Friday, May 31, 2019

Times May Not Be A’Changin’ :: essays research papers

Times May Not Be AChanginAlthough portrayed in a particularly gruesome scenario, author Shirley capital of Mississippi conveys the importance of upholding tradition in her short story, The Lottery. While the climactic execution-by-stoning isnt quite a modern example, it still serves to show us that some traditions are worth upholding. In our society today, it seems as if there is a growing movement to look forward and embrace the new instead of remembering our past. solely to effectively make changes and plan for the future, it is essential that we turn to our history. One of the greatest issues in the world today is that of patriotism. In the immediate wake of September 11th, close all residents of this country proudly proclaimed themselves Americans, putting aside personal bias, differences in religion, and family roots to support the rebuilding of a nation. Lately, however (since our involvement in the Iraq War), this nonion of unity and brotherhood has once again taken a back seat to personal agendas. In the same way that the town is proud to continue its June twenty-seventh tradition, most people also take pride in feeling allegiance towards their country (specifically the United States). Perhaps it is deep family roots or a strong connection with constitutional ideals whatever the reason, patriotism seems to stick with Americans. Even though our interest in our country has been at an ebb and flow since the beginnings of the Revolution, we ladder to strongly identify with this nation. The small town has a grizzly ritual that leaves at least one person each year particularly unhappy, all the same we do not hear talk of moving away. We only read of other towns that have done away with the lottery They do say that all over in the north village theyre talking of giving up the lottery (McMahan 87), and there is nothing but trouble in that (McMahan 87). Even Tessie Hutchinson, the cursed winner, claims that the practice is unfair, but nonetheless goes alo ng with it. Analogously, a soldier who dies for his country does so for the greater good. The soldier is so passionate about the ideals of his nation that he is willing to die defending them. He does not want to die, but knows he is doing so for a good cause that of liberty.The townspeople are not fighting for their freedom from oppressors or antiquated ideals on the contrary, they are struggling to maintain their heritage.

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Computers in the Educational System :: Education Teaching

Computers in the Educational System A little over ten years ago the military personnel was on the brink of a monumental revolution. The computer was rapidly becoming more accessible to a wider range of people. Before the world knew it computers were brought down from a room sized machine that could exclusively be operated by a trained professional to a shoe box sized machine that just about anybody could operate. Nowadays computers be use everyday of our lives. Computers can also be found in just about every classroom around the world. According to Stephen C. Howell The introduction of computer engineering into classrooms promises historys most powerful and complex transformation of the learning process, powerful because of the extraordinary capabilities digital technologies offer, complex because of the high level of training inevitable to utilize these technologies. This paper will investigate both the extraordinary capabilities of the computer and the necessary training. As the computer boom really begins to takes off people are learning how to use computers at younger and younger periods. Now days the ten year old in the family can usually run the family computer better then the parents can. This is because schools are starting to mandate a computer class as a special course in elementary school. The children bed it, and it gives them a great base to build on when the go to high school, and beyond. The number one reason for the computer boom was the invention of the internet. The internet makes it contingent for people all over the world to exchange thoughts and ideas. Teachers are now able to harness the powers of both computers and the internet. All around the world teachers are victimization computers to aid them in there teaching. The internet makes it possible for students to research any topic they can imagine by searching thousands of library data bases world wide without even leaving the cl assroom. In the future students may be able to log onto an electronic classroom where a teacher is teaching a subject thousands of miles away. This electronic classroom would link students from all around the world, using a program called video conferencing, so that they could explore the feelings, and opinions of other students there age from different parts of the world.

George Frederick Handel :: essays research papers

German-English composer, George Frederick Handel, is one of the greatest composers of the Baroque period if not of all time. His work, Messiah, is one of the most historied and beloved works of music in the world. During his career in music, Handel composed Italian cantatas, oratorios (like Messiah), Latin Church Music, and several operas. Handel moved around from uncouth to country writing, composing, and producing music for royalty such as pantywaist Anne and George of Hanover. In his life, Handel mastered several instruments including the violin and the harpsichord. Georg Friederich Handel (he later anglicized his name) was born at Halle, Saxony, Germany on February 23, 1685. He was the intelligence of a barber-surgeon that opposed a career in music for a great deal of his life. But at age 8, Handel was allowed to study music with the local anaesthetic organist, Zachau. In January 1702, Handel entered Halle University as a law student, but was soon appointed organist of the D omkirche at Halle. In the year following, he abandoned his native town and colonized in Hamburg where he studied the violin, then the harpsichord at the only opera house in all of Germany. At Hamburg, Handel wrote his first opera, Almira in 1705. This was cursorily followed by Nero Florindo and Dafne. During the winter in 1706, Handel traveled to Italy, where he stayed until spring of 1710. He spent his time in Florence, Rome, Naples, and Venice composing Latin Church Music, oratorios, Italian Cantatas, and the operas Rodrigo and Agrippina. In June of 1710, Handel replaced Agostino Steffani as the Hofkapellmeister to the Elector George of Hanover, by making a promise that he would take a leave for England. In autumn of that year, Handel made due on his promise and on arriving in London composed the opera Rinaldo in 14 days. It was produced on February 24, 1711. After 6 months Handel returned to Hanover, but in the spring of 1712, he traveled once again to England, writing more opera s in celebration of Queen Annes birthday Peace of Utrecht and Te Deum. But in 1714 the Queen died and the throne was taken over by George of Hanover, who was angered by Handels unusually long absence. In 1717 Handel entered service of the Duke of Chandos, directing the music at Dukes palace at Cannons, near London. There he composed a set of Anglican Anthems, The Pastoral Acis and Galatea and The Masque Haman and Mordeca.

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Faulners The Bear :: essays research papers

In many restrains, there are characters that are written into the story to show the strengths of the main character. In this case it is Ike who because of Boon we see as a main his weaknesses and his strengths. Ike is a young boy who has just come unto the age of a hunting watch. Hes first time at the camp we see that Ike is a strong young boy whose main fault is his youth. However we meat Boon in the beginning of the story and slowly through out the story we learn that Boon is not perfect and that he is related to Sam Fathers, who is Ikes teacher. Ike wish all main characters show some prevalence over the thing, which holds him back, the woods. Ike slowly becomes a great woodsmen and tracker. Boon is still a man verging on hunter but not one because he doesnt have the ability to be patient and non-violent when he kills.Ike runs into the indestructible bear Old Ben two multiplication in his growth towards manhood but never with the intention to kill him. So, Ike who Sam Fathers a nd maybe even Ike himself impression would kill the bear did not pull to. Ike even though not able to kill the bear becomes an awesome tracker and a great woodsman. He says at one point in the book that he knows the woods better then Sam Fathers. Ike is slowly becoming not only a man but also a hunter. He loves the wilderness and has gone into the woods with nothing except his close and come back out fine, This is to prove though that even in his youth Ike is a great hunter and that it is his right to kill the bear and not anyone elses, however Faulner decided that Boon should kill the bear.Boon ends up killing the bear that everyone thought was invincible with a knife which seems very much the behavior a real hunter would have done it, this shows that Boon in his own way is a hunter and not a straggler who just hangs around the camp for free drink. Since boon killed the bear, he becomes insane and once more becomes a pygmy as Faulkner says. Someone who is afraid of the woods and kills with the intent to kill not eat.

Confucianism and Taoism :: Chinese China History

Confucianism and TaoismThe Chinese people have three main traditions in their history- Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. I am going to be talking active Confucianism and Taoism. Both of these date back to the Sixth Century B.C. The traditional founder of Taoism is Confucius and Laozi. On top of many other things Confucius was a very influential speaker. passim time, his teachings, and preaching developed into a religion. He spoke to a wide variety of people.Daoist tend to look back to Laozi as their founder. Over centuries, Taoism was transformed from a small religion, very conservative, into a loosely organized religion.During the Second Century B.C., a ruler named Han had the most part in it. A large weigh of religious groups rose from this because of the social and political disorder.One of these groups named the Yellow Turbans in eastern China., fought Han in 184 B.C. This led to a civil war. Han lost authority and power, and his generals became warlords. Then, in Western Ch ina, a group known as the Way of the Celestial Masters came into power.From the Second Century B.C., Taoists and others believed it was possible to find an philosophers stone which would make them immortal. An elixir is a sweetened alcoholic medicinal preparation, but back in ancient philosophy it was thought to be for changing base metals into gold, or for prolonging life. question flourished because of this belief. But the chief ingredient, cinnabar, was found to be poisonous. Many imperial deaths ensued from this.But this was not the only way to achieve immortality back in ancient times. other belief said that a man would have to acquire 108 women to get granted 10,000 years of life.For more than 2,000 years ,Chinese, Japananese, and Korean people have lived in cultures that were greatly influenced by the thoughts of Confucius. Confucius saw himself as an ordinary man doing a good deed for a diverse group of cultures. He taught his fellow homo beings moral behavior and good f amily relationships. He thought that they are the key to a well ordered society. People valued his opinions and teachings very much and followed them in every day life. Confucius himself avoided talking about religion, but at the same time recognized the importance of worshipping his ancestors. He believed that he was not guided by religion, but by a higher power called heaven.Confucius lived at a time when China was changing.

Monday, May 27, 2019

Othello and Film “O”

Despite the shift in time and place, the two texts Shakespeargons Othello and Tim Blake Nelsons film O explores timeless ideas such as jealousy and color versus naive realism. These ideas transc conclusion through time and still remain constant in modern society. To achieve universal al-Qaidas represented in Othello, Tim Blake Nelson uses a variety of contrasting techniques such as camera angles and Verdis Opera music to in effect achieve such themes and values in his film to suit his 21st vitamin C adolescent auditory senses.On the other hand, Shakespeare have originated the plot by using literacy devices such as imagery, soliloquies and asides to suit his contemporary Elizabethan audience. In Shakespeares Othello, the theme jealousy is evident throughout the play. The composer uses techniques such as imagery and characterisation to convey this idea effectively. The protagonist Othello was characterised as a general, a man who has high social standards, rational, logical and a military man who is known as the Valiant and more fail than black.This has shaped a strong comparison towards the end of the play when the Moor who is perplexed and enraged by jealousy for Desdemona, calling her Impudent Strumpet . Othello is a man of reason, and it is not until the proof of the handkerchief does the audience see his decline into distrust. With Iagos understanding of human nature and their characteristics, Iago was able to turn their honesty against themselves. Othellos mind became so corrupted by Iago that Othello got turn a loss of his mind Lie with her? Lie on her?.. Handkerchief Oh giant that the once calm and honourable figure was unfortunately lost to the green eyed giant which doth mock the meat it feeds on.Shakespeare uses imagery to describe jealousy as a monster, effectively highlighted the destructive nature of jealousy. In a different inning the film O also represents the theme of jealousy effectively. Tim Blake Nelson conveys jealousy effectively through techniques such as super imposition, a variety of non diegetic (Verdis opera house representing tragedy at the opening scene of doves) and a range of different angled camera shots to convey his theme of jealousy.The composer utilizes the popular modal(a) of cinema as well as the use of colloquial language, slangs and profanities to suit his contemporary adolescent audiences. Oden having similar characteristics to Othello is naive and easily trusting who fall into the deception of Hugo. The use of non diegetic sounds as well as superimposition was imposed to symbolise jealousy. Tim Blake Nelson used such technique in the willow scene, the lyrics Even the sun goes down Heroes eventually die are all forecasts of the tragic death of Desi.The sex scene when Oden looks into the mirror and saw Mikes face looking straight back at him make a face evilly gives the audience a look into Odens mind of jealousy and an indication of corruption of Odens mind. Iago is a success model in r eflecting the theme illusion verses reality. Shakespeare employs techniques such as soliloquies and dramatic banter to effectively present the theme to his audience. In the beginning of the play, audiences are quickly known the devil of the story is Iago. Deception than arises in Othello when the protagonist constantly referred Iago as the honest Iago.However the audience is aware that Iago is indeed not honest at all, from quotes I am not what I am and In following him I follow but myself is an indication of the double-faced Iago. Iago is seen as the most loyal friend to Othello, Iago helped Othello to constitute the unfaithfulness of Desdemona and evidenced Othello being cuckold by Desdemona. The effective use of asides creates dramatic satire for the audiences as Othellos naivety and trust in Iago is evident. These scenes effectively conveys the theme of illusion vs reality as Iago creates the illusion of being Othellos honest friend.In comparison to O, Nelson also used chara cterisation and dramatic irony in shaping the theme illusion verses reality. However techniques differs greatly between the two text in order to suit its audiences. In O, Iago was being further conveyed through the character Hugo, who is a teenager boy and craves for everyones attention. All my life, I always wanted to fly is a voice all over at both opening and closing of the movie indicating Hugo wanting to success and will be able to receive attention from his father and friends. Dramatic irony has been effectively used to engage audiences to reflect upon the nature of illusion versus reality.The conversation between Michael and Hugo, when Michael asked Hugo for advices about reputation. Hugo replied quickly Like who gives a fuck about reputation, the plainly person you have to answer is yourself, this quote is not only an indication of Hugo being a true Machiavellian villain, but it also highlights the theme of reality vs illusion. Shakespeare focused on values in integrity an d reputation however to suit the 21st audiences Tim Blake Nelson have focused more on popularity. Hugo appeared to be a trustworthy friend in the film to both Oden and Michael and this is a representation of illusion verses reality.Tim Blake Nelson effectively presents this thought through the use of dramatic irony and mis en scene throughout the movie similarly to Shakespeares Othello. Despite the time and space, both composer explored the basic humanity by using similar techniques however it differs greatly to suit its contemporary audiences. Shakespeares Othello used literacy devices such as dramatic irony and soliloquies instead Tim Blake Nelson structured his film O using popular medium of cinema along with pop and opera music to create his universal themes.

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Routine Communication

What kinds of tasks fall into each quadrant? Therefore, what kinds of communications norms do we take? routine/autonomous To the extent team members are working autonomously on tasks which keep on static, there is little need for a hatful of cross-team communications. Communications should be Minimalist. Local. Compliance oriented where necessary. Automated whenever possible. The danger for virtual teams is that the disconnected feeling of a distributed team sometimes leads to over-reporting as a strategy to give people the feeling of knowing whats going on. Sometime team members generate a lot of reporting in order to make sure the team leader knows that they are working. This kind of communication creates sludge in the teams arteries. It is a common get of information overload which tin sometimes result in team members avoiding engaging in the communications which actually are important to the team. The team unavoidably to agree on a strategy to defend itself against communic ation sludge Be on the lookout for what can be eliminated. 2 of 5routine/interdependent.Team members need to provide enough information to each other about areas where their routine work is interdependent to enable them to coordinate. Communications should be Standardized. Organized. Easy. Pull v. Push (You go get what you need when you need it rather than having it pushed at you automatically). The danger for virtual teams is that because we have technology which allows us to exchange and store large amounts of information, we do it because we can without really addressing whether doing it adds value.The team needs to agree on a strategy to manage and coordinate this communication. Choose a few, processes for exchanging critical information and make a commitment to sticking to agreements about when and what will be produced by each member of the team. acclivitous/autonomous When individuals (or sub groups) on the team notice changes emerging in the work they have been doing, its c ritical to make this intelligence available to the team as a whole.Communications should be Timely (it cant wait for the adjoining face-to-face meeting). Push v. Pull (to make sure that nobody misses a key indicator). The danger for distributed teams is that a weak communications strategy results in wanting(p) signals where something new happening in one place is a bell weather for something that will sooner or later have an effect on other parts of the system.A team that doesnt share this kind of intelligence is less than the sum of its parts. The team needs a strategy for scanning, scouting the surroundings within which they are operating, noticing pattern changes to make sure that important things get up on the teams radar screen soon enough when something which has been static starts changing. that its not enough to simply report the information, its critical that the whole team have an opportunity to discuss its meaning.

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Pearl River Piano Company Essay

Pearl River Piano Group (PRPG) was established in 1956 by bringing together six small piano shops in Guangzhou. The group of 100 employees produced only 13 pianos that year. After many attempts, Guangzhou technicians were finally satisfied with the smell color and quality of its first manufactured piano, and in a short time it was sold in Hong Kong. It would be twenty years before the pulverisation was able to prove its potential. As a State -owned enterprise PRPG is accountable to the Guangzhou municipal government. Investments from both Yamaha and Steinway & Sons have played a key role in the expansion of their production. In addition, PRPG has bought the German piano instigant Ritmuller and will be expanding in the European market. Guangzhou, located at the north of the Pearl River delta, is an important handicraft center as well as a busy port and the capital city of the province of Guandong . The city has an area of over 16,000 square kilometers and a population of 6.7 milli on. Guangzhou is also integrity of the most important centers of foreign commerce in in the south China.There are a lot of interesting legends concerning its past. iodin of the beautiful stories which gives the city its name Goat Town says that five gods riding on five goats brought the first grain to the city. In 1959 PRPG consisted of a shed on the side of the street to repair pianos. Later a shelter was built to process the wood. At that time the pianos were carried in a cart with men walkway barefoot to the port. During the tumultuous of Mao Zedongs Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s, few Chinese dared to buy a piano, which symbolized the Wests effete and bourgeois society. Learning the piano was frowned upon at that time. The factory didnt stop making pianos. However, they were lucky if they sold more than one hundred pianos a year. In the meantime Chinas one-child policy has created a culture where parents invest heavily in their childrens education. Parents like t o spend money to improve their childrens education and culture and this has paid off for PRPG.Nearly 80%of their pianos are sold in China. Pianos have caught on in China. PRPGs domestic shipments climbed point throughout Asias financial crisis. During the1960s companies such as Yamaha took advantage of low labor costs to enter the global and domestic market. They were quietly followed my South Korea. For years the musical instrument business was dominated by U.S. and European companies. But this has been changing now for decades. In 1992 Tong Zhi Cheng took control of the company. He had worked for only one company during his adult life, the state-owned PRPG. When Tong took over pianos were fairly common in households in Europe and the U.S. for nearly two centuries, but in China they have been a luxury. In 1995 PRPG and Yamaha Pianos of Japan forged a $10 million joint venture. They set up a company called Yamaha-Pearl River. This company was set up to pay back certain Eterna mode ls that are exported to Europe and the USA.Unlike Chinas typically backward state-owned companies, PRPG is savvy about brands and looks for new products to sell. Tong bought a mature German brand Ritmller in 1999. In addition he has struck a deal with Steinway & Sons to produce their Essex line of pianos. Today, PRPG consists of a factory spanning 2 million square feetthe military personnels biggest piano plantcranks out 250 pianos every day. White-smocked workers steer computer-driven kilns that bake oak planks en masse. Individual piano keys are hand-checked for precision and balance. Five pairs of ears pick up to each pianos tuning, speeding another instrument out the doorand into Americas living rooms. Just two years later Pearl River set up a U.S. sales arm, its high- quality, low-priced pianos have snared 10% of the market, and the company vows to capture a 25% share by 2005. It already has won the hearts and minds of some U.S. consumers.

Friday, May 24, 2019

Human Activities In Causing Climate Change Environmental Sciences Essay

Climate is altering in a horrid manner. The alteration is influenced both by natural ground and human activities. El Nino, the populace surface temperature increased, acerb rains and many phenomenons are damaging the environment. Experts are worried about the quick altering clime, because the alteration may bring great deal many large catastrophes. Worldwide people are seeking to happen the solution and salvage humanity. This adjudicate will discourse how human activities contribute to climate alteration, and give some advice how to forestall the Earth.Human activities in doing clime alterationIt is clear that human activities accelerate the clime alteration. The initiative portion of essay will poll 2 human activities that consequence clime alteration.( 1 ) Burning fossil fuelsThe Earth surface temperature increasing owe to greenhouse gases, because they carry the short-wave radiation from the Sun to the Earth ( NSW Department of Primary Industries, 2008 ) . Obviously, more gr eenhouse gases mean terrible clime alteration. Before demoing the grounds of nursery gases growing, people need to understand what nursery gases are. The ground why people call these gases greenhouse gases is because they work like a glass nursery that heats up with the radiation trapped by the glass ( NSW Department of Primary Industries, 2008 ) . Greenhouse gases are non notwithstanding angiotensin converting enzyme sort of gas, really it includes water vapour, C dioxide, methane and azotic oxide ( NSW Department of Primary Industries, 20082 ) . Obviously, because of the high-ranking nursery gases concentration, the temperature became higher than earlier. However, flaming fossil fuels are the arch-criminal of lifting nursery gases in atmospheric has accelerated. Excessive human emanations in like manner caused 1.4 & A deg F gone up in the past century ( Pew Centre on Global Climate Change, 2008b ) . Burning fossil fuels non merely do nursery gases to lend to climate alterat ion, but in any case sulphur dioxide and N oxides. Sulphur dioxide and N oxides contribute to climate alteration because of their ability to farm acerb rain. Acid rains which have deadly influences on edifices, trees and animate beings are besides bad for clime ( John, S et Al. 2006 ) .( 2 ) Overexploitation of the natural resourcesApart from firing fossil fuels, the ground why clime alteration in such a fast manner is overuse of the natural resources. The natural resources on the Earth are limited, no aff product line non-re pertlyable resources or renewable resources. It seems that the turning population of world does non recognize the facts people ever exploit more resources than people s demand to do certain the tendency of growing. Conspicuously, overuse the nature resources becomes one portion of causing led to climate alteration. Peoples knows that many day-to-day supplies made from wood, such as documents, some apparels and furniture, ordered more and more trees felled. As antecedently mentioned, nursery gases are bad for clime, and one of the methods to diminish is more workss. Braid butt end absorb C dioxide, and extenuate the consistence of nursery gases. However, the bad intelligence is that the solution is dissatisfying for overdriving the natural resources. As a consequence, deforestation exacerbates the clime. On the other manus, deforestation besides conduces to desertification which contributes on clime alteration. Land debasement crumb besides take to environmental debasement, poorness, migration and the rhythm of struggle, but besides frequently affected states and parts, insurance-making stableness hazards ( UNCCD United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, 2009 ) . Peoples who live here need to disforest to gain money to do unrecorded.Outline farther impairment may be preventedAfter discoursing the human activities, the 2nd portion of essay will convey frontward 2 solutions that may protect the environment.( 1 ) Government governmentAs mentioned above, firing fossil fuels is one of the human activities that contribute to climate alteration. Factories create electricity by firing fossil fuels. To work out the jobs, authorities government seems to be an indispensable method. Nowadays, in that respect is an effectual policy that is accepted in Australia and some European states, which named cap and trade ( Minter-Ellison, 2007 ) . The government relate to electricity coevals, conveyance, industrial procedure, forestry, agribusiness and waste ( Minter-Ellison, 2007 ) . The policy means authorities will crest the nursery gases emanations for every mill or else. For case, a mill has to pay for the emanations if it emit more nursery gases than the cap, besides a mill can sale its emanations if it emit less nursery gases than the cap. With authorities government, people and mills are encouraged to cut down the flavour of firing fossil fuels. This is a good illustration for authorities to represent some p olicies, order emitters prevent environment on their ain inititiative.( 2 ) proceeding new talent and happen how to utilize the new energyThe 2nd solution is to work new energy, and happen how to utilize the new energy. Because people is used to become some fuels by wooden, deforestation is difficult to avoid. Account for the job, to work new energy is at hand. Actually some new energy like air current and solar power have been found for many old ages, but for the bound of scientific discipline, people can non utilize the new energy good. For illustration, people have no thought approximately solar power when it is nebulose. Fortunately, PSEG Global, a company found the method to utilize air current and mark air current. Harmonizing to their proclamation, when air current power beyond the demand of consumer, they will hive away the air current in belowground caverns or in armored combat vehicles. During the peak hours, the stored air current will let go of and go energy ( Davids on, P. 2008 ) . Besides, scientist besides exploited some other new energy and found how to utilize. E-Coal is one sort of new energy which substitutes for coal. E-Coal was called no nursery gases emanation fuel, because it was made by biomass, though E-Coal liberate C dioxide when combustion, E-Coal can absorb equal C dioxide during their life ( Davidson, P. 2008 ) .In decision, human activities like firing fossil fuels and overdriving the natural resources changed climate a batch. Merely nowadays people are cognizant of the importance of environmental, and get down to work out the jobs. Government and scientists have been working to happen the solution. Everyone lives in the Earth, so everybody has to make their beat out to protect environment.( 950 words )

Thursday, May 23, 2019

The Indigo Spell Chapter Five

I LEFT SHORTLY THEREAFTER with the Alchemists and didnt expect to see Adrian for a little turn. He was staying on with the rough other Moroi a couple more eld in Pennsylvania, so t present was no chance of a repeat flight together. My blow up back to California was quiet and uneventful, though my mind raced with solely the developments of the last couple of days. Between Ms. Terwilligers cryptic warning and my recent lead on Marcus, I had plenty to occupy me.A text message from Eddie greeted me when I hailed a cab at the Palm Springs airport Were eating at Marquees. Wanna join us? A follow-up message soon came You can drive us back. I directed the driver to take me to a suburb on the cold edge of the city rather than Amberwoods fellowship in Vista Azul. I was hungry, seeing as thered been no dinner served on the plane in coach, and besides, I wanted my car back in my own pass.When I arrived at the restaurant, I found Eddie and Angeline sitting on star side of a kiosk wit h Jill on the other. Immediately, I knew wherefore theyd chosen to eat so uttermost from our school. Being a manner meant Eddie and Angeline could go out as a couple. Back at Amberwood, e heartylyone thought we were related. Eddie, Jill, and I passed ourselves off as siblings, while Angeline was our cousin. Eddie and Angeline had recently started dating, so theyd had to hide their relationship from our classmates to avoid raising suspicions. We already seemed to attract enough attending as it was.Angeline was cuddled up in Eddies arm. stock-still he looked like he was having a good time, which was adequate to see. He in like mannerk his responsibilities so seriously and was often so tense that it seemed as though it wouldnt take much to use up him snap in two. Angeline though uncouth, unpredic add-in, and often inappropriate had proven remarkably good for him. That didnt make him any less diligent in his guardian duties, of course.Things were a little different on the oppo site side of the table. Jill looked miserable, slumped into the seat with her arms crossed. Her light embrown tomentum hung forward, covering part of her face. After ill-fated romances with a guy who wanted to become a Strigoi and with Eddies human roommate, Jill had come to realize that Eddie might very well be the guy for her. It was fitting, too, because for a long time, hed harbored a secret crush on her, fiercely dedi qated to her in the way a knight served his liege lady. Hed n ever so believed he was worthy of Jill, and without any signs of her affection, hed turned to Angeline exactly when Jill had come around and wanted him. At times, it seemed like some sort of Shakespearean comedy . . . until I looked at Jills face. Then Id feel contraventioned because I knew if Eddie returned her affection, Angeline would be the one with that sad, sad preparation. It was kind of a mess and made me glad to be free of any romantic entanglements.Sydney Jill beamed when she see me, brushing her hair past. Maybe it was because she postulateed the distraction, or perhaps it was because Adrians new attitude toward me had lifted some of her moodiness. Regardless, I welcomed a return to the old friendliness in her rather than the brooding and accusing looks shed harbored since I rejected him.Hey, guys. I slid into the booth beside her. Immediately, I opened up my cell phones picture album and handed it to her since I knew shed want to know more or less the wedding correcteousness away. Despite all the intrigue that had gone run through there, I had managed to take some pictures without the other Alchemists noticing. Even if shed seen some of it through Adrians eyes, Jill would still want to examine every(prenominal)thing in detail.She sighed with happiness as she scanned the pictures. Look at Sonya. Shes so pretty. Angeline and Eddie leaned across the table to get a look. Oh. And theres Rose and Lissa. They look great too. there was an odd note in Jills vo ice as she spoke. She was friends with Rose, exclusively her half infant was still a bit of an enigma. Jill and Lissa hadnt even known they were sisters until recently, and the volatile political environment had forced Lissa to be puzzle more as a queen than a sister toward Jill. It was a tall(prenominal) relationship for both of them.Did you have a fun time? Eddie asked me.I considered my answer for several moments. I had an interesting time. Theres still a lot of tension between the Alchemists and your people, so some of it was a little weird.At least Adrian was there. Must have been nice to have someone you know, express Angeline, in well-meaning ignorance. She pointed to a picture Id taken of the reception hall. My intent had been to get a full shot of the venue for Jill, simply Adrian had pop offed to walk into the shot, posed and perfect like some handsome spokesmodel hosting the event. ever so so pretty. Angeline shook her head in disapproval. Everyone there is. I su rmise that means there werent any celebratory wrestling matches?It was a sign of Angelines progress that shed deduced that so quickly. Her people, the Keepers, lived in the wilds of West Virginia, and their openness to romance between vampires, dhampirs, and macrocosm was only one of their more bizarre customs. Friendly fights broke out often, and Angeline had had to learn that much(prenominal) behaviors werent acceptable out here in mainstream America.Not while I was there, I said. But hey, maybe something went drop after I left. That brought grins to Jills and Eddies faces and a hopeful look to Angelines.A waitress came by, and I ordered victuals Coke and a salad. Maybe Id loosened up in my tight calorie counting, only if I swore I could still taste the sugar from all the wedding cake Id eaten after the spell.Angeline tightened her hold on Eddies arm and smiled up at him. If you ever get to see my home, you can fight my brother cod to show that youre worthy of me.I had to s wallow a laugh. Id seen the Keepers community and knew she was absolutely serious. I worked to prevent a straight face. bent you breaking a lot of rules by being together without that having happened yet?Angeline nodded, looking a little glum. My mom would be so scandalized if she knew. But I guess this is a unique situation.Eddie smiled indulgently at her. I think sometimes he thought we were exaggerating about the Keepers. He was deprivation to be in for a shock if he ever did visit them. Maybe I can fight a bunch of your relatives to make up for it, he said.You might have to, she said, not realizing he was joking.It was just now romantic banter, but Jill looked decidedly uncomfortable discussing their relationship. She turned to me, very obviously trying not to look at them. Sydney, what are we going to do about Christmas?I shrugged, unsure what she was asking. The usual, I guess. Give presents. Sing songs. Have Yuletide duels. Angeline lit up at that.Jill rolled her eyes. No , I mean, were going to be on pass break in a few weeks. Is there any way . . . is there any way we can go home?There was a plaintive note in her voice, and even Eddie and Angeline broke their mutual admiration to stare at me. I shifted under their scrutiny. Angeline wasnt as concerned about visit the Keepers, but I knew Eddie and Jill missed their friends and family. I wished I could give them the answer they wanted to hear.Im sorry, I said. Youll be staying at Clarences for break. We cant risk . . . well, you know. I didnt pick up to strain the need for Jills safety. We were all familiar with that refrain. Ians comment about how fragile the throne was drove home the importance of what we did.Jills face fell. Even Eddie looked disappointed. I figure, she said. I just hoped . . . that is, I miss my mom so much.We can probably get a message to her, I said gently.I knew that was no substitute for the real thing. I was able to make occasional phone calls to my own mom, and hearing her voice was a million times better than any email could be. I even got to talk to my older sister, Carly sometimes, which always cheered me up since she was so bright and funny. My preadolescenter sister, Zoe . . . well, she was a different story. She wouldnt take my calls. Shed around been initiated into the Alchemists to take on this mission, in fact when Id stolen it from her. Id done it to protect her from committing to the Alchemists so young, but shed seen it as an insult.Looking at Jills sad face, I felt my heart clench. She had been through so much. Her new royal status. Targeted by assassins. Fitting in to a human school. Her disastrous and deadly romances. And now enduring Eddie and Angeline. She handled it all with remarkable strength, always resolutely going through with what she had to do even if she didnt want to do it. Lissa was praised for being such an exemplary queen, but there was a regality and strength to Jill as well that galore(postnominal) underestimat ed. Glancing up, I caught a spark in Eddies eyes as he too seemed to recognize and admire that about her.After dinner, I took them back to Amberwood and was rejoicing to see that my car was in perfect shape. I drove a brown Subaru named Latte, and Eddie was the only other person I practiceed behind the wheel. I dropped him off at the boys dorm and indeed took Angeline and Jill back to ours. As we were walking in the door, I caught sight of Mrs. Santos, a teacher I knew by re coiffureation.You guys go ahead, I told Jill and Angeline. Ill see you tomorrow.They left, and I walked across the lobby, waiting patiently for Mrs. Santos to finish a discussion with our dorm matron, Mrs. Weathers. When Mrs. Santos started to turn around and leave, I caught her attention.Mrs. Santos? Im Sydney Melrose. I wondered if I could Oh, yes, she said. I know who you are, dear. Ms. Terwilliger raves about you all the time at our department meetings. Mrs. Santos was a kindly-looking woman with silver and black hair. Rumor had it shed be retiring soon.I flushed a little at the praise. Thank you, maam. She and Ms. Terwilliger were both history teachers, though Mrs. Santoss focus was on American history, not world. Do you have a minute? I wanted to ask you something.Of course.We stepped off to the side of the lobby, out of the incoming and outgoing dorm traffic. You know a lot about topical anesthetic history, right? Southern California?Mrs. Santos nodded. I was born and raised here.Im interested in nontraditional arc realiseecture in the Los Angeles area, I told her, the lie rolling slow off my lips. Id thought about this in advance. That is, non-Southwest styles. Do you know any neighborhoods like that? Id heard there were some Victorian ones.She brightened. Oh, yes. Absolutely. Fascinating subject. Victorian, Cape Cod, compound . . . there are all sorts. I dont have all the information on me, but I could email you when I get home tonight. There are several I know off the top o f my head, and I know a historian who could help you with others.Thatd be great, maam. Thank you so much.Always happy to help a star pupil. She winked as she started to walk away. Maybe next semester youll do an independent study with me. Provided you can tear yourself away from Ms. Terwilliger.Ill deem it in mind, I said.As soon as she was gone, I texted Ms. Terwilliger. Mrs. Santos is going to tell me about historical neighborhoods. The response came quickly Excellent. Come over right now. I scowled as I typed back I just got here. Havent even been in my room. To which she replied Then you can get here that much faster.Maybe that was true, but I still took the time to put my suitcase back in my room and change out of my travel clothes. Ms. Terwilliger lived pretty close to the school and looked as though shed been pacing in circles when I arrived at her house.Finally, she said.I glanced at the time. Its only been fifteen minutes.She shook her head and again wore the same grim exp ression shed had out in the empty. Even that might be too much. Follow me.Ms. Terwilligers home was a little bungalow that could have doubled as a New Age store or possibly a cat shelter. The direct of clutter set my teeth on edge. Spell books, incense, statues, crystals, and all sorts of other conjurational items sat in piles in all rooms of the house. Only her workshop, the room she led me to, was neat and orderly even to levels I clear of. Everything was clean and organized, to the point of being labeled and alphabetized. A large worktable sat in the center of the room, only cleared off, save for a sensational necklace Id never seen before. The chain was made of intricate gold loops, and the pendant was a deep red cabochon stone in a lacy gold setting.Garnet? I asked.Very good, she said, lifting the necklace. The candlelight in the room seemed to make every part of it glitter.Its lovely, I said.She held it out to me. Its for you.I stepped back uneasily. For . . . me? I . . . I mean, thank you, but I cant accept a gift like that.Its not a gift, she said. Its a necessity. One that might save your life. Take it and put it on.I refused to pair it. Its wizardlyal, isnt it?Yes, she said. And dont give me that look. Its no different from any of the charms youve made for yourself.Except that anything youd make . . . I swallowed as I stared into the depths of that bloodred jewel. Its going to be a lot more berthful than anything I can create.Thats exactly the point. Now here. She thrust it so close to me that it nearly swung out and hit me in the face.Steeling myself, I reached out and took it from her. zero happened. No smoke or sparks. No searing pain. Seeing her expectant look, I fastened it around my neck, letting the garnet lie next to my cross.She sighed, her relief nearly palpable. good as Id hoped.What? I asked. Even if I sensed nothing special about it, the garnet felt heavy around my neck.Its masking your jokeal ability, she said. No one who me ets you should be able to tell that youre a magic user.Im not a magic user, I reminded her sharply. Im an Alchemist.A small flicker of a smile vie over her lips. Of course you are one who uses magic. And to a particularly powerful person, that would be obvious. Magic leaves a mark on your blood that permeates your whole body.What? I couldnt have been more shocked if shed said Id just contracted a deadly disease. You never told me that before It wasnt important, she said with a small shrug. Until now. I need you hidden. Do not take that off. Ever.I put my hands on my hips. Maam, I dont understand.All will be revealed in time No, I said. At that moment, I could have been talking to Stanton or any of the countless others whod used me and fed me pieces of information throughout my life. It will be revealed now. If youve gotten me into something dangerous, indeed you either need to get me out of it or tell me how to.Ms. Terwilliger stared at me for several quiet moments. A gray tabby cat rubbed up against my legs, ruining the seriousness of the moment. Youre right, she said at last. I do owe you an explanation. Have a seat.I sat down on one of the stools by the table, and she sat opposite me. She clasped her hands together in front of her and seemed to be having a hard time gathering her thoughts. I had to force myself to stay calm and patient. Otherwise, the panic that had been gnawing at me since the desert would completely consume me.You remember that woman you saw in the picture? she asked at last.Your sister.Ms. Terwilliger nodded. Veronica. Shes ten years older than me and looks half my age, as you could undoubtedly tell. Now, it isnt difficult to create an illusion. If I wanted to appear young and beautiful, I could emphasis on appear. But Veronica? Shes actually managed to make her body young and vibrant. Its an advanced, deadly kind of magic. You cant defy age like that without making some sacrifices. She frowned, and my heart pounded. Creating youth made all my Alchemist sensibilities reel. It was nearly as bad as Strigoi immortality, maybe worse if she was talking about a human doing it. That kind of twisted magic had no place in this world. Her next words drove home the wrongness of it all. Or, in her case, sacrificing others.Sacrifice. The very word seemed to poison the air. She stood up and walked over to a shelf, producing a news story clipping. Wordlessly, she handed it to me. It was a recent article, from three days ago, talking about a nineteen-year-old UCLA student whod been found comatose in her dorm room. No one knew what had caused it, and the girl was hospitalized with no indication of when or if shed heat up.What is this? I asked, not sure I wanted to know the answer.I inspected the article more closely, especially the picture it contained. At first, I wondered why the paper would show a sleeping old woman. Then, reading the fine print, I learned that the coma victim also displayed some unexplained physical symp toms gray-streaked hair and dry, cracked skin. Doctors were currently investigating rare diseases. I cringed, unable to believe what I saw. She was hideous, and I couldnt look at her for very long.And just like that, I suddenly understood. Veronica wasnt sacrificing victims with knives and stone altars. She was conducting some kind of perverse magic on these girls that bent the rules of nature, putting them in this hideous state. My stomach twisted, and I gripped the table for support.This girl was one of Veronicas victims, confirmed Ms. Terwilliger. Thats how she maintains her youth and beauty by taking it from others. When I read this, I thought almost hoped some other magic user was doing it. Not that Id wish this on anyone. Your scrying spell confirmed she was in the area, however, which means its my responsibility to deal with her.I dared a look down at the article again and felt that nausea well up again. The girl was nineteen. What would it be like to have the life sucked out of you at so young an age? Maybe the coma was a blessing. And how corrupt and twisted would you have to be to do that to someone?I didnt know how exactly Ms. Terwilliger would deal with her sister and wasnt sure I wanted to find out. And yet, if Veronica really was doing things like this to innocents, then yes, someone like Ms. Terwilliger needed to stop her. A magical beset of this magnitude was one of the most terrible things I could imagine. It brought back all my ingrained fears about the wrongness of magic. How could I justify using it when it was capable of such horror? Old Alchemist lessons came back to me Part of what makes the Moroi particularly dangerous is their ability to work magic. No one should be able to twist the world in that way Its wrong and can easily run out of control.I tuned back into the present. How do I fit into this, maam? I already figured out where she is. Why am I in danger?Sydney, Mrs. Terwilliger said, looking at me strangely. There are few youn g women out there with your abilities. on with youth and beauty, she intends to suck someones magic away and use it to make herself that much more powerful. You, my dear, would be the ultimate coup for her.Shes like Strigoi, I murmured, unable to come down a shiver. Although those undead vampires could feast on anyone, they preferred Moroi because they had magic in their blood. Drinking Moroi blood made Strigoi more powerful, and a chilling thought suddenly hit me. Practically a human vampire.Something like that, Ms. Terwilliger agreed. This amulet should hide your power, even from someone as strong as her. She shouldnt be able to find you.A calico cat jumped up on the table, and I ran a hand over her sleek fur, taking comfort in the small contact. The fact that you postponement verbalism should makes me a little nervous. Why would she even come looking in Palm Springs? Does she know about me yet?No. But she knows Im here, and she may check on me once in a while so I need to hi de you in case she does. Im in a bind, however, because I need to find her but cant actively do the hunting. If she finds out Im investigating, shell know that I know shes here. I cant alert her. If I have the element of force on my side, Im more likely to stop her. She frowned. Im honestly surprised she would come so close to me in California at all. Regardless, I need to keep a low profile until its time to strike.Ms. Terwilliger looked at me meaningfully, and I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as I began to put together what she was saying. You want me to hunt her.Its not hunting so much as gathering some data. Youre the only one I can trust to do this. She and I can sense each other if were close, no matter how much we try to hide our magic. I know this is going to large(p) appalling, but I actually think itd be best if you hunted her even if youre the one shes after. Youre one of the few I can trust completely and youre resourceful enough to pull something like this off .But Id be putting myself out there. You just said Id be a big catch for her. The twists and turns here were mindboggling.Yes. Which is why I gave you the amulet. She wont sense your magic, and if youre cautious in your investigation, she should have no reason to notice you.I still wasnt following the logic here. But why me? You have a coven. If you cant do it yourself, then there must be someone else a stronger witch who can do it.Two reasons, she said. One is that you have excellent investigative s shovel ins more so than others older than you. Youre intelligent and resourceful. The other reason . . . well, if another(prenominal) witch goes after her, she might very well kill Veronica.Would that be such a bad thing? I didnt like violence and killing by any means, but this might be a case where it was justified, if it could save other lives. You said you were going to take care of her.If I have no choice . . . if I must kill her, then I will. She looked dejected, and I had a mom ent of empathy. I loved my two sisters. What would I do if I was ever in a deadly conflict with one of them? Of course, it was hard to imagine Zoe or Carly committing this kind of atrocity. However, there are other ways of neutralizing and subduing a magic user. If theres any way any way at all I can do that, I will. My coven sisters wont feel that way, which is why I need your help.I cant. I pushed the stool back and stood up, nearly stepping on a cat in the process. There must be some other way you can do this. You know Im already bogged down in supernatural affairs. I actually couldnt bring myself to admit the real reason I wanted to dodge this. It was about more than just risking my life. So far, all my magical interactions had been with Ms. Terwilliger. If I signed on for this, I would be plunging into the world of witches, something Id sworn I would never do.Ms. Terwilliger tapped the article, and her voice was quiet when she spoke. Could you let this happen to other girls, knowing theres a way you could stop it? Ive never heard of any of her victims waking up. The way this spell works, Veronica needs to renew it every few years, and it requires five victims within one month. She did this once before, and it caught me off guard. This time, we have warning. Four more people could suffer this fate. Do you want that?There it was. Shed called me on the other part that had been nagging me because she knew me too well. I couldnt let innocents suffer, not even if it meant risking myself or facing the fears that haunted me. If I could stop this, I had to. No one deserved the fate of that girl in the paper. Of course not.And lets not forget that you could soon be one of her victims.I stirred the garnet. You said Im hidden.You are, for now. And I hope against all hope youll stay that way. Id never seen her so grim before, and it was hard to watch. I was used to her prattling, bumbling, no-nonsense nature. But heres something Ive never told you about how magic u sers sense each other.Something Id learned over the years it was never a good thing when people said, Heres something I never told you. . . . I braced myself. impetuous magic users have a particular feel thats unique from the more experienced, she explained. Theres a oh, wild-ness about the magic that surrounds you. Its easy for advanced witches to sense. My coven keeps track of novice magic users, but those are tightly guarded secrets. Veronica wont have access to those names, but there are spells she can use that can pick up on some of that untamed magic if its near her. Its how she probably found this poor girl. Ms. Terwilliger nodded toward the article.The estimation of me having some wild magical aura was as shocking as her saying I had magic in my blood.When she absorbs a victim, Ms. Terwilliger continued, she gets a burst of that wildness. It fades quickly, but when she possesses it, it can briefly enhance her ability to scry for another untrained victim. The more victims sh e takes, the stronger that ability will grow. Theres a chance, Ms. Terwilliger said gravely, that it could be enough to break apart the garnet. I dont know. She spread out her hands.So youre saying . . . with each victim she attacks, the chance that shell find me increases.Yes.All right. Ill help you hunt for her. I shoved all my fears and doubts aside. The stakes were too high. My life, the other girls . . . Veronica had to be halt for all our sakes. Someone like her couldnt be allowed to go on like this.Theres more, added Ms. Terwilliger.Really?More than hunting an evil witch who wants to drain me of my life and power?If we can stop Veronica from finding less powerful victims, we can save their lives and limit her ability to find you. She produced a small velvet dish and emptied it out onto the table. Several small agate circles fell out. These are charms that have some ability to mask magic. Not as strong as the garnet that would take too long. But theyre a quick fix that might save some of these other girls lives.I knew where this was going. And you want me to deliver them.Im sorry. I know Im giving you some very difficult tasks here.This was getting worse and worse. Difficult? Thats an understatement. And putting aside the fact that you want me to find a woman who could suck my life away theres also the very small detail that the Alchemists would flip out if they knew I was involved with any of this.Ms. Terwilliger didnt answer right away. She just watched me. A black cat jumped up beside her and joined in the staring. Its yellow-eyed gaze seemed to say Do the right thing.Where do I start? I asked finally. Finding that neighborhood is part of it, right?Yes. And Ill tell you where to find her potential victims, if youll do the legwork of warning them. My coven keeps track of them. Theyll be girls very much like you, ones with power who refuse to train and have no mentor to look after them. Once we have a clear fix on Veronica herself . . . Ms. Terwillige rs eyes hardened. Well, then. Thats when Ill step in.Once more, I wondered if I really wanted to know what that entailed.A moment later, she added, Oh, and I thought it would be a good idea to obscure your appearance as well.I brightened. I couldnt explain it, but somehow, that made me feel immensely better. There are a lot of spells for that, right? Id seen a number of them in my studies. Even if I had to use magic, it was better to at least look different.Yes. . . . She drummed her fingers against the table. But the amulet might not be able to hide you wearing an active spell, which would then defeat the whole purpose. What I was actually hoping was that your brother Adrian might be able to help.My legs felt weak, and I sat back down. Why on earth should Adrian be involved in this?Well, he seems like hed do anything for you. I eyed her, wondering if there was a double meaning in that. Her gaze was far away, her thoughts turned inward. Shed meant her words honestly. Veronica wouldn t be able to detect vampire magic. His power . . . that spirit element he was telling me about . . . it can blot out the mind, right? Affect what others can see?Yes. . . .She focused on me again, nodding in satisfaction. If he could accompany you, help muddle whoever meets you . . . well, that would offer an extra level of protection.I still didnt know what all Id be doing to hunt Ms. Terwilligers sister, but it sounded like, at the very least, thered be a drive to Los Angeles in my future. Me, trapped in another small space with Adrian while he continued with that infuriating loving from afar. I was so caught up in the emotional turmoil that idea caused that it took me a moment to realize the larger issue I was letting myself get sucked into.Do you realize what youre asking? I said quietly. I touched the garnet again. To be a part of this, youre asking me to expose myself to both human magic and vampire magic. Everything I try to avoid.Ms. Terwilliger snorted, and for the first ti me tonight, I saw a return of her usual amused attitude. Unless Im mistaken, youve been exposing yourself to both kinds of magic for some time now. So, it cant go against your beliefs that much. She paused meaningfully. If anything, it seems like it goes against the Alchemists beliefs.The Alchemists beliefs are my beliefs, I said quickly.She arched an eyebrow. Are they? I would hope your beliefs would be your beliefs.Id never thought about it that way before, but I suddenly hoped desperately that her words were true.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Child development Essay

The following essay will examine factors that affect a electric razors encyclopaedism and rise upment. All tiddlerren argon distinctive case-by-cases and differ in pattern and timing of maturation, as well as respective(prenominal) personality, education style, ethnic and family background. Each kidskin has its own varying strengths, weaknesses, specific needs and skills. The age of a kidskin is an effective indicator to the sequence of power points of rise upment however, it is only an melodic theme of maturation, as the mentioned independent factors will differ from child to child.The demos of catchment in children aged one to five geezerhood allow the prenatal period, infancy, toddler stage, and earlier childhood and cover a plethora of progress in all aras of growing. Expected changes in growth take place in all atomic number 18as of discipline, in particular in the early years, and these include physical, intellectual, language, unrestrained, and genia l nurture. The beginning(a) five years of life ar crucial for expanding the foundations for take heeding and development. Research has shown that the developing child is learning to discover, communicate, and extend ideas about how things work.Read much Factors that work child development essayThe winning progress of these abilities and skills depend largely on a childs early surroundings. Parents, teachers, and assist turn inrs promote development and learning when they provide experiences that build on and extend the childs capabilities. However, it is clear from evidence on both sides of the argument that development and learning go from a contribution of both biological factors and environmental factors. Empiricists believe environmental influences shape learning and development, plot of ground nativists emphasise inborn, genetic characteristics influence development (Bee, 2006b).Development could be described as an interactive relationship between the inherited quali ties of an individual and the external environment. A childs emotional and social development is shaped by internal influences, for example, a child may be inherently shy or outgoing, however the environment will also influence the childs social and emotional development, such(prenominal) as successful first relationships, cultural value and how family and peers interact with the child, i. e. the childs immediate social environment. Cognitive development could be influenced by internal factors.Research has shown that teratogens (legal or illegal drugs), smoking, alcohol inspiration plunder have adverse affects on cognitive development (Bee, 2006 a). A study by Monuteaux, (2006) shows the negative effects of smoking on the development of a child, and there is speculative study that maternal diet and smoking could be causal factors of ADHD (Bakker, 2003). Scarr (1983) summarises the internal and external influences on childrens development, Both genes and environments are constitue nts in the developmental system, but they have different roles.Genes direct the course of human experience, but experiential opportunities are also necessary for development to slide by (Scarr, 1983, pp. 433). It is interesting to consider cognitive development in children and the subsequent affect on learning and conduct. Piaget was an influential Swiss psychologist who researched cognitive development. Piaget believes cognitive development transpires by a combination of direct experience from ones environment and an inherent aptitudeive structure of biological maturation.Piaget suggested individuals are born with intellect to serve as a basic function that assists adaptation to their environment (Shaffer, 1989). His conjecture proposes that development proceeds done a set of four stages from infancy to adulthood. Piaget believed that the first stage of cognitive development is the sensorimotor stage this occurs in the first two years of a childs life and involves infants usin g motor skills and all the senses, sight, smell, touch etc to explore and gain an lowstanding of the environment.Preoperational stage progresses from the sensorimotor stage and includes the use of language to understand the environment, images and symbols are also used to represent the environment this is from two to seven years of age. Piaget believed language is egocentric at this stage. The next stage is termed concrete operations and children begin to use logical thought motiones to nonwithstanding their understanding and occurs from ages seven to 11. Formal Operation is the live on stage Piaget believes takes place in cognitive development and it involves the ability to use abstract thought processes.This is from eleven onwards (Shaffer, 1989). The central idea of Piagets cognitive theory is the attainment of schemas, and further assimilation and accommodation of these schemas constantly return the child to a estate of equilibrium. A schema is any thought or object that one may have experienced and is then organised to aid coherence. Assimilation is the process of adding new information to enhance the understanding of an existing schema, and thus producing a new schema.Accommodation is the adjustment of an existing schema in order to include new information. Equilibration is the term Piaget uses to describe the balance a child reaches when it satisfied with a schema, new information places the child in a state of disequilibrium or imbalance, until, assimilation and accommodation allow equilibration to take place. As with all theories, Piaget was criticised for placing too much emphasis on environment and not considering social interaction as an impacting force (Cohen, 1993).It has also been suggested that children appear to have existing understanding of basic principles, e. g. a study by Gibson and Walk, used a visual cliff where a checkerboard pattern continued several feet below a glass t satisfactory. The test showed that infants as young as 5 months were able to perceive depth, and would not proceed when they reached the end of the cliff (Bee, 2006b). This shows that galore(postnominal) foundations of cognitive ability are already present and further learning will increase cognitive development.Vygotsky is another(prenominal) central figure in the domain of constructivist theory however, he differs from Piaget in that Vygotsky places more(prenominal) emphasis on social learning and its effect on cognitive development. His theory focuses on a term he called zone of proximal development and delimitate it as the distance between the actual developmental direct as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers (Vygotsky, 1978, p.86). Vygotsky believed that learning takes place in this zone. The idea of ZPD suggests that cognitive development is established by social learning with capab le peers or adults and cooperative analytical skills. In contrast to Piaget, Vygotsky stated that development was an intricate lifelong process that could not be defined into stages, but instead is to be examined as a means of development rather than an end. Vygotskys theory reflects correlation between learning and development.Newborn children are constantly learning from their experiences and they form understanding from theses experiences, Vygotsky, believes this learning is directly linked to sociocultural perspective. As they grow older, infants readily learn from observation and cooperative learning with peers and adults (Moyles, Miller) The psychodynamic cuddle addresses childrens learning by focusing on internal mechanisms, such as instincts, conflicts and unconscious(p) forces. A familiar idea of this theory is that unconscious as well as conscious forces regulate behavior.Freud suggested three intuitive drives for survival, the sexual drive to reproduce the human race, hunger and pain trigger the instinct to preserve ones life and aggressive drives are the third force. Freuds theory is criticised on many accounts, mostly that he suggests the main vestigial cause of problems are sexually related, and secondly it is scientifically difficult to measure the hidden unconscious of a being. Freuds theory implies that children learn behaviour through the progress of three stages.The newborn and infant are driven by what he termed the id this is an inborn instinct, which demands instant atonement. As the child grows older, it learns that it cannot achieve instant gratification all the time, and the ego develops as an intermediary pacifier, which takes social contexts into consideration and delays gratification. The superego is the higher form of moral reasoning and is often considered as a parental restrictor, this last stage develops much later in development (Bee, 2006b).It can be seen how Freuds theory affects social and emotional development and beha viour in the first five years, as most children at this age are controlled by the id and the developing ego. Eriksons theory is often viewed as an extension of Freuds psychosexual theory of Development. Erikson suggests that development progresses over a lifespan and he portrays this in his theory of the eight stages of psychosocial development. His theory proposes that each stage has a conflict indoors it that must be resolved before proceeding to the next stage each stage presents the opportunity for success or failure.The first three stages are relevant in the first five years of a childs life and include emotional, social and cognitive development on behaviour acquisition. The first stage is trust versus mistrust and takes place in the period of the first two years of infancy this stage propounds an emotional crisis in which the child must successfully develop trust and security and emotional well-being. If the care provider does not reciprocate emotional care positively the ch ild becomes mistrustful. at once the child has conditioned trust, it advances to the next stage of autonomy versus shame, and approximately takes place in early childhood. This stage concentrates on the childs ability to develop confidence and a sense of independence. nestlingren at this age (approximately two to four years) begin to manage small parts of their lives, and Erikson suggests toilet training is a ample feat in establishing independence in a child. It also consists of decision-making and choice over things like forage, clothes etc, if a child is unsuccessful in this stage then it leads to shame and a feeling of inadequacy.The third stage occurs from about three to five years of age, and incorporates the childs ability to play and develop social skills of leadership or subordination, power and a sense of self. If the child cannot overcome the crisis then inhibition, fear and a prolonged development are the result. The successful child proceeds to the next stage and so forth (Brain 2005) The humanistic perspective argues that behaviour is subjective as individuals determine and control their own thoughts and actions.Maslow hypothesised a hierarchy of need, in which each level of the hierarchy had to be satisfied before the human need moved on to the next level. For example, according to Maslows hierarchy it is not perceived that an individual would desire the comfort of a spouse or children, if basic physiological needs such as food and water were not satisfied (Bee 2006a). Children develop and learn most productively in the environment of a community where they are safe and valued, and their emotional and physiological needs fulfilled.If physical nourishment is transpiring then Maslows theory depicts emotional well-being as an all important(predicate) factor, certainly all aspects of development are influenced by successfully accomplishing positive first relationships. This provides the constructive foundation for effective social and emotional development, which will inadvertently affect cognitive development as well. Skinner constructed a theory he termed operant conditioning, and based it on the notion that learning is a means of behaviour modification.His experimentations show how he erudite rats to pull a lever to release food, the incentive for the rats was the food and the required behaviour was pulling the lever. The theory illustrates that changes in behaviour are the consequences of an individuals reaction to incentives that occur in any given environment subsequently the reaction will produce an outcome. When a specific response is reinforced, behaviour is conditioned, and the individual will respond to a stimulus to achieve its incentive the result will be consistent each time.The crucial aspect of Skinners model is reinforcement, a particular behaviour can be acquired through reward, and certain behaviours prevented through punishment (Brain, 2005). Skinners theory belongs to the Behaviourist approach and i s effective in explaining some of the causes and modifications of behaviour it is often used in schools to elicit particular behaviours from children (usually in the form of sweets or stickers). Social learning theory clarifies behaviour in terms of consistent equal correlation between cognitive, behavioural, and environmental influences.Social learning theory has four main components, attention, retention, motor raising and motivation, which cover physical, cognitive and behavioural development. Attention requires concentration so that the events are observed accurately. Retention includes the intellectual organization of information in order to set up it effectively in the memory and remember the correct processes of events. Motor reproduction includes the physical ability to imitate the behaviour, for example, a human is not physically able to fly like superman.Motivation involves the child to be willing and motivated to imitate the behaviour. The observed consequences of a par ticular behaviour (whether punished or rewarded) may influence a childs decision to imitate or not, Bandura called this modeling (Brain 205) One of the famous experiments conducted by Albert Bandura, know as the Bobo doll experiment revealed that children imitated aggressive physical and verbal behaviour towards the dolls, exactly as they had observed, whereas the children who observed non-aggressive behaviour displayed practically no aggressive behaviour (Shaffer, 1989).Bandura suggests that social behaviour is learned primarily by observing and imitating the actions of others. Children are often observed imitating adults in role-play. Punishment and reward are also influences on behavioural development as mentioned in Skinners theory, for example, a child may observe a peer being rewarded with a sticker for tidying up and then learn that to obtain a sticker s/he must also tidy up.This theory facilitates an understanding of how behaviour is acquired and how it may be modified. John Bowlby positive adhesiveness theory and he suggested that first relationships are the basis for young childrens development, predominantly their social and emotional development. Bowlby (1979 129) states attachment behaviour is held to characterize human beings from the cradle to the grave much of Bowlbys work was on the maternal bond that develops with a child.He believed that the connection between mother and child, or angel dust and child has a basic gentle and evolutionary basis, in order for the child to receive appropriate care, protection and nourishment it has a tendency to corroborate nearness to the main health professional. Bowlby maintained that a child displays attachment behaviour when separated from the main care provider, first as protest, then despair and in the end as detachment. First relationships can be summarised as a deeply rooted motivational system that ensures close contact between babies and adult caregivers who can protect, nurture, and guide thei r development (Shonkoff, 2000, p 230).Bowlby expanded and utilised variant research to entertain his theory, one of his early works included research on bedraggled adolescents and discovered maternal deprivation to be a recurring matter. Michael Rutter (1981) criticized Bowlbys theory, and suggested that early experiences cannot be held as direct underlying causes for later emotional distress, Rutter believed it is more significant how children are looked after in the period of severance not the actual severance itself (Cowie, 2002).Bowlby introduced three stages of attachment, during the first pre-attachment phase (0-2 months) babies do not develop a particular attachment, and are content to be cared for by anyone. In the second phase (2-7 months) babies show a firm attachment to the main caregiver and cling to this figure when in the presence of a stranger, Bowlby termed this stranger fear. The last phase is around two years of age and is labelled dissolution anxiety, the infa nt is confident to move away from the main caregiver provided theyremain physically present for the child to return to Brain (2005). Bowlby suggested that constant loving care and nurturing was native during the crucial phase between approximately 6 months and 3 years of age, maternal deprivation or separation from the primary caregiver would result in considerable detrimental effects on social and emotional development of the child (Cowie, 2002). Harlow and Harlows famous experiment on Rhesus goldbricks provided support to Bowlbys theory (Bowlby, 1973).In these experiments, young muck abouts were separated from their mother shortly after birth. Two wire monkeys were substituted as artificial surrogate mothers. The first monkey was made of wire mesh and provided food however, the second monkey was covered with foam and cloth and only provided comfort. The young monkeys nursed at the wire monkey but sought contact with the cloth monkey. The experiment showed that infants need a mo thers love and comfort, and it proved that infants prefer proximity and comfort from a mother, rather than just using the mother for nourishment.The young monkeys clutched to the soft cloth doll and explored more when in the presence of the soft cloth doll, and the doll seemed to provide them with a sense of security. Infants reared without normal social interaction with other monkeys, displayed either fearful or aggressive behaviour and the effects were apparent from two years of age, well into adulthood (Brain 2005). The experiment portrayed the importance of warmth, love and comfort that a nurturing mother or primary carer provides is essential for intellectual, social and emotional development.bloody shame Ainsworths research was based on an experiment to observe attachment behaviour between a child and the primary caregiver (usually the mother) the experiment is known as the strange situation. The procedure involves a child playing in a room, meanwhile the caregiver and strange r alternately enter and leave the room, the childs play behaviour and responses to caregiver and stranger are observed. The experiment placed children in four categories of attachment, secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant and disorganized.Attachment theorists are realizing that children differ from birth, but individual personalities and development are influenced by social experience, environment, and the attachment relationship is affected by the characteristics of both child and caregiver (Parkes, 1993) Cultural differences in child-rearing practices have various implications and meanings across cultures. Culture defines a set of beliefs and patterns of behaviour this can be in a social, ghostlike, societal or ethnic context.Culture clearly has an influence on the development of children, Edwards and Gandini (1989) point out that culture organises and translates childrens behaviour and development (Hinde, 1993). To understand development we must come to terms with the w ays in which individuals, in developing their own self-concepts and participating in social relationships, both shape and are shaped by their social and cultural environment (Hinde, 1993). In a research paper Reebye, (2006) found various studies on cultural differences in child rearing and the impact this had on child development.Chen et al. (1998) analyse reticent behaviour in Chinese and Canadian children and the child-rearing attitudes of the relative mothers. The results showed that Chinese babies were significantly more withdrawn and shy than their Canadian counterparts, and the underlying cause of this behaviour difference lay in parental styles and attitudes. Taciturn behaviour was positively associated with the Chinese mothers approval, whereas the Canadian mothers negatively received it, which implies a form of the connotation of behaviour inhibition across both cultures (Reebye, 2006).Another example Reebye (2006) presents is a study conducted by Marcovitchet al (1997) w hich assessed the development, attachment and behavioural problems in adopt Romanian orphans between three to five years of age. The study revealed that children who had spent less time I institutional car displayed better development outcomes and more securely attached compared to the group of children who had spent more than six months in institutional care. The latter group were insecurely attached and scored less on development outcomes.The disadvantage of cross-cultural studies is the limitations of the range of studies in measuring attitudes, beliefs, cultural practices etc. Reebye (2006) continues to describe the importance of relationship development and its effects on affective, cognitive, social development and moral and ethical attitudes. Child-rearing practices and attachment directly influence these developmental factors, and it is important to remember that parenting practices are in turn influenced by social and cultural traditions.The factors such as parental intuit ion, parental attitudes, attributions and beliefs, learned parenting skills, accepted cultural and societal parenting norms, family factors, and environmental factors such as extended family support, poverty or unemployment are the most influential ones. Each of these or all collectively, can be considered from a cross-cultural perspective. (Reebye 2006). In todays modern and often changing world, many cultures also change and adapt, from generation to generation.Changes in societal norms, immigration and such alike affect child-rearing practice considerably, such single parenting is a common family structure, besides in the Victorian times was extremely rare and frowned upon, other changes include inter-racial adoptions, parenting by same sex couples, use of surrogate mothers etc. It can be suggested that childrens social, emotional and cognitive development is indisputably influenced by environmental factors, genetic compositions, attachment and first relationship, cultural tra ditions and this is reflected in their unique personalities and behaviour.In general, there is a need to understand multiple outcomes of child development (cognitive, physical, social, and emotional) within the context of multiple factors (social, economic, cultural, and community-level) (The National Institute of Health, 2006). The first five years are important to understand the influences and causal links of child development in the early years. This may facilitate childrens well-being and ensure that government policies regarding children are meditative of child development needs, in particular families living in poverty or deprived areas.For example, quality of schools and education will affect cognitive development, and racial, gender, and religious integration will have positive effects on social development. It can be inferred that positive emotional development underpins all other areas of development, and if emotional development is defective then it will be replicated ac ross other areas of development. In essence, all areas of development are interwoven and interdependent. The first five years are crucial for positive development, basic needs such asfood, sleep and safety ensures good physical development, providing love, comfort and positive first relationships and attachments is essential to assist emotional development, which will also helps social development, and the correct stimulation and interaction ensures healthy cognitive development. REFERENCES Bakker, S. C. Van Der Meulen, E. M. Buitelaar, J. K. Sandkuijl, L. A. Pauls, D. L. Monsuur, A. J. Vant Slot, R. Minderaa. R. B. Gunning, W. B. Pearson, P. L. Sinke, R. J.(2003) A Whole-Genome Scan in 164 Dutch Sib Pairs with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Suggestive Evidence for Linkage on Chromosomes 7p and 15q American Journal of Human Genetics, Vol. 72, pp. 1251-1260 Bee, H. (2006a) Lifespan Development, Boston, MA Pearson Education, Inc Bee, H. (2006b) The Developing Child, Boston, MA Parson Education, Inc Bowlby, J. (1973) insularism Anxiety & Anger. Vol. 2 of Attachment and loss London Hogarth Press New York Basic Books Harmondsworth Penguin Brain, C and Mukherjee, P.(2005) Understanding Child Psychology, Cheltenham Nelson Thornes Ltd Cohen, D. (1993) The Development of Play, 2nd edition. London Routledge Cowie, H. (2002) Child Care and Attachment in Barnes, P (Ed), Personal, Social and Emotional Development of Children Milton Keynes Blackwell Publishers Ltd Hinde, R and Hinde, J. (1993) Perspectives on Attachment in Parkes, C. M. (Editor), Attachment Across the Life Cycle, Florence, KY, ground forces Routledge http//site. ebrary. com/lib/uclan Monuteaux, M. C. Blacker, D. Biederman, J. Fitzmaurice, G and Buka, S. L.(2006) Maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring overt and covert conduct problems a longitudinal study Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Vol. 47, zero(prenominal) 9, pp. 883890 National Institute of Health. (2006) The science and Ecology Of Early Development (SEED), http//grants. nih. gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-04-113. html Reebye, P. N, Ross. S. E and Jamieson. K (2006) A Literature review of the child-Parent/ Caregiver attachment theory and Cross-Cultural Practices influencing attachment, www. attachmentacrosscultures. org/research/1 accessed on 19/12/2006 Scarr, S., & K. McCartney. (1983) How people make their own environments A theory of genotype-environment effects, Child Development, Vol. 54, pp 425-35. Shaffer, D. R. (1989) developmental Psychology, Childhood and Adolescence, 2nd Edition, California Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. Shonkoff, J. P. (2000) From Neurons to Neighbourhoods The Science of Early Childhood Development. Washington, DC, USA National Academy Press, http//site. ebrary. com/lib/uclan/ Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind and society The development of higher mental processes. Cambridge, MA Harvard University Press.

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Platos Influence in Western Culture Essay

Plato (429-347 B. C. E) is seen by many as iodine of the greatest philosophers of the classical period, if non of all time. Coming from a pixilated Athenian family it is the belief that he followed and further flummoxed philosophical system from his mentor Socrates. His first works are seen as the most trust-worthy accounts of Socrates life, and after his death Plato would pass to develop Socrates works with the help from Platos most famous student, Aristotle.During this time Plato would develop his most famous work The Republic. This would notably, along with many of his later works, live his ideas of politics, ethics, psychology, and metaphysics into an interlinked philosophy. Platos dialogues present much of the ideas founded and developed by the trio, especially in one of his most famous dialogues, The Apology of Socrates Trial.It is from these experiences that with the help of his teacher Socrates and his student Aristotle, Plato would develop the philosophical foundation s of Western culture. When asked to define the philosophical style of Plato most people would be quick to label him as a semipolitical philosopher, this is due to his views on social implication and the idea of an ideal state or regime. Plato was an elitist political thinker in the fact that he said that notwithstanding those with reason, experience and wisdom should govern.The way he put it was Until philosophers rule as kings or those who are now called kings and leading men genuinely and adequately philosophize, that is, until political power and philosophy entirely coincide, while the many natures who at present pursue either one exclusively are forcibly prevented from doing so, cities ordain pass on no rest from evils, nor, I think, will the human race. By saying this Plato re-enforces his thought that only those with great wisdom should become leading and politicians.His belief was that cities will remain evil and tyrant until their received kings either began to think and philosophize, or philosophers were to take rule over the kingdom. Platos theory was that these new superior leaders would be seen as those who love the sight of truth. And from this they would then create a perfect city much like the one which he outlined in The Republic, which begins with the city being run by an aristocracy, whose virtue is wisdom, lacks honour and because of this gets replaced by a militant government, which had the virtue of honour but also has the vice of poverty.This too is then overthrown by an elitist group whose wealth corrects the poverty of former militant government but also brings the vice of greed. The elitists are once again replaced by an elected democracy whose vision of equality and fairness corrects the former greed but brings the mistake of to much freedom resulting in anarchy. Finally, the movement of democracy brings off the order of a tyranny, which establishes peace through cruelty and oppression.It is from this cycle of inevitable and more disturbingly logical political change that Plato disliked the idea of democracy, stating that the average person is selfish, envious and stupid, which leads democracy to be highly corruptible and can cause it to open gates to potential dictators. Democracy was seen as a government dependant on chance which for success must be mixed with competent leadership.The belief was that to run a state a government politicians compulsory expert rulers and not an average unintelligent citizen who may be elected in by accident. A political decision needs good judicial decision and because of this leaders must be carefully selected and prepared by means of extensive training. Because of this theory Plato would influence Aristotle, the English shaping and the founding fathers of America to develop a mixed republic that combines democracy, aristocracy and kingship.After the death of Socrates Plato returned to Athens and from there founded a school knows as the Academy, which is where we ge t the English word academician from and notwithstanding to this day call institutes of higher learning academies. It was around 387 B. C. E in which Plato bought land outside of Athens to set up his school of philosophy there, which many see as the Western worlds first university. The aim of this academy was to train future politicians of Greek states, and studies pore primarily on philosophy and mathematics.The academy would continue to educate for more than 900 years after its founding even surviving the Roman invasion on Greece in 146 BCE, at long last though the academy would close when the Christian Emperor Justinian closed it in 529 A. D. Later though in Florence sometime during the mid-15th century the Accademia Platonica would be formed by a group of scholars who met under the Platonic philosophy professor Marsilio Ficino, to discuss philosophy and the study of classical politics.Finally in 1926 a modern academy of Athens would be built and labelled as Greeces national academy. Staying true to its original routes to this day the academy still focuses on the study of liberal arts and science. It is from this initial establishment of his original academy that the legacy was able to pass on through hundreds of years to the point where the tradition is still alive to this date. Had it not been for Platos founding of the academy, the education process would most likely be very different than from that of which it is as we know it today.In Platos last and monthlong work entitled the Laws, he begins by asking Who is given credit for laying down the laws? As opposed to his earlier work in the Republic, which focused on what the best possible state might be like and what experiences and adjustments must be made to achieve that status, the Laws rather focuses on the idea of creating a practicable, yet ideal form of government in a much more realistic way than the former. The characters in this work deal with designing rules to run into real world problem s and human affairs.Unfortunately though, the dialogue went unfinished at 345 pages at the time of Platos death in 347 B. C. E. The incomplete work of the Laws was still able to outline many questions and themes including, divine revelation, divine law and lawgiving the character reference of intelligence in lawgiving the relations of philosophy, religion, and politics the role of music, exercise and dance in education natural law and natural well(p) just to name a few.Once again it was because of Platos teaching of his theorys and egress of his dialogues that this theory was also able to spread so quickly through Western culture and even play a role in the way we choose laws to this date. Overall it appears that without Platos influence and writings the Western world and its culture would have been drastically different from what is the current norm in society.Political structure, academic education and formation of laws would all be heavily affected to the point in which many k ey things that one would see vital in todays society may not even exist such as the use of a constitution or an academic university, since it was Plato who established and helped spread the development of such institutions. With Socrates and Aristotle, Plato not only helped develop the foundation of Western culture, but he steered it down the right path as well.

Monday, May 20, 2019

To What Extent Does Restructuring Transform Corporate Market and Financial Performance?

To what extent does restructuring transform corporal market and pecuniary death penalty? Discuss using an ext terminate example. Restructuring is simply the re presidency of a connections structure to combat external or internal forces that hinder the maximisation of shargonholder value. The frontier restructuring is quite broad an is an umbrella term for both action taken by a self-coloured to maximise partakeholders wealth (Wright et al) or a ships companys reaction when its under insistency (Usui and Colignon, 1996). These actions bracket coalitions and encyclopaedisms with much else (Froud et al. , 2002, P. 2).This essay should explain in great detail how restructuring can transform unified market and pecuniary performance. It will focus on pecuniary, portfolio and schemeal restructuring and to a greater extent specifically the following restructuring actions mergers and acquisition and outsourcing and off-shoring. In addition Marks and Spencer and British Airway s would be used interchangeably as extended examples to further beautify stated points. Restructuring actions usually occur to revive failing bloodlinees. By delayering or merging with another business levels are likely to become more free-enterprise(a) and more profitable.It is also not uncommon for restructuring to be used as a preventative measure to stay ahead of the game and react to competition. If make correctly and when necessary, it should result in economies of scale, decreased operational costs and easier communication. Financial restructuring refers to changes in a companys financial structure. It involves managing debts, stocks and shareowner payments. Portfolio restructuring on the other hand deals with products, acquisitions and diversification. Finally organisational restructuring is mainly concerned with the gracious resources in the company.Mergers and Acquisitions are the most common forms of restructuring. In value terms, the merger of whole companies thr ough (often hostile) takeover continues to be the most important form of restructuring. (Froud et al P 3). Companies prefer to restructure in this carriage as it brings numerous instant benefits and can aid in transforming market and financial performance immediately. Firstly, merging with or acquiring a company gives an instant increase in market share. It is the easiest way to demean into a new market and deal a larger customer base overnight.British Airways recent merger with Iberia has been beneficial to shareholders, employees and customers. According to the airline their corporate market would be transformed as they would be travel to more destinations, own more aircrafts and be in possession of more passengers. Thus making it more competitive and change the companys image and brand. In addition, their financial performance would be transformed as they stand to benefit from a significant decrease in costs and benefit from economies of scale the merger is bound to provid e.These costs nest egg can be then passed on to the customer and susceptibility enable British Airways to be competitive on price a luxury it might look at not been able to afford prior(prenominal) to the merger. The merger might also help British Airways break into the South American market a market in which it had no prior expertise or significant market share in. In addition to an increased market share, Kotlers 8 C framework details how a firms market power could be increased through mergers and acquisitions (Kotler et al 2005).Firms gain greater pick up of every aspect of their products, greater efficiency, greater control of customer experiences and increased buying power if they have links with their competitors, challengers, collaborators, commodities, components, customers or consumers. Despite aiding in transforming corporate market and financial performance to or so extent, mergers and acquisitions arent unbosom from critique. This form of restructuring despite bei ng the most common is also the most critiqued. Firstly, there is the issue of Monopoly and unclouded competition. The Acquisition of a competitor could instantly make a firm the market leader.Consumers suffer as a result. There might be little product differentiation, increased prices and barriers to new entrants could be grade to prevent other smaller companies from entering the market therefrom giving a single organisation too much power. The government sometimes has to step in to minimise the formation of monopolies. British Airways were burnished for a merger with American Airlines which would have made them a dominating airline in major(ip) airports across the world. The deal was eventually stopped because of its anti competitive nature. In addition to monopolies, a best- exchange(predicate) critique on mergers and acquisitions is they just dont work. the Boston consultancy group estimate that 64% of recent US acquisitions truly destroy value for the acquirers sharehold ers (Kotler et al 2004) rather than increased profitability, mergers and acquisitions have come to be associated with lowered morale, telephone line dissatisfaction, unproductive behaviour (Meeks 1977, Sinetar 1981, Attendorf 1986, Cartwright & Cooper 1993). Three major reasons for the tribulation of mergers and acquisitions are a clash of organisational culture, piece relations dilemmas and abandoning core competencies. Different organisations have unique styles of going about their day to day trading trading operations.When a company merges with or acquires another the dominant culture usually prevails however employees from the organisation with the less dominant culture might still carry on doing things the way theyve always done it thus causation this clash. Errors associated with clashing cultures could range from minute to disastrous and if this carries on for a prolonged period of time, the opposite of the comprehend benefits of mergers and acquisitions is most likel y to occur. Employees also tend to feel worried about their job security when any form of restructuring takes place.Their insecurities are manifested through their actions that usually prove high-priced for the newly merged or acquired organisation and can eventually drive it to failure. High labour turnover, absenteeism and decreased productivity are some of the actions that could be manifested as a result of job insecurity. A disparity in core competencies is a last reason why mergers and acquisitions are becoming more prone to failure. Hamel and Prahalad (1994) argue that an organisation can never gain long term financial rewards if its core competencies are ignored.Thus merging with or acquiring a company with contrasting core competences isnt likely to be successful. The merger between Daimler Benz (makers of Mercedes Benz) and Chrysler is a perfect example of a failed merger. Due to a clash of organisational culture and contrasting core competencies, the merger eventually en ded in failure. There were good intentions behind the merger but finding the balance between Daimler Benzs richly end auto mobiles and Chryslers middle of the road range proved more difficult than anticipated thus Chrysler was eventually sold off.Druckers (1985) critique of mergers and acquisition argued that managers often seek to restructure in this manner to diffuse risk but it doesnt guarantee success and usually results in failure. His five rules for successful acquisition give useful steps that managers might want to take into consideration prior to restructuring their organisation in this fashion. Outsourcing is another restructuring initiative used by firms when they find it necessary. Outsourcing aids in transforming the corporate market and financial performance of a firm to a great extent.It enables firms to focus completely on their core competencies as other organisations are hired to carry out activities that arent directly related to the companys operations. It save s costs, improves efficiency and aids in the implementation of rapid change. In addition, finding workers with the necessary qualifications and skill in a specific hoidenish required might be difficult, thus offshore outsourcing becomes a necessity (King, 2009). One of the most outsourced operations in the United Kingdom and the ground forces is Information Technology. There are more IT positions in the USA than there are graduates (Morrill, 2009).Marks and Spencers indulge in offshore outsourcing to aid with its IT operations. As a result they have been able to focus on areas of more importance to them which is the quality of their products and their customer service. Additionally, offshore outsourcing aids in creating jobs in developing third world countries where unemployment rates are high. Some of the accounting and research operations on Wall Street are outsourced offshore. The companies are usually based in India where the best candidates are selected for the job and would be paid a good wage according to the standard of living in India.However if the very same operations were to be performed in New York, the staff may not be as dexterous as those in India and would demand triple the salary in accordance to the high standard of living in New York. All in all, Outsourcing is intended to ensure that the most skilled and most efficient people do the job at a mutually beneficial financial cost. On the other hand, there are so many ethical and political concerns associated with outsourcing. Many intrust that its damaging to the economy as creating employment offshore decreases employment in the companys home country. utsourcing is a suffering alternative to a firms internal management of Information Technology and operate because it is tantamount to selling your birthright (Clark et al, 1995). Also, ethical issues such as exploiting local workers in offshore countries in a desperate call down to extend overheads to a bare minimum and maximise prof its have been connected to outsourcing. Numerous companies have been scrutinised and criticised for this. The likes of Nike and Primark have endured the embarrassment and scandal of engaging in child labour in an attempt to keep overheads unrealistically low.Pisano (2009) argues that outsourcing operations especially manufacturing can provide a leak in entropy which might enable competitors overseas to hone their skills and possible surpass the skills of the company outsourcing. Other criticisms of outsourcing include quality control, detriment of managerial control and hidden costs or the service being outsourced proving to be more costly in the long run. British Airways outsources almost all its operations. Back office operations, finance and accounting and its in-flight sell business are all outsourced.This has resulted in poor employee relations, a breakdown in communication and poor customer service amongst a host of other things. Whilst Marks and Spencers restructuring incl uded outsourcing IT operations which resulted in some employees being made redundant and other transferred to their outsourced off shore location. To conclude, restructuring transforms corporate market and financial performance to a significant extent. Every firm needs to change especially when it is at risk of failure or its not as profitable as it once was.Marks and Spencers restructuring ensured the company was re-branded in the customers mind and an emphasis was placed on quality. As a result sales soared and market share was gained. On the other hand their restructuring initiatives also led to the company making the strategic decision to stiff all shops in France thus bringing about bad press, criticism from trade unions and the French government, justice suits and parties calling for consumers to boycott Marks and Spencers stores. Restructuring is however necessary if a business is to remain competitive.If competitors are changing and a firm decides to remain stagnant, it is only a matter of time before it becomes irrelevant. The decision to restructure must be dependent on the overall business dodging. Strategic management as a correspond is concerned with how firms formulate and implement strategies in order to accomplish desired performance goals. (Schendel and Hofer 1979). A more aggressive proactive strategy might be better suited for companies pursuing mergers and acquisitions whilst an organisation with a cost saving and value adding strategy might prefer to outsource.Restructuring does transform corporate market and financial performance but should only ever be used in synch with the overall corporate strategy to reap maximum benefits. Bibliography * MN220 Strategic Management Lecture 18- Restructuring. Sukhdev Johal. 2012 * Restructuring for Shareholder value and its implications for labour. Cambridge journal of economics. Julie Froud, Colin Haslam, Sukhdev Johal and Karel Williams * Bbc. co. uk/business why firms bother to restructure. 1 2 Feb 2003 http//news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/business/711722. stm * Caterpillar Two stories and an argument.J. Froud, K. Williams, C. Haslam, S. Johal, J. Williams. Accounting organisations and societies vol 23, 1998 * Globalisation, shareholder value, restructuring The (Non)Transformation of Siemens Alexander Borsch * The Psychological impact of mergers and acquisition on the individual A look at of building society managers. Sue Cartwright, Larry L. Cooper. 1993 * Principles of Marketing. Phillip Kotler, Veronica Wong, John Saunders, Gary Armstrong. Fourth European Edition * The Outsourcing of discipline services Transforming the nature of business in the information industry.Thomas D. Clark Jr, Rober W. Zmud, Gordon E. McCray. 1995 * An evaluation of the impact of corporate strategy and the role of information technology on IS functional outsourcing. V Grover, M Cheon, J TC Teng * Theoretical perspectives on the outsourcing of information systems. Myun J. Cheon, Vraun Grover and Jam es T C Teng. 1995 * The U. S is outsourcing away its competitive edge. Gary P Pisano. HBR Blog network. 2009 * Offshore outsourcing hard-nosed and ethical arguments for and against from a small business perspective. Danny King. 2009 *