African American Religion Essay

Before Africans were brought to America during the slave trade, they had their own culture and society. They had their own language and dance. They also had their own religion. History tells us that the Europeans justified their abuse toward the Africans as helping them become more civilized because the Africans lifestyle appeared primal to them and not as developed and industrialized as theirs. What is often overlooked is that even though Africans were taken from Africa and Americanized and have been stripped of their religion, culture, language and even their name, the very essence of the African as a people did not go away. Some African American slaves rejected Christianity’s religion because they saw it as the â€Å"white man’s religion†. History tells us American Slave Masters abused the Africans by whipping them like animals and by treating them inhumane. The fact that these slave masters wanted the African American to worship their god was unacceptable for some because they could not fathom why they should worship a god who allowed people to be so badly treated. Some Africans accepted Christianity’s religion and faith by identifying with Jesus Christ, the son of God who according to the Bible was innocent of sin and yet he was beaten, bruised and crucified for the sins of the world. Some African Americans wanted to remain faithful to their heritage yet did not agree with the conjure practices. Seth Holly’s character is a good example of conforming to the economic prosperity of America which was founded by Christians. White Christians enforced Christian beliefs, values, and some practices based on the Euro American Christian interpretation of Christian text. Seth developed a kind of hatred for his own people proving that he has adopted the practices of white America in the early 1900s. â€Å"Niggers coming up here from that old backwoods†¦ coming up here from the country carrying Bibles and guitars looking for freedom. † Seth says. â€Å"They got a rude awakening† (6). Seth signifies the African American who resents assimilation to the white American culture. But, at the same time, he too attempts to connect with his heritage by simply allowing Bynum to live in his home and bless it with his conjures rituals. Seth also participates in an African dance ritual called the Juba. Bynum’s character is introduced by practicing conjure rituals. He cuts open pigeons and spreads its blood onto him as a type of cleansing to communicate with spirits. Bynum represents the African American who chose to remain faithful to the religion of his heritage. Others who have chosen the faith of Christianity view conjure rituals as evil, witchcraft, or demonic. Some African Americans wanted to remain faithful to their heritage yet did not agree with conjure practices anymore. Loomis walks in on the juba dance and goes into a trance after dinner at the boarding house. He had a vision of skeletons emerge from a body of water. â€Å"Loomis: I done seen bones rise up out the water. Rise up and walk across the water. Bones walking on top of the water† (53). Loomis recognizes through the vision, his state of ignorance to the knowledge that will lead him to the new way of thinking. Bynum serves as a supporting character reacting to Loomis’s trance. â€Å"Bynum: They walking around here now. Mens. Just like you and me. Come right up out the water† (56). Loomis’s trance and Bynum’s interpretation of it is a turning point in the story. The skeletons coming from the bottom of the sea in Loomis’s vision represent the slave ships, the disorientation experienced by the slaves during emancipation, and the confusion of his release from Joe Turner. Both Loomis and Bynum have tapped into their ancestral religion. The difference between the two is that Bynum represents the African who never renounced his religion and Loomis is the African-American who turned from conjure religion and converted to the faith of Christianity. After Joe turner took his life away from him, Loomis questioned his Christian faith and his identity. By walking in on the ancestral ritual of the Juba dance, Loomis literally walked into what he had actually been looking for, his religion, consequently, his ancestral identity and this is why he fell into the trance. Throughout the play conjures is encompasses four generations; Bynum’s father, Bynum, Loomis, and the neighbor boy Reuben. Reuben’s vision is of Seth’s mother by the pigeon coop, she encourages Reuben to release the caged pigeons. Wilson writes in a way that leads the reader to believe that Loomis needs to find his missing wife. Martha Pentecost is not the one who was lost; Loomis was the one who was lost, wondering around from town to town, searching. Loomis came into the state of belief when Bynum helped him translate his vision. That vision represented Loomis going back to his ancestral conjure religion. Loomis needed to find Martha Pentecost simply to say good-bye to her and their life former together. Up until this point of the story, I believed that Loomis needed to find his wife so they could live out the rest of their lives as a happy free family with their daughter. However, it is made pretty obvious this was never Loomis’s intentions. â€Å"That goodbye kept me out on the road searching,† Loomis says, â€Å"now that I see your face I can say my goodbye and make my own world† (90). Martha Pentecost, a woman of Christian faith, represents the African who assimilated into white America’s culture and Loomis needed to find her to say good-bye to her and the Christian faith. Martha stands by her Christian faith by accusing Loomis â€Å"you done gone over to the devil† (91). White man’s religion believed that conjure was evil or the way of the devil. Loomis finds it easier to reject her for her Christian beliefs. â€Å"Loomis: Great big old white man†¦your Mr. Jesus Christ. Standing there with a whip in one hand and a tote board in another, them niggers swimming in a sea of cotton† (92). Loomis proves with his statement, his version of a bible story that differed from other African Americans but was similar to that of the white man who believed that they were on a level below God and the African’s were beneath them, African’s were one third of a person. Loomis now believes that if African’s are going to be free then they have to take charge of their own destiny. Martha Pentecost represents the African American’s religion, she identifies that Loomis needs to â€Å"be washed in the blood of the lamb† (92) and â€Å"you done gone over to the devil. (91) Through class lessons I learned that African American slaves compared themselves with stories in the bible to instill hope of a life free from oppression, violence, and bondage. Jesus according to the bible was innocent of sin and yet he was beaten, bruised and crucified for the sins of the world. The hope of reigning in heave with Jesus is considered the ultimate reward for suffering life’s trials and tribulations. It is the faith of the African Americans who accepted Christianity religion. Blacks trusted in the Lord instead of man. America was Egypt in the exodus story and as long as the enslaving and oppressing took place America would face the same wrath as Egypt. â€Å"Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. † The bible was depended on in justifying and motivation rebellion for the blacks and used as a tool to keep blacks enslaved by the whites. African Americans used sermons, song, and prayer to convey and teach their message of travail and triumph of Israel. Some African Americans could not get past the treatment from the white people that called themselves Christians and as a result they rejected Christianity. Selig’s role suggests that the link between characters is the acquisition of material goods. Selig admits that his ancestors have always made their living pursuing African Americas; his great grandfather transported slaves from Africa, his father captured runaway slaves and returned them to their masters for a reward, and Selig locates displaced people for a fee. Selig attains his ecstasy through consumer capitalism, through the selling of material goods. African Americans are objects for exploitation and exchange in the new economy. He binds African Americans to the economic system, demanding payment of his services and products which necessitates subsistence labor by taking them from one construction site or work site to another, similar to a temporary employment agency today. You pay for an employee to work for some time, but Selig is getting paid by the person looking for work or a ride to a chance of freedom. Selig cannot find a person that has not purchased a dustpan from him because he keeps the names of his customers. Seth is determined to achieve material success, he has very little patience for African Americans migrating north looking for the same prosperity that he desires. Seth is very demanding of his patrons, insisting on advance payment in full, and is preoccupied with maintaining a respectable house. â€Å"It’s hard enough now without all that ignorant kind of acting. Ever since slavery got over with there ain’t been nothing but foolish-acting niggers. Word get out they need men to work in the mill and put in these roads†¦ and niggers drop everything and head north looking for freedom. †(5, 6) Seth wants to blend in with the white man’s world; therefore he keeps a link with Selig by negotiating the manufacturing and sale of dustpans. Seth does not have any idea of what it would be like to be a slave, as he was born free in the North and was educated. He demonstrates his education with his math calculation when dealing with the boarding house patrons and the quick notation of him letting Selig know that he is trying to overcharge him for the dust pan materials. Educational differences played a role in tension with Southern blacks, most of who were forbidden from learning to read, saw religion as a matter of oral tradition and immediate experience and emotion. Northerner blacks, stressed that one could not truly be Christian unless they was able to read the Bible and understand it. This play denies individual worth and identity for some of Wilson’s characters. To be defrauded of the products of one’s labor or to see that creation diminished, like with Jeremy and the guitar contest, is to be denied a reflection of individual worth and identity. If people have been separated from this truth of individual worth and identity through oppression their capacity to bond with one another, form friendships, or couples, families are undermined. Social alienation in Wilson’s characters are expressed in their stores of broken relationships, uncertainty, or suspicion that they feel toward one another. â€Å"Seth: Something ain’t setting right with that fellow, Bynum. He’s one of them mean-looking niggers look like he done killed somebody gambling over a quarter. †(20) Connection between oppression, alienation from self and inability to form bonds with others is displayed in the character of Loomis. Joe Turner’s ability to oppress Loomis carried a judgment of non-worth. â€Å"Loomis: He told me I was worthless. Worthless is something you throw away. Something you don’t bother with† (73) Turners judgment of worthlessness forced Loomis to accept the reality of the white man’s power; he was marked as â€Å"one of Joe Turners niggers and forced to forget his song. †(71) Being alienated from himself and displaced with his relation to the world, Loomis is unable to establish bonds with people around him. The oppression encountered by Wilson’s characters is material or economic, that oppression is spiritual as well in the capacity to deprive the individual of a sense of himself or his unique song. The reawakening of Loomis after his encounter with cultural wisdom is not the self discovery of an average African American but creation of a new source of cultural wisdom, a new African holy man. Wilson uses many metaphors throughout the play. The song is a metaphor for Loomis’s identity and the African American cultural identity. Music is a large part of African American identity, so it makes since that in search of one’s identity they are searching for their song. The boarding house serves as an inn for traveling folk, but the tenants actually receive a form of healing during their stay. Tenants get direction and guidance from Bertha and Bynum. The shiny man that Bynum is in search for signifies African American independence. The man that Bynum met on the road was an independent African American, just as Loomis was freed by his past when he cleansed himself in his own blood. â€Å"Bynum: Herald Loomis, you shining! You shining like new money! †(94) Loomis has dismissed that the blood of Christ can wash away his sins and make him the man he used to be, but by washing himself in his own blood he has sacrificed the old life to begin his new journey on his terms. Bynum’s shining man has been found, meaning his work is complete; he has passed his powers on to the next generation, Loomis. â€Å"They tell me Joe Turner’s come and Gone† is a song that is sung by Bynum, when I first read the story I thought that the meaning was came and now he is dead however, the second time I read the play I realized that it meant that Joe Turner has come and snatched the men and now he is now gone. August Wilson uses symbolism in the play as a very important part in conveying the meaning of the story. Wilson’s use of symbolism is demonstrated through Mr. Wilson’s use of the road, Martha Pentecost, and Herald Loomis. Symbolic importance is give to the word freedom. The word freedom has instilled hope into the lives of African Americans: during slavery, hope for the release from bondage; after emancipation, the right to be educated, employed, and to move about freely; twentieth century, social, political, and economic justice. Freedom has always stood for the absence of any restraint, because God made all men from his image. There are a number of characters that travel around searching for their place in the world. Mattie, mentions that she keeps on looking, seems like she just keeps starting over, I ain’t never found no place for me to fit. † (76) Reuben tells Zonia, when he finds out that she is leaving the boarding house in search of her mom, â€Å"when I get grown, I come looking for you. †(84) Jeremy does not seem to care much when he loses his job because, â€Å"don’t make me no difference. There’s a big road out there, I can always get my guitar and find me a place to stay. I ain’t planning on staying in one place for too long noway. † (64) Martha & Reverend Tolliver moved the Church up north because of the trouble the church was having. When the Civil War finally brought freedom to previously enslaved African Americans, the task of organizing religious communities was only one element of the larger need to create new lives, to reunite families, to find jobs, and to figure out what it would mean to live in the United States as citizens rather than property. August Wilson’s play, Joe Turner’s come and Gone, examines African Americans search for their cultural identity following slavery. Bibliography Murphy, L. G. (2000). Down By the Riverside. New York: New Yourk University Press. Wilson, A. (1988). Joe Turner’ Come and Gone. New York: Penguin Group.

Factors that may lead to abusive Essay

Everyone can be victims of abusive behaviour. There are many factors that may lead to abusive situations, it could be physical that are seen clearly, some are hidden and some are emotional that the victim needs to talk to someone about. Abuse may be a single act or many acts. It can occur in any relationship and may be the result of deliberate intent, ignorance or neglect. It may be a criminal offence, such as rape, assault or theft. (http://myway.trafford.gov.uk 2014) Abuse is where the abuser may find joy or thrill by doing the actions they do, for instance if their life is going downhill, they may not want to be the only one to do so, so they put someone down either by physical, emotional, or even sexual abuse. Some of the key risk factors for abuse include: family conflict, dependency, isolation, carer stress, addictive behaviours and physiological problems. (http://www.eapu.com 2014) People more vulnerable of abusive situations: -physical disabilities -communication difficulties, may not hear the abuser, may not be able to stand up for his or her self, they may not see the abuser or that someone is going towards them, they won’t be able to talk to someone about it because they could have doubts -learning disabilities, may not know that they are being exploited or abused so its easy to be taken advantage off -mental health problems -people with dementia, affecting the intellect and physical functions, this could cause unpredictable psychological or physical behaviour. -dependency, i.e. on carers -social isolation, people usually have fewer contacts on the outside world (http://www.caerphilly.gov.uk 2014) Personal problems cause frustration, things such as addictions to drugs and  alcohol can modify behaviour and add to the bad feelings leading the individual to abuse someone. Usually if one partner in a relationship is earning more money the other partner will feel disempowered, also typically in men, if their wife/partner earns more than them it doesn’t abide to the stereotypical view of the male being the provider so they can become very aggressive and use financial abuse to make themselves feel better i.e. denying or stealing their partners money so they feel bigger and more powerful. Environmental problems such as poor housing or overcrowding could potentially lead to abusive situations because, if there is overcrowding, the abuser may need more space and abuse someone so they leave. Someone with poor housing is easy targets for abusive people as they may live on the streets, the abuser may think that because they live on the street they have no feelings or family and take advantage of them just because they are lesser off than the abuser, so the abuser may feel a sense of priority over them. An adequate increase on carer stress may push the carer too far and abuse someone. The carer may lack understanding of the ageing process, illness, disability and/or needs of the vulnerable adult. The carer may blame the victim of financial problems as they have a low income or debt problems, although it is not the victims fault, this could lead to the carer possibly blackmailing someone for more money, abusing the victims money, providing them with financial problems. Another aspect of abusive situations is personal stress; the carer may be looking after two generations, his or her own children and a dependent adult, they may feel that are not getting their own time meaning they feel isolated, and may take advantage of someone and the carer may feel disempowered and trapped. If someone rejects help, then they are even more vulnerable. In some families abuse is considered the normal reaction to stress, and it may continue from generation to generation, for instance if a child has done something wrong they need to be disciplined, some families would confiscate something and some families may physically abuse, i.e. smacking. A child who was previously abused may now be a carer and repeat the cycle of abuse  to a dependent parent or child. The risk of abuse is greater where the vulnerable adult: Has an unusual behaviour, for example they may stay in their safe zone a lot more, they don’t want to leave as they feel they can’t trust anybody Rejects help, they may have family there for them or friends but they may feel they can cope themselves, they break down communication between them and everyone else Is socially isolated i.e. does not have other friends or visitors Unable to complain, for example because of hearing disabilities and other communication barriers May have low self-esteem, so lacking power in relationships Bay be less likely to be served well be the criminal justice system, possibly because of past criminal convictions (http://myway.trafford.gov.uk 2009) (http://www.safefromharm.org.uk 2014) Bibliography http://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/pdf/Health_SocialCare/POVA/Predisposing_factors_which_may_lead_to_abuse.pdf 2006 Date accessed 23/09/14 http://www.eapu.com.au/elder-abuse/risk-factors 2014 Date accessed 23/09/14 http://myway.trafford.gov.uk/i-need-help-with/keeping-people-safe/safeguarding-adults/safeguarding-adults/understanding-safeguarding/types-risks-and-indicators-of-abuse.aspx 2014 Date accessed 24/09/14 http://myway.trafford.gov.uk/i-need-help-with/keeping-people-safe/safeguarding-adults/safeguarding-adults/understanding-safeguarding/types-risks-and-indicators-of-abuse.aspx 2009 Date accessed 28/09/14 http://www.safefromharm.org.uk/wps/wcm/connect/occ/Safe+From+Harm/Professionals/What+is+adult+abuse/SFH+-+Prof+-+T+-+risk+factors 2014 Date accessed 28/09/14

Applications of computers in various fields Essay

Computers have their application or utility everywhere. We find their applications in almost every sphere of life–particularly in fields where computations are required to be done at a very fast speed and where data is so complicated that the human brain finds it difficult to cope up with. As you must be aware, computer now-a-days are being used almost in every department to do the work at a greater speed and accuracy. They can keep the record of all the employees and prepare their pay bill in a matter of minutes every month. They can keep automatic checks on the stock of a particular item. Some of the prominent areas of computer applications are: 1)In Tourism:[/B] Hotels use computers to speed up billing and checkout the availability of rooms. So is the case with railways and airline reservations for booking tickets. Architects can display their scale models on a computer and study them from various angles and perspectives. Structural problems can now be solved quickly and accurately. 2)In Banks: [/B]Banks also have started using computers extensively. Terminals are provided in the branch and the main computer is located centrally. This enables the branches to use the central computer system for information on things such as current balance,deposits, overdrafts, interest charges, etc 3)In Industry:[/B] Computers are finding their greatest use in factories and industries of all kinds. They have taken over the work ranging from monotonous and risky jobs like welding to highly complex jobs such as process control. Drills, saws and entire assembly lines can be computerized. Moreover, quality control tests and the manufacturing of products, which require a lot of refinement, are done with the help of computers. 4)In Transportation:[/B] Today computers have made it possible for planes to land in foggy and stormy atmosphere also. The aircraft has a variety of sensors, which measure the plane’s altitude, position, speed, height and direction. Computer use all this information to keep the plane flying in the right direction. In fact, the Auto–pilot feature has made the work of pilot much easy. 5) In Education:[/B] Computers have proved to be excellent teachers. They can possess the knowledge given to them by the experts and teach you with all the patience in the world. You may like to repeat a lesson hundred times, go ahead, you may get tired but the computer will keep on teaching you. Computer based instructions (CBI) and Computer Aided Learning (CAL) are  common tools used for teaching. Computer based encyclopedia such as Britannica provide you enormous amount of information on anything. 6)In Entertainment:[/B] Computers are also great entertainers. Many computer games are available which are like the traditional games like chess, football, cricket, etc. Dungeons and dragons provide the opportunity to test your memory and ability to think. Other games like Braino and Volcano test your knowledge. 7)Science: All branches of science, from astronomy to zoology, depend on computers to further their knowledge on increasing the life span of man. The MRI, the PET, and other computer-aided machines help doctors and scientists to better understand the people’s medical needs. 8)Communications: using computers will never be complete without using the Internet. This global network of networks have swept the lives of many people as daily tasks become handier, communications more convenient, and most of all, sources of information broader and more accessible. 9)Business: Computer has changed how we do business. Gone are the days of labor-intensive and manual way of inputting data through ink and paper. Now, with a few taps of keys and a few clicks of the mouse, good and productive business is on its way. 10)Government: Government offices also depend on computers for its basic needs. From simple letters to the more complicated projects are now being produced through the use of computers. Government agencies and their databases are now interlinked, making it easier for the agencies to monitor economic developments.

Personal Statment Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Statment - Personal Statement Example I had the experience of selling and marketing various items and acting as a middle seller. Items like MP3 player, second hand bikes and fashion watches earned me a fair bit of profit, and I enjoyed doing this work too. This interest of mine led me to the Paldo Advertisement firm, where I learned the basic norms and structure of companies and how the business chain runs. Before starting to work in the Paldo Advertisement firm, I was in the military services. It might look a bit unusual, to switch from military and end up being a businessperson, but that is how my life goes. My time in the military service too, was quite fascinating, with many ups and downs every day. I learned the skills of dealing with the worst situation and predicting future circumstances. I think these skills will help me throughout my life, even in daily matters and systematic planning of my decisions. Later, my interest in business planning and finance developed further, due to my passion towards the stock market, and in learning factors, which affects the market share of a company. This was a decisive moment when I realized that I can trade effectively in stocks, and more importantly, I loved doing it. For those who have been in the stock market, would know the complexity and sensitivity in buying and selling stocks. There are various factors and figures that are needed to be considered before a person can predict the rise or fall of a stock (Alexandar). After my work at the Paldo Advertisement firm, I did some home trading in the stock market from my home. There was a significant difference in my feelings and emotions, when I was studying stock market and then when I started doing myself. The more I got into the stock market, trading stocks and predicting which to buy and which to sell, the more my interest in it kept on building. To be a master in the field, I needed to

The GlaxoSmithKline Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The GlaxoSmithKline Company - Case Study Example The company has had strategies which aim at meeting the needs of the consumers both locally and internationally. However in the international markets GlaxoSmithKline Company adapted various strategies which take into account the cultural backgrounds of the consumers, the consumers buying habits and also the consumer's levels of their personal disposable income. This has enabled the company to further deliver a well tailored program for its marketing mix globally to suit the needs of the consumers. Unlike its domestic marketing mix GlaxoSmithKline Company which is a global player has adapted their product as well as their marketing mix strategy so as to meet the needs of the global customers. The standardization strategy for this company helps it in reducing its costs and this is because it thinks global thus helping it in establishing itself in the foreign markets. (GlaxoSmithKline Company 2007) On the other hand the domestic marketing mix of the company focuses on strategies that would help in meeting the needs of the local and also regional consumers. This does not require a lot of input as it does in the international markets. ... The company highly emphasizes on advertising its products globally and its strategies to achieve their advertising goals ensure that the issues of the language barriers are well taken care of. Similarly the company in its international promotion strategies ensures that their advertising messages are not offensive in any way to the residents of the other countries. In its international promotional strategies GlaxoSmithKline Company takes a lot of concern in the level of the media development in various countries. The company has further adapted a strategy of adapting its advertising messages to the international markets so that it can successfully meet the demands of the consumers. On the other hand in the domestic marketing mix the company has adapted the domestic promotional strategies and it does not have to lay a lot of emphasis on the language barriers as in the case of the international marketing promotional strategies. International pricing strategies GlaxoSmithKline Company has also adapted some international pricing strategies which has eased the international pricing difficulties. It puts into considerations factors such as the fixed and the variable costs, the company's objectives, the competition, the proposed company's positioning strategies as well as the target group and the willingness of the consumers to pay for the products. Similarly the company in the international pricing strategies makes considerations on the cost of transportation and it also looks into the import duties or even tariffs that could be levied on its products as they are sold on an international scale. (GlaxoSmithKline Company 2007) On the other hand the company makes considerations on the incomes of the international customers

Disition making Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Disition making - Statistics Project Example cted and the demand is low, the option of doing nothing will earn the company a profit of 140,000 or stimulating the demand via the local advertising. The feedback of advertising can either be modest or sizeable with their corresponding probabilities estimated at 0.3 and 0.7. When the advertising is modest the profit will be 70000, and if the advertising id sizable the profit will grow to 770,000. Consequently, assuming the facility to be built is larger, and the demand happens to be high, the recorded profit will be 280,000. The paper therefore, draws the help for the Director of Research and Development Department at Al Karim to decide on the best decision by embarking on the decision that will maximize the profit of the organization. The paper further draws the decision tree for the current situation of the company. Additionally, the paper calculates the anticipated revenue for the alternative (Fitzgerald, 2002). The sole objective of Al-Karim Inc. in the manufacturing industry is to make and maximize profits. The profits are gained from the operation of the company’s daily activities. The company operation involves producing Cleaning Vacuums in Qatar. The company through the office of the Research and Development Department will consider building a facility that will have positive revenue returns from its operation. The amount of profit that the company will earn depends on the demand of the product in the anticipated locations of Doha. Assuming the smaller facility brings forth a higher return than the larger facility, then the company will resolve on the same and vice versa. The choice of facilities depends on various variables like the demand, the probability of certainties, the external factors like advertising response, and the profit that comes along with the variables. The company will use the decision tree find out the best choice out of the alternatives. The choice of the fa cility will completely depend on the amount of the expected profit from the

Business Policy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Policy - Case Study Example ort tries to identify the challenging environment that the company is facing in its operating environment in the recent months, along with that it gives an outline about the future strategic directions that the company might pursue. The report is based on three principal issues -1) The External Environment Analysis, 2) The Internal Capability Analysis, 3) Recommendation and Conclusion. According to the International Air Transport Association, the industry lost up to $8 billion in 2008 which is even greater than what was forecasted previously. The report uses a PESTEL analysis (See PESTEL Analysis: Appendix D) to scan the external environmental structure of the company. The business cycle of British Airways includes several parameters. This is due to the fact that airline industry is characterized by longer business cycle resulting from the lower profitability and for the lower shareholder returns. (Liehr, Nd, page 1). The marketing environment is constantly changing and with every change in the last few years airlines industry is being affected. The demand for the airline industry is highly income elastic. (â€Å"An analysis of British Airways Marketing Environment†, 2008) Thus the rise in the fuel prices last year and recent economic turmoil has affected the airlines industry in huge way as the passengers are avoiding more expensive air travels. According to a report by Air Transport association of America, the revenue generated from passenger travels for all airlines fell by 19 % during the month of February, 2009 when compared to February 2008. This is the forth consecutive month where loss is being recorded. The business sector, hit badly by the economic crisis are cutting back on their airline trips. British airways having ten flights operating daily between London and New York is among the worst hit. (â€Å"Lucrative Business class air travel hit by crisis†, 2009) The company saw a decline in 8.6 percent in premium traffic and 4.1 percent in non premium.

Analyze a Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyze a - Case Study Example IMPORTANT FACTS SURROUNDING THE CASE Multitouch technology is probably more flexible as compared to single-touch technology. The technology allows users to perform exceptional gestures using one or more fingers. The technology facilitates users to interact with objects on the smartphone or computer screen without using mouse, clicking buttons or striking keys. In other words, it overcomes the difficulties of using mouse or keyboards and thus enables the users to access and interact with objects on the screen, who are physically unable to grasp mouse (New To The Touch, â€Å"Interactive Session: Technology†). Accordingly, the key advantage of multitouch technology is that users can perform various actions on the screen using their fingers to interrelate with these objects on the screen instead of merely depending on mouse or keyboard. The multitouch technology allows users to browse and navigate internet, zoom in and out images and web pages on the computer screen or smartphone as well as it enables users to shuffle and organize applications on the screen. Another important advantage of mutitouch technology is that students at elementary level are offered with ‘easy- to- use’ computer. Moreover, multitouch technology also provides significant opportunities for commercial sectors. Notably, business consumers can interact and place orders with retailers and make virtual video calls simply with the use of their fingers (New To The Touch, â€Å"Interactive Session: Technology†). KEY ISSUES There are various issues related to people, organization and technology that must be addressed if any business considers systems and computers with multitouch. It is vital to address employees who are not technology savvy as well as those employees who are impervious to change. The cost of implementing and maintaining multitouch interface is also quite high (New To The Touch, â€Å"Interactive Session: Technology†). ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION I t is also crucial to address the organization’s adaption towards technology, its goals and information technology (IT) expertise within the organization. As far as the technology is concerned, it is imperative to address cost associated with implementation and maintenance. Additionally, another course of action should include the fact that employees should be provided with adequate training to handle the intricacies associated with mutitouch interface. Correspondingly, addressing all these components effectively will facilitate the business to avail the opportunities provided by multitouch technology in the best possible manner (New to the Touch, â€Å"Interactive Session: Technology†). Effective leadership is essential for successful implementation of multitouch screen within the organization (New To The Touch, â€Å"Interactive Session: Technology†). EVALUATING EACH COURSES OF ACTION Addressing the issues effectively will enable the companies to avail the sign ificant advantages arising from the use of multitouch interfaces. Multitouch technology implemented within the IT infrastructure of the organizations will enable the management to conduct its business transaction smoothly. In this regard, it can be said that rendering proper training regarding the technology will also allow employees within the organizations to perform their various activities smoothly that would in turn immensely benefit the organization. Moreover, the multitouch interf

Marketing Mix Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing Mix Presentation - Essay Example The company offers services on a full pay basis. The company’s location is at the middle of the city centre to enable quick and easy access for its customers. The extended specialized services such as personalized care and the clinics attract more customers to the facility. . The company prices its products on minute basis. The differences between the minutes are not proportional to the difference in price increment. The clients are at liberty to choose the kind of service that best suits their budget. The company’s location at the beach facilitates ease of access considering that many people go to the beach. The many promotions offered attract many customers to pose as regular customers so they can enjoy the promotions. Advertising of the company’s website, provision of retreat services alongside SPA services, provision of extended gifts such as Message Gifts Certificates and Beauty Gift Certificates to regular customers, promotions such as Shanghai Promotions d uring May. The company offers services on a minute basis. The increment in minutes is not proportional to the increment in price charge. The pricing dissuades the customer to seek the service with a higher quality than the one they intended before. The quality of services depends on the price charge. The customers therefore have the freedom to choose based on their budget demands. The company also offers specialized services unique to the Chinese and Japanese culture. Product specialization attracts more customers to seek the specialized services. The companies offer, mostly, similar products differentiated by the brand name which incorporates the company’s name. The companies have adapted to the surrounding demographic requirements as they offer services unique to the surrounding population.

Water Hardness Essay Example for Free

Water Hardness Essay METHODS: 1. Prepare an approximate 0.004 M disodium EDTA solution. To prepare this solution, weigh about 0.7-0.8 g of Na2EDTA and dissolve in 500 mL deionized water in your plastic bottle. Make to to shake the bottle to dissolve the salt. 2. Obtain a 250-mL Erlenmeyer flask and transfer a 10 mL of CaCO3 using a buret into the flask. 3. Measure 30 mL of deionized water and add it into the titration flask. 4. Make sure to stir the solution 5. Inside a fume hood, add 3mL of ammonia/ammonium chloride buffer (pH10) into the flask and stir for another 30 seconds. 6. Add four drops of Eriorchrome Black T indicator solution. Stir for another 30 seconds 7. Begin titration. Record your initial volume and final volume. At the endpoint, the color will change to pink to violet to blue. 8. Repeat this titration two more times. Now that you recorded the volume, your second and third trial should be a lot easier. 9. Take your water sample that you obtain from the stockroom and record the unknown number. 10. Transfer 25 mL of the unknown water sample to a 250-mL Erlenmeyer flask. 11. Add about 20 mL of deionized water to the titration flask. Stir for 30 seconds 12. Inside a fume hood, add about 3 mL of ammonia/ammonium chloride buffer (pH10) and stir for another 30 seconds. 13. Add four drops of Eriorchrome Black T indicator solution to your flask and stir for 30 seconds. 14. Begin titrating. Record you initial volume and final volume. Repeat this twice more. Calculate the average hardness and your experimental precision from the three trials. RESULTS: EDTA Solution: 0.7533g of Na2EDTA mixed with 500ml DI water Table A: Standardization of EDTA Trial| Start Volume| End Volume| Amount of EDTA| 1| 3.90ml| 29.85ml| 25.95ml| 2| 5.35ml| 28.35ml| 23.00ml| 3| 0.45ml| 23.50ml| 23.05ml| Moles EDTA calculations 1st and 3rd trial (10.1 mL CaCO3) x (1L/1000ml) x 1.000g CaCO3/1L) x (1 mole CaCO3/100.1 g CaCO3) x (1 mole EDTA / 1 mole CaCO3) x (1000ml/L) = 0.101moles EDTA/L 2nd trial (9.90 ml CaCO3) x (1L/1000mL) x (1.00 g CaCO3/L) x (1 mole CaCO3/100.1g CaCO3) x (1 mole EDTA/1 mole CaCO3)x (1000 mL/1L) == 0.099 moles EDTA/L Mean molarity: (0.101 + 0.099 + 0.101)/3 = 0.100 moles EDTA / L Water hardness calculations Unknown water sample #24 Table 2. Water sample Trial| EDTA | Water sample #24| 1| 13.45ml| 25.1ml| 2| 13.35ml| 25.5ml| 3| 13.50ml| 25.0ml| CaCO3 molar mass: 100.1g/mole 1st trial (13.45 mL EDTA/25 mL of unknown water sample) x (1L/1000mL) x (0.101 moles EDTA/1L) x (1mole CaCO3/1 mole EDTA) x (100.1 g CaCO3/1 mole) x (1000 mg CaCO3/1g) x (1000mL/1L) == 5439.2 mg CaCO3/1L 2nd trial (13.35 mL EDTA/25 mL of unknown water sample) x (1L/1000mL) x (0.099 moles EDTA/1L) x (1mole CaCO3/1 mole EDTA) x (100.1 g CaCO3/1 mole) x (1000 mg CaCO3/1g) x (1000mL/1L) == 5291.9 mg CaCO3/1L 3rd trial (13.50 mL EDTA/25 mL of unknown water sample) x (1L/1000mL) x (0.101 moles EDTA/1L) x (1mole CaCO3/1 mole EDTA) x (100.1 g CaCO3/1 mole) x (1000 mg CaCO3/1g) x (1000mL/1L) == 5459.5 mg CaCO3/1L Calculate the total hardness in ppm CaCO3 1st trial 13.45ml EDTA x (0.004M/1000ml) x (100.1g CaCO3/1mole CaCO3) x (1000mg CaCO3/1g CaCO3) x (1000L/25.1ml) = 214.6 ppm CaCO3 2nd trial 13.35ml EDTA x (0.004M/1000ml) x (100.1g CaCO3/1mole CaCO3) x (1000mg CaCO3/1g CaCO3) x (1000L/25.5ml) = 209.6 ppm CaCO3 3rd trial 13.50ml EDTA x (0.004M/1000ml) x (100.1g CaCO3/1mole CaCO3) x (1000mg CaCO3/1g CaCO3) x (1000L/25ml) = 216.2 ppm CaCO3 Average ppm (216.2 + 209.6 + 214.6)/3 = 213.5ppm CONCLUSION: The concentration was concluded to be 213.5 ppm in the unknown which is right about in between Phoenix’ water hardness which is 164-291 ppm. REFERENCE: Department of Chemistry.(2012,February).Complexometric Determination of Water Hardness.Mesa Arizona City of Phoenix Official Website http://phoenix.gov/waterservices/quality/index.html

Long Term Global Warming Effects Environmental Sciences Essay

Long Term Global Warming Effects Environmental Sciences Essay Global warming is recognized to be the effect of increasing atmospheric greenhouse gases. In Australia, however, experts discover that land use/land cover change (LUCC) has potential impacts on the exacerbation of climate change consequences. To address this issue, the Australian government calls for the execution of several methods to prevent further deterioration of Australian ecosystem. Such steps are needed to reduce the harmful effects of long-term global warming in the Australian continent as represented by 15% clearing of the continents agriculture, hotter and drier El Nià ±o, more frequent occurrence of drought, large-scale deforestation, and reduction in the gross population of plants and animals, and danger on human health. The consequences of ignoring this effect could have a terrible impact in the nations environment, economic and communities not only in Australia but also around the world. The global climate has elevated the greenhouse gases such as dioxide and ozone, w hich has caused global temperatures to, accelerated over the last 50 years. For example, in some cases there has been a consequential vegetation change to increased woodiness. Because of the fragility of the Australian landscape and their variable climate this effect are important to the future state of Australias vegetation, soil and water resources. They decided to integrated more policies and regional natural resources strategies that will renovate their environmental issues. In addition, this will be beneficial to the vegetation and their regional climate as well as their atmosphere to fight the impact of global warming. However, they do not know to what extent such actions will have an effect. Global climate change agenda needs to admit that climate change is a multidimensional issue that affects every population, and that LUCC must be included in global and regional strategies to inform about climate change .The authors coordinated a research that will including the role of LUCC and its dynamic interaction with increased concentrations of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. This method will require the evaluation of the capacity of reforestation, the impact of climate change at a regional scale and vegetation. Reducing deforestation in the tropics and subtropics will be the first priority. They also argue that this process requires a strong and coordinated global effort through a combination of regulatory frameworks and constructed markets to stop deforestation and facilitate reforestation. This would have extra benefits for ecosystem services. They authors conclude that the positive feedbacks to climate from land clearing appear to emphasize the impacts of global climate cha nge by strengthen climatic extremes, such as recent droughts in eastern Australia. Critical Review This article provided detailed information regarding the long-term effects of global warming in the Australian continent. In particular, the article was able to identify specific causes of global warming aside from escalating atmospheric green houses gases escalation. Such events are discovered to be the result of compounded traditional land use efforts and modern land conversion practices. Furthermore, the enumeration of possible measures to address climate change in Australia marks the importance of this article in the ecological field. This article also recognizes that reducing the deforestation and improving our methods of vegetation requires strong effort to protect the planet in which we live. I agree with the authors because Global warming is happening due to the green house gases and deforestation. For example, they talk about policy implications and how we need to understand what is happening around us. I believe that by understanding and how and why the system is changing w e have better possibilities by reducing the greenhouse gases and restore the vegetation. Global warning is the most urgent environmental problem the world will face in the next decade due to climate changes and other activities caused by humans. I also believe that some natural resources and agricultural sector are vulnerable to climate changes and if we do not take, action this could represents a major risk to the planet. We need to preserve our environment by putting limits to the way in which we waste products and technology that we do not need. If we implement the large-scale restoration of ecosystems, we may have a potential factor in our favor to see regional climate change and provide other ecological services such as clean air and water. However, there is not currently affirmation that such actions will change temperatures and or increase the vegetation, which makes anyone wonder if we can prevent global warning from destroying the planet. Welker, J.M., Fahnestock, J.T., Sullivan, P.F., Chimmer, R.A. (2005). Leaf mineral nutrition of Arctic plants in response to warming and deeper snow in northern Alaska. Oikos, 109(1), 167-177. Summary Two of the most apparent consequences of global warming in northern Alaska are higher summer temperatures and deeper snow levels during the winter season. Alternatively, the quality of leaf mineral nutrition, as represented by Carbon and Nitrogen content, account for efficient photosynthesis, unhampered food chain, carbon budgets, soil organic matter decomposition, leaf litter, and better herbivore forage quality. In connection to this, the purpose of the article was to study and to investigate the effects of prolonged global warming effects on the leaf mineral nutrition content of tundra plants by subjecting several species of tundra plants to a long-term experiment characterized by altering summer and winter conditions. The results showed that extended global warming effects significantly affect the leaf Carbon, leaf Nitrogen and leaf Carbon: Nitrogen content of the plants. The plants were expose three different scenarios to see how each one responded to the climate conditions. The plant call dry tundra survive the clime conditions because of the moisture but the other plan call tussock tundra did not survive when it was expose to the snow. The experiment illustrated that some species of plants leaf mineral nutrition when they are expose to different scenarios. However, the tundra field experiments have focused mostly on measuring the extent to which changes in summer or winter conditions the plants will reproduce, shortening the growing or change the composition of the vegetation. In addition, scientists recognize that caring for the ecosystem is critical to the protection of the planet against global warming. In conclusion, the experiment show that dry and tussock tundra potentially enhance gas and produce carbon when they are exposed to typical weather. This study was designed to address two questions of microbial respiration and different areas without experimental snow and how the changes in vegetation affect us. Although they conducted a small study with limited statistical power, the findings indicate that exposing plants to snow has the potential to allow very old plant to be decomposed, accelerating the rate of CO2 increase in the atmosphere. Their results also complement recently reports by Schuur etal in 2009. In her study of tussock tundra near the Denali National Park, she finds that the plant increase due to increases in soil nutrient pools and the stimulation of plant growth. However, she says that the period in which the plant increases at the same time it losses respiration. Critical Review By analysis, it can be said that this article provided an experimental overview of the long-term effects of global warming on the leaf mineral nutrition content of Arctic plants. Although the settings used were manipulated, one cannot deny the significance of these findings on the future Arctic ecosystem with respect to climate change. Hotter summers and colder winters are already being experienced at present in most parts of the globe and the duration of these events are hard to quantify. Hence, the findings of this study emphasize the need to address the causes of global warming in order to minimize its effects in the future. I agree with the authors because those plants are essential to the global environment since they purify, and carry fresh water. In addition, most of the plants store carbon; absorb pollutants; and support many species of unique animals and other plants too. I think if humans put more effort, will be a decrease on the release of additional greenhouse gases and this will help communities, species and animals to survive or adapt to the global warming conditions. However, I also disagree with the authors, because they are conducting a global experiment by changing the course of Mother Nature. They propose to create a formula that could make the plants grow faster and survive any type of climate condition. I believe that could destroy the ozone layer, which will not allow life to exist on the Earths surface or altered the composition of the biosphere and the Earths heat balance. The studies show that those plants were expose to artificial conditions that were created in order for experiment to take place, but the measurements taken in Alaska that growth in trees has been stunt in recent years which mean that plants could go through the same process and consequence of a rapidly warming climate could appear faster. If the solution to global warming is to experiment more with nature then the solution will be the end. Valsson, T. (2006). How the world will change with global warming. Reykjavjk: University of Iceland Press. Summary This book contained 24 units distributed into three chapters that discuss the nature of global warming, patterns of effects, and the future of the entirety of the biosphere in response to the long-term consequences of global warming. Concerning the future effects of global warming, the author elaborated the outcomes of climate change on the biosphere, world economy, and the possibility of exploiting the Northern part of the globe as replacement of the withering habitats in the future. In particular, land and sea formations are likely to be highly affected by the fluctuating Earth temperature. Therefore, natural resources will be altered; some may be depleted, and majority will be converted. The author argues that global warning could be good for anyone who lives in the northern of the globe, which he claims, will become the new civilization. He also talks about the consequences of global warming and how the geographical locations could play an important role.He draw conclusions of wa rmer global climates in Iceland and the northern of the globe. Furthermore, the author approaches the problem of how global warming is melting the sea ice in the north, which will create routes that will include the passage north of Siberia and later through the Canadian Archipelago. He shows the positive and the negatives aspect of global warming but also how this may benefit someone of the population in areas where the temperature is below normal. For example, he talks about countries bordering being closer to each other and new routes that will allow ships to travel for less time. However, he emphasizes the importance of the agreements across countries in order to reduce greenhouse gas .He also encourage the view that even in negative consequences, we need to preserve a positive attitude towards the changes that are coming. On the other hand, he argues that the warming climate and melting ice will make oil and mineral resources in northern areas easily accessible for exploitation and will make the far north comfortable for human habitation, r eplacing the living spaces around the central areas of the globe that will become too hot for habitation. He talks about conducting an experiment for 3 years in which he will try to expand summer at the expense of winter. In other words, he means that plants usually start to come into flower just as the snow begins to melt and with that bloom sooner then the pollinators of those plants can get to them the faster it will make the plants product their photosynthesis. That would be damaging to both of the species that he will use during the experiment. He also says that the project will confirm that people should not waste any time when it comes to saving the planet from a environmental disaster. Critical Review Through the page of the book, the author was able to synthesize the long-term effects of global warming. In addition, the author was able to provide a concise discussion of the consequences of climate change on the preservation of natural resources. General alteration in the ecological profile and land outline will characterize mankinds future due to global warming. In general, this book is an effective reference on the elucidation of the profound effects of climate change not only in humans but also with respect to biosphere as a whole. I totally disagree with the authors point of view. I believe that his perspective on global warming is more negative than positive. He describes this problem as a normal issue that we as humans have to understand that it can be a positive outcome. I have a different point of view I strongly believe that Global warming is destroying our earth and as humans, we are responsible for what is happening in the world. Global warming is gasses that are trappe d in the atmosphere that are water vapors, carbon dioxide and methane gas which are the reason why many natural disaster are happening around the world lately. The author seems to believe that global warming is good for use because it could make countries closer and unify many continents that are far. He also believes that this could be a good thing for the people who live in the northern of the globe because when the ice melt the new civilization will be created. I find that statement ironic because if the ice melts there is a probability that many of the people who live in those areas will die or be hurt in some way due to the consequences of global warming. I believe that global warning is something negative for anyone, because at some point of another we all going to suffer the consequences of not taking care of the planet in which we live. I take the position that I do believe in global warming and I think it is not just scientists who should notice what is happening around the world.

Analyze the research methodology

Analyze the research methodology Introduction This work has chosen two research papers to critically analyze the research methodology and method used, as well as to compare and contrast the approaches of the two papers. The first paper (refer to paper one hereafter) is to contribute the understanding of organizational culture in Turkish construction industry. A case study (Oney-Yazici E., et al, 2007) about Organizational culture: the case of Turkish construction industry was conducted to examine the cultural profile of construction organization in terms of firm type, size and age within the context of Turkish construction industry in 15 countries. The second paper (refer to paper two hereafter) is to demonstrate the situation of claims management in construction section in Egypt from contractors perspective. A questionnaire survey (Hassanein A and Nemr W, 2008) of Claims management in the Egyptian industrial construction sector: a contractors perspective was taken to discuss the issues of claim management, change of order in particular, conducting on a sample collection in construction industry companies. Research design and research question Two basic types of research methodologies are divided into quantitative and qualitative methods (Kumar, 2005). Creswell (2009) further advanced three types of designs as qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. In order to overcome the disadvantage of qualitative and quantitative research, mixed methods research emerged trying to combine or associate both forms. It involves the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods to achieve greater strength of a study than using either alone (Creswell 2009). A mix method is defined by Crewell (2009) as an approach to inquiry that combines or associates both qualitative and quantitative forms. Thus, this method can synthesize either strength or weakness of both quantitative method and qualitative method (Fellows and Liu, 2008). The research of organizational culture in paper one was conducted with questionnaire, which has Part I and Part II. Part I is mainly categorical or nominal variables (age, gender and size etc) to find out the demographic characteristics of respondents and profile of their firms. Part II comprises of questions with 1-5 Likert scale to measure the organizational culture. Paper one is therefore a straight-forward quantitative research paper, which emphasizes on the quantification the data collection and the subsequent analysis of data (Brymen 2009). The quantitative research was also defined as a means for testing objective theories by examining the relationship among variables. These variables, in turn, can be measured on instrument, so that numbered data can be analyzed using statistical procedures (Creswell, 2009). The aim of paper one was to examine existing culture profile in the Turkish construction industry. Quantitative research is suitable for fact-finding based on evidence or records (Table 1, Naoum 1998). Therefore, the objective of paper one to find out the culture profile can be achieved by quantitative research. Thus it is appropriate in this case. However, if the objective is extended to further understanding as to why such a culture profile existed in Turkish construction industry, a qualitative research could be conducted with methods like interview to gather more data to comprehend the mentality behind the organizational culture, thus to supplement the finding from quantitative research since it has rich and deep data (Naoum 1998), and it places greater emphasis on understanding, rather than merely testing and verification (Ghauri Gronhaug, 2005). The objective of the paper two is to finding and improving the status of claims management in Egypt, particularly the change order claims. The research of claims management in paper two is also conducted by questionnaire but it is not the same type of quantitative questionnaire as in paper one. Rather, it has both closed-ended and open questions, hence with combination of quantitative and qualitative questions.. It was actually conducted by researcher in person as an interview, which the researcher admitted it last longer than expected due to gathering of the vast amount of information. A semi-structured interview is believed to be used in this case (Bryman 2008). The questionnaire in paper two has 7 questions. Questions 1-3 are all closed-ended and are concerned with categorical (Q1) or nominal (Q2 Q3) variables with purpose to determine the profile claims statement status in Egypt. Questions 4-7, however, are all open questions. Interestingly, question 4 in fact has three questions rather than one question for the remaining part of questionnaire. It therefore can be concluded that the research in paper two is using mixed method research because both quantitative and qualitative data are gathered concurrently and analyzed separately. It occurred to me that the concurrent embedded strategy (Creswell 2009) is used in paper two, which will be discussed later in this article. In my opinion, mixed method is acceptable to use for paper but I do not like the combination of three different questions as Question 4. These questions are concerned with procedure, communication and documentation. They are interlinked but they could be separately asked. Moreover, questions 5 is asking respondents that does the contract stipulate that all change orders must be written? It is a missed opportunity as it could ask more information from the respondents such as which version/edition of the contract they used, what are the terms and conditions related to the change orders, whether these terms and conditions require all orders to be in written form only. Data collection and sampling According to Kumar (2005), the two main types of data collection are primary data and secondary data. Literately, primary data is collected by researchers themselves and secondary data are available data from another source. In both paper one and paper two, primary data were gathered. However, data collection in paper one is purely quantitative with Likert-scale questionnaire while the data collection in paper two are for both quantitative and qualitative data with closed-end questions and semi-structured interview. In order to gather primary research data, quantitative method combining with structured questionnaire was conducted in both of the two reports. A questionnaire is defined by Kumar (2005) as a written list of questions, the answers to which are recorded by respondents. In a questionnaire, respondents read the question and then provide the answers according to the questions. It is clear that a questionnaire is less expensive and easy to understand for the respondents giving the answers. Sometimes, sensitive questions can list on the questionnaire as the respondents can answer in anonymity in less distressed way (Kumar, 2005). However, questionnaires have disadvantages including low response rate, limited to literate population only, biased self-selection of respondents, lack of opportunity to clarify questions to respondents and no allowance for spontaneous responses. As Bryman (2008) asserted that, the reason why a questionnaire belongs to quantitative method is that most of questions are structured and closed, though it can combine a few open questions. Closed-ended questions refer to possible answers are set out on the questionnaire, and the respondents ticks the best category the best describes the respondents answer, concurrently open-ended questions refers to possible answers are not given. In the case of a questionnaire, respondents write down the answers in their own words (Kumar, 2005). It is apparent that closed-ended and open-ended questions are presented in paper two of claims management. The questionnaire was formulated based on an extensive literature review of issues on claim management, change order claims in particular. Meanwhile, paper one designed a questionnaire which based on Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) with two major dimensions in which the first dimension emphasizes the organizational focus, whereas the second one distinguishes between the stability and control and the flexibility and discretion, which formulated by clan, adhocracy, market and hierarchy. All questions in questionnaire of paper one are closed-ended questions which are easier and faster to respond because all alternative answers have been given. However, lack of depth and variety could be a main disadvantage as answers were restricted in a given scope (Kumar 2005). In paper two, a semi-structured interview in person was conducted with engineers and managers who have more than 15 years working experiences. This interview was based on previous literature in order to get more evidence to examine the claim management in Egypt, change order claims in particular. Open questions in paper two, with contrast of closed-ended questions used in paper one, could get more in-depth information, and allows respondents to freely express what they intended to say (Kumar 2005, Fellows and Liu 2008). Even closed-ended questions 1-3 in paper two have provided opportunity for respondents to write down their own answers (if other specify). However, the analysis of data from open questions could be more complex and difficult because respondents can say anything. Meanwhile, the chances are that these questions could have biases from interviewees. According to Kumar (2005), sampling can be divided into probability random sampling, non-probability non-random sampling and mixed sampling design. Stratified random sampling collection was used in in paper two, and non-random judgmental sampling was employed in paper one. As Kumar (2005) and Fellows and Liu (2008) asserted that there is an equal chance of selection for each member of the population in random sampling. Stratified sampling is one of the probability random sampling and appropriate where the population occurs in distinct, groups or strata (Fellows and Liu, 2008). In CM, the sample was selected among major companies in construction industry in Egypt and seven of the main companies were collected in this research. Using stratified random probability sampling method, the inferences drawn from the samples can be generalized to the whole population (Kumar, 2005). Judgmental sampling that called Purposive sampling as well, was conducted in Organizational Culture with the crit eria of nationality, firm size and market share. Thus, 134 in 351 firms participated in the research study. In judgmental sampling, researcher can gather case and information in those people who meet requirement of the sample chosen criteria, and this sampling method is extremely useful when the researcher want to describe a phenomenon and develop something about which only is a little known (Kumar, 2005 and Bryman, 2008). However, there can be bias when the sampling was chosen. The random sampling can be influenced by human preference unconsciously. On the other hand, the sample frame may not cover all the features of the whole population. In addition, the sample can not represent all the population, so that the conclusion can only be inferred from the samplings (Kumar, 2005). In paper one, the population is the whole Turkish construction industry. The stratified random sampling were used to gathered from 826 respondents, who are working for 107 contracting and 27 architectural firms, with male/female ratio of 74.9%/25.1%. The absolute size of sample of 826 is quite impressive and is significant in terms of sample size. The male/female ratio is not balanced, however, it may be the fact that most people working in architectural/contracting industry are dominantly male. The response rate is 38.18%, with 134 participated from 351 firms contacted. The sample selection in paper two are targeting at the middle to large size contracting firms that are more then LE 50 million in industrial work turnover and LE 100 million in cumulative construction work turnover. Due to limited number of firms fall into the category, seven major companies in Egypt were chosen and 21 industrial projects from them were the sample for the research. However, the actual data collection was conducted by the interview to the senior managers in these firms, but exact number of interviewee was not revealed in the paper. Therefore, when the data analysis present the data as percentage, there is no way for reader to know exactly how many respondents chose a particular answer. My guess is there might be at least 21 respondents since there are 21 industrial projects. If the respondents is only 7 (there are 7 companies chosen), the sample would be questionable due to limited sample size. The research in paper two have omitted small contracting firms and inexper ienced site manager/site engineers. Only medium and large contracting firms and hugely experienced personnel are invited for the interview. This may paint a rosier picture than the reality. Inexperienced site manager/site engineers tend to be worse in terms of contract administration, understanding procedures, using documentation. The main aims to select sample are to achieve maximum precision in the estimates within a sample size and avoid the bias in the selection of sample (Kumar, 2005). In this case, I believe that paper one has done pretty well to using a large representative sample, while paper two, on the other hand, use a relative smaller number of interviewee and the exact number of interviewee is unknown or unspecified. Reliability and Validity Another important process in a social research is the issues of reliability and validity. Reliability means concern with the results can be retested and can get the same result, time after, time in different conditions (Fellows and Liu, 2008). In Organizational culture paper, reliability coefficients (Cronbach alpha) were calculated with 0.89 for the clan and adhocracy cultures, and 0.86 for the market and hierarchy cultures. Both values indicate good internal consistency reliability for the fairness of all culture types because values above 0.7 are considered acceptable and above 0.8 are preferable (Pallant 2007). Meanwhile, despite of the statistical data display, there is no statistical test in the survey of Claims Management paper, hence the reliability of the data is not mentioned. Validity means the integrity of the conclusions that are generated from a piece of research. It is to determine if the research question is properly answered by the research. Internal validity refers to the causality relationship and external validty criterion refers to the generalization from research findings. (Yin, 1994; Amaratunga, 2002). Both papers are trying to generalize the situation. It can be concluded that both research are valid. Data Analysis In paper one, the questionnaire consists of 6 relevant questions to key dimensions of organizational culture and each statement has four alternative statements, therefore representing 24 questions. All questions are 1-5 Likert scale, with 5 as completely true. The average score was calculated to determine the overall cultural profile of a particular firm. The results of the questionnaire carried out have been presented in table II in paper one. Independent sample t-tests and Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to examine the differences of organizational culture by firm size and age. A post hoc Scheffe test was used to explore difference among subgroups. The results have been presented in table III. When it comes to firm type, independent sample t-tests was used on the overall scores of each culture types to compare architectural and contracting firms. in order to have the equal sample sizes (107 contracting firms vesus 27 architectural firms), items were randomly selected from them. An Independent sample t-test is used to compare the mean score for two different groups on same continuous variable (Pallant 2007). The research suggest that Market has more influence to Contracting firm than Architectural firm. The average score of randomly selected 32 Contracting firms is 3.37 while the 27 Architectural firms is 2.93, with t=3.849, p Comparing with Independent-sample T-test which use to compare in two groups and conditions, One-way ANOVA is used to determine whether there are significant differences in the mean scores on the dependent variables between more than two groups (Pallant, 2007). ANOVA test is based on the statistical F-test which is the ratio of the between-groups variance to the within-groups or error variance (Fellows and Liu, 2008). According to Pallant (2007), the significance of F-value indicates the evidence to reject the null hypothesis, which states that the population means are equal. In other words, the larger the F-value is, the more the independent variables influence on dependent variables. In the Table II of paper one under firm size, the value under four culture types for small and medium firms are all greater than those for large firms. Our of four culture types, three culture types have found that the difference is significant to reject the null hypnoses (p Paper one further had with k-means cluster analysis to group firms with similar cultural characteristics, together with Wards method and squared Euclidean distance. Three underlying patterns of cultural types among sampled firms were found from the results of hierarchy cluster analysis, and this formed as basis for the non-hierarchical k-means analysis. Hierarchical Data clustering algorithms care to find successive clusters with already-established clusters. To select a distance measurement is a vital step in clustering, from which how the similarity of two elements is calculated. The shape of the clusters will be influenced as as some elements may be close to one another according to one distance and farther away according to another (Huang 1998, Lu 2004). In paper two, the data from question 1 about the causes of claims are presented in Figure 1, which is a pie chart showing the percentage of various causes. The result validated with other research which indicated that change order claims is the main reason of claims in most projects while the owner factor ranked second. The result confirmed the necessity to evaluate change order claims in particular (this suggest that the research is valid in terms of the research purpose). In claims notification status related question, the results showed that notifications were tied to a contract clause in 67% of projects. But the research did admit the interviewee bias and its limitation because respondents tend to answer this question optimistically. In general claims documentation status related questions, the researcher undertook to categorize the answers into seven groups by using pattern matching for qualitative data analysis, which is one of the most desirable strategies (Yin, 1994). However, this method is under criticism for the subjective risk of interpretive discretion of the researchers (Yin 1994, Amaratunga 2002). This suggests that different researcher may group the data and interpret them differently. In change order document questions, pie chart is used again in figure 2 to highlight that documentation should be improved to better records management of the project. The research used explanation building strategy to explain and discuss the results of remaining questions. The researcher went further from these results to suggest solutions to improve change orders. In the conclusion paper, the research summarized the findings as well as the recommendations based on these findings. REFERENCE: Amaratunga D. et al, (2002) Quantitative and qualitative research in the built environment: application of mixed research approach, Work Study Vol. 51 No. 1, pp.17-31 Bryman, A. (1998) Quantity and Quality in Social Research. Unwin Hyman. Bryman, A. (2008) Social Research Methods, 3rd edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford Creswell, J. (2009) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches, Sage. Hassanein A and Nemr W, (2008) Claims Management in the Egyptian industrial construction sector: a contractors perspective, Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management Vol. 15 No.5, pp. 456-469 Huang, Z. (1998). Extensions to the K-means Algorithm for Clustering Large Datasets with Categorical Values. Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, 2, p. 283-304. Kumar R. (2005) Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners, SAGE, London Lu Y, et al (2004), FGKA: A Fast Genetic K-means Algorithm, in Proc. of the 19th ACM Symposium on Applied Computing, pp. 162-163, Nicosia, Cyprus Fellows R and Liu A, (2008), Research Methods for Construction 3rd edition, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford Oney-Yazici E, et al (2007), Organizational culture: the case of Turkish construction industry, Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management Vol.14 No.6, pp.519-531 Pallant J, (2007), A step-by-step guide to data analysis using SPSS version 15 SPSS Survival Manual Third Edition, Open University Press Yin, K. (1994), Cast Study Research: Design and Methods, Sage Publications, Newbury Park, CA.

Ken Sandes The Peace Maker Essay -- Ken Sande Peace Maker Essays

Ken Sande's â€Å"The Peace Maker† A â€Å"biblical guide to resolving personal conflict†, this, in a nutshell is what â€Å"The Peace Maker† is all about. In this critical book review I will be taking topics from the book and giving the reader my personal views on how I either reacted or related to the topics covered. My goal for this paper is to give the reader a non-biased opinion of â€Å"The Peace Maker†, which was published by Baker Books in June of 2004.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To first critique a book you must have some background information on the author himself and why he is qualified to write a book on conflict management through a biblical perspective. Ken Sande is the author of the book as well as being the president of Peacemaker Ministries, which is a company designed to offer Christians conflict training by using the bible and its scriptures. Mr. Sande who is an engineer and lawyer by trade has been using his peacemaking skills since 1982 to solve conflicts in business, in the church and in family disputes. Ken is a Certified Christian Conciliatorâ„ ¢ and has served on such committees as the Christian Legal Society and the Dispute Resolution Committee of the State Bar of Montana, which is where he earned his qualifications to write this book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Peace Maker†, is what I would describe as a self-help book that can be read by anyone that wants to have a solid understanding of conflict resolution and it does not matter if you are a Christian or not this book makes good points on how to solve conflict. If you are a non-Christian this is a bit harder of a read because of the constant reference to the bible and its scriptures but there are a lot of valid points that are made even without the references to the bible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of this book is to inform the reader of the best course of action to take when trying to resolve conflict while at the same time preserving God’s good grace, which can be difficult even at the best of times. In order to do this the reader must stick to the four G’s of biblical conflict management which are to Glorify God, Get the log out of your own eye, Gently restore and Go and be reconciled. By following these four G’s you will bring praise to God and hopefully open up others to his glorious ways. At times in the book the author’s point of view goes from being an informer of ways to deal with conflict into being more of a preacher of the... ...this is in chapter 9 where he states that you can read one of his other books to get more information on being a reconciler but a reconciler does the same thing a mediator does but not to the same extent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, this book has showed me some good techniques to solving conflict and has showed me that the bible can have an influence on people even if you are not a Christian, like myself. I do admit that this book is not for everyone but if you can look past the downfalls that I have pointed out and find the relevant information this book can be an essential tool to any mediator or negotiator. I think this would be an excellent book for any person who is involved with the church who plans on taking on mediator roles because â€Å"The Peace Maker† offers great tips on how to bring estranged siblings back together as well as reuniting failed marriages. I would suggest this book to anyone that is taking a conflict management course that has not had the opportunity to see how to solve conflict from a biblical perspective because to be an effective mediator or negotiator you should be able to use all the resources available to solve any conflict that might be presented to you.

the devil and daniel webster Essay -- essays research papers fc

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story I had read was the Devil and Daniel Webster it was written by Stephen Vincent Ben’et. This story is a lot alike most of his other stories discussing what it means to be an American. Also this story is one of his most famous stories it combines folk-lore and history also it has been made into a play and so to be coming out a movie. Story Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this story it begins speaking about a character named Daniel Webster, which was from Marshfield, but, later the story begins to unravel and they begin speaking about a character named Jabez stone. Jabez Stone was from Cross Corners, which makes both Webster and Stone from New Hampshire. As you read you see that Jabez has had the worst luck if he was to grow corn they would get borer. If he was to get horses he it would get spavins then trade it in to get one that had staggers. Also say the neighbors had rocks in their soil he would have boulders luck was not on Jabezs side. So one day as Jabez is plowing he broke his plowshare on a boulder. This was the last straw for Jabez and he says, â€Å"I vow it’s enough to make a man want to sell his soul to the devil! And I would, too, for two cents!† Soon after this he felt a chill run through his body being a New Hampshireman he wouldn’t take it back. Later that night a man pulled up in a nice bug gy and went to the door and asked for Jabez Stone he told the family it was a lawyer but, at heart he knew who it was. Then they begin to speak he asked his name he responds with I have a lot of names but you can call me Scratch. Then they soon discuss the contract and Jabez sells his soul the dark man took out a shiny silver pin and made him sign his name in blood. Then things began to go smoothly for him his horses were healthy, his cows got fat, and his crops were the talk of the neighborhood. The man stopped by a year a later to discuss the mortgage and Stone said I beginning to have doubts then Scratch takes out the contract to remind him. As he took out the contract there was a moth that spoke to him it was the voice of mister Stevens. Embarrassed the dark man says he should really be in the collecting box then he slips up in a way and says someone like Daniel Webster needs a special made box. They make a deal Jabez and Scratch they have a 4-year extension. Stone didn’t realize ... ...ylvania, and went to school at Yale University. Some of his works consist the volume of poetry Heavens and Earth, the novels Young People's Pride and Spanish Bayonet, and the narrative poem John Brown's Body, about the American Civil War. For the later work, Benà ©t won a Pulitzer prize for poetry in 1929. Thirteen O'Clock, a collection of short stories, includes â€Å"The Devil and Daniel Webster,† which he adapted into a words for a folk opera in 1939 and which was made into a motion picture, All That Money Can Buy, in 1941. For Western Star, an unfinished narrative poem on the settling of America, Benà ©t won a second Pulitzer Prize in 1944. Benà ©t's works are remarkable in their imaginative trace of the American scene. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion I believe this story was very good although hard to follow I would enjoy reading more of his stories. I would recommend this story to a lot of different people because the story is kind of weird in a weird kind of way. Works Cited http://www.law.utexas.edu/lpop/etext/devil/devil.htm http://shopping.yahoo.com/shop?d=v&id=1800056764 http://www.seacoastnh.com/lawyers/websterhouse.html

Hot Wet Equatorial Climate

THE HOT, WET EQUATORIAL CLIMATE Distribution -Is found between 5 ° and 10 °N and S of the equator. Its greatest extent is found in the lowlands of the Amazon, Congo D. R, Malaysia and the East Indies. -Further away from the equator, the influence on the on-shore Trade Winds gives rise to a modified type of equatorial climate with the Monsoon influences. -Within the tropics, the equatorial highlands have a distinctively cooler climate, modified by altitude such as the Cameron highlands, northern Andes and Kenyan highlands in East AfricaMap CLIMATE 1. Temperature – The most outstanding feature of an equatorial climate is its great uniformity of temperature through out the year – The mean annual temperatures are always around 27 °C with very little variation. -there is no winter. -cloudiness and precipitation help to moderate the daily temperature so that even at the equator itself the climate is bearable. -regular land and sea breezes also assist in maintaining a tr uly equable climate. -the diurnal range is small and so is the annual range.Figures below illustrate the rhythm of climate experienced in two different equatorial regions, one on lowland (Kuala Lumpur) and the other on the highland (Bogota). Kuala Lumpur Month JFMAMJJASOND Temp( °C)262627272727262626262627 Rainfall (mm)170170236279216127104157185274257231 Annual precipitation 2 413mm Annual temperature range 1 °C (27 °C – 26 °C) Bogota Month JFMAMJJASOND Temp( °C)141415151414141414141414 Rainfall (mm)948912424416581668474213224142 Annual precipitation 1 610mm Annual temperature range 1 °C (15 °C – 14 °C) 2. Rainfall – Rainfall is heavy, between 1 524mm and 2 540mm and well distributed throughout the year. There is no month without rain. There are two periods of maximum rainfall, April and October which occur shortly after the equinoxes. The double rainfall peaks coinciding with the equinoxes are a characteristic feature of equatorial climates not found in any other type of climate. -Due to great heat in the equatorial belt mornings are bright and sunny. There is much evaporation and convection air currents are set up, followed by heavy downpours of convectional rains in the afternoon from the towering cumulonimbus clouds. -Besides the convectional rainfall, mountainous regions also experience much Orographic or relief rainfall.In addition, there are some intermittent showers from cyclonic atmospheric disturbances caused by the convergence of air currents in the doldrums. -The relative humidity is constantly high (over80%) making one feel sticky and uncomfortable. NATURAL VEGETATION -Equatorial region support a luxuriant type of dense vegetation –the tropical rain forest- because of heavy rainfall and uniform temperature. -In the Amazon lowlands, the forest is so dense and so complete that a special term ‘Selvas’ is used. 1. A great variety of vegetation -The equatorial vegetation comprises a multitude of evergreen trees that yield tropical hardwood e. . mahogany, ebony, greenheart, cabinet woods and dyewoods. -There are smaller palm trees, climbing plants like lianas or rattan which may be hundred of metres long and epiphytic and parasitic plants that live on other plants. -Under the trees grow a wide variety of creepers, ferns, orchids and lalang 2. A distinct layer arrangement .-From the air, the tropical rain forest appears like a thick canopy of foliage. All plants struggle upwards for sunlight resulting in a peculiar later arrangement. -The tallest trees attain a height of 45m with dense undergrowth that can tolerate shade. 3. Multiple species Trees of equatorial rainforest are not found in pure stands of a single species like in the temperate where forests where only a few species occur in a particular area. This has made timber exploitation to be difficult. 4. Forest clearings -Many parts of the virgin tropical rainforests have been cleared either for lumbering or shifting c ultivation. When these clearings are abandoned, less luxuriant secondary forests, called belukar in Malaysia, spring up. -These are characterised by short trees and very dense undergrowth. Mangrove forests thrive in the coastal areas and brackish swamps. LIFE AND DEVELOPMENTThe equatorial regions are generally sparsely populated. In the forests most primitive people live as hunters and collectors and the more advanced ones practice shifting cultivation. Food is so abundant in such a habitat that many people worry very little the life of the next day. There are numerous animals, birds and reptiles and can be hunted to serve the needs of the community. Crops grown include manioc (tapioca), yams, maize, bananas and groundnuts. Plantation agriculture is also practised widely with the outstanding crop, rubber. Malaysia and Indonesia are the leading producers of rubber.Another tropical crop is cocoa, which is more extensively cultivated in West Africa in Ghana and Ivory Coast. Other crops include oil palm, cocoanuts, coffee, tea, tobacco, spices, bananas, pineapples, etc. FACTORS AFFECTING DEVELOPMENT †¢Equatorial climate and health: excessive heat and humidity expose human beings to sunstroke and to such diseases as malaria and yellow fever. †¢Prevalence of bacteria and insect pests. †¢Jungle hinders development and maintenance. †¢Rapid deterioration of tropical soil. †¢Difficulties in lumbering and live stock farming. †¢Poor pasture.

Compare and Contrast the characterization of Virginia Woolf’s Clarrisa Dalloway Essay

Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway has been rewritten a number of times and in 1999, Michael Cunningham has once again revisited the novel and has written The Hours where he traces a single day in the lives of three women. Interestingly Cunningham has fictionalized Virginia Woolf, the writer apart from the two other characters Clarrisa Vaughan and Laura Brown. The Hours is homage to Virginia Woolf and the two female characters namely Clarrisa Dalloway of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs.  Dalloway and Clarissa Vaugham of The Hours pose a number of similarities and dissimilarities and this essay delves into the commonalities and contradictions of these two characters. Young states, â€Å"The relationship between The Hours and Mrs. Dalloway is impossible to simplify; Cunningham interweaves aspects of Woolf’s life, her novel, and her theories† (38). WWoolf and Cunningham describe the life a woman called Clarrisa on a single day in June. Both these women are hosting a party and have come out to buy flowers. They happen to get a glimpse of a celebrity near the florist. Their spouses, being invited by some famous personality, have gone out to dine without taking their wives. On their way home both meet an old friend accidently. But the two women belong to entirely different background and time period. While Mrs. Clarrisa Dalloway lives in 1923 London, Mrs. Clarrisa Vaugham lives in the modern day New York. Woolf represents the modernist society of 1920s in her novel, whereas Cunningham depicts the contemporary life style in The Hours. The protagonist of The Hours Clarrisa Vaugham shares her first name with Woolf’s Clarrisa Dalloway. Though the characterization of Clarrisa Vaugham is different from Mrs. Dalloway, the similarity in the first names does cause some ripples. But the names of other characters are not the same. For instance, in Mrs. Dalloway Clarrisa’s husband is Richard but Clarrisa Vaugham’s husband is not Richard. Sally is an important character who appears in both the fictions. While her relationship with Woolf’s Clarrisa is latent, Cunningham’s Clarrisa maintains a long-term lesbian relationship with Sally. Critics argue that Virginia Woolf is inclined towards homosexuality and therefore her Clarissa Dalloway expresses her secret homosexual interest in the novel. Further Cunningham himself being a gay writer, has penned down his own experiences in the world through Clarrisa Vaugham’s lesbian relationship with Sally. Virginia’s society treated homosexuality as unnatural and perverted and therefore she did not write about it overtly. Loneliness is common to both Clarrisas. When Clarrisa Vaugham is invited for the party which her husband attends, she is utterly frustrated and states, â€Å"I am trivial, endlessly trivial† (94). Similarly, Clarrisa Dalloway is depressed when she comes to know that Lady Bruton has not extended an invitation to her. Both these women represent the triviality of life. Both these women play the role of hostess to perfection and are interested in throwing parties that Peter Walsh remarks that Clarrisa is capable of only hosting parties and taking care of the household chores. Their lives are not essentially significant but they continue to live in the society. Clarrisa Dalloway and Clarrisa Vaugham are fascinated towards the ordinariness of everyday life. Cunningham’s Clarrisa does not have the quest to achieve lofty goals in life. She â€Å"simply enjoys without reason the houses, the church, the man and the dog. It’s childish, she knows. It lacks edge† (12). Both Clarrisas are mature enough to understand that both ordinary and extraordinary are part of the world and have developed a fondness of an ordinary day in life. Clarrisas not only live with triviality and ordinariness but also with dissatisfaction towards life in general. The hollowness of human life and the masks worn by people to retain their false identity in the society is reflected through both the women characters and it is considered as a failure when the incidents around them do not take place as per heir plan and schedule. While Clarrisa emphasizes on winning the literary prize, none is bothered to listen to her. But she treats it as a precious possession which should be well-guarded and does not take into account of how the rest of the world views it. But in spite of the dissatisfactions and failures, they continue to live with a hope and cherish the same hope throughout their life as they believe that such dissatisfactions and darkness reflect the true inner joy of life and society as a whole. The attitude of both the Clarrisas towards fame is almost similar. Clarrisa Vaugham during her shopping at the florists, she wishes to guess the celebrity and with a child-like enthusiasm she waits for her appearance as she believes that movie actors represent eternity. Cunningham states, â€Å"Clarrisa stands guiltily, holding her flowers, hoping the star will show herself again, embarrassed by her own interest† (50). Clarrisa Dalloway is also inquisitive about the celebrity and by seeing the car she guesses the name of the actor. The communication between the characters is essentially strong in Cunningham’s fiction. The characters for instance could discuss about homosexuality openly while some degree of discretion and secrecy has been maintained in Woolf’s version. Clarrisa and Sally for instance are â€Å"always generous with kisses† (89) though they do not express their love verbally. Sally sends Clarrisa roses to expresses her love similar to Richard who also is not able to express his love verbally. Clarrisa Vaugham also fails to express her love for her daughter Julia and is scared that she might lose her to someone. Similarly Mrs. Clarrisa Dalloway is also afraid that she might lose her daughter and that insecurity turns into hatred towards Miss Kilman, the tutor of Julia. In Virginia Woolf’s novel, Elizabeth, daughter of Clarrisa Dalloway loathes the easy way of living of her mother and attaches herself with the feminist Doris Kilman. On the other hand, Julia, Clarrisa Vaugham’s daughter is in love with a New York lesbian by the name Mary Krull who is much older to her. Since Miss Kilman and Ms. Mary Krull are non-conformists who challenge the restrictions imposed upon them by the society, both Clarrisa treat them as adversaries. On the whole, the niceties of Clarrisa Dalloway’s Bloomsbury style are completely out of way and Clarrisa Vaugham adopts the rigorous New York way of living. Cunningham’s Clarrisa is fiercely independent and looks into the future than the past. Happer states that Woolf’s Clarrisa â€Å"looks for the meaning of life primarily in the past† (112-113). Clarrisa Vaugham has no dominant male in her life and in a way, it is remarked that the Cunningham has successfully helped Clarrisa to evolve and overcome the oppression that Woolf’s Clarrisa suffered from. Woolf has primarily focused on Mrs. Dalloway’s life. But Cunningham has extended the boundary and expressed the fact that love and hope are common to everyone in the society. To conclude the two women characters Woolf’s Clarrisa Dalloway and Cunningham’s Clarrisa Vaugham exercise a number of similarities as well as differences. Cunningham’s Clarrisa is seen as an evolution of Woolf’s Clarrisa as she not only has imbibed the qualities of Mrs. Dalloway but also enriched the same and is appreciated for the fierce independence along with love and compassion for others. Works Cited: Cunningham, Michael. The Hours. London: Fourth Estate, 1999. Print. Happer, Howard. â€Å"Mrs. Dalloway. † Between Language and Silence: The Novels of Virginia Woolf. Louisiana State: Baton Rouge, 1982. Print. Young, Tory. Michael Cunningham’s The Hours: A Reader’s Guide. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2003. Print.