainly based on local custom rather than QURANIC verses. In a traditional society women occupy really low status. There is a history of female in the subcontinent that women are expected to function within their frame work before marriage they had to obey their fathers and brothers and after marriage their husbands. Most of the women live in the state of withdrawal deprived of their identity and this is because of the lack of education and Pakistani women are denied due to social prestige and economic activity. The variables that are extracted from this article are local custom and lack of awareness. The author define these variables in such a manner that he focuses on reducing gender disparity, should be the priority of the society and this gender disparity can be reduced by eliminating the traditional practices that are held in a society for example women should have equal participation in the decision making and increase women knowledge on family planning as the article states that average number of live birth is 5.8, maternal mortality is very high at an estimated 500 out of 100,000 births. The article discusses the status of women in Pakistan and due to gender discrimination how they are lacking in education. Educated and independent women are more enthusiastic towards life and are capable of understanding modernized changes rather than illiterate under nutritive dependant women .furthermore the article discuses that gender discrimination is mainly because of the traditional customs they are following especially in the villages. Hypothesis: the status of women in Pakistan should be enhanced or not This article gender inequality in education written by Nelly P.Stromquist in 1990 focuses on womens access to education, both in terms of the decrease in the rate of literacy and in years of schooling attained, the article says that there has been improvement over time. Compared to their mothers and grandmothers, women today have more education than ever before. The enrollment of women in primary and secondary school has improved in the last 30 years, and women have registered a slightly greater rate of growth, as women have increased their average years of schooling. Despite all these fact, women still continue to face lower levels of education than men. Women in the third world countries are considered to be feminine and weak in terms of reward and social prestige. The author states that there are still a sizable number of countries that do not collect statistics by sex, particularly at higher levels of education, indicating thereby that they do not consider the improvement of wome ns education a priority. The rate or level of women participation in educational sector reveals that it is the women from low-income groups and low status, ethnic affiliation who register the lowest levels of education. Above stated are the variables that were extracted from the article: low income group, low ethnic affiliation, rate of dropping out. The author defines the variables in a way he says that most of the gender disparity which is observed across the societies is a result of class difference that fully explains why the gender disparity exists and persists. Furthermore the article discuses that there have been few studies that specifically distinguish inequalities due to gender from those due to class or race. A study by Rosemberg (1985) showed that the discrimination by income was more pronounced than the discrimination by race. There is a difference in the education of different social classes. The particular article is relevant to the topic in such a way it states that the schooling of daughter is not deemed worthwhile in front of the schooling of a son. And another major reason of women lacking in education is of high dropout rates of girls in primary and secondary schools. And this is mainly because of early marriages. Insufficient places in secondary school, co education cost of education and low quality of education of girls. Many of the studies in this category do not ask why it is that womens education is considered less important than that of men or why it is that the education of women is so pervasively linked by social norms to their role as wives and mothers. The methodology that was used in the article was viewing different theories about social inequalities in education, are those that are derived from either the functionalist (or consensual) or the conflict (or neo-Marxist) approaches. Hypothesis: is women education considered less important than men The article class and gender in education-employment linkage written by Hanna Papanek focuses on the impact of global economic and political changes on low income nations. Poor families that depend entirely on returns to labor in order to survive are most likely to require participation in wage labor (or labor exchange arrangements) by all household members, including men, women, and children. Under these circumstances, educational participation becomes very difficult for both male and female, but because males generally have a wider range of earning opportunities, they are more likely preferred than females to be allowed to attend school. On the other hand at class and income levels where families are less dependent on female wage labor, womens education is preferred little bit. Family status has a direct bearing on access to economic and political resources that enhances education facility in women. Another factor that is discussed in this article is the family honor and these are the variables extracted from this article INCOME in terms of FAMILY STATUS. The author defines the variables in such a way that differences among classes are signaled by the extent of control over women which is family honor. In some cases girls may not be permitted to attend middle schools located outside the village because it would injure family honor and compromise marriage over it. In other cases, the attainment of secondary or tertiary education may confer so much prestige on the family that the possible status loss associated with daughters living away from home is offset. Marriage chances may also be enhanced when a daughter is sufficiently educated that she can just read and write her name and which can make her earn minimal amount of living. In Egypt as it is a highly stratified society, formal education for both men and women has long been associated with class and status. Higher education, in particular, has played an important role in the reproduction of the bourgeoisie , although not always in the predicted fashion. In Egypt, not all illiterate women can be presumed to be from poor families; at least some proportion of this group, especially among older women, comes from families that do not permit women contact with the outside world. The overwhelming majority of illiterate or barely literate women, however, are from poor families. The article is base from a comparative regional study in Asia that is now under way and from research in a nearby country (Egypt) that is similar in many respects to the countries included in the regional study. Many of the nations in the ongoing study have large Muslim populations (Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Malaysia) etc. concluding the article female educational participation, especially at higher levels, is a consequence of higher family status rather than a means to upward mobility. Hypothesis: do females have less access to both schooling and employment than males do. This article Muslims, markets, and the meaning of a good education in Pakistan was written by Mattew J. Nelson in (October, 2006) examines the nature of local educational demands in Pakistan and show that parents favor religious education usually for girls. Girls access to education in Pakistan has been restricted. Despite improvements in the last 20 years, underlying factors still make the state education system inefficient and the current male to female literacy ratio is still at 65:40. And this is mainly because people wrongly assume that our religion dont permit girls for normal education. Girls are usually preferred to go to maddrasas which most of the parents in rural areas think is a better and accessible option and more convenient option for them. Furthermore the article describes the market and the meaning of good education in Pakistan. Families of middle class who can afford primary education of girls still prefer sending their girls to religious schools which cost them ver y little and prefer their boys to enjoy all the privilege of higher education because they think that it is in our religion that girls are suppose to stay at home. The variable that was identified from this article is religion (Islam). The author defines the variable in such a way that he himself carried a survey and a Questionnaire in which two type of people were questioned one for whom the local madrasa (Islamic religious school) was most important Secondly parents were selected from a variety of economic circumstance. However the outcome was that out of 112 respondents 91 were in the favor of madras for girls. The article is relevant to the topic in a way that it discusses about the how the choice of religious education for girls is forming a disparity in educational sector of Pakistan. The article mainly discuses the, substantive features of local educational demand and religious demand Hypothesis: is demand in favor of religious education rather than local The article Girls Are Boys Are: Myths, Stereotypes Gender Differences written by Patricia B. Campbell, Ph.D.Jennifer N. Storo in 2006 mainly discuses, how much the gender counts in education the author of this article states that Sex is not a good predictor of academic skills, interests or even emotional characteristics. The author discusses about the different myths that are related to girls for example biologically girls cannot handle the stress of higher education. Due to these myths parents have lower expectations from girls and they become gender biased and the variable that was extracted from this article was MYTHS AND STEREOTYPES. Now author further more discuses why myths persist based on gender and race. The history of myths will explain how author has defined the variable it is a common belief that men are principal producers and bread earners of the family so they should enjoy all the privileges and this is a primary reason why their education was considered more importan t than girls. And it was considered that women are property of husband and her only job is to produce children. Furthermore many of the people use to believe and still many of them do is that women reproductive capacity will destroy if her intellect is going to improve. Which in other words mean that women with better education will not listen to men. For example it was concluded that women in their menstrual cycle if uses their brain lose their mammary functions. This particular article is relevant to the topic in such a way as many of these myths are still believed and practiced in Pakistan when it comes to education specifically. This was both quantitive and qualitative form of research in which graphs, charts and theories were used to measure different type of myths Hypothesis: Is there a biological bias for sex differences The article The Impact of Gender Inequality in Education on Rural Poverty in Pakistan written by Imran shareef chaudray and Saeed ur rahman in 2009. The main purpose of this article was to identify the gender inequality in education on rural poverty in Pakistan. The article basically discuses that gender inequality in education persists in almost all the poor countries and Pakistan is one of those. Strong gender disparities exist in the rural and urban areas of Pakistan. Pakistan is one of those societies in which women suffer all sort of discriminations. There are countless issues of education in Pakistan including low level of investment, cultural constraints, poverty, gender and regional inequalities in budgetary allocation to education, low enrollment rates due to poor condition of public schools, high population growth producing more illiterates and poor, lack of implementation of educational policies. Violence against women, class discrimination, poverty, lack of educational fa cilities, and various parallel education systems in government and private education are the major emerging issues which should be dealt with curriculum reforms and effective educational policies. Above mentioned are all the variables extracted from this article but the major variable that I highlighted is POVERTY. Logit regression analysis on primary data was used to reach the conclusion. However it was concluded that poverty has adverse effects on gender disparity in education. Hypothesis: effect of poverty on education This article DOCUMENT TO DEBATE AND FINALIZE THE NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY written by JAVED HASAN ALY in December 2006 is intended to stimulate discussion of major policy issues concerning Education Sector in Pakistan. The educational status of women in Pakistan is unacceptably low, in fact, amongst the lowest in the world. Development, only 19% of females have attained education upto Matric, 8% upto Intermediate, 5% Bachelors degree and 1.4% achieved a Masters degree. 60% of the female adult population is illiterate. Of the 3.3 million out of school children, 2.503 million are girls. 73.6% of primary age girls attend school, compared with 92.1% of boys. Although education has been seen to add value to a female worker but in Pakistan for female education is considered as a abuse. Different policies have been recommended to eliminate this gender gap in education but the fund allocation and human resources that were provided by the government to implement the policies. So the variables that were extracted from this article are Low level of financial allocation and inefficient utilization of resources. The author describes the variable in such a way that since 1947 the emphasis on girls education is laid down and many policies and reforms have been made to practice it but due to lack of financial resources Pakistan is still facing gender discrimination in education. The article on whole is relevant to the topic because it is discussing the policies and their effect on educational sector of Pakistan The particular article THE FUTURE OF GIRLS EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN written by Dr. Humala Shaheen Khalid Dr. Eshya Mujahid-Mukhtar: August 2002 discuses that although most children do get admitted to primary schools, but the major problem is their retention in primary classes. Given the poverty, high opportunity costs of children attending school (as sometimes they are required to contribute to the familys economic activities or towards daily household chores such as fetching water, fuel or sibling care), parents low perception about education, poor quality of education, teacher absenteeism and/or childs bad health, a very high proportion of students drops out from primary school. Reasons cited for leaving primary school varied between boys and girls. While most boys left school due to child not willing Most girls said they had to help at home. During the past decade, several policy initiatives were undertaken, each with a strong component for improving girls education in the country. Besides two educational policies, namely, the National Education Policy (1992) and the National Education Policy (1998-2010), the Government of Pakistan launched the Social Action Programmed (SAP) in 1993/94 which focused on improving the social indicators for girls and women. But none of these policies was followed properly so the variable that was extracted from this article was lack of of financial allocation and Lack of encouragement by government and lack of school facilities. The government of Pakistan is lacking way behind in providing educational facilities Great care needs to be exercised while portraying the future of girls education in Pakistan. Female education is subjected to the forces of both demand as well as supply barriers such as poverty, lower status of female in society and her security concerns, coupled with lack of school facilities, teaching materials and inadequacy or absence of female teachers. More importantly, there are strong linkages of the education se ctor with other sectors. The Study is based on secondary sources. National statistical sources have been extensively used which include the Population and Housing Census 1998; the Economic Surveys (various issues) and the reports published by the National (and provincial) Education Management and Information System (NEMIS). The Study also relies heavily on other data sources and relevant research reports issued by the Central Bureau of Education, Academy of Educational Planning and Management (AEPAM) and the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS). Hypothesis: future of girls education in Pakistan This article ROLE OF WOMEN IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF PAKISTAN written by Jehan Qamar in 2000 is about the importance of role of women in economic development. And it contains a lot of information about state of women in education and their employment. This article also lays emphasis on political and cultural instability that is affecting the status of women in Pakistan. And this political and cultural instability are also the variables extracted from the article. Furthermore the article discuses that the implication of cultural norms are affecting the education of women a lot different policies made by the Pakistans government were reviewed before writing this article and whether there implication is active or not and how it is affecting the economy. However it was concluded that the role of women in economic development can be enhanced if women provided with proper education Hypothesis: role of women in economic development of Pakistan The article DISTANCE EDUCATION AS A STRATEGY FOR ELIMINATING GENDER DISPARITY IN PAKISTAN written by à ¢Ã‹â€ -Dr. Irshad Hussain in 2008. The article discuses about the role of distance education in addressing the issue of gender disparity in Pakistan The study was descriptive in nature and the researchers adopted survey approach. The study was conducted in Punjab province. The study consisted on three populations: (i). B.A level female students, (ii). their parents and (iii). academicians of Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad. Researchers adopted stratified and convenient sampling technique for collecting data from students their parents and academicians respectively. The samples of the study comprised of 600 students, 60 parents and 60 academicians .The article starts with describing that gender discrimination is one of the major issue in Pakistan at present as we all know that the Pakistani society is male dominated and males enjoy all the privileges where as female population is a very small and neglected community of Pakistan. Unluc kily gender gap is wide and demands immediate attention to address the issue. However distance education is one of the solutions and incentives which provide girls an opportunity to study even in culturally restricted areas. It can cater educational needs of the society at the doorstep on equal basis and frees learners from time and place restrictions. Keeping in consideration the above characteristics Allama Iqbal University is offering different programs through distanced approach. As a result admission rate has increased specially in Allama Iqbal University. Hypothesis: Is distance education effective or not

Understanding The Chemistry Of Nickel

Understanding The Chemistry Of Nickel Nickel is silvery white [1] and lustrous metal. It is the 7th most abundant transition metal and 24th most abundant element in the crust of earth. It has an atomic number of 28, atomic mass of 58.71 gmol-1 and atomic volume of 6.59 cm3mol-1 [2]. It belongs to group 10 (8B) and 4th period of modern periodic table. Nickel has electronic configuration [Ar] 4s2 3d8 [3]. It has property of malleability and ductility. 300 kilometers long wire can be drawn from a single kilogram of nickel. It has high electrical and thermal conductivities of 0.146 x 106 Scm-1 and 90.9 Wm-1K-1. It is hard, odorless and corrosion resistant metal that takes a high polish. Nickel crystallizes with face centered cubic structure. The unit cell has lattice parameter of 0.352 nm with atomic radius of 0.124 nm. Nickel is naturally occuring ferro magnetic and magnetostrictive material [4] at or near room temperature. Its curie temperature is 355  °C [5]. Nickel is mined from two types of ore deposits. These include laterites and sulphides. Laterites are silicate or oxide ores. It occurs most usually in combination with sulfur and iron in pentlandite (NiS.2FeS) which contains 1.5% nickel, with sulfur in millerite (NiS), with arsenic in mineral nickeline (NiAs) as a red nickel ore, containing 43.9% nickel and 56.1% arsenic, and with arsenic and sulfur in nickel glance [6]. 1.2 Chemical Properties of Nickel Nickel is relatively unreactive element. Under ambient conditions, it does not react with water, oxygen or dissolve in most acids. 1.2.1 Standard Reduction Potentials In aqueous solution, the standard reduction potentials for various oxidation states of nickel are shown in Scheme 1.1 [7, 8]. Scheme 1.1 Standard Electrode Potentials of Various Nickel Species 1.2.2 Reaction of Nickel with Halogens Nickel dichloride, NiCl2, nickel dibromide, NiBr2, and nickel diiodide, NiI2, are formed by the reactions of nickel with chlorine, Cl2, bromine, Br2, and iodine, I2. Ni(s) + Cl2(g) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ NiCl2(s) (yellow) Ni(s) + Br2(g) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ NiBr2(s) (yellow) Ni(s) + I2(g) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ NiI2(s) (black) 1.2.3 Reaction of Nickel with Acids Nickel metal dissolves slowly in dilute sulphuric acid to form solution containing the aquated Ni(II) ion together with hydrogen gas, H2. Ni(s) + H2SO4(aq) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Ni2+(aq) + SO42-(aq) + H2(g) Ni(s) + HCl(aq) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Ni2+(aq) + Cl- (aq) + H2(g) It does not dissolve in concentrated nitric acid, HNO3, because it is rendered passive by this reagent [9]. 1.2.4 Reaction of Nickel with Air Nickel in finely divided form reacts readily with air. At higher temperatures, it burns in oxygen to form nickel oxide. 2Ni(s) + O2(g) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 2NiO(s) 1.3 Oxidation States The oxidation states of nickel include -1, 0, +1, +2, +3 or +4. The most prevalent oxidation state is +2, but compounds of Ni0, Ni+1, and Ni3+ are well known. Ni4+ has also been demonstrated [10]. 1.4 Nickel(II) Compounds Nickel is known primarily for its divalent compounds with all common anions, i.e. halides, hydroxide, sulfate, carbonate, carboxylates, sulfide and hydroxide. Green and blue are the characteristic colors of its compounds. Important nickel(II) compounds include: 1.4.1 Oxides Nickel oxide, NiO is a powdery green solid that becomes yellow on heating [11]. It can be prepared easily by heating nickel carbonate, nitrate or hydroxide. 1.4.2 Sulfides Nickel sulfides occur in different forms such as NiS, nickel sulphide, NiS2, nickel persulphide and Ni3S2, trinickel disulphide. 1.4.3 Halides NiCl2 is yellow but NiCl2.6H2O is of green colour. NiCl2 is prepared by NiCl2.6H2O + 6SOCl2 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ NiCl2 + 6SO2 + 12HCl NiF2 is prepared by treatment of anhydrous nickel(II) chlHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel(II)_chlorideoride with fluorine at 350  °C [12]. NiClHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel(II)_chloride2 + FHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorine2 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ NiF2 + ClHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine2 1.4.4 Nitrates Nickel(II) nitrate hexahydrate, Ni(NO3)2.6H2O is highly soluble in water, giving emerald green solutions. 1.4.5 Carbonates Nickel(II) carbonate is a pale green polymeric solid consisting of Ni2+ cations and [COHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonate3HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonate]HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonate2- anions. It is readily decomposed by aqueous acids to give solutions containing the ion [Ni(H2O)6]2+, liberating water and carbon dioxide. 1.4.6 Sulfates The anhydrous form has a yellow to green color while NiSO4.7H2O and NiSO4.6H2O appears green and blue to pale green, respectively. 1.4.7 Hydroxides Ni(OH)2 occurs as green crystals that can be precipitated when aqueous alkali is added to a solution of nickel (II) salt. Its decomposition on heating above 230  °C produces toxic gases. 1.5 Nickel (III), Nickel (IV) Nickel (VI) Compounds The +3 oxidation state is found in dinickel trioxide, Ni2O3. NiO4-2 is an example of +6 oxidation state while NiO2 and NiF6-2 correspond to +4 oxidation states. Nickel(IV) also occurs in BaNiO3 and in the periodate salts, MNiIO6 (M = alkali cation, NH4). 1.6 Water Soluble, Poorly Soluble Insoluble Nickel Compounds In contrast to water soluble nickel salts (chloride, nitrate, acetate and sulfate), metallic nickel, nickel sulfides, and nickel oxides are poorly soluble in water [13]. NiCO3 is partly water soluble. 1.7 Nickel(II) Complexes Nickel in its most common +2 oxidation state displays a wider range of geometries in its complexes than any other metal ion with coordination numbers 3 to 6. Nickel(II) forms many complexes with octahedral [14, 15], square planar [16, 17, 18] and tetrahedral [19, 20] geometries and a smaller number of five coordinate compounds [21, 22] with square pyramidal and trigonal bipyramidal arrangements. Nickel(II) octahedral, trigonal bipyramidal, square pyramidal and tetrahedral complexes are paramagnetic and have in the majority of cases a green or blue colour. The square planar nickel complexes are diamagnetic and mostly have a yellow, red or brown colour. The ligand exchange processes for nickel(II) tend to be associative, while with palladium(II) and platinum(II), dissociative pathways predominate which tends to adopt only square planar complexes. 1.7.1 Six Coordinate Octahedral Nickel(II) Complexes Nickel(II) forms octahedral complexes with neutral ligands such as H2O and NH3. Amines displace some or all of water molecules in the octahedral [Ni(H2O)6]2+ ion to form complexes such as trans [Ni(H2O)2(NH3)4]2+, [Ni(NH3)6]2+ and [Ni(en)3]2+. These complexes are characteristically purple or blue in contrast to the bright green hexaaquanickel(II) ion, [Ni(H2O)6]2+ [23]. These octahedral complexes have two unpaired electrons and are paramagnetic with magnetic moments 2.9 to 3.4 BM. Other examples include dichlorobis(ethylenediamine)nickel(II), a blue solid, soluble in water and polar organic solvents [24] and Ni(acac)2.2H2O [25]. 2+ 2+ [Ni(H2O)6]2+ [Ni(NH3)6]2+ Ni(en)2Cl2 Ni(acac)2.2H2O 1.7.2 Five Coordinate Square Pyramidal Trigonal Bipyramidal Nickel(II) Complexes Several phosphine and arsine ligands form five coordinate trigonal bipyramidal complexes because tetradentate tripod ligands such as N[C2H4N(CH3)2]3 and N[C2H4PPh2]3 cannot span the apices of a regular tetrahedron. One face is left open for 5th ligand, e.g halide ion to form trigonal bipyramidal complex. Though hydride, thiolate, alkyl and other anionic ligands are also known; the complexes are therefore +1 cations. Tris(1,3-diaminopropane) chromium(III) pentacyanonickelate(II), [Cr(tn)3][Ni(CN)5] has square pyramidal [Ni(CN)5]3- anions. In contrast, crystalline tris(ethylenediamine) chromium(III) pentacyanonickelate(II) sesquihydrate, [Cr(en)3][Ni(CN)5].1.5H2O contains both square pyramidal anions and slightly distorted trigonal bipyramidal anions [26]. The trigonal bipyramidal structure is favored on the basis of ligand repulsion alone. For this reason, almost every five coordinate compound having non metallic central element such as PF5 has trigonal bipyramidal structure unless there are lone pairs. 1.7.3 Four Coordinate Nickel(II) Complexes Nickel(II) in its four coordination mode exhibits either tetrahedral or square planar geometry. 1.7.3.1 Tetrahedral Nickel(II) Complexes Nickel(II) tetrahedral complexes of stoichiometric types; NiX42-, NiX3L-, NiL2X2 and Ni(L-L)2 are known where X represents halogen, L is neutral ligand such as phosphine, phosphine oxide or arsine, and L-L is bidentate ligand such as ethylenediamine. Tetrahedral arrangement for Ni2+ will be preferred if the ligands are large and weak field. Ni(PPh3)3Cl NiCl42- [Ni(acac)2] 1.7.3.2 Square Planar Nickel(II) Complexes For the vast majority of four coordinate nickel(II) complexes, planar geometry is preferred for small and strong field ligands. Tetracyanonickelate(II) will probably be orange red colored square planar complex. Almost all planar complexes of nickel(II) with d8 configuration are diamagnetic. Important examples of square planar complexes are red bis(dimethylglyoximato) nickel(II) [27] and dichloro[1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane]nickel, NiCl2(dppp). Ni(dmgH)2 NiCl2(dppp) [Ni(C2O4)2]2- [Ni(CN)4]2- 1.7.4 Three Coordinate Nickel(II) Complexes There are many examples of trigonal complexes for nickel(0), however, they are rare for Ni(II). The examples include dialkylamides [Ni(NR2)3]1- and Ni2(  µ-NR2)2(NR2)2 as well as blue mesityl complex [Ni(mes)3]1- which has approximately T shaped geometry [28, 29]. 1.8 Nickel(III) Complexes [Ni(tdt)2]- is nickel(III) square planar complex anion having coordination number four where tdt = 3,4-toluenedithiole. Other examples include [Ni(tacn)2]3+ with 1,4,7-triazacyclononane [30] and dark green air stable Ni(III) complex having donor NO2S2 chromophore [31]. Ni[(NO2S)2(C6H4)4] [Me(tdt)2]-, Me = Ni [Ni(tacn)2]3+ 1.9 Nickel(IV) Complexes A well established bis chelated complex of nickel(IV) is the diacetylpyridine dioximato complex [32]. Other examples include dicarbollide complex, Ni(closo-1,2-C2B9H11)2 [33] and the polyselenide anion [Ni4Se4(Se3)(Se4)]4- with a cubic Ni4Se4 core [34]. The hexadentate ligand 3,14-dimethyl-4,7,10,13-tetraazahexadeca-3,13-diene 2,15-dione dioxime forms pseudooctahedral NiN6 complex with nickel(IV) [35]. 1.10 Nickel(-I, 0, +I) Complexes The low valent oxides, K3[NiO2] and KNa2[NiO2] contain linear [O-Ni(I)-O]3- units [36]. The majority of nickel(I) complexes contain phosphine ligands and have tetrahedral or trigonal bipyramidal structure. They are paramagnetic as expected for d9 configurations. In Ni(CO)4, nickel is in zero oxidation state [37]. Bis(cyclooctadiene)nickel(0), Ni(C8H12)2 is a diamagnetic featuring tetrahedral nickel(0) [38]. Ni(cod)2 Ni(CO)4 1.11 Biological Role Nickel is a part of urease. [NiFe]-hydrogenases selectively oxidise H2. Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase enzymes consists of Fe-Ni-S cluster [39]. Other nickel containing enzymes include class of superoxide dismutase and glyoxalase [40]. Enzymatic reactions depend on redox activity of nickel atoms in enzymes active site. In fact, proposed mechanisms of NiFe hydrogenase [41], methyl-CoM reductase [42, 43] and NiSOD [44, 45] involves reduced (Nio, Ni+) and or oxidized (Ni3+) forms of nickel. Nickel along with iron plays vital role in transport of oxygen in blood. Nickel also acts as co-factor in absorption of iron from intestine. 1.12 Sources and Potential Exposure of Nickel Nickel is a ubiquitous natural trace element and it occurs in air, water and soil of the biosphere [46]. 1.12.1 Diet Food and drinking water [47, 48] are the major sources of nickel exposure [49]. Fats, chocolates [50], nuts, candies [51], tomatoes, bananas, onions, spinach, legumes, tea [52], white flour and all canned foods [53] are rich in nickel content. 1.12.2 Ambient Air Nickel oxide, nickel chloride, nickel carbonyl and nickel subsulphide are inhaled pollutants. Nickel levels in ambient air are in range 1 10 ng/m3 in urban areas, although much higher levels 110 180 ng/m3 have been recorded in heavily industrialized areas and larger cities [54]. 1.12.3 Tobacco Smoking It is major source of nickel in indoor air. A cigarette contains 1 3  µg of nickel. Nickel in a burning cigarette form nickel tetracarbonyl that is volatile and gaseous compound and badly affects respiratory tract [55]. 1.12.4 Occupational Exposure of Nickel Pulmonary absorption is major route of nickel exposure in industries [56]. The general population is also exposed to nickel in nickel alloys and nickel plated materials such as coins [57], jewellery [58], electric guitar strings [59], stainless steel cutlery, soaps and detergents. 1.13 Exposure Limits of Nickel The American Conference of Governmental and Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has assigned threshold limit value time weighted average for exposure to nickel compounds is 1.5 mg/m3 for elemental nickel, 0.1 mg/m3 for soluble inorganic nickel compounds and nickel subsulfide, 0.2 mg/m3 for insoluble inorganic compounds and 0.05 ppm for nickel carbonyl [60]. 1.14 Toxicity of Nickel Nickel is known as haemato, immunoto, neuro, geno, reproductive, pulmonary toxic and carcinogenic agent. 1.14.1 Acute Toxicity (01 day) The accidental inhalation of nickel carbonyl causes acute toxic effects in two stages, immediate and delayed. The immediate symptoms include headache, vertigo, irritability, which usually last a few hours, followed by an asymptomatic interval of 12 h to 5 days. The delayed symptoms are: 1.14.1.1 Nickel Itch Soluble nickel compounds on skin contact may result in nickel itch [61], most frequently when skin is moist. 1.14.1.2 Gastrointestinal Distress Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea were reported in workers who drank water, contaminated with nickel sulfate and nickel chloride. 1.14.1.3 Neurological Effects Giddiness and weariness were reported in individuals accidentally exposed to nickel sulphate and nickel chloride (1.63 g Ni/liter) with boric acid in drinking water [62]. 1.14.1.4 Pulmonary Fibrosis In humans and animals, nickel carbonyl causes pulmonary fibrosis. Nickel fumes are respiratory irritants and may also cause pneumonitis. 1.14.1.5 Kidney Damage Kidney damage and frank haematuria were observed [63]. 1.14.2 Subchronic Toxicity (10 100 day) A 6 weeks exposure of nickel fumes (0.07 1.1 mg nickel/m3) in humans caused an increase in air way and eye irritations, headaches and tiredness [64]. 1.14.3 Chronic Toxicity (> 100 days) 1.14.3.1 Dermatitis In sensitized individuals, it is most common effect due to nickel use in jewellery intended for pierced body parts and is often marked by itchy and red skin followed by skin ulceration [65]. 1.14.3.2 Respiratory Disorders Inhalation of nickel dusts and aerosols contributes to respiratory disorders such as asthma [66], pneumoconiosis and can also interfere with kreb ´s cycle. 1.14.3.3 Heart Failure Exposure of nickel tetracarbonyl to levels 50,000 100,000 times greater than levels normally encountered in food or drinking water can cause heart failure and variable degrees of cardiovascular system poisoning [67]. 1.14.3.4 Tumors Nickel powder can induce both epithelial and connective tissue tumors e.g. pelvic, renal cortical and liver tumors when given by subcutaneous, intramuscular or intraperitoneal injection [68]. 1.14.3.5 Kidney Poisoning Nickel in blood is mostly protein bound and accumulates primarily in kidneys resulting in kidney poisoning [69]. 1.14.3.6 Birth Defects Low birth weight infants with sensory abnormalities, such as hearing or sight loss and cardiac malformations are born with nickel exposed mothers [70, 71]. 1.14.3.7 Oxidative Stress Nickel(II) induces oxidative stress in humans [72, 73] by producing either reactive oxygen species, ROS or reactive nitrogen species, RNS. NiCl2 induces lipid peroxidation while ROS generated damage DNA. Nickel binds to DNA repair enzymes and generates oxygen free radicals causing protein degradation [74]. 1.14.3.8 Genotoxicity Ni(CO)4 inhibts DNA dependent RNA synthesis activity by binding to chromatin or DNA and thereby preventing action of RNA polymerase, causing suppresion of messenger RNA dependent induction of enzyme synthesis [75]. 1.14.3.9 Carcinogenicity Nickel subsulphide, nickel oxide, nickel sulphate as well as nickel sulfide fume and dust is believed to be carcinogenic [76, 77]. Independent international scientific bodies have classified mixed sulphidic and oxidic nickel compounds [78] as carcinogens to humans, inclusive of water soluble nickel compounds. There are higher chances of development of lung cancer, nasal cancer, and Prostate cancer in nickel exposed workers [79]. 1.15 Uses of Nickel 1.15.1 Nickel Alloys Nickel in alloyed form has made significant contributions to our present day society. German silver containing 10 30 % nickel is used for ornamental and domestic objects. Monel contains 68% nickel ands is used in apparatus for handling corrosive materials. Invar is important due to very small coefficient of expansion [80]. Nickel is principle alloying element in stainless steel that enhances its heat, corrosion, and stress rupture resistance [81]. Majority of stainless steels contain 8 10 % nickel. Its limitless uses include home and industrial products. 1.15.2 Nickel Electroplating Nickel electroplating is used for both protective and decorative finishes. Nickel chloride, NiCl2, nickel acetate Ni(OCOCH3)2, nickel nitrate, Ni(NO3)2.6H2O and nickel sulphate, NiSO4.7H2O are employed chiefly in nickel electroplating baths [82] while nickel oxide is used as electrolyte. Nickel electroplating changes the chemical, physical and mechanical properties of the workpiece [83]. 1.15.3 Catalytic Hydrogenation Raney nickel is used in a large number of industrial processes because of its stability and high catalytic activity at room temperature. It catalyses hydrogenation of vegetable oils. Soybean oil has been hydrogenated electrocatalytically on raney nickel with 90 100 % efficiencies [84]. Benzene is commonly reduced to cyclohexane using raney nickel for production of nylon. Reduction of Benzene to Cyclohexane Using Raney Nickel Raney nickel is used in reduction of compounds that have multiple bonds. Reduction of Thiophene by Raney Nickel De-Sulfurization of Thioacetals using Raney Nickel 1.15.4 Industrial Applications of Nickel 1.15.4.1 Heavy Industries Nickel based super alloys have high temperature applications in jet engines, gas turbines and rocket engines [85]. Monel can resist corrosion by sea water and is ideal for propeller shaft in boats and desalination plants. 1.15.4.2 Food Chemical processing Industries Monel and stainless steel are used in chemical and food processing industries due to better corrosion resistance at high temperature steam [86]. 1.15.4.3 Ceramics, Paints, Dyes Cosmetic Industries Nickel(II) phthalocyanine, C32H16N8Ni is used as bluish green pigment in the coloring industries [87]. The nickel titanium yellow pigments find great use in polymer and paint applications [88]. Nickel dimethylglyoxime (C8 H14 N4 NiO4) is routinely used as coloring agent in paints, cosmetics and certain kinds of plastics. NiO is used in making glass having ability to absorb visible light but transmits ultraviolet light [89]. In cosmetic products of many brands, the highest level of nickel in eye shadows is about 49 ppm [90]. 1.15.4.4 Textile Rubber Industry Nickel acetate is used as mordant in textile industry. Di-n-butyldithiocarbamate nickel(II) complex, Ni[CS2N(C4H4)2]2 is used as an antioxidant in tires. 1.15.5 Batteries Nickel batteries are dominant in the field of rechargeable electrochemical power sources due to their long cycle life, high power and a reliable performance. Ni(OH)2 is used as positive electrode to significantly boost energy densities in nickel alkaline batteries [91]. Nickel cadmium cells provide 1.2 V and are used in aeroplanes and emergency lighting systems. In industries, these batteries provide high voltage of 250 V with capacities about 5 Ah 100 Ah [92]. Nickel hydrogen (NiH2) battery cells with nickel oxide positive electrode are developed due to high power density and good thermal performance which make them attractive for use in electric vehicles, satellite and space power systems [93]. 1.16 Chemistry of Ligands 1.16.1 Thiourea (Tu) Thiourea, SHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CarbonC(NHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HydrogenH2)2 is lustrous white crystalline compound. It is useful sulfur donor thioamide and planar molecule, soluble in water and polar organic solvents but insoluble in non polar solvents. It has two tautomeric forms but in aqueous solution, thione form predominates. 1.16.2 N,N-Dimethylthiourea (Dmtu) N,N-Dimethylthiourea, C3H8N2S has appearance of colorless to white crystals. It shows coordination through sulfur. Fig. 1.10 Structure of N,N-Dimethylthiourea 1.16.3 1,1,3,3-Tetramethyl-2-thiourea (Tmtu) This substituted thiourea is white crystalline solid. It is sulfur donor ligand. 1.16.4 1,3-Diazinane-2-thione (Diaz) This six membered heterocyclic thione is sulfur donor ligand. 1.16.5 Imidazolidine-2-thione (Imt) It is a sulfur donor five membered heterocyclic thione [94] and has brown crystals. The peculiarity of Imidazolidine-2-thione is presence of a thiouredine fragment. It is planar with non-uniform distribution of à Ã¢â€š ¬ electron density and shows presence of maximum negative charge on exocyclic sulfur. Dipolar form B predominates in resonance hybrid. 1.17 Objective The primary objective of this study is to understand basic chemistry of nickel(II) and its complexes and gain an insight into metal ligand interactions in biological systems with following main objectives. To explore coordination chemistry of nickel(II) with various sulfur donor ligands and develop useful model for biologically active nickel complexes by determining structures of synthesized nickel complexes. Synthesis of nickel(II) complexes with thioamide and thione ligands. Crystallization of as many complexes as possible and determination of their structures by X-ray crystallography. Characterization of complexes by IR and UV-VIS spectroscopy. A comparative study of complexes based on spectroscopic and structural data.

Threats and opportunities from site :: essays research papers

Threats to sustainability Imitation or substitution Market entry Powerful buyers and suppliers Unpredictable changes in external environment Factors beyond a firm's control (bad luck) Limitations of the RBV Presented as static concept - however, many firms need to be able to cope with turbulent environments Suggests that managers may have limited ability to create sustained competitive advantages (empirical support by "perpetually failing firms" - firms that consistently earn normal or below-normal returns Difficult to test empirically - data problem (at the level of the unit of analysis, Le., resources and capabilities) What is the appropriate level of analysis? How deeply does one have to look? Principles of capabilities-based competition Goal : Build difficult-to-imitate organizational capabilities that distinguish a company from its competitors Principles : o The building blocks of strategy are business processes o The transformation of processes into valuable strategic capabilities is a key to success o Capabilities are created by making strategic investments in support infrastructure o CEO must be responsible, because competing on capabilities involves cross-functionality Some lessons learned from the capabilities perspective A capability begins and ends with the customer (or supplier) The longer and more complex the string of business processes, the harder it is to transform into a capability or to duplicate or imitate Outsourcing can be dangerous A strategy for growth : Transfer essential business processes to New geographic areas (e.g., Wal-Mart) or to New businesses (e.g., Honda) There is a difference between capabilities and core competencies Core competencies Coordinate diverse production skills and integrate multiple streams of technology Are communication, involvement, and a deep commitment to working across organizational boundaries Do not diminish with use, but are enhanced as they are applied and shared Are the glue that binds existing businesses Are difficult to imitate, especially if they are a complex harmonization of individual technologies and production skills Are corporate resources and may be reallocated by corporate management Tests to identify core competence : Does it provide access to a wide variety of markets ? Does it make a significant contribution to the perceived customer benefits of the end product? Is it difficult for competitors to imitate? Dynamic capabilities Definition : Ability to integrate, build and reconfigure internal and external processes and competencies to address a rapidly changing environment; ability to maintain and adapt the capabilities that are the basis of competitive advantage Hypothesis : Competitive advantage of a firm lies with its processes Roles of organizational and managerial processes :

Compare at least four poems from the ones you have studied where a Essa

Compare at least four poems from the ones you have studied where a strong dislike for another person is shown. Write about My Last Duches a poem from Duffy, one form Armitage and another from the pre 1914 poetry bank. My Last Duchess was written by Robert Browning and published in 1842. It is based on a real person. Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara (1537-1597), married fourteen year-old Lucrezia de Medici in 1158 when he was twenty one. Three years later she was killed, possibly poisoned. The Duke then arranged to marry the daughter of the count of Tyrol. As was customary at the time, the marriage arrangements were arranged between the Duke and a go between. ‘My Last Duchess’ is a poem in which the appearance of the poem is different from the reality. When read ‘My Last Duchess’ appears to be a civilised conversation between the Duke and a Nobleman in which the topic of conversation is brought about by the Dukes decision to show the his very privileged guest a great masterpiece and to recount something of his previous wife. Beneath the surface, however, is a ruthless story of ruthless power and the Dukes disapproval of the natural and innocent behaviour of his naà ¯ve wife, who apparently does not know the value of his great name. The poem has a very abrupt beginning and appears to be one half of a conversation. Browning opens with the Duke explaining why he has named the painter, and that the painting is kept behind a curtain which he alone is permitted to draw back. And when he does this it seems as though the viewer is keen to ask why only the Duke is allowed to draw the curtain, but is too frightened to ask. We also note he is not been the first to question this action. We learn that the Duke is very par... ...from Book of Matches. Like The laboratory & my last Duchess, Hitcher is a dramatic monologue in which a man confesses to murder. We notice that he is like, yet unlike, his victim. Briefly the man in the poem has been taking time off work – feigning illness and not answering the phone. As this man drives out of Leeds he picks up a hitchhiker who is travelling light and has no set destination. Some little way later he attacks he attacks his passenger, and throws him out of the still-moving car. The last he sees of the hiker, he is â€Å"bouncing off the kerb, and then disappearing down the verge† – we do not if he is dead or just badly injured. The driver does not care. Unlike My last Duchess & the Laboratory the man in Hitcher does not know the man that he has killed. He does not even have a real motive for killing like the Characters in the other poems do.

What Factors Explain the Golden Age of the Dutch Republic? :: World History

This essay will discuss Dutch excellence in trade, art and literature individually to discern the factors which explain the high standards of distinction these fields achieved during the Golden Age of the Dutch Republic. Although the smallest of the European powers in terms of territory, population, and natural resources, for 150 years the Dutch Republic dominated European trade with approximately half of the world’s total stock of seagoing ships at the zenith of its power.# How did such an insignificant state rise so rapidly, becoming according to contemporary observer Sir William Temple: â€Å"the envy of some, the fear of others and the wonder of all their neighbours†?# Shifting commercial patterns since the 16th century had seen the rise of a truly global economy. As the quality of ships improved, skippers travelled further distances with cargo, making arrival times and availability of goods unpredictable. A centrally located market where goods could be bought and sold at constant prices was needed.# Geographical factors made the Dutch Republic ideal for this role, situated at the intersection of Northern waterways connecting the Atlantic, Baltic and the Rhine. This position had g rown in significance since the Mediterranean’s function as pivot of international trade had diminished.# Within the country, the Republic’s extensive waterways, river fleets and timber depots were well suited to a boom.# The Republic had already established a leadership in bulk transportation, a firm foundation which could be built upon. Since the 1590’s, the moedernegotie or mother trade moved huge quantities of goods such as lumber, fish and grain in large volume in cheap, simple ships.# However, real wealth lay in the â€Å"rich trades† of spices, silver and other luxury goods imported from the East Indies, Africa and the Americas. This trade was previously dominated by the Hanseatic states and England, but the Dutch Republic’s ease of access to the Iberian market and colonial goods enabled it to overtake the England Muscovy trade by 1600.# In 1602, the Dutch East Indies Company or VOC was founded, followed by the Dutch West Indies Company nine teen years later. Throughout the 1630’s, training posts were established in Sri Lanka and New Guinea. Several important external factors allowed the establishment of this formidable trade empire at the dawn of the seventeenth century. The first of these was the inflow of immigrants from the Southern Netherlands and other European states in the late 16th and seventeenth centuries. Within the Dutch Republic, between 100,000 and 15,0000 refugees fled from the Spanish forces, settling mainly in Holland or Zeeland’s towns.

Female Genital Mutilation in the Middle East and North Africa Essay

Values and beliefs of a certain society can be illumined through the traditional cultural practices that often span from one generation to another. Globally, every social group has its own traditional cultural practices that are considered to be beneficial for the community. However, there are many instances that such practices may be harmful for some groups, most especially for women. Terrible traditional cultural practices are committed directly against females around the world. Despite the atrocities of such practices and its violation against human rights, many women-violent practices still exist and are prevalent in other countries. One of the most prevalent forms of harmful traditional practices is the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) (Office of the High Commisioner of Human Rights-United Nations Organization [OHCR-UNOG]). The pervasiveness of FGM is attributed to people’s inability to question the morality of such action that should be addressed to those who practice female genital mutilation. As such, despite of the interventions of many international communities, in order to achieve gender equality, women are still violated and continue to be denied of various human rights. Hence, it can be perceived that many traditional cultural practices, including female genital mutilation is carried out for the benefit of the male populace (OHCR-UNOG). Historical Background of Female Genital Mutilation Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as ‘female circumcision’ or ‘female genital cutting’, involves procedures that are centered in the partial or overall removal of the female’s external genitalia, or the infliction of injury to the genital organs of female for non-medical reasons. More often than not, the practice is performed by traditional circumcisers who are believed to play a significant role in the community where they belong. However, records have indicated that FGM is also carried out by medically trained professionals (World Health Organization [WHO]). FGM is considered to be an age-old practice existent in various communities globally because it is known to be a custom (OHCR-UNOG). However, FGM’s origin has not been well established. Certain theories indicate that female genital mutilation predates male mutilation (Davis 158 qtd. in Lightfoot-Klein). In one study, it was shown that FGM occurred in areas that are considered to be restricted to the rest of the world which includes Islamic, Semitic and Christian nations. It was contemplated that â€Å"the more ancient a custom or belief, the more universally it is found† (Lightfoot-Kline). All throughout history, reports regarding female circumcision has been existent. The very first historical reference of FGM can be traced from the literature of Herotodus, who wrote that FGM already existed during 5th century BC in Ancient Egypt. He even pointed out that the practice had its beginnings in Egypt or Ethiopia because FGM has been performed by Ethiopians, Phoenicians, and Hitties (Taba qtd. in Lightfoot-Kline). One Greek papyrus dated 163 BC found in the British museum indicated that circumcisions were performed on girls by the time they received dowries. Different authors claimed that FGM was practiced by early Romans and Arabs (Kline). Methods employed in order to repress women’s sexuality has been well recorded in history. In ancient Rome, women slaves are required to wear metal rings which were passed through the labia minora in order to prevent procreation. During the absence of their husbands, women from medieval England wore chastity belts to avoid promiscuity. Tsarist Russia, as well as France, America, and France during the 19th century already practice clitoridectomy; while evidences from mummified bodies of ancient Egypt indicate that excision and infibulation has been performed, thereby giving rise to the existence of pharaonic circumcision (OHCR-UNOG). Types of Female Genital Mutilation Various types of female genital mutilation are performed depending on the cultural history and traditions of a certain community. Basically there are three common types of FGM: (1) Type one or Sunna circumcision. â€Å"Sunna† is an Arabic term which means tradition in English. This form of FGM is done by removing the prepuce or the clitoris’ tip. (2) Type two also called as clitoridectomy or excision is widely practiced in Egypt. This procedure involves the removal of the whole clitoris including the prepuce, glans and the adjacent labia. (3) Type three which is commonly referred to as infibulation or pharaonic circumcision is the procedure commonly applied in Sudan and Somalia. Considered as the most dramatic type of FGM, infibulation, which literally means â€Å"to fasten with a clip or buckle,† involves not only the removal of the clitoris and the nearby labia, but also include the sewing of remaining parts of vulva with the use of a catgut or thread. Such form of mutilation leaves only a tiny hole in the female genital that serves as a passage for the urine and menstrual blood. Women who are infibulated are cut open during their wedding night in order to perform sexual intercourse. However, right after the act, they are sewn again in order to avoid infidelity. More often than not, the groom is responsible for opening the bride’s sewn genitalia with the use of a double-edged dagger. There are some instances that women are cut open and are sewn back together during the time of their separation with their husbands. (4) The remaining type of FGM which is categorized as type four mutilation includes procedures that inflict damage to the female genitalia. Such form of mutilation may range from piercing, pricking, and stretching of labia or clitoris; burning of the clitoris and other tissues of the genitalia through cauterization; scraping of vaginal orifice; vaginal cutting; placing corrosive substances to cause vaginal bleeding, and the introduction of herbal substances to narrow or tighten the vagina (Rosenthal). The most common type of FGM is the clitoral and labia minora excision which constitutes about 80% of all FGM case. However, infibulation is considered as the most extreme form which accounts to 15% of all the mutilation procedures (Steiner, Alston, and Goodman,). The Cultural and Religious Tie: Middle East and African Areas Located Above the Equator The principle of female genital mutilation is prevalent in the societies of African territory. The extent of such phenomena can be seen in 25 countries of Africa. Infibulation is widely performed in areas including Djibouti, Mali, Somalia, selected parts of Ethiopia, Egypt and the northern region of Sudan. Meanwhile, excision and circumcision are evident in Benin, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Gambia, Cote d’Ivoire, Chad, Guinea, Guinnea-Bissau, Kenya, Mauritania, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Uganda, Togo and other areas in the United Republic of Tanzania (OHCR-UNOG). Currently, WHO estimated that annually about three million African girls are at risk for female genital mutilation and about 92 million of the female populace, age 10 years and above have already undergone mutilation. The prevalence of FGM in the said areas is associated primarily with myths and the ignorance of people towards biological, medical, and religious perspectives. As noted by Hanny Lighfoot-Klein: â€Å"The clitoris is perceived as repulsive, filthy, foul smelling, dangerous to the life of the emerging new born, and hazardous to the health and potency of the husband† (Lightfoot-Klein, n. p. ). Majority of African countries adhere to such beliefs that it has been well embraced and became a value, causing FGM to become a customary practice over time. In Sudan, the clitoris is believe to grow to the length of the neck of a goose; long enough to dangle between the legs which could rival the male penis if left uncut. Such concept influences the perception of males, thereby reinforcing them not to marry a woman who is uncircumcised or â€Å"unclean† (Lightfoot-Klein). Among the Bambara’s in Mali, it is widely viewed that once the clitoris touches the head of a child being born, automatically the child will die. As the clitoris is considered to be the male characteristic of females, its removal is seen as an action that would result in the enhancement of femininity. In Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Somalia, females are imposed to undergo mutilation in order to control their sexuality and ensure their virginity until marriage and their chastity right after (OHCR-UNOG). Because childbearing and marriage are the only options for most of African women, majority of them are forced to submit themselves to the practice genital mutilation which they also have to pass on to their daughters (Lightfoot-Klein). The institutionalization of patriarchal system within the society also plays a significant role in the perpetration of FGM. In ancient Mesopotamia, the code of Hammurabi embarked the presence of some features of patriarchy in public veiling and sexual repression of women. It was stated in the code that fathers were entitled to treat his daughter’s virginity as a ‘family property asset. Due to this system, women were categorized as â€Å"respectable,† meaning they were chaste and conforming, and â€Å"disreputable,† which translates to low class or slaves. As a result, women who bowed to the system benefited from it by securing their own safety as well as that of their children. However, they became the steadfast advocates of the system, thereby imposing it to their daughters. Present-day Africans follow the same patriarchal outlook. Female circumcision is then performed to the daughters of the women, who, during the time they were young, experienced mutilation. Although perceived by many as a violation against human rights, the practice is defended by the women themselves because they consider it as an essential part of their tradition that ensures the social standing of their family in the community they belong (Lighfoot-Klein). The existence of patriarchal society is attributed to economic reasons. Historically, fathers are known to be keen in identifying their â€Å"real† children, in order to know who is going to handle his property. Hence, it could be perceived that the establishment of systems including moral and religious values, as well as legal aspects became an imperative in order to protect the economic interests that uphold the society. In this regard, it is hard to abandon a custom that benefits the economic interest not only of the family but the whole society as well. The existence of such system guarantees profit for many, thereby catapulting â€Å"dayas† and medical practitioners to resist changes in the practice of female genital mutilation. Likewise, the family woman can gain considerable bride price if she is mutilated by the time of the marriage. Moreover, women continuously submit themselves to FGM for the fear that their husbands will divorce them for a second wife. This perspective serves as a threat for the women in the society who have no economic recourse and access to own properties and relies only on the â€Å"bride price gold that she wears on her body. † As such, it can be concluded that female genital mutilation is the result of the economic interest permeating within the society (Lightfoot-Klein). While many experts hold that female genital mutilation is an African custom, there are few reports regarding the existence of FGM in the Middle Eastern territory. This is understandable because it is difficult to study sexual relations in societies of Middle East. Almost everything regarding sexuality and personal matters are kept in private sphere. Likewise, books and research pertaining to Middle Eastern sexual habits are almost non-existent or at the most, heavily guarded by the comprehensive rules based from the Islamic law. However, recent finding from northern Iraq suggests that FGM is also practiced widely in societies outside of Africa. The case study of Iraqi Kurdistan served as an instructive case. In 2003, a German-Austrian NGO called WADI took the initiative to take medical and social support to the women in Kurdish areas. More than a year later, women who received support spoke about the practice of FGM. It was found out that Kurds used the sunna circumcision and were performed by midwives. Subsequent studies found out that of 1,544 women, 907 had undergone FGM, which further suggests that 60% of the population view mutilation as a normal practice. The discovery in Iraqi Kurdistan debunks the assumption that FGM is solely an African practice. As Fran Hosken quoted: â€Å"There is little doubt that similar practices—excision, child marriage, and putting rock salt into the vagina of women after childbirth—exist in other parts of the Arabian Peninsula and around the Persian Gulf (Hosken 278 qtd in Osten Sacken, and Uwer). The absence of medical records tackling FGM in the whole region does not necessarily mean that the Middle Eastern territories are free from female circumcision. Such issue is left undetected due to the lack of freedom to permit formal studies regarding the subject. Taboo also plays a significant role in the undercutting of researches in Arab nations. Many scholars and NGO in Arab countries prohibits the criticism predominant culture of Arabs and Muslims. Because of these findings many questions were raised by the critics of FGM, one of which is whether the said phenomena is a religious issue in the Middle East (Osten-Sacken and Uwer). Many Muslims and academics from the West claim that FGM is not based from religion rather it is a practice shaped by culture (Simonet qtd in Osten-Sacken and Uwer). However, in a village level, the people who are committed to the practice perceive the action as mandate by the religion. Although the law of Islam does not have any justifications regarding FGM, many Islamic clerics in the Northern part of Iraq advise women to undergo mutilation. If the women wish to abandon such practice, she must suffer the consequence of appearing disreputable in the eyes of the public (Mackie qtd ini Osten-Sacken and Uwer). Some Islamic scholars may disagree with FGM but others refer to the mention of FGM in the Hadith as a defense for the persistence of such practice in Middle East. The claim was further sufficed by the Islamic law specialist Sami Aldeeb Abu Salieh when he stated: The most often mentioned narration reports a debate between Muhammed and Um Habibah (or Um ‘Atiyyah). This woman, known as an exciser of female slaves, was one of a group of women who had immigrated with Muhammed. Having seen her, Muhammad asked her if she kept practicing her profession. She answered affirmatively, adding: â€Å"unless it is forbidden, and you order me to stop doing it. † Muhammed replied: â€Å"Yes, it is allowed. Come closer so I can teach you: if you cut, do not overdo it, because it brings more radiance to the face, and it is more pleasant for the husband. (Aldeeb Abu Sahlieh 575-622 qtd in Osten- Sacken and Uwen). Aldeeb Abu Sahlieh’s claim is further reinforced by other Islam scholars by stating that Islam condones sunna circumcision but not the pharaonic circumcision (Omer qtd in Osten-Sacken and Uwen), and that since the prophet Muhammad does not condemn the act, thereby making it permissible and cannot be outlawed (Aldeeb Abu Sahlieh qtd in Osten-Sacken). Ultimately, the practice of female genital mutilation in the Middle East may have its roots in the cultural scope of the region. However, its religious ties cannot be disregarded. Effects of Female Genital Mutilation The implications of FGM can be short-term and long term. The immediate consequences of the practice are hemorrhage, acute pain and infection. The infections are commonly acquired from the usage of unsterilized instruments performed in unhygienic areas and introduction of substances. The infections may range from tetanus, general septicamea, chronic pelvic infections, and recurrent urinary tract infections. Recently the transfer of HIV has also been a concern for the FGM researchers (OHCR-UNOG). Obstetric complications are also common among mutilated women. Pregnant mutilated woman put the life of her child in danger because the fetus is at risk of acquiring infectious disease. Likewise, the head of the child may be crushed during the delivery due to damaged birth canal. Furthermore, infibulated women are needed to be opened during child birth and are commonly reinfibulated after every delivery resulting to the scarring of the genitals. Cyst commonly referred to as epidermal clitoral inclusion cyst may also develop among women who undergo type 3 FGM (Rosenthal). Female Genital Mutilation has also psychological implications. These include sexual phobias, depression, and lack of libido which result in the premature ejaculation among women’s partners, personality disorders like rebellion which may eventually lead to psychiatric disorders (Rosenthal). Some evidences indicate that children who undergo FGM experience recurring nightmares (OHCR-UNOG). The socio-economic problems associated with FGM include higher divorce rate and drug abuse which are commonly associated with the males. It was found out that a male with mutilated wife has the tendency of using narcotics to give sexual pleasure to his wives (Rosenthal). Response to Female Genital Mutilation In 1997, World Health Organization (WHO) together with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) issued statements against the continuous practice of female genital mutilation. By 2008, a new statement was issued supporting the increased advocacy of totally condemning FGM which was backed heavily backed by more countries of the United Nation. The 2008 statement include data concerning the past and present practice of FGM. The statement also gave emphasis on the increased recognition of human rights and provided evidences regarding the extent of the issue. The damaging effects of FGM were also presented in order to affect changes in the public policy. From 1997, various government and non-government organizations both in the international and local levels ratified laws abandoning FGM (WHO). Conclusion Based on the study, it is apparent that female genital mutilation predominantly place women in a disadvantaged position. Immense cultural pressure is considered to be the root cause of FGM. However, based from several findings, religion also serves as an encouragement for the existence of such practice. The impact of FGM does not only affect women but also the society where it is widely recognized as a custom. Although, international interventions reduced the prevalence of FGM in African regions during the past years, its practice may not be totally eliminated if practicing communities will not abandon the act itself. Hence, organizations as well as government agencies should further promote awareness regarding the issue of FGM. Works Cited Lighfoot-Klein, Hanny. â€Å"Prisoners of ritual: Some contemporary developments in the history of female genital mutilation. † The Female Genital Mutilation Cutting Education And Networking Project. 30 April-03 May 1991. 10 December 2008 . Office of the High Commisioner of Human Rights-United Nations Organization. â€Å"Fact sheet no. 23, harmful traditional practices affecting the health of women and children. † Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. 2008. 10 December 2008 . Osten-Sacken, Thomas and Uwer, Thomas. â€Å"Is female genital mutilation an Islamic problem? † The Middle East Quarterly. 2007. 10 December 2008 < http://www. meforum. org/article/1629#_ftn38>. Rosenthal, Sara. The Gynecological Sourcebook. Chicago, IL: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2003. Steiner, Henry, Alston, Philip and Goodman, Ryan. International Human Rights in Context: Law, Politics, Morals: Test And Materials. New York: Oxford University Press US, 2008 World Health Organization. â€Å"Female genital mutilation. † May 2008. 10 December 2008 .