Western history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Western history - Essay Example Around the start of the 16th century, the weakening of the Church was in conjunction with the strengthening force of socio-economic, philosophical and scientific liberation. The period witnessed important religious, political, social, and philosophical changes in Europe. The medieval age was characterized by the strong power of the Catholic Church that was more often greater than that of the ruling king. Thus, even the political and social aspects of the medieval life were dependent on the Church. However, the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century which was initiated by the arguments of Martin Luther, founder of Protestantism, weakened the Church. Kings and Princes worked together to challenge the power of the Church leaders, primarily the Pope. The cultural consensus of Europe based on universal participation in the Body of Christ was broken. Along with the Reformation came challenges to secular society. The nature and organization of power and government came under reevaluation as well. The huge impact of the Church in the medieval times2 caused the religious change to go hand-in-hand with changes in politics and society. Along with the decentralization of power from the Church and its supported rulers (kings and queens) came the rise of an expanding social class. The middle class, also known as the class of the bourgeosie, was growing and generally becoming more powerful. Merchants and learned artisans characterized this class, as opposed to the royal bloods and Church appointees who dominated the medieval age. The period was also home to the Commercial Revolution which was a time of European economic expansion, colonialism, and mercantilism which lasted from approximately 1520 until 1650. Voyages of discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries allowed European powers to build vast networks of international trade. This then resulted to the generation of a great deal of wealth for them. This growing global economy was based on silver, which allowed an easier

Reflective Essay on Coping with Stress

Reflective Essay on Coping with Stress Psychology can be defined as the study of behavior as well as mind, embracing all aspects of the entire human experience. In other words, it is an applied science discipline that seeks to understand humans along with groups by ascertaining general principles as well as researching specific cases. On the other hand, psychological adjustment is the process of adapting to, coping with, as well as managing the emerging challenges of the daily life. Adjusting to your life in terms of subjective well-being, Subjective well-being is an individuals perceptions as well as self-adjustments of health and well-being (Webb Wills, 2012). It entails a persons feeling of happiness and life satisfaction. With regard to my life, I can say that I am satisfied with my subjective well-being. However, since I am a veteran, I think that the veterans administration needs to be more attentive when it comes to veterans healthcare for me to be extremely satisfied with this adjustment facet. Context on its part is the historical, social, economic, and cultural factors as well as settings that influence our lives. I am able to adjust to different contexts effectively and for that case; everything I think, say, and do is often colored by where I come from, whom I am with, and what is happening at the moment. Besides, diversity entails different cultures and ethnic settings. On this part, I am culturally competent, and therefore I can adjust well in diverse settings. Balancing Priorities Balancing my priorities, specifically with home, work, school, recreation, and / or family has to be an ongoing plan. I am a student and at the same time, set aside time for working in order to pay my bills. I also need enough time for my family alongside recreation. All this might not be possible, with the limited resources in our disposal. To that effect, I have an effective work-life balance that adequately enables me to follow my daily schedule according to plan. In this case, I ensure that I give attention to my most pressing needs and demands at home, work, school, and even recreation. Of course I give more attention to work and school since these priorities are so fundamental to my prospective economic stability. However, each day I must devote my free time to my family and for recreation activities in order to keep fit. Developing Identity I develop my identity by raising my self-esteem along with establishing a unique self-concept that enables me to stand out in different ethnic platforms.ÂÂ   In review, self-esteem is a judgment of oneself as well as an attitude towards the self, whereby; it reflects an individuals subjective emotional evaluation of his/her own worth (Fennell, 2009). I have been able to develop my self-esteem effectively through constant practice. In addition, self-concept is the sense of being distinct and separate from others as well as the persistency of the self. Here, I have fully developed myself concept by having my own unique way of doing things. I always come out with thought provoking ideas that are based on my own analysis and perception of life, something that helps me develop my self-concept. Ethnicity is often rooted in cultural heritage, race, nationality, language, and religion. I often adjust to different ethnic groups by being culturally competent. Coping with Stress Stress is a reaction to a stimulus that distracts an individuals physical or mental equilibrium (Tummers, 2013). I often cope with stress by engaging in relaxing activities, or practicing calming techniques, that help to manage my stress and improve my overall coping. Besides, among my coping strategies include; being proactive, following my interests, and seeking out peer support from others that I am loved and cared for, esteemed and valued (Taylor, 2003). Improving my social skills, asking for help, and always learning from mistakes. When its all said and done, I do believe that I have a more optimistic outlook on life to a point, but not over exaggerated. References Fennell, M. J. V. (2009). Overcoming low self-esteem: A self-help guide using Cognitive Behavioural Techniques. Australia: Accessible Publishing Systems. Tummers, N. (2013). Stress management: A wellness approach. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Taylor, S(2003). Social psychology (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Webb, D., Wills, H. E. (2012). Subjective well-being and security. Dordrecht: Springer.

Tracing the Rap/Hip-Hop Dichotomy in Popular and Underground Music Essa

Tracing the Rap/Hip-Hop Dichotomy in Popular and Underground Music Rap music has experienced a radical increase in popularity in the last five years. In the year 2000, rap became the second-best-selling genre in music, capturing 12.9 percent of the year's $14.3 billion in total record sales ("Rap/Hip Hop" Sc 1). Though rap is no stranger to criticism, that criticism has increased in both quantity and vociferousness at about the same rate as the number of rap albums climbing the charts. And the growing evidence that, apparently, in order to achieve commercial success, each rap album must be more negative and offensive than the last does not help to address these criticisms. Unfortunately, the critics miss most of the rarely-seen other side of the genre: Hip-hop, rap music that is true the art form's roots of black empowerment and social progress. But black empowerment and social progress don't sell nearly as many records as the themes of mistreating women, abusing substances, and accumulating vast piles of wealth, so these are the messages that rap/hip-hop has come to embody in popular perception. However, as an introductory piece on a web site called The Hip Hop Headrush clearly states: "Hip-hop is not violence, misogyny, and narcotic substances—if you believe that, then the media and commercial mainstream music buyers have you sadly confused" ("Mindless Music" Sc 1). I will attempt to flush out this rap/hip-hop dichotomy by indulging a brief history of the musical form, examining criticisms and defenses of the branch of the form I'll define as "rap," and investigating a few hip-hop groups that present thoughtful, positive worldviews rather than the sex/drugs/money/violence messages of their rap counterparts.... ... to the Mainstream: The Political Power of Hip-Hop.† Media, Culture, and Society 20.2 (1998): 219. Academic Search Elite. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 26 October 2001. Stern, Jane. â€Å"Rap.† Jane & Michael Stern’s Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. New York: Harper Perennial, 1992. 412-15. Turkish, Tavia Nyong’o. â€Å"Who’s Afraid of Marshall Mathers?† Gay & Lesbian Review 8.3 (2001): 14. Academic Search Elite. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 26 October 2001. Tyler, Robin. â€Å"Eminem: Pied Pier of Hate.† Gay & Lesbian Review 8.3 (2001): 12. Academic Search Elite. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 26 October 2001. Wahl, Greg. â€Å"’I Fought the Law (And I Cold Won!)’: Hip-Hop in the Mainstream.† College Literature 26.1 (1999): 10. Academic Search Elite. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 26 October 2001.

How Is Friar Lawrence Presented in Romeo and Juliet Essay

During the play of Romeo and Juliet, the characters show love in many different ways. Some characters fall in and out of love very quickly in Romeo and Juliet. For example, Romeo is in love with Rosaline at the start of the play, which is presented as an immature action. Today, we might use the term â€Å"puppy love† to describe this. Romeo’s lover Rosaline is shallow and nobody really believes that it will last, including Friar Laurence: Romeo – â€Å"Thou chid’st me oft for loving Rosaline† Friar Laurence – â€Å"For doting, not loving, pupil mine†. In the first meeting of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses religion in describing the first love & sight of Romeo and Juliet. Such as â€Å"good pilgrim† when Juliet first responded to Romeo’s compliment, this show religious use. However during Romeo’s & Juliet’s first meeting they share a sonnet to express each other’s first love for one another, â€Å"The gentile sin this† is a very ironic line because it’s end result is death. Just before Romeo & Juliet share their first kiss, Juliet exclaims herself as a saint â€Å"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake† – Juliet is saying that her prayers have been answered. Romeo described Juliet as a saint â€Å"O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do†, this means she’s seen holy by Romeo. During the first Balcony scene Shakespeare introduces the example of love from the first meeting of Romeo & Juliet, example such as â€Å"Dear saint†. Romeo says â€Å"Juliet is the Sun†, which is describing Juliet as a special part of the universe the centre of everything, for example, without the sun life would not be able to exist also life revolves around the sun and it seems to make Juliet seem brighter and more important. During the beginning of the fight between Tybalt and Romeo, Romeo pleads with Tybalt to not to fight â€Å"I do protest I never injured thee, but love thee better than thou canst devise† Only Romeo knows of the love and marriage between himself and Juliet. Tybalt, Juliet cousin is now part of Romeo’s family, and does not want to hurt/ kill him for the future love between himself and Juliet. Tybalt emphases his anger with horns on his costume in Romeo & Juliet the film. Also Tybalt does not know about Romeo and Juliet so he decides he wants a fight. After Romeo exits and Tybalt kills Mercutio Romeo enters and kills Tybalt, this questions Juliet over Romeo; does Romeo prefer friends of family? Romeo expected the death sentence, but the decision was to only banish him, he acted badly to this ecision – â€Å"Ha! Banishment? Be merciful – say death†, He would rather prefer death because he’d be with Juliet when she dies than never see her again – â€Å"Let me ta’en, let me be put to death† During the 2nd balcony scene Romeo says â€Å"more light and light, more dark and dark our woes† this means that whenever there’s more happiness, there will always be darkness in the ba ckground, and their love is gradually being taken over by darkness making them scared. During the dying scene Romeo sees Juliet as being dead. â€Å"Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die† Romeo exclaims that finally their love has been overrun with sin and wrong doing in life, the only way for them to be together is in death. When Juliet wakes up and realises Romeo is dead, she takes her own life because if she cannot be with her lover Romeo in life, than they shall share death â€Å"O Happy dagger!  This is thy sheath, – there rust, and let me die† she is happy to take death over life with sin. In conclusion Romeo and Juliet’s life was only taken from them because of the selfishness immaturity between themselves. Also Friar Lawrence should not have encouraged them to go forward with Juliet pretending to die. However because of the many sin’s Romeo and Juliet had committed, they would have probably chosen death over life.

If Othello had been set in a modern era, how would it differ Essay

The play Othello is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare in around 1603. The story has four central characters: Othello, Desdemona, Iago and Cassio. Othello or â€Å"the moor† is a black general, admired for his superb leadership skills. He falls in love with Desdemona, and against Brabantio’s will they elope before embarking on a campaign against the Turks. However, in Cyprus, a storm destroys the Turkish fleet and the real battle turns out to be the one of Iago against Othello. Iago’s hatred for Othello is mainly caused by his anger at missing out on a promotion added to his racism. This leads to his revenge on the protagonist. In this assessment, I am going to analyse how the play would have differed if it had been set in a modern era. The play opens with a heated discussion between Iago and Roderigo. Iago complains about Othello’s decision to promote Cassio as lieutenant. He confesses that he only remains in service of the general in order to succeed in his evil plan: â€Å" I follow him to serve my turn upon him† act 1 sc 1 l. 42. Othello is described as â€Å"the moor†. This epithet often substitutes his actual name â€Å"Othello†. Moreover, Roderigo describes Othello’s with terms such as: â€Å"thick lips†, â€Å"old black ram† and â€Å"devil† Act 1.sc 1. An Elizabethan audience would not have frowned upon the use of these terms, not finding them disturbing, offensive as it would be in our politically correct, multicultural and mobile society where distances between cultures and races have been significantly reduced. It also important to point out that there were few blacks in London during that period; there is evidence to prove this as the rise of black settlements in London occurred only during the 17th- 18th Century. Christianity further exacerbated these racial ideas as it linked the colour white to goodness and the colour black to the devil and sin. Shakespeare shows that he was open and a brave writer who was willing to stand apart from his society, choosing to make a black individual his protagonist. This choice makes him the tragic hero who the audience is encouraged to sympathize with. The second difference that rises between an Elizabethan Othello and a hypothetical modern Othello is the power men have over women. This can be seen immediately in Act 1 Scene 3 with regards to Brabantio and Desdemona. Othello’s true love for Desdemona is not accepted by Desdemona’s father, who accuses him of having used witchcraft to control Desdemona’s feelings. â€Å"She is abused, stol’n from me, and corrupted By spells [†¦] For nature so preposterously to err, Being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense Sans witchcraft could not† Act 1 Scene 3 lines 59 -64 Not only does Brabantio believes that Desdemona belongs to him as if she was of his property, her elopement disturbs him even more knowing that Othello is black. Brabantio cannot fathom how the beautiful and gentle Desdemona is attracted to the black Othello. The only way he can justify this relationship is by accusing Othello of having practiced spells against her. These accusations can be seen as typical of that time- average Londoners, such as those who attended and enjoyed Shakespeare’s plays, had very little knowledge about science and relied on popular ‘wisdom’ and religious doctrines to support their beliefs. A modern audience with a more global outlook would not hold – or be loath to admit to- even though racism has not been eradicated. In modern times the power Brabantio has over choosing his daughter’s husband would also not be accepted. Today in most western countries, it is considered a right for women to choose their own partner. The fac t that Desdemona and Othello elope and show a romantic and poetic union: â€Å"Desdemona: That I did love the Moor to live †¦ with him, My downright violence and storm of fortunes May trumpet to the world: my heart’s subdued Even to the very quality of my lord: I saw Othello’s visage in his mind, And to his honour and his valiant parts Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate.† act1 sc3 line 245 demonstrates Shakespeare’s modern thinking and the independency from accepted views and beliefs of the time. The third important factor that would distinguish from an Elizabethan Othello from a modern Othello regards the character of Emilia. Emilia is Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s close friend. Iago uses this friendship to get access to Dedemona, in particular, asking her to steal Desdemona’s handkerchief (a gift from Othello to Desdemona). Emilia does this to â€Å" please his fantasy † even though she admits â€Å"What he will do with it,/ Heaven knows, / not I† Act 3 scene 3 line 290. and the consequences of her actions lead to tragic developments, which have vital importance in the play. From this quote we can see Iago’s hold over Emilia and how she honours her duty as a wife- something that would puzzle us even though there are also women nowadays who are at the mercy of their husbands and do not leave destructive relationships. However, as the play unfolds, particularly in the last two acts we increasingly note that Emilia is an ambiguous character: she is Iago’s victim but also has a strong opinion about men and women that is now reflected in modern society. â€Å"Emilia: But I do think it is their husbands’ faults If wives do fall: say that they slack their duties, And pour our treasures into foreign laps, Or else break out in peevish jealousies, Throwing restraint upon us; or say they strike us, Or scant our former having in despite; Why, we have galls, and though we have some grace, Yet have we some revenge. Act 4 sc 3 line 16† This would probably be a feeling shared by Elizabethans but in reverse- they would identify Emilia as a faithful wife initially but would probably be confused and maybe even shocked by her words to Desdemona and equality between men and women when it comes to desire. In conclusion, we can say that elements of the plot would have undergone marked changes if Othello had been written in modern, politically correct times. Brabantio wouldn’t be making such a drama out of the fact that his daughter has married a black man; Emilia wouldn’t be stealing at the command of her husband and racist terms would not have been used by noblemen and colleagues. If the play had been set in modern times, it wouldn’t be the same play and perhaps it wouldn’t be as exciting and powerful either. Despite the fact that the play was written hundreds of years ago and we think that things have changed, racism and sexism haven’t ended and Shakespeare’s play makes us think.

Global Warming Webquest Essay Example

Global Warming Webquest Essay Example Global Warming Webquest Paper Global Warming Webquest Paper How are climate and weather related? Climate is weather that happens over a period of time, Weather is now. They are both related because they both have changes in the weather. Plus they are use to refer what are the temperatures in a country. What is the green house effect? The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature that the Earth experiences because certain gases in the atmosphere (water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, for example) trap energy from the sun. Without these gases, heat would escape back into space and Earths average temperature would be about OFF colder. Because of how they warm our world, these gases are referred to as greenhouse gases. How is amplified warming different from natural warming? Normal warming is mostly caused by natural gases. Amplified warming is mostly caused by heat changes that cause mutations of climate. Also amplified is more spread around the world than normal warming. What factors are most responsible for significant changes in the climate? The major actors are carbon dioxide, deforestation, burning of fossil fuels, road vehicles, pollution, volcanic eruptions, sunspots, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, etc. Which of these are natural causes and which are driven by human activity? Most of these causes, like pollution and road vehicles, are cause by human activity and they are some of the major causes of the change in the Earths climate. Volcanic eruptions and sunspot are natural causes that are putting our world in danger too. How will humans be impacted by changes in the climate? : The sea levels will raise and land will be lost, seas temperature are going to rise, there will be lost of rain, a lot of dry places, lots of diseases, agricultural places and lots of animals die because of these problem. How will global warming change ecosystems and the environment? Environment Impacted by Global Warming: As the surface of the Earth heats up, unseasonable temperatures and weather phenomenon have become the norm in many areas of the world. The changes in the temperature and weather patterns have already begun to cause changes in land that was once able to produce or grow food. More and more areas are experiencing drought, which has caused a lack of food in areas, which are in great need of water. Global warming has also had the opposite effect in some areas creating catastrophic flooding and other weather phenomenon that has impacted the environment in a disastrous way. Ecosystems Impacted by Global Warming: The ongoing concern right now is the rise in sea level due to glacial ice melting and causing sea level to rise. The rise in sea level could have the potential to not only swallow land along the coast, but to dump salt water in otherwise fresh water habitats such as marshes and wetlands. The infiltration of this salt water will create an unstable environment for many of the animals that call the fresh water habitats their home. Just a slight change in the ecosystem can greatly affect the symbiotic relationships be;en the animals and organisms that are native to these areas. How do CO emissions levels differ from country to country? In Some countries there is a lot of power stations, motor vehicles and industries. These things send a lot of CO emissions to the atmosphere. This s why economically develop countries have more CO than others.

The Problems With Holden Essay example

The Problems With Holden Essay example The Problems With Holden Essay example In one’s life, family serves as a quintessential ingredient for living with love and happiness. When taken away from someone, however, family can cause true devastation. In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the story is told through the eyes of Holden Caulfield who comes from a wealthy New York family . Throughout Holden’s story, the reader learns that his family’s successes cannot guarantee Holden’s happiness. Holden’s brother Allie, a couple of years younger than him, died three years prior to Holden’s recounting of his story. Holden’s broken hands that he busted in response to Allie’s death clearly show his extreme frustration, but more importantly the monumental amount of care that Holden had for his brother. Holden was not able to reach closure with Allie because he was in the hospital for his hands. In many different parts of the story, evidence points towards the fact that Holden has not gotten over his broth er’s death. Holden tells about many other struggles that he encounters, including getting kicked out of several prep schools and having to survive the streets of New York by himself. For a sixteen-year-old boy, Holden is presented with many obstacles early in his life. As the source of his problems, Allie’s death causes Holden’s depression, his rebellious nature, and his desire to stop time. Allie’s death consequently results in a life full of depression for Holden. Holden lost one of the only people in the world whom he cared about: his brother. Several times throughout the story, Holden admits how he feels depressed. Before he leaves his boarding school Pencey Prep, Holden explains, â€Å"I was trying to feel some kind of a good-by. . . . I don’t care if it’s a sad good-by or a bad good-by, but when I leave a place I like to know I’m leaving it. If you don’t, you feel even worse† (4). Holden feels that proper goodbyes are necessary to achieve closure with something. He explains how if a goodbye is not said, you feel even worse, and he speaks from experience. Holden did not get a chance to properly part from Allie at his funeral. Holden likes the satisfaction in having closure with something, and Allie’s passing away with no â€Å"goodbye† deeply depressed him. Later in the book, Holden describes more of the grief he has experienced. When telling about a time after a prostitute left, he says, â€Å"I felt so depressed, you can’t even imagine. . . . I started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie. I do that sometimes when I get very depressed† (98). Holden goes on to explain how his conversations consisted of telling Allie to meet him and his friend to shoot BB guns. Holden says how sometimes he did not let Allie go along with him because he was just a child. One can read into Holden’s feelings of guilt for not letting Allie participate in his activities sometimes. Holden imagines conversations with his dead brother when he is severely depressed. Holden admits the horrific state of his depression and how Allie acts as a source of his sorrow. Allie’s death seems to keep the depression circulating in Holden’s head, for Holden cannot find a way to rid himself of this grief-stricken state of mind. Holden’s rebellious nature is apparent throughout the story as he copes for the loss of his brother. The depression takes a toll on Holden as he can be found drinking many times during the story. After a night at the Wicker Bar in New York, Holden, age sixteen, tells the reader, â€Å"Boy, I sat at that goddam bar till around one o’clock or so, getting drunk as a bastard. I could hardly see straight† (150). To occupy himself, Holden drinks and smokes to his heart’s content. These rebellious actions may be due to his attempt at escape from reality, from his brother’s death. The rebellious side of Holden wa s not only shown from his illegal actions, but also from disregarding the adults in his life. While saying goodbye to one of his teachers Mr. Spencer, Holden receives some advice about his future. Mr. Spencer, trying to knock some

5 Things to Say to Your Boss if You Want to be Successful

5 Things to Say to Your Boss if You Want to be Successful Are you super professional and a little bit frightened of screwing up in front of your boss? That’s totally natural. But being meek and respectful and never challenging your employer can sometimes  backfire. Some bosses prefer input and feedback from their employees. Make sure you’re giving it! Here are 5 things you should start incorporating into your interactions with your boss to form a more constructive relationship for the two of you.1. â€Å"You’re wrong†While you would never say this in a snide way, it is always important to be honest. If you can practice saying this with enough respect, you might just be able to prove your smarts and talents to your boss when she misses something and you see how you might save the day. If you just let her make an error, that’s on you. Be confident enough to point out what you see. That’s why you were hired! (Not to be a robot.)2. â€Å"No†Nobody wants a doormat. If something is a bad idea or you know you can’t deliver a project under the parameters set, then it is preferable to say â€Å"no† early rather than fail needlessly. Some bosses really like this, provided it clearly comes from a place of respect. Similarly, if you’re asked to do lots of things outside of office hours and you can’t keep it up, stand up for your work-life balance!As long as you’re doing your job and doing it well, setting boundaries for yourself is always a good idea. You’ll gain more respect that way than not.3. â€Å"I’m fixing it†So you screwed up. Nobody likes to greet their boss with that bad news. But a good boss would rather be alerted to problem early on- particularly if you can say, in that same breath, that you’re already on top of it and there should be very little fallout. It shows you’re trustworthy and good at coming up with solutions, even under fire: all great boss-impressing traits!4. â€Å"My mistake†On e of the hardest things to do is admit you’ve made an error- and not to make a million excuses immediately to let yourself off the hook. But if you can go to your boss, explain what you’ve done, and cop to it’s being a mistake? This shows your character and can actually lead you to a valuable learning experience. You may even expose a gap in the training for your position. Plus, you’re likely to not make the same mistake again.5. â€Å"I have an idea†In some ways, this is a magic phrase. Most CEOs are starving for good ideas. If you have one, speak up! Don’t be shy. Especially if your idea would save the company money, time, or other resources and streamline things. Be part of the progress!It might be scary to approach your boss and go off the script you learned at your first internship, but showing up this way as a grown-up and self-possessed employee can have major gains over the course of your big-kid career.

Genders at work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Genders at work - Essay Example t like the article of tools for resolving conflicts, Ury, offers simple and elegant ways of creating agreement in difficult situations from the conflicts of the family to worldwide wars (Goodwin & Griffith, 2007). The story of Ury guides us on how to resolve conflicts and wars. According to the article, sharing stories is regarded as an effective instrument for social justice and peace. This relates to a William piece of work where he negotiated peace in worldwide conflicts and choosing various stories that will make a difference globally. The article focusses on the negotiation psychology as a principled negotiation that is important in finding acceptable solutions by finding the needs that are fixed and flexible to negotiators. Just like in the Ury’s speech the tools effectively for conflict resolution include separating people from problems, focusing on interest not positions, working together in creating opinions that will satisfy the two parties, and negotiating successfully with those who are more powerful, refusing to play by the rules or resorting to dirty tricks (Goodwin & Griffith,

Cost-Benefit Analysis for Foxy Originals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Cost-Benefit Analysis for Foxy Originals - Essay Example Foxy Originals is renowned jewelry company which is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The company was established by Jen Kluger and Suzie Orol in the year 1998 (Foxy Originals, 2013). The company has established its presence in 250 boutiques in Canada. The product portfolio of the company is comprised of high end and stylish necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, belts and other jewelry items. A business must have a competitive advantage in order to sustain in the marketplace (Porter, 1980, 1985 and 1991). Hence sustainability of Foxy Original is dependent its competitive advantage of selling stylish but low-cost jewelry to price-sensitive women in the age group of eighteen years to thirty years. Although the company is growing at an acceptable pace there is a risk for the Canadian jewelry market to get saturated due to the entry of new players in the future course of time. Over saturation and presence of many sellers in comparatively small Canadian jewelry market might decrease the profit margin for Foxy Originals in the near future. Hence, the company is thinking about entering USA jewelry market which is 10 times bigger than Canadian jewelry market by the month of January 2005. To enter USA jewelry market, Foxy Original must formulate a profitable distribution strategy which can give them a sustainable competitive advantage. Â  A brief discussion about the about target customers of Foxy Original will help the essay to develop a thematic background for the case.

The Role of Nursing in Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Role of Nursing in Society - Essay Example Conventionally, caring is central to the benchmark nature of the nursing profession. Apparently, the general public is aware and expects that as experts in the field of caring, nurses show evidence in the application of learned, modern techniques within personalities that project an aura of healing. Normally, this should further be enhanced by the accurate execution of contemporary primary care to ensure comfort among medical care clients regardless of the medical care setting. As health care workers and civil service providers, nurse's priority concern is the public interest, while living an ideal, reserve, and humble life. Thus, nurses as professionals in the practice of their expertise embody an attitude that goes beyond personal limitations and discriminations. Nursing is a distinct vocation because, as experts in the particular field, it focuses on activities engage in extending assistance to individuals who are ill. It is in the performance of help oriented activities that nursing best contributes to the healing of the sick, which is likewise, a speedy recovery from pain and illness. Apparently, the meaning of the profession has progressed from its simple beginnings indicating a womanly task which is basic and does not have to be studied (Donahue, 1996). It was from suckling an infant to one that has become a stylish and vastly educated line of work (Donahue, 1996). Practically, this shift is manifested in the developed and enhanced role of nursing. Beginning with the 19th century developments, nursing as a profession and a work has been expanded to not only tending the sick. It also means undergoing education. This is on the best ways of nurturing the sick. It goes further to executing such responsibility under the direction of a medical doctor (Donahue, 1996). This task was promoted to include child-nursing and sick-nursing (Donahue, 1996).Child-nursing which eventually was specialized nursemaid and governess is allied to teaching and training of children (Donahue, 1996). While sick-nursing is linked to healing ability, care for the sick, the aged, the vulnerable, and the people who are in poor health, the handicapped, and the sponsorship of wellbeing (Donahue, 1996). The latter further included such factors as affection, concern, solitude, and responsibility for personal wants and desires. ConclusionVirtually, care and caring underpins nursing, despite vagueness of the phrase as sweeping statement of the realities of the profession (Daly, Speedy, Jackson, Lambert, & Lambert, 2005). This is because nursing turned out to be multi-dimensional. It is driven by sophisticated concepts assumed as attitude and at the same time discipline (Daly et al, 2005). Similarly, nurse caring is characterized as giving value to individual interactions, well-versed of the doctrine of sharing, candor, compassion, and self-discipline. Additionally nurse caring includes reverence, guarantee of individual attendance, cheerful association, expert understanding and ability, and courtesy. Moreover, affection and effort are supplementary facets to nurse caring. Reference Donahue, M. P. (1996). Nursing, the Finest Art: An Illustrated History. St. Louis, MO: Mosby. Daly, J., Speedy, S., Jackson, D., Lambert, V. A., & Lambert, C.

Sociological Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Sociological Philosophy - Essay Example Plato suggests powers exercised by a ruler are governed by customary and community rules. Decisions are made by the minds of the rulers and their delegates. Humans have some innate knowledge of what is important and good in human life and because of this, we should not be constrained by laws and rules but by what our minds tell us what is right and just in the circumstances. The laws do not expressly provide on how to deal with this specific situation and judgment must then be made on moral principles. Permanent laws are incompatible with changing demographics and technology. Laws must change at the same pace with the rest of society to maintain society's current perspective of justice and righteousness, but time delays in passing laws precludes this. Still now, the public waits for tougher dog laws to be passed on pit bulls and others alike. Even worse, there is no guarantee administration will be efficient. Here, Plato argues, rules fail to meet the differences of time and there is a need for rulers to exercise discretion as it encourages efficiency. Where rules fail to take into account of specific, exceptional cases, Aristotle claims, equity should apply. Judges should correct errors of the law, rising from oversight by the lawmakers, given there are rules to be corrected in the first place. This is therefore, an argument to being ruled by laws. He favours rule by democracy where government by a collective of good men is better than being ruled by an absolute king. Decisions ought to be made by a democratically-elected assembly. Unlike Plato's idea of 'permanence', offices and positions will be rotated; enforcing the idea that everyone is equal and everyone should both rule and be ruled. The practice of using legal precepts to decide disputes was criticized by American Legal Realists as either redundant or pernicious. Disputes, it is said, should be decided justly. Where legal precepts dictate the same outcome as that of justice, and then legal precepts are redundant--acting justly will achieve the same results as following the precept. Where legal precepts recommend a different result than that recommended by justice then following the rules are pernicious. The result is, in the words of Jerome Frank, "injustice is according to law." (Frank, 1936) Most people are of a similar opinion when confronted with what appears to be the "unjust" application of a rule to a particular situation. One assumption underlying this objection is that, because they are formulated before a dispute arises, legal precepts cannot take into account the specific facts of a dispute that may argue in favour of a different "just" result than that recommended by the legal precept. Only after the fact can we know enough about the actual dispute to do real justice between the parties. As Frank argued, The judge, at his best is an arbitrator, a "sound man" who strives to do justice to the parties by exercising a wise discretion with reference to the peculiar circumstances of the case. He does not merely "find" or invent some generalized rule which he "applies" to the facts presented to him. He does "equity" in the sense in which Aristotle--when thinking most clearly--described it. "It is equity," he wrote in his Rhetoric, "to

The significance of the crucifixion to Anglicans today Essay

The significance of the crucifixion to Anglicans today - Essay Example The doctrines that are directly derived from the events covered in the crucifixion include the salvation of man and the atonement of sin. All the events of the crucifixion play a symbolic role in the life of an Anglican Church believer, and the crucifixion of Jesus holds a lot of meaning and significance for the Anglican believer of today (Williams, 2007). Areas of significance and the meaning of the crucifixion include that the death of Jesus, which paid the price required for redemption from sin. Secondly, the crucifixion unites Christians with the life of Jesus – who took the burden of setting men free – and offers them the commands and the ways to live in the world. Discussion The importance of the crucifixion to the modern Anglican believer is modelled through the context of the crucifixion of Jesus, though his subjection to a Roman capital punishment, which was ordinarily used to punish offenders that committed seditious or political crimes (Williams, 2007). The s ignificance of the punishment was that the offender would be subjected to a cruel form of punishment – but more importantly – the punishment was a publicly displayed type, which sought to spite the offender before other people. From this context of the crucifixion as well as the other events that transpired during the crucifixion, the Anglicans of today view it as the ultimate sacrifice offered to save the human race. The significance of the events can be derived from the fact that God, the father allowed Jesus, the son to go through all the humiliating experiences, so that the prophesy about the redemption of man would be fulfilled. Through the events of the crucifixion, Anglican believers are expected and taught to understand that the experiences of Jesus were supposed to show the pain of sins – which all humans would need to go through – unless Jesus the son of God wiped them away through his death (Wright, 2007). Therefore, the crucifixion is not just a series of events to the Anglican believer of today; it is a symbolic representation of the cost of salvation, which was paid by God – using his son – so that all humans would live free and remain free and covered by God’s grace. The second significance of the crucifixion of Jesus today is that of making the insistence of God’s forgiveness to men. The sacrifice of Jesus was used to signify God’s actions, and not only the repayment of the punishment that men were supposed to bear, due to the sinfulness inherited from Adam’s fall. This is the case because from the early days that preceded the death of Jesus, no one would take the sins of others; therefore, Jesus would literally not take the punishment and the guilt of sinners. The bible says that â€Å"the soul who sins is the one who will die† (Ezekiel 18:1). However, the true meaning of the crucifixion to the modern-day Christian is to show that God can forgive the sins of humanity and fail to impose the penalty of death. This area of significance is very important to the Christian, mainly because it serves as a reassurance that irrespective of their many sins, they will always have a place in the house of God, where they can commune with him as their father (McGrath, 2011). The crucifixion demonstrates the extent of God’s mercy, which was not limited to the Jews, the people that were living during the crucifixion, but also all those that accept Jesus and return to him for forgiveness (Williams, 2007). The wholesome meaning of this significance of the crucifixion is that God is a loving father to all his children, who will welcome the penitent –

Syncretism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Syncretism - Essay Example In china the followers of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism actively borrowed from each other in a mutual fashion to achieve syncretism commonly known as "sanjiao heyi† meaning the â€Å"Unity of the three teachings†. Ancient Chinese believed that the three religions merged into one creed and that all the three religions should be believed and followed (Gallager 105). Through syncretism the major differences between the different religions disappears or the adherents choose to adapt the differences into their way of religion avoiding contradictions in the sencretised worship. Syncretism is unique in that it differs from the major doctrines that explain interaction of different religions; syncretism is not ecumenism which employs the belief that truth is universal. In syncretism every religion retains its fundamental beliefs and perceptions that define it. Syncretism does not seek to accommodate the religious practices of another religion but rather fully integrates the religion completely. Neither does syncretism involve integrating the other religions into one to reinforce the deficiencies and weaknesses of the individual religions (D'Costa 19). Before the Tang dynasty, the three distinct schools of thought tried successfully to remain distinct and pure from the influences of the other religions. Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism developed distinctively different and independent schools of thought, organization and ritual practices that was logical. Each religion had a different and a unique message to communicate to the society about the conduct of lif e. Syncretism of the three religions purposed to teach people to be good .They were mainly practiced by the elite’s intellectuals of the Chinese people who could be able to read, understand and translate the texts of the three doctrines. In the shengxue Zonglun text (Basic treatises on learning of the sages), the author states that the three teachings are one teaching and that the teaching of the three halls have changed because of false transmission. The author had an issue that the work was largely of Confucian doctrine aimed at destabilizing Buddhist and Taoist fundamental doctrines. This illustrates that syncretism indeed incorporated various aspects of the three religions as seen in this text which did not auger well with strong adherents of the religions who did not assent to syncretism. The unity of the three teaching was demonstrated by a practice of joint worship that incorporated cults and symbols from the other religious deities. The ‘chongful’ monaste ry had both Confucian and Buddhist traditions and religious practices. Worshippers would follow the state sanctioned cults and seek divination from the Confucian religion in a Buddhist monastery. In the sixteenth and seventieth century, the monks in the upper Tianzhu monastery constructed more than five halls of worship to non Buddhist deities. They constructed the shrine to the lingering beneficence of master Lei for the Taoist adherents. They also constructed the shrine of the three officials who protect the sage in 1574, which honored the Taoist deities of heaven, earth, and water that oversaw human actions from the underground. Many other Taoist shrines were constructed in the Buddhist monastery and they were fully functional without any disagreements, they coexisted peacefully and hence this suggests that the two religions had a functional syncretised way of worship that fully integrated Taoist and Buddhism. Joint worship of Buddha, Lao Zi and Confucius was commonly practiced i n the mid -Ming period. Though the state did not

The significance of the crucifixion to Anglicans today Essay

The significance of the crucifixion to Anglicans today - Essay Example The doctrines that are directly derived from the events covered in the crucifixion include the salvation of man and the atonement of sin. All the events of the crucifixion play a symbolic role in the life of an Anglican Church believer, and the crucifixion of Jesus holds a lot of meaning and significance for the Anglican believer of today (Williams, 2007). Areas of significance and the meaning of the crucifixion include that the death of Jesus, which paid the price required for redemption from sin. Secondly, the crucifixion unites Christians with the life of Jesus – who took the burden of setting men free – and offers them the commands and the ways to live in the world. Discussion The importance of the crucifixion to the modern Anglican believer is modelled through the context of the crucifixion of Jesus, though his subjection to a Roman capital punishment, which was ordinarily used to punish offenders that committed seditious or political crimes (Williams, 2007). The s ignificance of the punishment was that the offender would be subjected to a cruel form of punishment – but more importantly – the punishment was a publicly displayed type, which sought to spite the offender before other people. From this context of the crucifixion as well as the other events that transpired during the crucifixion, the Anglicans of today view it as the ultimate sacrifice offered to save the human race. The significance of the events can be derived from the fact that God, the father allowed Jesus, the son to go through all the humiliating experiences, so that the prophesy about the redemption of man would be fulfilled. Through the events of the crucifixion, Anglican believers are expected and taught to understand that the experiences of Jesus were supposed to show the pain of sins – which all humans would need to go through – unless Jesus the son of God wiped them away through his death (Wright, 2007). Therefore, the crucifixion is not just a series of events to the Anglican believer of today; it is a symbolic representation of the cost of salvation, which was paid by God – using his son – so that all humans would live free and remain free and covered by God’s grace. The second significance of the crucifixion of Jesus today is that of making the insistence of God’s forgiveness to men. The sacrifice of Jesus was used to signify God’s actions, and not only the repayment of the punishment that men were supposed to bear, due to the sinfulness inherited from Adam’s fall. This is the case because from the early days that preceded the death of Jesus, no one would take the sins of others; therefore, Jesus would literally not take the punishment and the guilt of sinners. The bible says that â€Å"the soul who sins is the one who will die† (Ezekiel 18:1). However, the true meaning of the crucifixion to the modern-day Christian is to show that God can forgive the sins of humanity and fail to impose the penalty of death. This area of significance is very important to the Christian, mainly because it serves as a reassurance that irrespective of their many sins, they will always have a place in the house of God, where they can commune with him as their father (McGrath, 2011). The crucifixion demonstrates the extent of God’s mercy, which was not limited to the Jews, the people that were living during the crucifixion, but also all those that accept Jesus and return to him for forgiveness (Williams, 2007). The wholesome meaning of this significance of the crucifixion is that God is a loving father to all his children, who will welcome the penitent –

Labor Reallocation in The Transition Economics Essay

Labor Reallocation in The Transition Economics - Essay Example Some important failures of the capitalist system like the Great Depression serve as the reasons on why the event should be remembered. Capitalism has not tested success on everywhere it was implemented (Aslund, n.d.). Transition Economies The economy which experiences change from a centrally planned economy to free market is defined as transition economies. In this type of economies the central planning organization is not entrusted with the task of setting the price. The market forces tend to determine the prices. There is no restriction to trade and the economy witness economic liberalization. There is tendency towards privatization and the financial sector takes the responsibility in facilitating stability in the economy. The change and creation of institutions characterizes the process of transition. The private enterprises have a major role to play (Atkeson, Andrew and Patrick, 1996, p. 377). The process of transition changes the role of the state. The process encourages the cre ation of different institutions and promotes state owned enterprises and financial institutions which can act independently. The role of the state in the transition transforms from being the provider of growth to an enabler. The private sector serves as the engine of growth in the transition economies. ... China and Vietnam followed the gradual transition mode while Russia and some East-European countries followed the aggressive model of transition. The main indicators of the process of transition include liberalization, macroeconomic stabilization, restructuring and privatization and legal and institution reforms (Boeri and Terrell, n.d. p. 2). A rapid change was expected in the configurations of institutions that structured the transition countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Almost all transition economies were expecting to face the twin impacts of recession and income inequality. In order to shift to an economy where wage is determined by the market transitional unemployment is necessary. Structural challenges like shortage of labor demand can result because of long periods of unemployment. The market should set the appropriate price of labor taking into account free mobility of labor and a supportive institutional framework (Nickel, n.d. p. 96). Labor Reallocation in T ransitional Economies The process of transition involves substantial reallocation of labor. Employment in the planned economies is concentrated on the heavy industries. There was absence of small business sector and private initiatives concentrated almost solely in agriculture. The economic planners used to determine the pattern of foreign trade. The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance was used to govern the trade flows in what are now regarded as the transition economies. In the process of transition, employment is concentrated in the small scale business sector. Actually shifting of employment from the state owned industries to these units take place. The success of transaction depends on how efficiently the reallocation of labor has been handled. Comparison of the modification

Software Development Methodologies Analysis Information Technology Essay

Software Development Methodologies Analysis Information Technology Essay The report will be divided into sections, which describe the different stages of the project life cycle and provide information about the project scope, purpose and defines project objectives. Furthermore this report investigates the different software development methodologies and examines which one would be the best to use for the purpose of the final year project. Moreover the Summary and Critical Review of the project is provided with conclusions on, possible, future changes and improvements to the project. Finally the reports Appendix section includes all relevant diagrams, testing and coding and other information related to the project. Acknowledgments I would like to thank both of my project supervisors; Jon Bennett and Matthew Wake for their help and encouragement throughout this project. Furthermore I would like to thank Karren Burrows for her help on improving my database design and Mary Spence for guidance in the complicated world of VBA. In addition I would like to express my gratitude to Kevin Potterton, a friend and co-worker at Investmaster Group ltd. for providing helpful input, recommendations and moral support in difficulties with project management. Finally my boyfriend Andrew Steer for his patience, support and proof reading. Table of content Introduction The main aim of this project was to document and develop an Order Processing Scenario for a car rental company. The system stores customer and car details, car availability, calculates rental costs and fines, prints bills, and highlights unpaid transactions. This information will be available through a user friendly interface; with clear error messages. To accomplish this, knowledge acquired throughout the years at university was used to analyse and solve problems encountered during the project. Furthermore, the information required for the project was gathered and synthesised to provide a practical and high-quality end product that could actually be used in a real world situation. Additionally, research into different software development methodologies was completed and an appropriate development methodology selected. By using techniques and tools covered during the course the requirements for an order processing system were captured, including; different users and views of customers and clerks. What is more, using the research, self-learning and additional Visual Basic tutorials enabled the use of more sophisticated and advanced coding techniques. Finally, the system was tested by users with different levels of IT knowledge and was accepted for covering the relevant HCI criteria. (Appendix14) To develop and implement a fully functioning GUI front end for the above system. Problem definition. Currently, Aleks Car Rental is a small car renting company and all record maintenance within the company is carried out manually, on paper. Customer and reservation details are written down in log books and transactions are not backed up anywhere in case of any data loss and sensitive data is quite easily accessible; making the company susceptible to data theft. This way of working is not particularly effective because the paperwork is frequently lost or misplaced, which leads to the customers being unhappy with the service provided and complaints concerning the standard of data security. The aim of this project is to produce a cheap, automated solution that will enable safe storage of sensitive customer data. It should allow permitted users to check on; the availability of cars, customer accounts and to produce relevant reports. In addition to this, the system should be easy to use with clear instructions and messages as the users (clerks) have only basic IT knowledge. Objectives To select and follow an appropriate development methodology. To capture requirements for an order processing system including different users and views of customers and clerks. Investigate different software options. Design the order processing system. To include a variety of subsystems including the maintenance of customer information, car details, clerk details and the payment of fines. To identify a variety of users for system testing against relevant HCI criteria(Appendix15). Produce a prototype with basic functionality. Conduct an evaluation of the prototype. To develop and implement a fully functioning GUI front end for the above system. Basic Project Requirements 1) Acquire and analyse user requirements. 2) Develop a working system prototype with basic functionality specified by the user. 3) Design and implement a database for the system prototype. Possible Further Enhancements 1) Add administration section to the system. 2) Develop a fully functional order processing system 3) Investigate possible security problems Deliverables 1) Report 2) Working order processing system Project Schedule The duration of each task was controlled through the production of a Gantt chart; an outline of each key task was highlighted therein. This chart can be seen in Appendix B. Nevertheless it is not always possible to stick to the produced schedule, so the second, reviewed Gantt chart was created. This chart can be seen in Appendix B. It shows the actual start and completion tasks dates presented week by week, the tasks that were completed in the different time than expected are presented in blue. Appendix C Project Development Diary and Error: Reference source not found, highlights the problems encountered during the development and times when project was feeling behind the original schedule. The main reason for running behind the schedule was that the planed amount of time to learn VBA language was an optimistic prediction and the task was much more difficult than predicted. Another factor that had a big influence on delaying the project was sudden unavailability ot the project supervisor during to his health issues. This had place in January, and caused significant suspension of the database development as the supervisor was a project client and a main source of help in using VBA code. Furthermore, accommodating for deadlines in other modules, and obligations at work lead to further delays. However by working extensively during the weekends and bank holidays all of the project objectives were fulfilled on time. Project Management Scheduling the project stages had a massive influence on the development of time management skills. Successful time management helps to increase the person productivity and overall efficiency. Setting goals, prioritising them and monitoring its execution help to gain conscious control over the project and its separate stages. Developing these skill can seriously influence the person future ability to manage the projects in the work environment. One of the techniques useful when managing the project is the MoSCoW analysis (see Error: Reference source not found). It divides the tasks into different categories to enable the decision on which of them are the most and the least important. Tasks paced high in the hierarchy are the ones that had to be completed first, when the completion of tasks placed lower in the hierarchy of importance was optional. In cases where completion of the most important tasks was taking longer than expected the less important functions were completed earlier, to ensure that there are as many working functions as possible. Furthermore to ensure that all of the good project management practices are conducted during the final year project development, weekly meetings with Jon Bennett, supervisor, were carried out. During these meetings supervisor pointed out parts of the project that might take longer to complete and highlighted the areas requiring the biggest effort concentration. Unfortunately, because of the supervisors health problems meeting in the last few month of the project development were suspended but they were resumed with the new project supervisor although not with the same frequency. 2.Software Development Methodology Software Development Methodologies Analysis When developing a system it is crucial to choose a methodology that will fulfil all of the project requirements within the allocated timescale. A successful methodology is one that enables the developer to manage, evaluate and control the system throughout its life cycle. There is a wide range of different models, which differ in; the number of iterations of the project lifecycle, the intensity of user involvement in the project and the level of evaluation. Therefore, the decision on which methodology to use for a final year project might be a very difficult one and to succeed, the complete spectrum of requirements has to be taken into account and many techniques and tools have to be considered. Agile vs. Heavyweight Methodology Project development methodologies can be divided into two main types; agile and heavyweight. Both of these methodology types possess aspects useful for the purpose of the final year project but none of them could be fully used as a separate technique. In order to find the methodology that is most suitable for the project it would be recommended to combine some of their individual aspects together. Agile Methodology Using some of the agile methodology features can significantly limit the amount of documentation produced for the purpose of the project and assure that the project will be finished in the given amount of time. Furthermore, the agile approach concentrates on good design, technical excellence and simplicity, which are the main goals whilst working on the final year project. Another argument for using an agile methodology is that it can also be used for the purpose of small, self-organised teams or individuals, helping them to adapt to changing circumstances, which is often the case in projects such as these. Heavyweight Methodology Nevertheless, using some of the aspects of a heavyweight methodology should also be considered when developing an order processing system like Aleks Car Rental. Although heavyweight methods are mainly used by large teams for the purpose of developing large projects, some of the methodology tools and techniques could be also useful when developing student project. Following a heavyweight methodology helps to identify the different stages of the project and what lifecycle would be the best to follow for the purpose of the final year project. RAD (Rapid Application Development) One of the examples of an agile methodology is Rapid Application Development (RAD). Its main advantage is that the working systems are created within a short time period, which is very useful as the time frame for the student final year project is quite restricted. Furthermore, according to the RAD methodology the project needs to be frequently reviewed by the user as new functionalities are added during the development process. This is called iterative prototyping and should be applied to the students final year project development. User participation is very important in this process as it ensures that the developed system satisfies the end users requirements. Another aim of the RAD method is to reuse existing software components. Unfortunately as Aleks Car Rental order processing system needs to be created from scratch this aspect of RAD is not suitable for the purpose of this project. Another feature of RAD is the use of Computer Assisted Software Engineering (CASE) tools and techniques, which could be extremely useful to the developer in the project planning stages and all stages that follow the development of the system. These techniques should also be used in the development of the final year project. RAD questions the use of high-level documentation, like this report, as it is very time consuming, and, instead, concentrates on the low ceremony level such as system testing, training and implementation plans. For a diagram see Appendix D. Extreme programming Another example of the agile methodology is the Extreme Programming Method. Its success depends upon the level of customer satisfaction with the system. For customer satisfaction to be optimal, this method engages the client in constant communication so that user requirements can be catered for during the development lifecycle. This could be easily applied to the final year project as contact with the client (supervisor) should be persistent throughout the whole development process. By delivering the product in modules, over short timeframes, the Extreme Programming method concentrates on short term goals instead of delivering the full product over a much longer period. The complexity is added to the project sequentially, which means that individuals will be working on something new periodically. This would be the perfect path to follow when developing the final year project as short term goals could be delivered to the project supervisor on a weekly basis. What is more, Extreme Programming allows the developer to quickly respond to changes in customer requirements, which would be highly desirable for the unstable requirements of the final year project. Another feature of the Extreme Programming method is that it is mainly used for small to medium sized projects; such as a final year project. System Development Life Cycle Methodology (SDLC) A good example of a heavyweight methodology is the System Development Life Cycle Methodology (SDLC). This methodology is mainly modelled around the Waterfall Life Cycle which breaks the project structure into stages consisting distinct goals. It is good for projects with clearly specified requirements and a large time frame. A key feature of this model is that the process needs to stay free from any overlapping or duplication. To achieve that undertaken goals always have to be accomplished before proceeding from the one phase to the next one. There is very little possibility for the designers to go back and change any of the finished stages as this would dramatically slow down the whole development process. This methodology doesnt seem to be suitable for the purpose of developing the final year project. . For a diagram see Appendix D. Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method (SSADM) Another heavy weight methodology example is Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method. It is the waterfall life cycle method which breaks the project structure into stages and rejects overlapping theses stages. Three major tools used by SSADM are Logical Data Modelling (Entity Relationship Diagram), Data Flow Modelling and Entity Event Modelling. The method combines all three techniques to enable the complete view of the developed system. Furthermore SSADM is structured from 5 complex hierarchies of stages: feasibility study, requirements analysis, requirement specification, logical system specification and physical design. As this methodology is a high ceremony method and it involves extensive planning and wide documentation, its elements should be used in a final year project to document the development process. Nevertheless SSADM doesnt really address the issue of changing requirement specifications and it doesnt allow any iteration after the project phase completion, so following this methodology rigorously might be really time consuming and not appropriate for the purpose of developing the final year project. User Centred Design methodology UCS could be described as a methodology that attempts to optimize the product around the user specifications. The main aim is to create a product that user can, want, or needs to use, rather than creating something that user will have to accommodate their behaviour around. To achieve that client has to be regularly updated with the project progress and consulted regards any changes. According to the methodology specifications there are several ways to gather required information from the users: focus groups, questionnaires, interviews, usability testing, card sorting and participatory design. Furthermore, although USC mainly replicates the waterfall life cycle method it is also focusing on its four key stages: Use Specification, Requirements Specification, Design and Evaluation. The stages are repeated until the projects usability scope is achieved. USC methodology uses many techniques that could be useful in the development of the final year project like use cases, scenarios and persona (customer for the purpose of Aleks car rental). Methodology used for this Project Time spent on the planning, documentation development and testing is often dependent on the chosen methodology and can increase or decrease accordingly to the used method. That is why, to meet the project objectives successfully the common practice is to combine different aspects of the different methodology types in the way they will suit the purpose of the students final year project. As the user (project supervisor) was consulted about the project requirements and progress on many occasions during the project development, it would indicate that aspects of Extreme Programming, UCD and RAD methodologies were used to full the project requirements. Also, using use cases, project scenario (Aleks car rental) and persona (client) taken from the UCD method made project goals easier to understand and fulfill. Furthermore, to design the order of the different stages in the project the waterfall life cycle technique was used, but as many iterations to the project throughout the different stages were made, and object oriented techniques and tools were used, this would indicate the aspects of SSADM and User Centered Design method were used in the final year project. Moreover Diagrams such as the Logical Data Model (Entity Relationship Diagram) and the Data Flow Model taken from SSADM were also used to establish the data flow in the system and what tables should be created in order for system to work as specified by the client. Additionally to confirm that all of the client requirement were covered the testing of the system was undertaken as it have place in RAD and UCD methodologies. To conclude, there is no one appropriate methodology for this project but many aspects of different methodologies combined together enabled to fulfil the requirements set by the project stakeholder. 3. Gathering Requirements 3.1 User Requirements For the purpose of this project the assumption was made that the person called system user will be the project proposer and initial project supervisor, Jon Bennett. To enable gathering of the most accurate requirements, two different data gathering methods were undertaken. Firstly, frequent consultations with the system user enable assembling essential system requirements and allows in depth research into user needs . Secondly investigation into current car hire solutions on the Internet was undertaken and features of the car renting company systems identified and reused if appropriate. 3.2Research Methods Two main research method types can be identified, quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative method is often used when the question is how many or how often. http://www.orau.gov/cdcynergy/demo/Content/activeinformation/tools/toolscontent/quantiativemethods.htm The most commonly used techniques are usually structured questionnaires and surveys. Further to that statistical data is produced and, in order to analyse and interpret the collected data, converted into charts and graphs. This method can be very time consuming and requires gathering large samples of data. As the final year project has a strict time frame and it is an individual task, quantitative method doesnt seem to be the right one to use. Second type of research methods is a text based qualitative method. In order to obtain the most accurate information, methods such as focus groups, interviews, observations, and case studies are used. The main data gathering method is to take a description of a problem from someone experiencing it or by observing the individual user. By using this method more in depth information is provided which will allow better understanding of user needs. The success of this method depends mostly on the researchers skills and should only be used if there are only a few cases to investigate. As the amount of stakeholders in the project is limited to one and it is possible to observe or interview the user, using qualitative method seems to be more suited for this project. 3.3Interviews Interview is a formal meeting and discussion with someone. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/interview Gathering information through an interview means evaluating the situation through the conversation with user. There are different kinds of interviews: structured, semi-structured, unstructured, group interviews and focus groups. In order to gather all necessary information about the required system functionalities regular weekly meetings with the user were taking place during a four month period. This is documented in appendix X. During these meetings functional and usability requirements were recognised and different methods on how to fulfil them were discussed. 3.4Functional Requirements Functional requirements indicates what actions should the system be able to do and what functions it should perform. Login Only permitted users should be able to login in to the system. Make Loan- Permitted users should be able to rent a car, and loan information should be stored in the system Add Customer- Permitted users (clerk) should be able to add new customer details. Edit Customer Permitted users (clerk) should be able to update/edit customer details. Find Customer Permitted users (clerk) should be able to find existing customer details. Delete Customer Permitted users (clerk) should be able to delete existing customer details. Add Car Permitted users (clerk) should be able to add new car details. Edit Car Permitted users (clerk) should be able to edit existing car details. Find Car Permitted users (clerk) should be able to find existing car details. Delete Car Permitted users (clerk) should be able to delete existing car details. Register car damages Permitted users (clerk) should be able to add any car damage details. Add Clerk Permitted users (manager) should be able to add new clerk details into the system. Edit Clerk details Permitted users (manager) should be able to edit clerk details in the system. Find Clerk Permitted users (manager) should be able to find clerk details in the system. Delete Clerk Permitted users (manager) should be able to delete clerk details from the system. Produce Reports Permitted users (manager) should be able to produce monthly and yearly income reports. Produce Loan Receipt Permitted users (clerk) should be able to produce client receipt with the loan details. Calculate Payment System should calculate the total payment for the loan. Calculate Fine System should automaticaly calculate fine for late returns. Notifying about overdue loans Permitted users (clerk) should be able to view details of the overdue loans. Close Option Use should be able to close all the forms. Cancel Option User should be able to cancel undertaken activity. Logout Option User should be able to logout from the system. 3.5 Usability Requirements Usability requirements measures how the software is suitable for its users, considering how easy it is to learn, how effective it is, how efficient it is, and user satisfaction. When designing a system there are ten usability principles that should be taken into consideration . Jakob Neilsenal. (2001). These 10 rules are outlined below with relevance to the order processing scenario Aleks car rental. Visibility of system status The user should be informed about any system status changes through the use of appropriate feedback e.g. When information in the system is updated a message box should be displayed informing the user whether this procedure has been successful or not. Appendix 16 Match between system and the real world Language used in the system should be appropriate and easy to understand by the user, egz meaningful error messages. Appendix17 User control and freedom -All possible activities undertaken by the user should be supported by the system (navigation). Consistency and standards To prevent any confusion the system the consistency of the interface should be kept throughout the whole system. It is reassured by using the same colours, fonts and format. Error prevention Any errors should be avoided when possible, where errors do occur, user should be clearly informed what has happened. Recognition rather than recall The interface should be informative enough for the user to understand how to navigate around the system in order to fulfil the undertaken action, egz. placing order. It should be clear to the user what they are required to do without recalling any information. Flexibility and efficiency of use The system should be designed for both experienced and inexperienced. Although the Aleks car rental system is easy and straight forward to use all of the users will be provided with user guide. Aesthetic and minimalist design Using only the basic graphics and presenting only the necessary information prevents user from getting distracted from the system. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors When an error occures, the meaningful information should be displayed to indicate what coused the error and suggest how to resolve the problem. Appendix 17. Help and documentation -A user guide, listing clear steps on how to complete the tasks should be available. Appendix 18 3.6 Requirements gathered from available solutions This section of the report studies existing booking systems, available on-line or sold to car renting companies. See Appendix 18 for screen shots of these solutions. An investigation throuought existing booking systems was carried out in order to identify any reusable features that can be used for Aleks car rental System. Furthermore, undertaken research helped to recognise problems that should to be avoided. These are discussed below: General Usability: Usability is about design focused on helping customers perform tasks, with little effort and making the experience enjoyable. It is important from both the customers perspective as it is the means by which the user interacts; it should not lead to frustration. A well designed website interface is user friendly, simple, efficient, the functionality easy to learn and use in addition to providing effective interaction. Use of Multimedia: A range of high quality multimedia through color, sound, and graphics collaborated creates a powerful impression and generates interest, making the experience enjoyable. This sets a positive expectation for the rest of the website ultimately the customers choice of place to hire a vehicle. Use of multimedia should be kept to a minimal, with lot of white space and contrasting text. The average customers computer specification and bandwidth should be kept in mind thus it affects load up and response time. Search for Information: A customer likes a booking experience that enables them to find, select and pay for the service with ease. The solution to this is efficient navigation and search facilitation. A search function by keyword can help retrieve specific information; reducing frustration. Grouping meaningful data in a structured list should be applied as it minimizes confusion. Further subcategory help narrow down relevant information making it easier for customers to find what they are looking for. Online Order: The website should support secure online payment transactions, customers should be made aware of this, also other methods of payment options should be acceptable as customers are vulnerable to carrying out online payments. Status of reservation: It is important that the customer is updated with the status of the service once the reservation has been completed i.e. confirmation of the booking. 3.7 Safety Requirements There is a wide range of safety requirements to consider when designing a system, but as specifying them is outside the final year project scope only the basic ones will be covered. Backup when additional copies of the data are make. This could be done either by the user or automatically by the system. Backed data should not be stored anywhere within close proximity of the original system in case of a natural disaster such as fire or flood was to take place where the system is located. It is highly recommended that Aleks car rental company use a backup option to secured informations stored in the system. System stability testing to minimise system failure and possible data loss the thorough testing should be always performed on any new system. 3.8 Security Requirements Personal information stored in the system should only be accessible by authorised person. Password to prevent unauthorised individuals from accessing the data, system should always be protected with the password. Encryption protects information by making it unreadable to anyone except authorised person. This is use to protect the password when login in to the Aleks car rental. 4.Software and Hardware solutions 5.Car rental Company System Prototype In order to develop a fully working system student had to design and develop a working prototype of the booking system as a part of the project development lifecycle. See Appendix G for screen shots of the prototype system. Use Case Diagrams To gain an overall view of the system to be developed a diagram was drawn using UML (Unified Modelling Language). UML is used to show the interaction between the reservation system and the several actors/users. See Appendix H for a UML diagram. User Authentication As the system is designed to stored potentially sensitive data the user identification must be in place.<

Western Humanities Essay -- essays research papers

Western Humanities   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Western Humanities covers a broad scope within the world as me know it today. Many of the influences and inspirations that many claim to motivate them to make continuous advancements are from a basis of our past. Whether it is art, literature or social movements we as a civilization must always look at our past as a blueprint. Our history is our blueprint for life. I think the purpose of studying the Western Humanities is to take a look at our past. No matter what race color or religion a majority of our countries’ people are a descendent of the Western world. Its almost like looking as a very large family tree and learning about it. There are many reasons that can be put together to define the actual meaning of humanities. Western Humanities, to me, can be found within the fine arts, geographical distribution, and religious influences. Overall, these factors have come together to give everyone across the world their history, known as humanities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, the fine arts have impacted our world with so much inspiration. These influences can be seen everywhere from the streets of France to the art galleries of New York City. You may have even read a poem written in a particular form. The fine arts have been a form of expression since the beginning of our civilization. One of the first known civilizations was an area known as Mesopotamia. Through this area an expression of art may be found in moldings and sculptures. As the west evolved so did these forms of expressions. Everything from the tools and thoughts to the materials used and the meanings behind them. A lot of meanings may have been in response to worshipping gods and warriors. As I look at today’s world not much has changed with our expressions. The materials used may be different yet the emotional desire behind the expression may well be the same. Today we use things such as computer generations, pop music and controversial literary work s. The main focus of all of these examples is to express ones art. Art has been said to be within the eye of the beholder and that art was vandalism. Well, I admire the vandals. There are many great sculptures and poets from the Greek world to the Renaissance periods that it is no wonder that the influence carried throughout the rest of the western world. It seemed that with each... ...arting to inspire one another with its structure. The buildings were not the only effects of religion but so were wars, laws and many political scandals. It is almost unbelievable to learn that faith was such a solid reason for many misunderstandings. Even the misunderstandings within faiths, especially Catholicism. I was amused and almost possessed a sense of comfort when a faith was simply based on the gods of thunder or goddess of love. I feel that I understand the many different religions now that I have seen them unfold to what they have become today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In summary, the Western Humanities influenced many of today’s thoughts and expressions. The study of humanities has greatly impressed me. I have always been intrigued with political, geographical and art factors. The culmination of these teachings has explained why we are who we are today. The values and ideas of each of these factors continuously improved our world. Improvement is not necessarily defined as doing everything better but advancing. Although the western world experienced many trials and tribulations there are still many that have yet to be undergone for our civilizations â€Å"family tree†.

Clark and Menefee Architects :: essays papers

Clark and Menefee Architects The Reid House was designed by W.G. Clark and Charles Menefee and built in John’s Island, SC in 1986. Menefee and Clark designed primarily in the American South. Clark and Menefee are known for their â€Å"tripartite vertical organization.† The base level normally consists of secondary bedroom(s)/studio spaces and services. The First floor is a â€Å"piano nobile of principal rooms with a double-height living space.† The attic level usually consists of the master bedroom and bath. The Reid House is set up in this fashion. The house is located in a modest setting, surrounded by house trailers and cheaply built houses. The image of the house was â€Å"derived from vernacular farm buildings as well as from more formal Palladian structures.† One author described the setting as â€Å"John’s Island, a peaceful landscape where truck farmers tend tomato fields carved out of scrub-pine and dwarf-cedar forests, and where the front yards of shacks ar e littered with junked cars, rusting agricultural machinery, and other decaying impedimenta of the Industrial Revolution.† The house is a three-story tower with two components. The first is a 20 ft. sq. section made of concrete block, housing the living and bedrooms, referred to as the â€Å"served space(s).† The second part, referred to as the â€Å"serving space(s),† is a wood-frame shed that holds the kitchen and the bathrooms. These two components are â€Å"joined at the fireplace and chimney, around which the stair winds.† The materials used for the house are inexpensive, in keeping with the surrounding structures. One section is made of concrete blocks, exposed on the inside and covered with waterproofing paint on the outside. The other part of the house is â€Å"sheathed in plywood and battens and its roof is covered in asphalt shingle.† The floors are painted pine, the interior partitions, painted plywood. The total cost of the house was $102,000, only $2,000 over the budget that the Reids had set. They wanted the house built because they wanted to move their two small children out of a trailer home, and they wanted to have a larger space in which they could manage their 120-acre horse farm. The total area of the house is only 1600 sq. ft. One author noted that the house â€Å"[reconciles] lofty aspirations and modest means.† W.G.

The Inequality Between the Low and High Class in Brazil

Brazil is the largest country in South America and it has the strongest economy in Latin America. The country has the seventh largest economy in the world by nominal GDP. Brazil is rich in natural resources and it focus on agriculture and industrial power. Despite the improvement on income distribution and bringing the middle class population to 95 million people which is a little bit more than half of the population in the country, poverty in rural areas are still very severe in Brazil. According to Rural Poverty Portal, â€Å"In the country as a whole, about 35 percent of the population lives in poverty, on less than two dollars a day. (1) The population in Brazil is about 197 million and with 35 percent of population living in poverty is equal to two times the population in Canada. Most of the poverties in Brazil are concentrated in the North East region of Brazil and it can be considered the single largest concentration of rural poverty in South America. The North East region in Brazil is the undeveloped part of the country where the population have no access to education, health care, technology and even clean water. Several causes of poverty in Brazil are land tenure, lack of access to a good education and also skill training. Through the literary short stories and Brazilian made films, we can somehow picture how different is the life between the lower and higher class families. The inequality is a very big issue in the country and even though the stories and films are fiction, it still shows us a reality that Brazil has been facing for a long period, which is the big gap between the rich and the poor. One of the films that shows the poverty in the rural areas of Brazil is â€Å"Behind the Sun†, directed by Walter Salles. We can see how the violence is a very big problem in the story because of a land dispute between a family and neighbour. According to Scielo, â€Å"It is customary to state that the poorer strata of the population are more violent and that they cause the social disorder and disturbances that assail the country. † ( Minayo, 1) It is true that the lower class would be more involved in violence since they are tired of working so hard and not getting anywhere, and it affects them emotionally. Furthermore, the film starts with a background of very dark orange which may represent the very hot weather in Brazil and it makes the viewers to somehow feel the tiredness, the hard working people in rural areas in Brazil. The film begins with a very depressing color which almost represents â€Å"hopelessness†. The scene that most caught my attention and I think it was very meaningful to the viewers is when the oxes start to turning in circle over and over again. It brings a significant message of no matter how hard the people work in rural areas; they will always be in the same routine and will never be able to have the chance to succeed in life. Moreover, as we could see, one of the main characters, Pacu, a very simple and humble boy, speaks a Portuguese with several grammatical errors such as â€Å"mais melhor† and â€Å"eles que tava perdido†. Illiteracy is another big problem in Brazil, especially with the lower class population, who live in the rural areas. Lower class people that live in the interior do not value education as much as people from higher classes. Sometimes it is because they are so focused on working to support their family that they do not have time to think about educating their children. Other times, they do not even have money to buy food, so how are they going to support their children to go school? Many children who are born in lower class families do not have the opportunity to be educated, not because they do not want; however, it is because their parents cannot afford and they are incapable of sending them to school. There are approximately 14 million people that are illiterate in Brazil; which means that they cannot read and write. Fortunately, in 2003, Brazil launched the â€Å"Bolsa Familia†, where the government support poor families with 140 Reais which is equivalent to 80 dollars to benefit the family to send their children to school, accessing health care and other social assistances. In addition, the literary story â€Å"The Hour of the Star† by Clarice Lispector also helps the reader to imagine how the lower class women's lives seem like. In recent years, women had played a big role in the contribution to the Brazilian economy. Today, Brazil even has a woman president in charge of the country, Dilma Rousseff. Wealthy women in Brazil seem to always be able to have a free pass to succeed in life, although many lower class women in Brazil do not receive the same opportunity. Higher class women always succeed thorough high society connection or using the power of the money. Macabea, the main character, from â€Å"The Hour of the Star† can represent all the lower class women in Brazil. Since Macabea lost her parents when she was very young, she became an orphan. Therefore, that is probably one of the reasons why she had difficulties succeeding in life due to the absence of parents supporting and guiding her. According to SOS Children’s Village, â€Å"In regions that are marked by high unemployment rates, children often face a substantial risk of growing up in an unstable domestic environment. â€Å"(1) It is possible to imagine how an orphan girl would need to go through without parent’s guidance. Moreover, the story also highlights that due to Macabea status of being poor, her lover, Olimpio, believes that he would not have any chance of advancing in life being with her. Instead, he chooses to date her co-worker, Gloria, who was smarter and prettier than Macabea. In addition, the title of the narrative, â€Å"The Hour of the Star†, is about Macabea who wanted to be a cinema actress. Unfortunately, people would not pay attention on her and the fact of her being poor, there was almost no chance for her to become who she wanted to become, which is a very sad reality that actually exists in Brazil. In Brazil, the poor still suffers inequality, they have almost no chance to succeed in life and they are pretty much ignored by the society. The poor is almost invisible to the society and the poor keeps getting poorer. For Macabea, she only sort of becomes famous after being hit by a Mercedes Benz, which is a â€Å"luxurious and imported item†. She did not become â€Å"famous† because she was hit in an accident, but the fact is because the â€Å"Mercedes Benz† was involved in it. People are always curious about the rich and the famous. They are not interested in the â€Å"insignificant† lower class people that are considered a burden to the Brazilian society. According to a journal article, â€Å"For upper-class women, the result is a life of almost total leisure, in which they have servants to do all the work. For lower-class women, their survival often depends upon their ability to obtain one of these jobs. Approximately one-third of the women employed in Brazil work as household workers, including cooks, housekeepers, and child care workers†. (Brazil, 1987) Most of lower class women in Brazil work as housekeepers and child care workers to middle and high class families. Due to low or no education, they are only able to afford low skilled jobs. Yet, about two years ago, Brazilian television program has launched a reality show named â€Å"Mulheres Ricas†, which means rich women. The reality show is about five very wealthy women who travel by private jet, eat from gold plates and women who would spend many thousands of dollars in clothing and imported bags. The show has been criticized internationally by comparing them to 11. 5 million Brazilian living in slums. The reason of the criticism is because it somehow proves hat the higher class only care about their own comfort by ignoring the real issues that is occurring in the country, which is the severe poverty. In Brazil, there is definitely a very big gap between the poor and the rich. Although the poverty is a big issue in the country, according to a recent report, Brazil has been creating 19 millionaires a day since 2007. Yet, the poverty in Brazil is causing several other problems such as th e drug traffic. Most of the times, the people who are involved in drug traffics, are the lower classes people. We can find people from all ages involved in the traffic. According to SOS Children’s village, â€Å"In the country’s largest cities, particularly in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, children without parental care often end up on the streets where they are vulnerable to gang violence, sexual abuse and drug addiction. â€Å"(1) Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city in Brazil, has a place called â€Å"favela† where the drug traffic has been a problem for several years. The movie, â€Å"Elite Squad: The Enemy Within† by Jose Padilha, illustrates a â€Å"fiction-reality† that occurs in Rio de Janeiro. The movie unquestionably shows to the viewers that â€Å"human rights† do not exist in Brazil, since the higher class people are the ones that hold all the power while the poor are not even recognized by the society. In the film, it mentions that the police would invade the â€Å"favelas† killing all the poor people involved in the drug traffic; however, they would not invade luxury apartments killing or arresting people because they receive some commission from the rich. In other words, the police officers are tipped with the money from the drug traffic from â€Å"higher class† people. Most of the times, if a person from a higher class commit a crime; they would use their money to avoid getting arrested and going jail. According to The Guardian, the Brazilian jail's population has doubled since the year 2000 due to the drug traffic. Of course, the majority of people who are in jail are from the lower class. Additionally, there is a scene in the film that might have caught many viewers attention. It is when the military killed one of the members in jail. The scene somehow send us a message by saying that it was not a big deal killing one of them since they are â€Å"trouble† anyways. I believe that the movie certainly try to send a message by saying that Brazil needs to start listening to the lower class opinion and do not ignore or kill them without any reasons. The lower class and higher class people in Brazil share something similar and that is: both are humans. â€Å"Human rights† should be more clearly addressed in the country and the â€Å"Rich rights† should be banned. Most of Brazilian literary narratives and movies that we have watched in class, it involves children and adolescents working and not receiving any education. According to SOS Children’s Village, â€Å"Quite frequently, young children have to engage in labour activities in order to put food on the table for an entire family. In the state of Piaui, approximately 26 per cent of children between 10 and 15 years of age are working. † (1) Looking at the Brazilian demographic, Brazil is certainly a very young country with 25 percent of the population being under 15 year old. The country depends on these young populations for the economic and social growth in the future. Yet, looking at the national estimates, about 24,000 children and teenagers call the streets their home. The lower class children definitely have the disadvantage of not getting any education and no hope for a better future. While the higher classes children will still be the ones to succeed in life and dominate the country. If the inequality between the rich and the poor in Brazil does not change, the poor will always remain poor and it is possible that the problem can become more severe in the future. Even though many literary stories and movies composed by Brazilian authors are â€Å"just stories† or â€Å"fantasies†, some of them still try to send an indirect message to the public that â€Å"social class† in Brazil is a problem and it needs to be changed. In addition, the movie, â€Å"Four days in September†, directed by Bruno Barreto, is about a reality that happened in Brazil years ago, involving the MR8 group, who was fighting against the military dictatorship and fighting for human rights. The group was formed by some young members, who were very naive, did not have much experience in life and did not think about future consequences that they could face by being involved† in this type of activity. Thankful to this group formation, Brazil has overcome the military dictatorship. Although, the country has overcome the dictatorship, human rights are still a problem. Showing that you have money is a way to receive respect from people. In the movie, there is a scene where one of the young members of MR8 goes to a bakery to buy bread; however, the baker underestimated him by asking if he had enough money to buy. The way you dress, the way you speak and the amount of money that you hold is the way that people are going to treat you. If you dress badly and is considered part of lower class, your opinion will not even be considered and there is almost zero respect towards you. Therefore, I believe that many people in Brazil are confused between â€Å"human rights† and â€Å"class†. According to the federal government in Brazil, â€Å"The following human rights problems have been reported: unlawful killings, excessive force, beatings, abuse, and torture of detainees. †(1) Most of the times, the people who are suffering under those problems are the innocent lower class population, who is sometimes always blamed for any issue that occur in the country. In, it is correct to assume that â€Å"money† can solve anything. On the other hand, since the lower classes do not have enough money, they get severely punished for their actions or even blamed for things that they have not committed. All in all, even the literary stories and movies are fictional, the Brazilian authors or directors seem to always try to incorporate the fiction with the reality that is faced in Brazilian society. As we could see from the short stories and movies, â€Å"class† is a very big issue and it is confused with â€Å"human rights†. The poor still face several consequences while the higher classes ignore the surrounding by using â€Å"money† to solve most of their problems. Inequality between the lower class and higher class is a big issue in Brazil that has to be solved before getting worse. It is also crucial for the country to understand the difference between â€Å"human rights† and â€Å"class†. I believe that if the poor is listened and given more opportunities in the society, they will also be able to succeed in life. It will not only decrease the poverty in the country, but it will prove to the people that the people from the lower classes also have the potential, but the only thing missing is the opportunity given to them.