Managing Individual Performance Essay

Abstract This paper will discuss how managing individual performance have affected my personal and professional development. It will also briefly identify and discuss several written works on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as well as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Also this paper will discuss my experience through the Managing Individual Performance simulation and results improvement. Managing Individual Performance A good manager can motivate employees and equally to go the extra mile, and complete the unachievable, despite their limitations. As a leader and manager of people, it pays to understand what is important to each team member. Understanding motivation helps me to put my emotions and actions in perspective. Contemporary motivational theories recommend that managers should realize individual differences, evaluating needs correctly and addressing these through the right interventions. Criteria a team leader use when selecting members of a team Team leaders or managers must ensure that the teams and their projects have the ability to survive. To maintain the team’s viability, I included the following elements: proper membership, interpersonal skills, each member should be a contributor, a clear charter or purpose, achievable, noticeable results, understand and agreed-upon ground rules, and intensive teambuilding up front. The changes needed to improve team effectiveness across the organization do not involve individual teams, but rather the systems that support them. These systems include the following: organizational structure,  motivation, promotion and performance appraisal criteria, and compensation. In addition, Jeff Cowell and Jerry Michaelson (2000), recommend â€Å"in selecting team members, and prepare a draft charter† (p11). It is very important to prepare a draft charter where you can briefly describe the team’s purpose, and you can see candidates interest. Team selection in the simulation I selected the team in the following order: first, Michelle Levy for the build case files position, because she is a natural problem solver with good communication skills, and an investigative nature of collecting facts. My second selection was Lisa Srafford holding the moderate self-help groups. She has conflict management skills, ability to facilitate groups meeting and very patient in stressful situations. My third selection was Tony Wu to perform follow-ups. Tony has capability to interpret reported data, good observation skills, and his bachelors in business make him more capable in accounting for external factors. My last team member, Daniel Nichols, trainer with knowledge and domineering attitude, was selected to supervise confrontation sessions. His Master in Business Administration (MBA), prepared him to have good communication skills, excellent conflict management, and with his strong personality made him capable of build mutual respect, discipline, and motivation to victims while handling sensitive personal issues. Factors I need to consider in order manage my team effectively There are many factors in order to manage a team effectively. McShane-Von Glinow (2002) gives us six of the important elements â€Å"reward systems, communication systems, physical space, organizational environment, organizational structure, and leadership† (p232). Reward systems indicate that people tend to work more effectively when they are partly rewarded for their performance. Communication systems, maintain valuable information and feedback between team members. Physical space, with a good layout will improve communication between team members. Organizational environment and structure, where team members have secure resources for their performance. Last but not least, the most important factor is leadership to maintain the ongoing support from all executives to provide the right coaching,  motivation, and all elements mentioned. Individual’s personality play a role in the team’s success Kreitner (2003) describe personality as â€Å"the relatively stable pattern of behaviors and consistent internal states that explain a person’s behavioral tendencies† (p84). Personality has both internal which represent the thoughts, values, and genetic characteristics, and external elements are the observable behaviors. Also personality has recover credibility in organizations in the last years, the reason is that some personality habits predict some work-related behaviors and emotions under certain conditions, and stress reactions. Besides individual personality play a role in the team’s success because this help people find the jobs that best suit them and their company’s needs. Personality preference in the MBTI assessment and how this may affect the way an employee carries his or her tasks. Depending on the job description, you can find personality preference in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). We have 16 distinct types. Some job description prefer ISFJs people with a high sense of duty, others prefer ENTJs because they are considered natural leaders. For example, corporate executives tend to be ESTJs, meaning that they are more extroverted, sensing, thinking and judging types, and so on. These types indicate a person’s preference. All of this may affect the way an employee carries his or her tasks because these types do not indicate the way he or she behaves all the time. I think that these indicators can limit the creativity and decision making besides limiting good people to perform a specific job in determinate area. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, how it affects motivation and my team choice. McShane-Von Glinow (2002), described Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as â€Å"a content motivation theory of five instinctive needs arranged in a hierarchy, whereby people are motivated to fulfill a higher need as a lower one becomes gratified†(p133). From the bottom those are physiological, safety, belongingness, self-esteem, and the top is self-actualization. People have different levels of motivation, and they may fit one of those levels. As a leader you have to measure the needs of each member of your team, because  when you have to motivate or reward them, you can select the wrong level. According to Maslow the lowest needs are initially most important, but higher need become more important as the lower ones are satisfied. Maslow’s model may not predict employee needs as well as scholars initially expected. Team selection and how that falls on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs During the simulation, I selected the best people for the different positions. It was an 8 months project. I had my first situation during the second month. I failed at motivating one of my team members, giving me the wrong results. The same situation was present in month 4 with other team members. After I repeated the simulation and learn more about my team members needs, I overcame those situations successfully. Team selection performance, expectations and  factors in selecting strategies to motivate my team Money and other financial rewards are a fundamental part of the employment relationship. Also public recognition, awards, and membership will help employees to have better performance. It is important to know the different levels of needs mentioned before. You have to know what kind of an employee need have in that moment. Some of the factors include task performance, competencies, job status and seniority. Results improvement after running the simulation again I repeat the simulation three times, and definitely each time my results improved significantly. My weakness was motivating my team members with the inappropriate reward, giving as a result to the decrease in the team performance. Application of the lesson learned at my workplace Job design involves assigning task to a job and distributing work throughout the organization. Job specialization, which subdivides work into separate jobs for different people, increase work efficiency because employees achieve the tasks quickly, less training, and matching more closely with the jobs best suited to their skills. Although, reduce stress, problems, increase product or service quality, and decrease costs. Leadership is the process of influencing oneself to establish the right direction and  motivation needed to perform a task. Also I have to include personal goal setting, constructive thought, design the right rewards, self-monitoring, and self-reinforcement. Better knowledge of the needs of each team members will help leaders to make the right decisions without affecting the individual performance. Leaders require a process of observation, reflection, and evaluation. It necessitates that we take time periodically to think about what has happened. Were there conflicts? How were they handled? What has gone well and why has it? What has not gone well and why? Could we have done better? Most importantly, we must develop the skill of asking ourselves what steps we can take to be more effective either in our current team or as a member of future teams. As I said in the beginning, a good manager motivates people to achieve the impossible without limitations. This become possible only with a clear understanding of each individual needs with the help of all motivational theories recommended. This understanding is implemented though optimal intervention. Also evaluating needs correctly and addressing these though are the right interventions. References Bagraim, J. (2001). Organizational psychology and workplace control: the instrumentality of Corporate culture. South African Journal of Psychology; Sep2001, Vol.31, Issue 3 p43. Bower, M. (2003). Company philosophy:† the way we do things around here† McKinsey Quarterly; 2003 Issue 2, p110, 8p.3c. [University of Phoenix Special Edition Series]. Cowell, J., Michaelson, J. (2000). Flawless Teams. Executive Excellence, 17(3), 11.[University of Phoenix Special Edition Series] Kreitner, R. (2003). Organizational Behavior, Sixth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill McShane-Von, G. (2003). Organizational Behavior, Second Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill

Reading Assessment Essay

In chapter 7, Taking Notes From Reading Material, my scores for the pre- assessment (550) and the post assessment (750) increased slightly. One process that made my score increase was that I initially did not understand how to effectively highlight my material. Highlighting is so very critical because a person could waste time and energy when they could be doing other assignments. For a moment I thought the author had gone back into time and took a look at my notes from yesteryears. I was a perfect example of a passive learner who would highlight un-important phrases and sentences until I had a colored a lot of nothing. Active learners highlight less and try to grasp as much as they can while reading, thus avoiding re-reading. The highlighting issue was definitely a weakness of mine, but I will apply the techniques from the text to curb that problem. While not a great highlighter I can say that my note taking ability has always been a strong suit for me. I plan on taking some steps from the lesson to improve on that as well. Effective note taking saves time and makes learning easier to retain. 3 In Chapter 8, Improving Reading Comprehension, my pre-assessment scores (550) and my post assessment scores (650) are almost identical. I believe that to be because most of the reading I had never experienced before or it could have been due to the fact that I have been out of school a very long time. Nevertheless, there are certainly some habits that I need to build upon to improve my personal reading comprehension. Knowing your purpose and reading responsibility is very important while learning. A person’s reading purpose could be for their own greater good, to just challenge themselves, or to just be intent. One’s reading responsibility allows you to be able to answer questions during an exam or just keeping for use later on. If a person doesn’t have a purpose or responsibility they have no direction and time is wasted. I did learn that being more engaged helps me learn better. In Chapter 9, Revving Up Your Reading, my scores for the pre-assessment (350) and the post assessment (600) nearly doubled. This was in result to the fact that speed reading is totally new to me. I have never experienced or taught how to speed read so this is a new learning curve to me. One weakness that I discovered about myself if that I prefer to read moving my lips or out loud slightly. According to the text, talking to yourself while reading tires you out, slows you down, and it limits one’s comprehension. This is a sign of a passive reader, which also is referred to as low gear. Low gear generates 100-300 words per minute. Everyday reading (magazines, newspapers) would be considered as middle gear. This generates 300-600 words per minute. High gear puts out about 600-1000 words per minute and is mostly used for skimming and pre-viewing. 4 The first activity (page 201) helped me understand a few traits that I learned about myself. Though I am a slow reader, I have been able to take good notes, understanding the information and having a fairly wide vocabulary. To keep my mind from wandering I am going to make an attempt to become a faster reader, which should help me focus better and not lull myself into a daze. The phrasing activity (page 241) was a very interesting challenge. Phrasing allows active readers to take a key word or thought and put a slash in between key words or phrases. This allows a person to get information without reading it verbatim. While most passive readers read one word at a time, phrasing allows a person to read more effectively and saving time in the process. My next reading project I plan on using phrasing and becoming a more passionate, engaged reader which in turn helps me retain what I am reading. The steps and ideas that I have learned will enable me to become a better reader who enjoys while learning. Speeding up my reading in addition to my note taking skills should allow me to finish more projects faster and then be able to move on to something else. Reference 5 Beale, A. M. (2007). Success Skills: Strategies for Study and Lifelong Learning. Mason OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

How the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab influenced everyday life in Saudi Arabia

Introduction Commins (2006, p. 97) asserts that the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab have influenced the contemporary political and cultural environment in Saudi Arabia. This religious movement, commonly referred to as the Wahhabi movement started in central Arabia in the mid-18th Century and grew because of the preaching and scholarship of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. According to Zayd (2006, p. 41), Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was a scholar of Islamic jurisprudence who received his education in Mesopotamia and Hijaz and then returned to Najd (central Arabia) to advocate for Islamic reforms. This paper explores how his teachings influenced the everyday life in Saudi Arabia. Allen (2006, p.89) says that Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was concerned with the practices of the people of Najd, which he regarded as polytheistic and wanted them to stop the practices. He wanted reforms that would remove all practices that were added to Islam after the death of Mohammad. He was against practices like using votive and sacrificial offerings, veneration of caves, stones and trees, celebration of birthdays of prophets, praying to saints and making pilgrimages to special mosques and tombs. These were common practices in Najd and the people here regarded them as being in compliance with Islamic teachings. However, to Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab they were polytheistic. He was concerned with these practices because he perceived them as being lax in terms of adherence to Islamic law. In addition to this, he was also concerned with the fact that the people were reluctant to perform religious devotions like disregard to obligatory prayers, not showing care to the widows and orph ans, rampant adultery and failure to give women their fair share of inheritance. These practices formed the basis of his preaching as he was determined to make the people change their ways of life and start living in full compliance with Islamic laws. Weston (2008, p. 11) asserts that his teachings revolved around the breaches of Islamic laws and emphasised the need to comply with all customary practices like jahiliya. He initially encountered opposition but eventually overcame it by forming an alliance with Muhammad ibn Saud, a local chieftain. This alliance ensured that his influence endured through difficult times because Muhammad ibn Saud was very powerful in southern Najd. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and his descendants converted the alliance that was initially for political loyalty into religious obligation that had to be followed by everyone. In his teachings, he insisted that all Muslims must present an oath of allegiance (bayah) to Muslim leaders when alive so that they can get redemption when they die. He emphasised that Muslim leaders must be given unquestionable allegiance from the people as long as they are providing leadership that is in full conformity with Islamic laws. He held the perception that the purpose of the Muslim community was to be a living embodiment of Islamic laws (Hegghammer & Lacroix 2011, p. 64). The responsibility of ensuring that the community knows and conforms to the laws of God lay squarely on the legitimate rulers. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and his followers then started a jihad targeting the backsliding Muslims in the region to ensure that there is total obedience to Muslim rulers and God. This was the beginning of religious intolerance in Saudi Arabia. Fatah (2008, p. 77) claims that the key message in the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was tawhid (oneness of God). Tawhid is very important in Saudi Arabia and it is emphasised by both state and religious leaders. It is for this reason that its adherents call the movement as the call for unity (ad dawa lil tawhid). He was against third party intercession and all prayer rituals because he considered them as leading to shirk. This is why he objected Sufi mysticism, celebrating the birthdays of prophets and Shia m ourning ceremonies which were considered as religious festivals. As a consequence grave marking, building of tombs and any other shrines are forbidden in Wahhabism. However this is partly practised in Saudi Arabia because the shrine of Prophet Muhammad is in the country and Muslims go there to pay pilgrimage. They only accept authority from the Sunna and Quran and disregard any reinterpretation of the two books on issues that were already settled by the previous jurists. They totally remain opposed to reinterpretation but give allowance for interpreting the areas not decided by the earlier jurists. Livingstone (2011, p. 50) suggests that they literally interpret the Sunna and Quran and aim towards enforcing parochial Najd practices. The religious and political leadership work collectively in ensuring that there is conformity in behaviour throughout the country. Life in Saudi Arabia is guided by Wahhabism as the government remains committed to ensuring that there is full compliance w ith Islamic laws (Brym & Lie 2010, p. 31). In addition to this, the government has supported the Wahhabi literal interpretations of right and wrong behaviour. Prayer performance in a ritually correct and punctual manner is required of all men. Livingstone (2011, p.54) says that all the believers are forbidden from taking wine because literally, the Quran forbids it. They have extended this ban to include all intoxicating drinks and stimulants like tobacco. Both men and women are required to dress modestly in accordance with the Quran. These conservative regulations have direct influence on all aspects of life in Saudi Arabia. The leaders of Saudi Arabia support the conservative religious establishment and monitor closely the people who present potential threats to their regimes (Lacroix & Holoch 2011, p. 96). In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia ranks as one of the most conservative and restrictive countries with those who do not subscribe to the Islamic religion barred from practicing their faith even in private (DeLong-Bas 2007, p. 66). It is this harsh, conservative and restrictive environment that has led to radicalisation of some people in Saudi Arabia as they have no tolerance to other religious faiths. In school the religious curriculum teaches students that there are two types of people; the first one is the Salafis (Wahhabis) who are the chosen ones and will go to heaven because they are the winners. The other group are Muslims, Jews, Christians and all other religions. These ones are either, enervators, or deniers of God (kafirs) or they put their gods next to God (mushrak). The Sunni Muslims are called enervators because they do things that are proscribed by Salafis like celebrating the birthday of Prophet Mohammed (Husain 2009, p. 15). All these groups of people are not accepted by the Saudi Arabians as Muslims and as such, they are supposed to be hated, persecuted and even killed. This is what the government is encouraging and has led the Saudi Arabia ns to be intolerant to any other dissenting views on religion because of the rapid radicalisation and fundamentalism (Allen 2006, p. 77). This paper has shown that the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab influenced everyday life in Saudi Arabia. His teachings, which were originally intended to bring reforms to the Islamic faith, have gone to the extent of radicalising the people of Saudi Arabia. As the paper indicates, they have no tolerance for other religions. To them, the people of other religions should be hated, persecuted and even killed. This is what is fuelling fundamentalism and radicalism in Saudi Arabia and has already brought about extreme terrorists like Osama bin laden among others. References Allen, C. (2006). God’s terrorists: the Wahhabi cult and the hidden roots of modern Jihad. Cambridge: Da Capo Press. Brym, R. J., & Lie, J. (2010). Sociology: Your compass for a new world, the brief edition. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Commins, D. (2006). The Wahhabi mission and Saudi Arabia. London : Tauris. DeLong-Bas, N. J. (2007). Wahhabi Islam: From revival and reform to global jihad. London: I.B. Tauris. Fatah, T. (2008). Chasing a mirage: The tragic illusion of an Islamic state. Mississauga, Ont: John Wiley & Sons Canada. Hegghammer, T., & Lacroix, S. (2011). The Meccan rebellion: The story of Juhayman al-?Utaybi revisited. Bristol, England: Amal Press. Husain, E. (2009). The Islamist: Why I became an Islamic fundamentalist, what I saw inside, and why I left. New York, N.Y: Penguin Books USA. Lacroix, S., & Holoch, G. (2011). Awakening Islam: The politics of religious dissent in contemporary Saudi Arabia. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. L ivingstone, D. (2011). Terrorism and the illuminati: A three-thousand-year history. Joshua Tree, CA: Progressive Press. Weston, M. (2008). Prophets and princes: Saudi Arabia from Muhammad to the present. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Zayd, N. A. (2006). Reformation of Islamic thought: A critical historical analysis. Amsterdam: Amsterdam Univ. Press.

Which you would classify as art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Which you would classify as art - Essay Example While any object can qualify as an object of art, every human being has different personal values and beliefs that make them qualify the same item as an object of art. Following an ancient definition of art, any object or activity that requires skills to assemble is artistic work (â€Å"Art and Appreciation†). In this regard, plays that people watch in theatres, artistic portraits hanging on peoples walls, and the well-crafted tables they use at work and home qualify as objects of work. In my living environment, the best illustrations of art are placemats that I use on my table made of hyacinth. First, these placemats qualify as objects of art because it required artistic skills to produce the final object. It is important to point out that the placemats are usually on the top of a table, which is also an object of art. However, the placemats stand out from the table since their form, or appearance is more satisfying than the table. As earlier indicated, the placements mats are made of hyacinth weed, which is a major threat to sea life as the hyacinth mat clogs the waterway and makes any water activity impossible. Hence, the placemats, made of hyacinth, highlight the importance of controlling the spread of the weed. In this case, the placemats qualify to become objects of art since they communicate an idea and they have a sentimental meaning (McFee and Degge). Personally, I value environmental conservation, and I believe that creating awareness on the importance of conservation efforts is the first step towards conservation. Hence, the placemats, made of hyacinth, remind me of the dangers that the weeds posed on the environment, more so the ecological dangers. According to Dissanayake, people’s limited and narrow perceptions construct art, which implies that art will never be universal. For this reason, different people will define aestheticism in different ways. Therefore, what will be beautiful to one person might not

Quality Outcomes Framework (measuring client outcomes in disability Research Paper

Quality Outcomes Framework (measuring client outcomes in disability and out of home care services) - Research Paper Example On the other hand, children with a disability/disabilities are those children who suffer an impairment in their health, communication, movement or learning, which adversely impact their social engagement and education (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012). Identification of National Standard of Quality Outcomes Model Out of Home Care Program for Children and Young People Ideally, the Best Outcomes Model was conceived to specify the best possible results for the Out of Home Care program for children and young people. While it is preferable and is even possible at the institutional level, as of this writing the Best Outcomes for Out of Home Care has not yet officially been specified for the national level. Efforts, however, are underway for the determination of the National Standards for Out of Home Care, which is in its consultation stage under the auspices of the Australian Government Department of Social Services. The aim of the National Standards for Out of Home Care is to  "drive improvements in the quality of care so that children and young people in care have the same opportunities as other children and young people to reach their potential in all the key areas of well-being.† These key areas of well-being referred to for children, young people and the disabled include health, safety, culture and community, spirituality, emotional development, learning and achieving (Australian Government DSS, 20 Aug 2013). The National Standards aims to identify the key factors in the delivery of care that directly impact upon the positive outcomes of quality of care for children and young people. Presently, there are 13 standards which comprise the National Standards for out-of-home care, and measures have been identified by which outputs could be gauged against these standards. The hope is that measurable standards will be defined and set at the best practice level, to ensure that all legal jurisdictions in Australia are aimed at driving improvements consis tent with each other. These factors that may form the bases for standard setting include (Australian Government DSS, 20 Aug 2013): Stability of placements and relationships Regular health and well-being checks Transition planning that involves children and young people (i.e. into during and existing care) Appropriate carer assessment, screening, training and support By setting the standards and defining the best practices, the goal of defining the desired outcome for children in care, in a manner that is identifiable, measurable and therefore capable of objective assessment, becomes possible. These desired outcomes for children in care, herein identified according to their respective areas of well-being earlier specified, include: Health, both physical and mental Attain and maintain good health Develop effective coping style Safety A stable environment that is free from physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse Develop social connections Learning and achieving Achievement of developme ntal milestones Participation and achievement in education Emotional development Stability in behaviour Positive and supportive relationships Culture and community Cultural identity and ethnic pride Participation in community Spirituality Positive sense of identity Connection to family

Efficacy of institutions in the global system Research Paper

Efficacy of institutions in the global system - Research Paper Example This denotes the significance of international institutions, such as International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organization (WTO), and World Bank in helping countries respond more to the challenges of globalization (Milner 836). This paper attempts to demonstrate the significance of international institutions to enhance the economy of various countries. It also provides evidence that these multilateral institutions have a valuable impact on the economy of developing nations. Role of International Institutions The primary goal of International Monetary Fund (IMF) is to help improve the economy of less developed countries by providing them with short and long term loans at low interest rates. The institution has been active in delivering this role which is evident in the various programs that it has successfully implemented in over sixty developing countries in 2000 alone. Moreover, the mission of World Bank was also to support the growth of less developed nations and to help them overcome the financial crisis. This goal was efficiently carried out through the provision of grants and loans at zero interest to poor nations especially in Africa. In fact, over 50% of the fund of World Bank for 2003 went to projects in the nearby countries of Sahara. On the other hand, the mission of World Trade Organization (WTO) was to enhance bilateral partnerships among countries and to encourage them to adopt trade liberalization as an effective strategy for enhancing their economy (Milner 836). The WTO has successfully performed this mission which is evident in the emergence of various multinational companies in developing countries. These giant companies significantly contribute to the economy of emerging countries through the creation of jobs. This was revealed in the study of Greenaway and Wright on the effects of trade liberalization in the economy of developing countries. The findings showed that liberalization of trade policies and entry barriers has a significant po sitive impact to the economic growth of less developed countries (229). Impact of International Institutions on Economic Growth The WTO plays a significant role in enhancing the value international trade of its member countries. For instance, Rose conducted a study on whether or not WTO together with its previous counterpart (Generalised Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) has been effective in promoting the value of international trade among its 175 member countries for 50 years. Through the analysis of the gravity model, the study revealed that WTO has a direct contribution for doubling the value of trade among member nations (98). In addition, Subramanian and Wei also conducted a study on whether or not WTO has a significant impact on the trading condition of its member countries. Their findings revealed that WTO provides a significant positive impact on trade which translates to 120% marginal increase for 2000. However, the study revealed that the positive impact of WTO is not evenly achieved by its member countries. In addition, increase in bilateral trade is high when each partner nation adopt liberalization while countries without trade liberalizations did not acquire trade increase. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) plays a significant role in creating and enforcing relevant trading rules across different countries. This has been supported by various research showing the relevance of WTO in

Breakfest at tiffanys Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Breakfest at tiffanys - Essay Example Yet, Joe tries to hide it and mostly is determined to show less of the emotions he feels for another. The narrator even described him as a man who is not easy to get along with; but interestingly, he showed that he cared for Holly like he had not cared for any other although he did not deliberately do so. For a man who is often exposed to the unkind and indifferent parts of the community, it is understood how hard it must be for Joe to demonstrate how he truly feels for anybody. Mag Wildwood. The character Mag, on the other hand, is an example of a complicated woman. She drifts from displaying a certain trait to another so easily. From being a friend to whom Holly agreed to be a roommate to judging Holly of going to bed with her then-fiancà ©, Mag is an unreliable woman as she refused to help her â€Å"friend† Holly from being arrested after she was held â€Å"involved† of a crime a certain Sally Tomato was engaged to. Rusty Trawler. The man Holly was always with in the story except from the narrator, Rusty Trawler, is an example of a fearful man who has allowed the pressures of society get hold of him and the way he lives his life. He almost had everything: money and power. However, he had not been true to himself and his being gay. He used women, Holly included; and pretended that he was a true man. After all the time Holly spent with him, Rusty married for the fourth time and did it with Mag; leaving Holly alone. From being untrue to himself, he also turned out to be selfish. Jose Yberra-Jaeger. The presence of Jose in the life of Holly presents to the readers an instance when a person meets someone he or she would find the things that he or she was â€Å"looking for† but ends up disappointed. Although Jose seemed to be a person who really cared for Holly, bringing along a doctor when she became devastated of her brother’s death and allowing her to pretend like his

MEMO REPORT(WAGE NEGOTIATIONS Incident Decision) Assignment

MEMO REPORT(WAGE NEGOTIATIONS Incident Decision) - Assignment Example The union has made it clear that if their demands are not met the employees will go on strike. The firm should avoid the strike scenario under all consequences. The proposed solution avoids the risk of a work stoppage caused by a worker’s strike. The optimal solution for the company is to settle with the union in order to resolve the incident. The negotiator send to talk will admit that the employees deserve a raise. The negotiator will explain to the union representatives that the increase in production of the company came due to a variety of factors including better equipment, optimal use of technology, and mastering the learning curve. The human factor also contributed directly to the increment in production. The firm will open its books to show the union that the company cannot afford such a high increment in salary. The proposed solution is to offer the employees an increase of $400 per

The need for for formal government regulation to ensure societal Essay

The need for for formal government regulation to ensure societal checks and balances on perhaps wayward corporations - Essay Example The need for changes in management structure was particularly evident after HIH incident when the board composed of the chief executive’s friends and associates failed to assess effectively the management performance, deterring non-executive directors from controlling processes inside the company. (Siladi, 2006 ) As trust towards company insiders as well as to auditors, analysts or regulators was shattered, governments started to think over regulations which would prevent such unfair practices. Different countries responded differently to the problem of inadequate corporate governance system. While Australia and the UK have issued recommendations based on ‘comply and explain’ principle, the USA has introduced more severe measures where non-compliance results in criminal punishment. The US Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 set firm regulations for senior management, non-compliance with which results in 20 years of imprisonment and fines up to $5 million. (Loeb 2005) Many countries reviewed their regulations concerning the work of the directors. The recommendations or regulations issued in each of countries converge in several issues concerning directors: the presence of independent non-executive directors in the board, participation of non-executives in nomination and remuneration committees, control and decision-making function of the executives, their fair remuneration. Loeb, L. Executive Summary: Sarbanes-Oxley: Worse than No Solution at All? Available at Ziff Davis CIO Insight. 2005 http://www.cioinsight.com/c/a/Past-News/Executive-Summary-SarbanesOxley-Worse-than-No-Solution-at-All/ [accessed 17 Dec.

A Discussion on Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa Essay

A Discussion on Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa - Essay Example Anorexia and bulimia nervosa are two conditions that have been found to be predominant in females and that too in a certain age group. These are two of the most common eating disorders that are currently affecting many females and a small population of males in the world. The media is one of the main factors that is said to contribute towards it, and other things such as expectations of the society or pressure from external sources also can lead to such behaviors. However, excluding these pressures and factors, many women still develop these conditions, suggesting underlying physical mechanisms involved in the progression of the condition. Many physicians and researchers maintain that media does not significantly cause the attitude towards anorexia and bulimia; however, researchers continue to show that there is the significant role that media has played in portraying and publicizing ideal body contours. This poses questions about other contributors and etiological factors in the dev elopment of bulimia and anorexia other than the media. Biological components, for example, are being considered as possible culprits, along with genetics, family history and social history of the female. Anorexia nervosa is defined as the eating disorder where the person intentionally tries to lose weight by more than 15% of the normal expected weight for that age, height, and sex. Mostly this control over the self-body image is through three types: restricting, binging and binge eating and purging. Main characteristics of anorexia include rapid loss of weight, loss of hair, depression and depressive behavior, eccentric dietary habits, abuse of diuretics, loss of libido, and low body temperature and blood pressures. It is one of the leading causes of mortality among the psychiatric conditions. (Schlundt, 2008) The men also fall into these eating disorders but the prevalence is low. This concept, however, can lead to misdiagnosis and overlooking the condition in the male subjects, th erefore, careful evaluation in men is as necessary as in women before any conclusive diagnosis is reached. Below is the culmination of the various literature reviews, medical articles and researchers, and studies that have been carried out in attempt to understand the phenomenon of anorexia and bulimia nervosa. The path to the discovery of these two syndromes has been also briefly discussed, along with the various psychology theories that have been introduced in order to better define the syndromes. The possible etiological factors that can lead to these conditions are explored and the various factors that can contribute or coexist with these conditions are also evaluated. Finally, the last section aims to highlight some of the options that are currently being used to treat anorexia and bulimia disorders.

Humanitarian Neutrality Essay Example for Free

Humanitarian Neutrality Essay International humanitarian work operates on the principle of inviolability (Anderson 42). Humanitarian organizations and workers can gain access to states, establish presence through a physical base and local networks, and provide aid and other humanitarian services needed by people without experiencing harm or infringement by claiming inviolability as the moral basis of humanitarian work. This principle finds support from the operation of neutral position, impartial action and independent organization. Neutral position means that humanitarian organizations and workers take an apolitical stand when providing aid or assistance in another country (Weller par. 10). Impartial action refers to the provision of assistance to populations or groups based on a set of objective criteria designed to meet this purpose. Independent organization pertains to the decision-making and operation of humanitarian organizations and the conduct of their work without any intervention by external parties. Attacks by terrorist groups on humanitarian workers (Leaning 419) and the bombing of the ICRC headquarters in Iraq shook the inviolability of international humanitarian work (Anderson 42). A justification is the emergence of neutrality issues that affects inviolability. There is need to reassess neutrality and update this concept to represent current developments in international humanitarian work. Concept of Neutrality The origin of neutrality is the Latin term neuter literally translated to mean not either. This implies the existence of two positions or sides and being neutral means not taking any of the positions or sides. When applied to politics, neutral means abstaining from taking one side or the other such as in the case war between two states. This also refers to the state of not having any feelings or views leaning towards one position relative to the other. In international humanitarian work, neutrality then means the provision of assistance without taking part in conflict or war and siding one power in political disputes. (Leaning 418) This also means the provision of assistance to the people of a foreign country without doing anything that constitutes support to the cause or position of one party in cases of political conflict or war (Weller par. 10). Another conceptualization of neutrality in international humanitarian work is pure humanitarian relief by not leaning towards any side over political issues (Anderson 42). The clarification of the concept of neutrality in international humanitarian work is not lacking in effort from the United Nations and non-government organizations. Decades of work in developing a working concept of neutrality continues. This is not an easy task. The idea of neutrality continues to evolve with developments in international humanitarian work. The most compelling development is the involvement of humanitarian organizations and workers in political sides whether this is with their conscious knowing or not. The incident of abduction of humanitarian workers is on the rise with terrorist organizations or dissident groups using humanitarian workers to strengthen their political stand (Leaning 419). Humanitarian organizations positioned in Iraq supporting the rebuilding of the state received strong criticism from anti-western groups in Iraq for being involved in the political exercise of the United States (Anderson 42). These developments are inconsistent with the existing conceptualization of humanitarian neutrality. These also support the need to reconsider the concept of neutrality and its workings in humanitarian aid. Emerging Issues on the Concept of Neutrality The issues on the concept of neutrality encompass its definition and significance or role in international humanitarian work. The confusion and uncertainty about humanitarian neutrality requires resolution to strengthen the shaky foundation of international humanitarian work. One issue is the uncertainty in the conceptualization of humanitarian neutrality in the context of conflict situations (Leaning 419). This led to different positions over what humanitarian neutrality means and over its importance to humanitarian work. One position considers humanitarian neutrality as a core value in doing humanitarian work because it provides the framework distinguishing the nature of work and motivation in providing humanitarian aid (Leaning 418). Without the operation of humanitarian neutrality, organizations and workers providing humanitarian aid lose their purpose as apolitically aiding or assisting victims of humanitarian crisis. The collapse of humanitarian neutrality would make humanitarian organizations and workers agents of state actors or advocates of dissident and terrorist groups. However, even proponents recognize problems in the concept of humanitarian neutrality. This is in conflict with impartiality. While neutrality means inaction, non-involvement, or non-participation, impartiality means action with objective guidance. Objective action has different implications from inaction. (Weller par. 9-11) This could explain the instability of the inviolability of humanitarian work in the context of conflict. The other position considers humanitarian neutrality as passe in the current context. In the present context of humanitarian work, access and work in a state in conflict with external or internal parties involve conditions that become inevitably political by the conflict. Some organizations no longer use humanitarian neutrality and replace this with non-partisan (Leaning 419) stand to reflect their intention not to participate in conflict or war. This emerged from the recognition that humanitarian neutrality does not exist in the reality of humanitarian work because the provision of assistance depends on the parties involved in the conflict or war. Another replacement for humanitarian neutrality is civilian protection with components of protection of human rights and provision of relief (Leaning 419). Protection is not neutral because this operates relative to a party or threat. Provision of relief has basis on objective standards that could mean giving more aid to a particular group involved in the conflict. Another issue is the relativity (Anderson 42; Weller par. 12) of perspectives over the humanitarian neutrality of organizations and workers. This caused and constituted an outcome of the uncertainty in the conceptualization of humanitarian neutrality. The uncertain conceptualization of humanitarian neutrality led to the varying definition and incorporation into standards of action for different non-government organizations, with some organizations limiting their work to humanitarian aid in line with neutrality while others expanded their work to civilian protection in recognition of the ineffectiveness in practicing neutrality given changes in the context of humanitarian work (Leaning 419). This in turn further led to the erosion of the concept of humanitarian neutrality. Many state and non-state actors involved in conflict carry varied views towards humanitarian organizations. The susceptibility of humanitarian organizations to political actions led to the provision of access and inviolability based on the perceived possible political leanings of organizations (Weller par. 12) such as the booting out or the forced leave of American humanitarian organizations in North Korea and Iraq respectively because of ties to the United States. Conclusion Developments in the environment of international humanitarian work support the need to reconsider the concept of humanitarian neutrality. One is the need to redevelop or even overhaul the concept of humanitarian neutrality to make it align with the current context of humanitarian work. The other is the need to develop a widely accepted and recognized standard of practice to counter relativity. These are difficult and involve the contribution of humanitarian organizations. Works Cited Anderson, Kenneth. â€Å"Humanitarian Inviolability in Crisis: The Meaning of Impartiality and Neutrality for U. N. and NGO Agencies Following the 2003–2004 Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts. † Harvard Human Rights Journal 17(2004): 41-47. Leaning, Jennifer. â€Å"The Dilemma of Neutrality. † Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 22. 5 (2007): 418-421. Weller, Marc. â€Å"The Relativity of Humanitarian Neutrality and Impartiality. † The Journal of Humanitarian Assistance February (1998): 54 pars. 29 April 2009 http://jha. ac/1998/02/28/the-relativity-of-humanitarian-neutrality-and-impartiality/

Impact of Tax Essay Example for Free

Impact of Tax Essay Income tax is a tool to achieve economic growth in any country. Income tax is accepted not only as a means of raising the required public revenue, but also as an essential fiscal instrument for managing the economy (Burgess, 1993). Of all the taxing systems, income tax plays a major role in generation of revenue and distribution of income in any country. If income taxation is poorly designed, it may lead to fiscal imbalance, insufficient tax revenue and distortions in resource allocation that can reduce economic welfare and growth (World Bank, 1991). Hence, an ideal tax system would achieve a balance between resource allocation, income distribution and economic stabilization (Lewis, 1984). Patterns of income taxation (both in level and in composition) differ from country to country because of economic, cultural and historical factors. Ratios of tax revenue to gross domestic product (GDP) in developing countries are typically in the range of 15 to 20%, compared with 30% in industrialized nations (World Bank, 1991). It is also established that countries have different approaches to tax administration. Maisto (1988) stated that â€Å"contradictory approaches towards the subject matter have been shown by the tax authorities of different countries because of their diverging interests†. An optimal tax rate has to compromise between the state’s revenue and its economic development. A high tax rate would deter saving and development, while a lower tax rate would lead to less revenue to the state. A tax directly influences the savings of individuals and companies; it is a double edged sword used to curtail consumption activity and at the same time, allows the taxpayer to save money in different development activities (Swami, 1995). The income tax financing the current social security benefits such as health, security and provision of utilities draws heavily upon income that otherwise would have been saved. Instead of accumulating capital, this income goes to social security transfers which are probably consumed (Boadway, 1982). Bartik (1994a and b) suggested that a 10% lowering of taxes would raise employment and investment between 1 and 6%. World Bank periodically relates that economic development is directly correlated to the level of taxation, more so in developing nations where the lower marginal tax rates have higher economic growth. In addition, policy makers in these countries have a â€Å"keen interest in the elasticity of economic activity with respect to taxes, suggesting that states and regions are interested in manipulating their tax systems in an attempt to attract business or to foster growth† (Wasylenko, 1997). On the other hand, income tax rates are increased due to factors such as enormous reduction in the purchasing power of money, heavy tax erosion, urgent need for yield and dynamic public expenditure (Fossati, 1992). While dealing with the effects of income tax rates (ITR) on economic reforms, Henry and William (1996) suggested that one should evaluate the desirability of reform proposals and the impact of such reforms on individuals and businesses as a whole. They further stated that ITR change would revolve around three factors: the tax base, allowable deductions and economic development. While dealing with the ITR, it is suggested that one should study the effects created by these rates, especially the impact of ITR on economic growth (Holger, 2003). Various governments have different approaches and methods of fixing the ITR. The French Government recently introduced preferential tax treatment by reduced ITR for young innovative companies completely based on the economic growth. The scheme was originally proposed to the State by French biotechnology as â€Å"a way to rapid and strong economic growth† (European Chemical News, 2004). Martin and George (2003) analyzed several tax rates and expenditure categories and concluded that the tax system has a direct impact on the growth rate of the economy of a country. Long-term economic growth has a direct link with the country’s tax policy (John and Pamela, 2003). Fixation of ITR may be based on different systems of taxation. Akira (2003) demonstrated that a flat rate wage tax stimulated economic growth, while interest income taxation did not foster such growth. Tetsuo (2003) suggested that taxation based on environmental pollution factors results in two contradicting issues such as reduction in production and increase in tax revenue, but in the long run, this system will help the healthy economic growth for future generations. Olhoft (2003) is of the opinion that spending millions of taxpayers’ money on tax breaks and tax incentives is most likely a misguided strategy for any State when the State is in budget deficit.

Japan and South Korea Economic Developments

Japan and South Korea Economic Developments Japan and South Korea within several decades made their way from being destroyed by the war and poverty-ridden to industrialized, highly developed and quite rich countries. At first glance, it seems that stories of Japanese and Korean miraculous transformation are rather similar to each other. Both counties faced similar problems and challenges in the beginning of their growth path. Moreover, both Japan and South Korea received strong growth incentives from abroad. Thus, foundations of Japan’s growth were laid during the American Occupation period, whereas South Korea after the Second World War was also occupied by the American forces and received huge financial support from the United States. But were their ways of economic development actually alike and to what extent? So, let us look closer and try to answer this question. Many scholars agree that Japan’s and South Korea’s outstanding economic performance was a result of strong government policies and efficient reforms. The countries’ approaches to economic development appear to be similar in several aspects. One of the most obvious common features is interventionist policies. In Japan, the MITI shaped industrial policies, while also consulting with private actors and guiding them to the â€Å"right† direction. South Korean government also applied direct intervention in economic system by controlling prices and taking part in decision-making process of private actors. Government guidance and supervision over economic processes significantly contributed to the Japan’s and Korea’s outstanding economic performance. Comparing the main government economic development policies, several parallels can be drawn here. In both cases, high and rapid economic growth was achieved through intensive industrialization and export promotion. Japanese and Korean government counted primarily on development of heavy and chemical industry sectors as the main driving force of development. The key industries were provided assistance and various benefits, including loans, subsidies, and tax privileges, etc. At the same time, investment was strongly promoted. The success of industrialization and export-promotion policies owes to several specific policy instruments and approaches, which were effectively used both by Japanese and Korean governments. Among the most important are mobilization and allocation of capital, adoption of foreign technologies, cooperation with business conglomerates, and restriction of imports. The success of industrialization and export-promotion policies was closely linked to the efficient mobilization and allocation of capital by managing savings and investments. The Japanese and South Korean governments were particularly effective in promoting domestic saving of financial institutions, enterprises, and households by means of monetary policy instruments. Likewise, they also succeeded in channeling these funds as capital investments to industrial production (and also services sector later). The factors of production were moved from low-productivity sectors to more productive ones (Pilat 1993). While conducting industrialization and promoting export, Japanese and Korean governments paid special attention to importing foreign technologies. Investments and loans were provided ‘selectively to those firms capable of adapting and improving imported technology’ (Odagiri Goto 1993). Successful adoption of foreign technologies became a basis for modernization of Japanese and Korean industry and increased competitiveness of their goods on the international market. Within the framework of industrialization and export encouragement policies, Japanese and Korean governments maintained close relations with big business. Similarly, due to historical and cultural tradition, Japanese as well as Korean business is dominated by the large conglomerates. This tendency has become apparent in Japan since the 19th century. Although zaibatsu were dissolved by the Occupation government in the late 1940s, business conglomerates reemerged later as keiretsu. The Korean analogue known as chaebols appeared the second half of the 20th century. The rise of keiretsu and chaebols was both a consequence of state policies of industrialization and export-promotion as well as its main force. Industry and big business benefited from this policy receiving strong support from the government, which led to the growth of business conglomerates. Rise of conglomerates, in its turn, resulted into increase of industrial production and growing competitiveness of Japanese products on the international market. Thus, cooperation between government and big business conglomerates reinforced industrialization and stimulated exports, which, undoubtedly, played a significant role in economic growth in Japan and South Korea (Ohno 2006; Shin 2003). Another common feature of Japanese and Korean governments’ approaches to export promotion is trade policies, which played a significant role in economic progress in both cases. At the initial stage, governments were promoting protectionist policies. Various import restrictions, such as tariffs, quotas, and other, were imposed in order to protect domestic producers from international competition. While import was restricted, export was intensively stimulated. The combination of these policies proved to be very effective in stimulating economic growth. Foreign capital as an instrument of industrialization and of increasing exports was used both by Japan and Korea. However, the role assigned to foreign funds and their contribution appeared to be considerably different in each case. Thus, in Japan foreign direct investment was restricted from considerations of being unhealthy for Japanese economy. Foreign borrowing was practiced by Japanese government, but in moderate size. Japan mostly relied on domestic capital for financing investment, while foreign loans constituted less than 1% of the total amount. Meanwhile, in South Korean case, domestic capital could not cover the need for investment, so, to a greater extent, it was financed from foreign loans (which, interestingly, were borrowed mostly from Japan). Foreign direct investment was also strongly promoted by Korean government and supported by special legislation. Moreover, in contrast to Japanese approach, one of the main sources of financing investment in Korea was direct state investments and various state loan programs, which also constituted a considerable share in total investment (Shin 2003). Thus, both Japanese and Korean governments focused on export-promotion as a main driving force of economic development. Apparently, in both cases this policy was implemented in a quite similar way. However, there was one important difference. While promoting export, Japanese government also paid attention to domestic market and stimulated domestic consumption. In that way, newly produced consumer electronics such as TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, and cars went to domestic market in the first place, and only then for export. Thus, domestic consumption became one the main drivers of growth together with export. On the other hand, Korean approach was based on export-first principle. According to this policy, ‘Korean firms were marketing their products in overseas markets rather than in domestic markets’, while many of consumer goods were inaccessible for Koreans and sometimes even prohibited to sale. For instance, color TVs were admitted to domestic market only in 19 80 (Harvie Lee 2003). The government economic development policies in Japan and South Korea were framed into economic plans. Economic planning became an important instrument in supervising economic processes and implementing policies of industrialization and export-promotion. Being used reasonably, planning played a significant role in achieving economic growth. The plans did not take a form of strict programs like in central planning economies, but served as indicators for the further development and informed the public about the government expectations for the future. Economic growth in Japan was accompanied by the several economic plans. The plans usually included the medium-run scenario of development, stated the goals and priorities of the policy, and, finally, indicated the possible line of action for the private sector. The first one – the Economic Self-Reliance Five-Year Plan was adopted in 1955. It was followed by the Doubling National Income Plan in 1960, which became the most efficient one. Aiming at doubling national income, the plan was put into practice even more successfully than it was expected. The 1970s were also marked by several economic plans; each of them was designed accordingly to the situation to address current problems. The Economic and Social Development Plan of 1967-1971 and the New Economic and Social Development Plan of 1970-1975 were focused on the problems that appeared as a consequence of the rapid economic progress and emphasized balancing economic development. Further, the Economic and Social Basic Plan, wh ich was dealing with the development of Japan internationally and welfare of society, was in force between 1973 and 1977. The first oil crisis brought changes to the Japan’s government economic policies, so the Economic Plan for the Second Half of the 1970’s introduced for the period of 1976-1980 promoted initiatives for energy-saving (Otsubo 2007). Likewise, in South Korea, economic planning was an essential element of government developmental policies. Economic plans were developed by the special agency, The Economic Planning Board, established in 1961. Altogether, seven five-year economic development plans were implemented during the economic miracle period of 1960s-1990s. Plans were establishing targets of various macroeconomic indicators, such as rate of growth, rates of investment and saving as a share of GNP, as well as exports and imports targets. The general direction of development and goals to achieve were indicated in the plans. Plans also included the development strategies. Generally, Korean economic development plans paid special attention to industrialization and exports as the main factors of economic growth. At the initial stage, emphasis was put on promotion of light industries development and import substitution, whereas later, focus shifted to heavy and chemical sector, and also exports expansion. In the las t three plans the course was taken on gradual easing of government control and liberalization of trade (The Federation of Korean Industries 1987). Although the government policies and reforms clearly made the greatest contribution to the Japan’s and South Korea’s economic growth, it is worth to mention one more important factor, without which economic miracle would not, probably, happen at all. This refers to the cultural peculiarities of the Japanese and Koreans. Japan and South Korea are both East Asian countries with strong collectivist culture influenced by Confucianism. Being the two basic cultural features, Confucian tradition and collectivism create a unique and favorable environment for economic development. Confucianism as an official ideology was dominating in East Asian countries from the end of the 13th century. By the end of the 19th century its influence became weak and limited, and today Confucianism does not exist in its original understanding as the social and political system. Nevertheless, Confucian ethics and values still remain relevant in the modern East Asian societies. The value system alon g with the social structure in Japan and Korea are strongly influenced by the Confucian tradition, which is quite evident in everyday life. Primarily, the Confucian teaching stressed the humaneness and the harmonious relations between the people. In practice, this principle means the respect to the authorities, to parents, to elder people, placing collective interests prior to the personal, and taking care of other members of the group. The dominance of the Confucian system of values contributed to the formation of the strong collectivist culture in East Asian countries, in contrast to the Western European individualism. The importance of nation, society, community and family over the individual has become the main feature of East Asian cultures, Japanese and Korean particularly. Obviously, such attitude of Koreans and Japanese to the collective interests and their strong feeling of responsibility before the community are among the main factors that contributed to the prosperity of these nations. Generally, owing to these national traits, East Asia has become the most dynamically developing region, growing stronger and gaining more influence on the international arena over the last decades (Hang 2011). To conclude, Japan and Korea came to the economic miracle in quite a similar way. Despite the deep economic crises and social and political instability brought by the wars, Japan and South Korea successfully transformed into economically advanced countries within several decades, which are quite rare cases in world history. Although sometimes different in details, Japanese and Korean approaches, generally, coincide in many aspects. Economic development in both cases was led by intensive industrialization and export-promotion implemented through the system of administrative guidance and economic planning. Consequently, it appears that this particular combination of instruments against a background of East Asian cultural tradition led to such outstanding results and created economic miracle in Japan and South Korea. Conclusion In the second half of 20th century, Japan and South Korea presented to the world two notable cases of remarkable economic transformation known as economic miracle. Many scholars agree that much of a credit for their success belongs to the government policies. This thesis has been a study of the mechanism of Japanese and Korean economic miracles in the context of government policies in historical perspective. The first goal of this research was to find out what were the fundamental policies that contributed to their economic miracles. And secondly, it aimed to determine if Japanese and Korean approaches were similar. It was supposed that economic development strategies of Japanese and Korean government were partly similar, while based primarily on policies of industrialization and export-promotion. At the beginning of their path, Japan and South Korea were heavily affected by the war and, as a consequence, plunged into the deep social and economic crises. To recover their economies, countries’ governments undertook quite similar approaches. Primarily, their development patterns were characterized by government intervention into the market processes through administrative guidance and with the help of economic plans. While not going to extremes, Japanese and Korean approach allowed avoiding both deregulation of the free-market system and over-regulation of central planning. The policy of reasonable, balanced and appropriate intervention into economy proved to be very effective in Japanese and Korean cases (Liu 2012). Economic development policies emphasized intensive industrialization and promotion of export as the basis of economic growth. The industrialization and exports were stimulated by means of effective mobilization and allocation of domestic and foreign capital, import of foreign technologies, maintaining strong relations with business conglomerates, and also restriction of imports. Noteworthy, the success of this particular development strategy in both Japan and South Korea was not accidental, but owes to the East Asian cultural background based on Confucian and collectivist tradition. Similarly to Japanese and Korean experience, other East Asian countries, including Singapore and Taiwan, also managed to achieve high economic growth within quite a short period of time through this scheme. The examples of Japan, South Korea, and other countries of East Asian region that reached high growth allow assuming that this approach forms the basis of so-called East Asian model of economic growth. To conclude, during the last 25 years Japanese economy recorded average growth rate of around 1.3% annually. Certainly, this figure can not be compared with the high growth of the 1960s. However, against a background of the world trend towards economic decline, this rate does not look that bad and is in line with growth rates of other developed countries. In spite of slow growth, Japan still remains one of the largest economies in the world. Moreover, official statistics showing economic decline do not reflect actual Japan’s reality. Japan is a highly developed and rich country with one of the highest standard of living. On the other hand, South Korea is one of the most rapidly developing countries being the 15th largest economy in the world. Korea is known as one of the Asian Tigers together with Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Over the last several years, its economy has been growing at a stable rate of around 3% per annum. Korea and Japan together are among the world lead ers of technological innovation (Blaauw 2014; Dadush 2014). Much of the present economic attainments of Japan and South Korea can be traced to their economic miracles of the second half of 20th century. Despite some recent and current difficulties, Japan’s and Korea’s history demonstrates their great potential, so it is to be believed that even better achievements are yet to come.

Setting in Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway Essay exampl

Swaying trees in the distance, blue skies and birds chirping, all of these are examples of setting. Setting can create the mood and tone of characters in a story. In the story Hills Like White Elephants, the story starts out with our two characters, Jig and the American, also referred to as the man, on a train overlooking mountains. â€Å"The girl was looking off at the line of hills. They were white in the sun and the country was brown and dry† (Hemingway). In the case of this short story, the hills provided Jig something to take her mind off of the grueling conversation she was having with the Man. As said by a critic, â€Å"the story itself is comprised almost entirely of dialogue. Although there is a situation, there is no plot† (Henningfield). This characteristic makes the story harder to identify. As the couple reached the station they sat down on a bench and continued to talk. â€Å"The girl stood up and walked to the end of the station, looking at f ields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro† (Hemingway). The location of setting plays a big role in how the characters wi...

On the Grand Finale in Samuel Clemenss :: essays papers

On the Grand Finale in Samuel Clemenss Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) not only tells a story in this famous contribution to American literature, he also goes to great length to depict civilized humanity in a light that is anything but glamorous or glorious. In fact, his descriptions of typical representatives of society regarding their motivations, actions, habits, and morals are conveyed with subtlety but with unmistakable critical intentions. The metatextual aspects of this work appear gradually but intensify toward the end until the novel reaches a point where it begins to border on the absurd, a literary aspect explored more fully by later writers, such as playwright Samuel Beckett. Distinct elements of absurdity materialize when Huck Finn searches for Jim, his fellow traveler on the raft, who had been sold as a runaway slave by a con-artist. In the course of this search, Huck stumbles upon the farm of Aunt Sally and Uncle Silas who mistake him for Tom Sawyer. Huck goes along with this mistake, creating a situation that gets compounded when the real Tom Sawyer shows up. The latter, however, volunteers to go along with the ruse by posing first as a stranger and then as his own brother Sid. The novel depicts Huck Finn as a character who learned to stand on his own two feet at an early age and is used to surviving by his wits. He lacks formal education, and it is clear that he likes to view himself as un-"sivilized," but he is smart enough to wiggle himself out of almost any difficulty. His intelligence manifests itself in an uncanny ability to recognize human motivations and shortcomings and to act accordingly. However, he does not exploit people and generally refuses to compromise his own moral code which is fairly strict and amazingly conventional. Tom Sawyer, by comparison, is a well-read boy who clearly represents Clemens's view of the "learned" factions and aspects of society. The picture that emerges when Huck and Tom start to collaborate is one of almost perpetual conflict of the two in their mutual quest of a common objective: the liberation of Jim. Clemens turns this conflict into a tit-for-tat comparison of an "honor" student from the school of hard knocks in the so-called "real world" and his counterpart from the school of human civilization who functions mostly by using knowledge acquired from books.

Brain Drain :: essays research papers

Brain Drain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The topic I have chosen is the â€Å"Brain Drain†. Is this a brain drain or a brain gain for Canada? Canadians believe it is a brain drain for them. The United States is also losing some of their students to Canada. This is a real issue facing Canadians; they are losing many of their highly educated students each year. â€Å"The issue of â€Å"brain drain† is a political hot potato in Canada†. (Quoted by Wayne Kondro). Many of these students are moving to the United States because they are being paid a lot better. This so called â€Å"brain drain† south was particularly dramatic in the mid- 1990’s. There are many knowledgeable Canadians heading South of the border. Our low Canadian dollar is part of the reason why people chose to move to the States. Canadian’s are being paid much more working in the US than they are being paid in Canada. High taxes are another reason Canada is driving people into the states. Another main reason why so many Canadians are leaving to live in the U.S. is the North American Free Trade Agreement. The so called brain drain is actually a brain gain. The ratio is 1:4, for every Canadian going to the U.S., Canada is gaining four U.S. educated students. Immigrants are three times more likely to hold a master’s degree, doctoral or medical degree than the Canadian born population is. Therefore, this says that people who are immigrating into Canada are keeping more of their degrees, than people immigrating to the states. In the end not all the people moving to the states stay there, there is a small percentage of them moving back. Maybe because in the states they aren’t getting all the benefits Canadians are getting. For example medical care. The facts state that this is a brain drain. There are more than one hundred thousand skilled Canadians moving out of Canada each year. This includes graduates and people who are being offered better paying job. A recent poll said that eight out of ten Canadian’s have considered moving to the U.S. Eighty one percent say that the biggest lure is the higher pay. â€Å"Just over 4,600 post-secondary graduates from the class of 1995 were living in the United States as of the summer of 1997. By the time of the survey in March 1999, about 830 (18%) of these graduates had moved back to Canada†.

Euler and Hamiltonian Circuits

Euler and Hamiltonian Circuits As I type this sentence millions of students all over the country are in their math class either a) struggling to open their eyelids or b) tapping their fingers due to boredom and impatience. They have all failed to understand how the topic would later come of use. Although mathematics may seem to be â€Å"unnecessary† it teaches our brains to strategize, and think differently through the use of trial and error and problem solving. Most individuals consider mathematics to be a dreadful topic, and can never really comprehend how it can be beneficial in our lives on a daily basis.Most of the time, they may seem to be correct. However, they are not. Most of the time, we are using its strategies without even acknowledging it. We use it for almost anything we do: currency, measurement, time, etc. Two examples of math we use on a regular basis are Euler and Hamiltonian Circuits. An Euler Circuit is a circuit that reaches each edge of a graph exactly on ce. (Malkevitch, 8) This theory is named after Leonhard Euler, an outstanding mathematician during the 18th century. Euler had been the first person to study this category of circuits.In addition, he was the creator of the theory of graphs, or graph theory. One of the many things he had found was that most graphs do not have an Euler circuit at all. Euler had also contributed to the field of mathematics in various ways. He was a very creative individual, establishing more than 500 works throughout his lifetime. Euler had been considered a prodigy because he was working with the most complex mathematical calculations under the very poor conditions he lived in, and proceeded to work with these problems until he had become totally blind. Malkevitch, 9) According to Professor Clark Kimberling, some of the other things Euler had discovered or had named after him in his honor are: e (the calculus number), a,b,c (the side lengths of a triangle), f(x) (for functional value), R and r (the ci rcumradius and inradius of a triangle), sin x and cos x (values of sine and cosine functions), i (for the square root of -1), capital sigma (summation), and, lastly, capital delta (finite difference). In 1736, Euler had come up with the idea of a graph when he held the ability to solve a problem in â€Å"recreational mathematics†.He had proven that it was not possible to go to a route visiting the seven bridges of the German town of Konigsberg only, and not more than, once. A Hamiltonian Circuit is a tour that begins at a vertex of a graph and visits each vertex exactly once, and then returns to where it had originated. (Malkevitch, 35) This theory is named after Sir William Rowan Hamilton, an Irish mathematician and astronomer, who lived from 1805 to 1865. Much like Euler, Hamilton was considered a prodigy except as a child.He had the ability to read four dialects (English, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin) by the time he reached the age of four. Additionally, he enjoyed writing poe try and was able to maintain close friendships with other well-known scholars such as Wordsworth and Coleridge. When he was just twenty-three years old, he became a Professor of Astronomy in Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. (Bowen Larry) He received the privilege of having Hamiltonian Circuits named after him because he was one of the first to study it.However, the first to discover this concept was Thomas Kirkman, a British minister with a liking for mathematics, who lived from 1806 to 1895. These two concepts are significant to the field of mathematics because they are the appropriate devices for analyzing problems where it is necessary to visit each vertex or edge only once. People often associate Hamiltonian Circuits with Euler Circuits because they both prohibit reuse. Euler Circuits prohibits the reuse of edges whereas Hamiltonian Circuits do not allow the reuse of vertices.Both Euler and Hamiltonian circuits are extremely beneficial in our daily lives because they are clas sified under problems known as â€Å"routing problems†. According to Professor Larry Bowen, â€Å"routing problems† are problems whose solution attempts the most efficient way(s) of routing things among different destinations. These problems may appear in various areas such as: transportation, communications, and the delivery of services. Without our realization, we use Euler problems on a day-to-day basis specifically in management science.Anytime it is necessary for services to go through streets or roads the Euler Circuit theory can be more resourceful. To show more specific problems, Euler circuits can help an individual while they are salting icy roads, plowing snow, mowing grass along highways, collecting garbage, collecting debris or leaves from urban curbs, inspecting railroad tracks for flaws, or reading electric meters at private houses. (Malkevitch, 19) We use them to indicate where the arrows on the streets should be placed, and in what direction they shoul d go in.In addition, we use them to construct the schedules for when parking is forbidden. Because parking-times are massive factors in street sweeping, it is essential find a circuit that visits streets when they are free of cars. Also, we use Euler circuits to distribute territory into multiple routes for street sweepers, parking officers, and sanitation workers. The objective is to find easy routes for them to travel by as well as taking traffic direction, number of lanes, parking-time restrictions, and divided routes into consideration.All of these examples are possible through management science, a field that most people would want to attain as a career in one day. (Malkevitch, Joseph) Just like Euler circuits problems, we essentially use Hamiltonian circuit problems on a daily basis as well specifically through the use of business efficiency. Hamiltonian circuits have many applications. The deliveries of mail and packages, or water meter inspections are done with the use of Ha miltonian circuit problems because it is necessary that they meet each vertex within a graph.Some examples of its regular uses are for inspecting traffic signals, for delivering mail to drop-off boxes, or for delivering Meals on Wheels to the elderly. (Malkevitch, 35) In addition, an individual can use a Hamiltonian Circuit when they plan on going on a vacation. They would construct a graph of all the places they would like to visit and figure the distances between all of the places, and essentially they would be able to figure out which is the best possible route to take as well as with the shortest distance.As shown in the examples above, Euler and Hamiltonian circuits have made advancements to their field because they give individuals assistance in transportation, communications, and delivery of services. They give all of the following areas the ability to come up with routes in a well-organized, efficient fashion. On a personal level, these types of circuits have interested me n ot only because of the history of the individuals who created them, but also because of what these circuits are used for on a daily basis.At first, when I had learned about the topic in class I was only focused on solely the arithmetic and formulas of the problems. Later, while researching into their uses, I was then aware of how they can be used in real-life situations. With a background of this information, if I ever wish to pursue a career in management science or business efficiency, I will have a general idea of how it works. Overall, these circuits can teach an individual how mathematics comes into play in real-life situations. Works Cited 1. Bowen, Larry, Dr. â€Å"Quick Summary. † Quick Summary. University of Alabama, n. . Web. 28 Nov. 2012. . 2. Malkevitch, Joseph. â€Å"Chapter 2: Business Efficiency. † For All Practical Purposes: Mathematical Literacy in Today's World. 9th ed. New York: W. H. Freeman and, n. d. 35-57. Print. 3. Malkevitch, Joseph. â€Å"Cha pter 1: Urban Services. † For All Practical Purposes: Mathematical Literacy in Today's World. 9th ed. New York: W. H. Freeman and, n. d. 5-21. Print. 4. Kimberling, Clark. â€Å"Leonhard Euler. † LEONHARD EULER. University of Evansville, n. d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. . 5. Bowen, Larry, Dr. â€Å"Introduction. † Introduction. University of Alabama, n. d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. .

Gun Laws in Foreign Countries

Due to recent events occurring in America, people have been seeking out reforms in our nation’s gun laws so that they may feel safer inside their homes and inside the nation’s schools. Unlike some countries, America cannot be considered â€Å"harsh† with its gun laws, nor can it be considered weak when compared to still other countries. When looking to reform our gun laws, our nation should revise and remodel our laws after countries with stronger guns laws, such as Switzerland and Canada. With 3. 4 gun related deaths per 100,000 people, and only . 52 of those deaths being homicides, Switzerland is one the countries with the lowest gun deaths per year (â€Å"Wikipedia†). This is due to the countries strict control on guns and gun usage. One of their most unique laws in the government requirement for all able-bodied men to have an automatic weapon in their home, and ammunition, in the case of a call to military duty. The ammunition for the gun must be kept sealed and is strictly accounted for by the government.Citizens are required to keep this weapon from age 20 to age 42, the duration of their militia service, and are then given the option to keep the gun with the automatic function removed (Cotter). Along with the required militia weapons, the Swiss government also has strict policies on privately owned firearms. Much like the military guns, the privately owned weapons and the ammution are all registered and accounted for by the government. Any and all unregistered ammunition must be used at a government owned firing range, and none is allowed to leave the premises (Cotter).Finally, the Swiss government has strong laws on â€Å"conceal and carry† hand guns. The citizen who will be carrying the weapon must have a reason to be carrying the weapon, know how to carry the gun, and know how to use it safely to carry the weapon (Cotter). It is no surprise that Switzerland is one of the safest countries when it comes to guns. Much l ike Switzerland, Canada has stricter gun laws than the USA, with 2. 13 gun related deaths, . 5 being homicide, per year compared to the US’s 10. 2 gun related deaths, with 3. being homicide (â€Å"Wikipedia†). The Canadian Firearms Program, or CFP, is the group of people in charge of making and enforcing gun related laws in Canada. Some of the biggest laws they have concern certification, licensing, and investigation. The certification laws state that all individuals who want to own a nonrestricted firearm must pass the Canadian Firearms Safety Course, which â€Å"teaches basic firearms safety practices, operation of firearms, safe handling, carrying and storage, and responsibility of the owner and user† (Byrne).The licensing laws states that all individuals must be screened when they apply for a license and that the individuals will continue to be screened after they obtained their license. The CFP does not allow citizens who pose a potential risk to their own or anyone else’s safety to obtain a license and removes guns and licenses from those who do not have a safe and responsible way of using their firearms (Byrne).Finally, the investigation laws states that the CFP have the ability to track gun owners with the Firearms Investigative & Enforcement Services Directorate and law enforcement to investigate illegal firearms activities. Chief Firearms Officers supervise Chief Firearms Instructors to ensure that citizens are always taught to be safe and responsible when handling a firearm (Byrne). While not all of the above stated laws would help to improve the United States gun situation, some people find it may be wise to amend and fit these laws into ours as to make our country safer.Our country does not need to give every young man a gun, but teaching the young men how to properly use and handle a gun and pass a test in order to safely and responsibly use the weapon would be wise. Also, requiring a form of licensing and continuing t o keep an eye on citizens with a license in order to be sure they maintain the safety they are taught to use while handling weapons would be in the countries best interests.Finally, the government should add a clause to conceal-and-carry in order to make it necessary for the citizens carrying the hidden handgun to have a pressing issue that requires the safety of a dangerous weapon. Though it is impossible to make our country one hundred percent safe from firearms and criminals, it is the country’s best interest, I believe, to change our gun laws as to make it harder to obtain a weapon and safer to both use a weapon and to be around those who use weapons.It may be hard to be completely safe, but it never hurt anyone to try a bit harder to keep the citizens in this country safer from others here. It is much more worth losing a bit of our â€Å"freedom†, so long as we can be sure we are safe in our homes and our schools. Works Cited Byrne, Drake. â€Å"Canadian Gun Safe ty. †Ã‚  eHow. eHow. Web. 11 Feb 2013. . Cotter, Mitch. â€Å"Switzerland Gun Safety. †Ã‚  eHow. eHow. Web. 11 Feb 2013. . â€Å"List of Countries by firearm related death rate. † wikipedia. wikipedia, 11 Feb 2013. Web. 11 Feb 2013.

The Dover Castle

In fact, the central tower of the castle (also called â€Å"the keep†), which still stands today, was built by King Henry II. The keep served as a last point of refuge in case of an attack. This keep was unique because it was probably the most elegant one in the entire kingdom â€Å"with an elaborate fore-building, two residential floors above a basement, two chapels and many mural chambers, and even plumbing. † (Every Castle 2014 )He also built rectangular walls surrounding the castle. These walls were thick and tall and were most likely built to fortify the castle to protect the nobles. Every Castle 2014 ) After Henry II passed, his work was carried on by King John and was immediately tested by the French in 1 ,215 when the bloody civil war began. This war was called the Barons' War and it lasted about a year. In 1216, Prince Louis of France invaded England. Many of the citizens of England were unhappy with King John at the time so it was fairly easy for Prince Louis of France to carry out his invasion. At a certain point, he had conquered about half of England. He failed to fully invade and claim the Dover Castle and soon after King John's death, he lost a lot of his support.Therefore, he was never able to add England to his kingdom. In the thirteenth century, Henry Ill repaired many of the walls and added to his ancestors fortress by building what is now known as the Norfolk Tower. (Goodly 2012) Remarkable Features The Dover castle contains various tunnels that were actually built in 1 , 216 during the Barons' War. These tunnels are truly fascinating because they were used during World War l. Another reason why they are so intriguing is cause tunnels are not easy things to make these days despite all the technological advances, so it must have taken a really long time to build them back then.It makes you wonder what they needed these tunnels for. The location of the castle is by far the most fascinating thing because it has proven to be so pop ular throughout history. Why would they choose to build the castle on the coast? Would that not make the castle more vulnerable to invasion? Its location is definitely a big reason why this castle was so popular throughout history. Prior to the Norman invasion, its previous inhabitants mainly used the location as a fort.However, the kings of England really regarded this castle as a sign of power since it was the first thing that many people saw when heading over to England from mainland Europe. Conclusion In conclusion, the Dover Castle changed a whole lot in history as different kings ruled England. Despite all the changes, the castle is very well preserved and holds a lot of history even after the medieval times. In fact, the castle was again remodeled in nineteenth century. It was redesigned into a more contemporary fort that finally contained artillery. It was also used in World War I.This again goes to show how great the location for this castle was and how valuable it is to hi story. These days, the site is used as a tourist attraction and hundreds of people visit the site everyday to discover the deep history that this structure holds within it. (Every Castle 2014 ) 3 Questions 1) Who actually resided in the Dover Castle? Did the kings live in the Dover Castle? 2) How close did Prince Louis of France get to overtaking the Castle? What exactly happened? 3) What was the main purpose of the castle? Why did William I choose to build the castle in that location? 4) What were the tunnels used for?

Characteristics of Yeat’s Poetry

Yeats believed that art and politics were intrinsically linked and used his writing to express his attitudes toward Irish politics, as well as to educate his readers about Irish cultural history. From an early age, Yeats felt a deep connection to Ireland and his national identity, and he thought that British rule negatively impacted Irish politics and social life.His early compilation of folklore sought to teach a literary history that had been suppressed by British rule, and his early poems were odes to the beauty and mystery of the Irish countryside. This work frequently integrated references to myths and mythic figures, including Oisin and Cuchulain. As Yeats became more involved in Irish politics—through his relationships with the Irish National Theatre, the Irish Literary Society, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and Maud Gonne—his poems increasingly resembled political manifestos.Yeats wrote numerous poems about Ireland’s involvement in World War I ( "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death† [1919], â€Å"A Meditation in Time of War† [1921]), Irish nationalists and political activists (â€Å"On a Political Prisoner† [1921], â€Å"In Memory of Eva Gore Booth and Con Markiewicz† [1933]), and the Easter Rebellion (â€Å"Easter 1916† [1916]). Yeats believed that art could serve a political function: poems could both critique and comment on political events, as well as educate and inform a population. The Impact of Fate and the Divine on HistoryYeats’s devotion to mysticism led to the development of a unique spiritual and philosophical system that emphasized the role of fate and historical determinism, or the belief that events have been preordained. Yeats had rejected Christianity early in his life, but his lifelong study of mythology, Theosophy, spiritualism, philosophy, and the occult demonstrate his profound interest in the divine and how it interacts with humanity. Over the course of his life, he created a complex system of spirituality, using the image of interlocking gyres (similar to spiral cones) to map out the development and reincarnation of the soul.Yeats believed that history was determined by fate and that fate revealed its plan in moments when the human and divine interact. A tone of historically determined inevitability permeates his poems, particularly in descriptions of situations of human and divine interaction. The divine takes on many forms in Yeats’s poetry, sometimes literally (â€Å"Leda and the Swan† [1923]), sometimes abstractly (â€Å"The Second Coming† [1919]). In other poems, the divine is only gestured to (as in the sense of the divine in the Byzantine mosaics in â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium† [1926]).No matter what shape it takes, the divine signals the role of fate in determining the course of history. The Transition from Romanticism to Modernism Yeats started his long literary career as a romantic poet and gradually ev olved into a modernist poet. When he began publishing poetry in the 1880s, his poems had a lyrical, romantic style, and they focused on love, longing and loss, and Irish myths. His early writing follows the conventions of romantic verse, utilizing familiar rhyme schemes, metric patterns, and poetic structures. Although it is lighter than his later writings, his early poetry is still sophisticated and accomplished.Several factors contributed to his poetic evolution: his interest in mysticism and the occult led him to explore spiritually and philosophically complex subjects. Yeats’s frustrated romantic relationship with Maud Gonne caused the starry-eyed romantic idealism of his early work to become more knowing and cynical. Additionally, his concern with Irish subjects evolved as he became more closely connected to nationalist political causes. As a result, Yeats shifted his focus from myth and folklore to contemporary politics, often linking the two to make potent statements t hat reflected political agitation and turbulence in Ireland and abroad.Finally, and most significantly, Yeats’s connection with the changing face of literary culture in the early twentieth century led him to pick up some of the styles and conventions of the modernist poets. The modernists experimented with verse forms, aggressively engaged with contemporary politics, challenged poetic conventions and the literary tradition at large, and rejected the notion that poetry should simply be lyrical and beautiful. These influences caused his poetry to become darker, edgier, and more concise.Although he never abandoned the verse forms that provided the sounds and rhythms of his earlier poetry, there is still a noticeable shift in style and tone over the course of his career. Motifs Irish Nationalism and Politics Throughout his literary career, Yeats incorporated distinctly Irish themes and issues into his work. He used his writing as a tool to comment on Irish politics and the home r ule movement and to educate and inform people about Irish history and culture. Yeats also used the backdrop of the Irish countryside to retell stories and legends from Irish folklore.As he became increasingly involved in nationalist politics, his poems took on a patriotic tone. Yeats addressed Irish politics in a variety of ways: sometimes his statements are explicit political commentary, as in â€Å"An Irish Airman Foresees His Death,† in which he addresses the hypocrisy of the British use of Irish soldiers in World War I. Such poems as â€Å"Easter 1916† and â€Å"In Memory of Eva Gore Booth and Con Markiewicz† address individuals and events connected to Irish nationalist politics, while â€Å"The Second Coming† and â€Å"Leda and the Swan† subtly include the idea of Irish nationalism.In these poems, a sense of cultural crisis and conflict seeps through, even though the poems are not explicitly about Ireland. By using images of chaos, disorder, a nd war, Yeats engaged in an understated commentary on the political situations in Ireland and abroad. Yeats’s active participation in Irish politics informed his poetry, and he used his work to further comment on the nationalist issues of his day. Mysticism and the Occult Yeats had a deep fascination with mysticism and the occult, and his poetry is infused with a sense of the otherworldly, the spiritual, and the unknown.His interest in the occult began with his study of Theosophy as a young man and expanded and developed through his participation in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a mystical secret society. Mysticism figures prominently in Yeats’s discussion of the reincarnation of the soul, as well as in his philosophical model of the conical gyres used to explain the journey of the soul, the passage of time, and the guiding hand of fate. Mysticism and the occult occur again and again in Yeats’s poetry, most explicitly in â€Å"The Second Coming† but also in poems such as â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium† and â€Å"The Magi† (1916).The rejection of Christian principles in favor of a more supernatural approach to spirituality creates a unique flavor in Yeats’s poetry that impacts his discussion of history, politics, and love. Irish Myth and Folklore Yeats’s participation in the Irish political system had origins in his interest in Irish myth and folklore. Irish myth and folklore had been suppressed by church doctrine and British control of the school system. Yeats used his poetry as a tool for re-educating the Irish population about their heritage and as a strategy for developing Irish nationalism.He retold entire folktales in epic poems and plays, such as The Wanderings of Oisin (1889) and The Death of Cuchulain (1939), and used fragments of stories in shorter poems, such as â€Å"The Stolen Child† (1886), which retells a parable of fairies luring a child away from his home, and â€Å"Cuchulainà ¢â‚¬â„¢s Fight with the Sea† (1925), which recounts part of an epic where the Irish folk hero Cuchulain battles his long-lost son by at the edge of the sea. Other poems deal with subjects, images, and themes culled from folklore.In â€Å"Who Goes with Fergus? † (1893) Yeats imagines a meeting with the exiled wandering king of Irish legend, while â€Å"The Song of Wandering Aengus† (1899) captures the experiences of the lovelorn god Aengus as he searches for the beautiful maiden seen in his dreams. Most important, Yeats infused his poetry with a rich sense of Irish culture. Even poems that do not deal explicitly with subjects from myth retain powerful tinges of indigenous Irish culture.Yeats often borrowed word selection, verse form, and patterns of imagery directly from traditional Irish myth and folklore. Symbols The Gyre The gyre, a circular or conical shape, appears frequently in Yeats’s poems and was developed as part of the philosophical system outlin ed in his book A Vision. At first, Yeats used the phases of the moon to articulate his belief that history was structured in terms of ages, but he later settled upon the gyre as a more useful model.He chose the image of interlocking gyres—visually represented as two intersecting conical spirals—to symbolize his philosophical belief that all things could be described in terms of cycles and patterns. The soul (or the civilization, the age, and so on) would move from the smallest point of the spiral to the largest before moving along to the other gyre. Although this is a difficult concept to grasp abstractly, the image makes sense when applied to the waxing and waning of a particular historical age or the evolution of a human life from youth to adulthood to old age.The symbol of the interlocking gyres reveals Yeats’s belief in fate and historical determinism as well as his spiritual attitudes toward the development of the soul, since creatures and events must evolv e according to the conical shape. With the image of the gyre, Yeats created a shorthand reference in his poetry that stood for his entire philosophy of history and spirituality. The Swan Swans are a common symbol in poetry, often used to depict idealized nature. Yeats employs this convention in â€Å"The Wild Swans at Coole† (1919), in which the regal birds represent an unchanging, flawless ideal.In â€Å"Leda and the Swan,† Yeats rewrites the Greek myth of Zeus and Leda to comment on fate and historical inevitability: Zeus disguises himself as a swan to rape the unsuspecting Leda. In this poem, the bird is fearsome and destructive, and it possesses a divine power that violates Leda and initiates the dire consequences of war and devastation depicted in the final lines. Even though Yeats clearly states that the swan is the god Zeus, he also emphasizes the physicality of the swan: the beating wings, the dark webbed feet, the long neck and beak.Through this description of its physical characteristics, the swan becomes a violent divine force. By rendering a well-known poetic symbol as violent and terrifying rather than idealized and beautiful, Yeats manipulates poetic conventions, an act of literary modernism, and adds to the power of the poem. The Great Beast Yeats employs the figure of a great beast—a horrific, violent animal—to embody difficult abstract concepts. The great beast as a symbol comes from Christian iconography, in which it represents evil and darkness.In â€Å"The Second Coming,† the great beast emerges from the Spiritus Mundi, or soul of the universe, to function as the primary image of destruction in the poem. Yeats describes the onset of apocalyptic events in which the â€Å"blood-dimmed tide is loosed† and the â€Å"ceremony of innocence is drowned† as the world enters a new age and falls apart as a result of the widening of the historical gyres. The speaker predicts the arrival of the Second Com ing, and this prediction summons a â€Å"vast image† of a frightening monster pulled from the collective consciousness of the world.Yeats modifies the well-known image of the sphinx to embody the poem’s vision of the climactic coming. By rendering the terrifying prospect of disruption and change into an easily imagined horrifying monster, Yeats makes an abstract fear become tangible and real. The great beast slouches toward Bethlehem to be born, where it will evolve into a second Christ (or anti-Christ) figure for the dark new age. In this way, Yeats uses distinct, concrete imagery to symbolize complex ideas about the state of the modern world.