Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Introduction to Distribution Management
Distribution Management Introduction to What do we mean by Logistics? â⬠¢ Logistics concerns itself with the movement of the physical flow which begins with the source of supply and ends at the point of consumption. â⬠¢ Logistics is also concerned with: â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ Plant and warehouse location Inventory levels Production scheduling Materials management Storage Customer order processing Inwards and outwards freight and â⬠¢ Distribution channels. History of warehouse In early writings, man was described as having stored excess food and kept animals for emergency surplus. â⬠¢ As civilization developed, local warehouses were introduced. Merchandise was stored in connection with shipping, trading, and manufacturing activities. â⬠¢ When transportation branched out from local to cross-country, warehouses became more than local storehouses. â⬠¢ The warehouses were located in the center of the city, usually close to the railr oad depot and the wholesale market district. History of Warehouse As the demand for storage space increased and land value rose, multistory buildings were erected to provide more storage space on minimum amount of land. â⬠¢ Technology has created a highly specialized discipline that allows warehouses to store more per square meter, move stock faster and more accurately, and to know where everything is located. Discussion Connections Form groups randomly to think about the following questions: â⬠¢ Some people say warehouse is a evil because it is totally a cost-adding activity. Do you agree? Describe the roles of the refrigerator in your home. What is the implications for the understanding of the value of warehousing. Why have a warehouse? â⬠¢ Supply chain imbalances The supply chain connecting manufacturing with end consumers will never be so well coordinated that warehousing will be completely eliminated. How to increase the flexibility of warehouse operations through p rocess design, system selection and justification, and layout configuration is what we will try to study in the whole course. Why have a warehouse? High speed ââ¬â zero defect supply chains Supply chain integration will lead to reduced inventory holdings along supply pipeline. The accuracy and cycle time performance pressures in warehousing are immense. Warehouse in the Supply Chain Value adding warehousing Major Types: Raw materials and component warehouse Hold raw materials at or near the point of induction into a manufacturing or assembly process. Work in progress warehouse Hold partially completed assemblies and products at various points along an assembly or production line. Finished goods Hold inventory used to balance and buffer the variation between production schedules and demand. Located near the point of manufacture Full pallets in and full pallets out Value adding warehousing Distribution warehouse and DC Accumulate and consolidate products from various points of manufacture within a single firm, or from several firms, for combined shipment to common customers. Located central to either the production locations or the customer base. Fulfillment warehouse and fulfillment center Receive, pick and ship small orders for individual consumers. Value adding warehousing Local warehouse Distributed in the field in order to shorten transportation distances to permit rapid response to customer demand. Single items are picked, and the same item may be shipped to the customer every day. Value-added service warehouse Serve as the facility where key product customization activities are executed, including packaging,labeling, marking, pricing, and return processing. Value adding warehousing Generally, the value of warehousing lies in that having the right product in the right place at the right time. Thus, warehousing provides the time-and-place utility necessary for a company to prosper. Importance of Warehouse Costs â⬠¢ Warehousing is expensive â⬠¢ Between 2 and 5 % of the cost of sales â⬠¢ ROI emphasis puts pressure on warehouse costs â⬠¢ Customer service emphasis can increase costs â⬠¢ Challenge to increase service levels at the same time as reduci ng costs â⬠¢ Focus on Productivity Accuracy efficiency Discussion Connections â⬠¢ Use some examples to explain the customer service in logistics area? â⬠¢ Why we need to emphasize it? â⬠¢ What will be the possible elements of distribution activity which affect customer service. Warehousing Environment â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ E-commerce Supply chain development and partnering Globalisation Quick response Just in time Rising labour costs Increasing SKU population Increasing technology choices Warehouse Requirements â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ Execute more, smaller transactions Handle and store more items Provide more product & service customization Offer more value added services Process more returns Receive and ship more international orders Warehouse Limitations â⬠¢ Less time to process orders â⬠¢ Less margin for error ââ¬â requirement for exacting accuracy levels â⬠¢ Difficulties in finding suitable staff â⬠¢ Warehouse management system (WMS) capability / fit to requirement problems, or justification for ROI The Bottom Line Warehouses / distribution centers play an increasingly important role in the success or failure of business enterprises. Warehouse master planning methodology Warehouse master planning methodology â⬠¢ Investigating warehouse operations through warehouse activity profiling and warehouse performance benchmarking. â⬠¢ Innovating, optimizing and simplifying warehouse operations in receiving and put-away, storage, order picking, shipping, and material flow. â⬠¢ Implementing new warehousing designs in computerizing warehouse operations, and humanizing warehouse operations. World Class Warehousing Profile ââ¬â orders, item activity, process, customer â⬠¢ Benchmark ââ¬â performance ââ¬â practices ââ¬â operating infrastructure â⬠¢ Innovate ââ¬â streamlining ââ¬â eliminating unnecessary activities ââ¬â better ways of doing activities â⬠¢ Automate ââ¬â computerize and mechanize â⬠¢ Humanize ââ¬â involvement of warehouse peopletreat people the way you would like to be treated Warehouse Activities Warehousing Activities â⬠¢ Receiving Accurate and speedy receipt of all materials coming into the warehouse Order accuracy/quality confirmation Disbursing materials to storage or other destination ââ¬â cross dock Warehousing Activities â⬠¢ Pre-packaging Converting bulk receipts into smaller quantities Warehousing Activities â⬠¢ Put Away Placing products/packages/unit loads into storage It includes: Materials handling Product placement Location verification Warehousing Activities â⬠¢ Storage Physical containment of products until required Storage method depends on the size and quantity of the items in inventory and the handling characteristics of the product or its container. Warehousing Activities â⬠¢ Order Picking Process of removing products from storage to meet a specific customer demand The essential basic warehouse function around which most warehouse designs are based High impact on customer satisfaction Warehousing Activities â⬠¢ Packaging and/or pricing Optional process after the picking process Normal where mail/ courier delivery is involved Involves protective packaging Prepricing at manufacturer or receipt into the warehouse inevitably leads to some repricing activity as price lists are changed while merchandise sits in inventory. Warehousing Activities â⬠¢ Sortation Consolidation of the order into a total customer delivery Occurs where consolidation is not completed during the picking operation Warehousing Activities â⬠¢ Unitizing & Shipping Including the following tasks: Checking order for completeness Packaging into shipping containers/ unit loads Preparing shipping documents ,including packing lists, address labels, consignment notes and bills of lading Weighing to determine shipping charges Accumulating orders by outbound carrier Loading trucks or containers Learning Objective Basing on the current situations in Chinese market to : Have an understanding of the role and function of warehousing & distribution in the total integrated logistics process Have a basic knowledge of the process of designing warehouse facilities Know the equipment options and their uses for storage and materials handling Be aware of the customer service implications and the customer order processing options. Learning objective Understand the importance of standards & performance measurement, and the opportunities presented by distribution information and warehouse management systems. Appreciate the potential and importance of electronic data interchange and automatic identification to distribution operation Be aware of the importance of human relations management to warehousing & distribution and understand the process of selection, training, motivation and communication in the physical distribution environment.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Annual Per Capita Healthcare Costs By Age Essay
The United States has way higher healthcare costs than any other country in the OECD, mostly which is because of the extremely high expenses later in life. 17 cents of every US dollar is being spent on health care. At about age 60, healthcare expenses for US citizens skyrocket, averaging between $40,000 to $45,000 a year per person, which is way above Germany, who has the next highest with only about $10,000. Dr. Ficshbeck, an engineering professor who runs a website called deathriskrankings.com, says the high costs are not completely without some reward. He said when it comes to deaths caused by disease, men from the US have a survival advantage over men from western Europe starting around age 65 that steadily increases over time. American women have this same advantage starting around age 80. This means if Americans died from diseases at the same rate as people from the Netherlands, for example, there would be about 60,000 more male deaths and 14,000 more female deaths in the US, all after the age of 70. France is among the few exceptions because they have a lower death rate from disease, but for the most part, the United States has a lower rate of diseased-caused deaths than Western Europe. Dr. Ficshbeckââ¬â¢s research also shows evidence that Americans have a higher death rate during young adulthood and middle age mainly due to health. Obesity rates, which are one of the leading causes of type 2 diabetes, are 3 times higher in America than France, and more than twice as high as in Germany. This study could mean that American healthcare is not totally at fault for not producing better results, but the American people themselves should be to blame for not making better health choices earlier in there lives. Ficshbeck believes that the edge the United States is getting in the latter years are due to our superior screening and treatment of diseases, the most prominent one being cancer. Americans have an average 5 year survival rate for breast cancer. This is higher than any other country in the OECD. Although Americans have a small advantage when it comes to death rates caused by disease for people over the age of 70, it isnââ¬â¢t a big enough advantage to prove that all of the money we spend on older Americanââ¬â¢s healthcare is providing that much of a survival advantage. A Boston University economist by the name of Dr. Lawrence Kotlikoff believes that the problem with our healthcare overspending problem stems from Medicare. He says the system has no cost control, and that pretty much any services that hospitals or doctors provide, Medicare will pay for. He has a very interesting idea for an alternative system that will provide incentive for practicing healthy habits (which the lack of proves to be one of main reasons for our not-so-superior life expectancy rates) and also lower US healthcare spending. He advocates issuing everybody vouchers through health insurance companies that would vary in value depending on the receiverââ¬â¢s health status, kind of like how car i nsurance companies are run. This sounds like a great alternative in that it would give people a good reason to be healthy which, in turn, would lead to less money being spent on expensive tests and procedures. à Robert Martensen, director of the office history at the National Institutes of Health is skeptical of how much of the United Statesââ¬â¢ health care spending is actually going towards increasing lifespan. He says that 40 to 50 percent of Medicare is being spent on intensive care which may not necessarily increase their chances of survival. European countries spend a lot less after the age of 65 mainly due to the fact that they have a lot more general practitioners, fewer specialists, and more centralized control over the number of hospital beds. Another researcher, named Dr. Jonathan Skinner, believes that although the US may be spending too much on older peopleââ¬â¢s health care, Europeans may also be doing too little. Having a specialist for every organ in the body of a patient with a chronic illness is a big part of the reason Americans are overspending. A payment technique called ââ¬Å"bundlingâ⬠could be a solution to this problem. It suggests that doctors and hospitals be paid a set amount for each patient diagnosis, such as diabetes or heart failure, and then have the ability to be rewarded with additional payments for meeting certain standards for quality care. This will give the doctors more control on what they should be spending their money on, so if they deem it unnecessary, they wonââ¬â¢t have to ââ¬Å"wasteâ⬠money on specialized care for a patient. The problem with bundling and the reason many physicians are against the idea, is that a doctor canââ¬â¢t always know ahead of time if they shouldnââ¬â¢t spend money on a patient. Although the US is spending way too much on Medicare, thatââ¬â¢s not a decision any doctor wants to be in control of.
Home School Essay
It has come to the attention of many that the debate over home schooling has been getting more brutal each and every day. Below is reassurance on why the board should offer this marvelous opportunity to these students. Every student is different, each has its own learning curves; some more then others. I am for home school because students can be overwhelmed by the large amount of work, students can get off task easily in traditional school, and if a student is home schooled, the student is the center of attention. When students go to traditional school, there are a lot of other students. Being with so many other students can be overwhelming for some, not all. For the students that it is too overwhelming for, why shouldnââ¬â¢t those students get an equal opportunity to do there best in school? If it is school were talking, then throw in the conversation of life as well. Without good schooling, students will be unable to get into a good college, without college, well it is kind of sad for the rest of their lives. As the Board of Education you want students to succeed in school, and in life, well then tell people to stop trying to slow down there education and the process in which students and parents educate. A positive in being home schooled is not getting off task. If the students do not have a large amount of distraction, then the want for distraction will be eliminated. Students get off task very easily (Trust me). An example of an off task student is a student talking to another student, thus far not hearing the teachers instructions. By keeping them on task then that is a great way to destroy a learning curve or learning curves. Another positive in home school is, the student is the center of attention! In any traditional school, there is a lot of students that do not understand or get the concept of a focus of study. Teachers have many students and may not always be available to make the focus of study more clear to the student. Home school guarantees the idea of a student never being left behind. What is the point of putting a student through school and the student only grasps bits and pieces, when the student could understand it all and probably even learn more then the average student in traditional school. To conclude this essay, please remember that home schooling is a great opportunity. Students are different and need special attention. I am for home school because students can be overwhelmed by the large amount of work, students can get off task easily in traditional school, and if a student is home schooled, the student is the center of attention. If the student can afford and have the means to do so, let home schooling happen!
Monday, July 29, 2019
BRIDGING THEORY AND PRACTICE LEADERSHIP Assignment
BRIDGING THEORY AND PRACTICE LEADERSHIP - Assignment Example Due to the importance and relevance of leadership, there are several academic and professional studies that have been conducted on it to make its application and usage very simple and forthcoming. It is not surprising therefore that there are several theories of leadership in the academic world. The question that remains however is the level to which these leadership theories are applied in professional world. The essence of this paper is therefore to examine how the gap between theory and practice leadership can be bridged. This process is undertaken by examining the life of a world renowned leader on how this leader has contributed to society and used various leadership behaviors. The paper concluded with recommendations on how the leader can improve on the type of leadership style practiced. Biography of the leader Mary Nichols is the leader, whose personal and professional is examined as a case study in this paper. Mary Nichols holds a B.A from Cornell University and has J.D from Yale Law School, which earned her one of her earliest careers as a journalist with The Wall Street Journal. She worked as an attorney with specializations in the areas of environmental and health science from 1971 to 1974. As a professional, Mary Nichols takes leadership at the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as the head of the organization. Her current position comes as a result of rising through the ranks in the CARB. This is because under Governor Jerry Brown, Mary served at the CARB from 1975 to 1982 (Tett and Burnett, 2003). She them left her position for other engagements, which were however related to environmental leadership. In 2007, Mary Nichols was back to CARB ahead of Govenor Brownââ¬â¢s recall to the statehouse, and this time she acted for four years. Today, she heads the CARB but before she worked with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, where she was the Assistant Administrator of Air and Radiation, consolidating her experience and depth of k nown as an environmentalist. Generally, the legacy of Mary Nichols at her position remains her accolade as a fierce advocate for the institutionalization of what has been described as cutting edge technology that has not only transformed her state but her nation and the world as a whole (Tabachnick and Fidell, 2001). Specific to her credit are the successful push through with policies that have brought about boosting in fuel economy, the cutting of acid rain and reduction in the impact of greenhouse gases on the environment. Mary has been tagged by international media and environmental advocates as a woman who leads with global standards. Interestingly, Mary Nichols attributes her successes to the cooperation and united spirit she has had from the entire people of California and subordinates who work under her. Into the future with Nichols, California is looking at the reduction of harmful diesel pm through the adoption of Californiaââ¬â¢s diesel truck rules in 2014 by 7 tons a d ay and 3 tons a day in 2023 (Tett and Burnett, 2003). Contributions to society/organization As a third timer at the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and working under three different heads of states, there are several contributions that can be outlined of Mary Nichol in terms of how she has transformed the organization within which she works and society as a whole. As far as her organization is concerned, Mary Nichols will be credited with structural and organizational changes at CARB. Analysts have said that there were clear differences in Mary Nichols from 1975 to 1982 at CARB and the Mary Nichols who is today the head of the same organization. This is because she contributed to a restructuring exercise that
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Trade mark and Copy right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Trade mark and Copy right - Essay Example Trade marks are registrable at state level and federal level in the U.S. Whenever any one wants to claim some thing as a trademark, he can use the words" TM" next to the trade mark to serve public or competitor as notice of his right over the same whether registered or not. Unregistered trademark is called common law trade mark giving right to the user who is manufacturer or seller by virtue of its use. If it is registered with the U.S. patent and Trademark Office, the symbol can be used beside the trademark and not while the application for trade mark reiteration is pending. Benefits of registering with federal agency are 1) it serves as a constructive notice throughout the country, 2) evidence that it is owned by the user, 3) invocation of federal courts jurisdictions, 4) it can be used for registration in foreign countries, and 5) if registration is field with U.S.customs which will be used for preventing entry of foreign goods infringing trademarks. (FindLaw) The legal basis of Tempur-Basic is that ComfortStep used by Real Man Boot Company is similar to their brand name 'Comfort-step' in their goods. Though it is not registered, they are alleged to be the first ever users of the said name. However close scrutiny of the names reveals that they are not similar. There is a hyphen between the word comfort and step in the claimant's trade mark where as there is no hyphen in the defendant's trade mark. More over goods are also not the same. Whereas the claimant is using it on casual wears, defendants are using it on work boots though both are foot wears. Position would be different had the claimant registered the trade mark stating that they are using in all their goods including boots. The right over the trade mark registered or not is perpetual. Hence claimant can not succeed in their claim. Question 2 A Describe the general duties of a director of a corporation, and the standards that a director is expected to meet in fulfilling those duties. Also describe what factors or interests you can consider in making decisions as a director. Originally, a director was expected to act only in the interest of share holders of the corporation. But of late, it is the acting in the best interest of the corporation that has to be taken into account before considering interest of the share holders. By virtue of section 302 A.251, subd 5, other stake holders' interests have also to be kept in mind by the director. The other stake holders are corporation's bankers, creditors, Government bodies, employees, and environment. The director should be loyal to the corporation by not competing with the corporation's business. Any thing that the director is accessible to in the affairs of the corporation should not be used by the director for self-serving personal enrichment. He is expected neither to use for personal gain nor disclose matters that are confidential to outsiders and rivals. The director must notify any conflicting interest he may be involved on which the company board must decide for the director to continue with or drop i t before taking director ship or before assuming any new role during his directorship. The director has the power to appoint or dismiss the CEO of the corporation and also decide his salaries. The director is responsible to declare dividends, work out strategies, and can restructure corporation's capital structure including class of share
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Same sex marriage issue Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Same sex marriage issue - Assignment Example In tandem with this, the article asserts that DOMA violates not only basic due process, but also equal protection principles that are applicable to the Federal Government by injuring the class New York aims to protect. According to Kennedy, the failure of the Executive to defend à §3 in court while denying refunds and at the same time assessing deficiencies resulted in a complication. In connection with this, the article claims that the government of the United States established a controversy that was sufficient for Article III jurisdiction by refusing to pay the refund to Windsor. However, the ruling by the amicus showed that it was the right of Windsor to ask for the refund of the tax she had paid because same-sex marriage should be given recognition as well as validated by law (United States v. Windsor, Executor of the State of Spyer, et al., 2013). United States v. Windsor, Executor of the State of Spyer, et al. (2013). Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved from
Friday, July 26, 2019
The Engineers Concern about the Overhead Rate Going Up and Up in Assignment
The Engineers Concern about the Overhead Rate Going Up and Up in Managerial Accounting - Assignment Example A single hour of the labor carries an additional burden amount of $1,500 (Wagener, 2010). Moreover, the underlying labor cost contributes up to five percent of the prevailing cost of the product thus making it the main propeller of the all the cost of Fabricator Inc. Since one cost is utilized as the main pricing standard and in the case of the Fabricator Inc they use labor, their main concern that the underlying set standard might be cumbersome to accomplish (Warren, Reeve, Duchac, & Warren, 2012). Therefore, lost labor in its entity is inadequacies as an example is depicted by the prevailing management as either poor pricing or production (Warren, Reeve, Duchac, & Warren, 2012). Even though overhead is fundamental and normally demanded the production process, bid pricing that is mainly driven by labor as the standard would eventually be more expensive. The most effective means would be utilizing activity-based costing because Fabricator Inc mainly specializes in executing underlying customer orders and every order is unique and possesses different requirement. Utilizing single overhead rate is thus not acceptable (Wagener, 2010). The engineer has also mentioned that the standard was being worked around by the corresponding design engineering thus rendering the prevailing standard utilized by Fabricator Inc unreliable (Kaplan & Anderson, 2007). The engineer meant that high job cost standard for the project biding might infrequent the prevailing project managers mandated by pricing a job forbid when he said that a relatively large overhead rate is a disadvantage to the company in terms of placing bids and seeking new business (Lal & Srivastava, 2009). Any errors in the estimate for the labor hours would definitely possess massive implications in the operation of the company (Warren, Reeve, Duchac, & Warren, 2012). Moreover, miscalculation or rather a failure by few hoursà could definitely imply that the company would either be losing the bid or correspondingly be losing money in case the job is acquired.Ã
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Environmental Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Environmental Ethics - Essay Example Ecofeminist has different perspectives and argue on various basic concepts that build up the philosophy. Today, many feminist supports that our environment is apparently a feminist issue. This philosophy has been really popular and many relate the ethics of the environment to feminism and have their contradictions over the patriarchal issue and the biases as well as the dominance that comes in hand with the situation. One needs to understand in depth the basis of this philosophy. "A feminist uses gender analysis as the starting point; gender is the lens through which the initial description and analysis occur." Similarly like feminism, many forms of ecofeminism prevail. Ecofeminism is basically a name given to various feminist practices and philosophical ideas. These various approaches not only represent feminism but also how different forces of nature play and how they can overcome environmental concerns. Some examples of different perspective are liberal, Marxist, black etc. Theref ore various environmental philosophical positions that accept feminine issues and support feminism are generally referred to as ecofeminist positions. "Views which uncritically embrace unified or one stance views of feminine sides of gender dichotomies are not feminist; they are better understood as ecofeminine than ecofeminist. They are, in fact, dangerous views from a genuinely feminist perspective." (Darion, 1999) The question here arises that what does one perceive about ecofeminism? What makes this philosophy so concrete that it stands as a complete concept which deals with its theoretical support or the political movement? Although there are significant differences between ecofeminism and feminism from which it has actually rooted, but all ecofeminist agree about certain things which are prominent in feminism. For instance, there is always a significant link between the dominant forces of nature and women, which is essential to understand three things that is feminism, philoso phy of the environment and environmentalism. The major reason to establish this movement is to highlight the links between nature and women and how dangerous these connections can be at times. Ecofeminist have been successful in identifying eight different sorts of links. The links between these two intriguing forces are at times due to competition, at times they are complementing each other or can also be supportive, all this can eventually sum up to analyze forces of nature and the dominance between the two i.e women and nature. The eight connections are as follows: 1. Historical connection (causal): a link between women and nature can be historical. One of the causals is the historic data that develop and nurture theories which deal with the initialization and connection between the domination of women and nature. This concept is so concrete that Ariel Salleh claim's that ecofeminism is particularly a cent progress in the feministic approach and believes that the recent crisis th at has occurred globally and environmentally is basically because of the prevailing culture of patriarchal. (katz,2000) 2. Concept based Connections: Most of the scholars that study ecofeminism believe that the dominant power between women and nature is because of the causal connection which basically stems from causal links which take their branches from concept based structures of domination that develop and nurture women and nature in a social system which consist of male biases. 3.
Team Building 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Team Building 3 - Essay Example The team decides amongst themselves the role of each such that biased relationships are not formed with members within the organisation (Cook Mangla and Ummer, 2009). There are set guidelines that need to be followed and the evaluation team decide whether the rules have been adhered to. Post evaluation the team reports back to the funding body with critical insights into the process, activities and outcomes. Thus an external and unbiased reflection helps the company build the team more effectively and focus on the gaps so as to eliminate them in the future (W. Dyer, W. Dyer, Jr. & J. Dyer , 2007). Evaluations are thus a mix of an objective and passive task and it is necessary for the evaluator to be neutral and offer space for divergent opinions, discussions and debates. 2. The four stages of team building are forming, storming, norming and performing. When a team is initially formed there is a cordial atmosphere on the surface; however in most cases the older team members would be cautious and check whether their positions are threatened by the new entrants. The newcomers are also excited as well as tensed; hence it is necessary to understand team building so as to maintain the balance between the old and the new employees. Since there is mix of various cultures and mentalities, soon there will be competitions between the team members. Hence as a leader, one should be able to channel the inevitable conflicts into effective development of the team and the individuals working therein (Fisher, 2000; West, 2012). The third stage entails the settling down of the team and start conforming to the set of rules and regulations of the companies. The settling down happens as now the team knows what to expect from the other members. Therefore as a good leader and guide one should be able to establish rules that the team needs to adhere
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
The thirty year war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
The thirty year war - Essay Example Protestant leaders in Bohemian crown soon formed alliances with the neighboring states which were also facing religious conflicts such as France and Sweden. Being in the center of Europe Bohemian crown had the advantage of using its many economic, political and religious linkages to gather an army. During late 15th to early 16th century Catholicism and Lutheranism prevailed in central Europe while Calvinism was also spreading across Germany but Augsburg refused to accept it as a religion. Moreover, Bohemians were mainly Protestants while their new rulers i.e. Habsburgs, were Catholics. Protestants were often repressed by the Roman Catholic kings. Letter of Majesty by the king Rudolf in 1608 provided a vast freedom for the Protestant practitioners and authority to the Church to control activities of Calvinism. Habsburg is a Catholic family of Swiss origin. Its domination in Europe began in 1273 and was characterized by military conquests as well as strategically formed marital alliances which gained political advantages to the family example, the double marriage agreement which enabled Habsburgs to rule Austria, Bohemia and Hungary in unite. The Czech lands fell into the ruling of Habsburgs in 1526 as the Bohemian Diet elected Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor, as the king. In 1546 German Protestants assisted by Bohemian noble men started riots against Ferdinandââ¬â¢s brother Charles V. Ferdinand responded by killing Protestants leaders, exerting royal control over Bohemia, removing privileges from the noble, taxing and punishing the people. In 1575 Habsburg ruler, Maximilian II refused authorizing Bohemian Confession which would have formed alliance between Protestants, Utraquists and Bohemian Brethren while preventing the war from taking place. Letter of Majesty was openly violated by the proceeding Habsburg rulers especially king Ferdinand II. On May 23rd 1618 infamous
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
How children with challenging behaviours can be included in the Literature review
How children with challenging behaviours can be included in the classroom - Literature review Example Though there is much disagreement on the exact definition, yet the intellectual community is aiming at identifying pragmatic solutions to the issue. For this reason, it is first crucial to understanding the reasons behind such behaviours which may range from general communication difficulties to other external factors, sometimes even socio-economic disadvantages or an underlying medical cause (Knowles & Landen 2012). Thus, once the underlying causes are identified, policy initiatives can be taken at the institute level which would then be needed to be incorporated into classroom to incorporate children with needs in the classroom. Establishing and Promoting positive behaviour towards children implicating challenging behaviour, on part of the teachers, is the most effective technique to resolve the issue early on. However, the main question arises in context to which techniques to apply and how, in order to ensure a secure and an encouraging environment for such children with needs. Moreover, the policies would only be effective if they contribute toward building a positive culture in the institute where an encouraging environment can be reaped to help the children with challenging behaviours. Analyzing literature is essential to understanding what has been done in the past to deal with the issue at hand, and more importantly the effectiveness of the techniques being applied in the past. More importantly, literature review will lead toward better understanding of the topic at hand which will further provide logical insights on the research question. Moreover, literature review will offer a holistic analysis of the children with challenging behaviours, which will help in generalizations adding further knowledge to the topic at hand. The topic is a policy concern for all institutions imparting education to children, since these institutes leave a serious impact on the students. Not
Monday, July 22, 2019
Far from the Madding Crowd Essay Example for Free
Far from the Madding Crowd Essay As they are speaking to the well-educated and proper Bathsheeba, this is effectively emphasised. When Bathsheebas eyes first fall upon the dying flock, Hardy describes the sheep as being helpless, livid and afflicted animals. These strong words add to the gloom of the scene, and Hardys description of Bathsheebas sad, bursting heart also creates despair. The ailments of the flock are described vividly which makes the whole situation seem much more real: Many of them foamed at the mouth, their breathing quick and short, whilst the bodies of all were fearfully distended In Bathsheebas moment of bewilderment, the rustics explain in their characteristic fashion that the only man in the area that could save them was Gabriel Oak. Immediately she protests: How dare you name that man in my presence! This shows that even a day after their argument, Oak is still very fresh on her mind. She rejects the rustics idea of Oak and turns to Boldwood for help. This act avoids confrontation and also yet again promotes her authority, this time over her workers. However, she quickly learns from the rustic people that Boldwood does not know the cure and that he sent for Oak when his sheep had the same disorder. Bathsheeba shouts at the workers and tells them to find somebody to cure the flock. This shows that she is too proud and stubborn to send for Oak, and does not want to, as it would show a weakness of her character. Never will I send for him-never! she said firmly As she witnesses an ewe dying in front of her, she repeats the above but this time wringing her hands. This signifies that she is frustrated; frustrated at herself for being so stubborn and frustrated that the only man who can save her prime flock is the same man she has just fallen out with. Hardy goes on to explain that with Bathsheeba the No, I wont virtually means I think I must. We have seen this inconsistency in Bathsheebas personality in the previous chapter when she declined Oaks opinion of her conduct at first and then went on to request it. It is a similar circumstance. Bathsheeba is far too stubborn and proud for her own good as it too often makes her life more difficult. However her inconsistency is the sure sign that her quest for power is really a show and that she is a lot weaker and sensitive really, for here she gives in again. Laban Jump on the Bay mare, and ride across, and say he (Oak) must return instantly-that I say so Bathsheebas above statement shows how very conscious she is of looking weak. It is quite clear that she has had a change of heart and decides to do the right thing and get Oak, yet still she must speak in her authoritative manner, seemingly trying to cover up her sensitive, more weak decision. As Laban rides towards where Oak is staying, Hardy names the places and features he passes on the way and on the way back. This is how Hardy conveys more of the area, naming places adds to the reality of the situation, and the reader can feel more involved and stimulated by the events occurring. The list of places also adds length to the passage where Laban rides to get Oak, which in turn adds to the suspense of the situation. On Labans return Bathsheeba sees that Oak is not with him, and Labans face is described as tragic, a dramatic word, which makes the reader think the worst. Laban explains that Oak would not come unless Bathsheba asked in a civil and proper manner, which annoys Bathsheeba Oak knows this. As much as Bathsheeba tries to control Oak, it is clear that Oak is in control this time. Her real sensitive and feminine personality is shown as another sheep falls dead and Bathsheeba bursts into tears another indication that she is not really strong and infinitely stubborn. Bathsheeba admits to her need for control and cover-up stubborn attitude when she murmurs: O, it is a wicked cruelty to me-it is-it is! And he drives me to do what I wouldnt This refers to her having to talk to Oak, whom she has only just sacked, as if she was politely asking a favour, and it is this sign of weakness that she hates so much. Bathsheeba decides to write Oak a short note, and Hardy conveys that it is heartfelt by describing her sobs and bursts of crying whilst she writes it. At the bottom of the note, driven by the drama of the time she conveys her first open passionate feelings toward Oak: Do not desert me, Gabriel! It is now clear that Bathsheeba does have close feelings towards Oak and is appealing to him right from her heart. The reader is not familiar with this highly feminine and sensitive side to Bathsheeba, which, again, adds to the whole drama of the scene. Oak responds this time, which conveys how strongly her emotional note appealed to the man who is in love with her, and cannot bear the thought of deserting her. Bathsheebas feminine charm had worked and she knew it for Hardy clearly states: She knew from the look of his face which sentence of her note had brought him After all of her powerful signs of affection, Bathsheeba still cannot face ceasing her commanding tone. Her first words to Oak: O, Gabriel, how could you serve me so unkindly! The flock is again described as Oak sees it: as turgid, prostrate forms. Hardy uses such striking words to fuel the readers suspense. Oak then gets to work, and the method he uses to cure the sheep is described in clear detail, which makes it more realistic. Oak manages to save the flock: When the love-led man had ceased from his labours Bathsheeba came and looked him in the face This line is important because it shows that all the effort Oak had just put in to save over fifty sheep was all driven by his love for Bathsheeba. It also contrasts from the end of the previous chapter because they look at each other, instead of avoiding eye contact, which conveys the romance conjured up by the heroic actions of Oak for the woman he loves, and her realisation of this. The chapter ends with Bathsheeba asking Oak to return to the farm, which he agrees to, and the last line, again contrasting with the previous chapter, conveying how Bathsheeba really feels: And she smiled on him again. Interestingly, the two chapters I have looked at above convey a cycle of the relationship between the two main characters. Everything starts off amicably before a crescendo of cutting comments result in an argument and the sacking of Oak. However, the occurrence of the flocks disorder makes Bathsheeba realise that she regrets sacking him and that she did it out of anger. After Oak saves the flock Bathsheeba is very grateful and their relationship becomes friendly again. Bathsheeba, as you have seen, is a very strong character and throughout the extract tries hard to control Oak. However, the situation develops, she ends up sacking him and then depending on him. Having noticed this, I also realised that this happens again in the book. At the beginning she rejects him as a husband, but then it is the actions of Oak who put out a serious fire, which begins at her new farm. This can be linked to the above extract: Oak gets rejected and then depended on by Bathsheeba. Similarly the night that Bathsheeba and her husband, sergeant Troy, celebrate their marriage is the same night that Oak saves the Harvest from a freak storm. Once again, Bathsheeba has denied Oak, but it is he who she depends upon in the end. In a way the whole book is based on the cycle conveyed in this extract. Bathsheeba continually rejects Oak, first for Boldwood, then for Troy. Oaks continual work on the farm keep it going whilst Bathsheebas marriage fails, and she turns to Oak for comfort: depending on him. Oaks devotion finally pays off in the end though, when eventually he does marry his true love, Bathsheeba Everdene.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Sociological Theories of Leisure: Marx and Weber
Sociological Theories of Leisure: Marx and Weber Leisure is an area of sociological study that has, according to many sociologists including Chris Rojek[1] been neglected. The literature, certainly in the countries of Britain and Australia, has been dominated by views and theories that fit into a Marxist framework. ââ¬ËLeisureââ¬â¢ is juxtaposed against what is deemed its opposite, ââ¬Ëwork.ââ¬â¢ In this essay I shall attempt to elucidate some of that Marxist framework and then criticise what can be viewed as its limitations thus, hopefully, highlighted and understanding some of the implications necessary for a further and deeper understanding of the sociology of leisure. Marxââ¬â¢s most basic premise, that man in capitalist society is alienated from his own labour, is also, unsurprisingly, the theoretical underpinning for Marxist notions of leisure. The change from older forms of economic markets to capitalist industrialisation forced a schism in the work/leisure relationship. ââ¬Å"The identification of leisure as the sphere in which needs are satisfied and pleasure found simultaneously makes work less susceptible to criticism as unsatisfactory and more salient as that which has to be tolerated to ââ¬Ëearnââ¬â¢ the freedom of leisure. Instrumentalism about work is built into this enforced separation: ââ¬Ëleisureââ¬â¢ is the prize to be won.â⬠[2] This demarcation is seen as the principle victory, in a stream of relatively uncontested battles, of capitalism in regards to leisure. The alienation of labour is made more tolerable by leisure activities and pursuits. The idea that one worked to live at the weekend, or outside of work, became prevalent. Work became a means to an end. The sphere of leisure, once created, offered the ruling classes the opportunity to restrict and control workers lives further, in insidious ways, permeating what was supposed to be ââ¬Ëfreeââ¬â¢ time. ââ¬Å"If the working class wants alcohol and music, it shall have them but only to be consumed under certain conditions.â⬠[3] Under the guise of caring for workers rights and needs, and by setting up institutions of leisure, the dominant ruling classes could ensure that time away from work was spent in activities deemed appropriate. The point of this control was, of course, to ensure the productivity of workers and thus perpetuate the capitalist market. A hung over worker was of little use. ââ¬Å"The establishment of leisure as consumptionâ⬠¦has also been of considerable significance.â⬠[4] This was capitalismââ¬â¢s second great victory in regards to leisure. The capitalist process, at its most fundamental, is all about consumption. By turning leisure into a commodity, to be bought and sold as well as used, revenue could be exploited. The irony and hypocrisy of the sphere of leisure, supposedly free of capitalist ideology, feeding that ideology with new avenues of revenue, production and reproduction, is shown by Clarke and Critcher. The freedom of leisure is a fallacy. ââ¬Å"The much vaunted democracy of the market-place rests on the rather less democratic foundations of the profoundly unequal distribution of wealth and income.â⬠[5] Instead of resistance to the fact that choice is limited, nay controlled, by the market, we, the consumer, value what choices we do have all the more. Choice in leisure is curtailed by social division and unequal distribution.ââ¬Å"Those with relatively more control over work tend to have more control over their leisure; class does not end at the factory gateâ⬠¦gender even less so.â⬠[6] Clarke and Critcher indicate a direct link between the alienation of work, to an alienation of leisure, precisely because they conceptualise leisure as being a by product of what we term as work. Leisure is defined by work, caused by work and needed because of work in a capitalist industrial society. Resistance to leisure models are, according to Clarke and Critcher, ultimately futile. The market can not completely control how leisure products are used, the young especially tend to use them in ways never envisioned. This would be seen as a site of resistance except, ââ¬Å"Such strategies may modify but cannot challenge the market/consumer model. Before we can modify the meaning and use of any commodity, we must first enter the market as consumers to acquire it.â⬠[7] ââ¬Å"In a manner sometimes reminiscent of the early Marx, Simmel argues that modern production is not the site of creativity, of individuality, of pleasure.â⬠[8] Marx stated that workers were alienated from their species being, their creativity, individuality and ultimately their pleasure. Simmel here echoes those sentiments. He also concurs that leisure is an escape from such alienation. ââ¬Å"In this context then, the history of forms of leisure is the history of labour The exhaustion of our mental and physical energies in work lead us to require only one thing of our leisure; ââ¬Ëwe must be made comfortableââ¬â¢; ââ¬Ëwe only wish to be amused.ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ [9] These notions are very similar to those of Marxist and neo-Marxist theorists such as Clarke and Critcher. Leisure is a reward for time spent working and the real purpose of leisure is to repair and relax the worker ready to once more be a useful member of the industrial complex. ââ¬Å"The sphere of non-work, ostensibly that of leisure, can also be filled out by consumption and by circulation in search of what is new. Where a mass of consumers has been created, commodities can be sold for their price rather than their quality.â⬠[10] It is to be noted that in sociology of the Marxist tradition, and here in Simmelââ¬â¢s own words, what constitutes leisure in a capitalist society for the workers is judged morally bankrupt and alienating. Quantity over quality, mere amusement over the satisfaction of any deeper needs. Many theorists question this view. Wrestling would certainly be treated as such mere amusement in a Marxist or Simmel tradition, yet for Barthes[11], such ââ¬Ëlowââ¬â¢ culture reproduces the ââ¬Ëspecies beingââ¬â¢ that they see as lacking from capitalist leisure. The Marxist tradition makes those judgements with very little empirical evidence. As Rojek states, ââ¬Å"So far leisure and other studies have provided little sense of what people actually do or feel in pubs, gardens, kitchens, on pitches or package tours.â⬠[12] The assumption of what people experience during leisure is dangerous. [13] In Freudian psychology, ââ¬Å"An irresistible verbal transitionâ⬠¦effortlessly replaces theâ⬠¦term ââ¬Ëleisure,ââ¬â¢ with a substitute, ââ¬Ëpleasure.ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ [14] In essence our existence, at the polymorphous perversity stage, begins as fun. The processes of society, the rules of the ego, attempt to cage that fun. ââ¬Å"The world of fun is repressed.â⬠[15] Freud noted the classic bourgeois ego, perhaps best represented by Veblenââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Leisure class.â⬠[16] For Freud, it was, ââ¬Å" Just this ââ¬Ëobjectivityââ¬â¢ which justified the utilitarian tradition in psychology, and, viewing the individual as a consumer rather than a producer, regarded pleasure as the consequence of possessing valued objects.â⬠[17] Freud depicted the Bourgeois ego as deriving its pleasure from owning commodities. This pleasure was leisure and inexorably, in both implicit and explicit ways, the subordinate classes were compelled to adopt this view because, as Rojek points out, ââ¬Å"the ideas of the bourgeois class are the ruling ideas in society.â⬠[18] Interestingly, Freudian psychology breaks with Marxist tradition. The pleasure of fun is not to be found in commodities. Commodities are the only form of leisure since, under capitalist ideology all leisure is a commodity. So, reacting to the psychological need to escape from the alienation of work, people seek excitement from their commodities instead. ââ¬Å"Consumption has become excitingâ⬠¦Possession, of course, remains its prerequisite, but necessity is held in abeyance.â⬠[19] The act of shopping in itself has become the excitement, the commodity itself holds less importance. Evidence of this comes from, ââ¬Å"The comparative longevity of modern goods (Which are) overwhelmed by the wish for continual newness.â⬠[20] Freud, rather pessimistically, saw no real way out of this ideological trap, hence his claim, ââ¬Å"For psychoanalysis the modest therapeutic aim of ââ¬Ëtransforming neurotic misery into common unhappiness.ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ [21] ââ¬Å"Kelly argues that, ââ¬ËIf something has to be done then it isnââ¬â¢t leisureââ¬â¢ and that ââ¬Ëleisure is generally understood as chosen activity that is not work.ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ [22] Sociology is replete with such ethereal and vague definitions of just what exactly leisure is. Clarke and Critcher state that their work, ââ¬Å"Does not attempt to lay to rest all those complex definitional questions about what is or is not leisure. We do not believe that these questions can be solved by ever more elaborate analytical juggling.â⬠[23] H F Moorhouse[24] takes issue with this. He raises the very salient point that one could consider it blithely ignorant to conduct a whole study without first defining what it is one is researching. Clarke and Critcher rely on a ââ¬Ëself evidentââ¬â¢ truth of what leisure is. ââ¬ËSelf evidentââ¬â¢ truths are, quite often, less than self evident. They rely on common sense notions, but sense in this case is not necessarily c ommon. ââ¬Å"It operates with the simplistic and stereotyped view of what most ââ¬Ëworkââ¬â¢ is like, seeing it as impoverished, routinised, deskilled etcâ⬠¦..What is a very complicated issue is oversimplified.â⬠[25] For Moorhouse, their treatment of work is crude and their definition of leisure spurious. They refuse ââ¬Å"To allow that paid labour can be, for most, a source of satisfaction, purpose, creativity, qualitative experience, and so on.â⬠[26] This can only be seen as a weakness. Classical assumptions of the nature of work and leisure may no longer be sufficient. Clarke and Critcher state that they are writing during a time (1985) of transition to ââ¬Ëpost-industrialââ¬â¢ society. If one take this claim seriously then it has important implications. ââ¬Å"The introduction of flexi-time and the development of human relations techniques in management have made the workplace less oppressive and monotonous for many workersâ⬠¦Moreover, technical progress enables paid employment to be conducted from the home.â⬠[27] Technology, in particular that most wide of world webs, has magnified the possibilities of working from home and blurred the lines of what constitutes work and leisure still further. The dualistic and simplistic account, as found in Clarke and Critcher and other works in the Marxist tradition, may no longer be completely adequate to explain the sociology of leisure. Their account seems isolated in a very specific moment, a moment of change . Older accounts, Veblenââ¬â¢s, Marxââ¬â¢s, Simmelââ¬â¢s, may have been entirely accurate at the time they were published, but that time has long since past. Other considerations may need to be taken into account. ââ¬Å"My submission is that the distinctions between work and leisure, public and private life, duty and excitement, have blurred.â⬠[28] If one takes the work of Rojek seriously, what implications for the tired and simplistic definitions of what constitutes work and leisure? Freud defines leisure as pleasure as fun. If the boundaries of what constitutes leisure and work are indeed eroding could it mean that leisure, pleasure and fun can be found in work? Or work in fun? A cogent example would be of a party that one feels obliged to attend. You do not like the food, you hate the music, youââ¬â¢re surrounded by people you despise and you would give anything to be anywhere else. Yet this is your leisure time? The sociology of leisure needs to address these concerns. ââ¬Å"Relationships and structures of leisure help mitigate human problems, foster cohesion in communities, alleviate personal suffering, maintain economic stability, and encourage political activity.â⬠[29] Some sociologists see leisure as being a site for developing essential social networks, places that maintain and improve cohesion and interaction. If one considers Simmelââ¬â¢s conception that sociability is the, ââ¬Å"Pure form of interacting independence of individuals,ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ [30] then one might conclude that the development of leisure networks are a ââ¬Ëmorallyââ¬â¢ good occurrence that let actors enjoy true or ââ¬Ëpureââ¬â¢ leisure, pleasure and fun. Perhaps for the good of the sociology of leisure, ââ¬Å"There is a need to shift attention away from the characteristics of individuals or groups as the unit of analysis, and focus on the characteristics of social relationships between people.â⬠[31] ââ¬Å"Social structure may also be manipulated by the intentional activities of actors.â⬠[32] The Marxist based argument is one sided. The bourgeois are the active oppressors, the working class the submissive victims and there is no room for any real dialogue between workerââ¬â¢s desire and capitalist ideology. [33] Also it assumes that capitalist ideology is uniform and coherent. The ideological structure is rarely that simple. Feminist theorists such as Wearing[34] raise the issues of the problem of womenââ¬â¢s experiences of leisure. Though raised in Clarke and Crichterââ¬â¢s work, their account does not, perhaps, delve deeply enough into the feminist sociological perspective. The structural and pervasive economic ideology of Marxism is, in many ways, present in feminist accounts, however particular attention should be paid to the fact that this ideology is exclusively the preserve of men, and is not exclusively economic. Theorists such as Butler[35] indicate the problem of explaining womenââ¬â¢s position in society while being forced to use the only language available, the language of masculinity. Still further Collins critiques feminism as the preserve of white women only.[36] ââ¬Å"If one ââ¬Ëisââ¬â¢ a woman then that is surely not all that one isâ⬠¦gender intersects with racial, class, ethnic, sexual and regional discursively constituted identities.â⬠[37] In conclusion and as stated above in the introduction to this essay, leisure is very often regarded as having been neglected in the arena of sociological study. Perhaps one of the reasons for this indifference has been the genuine problem of even defining exactly what leisure is. The Marxist tradition has held dominance in the field much since the time of Marx himself. Even those who I have used to criticise some of the Marxist perspectives themselves share many similar views[38]. This is because it is incredibly difficult to understand leisure without its ââ¬Ëopposite.ââ¬â¢ This study is really as much of a study of work as it is of leisure and this author actually can not find fault in that approach. What I do find fault with is the quite often simplistic dualism that is depicted between the two. As Rojek concludes, the edges between work and leisure are blurred and this is something that is important to the future study of leisure. Marxist ideas are frequently accused of being economicly deterministic. Whilst I personally find that accusation a tad harsh, many of the theories outlined above could be accused of considering the economic, the capitalist, a little too much in their theorisations. ââ¬Å"Leisureâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ËIs action in structureâ⬠¦produced by action in the real world of roles and responsibilities as well as the division of race, class, age and gender.â⬠[39] All of these particular characteristics must be considered in any study of leisure. Moorhouse suggests a methodology. ââ¬Å"Weber used the concepts of status group and lifestyle to refer to specific patterns of consumption and culturally based attachments. â⬠[40] What is certain is that by using such concepts, and still further, the sociology of leisure can only broaden its knowledge. Bibliography Roland Barthes Mythologies pub by J. Cape 1972 Roland Barthes Image, music, text pub by Fontana Press 1977 Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 The devil makes work: Leisure in capitalist Britain by J Clarke and C Critcher. Published by Macmillan 1985 Leisure in society, A network structural perspective by Patricia A Stokoswki. Published by Mansell 1994 Ways of Escape by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan Press 1993 Leisure and Feminist Theory by B Wearing. Published by Sage 1998 Gender trouble by Judith Butler. Published by Routledge 1999 Black feminist thought by P H Collins. Published by Routledge 1990 The theory of the leisure class by Thorstein Veblen. Published by The new American library 1959 Footnotes [1] Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 Ways of Escape by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan Press 1993 [2] The devil makes work: Leisure in capitalist Britain by J Clarke and C Critcher. Published by Macmillan 1985 p94-95 [3] Ibid p95 [4] Ibid p95 [5] Ibid p96 [6] Ibid [7] Ibid p201 [8] Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 p78 [9] Ibid p83 [10] Ibid p78 [11] Roland Barthes Mythologies pub by J. Cape 1972 Roland Barthes Image, music, text pub by Fontana Press 1977 [12] Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 p31 [13] Though Rojek himself reaches many of the same himself conclusions regarding the banality of modern leisure, in particular package tours, travel and tourism. Ways of Escape by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan Press 1993 [14] Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 p53 [15] Ibid p64 [16] The theory of the leisure class by Thorstein Veblen. Published by The new American library 1959 The ruling Bourgeois idea of leisure, for Veblen, was conspicuous consumption, the ostentatious display of wealth through the purchase of commodities. [17] Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 p69 [18] Ibid p101 [19] Ibid p70 [20] Ibid p70 [21] Ibid p57 [22] Ibid p17 [23] The devil makes work: Leisure in capitalist Britain by J Clarke and C Critcher. Published by Macmillan 1985 pxiii [24] Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 [25] Ibid p22 [26] Ibid p25 [27] Ibid p108 [28] Ibid p108 [29] Leisure in society, A network structural perspective by Patricia A Stokoswki. Published by Mansell 1994 p112 [30] Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 p87 [31] Leisure in society, A network structural perspective by Patricia A Stokoswki. Published by Mansell 1994 p38 [32] Ibid p112 [33] At least not in any meaningful way as we have seen in the above example, from Clarke and Critcher, that the very entry into the market process taints any action with is ideological stigma. [34] Leisure and Feminist Theory by B Wearing. Published by Sage 1998 [35] Gender trouble by Judith Butler. Published by Routledge 1999 [36] Black feminist thought by P H Collins. Published by Routledge 1990 [37] Gender trouble by Judith Butler. Published by Routledge 1999 p6 [38] Ways of Escape by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan Press 1993 [39] Leisure in society, A network structural perspective by Patricia A Stokoswki. Published by Mansell 1994 p37 [40] Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 p31
Non Verbal Communication Skills in the Workplace
Non Verbal Communication Skills in the Workplace Given todays technology-driven communication systems, people have fewer face-to-face interactions. As a result, it is crucial to maximize their impact. Dr. Gorman provides a valuable guide for doing just that by helping the reader understand how the nonverbal aspects of a conversation often say much more than the verbal ones. Jon Peters, President, The Institute for Management Studies. It is well-known that body language refers to nonverbal mode of communication. On scientific analysis, it has been found that the different aspects of communication comprise 55% bodily movements and gestures, 38% vocal tone and only 7% words or verbal communication. It is thus clear that about 93% of communication is nonverbal, as many times, words are inadequate. This shows that correct use of body language serves as an effective nonverbal communication tool to convince fellow-workers at workplace, as well as family and friends, eventually leading to overall organizational success through self-development. It further leads to personal and professional growth of an employee, ultimately benefiting the organization. An attempt has, therefore, been made in this paper to discuss the importance, modes and effective use of body language in successful organizational development (Rane, 2010). A thorough understanding of the role that body language plays in our day-to-day business activities is vital. Executives, managers, and salespeople who arent reading the clear signals of others or who dont have a clue how their own nonverbal communication is sabotaging their efforts. At a time when it is widely recognized that professional success is achieved with or through other people, the power of, and the need for, good interpersonal skills couldnt be greater (Gorman, 2008). 1. Nonverbal Communication: Definition. Any form ofà communicationà that is not expressed in words.à Nonverbalà communicationà is estimated to make up 65-90% of allà communication, and understanding, interpreting, and using it are essential skills.à Forms ofà nonverbalà communicationà include actions and behaviour such as silence, failure or slowness to respond to a message, and lateness in arriving for a meeting.à Body language is also an important part ofà nonverbalà communication. Nonverbalà elements ofà communicationà may reinforce or contradict a verbal message (Bloomsbury Business Library Business Management Dictionary; 2007, p5154-5154, 1p). Body language is like a computer. Everybody knows what it is, but most of us are never exactly sure how it works. Thats because the process of receiving and decoding nonverbal communication is often done without our conscious awareness. It simply happens. Human beings are genetically programmed to look for facial and behavioural cues and to quickly understand their meaning. We see someone gesture and automatically (Gorman, 2008). Everyone knows someone who can walk into a room full of people and within minutes give an accurate description about the relationships between those people and what they are feeling. The ability to read a persons attitudes and thoughts by their behaviour was the original communication system used by humans before spoken language evolved. Before radio was invented, most communication was done in writing through books, letters, and newspapers, which meant that ugly politicians and poor speakers such as Abraham Lincoln could be successful if they persisted long enough and wrote good print copy. The radio era gave openings to people who had a good command of the spoken word, like Winston Churchill, who spoke wonderfully but may have struggled to achieve as much in todays more visual era. Todays politicians understand that politics is about image and appearance, and most high-profile politicians now have personal body-language consultants to help them come across as being sincere, caring, and honest, especially when theyre not. It seems almost incredible that, over the thousands of years of our evolution, body language has been actively studied on any scale only since the 1960s and that most of the public has become aware of its existence only since the bookà Body Languageà was published in 1978. Yet most people believe that speech is still our main form of communication. Speech has been part of our communication repertoire only in recent times in evolutionary terms, and is mainly used to convey facts and data. Speech probably first developed between two million and five hundred thousand years ago, during which time our brain tripled its size. Before then, body language and sounds made in the throat were the main forms of conveying emotions and feelings, and that is still the case today. But because we focus on the words people speak, most of us are largely uninformed about body language, let alone its importance in our lives (Pease, 2008). Body language is also known asà kinesics.à A pioneer in the field, Ray Birdwhistell (Ray L. Birdwhistell, Kinesics and Context. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1970, p. 80.), writes, The isolation of gestures and the attempt to understand them led to the most important findings of kinesic research. This original study of gestures gave the first indication that kinesic structure is parallel to language structure. By the study of gestures in context, it became clear that the kinesic system has forms which are astonishingly like words in language. Researchers have observed people involved in the communication process. They have studied body language and other nonverbal behaviour, and they have then related or identified these actions with actual content of the message being transmitted. 2. Relationship Between Verbal and Nonverbal Communication. There are several ways in which the nonverbal behaviour is seen clearly related to verbal behaviour. This relationship is one of dependence and also of independence. There are nonverbal communicative acts that are easily and accurately translated into words. Several gestures clearly illustrate this relationship. For example, the gesture of folded hands for namaste, the gesture of handshake, a smile, a frown, etc., are generally translatable into words. There is also a class of nonverbal acts that are very much a part of speech and serves the function of emphasis. Examples are head and hand movements that occur more frequently with words, and phrases of emphasis. There are acts which draw pictures of the referents tracing the contour of an object or person referred to verbally. Yet another class of acts is employed for displaying the effects (feelings). Another class refers to acts that help to initiate and terminate the speech of participants in a social situation. These regulators m ight suggest to a speaker that he keep talking, that he clarify, or that he hurry up and finish (Ekman and Friesen, 1969). There are the ways in which the relationship between verbal and nonverbal communication can be characterized. These are as follows: -The relationship between verbal and nonverbal communication is one of the latter playing a supplementary role to the former. The nonverbal acts that are supplementary to verbal acts may precede or follow or be simultaneous with the verbal acts. For example, in many verbal acts one notices an accompaniment of one or more nonverbal acts, such as gestures, facial expressions, and movement towards or away from the addressee, to illumine the meaning of the former. While for any verbal acts such an accompaniment may only be considered redundant, for several others, such and accompaniment explicitness, clarity, emphasis, discrimination and reinforcement. -The relationship between verbal and nonverbal communication is also one of the former playing a supplementary role to the latter. In many verbal acts, both in children and adults, in normals with all the linguistic organs intact, and normal with some handicap to the linguistic organs, as well as in abnormal individuals, nonverbal acts may take precedence over the verbal acts in several ways. In the normal with all the linguistic organs intact, occasions demand the use of nonverbal acts such as pantomime and gestures for aesthetic purposes, and for purposes of coded (secret) communication. Indulgence in nonverbal acts as primary medium is also necessitated by the distance that separates the parties which can, however, retain visual contact while engaging themselves in communication. -The relationship between verbal and nonverbal communication could be one of correspondence as well. That is, there are several nonverbal acts that can be accurately translated into words in the language of a culture in which such nonverbal acts are performed. A handshake, shaking a fist at someone, a smile, and frown, etc., are all nonverbal acts translatable into verbal medium in a particular language. The functions of these nonverbal acts, context to context, are also codified in aesthetic nonverbal acts, such as dance, sculpture and other arts. The correspondence is sometimes translatable into words, sometimes into phrases and sentences, and several times translatable into compressed episodes involving lengthy language discourses. But the correspondence is there all the same and the import of this correspondence is shared between individuals within a community. There is also yet another correspondence of nonverbal acts in the sense that similar nonverbal acts could mean different things in different cultures. -Yet another relationship between a verbal act and a nonverbal act is one of dependence. A verbal act may depend for its correct interpretation entirely on a nonverbal act. Likewise a nonverbal act may depend for its correct interpretation entirely on a verbal act. In extreme circumstances, the former is caused because of deliberate distortion of the verbal act, or because of the difficulty in listening clearly to the verbal act, or because of the difficulty in reading with clarity what is intended to be read in the written verbal message. Deliberate distortion is not found only in contrived acts such as poetry or drama. It is done in day to day language itself. Distortion and opacity of the verbal message are also required in certain socio-cultural contexts wherein it is demanded that verbal acts be suppressed and made dependent on nonverbal acts. The dominant nonverbal acts also depends on verbal acts for clarity. This dependence also depends on verbal acts for clarity. It also occ urs in daily life. -Verbal and nonverbal acts can be independent of one another. Something is communicated through a verbal act. The continued manifestation of this communicative act may be in the form of nonverbal acts. That is, in a single communicative act, part of the message may be in verbal form and the rest in nonverbal, in an alternating way. Each part is independent of the other. This is contrived in poetry and drama. It is also found in every day life. An extreme form of this independence is the gulf that we notice between what one says and what one does. Also prevarication both in word and deed derives its strength, among others, from this feature. -Another relationship between verbal and nonverbal acts in one of non-relevance. This is most commonly found in normal adult speech and its accompanying gestures which are produced simply without any communicative intent. We move our hands, snap our fingers, move our bodies while speaking, with these gestures having no relevance to the speech we make. When this non-relevance between verbal and nonverbal acts found in normal is shifted to non-relevance or irrelevance within the ingle domain, within speech itself or within nonverbal act itself (during which coherence in speech or act is lost), we start considering the individual abnormal in some way. That is, non-relevance across the verbal and nonverbal media is normal, but non-relevance within a single medium is abnormal. The non-relevance is idiosyncratic and could be imitational as well. In the normal the excessive non-relevance of nonverbal acts accompanying speech comes to hamper the understanding of the verbal acts. 3. Types of Nonverbal Communication and Their Effects on Business. The types of nonverbal communication are almost limitless. However, there are the types that are most applicable to business communications: facial expressions and eye contact, other body movements and gestures, clothing and personal appearance, distance and personal space, physical environment, and time (Hamilton, 2011). Reading faces is not just a matter of identifying static expressions but also of noticing how faces subtly begin to change. People in face-to-face exchanges watch each others expressions to gauge reactions to whats being said and heard. Even when some words are missed, observing the expression on a speakers face can help the listener follow a conversation (Goman, 2008). The smile is a very potent form of facial expression. It opens the door to communication.à A natural, pleasant smile carries great significance in establishing and sustaining humanà relationships, be they in a family, society, community or a business organization. Significance of smiling is beautifully brought out in the saying, You are never fullyà dressed unless you wear a smile. Smile speaks the language of love, compassion,à sincerity, courtesy, confidence and dependability. A smile emits positive signals. A smileà can create a favourable impact and earn goodwill. All the same, it is also true that allà smiles are not genuine. In the service industry, the sales force is specifically taught toà cultivate genuine smiles and smile liberally in their day-to-day transactions withà colleagues and customers (Marwijk,2002). The eyes have been described as the gateway to the soul. They speak in the most revealing and accurate language because of the vast amount of information they convey about internal processes (Gorman, 2008). Probably everyone has had some experience with eyes as nonverbal communicators. Most of us have been stared at and have wondered why. Was it curiosity or ill manners? Or perhaps the starter had poor vision and was merely trying to get us in focus. But then there is the possibility the observer found us attractive and interesting and was issuing an invitation to get better acquainted. Most of us have decoded eye language even if we did not know about body language or nonverbal communication. There are numerous messages that can be sent with the eyes, but the stare is the most important technique a person has. In our culture one does not stare at another person-one stares at things. Therefore, a stare can have a devastating effect because it reduces a person to nonhuman status. There is an endless number of messages which can be sent when one thinks of eyes combined with different positions and movements of the eyelids and eyebrows. As with all forms of nonverbal communication, messages sent by the eyes should be decoded in terms of the words accompanying them (Marwijk, 2002). Daniel was well qualified (overqualified, in fact) for the job he was seeking, so when he didnt get hired he was shocked. But when Daniel called the recruiter who sent him out, he was told, You were fabulous in all the technical aspects, but you freaked out the interviewer because you couldnt look her in the eye (Goman, 2008). How can anyone hope to communicate without using hands and arms? And even legs are for something besides walking. No doubt each of us knows someone who talks with his or her hands. Some people punctuate communications with such extravagant gestures that it is extremely dangerous to get too close to their nonverbal exclamations. Do you know people who during a conversation or a card game drum or tap incessantly with their finger tips? Are there people you know who constantly click the on-off switch of their ballpoint pens? Do you know people who frequently pop their knuckles? Do you notice individuals who tap their feet, who cross and uncross their legs, or who cross their legs and then swing their crossed legs back and forth? What do these nonverbal messages tell you? Is the person nervous? Insecure? Bored? Thinking? Happy? Craving attention? A nuisance? Perhaps the messages mean nothing. On the other hand, if nonverbal signs reveal the emotional side of a communication, it is often important for you to try to determine what message is being transmitted along with the verbal one. Sometimes they are the same; other times they are drastically different. Many people are devoting their entire life to the study of body language. Body language is an interesting, fascinating area of nonverbal communication; much remains to be learned about it. By becoming a better observer, by sharpening your powers of perception, and by knowing as much as possible about your audience (decoders), you should be able to translate more accurately nonverbal and verbal messages (Marwijk, 2002). Elements such as physique, height, weight, hair, skin colour, gender, odours, and clothing send nonverbal messages during interaction. For example, a study, carried out inà Vienna,à Austria, of the clothing worn by women attending discothà ¨ques showed that in certain groups of women (especially women who were in town without their partners) motivation for sex, and levels of sexual hormones, were correlated with aspects of the clothing, especially the amount of skin displayed, and the presence of sheer clothing, e.g. at the arms. Thus, to some degree, clothing sent signals about interest in courtship. Research into height has generally found that taller people are perceived as being more impressive. Melamed Bozionelos (1992) studied a sample of managers in the UK and found that height was a key factor affecting who was promoted. Often people try to make themselves taller, for example, standing on a platform, when they want to make more of an impact with their speaking. Environmental factors such asà furniture, architectural style,à interior decorating, lighting conditions, colours, temperature, noise, and music affect the behaviour of communicators during interaction. The furniture itself can be seen as a nonverbal message. Proxemicsà is the study of how people use and perceive the physical space around them. The space between the sender and the receiver of a message influences the way the message is interpreted The perception and use of space varies significantly across cultures and different settings within cultures. Space in nonverbal communication may be divided into four main categories: intimate, social, personal, and public space. The term territoriality is still used in the study of proxemics to explain human behavior regarding personal space.à Hargie Dickson identify 4 such territories: Primary territory: this refers to an area that is associated with someone who has exclusive use of it. For example, a house that others cannot enter without the owners permission. Secondary territory: unlike the previous type, there is no right to occupancy, but people may still feel some degree of ownership of a particular space. For example, someone may sit in the same seat on train every day and feel aggrieved if someone else sits there. Public territory: this refers to an area that is available to all, but only for a set period, such as a parking space or a seat in a library. Although people have only a limited claim over that space, they often exceed that claim. For example, it was found that people take longer to leave a parking space when someone is waiting to take that space. Interaction territory: this is space created by others when they are interacting. For example, when a group is talking to each other on a footpath, others will walk around the group rather than disturb it. When we discuss space in a nonverbal context, we mean the space between objects and people. Space is often associated with social rank and is an important part of business communication. Who gets the corner office? Why is the head of the table important and who gets to sit there? As the context of a staircase has norms for nonverbal behavior, so does the public speaking context. In North America, eye contact with the audience is expected. Big movements and gestures are not generally expected and can be distracting. The speaker occupies a space on the stage, even if its in front of the class. When you occupy that space, the audience will expect to behave in certain ways. If you talk to the screen behind you while displaying a PowerPoint presentation, the audience may perceive that you are not paying attention to them. Speakers are expected to pay attention to, and interact with, the audience, even if in the feedback is primarily nonverbal. Your movements should coordinate with the ton e, rhythm, and content of your speech. Pacing back and forth, keeping your hands in your pockets, or crossing your arms may communicate nervousness, or even defensiveness, and detract from your speech (Scott McLean, 2008). Do you know what time it is? How aware you are of time varies by culture and normative expectations of adherence (or ignorance) of time. Some people, and the communities and cultures they represent, are very time-oriented. The Euro Railways trains in Germany are famous for departing and arriving according to the schedule. In contrast, if you take the train in Argentina, youll find that the schedule is more of an approximation of when the train will leave or arrive. When you give a presentation, does your audience have to wait for you? Time is a relevant factor of the communication process in your speech. The best way to show your audience respect is to honour the time expectation associated with your speech. Always try to stop speaking before the audience stops listening; if the audience perceives that you have gone over time, they will be less willing to listen. This in turn will have a negative impact on your ability to communicate your message. Chronemicsà is the study of how we refer to and perceive time. Tom Bruneau at Radford University has spent a lifetime investigating how time interacts in communication and culture. As he notes, across Western society, time is often considered the equivalent of money. The value of speed is highly prized in some societies.à In others, there is a great respect for slowing down and taking a long-term view of time. When you order a meal at a fast food restaurant, what are your expectations for how long you will have to wait? When you order a pizza online for delivery, when do you expect it will arrive? If you order cable service for your home, when do you expect it might be delivered? In the first case, you might measure the delivery of a hamburger in a matter of seconds or minutes, and perhaps thirty minutes for pizza delivery, but you may measure the time from your order to working cable in days or even weeks. You may even have to be at your home from 8 a.m. to noon, waiting for its installation. The expectations vary by context, and we often grow frustrated in a time-sensitive culture when the delivery does not match our expectations. Across cultures the value of time may vary. Some Mexican American friends may invite you to a barbecue at 8 p.m., but when you arrive you are the first guest, because it is understood that the gathering actually doesnt start until after 9 p.m. Similarly in France, an 8 p.m. party invitation would be understood to indicate you should arrive around 8:30, but in Sweden 8 p.m. means 8 p.m., and latecomers may not be welcome. Some Native Americans, particularly elders, speak in well-measured phrases and take long pauses between phrases. They do not hurry their speech or compete for their turn, knowing no one will interrupt them. Some Orthodox Jews observe religious days when they do not work, cook, drive, or use electricity. People around the world have different ways of expressing value for time (Bruneau, 1976). 4. Improving Nonverbal Skills The words that you say in a conversation are only a small part of what you communicate to another person. Your tone and body language play a much larger role in what you are communicating to another person. For example, the words great job can be taken as a sincere compliment or as a sarcastic barb, depending upon the nonverbal skills used. If you are saying the right words but not backing them up with your nonverbal skills, then you are not going to be a very effective communicator. Here is how to improve nonverbal skills. -Recognize that nonverbal skills are a very important part of communication. The way that you position your body and the voice tone that you use during a conversation can speak even louder than the actual words coming out of your mouth. By improving your nonverbal skills, you can become a much more effective communicator in all areas of your life. -Make eye contact. The fastest way to improve your nonverbal skills is to make eye contact with the other person during a conversation. By making eye contact, you are connecting with that person, which makes it much easier for both of you to understand each other. When your eyes are wandering during a conversation, you are sending the nonverbal message that you are not invested in the conversation. -Pay attention to your tone. Most of us have had the misfortune of sitting through a speech in which powerful words were killed because the speaker was clearly bored, which made what could have been a dynamic speech unbearably boring. If you want to motivate another person, you need to put some energy into your speech. If you want to put another person in his place, use a deeper and more firm voice. Use your tone to energize your words. -Watch your body language. The way you position your body during a conversation speaks volumes, and you can use the way you position yourself to improve your nonverbal skills. If you want to end a conversation sooner, make of point of looking at your watch, which says, I have somewhere else that I need to be. If you want to be in a power position during a conversation, stand while the other person remains seated. If you want to communicate that you are open to the other persons ideas, then uncross your arms. -Pay attention to other peoples nonverbal cues. When you are in a meeting, observe two people talking with each other. Notice the tone of their voices and the positions of their bodies. You can often tell who is going to win a disagreement based upon the nonverbal body language used. -Incorporate effective nonverbal skills into your own communication style. When you see another person use a nonverbal skill effectively, try to incorporate that nonverbal skill into your own communication style. For example, if you see a person effectively raise his eyebrows in a way that sends the message, I really do not believe you, without having to say a word, then incorporate that nonverbal skill into your own way of communicating when you are in a similar situation. -Practice improving your nonverbal skills. At first, you might feel self-conscious as you start focusing on your nonverbal skills. However, with a little practice, your nonverbal skills will become second nature, and other people will be learning from you (Marwijk, 2002). 5. Conclusion Nonverbal communication variables play a major role in affecting the meaning of messages in business communication contexts. Consequently, business communicators need to have a general understanding of nonverbal communication and to recognize how such behaviors as body posture and movement, eye contact, facial expression, seating arrangement, vocal cues, spatial relationships, and personal appearance affect the ways their verbal messages are received by others. Quite often nonverbal communication provides metacommunication, or communication about communication, serving to repeat, contradict, substitute, complement, accent, and regulate verbal communication. If business communicators want to ascribe meaning to others nonverbal behaviors, they should take care to interpret the nonverbal message in its proper context, realizing that people respond differently to different stimuli and that some nonverbal behaviors vary in meaning across cultures. Businessmen can apply their understanding of nonverbal communication to personal interviews to show their true feelings of immediacy, potency, and responsiveness, to relax others, and to achieve maximum effect from the interview situation. They can also observe and adjust seating arrangement, room decor, and eye contact between group members to increase productivity at conferences and in small group discussions.
Saturday, July 20, 2019
The Quantum Brain: Theory or Myth? :: Biology Essays Research Papers
The Quantum Brain: Theory or Myth? The study of neurobiology has long involved the actions and interactions among neurons and their synapses. Changes in concentrations of various ions carry impulses to and from the central nervous system and are responsible for all the information processed by the nervous system as a whole. This has been the prominent theory for many years, but, now, there is a new one to be reckoned with; the Quantum Brain Theory (QBT). Like many new theories, the QBT has merits and flaws. Many people are wholeheartedly sold on it; however, this vigor might be uncalled for. Nevertheless, this could prove to be a valid and surprisingly accurate theory of brain function. One of the most convincing arguments of the QBT is its explanation of how reality is conceived by the brain. Classically, reality should always be changing, even by the slightest notion, and the brain should be aware of these changes as they occur. According to quantum mechanics, this would be impossible; there is no time during which something is changing. Therefore, the brain cannot be in a state of change, it must be in one state or another, there is no in between. The QBT states that our brain takes in reality one moment at a time, it is never in a state where it is observing something change. It observes reality before the change and then after the change and then fuses these two images together in order to make sense of them. One question about the QBT comes when reality itself is considered; "why can't reality be a quantum system?" Well, there are a few explanations. One is that quantum systems are usually very small. Quantum mechanics cannot be used to explain the universe as a whole in all venues, however, can explain the movements of an electron, or the actions of a black hole. Another reason why reality cannot be explained by quantum mechanics is that quantum mechanics call for a holistic interpretation of the system. Reality, then, is much too large for all of it to be encompassed in one interpretation. Non-locality, another feature of quantum mechanics, prevents reality from being explained by quantum mechanics. Non-locality means that distance is not an issue in the effects of one part of a system on another. For example, curtains might not be blowing because your window is open and there is a wind, they might be blowing because somewhere in Russia, a woman is beating her rugs. The Quantum Brain: Theory or Myth? :: Biology Essays Research Papers The Quantum Brain: Theory or Myth? The study of neurobiology has long involved the actions and interactions among neurons and their synapses. Changes in concentrations of various ions carry impulses to and from the central nervous system and are responsible for all the information processed by the nervous system as a whole. This has been the prominent theory for many years, but, now, there is a new one to be reckoned with; the Quantum Brain Theory (QBT). Like many new theories, the QBT has merits and flaws. Many people are wholeheartedly sold on it; however, this vigor might be uncalled for. Nevertheless, this could prove to be a valid and surprisingly accurate theory of brain function. One of the most convincing arguments of the QBT is its explanation of how reality is conceived by the brain. Classically, reality should always be changing, even by the slightest notion, and the brain should be aware of these changes as they occur. According to quantum mechanics, this would be impossible; there is no time during which something is changing. Therefore, the brain cannot be in a state of change, it must be in one state or another, there is no in between. The QBT states that our brain takes in reality one moment at a time, it is never in a state where it is observing something change. It observes reality before the change and then after the change and then fuses these two images together in order to make sense of them. One question about the QBT comes when reality itself is considered; "why can't reality be a quantum system?" Well, there are a few explanations. One is that quantum systems are usually very small. Quantum mechanics cannot be used to explain the universe as a whole in all venues, however, can explain the movements of an electron, or the actions of a black hole. Another reason why reality cannot be explained by quantum mechanics is that quantum mechanics call for a holistic interpretation of the system. Reality, then, is much too large for all of it to be encompassed in one interpretation. Non-locality, another feature of quantum mechanics, prevents reality from being explained by quantum mechanics. Non-locality means that distance is not an issue in the effects of one part of a system on another. For example, curtains might not be blowing because your window is open and there is a wind, they might be blowing because somewhere in Russia, a woman is beating her rugs.
Friday, July 19, 2019
Essay --
Video games have shaped this country in many ways, in such a way that no other product has even came close. This accomplishment would not have been met if it were not for its many different types games there are for sale. If someone were to ask someone that was from an era where video games were popular and you asked them about games from the old age and the new age, that gien person will either know what you are talking about and/or had the experience to play that game. That is how popular video games are in this country. There are many different types of videos games that consumers can choose from. When someone walks into a video game store, or anywhere that sells video games, they are bombarded with huge selections of games. These games vary from action games, war games, tracing games, and even role- playing games. The list of possible selections could go on and on. But, the three best types of games that have been consistently popular have been the third-person video games, first -person video games, and arcade games. Though there are many different types of video games that are out on the market, each one gives the user its own unique experience. A type of video games that I have had a lot of experience with are first person shooter games. A first person video game makes looks through the perspective of the character. This means that the only object seen is the gun or whatever object the character has in hand. Some examples of this type of game include: Call of Duty, Borderlands, Halo, and many others. Usually, these types of games makes someone feel like they are apart of the story line and really gives a feeling that he/she is right there in the action and gives players a cool outlook on the game while playing. This experien... ...s of the games and have at least played arcade games a few times. This just shows that arcade games are still popular among the children and teen population today, and still very well known and appreciated by the adult population. There are many types of video games out there for the consumer to buy and enjoy in their free time. The types of games that I thought were the most popular were first-person, third-person, and arcade games. These sought- after games have been both popular and popular throughout the world. The consumer can see this by how the demand for these types of games has been constant for a number of years. It is up to the consumer to make up their opinion if a game is good or bad. I believe everyone should give these games a chance, because they are not only the best sellers of this video game era, but are in my opinion the most enjoyable to play.
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