The Crucible written by Arthur Miller Essay Example For Students

The Crucible written by Arthur Miller Essay The Crucible written by Arthur Miller is about the mass hysteria, which led to the 1692 Salem Witch Trials, which resulted in many people being persecuted. The Crucible is based on people living in the Puritan times. Everyone was supposedly pure and followed Christian activity. Abigail Williams plays a key figure whose activities are crucial to the development of the play. Abigail is a girl of seventeen Abigails age was risen for the play who is an orphan; her parents were killed by Red Indians. Abigail lives with her uncle Reverend Parris and her cousin Betty, daughter of Reverend Parris. Tituba is the slave of Parris household who comes from Barbados. One night of teenage fun, ends in persecution of many innocents. Abigail, Betty, Tituba and many other girls from the village, which include Mercy and Mary Warren, were in the forest dancing and enjoying them selves. Tituba sang her Barbados songs and the girls danced and cast spells for fun. The story tells us Abigail drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor. Abigail previously worked for the Procters until Elizabeth Goody Proctor discharged her; Goody in these terms was short for good wife. Abigail had an affair with Elizabeth Proctors husband John Proctor that led to her dismissal. Reverend Parris caught the girls that night in the forest, Betty was so shocked and stunned she has been lying in bed for a while with hardly making any communication with her family. Abigail is an arrogant and deceiving girl. She has many unattractive qualities; this could be due to her witnessing her parents death when she was young. Brought up without love and affection from her parents affect her personality when growing up. We will write a custom essay on The Crucible written by Arthur Miller specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now On her first entrance she is described as having an endless capacity of dissembling pretending or deceiving this shows anything she says or does cannot be trusted. She has a strong personality with which she can easily manipulate people. Abigails beauty is important as it shows how she tempted John Proctor. Abigail is described as all worry and apprehension and propriety this helps understand why she acts in the way she does later in the play. Uncle the rumour of witchcraft is all about; I think youd better go down and deny it yourself Abigail suggests that Reverend Parris should confront his congregation. Abigail may sense that it would more in her interest to eliminate the rumours of witchcraft now, than to wait until the witchcraft scare takes hold. Reverend Parris is pressed to tell, which suggests he finds the suggested course of action unattractive. His disclosure that he discovers his daughter and Abigail dancing in the forest reveals his fears. In a Puritan community all acts of levity such as dancing was severely frowned upon. If you trafficked with spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it Abigail is pressed to tell the truth, or a version that would satisfy the congregation. Reverend Parris makes it clear what things are important to him; he is afraid of ruin and afraid for himself. Ill be whipped if I must beà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Bettys not witched Abigail confesses that they danced in the forest, and expects she may be whipped for it. She says Betty is not witched but Betty is clearly frightened of the consequences of what she has done and of having been discovered by her father, the Minister. Abigails version of the truth of what happened in the forest may be a reasonable description of the likely sequence of events, but many may not believe what Abigail says. Abigail when forced with accusations, her reactions quickly change from innocence to terror once she realises what Reverend Parris actually saw in the forest. Abigails tendency to lie shows when she talks to her uncle about a dress. A dress? Abigail says innocently Aye a dress. And I thought I saw someone naked running through the trees Parris find this difficult to say. No one was naked! You mistake yourself uncle! She says in terror. The fact she is in terror and later in the act has a conversation with Mercy telling her, her uncle saw her naked Mercy tells us Abigail is definitely lying. Reverend Parris feels he is only now gaining respect from the community and that Abigail may compromise his very character. It is ironic that Abigail feels the weight of truth upon herself. Truth is something Abigail values les s than self-preservation. Reverend Parris states that he has given her a home to live in, put clothes on her back, laid food on the table for her, and now he is asking for her to give him an upright answer. Reverend Parris has to question Abigails innocence and reputation. Your name in the town à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" it is entirely white is it not? There be no blush about my name Abigail is saying she has nothing to be ashamed of and that there is no strain on her character. But in reality she doesnt really think that. Abigail resents the fact that her name her character is being compromised in the eyes of the local people. This is the first reference of name in this community. Name was very important in communities like these. The subject of name rises many times in the play. One of which included John Proctors speech before he was to hang. Elizabeth Proctor says she rarely comes to church, as she will not sit so close to something soiled. Parris questions what signified this remark. Why Abigail is seven months out of the Proctors household and why still no one has called for her services. My name is good in the village and I will not have it said my name is soiled Abigail believes her character is known for good reasons in the village and her name will not be ruined. Elizabeth Proctors remark gives an indication of the underlying cause of tensions between Elizabeth Proctor, Abigail and John Proctor. Here we see Abigails feelings toward Goody Proctor. Words Abigail uses in reference to Elizabeth Proctor include hate, bitter and lying. These words are used to describe Goody Proctor but are really describing Abigails character. When Abigail is questioned she becomes more and more annoyed. Living in a close-knit community where everybody knows or tries to know his or her neighbours business. .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b , .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b .postImageUrl , .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b , .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b:hover , .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b:visited , .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b:active { border:0!important; } .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b:active , .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uefcd8d1da8672e4c5454f80f1a9c862b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Crucible, By Arthur Miller, Is A Fact-based Story About A Town Cal EssayAbigails departure from the Proctors household clearly generated rumours. The longer Abigail remains unemployed the more the gossip will circulate, and the more bitterly Abigail will feel. Abigail is the first to demonstrate the effects of fear, immediately denying her part in the dancing fiasco and accusing others. A pattern that occurs throughout the witch-hunt. Abigail has a strong and dominant character. This shows when she is talking to Mercy about Betty and what they are going to do. Have you tried beatin her? Here let me have her Mercy asks. Mercy moves towards Betty. Abigail holds her back, not out of concern to what she might do to Betty, but for the fear of being found out. Abigail is in hurry to talk to Mercy so they can get their story straight. Mary Warren enters a servant to John Proctor, she is described as a subservient, naive, lonely girl. Her naivety and loneliness make it easier for people to influence her, as does her subservience. She falls easy prey to the demands of Abigail and Mercy. As Betty awakens, Abigail interrogates her, which shows Abigails ruthlessness. Abigail shakes Betty furiously. Bettys frantic response and her cries for her mother are to be expected bearing in mind pressures from her friends, the activities she took part in, the Puritan community she lives in and the fact that her father is the Minister of that community. You drank blood, Abby! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor! Betty screams. This is an important allegation made by Betty. It tells us even further Abigails hate towards Elizabeth Proctor. This shows how greatly Abigail wants to be with John Proctor and that night in the forest Abigails charm/spell was more of a serious tone than to that of the other girls. From trying to persuade her uncle to tell at the beginning of the play, Abigail has now reached a point where she is forced by recent events to threaten the other girls into silence. Abigails character shows her domineering and angry side when she silences the girls by threatening them. I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you Abigail threatens the girls if they dare even breathe a word about anything that as happened. I saw Red Indians smash my dear parents heads on the pillow next to mine This tells us Abigail witnessed her parents death. Abigail will pay revenge if they uttered a word about anything that happened in the forest that night, especially that of Abigails doings. As Betty whimpers away again, the spotlight turns onto the arrival John Proctor. The relationship between Abigail and John Proctor is suggested in many ways. Abigail looks at him wide-eyed, she refers to his strength, she laughs nervously, and she has a winningly wicked air. John Proctor hasnt come five miles to see a silly girl fly. John Proctor is curious to know what mischief Reverend Parris is brewing. Abigail implies that he didnt travel all the way just to see a girl fly; she believes he has come to see her. John may be telling the truth that he has come to see what is going on, but then at the beginning of Act 2 when John Proctor comes back from Salem he lies to his wife, when she questions him about where he was, he replies I were planting far out the forest edge I believe his full intention wasnt to see Abigail, he didnt mention his visit to Salem because he didnt want his wife to raise wrong suspicions. Abigail is seen in many different emotional conditions. She is volatile and therefore very dangerous. Her reference to John Proctor as sweating like a stallion confirms her animal attraction that she finds in Proctor. Her remarks suggest that John Proctor isnt all perfect her hatred for Goody Proctor is shown, and it shows why. Abigail thinks she knows John Proctor only after having had sexual relations with him, she is certain she knows what he thinks. John Proctor doesnt want any involvement with Abigail as he pushes her away, but Abigail is persistent. John Proctor isnt infatuated with her as the play tells us he us sympathetic but firm. John Proctor does become angry. John Proctor shakes Abigail when she badmouths Goody Proctor calling her a cold, snivelling woman. The shaking indicates the physical nature of Proctor and Abigails past relationship. Abigails little speech I look for John Proctorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. could be seen as moving and genuine or just pretence. Abigail may have found love in Proctor. After having seen her parents killed finding love in him could leave her bewildered and infatuated with John Proctor which it does. Abigail accusation against Proctor shows the true nature of their relationship. Proctor does not deny what Abigail says he just turns abruptly to go out. He may be regretting his past relations with Abigail and has no answer for her accusations or disgusted by the imaginings of his dismissed servant. I never knew what pretence Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! This comment shows the difference between the communitys Christian appearance and its very unchristian reality. When Betty wakes and cries out, Abigail is quick to say the sound of the congregation singing the lords name as the reason for her crying out. Mrs Putnam another villager whose own daughter is not well makes the very dangerous connection between the crying out because of the singing and witchcraft. Reverend Parris calls Reverend Hale to come to Salem. Reverend Hale is an expert on witchcraft. He is called to answer many questions the villagers are desperate to know. He comes to examine Betty after Abigail made accusations against Tituba the slave from Barbados. Abigail makes hysterical accusations against various people accusing them of witchcraft. Abigail is only accusing people to take the spotlight off herself, and nobody could rouse suspicions that she may be involved in witchcraft. When Reverend Hale discovers of the dancing in the forest, Abigail is under direct attack from him, which she tries to find her way out of. Tituba is brought back into the scene and used as a scapegoat for the other girls who were in the forest that night, but first Abigail tries to wake Betty and get her to admit what actually happened. As Abigail talks about the devil constantly and associating the devil with various people, it makes her centre of interrogation which makes her desperate. .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2 , .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2 .postImageUrl , .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2 , .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2:hover , .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2:visited , .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2:active { border:0!important; } .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2:active , .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2 .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5ca1af215005cd5584043b83d16964a2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald EssayTitubas reappearance turns the spotlight away from Abigail. Tituba makes a genuine response to Abigails accusation. When people are accused of witchcraft, they begin by denying their involvement but when they discover that denials are useless they begin to acknowledge the supposed sin and plead for forgiveness and start to accuse others in hope of saving themselves. This is the exact action of what Abigail had done. Abigails tells that Tituba makes her laugh when she is at prayer, Reverend Parris quickly acknowledges this. Abigail stretches her story with details that leave Tituba in a very awkward situation. Abigail is clever to use her own failings to implicate Tituba. This accusation satisfies Reverend Hale and having made his mind up that Tituba is behind the whole affair. I want to open myself Abigail is afraid that Tituba will name her or feels this is her only chance of escape. Abigail is merely only trying to protect herself. Bettys sudden interruption has a major effect on the company around her. Reverend Hale sees this as proof that the girls were bewitched and now the spell had been broken. Abigails outburst is seen when she talks in great glee. Abigail takes this moment and enjoys it. She is no longer under interrogation or under the threat of getting a whipping. She takes everyone attention and it is now them who are under her influence. The witch-hunt now begins and will rapidly include the whole of the community. Abigails relationship with Reverend Parris is hardly close to a father-daughter one. I feel Reverend Parris has to care for Abigail, after her parents were killed leaving her as an orphan. Reverend Parris would like to treat Abigail and Betty equally but of course Betty would be his priority because she is his own daughter. Abigail doesnt seem to have much respect for Reverend Parris, after he has brought her up and looked after her. Abigail seems to find it easy to lie to him, which shows Abigail is not close to Reverend Parris. Abigail even steals his money and feels no guilt later in the play. Abigails relationship with the other girls seems to be the most influential. Abigail can control them and they are influenced buy her. Elizabeth Proctor makes a remark about Abigails authority over the girls in just a short while. Abigail brings the girls into the court, and where she walks the crowd will part like the sea for Israel We see Abigails power over the girls when she silences them in not to talk about that night in the forest, but the major influence of Abigail over the girls is shown in court during the witch-hunt trials. Abigail will show resentment and hate towards Mary Warren after John Proctor persuaded Mary Warren to tell the truth in court that Mary and the other girls did not see spirits in the forest that night and the poppet Elizabeth Proctor has was given by Mary Warren Youre coming with me to court Maryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. You will tell the court how that poppet came here and who stuck the needle in Mary Warren gave Elizabeth Proctor a poppet as a gift. Abigail has now accused Elizabeth of witchcraft. Abigail exclaims that Elizabeth put needles on the parts of the bodies in the poppet and cursed that Abigail would feel pain in those parts of the body. Abigail is lying and trying to get revenge on Elizabeth for many reasons. One is the fact that John Proctor is her husband Proctor is not interested in Abigail and the fact Elizabeth discharged her from the Proctors house. When Mary was in court with John and the other girls, Abigails acting skills came, which deserved an academy award. Abigail, with a weird, wild, chilling cry screams to the ceiling. You will not! Begone! Begone, I say! Abigail pointing with fear, is now raising up her frightened-the girls are doing the same Mercy follows with the act that there is something up at the ceiling. Its on the beam! Behind the rafter! The girls say they see a bird. They say Mary has changed her figure into a bird and is on the beam. Mary denies this and Reverend Hale also present in court says he doesnt see anything and the girls are pretending. The girls become hysterical. Mary screams that she isnt doing anything. Everything Mary shouts back at them all the girls repeat everything she says. Mary becomes mad. Mary: Im here, Im here! Girls: Im here, Im here! Mary starts whimper, so do the girls. Mary has fallen into Abigail trap and becomes powerless she has little chance of survival. She gives into Abigail. Mary decides that now she has no power her choice is to turn against John Proctor. Proctor is stunned. All the girls are again falling under Abigails authority. John Proctor starts to lose faith in the justice system after Mary accuses him of conversing with the devil. Danforth the judge of the court, orders Proctor to be taken to jail, after Proctor makes a blasphemous comment. I say I say God is dead! Abigails doings brought so much pain and even led to death of many. While John is in jail to hang, Abigail makes an attempt to persuade John into running away with her. Abigail has stolen Reverend Parris money and she tells Proctor that they can catch the next boat and run far away. Proctor is not interested. Abigail runs away by herself as she knows people will find put eventually that she was a fraud. Her theft and subsequent flight are serious implications towards Danforth as he believed her thought on how God was speaking through her. Abigail unfortunately was a self-absorbed, opportunistic, vain, dominating, arrogant and most of all a very cunning girl.

How to Add Rocket Fuel to Your Job Search Strategy

How to Add Rocket Fuel to Your Job Search Strategy Finding a job like everything else in life requires a plan. When you buy a new car, you probably look at different car makers, models and reviews. You learn about the vehicle’s handling, braking distance and gas mileage. Once you have acquired a knowledge base, you might visit showrooms, check classified ads or go online. Finding a job is not very different. The parameters might be, but the basic research, knowledge acquisition and plan execution are not. Pick  a Job That Is Right for YouThe first order of business is to look at your strengths, interests and experience. You need to identify the job that best suits you. Once you have established that, it is a good idea to check who is hiring in the area. Job classifieds may detail local openings. Online job sites, such as TheJobNetwork, provide multiple listings and send email alerts when a job opportunity surfaces.Companies and Hiring ProfilesOnce you have chosen the type of job you want, it is important to search for compan ies who offer that type of work. Companies are often specific about the type of candidate needed. Whether written directly or not, companies put forth a hiring profile. Deciding if you meet the criteria is a good first step. If so, checking into company preferences concerning resume style and other information the company may want is advisable. Use the resume to set yourself apart and provide categorization of your strengths and achievements while staying within the company job description.Creating the Resume and Extraneous ProfilesPotential employers often check out applicants on LinkedIn. Having a profile that is well written and provides an accurate presentation of your skills, employment history and connections is important. In addition, knowing about a company will help to set you apart later on during the interview process. This shows attentiveness to detail and curiosity, qualities that are highly valued. Researching the company and its beliefs and value system, as well as it s product or services, indicates that you have taken the time to learn about the company.Checking Your Resume and Cover LetterWriting a generic cover letter and resume is a good idea. Your resume should succinctly chronicle your experience and training as well as education. Modifying the resume and cover letter to fit the job makes sense. It is obvious to employers when the resume is not job specific. Letting a mentor or friend review your resume and LinkedIn profile helps give you fresh perspective.Job OutlookThe job outlook has seen an uptick since 2010, and statistically this growth is strong. The number of jobs in each sector varies. By using labor statistics, it is possible for a job seeker to determine which category has the most jobs at any given time.Finding Jobs Depends On Where You LookLooking online for jobs every day helps you catch a new opening as soon as it is announced. TheJobNetwork finds opportunities and alerts you by email as soon as a job is available. Signing u p for this service is free and easy. Once you upload your information, this job recruitment network searches its database and others for new job opportunities.

Learn What a Feature Story Is

Learn What a Feature Story Is Ask most people what a feature story is, and theyll say something soft and puffy, written for the arts or fashion section of a newspaper or website. But in fact, features can be about any subject, from the fluffiest lifestyle piece to the toughest investigative report. And features arent just found in the back pages of the paper, the ones that focus on things like home decor and music reviews. In fact, features are found in every section of the paper, from news to business to sports. In fact, if you go through a typical newspaper from front to back on any given day, chances are the majority of the stories will be written in a feature-oriented style. The same is true on most news websites. So we know what features arent; but what are they? Feature stories arent defined so much by subject matter as they are by the style in which they are written. In other words, anything written in a feature-oriented way is a feature story. These are the characteristics that distinguish feature stories from hard news: The Lede A feature lede doesnt have to have the who, what, where, when and why in the very first paragraph, the way a hard-news lede does. Instead, a feature lede can use description or an anecdote to set up the story. And a feature lede can run for several paragraphs instead of just one. Pace Feature stories often employ a more leisurely pace than news stories. Features take time to tell a story, instead of rushing through it the way news stories often seem to do. Length Taking more time to tell a story means using more space, which is why features are usually, though not always, longer than hard news articles. A Focus on the Human Element If news stories tend to focus on events, then features tend to focus more on people. Features are designed to bring the human element into the picture, which is why many editors call features people stories. So if a hard news story recounts how 1,000 people are being laid off from a local factory, a feature story might focus on just one of those workers, portraying their grief at losing their job. Other Elements of Feature Articles Feature articles also include more of the elements that are used in traditional storytelling - description, scene-setting, quotes and background information. Both fiction and non-fiction writers often say their aim is to  have readers paint a visual portrait in their minds of what is happening in a story. Thats also the goal of feature writing. A good feature writer does anything she can to get readers engaged with her story, whether by describing a place or a person, setting a scene or using colorful quotes. An Example: The Man Who Played Violin in the Subway To demonstrate what were talking about, take a look at the first few paragraphs of this story by Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post about a world-class violinist who, as an experiment, played beautiful music in crowded subway stations. Note the expert use of the feature-oriented lede, the leisurely pace and length, and the focus on the human element.

Put the best topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Put the best topic - Essay Example Scientific point of view is that the universe was created from nothing by a big bang. The same is written in Genesis: there was nothing and the Lord created light. When we look at Darwin’s theory of evolution, we can notice that the order of appearance of all the living creatures and species is the same that the one described in genesis. So the only difference between scientific views and Biblical legend is in different forms of presentation of information. Biblical story is more like a metaphor and doesn’t seem serious and realistic enough for many modern people to believe. That’s why they prefer believing scientific theories which seem more valid and are more likely to believe that such a huge universal changes could have happened in millions of years but not within seven days. Still we have to remember that the most important thing is the main point of the story. If to look at the issue from this point of view, Christian understanding of creation has no contra dictions with the scientific one. Moreover, if to look closely to the way that Christian story of creation describes nature, it shows us that people are a part of some great system with the Creator over everything. The fact makes us realize that human beings aren’t the rulers of this world and if there is something bigger and more powerful than them, they have to learn how to obey the system of nature. The point is that people often are too arrogant about what they are capable of and this frequently ruins the world. People fight with each other for power and become overwhelmed by negative feelings and intentions. But if all of them once understood that there is a punishing force of justice, they would become more aware of their role in this world. As long as we don’t understand that we are the equal part of this universe and we have to do our best to improve the world instead of ruining it, we will keep destroying the world. Christian

Pick five of your favorite fallacies. Find advertisements, short news Essay

Pick five of your favorite fallacies. Find advertisements, short news stories, political arguments, etc (not all of the same - Essay Example One prominent area such logical fallacies occur is in arguments surrounding gay marriage. Increasingly gay marriage has assumed a prominent place in the lexicon of American civil rights challenges. Significant objections have been raised to gay marriage by conservative groups who wish to, as they indicate, preserve the sanctity of marriage. In reality these groups implement a variety of fallacious arguments. One prominent argument is that, â€Å"Marriage, the defenders contend, cannot possibly be treated as a â€Å"fundamental right† open to gays and lesbians because such a right must have a foundation in American history, legal traditions, and practices† (Denniston). The above argument clearly implements the appeal to traditional fallacy. The appeal to tradition fallacy argues that since for a long period of time something has been one way, in the future it will continue to be that way. As the argument is that gay marriage should continue to be illegal because it was h istorically prohibited America, it is implementing an appeal to tradition. It seems that rather than truly believing this argument, the intention of people making the argument is to support their position on gay marriage by bringing people’s attention to such precedent. ... For instance, a recent story about the upcoming National Football League draft implemented the fallacy of confusing cause and effect. Essentially, this fallacy operates by examining the relations between occurrences, and then erroneously arguing for a linkage between cause and effect. In terms the National Football League draft one article has speculated that the Kansas City Chiefs should pick a quarterback – Geno Smith – with the first pick (Kardar). While quarterbacks are frequently chosen with this pick, Geno Smith can arguably be said to not be worth the pick and that instead the franchise should go with a different position. The article is implementing cause and effect because it has considered that since many rookie quarterbacks were successful this year in the National Football League, they will necessarily be good next year. Rather, it is highly possible that the quarterbacks that were successful this year were so because they were all exceptionally talented and their success will not influence the success of future quarterbacks. Ultimately, it appears that the writer’s intention was out of a genuine belief that the National Football League has changed considerably, such that rookie quarterbacks are now able to succeed in ways they previously were not able to. Another prominent area of investigation in contemporary society is drug use. With the advent of designer drugs in the late 20th century, an increasing division emerged between casual drugs and those that were considered exceptionally dangerous. Because of this division many politicians and anti-drug activists have implemented the logical fallacy of the slippery slope. The slippery slope argument considers that if one thing is allowed then it will

Benefits of Electric Vehicles Essay Example for Free

Benefits of Electric Vehicles Essay 1: Problem Statement The market for plug in vehicles is growing more competitive since variety of manufacturers are increasingly offering plug in hybrid and battery electrical vehicle. However, the initially adopted two key drivers, lower operating cost and zero emission driving, are not proving to be as effective as expected. The market for Electrical Vehicle is still struggling to expand towards more mass-market. The purpose of this research is to acquire knowledge and get a better understanding of the cost- benefit of plug in electrical vehicles as well as its’ impact on environmental and financial policies. Questions!! What are the cost and benefits of Electric Vehicles? What is the environmental impact of electric vehicles? How can environmental and financial policies influence on consumer support? 2: Popular sources [IF USED—THESE DON’T COUNT TOWARD THE FIVE SOURCE REQUIREMENT] Write a brief summary of the key information found from your bridge sources and popular source phase of the research. Source cited Give the key points and issue that have broadened you understanding into the problem you are researching 1. Green vehicle. http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Electric_vehicle An electric vehicle is any motor vehicle that uses one or more electric motors or traction motors as a driving force. There are three main types of electric vehicle exist, those that are directly powered from an external power station, those that are powered by stored electricity originally from an external power source, and those that are powered by an on-board electrical generator, such as an internal combustion engine (a hybrid electric vehicle) or a hydrogen fuel cell. These vehicles are environment friendly as they release almost no air pollutants at the place where they are operated. They also have less noise pollution than an internal combustion engine vehicle. EV gives the greater degree of energy resilience as electricity is a form of energy that remains within the region where it produced. 2. Green Cars and Todays Economy. http://www. consumerenergyreport. com/green-cars-and-todays-economy/ According to this article, plug-in hybrid electrical help the economy and personal expenses can determine which green car to buy. The article specifies the pros and cons of having an electric vehicle. Among the advantages are low insurance cost, low gas cost, job creation and better air quality. The disadvantages include maintenance, initial cost and battery life. 3. Negative Environmental Impacts of Hybrid Vehicles. http://greenliving. lovetoknow. com/Hybrid_Vehicles_Negative_Environmental_Impact This article describes the negative environmental impact Hybrid vehicles. It defines different kinds of hybrids. It questions the source of electrical power for hybrids. According to the article hybrid cars are not emission free. The batteries contain nickel in them and are considered toxic. Two other negative aspects that are covered include the negative impact of high voltage wiring and the initial cost associated with the green Car. 3: Scholarly sources List of sources broken down by discipline: Source cited Research process Qualitative/quantitative Framing or norm/post/critical Key insights/theories/points How does this understanding conflict with any other insight/theory or concur 1. Ecology a) R. Socolow, V. Thomas (2000). The Industrial Ecology of lead and electrical vehicle. Journal of Industrial Ecology. Volume 1, issue 1, Pages 13-36, January 2000 b) Title, author? Journal of Environmental Planning Management; Jan 2009, Vol. 52 Issue 1, P79-96. According to this paper, a common risk analysis of electric vehicles is misguided, because it treats lead batteries and lead additives in gasoline on the same footing and implies that the lead battery should be abandoned. The authors stated that â€Å"The use of lead additives in gasoline is a dissipative use where emissions cannot be confined: The goal of management should be and has been to phase out this use. The use of lead in batteries is a recyclable use, because the lead remains confined during cycles of discharge and recharge. † Clean recycling of the lead batteries should be the goal.. A management system closely approaching clean recycling should be achievable. The lead battery has the potential to become a hazardous product managed in the world. The tools of industrial ecology are helpful in identifying the key criteria that an ideal lead-battery recycling system must meet maximal recovery of batteries after use, minimal export of used batteries to countries where environmental controls are weak, minimal impact on the health of communities near lead-processing facilities, and maximal worker protection from lead exposure in these facilities. This research paper explores quantitatively Californians interest in hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) based on a statewide phone survey conducted in July 2004 by the Public Policy Institute of California. The paper develops factors that summarize beliefs about energy and the environment using principal component analysis. This study result concludes that the Californians concerned about the environment, energy efficiency, global warming and recent increases in the price of gasoline state a higher interest in hybrids. Another important reason for considering hybrid electric vehicles, however, is the possibility of using high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes while driving alone, especially for people with potentially long commutes to work. The findings also suggest that beliefs about energy and the environment should be included in vehicle type choice models. First article is emphasizing on the negative impact that electric vehicle has on the environment whereas the latter one highlights on the eco-friendliness and the popularity of the EVs. Source cited Research process Qualitative/quantitative Framing or norm/post/critical. Key insights/theories/points How does this understanding conflict with any other insight/theory or concur 2. Technology. c) Systems for hybrid cars. Otmar Bitsche et. al. Journal of power sources 127 (2004) 8-15. d) The state of the art of electric, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles. C. C. Chan. Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol 95, No 4, April 2007. The Otmar article gives us a detailed understanding of what plug-in hybrid electrical are and how their drive trains offer a wide range of benefits such as multifaceted performance improvements, reduced emissions and reduced fuel consumption compared to the internal combustion engine. It demonstrates how important the battery is in different hybrid cars for the right specific automotive application. It describes the cost and safety aspects in terms of battery type and performance of such vehicles. Competition alongside with legislation is pushing hybrid technology towards the future. The paper describes different types of hybrid vehicles and their advantages. It should therefore be considered to have a positive perspective to the reader. However one weakness to the article is that is is relatively technical and may not be appeasing to the general reader in order to understand hybrid cars in a nutshell. Also, the kind of hybrid that would be considered the best in terms of performance is not mentioned. The most significant aspect of the article is it describes all the different modes of hybrid operation and how regenerative braking affects the performance of the battery hence the author develops an important concept. The author approaches the subject matter through a unique method in which he describes stop-start hybrids followed by mild hybrids and full hybrids before focusing on purely electrical cars. The author argues while safety comes first, it is the cost that determines the most important factor to buying a hybrid. In contrast, the Chan paper describes the different state of the art hybrid vehicles in particular. These include Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, Ford Escape, Saturn vue, ISE transient buses and Honda FCX. Chan describes a detailed history of Evs, HEVs and FCVs which the Otmar paper tends to lack. The article describes the differences among Electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles and points out the advantages and disadvantages of each. The paper describes how a better understanding of control theory is essential for the future development of these vehicles. This article is useful in order to choose the right green car for ones individual needs. It describes the hybrid system car by car and is therefore very useful for understanding what is available in the auto market and what to expect from each individual model. The paper is more geared towards the general reader and offers a positive perspective. The most significant aspect of the article is that it is focused on individual car model. It is also in agreement with other sources on hybrid vehicles. The author makes a informative comparison in the form of a table where he compare and contrasts battery electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles in terms of propulsion, energy system, energy source and infrastructure, characteristics and major issues. These factors may arise to a debate on which type of green car is superior in overall performance. Source cited Research process Qualitative/quantitative Framing or norm/post/critical Key insights/theories/points. How does this understanding conflict with any other insight/theory or concur Economics. e) Fredrik Carlsson (2003) Costs and Benefits of electric Vehicles. A 2010 perspective. . Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, volume 37, part 1, January 2003, pp. 1-28. f) Consumer support for environmental policies: An application to purchases of plug-in hybrid electrical vehicle. Alex Coad et. al. Ecological Economics 68 (2009), 2078-2086. The Fredrick paper describes a social cost-benefit analysis with respect to the increase in electric vehicle number within the Swedish transport sector by the year 2010. According to the paper electric cars are socially unprofitable in spite of having a lower life cycle cost compared to their gasoline counterparts. This is due to government subsidies on electric cars which outweigh the benefits related to low fuel consumption. Despite the environmental advantages, electric vehicles are not very common and different means of financially supporting them is often subject to debate. The paper uses a cost benefit model to determine consumer welfare or utility and can be looked upon as having a normative perspective. The weakness of the paper is that it assumes too many assumptions which is not always realistic. It is a technical paper and therefore the mathematical section is not suitable for the general public. The most significant aspect of this research is to answer the question as to whether governments should subsidize electric vehicles and the conclusion is negative. In his conclusion the author states that due to too many uncertainties the case for public subsidies becomes uncertain. In contrast, the Alex paper describes how consumer motivation can be used to encourage the adoption of cleaner technologies. According to the author intrinsic motivation such as energy labels for cars and extrinsic motivation such as subsidies or fines can be used to encourage the adoption of cleaner technologies. The paper analyzes a survey data set of Swiss households. The results of this survey are of particular interest to policy makers who are keen on guiding consumers towards cleaner technology. This paper gives us a better understanding of intrinsic motivation which is the kind of motivation that comes from within ourselves and not from an outside source that rewards money or grades. Extrinsic motivation is guided by some type of external subject or reward. The paper analyzes to what extent consumers are willing to support public policies in order to promote energy efficient cars. The nature of the article is of normative perspective. The weakness of the article is that the survey was conducted on 1500 Swiss households. Nothing about the age or nature of these households are mentioned in the serve. The most significant aspect of the paper is that it gives one a better understanding of different motivation to get a job done. Although both these papers discuss about the economic perspective of plug-in hybrid electrical, they do so in very different way. While the former article is a cost benefit description of electric vehicles by utilizing an economic model, the latter can be considered as an article that describes the motivation that drives consumer support towards the purchase of a green car. 4: Disciplinary Overlapping: In all sources except for the Cost and benefits article it is mentioned that plug-in hybrid electrical are more cost effective than their gasoline counterpart. However, Fredrik Carlsson in his article mentions that electrical vehicles are socially unprofitable in spite of having a lower private life cycle cost and external cost compared to petrol cars. All six articles do however agree that plug-in hybrid electrical are more fuel efficient and environmentally friendlier than gasoline cars. give us a better understanding on what plug-in hybrid electrical are like and how they have evolved with time. mentions the different systems in hybrid vehicles while describes specific models helping us to choose which green car to buy. The cost benefits of buying a green car is discussed in, however, the source is based on many assumptions and the paper itself is very technical. focuses on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation that leads to support of environmental policies. The articles in general give us a better understanding of the problem statement. However one aspect that was overlooked by all the sources involves the environmental effect of different kind of battery systems, their waste and disposal. Category /Element Criteria Range: (Na)(No)(A)(M) Purposefulness (20) identifies a clear research problem and explains it; Readings chosen are relevant to the problem as defined (10-12),(13-15), (16-18),(19-20) 15 Grounding (40) identifies and adequately summarizes the constituent elements of each source: insights, theories or concepts, methodologies, sources of evidence; connects each source to a part of the problem that it helps illuminate (10-12),(13-15), (16-18),(19-20) 0 The selection of sources gives appropriate â€Å"coverage† of the problem (10-12),(13-15), (16-18),(19-20) 17 Critical Awareness (20). Student recognizes and explains how the different elements of each source affect the findings—methods, theories, concepts, assumptions; Student identifies meaningful conflicts or commonalities among different sources (10-12),(13-15), (16-18),(19-20) 17 Integration (20) Student makes intelligent comparisons between insights, theories, methods or data across disciplinary lines to support an improved understanding or cognitive advancement; explains how different ideas could be applied to an improved understanding (10-12),(13-15), (16-18),(19-20) 16 Total: 65.

Lord Of The Flies - Role Of Gender Essay -- essays research papers

What was it that caused the aggression and dominance exhibited by the boys of Lord of the Flies? Was it some metaphysical, spiritual force, or perhaps their genetic makeup? Could it have been the influence of their peers or families, or was it the media that inspired this dangerous pattern? Conceivably, their gender had something to do with this appalling trait. It all begs the question, would the same experiences have occurred had females been stranded on the island instead of males? Had females been in a similar situation as the boys in Lord of the Flies, they would have fared abundantly better. Initially, this paper will address society’s role in encouraging males’ violent behavior, as well as females’ politeness and passivity. Secondly, it will be discussed how family socialization influences females’ gentle natures and males’ aggressive temperaments. Finally, this research will explore both gender’s leadership styles, and scientific perc eption behind these differences. Much of what society dictates can affect children’s perceptions of the ideal gender standards, and can lead to abuse and violence. Media has a huge role in perpetuating these dangerous gender stereotypes. Numerous male images are used in advertising and television, representing themes such as "heroic masculinity" and "might is right". These portrayals of violent behavior associated with masculinity target young men and convince them that in order to live up to society’s standards, they must resort to aggressive and dominant behavior, the use of assertion, and physical violence. Males are saturated with images of glorified aggression through movies such as Lethal Weapon, sports programs, and "macho" celebrities, like Bruce Willis and Arnold Shwartzenager. Female stereotypes span the opposite extreme. Innumerable young women perceive "ladylike" expectations to be neatness, passivity, politeness, and struggle to meet them, hence they appear nurturing and feminine. Women in the media who challenge these stereotypical behaviors and display assertiveness tend to be slotted into the role of "tomboy" or "dyke". These impositions contribute to the breeding of young men who act in an abusive manner, and are terribly restricting towards boys who covet deep emotion. The antagonist of Lord of the Flies, Jack Merridew, perceives himself to... ...evere emotions, so not do it for dominance, but for reasons such as love, children, or family. Carol Shakeshaft, a writer specializing in gender differences in educational administration, describes the female mentality as: "emphasizing power with, rather than power over, others." She theorizes that women, in general, perform better in leadership positions, because they are more person oriented, and adopt a more democratic leadership style. To settle arguments, women rely more on negotiation than competition or physical violence. Had females been on the island, they would have practised more community involvement, equality, and inclusiveness. In conclusion, this report has explored several rationales behind the boys’ behavior in Lord of the Flies, and suggested how girls in the same position would have behaved in a more accepting, nurturing, polite manner. Media stereotypes on ideal gender conduct, family socialization, and fundamental differences in leadership approach are all factors that contribute to boys’ and girls’ very contrasted behaviors. Clearly, had females been in the same situation as the boys in Lord of the Flies, they would have fared considerably better.

Indianapolis: Activity-Based Costing Essay

1- Yes, government should perform a cost analysis before privatization, especially if the government will remain as a participant in the bidding process. The cost analysis will provide the government with cost information for accurately pricing the bid. In case the government is not going to be a participant in the bidding process, the cost estimate will provide the government with an estimate on how much to pay for a service. For example, if the government wants to engage in a firm fixed price contract, a cost analysis will provide an accurate estimate of the cost and government can adjust the estimate for labor contractor rates and profit to price the contract. 2- For pothole filling activity direct labor and materials are relatively easy to trace directly, but it is more difficult to allocate indirect costs to the service. In order to apply ABC in Department of Transportation, reconciling with controller’s records, the team correctly identified in phases 1 and 2 all the basic activities. There were 35 activities, one of them being â€Å"pothole patching†. The labor hours and direct materials assigned for this activity were easy to be traced so the direct labor and materials were precisely determined in the â€Å"Pothole Filling Cost† table. A few comments about the overhead costs: The model allocated costs for fixed assets and unused equipment, which is one of the strengths. The model also adjusted the current year capital purchases and added back the depreciation (the consumed portion of the purchase price). We think that was an appropriate decision in order to have a true cost for this activity. The city already had an accounting system to trace the depreciation, and that was an advantage. It is debatable the decision not to include the headquarters expenses. In fact those costs may vary up or down depending on who does the pothole filling – municipal workers or private contractors. Decision was that these expense to â€Å"remain in the city† but they don’t necessarily have to. A true  cost for the service would be to allocate them in the overhead costs. It is a bit unclear if the overhead costs captured in the â€Å"Pothole Filling Cost† table are strictly associated with pothole filling activity. We know that the team identified the indirect and support costs associated with the 35 primary activities. It is difficult however to allocate those costs to pothole filling activity only. For example how much would be Facility Expense slice for this service? We should assume that a reliable allocation method was utilized, since the other 34 activities should also have overhead costs traced for other potential bids. Regarding overhead costs allocation by region, a brief calculation reveals that some sort of allocation was utilized for costs, however it is not clear on what basis. Four fixed costs out of seven do follow the same allocation pattern, however that allocation does not follow the â€Å"tons filled† ratio. We should also notice that the model analyzed the cost occurred during winter months, in order to prepare a bid for spring. If pothole filling is a season specific activity, the actual costs could be slightly different and the bid should be adjusted accordingly. Maybe a better idea was to apply the ABC model considering actual costs incurred during the previous spring. 3- Yes, letting the municipal employees see the ABC estimates and giving them the opportunity to reduce their costs was a good practice as it provided several benefits. Due to several past factors, the city’s departments had been operating on a less than optimal level and had high overhead costs. For example the supervisor to worker ratio was too high, and the department of transportation carried excessive capital assets (vehicles). Sharing the ABC estimates and giving the opportunity to reduce costs allowed them to improve efficiency. The municipality was able to pinpoint the problem issues and fix them, such as half the supervisors were dismissed. This would allow the city to be competitive with the private sector in the bidding process. ABC estimate sharing provided an additional benefit as a buy-in from the  employees and the union. As the employees and the ABC estimators worked together to generate the estimates, they realized the data was showing the problems that they did not anticipate such has the high supervisor ratio. They recognized that ABC will be very essential for them to lower their costs and become competitive. The employees needed to be competitive with the private sector to keep their jobs. 4- We will assume that the â€Å"Indirect Cost Pool† includes supervisor’s expenses (which should be reduced by 50%) and overhead costs. In this case the bids for Northwest and Northeast quadrants are calculated in Exhibit B. Comparing with the actual pothole filing costs per ton in January-March, we could clearly see a dramatic decrease of indirect costs and rolling stock costs. Overall the bid for both quadrants is by far more competitive than it would have been without the ABC analysis and cost reduction. 5- If the administration continues to outsource city services through competitive bidding and assuming the private sector is able to aggressively under bid the city, the administration will have to dismiss the idle workforce, selloff unused fixed assets and update the ABC estimates accordingly. As the number of outsourced contracts grows in count and size, the administration will also need to enhance its contracting and performance management capabilities.

Introductory Economics Cheatsheet

Problems by Command 1. Information collection 2. Principal-agent 3. Disagreement among multiple decision-makers. Arrows’ impossibility theorem. Paradox of voting. 4. Enforcement Coordination by Market Princes as signals of scarcity/abundance Induces coordination Requires much less info No enforcement costs No principal-agent problem No problem with multiple decision makers Qualification: some command systems exist within a market (eg firms) Public Good Has free-rider problem due to non-excludability. Can only be provided by a coercive authority that can force users to pay for these goods. Taxes. Collective GoodsProvide benefits for a group. Cartels and Unions Has free riding problem. Prevent by sanctions Common Resources Non-excludable but exhaustible Natural resources goods Lack of well-defined property rights encourages overuse. The tragedy of the commons. Solve by asserting ownership rights over common resources. Coarse theorem Markets generate themselves for property trans fer that internalize externalities. Adverse selection & Moral hazard Market price based on expected quality Reward people for not maintaining quality High quality sellers drop out Cycle continues Market collapse FDI promotes technology transfer without moral hazard.Equilibrium – no one has an incentive to change their behavior. Price ceiling Cause a shortage due to excess demand Leads to rationing or preferential allocation, long queues, inefficiency. Those who do get will benefit from the lower prices. Price floor Eg Minimum wage Only those workers who don’t lose their jobs benefit from the higher wages. Consumer surplus When price goes down, CS increase due to 2 reasons. Existing buyers pay less. More buyers are able to enter market. Producer surplus Markets select low cost suppliers. Only those whose costs of production are below the market price enter.When price goes down, ‘marginal seller’ drops out. When price goes up, PS increases due to 2 reasons. Existing producer get a higher price. More producers can enter. Total welfare = CS + PS Govt intervention decreases this Factors of demand Income & substitution effect Change in tastes Expectation of future prices Change in number of buyers Factors of supply Change in technology Change in input prices Expectation of future prices Change in number of sellers Elasticity Price elasticity of demand for a good is the % change in demand when the good’s price falls by 1%. Elasticity along a linear demand curve decreases with a decrease in price.Factors affecting elasticity of demand Number of substitutes/whether the good is a necessity/time frame/broadness of category Income elasticity of demand is the % increase in its demand for a 1% rise in income. Indifference curve Non-lexicographic and non-satiation Convex to origin – preference for variety Cant cross each other due to consistency and transitivity Marginal rate of substitution(MRS) Negative of an indifference curve†™s slope at any point Equal to the ratio of marginal utilities of the 2 goods at that point Slope of budget line is the negative of the relative prices of the 2 goods.At tangent, slope of budget line and slope of indifference curve must be equal. MRS=relative prices at this point The ratio of marginal utility to price is equal for both goods at the point chosen (equimarginal principle) Income and substitution effect Cost curve AFC=TFC/Q, AVC=TVC/Q, ATC=AFC+AVC AFC declining with Q. AVC first falls then rises. U shaped. Rising marginal cost. When MCMC. No supply curve. MC Pricing P=MC, lead to losses for natural monopoly, which govt can subsidize. But tax has its own deadweight loss. P=ATC , zero profits. Alternative, public ownership Price discriminationIncrease monopolist profits First degree – extract entire CS, socially optimal but unlikely Second degree – Charge buyers based on observable characteristics Third degree – separated markets Quantity discounts Contestable Market No barrier to entry Maintain monopoly only due to the fact that it entered first P=MC, zero economic profits Durable Goods Monopoly MC=0 Compete against its future price Cartels and collusion Incentive that monopoly profits are higher Each has an incentive to sell more than the agreed amount, resulting in a collapse of the agreement. Bertrand duopoly Assumption constant MC.Equilibrium at AC=MC. Naive thinking and no capacity constraint and price easily adjusted Sweezy model Each firm assumes that if it cuts its price, this will be matched by all its rivals while if it increase its price, it will not be matched. Perceive demand curve to be very inelastic below the existing price and very elastic above existing price. Result in price rigidity Reverse kink Each firm assumes that its price increases will be matched by all rivals, while its price cuts will not. Demand curve becomes elastic below the existing price as the cut speedily increases the demand for this firmà ¢â‚¬â„¢s product.Inelastic above the existing price. Result in price instability. Likely during depression. Competition in output Cournet Model Supposes wrongly that other firms will not react to its own output decisions. Will not result in zero-profit outcome. MR=MC. Monopolistic competition Large number of sellers with differentiated products No barriers to entry Each firm faces a downward sloping demand curve Short run, try to max profits by MR=MC. Due to free entry, more firms enter in long run as long as positive economic profits are made. Shifts demand curve to the less are market share reduced. Long run equilibrium, P=AC.Not at minimum of AC curve, thus inefficiency as each firm has excess capacity. Provide more variety though. Game theory Dominant strategy equilibrium No incentive to deviate as none of the players can do better by choosing a different strategy. Nash Equilibrium Each player has no incentive to deviate by himself. Each guess what other player choose. Coordinat ion problem Multiple equilibrium Solve by convention Focal point – higher payoff for 1 equilibrium Zero-sum games Solve by maximin rule – maximize his minimum payoffs. Repeated games Grim trigger strategy cannot work if the game is repeated a known finite number of times.If infinitely, can sustain if they do not discount the future heavily(sufficient weight to future punishments). Discount factor > 1/3. Sequential game Backward induction – work backwards to solve Subgame perfect Nash equilibrium – additional property of ruling out empty threat GDP – the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time Relies on market prices Includes market value of the stream of services from durable goods Miss out value of non market services Excludes transfer payments Consumption + Investment + Government spending + Net exportY=C+I+G+NX GDP deflator = (Nominal GDP/real GDP)*100 GDP per capita flawed as a welfare me asure as it excludes value of leisure, clean environment, and safety. CPI measures the cost of a fixed basket of goods bought by a typical consumer. Overstates cost of living because of substitution bias. Introduction of new goods and thus increased living standards is not reflected. Quality changes is not measure. GDP deflator includes goods not bought by typical consumer. CPI includes imports. Real interest=nominal interest – inflation Productivity is a key to rapid growth. Physical capitalHuman capital Natural resources Technology Y= AF(L, K, H, N) Productivity is given by Y/L = AF(1, K/L, H/L, N/L) Technology progress continuously expands the resource frontier. Phases of rapid growth have occurred when a technological innovation opens up a new elastic supply source. Eg Industrial revolution, Railway boom, IT. Policies to promote growth Encourage savings and investment. Diminishing marginal productivity of capital implies that high saving will no longer lead to fast growth beyond a point. Convergence effect. Encourage FDI. Builds up physical and human capital accumulation.Has learning effects through tech transfer and positive externalities. Education. Secure system of property rights Lack of corruption or political instability Pursuing free trade Population growth can lead to lower capital-labor ratio which might decrease productivity Also inefficiency in human capital accumulation as same educational facilities spread thinly Large families may keep woman out of labor force which reduces total productivity C and IM tend to increase as national income rise. So C= C+cY, IM=IM+mY where c and m are marginal propensity to consume and import. An increase in GDP of $1 increases C by c and IM by m. c,m

Overview of Dubnium Facts and Physical Properties

Overview of Dubnium Facts and Physical Properties Dubnium is a radioactive synthetic element. Here are interesting facts about this element and a summary of its chemical and physical properties. Interesting Dubnium Facts Dubnium is named for the town in Russia where it was first made, Dubna. It may only be produced in a nuclear facility. Dubnium does not exist naturally on Earth.The element dubnium was the subject of a naming controversy. The Russian discovery team (1969) proposed the name  nielsbohrium  (Ns) in honor of the Danish nuclear physicist Niels Bohr. In 1970, an American team made the element by bombarding californium-239 with nitrogen-15 atoms. They proposed the name hahnium (Ha), to honor the Nobel Prize-winning chemist Otto Hahn. The IUPAC determined the two labs should share credit for the discovery because their results supported each others validity, using different methods to create the element. The IUPAC assigned the name  unnilpentium for element 105 until a naming decision could be reached. It wasnt until 1997 it was decided the element should be named Dubnium (Db) for the Dubna research facility the location where the element was initially synthesized.Dubnium is a super-h eavy or transactinide element. If a sufficient amount were ever produced, its chemical properties are expected to be similar to that of the transition metals. It would be most similar to the element tantalum. Dubnium was first made by bombarding americium-243 with neon-22 atoms.All isotopes of dubnium are radioactive. The most stable one has a half-life of  28 hours.Only a few atoms of dubnium have ever been produced. At present, little is known about its properties and it has no practical uses. Dubnium or Db Chemical and Physical Properties Element Name: Dubnium Atomic Number: 105 Symbol: Db Atomic Weight: (262) Discovery: A. Ghiorso, et al, L Berkeley Lab, USA - G.N. Flerov, Dubna Lab, Russia 1967 Discovery Date: 1967 (USSR); 1970 (United States) Electron Configuration: [Rn] 5f14 6d3 7s2 Element Classification: Transition Metal Crystal Structure: body-centered cubic Name Origin: Joint Institute for Nuclear Research at Dubna Appearance: Radioactive, synthetic metal References: Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001), Crescent Chemical Company (2001), Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952)

An Analysis of Leadership Models

An Analysis of Leadership Models Each theory provides a model for effectively steering an organization. Three contemporary theories are widely applied in organizations today; Transactional Leadership, Charismatic leadership and finally transformational leadership. Each of these theories has its strong points weaknesses and challenges in real world application. These are not by any means the only theory – there are many others applied in other leadership situations. A lot of management research has gone into finding the perfect leadership solution. In this paper, we will review three leadership theories, their pros and cons and discuss examples of each theory. Page 1 Transactional Leadership Transactional Leadership model Leadership style plays a crucial role in the development of an organization. It is a leadership style that is often used by many companies assumes that people are motivated strictly by reward and punishment. This style generally does not appeal to the values, morals, or other intrinsic characteristics of most people. The transactional leader is highly focused on task, provides very clear direction, and oversees productivity in detail. When a subordinate fails, the next step is a penalty or punishment. The introduction of the task versus people orientation and the idea of leadership styles are widely accepted today. The model does have a downside, however: It does not consider other potential factors that may influence outcomes and therefore affect leadership effectiveness. While a two-dimensional task-versus-people perspective might be a helpful way to talk about leader behaviors, it by no means tells the whole story about leadership. Research continues to this day on these important questions, and this has led to additional new theories of leadership (Yukl, Gary A. Yukl). Assumptions ? ? ? ? ? Style The transactional leader works through creating clear structures whereby it is clear what is required of their subordinates, and the rewards that they get for following orders. Punishments are not always mentioned, but they are also well-understood and formal systems of discipline are usually in place. Transactional leadership believes that punishment and reward motivate people People are motivated by reward and punishment. Social systems work best with a clear chain of command. When people have agreed to do a job, a part of the deal is that they cede all authority to their manager. The prime purpose of a subordinate is to do what their manager tells them to do. Page 2 The early stage of Transactional Leadership is in negotiating the contract whereby the subordinate is given a salary and other benefits, and the company (and by implication the subordinate’s manager) gets authority over the subordinate. The „transaction’ is the money or any other award that the company pays to its subordinates for their compliance and effort (Kurnik, 2012). When the Transactional Leader allocates work to a subordinate, they are considered to be fully responsible for it, whether or not they have the resources or capability to carry it out. When things go wrong, then the subordinate is considered to be personally at fault, and is punished for their failure (just as they are rewarded for succeeding). The transactional leader often uses management by exception, working on the principle that if something is operating to defined (and hence expected) performance then it does not need attention. Exceptions to expectation require praise and reward for exceeding expectation, whilst some kind of corrective action is applied for performance below expectation. Transactional leadership has more of a „telling style’. Transactional leadership is based on the fact that reward or punishment is dependent on the performance. Even though researchers have highlighted its limitations, transactional leadership is still prevalent in real workplace and more companies are adopting transactional leadership to increase the performance of its employees. This approach is. Whereas Transformational Leadership has more of a ‘selling’ style, Transactional Leadership, once the contract is in place, takes a ‘telling’ style. Advantages of Transactional leadership This method works in most of the cases, where it’s applied, provided the employees are motivated by rewards. It is a proven compliance strategy, which works best if the top most leader in the hierarchy is capable of making most of the important decisions and is a strong personality. Page 3 Disadvantages of Transactional leadership A powerful and assertive leader will find the transactional model conducive to his way of running things. However, though he will create great followers, he will stunt their growth as leaders. When people get used to doing just what they are told and only as much they are told, they stop thinking ‘out of the box’. Original thinking is not really promoted in this system, because of which, an obedient workforce will be created with a lack of imagination. New leaders will be tough to find from the lower strata of power hierarchy. This leadership model will create a stressful work environment. Productivity will be maintained but innovations and breakthroughs will be tough to find. Examples of Transactional leadership In practice, there is sufficient truth in Behaviorism to sustain Transactional approaches. This is reinforced by the supply-and-demand situation of much employment, coupled with the effects of deeper needs, as in Maslow’s Hierarchy. When the demand for a skill outstrips the supply, then Transactional Leadership often is insufficient, and other approaches are more effective. The main limitation of this leadership is that it assumes that people are largely motivated by simple rewards. Under transactional leadership, employees can’t do much to improve job satisfaction. Transaction leadership has been ineffective in providing skilled employees to their organization. This style of leadership is least interested in changing the work environment. Experts do not recommend this approach. Transactional leadership focuses more on management of punishments and rewards (Kurnik, 2012). Page 4 Charismatic Leadership The sociologist Max Weber defined charismatic authority in 1947 as â€Å"resting on devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person, and of the normative patterns or order revealed or ordained by him. † Charismatic authority is one of three forms of authority laid out in Weber’s tripartite classification of authority, the other two being traditional authority and rational-legal authority. The concept has acquired wide usage among sociologists. Weber in his writings about charismatic authority, Weber applies the term charisma to â€Å"a certain quality of an individual personality, by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities. These are not accessible to the ordinary person, but are regarded as of divine origin or as exemplary, and on the basis of them the individual concerned is treated as a leader1 Charismatic authority is as said to be power legitimized on the basis of a leader’s exceptional personal qualities or the demonstration of extraordinary insight and accomplishment, which inspire loyalty and obedience from followers. ] As such, it rests almost entirely on the leader; the absence of that leader for any reason can lead to the authority’s power dissolving. However, due to its individual nature and lack of formal organization, charismatic authority depends much more strongly on the pe rceived legitimacy of the authority than Weber? s other forms of authority. Charismatic leaders can lead organizations into new areas, inspire followers, and sometimes obtain extraordinary performance and results from an organization. Conger Kanungo (1998) articulates the five characteristics of charismatic leaders. ? ? Vision and articulation; Sensitivity to the environment; 1 Weber, Maximillan. Theory of Social and Economic Organization. Chapter: â€Å"The Nature of Charismatic Authority and its Routinization† translated by A. R. Anderson and Talcott Parsons, 1947. Originally published in 1922 in German under the title Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft chapter III,  § 10 2 Kendall, Diana, Jane Lothian Murray, and Rick Linden. Sociology in our time (2nd ed. ), 2000. Scarborough, On: Nelson, 438-439. Page 5 ? ? ? Sensitivity to member needs; Personal risk taking; Performing unconventional behaviour. Advantages of charismatic leaders 1) They can sense the gap between what an organization is giving to its followers and what its followers require from the organization. Therefore they are able to create a vision that is in line with these requirements. ) Since members of the organization feel that they re part of this vision they are part of this vision, they support the goals of the organization (employee loyalty) Disadvantages of charismatic leaders 1). Followers may find this transformation uncomfortable and disrupti ve to the workplace or to them personally. Others may have difficulty relating to the leader’s vision of the future. Charismatic leaders also rely heavily on their personal charm, and perceptions, which could be significantly influenced by rumors or â€Å"negative press. † 2) They cause more harm than good. eg Adolf Hitler. 3) They lack of Successors and Visionaries. A charismatic leader often retains the majority of the control in the office because he believes in himself so much. He may have difficulty turning over control to others because he enjoys having the control or doesn’t feel anyone else is able to handle the duties like he can. This type of situation potentially leaves the company without any knowledgeable successors should the charismatic leader leave the company. Without giving others the authority and freedom to take some of the control, the company’s vision for the future is limited to the ideas of the leader. This type of environment may also squash some of the creative problem solving from other employees in the company, particularly if any ideas presented are pushed aside by the leader. 4) A charismatic leader sometimes gets so caught up in his control that he is unable to clearly see potential dangers with the company. The confidence he has in his abilities makes him feel that the company’s success will continue indefinitely. If he doesn’t have any other management Page 6 personnel on the same level with the same information, he may potentially miss a threat to the company’s financial welfare. 5) Overreliance on the leader. The charismatic leader wins over the employees of the company with his motivational leadership style. While employees may find inspiration in this type of leadership, they may also rely too heavily on the person in charge. The employees begin associating the success of the company solely with the leader. They may fail to see that all employees are a valuable part of making the company a success. This saddles the leader with a huge responsibility for both keeping the company running and motivating the staff. Examples of Charismatic Leadership Bill Clinton He was considered one of the most charismatic leaders of our times. Clinton connected and inspired. He had an ability to make his audience feel as though as individuals they were each the most important person in the room. His use of eye contact, infectious smile and self-awareness ensured that he made a powerful impact on those he met. No wander he was the president with the highest opinion poll ratings at the time of leaving the presidency, even though his tenure had been marred by the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Obama is a charismatic leader, during his inauguration as the 44th president U. S. A; over 2 million people were present. He accomplished fetes such as managing to raise funds in an unprecedented fashion, that is, small sums of money from numerous persons . He has been applauded as an outstanding orator, captive speaker and brilliant man. He inspires his followers, moves them to tears and gives the hope. He feverishly wooed the citizens to vote for him. Adolf Hitler Hitler gained this ‘charismatic status’ partially because of his political skill and magnetism. He had experienced considerable success in cutting the unemployment figures and this was essential. However, it was somewhat overshadowed by his unshakeable conviction in his own Page 7 historical role. Hitler often spoke of a ‘mission’ and claimed ‘I go with the certainty of a sleepwalker along the path laid out for me by Providence’. It was this ‘mission’ achievable only for Hitler, which allowed him to transcend bureaucratic processes and become ‘charismatic’. 3 3 Noakes, Jeremy and Pridham, Geoffrey (ed. ) Nazism 1919-1945 Volume II: State, Economy and Society 1933-1939 (Exeter: University of Exeter Press, 2000) Page 8 Transformational Leadership Transformational leadership occurs when a leader takes a visionary position and inspires people to follow. James MacGregor Burns (1978) 1 first introduced the concept of transforming leadership in his descriptive research on political leaders. According to MacGregor, transforming leadership is a process in which â€Å"leaders and followers help each other to advance to a higher level of morale and motivation†. MacGregor differentiated between leadership and management, and related them to characteristics and behaviors. According to MacGregor, the transforming approach creates significant change in people and organizations by changing the employee expectations and aspirations. This is because it redesigns the perceptions and values. Unlike in transactional approach, it is not based on a â€Å"give and take† relationship but on the leader? s personality and abilities, articulation of an energizing vision and challenging goals. He theorized that transforming and transactional leaders were mutually exclusive styles. Bernard M. Bass (1985), expanded upon MacGregor? s work (1985) by explaining the psychological mechanisms that underlie transforming and transactional leadership. Bass used â€Å"transformational† instead of â€Å"transforming† original ideas to develop what is today referred to as Bass? Transformational Leadership Theory. 2 According to Bass, transformational leadership can be defined based on the impact that it has on followers. According to Bass, transformational leaders earn trust, respect and admiration from their followers. Transformational leadership can be found at all leadership levels in an organization. These leaders are seen to have a charismatic appeal in that they are visionary, enthusiastic, passionate, daring, inspiring, energetic, risk takers and thoughtful thinkers. However, charisma alone may not be sufficient to transform an organization. To gear changes, the leaders must exhibit the factors of transformational leadership. The four different components of transformational leadership as suggested by Bernard M. Bass: ? Intellectual Stimulation – Transformational leaders not only challenge the status quo; they also encourage creativity among followers. The leader encourages followers to explore new ways of doing things and new opportunities to learn. Page 9 ? Individualized Consideration – Transformational leadership also involves offering support and encouragement to individual followers. In order to foster supportive relationships, transformational leaders keep lines of communication open so that followers feel free to share ideas and so that leaders can offer direct recognition of each follower? s unique contributions. ? Inspirational Motivation – Transformational leaders have a clear vision that they are able to articulate to followers. These leaders are also able to help followers experience the same passion and motivation to fulfill these goals. ? Idealized Influence – The transformational leaders serves as a role model for followers. Because followers trust and respect the leader, they emulate the leader and internalize his Assumptions People follow a person who inspires them A person with vision and passion can achieve great things Enthusiasm and energy get things done. Leadership style The leadership style adopted is â€Å"selling type†. This involves: Developing the vision – transformational leadership beginnings with development of a vision. This may be done by senior managers, the leader or the team. The leaders then buy and sink into the vision. Selling the vision – the leader then constantly sells the vision to the followers. The leaders seek adoption of the vision through creating trust and any means available to convince the followers. Seeking the way forward – this goes along with the selling activity. Some leaders know the way and simply want others to follow, while others happily lead the exploration of possible routes since they do not have a ready strategy. With a clear vision, though the direction may not be very clear, it is always known. Since this is an ongoing process, a transformational leader will accept the failures and content with whatever progress that is made. Page 10 Leading the charge – the final stage and most critical is that the leader takes the lead and remains central during the action. This is where the leader is a role model –setting the examples by not idling behind their troops. Their unrelenting commitment keeps the team focused. These leaders are people oriented and thus strike a balance between the task and the followers. Transformational leadership borrows a lot from relationship theories also known as transformational theories. Emphasis is laid more on the link formed between the leaders and the followers. The leader inspires and motivates the group to see the importance and significance of the task, but also wants each individual to fulfill their potential. Advantages of Transformational leadership ? This kind of leadership style often brings out high ethical and moral standards. Since the team is all geared towards achieving the organizational task as well as their individual goals. ? Produces a highly energized work force, which is essential to achieve organizational goals. It enables maximization of synergy in the team. Disadvantages of Transformational leadership ? Since the style emphasizes on impression management, it leads to a moral self glorification/ promotion by the leaders. ? Due to the influence emphasis, the followers may be manipulated by the leaders to lose more than they actually gain. ? ? The energy applied by leaders can wear out the followers making them give up. The passion and confidence can easily be mistaken as reality. This may lead to mistakes with consequences being adopted. Though transformational leaders are charismatic, they are not like pure charismatic leaders who succeed through their individualism since they believe in others. Page 11 The leadership style is almost impossible to teach or train since it? s a combination of leadership theories and personal attributes Examples of Transformational Leaders Nelson Mandela South Africa was a racially polarized country for many decades. Nelson Mandela was able to humanize the apartheid leading to the emergence of a nation now recognized globally. His was able to use his charisma to synchronize the haves and have-nots towards a common cause – transforming the nation from the polarity caused by the racial and wealth factors. Mahtama Gandhi Prior to the British occupation, India was amongst the leading goods exporting nation. The British rule was highly mechanized with modern industrial power; they successfully eliminated the local Indian artisans? infrastructure turning India into a big importer and consumer nation. Different leaders were contemplating different ways to drive British in India; he sought to understand the reason for colonialism. According to Mahatma, the way to resist the British was through non violent ways to become self reliant and stop consuming English products. He therefore opted for persistent mass movements that would eventually prove expensive to the British Rule. Gandhi inspires various leaders including South African Nelson Mandela and various movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Sam Walton Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, often visited Wal-Mart stores across the country to meet with associates to show his appreciation for what they did for the company. Sam Walton gave â€Å"rules for success† in his autobiography, one of which was to appreciate associates with praise (Walton, 1996). Page 12 Jack Welch He was Chairman and CEO of General Electric between 1981 and 2001. During his tenure at GE, the company’s value rose 4,000% and was the most valuable company in the world for a while. Having taken GE with a market capitalization of about $12 billion, Jack Welch turned it into one of the largest and most admired companies in the world, with a market value of about $500 billion, when he stepped down as its CEO 20 years later, in 2000. Although Jack Welch was a celebrated leader of a global manufacturer often noted for its technological prowess, he utilized a very human process to drive change through GE’s vast organization. Having respect for the individual as a pivotal force in organizational change, Welch created a model of exceptional performance every corporate leader can learn from. Page 13 References Lussier/Achua 3rd edition. Effective Leadership. Course text Kurnik, E. (2012). Transactional Leadership. Retrieved March 3, 2012, from HubPages Inc: http://edikurnik. hubpages. com/hub/Transactional-Leadership Yukl, G. A. (Gary A. Yukl). Leadership in Organizations (6th Edition). New Jersy: Prentice Hall. Burns, J. M. (1978) Leadership. New York. Harper Row Bass, B. M. (1998). Transformational leadership: Industrial, military and educational impact. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum Page 14

Leadership Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership Case Analysis - Essay Example he didn’t falter a bit when he told the men that the Japanese would attack the front lines and that it is going to be a long night.His effectiveness lies in his immediate action over a problem. When it comes to organizational Leadership, General Cummings is a seasoned person and it seems that no amount o f pressure would ruffle his feathers. He was only quite a bit peeved when found his coat dirty with mud after the storm which is an indication of his humanity. When it comes to developing people, he knows very well how to sharpen them by experience. He doesn’t spoon feed , mentor, or pat your back. On the contrary, he antagonizes and throws Hearns into situations that will challenge his weakness- emotions. This reflects that attitude not intelligence is valued in the battlefield. When it comes to delegation , it is very apparent that he delegates well since he can bark orders to any one with precision. Aside from this, In fact, he is very keen on details because he even knows almost all the equipment in the camp as well as the personlaities of people around him. One can see his planning skills when he sent the tanks to beef up the forces ahead of time since he alway s consider the worst to happen (n whether man-made or act of God). Communication skills is also a strength of the General. He manages by walking around and talking to people concerned. His hands-on leadership style with a charismatic tinge elicits respect , awe, and fear from among his men. General Cummings strength was his brilliance, courage , and experience that almost makes him complete. However, the end of the case ( or the story ) reveals that he has a weakness which was very crucial since it indirectly cost him Hearn’s life. He overlooked the verification of facts and reports that reached him. Since he is a man of action, his quick decision based on the immediate facts provided to him made him create the scenario he wants to believe in: that island is a stronghold of Japanese army.